MagiNation Bows at Mass, TV Next? Radio Disney Puffs Up with Pillsbury - new card game - Brief Article

Brandweek, Jan 29, 2001 by David Finnigan

Backed by a fresh title for Nintendo's GameBoy, the fast-rising new collectible card game MagiNation will extend to mass market shelves next month with overflow orders at least double its fall sales debut and ongoing talks for an upcoming TV series.

A role-playing fantasy game, II million MagiNation cards hit 5,000 specialty and hobby stores nationwide last October, including Babbages, Electronics Boutique and Software Etc. "And we sold out in six weeks," boasted Glenn Halseth, vp-sales and marketing for Interactive Imagination, MagiNation's Seattle-based creator.

Aimed largely at game-playing boys ages 8-14, the game has generated buzz among players and MagiNation's entrenched competitors, such as Hasbro's Wizards of the Coast and Star Wars/Star Trek card gamer, Decipher.

Interactive Imagination is in negotiations with two TV networks about a fall show, though Halseth would not elaborate. Hobby shop success with serious gainers--who, he said, "hate to be marketed to"--helped secure deals for MagiNation's mass market introduction by retail partners with no must-have products. The game's Feb. 27 mass launch coincides with the debut of Interactive's licensed tie-in title for Nintendo's GameBoy Color product.

On board are Wal-Mart, Target, Toys "R" Us, KayBee Toys, Best Buy, Electronics Boutique, Blockbuster Canada and Pacific Northwest regional retailer Fred Meyer. (Sears is carrying only the GameBoy Color title.) "We are not going to have enough product for purchase orders," said Halseth, noting orders are running more than double MagiNation's first 11 million.

Last fall's $1 million launch staged tournaments in hobby shops nationwide. An equivalent amount will herald the mass market launch but will avoid national TV spots and focus on slowly building an audience. Retail co-op advertising, at Toys "R" Us, Target and the Electronics Boutique's free-standing mall displays, support. "You don't want to be in their face," Halseth said of his youthful customer base. "You want them to hear that it's cool rather than being told it's cool."

Radio Disney next Wednesday starts a 10-day national "Strudelpalooza" promotion with Pillsbury's Toaster Strudel Pastries, where a grand prize winner gets a VIP trip to Florida's Walt Disney World this June, under its plan to link with companies "looking for more than just the typical brought-to-you-by exposure," said Jim Pastor, Radio Disney marketing and sales vp.

Since its debut in November 1996, Radio Disney has run 10 such promotions per year, with partners including Wrigley and Quaker Oats.

Tapping into new demos the Feld Entertainment-run live touring show of Disney's Jungle Adventures On Ice is in Chicago this weekend with an all-Spanish performance. It follows a Jan. 14 Spanish/English run in Miami by Feld's Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus. Bilingual Ringling (that's a mouthful!) is set for nine other Hispanic-heavy cities, which Feld chief marketing officer Eric Stevens said will see full Spanish language TV campaigns via Telemundo and Univision affiliates, plus local Hispanic newspaper ads.

Columbia Picture's Jennifer Lopez date movie The Wedding Planner opened last weekend with tie-in advertorial in Bride's magazine; jeweler De Beers joins in for a movie ticket giveaway ... Amidst the hubris and parkas of last week's Sundance Film Festival in Utah, the E! channel's online unit co-hosted an evening with E&J Gallo Winery which wrapped a sweepstakes for its Turning Leaf Coastal Reserve wine. A winner and three buddies will be going to next year's Sundance fest ... L'Chaim!: Licensing industry execs gather Thursday at New York's UJA/Jewish Federation luncheon to toast DreamWorks Consumer Products 'Aluf' Brad Globe (introduced by his Warner Bros. opposite, Dan Romanelli) and Hallmark's licensing, acquisitions and marketing dir, Karen Mitchell, intro'd by Nickelodeon svp Leigh Anne Brodsky Event chairs: The Beanstalk Group's Seth Siegel and Michael Stone.