Nick kicks off Dora’s 10th anniversary with promo, Salma Hayek Pinault

March 3, 2010 by Kate Calder

Nickelodeon is marking the 10th anniversary of Dora the Explorer with a pro-social campaign entitled ‘Beyond the Backpack’ that champions overall school readiness for preschoolers.

Nick has tapped Salma Hayek Pinault to star in a PSA campaign alongside Dora and is mounting a nationwide promo campaign for the preschool heroine’s anniversary.

Additional funds will come from an auction of limited-edition Dora backpacks, with designs by Hayek Pinault and other celebrities, as well as financial grants. A dedicated website (www.dorabeyondthebackpack.com), with downloadable toolkits focused on local community activities across the country, will be available for parents and educators this April.

Anniversary plans for Dora also include four prime-time TV specials, an original documentary produced by Academy Award-nominated Brett Morgen (The Kid Stays in the Picture) and new online Dora content for preschoolers and their parents.

Nick is also partnering with The Children’s Defense Fund and National Parents Teachers Association (PTA) for the multi-year, multi-platform program that champions overall school readiness for preschoolers. ‘Beyond the Backpack’ will help provide parents and educators with tools and resources and is designed as a call to attention to the emotional, physical, experiential and actual competencies that preschoolers need for those first, crucial steps into school, including social skills, early literacy, math skills and health and wellness basics.

John Leguizamo, Slash and Shakira are also onboard to put their personal touches on special Dora-themed backpacks. A limited quantity of each backpack will be auctioned off globally, in countries including the United States, France, the UK, Mexico, Canada, Spain, The Netherlands, Greece, Australia, New Zealand and Israel. One hundred percent of the U.S. proceeds will benefit the Children’s Defense Fund. One hundred percent of international proceeds will go toward childhood education in each respective country.

On the consumer products side, Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products is sending Dora in a bunch of new design directions. Check out KidScreen‘s exclusive feature here.

Since its launch on Aug. 14, 2000, Dora the Explorer has been aired in more than 140 markets around the world and been translated into more than 28 languages.