Beloved Childhood Character 'Fireman Sam' is Reborn for the Social Media Generation
Try as parents might to restrict their children's time online, as smartphones, tablets and the like become ever more prevalent in society we simply have to accept that our kids are going to pick up information from the web. Our role in this is to make sure they come across the right information.
As any parent knows, kids are more readily accepting of information they're given by a beloved character. It may seem odd as we get older, but kids invest a level of trust in these characters and respond to them in a significant way. So, partnering this logic with the need to point our kids in the right direction, Social Life have partnered with HIT Entertainment, a subsidiary of Mattel, to bring this approach to social media as well. Their 'weapon' of choice: Fireman Sam.
Taking control of Fireman Sam's surprisingly large social media presence (over 225,000 fans, purely on Facebook), Social Life have given the character an important role, acting as a safety ambassador passing on crucial information in a way that kids will engage with.
The initiative is being carried out throughout the UK, US, Australia, New Zealand, France, Italy, Germany, Spain and Poland, and aims to deliver content via a mixture of GIFs, interactive games and artwork. Focusing on themes of safety, teamwork and community, the campaign looks to have a massive positive impact going forward.
As questions continue to arise over the role of the internet, and social media in particular, in our children's lives and upbringing, initiatives such as this will do a lot to ease the concerns of parents. If more companies are willing to invest in the kind of positive approach on display here, maybe we need not worry so much after all.
As any parent knows, kids are more readily accepting of information they're given by a beloved character. It may seem odd as we get older, but kids invest a level of trust in these characters and respond to them in a significant way. So, partnering this logic with the need to point our kids in the right direction, Social Life have partnered with HIT Entertainment, a subsidiary of Mattel, to bring this approach to social media as well. Their 'weapon' of choice: Fireman Sam.
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| The Drum |
The initiative is being carried out throughout the UK, US, Australia, New Zealand, France, Italy, Germany, Spain and Poland, and aims to deliver content via a mixture of GIFs, interactive games and artwork. Focusing on themes of safety, teamwork and community, the campaign looks to have a massive positive impact going forward.
Spring at last! BBQ season is fast approaching and safety is key! Remind your little cadet that BBQ grills are extremely hot and should always remain at a safe distance.
Posted by Fireman Sam on Monday, 21 March 2016
As questions continue to arise over the role of the internet, and social media in particular, in our children's lives and upbringing, initiatives such as this will do a lot to ease the concerns of parents. If more companies are willing to invest in the kind of positive approach on display here, maybe we need not worry so much after all.
Sam
is an aspiring novelist with a passion for fantasy and crime thrillers.
Currently working as Editor of Social Songbird, he hopes to one day drop that
'aspiring' prefix. Follow him @Songbird_Sam
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Beloved Childhood Character 'Fireman Sam' is Reborn for the Social Media Generation
Reviewed by Unknown
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Tuesday, April 05, 2016
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Reviewed by Unknown
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Tuesday, April 05, 2016
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Unknown
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Aspiring novelist with a passion for fantasy and crime thrillers. He hopes to one day drop that 'aspiring' prefix. He started as a writer and soon after he was made Executive Editor and Manager of the team at Social Songbird. A position he held for 5 years.
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