There's no greater darkness in the world than bullying, and Sora, Donald and Goofy hope to use the power of light to extinguish it. And help teens give their gamer peers some respect in the process.
Square Enix announced in a press release Monday that they will be collaborating with the Ad Council to include Kingdom Hearts III in their anti-bullying campaign, Because Of You, to encourage teens to create a more inclusive community and think about how their actions impact others.
In keeping with the theme of friendship and light conquering over darkness, the public service announcement (PSA), or advert for those outside the U.S., featuring clips of the heroes and villains in Kingdom Hearts III reiterates the campaign's main message that the power of one's actions and words can change someone's life forever. This collaboration marks the first time the Ad Council has partnered with a video game publisher to create a PSA addressing a social justice issue such as bullying.
Brenden Docherty, Sr. Manager of Product Marketing at Square Enix, says the themes of Kingdom Hearts III and the message Because Of You attempts to give in their ads are a match made in heaven. "At its core, the Kingdom Hearts series is about the power of friendship and helping those in need in order to overcome darkness," Docherty said. "We thought these themes matched very well with the valuable life lesson of the Because Of You campaign."
Anastasia Goodstein, SVP of Digital Product Management at the Ad Council, discussed how the message of Kingdom Hearts III is relevant in lifting teens' spirits through the Because Of You campaign. "Kingdom Hearts III is one of the year's biggest game releases, and we're excited to see the game's message of support and friendship reach millions of teens. It's a great fit with our campaign's idea that everyone should reflect on the power of their actions."
