Smallscreen News

History's foursquare promotes America The Story of Us

By April MacIntyre Apr 18, 2010, 6:04 GMT

03/01/2010 - Liev Schreiber - "Broadway Talks" Conversation Series Kick Off - Arrivals - The 92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Avenue at 92nd Street - New York City, NY, USA © Jakes Van Der Watt / PR Photos

History launches foursquare to promote their upcoming America The Story of Us.

Featured cities include New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Las Vegas, New Orleans, Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Miami, Chicago, Seattle, Austin, Denver, Phoenix, Detroit and Minneapolis

Across the country, users of foursquare, the popular location-based social media platform for mobile phones, will be “checking in” to sites associated with American history in their local communities with the April 19 launch of the America The Story of Us Sweepstakes on foursquare. 

The promotion was created to promote the 12-hour television event that highlights America's 400-year history. The series debuts on Sunday, April 25 at 9pm ET on History.

Those interested in participating can download the foursquare application on their mobile device and or follow History: here

Upon checking-in to select locations, users will receive a “Fun Fact Pop Up” with interesting information about the location by History. For example: users in New York who check in to St. Paul’s Chapel will discover George Washington worshipped there on his Inauguration in 1789 and users in Los Angeles who check in at the Cinerama Dome will find out it opened in 1963 with the premiere of 'It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World' and that it’s the world’s only concrete geodesic dome. Users are also encouraged to leave their own comments about the sites for others to discover.

"Teaming up with foursquare for the America The Story of Us promotion reinforces the History brand's 360 degree approach of aggressively reaching our viewers in new platforms," says Chris Moseley, SVP of Marketing for History. "The connection to America The Story of Us is a perfect fit as it will allow users of foursquare to discover the history in their own cities as well as leave historical tips for others to experience."

Ten randomly selected foursquare users will win prizes each week from April 25-June 6.  Winners will receive a History sports bag filled with prizes such as a Classic 1935 Monopoly Game, portable cooler, grilling tools, picnic set, and more.

Narrated by Liev Schreiber, America The Story of Us is the most in-depth television series ever produced by History, as well as the broadest educational outreach initiative the network has ever undertaken. It is the first television event in nearly forty years to present the history of America, and the most elaborate and ambitious in the scale of its cinematic vision.