Even though Robin Hood carried out his good deeds by stealing from the rich to give to the poor, his intentions were pure. That is why Universal Pictures has launched a new, cause-based initiative to promote the new telling of the epic tale of Robin Hood (out this Friday), which reunites Russell Crowe with this Gladiator director Ridley Scott. Universal has partnered with United Way, City Year and Robin Hood to find people who embody the spirit of Robin Hood in every community.
The program dubs these magnanimous souls “Lionhearts” and defines them as “people who make a positive impact in society via their participation in a cause or charity.” Think you know a Lionheart? You can send him or her an email through the Robin Hood Lionhearts website, and he or she will receive a link to create a profile. This profile is all it takes for a true Lionheart to spread the word about his or her good deeds.
Once a profile has been approved, those Lionhearts are invited to share their profiles on all social networking tools. According to a release, “The promotion’s website, which is fully integrated with YouTube, Twitter and Flickr, will pull in conversations about the Lionheart, thereby displaying in real-time the amount of buzz surrounding a candidate. A Lionheart’s program on the social hub Peer Squared will provide an additional channel for participants and fans to share the initiative across 20 social networking platforms, as they earn rewards for doing so.”
Three Lionhearts will win a “Grand Award” and $5,000 each in prize money, in addition to $5,000 to share with the cause of their choice. Ten Lionhearts will win a “First Award” and receive $500 each, in addition to $500 to donate to the cause of their choice. These modern-day Lionhearts will be able to engage their friends, colleagues and family members with the click of a button. Tales about Robin Hood of yore had to travel through the English countryside by word of mouth. Times have certainly changed, but the spirit of giving that compelled the original Robin Hood and these Lionhearts of today is the same.
Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures via RobinHoodLionhearts.com.