Page 541 - Battleground The Media Volume 1 and 2

0 | Transmed a Storytell ng and Med a Franch ses

a narrative universe) by distributing related story components across multiple
media platforms.
One compelling example of transmedia storytelling came in 1998, when pro-
ducers of the teen drama Dawson’s Creek launched a promotional Web site called
Dawson’s Desktop. At the time, most Web sites developed for television shows
worked as “virtual press kits,” letting visitors read short character and actor bi-
ographies, browse plot summaries, and download production photos or short
video clips. Dawson’s Desktop took a different approach: rather than provid-
ing information about the show, it offered new content that extended the show’s
narrative in between episodes and let visitors feel as if they were entering the
world of the show itself. Visitors to the site were able to explore what appeared
to be the title character’s personal computer, reading his e-mails and logs of

1 0s Media FranChises

While most major media franchises of the 1980s expanded to include both licensed mer-
chandise (toys, clothing, breakfast cereal) and transmedia components (films, television se-
ries, video games, comic books), many of the most popular franchises were actually financed
and launched by merchandisers to help sell their products.

Disney The Wuzzles (1985)
DuckTales (1987)
Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers (1989)
Hallmark Shirt Tales (1982)
Rainbow Brite (1984)
American Greetings The Care Bears (1985)
Tonka Toys Pound Puppies (1985)
Tyco Toys Dino-Riders (1988)
Mattel Toys He-Man & the Masters of the Universe (1983)
She-Ra (1985)
Hasbro Toys Transformers (1984)
G. I. Joe (1985)
Jem & the Holograms (1985)
Inhumanoids (1986)
My Little Pony (1986)

Ironically, one of the catchphrases introduced in Jem & the Holograms might as well have
been a catchphrase for the entire decade: “Showtime, synergy!”
However, as some short-lived examples demonstrated, not all toys and entertainment
characters were capable of supporting transmedia franchises: one animated series, Rubik,
The Amazing Cube, revolved around the Rodriguez siblings, a group of three children who
learned that their Rubik’s Cube would come to life and lead them on magical adventures
when all of his colored squares were lined up correctly.