MUMBAI: Disney has unveiled a heavyweight marketing campaign to support the launch of its new boy-focused and girl-inclusive channel, Disney XD, on 31 August.
The fully integrated campaign includes Disney XD spots on television, outdoor marketing, cinema postcards and grassroots experiential events with a key focus on digital media to drive engagement with the brand amongst its key audience of kids aged 6-14 years.
The cornerstone of the online activity will be a futuristic ‘Ultimate Gamer Challenge‘ which will run on the gaming site, Miniclip.com from 20 August. This will consist of a series of skill-based games, themed around show character Aaron Stone, and will allow kids to go head-to-head with their peers in a number of linked challenges. In addition, messenger icons can be unlocked after each mini-game for kids to share with friends.
This will be supported by innovation-augmented reality which allows kids to gain access to exclusive Disney XD and Aaron Stone content using their webcam. In addition, an expandable version of MSN Messenger will keep them informed of all the latest launch news with weekly video content planned while Aaron Stone branded in-skyscraper games and rich media will run on sites including WWE, CN, Nick and CITV.
A targeted TV campaign will hit screens from 10 August - 20 September across Nick, Nick Toons, CN, CN Too, Boomerang, CITV, along with Sky Sports, UK Dave, Sky 1, E4 and T4.
Press activity will include four-page gatefolds, page ads, IFC and OBC running throughout August and September in gaming and extreme sport titles including Gamesmaster, Official Nintendo, Power Station, X 360, Match, Sidewalk and Ride.
In cinemas, 570 six-sheets will land in 203 cinemas from 20 August for two weeks as well as 600,000 postcards in 300 cinemas. The reverse side of the postcard features the framing device that will be used for the augmented reality promo.
The outdoor campaign will comprise 2,500 roadside six-sheets nationwide with 75 digital mall six-sheets.
Experiential marketing comes via a partnership with England Beach Soccer - the official governing body of the sport, with a beach soccer road show taken to various urban locations throughout the UK, culminating in an event on London‘s Oxford Street on 29 August.
Says Disney Channels UK executive director marketing Nicole Morse, "Since Disney XD is built around what kids, particularly boys, told us they wanted to see from a TV channel- that is gaming, sports and humour - it was crucial that the integrated launch campaign reached them in environments that resonated with them. The campaign‘s interactivity is key in ensuring kids can engage with the new brand for a significant amount of time, with the scale and aspirational media choices‘ delivering the message that Disney XD is a channel for them."
