16 May 2019
Cartoon Network and Prudence Foundation team up to launch a kids safety awareness programme with “SAFE STEPS Kids”
Bringing safety information to children in a fun and innovative way
Hong Kong, 16 May 2019 – If disaster was to strike and your children were on their own, would they know what to do? Through SAFE STEPS Kids, a new safety awareness programme launched today, Prudence Foundation and Cartoon Network aim to equip millions of children across Asia with actionable information that can save lives, should the very worst happen.
Leveraging the successful SAFE STEPS programme developed by Prudence Foundation and a series of kid-centric practical and easy-to-understand tips from Cartoon Network, SAFE STEPS Kids reaches children through a medium they know and love. It uses Cartoon Network’s world-renowned characters, leveraging the brand’s ability to create content that resonates with the young and their parents.
SAFE STEPS Kids comprises a series of 12 public service video announcements of 50 seconds in length. Each video features a set of characters from a well-known Cartoon Network series who will anchor the storytelling process to raise awareness and provide easy-to-understand educational information, approved by International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, on life-threatening issues.
The videos fall into three categories: Disasters – with help from The Powerpuff Girls; First Aid – using the assistance of We Bare Bears; and Road Safety – with characters from The Amazing World of Gumball. These are airing on Cartoon Network television channels in Asia, while millions more families will be engaged via its social and online video platforms, websites and apps.
The programme also has a website (www.safestepskids.com) and a series of collaterals which will be distributed in schools and communities across Asia. This continues the legacy of the more adult-focused SAFE STEPS programme launched in 2014 together with ambassadors Manny Pacquiao and Michelle Yeoh.
Marc Fancy, Executive Director, Prudence Foundation, said, “The response to our SAFE STEPS programme when it launched five years ago was overwhelming and now, together with Cartoon Network, we can widen its appeal by creating relatable content to deliver a very serious message to a younger audience. Arguably, children are at even greater risk of harm than adults, so it’s vital that they know how to respond to a disaster or an emergency if something happens to their friends, their teacher or their family. Through SAFE STEPS Kids, we aim to build a resilient future generation.”
Prudence Foundation is the community investment arm of Prudential in Asia with a mission to secure the future of communities by enhancing education, health and safety. For SAFE STEPS Kids, Prudence Foundation partnered with Cartoon Network, known for its initiatives that encourage positive behaviour in a family unit, to create a bespoke campaign that encourage empowerment by children in a potentially life-altering situation.
Awantika Sood, Executive Director of Advertising for Turner’s entertainment and kids brands in Southeast Asia, including Cartoon Network, added: “By integrating the SAFE STEPS programme with our well-loved characters, we want to help children understand and remember the safety steps they can undertake to survive in potentially disastrous scenarios. Cartoon Network has over 25 years’ experience as a creative storyteller. With our legacy in guiding kids and families through pro-social initiatives, the SAFE STEPS Kids programme will be able to spread a critical message to the region’s most vulnerable population by providing clear, relatable and practical solutions.”
Prudence Foundation has partnered with Cartoon Network since 2011 on the financial literacy campaign Cha-ChingTM Money Smart Kids. The multimedia, multiplatform concept takes an engaging and age-appropriate musical narrative approach to teach children about four key fundamental money management pillars – Earn, Save, Spend and Donate.
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About Prudence Foundation
Prudence Foundation is the community investment arm of Prudential in Asia*. Its mission is to secure the future of communities by enhancing education, health and safety. The Foundation runs regional programmes as well as local programmes in partnership with NGOs, governments and the private sector in order to maximise the impact of its efforts. Prudence Foundation leverages Prudential’s long-term mindset and geographical scale to make communities safer, more secure and more resilient. The Foundation is a Hong Kong registered charitable entity.
For more information please visit: www.prudencefoundation.com
*Prudential Corporation Asia is a business unit of Prudential plc of the United Kingdom. Neither Prudential Corporation Asia nor Prudential plc are affiliated in any manner with Prudential Financial, Inc., a company whose principal place of business is in the United States of America. In Taiwan and Korea, Prudential Corporation Asia trades under the PCA name for its insurance business. Its asset management business in Asia operates under the name Eastspring Investments.
About Cartoon Network Asia Pacific
Cartoon Network, the number one kids’ channel in Asia Pacific, offers the best in original animated content including the multi-award-winning global hits Ben 10, The Powerpuff Girls, Teen Titans Go!, OK K.O.! Let’s Be Heroes, Adventure Time and We Bare Bears.
Cartoon Network is available in 29 countries throughout Asia Pacific and is currently seen in more than 135 million pay-TV homes. Internationally, it is seen in 192 countries and over 400 million homes, and is an industry leader with a global offering of the best in award-winning animated entertainment for kids and families.
The brand is known for putting its fans at the centre of everything by applying creative thinking and innovation across multiple platforms. Cartoon Network also reaches millions more through its websites, games and apps, including Cartoon Network Watch and Play. Cartoon Network, sister brand to Boomerang and POGO, is created and distributed by Turner, a WarnerMedia company.