Hip-hop stars Common and Questlove and actors Jon Hamm and Kerry Washington have joined President Barack Obama in a new public service announcement calling for an end to sexual violence on college campuses.

Music producer Randy Jackson, actresses Rose Byrne, Connie Britton and Mayim Bialik and Vice President Joe Biden also feature in White House officials' It's On Us campaign, which aims to raise awareness about the rising number of student sexual assaults.

Mad Men star Hamm opens the ad by saying, "It's on us to stop sexual assault", while Washington continues, "To get in the way before it happens."

The celebrities go on to urge young men to protect female friends by making sure they get home safely.

The PSA was unveiled on Friday (19Sep14) and Obama underlined the importance of rallying support for the campaign by stating, "Our society still does not sufficiently value women. We still don't condemn sexual assault as loudly as we should.

"Unless women are allowed to reach their full potential, America cannot reach its full potential. So we've got to change. It is on all of us to reject the quiet tolerance of sexual assault and to refuse to accept what's unacceptable.

"Our nation's success depends on how we value and defend the rights of women and girls."