Kids Marketing Report articles from November 2000

Kids Marketing Report archives from November 2000

Age scheme for surfers.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... CitizensCard, the national proof of age scheme, has launched what its claims is the first ever truly verifiable and secure youth portal. The members' area of the site (www.citizencard.net) is only accessible by CitizenCard holders within...

Smash Hits to trial text messaging.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... EMAP Performance is using text messaging to drive sales of its leading pop magazine Smash Hits. Teenagers sending text messages from their mobile phones will be able to sign up to an 'exclusive club' -- giving them up-to-date information...

KFC EXTENDS MENU.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... KFC is extending its UK menu with popcorn chicken -- small pieces of chicken dipped in herbs and spices and fried. As well as TV ads, KFC is taking the unusual step of using PR to support the launch. A charity basketball match featuring the...

TELETUBBIES IN RUSSIA.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... BBC Worldwide has launched Teletubbies in Russia, its first multimedia pre-school programming deal in the country. The show will be dubbed in Russian and renamed Telepuziki.

LOTTERY LEARNING.
November 1, 2000... Identica, the branding consultancy, has created the identity for Discover -- a lottery-funded children's learning centre, due to open in April 2002.

JAPANESE GAP.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Uniqlo, the Japanese equivalent of US retailer Gap, is set to enter the UK market next year. The cut-price clothes retailer sells mainly sweatshirts, jackets and jeans.

WALKERS WINS POKEMON.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Walkers has signed a licensing deal with Nintendo for next year allowing it to use Pokemon characters on packaging and in promotions. There are no plans to launch a Pokemon-branded snack.

MINISTARS IN EGGS.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Corinthian, producer of International ProStars mini replicas of football stars, is launching a new range of smaller figures -- MiniStars -- to be packaged inside chocolate eggs. The company is currently looking for an ad agency for the...

NEW PS TITLE.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Impulse Publishing has launched a new games title aimed at 12-25 year olds. Called Solutions, the title otters tips and information on PlayStation 1 and 2 games. The first issue in November features a PlayStation collector's Filofax and 16...

Families with kids more likely to buy clothes online.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 1, 2000... Around 10% of 12-17 year aids have purchased clothes and footwear from the Internet, according to latest findings from Taylor Nelson Sofres' Fashion Trak survey. The survey of 10,000 consumers aged 12-74, also found that 23% of 12-17s had...

Mykindaplace denies attempts to woo boys to chat rooms was wrong.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... mykindaplace.com, the online magazine for teen girls, has denied claims that it acted irresponsibly by launching a press campaign, which it says aims to drive young boys to its chat rooms. The ads, which featured in the December issues of...

Global Rugrats kids' meal deal for fast food giant.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Nickelodeon, the kids' TV channel, has chosen Burger King to promote its forthcoming Rugrats film -- 'Rugrats in Paris: The Movie' -- following a successful tie-in with the fast food giant for the original Rugrats film. The worldwide...

LatestJapanese craze to hit the UK.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Cartoon Network has acquired 52-episodes of Japanese cartoon series Gundam Wing, which will air in the UK from January 2001. Targeting 7-14 year olds, with a core audience of 8-11, the series has been seen in Japan since 1979 and is proving...

HOLOCAUST EDUCATION.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Design agency Redhouse Lane has been appointed by the Department for Employment and Education to create an educational pack for the Holocaust Memorial Day on 27 January.

TESCO SUPPORTS ICAN.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Tesco Baby Club has joined forces with ICAN, the educational charity for kids with speech and language difficulties, to raise [pound]125,000 for pre-school kids with communication difficulties.

CHICKEN RUN GAME.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Games publisher Eidos Interactive is to launch a Chicken Run game for PlayStation and Dreamcast. It's the first time Aardman Animations has licensed its characters to appear on a video game.

WOWGO CEASES TRADING.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... mykindaplace.com, the teen portal, is in discussions with Wowgo's investors following the closure of the Unilever-backed site after it failed to raise sufficient finance.

NCT IN JOINT ADVERT.
November 1, 2000... The National Childbirth Trust (NCT) is appearing in its first jointly-branded press ad, in a tie-in with Unilever's Persil Non-Bio laundry detergent.

TEXT MESSAGES DEFINED.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Genie.co.uk, BT's WAP portal, has launched what it says is the first dictionery to define the language of text messaging. The dictionery will be available in a limited edition to those registering at the Genie web site.

WHAT'S ON AT WOOLIES?(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Wizziwiz.co.uk, the UK's leading 'what's on for kids' Internet site has joined forces with Woolworths.co.uk. Visitors to the Woolworths site can access Wizziwiz to find out about events, activities and days out for children across the country.

CORRECTION FOR VIVID.(Brief Article)(Correction Notice)
November 1, 2000... Vivid Imaginations manufactures the Thunderbirds Tracey Island playset, not Tiger Electronics as reported in the October issue of Kids Marketing Report (page 7). KMR apologises for the mistake.

ETOYS IS PRICELESS.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... eToys.co.uk has launched an online promotion offering Mastercard customers a [pound]5 discount off their first purchase from the site and the chance to win one of five Christmas wish lists worth [pound]1,000 each. The promotion will feature in...

UBOOT ENTERS UK.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Uboot, the youth messaging service, has launched in the UK. The integrated web and mobile text messaging service will be supported by a [pound]3.5m integrated marketing campaign. It has already proved successful in Germany and Australia.

HAPPY DOG WINS XBOX.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Microsoft has appointed brand consultancy Happy Dog to create the global brand positioning for the Xbox games console, which is due to launch next year.

NEW SITE FOR CITV.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... CITV has relaunched its web site, with design by digital new media agency Workhouse. New features of the site include 'never bored', which lets children search for local events, and a gallery where kids can submit artwork and send e-postcards.

TOTP SHOPS ONLINE.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Top of the Pops has launched an online shopping guide with promotional links to pop stars' official web sites.

SWEET MOVE ONLINE.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Tate & Lyle, the sugar manufacturer, has moved its Lyle's Junior Cooks Club onto the Internet. The site features recipes, educational material, and interactive games. The club is fronted by celebrity chef Gary Rhodes.

SONY'S SOUND RANGE.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Sony has launched a range of clip-on headphones aimed at teenagers called w.ear w.ear.

Atkidz.com signs sponsors for new online pop diary.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... adkidz.com, billed as the only web site that focuses specifically on the needs of 7-12 year olds, is to market a number of its own products online, including CD-Roms and other publications. The first of these is a recently-acquired title called...

Web site to allow teens to shop online without need for credit card.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Online financial services provider, Eurospend.com has launched a new web site that lets teenagers shop online without a credit card. The site (www.Greenpeasoup.com) allows teens to open their own 'accounts', which can then be topped up with...

PS One to drive demand for children's games titles.(Play Station One)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Whilst Sony may be focusing its marketing activities around the launch of PlayStation 2 with its core audience of 18-24 year olds, many software publishers are recognising that the appeal of PS One (the new version of the original console)...

CELEBRITY SWAPS.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... SwapltShop, the online swapping site, is considering a celebrity auction feature.

DRAMA ON THE INTERNET.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Freeloader.com, the ad-funded online games specialist, has launched Halcyon Sun -- an episodic Internet drama. It is the first title from Freeloader to carry in-game sponsorship, which can be customised for individual users.

MUSIC SITE FOR TIZER.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... AG Barr has launched a new music-focused web site for its soft drinks brand Tizer. The site, targeting 11-15 year olds, ties in with the brand's sponsorship of P/s CD:UK.

ONLINE RADIO FOR YOUTH.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... puremixcom has launched the UK's first personalised multi-channel online radio station -- targeting 12-55 year olds. A [pound]3-4m marketing budget has been set aside to support the venture.

ONLINE SHOP FROM SKY.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Sky One has launched an online shop selling merchandise from shows such as The Simpsons and Dream Team.

WEB SITE FOR ROMANIA.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Fox Kids Europe has launched what it claims is the first dedicated children's web site in Rumania. The site includes an e-mail service, entertainment and educational content.

MONOPOLY ONLINE.(Hasbro UK Ltd. Web site)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Hasbro has launched a web site for its Monopoly board game. The site includes psychoanalysis on Monopoly players types, 'Monupole e-cards' and competitions.

BYKER GROVE GETS WIRED.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... The BBC has launched a web site for Byker Grove. The site, designed by new media agency Workhouse, contains character information, scene clips and online postcards.

Consumer show recognises the importance of pop culture for teens.(Pop 2000)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Pop 2000 offered marketers the chance to get close to a difficult to reach audience Pop music has become big business over the last decade -- starting with the Spice Girls phenomenon and more recently with Boyzone, S Club 7 and Steps. Last...

'By us for us'web sites workwell.(youth-operated Web sites)
November 1, 2000... Kids are well placed to understand online needs of their peers. Among the vast number of Internet startups are a handful of sites created by young people for young people. Two examples of these are pupiline.net -- the idea of 15 year old...

The Lampies -- the story unfolds.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Ken Kemp's update report on a live licensing case study "Laa, la, la, laa, We're The Lampies" -- remember that theme tune from last month's Kids Marketing Report? Well you'll all get to hear it and love it in the coming months. In March...

BBC WINS ETHELBERT.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Link Licensing has granted BBC Worldwide the UK publishing, video and CD-Rom rights for its property Ethelbert the Tiger, currently screening on BBC1. Videos and books will be published in summer 2001. Link has 20 licensees on board for the...

SINDY ONLINE.
November 1, 2000... A new consumer web site has been developed for Sindy (www.sindy.com) in line with the release of new Sindy product for Christmas. TV media support for product will exceed 2200 TVRs.

BASIL TOY DEAL.(Basil Brush)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Entertainment Rights has appointed Hasbro as master toy licensee for the return of Basil Brush. Entertainment Rights is developing a live action sitcom called Foxed starring the irrepressible Basil, and is in the process of signing a number of...

DRAGON BALLZ LICENSED.
November 1, 2000... The Partnership has been appointed to develop a licensing programme for Dragon Ball Z. The programme is currently showing on Cartoon Network with very successful ratings. Terrestrial programming tbc.

VAMPIRE BOOKS.(Mona the Vampire)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... All sorts Licensing is actively licensing the successful children's animation series Mona the Vampire. Aimed at 5-10 year olds, Orchard Books will be publishing books based on the series in the UK from March 2001.

POPSTARS MERCHANDISE.(from Granada Media Commercial Ventures)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Granada Media Commercial Ventures is developing a licensing programme for its new TV series, WANTED Popstars. The series will follow the process of becoming a pop star, from the auditions of 20,000 people down to just five. It starts screening...

Sampling to teens can build brands.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Kate Carr explains how US sampling techniques to teens are guiding UK companies A once often-derided activity, sampling has recently been given a 'Changing Rooms' style makeover. No longer the preserve of the bored student and shopping...

Designing a retail offer for children.(Conran Design)
November 1, 2000... David Worthington offers some advice on how to create effective kids' store designs Despite designing hundreds of shops over 40-plus years, including Mothercare, Habitat, Boots, the Co-op and countless other speciality, department and...

Optimistic teenagers turn their backs on the brands of yesteryear.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Unlike their predecessors, today's teens don't yearn for the past. Riding back through the mists of time on a Raleigh Chopper used to be one of the favourite past times of 20-somethings a couple of years ago -- a means of finding common...

Technology-loving children crave games consoles and mobile phones.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Latest figures from RDSi on what kids want for Christmas hold few surprises Over a year after the craze first hit the UK, Pokemon toys and games are still on the Christmas list for both boys and girls aged 5-10, according to latest...

Explosion in the number of kids across Europe using the Internet.(Statistical Data Included)
November 1, 2000... First annual figures from MMXI Europe show big rise in teens online, led by the UK Over the past nine months the number of kids going online in the UK has increased by an astonishing 89%, according to the latest figures from Internet...

Friends and advertising have more influence on children than parents.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Adults believe kids are most affected by their peers, closely followed by advertising Friends and advertising have a greater influence than parents on children's purchasing aspirations, according to new consumer research from the Chartered...

Parents pay for online purchases.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Top line results from Childwise Monitor shows kids have vast amount of technology Fifty-nine percent of UK kids live in homes with multi-channel TV, according to preliminary results from this year's Childwise Monitor report. Thirty-six...

SMTV Live and Byker Grove top TV shows for kids.(children's viewing of television)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 1, 2000... SMTV Live and Byker Grove between them took a third of the places in the top 30 Children's viewing of television in October represents something of a transitional period, as autumn schedules begin to take effect in anticipation of darker...

Organix Fruit & Cereal Bars.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... children's organic snacks Baby Organix, the organic babyfood range, has extended its product range with a new organic cereal bar. Organix Fruit & Cereal bars are made with oats, fruit pieces and sunflower oil, all 100% organic. Two...

Maple Minis, Chocolate Bites, Apricot Bites, Caramel Waffles.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... bitesize cereal snacks Big Cereal Company has entered the branded product market with a range of bite-sized cereal snacks. The range, targeted at families, includes: Maple Minis; Chocolate Bites; Apricot Bites; and Caramel Waffles. The...

Findus Sweet Pancakes.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
November 1, 2000... children's frozen desserts Findus has extended its crispy pancakes range with a new range of sweet pancakes for kids. Findus Sweet Pancakes are targeted at 4-11 year olds and come in three flavours: smooth milk chocolate sauce; raspberry...

Golden Gobble.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
November 1, 2000... limited edition turkey and stuffing-flavoured crisps Golden Wonder has launched Golden Gobble -- limited edition turkey and stuffing-flavoured crisps for Christmas. The packs feature a cartoon turkey with a party hat on a seasonal...

Heinz Sq-Easy.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... tomato ketchup for children Heinz has launched a 250g tube of tomato ketchup especially for kids. Sq-Easy, targeted at 6-9 year old, lets children direct a fine stream of ketchup onto their plates -- allowing them to make patterns. A...

Superlife on the Go.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... flavoured milk Lancashire Dairies has launched a convenience version of its Superlife milk drink for consumers on the go. Called 'Superlife on the Go', it is available in strawberry, chocolate and banana flavours. Design: Not...

Nestle chocolate countlines.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... limited edition chocolate countlines Nestle Rowntree has launched five limited edition chocolate countlines for the Christmas period. They are: Kit Kat Mint; Aero Chunk Mint; Rob Coconut; Orange Toffee Crisp; and Banoffee Munchies. The range...

Wonka W-egg.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... chocolate egg Nestle Rowntree has added a second 'square' chocolate egg to its Easter line-up. The Wonka W-egg is made with Wonkalate -- purple chocolate from Willy Wonka's factory. It comes in packaging covered with eyes -- with the...

Pete & Johnny Fruit Smoothies.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... fruit drinks Pete & Johnny has entered the take-home market with new one litre bottles of its Fruit Smoothies. The drinks come in three variants: peaches & bananas; strawberries & bananas; and mangoes & bananas. Design: Not available...

Dubble.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... children's fairly-traded chocolate bar The Day Chocolate Company has joined forces with Comic Relief to launch Dubble, a fairly-traded chocolate bar aimed at kids. A web site -- www.dubble.co.uk -- has also be launched. Packaging features...

Jelly Beings.(liquified jelly drink )(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... liquified jelly drink The National Fruit and Beverage Company has launched a liquified jelly drink aimed at a core audience of six to early teens. Jelly Beings comes in three flavours: Raspberry Blast; Screaming Strawberry; and Tropical...

Kellogg's Frosties.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
November 1, 2000... breakfast cereal Kellogg has relaunched its Frosties breakfast cereal with redesigned packaging featuring an updated Tony the Tiger. The move coincides with the launch of Tony's own web site -- www.frosties.co.uk -- which will see...

Green's.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
November 1, 2000... children's cake mixes Kerry Foods has relaunched its Green's range of children's cake and cookie mixes. The relaunch sees new packaging featuring licensed characters such as Rugrats, Dennis the Menace and Scooby-Doo following research by...

Mini Kin.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... children's hair, skin and body salon Mini Kin is the UK's first skin, hair and body therapy salon for children. The shop features a range of personal care products for children including organic skin care products, aromatherapy products and...

NCH.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... charity The National Children's Home has unveiled a new corporate identity in a bid to raise awareness of the charity. Design: In-house Advertising: In-house PR: In-house