Cartoon Network has put together three promotions that will break at different points during summer, fall and winter.
One, a back-to-school licensed promotion, will involve Subway Restaurant giveways of premiums from the network's popular in its "Kids' Paks" from Aug. 21 through Oct. 1.
All told, Cartoon executives estimated last week, about 4 million premiums-figurines based on that animated series' tiny superheroines, Blossom, Buttercup and Bubbles-will go to kids aged two through 11.
Promotional support for that tie-in will include media buys and in-store point-of-sale materials.
That will be followed by another food-related promotion tie-in, this one featuring Kraft Foods Inc.'s Post Cereals and Strike Ten Entertainment and designed to promote the sport of bowling to youngsters.
For "Go Bedrock Bowling," slated to run Oct. 1 through Dec. 31, Post will offer free, instantly redeemable on-pack certificates on millions of boxes of "Fruity Pebbles," "Cocoa Pebbles" and "Cinna-Crunch Pebbles" cereals. Each certificate is good for a free bowling game at participating bowling centers.
In addition, Post and Cartoon will team up on the "Cartoon Network Bowling Club," scheduled to run for at least 12 weeks as of January 2001 and to be plugged on both companies' Web sites.
Consumers who join Saturday-morning youth or parent/child leagues at participating bowling centers will get Cartoon premiums for signing up. At the conclusion of the league, they will also get free videos from the network's sister company, Warner Bros. Home Video; Cartoon Network Bowling Club T-shirts; and bowling balls embellished with either or character designs.
Cartoon's second annual "Cartoon Cartoon Fridays Tour" is already under way, having begun earlier this month. That 13-week summertime promotion will, in association with eight MSOs, bring free Friday-evening screenings of hitherto-unseen cartoons to 13 markets.
The toons will be shown on 35-foot inflatable movie screens, with inflatable and costumed cartoon characters also due at each site. Markets on the list include Atlanta; Boston; Denver; Monmouth, N.J.; St. Louis; and San Francisco.
Local cross-channel spots will publicize each stop on the tour, with operators sponsoring booths where consumers can get giveaways and learn about new cable products and services.
And two days before each Friday screening, a "Cartoon-Network.com Mobile" vehicle will invite youngsters to play interactive games and send e-mail to their favorite characters.
MSOs linking with the tour, which will end Sept. 1, include AT & T Broadband and newly acquired MediaOne Group Inc., Adelphia Communications Corp., Cablevision Systems Corp., Charter Communications Inc., Cox Communications Inc. and Time Warner Cable, Turner Network Sales spokespeople said.
Radio stations in each market will also plug the tour, with each running a contest where the local grand prize is a trip for four to Universal Studios Hollywood.
