WALDO IS BACK: FIND HIM!

From Brandweek.com:
"Where's Waldo? On Social Nets Like Everyone Else
June 08, 2008

By Kenneth Hein

Waldo has been spotted online. The famous children's book character, who turns 21 this year, is targeting college-aged kids with a series of viral campaigns.

This week, Canyoufindwaldo.com will prompt fans to "join the search" online. User-generated content kits will allow users to create their own Waldo avatar and place themselves in a crowd (among other activities). The site will add an online shop this summer.

Waldo, who is on MySpace, Bebo and Facebook, also will appear on Twitter this week. "Waldo's Great Online Photo Hunt" launched at Flickr last week and a geocaching, scavenger hunt game will debut this summer.

"We're building the Waldo online eco-system," said Nicole Blake, svp-marketing at Classic Media/Entertainment Rights, New York.

The strategy is to reengage twentysomethings with the character they loved growing up. Once their interest is peaked they can buy a flurry of new licensed goods.

New partners announced this week are: Local Celebrity (T-shirts), Elope (Halloween costumes), USA-opoloy (puzzles and games) and BioWorld (accessories including hats and bags later this year). Waldo will appear on travel gear, stationery and college dorm room décor as Blake looks for new licensing partners. Also, the Where's Waldo: The Ultimate Travel Collection (Candlewick Press) hits stores June 10.

An offshoot of targeting young adults, rather than children, is to make the products aspirational for younger brothers and sisters who may not be familiar with Waldo. Once introduced, they will be primed for a new TV series coming in 2010. "We want to make him relevant for the next generation," said Blake.

John Rash, director of media analysis at Campbell Mithun, Minneapolis, said the Web is "the appropriate communications tool for those just hitting their first wave of nostalgia. But I'm uncertain if it will lead to purchase behavior."

The Waldo franchise has been lucrative to date. At 46 million books sold, Waldo is the second best-selling book series behind Harry Potter."