By Emily A. Hay

“The Oogieloves in The BIG Balloon Adventure” is a new children’s movie that has shaken up the traditional movie going experience for kids and parents alike.

This truly rated G movie (#RatedGGG), targeting viewers between the ages of 2 and 9 years old, is the work of writer (and Michigan-native) Scott Stabile and producers Gayle Dickie and Kenn Viselman, the man responsible for marketing the popular “Teletubbies” and “Thomas the Tank Engine” series.

Filmed here in the state of Michigan, this movie’s rollout took to the digital streets incorporating social media heavily into its marketing efforts. The Oogieloves’ love for social media as a primary communication platform played a significant role in growing awareness among its target audience. By including its key decision makers in the social media efforts, The Oogieloves demonstrated an inclusive, grassroots approach to traditional high-budget film promotion.

Social media successfully accomplished the following components for The Oogieloves:

• It brought together a community of like-minded women across the country. Mom bloggers, parents, aunts and caretakers alike all with children in mind and technology at their fingertips convened on Twitter, Facebook and through their own blogs to share their thoughts and suggestions for what children’s entertainment should look like. This tribe of women leveraged their blogs and participated in real-time discussion via twitter parties to exponentially spread love for The Oogieloves to their social networks.
• “Offline” activity fueled online discussion. The Oogieloves family launched a blogger tour reaching out to female and mom bloggers alike who essentially make up a “new-age focus group,” as I explained it to my own mom. Members of the energetic PR team including, Jeanne Muchnick, assembled these groups in a variety of cities including in Metro Detroit. At this particular stop, it was interesting to hear right from the movie production team that social media is what empowered women to have this “mom-to-mom” discussion about the type of entertainment they want for their children.

  

• It built a foundation for continued conversation that will impact future childhood development. From physical exercise, to education and to entertainment options, the voices of parents and caretakers are what impacts the way kids develop today and who they become tomorrow. Through social media, the voices of parents and educators can unify in a productive way that positively shapes childhood development.

Social media plus what The Oogieloves producers refer to as the, “Power of Mom,” equals real change. Anytime you are the first to do things differently, it takes time for things to catch on. This is only the beginning for moms to use their blogs and social media voices to shape the entertainment options for their children. Personally, I find it very exciting that children today will grow up familiar with their moms blogging about these topics.

Congrats to The Oogieloves production and PR/promotion team for demonstrating a multi-dimensional communication approach with a focus on social media. Thank you for enabling the voices of so many women to be amplified via the social media megaphone. The Oogieloves love of social media is sure to bring new successes to their mission.