SapientNitro Hits The Airwaves In 60 Countries To Spread The Word for Millennium Promise’s “Spokes of Change” Philanthropic Program

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SapientNitro℠, part of Sapient® (NASDAQ: SAPE), today announced the launch of Spokes of Change, an anti-poverty campaign and fundraising effort initiated by the eminent international non-profit organization, Millennium Promise. When cycling and sports fans around the world tune in to the USA Pro Cycling Challenge this week, they’ll be met with an arresting, emotional appeal to join a special race in Africa: Spokes of Change, an initiative SapientNitro launched in partnership with Millennium Promise, the presenting title sponsor of the cycling event.

“SapientNitro has long been an amazing partner in raising awareness about the opportunity to end extreme poverty”

SapientNitro created and produced the dramatic, thought-provoking Public Service Announcement (PSA) titled simply ‘911.’ In the commercial, an affluent American family calls 911 for help, only to find themselves waiting for emergency medical workers who are forced to travel on foot. Through the family’s mounting tension, viewers feel stronger empathy and come to understand how slowly Community Health Workers in Africa often deliver life-saving care.

In addition, SapientNitro has helped Millennium Promise conceive an innovative digital donation system on www.spokesofchange.org that asks participants to “donate more than dollars”—leveraging the power of their social networks to inform others, in what SapientNitro has termed a “donation of social currency.”

“SapientNitro has long been an amazing partner in raising awareness about the opportunity to end extreme poverty,” said Millennium Promise CEO John W. McArthur. “Their PSA offers a compelling window into the strain that millions of African families feel in trying to access basic health care every day. We are very pleased that, thanks to SapientNitro’s efforts, millions of homes will have a fresh glimpse into this reality too.”

Spokes of Change aims to raise awareness about the critical role that Community Health Workers play in saving lives. By providing medicine, supplies, training, and bicycles, communities across Africa can move faster to end extreme poverty.

“This is the kind of opportunity that agencies and creative teams dream about,” said Ronn Pearson, creative director at SapientNitro. “It’s a chance to produce something beautiful, meaningful, and powerful pro-bono, all for the greater good of an incredible charity. And, our PSA plays an important role in communicating the larger message surrounding their race to end extreme poverty: if we move faster, we win.”

Beginning today, the PSA will be televised live in the U.S. on Versus Network and NBC to an estimated audience of 25 million people, as well as through DirecTV and Dish Network, which collectively reach an additional 34 million homes. Overseas, the race will be broadcast across an additional 60 countries in Europe, Asia, and Africa on EuroSport, giving the spot and Millennium Promise unprecedented exposure and visibility.

Millennium Promise is the leading non-profit organization dedicated to redefining the approach to ending extreme poverty by building sustainable communities. Through pro-bono marketing services, board mentorship, and charitable giving, SapientNitro is a 5-year partner, helping Millennium Promise to achieve its goal of eradicating extreme poverty one village at a time.

About Millennium Promise

Millennium Promise is the leading international non-profit organization solely committed to supporting the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals to halve extreme poverty by 2015. In partnership with the Earth Institute at Columbia University and UNDP, Millennium Promise oversees the Millennium Villages Project, which supports integrated social and business development services for more than 500,000 people in rural communities across 10 countries in Africa. By engaging donor nations, corporations and the general public in this effort, our work is premised on the belief that, for the first time in history, our generation has the opportunity to end extreme poverty, hunger and disease disparities. For more information, visit http://www.millenniumpromise.org.

About SapientNitro

SapientNitro^SM, part of Sapient®, is an integrated marketing and technology services firm. We create and engineer highly relevant experiences that accelerate business growth and fuel brand advocacy for our clients. By combining multi-channel marketing, multi-channel commerce, and the technology that binds them, we influence customer behavior across the spectrum of content, communication and commerce channels, resulting in deeper, more meaningful relationships between customers and brands. SapientNitro services global leaders such as Citi, The Coca-Cola Company, Mars, Singapore Airlines, Target, and Vodafone through our operations in North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. For more information, visit www.sapientnitro.com or follow us on Twitter @sapientnitro.

Sapient is a registered service mark of Sapient Corporation

Note to editors:

Download link:

http://wtrns.fr/tcVd5-73kGOzcO

YouTube: http://bit.ly/pvjnRb

Creative Credits: