Monday, April 15, 2013

Viacom Taps Steve Agase To Run West Coast Ad Sales For Music And Entertainment Brands

Viacom Inc., the parent company of the Nickelodeon brand, has announced the news in the following Press Release, from PRNewswire, that the company has named Steve Agase as Senior Vice President of Music & Entertainment Ad Sales, West Coast. In his new role, Agase will oversee West Coast ad sales for Viacom Media Networks Music and Entertainment, a portfolio that includes both linear and digital assets across CMT, COMEDY CENTRAL, MTV, LOGO, Spike TV, TV Land, and VH1. Agase will report to Jeff Lucas, Head of Sales for Music & Entertainment, out of the company's Santa Monica, California, USA office:
Viacom Taps Steve Agase to Run West Coast Ad Sales for Music & Entertainment Brands

NEW YORK, April 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA) today named Steve Agase as Senior Vice President of Music & Entertainment Ad Sales, West Coast. In his new role, Agase will oversee West Coast ad sales for Viacom Media Networks Music and Entertainment, a portfolio that includes both linear and digital assets across CMT, COMEDY CENTRAL, MTV, LOGO, Spike TV, TV Land, and VH1. Agase will report to Jeff Lucas , Head of Sales for Music & Entertainment, out of the company's Santa Monica, CA office.

(Download Image - Photo of Steve Agase: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130415/NY94234)

(Download Image - Viacom Inc. Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110811/NY51392LOGO)

Agase will be responsible for growing Viacom Media Networks' partnerships with West Coast agencies and advertisers, including its key clients in the motion picture industry. He will work closely with the division's Programming, Integrated Marketing and Research teams to leverage linear and digital assets across the Music & Entertainment brands and meet client objectives.
"Steve is a proven sales leader with an intuitive understanding of how to create customized marketing solutions across a broad media portfolio and get real results for clients," said Lucas. "We're thrilled to welcome Steve aboard, along with the decades of sales experience in the West Coast region that he brings Viacom."

Prior to joining Viacom, Agase had a distinguished 30-year career as a sales professional at NBCUniversal. Most recently, Agase served as Senior Vice President of West Coast Sales for NBCUniversal, overseeing the company's Western Region sales team which represented three Broadcast and two Cable News Divisions. Prior to the company's merger with Comcast in 2010, Agase was responsible for sales for all of NBCU's Cable Entertainment properties in the Western Region, including USA Network, Bravo, SYFY, Chiller and Cloo.

About Viacom

Viacom is home to the world's premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms in over 160 countries and territories. With media networks reaching approximately 700 million global subscribers, Viacom's leading brands include MTV, VH1, CMT, Logo, BET, CENTRIC, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., TeenNick, Nicktoons, Nick at Nite, COMEDY CENTRAL, TV Land, SPIKE, Tr3s, Paramount Channel and VIVA. Paramount Pictures, America's oldest film studio and creator of many of the most beloved motion pictures, continues today as a major global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment. Viacom operates a large portfolio of branded digital media experiences, including many of the world's most popular properties for entertainment, community and casual online gaming.

For more information about Viacom and its businesses, visit www.viacom.com. Keep up with Viacom news by following Viacom's blog at blog.viacom.com and Twitter feed at www.twitter.com/Viacom.

SOURCE Viacom Inc.

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NickToons UK Unveils Brand New Rebrand!

Nickelodeon UK's animation and action channel, Nicktoons UK and Ireland, has today (Monday 15th April 2013) launched their brand new rebrand!

Spearheaded by NickToons UK's two brand new shows - Nickelodeon's brand new original CGI-animated comedy series (Nicktoon) "Robot and Monster" and the all-new Canadian animated comedy series "Rocket Monkeys" - and channel favourite "SpongeBob SquarePants", Nicktoons UK and Ireland today unveiled its new branding across its on-air channel and digital website, nicktoons.co.uk, as the channel for animated kids comedy.


Implemented to highlight the comedy content on the children's channel, the re-branding also aims to give Nicktoons a key role within the Nickelodeon UK network between Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. preschool channel, which also underwent a refresh at the beginning of the year.

Tina McCann, MD of Nickelodeon UK, said: "With existing shows such as SpongeBob SquarePants and T.U.F.F. Puppy and new additions Robot and Monster and Rocket Monkeys, the strength of the funny animation we have on the channel is phenomenal."

"The primary aim for the refresh is to position the channel as the destination for boys and girls four to nine years old who love to laugh at cartoons.

"It will also allow Nicktoons to act as a bridge for our audience as they mature beyond Nick Jr. but are yet to progress to Nickelodeon."

The brand refresh will be supported with an on and off channel broadcast campaign with the new strap line '100 per cent toons* (may contain nuts).'

Leading Nicktoons properties such as "SpongeBob SquarePants", "Penguins of Madagascar" and "Fairly Odd Parents" will head a series of 30-second promos as part of the campaign. Developed and created by Nickelodeon's in-house creative team, they have been used to showcase Nicktoons' comedy programmes for kids. Digital ads will also run across competitor sites and high frequency gaming sites using the creative platform used by Nickelodeon, produced by Polymath Digital.

Peter Drake, VP creative director, said: "Nicktoons intends to be the funniest kids channel on TV so the new on air package is deliberately unpredictable and innovative."

"We aim to surprise and delight our audience in every break as well as with every show and create a brand which is both locally relevant and universally funny."

NickToons UK's official website, Nicktoons.co.uk will reinforce the unpredictability by featuring a lever marked 'Don't not pull' which will rearrange the site. As well as watch online streaming video clips and play online games, fans are also able to create their own Nicktoons promos on the 'clipdeck'.

Tweeted (posted) by the Nickelodeon UK Press Office on their official Twitter profile page (@NickelodeonUKPR):
The Nicktoons re-fresh is now live on-air and online! Nicktoons = destination funny http://nicktoons.co.uk #launchday pic.twitter.com/0s7Yh1yoa5.
Also, from Licensing.biz:
Nicktoons rebranded as animated kids comedy channel

Two new shows and Nicktoon comedy favourite, SpongeBob heads refresh campaign.


Nicktoons is to unveil its new branding across its on air channel and digital site from today (Monday, April 15th) as the channel for animated kids comedy.

Implemented to highlight the comedy content on the children's channel, the re-branding also aims to give Nicktoons a key role in the network between Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. pre-school channel.

Tina McCann, MD of Nickelodeon UK, said: "With existing shows such as SpongeBob SquarePants and T.U.F.F. Puppy and new additions Robot and Monster and Rocket Monkeys, the strength of the funny animation we have on the channel is phenomenal.

"The primary aim for the refresh is to position the channel as the destination for boys and girls four to nine years old who love to laugh at cartoons.

"It will also allow Nicktoons to act as a bridge for our audience as they mature beyond Nick Jr. but are yet to progress to Nickelodeon."

The refresh will be supported with an on and off channel broadcast campaign with the strap line '100 per cent toons* (may contain nuts).'

Leading Nicktoons properties such as SpongeBob SquarePants, Penguins of Madagascar and Fairly Odd Parents will head a series of 30-second promos for the campaign.

Two new shows, Robot and Monster and Rocket Monkeys, will also premiere on the channel in line with the refresh.

Digital ads will also run across competitor sites and high frequency gaming sites using the creative platform used by Nickelodeon, produced by Polymath Digital.

Peter Drake, VP creative director, said: "Nicktoons intends to be the funniest kids channel on TV so the new on air package is deliberately unpredictable and innovative.

"We aim to surprise and delight our audience in every break as well as with every show and create a brand which is both locally relevant and universally funny."

Nicktoons.co.uk will will reinforce the unpredictability by featuring a lever marked 'Don't not pull' which will rearrange the site.

As well as watch clips and play games, fans will be able to create their own Nicktoons promos on the 'clipdeck'.

Tags: nickelodeon, nicktoons
Also, from The Drum:
Nickelodeon’s Nicktoons unveils new digital and on air branding


Nicktoons, the animation channel from kid’s TV channel Nickelodeon, has revealed new branding across its on air channel and digital site as it aims to positions itself as a destination for kid’s animated comedy.

The refresh has aimed to give Nicktoons a key role in the network between Nickelodeon’s live-action content and the Nick Jr. pre-school channel, which also underwent a refresh at the beginning of the year.

Supported with an on and off channel broadcast campaign with the strapline ‘100% toons* (may contain nuts),’ a series of 30-second animated promos have also been released. Developed and created by Nickelodeon’s in-house creative team, they have been used to showcase Nicktoons’ comedy programmes for kids.

Digital ads have also run across competitor sites and high frequency gaming sites using the same creative platform created by Nickelodeon, produced by Polymath Digital.

Tina McCann, managing director of Nickelodeon UK, commented: “The primary aim for the refresh is to position the channel as the destination for boys and girls 4-9 years old who love to laugh at cartoons. It will also allow Nicktoons to act as a bridge for our audience as they mature beyond Nick Jr. but are yet to progress to Nickelodeon.”

Peter Drake, vice president creative director, added: “Nicktoons intends to be the funniest kids channel on TV so the new on air package is deliberately unpredictable and innovative. We aim to surprise and delight our audience in every break as well as with every show and create a brand which is both locally relevant and universally funny.”
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Category Marketing
Location UK
Sector Media
Tags Nicktoons
Also, from Kidscreen's children's entertainment and media news website iKids:
Nickelodeon amps up the laughs for Nicktoons UK refresh


It looks like Nickelodeon is sticking to its recent pledge to deliver more comedic content to its audiences, as seen by a refresh of its animation channel Nicktoons UK.

New branding to highlight funny content will span Nicktoon’s on-air channel and digital site starting today. The strategy is also designed to make Nicktoons a defined bridge between Nickelodeon UK’s live-action content and its Nick Jr. preschool channel, which underwent a refresh of its own at the beginning of the year.

New comedy series Robot & Monster and Rocket Monkeys (pictured) are set to debut alongside the redesign.

The refresh will be supported with both on- and off-channel broadcast campaigns with the tagline ’100% toons* (may contain nuts).’

A series of 30-second animated promos, developed and created by Nickelodeon’s in-house creative team, showcase Nicktoons properties such as SpongeBob SquarePants, Penguins of Madagascar and Fairly Odd Parents. Digital ads will also run across competitor sites and high frequency gaming sites using the same creative platform created by Nickelodeon, produced by Polymath Digital.

Online at nicktoons.co.uk, users will be able to rearrange the site at any time by pulling a lever marked Don’t Not Pull – similar to the reverse-psychology tactics being used in the broadcaster’s recently launched Nick App.

Tags: brand refresh, comedy, Nickelodeon UK, NickToons