National Law Enforcement Museum Ad Campaign Highlights “True Law” Stories

Most Americans are familiar with organized crime boss Al Capone. They may not be as familiar with Eliot Ness, the federal agent who played a crucial role in bringing Capone to justice. In a new advertising campaign, the National Law Enforcement Museum at the Motorola Solutions Foundation Building highlights Ness and other lesser-known law enforcement heroes featured in their exhibits.

“One part of our mission is to tell the stories of law enforcement officers. Crime stories have a tendency to get retold with bold mention of the perpetrators but not the law enforcement officers who sought justice. These officers are brought to the forefront in our new campaign highlighting the ‘True Law’ stories found at the Museum. ‘True Law’ is the Museum’s signature genre and builds upon the popular ‘True Crime’ genre by recognizing those who have apprehended dangerous criminals,” said Lori Sharpe Day, Interim National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund CEO.

The Museum, located at Judiciary Square in the heart of downtown Washington, DC, houses more than 20,000 objects and artifacts and over 100 interactive elements. Throughout the Museum, visitors will learn the names of law enforcement officers who have taken part in apprehending history’s most dangerous criminals. Many of these officers have been virtually unknown until now.

Visitors and residents will first be able to view the campaign outdoors in the downtown area during the month of May. U.Group was the creative agency chosen by the Museum’s Board of Directors to create and deploy the “True Law” concept.

“The ‘True Law’ campaign is designed to draw you into the story behind the headlines by highlighting law enforcement officers who captured famous criminals. The concept grabs attention by reversing the story from the criminal narrative to that of the people who closed the case, building on the Museum’s mission to connect with audiences in new ways,” said Chris Lester, Chief Creative Officer at U.Group.    

In addition to featuring the campaign in local outdoor advertising, the Museum will also be launching “True Law” nationwide in digital advertising campaigns. Another key aspect of the Museum’s mission is to expand and enrich the relationship shared by law enforcement agencies and diverse communities throughout the country. To carry out this aspect of their mission the Museum plans to host, as well as be involved in third-party events that create a dialogue between law enforcement and the citizens they serve.

For more information about the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, please visit lawmemorial.org. For more information about the National Law Enforcement Museum, please visit lawenforcementmuseum.org.