Posted by Christopher Stevenson
Waldo, the wandering adventurer from the series of children's books, has been found--on MySpace, Facebook, Bebo, Flickr, and Twitter.
Classic Media/Entertainment Rights is kicking off a viral campaign on many of the most popular social media sites to try and re-engage twenty-somethings who loved Waldo when they were kids. Why? To encourage them to buy new licensed goods, of course. Hats, bags, luggage, T-shirts, stationery, and dorm decorations--the red and white stripes are back in vogue (or at least Classic Media/Entertainment rights and their partners hope they are).
I like this campaign, not because it's slick and glossy (I actually think it could use a little more polish), but because it reintroduces the brand to Waldo fans in a way that is meaningful to them. Whether or not the campaign will lead to increased sales of books or merchandise is yet to be seen, but I think they're getting off on the right foot.
