Angelina is a big franchise for HIT. Two upcoming DTV releases will be timed to the introduction of new book and toy lines. © 2005 Helen Craig and Katherine Holabird.

For HIT Entertainment, direct-to-video (DTV) productions are an important part of the brand strategy for its children’s TV series, including Bob the Builder, Thomas the Tank Engine, Barney, The Wiggles and Angelina Ballerina. Typically, each property boasts at least one original video production each year, along with other episodic video releases.

While the strategies and specifics of the marketing campaigns vary depending on the property, a direct-to-video production always provides several significant promotional benefits. “If there’s a strong built-in audience, we try to drive the purchase of items by those already aware of the property,” says Jamie Cygielman, HIT’s senior vp of consumer products. “We drive them deeper into the catalog and into other products in the line.” For example, advertising to support a DTV release also may mention older titles featuring the same property. That was the case for Let’s Go to the Farm, a March 2004 release featuring Barney. The title’s advertising campaign also promoted two previous titles, Let’s Go to the Zoo and Let’s Pretend, both of which HIT thought would be of interest to the same consumer.

For newer properties, such as Angelina Ballerina, DTVs help drive attention to the franchise overall and to new product lines of which consumers may not be aware. Two upcoming Angelina DTV releases will be timed to the introduction of new book and toy lines, respectively, driving consumers to stores to purchase those products. They include the September 2005 release Princess Dance, which will support the toy launch from new licensee Sababa, and the spring 2006 release All Dancers On Deck, which will come out in conjunction with the launch of a full publishing program from an as-yet-unannounced licensee.

In creating the marketing campaigns for HIT properties, Jamie Cygielman of consumer products wants to drive consumers deeper into the catalog and into other products in the line.

DTV productions also help maintain awareness for the TV series and the brand in general, of course, although with several DTV and episodic video titles released continually throughout the year, it is difficult to track the specific impact of individual releases on ratings, Cygielman says.

Extended Content
DTV programming typically features more involved storytelling than a standard television episode and is longer than a TV show. Some productions are considered feature-length. Calling All Engines, for example, is the first full-length special for Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends, and is being released in September as part of this year’s celebration of the characters’ 60 years in publishing, dating from the first book released in the U.K. in 1945. Similarly, a feature-length film starring Barney, called The Land of Make-Believe, releases August 30. It was shot on location at Universal Studios Theme Parks.