DreamWorks SKG commissioned new media agency Naked Penguin Boy to create the international online toolkit for the DVD release of “Over the Hedge” in September 2006.
Due to its superior animation and star voices, the film grossed over $300 million worldwide at the box office. The DVD was expected to be equally popular, especially as the release date was geared to drive sales for the valuable 2006 Christmas market. The aim was to position it as the ‘must have’ DVD during the festive season.
Building on the charm and appeal of the cartoon and its strong characters, we created an online toolkit distributed across 14 territories. The toolkit included engaging games, trailers, DVD product information, various online advertising formats and downloadable content for PC, Mac and mobile phone. The media was placed on key sites such as Kids & Education Channel to reach the primary market of 4-10 year olds and their parents.
Online PR extended the activity with competitions such as a game placement on CiTV, promotions and links to retailers. Banners, margins and MPUs appeared on homepages and subscriber newsletters to reach the full spectrum of the target group and create 43 pieces of coverage and over 4 million OTS. Additionally, two games were built exclusively for e-tailer purposes to increase online sales in the run up to Christmas.
A hyperactivity disc was also created by Naked Penguin Boy for the 2-disc DVD edition. It contained extracts from the cartoon as well as content aimed at promoting the DreamWorks catalogue.
Naked Penguin Boy has successfully collaborated with DreamWorks before, delivering effective online DVD toolkits for several of their animated titles. These include Shrek 2, Shark’s Tale, Madagascar, and Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were Rabbit.
“Working for DreamWorks is always a challenge” explains Rowan Heasley, Naked Penguin Boy’s Commercial Director. “They are open-minded and free-thinking which offers us the necessary latitude to work within. Creating the online toolkit for “Over the Hedge” was equally as entertaining as watching the film. Its characters definitely succeeded in bringing out the child in all of us.”