Babar, King of Elephants, Celebrates 80th Anniversary THE Republican Party may have had a tough night last week, but elephants wearing golden crowns will soon be a common sight around the country: Babar, king of the elephants, and his queen, Celeste, are the stars of an elaborate promotional campaign that is now under way. The campaign, with advertising, marketing and retail elements, seeks to reintroduce the Babar brand to American children and to their parents and grandparents. It is being billed as the 80th anniversary of Babar, looking ahead to next year: the English-language version of the first Babar book, "The Story of Babar," appeared in the United States in 1933, two years after the original French version was published. Among those observing Babar's eight decades are Saks Fifth Avenue, which is stocking boutiques with Babar merchandise and featuring the character in store windows and holiday catalogs; Abrams, the publisher of Babar books; Books of Wonder, the children's bookstore in Manhattan; and licensees like Yottoy Productions, which will make plush toys and other playthings. The celebration is being overseen by two companies that work in tandem to manage the Babar brand: Nelvana, a division of Corus Entertainment that specializes in children's entertainment, and the Clifford Ross Company, which represents artists like Edward Gorey as well as familiar characters like Babar and Tom Swift. The Babar campaign, with an advertising budget estimated at $100,000, is an example of the kind of nostalgic appeal known as comfort marketing, which is particularly popular in uncertain economic times. The campaign combines two aspects of comfort marketing: an anniversary commemoration and classic characters. "It's a strategy used regularly in the children's marketing business, and when it's well executed it can reinvigorate a property," said Marty Brochstein, senior vice president for industry relations and information at the International Licensing Industry Merchandisers" Association. Among the other examples he offered were Clifford the Big Red Dog and Thomas the Tank Engine. The "approval and empathy" generated by the fact that parents and grandparents may remember Babar give the character "a seal of approval," Mr. Brochstein said. The classic nature of a Babar is a security blanket for retailers and licensees. Andrew Kerr, head of consumer products for North America and the Australia-Asia region at Nelvana, acknowledged the challenge, particularly in North America, of "taking a brand perceived to be an overseas brand and bringing it to life on shelf in retail." That process has been aided by a new animated children's television series, "Babar and the Adventures of Badou," in Canada and the United States. Badou is a grandson of Babar's whose age, 8, makes the character more relatable to its target audience. Nelvana and Ross are looking to sell Babar books and merchandise "across three strata of retail," Mr. Kerr said. The top tier is composed of stores like Saks and Books of Wonder, which are frequented by many older parents and grandparents. Books of Wonder is representative of the "independent book retailer," Mr. Kerr said, which is to be "rewarded for supporting the Babar brand over the last several decades." Peter Glassman, president and owner of Books of Wonder, is an admirer of Babar's. Babar has long been "one of the mainstays of our classic picture book section," Mr. Glassman said, so when Nelvana approached him about the anniversary celebration, "we were flattered and thrilled to participate." "They're working with us to transform the store into a Babar wonderland," he added. In addition to Babar books, this "wonderland" will include products from Yottoy, like plush dolls bearing the Yottoy brand, and wooden toys made by a French company, Vilac. Mr. Glassman said he was wary of overcommercializing Babar. "Nelvana shares a sensitivity to the Babar material," he said. If they had done Babar beer, or Babar ninja figures, I would have been upset. So far, everything is being done with a great deal of respect. The second retail tier consists of outlets like department stores, and the third tier of mass-market retailers like Target and Walmart. The Babar campaign's initial efforts are focused on the top tier, Mr. Kerr said, and the others will follow in a year or two. Yottoy supplies merchandise based on licensers" classic and contemporary characters to all three retail tiers. Its customers include Books of Wonder and Saks on the high end, Barnes & Noble in the middle and Toys "R" Us on the mass-market level. Yottoy specializes "in a lot of classic properties," said Kate Clark, the company's president and co-founder. She listed examples like Paddington Bear, Madeline and the Velveteen Rabbit. In those instances, said Peter Doodeheefver, Yottoy's creative director and co-founder, "we try to create a toy that evokes the feel of the time the character originated in." So the Babar and Celeste plush toys "have a classic silhouette that represents the classic toys from almost 80 years ago," he said, "like your grandmother played with them." Mr. Brochstein said he thought Nelvana and Ross were "doing all the right stuff" to stimulate interest in Babar, and added that having an upscale retailer like Saks as a partner was appropriate for a character born in France. "There, the European aspect of Babar works," he said. It makes total sense. Sometimes, though, Mr. Brochstein cautioned, licensers "catch bad luck" - as when, for instance, another character being introduced at the same time "pushes to the side" the one the licensers are bringing out. Mon Dieu! Would anyone dare do that to the king and queen of the elephants?