ITV

Category: Kids

  • ‘Pogo Voice’ winners to attend Pogo Amazing Kids Awards






     

    MUMBAI: The Pogo Voice Awards has announced the nominees in the various categories, allowing kids to start voting. This will give five kids an opportunity to attend the grand finale of the Pogo Amazing Kids Awards 2006 by voting.


    With this, the Pogo Amazing Kids Awards 2006 has progressed to the second stage. This initiative will encourage kids‘ to ‘voice their choice‘ by electing their favourite celebrities and icons across the field of sports and entertainment. The voting is open to kids‘ across India till 20 October 2006.


    Kids can send in their votes for their favourite icons via SMS to 8558, by typing the category name (like Actor, Actress) and sending it the mentioned short code. A question will be sent to them displaying the nominee names, in response, they need to select their favourite icon by typing <category name> followed by the option (a/b/c/d/e/) and send it to 8558; or can call – 1905 180 2233; or vote online on www.pogo.tv.




    The nominations for the Pogo Voice Awards 2006 have been announced for the various sub-categories including Most Amazing Actor, Most Amazing Actress, Most Amazing Film, Most Amazing Song, Most Amazing Sports Hero, Most Amazing Comedian, Most Amazing Foreign Film and Most Amazing Moment in a Film. The nominees for Pogo Voice Awards 2006 include:


    Most Amazing Actor: Hrithik Roshan (Krrish), John Abraham (Taxi No. 9211), Aamir Khan (Rang De Basanti), Akshay Kumar (Phir Hera Pheri) and Shahrukh Khan (Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna).


    Most Amazing Actress: Priyanka Chopra (Krrish), Kajol (Fanaa), Bipasha Basu (Phir Hera Pheri), Soha Ali Khan (Rang De Basanti) and Preity Zinta (Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna).


    Most Amazing Film: Krrish, Rang De Basanti, Phir Hera Pheri, Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna and Hanuman.


    Most Amazing Song: Dil Na Diya (Krrish), Just Chill (Maine Pyar Kyun Kiya), O Meri Zoharazabein (Phir Hera Pheri), Aap Ka Saroor (Himesh Reshammiya Album) and Masti Ki Pathshala (Rang De Basanti).


    Most Amazing Sports Hero: MS Dhoni, Sania Mirza, Rahul Dravid, Yuvraj Singh and Narayan Karthikeyan


    Most Amazing Comedian: Paresh Rawal (Phir Hera Pheri), Akshay Kumar (Phir Hera Pheri), Salman Khan (No Entry), Tusshar Kapoor (Golmaal) and Riteish Deshmukh (Bluff Master).


    Most Amazing Foreign Film: Harry Potter and The Goblet of FireTM, Superman Returns, X Men 3, Spiderman 2 and Ice Age 2.


    Most Amazing Moment in a Film: Jaaved Jaffrey “Egg-jhactly” (Salaam Namaste), Aamir Khan‘s mother‘s slaps (Rang De Basanti), Krrish special effect jumps (Krrish), Paresh, Akshay, Suniel trapeze moment (Phir Hera Pheri) and Salman‘s mother‘s slaps (Maine Pyar Kyun Kiya)


    Instituted by Pogo in December 2004, Pogo Amazing Kids Awards recognises child prodigies and rewards them for their outstanding achievements in multiple areas of excellence such as arts, leadership, sports, among others. Kids were also empowered to exercise their choice, and vote for their favourite icons from the world of music, sports, movies and television.

  • Disney targets five local productions; to kick off with ‘Vicky Aur Vetaal’

    MUMBAI: Walt Disney is stepping up its localisation drive in India. One major push in this: have five locally produced live-action Hindi shows tailored for Disney Channel in a year‘s time.


    “Local live-action programming is the way to pump up Disney Channel. We plan to have five original shows within a year and are in talks with various production houses,” Walt Disney Television International (India) executive director, programming and production, Nachiket Pantvaidya tells Indiantelevision.com.


    Disney will have 130 hours of locally produced content over the next one-year period. “India is the first market in the TV business outside the US where Disney has gone in for original local production,” adds Pantvaidya.


    The plan is to increase local content on Disney Channel from 20 to 40 per cent in a year‘s time. The move falls in line with Disney‘s step-wise localisation strategy. This involved languaging the content, creating local environments through interstitials, acquiring local content like Karishma Ka Karishma and lastly, original local production.


    Disney Channel is all set to premiere its first original live action Indian production Vicky Aur Vetaal, a contemporary version of ancient Indian folklore, on 8 October.


    Disney is also actively considering the option of producing a local movie for TV aimed at the Indian audiences, Pantvaidya says.


    So is Disney also looking at producing animation content in India? “We have nothing planned at this stage. The problem with animation is that the costs do not justify a product just for local TV. It has to spread across markets,” says Pantvaidya.


    Disney has commissioned production house Cinevistaas Ltd. for making Vicky Aur Vetaal. Disney has joined hands with other prominent names in the industry like programming director Suraj Rao, music duo Shantanu Moitra and Swanand Kirkire (composer and lyricist) and singer Babul Supriyo.


    The series will air every Sunday at 10:30 am on the Disney Channel. Speaking on the developments of the new show, Cinevistaas vice chairman and managing director Sunil Mehta said, “We started production in August last year, with six episodes complete. We have signed on for 26 episodes which can be extended.”


    The story pans out with Vetaal trapped upside down from a banyan tree for three hundred years and is rescued by an eleven year old brat Vicky. Vetaal‘s magical powers have also become rusty landing the pair into trouble, thus the chosen theme “Vetaal ka magic gadbad ghotala.” To undo the mess, Vetaal uses an eccentric ‘spell book‘ which has a life and attitude of its own. Inspite of the havoc the pair bring to the show, it also promises to subtly bring out certain moral undertones of responsibility for ones actions.



    “Disney Channel‘s commitment to localisation has been a well planned endeavor and we are extremely happy to be delivering on it. We believe in the strength of Indian stories. Our creative idiom with Vicky Aur Vetaal was to contemporize and keep it relevant to today‘s generation. In the process of narration, we are able to involve kids in the storyline by addressing their day to day issues in a fun way,” says Pantvaidya.


    With its entry into India, Disney sought pioneer live action programming in a cartoon driven kids market and, according to Pantvaidya, within a span of two years the market has tripled its size.


    Says Walt Disney Television International (Asia Pacific) senior vice president and managing director Nicky Parkinson, “We seek to strengthen connections with kids and their families by developing creative, quality local content that reflects the lives of the local audiences. This major initiative is a strong step forward in establishing Disney Channel further as a committed local player in this country, and also a reflection of the Walt Disney Company‘s commitment to seeking great creative from the global marketplace.”


    For the promotional activity around Vicky Aur Vetaal, Disney Channel has launched a theme-driven marketing campaign involving TV, Radio, Internet, and outdoor apart from an off-air promotion which includes touch-points at McDonalds and other outlets frequented by kids.


    In the week preceeding the launch, an on-ground teaser campaign was unveiled whereby ‘authentic duplicates‘ of certificates were issued announcing a change of name of the person in question. This, along with marriage proposals from strangers and even inanimate objects like trees got people really curious about what was going on, creating the much desired buzz around the campaign. Besides, Disney has used out of home initiatives in malls across 22 odd markets in the country to create optical illusions. The revealer campaign will be unveiled in 2-3 days.

  • Disney targets five local productions; to kick off with ‘Vicky Aur Vetaal’

    Disney targets five local productions; to kick off with ‘Vicky Aur Vetaal’

    MUMBAI: Walt Disney is stepping up its localisation drive in India. One major push in this: have five locally produced live-action Hindi shows tailored for Disney Channel in a year’s time.

    “Local live-action programming is the way to pump up Disney Channel. We plan to have five original shows within a year and are in talks with various production houses,” Walt Disney Television International (India) executive director, programming and production, Nachiket Pantvaidya tells Indiantelevision.com.

    Disney will have 130 hours of locally produced content over the next one-year period. “India is the first market in the TV business outside the US where Disney has gone in for original local production,” adds Pantvaidya.

    The plan is to increase local content on Disney Channel from 20 to 40 per cent in a year’s time. The move falls in line with Disney’s step-wise localisation strategy. This involved languaging the content, creating local environments through interstitials, acquiring local content like Karishma Ka Karishma and lastly, original local production.

    Disney Channel is all set to premiere its first original live action Indian production Vicky Aur Vetaal, a contemporary version of ancient Indian folklore, on 8 October.

    Disney is also actively considering the option of producing a local movie for TV aimed at the Indian audiences, Pantvaidya says.

    So is Disney also looking at producing animation content in India? “We have nothing planned at this stage. The problem with animation is that the costs do not justify a product just for local TV. It has to spread across markets,” says Pantvaidya.

    Disney has commissioned production house Cinevistaas Ltd. for making Vicky Aur Vetaal. Disney has joined hands with other prominent names in the industry like programming director Suraj Rao, music duo Shantanu Moitra and Swanand Kirkire (composer and lyricist) and singer Babul Supriyo.

    The series will air every Sunday at 10:30 am on the Disney Channel. Speaking on the developments of the new show, Cinevistaas vice chairman and managing director Sunil Mehta said, “We started production in August last year, with six episodes complete. We have signed on for 26 episodes which can be extended.”

    The story pans out with Vetaal trapped upside down from a banyan tree for three hundred years and is rescued by an eleven year old brat Vicky. Vetaal’s magical powers have also become rusty landing the pair into trouble, thus the chosen theme “Vetaal ka magic gadbad ghotala.” To undo the mess, Vetaal uses an eccentric ‘spell book’ which has a life and attitude of its own. Inspite of the havoc the pair bring to the show, it also promises to subtly bring out certain moral undertones of responsibility for ones actions.

    “Disney Channel’s commitment to localisation has been a well planned endeavor and we are extremely happy to be delivering on it. We believe in the strength of Indian stories. Our creative idiom with Vicky Aur Vetaal was to contemporize and keep it relevant to today’s generation. In the process of narration, we are able to involve kids in the storyline by addressing their day to day issues in a fun way,” says Pantvaidya.

    With its entry into India, Disney sought pioneer live action programming in a cartoon driven kids market and, according to Pantvaidya, within a span of two years the market has tripled its size.

    Says Walt Disney Television International (Asia Pacific) senior vice president and managing director Nicky Parkinson, “We seek to strengthen connections with kids and their families by developing creative, quality local content that reflects the lives of the local audiences. This major initiative is a strong step forward in establishing Disney Channel further as a committed local player in this country, and also a reflection of the Walt Disney Company’s commitment to seeking great creative from the global marketplace.”

    For the promotional activity around Vicky Aur Vetaal, Disney Channel has launched a theme-driven marketing campaign involving TV, Radio, Internet, and outdoor apart from an off-air promotion which includes touch-points at McDonalds and other outlets frequented by kids.

    In the week preceeding the launch, an on-ground teaser campaign was unveiled whereby ‘authentic duplicates’ of certificates were issued announcing a change of name of the person in question. This, along with marriage proposals from strangers and even inanimate objects like trees got people really curious about what was going on, creating the much desired buzz around the campaign. Besides, Disney has used out of home initiatives in malls across 22 odd markets in the country to create optical illusions. The revealer campaign will be unveiled in 2-3 days.

  • Hungamathon 2007 to kick off in January; Kolkata also to host

    Hungamathon 2007 to kick off in January; Kolkata also to host

    MUMBAI: Hungama TV is back with the second season of its unique property Hungamathon, which is slated to be held in January 2007. The mini marathon will be adding Kolkata to Mumbai and Delhi, where the event was held last year.

    “Over 20000 kids ran in the Mumbai and Delhi Hungamathon last year and our expectations have risen even higher for the hunt this year! We plan to make Hungamathon 2007 one of the most fun-filled events of the year – one that kids will look forward to,” says UTV Sr. Vice President – marketing and corporate communications Siddharth Roy Kapur.

    Hungamathon 2005 witnessed the participation of close to 20,000 kids across Mumbai and Delhi with eight brands that sponsored the event. This year the race is open to kids between 8-15 yrs. There are two categories, the ‘Masters’ for age group 8 – 12 years that would run 2.5 km and the ‘Blasters’ for the age group 13 – 15 years who would run 4 kms.

    In its second season, an intensive school contact program covering 100 schools will be rolled out in the month of November in Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata to ensure maximum participation. Application forms will also be available online on www.hungamatv.com.

    Hungama TV has tied-up with sports association, Athletic Federation of India for Hungamathon 2007 to ensure appropriate adjudication for the entire event.

    In addition, the channel has another reason to cheer as it completes two years this week, as per the latest tam data (TAM Period: 10 – 16 September 2006), Hungama TV has emerged as the number 1 channel in the kids space by a GRP of 153 and highest TVR growth of 28 per cent amongst all its competitors in the kids’ space, informs an official release.

    “Innovative initiatives like ‘Hungamathon’, ‘Rasna Full Toss’, ‘Parle G Hungama Captains Hunt’, ‘Oral B John aur Kaun’ amongst others has helped us to successfully catapult Hungama TV to the number one spot amongst kids channels and hugely strengthen the channel’s brand equity in the last two years,” adds Kapur.

  • Hungamathon 2007 to kick off in January; Kolkata also to host













    MUMBAI: Hungama TV is back with the second season of its unique property Hungamathon, which is slated to be held in January 2007. The mini marathon will be adding Kolkata to Mumbai and Delhi, where the event was held last year.


    “Over 20000 kids ran in the Mumbai and Delhi Hungamathon last year and our expectations have risen even higher for the hunt this year! We plan to make Hungamathon 2007 one of the most fun-filled events of the year – one that kids will look forward to,” says UTV Sr. Vice President – marketing and corporate communications Siddharth Roy Kapur.



    Hungamathon 2005 witnessed the participation of close to 20,000 kids across Mumbai and Delhi with eight brands that sponsored the event. This year the race is open to kids between 8-15 yrs. There are two categories, the ‘Masters‘ for age group 8 – 12 years that would run 2.5 km and the ‘Blasters‘ for the age group 13 – 15 years who would run 4 kms.


    In its second season, an intensive school contact program covering 100 schools will be rolled out in the month of November in Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata to ensure maximum participation. Application forms will also be available online on www.hungamatv.com.


    Hungama TV has tied-up with sports association, Athletic Federation of India for Hungamathon 2007 to ensure appropriate adjudication for the entire event.


    In addition, the channel has another reason to cheer as it completes two years this week, as per the latest tam data (TAM Period: 10 – 16 September 2006), Hungama TV has emerged as the number 1 channel in the kids space by a GRP of 153 and highest TVR growth of 28 per cent amongst all its competitors in the kids‘ space, informs an official release.


    “Innovative initiatives like ‘Hungamathon‘, ‘Rasna Full Toss‘, ‘Parle G Hungama Captains Hunt‘, ‘Oral B John aur Kaun‘ amongst others has helped us to successfully catapult Hungama TV to the number one spot amongst kids channels and hugely strengthen the channel‘s brand equity in the last two years,” adds Kapu

  • Cartoon Network inks deal with Tata Indicom for VoD service

    MUMBAI: Cartoon Network, kid‘s entertainment channel, has signed its first video on demand (VoD) deal in the country with VSNL. The agreement will enable Tata Indicom Broadband subscribers to watch Cartoon Network toons on their PC.


    In attempting to give viewers a 360 degree entertainment experience, Tata Indicom Broadband will offer subscribers 40 episodes of Cartoon Network‘s most popular and iconic toon stars including Johnny Bravo, The Powerpuff Girls, Dexter‘s Laboratory, Ed, Edd n Eddy, Courage -the Cowardly Dog, Camp Lazlo, Code Name Kids Next Door, Samurai Jack, etc.


    The content will be available both in Hindi and English across over 48 cities in India, including all metros such as Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, and Kolkata.
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    Turner International India Pvt. Ltd. VP distribution and business operations (India and South Asia), Siddharth Jain said, “With technology evolving at a rapid pace, we are moving towards a digital world where entertainment will be consumed at the convenience of Generation M. As the Industry leader in the kids‘ entertainment genre, it is imperative that we extend our compelling content to as many platforms available.


    “This deal to offer video on demand with VSNL is a step in that direction and is a pioneering initiative for Cartoon Network and the kids‘ genre. All of these areas will become even more important going forward as ‘convergence‘ becomes a reality, and our core audience of kids and young adults – as well as advertisers – come to expect our unique properties and characters to be available on all platforms and at all times. Cartoon Network is an immersive experience for our fans, and this deal adds yet another dimension to the number one kids‘ channel of India – Cartoon Network.”

    VSNL vice president content and applications, broadband and retail business Mukul Sood said, “This first of its kind tie-up between Cartoon Network and VSNL will create an innovative entertainment experience to our broadband subscribers. This partnership represents the convergence of vision and strengths between VSNL, India‘s leading telecommunication and Internet services company and Cartoon Network, India‘s number one kids‘ channel. Tata Indicom Broadband subscribers can now look forward to a roller coaster ride of exciting animation video content for their kids and themselves.”


     

  • Cartoon Network inks deal with Tata Indicom for VoD service

    Cartoon Network inks deal with Tata Indicom for VoD service

    MUMBAI: Cartoon Network, kid’s entertainment channel, has signed its first video on demand (VoD) deal in the country with VSNL. The agreement will enable Tata Indicom Broadband subscribers to watch Cartoon Network toons on their PC.

    In attempting to give viewers a 360 degree entertainment experience, Tata Indicom Broadband will offer subscribers 40 episodes of Cartoon Network’s most popular and iconic toon stars including Johnny Bravo, The Powerpuff Girls, Dexter’s Laboratory, Ed, Edd n Eddy, Courage -the Cowardly Dog, Camp Lazlo, Code Name Kids Next Door, Samurai Jack, etc.

    The content will be available both in Hindi and English across over 48 cities in India, including all metros such as Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, and Kolkata.
    output.

    Turner International India Pvt. Ltd. VP distribution and business operations (India and South Asia), Siddharth Jain said, “With technology evolving at a rapid pace, we are moving towards a digital world where entertainment will be consumed at the convenience of Generation M. As the Industry leader in the kids’ entertainment genre, it is imperative that we extend our compelling content to as many platforms available.

    “This deal to offer video on demand with VSNL is a step in that direction and is a pioneering initiative for Cartoon Network and the kids’ genre. All of these areas will become even more important going forward as ‘convergence’ becomes a reality, and our core audience of kids and young adults – as well as advertisers – come to expect our unique properties and characters to be available on all platforms and at all times. Cartoon Network is an immersive experience for our fans, and this deal adds yet another dimension to the number one kids’ channel of India – Cartoon Network.”

    VSNL vice president content and applications, broadband and retail business Mukul Sood said, “This first of its kind tie-up between Cartoon Network and VSNL will create an innovative entertainment experience to our broadband subscribers. This partnership represents the convergence of vision and strengths between VSNL, India’s leading telecommunication and Internet services company and Cartoon Network, India’s number one kids’ channel. Tata Indicom Broadband subscribers can now look forward to a roller coaster ride of exciting animation video content for their kids and themselves.”

  • Buena Vista Games creates video games around Disney characters

    MUMBAI: Buena Vista Games, Inc. (BVG), the interactive entertainment affiliate of The Walt Disney Company, has announced that The Cheetah Girls, Phil of the Future, and The Suite Life of Zack & Cody: Tipton Trouble are now available.


    The Cheetah Girls and Phil of the Future are available for the Game Boy Advance. The Suite Life of Zack & Cody: Tipton Trouble is available for the Nintendo DS. All three games are rated E for Everyone by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB).



    “Kids can take their favorite Disney Channel characters anywhere this fall with new adventures from The Cheetah Girls, Phil of the Future and The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, says Buena Vista Games marketing VP Craig Relyea. “With the recent success of The Cheetah Girls 2 Disney Channel Original Movie, we are particularly excited to offer fans more ways to interact with the performers’ story.”


    In Phil of the Future, developed by Handheld Games Corp. for the Game Boy Advance, players help their favorite characters from the popular Disney Channel series save a town overrun with the mischievous pets from the future -– The Blahs. As Phil, Keeley or Curtis, players collect and assemble more than 20 futuristic gadgets to solve puzzles, overcome obstacles and capture the blahs to save the day. With several mini-games and unlockable features, Phil of the Future offers players hours of fun, states an official release.


    Join The Cheetah Girls as they dance and sing their way to a talent competition in Spain, where the top prize is a record contract. Players take on the role of each of the four Cheetah Girls –- Galleria, Chanel, Aquanetta and Dorinda, plus Galleria’s pedigree pooch, Toto. To prepare for the big gig in Barcelona, players create their own tunes in the music studio, choreograph dance moves and coordinate Cheeta-licious outfits. The game also features mini jobs for each girl — flip ribs on the grill with Aqua; teach dance with Dorinda; make music with Galleria and Toto at home or coordinate outfits at a high-end fashion store with Chanel, the release adds.


    The Suite Life of Zack & Cody: Tipton Trouble is an action platform game from developer A2M, based on the Disney Channel’s popular TV show, “The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. The game enables players to enter the world of Zack and Cody, 12-year-old twins who live with their mother in one of Boston’s swankiest hotels. As in the TV show, the twins attempt to save themselves from 14 outrageous situations by jumping, crawling, climbing, running and racing to Conquer enemy forces. Players can race through corridors on Zack’s skateboard, shoot various objects like water balloons, bubble gum and cream pies from Cody’s amazing vacuum, and unlock mini-games that feature two-player wireless action.

  • Buena Vista Games creates video games around Disney characters

    Buena Vista Games creates video games around Disney characters

    MUMBAI: Buena Vista Games, Inc. (BVG), the interactive entertainment affiliate of The Walt Disney Company, has announced that The Cheetah Girls, Phil of the Future, and The Suite Life of Zack & Cody: Tipton Trouble are now available.

    The Cheetah Girls and Phil of the Future are available for the Game Boy Advance. The Suite Life of Zack & Cody: Tipton Trouble is available for the Nintendo DS. All three games are rated E for Everyone by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB).

    “Kids can take their favorite Disney Channel characters anywhere this fall with new adventures from The Cheetah Girls, Phil of the Future and The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, says Buena Vista Games marketing VP Craig Relyea. “With the recent success of The Cheetah Girls 2 Disney Channel Original Movie, we are particularly excited to offer fans more ways to interact with the performers’ story.”

    In Phil of the Future, developed by Handheld Games Corp. for the Game Boy Advance, players help their favorite characters from the popular Disney Channel series save a town overrun with the mischievous pets from the future -– The Blahs. As Phil, Keeley or Curtis, players collect and assemble more than 20 futuristic gadgets to solve puzzles, overcome obstacles and capture the blahs to save the day. With several mini-games and unlockable features, Phil of the Future offers players hours of fun, states an official release.

    Join The Cheetah Girls as they dance and sing their way to a talent competition in Spain, where the top prize is a record contract. Players take on the role of each of the four Cheetah Girls –- Galleria, Chanel, Aquanetta and Dorinda, plus Galleria’s pedigree pooch, Toto. To prepare for the big gig in Barcelona, players create their own tunes in the music studio, choreograph dance moves and coordinate Cheeta-licious outfits. The game also features mini jobs for each girl — flip ribs on the grill with Aqua; teach dance with Dorinda; make music with Galleria and Toto at home or coordinate outfits at a high-end fashion store with Chanel, the release adds.

    The Suite Life of Zack & Cody: Tipton Trouble is an action platform game from developer A2M, based on the Disney Channel’s popular TV show, “The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. The game enables players to enter the world of Zack and Cody, 12-year-old twins who live with their mother in one of Boston’s swankiest hotels. As in the TV show, the twins attempt to save themselves from 14 outrageous situations by jumping, crawling, climbing, running and racing to Conquer enemy forces. Players can race through corridors on Zack’s skateboard, shoot various objects like water balloons, bubble gum and cream pies from Cody’s amazing vacuum, and unlock mini-games that feature two-player wireless action.

  • Disney unveils its first branded apparel store ‘Disney Jeans’ in Mumbai













    MUMBAI: Disney India has the launched the first of its non-character franchise stores ‘Disney Jeans‘ in Mumbai.


    This is the first of 20 exclusive ‘Disney Jeans‘ stores that Disney, along with Indus Clothing plan to set up between now and end-2007


    As reported earlier, Disney and Indus Clothing have inked a licensing agreement wherein the latter would be pumping in approximately Rs 210 million towards the setting up of the stores.


    The Disney Jeans concept will soon be followed by three more stores to be launched in Delhi with another two more opening in Mumbai. next on the list are Pune, Chandigarh, Dehradun and Kanpur.


    The first phase of expansion will target the Northern and Western regions while the Southern and Eastern markets will see Disney Jeans stores by spring next year.


    The core denim range is complimented with tees, fleece, jackets, woven shirts, woven bottoms and accessories in for kids between the age of 4-14 years. Elements such as adjustable waist bands which loosen and tighten according to the child‘s growth, hook buttons that are easy for children to manage, offer a casual and fun option. T-shirts and tops will be priced from Rs 99 onwards while the range of jeans will be priced between Rs 800 – 1300.



    Explaining the rationale for introducing non-character merchandise as opposed to the much loved Disney characters, Softlines – Disney Consumer Products (DCP) Regional Director Lester W Lee said, “The non character market is seven to eight times larger than the character market, comprising almost 85 per cent and therefore we see this as a big opportunity for us. From packaging, labels and tags the range will bear the Disney identification.”


    The Disney Jeans product range will however, have cartoon strips and comics on the inner pockets and undercuffs of jeans. This range will also extend to accessories lie bags, hats, socks and footware.


    “We wanted to create a non-character apparel brand that kids like. Ultimately the range will evolve, to provide a total head-to-toe fashion experience for kids through diversification into footwear, eyewear, watches and innerwear,” added Lee.


    “The launch of Disney Jeans is an exciting milestone as we continue to build the depth and breadth of Disney brand among new consumers in India,” said The Walt Disney Company (India) MD Rajat Jain. “We are focused on delivering internationally successful products that appeal and offer great quality, “fashionability” and functionality and are appropriately customized for the local consumers.”


    Eyeing the ‘tween‘ market as having great potential, Lee added, “Tween consumers are a key segment, they will be the new generation of spenders as they determine the trends in the market.”


    The Kids branded Apparel and Accessories market in India was at $ 600mn in FY‘05 and is estimated to grow to $ 850mn by 2010. The Softlines revenue generated from Asia is pegged at 300 million, China making up for 40 per cent and India 10 per cent of overall revenues.


    “Indus Clothing continues to be the front-runner in the organized Indian fashion business. Our mission is to lead the apparel industry through a superior product portfolio, innovative technology and an unrivalled commitment to customer driven excellence. We have aggressive marketing and promotional plans to build and strengthen our portfolio of brands in India,” said Indus Clothing managing director HP Singh.


    In addition to an extensive retail push, ICL plans innovative marketing initiatives to drive optimum product visibility for the consumers. ICL also plans to invest around 210 million rupees to set up the exclusive ‘Disney Jeans Stores‘ by the end of 2007. The number of Disney Jeans Stores is expected to be increased to 50 by year 2008.


    The brand is already present in France, Italy, Spain and Belgium. The range will be launched shortly in North America and other parts of Europe. In Asia, the brand is currently available in Taiwan, Thailand, China and in Hong Kong the store as even been extended to include adult merchandise.


    Also Read:
    Indus Clothing to pump in Rs 210 mn for branded ‘Disney Jeans‘ stores