TOKYO--()--On May 23, the Grand Prix Search for the #1 Fan of AKB48, the biggest and most popular Japanese pop music idol group, began on Google+ (http://www.google.com/+/learnmore) to commemorate the 4th annual AKB48 General Election.
The Grand Prix Search for the #1 Fan, Worldwide
Any fan with a Google+ account that posts an explanation of why they believe their favorite member should be elected in this year’s General Election will have the chance to win:
1) A trip to Japan to become one of 6 official General Election fan reporters, covering the event in his/her native language on Google+ in real-time. The 6 fans with the most +1’s (a mark of approval or agreement by other fans on Google+) will be invited to attend the Election Day event in Tokyo at the Budokan.
2) A personal thank-you video from the fan’s favorite member sent directly to them on Google+. Seven fans, one from each participating language (Japanese, English, Korean, Chinese, Taiwanese, Indonesian, Thai) will be chosen as winners by the number of +1’s their posts receive. One additional winning fan will also be chosen by lottery (total of 8 winners).
How to Join the Grand Prix Search for the #1 Fan
For details on how to join the grand prix, please visit: http://www.akb48plus.com/oshimen/rule.html
Campaign period：5/23（Wed）18:00 ～ 6/6（Wed） 24:00 (JST)
Terms of Eligibility: Anyone with AKB48 members circled in* on their Google+ accounts may participate.
Who Is AKB48?
In addition to being the most well-known Japanese idol group, AKB48 holds the world record for largest pop band with its 207 members. Formed under the concept of “idols you can meet everyday,” AKB48 performs every night in a small theater of their own where fans can go to see their shows as often as every day.
By bringing its members onto Google+, AKB48 is now able to realize its founding concept like never before. Fans from all over the world can now connect to AKB48 at any time, online and on Google+, to see and voice their opinions through posts or comments to their favorite members. After 207 members started accounts on Google+ in December 2011 last year, AKB48 has attracted a following of over 10 million fans from all over the world on Google+.
For more on AKB48, visit: http://www.akb48.co.jp/english/)
To see all the AKB48 members on Google+, visit: http://www.google.com/intl/en/+/project48/)
What is the AKB48 General Election?
The General Election for AKB48 is the largest annual event in Japanese music and entertainment. It has traditionally been an event where fans buy CDs (only sold in Japan) and vote on who should be the top member. Every year, over a million votes are collected, and the Japanese media and level of general awareness of the event are almost on par with a real political election.
Unlike in previous years, fans from all over the world will now be able to share in the excitement of the General Election through Google+. By sending their support messages to their favorite AKB48 members through this campaign, fans from anywhere can connect with AKB48 and even become an official fan reporter at the live event in Tokyo.
In addition to the Grand Prix Search for the #1 Fan, there will be more exciting activities for fans to enjoy on the day of the General Election, on Google+. Details to be announced at a later date.
Site URL：http://www.akb48plus.com/oshimen/en/