Maycreate Rocks The House!

As posters appeared in schools, multiple outdoor boards attracted attention, :30 second televsion and :60 second radio spots began airing on local stations, and a striking handout stating, YOU HAVE THE POWER TO CHANGE A LIFE, was delivered to potential sponsors, the buzz began to grow.

Re:Start, Chattanooga's Center for Adult Education, was celebrating its 50th anniversary. They wanted to get the city's attention. That meant generating some excitement and curiosity by encouraging people to attend a unique event at the historical Tivoli Theatre in downtown Chattanooga. So far, it appeared the campaign was working.

They had secured an unsual speaker. As a young teacher, she had taken a classroom of at-risk teens from a life of dead ends and constant pain to a life filled with dreams and a future. It was an amazing achievement for a group that had come from the projects where they'd lost friends and direction and had been all but written off by the school system.

Her name was Erin Gruwell and her story was so moving and compelling it became a major motion picture titled, Freedom Writers, starring two-time Oscar winner, Hilary Swank. Erin had given these young people a second chance. That same philosophy and attitude is extended to every young adult who comes to Re:Start to complete their GED. 

As the night of the event approached, client and agency began to wonder just how successful the campaign had been. The doors of the Tivoli opened at 5:45 p.m. and students, parents, teachers, local officials and residents began pouring into the mezzanine. By the time 6 o'clock rolled around, they had filled well over 1,000 seats. And when Erin Gruwell walked on stage to speak 20 minutes later, the entire house rose to its feet clapping and cheering.