THINK / MAKE / REACH
National Geographic Kids
50 Birds 50 States
National Geographic Kids sought fresh, fun, original content for its digital properties in an effort to appeal to and engage with both kids and their parents in the form of edutainment. We pitched the idea of an animated series featuring the rapping Barry the Bald Eagle, America’s National Bird, who flies across the U.S. to meet state birds and learn about the history, nature, and favorite attractions in each area of the country.
Every episode comes in the form of a rap music video. We researched each state in depth in order to effectively write about the most interesting aspects of each locale. We then wrote the lyrics and worked with musicians to get the tracks recorded before the animation team got to the hard work of bringing the music, places, and characters to life.
The initial 18 episodes of 50 Birds, 50 States are available on the National Geographic Kids website. The first episode, “The State of New York,” debuted on June 16th.
The new series bolsters National Geographic Kids’ already impressive collection of original series online including another produced by Magnet Media called Nat Geo Kids on YouTube. 50 Birds was a finalist in the Cynopsis Kids !magination Awards in the category of Interstitial Series, and is now in production for more episodes to cover even more U.S. ground!
