News Monitor
(Selling to Kids; 09/16/98)
Sep. 16, 1998 (SELLING TO KIDS, Vol. 3, No. 19 via COMTEX) -- Promotions/In-
Store: FAO Expands Sticker Kiosks
Following a trial of Kodak [EK] sticker print kiosks at FAO Schwarz's flagship
stores in New York, Orlando and Las Vegas, the toy retailer has announced it
will install the kiosks in 20 more stores across the country. The stand-alone
kiosks allow kids to photograph themselves in front of themed backgrounds and
print them out on a page of 16 stickers. In addition to licensed characters,
the sticker kiosks at FAO offer store-specific content on the sticker
backgrounds, such as FAO's trademarked clock tower, trojan horse and bear.
(Alison Hofland, CCSPR for FAO Schwarz, 760/438-5250)
Cause Marketing: Book-Signing Raises Cash for Kids Charities
Health Communications, Inc., publisher of Chicken Soup for The Kid's Soul, are
planning a massive national book signing event called "Kids Have Soul!" On
Sept. 19th, 99 story contributors at more than 129 bookstores in 29 states will
read stories and sign books. The event will raise money for eight kids
charities. The books' authors and publisher have pledged $250,000 from book
sales towards the charities. The Chicken Soup series contains 17 titles and has
sold 31 million copies. The kids title was released July 31st and has sold
700,000 copies to date. (Larry Getlen, Health Communications, 800/851- 9100)
Cause Marketing: Best Buy Promotes Internet Safety
Minneapolis-based Best Buy Co., Inc., [BBY] is offering a free Internet safety
kit to consumers who purchase a computer this month. The EdView Internet Safety
Kit - Family Edition allows kids access to the Internet while preventing access
to inappropriate sites. The promotion is tied to National Kids Online week,
Sept. 14-20. Best Buy is promoting the event by running in-store demos of
EdView's kit. Additionally, Best Buy will be featured on EdView's home page.
(Susan Hoff, Best Buy, 612/947-2000, ext 2443)
Food: Oscar Mayer Expands Lunchables Line
Madison, Wis.-based Oscar Mayer Foods, a division of Kraft Foods, Inc. [MO3] is
expanding its successful line of pre-packaged lunches designed to fit into a
kids lunchbox to include hot dogs and cheeseburgers. The line currently offers
a combination of meat, cheese and crackers, pizza, tacos and nachos. The
"Lunchables All Star" hot dogs and burgers are pre-cooked and ready-to-eat. The
burgers and hot dogs are paired with milk chocolate balls, a Lunchable-branded
can of soda, and a bag of Lay's potato chips. The new lunches will retail for
$2.49 and will be rolled out nationally in November. (Claire Regan, Oscar Mayer
Foods, 608/285-6820)
Television: Do-It-Yourself Show to Debut
The Home Depot [HD] new children's program, "Homer's workshop," is set to debut
this month in almost 80 percent of TV markets in the U.S. Twenty-six episodes
will air in the first season, covering topics such as how to build a birdhouse,
a clock, an ant farm and an indoor/outdoor garden. The program also is
supported by a Web site (www.homersworkshop.com. (Suzanne Apple, The Home
Depot, 404/384-2688)
Direct Marketing: Teen Clothing Co. Launches Catalog
Manhattan Beach, Calif.-based Skechers USA, Inc., makers of trendy footwear
including lines for children and teens, has launched Skechers By Mail, its
first consumer catalog, as well as a Web site (http://www.skechers.com). The
24-page catalog's launch coincides with Skechers new Fall 1998 line.
Skechers.com allows consumers to see the line and place orders. Also
available: Skechers videos, branded screen savers, musical excerpts and a daily
"Pair of Skechers a Day" contest that consumers may enter. (Skechers,
www.skechers.com )
Interactive: Game Developer Targets Girls
Activision [ATVI], a developer, publisher and distributor of software for
advanced console game sytems, will release "Teen Digital Diva," a CD-ROM game
based on Teen magazine. Teen magazine is published by The Petersen Companies,
Inc. [PTN]. The new CD-ROM was developed by Girl Games, Inc., which developed
"Let's Talk About Me!" and "Clueless". The CD-ROM will let girls ages 12 to 17
create their own version of Teen magazine, initiate a virtual beauty makeover
("Make Me Over"), experiment with tattoos ("Face Art"), check out the fashion
scene ("Seventh Avenue") access astrological forecasts ("Horoscope!") and take
personality tests ("Quiz Maker"). (Amy King, Activision, 310/255-2592)
KIdVId: Two New Teletubbies Videos Hit Retail
In conjunction with the release of two new exclusive-to-video releases
featuring Teletubbies, "Here Come The Teletubbies," and "Dance With the
Teletubbies", PBS Kids, Ragdoll Productions, The Itsy Bitsy Entertainment
Company and Warner Home Video are marketing the videos in hospitals via a free-
giveaway offer. In September, the companies are donating "Teletubby Gift
Packs," to hospitals nationwide to newborns and their families. The gift packs,
a $75 value, include both videos, a book from Scholastic Books [SCHL] and a
mini-Teletubby plush toy from Hasbro [HAS]. (Ronnee Sass, Warner Home Video,
818/954-6439)
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