In 2008, 6 million Americans told the US Census that they did not vote because they did not know how to register or they missed their state's voter registration deadline. In response to this staggering number, MTV today announced that MTV, MTV2, mtvU, MTV Hits and MTV's Facebook and Twitter profiles will turn their logos red, white and blue with the network's "Power of 12" election campaign on Tuesday, September 25, 2012 in honor of National Voter Registration Day, encouraging young people nationwide to register to vote. MTV.com, MTV2.com and mtvU.com will also go red, white and blue, and each person who visits these sites will be immediately greeted by a simple tool – developed in partnership with Rock the Vote– to make it quick and easy to register to vote. The network will also canvas its on-air programming with new "Power of 12" spots debuting throughout the day, and over 250 on-air messages across MTV channels driving viewers to register to vote.
"By turning every MTV screen red, white and blue on National Voter Registration Day, we're working to help ensure no young person in the country has their voice muted because they didn't know when, where or how to register to vote," said
Stephen Friedman, President of MTV. "We know that if youth register, they vote, and we're doing everything in our power to ensure Millennials are a force to be reckoned with on November 6th."
MTV and Powerof12.org will premiere a short new video on-air and online by 19 year-old YouTube sensation Baracksdubs, who dubbed a duet with President
Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney "singing" "Party in the USA." This marks the first time this college student, whose videos have generated over 60 million streams collectively, has integrated any politicians beyond the President. Earlier this year, MTV Act called on its readers to pick the next pop song for this viral sensation to dub
President Obama singing to, and they selected the summer anthem "Call Me Maybe." The resulting video, which premiered on Powerof12.org, has garnered 14 million views and counting.
On September 25, 2012, volunteers, celebrities, and organizations from all over the country will take part in National Voter Registration Day. This single day of coordinated volunteer, technology and media efforts aims to drive widespread awareness of voter registration opportunities and deadlines. Organizations including Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance Education Fund, Bus Federation Civic Fund, Fair Elections Legal Network, League of Women Voters, Nonprofit Vote, and Voto Latino have been among the organizations providing coordination and support to make this day possible.
More than 45 million 18-29 year olds will be eligible to vote in the 2012 election, representing the largest potential voting bloc in the country. Building on MTV's nearly 20-year Emmy and Peabody Award-winning political legacy with "Choose or Lose," MTV's "Power of 12" campaign is built specifically to reflect the Millennial generation and changes in the economic and political climate, and is designed to empower them to have a major impact on Election Day and beyond.
For information on MTV's "Power of 12" campaign please visit
www.Powerof12.org.
About MTV:
MTV is the world's premier youth entertainment brand. With a global reach of more than a half-billion households, MTV is the cultural home of the millennial generation, music fans and artists, and a pioneer in creating innovative programming for young people. MTV reflects and creates pop culture with its Emmy®, Grammy® and Peabody® award-winning content built around compelling storytelling, music discovery and activism across TV, online and mobile. MTV's sibling networks MTV2 and mtvU each deliver unparalleled customized content for young males, music fans and college students, and its online hub MTV.com is a leading destination for music, news and pop culture. MTV is a unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.
