CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
PARAMOUNT GLOBAL | MTV ENTERTAINMENT STUDIOS
“MTV’s ‘Vote For Your Life’ campaign helps turn out the youth vote at a level we have not seen before.” - Forbes
CIVIC ENGAGEMENT LEGACY
Since MTV News launched the groundbreaking Choose or Lose initiative in the 1990s, MTV has played a powerful role in encouraging civic participation among younger generations.
Building on that legacy, Blue-Eyed Boy Creative partnered with MTV Entertainment Studios and Paramount Global to lead the development and production of a series of Non-Partisan, Social-First Civic Engagement Campaigns designed to inform, empower, and mobilize voters across the United States.
These initiatives focused on participation, not politics — encouraging Americans to register, vote early, and volunteer as poll workers regardless of party affiliation.
In collaboration with senior leadership, our brilliant Social Impact team, and the partnership of The Ad Council, HeadCount, and a broad coalition of civic organizations, these culture-driven campaigns used storytelling, talent, and trusted voices to make voting feel accessible and urgent.
Across multiple election cycles, this work supported a national movement encouraging Americans to take part in the democratic process — including historic participation in early voting.
2020 Election: More than 100 million Americans voted early, the largest early-voting turnout in U.S. history.
2022 Midterms: Nearly 50 million Americans cast ballots early, reinforcing early voting as a core part of the modern voting process.
2024 Election: Roughly 85–90 million Americans voted before Election Day, accounting for nearly 60% of all ballots cast.
While no single campaign drives turnout alone, these non-partisan initiatives helped to expand participation in American democracy and played a key role in establishing early voting engagement.
KEY CAMPAIGNS & INITIATIVES
Vote For YOur Life - 2020
Launched during the height of the COVID-19 global pandemic, Vote For Your Life was a large-scale non-partisan, social first civic engagement campaign designed to inform and mobilize voters ahead of one of the most consequential elections in modern history.
Developed in collaboration with The Ad Council, HeadCount, and a coalition of civic organizations, the campaign combined MTV Entertainment Studios’ cultural reach with the Ad Council’s unparalleled national public-service distribution network. Through its partnerships with more than 33,000 media outlets across television, radio, digital, print, and outdoor media, the Ad Council secures approximately $1.8 billion in donated media annually to amplify social-impact campaigns nationwide.
Together, this collaboration dramatically expanded the visibility and impact of the initiative across television, digital platforms, and social media during a moment when reliable information and civic engagement were critical.
Through talent-driven creative, culturally relevant storytelling, and multi-platform content, the campaign encouraged Americans to register to vote, make a plan to vote early, and safely participate in the democratic process during a public health crisis.
At a time when uncertainty and logistical challenges threatened voter participation, Vote For Your Life helped amplify a nationwide call to action around civic engagement. Our efforts contributed to an election cycle that saw more than 100 million Americans cast ballots before Election Day, the largest early-voting turnout in U.S. history.
By focusing on participation rather than politics, the campaign demonstrated how media, culture, and storytelling can help strengthen democracy during even the most challenging moments.
Vote For Your Life - Campaign Hero Spot 2020 MTV Entertainment Group / ViacomCBS | Social, Digital, & Linear Spot Editor & Executive Creative Director: Chris Williams Design & Animation By: Roger Non-Profit Partners: The Ad Council & HeadCount
POWER THE POLLS - 2020
A nationwide non-partisan initiative launched during the COVID-19 pandemic to address a critical shortage of poll workers and help ensure safe, accessible elections across the United States.
In collaboration with MTV’s Social Impact and talent teams, as well as Trevor Noah and the producers of The Daily Show, the effort became one of the largest poll worker recruitment drives in modern history, helping sign up more than 700,000 Americans interested in serving as poll workers ahead of the 2020 election, a vital step in helping communities safely administer voting during an unprecedented public health crisis.
Vote For Your Life - Campaign Recap Sizzle 2021 MTV Entertainment Studios | ViacomCBS Board Presentation Reel
VOTE EARLY DAY - 2020
Originally launched by MTV Entertainment Studios in 2020, Vote Early Day has grown into a powerful ownerless nationwide coalition that now includes over 3,000 partners, from media companies and cultural institutions to nonprofits, businesses, and community organizations all working together to encourage Americans to make a plan to vote early. This became a north star for our messaging for the next two election cycles.
The campaign and sheer volume of participation has helped normalize early voting as a key part of the modern electoral process, supporting a national movement that has led to tens of millions of Americans casting ballots before Election Day in recent elections.
Vote For Your Life - “Vote Early Day IP Spot” | :45 PSA 2020 MTV Entertainment Group / ViacomCBS | Social, Digital, & Linear Spot Writer & Creative Director: Gianna Orzo Agency Partners: Cause + Effect (Editorial) & Roger (Animation) Non-Profit Partner: HeadCount
VOTE EARLY - 2022
A national non-partisan civic engagement campaign designed to raise awareness around the growing importance and accessibility of early voting in the United States.
The campaign used culture-driven storytelling, talent, colleges, non-profit partnerships, and multi-platform media to encourage Americans to plan their vote and take advantage of early voting options available in their communities.
As early voting continues to transform how Americans participate in elections, the initiative helped normalize the idea that Election Day is no longer a single day — but a voting period designed to expand access and reduce barriers to participation.
The campaign was part of a broader civic movement that helped drive nearly 50 million early votes cast in the 2022 midterm elections, reinforcing early voting as a core pillar of modern democratic participation.
Vote Early - “Early Bird” | :20 PSA Urgency / Issues Spot 2022 MTV Entertainment Studios | Social & Linear Spot Non-Profit Partner: HeadCount Created & Animated By: Hayley Morris Edit & Sound Design By: Chris Williams
VOTE ‘24 - 2024
Since 2020, there have been approximately 500 - 800 U.S. elections that have been either tied or won by just one vote. An MTV Entertainment Studios research study found that most people had no idea that so many local and state elections were that close. The study also uncovered that more people, especially first-time voters, show up to vote when encouraged by a friend. So we leaned into both of these insights and continued the evolution of our civic engagement efforts — again leveraging culture, talent, and storytelling to remind audiences that participation is power.
Vote ‘24 - “Use Your Power” Hero Spot 2024 Paramount Global | Social, Digital, & Linear Non-Profit Partner: HeadCount Agency Partner: Sarofsky Editor & Executive Creative Director: Chris Williams
IMPACT SNAPSHOT
34 Years
MTV has mobilized young voters in every U.S. election cycle beginning in 1990 with initiatives like Choose or Lose and continuing through 2024.
100 Million+
Americans who voted before Election Day in 2020 - the largest early-voting turnout in U.S. History.
135 Million+
Combined number of early votes cast during the 2022 midterm and 2024 general election.
20 Million+
Americans registered to vote through MTV civic initiatives since the launch of Choose or Lose.
1,000,000
Americans have signed up through Power The Polls since its launch to help staff polling locations nationwide.
3,000+
Organizations participating in the Vote Early Day coalition across media, brands, nonprofits, and cultural institutions.
“MTV has once again made voting feel memorable.” - The New York Times
IMPACT AT SCALE
Vote For Your Life - Ru Paul’s Drag Race - “Don’t F@#K It Up” | :30 PSA 2020 ViacomCBS | VH1 | Social Spot
Vote Early - Yellowstone - “I Plan To” | :20 PSA 2022 MTV Entertainment Studios | Paramount Network | Social, Digital & Linear Spot
Vote ‘24 - The Chi - “Use Your Power Chi Fam” | :30 PSA 2024 MTV Entertainment & Showtime Studios | Social, Digital & Linear Spot
Vote Early - “It’s Note Too Late” | :30 Climate Change PSA Spot 2022 MTV Entertainment Studios / Paramount Global | Social, Digital, & Linear Spot
Vote ‘24 - “Our Votes Matter” | :30 DV Survivors PSA Spot 2024 MTV Entertainment / Paramount Global | Social, Digital, & Linear Spot Non-Profit Partners: National Domestic Violence Hotline
Vote Early - “Before It Sneaks Up On You” - Vote Early Day PSA 2022 MTV Entertainment Studios | Social, Digital, & Linear Spot Non-Profit Partner: HeadCount
CREDITS
CEO Paramount Global: Chris McCarthy Chief Marketing Officer: Amy Campbell Chief Marketing Officer (2020): Jacqueline Parkes SVP Brand Creative: Justin Russell SVP Brand Creative: Deva Newman Executive Creative Director: Chris Williams Creative Director: Rosa White Creative Director: Sundi Lofty Creative Director: Gianna Orzo Jr. Writer: Zoe Gonzalez Sr. Editor: Chris Williams Editor: Becky Katzman
SVP Social Impact: Brianna Cayo Cotter Social Impact Consultant: Stephen K. Friedman VP Social Impact: Erika Soto Lamb Director Social Impact: Rachael Wall-Terrell Social Impact: Vaughan Bagley Social Impact: Jay Osterman Social Impact: Max Zorrick Social Impact: Daylee Baker Social Impact: Tulsi Patel Comms: Jo Flaherty Audio Engineer: Austin Friend Audio Engineer: Dave Huston
SVP Project Management: Francesca Batista VP Project Management: Joyeux Noel Director Project Management: Jaime Clifford Executive Producer: Sean Linehan Project Manager: Kira McGann Producer: Suzana Ognjanovic Producer: Anoosha Chari SVP On-Air Design: Thomas Berger SVP On-Air Design: Timothy Livezey VP On-Air Design: Pam Brill Sr. Creative Director On-Air Design: Lance Rusoff Producer On-Air Design: May Azcue Producer On-Air Design: Kelly McCrossin
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WHAT WE DO
Creative Direction
Campaign Creative Direction Film & Promo Creative Direction Multi-Platform Creative Leadership
CAMPAIGN DEVELOPMENT
Entertainment & Brand Campaigns Social Impact Campaigns Cultural & Heritage Month Initiatives
Social-First Storytelling
Social Video Campaigns Digital Shorts & Micro-Documentaries Talent & Series Driven Social Content
Trailers & PROMOS
Film & Series Promos Documentary & Feature Film Trailers Launch Trailers for Network & Streaming
Production Development
Conceptual Sizzle & Rip Reels Proof-of-Concept Films Series & Format Development
Event Storytelling
Award Show Honoree Films Tribute Films & Event Openers B2B, Board, & Upfront Presentation Films
Full Production Services
Producing & Showrunning Script & Copywriting Post-Production Editorial