Kids Marketing Report articles from July 2000

Kids Marketing Report archives from July 2000

Schoolmaster.net mergers with 'Emillionaire' winner.(schoolforschools.com)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 1, 2000... schoolmaster.net, one of the world's largest web-based educational communities, has merged with Colin Robinson's schoolforschools.com, the recent winner of Channel 4's 'Emillionaire Show' in which contestants showcase dotcom ideas. ...

Britvic targets children and parents.(launches two new fruit drinks)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)(Statistical Data Included)
July 1, 2000... Britvic Soft Drinks is introducing two new drinks into the [pound]480m fruit drink market as a result of its 'Right Choice' category management programme, which aims to identify gaps in the market. Targeted primarily at kids aged 5-11, the...

GREEN KETCHUP.(from Heinz)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
July 1, 2000... Heinz is launching a green-coloured version of its classic tomato ketchup in the US in October. Called EZ Squirt, the sauce is thinner than the original product and comes in a squeezable bottle which has a nozzle designed to allow kids to...

SEX PACK FOR SCHOOLS.(designed by Poise Marketing)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2000... Poise Marketing has produced a lesson plan pack on sex education for 8-11 year olds on behalf of Bodyform. The material was jointly written by teachers from The Schools Consortium and the Royal College of Nursing. The pack includes a special...

COKE ROLLS OUT CLOTHES.(across Europe after trials in U.K.)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2000... Coca-Cola's branded clothing range is to roll-out across Europe following successful trials in the UK. Distribution is to be handled by Italian clothes company Fashion Box, which has acquired a majority stake in UK licensee Action Apparel.

FRUBES TO FREEZE.(Yoplait Dairy Crest Petit Filous Frubes)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2000... Yaplait Dairy Crest is running a sampling campaign for its Petit Filous Frubes brand as part of a [pound]1m summer promotion. The campaign, which will see 70,000 frozen Frubes samples distributed to kids, is supported with cinema and TV...

GAMEPLAY SCOOPS PRIZE.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2000... Gameplay.com was the winner of this year's Yell Awards, sponsored by Marketing Week.

ITV POACHES FROM NICK.(appoints Janie Grace)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2000... ITV has poached Janie Grace, the former MD of children's channel Nickelodeon, as its new controller of children's and youth programmes. Grace will be responsible for all aspects of ITV's children's programming, including the development of the...

Food Commission comes down on frozen burgers.(reveals statistics on composition of beef burgers)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 1, 2000... Frozen burgers are the latest products to get a grilling by The Food Commission. According to its latest report, most frozen burgers are fatty, over-salted products pumped up with non-meat fillers, water and flavour-boosting ingredients. ...

KP Snacks hopes improved flavours for Hula Hoops will add teen appeal.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2000... KP Snacks has embarked on a massive investment programme to extend the appeal of its Hula Hoops brand among teens and pre-teens. A key part of the programme is the introduction of flavour improvements across the range at a cost of [pound]2m....

Asda takes on Mothercare.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
July 1, 2000... Asda has extended its George clothing brand into non-clothing with a range of mother and baby products as it prepares to take on Mothercare. The range includes everyday items such as nappies and baby toiletries, as well as high-cost...

Dream deal for Sega Europe.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2000... Sega Europe has inked its first content deal for Dreamarena, the portal site available via Dreamcast consoles. virgin.net, the UK's leading entertainment and leisure service online, has created a co-branded film channel called Dreamscreens,...

NEW ADS FOR TOMY.
July 1, 2000... Tomy UK is launching a press campaign for its infant and nursery products through Costa & Co. The agency won the business from Focus on Kids, which retains the rest of Tomy's ad business.

DISNEY APPOINTMENT.(Leo Burnett Company Inc.)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2000... EuroDisney, which operates the Disneyland Paris theme park, has awarded its [pound]31m pan-European ad account to Leo Burnett in Paris. The appointment marks the end of a nine-year relationship with O&M Worldwide.

PAY-AS-YOU-GO WAP.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
July 1, 2000... Freeserve, the leading web portal, has joined forces with BT Cellnet to launch a pay-as-you-go WAP phone. The phone will be preset with Freeserve content and services.

NAPPIES FOR ITALY.
July 1, 2000... Kimberley Clark is launching its range of children's practice pants in Italy. Little Swimmers, Dry Nites and Pull-Ups will be backed by a [pound]3.2m campaign through Ogilvy & Mather. The company recently launched its new Huggies Air Dry & Baby...

KELLOGG ACCUSATIONS.(The Construction Industry Training Board complains about ad)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2000... Kellogg has been accused by The Construction Industry Training Board of encouraging children to play in building sites. The CITB has lodged a formal complaint to the Independent Television Commission about an ad for Kellogg's Frosties, which...

PEPSICO IN CRISP BID.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2000... PepsiCo, the parent of Walkers Crisps, is understood to have made a bid for Golden Wonder.

MILK ON THE GO.(National Dairy Council introduces new container)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2000... The National Dairy Council has introduced a new blue plastic milk bottle in a bid to encourage children to drink more milk away from home. A sampling campaign will run throughout the summer targeting 250,000 children.

NEW ADS FOR CO-OP.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2000... The Co-op has used Aardman Animations, creators of Chicken Run and Wallace & Gromit, to create its first national TV ad. In conjunction with Partners BDDH, Aardman Animations' [pound]16m animated campaign features families of different animals...

POLICE SLAM JELLY.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2000... The Portman Group has upheld a complaint from Greater Manchester Police about alcoholic desert Bad Jelly, from Haggard's Brewery, on the grounds that it may appeal to children.

UMBRO REDESIGN.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2000... Umbro's double diamond logo has been redesigned by brand consultancy Springett Associates. It will appear on Manchester United's new home kid at the beginning of the football season. Meanwhile the sports clothing manufacturer is extending its...

CHEESY PROMOTION.
July 1, 2000... Mini Babybel is offering consumers the chance to win one of 100 Sega Dreamcast consoles and 1000 Dreamcast back packs. The promotion, through Twenty20 CbH, will run until the end of the year on limited packs.

BUTLINS' AGEIST AD.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2000... Butlins, the Rank-owned holiday camp, has produced a TV ad campaign portraying the brand's appeal to different age groups.

CYBER DOG ALERT.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2000... Teska, the new cyber dog from Vivid Imaginations, was launched in Hamleys on 19 July. The interactive hound has already proved popular with web surfers -- selling out on eToys.com in just eight hours. Hamleys is hoping that the eight-week old...

WWF.com packs a punch.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2000... One of the most popular web sites for kids in May was the US Worldwide Wrestling Federation destination. Pipped only to the number one spot by Pokemon, just under 50% of all 2-14 year olds online in the UK visited the site at least once during...

New advert for controversial drink.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2000... SmithKline Beecham has launched a new ad for Ribena ToothKind, just weeks after the Advertising Standards Authority ruled that a previous press and poster campaign for the soft drink was misleading. The new ad, created by Grey Advertising,...

Volvo to educate on environment.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2000... Volvo is planning to launch a global Internet-based environmental education programme aimed at young people called Volvo Ocean Adventure. From June 2001, the website, www.VolvoOceanAdventure.org, will provide school children with an insight...

Planetkids improves site.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2000... planetkids, a kids' portal targeted at 5-11 year olds, has relaunched in the UK with improved functionality and enhanced features. The portal was originally launched last October with a soft PR push but at the beginning of the year Cable &...

'Coke credits' let teens buy online...Smart card for cardless children.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2000... Hitachi Europe and Mondex have joined the recent flux of marketers to launch electronic pocket money schemes to enable children to buy on the Internet. The children's smart card, named Kid Card, will also be tied into a loyalty scheme. It will...

PRESS ADS FOR UK MAX.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2000... UK Max, Hollinger Telegraph New Media's search engine, is targeting young users with its cartoon ad campaign which is running on and offline. A series of four press ads show Max in four different locations and invite readers to log onto the...

WEB PAGES FOR HARRY.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2000... Harry Potter, the phenomenally successful children's hooks series, is launching dedicated web pages for the fourth novel- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. The web pages designed by Lateral for Bloom berg Publishing include the chance to...

DOBEDO PRODUCTS.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2000... Dobedo.co.uk, the cartoon youth chat site, is planning to launch its own range of products. Ed Gladwin, business development manager has suggested that the range could include anything from shoes to bags of crisps, based on the cartoon...

UNCHARITABLE ACT?(Brief Article)
July 1, 2000... A recently launched search engine Just25.com, which positions itself as a child-friendly search engine, has courted controversy by refusing to list a charity site. The search engine refused to list TheSite.org -- a charity relaunched by PM Tony...

DISNEY'S VALUE RISES.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2000... Disney's brand value has increased by 4% to $33.6m from $32.3m last year according to Interbrand's annual $1 billion brand league table. The US children's entertainment brand came in. eighth on the table preceded by the likes of Coca-Cola and...

SEX ON THE WEB.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2000... Cimex Media has just completed work on Channel 4's Generation Sex, an interactive sexual advice web site for young people.

'Ultimate' portal for teen girls and Thunderbirds' site is definitely go.
July 1, 2000... Scott Morris looks at two web propositions: one for girls, the other for kids of all ages Recently launched is mykindaplace.com, a new portal billing itself as 'Britains first imag for teenage girls'. Through nifty branding and a...

Turning the nation's passion for football into an educational device.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2000... schoolmaster's merger with schoolforschools looks set to establish its e-commerce operation, so why is the online educationalist still talking about Fantasy Football? What is Fantasy Football and why are thousands of adults, as well as...

Some tips on licence negotiation and evaluation.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2000... To get to the stage of signing a licensing agreement it is clearly the licensee's responsibility to evaluate whether the licence is appropriate. In this article, Ken Kemp looks at a checklist of some points to consider before taking the plunge....

CAST FOR HARRY POTTER.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2000... Warner Bros. has announced that Robbie Coltrane is to play the part of Hagrid in the forthcoming Harry Potter film, and Tim Roth is to play Professor Snape. Dame Maggie Smith is in final negotiations for the role of Professor McGonagall, but a...

DEAL FOR ROCK LEGENDS.(Bravado International Group, Bon Jovi)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 1, 2000... Bravado International Group has been appointed to handle licensing for Bon Jovi. The deal coincides with Bon Jovi's world tour which will last for two years.

CHICKEN RUNS AWAY.('Chicken Run' makes money on its opening weekend)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 1, 2000... Aardman Animations' new film, Chicken Run took over [pound]3,848,755 in its opening weekend. Aardman has over 50 licensees signed up for merchandise, including licences for clothing, gifts, food and computer games.

WINTER WINS PRIZE.('The First Snow of Winter', children's book)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2000... The First Snow of Winter has won an award for the category fiction -- up to the age of six' at the Prix Jeunesse awards.

SPAGHETTY LICENCE.(Betty Spaghetty)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 1, 2000... Allegiance is to handle the toy-based property Betty Spaghetty, which is distributed in the UK by Bandai. Betty Spaghetty is aimed at girls, aged 4-8.

CPL'S NEW PROPERTIES.(Copyright Promotions)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2000... Copyright Promotions is developing licensing programmes for two Viacom properties: a remake of the film Shaft starring Samuel Llackson which is to be released in November; and Charmed, a new TV series now screening on Channel 5 which stars...

YOHO AHOY IN TOY DEAL.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 1, 2000... BBC Licensing has announced that the master toy licensee for its pre-school series Yoho Ahoy will be Tomy UK. An apparel partner will be announced shortly. The first series was screened earlier this year and will be followed with a second...

DOG AND DUCK FOR ITEL.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2000... Itel is developing a licensing programme for new pre-sohool series, Dog & Duck which is currently showing on CITY.

When it comes to researching kids' toys, adults need some lessons.(Statistical Data Included)
July 1, 2000... Fleur Sligo gives guidance to researchers baffled by the complexities of today's crazes The images of my childhood that I recall with great clarity are the various games, fads or 'in-things' that consumed me and my peers for weeks or...

Why brands should encourage kids to help with the weekend chores.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2000... Caroline Craven advises marketers to help parents spend quality time with offspring With the current negative publicity surrounding food and drink products targeted at children, is it time for brands to take a more responsible stance and...

Using PR to promote toys to boys.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 1, 2000... Suzanne Noble says PR can be more cost-effective than advertising when selling toys There's recognition in the toy industry that boys' concepts rarely last longer than 18 months. In the past six years that I've worked in the toy and video...

Brands and the new spiritual world.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2000... What role does religion play for kids today and what might this mean for the future? Throughout the 20th century we saw a continuing debate over how an increasingly secular and modern society can accommodate religion and the spiritual. ...

Children relish the level of control offered by digital technology.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2000... Rosemary Duff discovers that kids are adapting very quickly to digital television For many of today's children, the days of terrestrial TV are ancient history -- they can't remember when their family didn't have multi-channel TV and kids'...

Kids prefer sponsorship to TV ads.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2000... Research from Starcom Motive shows children are in favour of sponsorship In response to the fact that this is a fairly under-researched area and because many advertisers are moving in this direction, Starcom Motive's KidScope decided to...

Digital doing well but needs to offer more variety.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 1, 2000... Between them BBC1 and ITV are still appealing to substantial numbers of children with a schedule offering considerable variety Recent media commentary has begun to assert that digital TV has gained critical mass -- over four million homes...

BRITVIC SOFT DRINKS.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2000... Juice Up fruit juice drink Britvic Soft Drinks has entered the chilled juice drink market with Juice Up -- a nutritional range targeting 5-11 year olds and their parents. The drink contains milk, so providing for a child's calcium...

Robinsons Fruit Shoot.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2000... fruit drink Following its initial withdrawal due to fears over the safety of its sport cap, Britvic is reintroducing Robinsons Fruit Shoot. The sports bottle was chosen to meet the demands of kids aged 5-11 -- for a 'cool' product that...

CADBURY.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2000... Cadbury Scrumptious Pleasures chocolate countlines Cadbury has renamed its chocolate countline variety packs Scrumptious Pleasures. The pack, targeting the family, contains seven countlines and moulded brands. Three of the brands --...

EDEN VALE.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2000... Starburst Juicy Mousse chilled dessert Eden Vale has launched a new chilled dessert under licence from Mars Confectionery. Starburst Juicy Mousse comes in strawberry, lemon and orange flavours, with fruity stripes. All three flavours...

HARIBO DUNHILLS (PONTEFRACT).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2000... Haribo sugar confectionery Design: In-house Haribo Dunhills has added three new products to its range of countlines: Dummy-shaped Giant Sour Suckers; Banana Shakes; and Mini Roulette gum rolls. A [pound]3.5m campaign, including TV...

HEINZ.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2000... Farley's Breadsticks baby food Farley's has extended its food-on-the-go offering with the launch of Farley's Breadsticks -- small, chunky sticks designed for little hands and mouths. The breadsticks contain no added salt and are...

LANCASHIRE DAIRIES.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2000... Milky Way Shake/Milky Way Magic Stars flavoured milk drinks Lancashire Dairies is producing a range of Milky Way drinks under licence from Mars Confectionery: Milky Way Shake and Milky Way Magic Stars. Both come in chocolate and...

MARS CONFECTIONERY.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2000... Starburst 'Rex the Runt' juicy Gums limited edition sugar confectionery Mars has launched limited edition 'Rex the Runt' Juicy Gums, based on the plasticine animated dogs that appears in the TV programme. The product, available in standard...

NESTLE ROWNTREE.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2000... chocolate confectionery Nestle Rowntree has launched Footie Kits in its role as the official confectionery supplier to the FA Premier League. Aimed at kids aged 6-10, the new bagged children's line consists of milk chocolate pieces in...

THE NATIONAL DAIRY COUNCIL.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2000... The White Stuff milk The National Dairy Council has launched a new 250m1 blue plastic screw top bottle with handgrips to encourage children and teenagers to drink more milk away from home. The move follows The White Stuff ad campaign...

KP SNACKS.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2000... Hula Hoops children's savoury snack KP Snacks has relaunched its Hula Hoops brand with improved flavours, redesigned packaging and a new TV ad featuring Hoopy McHula, the hand-puppet character that starred in the previous ads in March. An...

Internet access rises.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2000... The number of kids using the web continues to soar The percentage of kids with access to the Internet continues to increase, especially among those aged 8-12 years, according to the latest wave of SCAM (School Children's Attitude Monitor)....