Cartoon Network New Media has created CallToons, a new mobile application integrating smart technology with entertainment, enabling CN characters to take over a mobile phone. Using patent pending technology, CallToons creates an unparalleled user experience that replaces ordinary mobile phone functions (such as ringtones and wallpapers) with an entertainment platform provided by the users favorite character. At launch, CallToons will feature characters from Cartoon Network and Adult Swim, and will be offered as separate services for each brand. CallToons is targeted to be available to consumers in Q4 2007.
CallToons extends our fans relationship with our characters in a personal and interactive way through a mobile phone, said Paul Condolora, svp/gm for Cartoon Network New Media. With this application, we are developing a novel approach to the mobile experience. CallToons is a natural next step for the company and offers limitless cross-platform entertainment possibilities with cartoon characters, celebrities, sports figures and beyond.
CallToons allows a characters personality to take over the mobile phones functionality so that they actually interact with the user and incoming callers in a unique way, said Ross Cox, senior director of entertainment products, Cartoon Network New Media.
Cartoon Network New Media developed CallToons in conjunction with Turner Platform R&D, and is working with Ericsson regarding concept refinement and content delivery options. The technology takes Cartoon Network New Media into mobile licensing as the product will be available to non-Turner companies in the future.
CallToons ties together popular mobile content such as ringtones, ringbacks, wallpapers, and audio and text alerts into a character-driven narrative experience not available in mobile content on the market today. Cartoon Network New Media will introduce additional functionality to the CallToons application in the coming months.
Cartoon Network New Media is responsible for the production of Cartoon Networks websites, which include CartoonNetwork.com and CartoonNetworkYa.com (the Spanish-language site for kids). CartoonNetwork.com is one of the most popular entertainment sites in the world for kids, attracting more than five million unique users each month (Nielsen NetRatings). Its top attraction is its roster of games, which drew more than two billion gameplays in 2006.
Additionally, Cartoon Network New Media is the creative force behind Cartoon Networks video-on-demand offerings, interactive TV and mobile offerings, which include partnerships with major carriers, including Sprint, Cingular and Verizon.
Ericsson (www.ericsson.com) is shaping the future of mobile and broadband Internet communications through its continuous technology leadership. Ericsson provides innovative solutions in more than 140 countries.
