Cartoon Network Revives Cinema Shorts For Youth Appeal
Cartoon Network is to extend its brand into the nation’s cinemas, with a revival of the pre-film cartoon short becoming the broadcaster’s largest ever single marketing initiative.
Designed to promote the TV channel to kids across the country, the national campaign will see Odeon and Vue cinemas screen six-minute branded cartoons before their childrens films.
The broadcaster has created three short films to be released throughout the year, each starting and ending with the same scenario: well known characters fast-talking their way into a cinema. When the characters sit down to enjoy the film, the cartoon short will begin for characters and audience alike.
Each short film will end with an animated curtain falling on the scene, providing a subtle reminder of the Cartoon Network brand with a ‘top and tailing’ of the cartoon.
“This is a completely new way for a kids TV channel to talk to its viewers,” explained Nibs Dearsley, marketing director for Cartoon Network.
“These cartoons will give them the Cartoon Network experience at the cinema and takes TV out of the home and into the leisure environment.”
Kids films generate an estimated 20 million cinema admissions per year in the UK, with the high profile campaign, negotiated by MediaCom, running to seven figures.
Catherine Aylward, planner at MediaCom added that the power of cinema amongst children makes the activity a perfect fit for Cartoon Network.
“With 94% of kids attending the cinema each year, coupled with the recent explosion in the number of family films, cinema is the perfect way of reaching Cartoon Network’s target audience,” she said.
In addition to the short films, which begin at the advertised start time of each movie, Cartoon Network will receive in-cinema branding through posters and in-foyer flyers, as well as through cinema magazines and websites.
Last year saw several successive months of cinema success for children’s films, with August’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory grossing a massive £26 million, following July’s dominance by family favourites such as Madagascar (see Family Films Fuel Successful August At Box Offices).
The release of the latest Harry Potter film towards the end of the year underlined the power of children’s films, however, smashing box office records to claim the biggest opening weekend of all time (see Potter Enchants Moviegoers To Smash Cinema Records).
Cartoon Network: www.cartoonnetwork.co.uk