Scooby Dooby Two - Halloween promotion from Time Warner - Brief Article - Statistical Data Included

Brandweek, June 28, 1999 by T.L. Stanley

Time Warner, Allies Load $65M for Halloween Assault

Time Warner reloads for another Scooby-Doo promotional assault around an upcoming direct-to-video title, ramping up its grocery store presence during the key Halloween period with tie-in partners General Mills, Welch's Bama jams and, in its first entertainment link, Sun-Maid Raisins. Execs estimate total Scooby support will reach $65 million.

Aiming to keep the momentum going from last fall's successful direct-to-video Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island and its raft of promotional links (Brandweek, June 29, 1998), this October's Scooby-Doo and the Witch's Ghost will get nearly $10 million in TV, print and radio advertising from Warner Bros., Cartoon Network and their partners. Other sister divisions, ranging from consumer products and interactive to Kid Rhino, also will get behind the new title with on-air marathons and promo campaigns, rebates and specially-created merchandise.

The promotions will aim to cement Scooby as "the unofficial mascot for Halloween," said Dan Capone, vp-marketing and development, Family Entertainment, Warner Home Video. "We're treating this like a theatrical release where it's vital to build as much awareness as possible for this title."

General Mills will put Scooby imagery on 4 million Count Chocula cereal boxes, and will include Scooby, Mystery Machine, Shaggy and other character "marbits" in the product. TV ads, an FSI and POP will support. Sun-Maid Raisins will bow an instant-win sweepstakes on 5 million bags of its snack-size product, while Bama will put Scooby-Doo and the Witch's Ghost art on more than 1 million jelly tumblers and will run a buy-two-get-one-free offer. TCI Cable will air 30-second TV spots for a national Scooby sweepstakes, and tout the vid in its 11 million circulation newsletter.

The 17-year-old Scooby property continues to show its strength with both boomers and kids via solid Cartoon Network ratings, where it airs 23 times a week, and in product, where 1.5 million units of the series sold on video this spring after an online contest that called for consumers to pick their favorite episodes.

The studio's ad campaign will air on network, syndication and kid cable, with print in national kid and family books, and radio, with merchandise giveaways, in the top 25 markets. Trick-or-treat bags will be doled out in schools, at mails and events. A theatrical-style premiere, with voice talent and costumed characters appearing, also is in the works.

Warner Bros. Consumer Products will put $3 rebate hangtags on 9 million Scooby items; Cartoon Net will run two months' worth of on-air promo spots for the vid and air a number of fourth-quarter Scooby marathons. Warner Bros. Publishing and Scholastic will release three new Scooby books, Kid Rhino will bow the soundtrack, and Warner Bros. and South Peak Interactive debut the first Scooby CD-ROMs. A booklet in each vid will contain discounts for partner product.