VERB Newsletter
VERB The Latest Word
April/May 2004 Issue
PDF Download (PDF - 1.6MB)
 Documents on this page
are available in Portable Document Format (PDF). Learn about viewing and
printing PDFs with
Acrobat
Reader.
This is the tenth in a series of VERB newsletters providing the latest and
greatest on how the VERB campaign is getting kids off the couch and into life.
Read on…
On May 3, VERB launched its Phase 3 campaign with a series of ads featuring
Tennis superstar Venus Williams. The 30-second commercial features Williams in a
game of tennis with a group of kids who have made up their own tennis rules
—
rules that are unfamiliar to Venus, such as, “if the ball hits the shadow
— it’s
out.”
(Images: two screen grabs from TV spots featuring Venus)
The 15-second spot features Williams superimposed over a variety of locations
with a call to action that directs viewers to the youth Web site, VERBnow.com,
for more ideas on places kids can play. The print ad is a portrait of Williams
with a group of kids, each of whom has a caption explaining his or her game and
special rule for it. By featuring kids challenging pros with their own rules the
ads are designed to break down kids’ barriers of being intimidated by organized
sports.
The ads also empower kids with new ideas by showing a variety of ways to
play. All in all, the Venus ads “serve up" how easy and fun it can be for kids
to play their own way.
(Image: picture of Venus print ad)
- Watch for more celebrity action when soccer star Landon Donovan and
football star Donovan McNabb hit the airwaves this summer and fall.
- Have you ever wanted to switch lives with a professional athlete? If so,
look for the call to action spots on ABC Family for VERB Fantasy Switched,
which began airing in May. Missed the TV spot? Well, you can always get more
information on the fantasy switched casting call on the ABC family Web site!
(Images: ABC Family and Fantasy Sports Switch logos)
- What’s your favorite VERB? Kids all over the country told us and we
began broadcasting it in May. Check out ABC Family for the VERB on-the-street
vignettes.
Back to top ^
(Image: Pyramid of blocks topping off with contests and beginning with
online)
IMPACT TO DATE: 19,724,347
Contests 4,891; Sweepstakes 49,296; Added Value 623,500; Tours/Events 2,890,320; Online 16,156,340
VERB has touched more than 19 million children and parents to date.
Back to top ^
- The YM and VERB “Move It to Groove It” contest featured video dance
parties at the middle schools of two lucky winners. One video dance party took
place at Cecelia Snyder Middle School in Bensalem, PA, on
the afternoon of March 26. The second took place at Grandville Middle School in Grandville, MI,
on April 16. Each winner was honored at the party with a plaque and prizes
from VERB and YM. For two hours, the students were physically active on the
dance floor and walked away with some VERB goodies.
(Image: YM logo)
- In April, VERB participated in two Houston events: the BP Houston
Children’s Festival and the Houston International Festival. At these family
festivals, tweens were given an opportunity to participate in various
activities in the VERB Sports Zone, and parents were given information about
the importance of keeping their children involved in physical activity.
Several community-based organizations also attended the events, and provided
sign-up opportunities for tweens to participate in summer sports leagues.
- VERB was also part of the Fiesta Broadway Festival in Los Angeles. At
this event, tweens also had a chance to participate in fun physical
activities, sign-up with local community-based organizations, and win cool
premiums.
Back to top ^
- Another VERB Results Update: Across the country, media covered our
announcement of the successful results of the VERB campaign’s first year — and
the hits keep rolling in! To date, we’ve garnered more than 1,100 placements
and more than 243 million publicity impressions. Key placements include the
Associated Press, USA Today, Washington Post and The CBS Early Show.
- More than 600 pediatricians nationwide requested more information about
the VERB campaign. Hundreds of clinics are distributing VERB brochures to
parents about the importance of physical activity.
- In April, VERB executed a successful Los Angeles Spanish media market
tour. Part of the tour gave a local area family an opportunity to describe how
they helped ensure that their children stay physically active. More than 3
million media impressions were generated from this media tour alone.
- This May, Disney.com launched its VERB mini-site. Go there to find the
activity creator and lots of other fun stuff: http://disney.go.com/sponsors/verb.
(Image: Disney logo)
Back to top ^
VERB on the Move
(Image: VERB Anytime Doubletime logo)
The VERB Anytime Doubletime school promotion was in schools nationwide during
April and May. Anytime Doubletime motivated students to get active by inspiring
them to take two VERBS to create their own game and play! More than 1.8 million
kids participated. Kaleidoscope Education Support Group will award 20 schools
each with a $1,000 grant for furthering physical education. (Images: pictures of
three posters featuring Anytime Doubletime)
Back to top ^
- Keep your eyes and ears open for the new Hispanic/Latino communications
that will first appear in June. The spots encourage parents to motivate their
kids to participate in 60 minutes of daily physical activity. They are
scheduled to appear nationally on Spanish network TV and radio and throughout
various national print outlets.
- In conjunction with the new round of communications, a 26-week mobile
marketing tour targeting Hispanic/Latino parents will launch in July. Kicking
off in Los Angeles, the tour will be a part of various community festivals and
events across the country. Parents will have the opportunity to learn
important information about the need to get their kids involved in physical
activity for at least 60 minutes every day. Kids will be entertained with
various activities including a basketball toss and soccer kick. In addition to
Los Angeles, the tour will also stop in Houston and then Miami.
- This June, stay tuned for the first Nickelodeon PSA featuring Miranda
Cosgrove from the new hit show “Drake & Josh.” This up-and-coming young
actress has quickly gained popularity with her role as Megan Parker, the cool,
spunky little sister. In the spot, Miranda and her friends will show how they
get out and play by showing off their double-dutch jump roping talents while
giving some tips for how to get started.
(Image: Nickelodeon logo)
- This summer, VERB is launching a fun-filled, mobile tour aimed at
getting kids active. Promising an unforgettable tour experience, VERB’s
Anytour will be hitting theme parks, sporting events, festivals, malls, and
other special events showing tweens fun ways that they can play Anytime and
Anywhere. The VERB Anytour will launch June 14, 2004, and will feature six
interactive vehicles jam-packed with a multitude of fun physical activity
stations, give aways, prizes, and music designed to show kids how easy and fun
it is to get active. The tour will travel for 16 weeks, over 35 markets in the
United States — so look for the Anytour in your community, you never know
where they'll show up!
- For the second year, VERB will be a part of SI For Kids No Limits Road
Trip tour, which is visiting amusement parks nationwide from June to August.
The tour features BMX bike and skateboard shows by extreme-sports athletes
along with daily clinics. As the title sponsor of the tour this summer, VERB
will have two customized tents with interactive activities to get kids movin’
and excited about VERB!
(Image: SI For Kids “No Limits Road Trip 2004 Tour”
logo)
- In Teen People’s "Special Music Issue," on news stands in July, VERB gives
three hot ways for kids to get groovin’ this summer with a step-by-step dance
tutorial, an invitation to participate in the VERB “dance off” at Teen
People’s "Rock ‘N Shop" nationwide mall tour this coming July to August, and the
chance to enter the “Create Your Own Dance Move” contest and win professional
dance lessons. VERB’s in-book spread features the incomparable choreographer
Darrin Henson, who has worked with such artists as Jennifer Lopez, Britney
Spears and N-Sync! Darrin will also be live on-site at Rock ‘N Shop, ready to
teach event attendees the latest dance moves of some of the hottest stars!
(Image: Teen People Rock ‘n Shop logo)
Back to top ^
VERB in the News! Here’s what the media said about VERB’s campaign results:
- “VERB is a program that encourages kids to get out there!” — CBS Early
Show (Reach: 2.6 million households)
(Image: The Early Show logo)
- “One year into a campaign aimed at lowering child obesity rates by
encouraging children to exercise, about 74 percent of American “tweens” are
aware of the campaign, according to a national survey.” — Associated Press
(Top source used by 1,700 newspapers)
(Image: Associated Press logo)
- “If you want the kids to get outside and exercise, market physical
activity like companies sell toys…A new survey shows that the CDC’s national
ad campaign VERB is working.” — CNN Headline News (Reach: 1.1 million
households)
(Image: CNN logo and screengrab from CNN Headline News)
Back to top ^
* Links to non-Federal organizations are provided
solely as a service to our users. Links do not constitute an endorsement of any
organization by CDC or the Federal Government, and none should be inferred. The
CDC is not responsible for the content of the individual organization Web pages
found at these links.
Page last reviewed: August 1, 2007
Page last modified: August 1, 2007
Content source: National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention
and Health Promotion, Division of Adolescent and School Health
|
