Pearl & Dean is introducing a buying route aimed at youngsters in
time for next year’s run of children’s movies, such as Toy Story 2 and
Fantasia.
The company’s sales team is presenting the Kids & Co audience delivery
package to media agencies and will send out ratecards in January.
Kids & Co will select all ’U’ and ’PG’ certified films likely to appeal
to the four- to 14-year-old age group.
The cinema advertising organisation is also selling the package on the
fact that clients will gain access to their adult chaperones - the main
purchasers of film-related merchandise.
Of those four- to 14-year-olds, 75 per cent see film releases in the
company of an adult, rising to 99 per cent for younger children
(according to Caviar research).
Pearl & Dean is offering clients ’additional off-screen opportunities’
as part of the package, such as sampling in foyers, or competitions.
According to the company, 92 per cent of all four- to 14- year-olds go
to the movies. In addition, 75 per cent of children in that age range
buy film-related merchandise.
Pearl & Dean sales director Craig Harris said an increasing number of
film companies are making children’s films, and family movies like
Godzilla and Dr Dolittle are also on the increase.
’Everything used to ride on Disney, which made one big film a year. Now
people like Spielberg and Nick Park’s Aardman Animations are making
them,’ he explained. ’We have under-marketed them to concentrate on
mainstream films but five out of the top ten films next year will be
aimed at children.’
Children’s films scheduled for release in 2000 include Toy Story 2,
Fantasia, Chicken Run, The Tigger Movie and Dinosaur & Pokemon, which
recently broke US box office records by gaining the largest number of
admissions in an opening weekend of any animated film.
Harris said Pearl & Dean, which has a sales staff of six, will be
recruiting several people to handle client services in the new year.
Pearl & Dean has a 33 per cent share of cinema admissions. Its only
rival, Carlton Screen Advertising holds the majority.
It also offers clients sales packages designed to reach a higher
proportion of 15- to 24-year-olds and students.
