Sep 1, 2004 12:00 PM, Lorin Cipolla

CONTINUING A FIVE-YEAR EFFORT to get kids active, VERB, the federally funded multimedia youth campaign, is hitting the road to engage tweens physically in new and innovative ways.

VERB Anytour is a 16-week nationwide mobile tour providing opportunities for play while promoting and highlighting diverse physical activities. The tour runs through the end of September with VERB trucks making stops in nearly 100 cities, setting up events at community-based organizations, concerts, amusement parks, baseball games and sites provided by corporate partners.

Crew members, each in one of six branded vehicles will get kids to interact with each other while engaging in imaginative play using everything from broomsticks to duct tape. The tour is promoted through local radio advertising, guerilla marketing and on VERBnow.com.

Game play is so different from traditional organized sports the playing field becomes leveled and kids are less intimidated to participate. “Almost every kid is so charged to come in and check it out,” points out Stella Kusner, account director at Frankel, the agency that handles the VERB campaign. “The brand awareness numbers are very high and as a result, kids are excited to see us coming.”

The VERB Web site has also been revamped to inspire physical activity. The site was relaunched Aug. 3 complete with a search engine that allows kids to find activities in their zip codes. Videos, tutorials and tips from professional athletes can also be found online.

“There is a challenge of using a Web site to inspire physical activity, it seems almost contradictory,” says Jack Lynch, VP-account director at Frankel. “We wanted kids to be inspired to walk away from the site and be physically active.”

One way to get kids active is to reward them for their physical activity. Upon logging onto the site, movers and shakers can record every hour of play and create their own virtual sidekick, named Virt, that learns tricks based on how much activity they record.

Additionally, Six Flags, CoopSport and Wilson provide rubber band bracelets, lighted balls, frisbees, T-shirts and other rewards to participants.

Tweens can make up their own activities with the Game Generator and find out when the VERB Anytour will be visiting a town near them.

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