Home Video: Have Trunk, Will Travel
Babar proves to HBO Video that old and gray can still be hip.
An elephant never forgets. And apparently, it’s never forgotten either.
Babar is a beloved 50-year-old children’s classic, but its image has faded over the years as newer, more contemporary characters came along. HBO Home Video, New York City, needed a strong idea to stretch the small budget it had to roll out the direct-to-video release of Babar, King of Elephants in January 2000, as well as generate awareness for the HBO series from which it came.
HBO has to compete with the likes of more popular kiddie fare such as Blue’s Clues and Rugrats for the attention of families with kids under five. So the premium cable network played up Babar’s advantage as a non-controversial character with impressive longevity.
“Babar is not sexy or exciting. But being tried and true for many years, it had a pretty steady audience, especially among parents who had grown up with him,” says Rachel Klein, president of The Alliance Group, a division of Vertical Mix Marketing, New York City, which handled the campaign.
The Alliance Group hatched a cross-promotion scheme to reach parents at family-friendly entertainment venues, and HBO sought out partners to multiply its $40,000 budget. The four brands which ultimately signed on got the equity of the Babar name as well as media play in advertising and on HBO’s Web site.
CPI Corp., the St. Louis-based portrait studio licensee of Sears, Roebuck & Co., let kids pose with Babar at the department store chain’s 915 studios. Families that bought the Babar package got a free magnetized Babar picture frame. Hoffman Estates, IL-based Sears printed a total of 35 million direct-mail pieces and FSIs to publicize the offer. HBO packed cross-ruff coupons in video packaging and in cable TV bills offering $5 off sittings. At HBO.com, parents could enter to win a trip to Disney World in Orlando.
“Babar kind of crossed multi-generations, with a recognized name for mothers when they were kids,” says Sears vp-marketing Steve Glickman. “Also, we’re a very visual company and the colors of Babar worked out well for us.”
Applebee’s Restaurants, Overland Park, KS, featured Babar in its 1,200 eateries from January through April. Placemats featured Babar games alongside the chain’s kids’ menu. Kids also got sticker sheets with Babar characters and collector’s cups. Meanwhile, a kids page on the Applebee’s Web site offered games kids could download and print out. More than seven million overall impressions were generated in the effort.
“Babar was something different than what … kids today are seeing all the time,” says Julie Foster, director of brand development for Applebee’s.
For dessert, Babar went to Minneapolis-based Dairy Queen from August through September. About 2,000 of the chain’s stores packed kids’ meals with one of five premiums depicting Babar and his pals including a squirt doll and a balancing monkey toy. P-O-P supported. Dairy Queen gave away more than 600,000 premium toys, reaching an estimated two million people.
A quarter-million Babar videos also carried offers from two licensees: cookie maker Ralph Chapek, Waipahu, HI, and magnet company Blue Q, Pittsfield, MA. Video buyers got a free box of cookies with the purchase of two and 20 percent off magnet purchases over $20.
All told, HBO garnered about $2 million worth of media impressions — which added up to more than 53 million — through the partnerships, returning its investment fifty-fold. The company sold in 25 percent more videos than it had projected, and the entire supply sold through.
“The challenge in the video release of a classic is that it doesn’t look and smell like a new property does,” says HBO vp-marketing Cynthia Rhea. “It’s important for consumers to be reminded that it’s a classic without them feeling like it’s old-fashioned and, therefore, not appealing.”
Old and gray never looked so good.
Supporting Cast:
Cynthia Rhea, HBO Home Video
Julie Foster, Applebee’s
Stephen Glickman, Sears
Tracie Vogel, Dairy Queen
Rachel Klein, The Alliance Group
