Ahoy ! Popeye and Angry Birds Friends teams up in support of The SeaCleaners

Popeye and Rovio Entertainment unite the Iconic Sailor Man with Angry Birds Friends in weeklong tournament in support of The SeaCleaners

angry birds and friends x Popeye x The SeaCleaners

Popeye the Sailorman and video game developer Rovio Entertainment have partnered for a co-branded Angry Birds Friends x Popeye tournament in support of ocean clean-up organization, The SeaCleaners.

Running from January 31- February 6th, the tournament contained 24 Popeye themed levels of competition alongside in-game ocean conservation messaging from The SeaCleaners. The Manta, the sailboat designed to swallow up and process plastic waste, was visible in the background of the different levels.

Throughout the 7-day tournament, players were tasked with stopping Bluto and the piggies from polluting while collecting plastic waste in the game.

As players advance through the game, they were learning unique and eye-opening facts around how our oceans are impacted by waste.
For example, according to The SeaCleaners, every year between 9 and 12 million tons of plastic waste is tipped into the ocean. To combat this, the organization advised players in the game to avoid single-use plastic by choosing reusable bags  and plastic-free packaging.

Results of the operation: 1.1 million players participated in the tournament (+18.6% compared to the game’s usual performance) for 2.7 million impressions of our awareness messages. On social media, the week created a strong buzz, with 3.5 million views of messages posted on the Instagram, Facebook and Twitter accounts of Popeye, Rovio Entertainment, Angry Birds & Friends and Red the Angry Bird, the iconic (and very angry) hero of the game.

“Rovio is delighted to have teamed up with The SeaCleaners and Popeye to do our part for ocean conservation. Combining compelling games content with this very important message is a meaningful way of impacting our environment. We have a large audience through our games, and if we can contribute to increasing the respect and safety of our planet, we want to take that opportunity. The Angry Birds may be angry, but they want to use their powers for good!”

Heini Kaihu Chief Sustainability Office from Rovio

Additionally, The SeaCleaners hosted a giveaway where players had the chance to win Bird Coins that could be used to purchase items in Angry Birds Friends such as Power UPs, Mighty Eagles, Avatars and more.

For a chance to win, players were invited to answer four questions about plastic pollution, which can be found on The SeaCleaners’ website.
Winners were chosen at random the week after the tournament concluded.

The fight against plastic pollution is a collective battle,” commented Yvan Bourgnon, The SeaCleaners president. “We are extremely proud and grateful to Popeye and Rovio for their commitment. Raising awareness about the dangers that threaten the ocean is part of our mission. What better vehicle for this than Angry Birds Friends, an incredibly popular game around the world? And what better spokesperson than Popeye, a timeless sea hero whose values we share? We feel privileged we were able to count on them!

Popeye is thrilled to have joined Red and the other Angry Birds on their mission to save the ocean from polluting pigs,” said King Features’ brand marketing director, Beth Nock. “This exciting partnership has united two incredibly popular character brands — providing fans with entertaining game play, while promoting a great cause. The SeaCleaners’ ocean clean-up technology is unprecedented, and we are grateful Rovio has joined forces with Popeye to shine a light on their revolutionary work through this collaboration.