Animal Planet announced Monday that it has signed a multiplatform marketing
deal with Paper Mate for the network's back-to-school 'Wild About Writing'
program.
The partnership, running from July through October, encourages students to
stretch their imaginations and express themselves through writing.
The educational initiative, as well as a retail sweepstakes, will feature
Jeff Corwin, host of Animal Planet's The Jeff Corwin Experience.
Students aged 15 and older will be encouraged to submit essays of 100 words
or less based on something they saw on that primetime series or their favorite
animal adventure, according to Paul Donahue, president of Newell Rubbermaid
Inc.'s Sanford Corp. division, which markets Paper Mate, and Discovery Networks
U.S. executive vice president and general manager of U.S. ad sales and global
integrated partnerships Bill McGowan.
One grand-prize winner from the essay contest and one from the sweepstakes --
its drawing will feature those consumers who have a special code featured on
packages of co-branded Animal Planet/Paper Mate products -- will appear on
Animal Planet sometime during 2003.
Paper Mate will run at least one promotional spot on Animal Planet during the
promotion, as well as creating co-branded print ads featuring Corwin, sponsoring
the network's Web site on Discovery.com during the promotional period via banner
and tile ad units and installing co-branded point-of-sale displays in
stores.
In addition, teachers can participate in the promotion via lesson plans
produced by Scholastic Inc. and available at www.papermate.com.
