Grammy Award-winning country star Gretchen Wilson, The Advertising Council and the Dollar General Literacy Foundation joined today to launch a national public service advertising (PSA) campaign designed to provide high school dropouts with access to information that will get them started on the road to a GED Diploma.

According to the US Census Bureau, more than 35.7 million adults ages 18-64 do not have a high school diploma. Data shows that students who drop out of high school tend to earn less, perform less well in society, and have a lower quality of life. Many of them must work multiple jobs just to support their family. Moreover, in 2005, 21% of families without a high school diploma were living below the poverty line, compared to 7.1% of those with high school diplomas.

"As a longtime supporter of literacy and education, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation strongly believes that furthering one's education can improve lives for generations to come," said Cal Turner, Chairman of the Dollar General Literacy Foundation. "The Foundation is enthusiastic about the potential impact of this campaign. Our goal is to inspire potential GED candidates and make it easy for people from all walks of life to access local resources that will help them begin their journey to a brighter future through a GED."

Created pro bono by DDB Chicago, the campaign includes television, radio, print, outdoor and online ads available in English and Spanish. The PSAs aim to reach men and women in their mid to late 20's who are high school dropouts. The ads illustrate to these young adults that achieving their GED Diploma gives them access to more possibilities in life -- further education, better positions, and more confidence in themselves.

Singer/songwriter Gretchen Wilson, a campaign spokesperson, dropped out of school after the eighth grade at the age of 15 and received her GED nearly 20 years later at the age of 34. She has since become an advocate to help spotlight the funding needs of adult education programs and the adults on waiting lists hoping to further their education. She spoke to a Congressional subcommittee in the spring of 2009 about the need for continued funding. She was honored with a 2009 National Coalition for Literacy Leadership Award at a reception at the Library of Congress, which recognizes individuals and/or organizations that have made extraordinary contributions to improving literacy and raising awareness of adult literacy in the United States.

"People need the right tools to succeed, and, at the very minimum, a major tool on the road to success is a high school diploma or GED," said Wilson. "This campaign will go a long way toward educating people on how to take that first step to make a difference in their lives and the lives of their families, and I'm honored to be a part of it."

"We are excited to partner with Gretchen Wilson and Dollar General Literacy Foundation on this engaging and important campaign," according to Peggy Conlon, President and CEO of The Advertising Council. "Research has shown that adults without a GED Diploma get the lowest paid and the least stable jobs. One of our missions is to ensure that all Americans have the opportunity to achieve their full potential in life. I am confident these PSAs will give them the encouragement and resources to get them started on achieving their GED."

The campaign shows viewers that "You can take the first step" and directs them to a toll free number 877-38-YOURGED and a new website, www.yourged.org, available in English and Spanish. The site provides visitors with free referrals to local GED programs and information on the GED Diploma process. The campaign also has a mobile component. Young adults can text 69222 from their cell phones and receive messages about the three literacy centers closest to them.

"We're excited about the work we created with the Ad Council and Dollar General Literacy Foundation. When you understand some of the reasons for dropping out of high school, it is truly rewarding to let people know they have a second chance and their life can be changed by earning a GED" said Rick Carpenter, President & CEO of DDB Chicago.

Per the Ad Council model, the PSAs will be distributed to media outlets nationwide this week and will run and air in advertising time and space that is donated by the media.

The Dollar General Literacy Foundation
The Dollar General Literacy Foundation's commitment to literacy is an integral part of the company's culture. In fact, Dollar General's co-founder, J. L. Turner, was functionally illiterate when he started the company. Dollar General believes learning to read, receiving your GED or learning the English language is an investment that opens doorways for personal, professional and economic growth.

DDB Chicago
DDB Worldwide Communications Group Inc (www.ddb.com) is the largest consolidated advertising and marketing services global network, according to Advertising Age. DDB has also been frequently ranked as the most awarded agency network in the world by Creativity magazine and The Gunn Report. In 2009 DDB was named Global Network of the Year by Campaign magazine and Tribal DDB Digital Agency of the Year by Media. 2006. In 2007 Tribal DDB was named Global Agency Network of the year by Ad Age. With more than 200 offices in over 90 countries, the DDB Group believes that creativity is the most powerful force in business, building enduring and powerful brand experiences that create TalkValueT, influence social communities and drive results.  DDB is part of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE:OMC).

The Advertising Council
The Ad Council (www.adcouncil.org) is a private, non-profit organization that marshals talent from the advertising and communications industries, the facilities of the media, and the resources of the business and non-profit communities to produce, distribute and promote public service campaigns on behalf of non-profit organizations and government agencies. The Ad Council addresses issue areas such as improving the quality of life for children, preventive health, education, community well-being, environmental preservation and strengthening families.

Gretchen Wilson
Gretchen Wilson exploded onto the country music scene in 2004 with her smash hit "Redneck Woman" and has since scored three #1 albums. The critically-acclaimed singer/songwriter has won virtually every award for which she's been nominated, including trophies from the Grammys, ACM, CMA, AMA and more. Her first book, the autobiographical "Redneck Woman: Stories from My Life," landed her on the prestigious New York Times Best Seller List. Her debut single, "Work Hard, Play Harder," released on her new Redneck Records label broke the Top 20, and her fourth studio album, I Got Your Country Right Here, hit stores in March. www.GretchenWilson.com.

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