Tell What You Think of Al Roker's Emergency Preparedness PSA

Earlier this week NBC’s TODAY Show debuted four public service ads (PSAs) created pro bono in partnership with the Ad Council, as part of a weeklong series called "TODAY Takes Action." The series features an intimate look at four social issues including Matt Lauer and Fatherhood Involvement, Savannah Guthrie and Hunger Prevention, Natalie Morales and Shelter Pet Adoption, and last but not least, Al Roker and Emergency Preparedness!

"We know from our experience the incredible power of advertising to impact American lives, and I believe these PSAs will play a significant role in raising awareness of these critically important issues, while entertaining audiences" said Peggy Conlon, president and CEO of the Ad Council.

Al personally selected this social issue among the Ad Council's 50 national campaigns and participated in brainstorming sessions with ad agency Leo Burnett to help inform the creative. The segment is designed to encourage Americans to take steps to prepare in advance of emergencies in three steps: 1) Make a kit; 2) Practice drills; and 3) Know your area.

What do you think of Al's PSA? You can watch it on YouTube here!

I liked the Al Roker PSA.  While lighthearted...momentarily it does fake you out that the weather change is actually happening to him.  But it does speak volumes to the point of always being prepared.  Great job!  I also shared it in Facebook.  

Thanks Laura! So great to hear you shared on Facebook.

-Lauren

I thought that the Public Service Announcement for TODAY Takes Action with Al Roker was great.  I liked the back story even more showing us how the PSA was made.  The thing that hit me the most was when Al was practicing fire drills with Natalie Morales’ youngest son and he had to leave his toys behind.  He said, “What, leave the trains in the fire?”  You could almost hear this boy thinking, “Hey Mr. Roker, are you out of your mind?” Up to this point it was fun making a kit and practicing drills, the first two steps in preparing for an emergency.  The drill caused the little boy to realize that important decisions are required and must be made.  This exercise prompted this discussion and I feel that this is the most valuable part of preparedness.  General Dwight D. Eisenhower said, “Plans are worthless. Planning is essential.”  I think he was trying to say that the act of planning is very valuable in that it makes us think, have discussions, and drives us to action. The end result is a written plan that starts to fade as soon as the ink is dry.  The plan has to be constantly reviewed, exercised, and updated.  And all of this is the planning process.  

Hi Thomas,

Thanks for your comment. You are so right about the Eisenhower quote: "Plans are useless. Planning is essential." I never thought of it in quite this way, but this is such a smart way of illustrating exactly why we all need to always practice, always refresh... muscle memory is probably one of the most important things we'd rely on in a disaster situation. And of course, a properly prepared kit.

Thanks for commenting. So smart!

-Lauren Modeen

I loved it!  Great job by everyone.