The
announcement was made by Cartoon Network executive vice president and general
manager Jim Samples.
Get
Animated will now serve as the network's overall umbrella to three specific
areas targeted to educate and inspire kids ages 6 to 14 to enjoy a fully balanced,
healthy lifestyle: "Get Active"- by participating in outdoor and sports
activities, "Get Healthy"-by making smart choices and practicing good
eating habits, and "Get Involved"-by helping others through community
service and volunteerism.
"We
are deeply committed to our kids audience. Both on and off the air, we know that
we have a tremendous influence on kids and we take that responsibility very seriously.
"Get Animated" is one way we plan to encourage all kids to get
active, healthy and involved," said Samples.
"With
kids bombarded with all kinds of information throughout their day, we also saw
that in order to be heard, our Get Animated messages needed to be presented
in fun and entertaining ways that are relevant with what kids see on our air.
So we met with and enlisted many of our key partners to help us reach these kids
with a variety of health, nutrition and service programs that suit a wide range
of interests and available resources. When combined, these programs provide a
fresh, balanced approach that covers all aspects to developing a truly healthy
lifestyle," added Cartoon Network senior vice president consumer marketing
Dennis Adamovich.
Helping
to provide a recognisable "face" to the Get Animated program,
professional tennis star Anna Kournikova and skateboarding pioneer Tony Hawk have
each agreed to appear in new PSAs this year speaking directly to Cartoon Network's
primary kids audiences.
They
join Atlanta Falcons superstar quarterback Michael Vick as well as cartoon luminaries
such as characters from Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, Ed, Edd n Eddy,
Teen Titans, The Powerpuff Girls and Codename: Kids Next Door in daily
messages promoting activity, fun exercise and healthy living.
Directly
on the heels of the PSA campaign, Cartoon Network will launch a series of new
Get Animated programs to complement its current ongoing campaigns with
the following non-profit organisations and for-profit companies:
-
US Fund for Unicef: KidsHelpOut.org, an independent website for kids designed
to highlight ways they themselves can contribute to relief efforts for natural
disasters such as the 2004 Asian Tsunami and 2005's Hurricane Katrina. The site
also documents the positive impact of actions kids can take to help. Last year,
KidsHelpOut.org helped to raise more than $5 million toward worldwide relief.
-
Boys
& Girls Clubs of America (BGCA): Now
available in 3,800 clubs nationwide, Get Animated's Animate Your World
program will appear online this year, using the latest in computer animation technology
to give kids the tools to create their own animation while learning about nutrition,
physical activity and even good character traits in a fun, interactive way.
-
Juvenile
Diabetes Research Foundation's (JDRF) "Walk for the Cure":
With customised PSAs featuring Scooby-Doo and other animation superstars, Cartoon
Network will team with cable affiliate partners for the third consecutive year
to promote kids and families helping to raise funds to fin a cure for type one
diabetes and its complications through the support of research. Scooby-Doo will
make personal appearances at select local walks, and Cartoon Network giveaways
are offered to all participating affiliates running through 2006.
-
Trick-or-Treat
for Unicef: For the fifth year in a row, Cartoon Network will partner with
the US Fund for Unicef in October to encourage kids to Trick-or-Treat for Unicef
to help make the world a better place for kids. Creating all-new PSAs featuring
cartoon characters supporting the drive, Cartoon Network will inspire kids to
help children in need worldwide. This fall's event marks the 55th annual fundraising
drive and the longest-running international youth volunteer activity in the country.
-
Get
Animated Tour: Get Animated will hit the road in May 2006, National
Physical Fitness and Sports Month, as part of a 30-market tour featuring active
stations where kids will engage in physical activity while interacting with Cartoon
Network's characters. Transported in a customised mobile unit, the Get Animated
Tour is presented in partnership with Turner Network Sales and local cable affiliates.
