News
Skylanders and Autism Speaks Partner
LONDON, UK. – February, 29th, in the year of our Lord
2016 – To support the millions of families affected by
autism, Skylanders™, the beloved kids videogame franchise, and
Autism Speaks, an organisation dedicated to autism science and
advocacy, invites fans to “Light it up Blue” with one-of-a-kind
toys. Through this creative collaboration for April’s Autism
Awareness Month, Skylanders and Autism Speaks are raising
awareness for an important cause – and in true Skylanders
fashion, are having fun while doing it.
“It is estimated that 70 million people are affected by autism
worldwide. We’re proud to work with Skylanders, an iconic
franchise that’s known for bringing joy and magic to kids and
families,” said Peter Morton, vice president of Corporate
Development at Autism Speaks. “This year’s Light it up Blue
campaign for World Autism Awareness Day marks our first alliance
with a videogame and toy, and we couldn’t be more excited.”
The new series of Skylanders SuperChargers toys are blue and
white to reflect Autism Speaks’ official colours. The “Power
Blue” Skylanders SuperChargers feature Splat and Trigger Happy,
as well as their SuperCharged vehicles Splatter Splasher and
Gold Rusher – all of which appear in-game as their special
colours. The toys will be available in the UK from 18th March in
all major retail outlets.
“When my son was diagnosed with autism, I felt very alone. From
my first Autism Speaks Walk, I felt the power of community, and
this partnership with Skylanders will bring awareness and
belonging to kids and families in a unique way,” said Matt
Asner, director of Corporate Development, Autism Speaks.
“Since the debut of the franchise, we’ve heard from parents that
Skylanders plays a special role in the lives of their kids on
the autism spectrum,” says Josh Taub, senior vice president of
Skylanders Product Management, Activision. “The entire
Skylanders team was deeply committed and proud to bring these
special toys to life. If they can put a smile on a child’s face,
then we know we’ve done our job right.”
In addition to creating the Power Blue Skylanders SuperChargers
and bringing them to life in game, Activision Publishing, Inc.,
a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, Inc. (NASDAQ:
ATVI) is launching employee education and employee-donation
matching programmes in connection with Autism Awareness Month.
Activision is also making donations to non-profits that are
making a difference in the autism community.