SmartyCard expands tween virtual rewards with Zwinky Cuties
San Mateo, Calif., July 2, 2009 -- SmartyCard(TM), the online games service for tweens that lets kids earn their favorite rewards through one flexible virtual currency, today announced their reward partnership with Zwinky Cuties(TM), a virtual world that welcomes and encourages children ages six and up to safely explore their individuality and creativity. SmartyCard has quickly become a fluid currency for parents who want their tweens (ages 6-12) to earn access to some of the most popular virtual worlds online, and today, Zwinky Cuties joins SmartyCard's roster of the most popular virtual world rewards.
"With our commitment to children ages six and up, partnering with SmartyCard was a natural fit," said Dae Mellencamp, general manager for Zwinky Cuties and senior vice president of Mindspark Interactive Network, Inc. "Zwinky Cuties provides kids with a safe and fun online environment while SmartyCard allows them to learn the value of hard work and choices. Zwinky Cuties is excited to be one of the newest choices for SmartyCard kids."
SmartyCard's learn-earn-play educational platform, developed in partnership with several leading online educational content providers, offers a fluid currency that allows both parents and tweens to make choices while enjoying a safe and seamless online experience. SmartyCard allows parents, family members and friends to purchase pre-paid SmartyCard points for their kids through its safe, online site, SmartyCard.com, while the children earn the currency through playing interactive educational games and quizzes. By successfully completing activities, children earn, accumulate, and use SmartyCard points to select parent-approved rewards from the most popular books, DVDs, music, and toys to online virtual worlds and games.
"Kids and parents are finding they love SmartyCard for the wide-range of reward choices, both real and virtual, available for tweens," said Chris Carvalho, general manager, SmartyCard. "Adding new partners, like Zwinky Cuties, makes perfect sense for our customers, as virtual world rewards continue to be the most popular reward category for SmartyCard kids."
Zwinky joins other virtual worlds, such as Bella Sara, ClubPenguin(TM), Stardoll, and many more in SmartyCard's rewards mall.
About Zwinky Cuties
Zwinky Cuties allows pre-teens to create their own avatars, play games, design their own room, purchase clothing, adopt pets and interact with others using pre-selected chat options. Parents can subscribe their children to become Zwinky Cuties Jet Setters, which gives a girl her own passport so that she can to travel to virtual international locations outside of Zwinkville, such as Paris, London, Dubai, and Tahiti. Such features provide a responsible way for girls to discover the fun and excitement of social networking. To learn more about Zwinky Cuties, visit www.ZwinkyCuties.com .
Zwinky and Zwinky Cuties are properties of Mindspark Interactive Network, Inc.
About SmartyCard games and rewards
Through SmartyCard, children explore subjects via quizzes and problem sets, pursuing point values awarded according to level of difficulty and contingent upon answering seven-out-of-ten activity questions correctly. SmartyCard lesson content is homegrown and developed in partnership with several leading online educational content providers to ensure that SmartyCard games engage kids in a learning experience that encourages imaginative thinking outside of the classroom. Parents fund these activities by buying and depositing points directly into their child's account. Friends, family and parents can buy points for a child through SmartyCard virtual cards at www.SmartyCard.com .
About SmartyCard
Award-winning SmartyCard is the first learn-earn-and-play experience to provide real and virtual rewards to tens of millions of families that believe learning at home can be fun and rewarding. Utilizing homegrown games and educational content from industry leaders, SmartyCard gives families the opportunity to engage in fun and interactive online games, quizzes and lessons. As kids learn, they earn and redeem points, prepaid and purchased by parents, family members and/or friends, for popular rewards from popular online destinations like ClubPenguin(TM), WebKinz, Stardoll, Bella Sara, and many more. SmartyCard's online learn-and-earn approach to education reinforces the universal value of hard work and steers children towards a lifetime of educational achievement and success. SmartyCard is a Gazillion, Inc. company. To learn more or to begin playing, visit http://www.smartycard.com .
Source: Company press release.