Leading celebrities Brad Pitt, Bono, Antonio Banderas, Penelope Cruz and Cameron Diaz have lent their star power to generate support in the US for a campaign aimed at ending extreme poverty around the world.

'The One Campaign', which was founded by a number of worldwide relief organizations several years ago, will premiere a public service announcement Sunday on ABC and MTV channels, encouraging people to help the less fortunate, Xinhua reports.

Irish rock group U2's frontman and social activist Bono said: "We're not just asking for people to put cash in the pot here. Americans are generous. We know they'll do that. We're actually not asking for the money. We're asking for their voice."

"I look at this and I know we can do this," said Pitt, who visited Africa in November on behalf of The One Campaign.

The stars encouraged Americans to visit www.one.org and sign a "pact for compassion and justice to help the poorest people of the world overcome AIDS and extreme poverty."

Jack Valenti, former president of the Motion Picture Association of America, and West African actor Djimon Hounsou also appeared in support of the campaign designed to rally Americans to the needs of impoverished families worldwide.

Other Hollywood actors like Salma Hayek, Al Pacino and Susan Sarandon are also promoting the drive.

Bono said: "What makes us dangerous is that we're a big tent, you know? It's Hollywood and heartland America. It's hip-hop and soccer moms. It's rock stars and reverends. It's a motley crew.''

The 44-year-old rock star and activist, in town for two concerts, called the campaign "the proving ground for us ... that we accept that an African life is of equal value to an American or European (life)".

"Therefore, it is wholly unacceptable that a child can die for lack of a cheap immunization or food in his belly," he said. "I'm going to spend the rest of my life on this. We're going to make that kind of extreme poverty history."