NHL and Kellogg look to score with kids

As part of an ongoing battle to regenerate its fanbase, the National Hockey League and the NHL Players’ Association have hooked up with cereal monolith Kellogg in a multi-year promo deal targeting kids and families. The partners have rolled out more than two million hockey-themed Frosted Flakes boxes that feature Tony the Tiger in net since the middle of last month, and this first initiative will be followed by a much larger contest effort coinciding with the Stanley Cup Playoffs in May and June. Young hockey buffs can enter to win a trip to the Stanley Cup Final three ways: at special Kellogg nights in select NHL cities, through the league’s national Inline Tour and on-line at www.tonythetiger.com.

Big idea goes deep for Jonah’s home video launch

To ensure that Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie (which grossed more than US$25 million this summer) makes a big splash when it rolls out into home entertainment on March 4, Lombard, Illinois-based Big Idea Productions and Artisan’s Family Home Entertainment unit in L.A. have lined up an impressive roster of partnerships for promos that will run between March and July.

On the QSR front, 1,500 Applebee’s restaurants will run a Jonah-themed Kids Only Club program touting the vid on four million activity books and plastic cups, while 650-plus U.S. locations of pretzel chain Auntie Anne’s will offer a Jonah plush character for purchase with two soft pretzels and a drink. Chuck E. Cheese will give away Jonah stickers in 150,000 goodie bags, and 1.5 million Langer’s Juice bottles will sport labels featuring a sweeps for one of three family trips to SeaWorld in San Diego. In addition to POP displays, the kid portion of a 700-million-impression ad campaign will break at the end of this month and run through March on ABC, UPN, Nick and Cartoon Network.