On June 9th, Spongebob, the yellow sponge property of Nickelodeon who is loved by every child, joined the Aquarium of Genoa to start the “educational” collaboration running from June to late August.

To “kick off” this partnership, Nickelodeon organized a large inaugural event on June 8th, The World Oceans Day, for more than 400 guests including journalists, customers, prospects and celebrities.

The concept of the evening was developed entirely by Opinion Leader, the communications agency led by president Alberto Vergani. The agency analyzed the targets and goals leading to maximum involvement for families and children. The creative department chose a special name for the event: Oceaniadi, a funny game dedicated to the World Oceans Day (June 8th, 2012), which mixes information about the undersea world of SpongeBob with the “Five Rings” disciplines.

Like any big sporting event, two very special hosts, Katia Follesa and Angelo Pisani, rewarded all participants of Oceaniadi. The two comedians and the guest star of the evening, SpongeBob himself, presented the medals to the young participants. In addition, Opinion Leader, along with Nickelodeon, created a social activity with leading Olympic athletes Josefa Idem, Tania Cagnotto, Massimiliano Rosolino and Yuri Chechi. During the evening four canvases were revealed, representing the yellow sponge practicing each athlete’s sport. All paintings are signed, and will be shown at the Aquarium of Genoa during the next three months. In September, after the London 2012 Olympics, it will be possible for everyone to buy them through the online auction site www.ebay.it. All proceeds will go to the project Reef Check Italia Onlus (RCI, www.reefcheckitalia.it), sponsored by the City of Alassio and C.E.A. (Center for Environmental Education) of Imperia.

Besides the evening’s organization, Opinion Leader was also in charge of all arrangements and customized printing materials that will remain at the Aquarium of Genoa for the next three months.