Gates Foundation Unveils Ad Campaign on U.S. Global-Health Spending

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced Thursday the start of a multi-year advertising and marketing campaign aimed at showing the public and politicians success stories from the U.S. government’s spending on global health.

Cynthia Lewis, a senior program officer for the Seattle foundation, says the Gateses want to resolve what they believe is a disconnect between the public’s perception of federal spending and a much more optimistic reality.

“The more you talk to Americans, the more you understand that they don’t know where their money has gone, let alone that any of it has resulted in successful outcomes and that there’s been real progress in saving lives and empowering lives,” Ms. Lewis says.

The Living Proof Project, as the effort is being called, includes:

• A Web site with videos, photos, interactive graphics, and personal profiles of people who have benefitted from global-health programs.

• A television, radio, print, and online advertising campaign in Washington, D.C. Ms. Lewis says other cities might be added later. The initial ad purchase, she says, will cost the foundation less than $1-million.

• A presentation by Bill and Melinda Gates on October 27 in Washington before a gathering of policy makers and experts in global health.

Ms. Lewis says the goal of the campaign is not to appeal for increased federal spending, but to show the results from current U.S. aid for global health.