American Idol moves into online community Habbo

by Staff, Brand Republic 15-Jan-09, 10:10

LONDON - US TV hit 'American Idol' is to join forces with Habbo, the online community for teenagers, as part of a brand extension that will include merchandising and sponsorship within an 'American Idol' virtual world on Habbo.com.

The deal was tied up by FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME), the brand extension arm of FremantleMedia, and Habbo, in a move that will extend the American Idol brand to the online virtual community of Habbo.

Beginning in January, with the kick-off of the eighth season of 'American Idol', FME and Habbo will introduce an American Idol virtual world within Habbo.

David Luner, senior vice president, interactive & consumer products, FremantleMedia Enterprises, North America, said: "Partnering with Habbo to bring a unique virtual experience to their teen user base is a wonderful opportunity for us to deepen the user's association with the on-air show and increase the reach and interaction of the brand with our core viewers.

"American Idol aligns itself with best-in-class partnerships, and Habbo's understanding and connection to the online teen audience is an ideal match."

There are currently Habbo communities in 33 countries on six continents. To date, over 121m Habbo characters have been created and more than 11.5m unique users worldwide visit Habbo each month, according to Google Analytics.