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Up against stiff competition, the award for best marketing initiative in the children’s category was applauded for its fresh approach to marketing which included a 6-month teaser campaign ahead of its DVD release, theatrical screenings and print, radio, TV and online advertising. The campaign breathed new life into an established brand and has delivered dividends for its owner, HIT Entertainment. Thomas & Friends: The Great Discovery was narrated by actor Pierce Brosnan and featured new characters and new adventures in a 60 minute feature length special. The Great Discovery is distributed at all major retail stores across the UK. Judges from the 2009 BVA Awards commented, “This is a well deserved win for HIT Entertainment. The judges praised the simple but ‘brilliant’ campaign for its cost effectiveness and bold approach. It just shows how the energy of independent distributors can work to best effect.” Victoria Bushell, Brand Manager for Thomas & Friends HIT Entertainment, added: “We are delighted to receive this award from the BVA. Thomas & Friends: The Great Discovery is one of our best-selling home entertainment releases and was supported by a fully-integrated marketing effort. From its very own star-studded blue-carpet theatrical premiere at Vue Cinema in Leicester Square to trade and consumer advertising campaigns, The Great Discovery has performed even better than our expectations, achieving almost 100,000 units sold to date.” Thomas & Friends is the world’s number one preschool property and in the UK and has been in the top spot for the past 9 consecutive years. Thomas & Friends is also the number one boys publishing property through master publishing partner Egmont UK and the number one boys preschool DVD brand. |
