Fasten your seat belts and get ready for a first-class publicity campaign because Jay Jay Jet Plane, the popular PBS series for preschoolers, is launching its biggest marketing and audience outreach program ever. The creative minds behind the franchise at PorchLight Ent. have crafted three highly interactive promotional programs to generate a relationship between Jay Jay the Jet Plane and the public on a localized level. Our beloved flying friend will cruise across the U.S. in an air show tour and touch down for an exhibit at the Orlando Science Center. In addition, Jay Jay play areas will finally give families something to smile about at the airport.
PorchLight COO Bill Baumann notes that his team has been working on the promotional project for a while, seeking innovative marketing strategies that would be in sync with the ideas behind the program. "We wanted to find a unique way for Jay-Jay to meet his fan base that was compatible with the show’s themes of educational life lessons and nature exploration," Baumann says. "We thought grass-roots activity was the best way for us to do this and continue to increase the show’s popularity."
Created by Deborah and David Michel, Jay Jay the Jet Plane originally aired on The Learning Channel in 1998, and has been cruising the PBS KIDS programming block since 2001. The peppy series centers on inquisitive six-year-old jet Jay-Jay and his airplane comrades as they explore and play at the always-hopping Tarrytown airport.
Produced by PorchLight Ent. and Modern Cartoons in association with Knightscove Ent., Jay Jay the Jet Plane airs Monday through Friday, fueling the ripe imaginations of preschool children as they are introduced to the marvels of science and nature.
Jay Jay will begin his 70-date air show tour of the U.S. in April 2005, landing at 32 different aviation events in 32 cities. This is the first time air shows and aviation festivals in the U.S. have cleared their runways for a hit children’s television franchise, and Jay Jay will leave his mark on these events with a live stage show, dedicated play areas and activities promoting the show’s theme, "Where Imagination Takes Flight."
As for the Orlando Science Center, PorchLight has worked closely with entertainment designer ITEC to create an innovative hands-on children’s exhibit that will launch in the fall of 2006. This museum-housed version of Tarrytown will provide a colorful and approachable setting for educational content, encouraging role-playing and exploration. The exhibit will tour nationally once it leaves the OSC, making stops at three or four museums each year.
There’s probably no better place for Jay Jay to make a pit-stop than the airport. There are plans for Jay Jay-themed activity centers at airports nationally, including Tarrytown play areas and informative message displays that let children learn all about travel from their favorite animated jet.
Baumann also mentioned that PorchLight is producing a pilot for a fresh batch of Jay Jay programming that will feature new characters and encourage increased interaction between the jet plane phenomenon and his preschooler friends. The aviation-minded crew behind the show is working with educators and child development specialists to hone the concept for their latest soaring series.
For more information on Jay Jay the Jet Plane, go to http://pbskids.org/jayjay/
