HONG KONG – 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 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.
