ITV

Tag: Sonic

  • Nick and Sonic join PM Modi in Vizag to promote yoga for children

    Nick and Sonic join PM Modi in Vizag to promote yoga for children

    MUMBAI: What do Chikoo, Bunty, Bittu, and over 3 lakh people have in common? On 21 June in Vizag, they all bent it like Bhujangasana at one of the country’s largest Yoga Day celebrations. India’s favourite kids’ entertainment channels, Nick and Sonic, traded cartoons for calming breaths as they joined Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Ministry of AYUSH, and a sea of yoga enthusiasts at R.K. Beach, Vizag. With toons like Nick’s Chikoo and Bunty and Sonic’s Bittu performing yoga on-ground, the channels brought their flagship wellness campaign Yogasehihoga to life proving that health and humour can share the same mat.

    The event, also graced by union ministers, CM N. Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy CM K. Pawan Kalyan, and civil aviation minister K. Ram Mohan Naidu, saw PM Modi call yoga “the pause button humanity needs to breathe, balance, and become whole again.”

    The Nick and Sonic mascots more often found caught in madcap adventures guided children through basic asanas, encouraging them to make wellness a fun habit. Their mission: making yoga as cool as cartoons.

    This isn’t their first yogic rodeo. In 2019, Motlu and Patlu performed yoga with the PM in Ranchi. In Mumbai, the duo co-hosted Yoga by the Bay, and during the pandemic, the network rolled out digital yoga sessions for kids across the country.

    From reaching millions online to receiving thousands of contest entries, Nick and Sonic’s campaigns continue to make yoga accessible, exciting, and age-appropriate ensuring every child learns to stretch, breathe, and maybe even touch their toes without losing their smile.

    After all, wellness isn’t just for grown-ups with calendars, it’s also for kids with cartoons.

  • Bittu Bahanebaaz makes an excuse-filled splash on Sonic and JioHotstar

    Bittu Bahanebaaz makes an excuse-filled splash on Sonic and JioHotstar

    MUMBAI: Move over superheroes — the real mastermind on the block is a 10-year-old pro at excuses. JioStar Kids, the undisputed boss of Indian kids’ telly, has rolled out its cheekiest character yet with Bittu Bahanebaaz, now airing daily on Sonic at 12:30 PM with repeats at 9 AM and 7 PM — and same-day drops on JioHotstar.

    The show stars Bittu, a schoolboy who can cook up a brilliant excuse faster than you can say “homework not done.”  From dodging chores to outsmarting teachers, his everyday escapades are bursting with humour, imagination and a whiff of mischief that hits close to home. Think Dennis the Menace with a desi twist — and better timing.

    Penned to perfection, the show’s title track is written by none other than Gulzar sahab, whose clever rhymes and colourful metaphors inject even more life into Bittu’s already bouncy world.

    For Jiostar Kids, this is another feather in a cap already packed with hits like Motu Patlu, Chikoo aur Bunty, Rudra, and Pinaki & Happy – The Bhoot Bandhus. With Bittu Bahanebaaz, it’s doubling down on what it does best — stories that feel local, characters that feel like your next-door neighbour, and jokes that land with both kids and their amused parents.

    So next time your child comes up with a bizarre reason for a missing tiffin box, blame Bittu. Or better yet, switch on the television and join the fun.

  • Nickelodeon’s Sonic brings the international show ‘The Smurfs’ to India

    Nickelodeon’s Sonic brings the international show ‘The Smurfs’ to India

    Mumbai: The popular international show, The Smurf is making a debut on Sonic, part of India’s leading kids’ entertainment franchise Nickelodeon. The show will start on 13 June 2022 from Monday to Sunday at 11:30 am.

    Created by Belgian comic book writer Pierre Culliford, also known as Peyo, in 1958, The Smurfs reside in a community of small, blue, human-like characters who live in mushroom-shaped houses in a forest.

    Pulling out all stops for the launch of ‘The Smurfs’ is a robust multi-screen and multi-touchpoint marketing plan that is sure to engage young audiences. The highly innovative promotional plan will leave no stone unturned in reaching out to kids. A fun-filled robust digital plan will include initiatives such as fun mashups and reels, contests leading up to Global Smurfs day, innovative posts, AR filters & gaming to transport the kids into the ‘Smurf’ world. 

    Ensuring maximum excitement, Global Smurfs Day will be celebrated on 25-26 June through on-ground activations in malls. Visitors will also get a chance to participate in fun games. Taking the overall marketing initiative, a step forward, Sonic has also partnered with select renowned QSR brands. With influencers on board, a new AR filter for The Smurfs will be created to further establish the characters.

    Speaking about bringing The Smurfs to India, Viacom18 kids TV network head of creative, content & research Anu Sikka said, “Sonic since its inception, has successfully grown to become an entertainment hub with engaging stories, endearing characters and a solid kids’ connect. We have consistently catered to our young viewers’ evolving preferences with innovative entertainment and immersive storytelling. Bringing internationally acclaimed ‘Smurfs’ will further bring variety and scale to Sonic’s growing content library. With this launch, we hope to further add depth to our programming strategy and fulfil our mission of entertaining kids.”

    Rising through the ranks, Sonic, since its inception has engaged and entertained kids with stories that bring happiness to their lives. Sonic has always introduced young viewers to storylines and characters that are engaging and relatable. By bringing The Smurfs to Indian television after forty years, Sonic aims to cater to the audience with content that continues to raise the bar. The show will feature popular characters, including Papa Smurf, Smurfette, Brainy, Hefty, Clumsy, and others, embarking on new adventures full of humour, heart, and high-stake action. 

  • Sonic turns 10, celebrates with special campaign ‘Tenniversary’

    Sonic turns 10, celebrates with special campaign ‘Tenniversary’

    Mumbai: Sonic, part of India’s kids entertainment franchise Nickelodeon, is celebrating the completion of its decade-long journey with a special birthday campaign ‘Tenniversary’. The channel was launched on 19 December, 2011.

    The campaign is conceptualised with a focus on partnerships, expansive influencer promotions, and digital engagement through an array of exciting activities to keep children entertained. 

    Sonic has risen through the ranks from the seventh position since its launch a decade ago to the third in 2020-21, and currently at the top in its anniversary week. With viewers spending 119 minutes on an average per week, it currently commands a 13 per cent market share. It plays a significant role in strengthening leadership for the Nickelodeon franchise with a reach of 28.2 million as of November 2021.

    The channel’s first launch was ‘Kung Fu Panda- The Legend of Awesomeness’. Its latest home-grown IP ‘Pinaki & Happy – The Bhoot Bandhus’ contributes 30 per cent of the channel’s ratings, consistently appearing in the category’s top 10 slots since launch. 

    “When we started our journey with Sonic a decade ago, we took a plunge in the highly competitive kids category. From then to now, Sonic has grown leaps and bounds. The success story of Sonic is a result of our kids-first approach in driving innovation with pioneering homegrown content that has made Nickelodeon the leading franchise,” said Viacom18 – head of Hindi mass entertainment & kids TV network Nina Jaipuria. “We are happy to have built a brand that is a destination which kids return to for their daily dose of entertainment. We look forward to the next phase with enthusiasm.”

  • Chikoo and Bunty’s universal appeal will drive co-viewability for Nick: Anu Sikka

    Chikoo and Bunty’s universal appeal will drive co-viewability for Nick: Anu Sikka

    Mumbai: Kids’ entertainment franchise Nickelodeon is all set for the launch of its 11th animated IP “Chikoo Aur Bunty.” Starting 18 October, the 11-minute episodic series will bring alive the epic sibling banter and the playful rivalry between them through the story of the two brothers Chikoo and Bunty, who live with their parents and a playful and intelligent dog Barfi. The channel has roped in Philips, Pediasure, and Flipkart shopsy as sponsors for the upcoming launch.

    Nickelodeon witnessed a successful last year on the back of its tenth IP launch and the lockdowns boosting viewership for the kids category. The growth story continues unchallenged in 2021. Overall, the Nickelodeon franchise including Nick, Sonic, and Nick Jr. had the highest network share of 33 per cent over Disney’s (26) and Turner’s (17) and reach of 50 million over Turner (34) and Disney (32) as per Barc data (India U+R, 2-14 NCCS ABC, Week 14-38’21, 07-23hrs). According to Ormax Small Wonders, August 2021, five out of the top ten characters and eight of 20 belong to Nick.

    Entering into the spooky comedy space, Nickelodeon came up with the animated series ‘Pinaki & Happy – The Bhoot Bandhus’ on Sonic in November 2020. The show which commands 30 per cent of Sonic’s viewership today was a runaway hit among kids, consistently appearing in the top 10 highest rated slots of the category every week since its launch.

    On the advertising front, Nickelodeon claims to be the leader commanding a 35 per cent revenue share for FY21. The channel has seen a proliferation in the categories of advertisers coming on board, especially owing to the recent trend of co-viewership wherein kids are joined by young parents and other family members in watching animated shows. While FMCG continues to dominate the genre, e-commerce and F&B brands are also picking up in comparison. The overall kids’ category, though, continues to be under-indexed despite accounting for seven per cent of total TV viewership which had shot up to nine per cent during the pandemic.

    Indiantelevision.com caught up with Viacom18, head – creative content and research for kids’ TV network, Anu Sikka to discuss her content strategy that has propelled Nick to success. 

    Creating new characters and stories

    With shows such as ‘Happy & Pinaki – The Bhoot Bandhus’, ‘Ting Tong’, ‘Golmaal Jr.’, ‘Motu Patlu’, ‘Shiva’, ‘Rudra’ and others, Nickelodeon boasts 700+ hours of content and over 1500 episodes across genres including a slice of life, slapstick, magic, action-adventure, and spooky-comedy, among others. As a brand that recognises the importance of localised content that’s appealing to Indian kids, ‘Chikoo aur Bunty’ will be another addition to Nick’s shows in the slice of life genre where the concept of sibling rivalry has not been explored earlier. 

    Sikka tells us that the two key factors that are considered before coming up with any new IP, character or show at Nick are ‘how relatable is it for kids’ and ‘does it fire up or capture their imagination’. In the case of ‘Chikoo aur Bunty’, says Sikka, “the sibling rivalry being an everyday, unending saga in every family, the relatability factor is going to be very high. It is not just the story of these two characters, but that of every kid.”

    Nick credits its success to the fact that it owns all its IPs that are developed by its team of young professionals. The brand relies on the power of observation to find new characters and plots which are then mapped onto the white spaces in content.

    Sikka shares that the strategy of translating these observation-based concepts into the first few episodes and then tweaking them based on feedback from children has worked well for the brand. Commenting on whether the advertising potential of the characters and plots is factored in during the development stages, she adds, “The primary purpose for us is to create a successful show. Once you have these characters becoming popular with the audience then it can lend to various other things such as video games, advertising, and endorsements.”

    Popular formats

    Nick has content ranging from 60-second shorts to 90-minute TV movies. The shows are mostly seven, 11, and 22 minutes. There are mini-movies of 45 minutes and longer ones of 60, 75, and 90 minutes.

    This ensures a variety of content, “all of which is enjoyed by kids, although the 11-minuters are most popular with them” according to Sikka. “Majority of the shows on Nick are 11-minute stories. While the character and backdrop of a series stay the same, each one is an independent story. Even when two 11 minuters are played out in a 22-minute slot, the track we follow is independent, and not linear. The idea is that kids who do not have the patience to sit for long can walk in any time and enjoy the content that’s available.”

    These 11-minuters have also shown the highest repeat value with kids, as compared to 22- minute stories. “Children are used to watching stories that are crisp. 11-minuters allow you to create a script where you are able to tell the stories effectively while doing justice to all elements. For instance, for our chase comedy ‘Pakdam Pakdai’ seven minutes is perfectly justified, but if you have to tell a story that has more than one element such as humour and action, 11 minutes is the perfect duration,” Sikka adds.

    Changing viewership trends

    Viewership for the kids category is quite fluid and seasonal, with the prime time depending heavily on the kids’ school calendars. However, with children staying home during the pandemic, the time band from 8 am to 1-2 in the afternoon witnessed a substantial boost.  This also holds for vacation times when more content is watched in the morning and afternoon, rather than in the evening.

    As schools re-open in a staggered manner across the country, Sikka informs that she and her team are closely observing the developments and planning lives accordingly. “For now as we sail in both the boats, we are ensuring original content in the morning, followed by an immediate repeat in the evening time band. We will make scheduling changes as needed.”

    Another important and very positive trend that picked up steam during the pandemic years was that of co-viewership happening on the channel. Sikka hopes that with the exception of toddlers who will find it difficult to comprehend the new dialogue-heavy comedy, ‘Chikoo aur Bunty’ will drive this trend forward with its across-the-board appeal. 

  • Our aim is to always create screen agnostic content: Viacom18’s Anu Sikka

    Our aim is to always create screen agnostic content: Viacom18’s Anu Sikka

    KOLKATA: The pandemic has been an epoch changing event for most adults, but it has also had a significant impact on children, too. A year of being confined to their homes later, the world is no longer their oyster, but has shrunk to the small screen – their window to the unseen and unknown domain outside. No wonder that kids are consuming more content across all mediums, be it traditional modes or new age platforms. With summer vacation set to start amid partial lockdowns across the country, young viewers will tune in to TV more than ever.

    To tap into the increased demand in April-June quarter, Nickelodeon recently unveiled a robust summer slate for kids. “This is a crucial time for the audience as well as the broadcasters because the viewership usually tends to be highest during this particular period. We have come up with the biggest ammunition that we can think of to roll out in this particular quarter,” said Viacom18 kids cluster content programming and strategy head Anu Sikka.

    The network has come up with new episodes of all the series that have been doing exceptionally well on both Nick and Sonic. Hence, the new line-up includes new episodes of old favourites like Motu Patlu, Rudra, Golmal Jr., Pinaki and Happy – The Bhoot Bandhus, and Ninja Hatori. Though it relaunched Zig & Sharko on Sonic in the last quarter of 2020, it is not ruling out fresh episodes for this show as well. The summer line-up also includes mini movies around popular cartoon characters.

    Last year, viewership for kids channels hit the roof when lockdown kicked in. While the ratings started returning to normal as things opened up, they are rising again now and are on course to reach the usual summer peak. 

    “In this era of uncertainty, we are trying to ensure when a child comes to watch Nick or Sonic, they should get that feeling of continuity that nothing has changed for them. So, there’s at least one aspect of life that remains unchanged for them,” Sikka added.

    There has been marked shift in content consumption trends too in recent times. Earlier, children were not willing to accept new characters or it could take a substantial amount of time for them to do so. But Sikka highlighted that this behaviour has changed over the last two years. Today, audiences are keenly on the look-out for new series and characters. However, the success of new shows lies in effective storytelling and good animation, she remarked.

    For instance, Pinaki and Happy – The Bhoot Bandhus was produced without following tried and tested methods; but on the back of unique content, it has done well and has climbed to the top five shows in the category within the past six months, mentioned Sikka.

    Over the past ten years, another major change that has taken place in the industry is the emergence of indigenous content. “I don’t think there is any broadcaster who can think of success without creating Indian characters, and local Indian shows. Every channel which had success has been on the back of locally produced content,” stated the content programming head, adding, “Indian animation industry, the broadcasters in the kids’ category have adapted to this change extremely fast.”

    Given the success of the genre, major OTT platforms have also started investing in the kids segment. Many industry experts have predicted that this trend would increase pressure on broadcasters. But Sikka is not worried about competition from OTTs. First, kids are not particularly interested in OTT exclusive content, said she; second, the network ensures that its popular characters, shows are present in all the spaces that draw young viewers.

    “Our aim is to always create screen agnostic content. It does not matter where the child is consuming the content. I truly believe as a content maker, if your story is strong, if your content is strong, if the children like the characters you have developed, they will watch it no matter the platform. Nick-Sonic shows do well across all the platforms, whether they’re watched on Nick or Sonic or Voot Kids, or YouTube channel of Nick,” Sikka signed off.

  • Nickelodeon reveals its engaging summer content line-up

    Nickelodeon reveals its engaging summer content line-up

    KOLKATA: Nickelodeon is set to amuse kids in the summer with #NicktoonsKaSummerDose – a content line-up of all new episodes, movies, host of fun activities and innovative engagements that will keep kids happy and engaged while they stay safe at home.

    Summer-time fun has commenced on a high note with Nick welcoming the kids’ favourite prank gang Golmaal Jr. on the channel.  The prank gang now entertains kids with all new episodes of their mischievous escapades every Monday to Friday at 12.30 PM with the message #NickPeSabGolmaalHai. The comic capers of the prank gang will be made the talk of the town through a high decibel multi-screen campaign- with TV spots on the franchise and cross promotions on lead GEC channels, on YouTube, gaming portals and on social media. Adding to the euphoria will be a one-of-a-kind partnership with Mad Over Donuts through a fun and delectable summer special box of donuts presented by the Golmaal Jr Prank Gang.

    While the prank gang entertains and creates a laugh riot on Nick, summer celebrations get an unexpected twist with Pinaki and Happy – The Bhoot Bandhus on Sonic. The fun & entertaining family of ghosts will add to the entertainment quotient on Sonic through all new stories every Monday to Friday at 11:30am.  The campaign promoting the fun buddies will be done taking a multiscreen approach that includes a TV campaign and promotions on digital mediums. The Bhoot Bandhus will be further brought to life on social mediums through engagements wherein kids will be seen taking the fun Bhoot Bandhus Tongue Twister challenge (#BBTT Challenge) along with a host of Innovative digital engagements to make sure kids are engaged in the comfort of their homes.

    The mischievous Golmaal Gang, adorable Motu Patlu and magical Rudra will entertain kids through all new episodes on Nick. The super cool Pinaki & Happy – The Bhoot Bandhus, Shiva, Ninja Hatori and Zig and Sharko will amp up the fun with fresh stories on Sonic, giving kids a reason to celebrate. Additionally, all new episodes of Loud House on Nick HD+ and Peppa Pig on NickJr will drive up the entertainment decibel, making sure that kids have a fabulous time indoors. 

    There will also be movies galore as Rudra infuses magic into summer with his superhit movie The Land of No Where while Motu Patlu’s comic capers will entertain kids through the mini movie- The Secret Mission of Motu Patlu set to premiere on Nick in May. This apart, all the new episodes and movies of  favourite toons will also be available to stream on our fun-learn kids entertainment app, Voot Kids.

     “At Nickelodeon our focus is on keeping kids entertained in these challenging times. Summer is a special time for children, and we have created a very robust content pipeline of some fun and exciting stories to make sure that they have a great time and stay motivated amidst the current scenario. We are here to make kids happy and are sure that the vast and immersive stories of our Nicktoons will transport them into a world of imagination and fun, giving them a reason to celebrate while lifting up their spirits,” Viacom18 kids cluster content programming and strategy head Anu Sikka commented.

     Summer started with World Creativity and Innovation Week that saw Nick Jr. along with Play Date encouraging kids to unleash their creativity indoors through a curated program of various activities such as music and movement, coding adventure, clay dough, mystery parties, chocolate making amongst others. There will be interesting virtual activations on special occasions like Mother’s Day and Yoga Day that will create many memorable and happy moments for kids and families. Each interactivity would be brought to life digitally by the adorable Nicktoons that will surely add a dash of cheer to each day.

  • What’s exciting Nickelodeon India’s Nina Jaipuria this festive season

    What’s exciting Nickelodeon India’s Nina Jaipuria this festive season

    MUMBAI: Nickelodeon has been the undisputed leader in kid's TV space in India for several years now. It has created several iconic characters such as Motu-Patlu, Gattu Battu, Rudra, and Dadduji that have been immensely loved by children as well as the brands. With over 700 hours of content, the franchise today has the largest, immersive, and most versatile local content library in the category. The channel is aiming to increase 100 hours of content by the next fiscal year. 

    In its quest to continue its leadership position, the kids’ entertainment franchise announced the launch of its tenth indigenous IP Pinaki & Happy- The Bhoot Bandhus on Sonic. Produced by Delhi based Tavrohi Animations, the new 3D animated show is fast paced, entertaining, spooky – perfect to take the young viewers on an adventurous joy ride starting 9 November, Monday at 11:30 am on Sonic. The show will have three slots on the channel for the whole day. It is a ghost story mixed with comedy.

    Viacom18 Hindi mass entertainment and the kids TV Network head Nina Elavia Jaipuria highlighted that this project started 20 months ago and ever since that time, it was in the pipeline. Said she: “Any kids content requires a lot of time because it needs much planning in advance, animation and then you start producing episodes. In the middle of all this is the characterization, scripting and then eight language dubbing.”   

    In the meantime, Jaipuria along with the team actively looked at the market research, emerging trends in the kid's section and deep dived into their own portfolio. The channel is looking at white spaces that are untapped and have not been catered to the Indian animation industry. 

    New Storyline

    For Pinaki & Happy- The Bhoot Bandhus, the channel wrote down an entire hypothesis, worked on the characters, and in fact tested the show. The new property will portray an unusual family of ghosts, who adopt a boy, the titular character – Pinaki, and raise him as one of their own. Fun and chaos ensues when both the worlds collide. The show will illustrate daily adventures, familial love, the friendship of Pinaki and Happy as the fun unfolds when the ‘bhoot world meets the real world’. Directed by Ankur Chauhan, the lyrics of the title track have been penned by the legendary Gulzar, and the music composed by Simaab Sen.

    Elaborating more on the number of episodes and the overall plan for the show, Jaipuria shared that the number completely depends upon the viewership, ratings and ROI. Nickelodeon aims to expand the library for every single IP. –this is not what we are supposed to do…

    Viacom18 Hindi mass entertainment and the kids TV Network head Nina Elavia Jaipuria highlighted that work on the show  started 20 months ago, which is what animation projects normally take in India.

    Jaipuria along with the team undertook market research, emerging trends in the kid's section and deep dived into their own portfolio. The channel is looking at white spaces that are untapped and have not been catered to by the Indian animation industry.

    Nickelodeon enjoys strong viewership from rural areas as there are no FTA (Free to air) channels in the kid's category.

    Read more news on Nickelodeon

    Marketing Strategy

    The show launch will be supported by a robust promotion plan across all platforms, which will include an aggressive TV plan within the Viacom18 network and outside the network. In addition to the high blitz television promotions, the launch will be promoted on cable channels, DTH, OTT platforms, music streaming apps amongst others. There are various innovations lined up on the digital front, including tons of quirky communication on YouTube. There would be a high decibel influencer campaign reaching out to the digital audiences. The promotions will also extend to schools through an expansive virtual school contact program. Further adding to the experience will be fun Bhoot Bandhus inspired digital games, contests, AR filters, virtual dance face-offs, and a series of engaging and interesting on-line interactivity.

    Leadership Position

    Jaipuria shared that the channels’ prime focus has been to create a local IP that it could own and sweat it across platforms and revenue streams. She mentioned, “It was about creating a local IP in a manner where we created a portfolio and content library which expands in width and depth. It means we don’t only have the number of IPs we kept launching over the last 10 years but also the number of episodes we created for every IP. I think that has helped us to keep the pole position for Nickelodeon. The thing that keeps us on the rating front is also the fact that how we focus on our characters. So, story writing and scriptwriting is extremely important.”

    According to Jaipuria, it is extremely important for Nickelodeon to have a franchise and own IPs. Firstly from the ROI perspective, it helps to manifest it on various other platforms. The Nickelodeon IP exists in many avatars that include television, Voot kids, mobile games, product licensing, promotion licensing and consumer products. She pointed out that all the IPs have a long shelf life and start giving profits over a period of time. It keeps the channel ahead of the curve. Jaipuria mentioned, “Kids are early screen adapters and our strategy was to be present on every screen the kids want us to be. Owning the IP and having it for ourselves was very important. It is only then you can put your IP on any screen that the kid demands.”

    Brands Play

    Jaipuria didn’t hesitate to admit that the pandemic was brutal for the overall broadcast industry and the channel. Nickelodeon witnessed a dip in the adex by 20 per cent. The months from April to June were slow, but as the normalcy returns and products are back on the shelves, advertising has started to grow. Now, adex has gone back to the 2019 level. Starting October the ad volumes have been slightly more. She shared, “Market sentiment has improved, and advertisers are back. Several new categories have also come onboard like e-commerce, automobiles, Edutech, and e-wallet. These include brands like – Vedantu, Byjus, PhonePe, Amazon Pay and others. Some of the advertisers are also new like Lego and Mars. Currently, November and December look overfull. In fact, even during the lockdown, we did not give discounts on ad rates. We are operating on zero discount and I am hoping that the rates will go up.”

    The channel has both kid and non-kid advertisers. Kid advertisers are normally FMCG brands like Nestle, Britannia and likewise. But there are non-kid clients also that are targeting the gatekeepers or the co-viewers of the channel. These include e-commerce, automobile, insurance etc. Jaipuria thinks that kids are very good negotiators and have a lot of decision-making power and they are taken into consideration for a lot of household decisions. Brands that are advertising are also aware of the fact that there will be a lot of pester power. Kids now are so tech-savvy that they dominate the discussion on buying decisions – be it household items, groceries, electronics, which paint to apply or which car to buy. Jaipuria opined that this is one of the main reasons why so many advertisers choose Nickelodeon to reach out to these influencers and induce them to buy popular brands.

    She concluded, “We have grown on the top line by 12 to 15 per cent last year. We have grown our ad-rates by that much because 12 minutes is all we have to sell. So, all the increase that we get every year comes from value and rates. We are looking at growing and having a fair share in the ad-rate and considering that we are so under indexed at three per cent and considering the genre share at 7 per cent, we do want to take our ad-rates up every year."

  • Nick announces 10th indigenous IP, ‘Pinaki & Happy – The Bhoot Bandhus’

    Nick announces 10th indigenous IP, ‘Pinaki & Happy – The Bhoot Bandhus’

    MUMBAI: Continuing the rich legacy of being India’s leading kids’ entertainment franchise in the category, Nickelodeon has sustained the number one rank for the sixth year in a row. After achieving immense success with other home-grown IPs like Motu Patlu, Pakdam Pakdai, Shiva, Rudra, amongst others, Nickelodeon is all set to venture into yet another untapped space. Post the resounding success of nine IPs, the franchise is now set to introduce the first ever spooky-comic series in the category with the launch of their tenth Indigenous IP -Lego presents Pinaki & Happy- The Bhoot Bandhus on Sonic.

    Produced by Tavrohi Animation, the show is fast paced, entertaining, spooky, combined with comedy which will take the young viewers on an adventurous joy ride starting 9 November at 11:30 am.

    Taking the kids into a new world of fun, the show will portray an unusual family of ghosts, who adopt the central character of the show – Pinaki and raise him as one of their own. The high-octane comedy combined with some “Bhootbaazi” will take the viewers on a laughter ride with mysterious and hilarious stories of Pinaki & Happy- The Bhoot Bandhus. The show will illustrate daily adventurous of Pinaki & Happy as the fun unfolds when the bhoot world meets the real world. The show is directed by Ankur Chauhan. Legendary lyricist Gulzaar has once again scripted lyrics for the title track of the show and the music is created by Simaab Sen. The unique spooky-comic, home-grown animated show from the house of Nickelodeon will further strengthen the franchise’s diverse content portfolio. With over 700 hours of content the franchise today has the largest, immersive and the most versatile local content library in the category. The coming year will see further scaling of the content library with over 100 + hours of content, expected to be added through new episodes and made for television movies.

    Viacom18 Hindi mass entertainment and kids TV Network head Nina Elavia Jaipuria said, “Kids are at the center of our universe and understanding their evolving preferences and catering to their diverse entertainment needs is at the core of all our initiatives. With each passing year, we have identified white spaces and brought alive clutter breaking and pioneering series that have gone on to be category game changers and favorites amongst all our stakeholders -kids, parents and advertisers ensuring that we are the most loved No1 kids entertainment brand in the country. With the launch of our new show Pinaki & Happy- The Bhoot Bandhus on Sonic, we are set to once again enthrall our young viewers with an immersive and unmatched entertainment experience.”

    Viacom18 Kids TV Network content head Anu Sikka said, “With the launch of our new show Pinaki & Happy- The Bhoot Bandhus, we are expanding our already popular programming catalogue to keep our young audience entertained. Each character and their traits are so carefully crafted that I’m confident that the Bhoot Bandhus will be thoroughly loved by the kids. The show promises to take kids into a new world of fun bringing to them first of it’s spooky-comedy series which takes them on a laughter ride when the bhoot world meets the real world. Over the years our adorable toons have formed an unbreakable bond with kids through the stories they tell and we are confident that our young viewers will surely embrace the new characters  and make them a part of their daily lives.”

    Pivoting the media mix to the new normal, the marketing campaign will leave no stone unturned in reaching out to kids through all possible screens. The show launch will be supported by a robust promotion plan across all platforms, which will include an aggressive TV plan within the Viacom18 network and outside the network.In addition to the high blitz television promotions, the launch will be promoted on cable channels, DTH, OTT platforms, music streaming apps amongst others. There are various innovations lined up on the digital front, including tons of quirky communication on YouTube. There would be a high decibel influencer campaign reaching out to the digital audience. The promotions will also extend to schools through an expansive virtual school contact programme.  Further adding to the experience will be fun Bhoot Bandhus inspired digital games, contests, AR filters, virtual dance face offs and series of engaging and interesting on-line interactivity that will transport kids into a world of escape.

    With a perpetual spirit to innovate, Nickelodeon has always identified white spaces and launched characters that are kid’s favourite today. With the launch of Pinaki & Happy- The Bhoot Bandhus, the Nickelodeon franchise has been true to its repute of being a pioneer and has plugged another entertainment white space in the spooky-comic genre.

  • Nickelodeon franchise witnesses 20 per cent growth in weekly viewing minutes

    Nickelodeon franchise witnesses 20 per cent growth in weekly viewing minutes

    MUMBAI: In this period of lockdown, the kids’ category has seen a surge in viewership including the growth of the Nickelodeon franchise ratings, which have in fact fuelled the growth of the entire kid’s category. The kids’ genre has seen a 33 per cent growth by moving up to nine per cent share in total TV at 2+. While the Nickelodeon franchise dominates the category with eight out of Top 20 shows belonging to its programming line-up. Currently the Nickelodeon franchise leads the category with 34  per cent market share and has witnessed 28% growth in ratings with a 6% increase of weekly reach and a 20% increase in weekly viewing minutes across the franchise. As families stay indoors, co-viewing of the Nickelodeon franchise has grown substantially (15+ age group has seen a 23% growth) this week. 

    Nickelodeon’s first instinct was to offer them a high dose of entertainment in the current time of Covid-19. To get through this period, Nickelodeon, the popular entertainment destination in the kid space, continues to enhance engagement with the announcement of a new content line-up. 

    At a time when parents and kids across the country are at home, Nickelodeon has come to the rescue of these kids and their families by adding fresh new content to its already popular programming catalogue.

    The new content-line up comes at a time when kids are looking forward to all new episodes of their favourite toons. Nick and Sonic will ensure there is no dull moment in the lives of their fans by offering new stories across kid’s favourite shows such as Motu Patlu and Rudra on Nick and Ninja Hattori and Pakdam Pakdai on Sonic. Taking the kids into a new world of fun will be the made-for-TV movies of Motu Patlu and Rudra on Nick. Nick Jr., the channel for toddlers will also air new episodes of Paw Patrol. 

    All the content across Nick and Sonic will be available in eight languages – Gujarati, Bengali, Marathi & Malayalam along with existing languages Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada, thus ensuring that fans across the nation will be able to watch their favourite toons in the language of their choice.

    Viacom18 Hindi mass entertainment & kids TV network head Nina Elavia Jaipuria said, “Kids are at the centre of our universe and their wellbeing is of utmost importance to us. In the wake of COVID-19, we request all to stay safe indoors and have an enjoyable time at home. During this time when families must stay inside, we are offering our young viewers fresh episodes of their favourite shows so they can bond with their families while enjoying the company of their beloved Nicktoons. We at Nickelodeon believe this is a time to be positive, remain safe and we commit to doing all that we can to make our viewers smile and feel upbeat.”

    With a perpetual spirit to innovate, Nickelodeon is giving kids a reason to feel good with their lighthearted campaign #HomeOkPlease. The adorable Nicktoons are delivering the message of staying indoors, social distancing, washing their hands, etc. in a tone and manner that is lighthearted and humorous. This campaign comes to life on social media though posts, videos, memes, gifs. Nickindia.com has put up host of games of Rudra, Motu Patlu, Shiva to name a few in addition to some wonderful DIY videos and formats that kids can engage with and feel occupied.

    Until social distancing continues, the Nicktoons Motu Patlu, Shiva, Rudra, Ninja Hattori and many more will keep the young viewers happy and engaged. So Stay Home, Stay Safe, Stay Entertained. #HomeOkPlease