The Greatest Action Movie Ever to Debut on Disney XD
The Ad Council is joining forces with BAM! Body and Mind and KIDZ BOP to premiere The Greatest Action Movie Ever (G.A.M.E), a kid-targeted film offering fun ways to channel the inner action hero and take steps towards a more active and nutritionally-balanced lifestyle. Starring Ryan Ochoa of the hit Disney XD series Pair of Kings, the first half of the six-minute long G.A.M.E. film will premiere on Sunday, April 14 on Disney XD as part of Disney’s Magic of Healthy Living , an initiative that inspires kids and families to lead healthier lifestyles. Audiences will then be directed to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s BAM! Body and Mind website, BAM.gov, to see the second part of the film and access additional health-related resources. The full-length film will also be featured on KIDZBOP.com and Disney.com.
Created pro bono by McCann Erickson New York, the movie is the result of 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 to KIDZBOP.com, the leading safe social network and video sharing site for kids and tweens with over 1.4 million registered users. More than 1,300 kids submitted videos and auditioned for the film, and over 5,000 kids cast their vote to select real kids from across the nation to star in G.A.M.E. alongside Ryan Ochoa.
“Childhood obesity is an epidemic in our country, and one that requires us to continually challenge children to be active and make healthy eating decisions,” said Peggy Conlon, CEO and president of the Ad Council. “With the support of McCann, BAM!, Disney and KIDZ BOP, we’re thrilled to have been able to engage children nationwide to be a part of this effort that will entertain and educate audiences, while inspiring them to find their own inner action hero.”
Today, nearly one in three children and adolescents in America are overweight or obese, and since 1980, obesity prevalence among children and adolescents has almost tripled. Emphasizing the importance of eating well and being physically active, G.A.M.E. is an extension of the Ad Council’s ongoing partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, initiated in 2005, to combat childhood obesity.
Fight Childhood Obesity
Sasha Junk, senior vice president of marketing at KIDZ BOP, added, “KIDZ BOP is thrilled to partner with Ad Council and McCann New York to support the creation of G.A.M.E. By recruiting kids throughout the country to create an audition video and upload it to KIDZBOP.com, kids had the opportunity to have fun and express themselves, while learning the important messages of the national childhood obesity prevention campaign.”
“CDC’s BAM! Body and Mind website offers interactive games and quizzes and is an engaging way for children to learn about eating healthy and staying active,” said Holly Hunt, Chief, CDC’s School Health Branch. “Establishing healthy behaviors during childhood is easier and more effective than trying to change unhealthy behaviors during adulthood. It is important that messages reaching young people support healthy behaviors where they live, learn, and play.”
Join the Hero Alliance
The plot of the Greatest Action Movie Ever follows secret agent Kid X and the Action Hero Alliance as they overcome obstacles to save the world from evil mastermind Lethargo and his ultimate weapon, the Energy Vacuum. Campaign partner CDC’s BAM.gov will post the exclusive full length G.A.M.E. film on their website, along with downloadable games, tips and healthy-lifestyle related resources, including Action Hero Training Manuals, Power Lab Recipes and Market Mission Shopping Lists to help kids and their families emulate the eating and training habits of their favorite action heroes.
“In the battle against childhood obesity, running a traditional TV campaign seems counterintuitive. After all, what good is a commercial if kids end up watching it on the sofa with a bag of chips on their lap?” said Jesse Potack, McCann Erickson New York creative director/writer. Added Benjamin Vendramin, Creative Director/Art Director, “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.”
