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In an episode of Nickelodeon’s animated hit SpongeBob SquarePants, the optomistic yellow sponge who lives in a pineapple under the sea competed fiercely against his dimwitted pink friend, Patrick Star, in the Fry Cook Games.

That was just a cartoon. In real life, in October, the two burned rubber in a NASCAR Busch Series race. Neither SpongeBob (driven by Jimmie Johnson) nor Patrick (Kyle Busch) won the race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte — Mike Bliss and his No. 20 car were crowned King of The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie 300.

Sponsorship of the race, which was televised live on TNT, was just one of many ways Viacom is spending an estimated $150 million to support the launch of the animated movie, which hit the big screen last month and will be released on DVD in 2Q 2005. Because of the film’s broad appeal the goal was to capture families, not just children, with promotional tie-ins, says Pam Kaufman, senior VP-marketing, Nickelodeon.

The timing of the race was perfect for the movie, which hit local screens Nov. 19. Kaufman notes that the Busch Series, which is one level below NASCAR’s premier NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, primarily attracts families to the racetracks.

Lowe’s and Lowe’s Motor Speedway also presented special race ticket offers for families, while it gave away SpongeBob merchandise, provided kids activities before the race, hosted a designated family section, and created a special kids menu at the Lowe’s Motor Speedway concession stands. There was also a kid-friendly radio broadcast of the event.

While most animated franchises begin to fade away at the five-year mark (SpongeBob made his Nick debut in 1999), SpongeBob’s popularity continues to soar. Instead of taking the logical approach to everyday challenges, the title character approaches life in a wayward and unconventional way. And his good intentions and overzealous approach to life usually create chaos in his underwater world.

Kaufman says that the charm, personality and optimism of SpongeBob’s character has helped the franchise maintain its longevity in the ageless cartoon world.

“There are very few characters out there that are so optimistic and humorous at the same time,” Kaufman says. “SpongeBob appeals to people of all ages on so many levels.”

Nick targeted families via QSR and travel brands, as well. Its diverse group of tie-in partners includes Burger King, the Cayman Islands and Holiday Inn.

Burger King staged a Kids Meal promo last month that included eight different toys. The QSR also began selling a collection of SpongeBob character watches, each with a collectable tin. Movie displays, posters and tray liners also appear in the restaurants. A giant inflatable SpongeBob appears on the roof at select locations.

Holiday Inn debuted a Bikini Bottom Bites kids’ menu, featuring SpongeBob-inspired meals like Squidward Cereal, Plankton Pancakes and Mindy’s Mac & Cheese. Kids can also work on SpongeBob crossword puzzles and mazes on the Bikini Bottom Kids’ Corner activity sheet.

Participating Holiday Inn SunSpree Resorts in the U.S. and Caribbean feature a Krabby Korner activity center in the lobby and Bikini Bottom Splash in the pool area. The Krabby Korner features a SpongeBob play tent, lending library, activity table and chairs and Bop Bags with a TV/DVD player and Sony PlayStation2 unit. The Bikini Bottom Splash area features SpongeBob tunes, inflatable rafts, kickboards and SpongeBob ice cream. Guests can also collect a series of four SpongeBob keycards.

And Nick’s partnership with the Cayman Islands Department of Environment led to the founding of the Cayman Islands Sea School for kids. The twice-a-week interactive sessions, open to vacationers and residents, included a SpongeBob episode, a short talk on the importance of preserving the marine environment, hands-on activities and customized activity books and crafts. At the conclusion of the program each child received a diploma presented by SpongeBob.

In celebration of the Sea School, Cayman Airways wrapped some of its jets with SpongeBob themes as well.

Nick is also running an online sweepstakes and dangling a 5-day, 4-night trip to the Cayman Islands for the grand prize winner and his or her family plus five friends and their families. SpongeBob SquarePants Video Now Color Collector players are being given to 100 first-prize winners, and 500 second-prize winners receive The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie CD-ROM video game, which was recently released by THQ for the Sony PlayStation2, Xbox video game system from Microsoft, Nintendo GameCube, Game Boy Advance and PC.

Yahoo! Photos ran an online contest to find a SpongeBob lookalike. A 27-year-old man from Memphis won a trip to the Hollywood premiere as a result.

THQ Wireless, a subsidiary of THQ, has made The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie available for mobile devices as well. The game is a collection of mini games, including Bubble Popping, Driving Games and an Ice Cream Eating Contest, and stars characters from the movie.

Toy-maker Mattel is also coming out with a remote control “Patty Wagon.” The toy comes with talking SpongeBob and Patrick characters, each of which can sit in the wagon or ride in a tethered spatula.

Earlier this year, 360 Youth’s Campus Trial Paks received a The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie makeover. This year, 2.4 million of the product samplers, redesigned to look like SpongeBob, were distributed through bookstores at about 900 universities. The boxes include samples from brands such as Clearasil, Vick’s NyQuil, Clairol Herbal Essence shampoo and the old standby, AOL CD-ROMs.

Kellogg also moved its sponsorship of the SpongeBob franchise from the TV to the silver screen, and will carry that to the DVD release. The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie tie-ins on grocery shelves include shaped Cheez-Its and Keebler E.L. Fudge cookies, Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Treats with multi-colored characters and Wild Bubble-Berry Pop-Tarts with strawberry filling and Kellogg’s The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie cereal. Van Melle also released a limited-edition The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie Airheads taffy.

The movie is also being supported with signage at shopping malls and in-store signage at Target stores nationwide.

And the movie’s sound-track is also laden with A-list stars. Avril Levigne sings The SpongeBob SquarePants Theme, and is joined in the compilation by acts such as Motorhead, Ween and The Flaming Lips.

Though the number of tie-ins to a product does not always equal cinematic success, Kaufman says she is positive The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie will be a holiday hit.

“If you’re already a fan of SpongeBob, the movie will not leave you disappointed,” promises Kaufman. “There are very few characters that are so optimistic and humorous.”