Vivendi Ad Relies on Monkey Business

To help build its image and identity in the U.S. market, French media giant Vivendi Universal is turning to a storybook character: Curious George.

The mischievous primate of children’s books has been making prominent appearances in full-page newspaper ads across the country in the last two weeks.

The ads tout Vivendi Universal’s acquisition of book publisher Houghton Mifflin, which publishes the Curious George books.

But the ads also summon George to promote all segments of Vivendi Universal’s far-flung business, from music and movies to publishing and telecommunications.

“Wherever there’s a curious mind to feed and imagination to inspire, you’ll be seeing Vivendi Universal,” the ad reads, playing off Curious George’s probing nature.

Although Vivendi Universal isn’t ready to make George its official corporate mascot, a la Disney’s Mickey Mouse, the ads are seen as a broader effort by Chief Executive Jean-Marie Messier to give the conglomerate a character and identity it lacks in the U.S.

The No. 3 media company was formed last year when French energy and water giant Vivendi bought Universal from Seagram Co., including its movie studio, music business and its theme parks in Universal City and Orlando, Fla.

But the merger has yet to win over Wall Street. Vivendi shares this week fell to their lowest level since 1998, partly because some investors have had trouble understanding what ties the company’s various divisions together, analysts say. (Vivendi’s stock closed at $56.40 on the New York Stock Exchange on Friday, up $1.70.)

Enter George.

He provides not only a colorful way to introduce shareholders and the public to Vivendi Universal’s latest U.S. acquisition but also a unifying theme linking all the company’s segments, company officials say.

“Curiosity was the real focal point for using George,” said Vivendi Universal spokeswoman Anita Larsen in New York. “Curiosity makes us human. It gives us a desire to question, to seek, to learn, to create, and that cuts across education and entertainment. And Vivendi Universal has core strengths in both of those areas.”

The ads were conceived by Messier and produced by Paris-based firm Publicis. Larsen would not disclose the cost of the promotion, which ran in the nation’s biggest newspapers, including the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times.

Industry experts praised the promotion.

“I think it works brilliantly,” said Bradley Johnson, deputy editor of Advertising Age, of the George ads. “It stopped me in my tracks. . . . There’s nothing more boring than seeing a global conglomerate pontificate. And yet . . . this is a company showing it has a sense of humor, a personality and maybe even a strategy.”

Irene Nattel, an analyst with RBC Dominion Securities, agreed. “Vivendi Universal is a very large, very complex organization that is not necessarily easy to get your arms around. And it sounds to me that what they want to try to do is make it more accessible to people,” Nattel said. “People are attracted by Curious George. He’s a wonderful character.”

The monkey is no stranger to Vivendi Universal.

George toys, books, clothing and countless other merchandise have been licensed by Universal Studios Consumer Products Group for several years.

Along with Woody Woodpecker and the Mummy, George is a franchise property for the company, attracting more than 130 licensees worldwide.

Universal Interactive Studios is developing a new Curious George game for Sony’s PlayStation and Nintendo’s Game Boy Color in fall 2001.

At Universal Studios in Orlando, there’s a Curious George play area as part of Woody’s Kids Zone.

And Universal Studios and Imagine Entertainment are in development to bring Curious George to the big screen in an animated film, an Imagine official said.

The popular storybook character, created 60 years ago by H.A. and Margret Rey, has been enjoying a resurgence in recent years.

Several corporations, from Yamaha to MasterCard, have used George to promote their products.

Houghton Mifflin will release three new Curious George titles in September 2001 and a 60th Birthday Party Kit next month. George enjoys worldwide popularity. His books have been translated into more than 28 languages.

The stories have broad appeal because they aren’t bound by time and place, and children can relate to George’s childlike qualities and his ability to redeem himself, said Dee Jones, curator of the University of Mississippi’s De Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, which houses the Reys’ entire literary archive.

“He is such a recognizable character,” Jones said. “He’s become a real cultural icon.”

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Times staff writer Claudia Eller contributed to this report.