'Planet Cook' partners sign up with BBC

Revolution UK 13-Sep-05

Heinz, Universal Pictures and Trudeau-Euromark are to launch new product ranges and web sites to back their partnership with FreemantleMedia's Planet Cook show on CBBC.

The brand-partner microsites will feed into the main site
(www.planetcook.com), launching in September, for the live-action
children's cookery show.

To tie-in with the partnership, Heinz is launching a Planet Cook-themed

range of 10 products, including pasta meals and cooking sauces.

Meanwhile, Universal Pictures is to release DVDs tied in with the show,
which will be backed by its own microsite on Monday 17 October.
Houseware company Trudeau-Euromark is also launching a range of themed
cooking utensils and homeware on 1 January, which will also be promoted
on its own microsite.

While visitors to the three microsites can click through to the Planet
Cook homepage, they will not be able to click back due to the nature of
the deal between the companies and the BBC. The Corporation cannot
promote commercial partners under the terms of its public broadcasting
licence.

Planetcook.com will feature animated characters such as flying tastebuds
and offer food-themed jokes, games, screensavers and wallpaper. Children
will also be able to add photos of their own meals to a gallery.

Andrew Piller, international brand manager at FreemantleMedia,
commented: "It is an 'edutainment' site with games and activities that
allow audiences to explore healthy eating in a way that's fun."

The TV show is based on a tropical island and features a Captain Cook
character who helps young cooks create meals inspired by the natural
world around them.