Ad promotes engineering profession

The American Council of Engineering Companies of New York launched its first statewide image advertising campaign in February.

NEW YORK—The American Council of Engineering Companies of New York (ACEC New York) launched its first statewide image advertising campaign in February to coincide with celebration of National Engineers Week, Feb. 15-21. ACEC New York sponsored a message to promote the engineering profession to government agencies, policy makers, students, parents, academics, and the general public. Half-page ads ran in regional and trade publications throughout New York State, with posters and billboards in select markets.

Responding to a 2008 report from the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), Changing the Conversation: Messages for Improving Public Understanding of Engineering, ACEC New York’s new "Vision" campaign communicates positive aspects of the engineering profession—creativity, innovation, and forward thinking—that it says have long been ignored or misunderstood by the public.

Developed by Englewood Cliffs, N.J.-based marketing and public relations firm Reichman Frankle Inc., the ad focuses on the inspirational nature of engineering by combining an oversized photo of a young person in a hard hat gazing through binoculars that reflect back images of an idealized built environment and a satellite view of the earth with the headline, "Your Vision Can Change the World." The copy reinforces the message that engineering requires creativity, imagination, and vision, and provides examples of the kinds of cutting-edge projects engineers are involved in, such as green buildings and state-of-the-art bridge design.

"The goal of our new ad campaign is to get the general public excited about engineering, to interest young people in the profession, and to communicate to policy makers and the public the intrinsic value of the profession to society’s well being," said Hannah O’Grady, deputy executive director of ACEC New York. "Engineers’ work is essential to meeting the great challenges of our times—global competition, technological literacy, and a sustainable planet. Greater understanding of the inventive role of the engineer should rightly enhance the perception of the profession and its essential, and often overlooked, contribution to our quality of life."