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Crane towering above Wembley launches balls from 102.5m
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100 purple balls with in-built GPS systems released throughout the UK
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Social experiment uses online networks to encourage real-life game play
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Pixie Lott and Scott Mills launch Twitter's biggest game of #Catch
Gavin Henson breaks highest catch World Record to launch UK's biggest game of Catch
Gavin Henson and David Seaman entered the record books today as they both caught a ball travelling at terminal velocity above Wembley National Stadium, London. The record-breaking moment marked the launch of Cadbury Spots v Stripes' biggest game of Catch in the UK.
One hundred purple balls with in-built GPS systems have been released to get as many people as possible passing these throughout the UK. The ball that travels the furthest with the most passes – as tracked live on www.spotsvstripes.com/catch – will win the UK's biggest game of Catch[1].
The sheer act of playing will trigger the donation of games kits to charity in time for Christmas through Cadbury's partnership with Groundwork[2]
Spots v Stripes' fans have launched these balls throughout the country and will use their online friends and followers to keep the balls moving. Influential Tweeters, as identified by their Klout score, will encourage real-life game play too.
Hundreds of spot prizes are on offer and the chance for one individual to win £5,000 simply for catching a ball.
David Seaman makes winning catch to break World Record
To supplement the real-life game, Cadbury has created a unique Twitter version of Spots v Stripes Catch. Singer-songwriter Pixie Lott threw the first ball at her fans for team Spots and Radio 1 presenter Scott Mills challenged his followers to represent Stripes for Twitter's biggest game of Catch.
The Twitterverse will be encouraged throughout the week to throw their #SpottyBalls and #StripeyBalls at friends and use the hashtags in tweets.
Fans can follow the Catch conversation live and see whether the Spots or the Stripes ball is buzzing the furthest through its partnership with real-time aggregation service www.TweetBeat.com/SpotsvStripes.
Cadbury has also created a ‘Spot/Stripe the ball game' Facebook application. Players will be challenged to guess which ball will be passed the most the next day. Lucky guessers will be in with a chance of winning Panasonic TA1 cameras and a 42-inch Viera 3D TV.
As the official treat provider of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Cadbury wants everyone, everywhere to celebrate the true spirit of London 2012 and play more games.
GPS purple balls released into the community
After breaking the World Record, Gavin commented: "Seeing that crane tower above me was pretty insane! It's now time for the UK to play the biggest game of Catch and prove to the world that we're a fun and welcoming lot."
David said "Catch is fun; it's what I did for a living! Playing is a great way to unite people in time for Christmas. Knowing that your pass will support communities at grass roots level is hugely motivating. You never know where the next England keeper might be lurking!"
Norman Brodie, General Manager London 2012 at Cadbury commented: "There is magical quality in the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games to do with its spirit – the sheer pleasure of playing and the fact that games have the power to unite people. It's this notion that lies at the heart of Spots v Stripes, the biggest, most inclusive game ever played in the UK."
For more information please visit www.SpotsvStripes.com/Catch. The national game and website URL go live on Tuesday 7th December
[1] A pass, registered by sending a picture with the ball via email or text message, is worth double the amount of points for a ball travelling a mile.
[2] Groundwork is a national charity with three decades of experience in enabling individuals and communities to improve their local area through both physical and social regeneration.
