Volkswagen Donates Advertising To Youth Soccer Nonprofit America Scores

June 19, 2019 by Volkswagen

•Volkswagen-produced spot for America SCORES will debut today, using Volkswagen-donated advertising time during the FIFA Women's World Cup

•America SCORES nonprofit serves more than 13,000 at-risk students, combining soccer, poetry and service learning in after-school programs

Herndon, VA — As global soccer heats up in Paris this week, Volkswagen of America, presenting partner of U.S. Soccer, is donating advertising to highlight youth soccer nonprofit America SCORES. The Volkswagen-produced spot will debut today, using Volkswagen-donated advertising time during the FIFA Women's World Cup coverage.

America SCORES is a national nonprofit organization that partners with public schools in low-income communities to provide after-school programing to elementary and middle school students. In the fall and spring, students play soccer in leagues and compose their own poetry that they perform in competitive poetry slams. In the spring season, SCORES teams also research and perform community service projects. America SCORES serves more than 13,000 students at 311 schools in 12 cities—Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, New York, Portland, St. Louis, San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, Vancouver, and Washington, D.C. Approximately 85% of participants are living at or below the poverty line.

Using its own advertising time, Volkswagen shot and edited a 30-second spot for America SCORES that will air during the Women's World Cup. Volkswagen's media agency, PHD, created an approach that leveraged the spirit and message of VW's own 'Drive Bigger' campaign, which will air alongside the SCORES spot. The spot, which features an original poem by America SCORES Director of Creative Arts, Charity Blackwell, will run for the first time on Wednesday, June 19th on FOX Sports and Telemundo. It will continue airing during the tournament, most notably for the USA/Sweden game at 3pm on June 20th, with both English and Spanish language versions.

'We've known of the good work America SCORES does for some time,' says Jim Zabel, Vice President of Marketing for Volkswagen of America. 'They have a fantastic story to tell, and by producing this ad, Volkswagen hopes to demonstrate how all of us can drive something bigger than ourselves in our own communities.'

'As soccer grows rapidly in popularity in the United States, we can't leave behind those who otherwise have little access to the 'beautiful game',' said Bethany Henderson, President of the America SCORES National Network and CEO of DC SCORES, the largest after-school program for children in the nation's capital. 'We appreciate Volkswagen for its generosity in supporting America SCORES, and helping us provide what is often the only after school program available to underserved young people.'