PROJECT: The Greatest Action Hero Ever (G.A.M.E)
I got wind of a very cool project that was/is a collaboration between The Ad Council, BAM! Body and Mind and KIDZ BOP.
Produced pro bono by McCann Ericson (the world’s largest advertising agency), the project is a 6 minute long film starring Ryan Ochoa of the hit Disney XD series Pair of Kings. The film’s aim is to raise awareness of the problem of childhood obesity, and give kids good and healthy eating and exercise resources.
To create the film, McCann Ericson held a two month-long contest that invited kids ages 5-18 to submit videos on KIDZBOP.com that showcase their action moves and healthy eating habits in one of nine different scripted scenes. Kids everywhere had the opportunity to upload their audition videos, and more than 1,300 kids submitted videos and auditioned for the film, with over 5,000 kids cast their vote to select real kids from across the nation to star alongside Ryan Ochoa.
The film itself is more like a game than a movie, with Ochoa as the narrator, encouraging his underground network of kids to do different things to help defeat the bad guys. Those things could be eating carrots, running, or eating broccoli. The plot of the Greatest Action Movie Ever follows secret agent Kid X (Ochoa) and the Action Hero Alliance as they overcome obstacles to save the world from evil mastermind Lethargo and his ultimate weapon, the Energy Vacuum.
While the film is a little obvious about the “health” aspect (at one point Ochoa says, “You’re not afraid of eating a little broccoli, are you?”) it’s fast paced, and moves along. And it serves as a great jumping place for kids young and old to get a reinforcement about eating healthily. As creative director Benjamin Vendramin, said “Our challenge was how do you get 5-18-year olds up and moving? This idea takes something kids love—action movies—to get them doing something they usually resist—being physically active and eating right.”
From the digital family perspective, it also got them creating videos and acting, something of which we highly approve.
Here’s the video as it appears on Youtube
Here’s a little bit more about each of the players from the press release.
The Ad Council
The Ad Council (www.adcouncil.org) is a private, non-profit organization that marshals volunteer talent from the advertising and communications industries, the facilities of the media, and the resources of the business and non-profit communities to deliver critical messages to the American public. The Ad Council has produced, distributed and promoted thousands of public service campaigns on behalf of non-profit organizations and government agencies in issue areas of health & safety, community and education.
BAM!
BAM! Body and Mind! website (www.bam.gov) is a product of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov) and the Department of Health and Human Services. The interactive website provides information about healthy lifestyle choices for kids 9-13 years old. The site focuses on topics for kids, such as nutrition, physical activity, stress, bullying, infectious disease and safety through the use of games, quizzes, and other interactive features. BAM! Body and Mind also serves as an aid to teachers, providing them with interactive, educational, and fun activities that are linked to the national education standards for science and health.
McCann Erickson
McCann Erickson New York is the flagship and largest office of McCann Erickson Worldwide, the world’s largest advertising agency network, with operations in more than 120 countries and a client roster that includes preeminent global marketers and many of the world’s most famous brands. The agency is a unit of McCann Worldgroup, a leading global marketing solutions network, comprised of a collaborative roster of best-in-class agencies that emphasize creativity, innovation and performance.
KIDZ BOP
KIDZ BOP is the #1 music brand for kids ages 5-12 in the U.S., featuring today’s most popular songs, sung by kids for kids. KIDZ BOP celebrates the authentic voice of kids across the entire brand—through music, videos, live appearances, licensed merchandise and its popular social networking and content sharing website, KIDZBOP.com. KIDZBOP
KIDZBOP.com is the leading SAFE social network and video sharing site for kids and tweens with 1.4 million registered members. The website allows kids to express themselves—as themselves—through unique online applications and proprietary functionality. Kids can star in video-based “Web Shows,” challenge each other to “Super Contests,” and build “Fan Pages” as part of KIDZBOP.com’s fun features. An introduction to social networking, the site also features a profile page for each member where they can chat with each other via a safe text messaging system.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adam Gertsacov is the co-founder and co-organizer of Digital Family Summit. He wears many hats, including those of a professional clown, an author and publisher, an artist/educator, a non-profit administrator, a P.T. Barnum impersonator, a flea circus impresario, and the esteemed hat of the Clown Laureate of Greenbelt, Maryland.
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