Cartoon Network and the FDA to Launch Year II Expansion of SPOT THE BLOCK Nutrition Awareness Campaign on Monday, April 7
Original Rap Song, Online Game, Desktop Downloadables and New Videos
Highlight 2008 Additions to Co-Branded Healthy Eating Education Initiative
for Kids
ATLANTA, April 3, 2008 -- Building upon its 2007 inaugural
public education campaign SPOT THE BLOCK, Cartoon Network working with the
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced an all-new 2008 expanded
edition of the online and on-air promotion to launch Monday, April 7. New
creative elements targeted to kids, tweens (ages 9-13) and families include
an original rap song, a customized online game, multiple desktop character
downloadables and brand new streaming videos that serve to encourage young
people to use the Nutrition Facts Label on food packages to make healthier
food choices. SPOT THE BLOCK also will be featured in Cartoon Network's
"Get Animated" interactive U.S. tour, which will present a giant puzzle
game challenge for kids as well as updated take-home information for
parents.
The fully refreshed and redesigned Website, http://www.spottheblock.com, will
work in tandem with new SPOT THE BLOCK customized public education on-air
spots to be featured regularly on Cartoon Network throughout 2008. The
fully animated spots showcase characters from popular original programs
like the Emmy-winning Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, Camp Lazlo,
Chowder and The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, and were created to
promote good nutrition, portion control and a healthy eating lifestyle. The
SPOT THE BLOCK project is a first-of-its-kind partnership between Cartoon
Network and the FDA and was originally introduced on Feb. 14, 2007.
"Our goal with SPOT THE BLOCK from the beginning was to build gradually
on our campaign messages so that kids have time to develop a consistent
habit of properly reading and understanding nutrition labels on the food
they enjoy," explained Janice Hamilton, President of JMH Education, the
agency that created the program on behalf of the FDA. "Naturally, we want
the program to be entertaining as well as informative, so we're delighted
that Cartoon Network has created new videos, a new game and a new colorful
format for the Web site that will engage kids as they learn about such
issues as calorie count, serving sizes and portion control."
"We're extremely honored to continue as the FDA's media partner for
communicating these important nutrition messages to kids and families,"
said Alice Cahn, Cartoon Network vice president of social responsibility.
"For several years now, our mission through our 'Get Animated' outreach
programs is to teach and inspire kids to get healthy, get active and get
involved. SPOT THE BLOCK gives kids and parents the information they need
to make good choices about what they eat and how much of it they should
enjoy at any given time. And using our most popular characters to deliver
the message helps make it fun and personal."
During its 2007 introductory year, SPOT THE BLOCK stressed the
importance to kids of regularly finding and reading the nutrition labels on
packaged food and drinks, and taking note of listed serving sizes, as food
packaging often contains multiple servings.
This year's extended SPOT THE BLOCK messages include "Size Up the
Calorie Count," which encourages kids to investigate the following: What is
the serving size? How many servings are in the container? And how many
calories are in a single serving? The program presents the following
benchmarks: 40 calories per serving is low, 100 calories per serving is
moderate, and 400 calories per serving is high.
An additional 2008 message is "See What's In It for You," designed to
help kids get the most nutrition from the calories they eat, which will
help with healthy weight management. A checklist kids should start using as
they consider their food choices includes looking for the percentage daily
value listed beside each nutrient to determine if a food is high or low. As
a guideline, 5% daily value or less is consider low while 20% daily value
or more is high. Kids also will be encouraged to limit food high in certain
fats, cholesterol and sodium that may have a negative impact on optimum
health, and inspired to select foods that provide enough of desired
nutrients including potassium, fiber, vitamins A & C, iron and calcium that
they need to reach their health goals.
A major highlight of the 2008 SPOT THE BLOCK campaign is an original
downloadable nutrition-focused song, "Dishin' the Nutrition." Kids can drop
the song into their iPods or MP3 players and print the lyrics so that they
can sing along at any time. Another new feature to the Website is a series
of eight favorite Cartoon Network characters with SPOT THE BLOCK messages
that can be downloaded as colorful computer wallpaper. Later this spring,
the Website will introduce an additional new online game that will both
entertain and challenge kids to keep lessons from SPOT THE BLOCK top of
mind.
Cartoon Network will produce and run two new animated public education
on-air spots this year to complement the two original spots created last
year. The first new spot, "CALORIES! YO!," includes a rhythmic, tuneful
song performed by favorite Cartoon Network original characters that
stresses the first key message, "Size Up the Calorie Count." The second new
spot, "NUTRIENTS! YO!," features an animated song and dance number to
inspire kids to "See What's In It for You."
The online destination for SPOT THE BLOCK, http://www.spottheblock.com, will
offer all 2008 campaign elements and many from 2007, allowing kids the
opportunity to engage with the FDA's key messaging, play the interactive
games, and to interact with the tools that enable them to better understand
the Nutrition Facts Label on their favorite foods.
Launched in February 2005, Cartoon Network's GET ANIMATED provides
on-air, online, print and off-channel programs to teach children the value
of a healthy lifestyle that includes regular exercise, good eating and
helping others. Featuring the network's roster of popular cartoon
characters, GET ANIMATED currently includes multiple animated PSAs, a
mobile tour, community programs and its 2006 Rescuing Recess initiative.
For more information, please visit http://www.GetAnimated.com .
Cartoon Network (CartoonNetwork.com), currently seen in more than 91
million U.S. homes and 160 countries around the world, is Turner
Broadcasting System, Inc.'s ad-supported cable service offering the best in
original, acquired and classic animated entertainment for kids and
families. Overnight from 11 p.m.-6 a.m. (ET, PT), Cartoon Network shares
its channel space with Adult Swim, a late-night destination showcasing
original and acquired animation for young adults 18-34.
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and
programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media
environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the
world.
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