New ClubBK.com Virtual Community Rallies around Movie to Support Feeding America Food Banks in Honor of Hunger Action Month
MIAMI--(// BUSINESS WIRE //)--Sep. 17, 2009-- Burger King Corp. (NYSE:BKC) today announced that it is teaming with Sony Pictures Animation's new film Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, which opens in theaters on Sept. 18. Inspired and adapted from the bestselling children's book, the film focuses on a town where food falls from the sky.
As part of the promotion, Burger King Corp. will support Feeding America, the film's charitable partner, by promoting awareness of Feeding America's childhood hunger initiatives and philanthropic empowerment in kids. Burger King Corp.'s newly revamped kids' Web site, www.ClubBK.com, will offer kids the opportunity to become "Hunger Helpers" and rally behind the charitable organization via an online game where kids will receive virtual rewards for Crown donations, information about the charity, and tips on how to support local food banks.
"As part of our BK Positive StepsSM corporate responsibility mission, we recognize the importance of helping others and are excited to provide kids with a fun and engaging way to give back to their communities through our Club BKSM kids' site online experience," said Cindy Syracuse, senior director, cultural marketing, Burger King Corp. "It's a natural way for Club BKSM members to put their excitement for the movie to work as their virtual donations will result in feeding hundreds of children."
Visitors to the updated ClubBK.com can kick back and watch the official movie trailer at the new virtual Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs-themed theatre, as well as find a link to the Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs online "Food Catcher" game. Through game play, kids will earn codes that can be redeemed back at Club BKSM for Crowns, which is the virtual currency for Club BKSM. Players can then choose to give Crowns as a show of support for Feeding America and for a chance to get exclusive Feeding America-themed virtual rewards. Each time Crowns are given, players earn a virtual Feeding America-themed t-shirt to display on their personal Club BKSM avatar as a badge of honor.
A progress meter will measure the number of Crowns contributed by the community, and once the goal has been reached, all participants will receive a special virtual item for their avatar's cabin, which showcases each member's collection of earned virtual items. In addition, as a valued partner to both Feeding America and Burger King Corp., Kraft Foods is supporting Hunger Action Month with a $25,000 donation to Feeding America. To take part, kids can visit www.ClubBK.com.
Burger King Corp. is supporting the four-week Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs promotion with national television and digital advertising, in-restaurant merchandising, inclusion in the BURGER KING® Adventures Newsletter for kids and a set of eight movie-themed toys currently available with the purchase of a BK® Kids Meal through Oct. 11.
ClubBK.com Gets a Makeover
Burger King Corp.'s official kids' site will boast a brand new look with exciting new features and enhanced functionality. All of the site's original components will remain intact - kids will still have the freedom to play exciting and challenging games for free, learn about their favorite BURGER KING® promotions, receive special birthday coupons with a parent account validation and go on virtual adventures. However, the site has been revamped to offer even more features: a new Club BKSM communicator that allows for easy site navigation and management of virtual characters and collectible inventory; a buddy list to view online friends and the ability to automatically join wherever they are on the site; and a trading post enabling kids to swap any virtual item in their inventory for a new item. The updated site will also feature an expanded shopping mall with more levels and new activities, like the Club BKSM Mall theatre featuring trailers for current kids' movie promotions.
About Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Columbia Pictures' and Sony Pictures Animation's Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs will be the most delicious event since macaroni met cheese. Bill Hader, star of "Saturday Night Live" and Night of the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, will voice Flint Lockwood, a young inventor who dreams of creating something that will improve everyone's life. Anna Faris, who recently turned heads as the star of the comedy hit The House Bunny, takes on the role of Sam Sparks, a weathergirl covering the phenomenon who hides her intelligence behind a perky exterior. James Caan plays Tim Lockwood, Flint's technophobic father. Andy Samberg plays Brent, the town bully who has plagued Flint since childhood. Bruce Campbell plays Mayor Shelbourne, who figures out that Flint's invention can put the town, and more importantly himself, on the map and Mr. T plays the by-the-rules town cop Earl Devereaux. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is written for the screen and directed by Christopher Miller and Phil Lord and produced by Pam Marsden.
ABOUT BURGER KING CORPORATION
The BURGER KING® system operates more than 11,900 restaurants in all 50 states and in 73 countries and U.S. territories worldwide. Approximately 90 percent of BURGER KING® restaurants are owned and operated by independent franchisees, many of them family-owned operations that have been in business for decades. In 2008, Fortune magazine ranked Burger King Corp. among America's 1,000 largest corporations and Ad Week named it one of the top three industry-changing advertisers within the last three decades. Through its BK Positive StepsSM corporate responsibility program, the BURGER KING® system is committed to being a socially responsible brand in all areas of its business - food, people, the environment and corporate governance.
ABOUT FEEDING AMERICA
Feeding America provides low-income individuals and families with the fuel to survive and even thrive. As the nation's leading domestic hunger-relief charity, our network members supply food to more than 25 million Americans each year, including 9 million children and 3 million seniors. Serving the entire United States, more than 200 member food banks support 63,000 agencies that address hunger in all of its forms. For more information on how you can fight hunger in your community and across the country, visit www.feedingamerica.org.
ABOUT SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT
Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America (SCA), a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution; television production and distribution; digital content creation and distribution; worldwide channel investments; home entertainment acquisition and distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of filmed entertainment in more than 100 countries. Sony Pictures Entertainment can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.sonypictures.com.
ABOUT SONY PICTURES ANIMATION
Sony Pictures Animation exemplifies the next generation of CGI storytelling to produce a variety of animated entertainment for audiences around the world. Sony Pictures Animation is developing a full slate of films including the mouth-watering 3D comedy Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs now in production for a September 2009 release, in pre-production on Hotel Transylvania and in pre-production in association with Columbia Pictures on The Smurfs Movie. In 2007, Surf's Up, was nominated for an Academy Award® for Best Animated Feature and won two Annie Awards. The company's first film, Open Season, was a box office success and the #2 DVD title of the year for Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Its sequel, Open Season 2, released in 2009, was an international family hit. Sony Pictures Animation is an operating unit of Sony Pictures Digital Productions.
Source: Burger King Corp.
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