Vote No oN NoV. 7

Don’t bet our Communityon a bad deal

the Navy Doesn’t Want& Jacksonville Can’t Afford.

The Westside is the fastest growing area of Northeast Florida.

Cecil Commerce Center is thriving. We have new schools,

churches, businesses, and families moving to an area

that stagnated for decades. Now a St. Johns County promoter

wants us to deed the property to the federal government, for

free and at the end of this year!

He’s betting our homes, jobs and neighborhoods — and tax

dollars — on his stunt. He’s put our lives in limbo, all for a

bad deal the Navy doesn’t want and we can’t afford.

Vote Noon the Cecil Referendum!

For more information, visit us online at

www.NeighborsProtectingNeighbors.org

Political advertisement paid for and approved by Neighbors Protecting Neighbors,

920 3rd Street, Suite B, Neptune Beach, Florida 32266.

Proven Ability ~ Impressive Reputation ~ The Right Fit PRINCIPLE CREATIVE

Challenge

In August 2005 it seemed everyone was lined up against a small group of concerned citizens on the Westside who had banded together into a group called “Say No to Cecil.” The U.S. Navy, the federal Base Realignment and Closure Commission, the mayor of Jacksonville, the governor of Florida, the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce, the unanimous Jacksonville City Council and most of the city’s leadership had come together in a campaign to close Cecil Commerce Center and give the land back to the federal government for possible use as a Navy master jet base.

That’s when former City Council president and lifelong Westside resident Alberta Hipps asked Principle Creative to lead a campaign to turn the tide and defeat the proposal. We succeeded in changing the minds of the City Council and Mayor John Peyton, but our opponents put the proposal on the ballot for a voter referendum. We faced another uphill battle, as a scientific survey by American Public Dialogue in January 2006 showed that 60% of the public favored returning Cecil Field to the Navy.

SolutionWe put together two parallel campaigns. The Better Westside Project mobilized potentially affected citizens on the Westside. Neighbors Protecting Neighbors targeted voters countywide who would be considering the referendum. Both campaigns utilized a combination of earned media, direct mail, print advertising, phone banking and new media vehicles to communicate with target audiences.

ReSultS

In October of 2006, before our $1.2 million media campaign began, The Florida Times-

Union published results of a poll showing 60% of people in the county still would vote for the proposal. The final vote was an overwhelming 60% against it. It was an historic defeat that no one, other than our group and its own internal pollster, predicted.

The Navy proposal was rejected and business is once again booming on Jacksonville’s Westside.

Campaign Engineers Dramatic Reversal In Public Opinion

WESTSIDEPROJECT

WESTSIDEPROJECT

BETTERBETTER

Don’t Gamble Our Future On a Bad Deal for Jacksonville

Don’t Gamble Our Future

What If It Were

Your Community,Your Home,Your Child?

Would you allow a St. Johns County promoter

to bet your future on a bad idea?