With Weta Workshop’s WotWots launching on March 23 in New Zealand (TVNZ) and April 16 in Oz (ABC TV), the prodco has sealed a number of promo and licensing deals to push the property into lift off.

The Wellington Zoo and Melbourne Zoo will both be hosting a WotWots Fun Day and VIP media event, the day before the series launches in each country. It’ll include exclusive TV screenings, character visits from SpottyWot and DottyWot, treasure hunts, face-painting and more.

Produced by Pukeko Pictures and made at Weta Workshop, the 52 x 10-minute HD preschool series follows the alien siblings who set out to explore Earth in their spaceship and land in the middle of a zoo.

The WotWots has already been sold to Channel Five’s Milkshake (UK), ABC 1 and ABC 2 (Australia), TV2 (New Zealand) and MTV3 (Finland), with ABC Commercial retaining the worldwide distribution rights to the series.

On the licensing side, Hasbro has signed on as the property’s toy licensee and licensing agent and is producing a range of plush, figures and playsets to launch in Oz and New Zealand for launch this September. Novelty publishing formats are also on the way from Ice Water Press for the two territories this July. Exclusive apparel programs, supported by retailers in both territories are also hitting the racks in September. Meanwhile, ABC Commercial has the license for high-end publishing, DVDs and live events, slated for a rollout from August.

ABC TV and ABC New Media have also created a dedicated website – Abc.net.au/wotwots goes live on March 9.