Nickelodeon Consumer Products UK and multi-channel retailer Argos are launching a first-to-market Dora the Explorer promotion that will be featured in the Argos fall/winter catalogue and online at www.argos.co.uk.

The promotion runs until December 2010 on a dedicated Dora product page in the catalogue’s toy section and includes a puzzle element that encourages children to count images of Dora’s friend Boots on the page and visit the Argos website to enter the competition. Monthly prizes will be distributed, leading up to the December grand prize of a family holiday for four at the Nick Hotel in Florida.

Among the licensees involved are master toy manufacturer Fisher-Price and consumer electronics brand V-Tech. Fisher Price product ranges include Suds & Surprise Dora, Dora Tunes Guitar, Everyday Dora doll, Dora Vamonos Van, We Really Did It Dora, Dora’s Doll House, Dora Swimming Mermaid doll and Splash Around Dora & Boots. V-Tech products include Dora Learning Drums and Dora Carnival Time Laptop.

Nickelodeon is supporting the campaign through marketing activity including 30-second TV ad slots exclusive to Argos across Nick Jr. and Nick Jr. 2 throughout August and November. Two full-page ads have been booked for Dora magazine (which has a circulation of roughly 50,000) in the September and November issues. Fisher-Price is also supporting the competition in a mail-out to more than 50,000 subscribers to UK parents of pre-schoolers.

The promo is part of Dora the Explorer’s global tenth anniversary celebration based on the theme of Explorers Wanted. In the UK the Explorers Wanted theme runs across all areas of Nickelodeon output including on-air, online, in-store with retail and licensing partners, events, PR and marketing initiatives.