Little Tikes gets big marketing support
Disc's four animated episodes will be available Oct. 28
By Danny King -- Video Business, 9/18/2008
SEPT. 18 | Lionsgate next month will release its first computer-animated DVD for the Little Tikes toy brand. Little Tikes Land, which will include four episodes totaling 45 minutes, will be released Oct. 28 (prebook Oct. 1) priced at $14.98. The DVD will carry a Cozy Coupe toy and an interactive game. In addition, a Little Tikes Land DVD sampler will be in 250,000 toys. Other marketing support for the title includes mom-targeted print ads and exposure in 1.4 million Little Tikes catalogs, plus DVD bursts on toys reaching more than 500,000 people.
Since March, Lionsgate has inked distribution agreements for U.K. publisher Hit Entertainment, whose series include Barney, Bob the Builder and Thomas & Friends, and the Marvel Entertainment animated series Wolverine & The X-Men, in addition to a deal with MGA’s Animated Little Tikes Entertainment label.
With such agreements in place, Lionsgate has the third-largest U.S. non-theatrical family market share, with about 15%, and is the No. 2 DVD distributor in the preschool segment, with about 20% of the market. The company last month said its fiscal first-quarter home entertainment revenue jumped 47% on theatrical titles such as Rambo and 3:10 to Yuma, in addition to its children’s and fitness releases.
MGA acquired the Little Tikes brand, which was started in 1970 and targets children ages 2 to 5, from Newell Rubbermaid in 2006.
