• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, September 25, 2008

Highlighting the medium's ability to connect with young audiences, two digital out-of-home networks are launching public service campaigns, including interactive and user-generated components, urging young adults to take an interest in politics and vote. Although they are taking different approaches, Channel One and Access 360 both hope to motivate America's famously apathetic teens and 20-somethings to exercise their civic right.

 

Channel One News, which reaches 6 million middle school and high-school students via TVs in classrooms, is launching "OneVote 2008," which includes a mock-election held in advance of the real election. Though not all students reached by Channel One can vote, educators agree that getting teens involved in the issues and processes of civil society early on is key to their later participation as adults.

"OneVote 2008" will feature political commentary and reports on various issues by seven teens selected from the Channel One audience. They will file video essays from around the country via YouTellIt.com, Channel One's portal for user-generated content.

These reports complement continuing reporting on the presidential race by NBC News, which became Channel One's official news source last year.

The accompanying Web site, OneVote.com, will hold a simulated election with teens casting their votes from Oct. 20-24; results will be announced Oct. 29. There will also be an array of programming around the election, including exit-poll results and interviews. Plus, teens can add a OneVote widget application to their social network profiles as a reminder and invitation to their friends to vote.

Separately, Access 360 Media and "18 in '08" are launching a campaign called "Shop the Vote" out of recognition that teens and young adults are more likely to go shopping than vote on Nov. 4. The public service messages, delivered to 30 million consumers over the next nine weeks via retail locations, online and mobile, will urge them to participate in the elections.

The public service campaign includes messages from Olivia Wilde and Peter Sarsgaard, in 700 f.y.e. and 800 Journey's retail locations around the country. There will also be additional videos from Barbara Boxer, John Kerry, Chris Dodd, and Chuck Hagel available on line at ShopTheVote.com.