Duracell Taps Actor Milo Ventimiglia to Deliver a Powerful Message about Fire Safety Through a Light-Hearted PSA

The brand is reminding people to change their smoke detector batteries when changing their clocks on Daylight Saving

BETHEL, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Duracell, the most trusted battery, has released a PSA featuring the voice of Emmy-nominated actor Milo Ventimiglia about the importance of changing batteries in smoke detectors on Daylight Saving, which occurs this Sunday. According to the National Fire Protection Association, two thirds of all fire deaths occur in homes in which smoke alarms either aren’t present, or aren’t working. The actor is reminding viewers that while you can’t always prevent fires, you can have the trusted power of Duracell to help alert you.

Duracell is sounding the alarm on fire safety and prevention with a humorously-toned PSA that pokes fun at the seemingly uselessness of Daylight Saving. On a day that is widely considered outdated and dare we say more dangerous - we lose an hour of sleep, chances of a heart attack increase by 25 percent and car accident by 17 percent¹ - Duracell, with the help of Milo Ventimiglia, wants to make sure that something positive comes out of it. When you change your clocks, change the batteries because a working smoke detector with new Duracell batteries should be a key part of your home fire escape plan.

“Through Milo Ventimiglia’s work, we’ve all seen the potential tragedy that can occur when you don’t have the trusted power of Duracell to alert you to home fires,” says Ramon Velutini, Vice President of Marketing at Duracell. “Daylight Saving is a moment that people tend to dread these days – no one is looking forward to losing an hour of sleep – so we put a light-hearted spin on a memorable yet important PSA with a simple call-to-action: change your clocks and the batteries in your smoke detectors and keep your family safe with the trusted power of Duracell.”

To kick off the fire safety awareness campaign on behalf of Duracell, Milo Ventimiglia stopped by the Fire Department of New York (FDNY), Engine Company 8/Ladder Company 2 in Manhattan to discuss their shared mission with FDNY’s Director of Fire Safety Education, Lt. Anthony Mancuso. Over the past year, Duracell has donated more than a quarter of a million batteries to the FDNY to help prevent the tragedy that can occur without properly functioning batteries in smoke detectors.

Duracell is also providing major cities across the nation with 9V batteries for home fire safety through the Keep America Beautiful organization.

To watch the full PSA visit @Duracell on Facebook and on March 11^th don’t forget to change your clocks and to put new Duracell batteries in your smoke detectors. For more fire safety tips, visit http://www.fdnysmart.org.

About Duracell

Started in the 1920s, the Duracell brand and company was recently acquired by Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE-BRK.A, BRK.B) and has grown to be the leader in the single-use battery market in North America. The iconic Duracell brand is known the world over. Our products serve as the heart of devices that keep people connected, protect their families, entertain them, and simplify their increasingly mobile lifestyles. Our recharging technology allows consumers to live life without limits. Berkshire Hathaway Inc. is a $210B holding company owning subsidiaries that engage in diverse business activities. Visit www.duracell.com for more information; follow us on Twitter.com/Duracell and like us on Facebook.com/Duracell.

¹ https://www.reuters.com/article/us-heart-daylightsaving/daylight-saving-time-linked-to-heart-attacks-study-idUSBREA2S0D420140329 (Pierson & Berkrot, 2014)