An integrated advertising and public relations campaign helped propel West Virginia’s SMART529 College Savings Program to new heights in 2007.  The program, which includes broker-sold and direct-sold accounts, realized a 23 percent increase in new accounts, the highest number for any single year since the program’s inception in 2002. Direct-sold accounts alone saw an even greater increase of 37 percent.

The campaign for The Hartford and the West Virginia State Treasurer’s Office was created by The Manahan Group.

“The advertising campaign theme, The Essentials, really resonated with parents and grandparents,” said George Manahan, CEO, The Manahan Group. “The success of the effort also had a lot to do with our partnership with Hartford Life and the Treasurer’s Office.”

SMART529 is a program of the Board of Trustees of the West Virginia College Prepaid Tuition and Savings Program. The Board has selected Hartford Life Insurance Company to provide management services.

The Manahan Group is a full-service marketing and public relations firm located in Charleston, West Virginia.