Rovio joins MTV's anti-bullying campaign, rewards participation with Angry Birds Space level
Angry Birds is, at its core, a game about being bullied and then exploding those bullies, so it makes sense that Rovio would join MTV's "A Thin Line" campaign. Discouraging "digital disrespect," "cruelty" and "sexting," among other things, A Thin Line will incentivize active community involvement by rewarding positive social actions with an exclusive Angry Birds Space level.
It works like this: Once Angry Birds Space launches on March 22, players that post a "positive action" on MTV's Draw Your Line site will be given a hint that leads them to a secret "Golden Egg" level in Space. A "positive action" can be something as simple as changing your email password to protect your identity, or as complex as hosting an anti-abuse event/rally. The whole site works on the honor system, though, so most positive actions will probably be lies, concocted solely to obtain the game's secret level.
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ROVIO AND MTV PARTNER TO HELP STOP DIGITAL ABUSE
First-Ever Angry Birds Youth Activism Effort to be Promoted on MTV Channels Across the US and Latin America Youth who Support MTV's "A THIN LINE" Campaign will Unlock a Secret Golden Egg Level of Angry Birds Space
March 14, 2012, Espoo, Finland – Rovio and MTV will give users exclusive access to a secret Golden Egg level of the new Angry Birds Space game as a reward for taking any action to stop the spread of digital bullying, abuse or discrimination, Rovio announced today. Marking the first-ever global youth activism initiative for Angry Birds, users will be able to access the secret Golden Egg level via a hint they receive after posting a positive action on MTV's Draw Your Line app. Part of MTV's award-winning "A THIN LINE" campaign, the joint promotion will launch when the game is released on March 22, 2012 and last through the month of April. Additionally, an original Angry Birds PSA that calls on young people to help stop cyberbullying when they see it – featuring characters from the game – will debut on MTV, MTV2 and mtvU and MTV's digital properties in the United States, as well as MTV channels across Latin Americaa nd on MTV's international pro-social online platform, MTV Voices, on March 22.
"When we learned that people spend 300 million minutes a day playing Angry Birds, we immediately started brainstorming ways to use the Birds' superpowers for good – and empower our audience," said Jason Rzepka, Vice President of MTV Public Affairs. "We're thrilled to partner with the visionary folks at Rovio on a ground-breaking way to celebrate the bravery of young people who help stop digital abuse."
"We're happy to support MTV in such a worthy cause," said Andrew Stalbow, GM of Rovio North America.
"Cyberbullying is a serious problem, and we hope that this collaboration will be an educational – but also fun – opportunity for our young fans to learn more about how to recognize it, respond to it, and stop it. And it's not just our young fans -- we hope this will also be a great opportunity for parents to get involved, learn more about digital abuse and open up a dialogue with their children. Since we already interact extensively with our fans through our social networks, this campaign is an especially great fit for
us. "
Some of the many ways users can take action to stop digital abuse include changing their e-mail and social media account passwords; stepping in to help when witnessing someone being bullied online; and spreading A THIN LINE resources via Twitter or Facebook. For more tips on how to stop digital abuse, as well as additional information on how to access the secret Golden Egg level of Angry Birds Space, visit angrybirds.athinline.org.
This initiative is part of Rovio's larger focus on children and families. As a family-friendly entertainment company with fans of all ages, Rovio is committed to providing not only entertainment, but also education. For Angry Birds Space, Rovio's newest Angry Birds title launching on March 22nd, Rovio partnered with NASA and National Geographic Books to provide more information about the science behind space and zero-gravity. For more information, head to www.draw.athinline.org, www.ATHINLINE.org, www.Rovio.com, or contact media@rovio.com.
About Rovio Entertainment
Rovio is an industry-changing entertainment media company based in Finland, and the creator of the globally successful Angry Birds franchise. Angry Birds, a casual puzzle game, became an international phenomenon within a year of release, and is now the number one paid app of all time. Following this success in mobile gaming, Angry Birds has expanded rapidly in entertainment, publishing, and licensing to become a beloved international brand. For more information, see www.rovio.com.
About MTV
MTV is the world's premier youth entertainment brand. With a global reach of more than a half-billion households, MTV is the cultural home of the millennial generation, music fans and artists, and a pioneer in creating innovative programming for young people. MTVreflects and creates pop culture with its Emmy®, Grammy® and Peabody® award-winning content built around compelling storytelling, music discovery and activism across TV, online and mobile. MTV's sibling networks MTV2 and mtvU each deliver unparalleled customized content for young males, music fans and college students, and its online hub MTV.com is a leading destination for music, news and pop culture. MTV is a unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. For more information, go to http://www.mtvpress.com
