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Kermit soars high in Times Square with new billboard

"Eats Flies. Dates a Pig. Hollywood star. Live Your Dreams - Pass It On."

Courtesy of U.S. Figure Skating
October 7, 2003

The Foundation for a Better Life, in partnership with the Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA), launched Phase III of the successful Pass It On public service billboard campaign Monday with a dramatic kick-off in Times Square. The unconventional and popular national public service campaign partners respected celebrities, historic legends and everyday heroes to promote positive values and inspire others to "pass them on."

"Figure skating champion Michelle Kwan and universal icon Kermit the Frog were selected because we believe there is no generation more important than the youngest to receive the message that positive personal values count," said OAAA President and CEO Nancy Fletcher. "Michelle Kwan and Kermit the Frog provide a unique opportunity to inspire young people with great role models and positive value messages."

The campaign's message will first be seen on one of the most prominent and desirable outdoor positions in Times Square on the Marriott Marquis Hotel and will feature Kermit the Frog with the message "Eats Flies. Dates a Pig. Hollywood star. Live Your Dreams - Pass It On." Michelle Kwan's billboard "What makes champions? Dedication - Pass It On" will be mounted on a mobile billboard truck circling Times Square. Over the course of the next year, OAAA member advertising companies around the country will donate space on more than 10,000 outdoor displays for the Pass It On campaign, with an estimated ad value of more than $10 million.

"Each billboard in the Pass It On campaign is meant to underscore one simple, yet galvanizing message: allow yourself to be inspired by the actions of others to do one thing a little better, and then pass those values on," said Gary Dixon, president of The Foundation for a Better Life.

The Pass It On billboards are an eclectic mix of well-known celebrities, historic legends, and real-life individuals, all of whom demonstrate how, when inspired, human beings can beat the odds, defy circumstance, and change things for the better. Kwan follows in the footsteps of legendary sports figures. Muhammad Ali and Wayne Gretzky were previously featured in the campaign.

Kermit the Frog, beloved for decades by young and old alike, adds a special charm and humor to the campaign. The other subjects selected for this phase to convey the campaign's message and the values attributed to them are Christopher Reeve (Strength), Gandhi (Soul), Erik Weihenmeyer, a blind mountain climber (Vision), Brooks Dame, a bone marrow donor (Sacrifice), Abraham Lincoln (Persistence) and Winston Churchill (Commitment).

The Pass It On billboards comprise the outdoor arm of a continuing PSA campaign from The Foundation for a Better Life, whose mission is to promote positive values and encourage others to pass those values on.