Wendy's to Hype Peanuts' 50th

Brandweek,  May 17, 1999  by Theresa Howard

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Wendy's International will help anchor United Media's hype of the Peanuts 50th anniversary in October as the quick-service partner in a two-pronged program targeting holiday 1999 and back-to-school 2000.

The deal comes as UM negotiates with an unidentified retailer and finalizes plans for the launch of a commemorative direct-to-video release, coffee table book, holiday drive with Hallmark stores and other programs.

"This has a lot of the family attitude that Wendy's wants to have," said Fay Kamer, youth marketing manager at Wendy's.

The Wendy's deal extends a relationship that began in 1998. Wendy's will distribute five plastic premiums in its Kids' Meals for the 1999 holiday season, followed by a bigger back-to-school push in 2000 via a national program behind that Kids Meal deal that comprises another round of premiums and support via Peanuts-themed packaging, ads featuring Peanuts characters and POP. Wendy's agency is Bates USA, N.Y.

"We partnered very successfully in 1998," said Alexa Gardner, UM's executive director of advertising and promotion. "Moms love Peanuts, and they are kid-cool. The Q scores bear out that the Peanuts [characters] are loved across the entire family and that's why it's a great fit with Wendy's."

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