ITV

Category: Kids

  • Nickelodeon, Viacom Consumer Products expand global licensing partnership

    MUMBAI: Mega Brands Inc and Nickelodeon and Viacom Consumer Products (NVCP) have extended their global licensing partnership to develop construction toys based on Nick Jr.’s preschool television series The Wonder Pets and Ni Hao, Kai-lan.


    Under the expanded agreement, Mega Brands will develop construction play sets based on key characters and environments from the popular Nickelodeon television


    series’.


    “The Mega Brands’ Dora the Explorer and Go Diego Go building sets launched in 2007 were a huge success, and provided us with the momentum to further explore and expand our relationship with Nickelodeon and NVCP,” said Mega Brand chief innovation officer Vic Bertrand. “We are excited to bring Nickelodeon’s diverse and beloved brands to life through Mega Bloks’ engaging construction sets.”


    “The development of these construction-based toys has reconnected kids with traditional toy play,” said NVCP SVP, toys, interactive and consumer electronics Manuel Torres. “We are pleased to bring the adventures of The Wonder Pets and Ni Hao, Kai-lan from the television screen to the play room as we expand our partnership with Mega Brands.”

  • Cartoon Network partners Reebok for Toon Cricket 2008

    MUMBAI: Cartoon Network, in partnership with sports brand Reebok, is launching Toon Cricket 2008-The Battle for the Omnitrix.


    This is the sixth edition of Cartoon Network’s signature and celebrated event Toon Cricket.



    The toon characters will share the pitch with Reebok brand ambassadors in Hyderabad on 14 December and in Mumbai on 4 January next year.


    This year in Toon Cricket, the two sides will be captained by channel’s superhero Ben Tennyson from Ben 10 and the evil Mojo Jojo, from The Powerpuff Girls. The two teams playing are Bentastic vs. Maxi Mojo.



    This year‘s Toon Cricket is a quest to find the true keeper of the Omnitrix (the watch that gives Ben Tennyson, of the iconic series, Ben 10, his super hero abilities). The winner will be announced as the true owner of the Omnitrix.



    Turner International India VP and deputy GM – entertainment networks, South Asia Monica Tata said, “Instituted in 1999, Toon Cricket has successfully managed to create a combination of two Cs, Cartoons + Cricket, a winning formula for Indian kids and adults. As Cartoon Network toons gear up to sweat it out with Reebok cricketing stalwarts, Toon Cricket 2008 will be the ultimate sporting extravaganza for kids packed with fun, action and excitement.”


    Reebok India Company executive director, marketing Sajid Shamim said, “We are all aware that kids have a constant desire for action. They are the ones who have sports on their mind most of the time, aspiring to be a leading sports star. To be at the game is the only thing on their mind and collaborating with Cartoon Network, we attempt to celebrate this spirit of the child, and support such kids in bringing them closer to their dream.”



    Toon Cricket 2008 will be co-sponsored by Nutrine Maha Choco and Parle-G. McDonalds Happy Meal, Boomer, Parachute Starz, Zapak, Berger Paints and Kissan Ketchup are the associate sponsors.



    The channel will also launch an on-air and off-air promotional campaign featuring Cartoon Network’s toon characters interacting with the cricketers. An on-air contest will be aired on the channel from 10 November -7 December from Monday to Friday at 7-10 pm.



    Each week, ten kids will get a chance to win invitations of the matches, Reebok cricketing gear and sports apparel (autographed Reebok bats and Reebok caps) apart from other daily prizes.



    Additionally, kids can also play the toon cricket game on their mobiles and can get a chance to win invitations to the match. A Toon Cricket micro-site will be created that will have wallpaper, icons, video clips of the toons gearing up for the match apart from information on teams that will play ‘Toon Cricket 2008-The Battle for the Omnitrix.’

  • Jet Airways partners Disney Channel to launch in-flight festival for kids

    MUMBAI: Jet Airways, has launched a tailor-made, two month long in-flight fiesta for children called ‘World of Wonders’ (WoW).



    The new offering from the airlines is in partnership with Disney Channel, where it will feature exclusive Disney Channel compilation of hit shows like Hannah Montana, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, Phineas and Ferb and Wizards Of Waverly Palace. Movies like Wall-E, Taare Zameen Par and Space Chimps and animated series Akbar and Birbal will be featured.



    There will also be soundtrack from High School Musical 1 and 2 with tracks like Start of something new, What I’ve been looking for and Getcha head in the game, apart from games like Tic Rac Toe, Bejeweled, Disney‘s Classic and Fix The Pix.



    The partnership will also bring the ‘Camp Rock’ contest based on the Disney Channel original movie – Camp Rock, which will be releasing on 26 December on Disney Channel and on Jet Screen soon thereafter. The contest is open till 31 December.



    Children within the age-group of 5-16 can win prizes, including tickets for two children to travel to Hong Kong and visit Hong Kong Disneyland with a parent. The children can also win Camp Rock music CD as consolation prizes.



    Jet Airways chief commercial officer Sudheer Raghavan said, “Our young passengers are special and form an important segment of the flying public and Jet Airways is delighted to partner with the Disney channel and welcome them to the World of Wonders (WOW).”

  • BBC to celebrate Christmas with Wallace And Gromit’s new adventure

    MUMBAI: This Christmas the animation duo of Wallace And Gromit will go on a new adventure in A Matter Of Loaf And Death. This will air on BBC One in the UK.



    The two starred in the film Curse Of The Were-Rabbit. Now the creator of the characters Nick Park says that he is pleased to be returning to the 30-minute format.



    “I love making films for the cinema but the production of Chicken Run and Curse Of The Were-Rabbit were virtually back to back and each film took five years to complete.



    “A Matter Of Loaf And Death will be so much quicker to make. I‘m delighted to be back into production and back with BBC One with Wallace and Gromit.



    “Over the years the BBC has been incredibly supportive of Wallace and Gromit, this film feels like their homecoming.”



    The new film reunites Nick Park with writer Bob Baker who co-wrote both the earlier shorts The Wrong Trousers and A Close Shave.



    Sally Lindsay will be the voice of Piella Bakewell, alongside Peter Sallis who voices Wallace.



    In the new adventure Wallace and Gromit have opened a new bakery – Top Bun. Business is booming, not least because a deadly Cereal Killer is targeting all the bakers in town and so competition is drying up.



    Gromit is worried that they may be the next victims but Wallace couldn‘t care – he‘s fallen head over heels in love with Piella Bakewell, former star of the Bake-O-Lite bread commercials.



    So Gromit is left to run things on his own when he‘d much rather be getting better acquainted with Piella‘s lovely pet poodle Fluffles.



    Before long Gromit makes a shocking discovery which points to the killer‘s true identity. Can he save his master from becoming the next baker to be butchered? And does Fluffles know more than she is saying?



    The BBC says that this is a classic “who-doughnut” mystery, as four-time Academy Award-winning director Nick Park creates a hilarious new masterpiece in the tradition of the master of suspense Alfred Hitchcock.



    BBC One controller Jay Hunt says, “I am delighted that Wallace and Gromit will be part of our Christmas schedule on BBC One. A Matter Of Loaf And Death is just the sort of unmissable family entertainment that epitomises the channel at its very best.”

  • Toy Network to distribute Crack and Bonky in US and Canada







    MUMBAI: Adness Entertainment has signed Toy Network, a division of Manley Toys, as the amusement plush licensee for its Crack and Bonky franchise. The merchandise will be introduced at amusement parks and in crane machines throughout US and Canada.


    A manufacture and distributer of amusement plush, Toy Network will launch the Crack and Bonky line throughout amusement theme parks and crane machines in retail stores and other locations starting first quarter of next year.



    The new Crack and Bonky plush will be offered in different sizes for both characters. Additionally, a variety of the images the brand has in its art library will be adapted into editions of the plush appropriate to seasons, special events, sports and more.



    Originating from Mexico, Crack and Bonky follows the adventures of the duo, who are friends from another dimension called Limbo.



    The Latin American property first became wildly popular from its quirky downloadable animations and wallpapers for cellular phones. The current cellular content home for Crack and Bonky is esmas.com- the website of Mexico’s TV station and media giant, Televisa.



    Crack and Bonky has since its inception quickly grown to penetrate a wide variety of categories including apparel, accessories, toys, school and office supplies, plush, party supplies, confectionary and others.

  • Kingfisher Airlines takes Disney publishing on-board

    MUMBAI: Kingfisher Airlines has forged a tie-up with Disney Publishing, the children‘s books and magazines publisher, to bring them on-board their kids programme, ‘Little Wings.’



    Kingfisher Airlines Ltd marketing head Vikram Malhotra said, “Kingfisher Airlines is a family friendly airline and we believe that children are valuable guests. Keeping that thought in mind and to ensure that our young guests have an exciting and enjoyable flight, Kingfisher Airlines is proud to introduce ‘Little Wings’ in association with Disney Publishing.”


    Kingfisher Airlines had introduced a slew of activities to keep its young guests occupied and entertained on-board with a specially designed in-flight activity magazine, in-flight entertainment and special Disney give-aways. Disney kids, comprehensive children’s magazine, will be made available to Kingfisher Airlines young guests, aged below 14 years, on all its schedule flights.



    The contents for ‘Little Wings’ will be developed in-house with support from Disney Academia, Milan. It will have Mickey Mouse and Winnie the Pooh for the younger guests and Cars, Princesses, High School Musical, Pirates of the Caribbean and Hannah Montana for its budding teenage guests.



    The content of the magazine will consist of activities and fun things – from colouring pages, comic strips to little nuggets of information about the characters. There will be posters kids can pull-out, codes that they can crack, and other to-do stuff!



    The cabin crew on every flight will ensure that the in-flight magazine is hand delivered to children on all its services – Kingfisher First, Kingfisher Class, Kingfisher Red and international operations.


    As part of its Little Wings programme, by the end of the year, Kingfisher Airlines will also provide in-flight entertainment by showcasing movies such as Pirates of the Caribbean, Finding Nemo, Toy Story and television channel properties like Hannah Montana, Camp Rock, High School Musical on the personalised video screens available on every seat.

  • Breakthrough Animation to produce preschool series My Big Big Friend

    MUMBAI: Breakthrough Animation has signed a production deal for My BiG BiG Friend, a new preschool series, which will be produced in association with Canadian preschool network Treehouse.


    Breakthrough and Treehouse will begin the production on 52 eleven minute episodes later this year. Breakthrough Animation’s executive producers Kevin Gillis, Ira Levy and Peter Williamson made the announcement.



    “We are delighted to be working on My Big Big Friend with a broadcast partner that has an international reputation for quality entertainment,” said Gillis. “Treehouse has had a positive effect on our creative development and our international broadcast relationships. We anticipate that this series will be a major hit in all territories around the world.”



    My BiG BiG Friend is an animated series that follows four-year-old Yuri, who is truly shy and lonely except in his imagination where he and his big friend Golias are brave, daring and adventurous.



    “This is going to be a lovely series that will resonate with our Treehouse audience and their vivid imaginations,” said Corus Kids VP-content Jocelyn Hamilton. “We look forward to working with Breakthrough Animation on this new project.”



    The new series will be produced by Breakthrough Animation in association with 2D Lab and Treehouse. Distribution will be handled by Breakthrough Entertainment.

  • Nickelodeon in merchandising deal with SpongeTech

    MUMBAI: Nickelodeon and Viacom Consumer Products (NVCP) have signed a merchandising deal with SpongeTech Delivery Systems in US.


    As per the deal, SpongeTech will bring SpongeBob SquarePants to bathtubs and beaches in the form of soap and sunscreen infused sponges for kids.



    This production and sales partnership not only includes the SpongeBob SquarePants, which celebrates its tenth anniversary in 2009, but two other animated Nickelodeon characters, Dora the Explorer and Go, Diego, Go!.


    SpongeTech‘s take will be available at mass market retail, drug, convenience, and specialty stores, online and e-tailers beginning third quarter 2009.


    SpongeTech COO Steven Moskowitz says, “SpongeBob is one of the great icons in popular culture today. We are excited about this partnership and see this as a natural fit and an opportunity to produce and market SpongeBob-branded Spongetech product. With the partnership in place, coupled with our strong sales force, parents and children around the county now have an even greater opportunity to be introduced to Spongetech‘s superior product line.”

  • Walt Disney to release collector’s edition DVD of Hannah Montana on 18 November

    MUMBAI: The Walt Disney will release a special collector’s edition DVD set of its hugely popular series Hannah Montana on 18 November in US and Canada.


    The special edition DVD set – Hannah Montana: The Complete First Season – will have 26 episodes of Disney Channel‘s original series in four-discs.



    Miley Cyrus stars as the 14-year-old pop superstar with a double life, joined by Emily Osment, Jason Earles, Billy Ray Cyrus, Mitchell Musso and Moises Arias as her friends and family. At home and school, she‘s Miley Stewart, a typical teenager, but when the lights go down and the curtain goes up, she emerges as the glamorous and talented Hannah Montana.


    Having the ‘best of both worlds’ is a complicated proposition, and keeping her identity under wraps leads Miley and her friends into some hilarious capers as she tries to balance her normal life with her rock star persona.


    The package will have 17 episodes never before offered on DVD and a behind-the-scenes featurette with Miley Cyrus. The bonus features include Back Home Again with Miley, where fans can join her for a visit to her hometown: Nashville Tennessee.



    The DVD set is priced at $39.99 and the running time is 588 minutes.

  • Walt Disney brings Mickey and Minnie to India

    MUMBAI: The Walt Disney Company has brought its famous characters Mickey Mouse and Minnie to India to celebrate the festive season with their fans for special live event The Mickey Mouse Show. Mickey and Minnie made their first appearance in traditional Indian attire at the Taj Mahal in Agra yesterday.



    The show will be held in New Delhi and Mumbai. It will have Mickey Mouse straight from the world of Hollywood with his very own talk show on stage with his friends Donald Duck, Goofy, and Pluto along with his sweetheart Minnie Mouse to fill the auditorium with music, laughter and his fun-filled verve.


    Walt Disney Company (India) country head Mahesh Samat said, “We continue to build relevance and reach in the country through our loved characters and stories in our vision to build a family entertainment company in India. We are happy to celebrate this festival season with a special treat for Disney fans – The Mickey Mouse Show, LIVE on stage.”


    Disney’s characters will entertain fans with their antics and have planned a lot of singing, dancing confetti and all-round fun that families can participate in.


    There are nine shows (three shows per day) in Delhi from 4-6 November. The show will then travel to Mumbai in the later part of November.