Kids
‘Kid’s channel marketing grows up’
Kids’ channels too were on a high this year as competition finally seems to be hotting up in the playground with new entrants like Disney Channel, Toon Disney and Hungama TV. Cartoon Network launched its Toon Cricket Tournament ground event with a huge multimedia plan backed by 360 degree promotions. A range of promos across Cartoon Network, Pogo and HBO were unleashed. School contact programmes have become a must-have of sorts on all kids channels’ agendas and hence Cartoon Network went to 200 schools reaching approximately 100,000 kids to promote the event.
“The on air contest received over 90,000 entries from which the Apna Yaar winners were selected. The activity spanning over three months reached over 26 million households. The event was attended by over 45,000 children in Mumbai and over 25,000 children in Delhi,” informed Cartoon Network and Pogo director marketing Vivek Krishnani.
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Mickey learns Hindi
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Mickey and gang on Toon Disney learnt to speak Hindi in 2005 and the company gave it the push it deserved. Outdoor, radio, cable trade and print campaigns, merchandise and the entire works were unleashed. “This was clearly the biggest marketing effort both in terms of media covered and the impact of the campaign. It was also a strategic launch for the channel during the year. Hindi language feed signified localisation at one level and an instant pull for the the Hindi speaking markets,” says The Walt Disney Television International (India) director marketing Tushar Shah.
And the result is there to see: Toon Disney channel share grew by a whopping 357 per cent in the last four months and Jetix, the action adventure block on the channel grew by 381 per cent.
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Sanya comes to town on Hungama
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Homegrown Hungama TV too did its share of marketing this year, which was built around its new interactive show – Sanya. A multimedia marketing campaign using a mix of various media – newspaper, kids supplements, kids magazines, television, outdoor (both conventional and unconventional), school buses, street posters, leaflet distribution outside schools, in-cinema advertising, branding at kids hangout locations such as malls and multiplexes and targeted online activities were unleashed, informs UTV senior vice president marketing and communications Siddharth Roy Kapur.
Kids
Mukta Arts and Green Gold ink MOU to animate iconic film IPs
Kalicharan, Karz, Hero, Karma, Ram Lakhan to spawn animated shows plus features.
MUMBAI: When classic hindi movie meets animation, the result is a fresh reel of nostalgia with a cartoon twist. Mukta Arts Ltd. and Green Gold Animation have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on animated shows and feature films drawn from Mukta Arts’ four-decade treasure trove of iconic IPs. The partnership taps Mukta’s SGM Animation Studio launched in 2025 as its dedicated animation and games arm and Green Gold’s proven track record in building scalable, homegrown franchises. Creative teams from both sides have already kicked off discussions, with the first project currently in development.
The slate will draw inspiration from landmark Mukta films including Kalicharan, Karz, Hero, Karma, Ram Lakhan, Khalnayak, Saudagar and Iqbal, plus character-led spin-offs from those universes. The aim is to reimagine these stories for today’s young, global audiences while preserving their emotional core.
Green Gold Animation (home of Chhota Bheem) founder and CEO Rajiv Chilaka said, “This partnership with SGM Studios allows us to apply our experience in building long-lasting animation IPs to a truly iconic film catalogue. Together, we aim to create animated worlds that are rooted in these legendary stories, yet designed to connect with today’s young, global audiences.”
Mukta Arts Ltd. filmmaker and founder Subhash Ghai added, “Mukta Arts has always believed in creating stories with lasting emotional value. Through animation, we are extending our IP into a new medium for the next generation.”
In an industry where timeless tales never go out of fashion, this collaboration promises to bring beloved characters back to life with a modern, animated glow proving that some stories are too good to stay in live-action. Stay tuned for the first animated frame to drop.
