FAMILY CHANNEL, BANDAI BEGIN STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE PROMOTION
By Adnews Staff
Family Channel and Bandai Canada, both based in Toronto, have begun a multifaceted promotion to support the launch of Bandai's updated line of Strawberry Shortcake toys and accessories. Running until April 20, the promotion is aimed at girls aged three to eight, as well as mothers and grandmothers who were introduced to the Strawberry Shortcake brand 20 years ago. Two commercials airing six times a day on Family direct viewers to a Web page at <http://www.family.ca> where they can enter a contest called "Berry Hunt." Visitors to the site can also click special animated graphics to instantly win a Strawberry Shortcake doll. The site also offers a Strawberry Shortcake & Friends Activity Centre, where users can play a personality compatibility game, listen to the product's theme song, and browse recipes and colouring pages. One commercial also promotes the Family LIVE Berry Crew, which will visit retail stores in the Greater Toronto Area in April. Children and parents can play in a Berry Squisher pit, sing Strawberry Shortcake Karaoke and have their pictures taken with Strawberry Shortcake, as well as receive stickers, tattoos, colouring sheets and edible shortcake. The promotion was developed in-house, as were the commercials. The Web content was created jointly by Family and Zinc Roe of Toronto.