With the recent victory of the franchise SpongeBob SquarePants during the recently concluded 2009 Elan Awards for the category Best Voice-Over in an Animated Production (as won by Tom Kenny), it is only fitting to explore the success of the titular character with the impeccable charm and absurd decision-making.
SpongeBob SquarePants first took the global stage when it was premiered in the child-oriented global network Nickelodeon in May 1999. The official series kicked off in July 2009 and it brought us to the world of a sea sponge, who upon closer inspection actually looks like the one being used for kitchens.
SpongeBob lives in the lagoon floor of the imaginary city of Bikini Bottom in the Pacific Ocean. It was created by the noted animator Stephen Hillenburg after his previous experiences as a marine biologist. Since then, it has become one of the longest-running shows in Nickelodeon (seven seasons and second only to Rugrats). In 2007, TIME Magazine also gave it the distinction as one of the greatest television shows of all time.
It's hard to argue against it. SpongeBob SquarePants has become a force in the character licensing industry. With its magnanimous characters, many companies have lined up to produce merchandise which bear the resemblance of SpongeBob and even his friends. These includes pencil cases, lunch boxes, notebooks - mostly items which are useful for the youth demographic.
Most of the charm of the show rests on the child-like demeanor of SpongeBob and his best friend, the star fish Patrick Star. Moreover, a huge help in its popularity rests in its character design. SpongeBob's all-yellow appeal coupled with his distinct blown-up face and also Patrick's all-pink appearance make them easy to remember for children. These physical representations captured by the witty and talkative nature of the show can make it easily lovable for children.
An interesting additional note to the success of SpongeBob SquarePants is that it is not particularly created with only young children in mind. Adolescents and even young adults also find the snarky and witty dialogues in the show as engaging and top-of-the-line humorous. The show's developers have found a way to insert adult jokes which can just be ignored by children such as jokes about marine biology and raising children.
SpongeBob SquarePants is now a king of endoresements and character licensing deals. Fast food restaurants are favorite clients of this deals, packaging SpongeBob with value meals in order to entice children (and their parents) to buy their food. Among the long list of fast food restaurants which used SpongeBob were McDonald's, Wendy's and Burger King's. Action figures have also become a regular fixture in leading toy companies all over the globe. LEGO has been one of the more popular brands which licensed SpongeBob SquarePants as one of its builder sets. He has also been featured in board games such as Monopoly, Life and Operation, Ants in the Pants and Yahtzee.
Another prominent use of SpongeBob SquarePants in character licensing deals can be seen in various theme park rides in his likeness. In Six Flags Over Texas, the ride SpongeBob SquarePants 4D was put in place of the previous Escape from Dino-Island 3D. The same ride was opened in Noah's Ark Waterpark in Wisconsin. The new theme park Nickelodeon Universe in Minnesota features a SpongeBob-themed Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter custom roller coaster, the SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge.
All these lucrative character licensing deals were made possible by a brilliant intellectual property which was carefully planned to be of significance not only to children but also to young adults. SpongeBob SquarePants' success is proof that careful planning, perseverance and hard work can pay off in the end.
Aldric Chang is a creative entrepreneur who runs a successful 3d animation studio and builds free online virtual worlds for kids.
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