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VH1 to raise money for Operation Smile with mobile giving campaign

VH1 teamed up with Operation Smile to promote its new reality show and encourage consumers to raise money for the organization.

The network is marketing its show, ?Jessica Simpson?s The Price of Beauty.? Simpson has been the organization?s international youth ambassador since 2003.

?The SMS Send a Smile campaign is designed to do a couple things,? said Noah Vadnai, senior director at VH1 Mobile, New York. ?Its primary goal is to generate awareness and raise money for Operation Smile.

?The campaign also dovetails nicely with the theme of VH1's new show, Jessica Simpson's The Price of Beauty, where she and her friends travel the world and examine different concepts of beauty across cultures,? he said.

?We also ask users if they want to join the VH1 VIP list, which is our mobile marketing list and a place to learn about exclusive VH1 events and promotions.?

Operation Smile provides free surgeries to repair cleft palate for children.

Donate to smile
VH1 is donating $1 for every photo submitted ? up to $10,000 ? either by mobile or to VH1smile.com, and viewers are also instructed that they can make a donation via premium SMS.

Users can send a photo of their smile to short code 80366. Consumers can also text the keyword SMILE to the short code 90999 to donate $5.

After submitting a photo, users can see their it as part of a large photo mosaic at the VH1 Smile site.
Users who send in a photo get a pre-recorded call the next day from Ms. Simpson thanking them.

?We partnered with Operation Smile because of Jessica Simpson's involvement with the organization,? Mr. Vadnai said.

?She most recently joined the Operation Smile international medical mission in Nakuru, Kenya where she assisted the volunteer team with the medical evaluations of the more than 280 children who visited the remote region with the hopes of receiving life-changing corrective surgery for their facial deformities,? he said.

Mobile campaign
This is not VH1?s first foray into mobile. The company has a mobile-optimized site as well as several iPhone applications.

Additionally, viewers can watch full episodes of their favorite VH1 shows on their handset via a paid VOD services subscription.

Consumers can also watch clips, sneak peeks highlights and extras for free on VH1?s mobile Web site, http://m.vh1.com.

Consumers can watch extras from Jessica Simpson?s The Price of Beauty on their handsets, which consist of both extra scenes from whatever country the episode takes place in, as well as an exclusive beauty tip from Ken Paves, one of the cast members and a hairstylist.

?In addition to the recent release of VH1's I Love the 80s Trivia application, we have several exciting mobile apps in the works, including a video app, an app for VH1 Classic and several games, including a 90s follow up to the hit I Love the 80s,? Mr. Vadnai said.

?We also will be launching a redesigned mobile Web site with enhanced touch screen device support, better video quality and many more features,? he said. ?And we'll continue to support all the on-air programming with a range of mobile marketing and 360 integrations.?