Cartoon Network, Taiwan’s number one kids’ cable channel, has unveiled an exhibition in capital Taipei for its hit comedy Adventure Time. Opening on 31 May and running until 14 September, the exhibit is a licensing deal with local partner Kuang Hong Arts Management.
Named after the stars of the series, ‘Adventure Time – Finn and Jake’ is housed by the National Taiwan Science Education Center. It features six themed zones from the Land of Ooo including a: Jake Bus, Tree Fort, Marceline’s Rock Room, Fire Kingdom, Ice Kingdom and Candy Kingdom. After the exhibition closes its doors in Taipei, it will then move to Taichung and then Kaohsiung in 2015.
At the official opening ceremony, Melissa Tinker, Vice President of Cartoon Network Enterprises for Southeast Asia Pacific, said in a statement: “This first-of-a-kind attraction showcases the creativity, flexibility and appeal of the Adventure Time franchise. It also marks the local debut of merchandise lines, featuring a whole range of accessories branded with unique comic-book artwork never before seen in Taiwan. We believe this exhibition has huge potential around Southeast Asia. After Taipei, Taichung and Kaohsiung, we’ll be looking at rolling out this concept to other destinations across the region in 2015 and beyond.”
Lai Yen-Chia, Deputy Director of Kuang Hong Arts Management’s International Entertainment Department, added: “Adventure Time is one of the most popular series on kids-TV in Taiwan and when we decided to open a cartoon-themed exhibition, it was an obvious choice. ‘Adventure Time – Finn and Jake’ will be the ideal place to entertain kids, teenagers and families during the long summer holidays.”
‘Adventure Time’ characters also played a pivotal part of another major Cartoon Network partnership in Taiwan. Finn and Jake were also on prominent display on a high-speed train which was wrapped entirely in Cartoon Network branding from mid-2013 in a year-long campaign.
In Taiwan, ‘Adventure Time’ is the number one show on cable in its timeslot for kids 4-14 and the multi-award-winning animated comedy series will air its sixth season later this year. This much-loved original series introduces viewers to unlikely heroes Finn and Jake, buddies who traverse the mystical Land of Ooo and encounter its colourful inhabitants. The best of friends, these heroes always find themselves in the middle of heart-pounding escapades. Finn, a silly kid with an awesome hat and Jake, a brassy dog with a big kind heart, depend on each other through thick and thin. From the mind of creator Pendleton Ward, Ooo is a land built for adventure.
A global ratings and pop-culture phenomenon, ‘Adventure Time’ won two Annie’s in 2014, and in 2013 won the International Children’s Category at the BAFTAs. It was also nominated for its fourth Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Short-format Animated Program as well as a 2013 Critics’ Choice Television Award for Best Animated Series. In addition, Fast Company named Ward one of its “100 Most Creative People in Business 2013”.
