Better Living Through Chemistry (Except for the Poor Kids)

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The American Chemistry Council (ACC), which received bad press last year for funding an Environmental Protection Agency study that would have exposed children to pesticides and household chemicals, launched a "major public education campaign" called "essential2." The two-year, $35 million campaign will stress "how central chemistry is to the health and growth of our nation," said ACC President Jack Gerard. "The chemistry industry is America's leading exporter, accounting for 10 percent of all U.S. exports, and we generate more than half a trillion dollars for the U.S. economy each year." ACC hired Ogilvy Public Relations Worlwide, APCO Worldwide and the Ogilvy & Mather ad firm for "essential2." The campaign includes a new website, www.americanchemistry.com, "press, television, public relations, online and employee communications," as well as outreach tailored to seven U.S. geographic regions.