Kids Marketing Report articles from September 2000

Kids Marketing Report archives from September 2000

New MD for Chupa Chups UK outlines plans for 2001.(executives appointed)(Executive Changes)(Company Profile)
September 1, 2000... Chupa Chups UK has appointed Jessica Martin as its new managing director, following the departure of Allan Slimming who has left to head up the company's US business. Martin previously worked at Chupa Chups' head office in Barcelona where...

Sony rebuilds PlayStation web site in preparation for new console.(PlayStation 2 Web site relaunched)(Internet/Web/Online Service Information)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Sony Computer Entertainment Europe has relaunched its existing European web site for PlayStation in preparation for the launch of its next generation (128-bit) games console in November, PlayStation 2. The central site, renamed...

BOB THE BUILDER LEGO.(LEGO Company contract with HIT Entertainment PLC)(Company Business and Marketing)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... The LEGO Company has signed a global agreement with HIT Entertainment to build a line of LEGO DUPLO vehices and playsets based on pre-school TV show Bob the Builder.

COLLECTING POKEMON.(Kellogg Uk and Nintendo promotion)(Company Business and Marketing)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Kellogg has joined forces with Nintendo Pokemon in a major promotion, offering a series of in-pack collectibles on two of its children's cereal brands, Frosties and Choco Corn Flakes.

TRACKING POKEMON.(Logistix Kids Worldwide tracks Pokemon sales)(Company Business and Marketing)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Logistix Kids Worldwide, the kids' marketing consultancy, has set up Pokewatch -- a dedicated monitor to track the success of Pokemon in the UK.

PLAYING POKEMON.(KP Skips promotion extended)(Company Business and Marketing)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... KP Skips has extended its Pokemon battle disc promotion to cover the back-to-school period

HASBRO IN UGLY DEAL.(Hasbro UK toy rights for Just Group program)(Company Business and Marketing)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Hasbro has won the worldwide toy rights for Just Group's latest TV entertainment concept, the Butt-Ugly Martians. The new show is scheduled to broadcast on CITV in early 2001.

DINOSAUR TIE-IN.(Britvic and Disney promotion)(Company Business and Marketing)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Britvic's Robinsons is launching an on-pack promotion to tie-in with Disney's new animated film Dinosaurs, which is released on 13 October. The promotion offers the chance to buy hand-puppets of the film's main characters.

ADIDAS IN FIFA DEAL.(World Cup sponsorship)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Adidas has renewed its sponsorship of the Fifa World Cup to cover the 2002 and 2006 championships.

STEPS BACK KINDER.(Company Business and Marketing)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Pop group Steps will appear in a [pounds]2m TV campaign for Ferrero UK's Kinder Surprise.

AGENCIES FOR AIBO.(Sony's robotic dog)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... Sony is to appoint creative and media agencies for its launch campaign for Aibo, the [pounds]2,000 robotic dog.

GLOBAL AD FOR PAMPERS.(Saatchi & Saatchi)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Saatchi & Saatchi has created a pan-European campaign for Pampers.

Virgin Megastores signs sponsorship deal with MTV.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... Virgin Megastores is to sponsor the new 'Albums of the Week' strand on MTV's pop chart show Hitlist UK. As well as featuring on the hour-long show (new episodes of which screen on Mondays and are then repeated three times a day throughout...

Scrabble aims to update its image.(Mattel's game)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... Mattel has relaunched Scrabble, its 52-year old word game, with new packaging designs in a bid to modernise the game. and make it more appealing to mothers and children alike. Corporate and brand identity agency Brown ID created the pack...

Kellogg backs ChildLine in Europe.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Kellogg is backing children's charity ChildLine in a new pan-European advertising and promotional campaign. Called 'Helping Kids Grow', this is the first major cause-related marketing campaign for Kellogg in Europe. The year-long will...

Smash Hits gets new look, extends to TV and radio.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... EMAP Performance has extended its teen music title Smash Hits onto TV and radio, prior to relaunching the mag. The Smash Hits radio show made its debut on Sunday 24 September on EMAP's Big City Network. The two-hour show, hosted by Key...

Teen girls targeted by mag market.(National Magazine Co. to publish Cosmo Girl magazine)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... The National Magazine Company is the latest publisher to chase UK teen girls as it plans to launch a teenage version of Cosmopolitan in the first quarter of next year. The announcement follows news that EMAP elan plans to introduce Elle...

SABRINA SPONSORSHIP.(Nickelodeon's Sabrina the Teenage Witch TV program to be sponsored by Boots the Chemist)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Boots the Chemist has signed its first TV sponsorship deal. The three-month deal, which begins on 1 October, sees the preteen Glitter Babes range from Boots sponsoring Nickelodeon's Sabrina the Teenage Witch.

FREE PHONE WITH FRIJJ.(from Dairy Crest Ltd.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... Frijj, Dairy Crest's milkshake brand, is running an on-pack promotion offering consumers the chance to win one of 2000 mobile phones with branded Frijj covers.

ARMY TARGETS CHILDREN.(UK)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... The Army has launched a [pound]7.1m advertising campaign to encourage children to think about joining up. The campaign consists of TV and press ads, as well as direct marketing.

SWAP SHOP ONLINE.(TV show for children)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... An online version of popular 1970s TV show Swap Shop has launched. The site (SwapitShop.com) is aimed at kids aged 7-16 and allows them to swap toys, videos, CDs, books and games using a new digital currency called Swapitsa.

CRUNCHIE GETS TANGO'D.(Crunchie Tango chocolate bar to be manufactured by Cadbury Trebor Bassett and Britvic Soft Drinks)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Cadbury Trebor Bassett and Britvic Soft Drinks are planning a dual-branded Crunchie Tango chocolate bar. The limited edition bar will be available from October. Press and radio ads will support the launch.

AD MAN FOR X-BOX.(from Microsoft)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Microsoft has appointed its first European advertising manager for its much-anticipated games console X-box, due to launch next year.

EMAP TO SELL HMV CDS.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... EMAP Digital has signed a deal with HMV whereby the retailers CDs will be available to order on the publisher's music title web sites, including Smash Hits.

FOX KIDS' TRADING CARDS.(correction to article about promotional campaign in Aug. 2000 issue)(Brief Article)(Correction Notice)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... Last month's issue of Kids Marketing Report wrongly stated that Fox Kids distributed 750 leaflets as part of its trading cards promotion. The actual figure was 750,000. KMR apologises for the mistake.

HUGGIES CLUB ONLINE.(Huggiesclub.com)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Kimberly-Clark's Huggies is creating an online presence for its club for expectant mothers and parents called Huggiesclub.com

EDGE-GMC WINS [pound]5M JOB.(contract with Codemasters)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... Codemasters, the video games company, has handed Edge-GMC its [pound]5m creative account, which includes the launch campaign for its new PlayStation football game, LMA Manager 2001.

OVERHAUL FOR PUFFIN.(Puffin Books' contract with Kabel New Media)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Kabel New Media has been tasked with carrying out a complete redesign of Puffin Books' main web site to cater for three distinct audiences -- children, parents and teachers. www.puffin.co.uk

MILLIONAIRE VIDEOGAME.(from Eidos Interactive)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
September 1, 2000... Eidos Interactive has launched a videogame based on Canton's hit TV show Who Wants To Be A Millionare? It is available for PC, Dreamcast and PlayStation.

GAMES DEMO FOR VIRGIN.(Virgin Interactive's contract with RD2 Media)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Virgin Interactive has appointed design agency RD2 Media to create a CD-Rom featuring demos of games for consoles and PCs.

RIGHT FIT WEB SITE.(web site design by Museum for Glaxo Wellcome and Barnardo's)
September 1, 2000... Glaxo Wellcome and Barnardo's have appointed creative practice Museum to design and build the web site for their Right Fit joint initiative, which empowers young people in the UK to improve their health.

RAF TO TEACH 1-2-3.(educational web site to improve math skills)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... The RAF has launched an educational web site aimed at improving the mathematical skills of 11-16 year olds. The site was design by brand communications consultancy The Team, together with educational marketing consultancy Educational...

PETS ON THE GO.(gameplay.com launches new product)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
September 1, 2000... gameplay.com, the online gaming company, has launched a virtual pet game for WAP called WapPet.

Barney sets connected.(eSpecially My Barney interactive toy from Hasbro)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Hasbro is extending its Barney range of interactive toy dinosaurs with a new version that links to the Internet. eSpecially My Barney, targeting pre-school children, can be plugged into a PC and connected to a web site address...

Mykindaplace sponsors US soap.(US teen drama Popular)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... mykindaplace.com, the magazine-style portal for teen girls (see Kids Marketing Report, July 2000 for a review of the site) has signed a [pound]100,000 sponsorship deal with Sky One for the channel's US teen drama Popular. As part of the...

Kids are the fastest growing audience on the Internet.(according to results from MMXI Europe study)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... The latest results for July from MMXI Europe show a dramatic increase in the amount of children aged 2-14 surfing the Internet from home between the months of January and July this year. The figure has grown 135% from 701,000 unique...

As toys and technology collide, gaming is becoming all-important.(Joytech Europe recognizes important market link between gaming and toy industry)
September 1, 2000... Caroline Stokes discusses how gaming is changing the meaning of child's play Child's play has become a phrase which has lost a lot of its definitive meaning over the last few years as the terms 'child' and 'play' become inextricably linked...

Games console software set to rise.(report on computer game industry)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... Despite current flat sales, the future for games software publishers looks very rosy The third edition of Screen Digest's Interactive Leisure Software: Market Assessment and Forecast report reveals an industry on the edge of change --...

Marketers should put messages on the web to win over youth of today.(author cites studies that argue for effectiveness of marketing to kids online)
September 1, 2000... Anne Verrept draws on research to show the value of communicating with kids online There is much more choice in all areas of life today. Children undoubtedly have more power. Not only do they have their own disposable income but they also...

Growing diversity in kids' comics.(report on children's magazine and comics market)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... The children's magazine market is growing due to the wider range of titles on offer Sales of children's comics and magazines will reach an estimated [pound]70.3m in 2000 compared with [pound]40.5m in 1995, according to the latest figures...

Teen mags driven by titles for girls.(Mintels Publications survey)(Industry Overview)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... Mixed fortunes in teen magazine market highlights fickleness of target audience Mintel's latest report on teen magazines shows a market mainly driven by girls, with a number of girls-only titles and most non-gender specific titles having...

Confectionery manufacturers must make sweets more entertaining.(future of children's confectionery products)(Brief Article)(Industry Overview)
September 1, 2000... Dorothy Mackenzie discusses the driving forces for kids' confectionery in the future What confectionery will children be eating in 10 years time? Will the major brands be the same as they are today -- or will we see significant changes?...

NEW NAME FOR BRITT.(Britt Allcroft Company PLC now Gullane Entertainment)(Company Business and Marketing)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... The Britt Allcroft company who handles licensing for Thomas the Tank Engine and Art Attack has renamed itself Gullane Entertainment. Over recent years, the company has geared up its services to become a fully integrated family entertainment...

NEW NODDY TV SERIES.(from Chorion)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Chorion has announced that there is a new Noddy TV series in development. Make Way For Noddy is created from CGI animation and consists of 104 x 10-minute episodes.

VIACOM APPOINTS CPL.(Viacom Consumer Products' contract with Copyright Promotions)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Viacom Consumer Products has appointed Copyright Promotions to handle licensing for the new Tomb Raider movie which is due to be released next summer, starring Angelina Jolie in the role of Lara Croft. A major toy licensee will be announced...

POWER RANGERS.(from Saban Consumer Products)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Saban Consumer Products will release the next generation of Powers Rangers franchise next year. Power Rangers lime Force will mark the property's eighth year in the marketplace. Saban is also developing a licensing programme for Digimon,...

NEW ANIMATED SERIES.(being developed by Granada Media Commercial Ventures)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Granada Media Commercial Ventures is developing a new children's animated series, Rabbit In A Hole. Aimed at 4-9 year olds, the series is currently scheduled to be screened in 2001.

HIT EDUCATES.(offers licensing to coincide with screening)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... HIT Entertainment is rolling out a number of key licensing categories to coincide with the screening of The Magic Key animation series. BBC Worldwide will produce a range of books and a Magic Key magazine, with books also from Oxford University...

DANDY FAN CLUB LAUNCHED.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Dandy fans can now become members of the Dandy Club. Membership is for two years and will include regular newsletter and special offers on Dandy licensed product.

Movie licensing -- an unnecessary gamble?(author discusses methods and risks of movie licenses)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Ken Kemp discusses the pros and cons of movie licensing Like any other licensing programme, it is important that there is a good match between the age profile of your products and the demographics of the prospective movie audience. This is...

Communicating with kids through WOMBAT -- word of mouth battery.(developing brand recognition among children)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... When marketing to kids the message is more important than the media says Informer Marshall McLuhan, the world's most misquoted media pundit suggested back in the 1960s and 1970s that 'the media is the message' -- meaning that we take at...

The adult Big Brother attracts childish audience.(television program Big Brother watched by children)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... Channel 4's Big Brother has been the outstanding hit of the summer. But to what extent were children watching the programme? (bearing in mind that much of it was transmitted late at night, when kids are expected to be asleep). Infact, as it was...

GOLDEN WONDER.(launches new product)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
September 1, 2000... Wotsits Mealtime Potato Shapes frozen potato products Golden Wonder has launched its first non-bagged snack product in 30 years as it moves the Wotsits brand into the freezer, following a similar move by KP with its Hula Hoops brand. Wotsits...

HASBRO UK.(launches new product)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
September 1, 2000... Cap Candy Action Man Spin Pops children's lollipops Hasbro UK has extended its Cap Candy range of interactive confectionery with Action Man Spin Pops featuring Security Defence Action Man or the Evil Dr X. Also available will be Mission Card...

KERRY FOODS.(develops new products)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Mattessons children's cooked meat products Kerry Foods is replacing three of its existing cooked meat products in October as part of a [pound]5m brand investment programme. Thomas & Friends ham slices replaces the pork blend, while Mr Strong...

LEAF UK Chewits.(develops new product)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Chewits children's confectionery Leaf has extended its Chewits range with a new limited edition 'mystery' flavour. An on-pack promotion linked to Cartoon Network's TV show Dexter's Laboratory invites consumers to guess the flavour of the...

LEAF UK X-treme Chewits.(launches new product)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
September 1, 2000... X-treme Chewits children's confectionery Leaf UK has extended its Chewits range with X-treme Chewits -- supersour sweets with a green apple flavour -- targeting the 9-14 age group. Trade marketing controller: Anne Allin Design:...

MARS CONFECTIONERY.(launches new product)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
September 1, 2000... Mars Meany Halloweeny Pumpkin children's confectionery Mars is launching a special edition pack called the Meany Halloweeny Pumpkin to push sales over the Halloween period. The pack includes fun size Mars, Maltesers, Twix, Milky Way, Magic...

NATY.(launches new product)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... Nature Boy & Girl unisex disposable nappies Swedish company Naty has launched Nature Boy & Girl unisex disposable nappies, which it claims are more environmentally friendly, in 190 Sainsbury's stores. The nappies are said to be 70%...

PREMIER INTERNATIONAL FOODS.(launches new product)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... CadburyLand Yowie hot chocolate drink Premier International Foods has chosen the CadburyLand Yowie brand to launch a hot chocolate drink aimed at children. The range consists of six different Yowie character-shaped jars, each containing a...

PROCTER & GAMBLE.(develop new product)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Pampers Sensitive Nappies/Sensitive Wipes nappies/baby wipes Procter & Gamble has extended its Pampers portfolio with a range of nappies and wipes for babies with sensitive skin. Sensitive Wipes contain a lotion which protects babies' skin,...

RHM FROZEN FOODS.(launches new product)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
September 1, 2000... CadburyLand Buttons Cake frozen cake RHM Frozen Foods has launched CadburyLand Buttons Cake, targeted at children. The chocolate mousse filled, fondant-topped sponge comes with a bag of Cadbury's Buttons. Design: In-house Advertising:...

YOPLAIT DAIRY CREST.(Pokemon Fruit Yoghurts/Fromage Frais)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Pokemon Fruit Yoghurts/Fromage Frais children's dairy desserts Yoplait Dairy Crest is the latest food manufacturer to be lured by the power of Pokemon. The company has launched a range of yoghurts and fromage frais bearing the licensed...

HASBRO UK.(launches new products)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
September 1, 2000... Cap Candy Dinosaur Icky Licky Sticks children's lollipops Hasbro UK has added Dinosaur Icky Licky Sticks and Dinosaur Spin Pops to its Cap Candy range. Also available will be the Dinosaur Attackasaurus Dispensers. Design: In-house ...