MTV’s 2020 +1theVote Campaign Harnesses the Power of Friendship to Ignite the Country’s Largest Voting Bloc

MTV is harnessing the power of friendship to ignite the most powerful voting bloc in the country. The global youth brand, whose impact on youth turnout dates back to “Choose or Lose,” today announced its 2020 +1theVote campaign. This year-long initiative will target first-time voters – including the four million who will turn 18 before the election – to help make voting a part of their personal identity and an experience to be shared with friends.

MTV’s +1theVote builds on its successful 2018 midterm campaign, which unleashed a powerful coalition of talent, nonprofit and corporate partners that encouraged young people to vote with a friend. Two months post-launch, the AP cited a 20% increase in young people who were “extremely likely” to bring a friend to the polls.

The campaign also marks the first national effort to open new polling sites across the country on college campuses and in local communities.

“It’s astounding that tens of millions of eligible voters have never been invited to register,” said Brianna Cayo Cotter, MTV’s Senior Vice President, Social Impact. “We know that once people vote 2-3 times, it becomes a habit and our goal is to celebrate this coming of age ritual and turn them into lifelong voters.”

Gen Z and Millennials have an opportunity to outnumber the Boomer generation for the first time in a presidential election. As the most-watched non-sports U.S. cable network in primetime with 18-34 year-olds, MTV will use all of its platforms – linear, digital, social and live events – to reach them through the following programs:

• +1 AMBASSADORS: MTV will partner with artists and influencers who will be voting in their first Presidential election to inspire their fans to register and vote. Confirmed Artists include: AJ Mitchell, Lil Tjay, Polo G, PRETTYMUCH, Why Don’t We, and Yvng Swag.
• +1 THE SHOWS: Together with leading civic engagement experts, MTV has developed a first-of-its-kind workshop to support content creators in effectively integrating voting messages into their programming. MTV is working with Creative Artists Agency’s Foundation to make that training available across the industry.
• +1 THE PROMS: In partnership with When We All Vote, Rent the Runway, artists, and other brands, MTV will sponsor high school proms hosting innovative registration drives as part of their big night.
• +1 THE LINES: Through a partnership with HeadCount, MTV will register first-time voters in line across MTV’s wide footprint of events including the VMAs, Movie & TV Awards and SnowGlobe, a three-day music festival, as well as tapings of from Wild ‘N Out to Singled Out.
• +1 THE POLLS: In conjunction with the Alliance for Youth Organizing, Campus Vote Project, and Students Learn Students Vote, MTV will launch the first-ever national effort to open polling sites in county jails and on college campuses to give voters easier access to the polls.

Additionally, MTV is reimagining the voting experience at the polls by creating installations and events to make the moment more memorable and social.

Digital animation here, download here

Hi-res photos here

ABOUT MTV

MTV is the leading global youth media brand in 180 countries, reaching 450 million households in nearly 30 different languages across every platform. A unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), MTV operations span cable and mobile networks, live events, theatrical films and MTV Studios

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