NBC Universal Global Networks will be introducing its successful short film competition – the Shocking Shorts Awards – in the Netherlands. This competition will be open to students and professionals in the Dutch film industry as well as amateurs with hopes of becoming filmmakers. Films sent in will be submitted to a professional jury that will include Rutger Hauer, Monique van de Ven and Jean van de Velde. The jury will select a winner for each broadcasting station (13TH STREET and SCI FI). Prizes will be presented during the Netherlands Film Festival in 2008. The two winners will go to Hollywood for the Universal Studios Filmmasters Programme. Linden & Barbosa was asked by NBC Universal to assist with the publicity activities surrounding this new competition. ANP, Spits, Metro and various news sites are devoting attention to the pre-announcement.

The business community and universities are continuously developing new projects intended to meet their respective requirements. To create a bridge between theory and practice, Linden & Barbosa and Inholland University’s School of Communication, Media & Music will be entering into a long-term collaboration. In February 2008, Linden & Barbosa Junior will open its doors inside Inholland University’s location in Diemen. This junior agency will be run by third and fourth-year communication students at Inholland who will be supervised by Inholland’s instructors and Linden & Barbosa’s consultants. The January 2008 issue of the professional journal Communicatie will include an interview with Linden & Barbosa about this collaboration.

Corporate Social Responsibility can be implemented in various ways. Linden & Barbosa initiates this practice by utilizing its knowledge, network and resources for charity. Each year the Linden & Barbosa team choose charity projects. In 2007 we chose to support Cordaid / Mensen in Nood and KidsRights.

Cordaid / Mensen in Nood will launch its sale of LEVEN items. In December the items are a special collection of gift items for the upcoming holiday season. The LEVEN items are truly unique: beautifully designed packaging but without contents. With the purchase of a LEVEN product, the buyer provides direct support for victims of natural disasters and wars with. For Cordaid / Mensen in Nood, Linden & Barbosa will accompany Santa, whose sack will be filled with presents, when he visits several editorial and producer staffs as part of a creative and tongue-in-cheek publicity stunt. For this project, Linden & Barbosa will be working together closely with Saatchi & Saatchi, the advertising agency that devised the concept.

KidsRights is a Dutch organisation devoted to helping the world’s vulnerable children. KidsRights supports existing, effectively operating, local organisations offering direct, customised assistance to these children. Furthermore KidsRights works towards having direct media attention for the rights of these children. KidsRights also presents the annual International Children’s Peace Prize. This year, the award ceremony took place in the Knights’ Hall in The Hague and was attended by Maxime Verhagen, the Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Sir Bob Geldof. This resulted in good news items on the Dutch television and also multiple publications in magazines.