The Sunday Telegraph has formed an alliance with Disney to produce
a children’s supplement for the newspaper, called Disney’s Planet.
The publication, which will be slightly bigger than A4 size, is set to
launch on 22 November. It has been created to widen the Telegraph’s
appeal to audiences of all age groups and will carry news stories,
features, competitions and interactive content - all of which will be
heavily branded with the Disney logo.
Jeremy Deedes, the managing director of the Telegraph Group, said: ’This
goes further than sponsorship because we have bought the Disney
licence.
’It will be a Disney publication with the Disney characters. It is not
just us using its name on the top, although we are putting it
together.’
He added: ’If you are given the opportunity to launch a children’s
publication and are asked for your brand partner of choice, there would
be only one - Disney. Weekend newspapers should increasingly appeal to
everyone in the family.’
The 12-page supplement will rival the Sunday Times’s comic for children,
the Funday Times. The launch will be backed by a TV advertising
campaign, created by J. Walter Thompson, which will run on children’s
ITV, Sky and Channel 4 from 19 November for two weeks.
Disney’s Planet will be edited by Kate Graham and produced by Two Can
Publishing, which also works on the Young Telegraph for the Saturday
Telegraph. It will carry two pages of advertising, which can increase to
four with a 16-page issue.
Deedes said a ’seven-figure sum’ was being invested in the
supplement.
The Telegraph has signed a two-year contract with Disney to produce the
section.
Deedes said: ’It’s an unashamed attempt to give more pleasure. It will
never commercially wash its face but when advertisers see it they will
at least give it a lick and a promise.’
