Virtual worlds company Huzutech, has signed a deal with US-based Little Airplane to develop an avatar creator for the company’s popular Small Potatoes brand.
If you’re unfamiliar with Small Potatoes, it’s a kids TV show in which four singing potatoes travel the world, making friends, making music and living the dream, man. Like Bon Jovi, but with a tasty and nourishing skin, rather than poodle hair and power ballads. It’s very sweet.
The avatar builder has been created in HTML5 and is now available on Facebook. Users can choose from hundreds of different assets including clothing, facial expressions and accessories. They can even download exclusive paid for packs, including Rockstar and Princess (see, the Bon Jovi similie was entirely justified).
The avatar builder is already building on the brand’s online success. The Small Potatoes Facebook page has over 1M likes and is growing at over 100,000 users per month. Since the avatar builder was launched on July 1st, it’s been used to create over 25,000 unique potatoes in just three days.
Before you sneer yourself into a self righteous coma of disgust at this shameless exploitation of first world children, can we ask you to take a moment and relax?
Regardless of your position on Facebook gaming – and whether or not you would consider this an actual game – this is an interactive entertainment service, which has been designed and built in Scotland, which is making people around the world happy. Because it’s fun we imagine.
If it helps, we can tell you that since it premiered on CBeebies in May 2010, Small Potatoes has also been picked up by Disney Junior in the US, ABC in Australia and TVO in Canada. The band – Ruby, Chip, Olaf and Nate are on a musical as well as actual journey, moving from their musical roots in Rock ‘n Roll and moving beyond, into jazz, reggae, disco, hip hop and who knows where?
We’re hoping it’s Small Potatoes Mk II – Jazz Odyssey.
Quote time.
Josh Selig, the founder and President of Little Airplane, sees the avatar builder contributing significantly to the brand’s online presence…
“Our fans adopt these potatoes as their avatars so they spread organically across Facebook. We’re confident this App represents a major new line of business for our growing brand.” Utilising HTML5 ensures that the avatar builder is available across all platforms, including the iPad, without the use of additional plugins or downloading specific apps, ensuring the highest possible market penetration.”
You can find Small Potatoes and the avatar builder on Facebook now. Go on. You know you’re going to have to at least try it…
Huzutech can be found online, on Facebook and on Twitter.
And not one potato pun. Not ONE. You people really don’t appreciate how hard we work here.
What about “mash-up” Brian?
I’ve got to link bait the Headlines Colin. Otherwise nobody will read them and I will die lonely and alone. Don’t get chippy…
I’m going to keep my eyes peeled for more. Potato puns make me boil with rage.