Dance Central as Headline Sponsor of the Aphrodite: Les Folies European Tour 2011

Film created by Xbox to support a pan-European promotion asking fans ‘Can you out dance Kylie?’

READING, United Kingdom — 18 March, 2011 — Pop star Kylie Minogue takes a starring role in a new viral film created by Xbox to promote Dance Central as the headline sponsor of her European ‘Les Folies’ Tour 2011, supporting the controller-free, body-tracking video game which features Kylie’s #1 smash hit, Can’t Get You Out Of My Head.

Released today on Xbox 360 and Microsoft channels including Xbox Facebook Pages, Xbox.com, Xbox LIVE, Xbox You Tube and MSN, the three minute film was created for Xbox EMEA by McCann London and is the latest phase of an integrated marketing campaign designed to amplify the sponsorship around Europe.

Shot by BAFTA awarding winning director Becky Martin, the film follows avid gamer “Darren” recreating Kylie’s most iconic dance routines by playing Dance Central. With each move he masters, he increasingly begins to believe he actually is Kylie, building to a climax that sees Darren take centre stage at one of her shows. As well as appearing in the film, Kylie was fully supportive of the production, providing access to her tour dancers, actual staging, crew and costumes.

Commenting on the film, Kylie said: “What can I say – Darren’s got the moves! When I saw what Xbox and Dance Central wanted to do, it was very hard to resist being involved. I love comedy and the film not only makes me laugh, it reminds me that anyone can become a great dancer.”

The film launches a European-wide, multi-channel campaign dubbed “Can you out dance Kylie?” which includes challenges to win customised Kinect sensors and Xbox 360 consoles inspired by the tour as well as concert tickets and meet and greets with Kylie herself.

Director Becky Martin, whose credits include the award-winning British comedy series Peep Show, said “I’ve worked on a few unique projects but this was definitely a highlight. I loved the concept from McCann’s and it was refreshing that Xbox were happy to let us tell the story of Darren in a longer narrative than usual sponsorship material. Having Kylie on board was obviously an added bonus. It was great fun to make, so I hope Kylie fans enjoy seeing her embrace the idea and show another side, but more importantly, I hope it inspires someone to out-dance her. Sorry, Kylie!”

Chris Lewis, Vice President Interactive Entertainment Business Xbox EMEA, said “Creating an entertaining short film allows us to amplify Dance Central’s sponsorship of the ‘Les Folies’ tour in an amusing and attention-grabbing way to engage new audiences and drive word of mouth among thousands of Kylie fans. Luckily for us, Kylie’s got a great sense of humour which helped bring the idea to life!”

The film can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0K2IeWWxSI

Dance Central’s sponsorship of Kylie’s European Aphrodite ‘Les Folies’ tour 2011 encompasses more than 35 shows in 15 countries and is being supported through significant investment in paid online media, PR and experiential activity.

Dance Central™ is first controller-free, body-tracking, fully immersive dance video game, available exclusively for Kinect for Xbox 360. The top-selling game, developed by Harmonix, features fun choreography and more than 90 authentic routines for beginners and experts alike of all ages to master, alongside a killer 32-song on-disc soundtrack that spans a great sampling of pop, funk, hip-hop, Latin and R&B artists.

Kinect for Xbox 360 provides a unique and exciting way for the whole family to access and interact with entertainment. With just the wave of a hand or the sound of a voice, consumers can play games, stream music, watch HD movies and engage in video chat. No gadgets, gizmos or additional controllers are required. Over 10 million Kinect sensors have been sold since launch in November 2010.