VBS and Home Office launch community-led youth drive

Viacom Brand Solutions (VBS) is working with the Home Office to launch an initiative promoting positive values in young people under the banner “Good for the Hood”.

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VBS, the sales house for MTV, is launching a “Good for the Hood” competition on MTV with the prize being a reality-style mini-series for groups of friends who come up with the best ideas.

The competition begins on MTV on Monday (June 15) both on-air and online. Groups of friends aged 25 years and under will be invited to show what they would do or would like to do to improve their neighbourhood and make a difference to the community. Issues young people could tackle include drugs, anti-social behaviour and knife crime.

The MTV spots will encourage viewers to go online and enter their ideas. A panel of judges will shortlist the best ideas and MTV viewers will be asked to vote for their favourite from August 3 for two weeks.

The winning idea will be brought to life through four three-minute “reality-style” episodes that show what the group of friends are doing to bring about positive change in their community. The episodes will air during commercial slots on MTV from September 21 to October 18.

The competition follows on from the Home Office and VBS anti-knife initiative “Show us what you’re made of” in October 2008, which encouraged MTV viewers to send in films in which they display their talents.

VBS, cinema sales house Pearl & Dean and MySpace have just revealed plans to launch a cross-media commercial venture under the banner Screen, although there are no plans for a combined sales force.