Saturday, March 15, 2008

'My Space' receives state award for commercial

Commercial features a number of area youth

Argen Duncan El Defensor Chieftain Reporter, aduncan@dchieftain.com

"My body. My mind. My spirit. My space."

So says the television commercial, produced with members of a statewide youth coalition, that landed two local teenage-health educators a marketing award in February.

Healthy Families Initiative director Beth Beers and health educator Richard Chavez received the Marketer of the Year for TV Marketing Campaign award from the New Mexico Chapter of the American Marketing Association.

"It's great," Chavez said.

Beers said they are waiting to tell the non-local members of Excel, the coalition, and include them in the celebration.

The commercial, "My Space," features a number of New Mexico youth, including several from Socorro County. Filmed last April, the piece refers to the My Space social Web site to encourage teenagers to respect themselves and to visit the Healthy Families Initiative Web site "Wake Up and Drive."

According to American Marketing Association information, judges from the Texas chapter evaluated "My Space" on demographic, strategy and creative strengths. It was the only television entry that received an award.

Griffin and Associates, the marketing group Beers has been working with for 10 years, entered the advertisement in the contest.

Beers said the commercial got its start last fall at Excel's retreat. Griffin and Associates did focus groups with the youth and drew out four concepts for advertisements.

Beers and her staff decided they had funding for two concepts, with commercials in English and Spanish for both. The students voted for the ideas of My Space and a party at a private home.

"And the neat thing about these is it's totally youth driven," Beers said.

About 40 students, out of the 70 in Excel, met on a Friday and Saturday last April to film the commercials, as is their tradition.

"So it's not paid actors and actresses; it's just New Mexico's kids," Beers said.

Socorro students filled roles behind the scenes and on the screen, and Veguita youth took the lead for the Spanish version of the My Space commercial, Beers added. Excel members also helped polish the script after the media group produced several versions of it.

"It's a really interesting experience, like, being able to make the commercials and knowing youth all over the state will watch it," said Excel member Sara Kitchen, 16, of Socorro.

Coalition member Adrianne Montgomery, 17, of Socorro, said being involved in the media project was fun. She likes knowing that many youth will see it and that she was helping make a difference in the state.

Excel member Michael DeHart, 16, of Socorro enjoys seeing the technical equipment on the set.

Students in the advertisements become kind of heroes in their communities, Beers said, so Healthy Families Initiative staff members stress that they must live the healthy lifestyles the commercials promote.

Last year, the filming took place in Albuquerque at various locations. My Space was filmed in a building on the state fairgrounds.

The commercial aired on various channels around New Mexico and in Colorado, as well as in movie theaters. Beers said her program paid for prime-time slots and television stations gave in-kind donations of off-peak advertising time.

Both the My Space and House Party commercials are still showing.

Montgomery and DeHart said they're part of Excel because they see teenagers having problems with drugs and pregnancy.

Montgomery likes getting involved and showing her peers there is a better way to have fun.

Kitchen said her biological mother was a teenage parent and her birth father was an alcoholic as a teenager. She doesn't want to experience the hardships they did.

"And I want to help other people not to have to go through those things," Kitchen said.

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