Clear
Channel Outdoor Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CCO) and Polaris
Project today announced a new campaign designed to shine a spotlight
on the serious issue of human trafficking. Human trafficking is
modern-day slavery where profits are derived from the organized control
and exploitation of women, children and men for various purposes
including labor and sex acts. Launching today on strategically located
billboards in New York and New Jersey, the campaign educates the public
on the true scale and diverse victims of human trafficking under the
banner “Traffic Report.”
Clear Channel Outdoor's and Polaris Project's "Traffic Report" Campaign at New York Port Authority (Photo: Business Wire)
The “Traffic Report” campaign launched today in New Jersey and New York
in order to reach the local public and the more than 500,000 football
fans descending on the region for the biggest football game of the year.
This campaign builds on Clear Channel Outdoor’s broader efforts to
highlight the issue of human trafficking with Polaris Project and other
partners in a variety of markets since 2012, including Baltimore,
Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Oakland, Philadelphia, Phoenix and
Seattle.
“Human trafficking is a multi-billion dollar business that impacts all
of us at the community and national levels and demands greater public
awareness and action to help victims,” said Suzanne Grimes, president
and chief operating officer, Clear Channel Outdoor – North
America. “Polaris Project’s data on the size and scope of the human
trafficking industry is sobering, and we felt compelled to use our power
to connect to people to develop a strong campaign that would help draw
attention to the issue in the biggest way possible -- both to affect
change and to send a ray of hope to those who are being exploited.”
“Despite the enormity of the problem, most people don’t even realize
that human trafficking is happening in their own back yards, and those
being exploited are largely unaware that help is available,” said
Bradley Myles, CEO of Polaris Project. “This form of modern slavery
occurs at large sporting events, in suburban brothels, and in farms and
factories across America. We want people to understand that sex and
labor trafficking is a huge problem across the country that demands our
attention and resources – 365 days a year.”
Over the next two weeks, the campaign will make more than 11 million
impressions via 26 strategically located digital billboards in New
Jersey and New York. In Manhattan, the campaign will run at marquee
locations including the Port Authority (625 8th Avenue,
between 41st and 42nd Streets), Penn Plaza
(425/427 7th Avenue, between 33rd and 34th
Streets), and Times Square (1560 Broadway, between 46th and 47th
Streets). Additionally, 23 Clear Channel Outdoor digital billboards
along the I-95 corridor in New Jersey and Westchester County, New York
will run the campaign which will raise the visibility of the issue and
engage the public to learn more at www.polarisproject.org/365days.
“I applaud Polaris Project and Clear Channel Outdoor for this tremendous
campaign to bring national attention to the atrocities of human
trafficking that remain so hidden from our society,” said New York City
Council Member Laurie A. Cumbo, who represents District 35 in Brooklyn
and chairs the Committee on Women’s Issues for the City Council. “It’s
unacceptable that in today’s world, human trafficking still exists. It
is my hope that this campaign will inform victims of trafficking that
there is real help available while simultaneously encouraging others to
work collaboratively to end this form of modern day slavery."
About Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, Inc.
Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, Inc., (NYSE:CCO) is one of the world’s
largest outdoor advertising companies, with more than 750,000 displays
in over 40 countries across five continents, including 48 of the 50
largest markets in the United States. Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings
offers many types of displays across its global platform to meet the
advertising needs of its customers. This includes a growing digital
platform that now offers over 1000 digital billboards across 37 U.S.
markets. Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings’ International segment operates
in nearly 30 countries across Asia, Australia, Europe and Latin America
in a wide variety of formats.
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About Polaris Project
Polaris Project is a leading organization in the global fight against
human trafficking and modern-day slavery. Named after the North Star
"Polaris" that guided people escaping slavery along the Underground
Railroad, Polaris Project is transforming the way that individuals and
communities respond to human trafficking. To get help, report a tip, or
request information or training, call the National Human Trafficking
Resource Center hotline, operated by Polaris Project, at 1-888-373-7888,
or send a text message to BeFree (233733). Learn more at www.polarisproject.org/365days.
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