MUMBAI: Pan Asian youth entertainment channel Animax has announced that its new ‘Ani-mates‘ characters have driven viewers to its site.

The characters are the Filipino duo of model-host Stephanie Henares as well as celebrity cosplayer Alodia Gosiengfiao.
 
The two personalities from the Philippines were unveiled on-air and online on 1 June 2010 as Ani-mates - new VJ-cum-brand ambassadors for Animax.

Serving as buddies to Animax viewers and bringing the latest updates on the regional youth scene, the Ani-mates are currently featuring on TV, in online activities and campaigns, as well as at on-ground events.

Original content available only on the web from Stephanie and Alodia have driven a hike in web traffic to the Animax Asia home website (www.animax-asia.com). Regularly updated each week, exclusive online content includes the duo‘s video blogs, pictures and personal thoughts on all that matters to the youths in the Philippines and across Asia.  
 
Animax Asia VP, GM Gregory Ho says, "Engagement - it is the one word that we at Animax are really obsessed about. Animax is committed to offering our fans a truly immersive entertainment experience, which is why our Ani-mates are connecting with viewers not just on TV, but also online and in person at a variety of events. The colourful personalities of Stephanie and Alodia really help take our interaction with viewers to the next level because they are so relatable to our fans and are seen simply as being just like one of them".

Handling much of the VJ duties on Animax is the 22-year old Stephanie Henares as she introduces upcoming shows on the channel and hosts TV vignettes to provide the latest news and updates on the regional youth scene. Beyond the production studio, she can also be seen covering the hottest and hippest youth events across the region as Animax‘s brand ambassador.