Brands & broadcasters set to make Children's Day a 'Fun Day'!

As kids, 14th November was synonymous to fun, celebration, gifts and more…it meant a day where they felt special and parents put it all their efforts to make it special for them.

It’s the same time again and its not just the kids or parents who are setting the mood to celebrate this day, but broadcasters and brands across categories have devised ‘specials’ to make this day a memorable one for all kids.

Adgully takes a look at how brands and broadcasters gear up for this day….

What’s on the television schedule?
Children’s day is a hop, skip and jump away. In today’s busy world with limited options for family entertainment the channels have something special for the kids too.

Comedy Central presents 9 hours of the family’s favourite shows during their special line up on 14th November. The channel has some exciting programmes lined up to ensure that not only the kids, but the entire family has a fun filled day on the telly!

The special programming has been prepared keeping in mind that during this busy day and age, parents barely get to spend time with their children. Television viewing is still a family activity and Comedy Central wants parents and their children to bond. The line-up consists of shows like Growing Up Fisher, About a Boy, everyone’s favourite sponge who lives in a pineapple under the sea Spongebob Squarepants and angsty, ninjutsu trained vigilantes Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Ferzad Palia, Executive Vice President of Viacom18 and Business Head, English Entertainment, Viacom 18 said, “At Comedy Central we believe that Comedy is not only for a certain age or audience, it has a universal appeal & Children’s day is another excuse for us to air the best family-comedy entertainment in India. The shows airing on children’s day are popular and adored not only by children, but also have a certain appeal with adults as well. We are positive that viewers will appreciate and enjoy the line up with their families.”

14 November not only marks Children’s Day but also the birthday of Kris, student and superhero of the Roll No. 21 franchise on Cartoon Network. To celebrate this double occasion, Cartoon Network is not only premiering a brand new movie called Roll No. 21 Time Ki Bhool Bhulaiya at 1 PM but is also giving kids a chance to win exciting prizes including an opportunity to celebrate Kris’ birthday in their school along with the toon star himself. To participate and win, all kids have to do is tune in to Roll No. 21 Time Ki Bhool Bhulaiya at 1 PM today and answer the contest questions.

In an effort to boost the success of its first Indian original production, Cartoon Network will be launching a brand new season of Roll No. 21. Season 7 premieres on 17 November and airs every Monday to Friday at 1 PM on the channel. The series unfolds new and exciting friends, villains and international adventures for our young superhero. Between breaks, kids will yet again get more chances to participate in contests and win exclusive goodies like Tablets and PSPs.

This Children’s Day, Nickelodeon decided to turn over the reins of their kids channels to a very discerning set of people – the kids! Nickelodeon invited children to send in entries for an exciting campaign called Nickelodeon ‘Be The Boss’. The campaign ran online and on air for over a month and attracted a phenomenal response with a whopping 21,000+ entries pouring in from children across India!  And now, the verdict is out and the bosses have been chosen. Iqra Khan - Age 11 of Indore, Aditeya Goyal – Age 7 and Rohit Gupta – Age 13 of Chandigarh, Naman Dixit – Age 12 of Jaipur and Unamani Sameer Shinde – Age 11 of Mumbai are now all set to take on the reins of Nickelodeon for a day.

As bosses of Nickelodeon for a day, these five head honchos will take on the roles of bosses and will call the shots at the corporate office of Nickelodeon in Mumbai. It’s going to be their way or the highway! Making their somersault up the corporate ladder even more special, the winners received their ‘Engagement Letters’ from none other than Nickelodeon’s very own stars – Nicktoons Motu Patlu, Dora The Explorer and Ninja Hattori who went all the way to their home towns to personally deliver the good news. Turning the tables around, these new bosses will now get to decide which Nicktoon gets how much air time on their favorite channel – Nickelodeon. Subsequently these new bosses will also turn celebrities and be brought on Nickelodeon.

Talking about the launch of this inimitable initiative, Nina Elavia Jaipuria, EVP & Business Head, Kids Cluster said, “Nickelodeon is a channel of the kids, for the kids and by the kids. The winners are in for the most memorable and priceless experience of their life. We are sure that these children, brimming with ideas, will bring a new wave of energy in Nickelodeon and I am more than happy to step aside and hand over the reins to these little bosses.”

Eat, play, enjoy, repeat…?!
Shraman at The Ashok offers a special kids menu to all children. From yummy Shraman Sandwich and Pasta in Chef special sauce, mouth watering vegetarian snacks.  With the special focus on perfection, Banan, the man behind success and popular chains like Sagar Ratna and Swagath, brings the same passion to its vegetarian venture “Shraman” at the Ashok. Signature dishes like Saundhi Paneer Tikka, Shraman 56 Bhog, Paneer Lazeez, Dal Shraman, Gatta Curry, Jodh Puri Mirchi Paneer, Vegetable Lohla Puri, Sabzi Balluchi and Shraman Punch will leave you craving for more.. 

Explore the Entertainment zone at Phoenix Marketcity, Kurla that offers a varied range of amusement activities for different age groups. The little toddler can enjoy soft-play and adventure options at ‘Happy Planet’. Parents can team up with their fun loving and daring teenager to face challenges with a game of Lazer Blast and Zeta Blast together at ‘What the Fun’ gaming arena.

This outing can also be an educative experience for the child at ‘Flight 4 Fantasy’ where he/she can enjoy a fun ride through flight stimulators and experience different types of aircrafts like Boeing 737, Cessna and Fighter Jets. The kids can indulge in a fun snowball fight at ‘Snow World’ or experience the 5D effect at ‘Storm 5D’and end your weekend on a perfect note with a relaxing experience at the luxurious PVR Gold Class Cinema!

Microsoft Devices have new apps for Children’s Day on Windows Phone store. Kids can create their own exciting and personalized stories using real photos and voices. Users just have to use their phone's camera to get the visuals and then let their kid’s imagination run wild. At the same time one can record their interpretation of the photo with the microphone and have a great laugh. Simply type up what was spoken and playback the story for repeated laughs.

On this Children’s Day, &pictures has planned an exciting line-up of movies for a day-long ‘Kiddies Express’ special where parents can enjoy a day at home with their kids and watch the best of kids entertainment movies throughout the day.  The movies showcased on Kiddies Express will be a perfect mix of education and entertainment, making this Children’s Day truly special for the lovely kids out there.

‘Branded’ celebration…
Aviva Life Insurance announced its tie up with Snapdeal.com, to launch the ‘Aviva Big Dream Contest.’ Through this contest, parents along with their children not only get a chance to meet and interact with Aviva’s brand ambassador, Sachin Tendulkar, but also win discount vouchers from Snapdeal.com.

Speaking on the occasion, Rishi Piparaiya, Director, Marketing & Direct Sales, Aviva Life Insurance, said “India’s children have big dreams and Aviva, as an organization, has always been committed to helping them realise their dreams, whether through our products or other opportunities. Meeting Sachin Tendulkar, an inspiration for millions of young Indians, is an aspiration for many. The ‘Aviva Big Dream Contest’, launched in association with Snapdeal.com, is our endeavour in helping children believe that dreams can come true.”

Amit Maheshwari, Vice President, Fashion, Snapdeal.com said, “At Snapdeal.com, we are focusing on the kids’ category as we have seen tremendous growth potential here. Snapdeal.com has been at the forefront to offer kids and parents the widest selection of products. And now we are also focusing on offering kids a chance to fulfil their aspirations. In line with this, we are partnering with Aviva in their ‘Big Dream Contest’. An opportunity to meet Sachin is no less than a life-changing experience for a child. We hope to see a tremendous response from Snapdeal.com users on this campaign.”

Day(s) before Children’s Day…
Apart from celebrating on 14th November, a lot of brands have been doing a lot initiatives from quite some time now. One such name is Zee Khana Khazana. Zee Khana Khazana brought in Children’s Day this year in a fun, unique and a heartwarming way. Celebrating it a day prior to Children’s Day, the channel’s reputed Chef Emanuel Chauhan spread the happiness to the special kids of the Save the Children India, by engaging them in some recreational activities and games. This exciting fiesta was specially conceptualized by Zee Khana Khazana and peppered with live cooking demonstrations, enjoyable games, music and dance sessions. And what’s a celebration without a large, appetizing cake to be relished and some delectable snacks to be devoured!

Universally, this day is devoted to not just honor children globally, but to also create awareness about their welfare. With this in mind, Zee Khana Khazana resolved to making this year’s Children’s Day exceptional for the gifted lot of Save the Children India NGO, that has pledged itself to the empowerment of children.

Zee Khana Khazana’s Business Head, Amit Nair said, “Children’s Day is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the most innocent and beautiful beings. This was our opportunity to spread cheer to the little ones of Save The Children India, and create some memories for them that they can cherish. Kids absolutely adore celebrations like these, and our Zee Khana Khazana Chef Emanuel Chauhan is here to indulge them in just that! Associating with Save The Children India has been our privilege and we are delighted to be able to be a part of their lives in our own little way.”

FabFurnish.com, joined hands with Child Rights & You (CRY) for a very special Children’s Day initiative. The generous endeavour took place at the CRY-supported Pahal Project in Rohini, New Delhi, on November 10, 2014. In a bid to spread cheer, encourage education and learning amongst children at Pahal, team FabFurnish distributed basic furniture and furnishing items such as bookshelves, chairs and study tables. The team also visited the activity center and spent quality time with the children, motivating them to aim for a bright future.

Vikram Chopra, co-founder, FabFurnish.com said, “Our intention was to come up with a unique and differentiated initiative on Children’s Day. As a part of our CSR activity, we collaborated with CRY to give a new meaning to furniture and home furnishings. Tables and chairs can act as productive motivators in learning and education. We strongly believe that every child deserves a smile and a bright future.”

FabFurnish.com sought to support 'The Right to Education' with this campaign which was an attempt to help every child assert her/his right to education. The unique idea was incepted based on the belief that a simple piece of furniture can create a sense of dedication and purpose amongst children and encourage them to dream big.

Soha Moitra, Regional Director-North, CRY- Child Rights and You, said” We would like to thank Fabfurnish.com for their support in our endeavour of bringing lasting change in the lives of children. The infrastructural support provided to the children in our intervention area will help them climb the ladder of education and we hope to have an enriching experience with the Fabfurnish.com team in future also.”

Jet Airways, on the occasion of Children’s Day, operated its annual ‘Flight of Fantasy’ on 13th November for over 80 children from marginalized sections of our society, as also for those with special needs.  As part of its annual community service initiative, Jet Airways gave wings to the young invitees, taking them on-board the airlines state-of-the-art Boeing 737-800 aircraft, to experience the joy of flying. A surprise visit by the global cricketing icon and India’s very own Master Blaster Shri Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar was an excellent gift for the children.

The children were treated to over an hour of flying along the west coast of India taking off from Mumbai’s domestic airport, Chattrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) for this once in a lifetime opportunity. Through this unique annual initiative Jet Airways endeavours to open up the wonderful world of aviation for children vulnerable and most at - risk in our society.

Cramer Ball, Chief Executive Officer, Jet Airways said, “At Jet Airways we firmly believe that children are our future and the Flight of Fantasy is our small way of focusing on supporting social causes related to child development and education within the community we serve. It is truly rewarding for us to see the children’s faces light up with smiles of immense joy and anticipation as they stood in line for their first and once-in-a-lifetime experience in the skies. The airline is happy to have been able to provide cheer to these children and takes great pride in our support of NGOs like - Aseema, A K Munshi Yojana and Kalyandeep KC Nanavaty School. Lastly, I must thank the amazing Sachin Tendulkar for his presence at the event which simply was the icing of the cake for everyone present. We are also grateful for the ongoing support and generosity of Indian Oil Corporation, Mumbai International Airport Limited, TajSats, Oberoi Flight Services, and all those working towards making this a memorable event.” | By: Aanchal Kohli | Twitter: @aanchalkohli

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