NBC to debut 'Red Nose Day' charity comedy event with partners Walgreens, M&M's

 

 

NEW YORK – NBC on Thursday announced its collaboration with Walgreens and M&M’S Brand around its first-ever “Red Nose Day” broadcast. To drive positive change through 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.

 

As part of “Red Nose Day,” 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 United States and overseas.

 

“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,” NBCUniversal stated. “‘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 at its best.”

 

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 RedNoseDayUSA.org. 

 

“’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.”

 

Richard Curtis, co-founder of ‘Red Nose Day’ and Comic Relief in the U.K., 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 U.K. 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.

 

”M&M’S is the brand that understands the power of using colorful fun to brighten the world, so it’s a natural fit to leverage our humor and passionate fan base to change lives through this partnership with Red Nose Day,” said Lee Andrews, VP corporate affairs for Mars Chocolate North America. “We will be raising both funds and awareness in the run up to what will be a big day on NBC.”

 

The money raised during NBC’s “Red Nose Day” 2015 will go to the Red Nose Day Fund and will be used to fund programs that address the needs of children and young people living in poverty in the U.S. and internationally in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The money will be split between domestic and international poverty issues. The pre-selected charity partners for this year’s Red Nose Day Event are 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.