Strictly Come Dancing Goes Virtual With First Online World for Young Fans

LONDON, January 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

BBC Worldwide announces new venture, the first of its kind for the brand, with Stardoll, the world's largest online community for teen girls.  

- With Photo

BBC Worldwide today announced the first in what it is hoped will be a series of deals with Stardoll which aims to build upon the domestic and global success of the world's most successful reality TV format and cater for its teen girl fanbase by offering an exciting and glamourous new virtual community for these fans.

The deal with Stardoll, which will be initially rolled out in the UK, will offer users of the site access to an exclusive Strictly Come Dancing club where they can obtain virtual items inspired by the show to decorate their personal suites. Additionally, a subscription allows users to treat their 'medolls' to a range of Strictly Come Dancing inspired costumes and props, ranging from the famously glamorous dresses, to shoes and judges boards - all helping to recreate and replicate the Strictly Come Dancing experience in the virtual and safe Stardoll world. The club is available now from http://www.stardoll.com/en/.

To promote a fun and engaging experience, Stardoll has added an incentive to the initial campaign, whereby members will receive a calendar with 20 exclusive Strictly Come Dancing items that are unlocked by day, giving an element of surprise, mystery and anticipation around what they will receive next. In addition, when members join the Strictly club, they can build a stage, and add the set design, spotlight and other items from the show as the membership numbers increase. Additional items unlock separately as the club grows, which encourages others to join the fun.

Simon Hutson, Director of Digital Development at BBC Worldwide said "Attracting new audiences as well as building strong relationships with some of the show's most passionate young fans in new and engaging ways marks a very exciting move for the Strictly brand. This digital world allows fans to experience the glamour of the ballroom before, during and after the show's transmission and ensures they have their own way of interacting with the show in an environment they already socialise in."

Chris Seth, EVP and GM at Stardoll said "We're excited to bring a new dimension of digital entertainment to our members with a full Strictly Come Dancing experience complete with outfits from the show, dance club, and fun activities that link to the actual TV programme. This partnership is a perfect match because our members thrive on real world experiences coming to Stardoll."

The subscription of £5.95, is available to users in the UK, and localised to the UK version of the show - Strictly Come Dancing. In addition, with the success of the Strictly brand globally (outside the UK the brand is called Dancing with the Stars) coupled with Stardoll's international network of users, several other countries where the show is popular will have their own versions announced within the coming months.

Dancing with the Stars is one of BBC Worldwide's flagship brands. Sold to over 35 countries and shown in 75 countries worldwide it is estimated over a half a billion people have seen a local version of Dancing with the Stars.  

NOTES TO EDITORS

BBC Worldwide
BBC Worldwide Limited is the main commercial arm and a wholly owned subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). The company exists to maximise the value of the BBC's assets for the benefit of the licence fee payer and invest in public service programming in return for rights. The company has five core businesses: Channels, Content & Production, Sales & Distribution, Consumer Products and Brands, Consumers & New Ventures, with digital ventures incorporated into each business area. In 2010/11, BBC Worldwide generated profits of £160 million on sales of £1158 million and returned £182m to the BBC. For more detailed performance information please see our Annual Review website: http://www.bbcworldwide.com/annualreview 

bbcworldwide.com
twitter.com/bbcwpress

About Stardoll

Stardoll is a free-to-play, fun-filled social game for young women, who love fashion, shopping, decorating, creativity and making new friends from around the world. 145 million MeDoll avatars have been created to date with a new player joining every second, making Stardoll one of the world's fastest growing communities! The company is based in Stockholm, Sweden with offices in Los Angeles, New York, London and Frankfurt, and is backed by two of the world's top venture capital firms: Sequoia Capital and Index Ventures. For more information, visit: http://www.stardoll.com

http://www.facebook.com/stardoll

twitter.com/stardoll

Calendar: http://www.stardoll.com/en/campaigns/strictlycomedancing/

Pass: https://www.stardoll.com/en/account/payment/stardollars.php?woD=0&country=gb#payment

Club: http://www.stardoll.com/en/clubs/home.php?id=3167582

Note to Editors:

A picture accompanying this release is available through the PA Photowire. It can be downloaded from http://www.pa-mediapoint.press.net or viewed at http://www.mediapoint.press.net or http://www.prnewswire.co.uk.

SOURCE Stardoll and BBC Worldwide