It's Coming! Census Kicks Off Nationwide Promotional Tour

Jan. 4, 2010— -- The U.S. government today launched a massive outreach effort to alert the nation about this year's census, kicking off a $340 million promotional campaign that will travel across the country in the upcoming months.

After launching today in New York City's Times Square, the census road tour will stop at more than 800 events nationwide, including high-profile sporting events such as the Super Bowl and the NCAA Final Four. There is even a scheduled stop at New Orleans' Mardi Gras.

It is all part of an effort to notify the American population about this spring's census. In March, the census form (10 questions for most Americans) will arrive in mailboxes, the government's once-a-decade attempt to paint a new portrait of the country.

Then on April 1 – only about 100 days away – comes National Census Day.

In all, the road tour will log more than 150,000 miles, even hitting Puerto Rico, with 13 tour vehicles trying to "bring the census to life".

"The highly visual and interactive experience captures the importance of the census and the role each of us plays in a successful count," Census Bureau director Robert Groves said in a blog post on the census Web site last week. "The display tent has a lot of video images and allows you to make your own video to add to 'the Portrait of America.'"

Groves, along with New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg and Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, were holding a press conference Monday afternoon in New York City.

The goal of the tour, Groves wrote in his blog, is "to encourage everyone to complete and return the 10-question census form when it arrives in mailboxes" in March.

"At each stop, the public will learn about the 2010 census and how participation supports local communities," he said.

One fact that the public might learn is that the 2010 census form is the shortest in history. The bureau says it can be completed in only 10 minutes. For the first time since 1930, the bureau is using just one form, not two. The bureau has also unveiled a bilingual form that will be sent to areas with high Hispanic populations.