El Reino Infantil, one of the most influential children's content brands, is expanding the "Zenon Farm" universe with the launch of "Bartolito: The Series." Ezequiel Inzaghi, Chief Content Officer in Content Creation, and Ylka Tapia, Content Acquisition and Partnership Manager, talked about the creative process behind the series, its balance of fun and values, and El Reino Infantil's broader content strategy, which includes new productions and international acquisitions.
El Reino Infantil's new project, "Bartolito: The Series," is set in a school environment, exploring themes of growth, friendship, and magical powers. What inspired you to take Bartolito and his friends into this new stage of their journey?
EI: "We want to follow families as their children grow, reflecting the adventures and challenges that arise in their early years. We felt the best way to do that was through our most beloved and recognizable character: Bartolito. School, as a central space for learning, is also where children discover essential values, form friendships, and create bonds that last a lifetime. Alongside Bartolito, audiences will also enjoy the presence of other iconic characters, such as La Vaca Lola and Percherón, as well as new, endearing friends who will enrich the stories and expand the series' universe. In this new stage, Bartolito leaves behind the comfort of the farm to face a world full of discoveries: new emotions, relationships, and challenges that help him grow and mature. From a narrative standpoint, we've incorporated gamification elements to convey meaningful values playfully and engagingly, aligned with the language and experiences today's children relate to."
How does the series strike a balance between entertainment and themes such as emotional development, socialization, and empathy?
EI: "The essence of the series lies in striking a perfect balance between entertainment and meaningful development. On one hand, we deliver fun through humor, music, and adventures that capture children's attention. On the other hand, we naturally integrate topics such as emotional growth, socialization, and empathy, ensuring that each story not only entertains but also helps kids experience real-life situations. This balance is achieved by presenting learning moments with the same freshness and dynamism as the adventures themselves. In the school setting, characters encounter various Power-Ups —playful narrative elements that drive the story forward while also offering opportunities to learn about emotions and behaviors, such as patience, kindness, or resilience, in a natural and engaging way. That allows kids to enjoy the story while also reflecting on values organically, and families can rely on the content as both entertaining and meaningful. For our partners, this dual approach represents high-impact content; it keeps children engaged, supports families, and builds long-term bonds with audiences through both fun and values."
How would you define the creative process behind integrating "Power-Ups" as a metaphor for learning and self-discovery in early childhood?
EI: "The idea of introducing Power-Ups came from observing how today's children are naturally drawn to game-based learning and interactive experiences. In the school setting of 'Bartolito: The Series', Power-Ups act as a playful engine for the story and as a metaphor for the learning and self-discovery that occur in childhood. From a creative perspective, we designed them to be exciting and fun, like unlocking a new level in a game, while also creating opportunities to explore emotions and behaviors. This way, children enjoy the story while naturally reflecting on important values and skills that are part of their daily lives. The creative process was highly collaborative, involving our writers, child development specialists, and design team. Together, we ensured that each Power-Up was visually engaging, narratively meaningful, and relevant to children's growth."
Besides "Bartolito: The Series", what other projects are you currently developing or acquiring that you believe have international potential?
YT: "In addition to this ambitious project, which we're putting a lot of energy and effort into, and which represents a great opportunity for potential partners to join us with the assurance of our solid audience, we're also working on a redesign of 'La Granja de Zenón'. Moreover, we've recently begun co-producing another IP in development called 'Wadoo', and we'll be sharing more details about it very soon."
What is your perspective on the current landscape of kids' content?
YT: "From an acquisition standpoint, we continue to strengthen our strategy. We work in 11 languages and are continually seeking content that resonates with audiences in those markets. Currently, we're particularly focused on English-language titles with a clear global reach, as well as Portuguese content, since Brazil is one of our strongest markets and we're eager to continue expanding our offerings there. We're also paying special attention to Italy, which is growing organically and exponentially for us and is becoming another key territory where we're actively seeking new titles to complement our channel's programming."