VIACOM UK BRANDS ‘UNITE WITH MIGHT’ IN FIGHT AGAINST BULLYING
THROUGH ON-AIR #POWERFORGOOD CAMPAIGN
Channel 5, MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central join forces to launch first pro-social marketing campaign to encourage viewers to use the internet as a force for good
LONDON 14th November – On the first day of Anti-Bullying Week, Viacom UK has announced that four of its powerhouse brands – Channel 5, MTV, Nickelodeon and Comedy Central – will come together to launch their first-ever coordinated on-air and online marketing campaign, aimed at shining a spotlight on bullying and its effects.
Anti-bullying week is an annual initiative led by Anti-Bullying Alliance and this year takes place from 14th-18th November with the theme ‘Power For Good’. The Viacom UK campaign has been conceived to discourage people from using the internet to spread negativity, and will instead seek to encourage children, young people and adults to embrace their #powerforgood and use the internet in a positive way.
All four channels will run the same on-air spot advertising directing viewers to shareable digital assets on Viacom’s branded websites that viewers will be encouraged to publish across their own social media accounts. Further digital content, including advice and support around bullying, will be published via Viacom’s branded feeds on social platforms including Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat Discover. The campaign will also be highlighted within programming across Viacom’s TV networks and websites including Channel 5’s The Wright Stuff and Nickelodeon’s The Scoop, as well as MTV News online.
“Bullying can affect anyone, at any time, and unfortunately the internet is often the source of a lot of negativity,” commented Georgia Arnold, SVP Social Responsibility, Viacom International, Media Networks. “We’re really proud to be uniting all of our brands across all platforms to shine a spotlight on a very topical issue and help communicate a really important message to our audiences, inspiring them to use the internet as a force for good.”
VIMN UK is working closely with a range of charities, including the NSPCC, Stonewall and Bullying UK to help spread information about where further help can be sought, and bring anti-bullying week to life across its different channels and internally to staff.
-ENDS-
Nickelodeon - nick.co.uk/theinternet:
The Internet - Nick from The internet on Vimeo.
MTV - mtv.co.uk/theinternet:The Internet - MTV from The internet on Vimeo.
Comedy Central - comedycentral.co.uk/theinternet:The Internet - Comedy Central from The internet on Vimeo.
Channel 5 - channel5.com/theinternet:The Internet - Channel 5 from The internet on Vimeo.
About VIMNViacom International Media Networks (VIMN), a unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), is comprised of many of the world’s most popular multimedia entertainment brands, including MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, BET, Paramount Channel, Channel 5 in the UK, VH1, VIVA, COLORS, Spike, Game One and Tr3s: MTV, Música y Más. Viacom brands reach more than 3.4 billion cumulative subscribers in 180+ countries and territories via more than 200 locally programmed and operated TV channels and more than 550 digital media and mobile TV properties, in 40 languages. Keep up with VIMN news by visiting the VIMN PR Twitter feed at www.twitter.com/VIMN_PR. For more information about Viacom and its businesses, visit www.viacom.com, blog.viacom.com and the Viacom Twitter feed at www.twitter.com/Viacom
Viacom UK's campaign is timed with recent efforts among kids companies in the UK and the US to promote kindness in the face of bullying. According to UK charity Ditch The Label’s Annual Bullying Survey 2016, 1.5 million young people have been bullied within the last year. And according to the stats, twice as many boys as girls are the culprits (66% of males vs. 31% females). In the US, 2015 research from the US Department of Health and Human Services showed that 52% of students have experienced cyberbullying, with 33% of encountering cyberthreats online.
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