6: Television and computer-free time
Initiative 6 involves promoting television and computer-free time.
What's happening
- Children and young people are being given active alternatives to spending time in front of a screen. Activities are innovative, fun and age appropriate.
- Different campaigns are being developed for 5-12, 13-17 and 18-24 year olds.
- Two campaigns for 5-12 year olds called Movin’ with Mervyn have already been implemented (a six-week campaign in Dec 06/Jan 07 and a five-week campaign June/July 07). Seasonal action packs containing 10 activity ideas were developed. These were distributed free of charge through Countdown supermarkets, selected sports stores and Regional Sports Trusts. Advertising featuring an animated character, Mervyn promoted the cards. A life-size Mervyn handed out packs of card in shopping centres and took children through the activities in a Mission-On themed What Now show. Mervyn has proved a great hit with children. He is therefore being used across other Mission-On initiatives such as Youth Branded websites and Lifestyle Ambassadors. Another series of action cards will be released Dec 07/ Jan 08.
- 18-24 year olds are being encouraged to invent new sports in a campaign called Weird World of Sports. The campaign is being fronted by comedy duo Bill and Ben from the popular TV series Pulp Sports. Young people are being asked to post a video or photograph of themselves playing their new sport on a campaign website for the chance to win a world trip. Weird World of Sports is an interactive campaign. It is using multi-media channels including social networking sites such as Bebo.
- A campaign targeting 13-17 year olds will be developed for 2008.
Who's involved?
SPARC is the lead agency for this initiative.
>> Initiative 7: Control advertising
Updated | 21 Sep 2007.
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