Scholastic Rocks the Schoolhouse; Pop-Up Video Moving Beyond Tunes

Brandweek, June 7, 1999 by T.L. Stanley, Becky Ebenkamp

Scholastic Entertainment takes on licensing, merchandising and promotional rights for its first outside property, Schoolhouse Rock, planning to target kids, young parents and teachers with an array of books, apparel, collectibles and novelties.

The move signals a branching out for the marketing division, which also is searching for tie-in partners for the Saturday morning Gen X favorite.

"We have our antenna up for properties with a good fit" with Scholastic's educational mission, said Leslye Schaefer, svp-marketing and consumer products. Because Schoolhouse Rock "isn't just a young kid's property," Schaefer said a college-targeted merchandising line also is planned. A small licensing line, via King Features, had produced videos, CD-ROMs and a traveling show in previous years, leaving the property untapped in key categories.

Separately, Scholastic has linked with Campbell and Smucker for back-to-school cross-promotions around The Magic School Bus. Six Campbell's brands (Prego, V8, V8 Splash, Condensed Soups, Pepperidge Farms Goldfish, Franco-American Pasta) are involved in the August program; consumers who buy five items can save $5 on the School Bus Rainforest field trip activity kit. A late-August FSI, POP with tearpads and print ads support. Smucker offers a School Bus video for $3.99 with two Goobers peanut butter and jelly purchases. An FSI, on-pack stickers on 1 million-plus Goober jars and POP supports.

Fox Family Channel links with AOL, Outrigger resorts, Lego and the National Fluid Milk Processor Promotion Board as it looks to cement its branded holidays, adding back-to-school, Christmas in July, Father's Day and more to its already-established, advertiser-friendly 25 Days of Christmas, 13 Days of Halloween and Mother's Day Mom-O-Rama. Execs at the cable network, peddling a year-and-a-half's worth of the holidays to advertisers as upfront negotiations continue, say the event programming "fits in so nicely with our brand," said Ann Brown, vp-advertiser marketing and consumer promotion. Outrigger resorts and AOL partner for a Father's Day sweepstakes, dubbed the Big Kahuna, that sends a family to Hawaii; Outrigger already has inked for Father's Day 2000.

For Christmas in July, FinAir partners for an on-air contest that sends a family to Santa Park in Finland. A back-to-school promotion with the milk board in August and September will put Fox Family prime time stars in the ubiquitous milk moustache ad campaign, appearing in Time, People, TV Guide and other broad-reach books. Viewers who guess the stars and their shows can win $10,000 "milk money" plus chances to appear on Fox Family interstitials and in a milk moustache ad. A relationship, not yet cemented with hauntedamerica.com, could give Fox Family online exposure for its 13 Days of Halloween, which also could have a Universal Studios tie-in. Construction toy maker Lego has signed on for this year's 25 Days of Christmas, sponsoring a contest that will send a family around the world, with a stop at the Nobel Concert for Peace in Oslo, Norway. The net also plans promos pegged to Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's, Easter and Thanksgiving.

While VH1's Behind the Music may become a licensing franchise in its own right, the channel aims to take its Pop-Up Video beyond the music. Following limited licensing around the show the past six months, "We want to extend the franchise," said Donald Silvey, svp-programming enterprises & business development. "It is our most licensable property and we're looking to make it more of a pop culture phenomenon." That means bringing the bubble icons filled with witty factoids to clothing and tchotchkes at department stores like Macy's Herald Square, where poppees include New York City staples the Statue of Liberty and the yellow taxicab.

What will pop up next? This fall, a line of sweatshirts and calendars for distribution in 150 college bookstores and the Pop-Up Board Game from Pressman. Viacom also has licensing plans for its Divas, Behind the Music and Storytellers franchises, and plans to extend them to home audio, video and hooks.

At sister division Nickelodeon, the first Wild Thornberries product launch is scheduled for spring 2000, when Mattel, Paramount and Simon & Schuster will intro toys, games, books and videos. The show, about a family of adventurers, is "very much about kid empowerment," said Leigh Anne Brodsky, svp-Nick Consumer Products. A $10 million marketing campaign will support.