American Greetings Properties and DIC Entertainment Partner to Launch Programming on CBS' Saturday Morning Children's Block
Deal to Include All-New 'Care Bears(TM)' and Brand New 'Sushi Pack(TM)' Animated Series to Debut September 2007
CLEVELAND and LOS ANGELES, April 12 -- American Greetings Properties, American Greetings entertainment and outbound licensing division, and DIC Entertainment (DIC), a leading global children's media company, announced today that an agreement has been finalized to launch educational and informational programming on the Saturday morning programming block on CBS. The Saturday morning line-up will showcase an all-new animated series featuring world-renowned favorite Care Bears(TM), an animated series starring the ever-popular Strawberry Shortcake(TM), plus an exciting new animated series called Sushi Pack.
Care Bears and Strawberry Shortcake will target children ages 4-8 and Sushi Pack will skew higher to children ages 6-11. All three series are scheduled to launch September 2007.
"We are excited about bringing the new look of Care Bears to another generation of kids, as well as introducing the brand new Sushi Pack and showcasing our timeless Strawberry Shortcake through this new programming," said Jeffrey Conrad, Senior Vice President, Creative for American Greetings Properties. "The initial feedback to the new, updated look of Care Bears has been overwhelmingly positive, and Sushi Pack has the potential to be a breakthrough property for us with its unique style, adventure and sense of humor."
"We have had a tremendous amount of success with American Greetings in re-launching Strawberry Shortcake, and DIC is thrilled to continue our relationship as we partner to introduce brand new entertainment from the classic property Care Bears, as well as the innovative new property Sushi Pack," commented Jeffrey Edell, President, DIC. "The new series will compliment our existing programming line-up this Fall on CBS and offer our viewers a broader range of programming options from pre-school to tween."
The Care Bears, everyone's favorite bears, filled with warmth, caring and humor, are back with an all-new animated series of delightful tales from Care-a-lot. The 52, 11-minute episodes will feature a fresh and contemporary twist on the classic property.
The new animated series Sushi Pack follows five crime-fighting pieces of sushi that protect Wharf City from over-the-top diabolical villains. The humor-filled, action-packed television treatment for Sushi Pack was written by animation legends Tom Ruegger and Nicholas Hollander, the Emmy(R)-winning writers/producers behind such animated hits as "Animaniacs," "Tiny Toon Adventures," and "Pinky and the Brain." The series, of 52, 11-minute episodes, is being co-produced by American Greetings Properties and DIC Entertainment.
In addition, American Greetings beloved girls' property, Strawberry Shortcake makes its Saturday morning debut this fall. The Strawberry Shortcake series will bring adventure and friendship to little girls everywhere. The series of 26 22-minute episodes was co-produced with DIC Entertainment.
"Saturday morning TV gives us an outstanding platform to introduce new shows and characters into the kids' marketplace," said Tamra Knepfer, Senior Vice President, Consumer Products, American Greetings Properties. "With American Greetings' strong animated programs such as Care Bears, Strawberry Shortcake and our new Sushi Pack, CBS will be a top destination for kids on Saturday mornings."
About American Greetings Properties:
American Greetings' intellectual property and outbound licensing division, AGP was established to develop multi-platform entertainment, licensing, merchandising and promotional campaigns for its classic properties, as well as develop a new series of character brands. The impetus for setting up the division was inspired not only by the success of two properties, Care Bears and Strawberry Shortcake but also the intellectual properties, digital, manufacturing and retail core competencies that define the American Greetings Corporation. Properties also include Holly Hobbie, Twisted Whiskers, Sushi Pack, Maryoku Yummy, Bubblegum, Madballs, Popples, and more. For more information visit http://www.agpbrands.com/.
About American Greetings Corporation:
American Greetings Corporation (NYSE: AM) is one of the world's largest manufacturers of social expression products. Along with greeting cards, its product lines include gift wrap, party goods, stationery and calendars. Through its web sites at AmericanGreetings.com, BlueMountain.com, Egreetings.com and Kiwee.com it also produces electronic greetings and other forms of digital social expression products. For more information on the Company, visit http://corporate.americangreetings.com.
About DIC Entertainment:
DIC Entertainment, a fully integrated global brand management company, is dedicated to creating, developing, producing, distributing, marketing and merchandising family-based intellectual properties. The Company serves as the worldwide licensor for brands such as McDonald's, Strawberry Shortcake, and Classic Trolls. DIC has become an industry leader in developing quality content for kids with an extensive library of over 3,000 half-hours of animated programming, including Horseland, Strawberry Shortcake, Liberty's Kids, Madeline, Care Bears and Where On Earth Is Carmen Sandiego? In 2006, DIC and AOL's kids' online destination KOL launched the new branded kids' programming block, KOL's Saturday Morning Secret Slumber Party for CBS. As a pre-eminent supplier of kids programming worldwide, DIC has developed strategic partnerships with key broadcast partners throughout North America, Europe, Asia, Latin America, Africa and Australia. Last year DIC announced the acquisition of Copyright Promotions, a pan-European licensing agency that represents the licensing rights of a broad portfolio of world-renowned companies including DreamWorks Animation, MGM, Marvel, Sony, Twentieth Century Fox, Viacom and The Football Association. DIC is headquartered in Burbank, California with offices in New York, Paris and London.
Certain statements in this release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Federal securities laws. These statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historic or current facts. They use such words as "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "project," "intend," "plan," "believe," and other words and terms of similar meaning in connection with any discussion of future operating or financial performance. These forward-looking statements are based on currently available information, but are subject to a variety of uncertainties, unknown risks and other factors concerning our operations and business environment, which are difficult to predict and may be beyond our control. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those suggested by these forward-looking statements, and that could adversely affect our future financial performance, include, but are not limited to, the consumer preferences and demand for our entertainment properties and the rapidly changing trends in the children's entertainment market. In addition, this release contains time-sensitive information that reflects management's best analysis as of the date of this release.
American Greetings does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect future events, information or circumstances that arise after the date of this release. Further information concerning issues that could materially affect financial performance related to forward-looking statements can be found in American Greetings Corporation's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
For More Information Contact:
Kas Rigas -- Dan Klores Communications -- 212-981-5211
kas_rigas@dkcnews.com
Karen Silberg -- Dan Klores Communications -- 212-981-5232
karen_silberg@dkcnews.com
Michelle Orsi -- Three.Sixty Communications (For DIC) -- 310.372.2309,
michelle@360-comm.com
SOURCE American Greetings Properties