Wendy’s gives Scholastic’s dog a bone

Gearing up to increase Clifford’s market presence with a live U.S. stage show that kicks off later this spring, Scholastic Entertainment has inked a new QSR deal for the giant red pooch with Wendy’s. Running next month, the promo will involve more than 5,400 restaurants distributing one of five premium toys in Kids’ Meals. The inventive giveaways include a plastic dog dish, a T-Bone vibrating toy and a pack of bone-shaped playing cards. Wendy’s will support the effort with in-store signage, tray liners, a Clifford/Wendy’s website linked to Scholastic’s Parents Page and a TV spot that will be made available to the restaurants for local use.

Sony’s plans to propel Astro Boy into mainstream kid consciousness

Sony Pictures has started implementing a blueprint for building buzz around its Astro Boy TV series, which launches on Kids’ WB! this month. Popsicle brand Pop-Ice will step up to the plate first with on-pack collectible trading cards on four million product boxes from February to August, and that effort will be followed up with an on-air Kids’ WB! sweepstakes to win a ‘truckload’ of Pop-Ice Popsicles or the cash equivalent (US$15,000). To keep momentum up, Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s will run a February Cool Kids Meal program featuring the retro toon property in more than 3,000 U.S. locations. The promo will feature four kids meal premiums, in-store displays and signage, an on-line component and a two-week media campaign.

Coke trolls for teens at the mall

In its latest effort to hit teens where they live, Coca-Cola has opened its first in-mall Red Lounges in Westfield Corp. shopping malls. Designed as hang-outs with all the fixings, the lounges come equipped with funky furniture in Coke’s signature colors, beverage vending machines and plasma video screens showing video clips provided by music video net FUSE, interactive gaming channel G4, Sony, ESPN and Fox. Coke also plans to use the lounges to run special mall events and promotions.