ALEXANDRIA, VA. -- (MARKET WIRE) -- September 4, 2008 -- The Ad Council and United Way have partnered to promote United Way's new LIVE UNITED(TM) campaign through Microsoft Advertising. The campaign is designed to inspire individuals across the country to help advance the common good through giving, advocating and volunteering in the areas of education, income and health. Through September 25, MSN Interactive Networks will feature rich media banners and PSA video of United Way's dynamic new call to action for everyone to become part of the LIVE UNITED(TM) movement. With the effort expected to generate more than 286 million impressions, the value of Microsoft Advertising donation is significant.

"We see this as a groundbreaking opportunity through social media to engage and invite Microsoft Advertising global community to join us in this LIVE UNITED(TM) movement to create positive social change," said Melvin Young, vice president of marketing and brand strategy at United Way of America. "Interactive media has great power to mobilize and to reach people's hearts and minds. We're extremely grateful to Microsoft Advertising, a leader in this space, and to the Ad Council for making this possible."

Microsoft Advertising has donated its time and services to build eye-catching creative featuring people of all walks of life and NFL players who LIVE UNITED(TM). The banner ads will continue to run in rotation through September 25. People who click on the links will have the opportunity to register to become part of the LIVE
UNITED(TM) movement. Websites included in this effort are MSN.com, MSNBC News, Fox Sports and MSN Windows Live sites, such as Hotmail, Windows Live Messenger and many others.

"We are proud to support the United Way's LIVE UNITED campaign and are honored to work with an organization committed to creating opportunities for a better life for all," said Bill Shaughnessy, global vice president of Sales, Marketing and Services, Advertiser and Publisher Solutions Group, Microsoft. "In working with the United Way and the Ad Council, Microsoft Advertising can help bring the LIVE UNITED vision of improving lives by mobilizing the caring power of communities to people around the globe."

Recently, United Way released Goals for the Common Good: The United Way Challenge to America. The report sets three bold goals for where the nation should be by 2018:

-- Cut by half the number of young people who drop out of high school.
-- Cut by half the number of working families that lack financial
stability.
-- Increase by one-third the percentage of healthy young people and
adults.

LIVE UNITED(TM) is a multi-media campaign, created pro bono by McCann Erickson New York and launched in partnership with the Ad Council, which aims to ignite a social movement of people across the country who wants to be part of the change and to help the country meet these goals.

People can register to be part of the LIVE UNITED(TM) movement at LIVEUNITED.org.

United Way

United Way is a global network, including nearly 1,300 local organizations in the U.S. that advance the common good, creating opportunities for a better life for all by focusing on the three key building blocks of education, income and health. The United Way movement creates long lasting community change by addressing the underlying causes of problems that prevent progress in these areas.
LIVE UNITED(TM) is a call to action for everyone to become part of the change. For more information about United Way, please visit:
LIVEUNITED.org.

The Advertising Council

The Ad Council is a private, non-profit organization with a rich history of marshalling volunteer talent from the advertising and media industries to deliver critical messages to the American public.
Having produced literally thousands of PSA campaigns addressing the most pressing social issues of the day, the Ad Council has effected, and continues to effect, tremendous positive change by raising awareness, inspiring action and saving lives. To learn more about the Ad Council and its campaigns, visit www.adcouncil.org

McCann Erickson

McCann Erickson New York is the flagship and single largest agency of McCann Erickson Worldwide, the world's largest international advertising agency network.

United Way of America

United Way of America

United Way of America is the national organization dedicated to leading the United Way movement in making a measurable impact in every community across America by focusing on the root causes of the most serious problems. The United Way movement includes approximately 1,400 community-based United Way organizations. Each is independent, separately incorporated, and governed by local volunteers.

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