YouVote Video Moves from Online to Mobile, Exclusively on Verizon Wireless

YouVote Video Moves from Online to Mobile, Exclusively on Verizon Wireless

Hollywood Unites, Encouraging Americans to Vote

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., and NEW YORK, Oct. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon Wireless is encouraging its customers to exercise their right to vote in this year's historic election and today announced its customers now have exclusive mobile access to The Creative Coalition's engaging YouVote video. Conceived and directed by filmmaker Sue Kramer, YouVote leverages the spotlight of the entertainment industry to inspire and encourage Americans to vote in the upcoming presidential election and is now available to millions of Verizon Wireless customers with V CAST-enabled phones.

YouVote marks the first time that actors, filmmakers, producers and directors are joining together in a fully non-partisan and inter-generational effort to encourage voter participation. The three-minute video includes more than 40 celebrities, including Blake Lively, Anne Hathaway, Tim Daly, Samuel L. Jackson, Susan Sarandon, Marcia Cross, Jane Krakowski and The Muppets (complete list at end of release). YouVote is set to the sound of a modern American anthem, "Today," an original song written for the video by Dana Parish and Andrew Hollander and performed by Dana Parish. Verizon Wireless customers also have access to a one-minute version of the YouVote video on V CAST.

YouVote contributors share statements, quotes and personal anecdotes on the importance and privilege of voting, and a number of participants recite the following Margaret Mead quote: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."

"The Creative Coalition is proud to spearhead the YouVote campaign. Our organization stands for citizenship involvement, and this video promotes the simple message that every citizen must exercise their right and responsibility to vote," said Robin Bronk, executive director of The Creative Coalition.

"The concept of YouVote was to create a non-partisan appeal to get people to vote and help unify the country instead of dividing it -- we are not preaching who to vote for, we just want people to use their right and participate in the democratic process. For too long the entertainment community has been accused of being either indifferent to important issues or lending their voices only to certain causes; this video demonstrates that Hollywood understands the importance of participation," said Sue Kramer, director of the YouVote video.

Celebrity participants include: Pamela Adlon, Penn Badgley, Amy Brenneman, Connie Britton, Saffron Burrows, Ellen Burstyn, Tom Cavanagh, Rachael Leigh Cook, Bradley Cooper, Chace Crawford, Marcia Cross, Tim Daly, John Paul DeJoria, Dana Delany, Giancarlo Esposito, Tony Goldwyn, Bryan Greenberg, Carla Gugino, Hill Harper, Anne Hathaway, Samuel L. Jackson, Wayne Knight, Jane Krakowski, Joey Kurn, Ricki Lake, John Leguizamo, Barry Levinson, Blake Lively, Josh Lucas, Wendie Malick, Matthew Modine, The Muppets, Kathy Najimy, Paulina Porizkova, Gloria Reuben, Jason Ritter, Stephen Root, Susan Sarandon, Richard Schiff, Tamara Tunie, Nia Vardalos, Kate Walsh, Ed Westwick and more.

Verizon Wireless customers can watch YouVote by visiting the Election '08 category on V CAST and then selecting YouVote and selecting either the one- or three-minute YouVote video. Access to YouVote on Verizon Wireless phones is included with any V CAST subscription, just $3.00 for 24-hour use or for $15.00 monthly access with the V CAST VPak, which also includes access to Verizon Wireless' ESPN MVP, Get It Now(R) and Mobile Web services. Customers get unlimited basic video but application download fees may apply for 3D games and premium video. There are no airtime or megabyte charges to download, stream or watch V CAST content with any V CAST subscription.

To view the YouVote video online, visit www.youvotevideo.org. For more information about Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com.

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable wireless voice and data network, serving 68.7 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 70,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). For more information, go to: www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

About The Creative Coalition (www.thecreativecoalition.org)

The Creative Coalition is the premiere 501c(3) nonprofit, nonpartisan social and public advocacy organization of the arts and entertainment community. Founded in 1989 by prominent members of the creative community, The Creative Coalition is dedicated to educating its members on issues of public importance, primarily the First Amendment, public education and arts advocacy. Headquartered in New York City, The Creative Coalition also has offices in Washington, DC, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

About the "You Vote" Production Team (A Bella Films Production) Writer/Producer/Director Sue Kramer (Gray Matters), Cameraman Aengus James (currently shooting Barry Levinson's much anticipated Poliwood documentary), Producer Jill Footlick (Gray Matters, Boys Don't Cry, Evening), award-winning Producer Suzie Greene-Tedesco (The Wrecking Crew), Songwriters Andrew Hollander and Dana Parish (Parish's debut album "Uncrushed" will be released Oct 28).

Source: Verizon Wireless

CONTACT: Jeffrey Nelson of Verizon Wireless, +1-908-559-7519,
Jeffrey.Nelson@verizonwireless.com

Web Site: http://www.thecreativecoalition.org/
http://www.verizonwireless.com/
http://www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia
http://www.youvotevideo.org/

Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/094251.html

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