Kids' TV network in agency U-turn

Robyn Lewis, PR Week UK, Thursday, 28 September 2006, 12:00am,

Jetix, the kids' entertainment network formerly known as Fox Kids Europe, has shelved plans to hire a PR agency for a major brand-building campaign after staging a four-way pitch.

The company, which is 75 per cent owned by Walt Disney, held a shootout between undisclosed consultancies for a campaign, scheduled to launch next month, for its Jetix UK TV arm.

UK PR and promotions manager Michelle Guy said the company was now only committing resources to an off-and online ad campaign, via Carat, which kicked off this week.She said Jetix would ‘reconsider in the future' whether to launch the planned brand PR campaign. But, ‘for the moment', the campaign has been shelved.

Jetix has traditionally used a roster of agencies, including The Braben Company, for individual programmes. It has just briefed Cow PR to promote its new programme, Oban Star Racers, which starts next month.

Jetix continues to use Ocean Media for European corporate and trade work.

Other Jetix UK programmes include Power Rangers and Spider-Man.