It
looks like the Adventures in Odyssey brand has
adopted its own slogan for the series
in this new era of Odyssey listening. The new slogan,
"Imagine, Discover, and Grow", really speaks to their target
audience of 8 to 12 year-olds, doesn't it? I think
immediately of Big Idea's recent
rebrand of the
VeggieTales series with a new logo, product
packaging, and slogan. In the past, their slogan was "Sunday
morning values, Saturday morning fun." Today their slogan
reads, "Values to Grow By." In retrospect, the Adventures
in Odyssey brand has never truly had its own slogan
until now. I had an inkling several months ago that AIO was
planning a slogan when the product summary for Album 52,
Cause and
Effect, was
released:
It's all-new Adventures in Odyssey episodes in volume
52, Cause and Effect. Join Eugene and Matthew as they investigate why
the clock tower at City Hall seems to be stuck at 11:45. Could it have
something to do with the anniversary of a lost love from twenty years ago?
Barrett couldn't be more excited about getting the lead role in the school
play. But when his first practice is interrupted by a mysterious booming
voice, Emily Jones must investigate the phantom of the school play. Also,
perfect for the fall season, are stories on Thanksgiving (A Thankstaking
Story) and Christmas (White Elephant Gift).
Adventures in Odyssey is fun and exciting audio entertainment that
teaches quality character traits and ignites the imagination of all who
listen. Imagine, Discover, and Grow with Adventures in Odyssey.
I guess you could say it's
wise to match a slogan to the Adventures in Odyssey
series. At first glance, consumers get an immediate idea of
who the show is geared for. And with Odyssey's turning back
to shows which are aimed at its 8 to 12 age bracket, it
works. For those of you who are older listeners and are
trying to make that painful transition into Odyssey's new
era of characters, settings, and plots, it may take some
getting used to. I fit within the community of listeners who
tuned in during the early 90's, so it's taking some
adjustment on my end, too.
If you have no idea what
rebranding is, I'd suggest you read up a little at
this Wikipedia
article. Yes, Wikipedia isn't all bad. As for
branding the Scoop, I'm sure many of you have seen that over
the years as well. The slogan has always been "Providing the
Scoop on Adventures in Odyssey, one cone at a time."
Yet, since the site has gotten so big and things are always
happening, we're considering changing the slogan to
something else when we approach our tenth anniversary this
December. Merely considering, mind you.
So that's my little talk on
rebranding Odyssey. I think we're going to see some
interesting things happen in the future! Stay tuned.
If
you've been keeping up with the
Ceiling Fan Podcast's attempt to find the town of
Odyssey, you know you can expect some special surprises
along the way. Their latest edition is now available, with a
very pleasant appearance from the
Official Podcast's very own Bob Smithouser. Take a
look at what's in store for the latest podcast:
The
road trip trio find themselves in Colorado Springs, the land
of Adventures in Odyssey producers, podcast hosts, and...
Bob Smithouser? When Bob's car breaks down in their path,
Ethan sees a prime opportunity for an interview. But first,
Odyssey is swarming with enthusiastic government-funded
researchers and a popular new version of Whit's End's hit
single, "Communicate."
It's certainly one of the
best podcasts yet, featuring an updated, upbeat, and uppity
rendition of an early rap song that, let's just say, made
the Adventures in Odyssey team cringe after they
created it years ago for Lights Out at
Whit's End.
Also, you might want to
take a look at the blowout contest
they're hosting at the Fan. Time is flying and August 9th is
the deadline for entries to come in. Don't miss out on your
chance to win a nice collection of Odyssey goodies! Full
details for the contest are located here.
It's definitely well worth your participation!
If you happened to check
back here earlier today, you noticed we had posted a cover
art briefly for a supposed new AIO album.
It was all merely to poke fun at all the changes going on in
Odyssey and fans' opposition to those changes. While it was
both entertaining and creative, it could possibly be taken
as fact if one didn't read closely enough or see the
disclaimer. Simply put, the cover art might lead people to
believe Adventures in Odyssey leans towards a
particular political party or has political affiliations. To
avoid any misunderstandings, the post has been removed all
together. And if you're just now dropping by and are
confused, that's okay. Just disregard everything I just
said. If you happened to see the post earlier today, I
apologize if there were any misunderstandings. The cover art
and blog post released earlier were in no way affiliated
with Focus on the Family.
As always, our goal at the
Scoop is to provide the latest up-to-date information on
Adventures in Odyssey, to promote the brand, and
ultimately to influence others to be impacted by the Godly
messages contained in the series. Even if it is just one
person who is introduced to the series because of this site,
our efforts are worth it. You can learn more about our
mission statement and more, here.
Let's
talk about Album 52. In the distant future, the 52nd
Adventures in Odyssey album will contain more fun
stories and the kind of entertainment that listeners have
come to know and love. In case you didn't know yet,
Cause and
Effect
contains the following episodes (and more), with an October
1st release date:
Fast As I Can
Stage Fright
An Agreeable Nanny
A Thankstaking Story
Grandma's Christmas Visit
The Mystery of the Clock Tower I
The Mystery of the Clock Tower II
The cover illustration for
Album 52 features Whit, Eugene, and Connie in the
Odyssey clock tower, depicting a scene from The Mystery
of the Clock Tower. For those of you who have been
speculating as to whether or not the girl pictured is
Connie, speculate no longer. Also, exclusively revealed in
our latest edition of the ScoopCast,
Odyssey has a new mayor: Mayor Spencer Hicks, who succeeds
Mayors Jennings, Riley, and Faye. Of course, if you haven't
heard the exclusive scene yet, I highly recommend you
subscribe to our podcast
and listen to the 5th edition we released last week. Be
watching in the days ahead for more Album 52 details!
The cover design above is not
final and is merely a fan's rendition based on early
sketches and images.
We're really good at
keeping secrets around here at The Odyssey Scoop... and none
of you saw our latest feature coming. Last week, we
announced that we would be filling out our newly-revamped Features section with cool new
features. Today, I'm pleased to introduce a new site feature
that I know will be a great asset to many of you. Take a
look at the whole exciting package:
Go back in time with the
Adventures in Odyssey
Timeline, filled with 20+ years of wonder,
excitement, and discovery. Re-live Odyssey's beginnings and
journey to where the show is today. Complete with trivia,
fun facts, photos, artwork, and audio moments from the
world's #1 audio drama,
Adventures in Odyssey's timeline brings you into a
world of rich AIO history.
Yes, this new feature is
filled with fun facts and is tailored to help you understand
Odyssey's history in a nutshell. Much more could be said for
all the work that went into Odyssey's success for the past
20+ years, but we think we've done a good job telling their
story at-a-glance. You won't want to miss out on this
interactive feature!
So what are you waiting
for? Go back in time
now! Oh, and don't forget to comment below and tell us what
you think!
Today
is a perfect day to remind you that Adventures in Odyssey
has its own
Facebookfan page. If you already "like" the fan
page, you probably noticed that it keeps you updated on
what's playing. However, I think it would be safe to say
that Odyssey's Facebook group is going to start lighting up
with some new surprises in the coming weeks and months. It
opened in April, and now it's time to step things up a
notch. You're going to begin to see some fun new things each
day―trivia, quotes, behind the
scenes―you name it!
"Like" it for yourself
here! Also, be sure to interact and let AIO know
what you'd like to see in the future. Good things are in
store!
Oh, and before I forget,
I think you may want to check back again tomorrow for
another special surprise. And from the looks of things, it's
going to be worth your visit!
Okay, folks, the moment
you've all been waiting for! The awards ceremony for The
Averys has taken place and you have a chance to listen
in!
Bob hosts the Avery
Awards, including awards for Best Sound Design, Best Script,
Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Episode! Plus, a few
special surprises. Thank you to everyone who voted!
Listen:
If
you're dying to know how the final votes came down, be sure
to visit our Avery
Awards page to see all the details!
If you heard our ScoopCast on Monday, no doubt many
of you were waiting around for the cover art for album 52,
Cause and
Effect, to be released today... and it
has! At the right you'll see a very well done illustration
of an upcoming episode. Keep checking back as things are
just beginning to heat up!
Well,
everyone, you spoke and we have delivered! The Odyssey ScoopCast host Kevin
McCreary investigated and found answers to your album 52
questions:
The ScoopCast reveals
exclusive details about Adventures in Odyssey album 52,
"Cause and Effect", and throws in a special surprise.
If you aren't
subscribed, today is the day for you to step up to the
podcasting world and give our high-quality, Scoop-filled
podcast a go. And it's created for Odyssey fans on the go,
so you're in great shape. No doubt the latest ScoopCast will
be a special treat for you all. Enjoy.
As promised, that
project I mentioned on my June 9 post is ready for everyone
to see. As many of you recall (assuming you were around
during AIO
HQ and The Soda
Fountaindays), Odyssey writer Nathan Hoobler and
webmaster Shadowpaw hosted their traditional End of
Season Awards at the conclusion of each season. Their
sites have since gone AWOL, but their sites are still around
for people to see.
And since the End of
Season Awards has finally gone "official" as The
Averys, I thought now would be a great time to bring the
awards to the Scoop so they can live on for fans to enjoy.
The Averys serves as the next generation of the
Odyssey awards, and you can now enjoy every edition thus far
in our new Odyssey Awards
section, conveniently nestled in our Features section. Surprise!
Speaking of which, the
Features section contains a
brand-new revamped look. I think many of you will be pleased
in the days ahead as you begin to see the section filling in
with more great features. For now, enjoy this special
update.
Oh, and before I forget,
you might want to get your votes in forThe
Averysas soon as possible.Voting ends on
Monday, with awards to be given on Wednesday, June 16th!Don't delay!
It's that time again! We
need your feedback regarding your experience here at The
Odyssey Scoop. A lot of changes have been made over the past
year and we'd like to keep those changes and improvements
coming your way. Here is your chance to submit your comments
and suggestions. Have an idea that we haven't quite
developed? Click
here to complete the Scoop survey. Your input is
very helpful.
Oh, and you might want
to check back really soon for the unveiling of the
secret project I've been working on...
We've always got
something in the works here at The Odyssey Scoop. I guess
you could say that's why the site is so big and the Scoop
keeps getting better and better. At the moment, a new
project has begun, which will tie in with something else
that's underway. As usual, I'd rather not say what it is as
it's better not to get your hopes up if it doesn't get
finished. For now, I'll keep plugging away at it and you can
start speculating. Curious, isn't it?
So
apparently, Ethan Daniels, Phil Jinkus, and James the intern
are on to something these days in the latest
Ceiling Fan Podcast:
Local
super sleuth and private investigator Harlow Doyle is hot on
the trail when his past comes back to haunt him. But will
his past line up with the past he always thought he had?
Meanwhile, with a driver's permit in one hand and a car full
of suitcases, Ethan begins a journey with Phil and James to
find the town of Odyssey.
Yes, the Ceiling Fan
crew is out to finally find the town of Odyssey.
Their 26th podcast begins a summer road trip series you
won't want to miss. Click
here to visit their website.
Meanwhile, if you're like many fans, you want to know where
Odyssey is, too. Fortunately, we've got a site feature here
called Where Odyssey Is Not.
It's well-researched, thorough, and recently updated with
more hints, trivia, and audio clues. If you're new to the
site, listen to what you can expect from this popular
feature:
I'd like to thank
everyone who has taken the time to contribute over the past
few months to make the feature as complete as possible.
Without you, there would be no Scoop on the town of Odyssey.
Also, ScoopCast 4.5 has been
released (Yes, our first half episode. Sounds like a
software upgrade, doesn't it?), though you may not want to
believe everything you hear. ;)
Many of you submitted
nominations for the Odyssey Awards and ideas for a name. In
the newest edition of the
Official Podcast, you'll learn about the finalists
and how you can vote. Take a look at what you get:
Hear the finalists
for the Avery Awards, plus the producers answer your
questions about Whit, old characters, changes, and more.
Listen:
Click here
to see our list of all the finalists... and thanks to
everyone for participating! Winners will be announced on the
June 16th podcast. Stay tuned.
It
looks like the Adventures in Odyssey brand has
adopted its own slogan for the series
in this new era of Odyssey listening. The new slogan,
"Imagine, Discover, and Grow", really speaks to their target
audience of 8 to 12 year-olds, doesn't it? I think
immediately of Big Idea's recent
If
you've been keeping up with the
Let's
talk about Album 52. In the distant future, the 52nd
Adventures in Odyssey album will contain more fun
stories and the kind of entertainment that listeners have
come to know and love. In case you didn't know yet,
Today
is a perfect day to remind you that Adventures in Odyssey
has its own
Well,
everyone, you spoke and we have delivered!
So
apparently, Ethan Daniels, Phil Jinkus, and James the intern
are on to something these days in the latest
