Holocaust Center launches ad campaign to 'Make Hate History'

This week, the Holocaust Center, located in Maitland, launched the first media campaign in the organization's 30-year history to raise awareness of its mission to combat racism, bigotry and bullying.

While the Center has run ads in the past, the campaign, Make Hate History, aims to increase the Center's profile and attract new visitors and supporters. It uses provocative messages that highlight recent incidents across the nation, and right in our own backyard, to inspire activism.

Ads will run for six months in newspapers, on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and outdoor boards throughout Central Florida and feature bold headlines set against a bright yellow background. They are the first wave of a multi-media effort which the organization hopes will grow to include television spots, YouTube videos and user-generated content on social media.

The Center is responding to disturbing acts of hatred such as the violent protests in Charlottesville, bomb threats to Jewish community centers and increased bullying on school campuses.

"One needs only to turn on the TV or scroll through Facebook to feel overwhelmed by the rise of hate speech and the targeting of minorities-even in our own community," said Pam Kancher, executive director of the Holocaust Center. "We don't have to feel afraid or angry or defeated. We can raise our voices and make a difference."

Last January, Kancher discovered a swastika at her front door. Last fall, Lake Brantley High School in Seminole County found a rash of the Nazi symbols painted on its campus. This month, the KKK sent out recruitment flyers in nearby Flagler Beach.

"We want our community, and those beyond our region, to not only be aware that we are a long-standing resource and beacon, but to join us," said Mark Freid, president of the Holocaust Center board. "This isn't a Jewish issue. This isn't a minority issue. This isn't a school issue. Hatred affects us all. This campaign is a call to action for everyone in this great, inclusive community to continue to offer hope, healing and acceptance."

In addition to the campaign, the Holocaust Center is launching a fundraising effort that will support community programming and exhibits that carry out its mission.

The ads were created pro-bono by the award-winning Orlando creative agency, Push, which also created #KeepDancingOrlando last year after its team members were deeply affected by the Pulse tragedy. 

According to John Ludwig, Push CEO, "We are always looking to use the endless talent here at the agency to become involved in the daily conversations and concerns that affect our city and the world. To truly Make Hate History, we knew we had to join the Holocaust Center in its mission and use those same talents to drive their message home." 

For more information about the Holocaust Center and the campaign, go to MakeHateHistory.com or contact Pam Kancher, executive director of the Holocaust Center, 407-628-0555.