NBC Teams Up with Walgreens and M&M'S Brand Around First-ever US "Red Nose Day" Telecast
PRESS RELEASE
New York, NY, April 2, 2015 — NBC today announced its collaboration with Walgreens and M&M’S® Brand around its first-ever “Red Nose Day” broadcast. To drive positive change through powerful entertainment, Walgreens and M&M’S will be two of the presenting media sponsors of the three-hour “Red Nose Day” special on NBC, Thursday, May 21 (8-11 p.m. ET). The live broadcast special will feature stand-up performances, sketch comedy, videos produced by Funny Or Die, and music performances from A-list artists.
As part of “Red Nose Day,” from April 17 through May 30, red noses will be available at Walgreens, the exclusive retailer of the emblematic noses in the U.S., for $1 each, with proceeds contributed to the Red Nose Day Fund*. The money raised during “Red Nose Day” will be used to fund programs that address the needs of children and young people living in poverty in the U.S. and overseas.
“We are very excited to bring this internationally acclaimed live event to U.S. audiences to shine a light on the incredible efforts of poverty-fighting charities around the world,” said TK, Advertising Sales, NBCUniversal. “‘Red Nose Day’ gives our advertising partners a unique opportunity to be a part of this first-ever national broadcast and harness the power of live programming at its best.”
Walgreens and M&M’S will have an on-air and online presence across NBC’s platforms, including the dedicated site for the NBC telecast at
.
“’Red Nose Day’ is all about being funny to raise money, and we’re delighted to work with NBC, Mars and Comic Relief to bring this fun charity event to the U.S. for the first time,” said Alex Gourlay, President of Walgreens. “The money goes to charities that help those who are less fortunate live happier, healthier lives — the same way Walgreens helps our customers be happy and healthy. While supporting Red Nose Day, I hope we’ll all have some fun with the Red Noses.”
Richard Curtis, co-founder of ‘Red Nose Day’ and Comic Relief in the UK, will serve as an executive producer for the NBC telecast (a Universal Television production), along with Hamish Hamilton and Ian Stewart of Done + Dusted Productions. Henrietta Conrad and Lily Sobhani will also serve as executive producers, as will Mike Farah, Anna Wenger and Joe Farrell from Funny Or Die. Hamilton is set to direct.
"Red Nose Day has been an extraordinary success in the UK due to the amazing support of the public, the artists and our wonderful corporate partners. They provide a simple way for the public to get involved by buying a nose or product, each of which can help to save or change a child's life,” said Curtis. “On behalf of the Red Nose Day charity, I am absolutely delighted that both Walgreens and M&M's have come on board as the inaugural sponsors of this first ‘Red Nose Day’ event in America to complement the amazing support of NBC as our broadcast partner. "
Funny Or Die, the award-winning top destination for comedy on the web, and producer of high-quality content across numerous platforms, will partner with NBC to create original content for the special.
”M&M’S is the brand that understands the power of using colorful fun to brighten the world, so it’s a natural fit to leverage our humor and passionate fan base to change lives through this partnership with Red Nose Day,” said Lee Andrews, Vice President, Corporate Affairs for Mars Chocolate North America. “We will be raising both funds and awareness in the run up to what will be a big day on NBC.”
The money raised during NBC’s “Red Nose Day” 2015 will go to the Red Nose Day Fund and will be used to fund programs that address the needs of children and young people living in poverty in the U.S. and internationally in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The money will be split between domestic and international poverty issues. The pre-selected charity partners for this year’s Red Nose Day Event are Boys & Girls Clubs of America; charity: water; Children’s Health Fund; Feeding America; Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance; the Global Fund; LIFT; National Council of La Raza; National Urban League; Oxfam America; Save the Children and United Way.
NBCUniversal is committed to moving people and communities forward with impact, ideas, and conversations that enable individual potential and spark collective action. As part of this companywide effort, NBCUniversal champions pro-social innovation and celebrates a portfolio of diverse pro-social initiatives.
*Noses are sold for $1 each, with 50 cents being contributed to the Red Nose Day Fund. No portion of purchase is tax deductible. Red Nose Day Fund’s objective is to lift children out of poverty in the US and overseas. For more information about Red Nose Day Fund, visit RedNoseDay.org.
About NBCUniversal
NBCUniversal is one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. NBCUniversal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment television networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, world-renowned theme parks, and a suite of leading Internet-based businesses. NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation. To learn more visit:
About Walgreens
Walgreens (
), the nation's largest drugstore chain, constitutes the Retail Pharmacy USA Division of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (Nasdaq: WBA), the first global pharmacy-led, health and wellbeing enterprise. More than 8 million customers interact with Walgreens each day in communities across America, using the most convenient, multichannel access to consumer goods and services and trusted, cost-effective pharmacy, health and wellness services and advice. Walgreens operates 8,229 drugstores with a presence in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Walgreens digital business includes Walgreens.com, drugstore.com, Beauty.com, SkinStore.com and VisionDirect.com. Walgreens also manages more than 400 Healthcare Clinic and provider practice locations around the country.
About Mars, Incorporated
In 1911, Frank C. Mars made the first Mars candies in his Tacoma, Washington kitchen and established Mars’ first roots as a confectionery company. In the 1920s, Forrest E. Mars, Sr. joined his father in business and together they launched the MILKY WAY® bar. In 1932, Forrest, Sr. moved to the United Kingdom with a dream of building a business based on the objective of creating a “mutuality of benefits for all stakeholders” — this objective serves as the foundation of Mars, Incorporated today. Based
in McLean, Virginia, Mars has net sales of more than $33 billion, six business segments including Petcare, Chocolate, Wrigley, Food, Drinks, Symbioscience, and more than 75,000 Associates worldwide that are putting its Principles into action to make a difference for people and the planet through its performance.
Mars brands include: Petcare — PEDIGREE®, ROYAL CANIN®, WHISKAS®, BANFIELD® Pet Hospital, CESAR®, SHEBA®, DREAMIES® and NUTRO®; Chocolate – M&M’S®, SNICKERS®, DOVE®, GALAXY®, MARS®, MILKY WAY® and TWIX®; Wrigley – DOUBLEMINT®, EXTRA®, ORBIT® and 5™ chewing gums, SKITTLES® and STARBURST® candies, and ALTOIDS® and LIFESAVERS® mints. Food – UNCLE BEN’S®, DOLMIO®, EBLY®, MASTERFOODS®, SEEDS OF CHANGE® and ROYCO®; Drinks – ALTERRA COFFEE ROASTERS™, THE BRIGHT TEA COMPANY™, KLIX® and FLAVIA®; Symbioscience – COCOAVIA® and WISDOM PANEL®. For more information, please visit
. Follow us: facebook.com/mars, twitter.com/marsglobal, youtube.com/mars,
linkedin.com/company/mars.
