Greatest Action Movie Ever To Premiere On Disney XD

NEW YORK, April 11, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- 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.

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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.

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."

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."

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. KIDZ BOP CD titles have earned one Platinum® and nine Gold® certifications since their debut in 2001. KIDZ BOP's last release, KIDZ BOP 23 debuted at #2 on the Billboard Top 200 chart. Check out KIDZ BOP's weekly radio show, KIDZ BOP Block Party!, a two-hour weekly radio show on Kids Place Live, every Friday at 6PM EST.

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.

SOURCE Ad Council