Warner Bros. Consumer Products EMEA and the National Basketball Association hosted the first Looney Tunes Active! and Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA co-branded basketball clinic at The O2 in London Wednesday.

The multi-year collaboration between WBCP and the NBA, which was first announced at Brand Licensing Europe last October, is designed to encourage participation in basketball among children ages 4 to 12 across EMEA. The supporting consumer products program will feature apparel, accessories, toys, games and consumables that integrate the Looney Tunes characters with NBA branding. 

“The first Looney Tunes Active! and Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA co-branded basketball clinic is the initial step in a joint venture that will see us combining the power of our iconic sport and entertainment brands to directly connect with new audiences to promote the importance of living an active lifestyle,” says Pilar Zulueta, executive vice president and general manager, WBCP EMEA. “Our mission statement has always been to teach and not to preach. This fun and interactive initiative allows us to do just that using the active by nature character personality traits of the Looney Tunes characters.”

Wednesday’s event was hosted by Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, NBA stars John Amaechi and Steve Smith along with the Atlanta Hawks mascot Harry the Hawk and the Brooklyn Nets mascot Brooklyn Knight. Fifty-five children ages 7 and 8 from Millbank Primary School got the change to learn the rules of basketball and develop their game through hands-on coaching.  

A breakfast reception followed the clinic with activity sheets, goody bags and photo opportunities with the mascots and NBA players.

“By partnering with Warner Bros. Consumer Products and allowing children the opportunity to be coached directly by their sporting and entertainment heroes, we hope to inspire a lifelong passion for basketball and a commitment to leading a healthy lifestyle,” says Benjamin Morel, senior vice president, NBA Europe.