New Chicago Public Library PSA Stars Astronaut James Lovell

When the Chicago Public Library Foundation wanted to get the word out about the 2015 Summer Learning Challenge, they chose RPM Advertising to create a television campaign to engage Chicago’s families. This year’s program theme is centered on space, so RPM designed the campaign around prominent Chicagoan and legendary Apollo 13 Astronaut Captain James A. Lovell, Jr. And who better to narrate the spot than the legendary broadcaster Bill Kurtis who challenges the famous space explorer to read a million hours of books in one summer. The result is a delightfully funny 30 second Public Service Announcement.

“We could not have found a better role model for the Summer Learning Challenge than Apollo astronaut Captain James A. Lovell, a true American hero,” said Steve Platcow, CEO of RPM Advertising. “And when we paired Lovell’s persona with Bill Kurtis, the most recognizable voice in broadcasting, we knew we totally nailed it.”

“The Chicago Public Library Foundation is ‘over the moon’ about the work created for us by RPM Advertising for this year's Summer Learning Challenge fundraising campaign,” says Foundation Board Chair Bob Wislow. “Bringing together Legendary Astronaut James Lovell and Legendary Anchorman Bill Kurtis to poke fun at themselves, casts a bright spotlight on our support of the Chicago Public Library’s space and aeronautics themed 2015 Summer Learning Challenge “Explore and Soar”. Their combined talents will help us attract the private donations necessary make possible a summer of reading, creativity and discovery for more than 80,000 kids for just $10 a child, $100 for 10 children, $500 for 50 children, or $1,000 for 100 children. The best investment return per child in the city.”

“The team at RPM was honored to take on such an astronomical challenge, and in the end we knew that we had the right stuff,” added Platcow.

The goal of the campaign is to increase private funding for the Summer Learning Challenge. The funds keep programs like this functioning. The PSA’s will run on all stations including Comcast beginning this week. The 2015 Summer Learning Challenge launches on June 8.

In the 2014 Summer Learning Challenge, 83,000 kids read 2.7 million books and spent 66 million minutes reading. The learning challenge, also known as Rahm's Readers, is a free program funded through the CPLF designed to combat the learning loss that occurs from not engaging in educational activities over the summer months. The eight-week program encourages, inspires and motivates children and parents to learn and explore in the summer time. Redesigned to incorporate STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) disciplines and attract children from multiple intelligences, the Summer Learning Challenge is a model being replicated in libraries across the U.S.

A key feature of the Summer Learning Challenge is to encourage kids and families to participate in a variety of activities that encourage 21st Century skills by reading books and magazines (at least 20 minutes per day); discovering through hands-on programs, field trips and using appropriate online sites; and creating by solving engineering and design challenges and making artistic connections.

The 2015 program, Explore & Soar, in partnership with the Adler Planetarium and Museum of Science and Industry, will have kids, teens and their parents exploring all things in the skies above us. Highlights on this summer's program include field trips to the Adler Planetarium and Museum of Science and Industry, presentations by astronauts, and a live LinkUp with the International Space Station.

Founded in 1994 on April Fools’ Day by Stephen Platcow and Mark Malin, RPM Advertising was created out of the simple proposition that talent, innovation and relentless hard work would produce a better advertising agency. That inspiration continues to deliver superior strategic thinking, resourceful media management award-winning creative, and an unparalleled responsiveness to RPM’s client partners. RPM Advertising is located at 222 S. Morgan Street in Chicago. For more information, visit www.rpmadv.com.