Case Study: The Foundation for a Better Life

Think propaganda is only for destructive, war-mongering purposes? Think again. One organization, The Foundation for a Better Life, is an excellent example of how propaganda is used in a positive manner.

The Foundation for a Better Life is a non-profit organization founded in 2000 to promote behavioral values that it sees as positive; it is entirely funded by Philip Anschutz, a billionaire who made his fortune through oil, real estate, telecommunications, and entertainment. The Foundation creates public service campaigns to communicate its values, such as honesty, caring, optimism, hard work, and helping others, in an attempt to make a difference in communities. Viewers are encouraged to step up to a higher level and to pass on positive values, with the rationale that these seemingly small examples of individuals living values-based lives may not change the world, but collectively they make a difference. The Foundation communicates its message through television, outdoor advertising, theater, radio, and the Internet.

Founded in 2000 with a $700 million endowment from Mr. Anschutz the organization was first headed by Gary Dixon, president of the foundation. The organization launched its first campaign on November 9, 2001. The original start date was September 13, 2001, but it was postponed due to the September 11th terrorist attacks. More than $10 million was spent on the initial campaign, which appeared on about 10,000 billboards, signs and posters nationwide.

The original message of the campaign was modified to include themes which recognized the state of the nation following the attacks. Specifically, the values of "unity" and "courage" were added with images of flags and firefighters

The Foundation neither solicits nor accepts monetary donations from the public. It is not officially affiliated with any religion but, rather hoping that "the values we share transcend any particular religion or nationality"



Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foundation_for_a_better_life