TV exposure guarantees market for children's videos

DSN Retailing Today, March 5, 2001 by Doug Desjardins

The slate of children's videos scheduled for release in the second quarter of 2001 is a mixed bag of new arrivals and established franchises, but most of them have one thing in common: plenty of prime time exposure on cable channels that kids watch religiously.

TV channels like Nickelodeon, Fox Family Channel and the Cartoon Network have become a breeding ground for new kid video brands and a barometer for movie studio executives, who know that high ratings ensure a program will have a built-in audience and name recognition when it's launched on video.

Older programs are also reaping benefits from the family channels by finding a whole new audience among kids and a new lease on life on video.

Warner Home Video is a good example. Its popular "Powerpuff Girls" franchise started out as a series on the Cartoon Network that quickly gained a huge following. The program made its video debut in May of 2000, and will return again on April 3 with the release of new Powerpuff titles "Boogie Frights" and "Twisted Sister" for $14.95 on VHS and "The Mane Event" on DVD for $19.98.

"The growth of the Powerpuff franchise has just been explosive," said Justine Brody, director of family entertainment marketing for Warner Home Video. "And I think one of the reasons it took off so quickly is that kids and their parents like it and watch it together. The kids laugh at things on one level and parents laugh at things on another level."

That dual appeal applies to another Warner property, the venerable old "Scooby-Doo" series. This cartoon about the misadventures of a goofy Great Dane has become a fixture on the Cartoon Network, attracting a whole new following among kids and their parents, who remember the show from their youth when it was a staple on the Saturday morning cartoon lineup.

"[Scooby-Doo] is more than 35 years old, but it's still popular because it appeals to children and adults," said Brody. Warner's first Scooby-Doo feature length film "Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School" debuted on video on March 6 at $14.95.

Lyrick Studios introduced Hit Entertainment's "Bob the Builder" on Nickelodeon earlier this year and will bow the popular British kids show on video May 22. The stop-frame animation series is a huge hit in England and is already becoming a household name in the United States with a plum time slot on Nick Jr. at 10 a.m. Monday through Friday.

"[Bob the Builder] debuted on Jan. 15 and it's going great guns," said Sue Bristol Bedding-field, Lyrick's group vp for marketing. "It's getting terrific ratings, and it's created an instant awareness."

Lyrick is also gearing up to launch Hit Entertainment's "Kipper" kids program. The series about an adventurous little dog has aired regularly on Nickelodeon for more than a year. It will make its video debut on June 5 with "Kipper: Tiger Tales" and "Kipper: Pools, Parks & Picnics."

Establishing a franchise on television is a welcome departure for Lyrick, which had to build a following for its "Barney" series from scratch on video before it found its way to television on PBS.

"From a marketing standpoint, it really makes our job easier because people will know what the show is all about when it comes to video," Bedding field said. "It makes the process much easier."

Nobody knows that better than Gen Fukunaga, president of FUNimation. The small studio based in Ft. Worth, Texas, was formed in 1994 to market a new animated program called "Dragon Ball on Z" TV and video and had a difficult time on both fronts. "We had some weak syndication deals and the show wasn't broadcast consistently," recalled Fukunaga. "And when it was broadcast, we got lousy time slots."

All that changed in 1998 when Dragon Ball Z found a home on the Cartoon Network and began to attract a huge following. Fukunaga said video sales for Dragon Ball Z increased "ten times" once the series established itself on TV, and its videos now consistently top the sell-through charts in the United States. FUNimation will release two new Dragon Ball Z titles on March 20: "Great Saiya Man: Declaration" and "Great Saiya Man: Gohan's Secret."

Paramount Home Entertainment has two of the most popular kid franchises in the industry with "Rugrats" and "Blue's Clues" and will try to duplicate their success with two new series in June. Paramount will launch its "Dora the Explorer" franchise with "Dora the Explorer: Wish on a Star" and "Dora the Explorer: Swing into Action" on June 5, along with its "Little Bill" series with "Little Bill: Big Little Bill and "Little Bill: Me and My Family." Each title will come with a SRP of $12.95.

Both "Dora the Explorer" and "Little Bill" are popular programs on Nickelodeon and already have name recognition among kids and their parents. "Little Bill" has the added advantage of coming from a production company headed by comedian Bill Cosby, who created the "Fat Albert" cartoon series.

"Both have demonstrated a universal appeal to kids on the Nick cable network, and are already established and popular franchises," said Paramount Home Entertainment spokesman Martin Blythe. "We're excited to add these two new properties to the lineup."