ITV

Tag: Chhota Bheem

  • Turner’s Pogo makes headway into Thailand with Channel 3

    Turner’s Pogo makes headway into Thailand with Channel 3

    MUMBAI: Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific has partnered with Thai free-to-air broadcaster Channel 3 to host a daily two-hour programming block of Pogo-branded content from 30 March.

     

    The block offers a mix of animated and live-action original content from Pogo that was launched in India by Turner in 2004.

     

    The block will air in Thai on the Family Channel 3 from 4-6 pm on weekdays and 7-9 am on weekends. Its programming includes first-run and exclusive content with live-action shows such as M.A.D. (Music, Art and Dance) and F.A.Q. (a science show for inquisitive youngsters), and Chhota Bheem, one of India’s biggest ever animated homegrown franchises.

     

    Turner International Asia Pacific SVP and managing director, North Asia and Southeast Asia Pacific Phil Nelson said, “For more than a decade, kids in India have loved Pogo and we are confident that its content will also work well in Thailand. It’s yet another example of how Turner is creating engaging local viewing solutions and we’re looking forward to working closely with Channel 3.”

     

    Channel 3 EVP Surin Krittiyaphongphun added, “We are excited to bring the Pogo brand to Thailand for the first time and local audiences are going to love it. The deal is a result of a great partnership – Channel 3 is one of the country’s most watched channels and Turner is a world leader in curating and creating content, with an impressive track record in delivering viewers in Thailand. We’re also looking forward to seeing how the brand evolves and develops in the coming months.”

     

    Although this is the first time that the Pogo brand has traveled outside India in this way, Turner has been very active recently in Thailand.

     

    This announcement follows successful launches in Thailand for Turner’s other kids’ brands Boomerang and Toonami as a result of a partnership with the Major Kantana Group. At the same time, Cartoon Network on TrueVisions opened Cartoon Network Amazone, its first ever branded waterpark in Bang Saray, near Pattaya.

     

    After the block’s launch, Turner and Channel 3 will explore opportunities for co-productions and local original production to offer even more tailor-made content to local viewers.

  • ‘Mighty Raju’ series to launch on Pogo

    ‘Mighty Raju’ series to launch on Pogo

    MUMBAI: Mighty Raju, a popular movie franchise co-produced by POGO and Green Gold Animation Pvt. Ltd., will now be leveraged into a brand new series scheduled to premiere on 08 February and thereafter air every Sunday at 10 AM and 3:30 PM only on POGO.

     

    The series is based on the funny and heroic adventures of a small boy Raju a.k.a. superhero Mighty Raju who lives with his parents and his pet dog Moby. Raju’s father, a very famous scientist, created a very powerful compound called Neutrino along with his friend turned villain Karaati. When pregnant, Raju’s mother accidentally drank the potion and inherently Raju was born with super powers! Watch him discover his newly discovered powers and beat the daylights out of Karaati and many other super villains.

     

    Launched in November 2011, the Mighty Raju franchise boasts of around 20 tele films that have rated exceptionally well on POGO to become the 2nd most popular local franchise after Chhota Bheem.

     

  • ‘Chhota Bheem’ & Thane traffic police to raise awareness on road safety measures among kids

    ‘Chhota Bheem’ & Thane traffic police to raise awareness on road safety measures among kids

    MUMBAI: In a bid to promote safety on roads, Thane Traffic Police has partnered with leading kids’ channel Pogo and Green Gold Animation Pvt. Ltd. to launch a campaign fronted by India’s most popular character – Chhota Bheem that will educate children and families on basic road safety measures in an entertaining manner.

     
    The campaign called “Mission Road Safety 2015” will be conducted from 11–25 January 2015 in the areas of Kalyan, Bhiwandi, Dombiwali, Ambarnath, Badlapur and Thane City via various media initiatives and trailers across all theatres. Through the campaign, Chhota Bheem will encourage kids and their parents to follow simple methods to ensure road safety such as wearing seatbelts and helmets, using only pedestrian crossings and abiding by the speed limits. This initiative will also be showcased on POGO which will take this to a national level.
     

    Commenting on the initiative, Vijay Kamle, Commissioner of Police of Thane said, “Ensuring that the roads in our city are safe for families is our duty. By driving the message of road safety through Chhota Bheem, we hope to effectively capture the attention of children through whom we aim to reach their parents.”

    Dr.RashmiKarandikar, DCP Traffic Thane said, “Children are the future of our country and it is important to make them aware of road safety from an early age so that they grow up as responsible citizens. We look forward to successfully imbibe the Mission Road Safety 2015 campaign in the residents of Thane District with the help of Chhota Bheem.”

     
    Siddharth Jain, Managing Director, South Asia, Turner International India Pvt. Ltd. said, “As a responsible media conglomerate in the country that has iconic characters which children adore, we are proud to partner with the Traffic Police on this initiative that will aim to promote road safety amongst kids and secure their future.”

     
    Samir Jain, Executive Director & COO, Green Gold Animation Pvt. Ltd. said, “Chhota Bheem is a superhero to children across the country who aspire to be like him and follow his ideals. Spreading the message of road safety through Bheem will encourage and excite kids to abide by the same.”

     

  • Pogo puts a fun twist on science for Mumbai kids

    Pogo puts a fun twist on science for Mumbai kids

    MUMBAI: With Science being a prerequisite subject for most kids, albeit sometimes difficult to grasp, kids’ channel POGO devised a way to truly make Science FUN-tastic for children. The two day event called POGO Bheem aur Mighty Raju ka Fun-tastic Lab engaged and entertained Mumbai kids with multiple scientific experiments, workshops and games that simplified interesting theories of science for the children.

     

    Held at Inorbit Mall, Malad on 13 & 14 December, Bheem aur Mighty Raju ka Fun-tastic Lab witnessed 8000 children and parents participate in workshops that made learning about optical illusions, dry ice, catalysts, and many more fun. To cap it off, Chhota Bheem, Chutki and Kalia pulled off spectacular performances that not only had kids but also parents dancing to their tunes. Pogo had conducted a similar event for Delhi kids earlier this month.

     

  • Pogo and Kellogg’s Chocos to join hands to launch branded mini-series

    Pogo and Kellogg’s Chocos to join hands to launch branded mini-series

    MUMBAI: Pogo and Kellogg’s Chocos have collaborated to deliver the first of its kind branded mini-series. Featuring India’s favourite superhero Chhota Bheem and Chocos mascot Coco, the four- episode series titled Coco aur Chhota Bheem ka Dhamaal will air every Sunday in October at 9:30 am only on Pogo.

    In a highly competitive and cluttered TV advertising environment, this endeavor seamlessly integrates a brand into the storyline of the content. Within the kids’ genre, this is an unconventional route to engaging children with entertaining content that also subtly reinforces the brand’s attributes.   

    Kellogg’s marketing director, India and South Asia Harpreet Singh Tibb said: “At Kellogg’s we believe in providing wholesome nutrition and tasty breakfast options to nourish families so they can flourish and thrive. Kids in our view are fearless and there is no anxiety among them as they are growing up. We need to ensure that we provide kids the right environment so they can enjoy childhood and are prepared to take on the challenges thrown at them. Our brand Chocos believes in celebrating “uninhibited childhood” and we are always looking at creating experiences that enable the kids to have fun while growing up.”

    He further adds: “The brand has been creating unique experiences such as the chocos cereal factory at Kidzania and the online gaming platform Chocoland to engage and educate kids. We have now signed up a unique partnership between the brand Chocos and Chhota Bheem wherein Coco, the brands mascot gets an opportunity to become part of Chhota Bheem’s gang. This unique association brings together two brands loved by kids: Chocos and Chhota Bheem. Both coming together under one platform will surely delight kids. When Mindshare proposed the idea of associating with a show like Chhota Bheem we knew this would help grab innumerable eyeballs among the target group.”

    Mindshare has been the catalyst in conceptualising and executing this project. Mindshare west Anita Kotwani said: “This is the first of its kind initiative in the kid’s space. From a brand perspective what works is that it is not an innovation for the sake of innovation, but a strategic initiative intrinsic to what the brand stands for and that is what we did by partnering with POGO at the scripting stage itself instead of looking at tactical opportunities in the show. We are proud of the outcome and hope to be well received.”

     
    Turner International India South Asia managing director Siddharth Jain said: “This partnership brings together two very much loved brands in India and showcases the kind of creative and innovative solutions Turner can offer in engaging our viewers in an entertaining and compelling manner.”
     
    In the four episodes of Coco aur Chhota Bheem ka Dhamaal, Bheem and his friends will leave Dholakpur to explore the new world of Chocoland with Coco and undertake exciting adventures with their new friend. Coco aur Chhota Bheem ka Dhamaal will air on 05, 12, 19 and 26 October 2014 at 9:30 am on Pogo.

  • Ajay Devgan and Chhota Bheem to fight evil together on POGO

    Ajay Devgan and Chhota Bheem to fight evil together on POGO

    MUMBAI: Adding momentum to innovation, POGO has partnered with upcoming Bollywood movie Singham 2 to create a special TV presentation with Ajay Devgan and Chhota Bheem. The special titled Dholakpur Ka Singham will air on 09 August at 10:30AM only on POGO.

     

    The 90 minute TV special will have the honest police officer, Bajirao Singham share his experience about his visit to Dholakpur. Audiences can look forward to loads of action, dialogue-baazi and ‘roaring’ fun when Bajirao Singham meets Bheem. The heroes will also be seen showing off their clever ways of fighting evil and protecting their beloved citizens against danger.

     

    Commenting on Chhota Bheem and Dholakpurka Singham, Bollywood mega star Ajay Devgan said, “Chhota Bheem has become a sensation across the country. He and Bajirao Singham have a lot in common. They both fight against evil and stand up for what is right. My son is a huge fan of Chhota Bheem!”

     

    Quoting a line from Dholakpur ka Singham, Ajay Devgan added, “Dholakpuraur gaon ke badmaashon, bachke!! Kyuki… Aali re aali, aata tujhe baari aali.”

     

    Krishna Desai, Ex. Director & Network Head – Kids, South Asia, Turner International India Pvt. Ltd. said, “Bajirao Singham a.k.a Ajay Devgan is a super-cop who has become a hero for kids across the country. The huge fan-following that Chhota Bheem and Ajay Devgan share, is sure to make this venture successful and highly entertaining!”

     

    Kids can also be a part of this Bheem and Bajiroa’s adventure by winning amazing POGO prizes! All they have to do is tune-in to Dholakpurka Singham on 09 August, 10:30 AM onwards and participate in the contest.

  • Salman Khan & Chhota Bheem ‘KICK’ it together for POGO

    Salman Khan & Chhota Bheem ‘KICK’ it together for POGO

    MUMBAI: In a first of its kind venture, POGO has partnered with upcoming Bollywood movie Kick to create a special TV presentation with Salman Khan and Chhota Bheem. The special titled Bheem aur Salman ki Kickwill air on 27 July at 12:00 PM only on POGO.

     

    The 90 minute special presentation is an action-packed combination of Salman Khan’s antics and never-seen-before episodes of Chhota Bheem. Audiences will be entertained by both superheroes sharing anecdotes on defeating villains and displaying some super cool moves, especially their own unique kick style.

    Salman had some candid confessions to make about Chhota Bheem. He said, “Mere bare meinitna mat sochna, dilmeinaatahu, samajhmeinnahin. Lekin Chhota Bheem tohdilmeinbhiaatahaiaursamajhmeinbhi.”

    “Villain Bheem kepeeche, Bheem villain kepeeche”, Salman chuckled at this remembering his dialogue from the film and exclaimed, “Too much fun!”
    Krishna Desai, Ex. Director & Network Head – Kids, South Asia, Turner International India Pvt. Ltd. said, “At Turner, we believe in engaging our audiences by delivering unique and entertaining content. This one of a kind partnership between POGO and Kick will bring together India’s most beloved heroes – Salman Khan and Chhota Bheem! We couldn’t be more excited at the promising success of this initiative!

     

    For Bheem aur Salman ki Kick, Salman Khan recorded links that will be synced with the plot, boosting the narrative to that of a Bollywood mega blockbuster.

  • ‘Mighty Raju: Rio Calling’ to premiere on POGO

    ‘Mighty Raju: Rio Calling’ to premiere on POGO

    MUMBAI: With POGO’s 10-year celebrations underway, the channel is on a spree of delivering new and engaging content to children. Riding high on the soccer fever, POGO has lined-up new movies and contests across the month.

    After a successful theatrical performance, mega movie Mighty Raju: Rio Calling is going to make its grand premiere on POGO. In this new movie, Mighty Raju’s adventures take him to Rio where his wit and powers are put to test in a face-off against school bullies, soccer rivals and skate boarding capoeira fighters! It’s time to have fun with soccer, samba and samosas! Mighty Raju: Rio Calling premieres on 13 July at 12PM.

    That’s not all! Kids can also be a part of their superhero’s adventures and win amazing Mighty Raju and POGO prizes! All they have to do is tune-in to Mighty Raju: Rio Calling on 13 July, 12PM onwards and participate in the contest.

    Keeping up with the soccer fever, POGO has launched a new gaming competition called POGO Soccer League. By logging on to www.POGO.TV, kids need to play the game of the week and achieve the highest score. The 4-week long gaming competition will felicitate winners with football kits and many other exciting prizes.

    Additionally, there are a host of other new shows and movies that will be launched across the month! A new show called Krishna the Great starts on 21 July and will air every Monday to Friday at 12PM. Lights Camera POGO! gets even more entertaining with a brand new movie every Sunday at 12PM. With Chhota Bheem:Khatron Ka Khel on 6 July, Roll No. 21 and the Quest for Swarnamani on 20 July and Bheem Tussi Great Ho on 27 July, the movie mania continues.

    Lastly, enjoy the monsoons with back-to-back Chhota Bheem marathons in Bheem Aaya Baarish Laaya every Monday to Friday at5PM and new episodes of Chhota Bheem every Sunday at 9AM.

  • Kid’s genre: More than a child’s play

    Kid’s genre: More than a child’s play

    MUMBAI: A laugh riot for both children and adults alike, the animation genre has evolved through the years along the societal and cultural expansion.  

     

    Once seen as a thing of leisure has transformed into serious business thanks to legends like Walt Disney, Charles Schultz, William Hanna, Joseph Barbera, Chuck Jones, Pixar and many more. They have made us laugh, cry and told us  stories of a different world we all want to be a part of. According to Pulitzer Prize winning author and cartoonist Art Spiegelman, “Comics are the way brains think. You have small clusters of words in the mind when you speak to someone. These clusters become iconic, abstracting images indicating a visual that becomes real in your brain.”

     

    From cave painting to 3-D animation, the industry has grown manifold. And thanks to the same, so has the genre on television. What was a mere programming block a few years ago on mainline channels has now evolved into a viable standalone genre.

     

    Gone are the days when kids used to wait eagerly in front of their small TV screens for the weekly affair. With television being on top of the kids’ ‘To Do’ list, broadcasters have had to provide non-stop entertainment as well as evolve with them if they want to remain engaged with this age-group which is known for its short attention span. 

     

    According to those involved in the kids’ genre, it is a challenging business. With over 370 million kids under the age of 14 in India, demanding variety, new concepts and characters, storytelling is no longer a child’s play.

     

    It all started in the US in 1979, when Nickelodeon (though its history traces back to the 1977 launch of The Pinwheel Network) was a channel dedicated to kids. An executive from Walt Disney Productions had proposed a cable TV channel with matertial from its studio, but the then Disney head turned it down, leaving the path open for the Pinwheel Network to be born. It was not until 1982 that Disney launched its channel, but kept it as a premium service for quite a few years.

     

    Kids consume this genre daily (be it Discovery Kids, Cartoon Network, Pogo, Disney, Nick, Sonic, Nick Jr., Hungama), to forget their daily pressures – parental, peer and academic to escape into the imaginary world offered by it. The target audience ranges from infants to screenagers. The genre airs a variety of programming ranging from educational, original animation, live-action sitcoms, game shows, talk shows, dramas and sketch comedies and a late night classic programming block aimed at families, teens and adults.

     

    Viacom18 EVP and business head, kids cluster Nina Elavia Jaipuria believes that storytelling plays a vital role as far as kid’s TV is concerned. “For me more than the story, it is how one tells a story that is important. Therefore, scriptwriting is crucial while developing content for children and hence kids love to listen to the same story over and over again.”

     

    She adds, “It is the character at the end of the day that forms a bond, a relationship with the child, and that relationship and bond is what brings the child to the TV many times a day. In fact, the characters become the child’s best friend, role model or superhero.”

     

    Broadcasters know that they are dealing with an audience which is fickle minded and what they might like today won’t be the same tomorrow.  Turner International India executive director & network head – kids, south Asia Krishna Desai believes that as broadcasters, the key is to provide a constant supply of engaging, relevant and innovative content. According to him, a kid’s network, including that of Turner’s Cartoon Network and Pogo experiences a churn every four-five years with new kids coming in. 

     

    “Children outgrow things a lot faster than any other demographic. Today, kids may adore a show like Roll No. 21or Chhota Bheem but there is no guarantee that the next generation of kids would do the same,” says Desai.

     

    However, this hasn’t stopped networks from venturing into the space. Advertisers too aren’t shying away. As per the FICCI-KPMG Report 2013, advertising spends on TV  were approximately Rs 125 billion in 2012 and the kids’ genre contributed Rs 3 billion of that.

     

    The usual suspects are the kid advertisers such as milk food brands like Complan, Horlicks, Bournvita, ITC Foods, Britannia, Kellogs, etc. However, recently, categories such as consumer non-durables and insurance  which are non-kids have also shown a willingness to advertise on kids’ TV, accounting for 15 per cent of the spend.  But channels such as Nick more often than not turn away ad campaigns from the so-called junk food categories, reveals Jaipuria.

    “As a responsible broadcaster, we steer away from product categories like Cola.” she points out.

     

    It seems that broadcasters are very happy with digitisation coming in. “As a broadcaster I am extremely happy with digitisation coming into our life. We have got double digital growth in subscription. We have seen de-growth in carriage fees. All this has helped us to enhance our investment in content as it is the primary asset of the entertainment business.  Today, a viewer is willingly to pay for what he or she wants to watch,” reasons Jaipuria.

     

    Kids’ channels have been able to gain traction with advertisers due to their differentiated content and unique value offering. 

     

    Talking about offerings, the genre has moved to alternate screens with time. With an increase in number of smartphones and tablets, one can watch their favourite characters wherever they want. One isn’t limited to the drawing room anymore.

     

    The Cartoon Network New Generations reports says that as opposed to adults, kids prefer to play games on digital platforms. “Therefore, while we do have fan pages for Cartoon Network and Pogo, our core focus is to build engagement on our websites –www.cartoonnetworkindia.comand www.pogo.tv via games. This has worked very successfully as both these websites are leaders in the genre,” states Desai. 

     

    Not only this, the channels have various contests, engaging games with their TG through these screens. Apps are being created so that communication becomes a two-way dialogue rather than just a monologue.

     

    Apart from engaging kids on various screens, the makers have realised that it is necessary to take the engagement beyond screens as well. Hence, merchandising is a full-fledged business for these channels. Toys, games, apparel & accessories, books, gifts, confectionary and home video, amongst others, are product categories that are most popular. For instance, today, Ben 10 franchise is the number one boy’s action property in India that has sold over 950,000 units of toys and counting.

     

    Despite all the new offerings and fragmentation, one can be sure that the kids genre is here to stay. Broadcasters continue to evolve and innovate to provide kids their daily dose of entertainment.

  • POGO celebrates Chhota Bheem’s birthday with new movies, contests and parties

    POGO celebrates Chhota Bheem’s birthday with new movies, contests and parties

    MUMBAI:It’s the biggest birthday bash of the year! POGO is celebrating superhero Chhota Bheem’s birthday all throughout summer.

    POGO has lined up all-new specials and movies to entertain kids throughout the month. To kick off the celebrations, catch the premiere of Chhota Bheem Banjara Masti movie on 01 May at 12pm. Join Bheem and his friends on this mystical adventure as they try to recover a talisman for a tribe of banjaras. Additionally, all new episodes of the Chhota Bheem series will premiere every Sunday at 9:30am. That’s not all! Tune in every Sunday at 12pm for a new Chhota Bheem special on Lights Camera POGO.

    POGO is giving every child across the country a chance to be a part of Chhota Bheem’s birthday party! By participating in the Chhota Bheem ka Badaa Birthday contest on POGO, ten lucky winners will be gratified with a Bheem themed party organized by POGO at their homes with Chhota Bheem as the guest of honour! All kids have to do is tune in to POGO every day from 1pm to 3pm and answer the questions.

    This year, kids can also send their favourite superhero birthday wishes! All they have to do is log on to http://www.pogo.tv/win/chhotabheembirthday and send Chhota Bheem a ‘Birthday ECard’. These wishes will be displayed on 01 May on POGO all throughout the day!

    This year again, POGO will celebrate Chhota Bheem’s birthday underprivileged children from NGOs across Pune, Delhi, Chandigarh and Bangalore. The birthday parties aim to give the kids a happy POGO memory to cherish. The kids will be entertained with screenings of episodes from the Chhota Bheem series, exciting games, and POGO goodies. The parties will culminate with a special performance by Chhota Bheem and a meet and greet occasion for the kids.

     
    Krishna Desai, Executive Director & Network Head – Kids, South Asia, Turner International India Pvt. Ltd. said, “Chhota Bheem is the biggest icon to this generation of children. Also this year being POGO’s 10th anniversary, we have scaled up Chhota Bheem’s birthday celebrations to enthral kids at all touch points including on-air, online and on-ground. By partnering with the NGOs, we hope to spread the joy of this occasion with as many children as possible.”   

    From new episodes and movies, to birthday parties, to birthday wishes, POGO is pulling out all the stops to celebrate the birthday of the biggest Indian superhero – Chhota Bheem!