Hey! – What’s the Big Idea?!?
Sometimes, an idea is all it takes. But it helps if it’s a really BIG IDEA.
In 1993, Phil Vischer decided to prove that media could have a positive impact on the lives of children and founded Big Idea Productions, Inc. in the spare bedroom of his Chicago home. Together with longtime friend Mike Nawrocki and one employee, Big Idea produced its first show Where’s God When I’m S-Scared? and sold 500 copies by mail. Since then, with the help of a tomato named Bob and a cucumber named Larry, Big Idea and its groundbreaking VeggieTales series has gone on to become the most successful children’s brand in the Christian retail market, selling over 50 million copies. By using humor and great animation to teach the timeless values of the Bible. VeggieTales has become a best seller at Target, Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club, Amazon.com, and other well-known retailers across the country.
Bob and Larry made their television debut in 1998, when PAX-TV aired The VeggieTales Christmas Spectacular! The special was again highlighted on PAX in 1999, following the debut of the Veggies on the CBS Thanksgiving Day parade. In April 2001, Bob and Larry received their highest honor when First Lady Laura Bush invited them to the annual White House Easter Egg Roll.
In August 2001, the fifteenth VeggieTales release, Lyle the Kindly Viking, was the first title simultaneously released in the mass and CBA markets, selling 70,000 units its first day and making it one of the best selling direct-to-home video products ever released. It went on to win “Best Animated Direct-To-Video Release” at the World Animation Celebration.
Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie, released in October 2002, marked the Veggies’ big screen feature film debut. Grossing over $25 million at the box office, Jonah was critically acclaimed and received a prestigious Annie Award. Jonah spent three weeks in the top 10 and was a hit with families everywhere.
That December, The Star of Christmas became the first VeggieTales to be broadcast on PBS. In addition, the new publishing partnership with Zonderkidz placed four titles in the Publisher’s Weekly Top 100 Kids Books for 2002 and Big Idea Interactive Games was launched with The Mystery of Veggie Island.
Thanks to the company’s integrity and the extraordinary popularity of VeggieTales, Big Idea has consistently drawn high-profile promotional partners. Applebees, Proctor and Gamble, Auntie Anne’s, Chick-fil-A, Chuck-E-Cheese, Fisher Price and others have enjoyed success with VeggieTales. With over 40 licensing partners, including Simon & Schuster, Random House, Conagra, and Tyson Foods, VeggieTales has gone on to sell millions of items each year through many different channels of distribution.
In December 2003, Bob and Larry joined the ranks of such classic characters as Lassie, Rocky & Bullwinkle, and the Lone Ranger as New York entertainment company Classic Media welcomed Big Idea and VeggieTales into their family. With Classic Media’s strong commitment to grow VeggieTales and maintain the audience connection established during the past decade, the Big Idea mission remained unchanged: To enhance the moral and spiritual fabric of society through creative media.
In September 2006, Big Idea’s VeggieTales, 321 Penguins and LarryBoy Adventures made their national television debut in a regular time slot. As part of the new “qubo” children’s programming block, the programming is seen on NBC, ION and Telemundo every week.
Now, more than thirteen years after that first inspiration struck, Big Idea is better than ever, with a full production schedule of all new Bob and Larry adventures. Big Idea will release Huckleberry Larry and Tomato Sawyer’s Big River Rescue on DVD in July 2008 and just released its second feature film, The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything - A VeggieTales Movie on January 11, 2008.
Big Idea continues to grow financially, with new products and partners, and spiritually, with the addition of a church curriculum and the increase in popularity of church-based Family Fun Event premieres in more than 2500 churches. With more Veggies, more fun, and more great stories from the Bible, Big Idea just keeps getting bigger. |
