Illinois Policy Institute wins Templeton Freedom Award
Nov. 8, 2011 – Today, John Tillman, CEO of the Illinois Policy Institute was honored to accept a 2011 Templeton Freedom Award for Excellence in Promoting Liberty. The Illinois Policy Institute won in the category of Innovative Media for its Illinois Turnaround Tour New Media Campaign. This award category recognizes outstanding think tank projects that use...
Nov. 8, 2011 – Today, John Tillman, CEO of the Illinois Policy Institute was honored to accept a 2011 Templeton Freedom Award for Excellence in Promoting Liberty. The Illinois Policy Institute won in the category of Innovative Media for its Illinois Turnaround Tour New Media Campaign. This award category recognizes outstanding think tank projects that use film or multimedia technologies to promote the principles of a free society.
The Templeton Freedom Awards Program is the largest international prize program that celebrates think tank contributions to the understanding of freedom. The Illinois Policy Institute is honored to be among exceptional think tanks from 10 countries that have been recognized this year.
While 2010 is long behind us, it paved the way for greater things to come. 2010 was a “wave year” for free market advocates. The Institute wanted to ensure that the liberty message was fully absorbed by state and congressional candidates running in Illinois, so it launched the Illinois Turnaround Tour New Media Campaign.
The Institute purchased an RV, wrapped it with Turnaround-themed imagery, and hit the road for a statewide tour. During 78 days spanning the summer and fall of 2010, the Institute logged more than 8,000 miles and made more than 130 stops across the state.
The essence of the campaign was captured in the short film “Get on Board”:
The basis of the campaign was a bold policy platform centered on fiscal responsibility and job creation that politicians could integrate into their campaigns. The key points were as follows:
- Stopping out-of-control spending
- Expanding government transparency
- Reforming Illinois’s bankrupt state pension system
- Removing government roadblocks to prosperity
The campaign resulted in a massive earned media impact with more than 35 significant media mentions, including Fox Chicago Sunday Show, Chicago Tribune, Daily Herald, State Journal-Register, WLS-AM Cisco Cotto Show, Rock Island Argus/Moline Dispatch, WIFR-CBS Rockford. The key messages of the campaign were shared more than 2,800,000 times through film, radio, print, direct mail, SMS text, on-the-road, Facebook, Twitter, blogs and news sites.
As the political campaign season progressed, the Institute heard more candidates (including the Republican gubernatorial nominee) using the “Turnaround” messaging and policy proposals. And on November 2, voters sent eight more pro-liberty candidates to Springfield. Since then, the Institute has been working with legislative allies to turn these policy proposals into law during the 2011 session.