If you’ve ever watched NBC and seen a star streak across a rainbow while a celebrity tells you something wholesome, you already know the more you know — that 15-second ritual has been running since 1989, but the earnest public service announcement turned into an ironic meme.
First aired: 1989 · Network: NBC (now NBCUniversal) · Format: 15–30 second public service announcements · Awards: Multiple Primetime Emmy Awards · Focus areas: Education, diversity, health, civic engagement, environment
Quick snapshot
- Launched in September 1989 on NBC (Wikipedia)
- Nearly 50 national awards including Emmys and a Peabody (NBCUniversal)
- First on-air presenter was Tom Brokaw (The Atlantic)
- 1989: First PSA airs with Tom Brokaw (Comcast Corporate)
- 2019: 30th anniversary celebrated (NBCUniversal)
- 2024: 35th anniversary marked (Yahoo Finance)
- Campaign continues with digital and social media presence (NBCUniversal)
- Meme usage shows no sign of fading on platforms like Twitter and Reddit (NBCUniversal)
Six key facts that capture the campaign’s scope and trajectory.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First aired | September 1989 |
| Network | NBC (now NBCUniversal) |
| Creator | NBC Public Affairs Department |
| Format | 15–30 second public service announcements |
| Awards | Multiple Primetime Emmy Awards |
| Logo | Rainbow arc with stars |
What does the more you know mean?
Literal meaning of ‘the more you know’
At its simplest, the phrase is a proverb: the more knowledge you acquire, the better equipped you are to understand the world. The Wikipedia entry for the campaign describes it as “a slogan that emphasizes the value of knowledge.” It functions as a natural conclusion to a short educational fact — a verbal period at the end of a lesson.
Cultural meaning in the context of the NBC campaign
In the NBC context, those three words carry institutional weight. The campaign was launched in 1989 as the network’s first television-network public service campaign with an education message, according to Comcast Corporate (the parent company of NBCUniversal). The phrase became a brand identifier: when a celebrity looked into the camera and said “the more you know,” viewers understood a PSA had just delivered its punchline. The full statement is often used standalone — no subject, no explanation. The Mental Floss report on the campaign’s history notes that the slogan was given to writer Steve Lance by NBC executive Rosalyn Weinman for early test spots. It stuck because it worked: a complete thought in four words.
The phrase works both as a moral lesson and a brand tagline — a rare dual identity that let it move between earnest PSAs and ironic contexts without losing meaning.
The implication: the slogan’s flexibility allows it to serve both earnest and ironic purposes without losing its recognizability.
Where did the phrase ‘the more you know’ come from?
Origin of the phrase as a proverb
“The more you know” existed as a folk saying long before NBC adopted it. Versions appear in 19th-century literature and in common speech. The Atlantic noted in 2014 that NBC did not invent the expression — it borrowed a piece of cultural shorthand. The pre-existing familiarity is likely what made the slogan feel instantly natural to viewers.
Adoption by NBC in 1989
In the late 1980s, the United States was facing a teacher shortage. Nonprofit educational groups approached NBC about using its airwaves to recruit educators. Mental Floss reports that Rosalyn Weinman, NBC’s vice president of broadcast standards and practices, was approached by these groups. She developed the campaign and wrote most of the on-air PSAs after assembling an advisory council, according to Wikipedia.
The campaign inherited the time slot from NBC’s earlier PSA series One to Grow On, which ran from 1983 to 1989, according to Wikipedia. When Tom Brokaw introduced the first The More You Know PSA in September 1989, he reportedly said that the more you know about an impending disaster, the more likely you are to do something about it — a sober opening for a campaign that would later become known for its rainbow logo and celebrity cameos.
The campaign was born from a concrete policy problem — a teacher shortage — not from a marketing brainstorm. That public-service DNA is why the PSAs feel different from commercial advertising.
The pattern: the campaign’s origin in a real social need explains its enduring authenticity and adaptability.
Who says the more you know?
Celebrities and public figures in the PSAs
The list of celebrities who have appeared in The More You Know PSAs reads like a Hall of Fame roster: LeBron James, Taylor Swift, Tom Hanks, Hillary Clinton, and hundreds more. NBCUniversal notes that the campaign has featured “a diverse range of talent” across its three-plus decades. Each celebrity delivers a short message on a social issue — anti-bullying, STEM education, voting — and closes with the slogan.
The PSAs are typically 15 to 30 seconds, produced by NBCUniversal’s public affairs team. Comcast Corporate states that the campaign has covered topics including education, diversity, health, civic engagement, and the environment.
Everyday usage in conversations and media
Outside the PSAs, the phrase is used in daily conversation — often as a gentle “I told you so” or a mock-serious conclusion to a trivial fact. The slogan is also officially used by NBCUniversal across its properties. And in online spaces, the phrase has taken on a second life.
What is the slogan ‘The More You Know’ from?
The NBCUniversal public service campaign
The slogan belongs to a series of public service announcements broadcast on NBCUniversal networks. NBCUniversal describes it as “the longest running and most comprehensive network public service campaign in the media landscape.” It airs on NBC, MSNBC, CNBC, Bravo, E!, and other NBCUniversal channels.
The campaign expanded beyond its original education focus to cover social issues and public health topics — a shift documented by NBCUniversal. Today, it also lives on YouTube, Instagram, and other digital platforms.
The rainbow logo and its meaning
The rainbow arc with stars — sometimes a shooting star — has been the campaign’s visual signature since the beginning. The first on-screen star logo was designed by Steve Bernstein and later animated by Paul Johnson at R/Greenberg Associates using slit-scan techniques, according to Wikipedia. Later versions were updated with three-dimensional computer graphics. The rainbow, NBCUniversal says, represents the spectrum of topics the campaign covers.
Can the more you know be used ironically?
Ironic usage in internet memes
Yes — and this is where the slogan split in two. On social media, “The More You Know” became a meme format: a star or rainbow image paired with a sarcastic or absurd fact. The irony plays on the earnestness of the original PSAs. When a celebrity says “the more you know” after a sincere message, it’s wholesome. When a random account posts the rainbow after “Did you know that frogs can scream?”, the effect is comic.
The Atlantic observed in 2014 that the meme usage had already taken hold by the early 2010s. Today, it’s a staple on Twitter, Reddit, and Instagram — often deployed as a punchline to trivial or unsettling trivia.
How to use the phrase ironically without confusion
The irony works because the audience recognizes the source material. Saying “The More You Know” after a piece of dry or obvious information signals: I am pretending this is as important as an NBC PSA. Using the rainbow emoji (🌈) or star emoji (⭐) is the common shorthand.
The ironic usage does not diminish the campaign’s original intent. NBCUniversal continues to produce earnest PSAs alongside the meme culture. The slogan now lives in both registers — sincere and sarcastic — without contradiction.
The same slogan that once recruited teachers in the 1980s now recruits laughs on Twitter. Both uses are valid, and both rely on the audience recognizing the rainbow-and-star formula.
The catch: the slogan’s dual life is a product of its deep cultural embedment, not a sign of decline.
Timeline
- 1989 – NBC airs the first The More You Know PSA in September, with Tom Brokaw as the first presenter (Comcast Corporate).
- 1990s – Campaign expands to include many celebrities and social issues beyond education (NBCUniversal).
- 1993 – The More You Know wins a Peabody Award for serving as a model national public service campaign (Wikipedia).
- 2000s – The slogan becomes widely recognizable; early ironic meme usage begins online.
- 2010s – Ironic meme usage explodes on Twitter, Reddit, and Instagram (The Atlantic).
- 2019 – 30th anniversary celebrated by NBCUniversal (NBCUniversal).
- 2024 – 35th anniversary marked with a slate of new PSAs featuring 40 stars across NBCUniversal’s portfolio (Yahoo Finance).
What we know vs. what remains unclear
Confirmed facts
- The More You Know is an NBC public service announcement campaign that started in 1989. (Wikipedia)
- The slogan is used to conclude short educational PSAs. (NBCUniversal)
- The campaign has won multiple Emmy Awards and a Peabody Award. (NBCUniversal)
What’s unclear
- The exact origin of the phrase “the more you know” as a proverb before the campaign is not precisely documented. (The Atlantic)
- Whether the first PSA aired in September 1989 or a specific date within that month is not widely reported. (Wikipedia)
Quotes from the campaign
The More You Know is the longest running and most comprehensive network public service campaign in the media landscape.
NBCUniversal (network operator)
The more you know about an impending disaster, the more likely you are to do something about it.
Tom Brokaw, first PSA presenter, as reported by The Atlantic
The campaign was originally introduced to recruit and retain educators.
NBCUniversal (campaign operator)
NBC executive Rosalyn Weinman developed the campaign and wrote most of the on-air PSAs after assembling an advisory council.
Wikipedia (encyclopedic record)
The The More You Know campaign is not just a relic of 1980s television — it’s a living piece of media that has outlasted most network initiatives. For anyone who grew up watching NBC, the rainbow and star are as familiar as the peacock logo. But the real story is how a teacher-recruitment PSA turned into a cultural shorthand that works both straight and with a wink. For internet-native audiences, the slogan now serves a dual purpose: educational tool and ironic meme, sometimes in the same thread. The 2024 35th anniversary celebration shows NBCUniversal still investing in the earnest version. The ironic version, meanwhile, needs no investment — it runs itself. For anyone studying how a public service message survives 35 years, the lesson is clear: give the audience a formula they recognize, and they’ll keep using it, whether you’re recruiting teachers or making a joke about frogs.
en.wikipedia.org, newscaststudio.com, instagram.com, retrojunk.com, youtube.com, shortyawards.com
For a similarly ironic take on questioning someone’s awareness, check out the Does He Know meme which also dissects a viral reaction image.
Frequently asked questions
How long are The More You Know PSAs?
Most are 15 to 30 seconds long, according to Wikipedia.
What are the most famous PSAs in the campaign?
PSAs featuring Tom Brokaw, LeBron James, and Taylor Swift are among the most recognized. NBCUniversal notes that the campaign has included hundreds of celebrities over 35 years.
Who produces the PSAs?
NBCUniversal’s public affairs department produces them, with creative input from an advisory council, as described by Wikipedia.
Is The More You Know still airing today?
Yes — NBCUniversal continues to produce new PSAs, and they air on NBC and its sister networks. The 35th anniversary in 2024 included a slate of new spots (Yahoo Finance).
What does the rainbow logo symbolize?
NBCUniversal says the rainbow represents the spectrum of topics the campaign covers — education, health, diversity, and more.
How can I submit a topic for a PSA?
NBCUniversal does not publicly list a submission process; topics are selected by its public affairs team.
Has The More You Know won any awards?
Yes — the campaign has won nearly 50 national awards, including multiple Primetime Emmy Awards and a Peabody Award (NBCUniversal).