Fans of Japanese manga will have their first date with the superhero teenage girls of Mew Mew Power tomorrow at 8 a.m. on 4Kids TV (formerly known as Fox Box). The 52×30 series will join the newly rebranded cabler’s Saturday morning lineup that also features Winx Club, Sonic X, One Piece, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, F-Zero and Shaman King.
Based on the popular manga created by Yoshida Reiko and Ikumi Mia, Mew Mew Power follows the adventures of five girls who use their special powers (each relating to one endangered species) to fight that eternal battle against the forces of evil, while hanging on to a semblance of normalcy in their regular lives. A licensing program for the show is expected to launch in fall 2005.
4Kid Ent. rebranded its four-hour children’s programming block last month. The company plans an extensive marketing effort to support the launch of 4KIDS TV, including cable and broadcast advertising, local TV spots, online, print, onsite marketing and consumer promotion tie-ins.
“Strengthening the 4Kids brand is an important part of our growth strategy,” said Alfred R. Kahn, chairman and CEO of 4Kids Ent. “As we continue to expand our business, it is important to build the company’s brand equity in both existing and new distribution outlets. 4KIDS TV will allow us to successfully leverage our kids-oriented programming throughout the world through our TV network, web site, home video and licensing divisions.” For more info, visit www.4kids.com.
