The children’s toy and entertainment company Spin Master Ltd. has begun a campaign at the Outdoor Broadcast Network’s (OBN) Media Tower at Toronto’s Eaton Centre, across from Dundas Square, to promote its anime action game Bakugan Battle Brawlers, which involves collectible, spring-loaded plastic balls that pop open into battle monsters when rolled across magnetic trading cards.
The lead character, Dan Kuso, is a young teen whose life changed when cards dropped from the sky. He and friends devised a way to use the cards in a game, which they named after the Bakugan warriors, who are from another world called Vestroia. There, the evil Naga is trying to conquer the world by finding the Infinity Core.
The six-week campaign, which started July 21, 2008, includes both components on the right side of OBN’s Media Tower, for a total of 3,600 sq. ft. of advertising space. The 60 x 40-ft.-high Trivision billboard depicts Dan and other characters, with the tagline, “How do you roll?” Directly below the Trivision, a 30 x 40-ft.videoscreen synchronizes with the Trivision to air elements that promote Bakugan and its companion animated TV series.
Spin Master, which is known for such brands as Air Hogs, Aquadoodle, Tech Deck and Moon Sand, handled creative and the media buy with OBN. The company elected for a short, outdoor contract to attract Toronto tourists and to fill in its busy media schedule, which involves many media.
“Dundas Square is clearly emerging as the place to be for savvy marketers,” says Peter Irwin, OBN’s president.
OBN is Canada’s videoscreen network that delivers a weekly audience of more than 13 million across the markets of Vancouver, Victoria, Chilliwack, Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Windsor, Niagara Falls, Cambridge, Hamilton, Toronto, Halifax and Saint John. It also offers several specialized, OOH media venues.