Turner uses pet awards to engage with youth market

Turner Broadcasting is launching a digital marketing campaign to support its inaugural Boomerang Pet Personality Awards, with the winning pet to be made into an animated character in a new cartoon series.

The awards, which launch on 13 July, have been created to encourage children to learn how to take better care of their pets.
Entries will be able to be submitted via a number of online channels.

Digital agency BIO has created an awards microsite and content will be seeded in social networking sites such as Stardoll, by i-Level’s social media unit, Jam.

As part of the online activity there will be a Virtual Pet application that will enable children of all ages to look after their own pet online and enter the Best Looked After Virtual Pet category of the awards.

A second category that targets children who do not have a real-life pet is the Animpressions area of the website, which allows young users to upload pictures and videos of themselves doing animal impressions and to enter the Best Animal Impression category.

The winners will be announced at an event on 13 September in London’s Regents Park.

Barnaby Dawe, Turner vice-president of marketing and communications says: “The Pet Personality Awards is a natural brand extension, and a fantastic way of engaging with children at a grassroots level.”