Secret Millionaires Club FEATURING WARREN BUFFETT LAUNCHES FINANCIAL EDUCATION TELEVISION SERIES ON THE HUB TV NETWORK AND IN-SCHOOL CURRICULUM FOR KIDS
Exclusive Sponsor CreditReport.com Supports New “Learn and Earn” Promotion Designed to Teach Kids about Financial Literacy
Washington, DC, October 21, 2011 — A Squared Entertainment and By Kids For Kids Co. team up with CreditReport.com to launch Warren Buffett’s Secret Millionaires Club Learn and Earn financial literacy promotion.. An expansion of the Secret Millionaires Club animated series that features Warren Buffett mentoring a group of kids through their own business adventures, key aspects of the campaign include: the “Learn and Earn” promotion, which offers educational materials for kids in grades 3 – 6; the “Grow Your Own Business” Challenge -- based on Mr. Buffett’s financial lessons -- which invites kids to submit ideas for their own entrepreneurial endeavors for the chance to win $5,000 with finalists given the opportunity to present their business ideas to Mr. Buffett himself in his hometown of Omaha; and the premiere of the first Secret Millionaires Club television special debuting October 23 (1 p.m. ET) on The Hub TV network..
Exclusively sponsored by CreditReport.com, the Secret Millionaires Club “Learn and Earn” financial education activities are being offered to kids in more than 100,000 U.S. schools, as well as numerous youth organizations throughout the country, including Jr. Achievement, 4H, Girls Inc, and Big Brothers Big Sisters.. The yearlong promotion, managed by kids marketing agency By Kids For Kids, provides fun, educational activities, extending the lessons from the Secret Millionaires Club animated series. All materials have been developed by leading educational publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
“We created the Secret Millionaires Club to entertain and enlighten kids about business and financial matters,” says Andy Heyward, CEO and co-founder of A2 Entertainment, “The intention was never to teach kids how to read a balance sheet, we simply wanted to help them understand the world they live in. It is a timely topic that we are gratified to see expand to television and into schools to spread these valuable lessons.”
To further the lessons and values captured in the Secret Millionaires Club series and the “Learn and Earn” promotion, kids can participate in the “Grow Your Own Business Challenge.” The Challenge is a national, online contest open to kids ages 7 – 16 to show off their entrepreneurial skills by submitting a new business idea. Winners – either individual or team -- have an opportunity to win up to $5,000, as well as to present their ideas and have lunch with Mr. Buffett himself in Omaha. The contest kicks off October 20 and ends January 20 -- enter at www.smckids.com.
“It’s never too early to teach kids about properly managing their money,” said Ken Chaplin, senior vice president of Experian Consumer Direct. “We teach our kids to know the anatomy of a frog; however, we don’t necessarily educate them on the ways to manage a checkbook. The Secret Millionaires Club “Learn and Earn” promotion will help to provide financial information in a fun and engaging way that can benefit kids well into adulthood.”
The Secret Millionaires Club, at www.smckids.com, currently features 26 webisodes, games and activities. The television series launches on The Hub TV network on October 23rd at 1 p.m. ET, with encore presentations throughout the week. In the first episode, “Be Cool To Your School,” the kids return to school to find that many of their favorite activities, including their long anticipated class trip to New York, has been cancelled due to budget cuts. Try as they may to raise the money themselves, they are unsuccessful. They finally turn to their neighbor, and mentor, Warren Buffett, who helps them understand what they are doing right and wrong, and they eventually raise the money to save the school trip. Audiences can expect a special guest appearance by entertainment mogul and notorious entrepreneur, JAY-Z, who plays himself and recorded his own lines. Every Secret Millionaires Club episode imparts a financial lesson from Mr. Buffett, and in “Be Cool to Your School,” Mr. Buffett’s lesson that he shares is that “Great partnerships will make any job easier. In life you want to build strong relationships and partnerships to be successful.”
Additional outreach partners for the program include: JumpStart, America’s Promise Alliance, The Public Library Association, The National Education Association, American Camp Association, and the Association of Children’s Museums.
For more information, visit www.smckids.com
To follow us on facebook, visit: www.facebook.com/smckids
Contacts:
For A2 Entertainment:
Lisa Schwartz
310-694-3150
Lisa_schwartz@bhimpact.com
For BKFK:
Judy Klym
203-921-9039
jklym@optonline.net
For CreditReport.com/Experian:
Corie Jackson
323-202-1075
corie.jackson@edelman.com
Secret Millionaires Club Copyright © 2011 A Squared Entertainment
About CreditReport.com
CreditReport.com is part of a family of online consumer credit reporting sites belonging to ConsumerInfo.com, Inc., an Experian company. ConsumerInfo® was founded in 1995 to give consumers quick, easy and inexpensive access to their credit profile. It is the leading provider of online consumer credit reports, credit scores, credit monitoring and other credit-related information. ConsumerInfo provides credit monitoring to its more than 3.1 million members and has delivered more than 20 million credit reports on the Web. As part of the Experian family, it continues to grow its membership base and develop innovative products to help consumers better understand their credit.
About Experian
Experian® is the leading global information services company, providing data and analytical tools to clients in more than 80 countries. The company helps businesses to manage credit risk, prevent fraud, target marketing offers and automate decision making. Experian also helps individuals to check their credit report and credit score, and protect against identity theft.
Experian plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange (EXPN) and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 index. Total revenue for the year ended 31 March 2011 was US$4.2 billion. Experian employs approximately 15,000 people in 41 countries and has its corporate headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, with operational headquarters in Nottingham, UK; California, US; and São Paulo, Brazil.
For more information, visit www.experianplc.com.
Experian and the Experian marks used herein are service marks or registered trademarks of Experian Information Solutions, Inc. Other product and company names mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.
About A Squared Entertainment LLC
A Squared Entertainment LLC (A2) is a full-service brand entertainment company, specializing in animated content for kids, in all formats: television, online, mobile, and more. The Company is dedicated to producing original "content with a purpose," meaning, entertainment and experiences that are as enriching as they are entertaining for kids. A2 is currently producing the Secret Millionaires Club with Warren Buffett teaching children financial literacy through animated adventures; Gisele & the Green Team with Gisele Bündchen as an animated superhero leading a team of girls to protect the planet; Martha & Friends features a 10-year old Martha Stewart in animation who, along with her three best friends and two dogs, show how easy it is to do-it-yourself. Learn more: www.a2entertain.com
About By Kids For Kids
By Kids for Kids® (BKFK®) is a platform that empowers youth invention, innovation and entrepreneurship. BKFK promotes youth social innovation and partners with leading corporations to inspire product development, crucial technology skills, invention, and innovation in young people from 8 to 22. BKFK provides a unique platform for young people to develop, showcase, and commercialize their products, inventions and entrepreneurship. BKFK’s “cycle of innovation” develops critical 21st Century skills in our nation’s youth. The company provides educational resources — curriculum and challenges that promote social change, product development and entrepreneurial endeavors. Learn more: www.bkfk.com.
About The Hub
THE HUB is a multi-platform joint venture between Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) and Hasbro, Inc., (NASDAQ: HAS) with a goal of entertaining, enlightening, empowering and educating children and their families. The cable and satellite television network features original programming as well as content from Discovery's library of award-winning children's educational programming; from Hasbro's rich portfolio of entertainment and educational properties built during the past 90 years; and from leading third-party producers worldwide. The Hub lineup includes animated and live-action series, as well as specials, game shows, and family-favorite movies. The network extends its content through a robust and engaging online presence at www.hubworld.com. The Hub rebranded from Discovery Kids on October 10, 2010, and reaches approximately 61 million U.S. households. The Hub logo and name are trademarks of Hub Television Networks, LLC. All rights reserved.