WASHINGTON, Sept. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The
Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) today announced "The Voice
Of ___," the online destination for the 2012 presidential debates.
Beginning later this month, "The Voice Of ___" digital initiative
will provide the American public with access to information about
the issues at large, feature the live debates, allow access to
archival debate footage, and give people throughout the country the
opportunity to share their voice. "The Voice Of ____" will be
showcased exclusively across a coalition of partners – AOL
(aol.com/thevoiceof), Google (youtube.com/thevoiceof) and Yahoo!
(yahoo.com/thevoiceof) – to reach a massive online audience.
"The 2012 debates can be the foundation for a season of
conversation, and the internet initiative will provide
unprecedented access for citizens to participate in that
conversation," said CPD co-chairmen Michael
D. McCurry and Frank J. Fahrenkopf,
Jr. "This initiative recognizes that technology offers the
means to provide, receive and share information about the topics
that will be discussed during the debates – it has the potential to
reach and engage more people than have ever participated in these
voter education forums."
AOL, Google and Yahoo!, along with back-end partners HAUS and
Heroku, have all agreed to lend their technology, audiences or
expertise to the program. They are collaborating to showcase an
experience that will enhance every citizen's ability to further
their education on the issues and add a voice to the national
conversation.
"AOL is very excited to be a part of the new coalition of
digital media leaders, providing an interactive program for
citizens to gather information about the issues and spark
discussions about the 2012 presidential debate topics," said
Artie Minson, Chief Operating
Officer, AOL. "We look forward to partnering with the other
partners, and we believe we can play an important role in helping
drive the national conversation."
"Technology is transforming the political process from one that
voters watch from afar, to one that people can participate in,
engage with, and shape in a democratic way," said Susan Molinari, Google's Vice President of
Public Policy and Government Affairs. "We are excited to join the
Commission on Presidential Debates to help educate voters on key
issues in this election and provide a front row seat to the
presidential debates."
"Yahoo! is excited to share our technology and content with
voters, helping them make the most informed decisions this election
year," said Mickie Rosen, SVP,
Global Media & Commerce, Yahoo!. "From creative ways to engage
citizens in conversations around important issues, to the most
relevant news articles, we're excited to do more by being a part of
this incredible digital initiative. We couldn't be more proud to
work with the Commission on Presidential Debates."
"We are excited to be a part of the coalition that provides
voters a better way to find, digest and process online information
about the upcoming presidential election," said Oren Teich, COO, Heroku. "We wholeheartedly
support the CPD's commitment to using technology to promote open
debate within the political process, and look forward to seeing how
it will impact the election."
The coalition and project are being led by BBH New York – the
Commission on Presidential Debates' agency since 2008 – and
production partner HAUS, with cloud deployment provided by
Heroku. The Paley Center for Media is the official subscriber
of the live debate feed. "The Voice Of ___" will have a
dynamic name that reveals the exact number of people who
have engaged with the experience at any given time. "Though it
may start out as 'The Voice Of 1,' the intent is that it will
grow to educate thousands – if not millions – of Americans,"
said Jennifer Gavin, head of digital
development, BBH NY.
BACKGROUND
The Commission on Presidential Debates is the non-partisan,
non-profit organization that has sponsored and produced all
presidential and vice presidential debates since 1987, the year it
was established. On July 25,
2012, the CPD announced formats for the 2012 debates; sites
and dates were announced on October
31, 2011. More information can be found at
http://www.debates.org.
About AOL
AOL Inc. (NYSE: AOL) is a brand company, committed to
continuously innovating, growing and investing in brands and
experiences that inform, entertain and connect the world. The home
of a world-class collection of premium brands, AOL creates original
content that engages audiences on a local and global scale. We help
marketers connect with these audiences through effective and
engaging digital advertising solutions.
About Google
Google's innovative search technologies connect millions
of people around the world with information every day. Founded in
1998 by Stanford Ph.D. students Larry
Page and Sergey Brin, Google
today is a top web property in all major global markets. Google's
targeted advertising program provides businesses of all sizes with
measurable results, while enhancing the overall web experience for
users. Google is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices
throughout the Americas, Europe
and Asia. For more information,
visit www.google.com.
About Yahoo!
Yahoo! is focused on creating deeply personal digital
experiences that keep more than half a billion people connected to
what matters most to them, across devices and around the globe.
Yahoo!'s unique combination of Science + Art + Scale connects
advertisers to the consumers who build their businesses. Yahoo! is
headquartered in Sunnyvale,
California. For more information, visit the pressroom at
pressroom.yahoo.net or the company's blog, Yodel Anecdotal at
yodel.yahoo.com.
About BBH New York
BBH is a full-service creative company and has served as
the agency of the Commission on Presidential Debates since
2008. In North America, the agency has offices in
New York and Los Angeles, and its clients include
Axe, Bailey's, BBC, British Airways, Cole Haan, Google, Johnnie Walker, The Weather Channel
Companies, Vaseline, Westin Hotels & Resorts and World
Gold Council. In 2011, BBH NY was named to the
Creativity "A-List" of the 10 most creative shops of the
year, and the agency ranked first among the "2011 Most Awarded
in Digital in the World, " according to The Gunn Report.
BBH NY has recently been named The Webby Awards' "Agency
of the Year". Further information is available
at www.bartleboglehegarty.com.
About HAUS
Since the dawn of the online era, HAUS has been
instrumental in shaping how the internet looks, feels and
integrates into our daily lives. Our collaborative culture combines
design, technology and digital filmmaking to create responsive,
state-of-the-art websites, rich media campaigns, social media
applications, eCommerce and apps for mobile, tablet and the
web. For more information, contact Jeremy
Moss, jeremy@madeinhaus.com or visit
www.madeinhaus.com.
About Heroku
Heroku, a salesforce.com company, has enabled hundreds of
thousands of developers to build and run more than two million
applications – all entirely in the cloud, without the need to
purchase or maintain any servers or software. With support for the
most popular languages, an enterprise class database service and an
add-on ecosystem featuring the most innovative development tools,
Heroku provides start-ups, IT organizations and agencies with a
faster and more effective way to create and deploy apps. For more
information, please visit http://heroku.com.
About The Paley Center for Media
The Paley Center for Media is the official subscriber of
the live debate feed for "The Voice Of ____" experience. With
locations in New York and
Los Angeles, the Paley Center
leads the discussion about the cultural, creative and social
significance of television, radio and emerging platforms for the
professional community and media-interested public. Drawing upon
its curatorial expertise, an international collection and close
relationships with the leaders of the media community, the Paley
Center examines the intersections between media and society. The
general public can access the collection and participate in
programs that explore and celebrate the creativity, the
innovations, the personalities and the leaders who are shaping
media. Through the global programs of its Media Council and
International Council, the Paley Center also serves as a neutral
setting where media professionals can engage in discussion and
debate about the evolving media landscape. Previously known as The
Museum of Television & Radio, the Paley Center was founded in
1975 by William S. Paley, a
pioneering innovator in the industry. For more
information, visit http://www.paleycenter.org/.
SOURCE Commission on Presidential Debates