MUMBAI: It is a dream come true for nine year-old Akhilesh Ganatra, a resident of the Thane district of Maharashtra. The little boy has won an opportunity to act along with cartoon character Scooby-Doo and Kwality Wall's mascot Max lion in a specially produced animation film as part of the 'Bano Toonstar with Scooby-Doo and Max'.

The promo was jointly conceptualised by Hindustan Lever's (HLL) Kwality Walls ice cream and Cartoon Network's Off Channel Commerce Group. A total of 12 Toonstars will star in six mini animation series that will be produced by Cartoon Network in June-July and be aired in August-September.

Ganatra was quoted as saying: "I am so happy and excited to be a Toonstar. Since I got to know that I have a chance to be on the Cartoon Network with Scooby-Doo, I have only wanted to win! I love Max ice creams and have been saving all my wrappers."

"When scratch card said 'Toonstar', I ran to tell my mother that I had won! But, she thought I had come asking for another ice cream. Finally, when the storeowner told her that I had really won, she believed me - I am a Toonstar! I am really waiting to go on an adventure with Scooby-Doo and Max and beat up ghosts with them!" Ganatra added. His mother adds that he used to often force her to buy Max ice cream and crazy about Cartoon Network.

The promo, billed as the biggest promotion from Kwality Wall's in this year, will extend through the summer till 31 May 2003. To participate and win an assured prize, children need to collect three Max wrappers that have the special 'Bano Toonstar' logo; rush to the nearest redemption centre (named as the Max jungle); and collect their special scratch card. A release says that the Max number on the card will entitle them to a range of prizes from comics to Max jungle trail board games to cameras to tents and the opportunity to become a Toonstar!

HLL ice cream division executive director JH Mehta was quoted as saying: "It is great to see how passionately kids from across the country have responded to 'Bano Toonstar with Scooby-Doo and Max' promotion. We heartily congratulate Akhilesh for becoming the first Toonstar."

Turner Entertainment Networks Asia regional entertainment advertising sales vice president Soumitra Saha quoted as saying: "This unique lecensing promotion by Cartoon Network with Scooby-Doo in India and we are delighted with the positive response that the promotion has received. The integrated promotion demonstrates the campaign's effectiveness and is also an excellent example of the marketing solutions that cartoon Network offers through multiple platforms for advertisers."

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