Cable TV: Talk of the Town
Nickelodeon turns the Gift of Gab into a promotional present for kids.
Nickelodeon mixed partners with promotional pizzazz to boost viewership of The Wild Thornberrys.
New York City-based Nick set out in February 2000 to drive kids to a special episode of the animated series called Gift of Gab, which explained how lead character Eliza originally gained the power to talk to animals. To entice youngsters to tune in — as well as to engage partners — Nick created a Gift of Gab Global Giveaway sweepstakes.
On-air spots heralded the adventure-themed sweeps, which handed winners trips to international locales related to the travel escapades of Eliza and friends. Each day’s episode in the week preceding the Gift of Gab air date contained clues kids used to enter the sweeps through a toll-free number.
“The message remained consistent throughout the [program]. We didn’t want to force-feed anything,” says Pam Kaufman, Nick’s senior vp-promotions marketing. “The promotion was exciting and inherent to the show’s personality. We’re pretty proud of this one.”
Partners added a variety of support. Miami-based Burger King developed 35 million-plus units of four premiums based on the show to distribute via Kids Meals and Big Kids Meals in 8,000 restaurants over four weeks. The chain also distributed 30 million “BK Clue Cards” providing the hints for kids who may have missed an episode. Cards had a programming schedule on the front and coupons for Mattel-made Wild Thornberrys dolls on the back. The dolls were also promoted via counter displays.
East Hanover, NJ-based Nabisco chimed in with a special Wild Thornberrys cookie line. The company also scattered a You Can Be in Nicktoons sweeps across seven brands on more than 17 million total packages and supported with $1.5 million in kid-targeted TV buys, print ads featuring Eliza, a 55 million-piece FSI, and P-O-P displays. A sweeps overlay gave kids a chance to be drawn as a character into an upcoming Nick cartoon.
Kraft Foods’ Post cereal unit, White Plains, NY, distributed Thornberrys Crunch cereal and hosted games at Nick.com. “We ran tests on purchase and taste appeal. Both scored high,” says Post senior brand manager Zara Ingilizian. “Wild Thornberrys was a fantastic property to tie into.”
Camden, NJ-based Campbell Soup Co. added a Wild Thornberrys soup SKU (shaped pasta with chicken) to its Fun Favorites kids line and ran a mail-in offer for a free miniature book from Nick sister company Simon & Schuster, New York City. For two proofs of purchase, kids received a survival guide featuring facts and wacky travel tips. The offer was flagged on 13 million cans, P-O-P, and a national FSI. Elsewhere, Tarrytown, NY-based Dannon put Thornberrys images on kid-targeted Danimals yogurt.
A little adventure goes a long way. The consistent messaging and theme and aggressive partner support reeled in kids. The Gift of Gab episode was viewed by nearly nine million kids aged two to 11, and the property has gone on to become one of Nickelodeon’s best-rated animated series. More than two million viewers called to register for the Global Giveaway sweeps.
Sales increases were reported by all partners and included a 23-percent jump in Kids Meal sales at Burger King. Nick.com recorded two million page views during the two-week promotional window leading up to the episode.
“We define success in two ways,” says Kaufman. “Ratings and partner results.”
Two for two.
Supporting Cast:
Pam Kaufman, Nickelodeon
Richard Taylor, Burger King
Amy Tarring, Campbell’s Soup Co.
Stephen Chriss, Lisa Coker, Kraft
Zara Ingilizian, Post Cereal
Tracy Boucher, Nabisco
