Americans Welcome the World

10 Dec 2007 15:04 Africa/Lagos


Americans Welcome the World

The U.S. State Department and Business for Diplomatic Action Debut Film for Distribution in American Embassies & Consulates

NEW YORK, Dec. 10 /PRNewswire/ --

Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy Karen P. Hughes and Keith Reinhard, President of Business for Diplomatic Action, today premiered the film "I am America" at the Foreign Press Center in New York. A gift from the American business community to the U.S. Department of State, the film was produced to create a welcoming impression of the United States for international travelers applying for visas. It will run in the waiting areas of more than 200 American embassies and consulates around the world.


"By showing many welcoming American faces and taking visitors on a breath-taking visual tour of our country, this film should help counteract some of the negative stereotypes about America," said Karen Hughes, Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. "We appreciate the generous contributions and collaboration of the business community to help America present a more welcoming face to the world."


Set to a score of "America the Beautiful," the film opens with the question: "Who is America?" Interspersed in footage of the American countryside, cityscapes, and national monuments, Americans of different ages, races, ethnicities, religions and gender answer: "I am America."


"One of the fundamental facts about America is that we are a diverse nation made up of people from all types of ethnic, religious and racial backgrounds. And one of our fundamental American values is tolerance -- even celebration -- of this great social diversity. This film makes that key point to the world," Reinhard said.


The film was created by GSD&M's Idea City, an advertising and communications company based in Austin, Texas. "The challenge was to create a film that captures what America stands for -- a proudly diverse society that welcomes people from other cultures and lands with open arms," said Mike Blair, Executive Vice President, Creative Director at Idea City.


All video images used in the film were donated by Getty Images, of Seattle, Washington. Idea City and Business for Diplomatic Action contributed their professional services free of charge to the State Department.


About Business for Diplomatic Action


BDA is a private sector non-profit directed by preeminent communications, marketing, political science, global development and media professionals. The organization steers a collective of multinational companies in the development, sharing, and warehousing of ideas, insights, and guidance on communication and public diplomacy issues that U.S. businesses are uniquely positioned to address.


About GSD&M's Idea City


In 1971, a group of friends started an advertising agency after graduating from The University of Texas at Austin. Through 36 years of helping grow some of the world's most successful brands, GSD&M's Idea City has become a leading national marketing communications and advertising company using the power of Purpose-based Branding and Dynamic Collaboration to create a destination for visionary ideas that make a difference for our people, our clients, our country and the world. For more information go to http://www.ideacity.com/. GSD&M's Idea City is part of Omnicom Group, Inc. (NYSE:OMC) .


Source: GSD&M

CONTACT: Cari E. Guittard of BDA, +1-415-608-0806,
Cari.Guittard@sf.ddb.com; John McGrath of IdeaCity.com, +1-512-242-4349,
John.McGrath@IdeaCity.com


Web site: http://www.ideacity.com/