PLAYDIGM Entertainment Licensing & Branding

Dora the Explorer is a fantastic educational brand that children and parents love.  This half-hour television program helps teach basic comprehension of map reading and how to plan trips and solve mysteries.

The original rendition of Dora was a two dimensional bi-lingual (Spanish/English) cartoon character that went on adventures from one place to another.  Her friendly way of helping young viewers learn how to reach their destinations was the main part of her success.

Mattel recently updated the look of Dora for the tweenage market.  She now has longer hair with highlights and eye lashes, wears lip gloss and more revealing outfits and earrings.  I don’t think this is an improvement for the young market the show was originally intended to be seen by but I understand the reasons they did this.  Hopefully they will keep the earlier version of the show running for the younger viewers who are not yet 5.

The new Dora needed to appeal to the fanbase that initiated the success of this brand and because they are growing older (many in their tweens now), she needed to grow with her audience.  However, will her new look and big city location leave new young viewers behind. Time will tell.

I also understand why some parents became upset when Mattel gave Dora a makeover.  The cute big-eyed semi-football shaped headed, moderately dressed explorer was replaced by a more shapely and sexual girl.  I am sure this is to fit into Mattel’s idea of what female dolls are supposed to look like and the image their marketing department’s research decided will enhance sales.

Corporate licensees for this brand will introduce a whole new look for Dora that girls five years and up will want to emulate. These products featuring fashion dolls and a plethora of accessories, tying into the internet, is a new brand extension that may take away from the teaching aspects of the show to focus on maximizing profit from this innocent character.  Hopefully Dora’s updated old friends and any new friends soon to be introduced, will continue to be innovative, diverse, wholesome, bi-lingual, entertaining and educational.

Dora the Explorer developed a strong following among preschoolers over a ten year period, becoming the number one preschool show on commercial television with an average audience of 21 million viewers.   We shall soon see if Dora is growing up too fast or will be a financial success.  With Dora fashion dolls retailing for around $59.99, it is clear why this license is being upgraded.

Let’s hope that Dora the Explorer still helps teach her fans as they extemd play to an older age group. This will allow kids to stay involved with their favorite character.  Hopefully she will not become lost in the product placement and marketing campaigns guaranteed to be pushed onto our children.

=============================================

© 2009 Sandford Tuey. All rights reserved. Tuey content is the intellectual property of Sandford Tuey. Any copying, republication or redistribution of Tuey’s content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Sandford Tuey. Sandford Tuey shall not be liable for any errors or delays in content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. “Tuey” and the Playdigm Logo are owned by Sandford Tuey. For additional information on Sandford Tuey and related media visit http://GalacticGladiators.com or www.Playdigm.com.

I am sure most of you already know that tomorrow at 8:30pm local time – Earth Hour commences around the world.  Everyone should shut off or limit power use for one hour and join people in 3,000 other cities in saving energy.

Even though there are those who say the energy saving is insignificant, those that do this will save money, especially since this will remind them to be cautious of their energy use in the future.  Even shutting off lights for an hour is better than keeping them on, especially if no one is in the room.

This is a great young brand that is all about awareness and uniting humankind by reminding everyone that this could be one piece of the puzzle in solving global warming.  You have to agree that it is better than doing nothing.

Earth Hour also confirms that we are one human race on a small planet in a vast universe with the power to change our use of energy to ensure that our childrens’ children will be able to have electricity and fuel.   So don’t just think this means turning off the lights, try not driving or using any energy often.  Your wallet and the world will appreciate it.

This is an environmentally positive brand just like Earth Day and everyone can participate for free.  Join the human race…

I know what I’m going to do in the dark (wink-wink). What are you going to do in the dark? Be safe.

=============================================

© 2009 Sandford Tuey. All rights reserved. Tuey content is the intellectual property of Sandford Tuey. Any copying, republication or redistribution of Tuey’s content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Sandford Tuey. Sandford Tuey shall not be liable for any errors or delays in content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. “Tuey” and the Playdigm Logo are owned by Sandford Tuey. For additional information on Sandford Tuey and related media visit http://GalacticGladiators.com or www.Playdigm.com.

GALACTIC GLADIATORS is a Sci-Fi action adventure where environmental – animal rights activist Tessa Guess must lead a coalition of abducted, mutating, humans and aliens in a war against the Chaons or our galaxy will be destroyed.

—————————————————————-

I originally created the Galactic Gladiators concept in a screenplay but the first draft was quite different from the epic story it is today.  To help followers of this blog understand the intricacies and effort needed to develop a brand, I decided to use this intellectual property as an example, since I am so close to the property I have insight that I can relay to readers that they normally would not be able to know.  As things develop, I will issue posts sub-titled:  Galactic Gladiators Brand. They will cover my progress on  designing and developing a new brand.

In the Beginning:

Initially, I wanted to give my personal opinions on manipulating DNA,  altering the genetic structures of our foods, animals and soon – us – humans.  I wrapped all this in an anti-war story set in our sector of the universe where a galactic war between the Psions and the Chaons has been ravaging for millions of years.

Original Concept:

The first draft of the screenplay detailed that a confederation of planets decided conflicts not by war but by gladiatorial combat on a War Planet tactically created for this sole purpose.  I had to decide differences between intergalactic species, representatives from their empires and worlds, who would be sent to the conflict zone on this war planet.  These Galactic Gladiators fought it out to the death and the survivors became heroes for the winning species, who now won the spoils as victors.

This was a brutal form of negotiation between planets, yet resolved hostilities with minimal loss of life to the populations of the disputing parties. Compared to a full out war that could kill hundreds of billions of lives, this combat resolution was deemed a more civilized form of warfare.  Only those selected to fignt for their planet’s position on issues would be sacrificed.

Early Changes to the Concept:

Well, this was an intense, violent, action based story and with input from my friends and interested business relationships who had an interest in the success of my entertainment projects, thought this concept was not epic enough.

So I rewrote the screenplay and made some major additions and changes to take it to the next level.  Keep posted to see how this happened and where this brand is heading.

I will get into the next stages that this brand went through to become the comic series it is today and how I intend to expand it into the film, television, video game and mass merchandising markets.

=============================================

Order my ebook – FROM THE MIND TO THE MARKET – now. It will be available later in 2009. Preorder by contacting Info@Playdigm.com.

(c) Sandford Tuey All Rights Reserved.

The Watchmen, a 12 issue comic series was originally published in 1986 and many believe it changed the medium forever. It is a great comic book but I personally don’t think it changed anything any more than other just as successful brands have.

It was written by Alan Moore, illustrated by artist Dave Gibbons, and colored by John Higgins. The Watchmen was an immediate commercial success and became an instant best-seller.  It’s publisher, DC Comics, profited enormously and rose above it’s constant competitor Marvel, for market dominance, almost due to this brand alone.

However, it was at the cultural level that the effects of ‘Watchmen’ are still  being felt today throughout the comic book universe and the film, television and literary realms.  Superhero’s have never looked the same in the eyes of those who read the graphic novel or will soon see the movie (launched today).

Another $12 of mine for the entertainment industry, of which an all important portion goes towards The Watchmen brand.  See you in the theater…