Plants vs. Zombies --------> dental hygiene, apparantly

by: Nathaniel - posted: 10/1/2012 12:19:00 PM

Politics makes for strange bedfellows is how the old saying goes.  Well, apparently, so does the American Dental Association's campaign to get kids to eat less candy.

Stopzombiemouth.com, where "zombie mouth" is either one full of candy or one whose teeth are all rotted out, is a new website collaboration between the ADA and Pop Cap games.  Its intention is to redefine what a Halloween "treat" is.  In other words, don't give candy to all the little monsters this Halloween; give Plants vs. Zombies instead.  And if you give Plants vs. Zombies to a child in a Plants vs. Zombies constume, because those must exist, both your heads will explode.

Participating dentists are now offering a limited run of one million packs of Plants vs. Zombies trading cards (examples of which, you can see below).  Each pack also contains a code for a free download of the PC version of Plants vs. Zombies.

You can get all the relevant deets at www.stopzombiemouth.com, www.mouthhealthy.org, and by following the jump. 

SEATTLE, Washington—September 28, 2012— The American Dental Association® (ADA) and PopCap Games today announced a new tendril of their recently launched “Stop Zombie Mouth” campaign: beginning today, a limited run of one million packs of trading cards featuring characters from PopCap’s hit game Plants vs. Zombies™ is being distributed via thousands of participating dentists nationwide. Each card pack also includes a coupon redeemable for a free copy of the full PC/Mac edition of the game. The game coupons can also be downloaded for free from the campaign website, www.stopzombiemouth.com, which added a wealth of fun new content today, from Halloween decorations and kids’ activity pages to a themed music video, fun facts and much more.

The Stop Zombie Mouth campaign also announced that it now has the support of Margo Wootan, Director of Nutrition Policy at the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). “Changing eating habits among children is one of the most important yet difficult challenges that parents face today,” Ms. Wootan said. “The ADA and PopCap Games have come up with a fun, clever, and compelling approach that should appeal to young trick-or-treaters this Halloween. This campaign will help children recognize the relationship between healthy eating and healthy teeth, and provide one of the coolest alternatives to sugary snacks yet.”

Announced earlier this month, the “Stop Zombie Mouth” campaign will continue through Halloween, and provides parents, dentists and other adults with trading cards and coupons redeemable for entirely free copies of PopCap’s family friendly hit video game, Plants vs. Zombies, which can be given away to trick-or-treaters as a tooth-friendly alternative to candy. In just two weeks, thousands of ADA member dentists nationwide have ordered Stop Zombie Mouth kits to outfit their offices with the campaign theme and provide free collectible Plants vs. Zombies trading cards and game coupons to their patients. Other components of the campaign scheduled for next month include a public service announcement airing nationwide on more than 100 radio stations, a press conference in New York City and more.

The limited edition trading cards feature 45 different zombie types (including some not found in any editions of the game) and 5 new characters created specifically for the campaign who represent the germs found in a zombie’s mouth. Each pack holds five cards, including one card with the URL and redemption code to obtain a free copy of Plants vs. Zombies for PC or Mac computers. In addition, there are two mystery puzzles that can be built with specific subsets of the trading cards. The campaign music video, also launched today, features new and existing characters and is exactly two minutes long – so it can be used as a timer for brushing one’s teeth for the recommended length of time.

Currently, parents and other adults who host trick-or-treating children on Halloween can obtain the free trading cards only at participating ADA member dentists nationwide; at a later date, the trading cards may become available to consumers through additional channels. The free game redemption coupons can also be downloaded directly from www.stopzombiemouth.com. The coupons, trading cards and other themed materials are designed to raise awareness of the importance of kids’ oral health as well as provide a fun alternative to sugary treats on Halloween night.

About the American Dental Association (ADA)
The not-for-profit ADA is the nation's largest dental association, representing more than 157,000 dentist members. The premier source of oral health information, the ADA has advocated for the public's health and promoted the art and science of dentistry since 1859. The ADA's state-of-the-art research facilities develop and test dental products and materials that have advanced the practice of dentistry and made the patient experience more positive. The ADA Seal of Acceptance long has been a valuable and respected guide to consumer dental care products. For more oral health information, visit the ADA’s website at www.MouthHealthy.org.
About PopCap

PopCap Games is the leading global developer, publisher and operator of casual video games: fun, easy-to-learn, captivating games that appeal to all ages across PC, mobile, social and other platforms. Based in Seattle, Washington, PopCap was founded in 2000, was acquired by Electronic Arts in 2011, and has a worldwide staff of more than 400 people in Seattle, San Francisco, Vancouver, B.C., Seoul, Shanghai and Tokyo. PopCap's games have been downloaded over 1.5 billion times by consumers worldwide, and its flagship franchise, Bejeweled®, has sold more than 50 million units.

ADA is a trademark of The American Dental Association; Plants vs. Zombies, Bejeweled and PopCap are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc.