Sojo Studios has forged a partnership with global pop/R&B phenomenon Justin Bieber to help children around the world.
The company recently heralded the preview launch of its first “social good” Facebook game, WeTopia, and its first celebrity partnership with talk show host Ellen DeGeneres. Both DeGeneres and Bieber will provide entertainment marketing support as Sojo rolls out its slate of games, beginning with WeTopia.
“Playing online games is a lot of fun already, but WeTopia makes it better by helping children around the world. Some of these kids need to go to school or they need clean water,” said Bieber. “I’ve been so lucky and blessed and that’s why I believe so much in giving back, and I know my fans will feel the same way when they play WeTopia.”
The first company to combine social games with nonprofit beneficiaries on an ongoing basis, Sojo Studios encourages online game lovers to Play for Good. WeTopia is a free-to-play, community-building Facebook game where players develop a better world for children, both in the game and in the real world. As players grow their WeTopia villages, they earn currency called “Joy” which they can choose to apply toward specific charitable projects in the U.S. and abroad, and then track the impact of their contributions in-game. Initial nonprofit partners include Save the Children, buildOn and Children's Health Fund.
“We’re thrilled to partner with Justin Bieber, an amazing entertainer and someone who has emerged as one of the most prolific young philanthropists this world has seen,” said Lincoln Brown, founder and CEO of Sojo Studios. “Justin is using his voice to inspire millions of fans around the world – including daughters and their moms – to give back. We can’t think of a better way to bring the generations together than on WeTopia, which lets players do good while having fun.”
“Social media is how I originally discovered Justin and it’s how he regularly connects with his fans worldwide,” offered his manager, Scott “Scooter” Braun. “He’s excited about WeTopia as a new form of social entertainment that’s literally a game-changer: making charity a regular, enjoyable and organic part of people’s everyday lives.”
The first musical artist to have seven songs from a debut album chart on the Billboard Hot 100, and the first solo artist to earn three #1 albums before his 18th birthday, Justin Bieber has achieved unprecedented success in the U.S. and worldwide since the November 2009 release of his first album, My World. Subsequent albums include My World 2.0 and Never Say Never: The Remixes, the accompaniment to his concert documentary film Never Say Never, the highest grossing concert film in U.S. history. His new holiday album, Under the Mistletoe, recently debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 (the only Christmas album by a male artist to debut at #1) and is certified RIAA double platinum, with worldwide sales topping two million units. The album features duets with Mariah Carey, Usher, Boyz II Men, Busta Rhymes and The Band Perry. Bieber has earned numerous awards and honors including six Billboard Music Awards, four American Music Awards, two MTV Video Music Awards and two Grammy nominations. To date, Bieber has sold over 11 million albums worldwide and amassed over 2.2 billion video views on YouTube, over 36 million Facebook fans and more than 15 million Twitter followers.
