Successful Brand Marketing

I'm always impressed at how Atlanta's cultural institutions brilliantly exploit the city's business giants. Every museum (not to mention the aquarium, the ballpark, etc.) has large exhibits sponsored by the same hometown corporations: Coca-Cola, Delta, Turner, Home Depot, and sometimes AirTran. Most cities do this to some degree, but Atlanta has it down to a science -- those five companies get hit up for every single municipal project. I mean, the scoreboard in the gym of the local Jewish day school is sponspored by Coke.

And what do these companies get in return? I used to think, well, a tax break. (Except for Coke, which has a frighteningly strong monopoly in the Southeast. Don't even think of asking for a Mountain Dew.) But then I took a trip to the zoo yesterday...

I'm with Hannah in an indoor "kids area," where there are various games to play and blocks to stack and levers to pull, all in the name of (somehow) educating kids about animal habitats. The exhibit is sponsored by Turner's two youth-oriented stations, Boomerang and Cartoon Network.

Hannah and I explore a bit until we come to a room with a bunch of children sitting and watching Scooby Doo. I have no idea what particular lessons could be learned from such an activity ('cause, y'know, most quadpedal mammals don't speak, let alone solve mysteries), but of course, the room is packed. Every mini-chair is filled with a little kid, each with two glassy eyes glued to what is arguably the stupidest cartoon of all time.

"We don't want to stay here," I tell Hannah, "this is just a TV room. You can watch cartoons at home." I say it loud enough to be heard by all, 'cause honestly, those kids needed to hear it from someone. But one boy didn't care much for my attitude. He couldn't have been older than five, with straight black hair and blue eyes, and he wasn't about to let me come in and spoil his fun.

"They're not just cartoons," he says defensively, "they're Boomerang cartoons. And Cartoon Network cartoons."

And that was it. That was his entire argument, and hot damn, I didn't know how to respond. But I had to say something, since the kid kept staring at me, waiting to hear how in the world I could continue to perpetuate my blasphemous notion that it's just formulaic Hanna-Barbera tripe. Didn't I know? These craptacular episodes of Shaggy and Scooby and the gang are shown daily on not one but two separate cable networks and that makes them important and beautiful and special!

"Uh, I know that," I finally mumble in response. "I know what Cartoon Network is. They have a Star Wars show on Friday nights." Yeah, I folded like cheap origami, but at least I managed to plug the Clone Wars show.

Not that it needs my help. Today's yutes are very well-aware of Cartoon Network. And Boomerang. Turner is getting more than its money's worth.