INTA Launches Unreal Campaign
10-May-2012
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WASHINGTON, D.C. - The International Trademark Association (INTA) announced in a press release the launch of its Unreal campaign, an integrated awareness initiative which aims to educate teens about the value of trademarks and the negative effects of counterfeiting.
The Unreal campaign will utilize social media, traditional media and special events to raise awareness on the issue. The campaign will initially focus on teens in the United States with the goal to expand to other countries and regions in the future. In addition to outreaching to teens online, INTA and member volunteers will also visit high school classrooms across the country to present information on trademarks and counterfeiting.
Other elements of the campaign include video PSAs of teens sharing real life examples of how buying counterfeit goods affected them, development of educational material and visits to shopping malls to inform consumers about the potential harms of buying fake goods.
INTA unveiled the Unreal campaign at the Association’s Annual Meeting in Washington D.C. As part of the launch, INTA hosted a group of high school students from the Washington, D.C. area. Students heard about counterfeiting—and about careers in trademark law and enforcement—from representatives from the The Estèe Lauder Companies, NBA Properties, Inc., Chanel Inc. and the US National IPR Coordination Center. Afterwards, they participated in a tour of the Annual Meeting’s Exhibition Hall where a sample of real products was in display alongside fake products.
INTA’s initial research on teen perception of counterfeiting indicated that teens are conscious of the availability of fake goods and have an acute awareness of branded products. However, they were unaware of the potential harms and victims of counterfeiting.
“Teens’ purchasing power will only increase over time, and they will soon be the next generation of consumers. With that in mind, we see a tremendous opportunity for INTA to arm teens with as much information about the economic, social and health risks involved with counterfeiting as possible,” said Alan C. Drewsen, executive director of INTA. “It is our hope that this information will influence their decision the next time they are approached by a site or vendor selling counterfeit goods.”
As the largest organization dedicated to trademark owners, INTA is also in a unique position to educate teens about trademarks in general and as an option for their future career considerations. According to a recent report by the Economics and Statistics Administration and the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), intellectual property is a key driver in the US economy with about 30 percent of all U.S. jobs directly or indirectly linked to IP-intensive industries. Furthermore, the report states that a substantial share of IP-intensive employment in the United States was in the 60 trademark-intensive industries, with 22.6 million jobs in 2010.
“We see the Unreal campaign not only as a way to educate teens about counterfeiting, but also about the value of intellectual property and the important role trademarks in particular play in our daily lives and economy,” said Drewsen.
Examples of counterfeited goods include apparel, electronics, toys and car and airplane parts. Fake pharmaceutical goods can be especially harmful to people, as they may contain ingredients that are unsafe to consume.
International Trademark Association is a worldwide association of member companies and firms that support and advance trademarks and intellectual property as elements of fair and effective global commerce.