Freddie Mercury Becomes an Angry Bird for Charity

Queen’s iconic singer is reborn as a cycling bird in Rovio’s “Freddie For A Day” tribute.

This Wednesday, September 5, marks the 66th birthday of former Queen frontman Freddie Mercury. It’s also the date the Mercury Phoenix Trust, an AIDS awareness charity set up in his memory by his fellow band members, chose for its “Freddie For A Day” fundraising event. Freddie For A Day, which began in 2010, calls upon fans to raise sponsorship money by dressing up as the iconic star for the day. This year, Angry Birds developer Rovio has decided to join in in a way only it can: by making Mercury into an Angry Bird in a new animated short.

The video sees the avian incarnation of Freddie Mercury riding atop a catapult-based bicycle, accompanied by four other Angry Birds. The backing track is – of course – Queen’s hit single “Bicycle Race”. Rovio also intends to release T-shirts sporting the new design through both its own store and Bravado, with a portion of the proceeds going directly to the Mercury Phoenix Trust. The shirts don’t seem to be available yet, but will be limited to only a small number when they are online.

Rovio’s chief marketing officer, Peter Vesterbacka, said in a statement: “Freddie for a Day is such a great way to honor Freddie’s fun and flamboyant spirit while delivering an important message, and we’re delighted to be supporting them in our own Angry Birds style. Queen’s music has endured for a reason, because its creativity and contagious fun appeals to fans of all ages, and we’re happy to help keep Freddie’s memory and music alive for new generations of fans.”

For more information about Freddie For A Day, and the Mercury Phoenix Trust’s work to combat AIDS worldwide, you can visit the event’s website here.

Source: Freddie for a Day