Walgreens Will be the Exclusive Retailer of Red Noses in the U.S.
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. With a focus on driving 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. ‘Red Nose Day’ is an enormously popular annual event in the U.K. and has raised more than $1 billion over the past 30 years for organizations addressing poverty.
As part of “Red Nose Day” on NBC, 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 internationally. The proceeds will be split between pre-selected domestic and international charity partners, including 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.
“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 Dan Lovinger, Executive Vice President, Entertainment Advertising Sales Group, 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 for all the right reasons.”
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 www.rednosedayusa.com.
“’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 – a good laugh for a good cause.”
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.
“Mars, Incorporated is already a proud partner for ‘Red Nose Day’ in the UK”, said Lee Andrews, Vice President, Corporate Affairs for Mars Chocolate North America. “The M&M’S® Brand is one of the world’s most beloved chocolate candies and a leader in colorful fun, so it’s a natural fit to leverage our brand and humor to help raise money through this partnership with ‘Red Nose Day.’ We’re very proud to be involved, and are looking forward to raising awareness and making a difference in our own, uniquely fun 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 internationally. For more information about Red Nose Day Fund, visit www.rednosedayusa.com.
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: www.nbcuniversal.com.
About Red Nose Day Red Nose Day was created to raise money to help children and young people living in poverty in the United States and some of the poorest communities around the world. The inaugural Red Nose Day will be held on Thursday May 21, 2015. The day’s events will culminate in a three-hour entertainment TV special on NBC, featuring the country’s favorite comedians, musicians and Hollywood stars. Money raised will go to the Red Nose Day Fund, a program of Comic Relief, Inc., a registered 501(c)(3) public charity. The Red Nose Day Fund will distribute the money raised by the Red Nose Day campaign to charity partners whose work helps to achieve Comic Relief, Inc.’s vision of a just world free from poverty.
About Walgreens Walgreens (www.walgreens.com), 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 www.mars.com. Follow us: facebook.com/mars, twitter.com/marsglobal, youtube.com/mars, linkedin.com/company/mars. #### Media Contacts Ally Federbush NBCUniversal Advertising Sales 212-664-2865 Allyson.Federbush@nbcuni.com Lesley Cerwin NBC Entertainment 818-777-2888 Lesley.Cerwin@nbcuni.com Mailee (Ua) Garcia Walgreens Co. 847-315-2141 mailee.garcia@walgreens.com Ampy Vasquez Mars Chocolate North America 973-691-3536 ampy.vasquez@effem.com
