PAW Patrol’s heroic pups are on a roll this summer and ready to spread the word about the importance of water safety through thePAW Patrol Safety First! prosocial global initiative. The water safety program, created in partnership with the Michael Phelps Foundation, will launch today with a Public Service Announcement (PSA) that stars Michael Phelps, World Champion Swimmer and Water Safety Advocate, who also serves as the PAW Patrol Safety First! Global Water Safety Ambassador. The spot will be featured on Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. linear channels, their complementary social media platforms, the Noggin interactive learning service for preschoolers and the Nick Jr., Dora TV and Nick Jr. Spanish channels on Pluto TV in the U.S. The PSA will also roll out on Nickelodeon channels across additional territories in the coming weeks.
Said Phelps: “Water Safety has been a priority in my family since I was a child as my mom was adamant that my sisters and I learn to swim for safety purposes. The statistics around accidental drowning are alarming and we want to help educate and encourage families with a few basic tips in a fun and informative way. We want all kids to know the 123s of water safety – starting with never going to the water alone – and thanks to the support of the Michael Phelps Foundation, Nickelodeon and PAW Patrol, we can bring these important messages to the world with the help of the PAW Patrol pups and a fun, catchy song for families to sing along.”
The PSA, which features the PAW Patrol pups, as well as Phelps and his son Boomer, utilizes a sing-along format to teach the “ABCs and 123s of Swim Safety”, the core principles that will help adults kids keep safe as they try to beat the heat this summer with water-based activities. The ABCs for adults are: A – Adult Supervision – always be within arms distance of kids, providing focused supervision; B – Barriers – All pools should have a barrier for entry and a self-latching gate; and C – Classes that concentrate on swimming for kids and CPR for adults are an important way to make sure everyone feels safe and confident in the water. The 123s of Swim Safety for kids are: 1 – Never swim alone. Ask a grownup if you want to jump in; 2 – Know your surroundings. Look around and know which is the shallow and deep end; and 3 – Take swimming classes. Learn basic swimming skills like floating and strokes before getting in the pool.
In addition to the PSA, Nickelodeon has partnered with the Michael Phelps Foundation to develop an interactive PAW Patrol Swim Safety toolkit, currently available at www.nickelodeonparents.com/paw-patrol-water-safety-kit/. The toolkit includes printable activities caregivers and kids can complete together, to teach and reinforce the importance of water safety, such as: The Swim Safety Maze Challenge; Zuma’s Swim Safety Count and Color activity, which teaches kids the importance of blowing bubbles; and a water safety demo in the form of a game of ‘Show-see-do.”
PAW Patrol is currently the number-one ranked preschool show on all television. The CGI-animated series, produced by Spin Master Entertainment, follows a pack of heroic rescue pups—Chase, Marshall, Rubble, Skye, Rocky, Zuma, Everest and Tracker—who are led by a tech-savvy boy named Ryder. Together, they work hard to show the people of Adventure Bay that “no job is too big, no pup is too small!” The series features a curriculum that focuses on citizenship, social skills and problem solving.
Nickelodeon is bringing the PAW Patrol Safety First! Campaign to life through a partnership with TAILWIND, a brand accelerator group focused on innovating impact marketing for entertainment, fashion, and lifestyle brands.
The Michael Phelps Foundation (MPF) is focused on promoting water safety, healthy living, and the pursuit of dreams, especially for children. Founded in 2008, the Foundation has provided learn-to-swim, healthy living, and goal-setting programming to children and young adults around the world through strategic partnerships with the Boys & Girls Club of America, Special Olympics International, and the Level Field Fund. For more information, please visit www.michaelphelpsfoundation.org.
Nickelodeon, now in its 41st year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The brand includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, digital, location based experiences, publishing and feature films.