TORONTO – Telus flanker brand Koodo announced Tuesday it has entered into a global rights deal with Camillion Corp., a Toronto-based media entertainment and technology company, for the exclusive use of “El Tabador”, Koodo Mobile’s award-winning animated pitchman, in media entertainment.
Led by former World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) senior executive Carl Demarco, Camillion plans to harness the “proven and infectious appeal of El Tabador to launch him far beyond the ads that have made him an icon in Canada,” says the press release. “Development work has begun on a half-hour prime time, family TV sitcom that, like the ads, will place a CGI-animated El Tabador in live action scenes.”
El Tabador is a hamster-sized, masked “Lucha Libre” wrestler who lives in a giant world and has starred in numerous Koodo advertising campaigns. The El Tabador TV series will be the hub of a major global media property with content to be distributed on all digital platforms – online, mobile and video games – plus merchandise and more, says the company.
The show will be about a world champion wrestler who is tiny, yet muscle-bound, suave and intelligent. In his celebrity lifestyle, El Tabador lives in a mansion with his offbeat entourage, dealing with guest stars from both Hollywood and the wrestling world. With an animated character living in a live-action world, the half-hour comedy will be shot in “mockumentary” format like Modern Family and the Office. The series will appeal to young adults and families alike.
“El Tabador’s character is a natural not only for a TV sitcom, but also for any digital platform,” says Demarco. “He has global, cross-cultural appeal, with humour and charm that will play as well globally as it does with Canadians.” While the show is targeted to a mainstream family audience, Demarco will leverage his strong presence in wrestling circles to take the show to wrestling fans as well.
“This is an excellent opportunity for Koodo to break the traditional barriers of marketing, sponsorship and advertising,” sais Kevin Banderk, Chief Koodo Officer, in the release. “We’re excited for the chance to further entrench El Tabador into popular culture.”
