Kids Marketing Report articles from March 2001

Kids Marketing Report archives from March 2001

Barbie poised to play lead role in Nutcracker movie.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... Barbie is to make her first starring role in a movie when she appears in Barbie in the Nutcracker later this year. Due to be released on video worldwide and on television in selected markets in October 2001, the film sees Barbie appearing in...

Hasbro and Mattel in robotic versus realistic interactive toy baby battle.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... Mattel and Hasbro will be battling it out for young girls' attentions later this year when they each launch their own interpretation of the ideal interactive baby. Mattel has delayed the launch of its Miracle Moves Baby by a year in order...

LIMITED POKEMON CEREAL.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... Kellogg has launched a limited edition Pokemon cereal in the UK following its success in the US. Kellogg's Pokemon features cereal loops and colourful marshmallow pieces. It was launched in mid-March and will be available for two months only,...

CHUPA CHUPS EXTENSION.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... Chupa Chups has extended its Fantasy Ball lollipops range with its new Digimon product. The transparent strawberry lollipop has a bubblegum centre stamped with one of the Digimon monsters, which can be seen through the sugar shell. Each...

[pound]2M SKIPS RELAUNCH.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... KP is relaunching Skips in a bid to extend the brand's appeal among its target audience of 6-9 year olds. New foil packs featuring a redesigned logo will be introduced in April. A [pound]2m ad campaign across TV, cinema and children's media...

ELLE GIRL DELAYED.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... Emap has delayed the launch of teen magazine Elle Girl until September. The title was due to launch in May.

PEPSI BACKS MONSTERS.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... PepsiCo is the marketing partner for Disney's forthcoming movie Monsters Inc, which launches on 2 November. The film is being supported by a [pound]68.9m marketing programme - [pound]13.8m of which will be contributed by Pepsi.

TEACHERS BE WARNED.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... Weetabix is launching a promotion in Asda stores nationwide. Called 'Has Your Teacher Got the Balls to Win?', it invites teachers from local schools to take part in a game using 'withabix' -- branded balls. Teachers taking part can win sports...

ELC PUSHES MAIL ORDER.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... Red Cat, Redwood's catalogue mail order division, has won the contract to produce the Early Learning Centre's catalogues. Two million copies of the first issue are currently available through ELC's 250 UK stores.

Kellogg's secret language.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... A new secret language -- ChewChat -- looks set to spread across playgrounds nationwide as part of Kellogg's latest promotional support for its recently-launched kids' fruit snack, Real Fruit Winders. Multipacks of Real Fruit Winders...

Milkybar signs deal with Telly Tots.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... Nestle Rowntree's Milkybar brand has signed a [pound]750,000 sponsorship deal with Carlton Television for its pre-school programme Telly Tots, which is broadcast daily on CiTV from 3.20pm to 3.40pm. The deal, which began on 5 March, will...

Pepsi takes pop music into schools.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... Pepsi has produced an educational pack that uses pop music to help those teaching English, music, media studies and business studies to 14-16 year old students. The 'Pepsi Tune In' teachers' pack has National Curriculum approval and is...

Cool Magazine for fun only.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... DC Thomson, publisher of popular children's s comics Beano and Dandy, is extending its portfolio for young girls with a new title called Cool Magazine. Targeting girls aged seven to 11, the fortnightly publication comes with a...

Edict bans 'demonic' Pokemon.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... Pokemon games and cards have been banned in Saudi Arabia under an Islamic edict issued by the country's highest religious authority. The fatwa by Saudi Arabia's Higher Committee for Scientific Research and Islamic Law accuses Pokemon of...

Interactive promo for Coco Pops.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... Kellogg has launched a new promotional campaign for Coco Pops, which encourages interaction with its target audience. Television adverts show members of Coco the Monkey's gang in trouble while Coco is away visiting his sick Granny. The ads...

LIVE & KICKING NO MORE.
March 1, 2001... BBC1 has axed Live and Kicking, its long-running Saturday morning kids' TV show, as it concedes defeat to ITV rival show featuring TV presenters Ant and Dec. The BBC magazine of the same name will continue to be published.

WIZARD ACTIVITY BOOKS.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... BBC Worldwide is to publish a range of activity books based on the JK Rowling novel Harry Potter and the philosopher's Stone -- timed to coincide with the November release of Warner Bros' film adaptation. The range will include colouring,...

BILL & BEN IN WOOLIES.(Advertising)
March 1, 2001... BBC Worldwide is introducing a range of Bill & Ben children's clothing. The range, which will include nightwear, footwear and leisurewear, will be available through Woolworths store only for an exclusive period from beginning of July to the end...

KIDS' LAUREATE NO. 2.(Children's Laureate)
March 1, 2001... The winner of the second Children's Laureate will be announced in May. The nominations include a range of illustrators and authors of children's books, including those put forward by children who voted through Waterstone's bookshops. Quentin...

KILLALOT TOYS OUT SOON.(Robot Wars action toys)
March 1, 2001... Two new action toys will be added to the range of Robot Wars' toys this Easter. The long-awaited radio-controlled 'Sir Killalot' is due to hit shelves this summer.

GOOSEBUMPS ON TV.(comic)
March 1, 2001... Panini is launching a new comic based on RL Stine's best-selling Goosebumps book series, kicking off with a special edition in July. The TV series is one of Fox Kids' top-rated programmes.

LEGO ENTERS TV MARKET.(LEGO Group)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... Lego is to produce a TV programme based on the children's book, Little Robots. The animated pre-school show is due to be unveiled at MIP-TV at the beginning of April.

NEW SITES FOR WINNER.(Cartoon Websites)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... Cartoon Network's websites are being launched in local tailormade versions for Poland, Spain and Norway. The new sites are based an the award-winning English language original and contain games, down-loadables and character microsites. ...

DIGIMON AND ON AND ON.(Joytech products)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... Joytech is to release a new range of Digimon-branded console accessories for PlayStation and Gameboy in the UK. The console accessories will incorporate character designs and colour schemes from the Digimon TV series, currently screening on Fox...

NICKELODEON GAMES.(SpongeBob SquarePants, Rocket Power)
March 1, 2001... THQ International is extending its UK range of Nickelodeon licensed Game Boy Color games with games based on two of Nickelodeon's hottest animated TV series - SpongeBob SquarePants and Rocket Power. SpongeBob SquarePants is showing on...

SMS BOOK FOR KIDS.(Text Me Too)
March 1, 2001... Following on from the success of 'Text Me', the only text message book aimed at children, Puffin will launch Text Me Too' in July aimed at kids aged 10 and over.

FKE RESEARCH DEAL.(Fox Kids Europe contract)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... Fox Kids Europe has signed a deal with LightspeedResearch.com, a specialist online research agency. The agreement will create an online research service that combines LSR's research expertise with FKE's access to children vi a the internet. LSR...

Swap site links with charity.(swapitshop.co.uk)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... swapitshop.co.uk, the UK's biggest children's website with over 190,000 members, has linked up with Variety Club Children's Charity, in an exclusive promotion aimed at boosting membership of the site. The promotion, which went live in...

Kids' browsing at home increases.(internet usage)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 1, 2001... As reported in Kids Marketing Report last month, children and teens are continuing to increase their stranglehold on the UK 'at home' internet audience. Latest data from Jupiter MMXI shows that 2-17 year olds now account for 22.9% of the...

atkidz acquires T:drive magazine.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... Children's media brand atkidz.com has acquired T:drive, the monthly magazine on CD-Rom for children aged 7-12. T:drive was originally conceived by The Daily Telegraph in 1995 when it was known as 'Electronic Young Telegraph' and was...

Online branding consistency is key.
March 1, 2001... Chris Brock takes a look at Frubes' online experience created by design agency 64k A young mind can learn a lot faster than an adult one, and the learning process can be different too. While adults may pick things up by reading a manual,...

Arsenal targets young fans via web.(Arsenal football Junior Gunners Club)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... Sponsorship deal with Affinity gives Junior Gunners the necessary online backing The Junior Gunners is the club for 0 to 16-year-olds. founded by leading premiership football club Arsenal in 1983 in recognition of the importance of younger...

Extending Jammie Dodgers' appeal.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... To build its popularity with older kids, Jammie Dodgers was in need of a makeover Jammie Dodgers have been a big part of children's lives for over 40 years. The brand's trademark heart and jam have made it the leading kids' biscuit brand...

Targeting the back to school market.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... Vicky Idle illustrates how companies can maintain kids' interest in annual promotions Tequila has worked with Clarks to promote its 'back to school' campaigns for the past four years. Most recently, in late 2000, Tequila worked with Clarks...

Playing e-kids at their own game.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... Max Mckeown discusses e-kids and urges marketers to get on their wavelength For most e-kids, the web is as natural a medium as any other form of communication. Their desire to be online is simply an extension of their desire to explore and...

Establishing the household habit of utilising interactive television.
March 1, 2001... Lucy Shepherd discusses how kids are the key to the future success of interactive TV When digital TV first launched in September 1998, children played a major part in driving what were previously terrestrial homes to take the multi-channel...

Girls just wanna have everything.
March 1, 2001... Greater wealth, sophistication and a diverse set of interests make teenage girls an attractive audience for magazine publishers. Teenage girls of today live in an increasingly media-saturated environment where they are constantly being...

Teen girls are a discerning audience.(products and advertising)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... Product designers must uphold certain values when targeting girls. Designing to seduce the female teenage market is a fast-moving and complex business. There's no room for anything that is not 'just right', because it will be 'just wrong'...

Increase in brand licences.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... Ken Kemp explains why companies are licensing their brands As with last month's article on sports licensing, here are some basic statistics based on License! magazine's worldwide survey in 2000. Total retail sales of licensed goods now...

NEW NICKELODEON PROPERTY.(Jimmy Neutron)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... Nickelodeon, the USTV and merchandising company behind Rugrats and Blues Clues, has developed a new property called Jimmy Neutron. It will be released as an animated movie in the US for Christmas 2001 and a TV series in autumn 2002. Master toy...

SCOOBY FOR BIG SCREEN.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... Warner Bros has confirmed that there is to be a live action movie of the 1970s classic cartoon series, The Adventures of Scooby Doo and The Mystery Machine. The movie will star Sarah Michelle Gellar of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame as Daphne....

EXTREME ZOMBIES SUCCESS.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... Meiklejohn Graphics Licensing reports continuing success for Extreme Zombies. Aimed at boys aged 8-14, new licensees include Leaf Ireland for bubblegum and Spencer Gifts for latex masks. MGL hopes to develop a TV series based on the property.

RELEASE DATES FOR HOOBS.(pre-school TV program)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... The Jim Henson Company says its pre-school property The Hoobs will be showing daily on Channel 4 from 2 April. Columbia Tristar will be launching the first video at Easter and Tomy has confirmed that plush products will be launched at retail in...

MEN IN BLACK RETURN.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... CPLG has been appointed by Sony to develop a licensing programme for Men In Black 2. Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones have signed to appear in the sequel. Aimed at boys and girls aged eight and upwards, the film is currently scheduled for a 2002...

NEW PROPERTIES FOR LINK.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... Link Licensing is exploring licensing opportunities for two TV specials to be screened on BBC1 at Christmas. Hamilton Mattress is being developed by the producers of The Wrong Trousers and is described as a modern day fable. Second Star to the...

Satellite is kids' favourite, with Friends at the top.
March 1, 2001... The satellite channels take the largest share of kids' viewing but some terrestrial classics can still pull in the punters The enormous popularity of satellite channels with children means they are spending increasing amounts of time...

Cornetto Whippy.(Birds Eye Wall's ice-cream product)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... BIRDS EYE WALL'S Cornetto Whippy ice cream Birds Eye Wall's has made its debut into the soft ice cream market with Cornetto Whippy, which its claims is the first soft ice cream available pre-packed in freezer cabinets. A TV...

Pokemon Easter Egg.
March 1, 2001... BON BON BUDDIES Pokemon Easter Egg children's Easter eggs Bon Bon Buddies has launched a range of character licensed Easter eggs including a Pokemon variant, which comes with a keyring featuring the most popular Pokemon Pikachu....

Gum Buddy.(interactive stick gum dispenser)
March 1, 2001... BON BON BUDDIES Gum Buddy interactive stick gum dispenser Bon Bon Buddies has launched an interactive stick gum dispenser featuring six of the most popular characters among teens and tweens. The Gum Buddy features characters from...

Juice Up.(Britvic Soft Drinks expands juice range)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... BRITVIC SOFT DRINKS Juice Up fruit juice drink Britvic Soft Drinks has extended its Juice Up range with a new pack format exclusively for the independent sector. The new 440ml pack is available in all three Juice Up flavours:...

Digimon Fantasy Ball.(Chupa Chups expands lollipop range)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... CHUPA CHUPS Digimon Fantasy Ball lollipops Chupa Chups has extended its Fantasy Ball lollipop range with a new Digimon variant. The transparent strawberry lollipop has a bubblegum centre stamped with one of the Digimon monsters,...

PowerPodz MicroStars.(launched by Corinthian Marketing)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
March 1, 2001... CORINTHIAN MARKETING PowerPodz MicroStars chocolate eggs with football collectibles Corinthian Marketing, in conjunction with Magna Specialist Confectioners, has launched PowerPodz MicroStars, chocolate pods containing a 5cm...

Kinder Surprise.(chocolate eggs launched by FERRERO)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
March 1, 2001... FERRERO Kinder Surprise children's chocolate eggs with a toy Ferrero has launched limited edition Kinder Surprise chocolate eggs. The eggs contain hand-painted characters based on the long-necked extreme sports stars The Giraffe...

Kellogg's Pokemon.(children's cereal launched in UK)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
March 1, 2001... KELLOGG Kellogg's Pokemon limited edition children's cereal Kellogg has launched a limited edition Pokemon-branded breakfast cereal in the UK following the brand's s success in the US where it is now a permanent addition. Launched...

Onken Kids Mousse.(launched by ONKEN DAIRY (UK))(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
March 1, 2001... ONKEN DAIRY (UK) Onken Kids Mousse children's dairy dessert Onken Dairy (UK) has extended its range of children's products with Onken Kids Mousse. Made with fruit, fromage frais and natural yoghurt, Onken Kids Mousse comes in...

Skips.(snack relaunched by KP Foods)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... KP Skips savoury snack KP is relaunching Skips in a bid to broaden the brand's appeal among its target audience of 6-9 year olds. New foil packs featuring a redesigned logo will be available from April. A [pound]2m TV, cinema and...

Nestle mini Smarties.(relaunched by Nestle Rowntree)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... NESTLE ROWNTREE Nestle mini Smarties chocolate confectionery Nestle Rowntree is relaunching its mini Smarties in a new pyramid-shaped bag, the first revamp for the Smarties brand in its 64 year history. The new logo will also be...

Pop-Up.(information on products)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... THE POP UP COMPANY Pop-Up tents The Pop Up Company, a division of The Ninja Corporation, has unveiled a new corporate identity, together with a complete packaging redesign across its portfolio of 40 Pop-Up tents. The products are...