Ad Council Marks 15 Years of Inspiring Adult Education with ‘Finish Your Diploma’

Fifteen years ago, the Ad Council and the Dollar General Literacy Foundation launched the ‘Finish Your Diploma’ campaign to tackle a daunting challenge: reaching the nearly 30 million adults in the United States without a high school diploma.

In the years since, the initiative has connected more than 2 million people with free local adult education resources, driven over 9 million visits to FinishYourDiploma.org, and benefited from more than $384 million in donated media. It has helped reshape the way Americans think about high school equivalency (the equivalent of completing secondary school) while amplifying the voices of real learners.

Now, to mark its 15th anniversary, the campaign has launched a new series of public service ads. Continuing its tradition of spotlighting personal stories, the latest spot features Elizabeth, who earned her diploma at 38 and went on to become a school nurse.

Alongside Elizabeth’s story, the Ad Council has also released a short film celebrating the campaign’s 15-year history and the media and creative partners who have helped shape it.

“Elizabeth’s story, along with the countless others we have highlighted in these fifteen years, reminds us of the impact that obtaining a high school diploma can have not only on an adult learner, but their family, friends, and community,” says Heidi Arthur, chief campaign development officer at the Ad Council. “We are deeply proud of what this campaign has accomplished and of all the partners whose commitment has made this progress possible.”

Many of the 30 million adults in the US without a diploma would love to get one, but they can face real barriers. It can be hard to make time for classes while working, take time away from family or they simply don’t know where to go. When the Ad Council and Dollar General Literacy Foundation launched Finish Your Diploma in 2010, they set out to increase awareness of the resources and programmes available in communities across the US.

“We continue to be inspired by adult learners across the country who have changed their own lives, and potentially the lives of their families and communities,” says Denine Torr, executive director of the Dollar General Literacy Foundation. “Over the course of these past 15 years, we’ve heard from parents who pursued their diploma so they could better support their children’s education and from adults who went on to careers that they never thought possible – all from that initial first step to pursue their education.” Elizabeth’s story is just one such example.

An array of creative agency partners, including BBH, DDB, McCann and Facebook Creative Shop, have helped keep the campaign fresh and alive. This latest campaign was created in collaboration with Emotion Studios.

“We’ve built a big tent around this issue and are grateful for each partner who has shaped the campaign and spread the message,” says Heidi. “Each of them joined the campaign to help us effectively reach our target audience and have infused the campaign with their own unique voice and creative energy.”

That range of voices has produced a variety of work. Partners shot surprise graduation parties, created ‘yearbooks’ celebrating graduates and their support networks, and followed graduates and their families as their careers blossom. While the stories differ, authenticity has always remained at the centre – a quality Heidi says makes the work emotionally resonant and ensures that “everyone involved wants to do these stories justice.”

As media habits have evolved, so too has the way the campaign tells its stories. On social, they shared shorter, artistic moments and words of advice from one adult learner to another. On other platforms, they conducted interviews and showed conversations between a graduate and the teacher who helped them through the process.

In digital, out-of-home and print, portraits with simple messages and quotes served as a nudge to push someone who may have been considering this already.

“Each format is unique to the platform where our audience will consume it,” says Heidi. “We’ve adapted our creative approach to continue meeting our audiences where they are – whether it’s on social media, their mobile devices, or at the bus stop. Our campaign’s zip code search tool on FinishYourDiploma.org also allows us to connect people directly to resources and enables the campaign’s message to resonate even more deeply with both national and hyperlocal audiences.”

The campaign has also partnered with platforms like TikTok and Facebook to drive target audiences to the campaign’s website and resources, leveraging key moments like back-to-school season and the start of the new year, when going back to school and New Year’s resolutions are top of mind for many people.

The campaign’s core audience has remained consistent, though – people without a diploma aged between 25 and 45. At this stage in life, people may begin to recognise that they are being held back from things they might want to achieve, from career advancement to additional education opportunities. “We’ve seen them consistently inspired and motivated by hearing from ‘people just like me’ who have accomplished this goal, and are appreciative and excited about the support available at adult education centres across the country,” says Heidi.

Even with progress made over the past 15 years, 30 million adults in the US still lack a high school credential. As such, there is still work to be done. “The biggest barriers remain the same: awareness and access,” says Denine. “Many adults don’t know where to start or may have genuine concerns about how classes may fit into their schedules. Our website provides a clear and free point of entry to local classes, while our PSAs share real graduate stories to inspire audiences that no one earns a diploma alone.

“Our hope,” adds Denine, “is that the campaign will continue to be successful in empowering and motivating millions more adult learners to connect with programmes in their hometown communities that can help them finish their high school education and create a brighter future for themselves and their families.”

That vision is echoed by Heidi, whose wish for the campaign’s future is simple: “That every adult who dreams of earning a high school diploma knows exactly where to turn for help and feels confident taking that first step. As Elizabeth says in this year’s PSA: “If you can take that first step, the sky’s the limit.””

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