July 10, 2009

The Killers and MTV EXIT Team Up to Raise Awareness of Human Trafficking

By News Desk

In an exclusive collaboration, MTV EXIT (End Exploitation and Trafficking) and alternative rock band The Killers have partnered with UNICEF and USAID to produce a music video that dramatically highlights the dangers and impact of trafficking for sexual exploitation, particularly for young women.

The video for the band's track "Goodnight, Travel Well" from the album Day & Age will premiere globally on MTV, and viewers can either watch this online or on their TV screens on Monday July 13 2009. This video represents the second in a series of music video collaborations that highlight the dangers and impact of human trafficking. This initiative was launched last year with an award-winning film produced by MTV EXIT for the Radiohead single "All I Need".

The Killers said, "We are deeply shocked and appalled that women and children are forced into such exploitative situations. We hope that through MTV's efforts and this powerful video that millions of people across the world learn about this tragic form of modern-day slavery".

This music video represents an innovative and creative way to fuse musical content with MTV's pro-social messaging. The "Goodnight, Travel Well" video will be released globally across all of MTV's platforms in 168 countries.

"Trafficking is a crime which violates the basic rights of all people: the rights to freedom, equality, and dignity. Through MTV EXIT and MTV's global networks reaching over tow billion people in 160 countries, we are uniquely positioned to support and advocate these rights, create awareness and empower our audience many of whom are particularly at risk from human trafficking", said Bill Roedy, Chairman & CEO MTV Networks International.

"There is almost no country in the world now that isn't affected by human trafficking in some way," said Susan Bissell, UNICEF's Head of Child Protection. "The Statistics are staggering. More than 1.2 million children are being trafficked each year and nearly 80 percent of all trafficking is for sexual exploitation, and the most at risk are girls. We see this music video as a powerful way to reach out and raise awareness among young people, across borders and across language barriers."

The Killers are taking MTV EXIT to a new level and bringing critical human trafficking messages to a global audience, said Olivier Carduner, USAID's Regional Mission Director for Asia. "By using a variety of mediums - music videos, anime, film, and online content - as well as live concerts, we are reaching vast numbers of young people, those most at risk of being trafficked," Carduner said.

"This campaign capitalizes on The Killers' and other bands' and movie stars' images and MTV's brand appeal to transform people's views about trafficking and provide a platform for NGOs, governments and law enforcement agencies to prevent trafficking and assist victims."

The "Goodnight, Travel Well" video is directed by David Slade (30 Days of Night, Hard Candy). It provides insight into the realities of trafficking, in particular the trafficking of children and adolescents into forced prostitution, and provides a link to information about how people can help to end exploitation and trafficking.

For more information, visit www.mtvexit.org.

"Goodnight, Travel Well" will premiere July 13, Monday on MTV Asia @ 10pm (MY) and 9pm (SG).