NEW YORK, Sept. 7, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Mattel Inc. debuts
today in the Nick Jr. preschool block on Nickelodeon, the brand-new
season of Thomas & Friends™, a game changing event in
children's television that is part of a strategic brand relaunch
which includes a two-year alliance with the United Nations. This is
the first collaboration between a preschool brand and multiple UN
entities to promote the SDGs via content to inspire the next
generation of global citizens
![Olivia Wilde, Actress, Filmmaker, Activist, and Mother at the United Nations on September 7th to join a panel discussion supporting the Thomas & Friends UN collaboration to promote the SDGs. She discussed why having programs like this can be so impactful to families in today’s world. Olivia Wilde, Actress, Filmmaker, Activist, and Mother at the United Nations on September 7th to join a panel discussion supporting the Thomas & Friends UN collaboration to promote the SDGs. She discussed why having programs like this can be so impactful to families in today’s world.](https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/741315/Olivia_Wilde_FINAL_Thomas_Photo.jpg)
As part of the brand relaunch, the Thomas & Friends
production team collaborated with the UN Department of Public
Information's Creative Community Outreach Initiative to develop
content inspired by 6 of the 17 SDGs that were most appropriate for
a preschool audience and fitting to the Thomas &
Friends brand values. This included the SDG's #4 Quality
Education; #5 Gender Equality; #6 Clean Water and Sanitation, #11
Sustainable Cities and Communities; #12 Responsible Consumption and
Production, and #15 Life on Land. This collaboration will
further come to life with parent tips, activity sheets and
short-form content available on a new microsite
AllAboardForGlobalGoals.com that launches today. The content
and parent targeted materials looks to introduce preschoolers
around the world to the concept of global citizenship and start
meaningful conversations between parents and children.
The collaboration was launched today at the United Nations
Headquarters, in a roundtable event supported by Actress,
Filmmaker, Activist Olivia Wilde, Director of the Outreach Division
in the United Nations Department of Public Information Maher
Nasser, Senior Producer of Thomas & Friends Ian McCue, UN Women's Africa Program Advisor
Tolulope Lewis-Tamoka, and President and COO of Mattel Richard Dickson
"Thomas' unique focus on empathy, collaboration
and friendship is more relevant than ever and such an effective way
to introduce children to the most important global values of their
lifetimes - as embodied by the Sustainable Development
Goals," said Richard
Dickson, President and COO of Mattel. "I
cannot imagine a more appropriate partnership than Thomas and the
United Nations – the most dedicated and purpose-driven
people, organizations and brands never go it alone, but recognize
the value of collaboration in creating a better world.
That's why the UN exists, and that's been the core
lesson of Thomas for over 70 years".
"In our quest to popularize the Sustainable
Development Goals and raise awareness about them among all ages,
Thomas & Friends was a natural fit for younger
audiences, as well as their parents and caretakers. The SDGs also
proved to be the perfect tool for Thomas & Friends to teach
children the importance of taking part in the global efforts to end
poverty, providing girls and boys with the same opportunities, and
of course doing so while protecting our planet," said
Maher Nasser, Director of the
Outreach Division at the United Nations Department of Public
Information who has led the collaboration with Mattel on this
project.
Following market research with children and parents around the
world to help transform the 70 year old brand, the show will
have a more contemporary feel, a brand-new theme tune and a
refreshed Steam Team ensuring gender equality across the show. This
all-new format series launching today in the Nick Jr. preschool
block on Nickelodeon, will feature faster-paced action, increased
humor and music, new international friends, animals and exciting
fantasy elements. The key highlights include:
- New global locations: For the first time in the
series' history, Thomas leaves Sodor to travel discovering new
cultures and countries including China, India
and Australia. The series will include 13 episodes in
Sodor; 5 episodes in China; 4
episodes in India; and 4 episodes
in Australia.
- New Steam Team: A new gender-balanced Steam Team
will be introduced, made up of three male and three female
characters as well as Thomas. This change will deepen the
brand's engagement with girls who represent over 40% of the show's
viewership and provide a strong message of gender equality to
the young audience.
- International characters: The series will feature
characters from around the world, including the new African steam
engine from Kenya called Nia,
Ashima from India, Yong Bao from China and Shane from Australia as well as host of new female
characters who are revealed for the first time today, including
Isla, an Aussie flying doctor plane, Noor
Jehan, a royal express engine from India and Hong-Mei, a Number 1 Blue Tank
Engine from China.
- New theme tune: A new, energetic theme tune will be
introduced in this series which is being launched on Spotify. The
catchy song reflects the new content and Steam Team, and the
classic "Roll Call" song will still be included in some
musical segments within a number of episodes.
- New format: The brand-new episodes feature
faster-paced stories with more humor, music, animal characters and
fantasy sequences. In a first for Thomas & Friends, the series
will break the fourth wall and Thomas will narrate the story
himself. By speaking to the camera and talking directly to the
audience, Thomas will be able to connect to his global audience
more than ever, inviting them to join him on his adventure around
the world. Each episode will include a sing-along song and will end
with a 'life lesson' delivered directly by Thomas to the
audience.
Thomas the Tank Engine™ was created over 70 years ago and that
story quickly grew to become the award-winning #1 preschool train
brand franchise it is today, selling 1 engine every second, enjoyed
by families in more than 160 territories and 55 languages across
multiple touchpoints and formats, including: 500+ original TV
shows; 12 feature-length films; apps; toys; consumer products;
publishing; live attractions and much more.
About Thomas & Friends™
Thomas the Tank Engine™ was created over 70 years ago, by a
British clergyman, the Rev W Awdry, as a storybook for his
son. That story quickly grew to become the award-winning #1
preschool train brand franchise it is today, enjoyed
by families in more than 160 territories and over 55 languages
across multiple touch-points and formats, including: 500+
original TV shows; 12 feature-length films; selling 1
engine every second; apps; toys; consumer
products; publishing; live attractions and much more. Thomas
& Friends is viewable on more than 30 world-class
broadcasters including Nick Jr. in the US, Super
RTL in Germany, and on Five's Milkshake! in the UK.
Thomas & Friends can also be viewed across digital
platforms including Hulu, iTunes, YouTube and more.
On YouTube, the Thomas & Friends channel has had over
1.16 billion lifetime views, over 909k subscribers and
2.6MM engagements. For more information about the world
of Thomas & Friends, please visit:
www.thomasandfriends.com and on Facebook
About Mattel
Mattel (NASDAQ: MAT) is a leading global children's entertainment
company that specializes in design and production of quality toys
and consumer products. We create innovative products and
experiences that inspire, entertain and develop children through
play. We engage consumers through our portfolio of iconic
franchises, including Barbie®, Hot Wheels®, American Girl®,
Fisher-Price®, Thomas & Friends® and MEGA®, as well as other
popular brands that we own or license in partnership with global
entertainment companies. Our offerings include film and television
content, gaming, music and live events. We operate in 40 locations
and sell products in more than 150 countries in collaboration with
the world's leading retail and technology companies. Since its
founding in 1945, Mattel is proud to be a trusted partner in
exploring the wonder of childhood and empowering kids to reach
their full potential. Visit us online at www.mattel.com.
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