June 2003 - Cleveland, Ohio - Over the past year, the Care Bears have successfully exited hibernation to re-emerge as one of the hottest and best-performing properties in the marketplace. The strategic licensing program, spearheaded by The Joester Loria Group -- American Greetings' exclusive worldwide licensing agency for the property -- has strongly connected with parents, teens and kids alike, resulting in an anticipated $250 million in licensed product retail sales for 2003 alone. At The 2003 L!CENSING SHOW, American Greetings and The Joester Loria Group will highlight a wide range of exciting new initiatives designed to continue this momentum and further help build the Care Bears into a true, long-term evergreen franchise.
Leading the way are two major projects that will bring the Care Bears to life as interactive entertainment giant THQ readies the first-ever Care Bears video game for release this summer, while Artisan Home Entertainment will launch the first Care Bears movie in more than 15 years with a CGI animated direct-to-video production scheduled for Fall 2004. To further strengthen the property's already large retail presence, American Greetings and The Joester Loria Group have secured major promotions for the property with two leading retailers -- Mervyn's and Musicland. Additionally, American Greetings will expand the reach of the Care Bears to classrooms across the country through a unique preschool curriculum program that positions the characters as national symbols of caring and sharing.
"Over the past year, we have seen the Care Bears touch the lives of a new generation of kids and teens, as well as parents who originally grew up with the property. As we look to continue nurturing the property for the long term, our top goal will remain partnering with the types of companies that understand the huge emotional connection the Care Bears have with consumers and who can deliver the products and promotions that enhance this bond," said Mike Brown, Vice President of Licensing, American Greetings.
Debra Joester, President of The Joester Loria Group added, "Care Bears exited hibernation with extraordinary momentum. Care Bears merchandise has been widely accepted in every major merchandising category by consumers and retailers alike, and the demand continues to grow on a global scale. The classic appeal of Care Bears is evident in the breadth of its customer base."
Direct-to-Video Movie
The Care Bears are going Hollywood! Artisan's Family Home Entertainment division (FHE) will release a brand-new animated direct-to-video feature film starring the beloved Care Bears. Being developed by top animation studio Nelvana Limited - the animators of the three original Care bears hit movies and top rated TV series -- The Care Bears In: King Funshine, The Great will be a full-length movie and marks the first time the Care Bears are being been animated using the advanced 3D CGI technique. The first new Care Bears movie in more than 15 years, The Care Bears In: King Funshine, The Great is currently in production and is expected to be released on both VHS and DVD formats in fourth quarter 2004.
Licensing & Merchandising Program Expansion
Leading video game manufacturer THQ® Inc. is the latest industry heavyweight to join the Care Bears licensing program. THQ has signed on to develop a line of computer and video games - marking the first time ever that this beloved children's property will be adapted for the interactive arena. The first Care Bears title, Care Bears: Care-A-Lot Kingdom, a CD-Rom game for Mac/IBM PC is currently being created and is scheduled to ship to retailers in August 2003.
The addition of THQ further bolsters Joester Loria Group's thriving licensing program for the property which already boasts more than 90 licensees highlighted by industry leaders such as Children's Apparel Network (newborn & toddler apparel), Play Along (toy & plush), Gerber Childrenswear, Inc. (infant layette), Scholastic Publishing (books), Baby Boom Consumer Products (infant & toddler domestic) and Wish Licensing (junior apparel). The Care Bears consistently ranks as a top-selling property at mass retail outlets in several licensed categories including bedding, publishing and plush. In fact, overall, more than 8 million Care Bears plush has shipped to retail between August '02 and April '03. Awareness for Care Bears merchandise will continue to grow as American Greetings and its licensing partners support the property with more than $5 million in TV advertising through the remainder of 2003.
In addition to a huge domestic presence, the Care Bears are also solidifying their power on a global scale. Major merchandising programs are underway in top international territories including the UK, Australia and Canada.
Musicland and Mervyn's Retail Promotions
American Greetings and The Joester Loria Group continue to develop innovative retail programs to help the Care Bears stand out in the marketplace. For back-to-school 2003, Musicland will spotlight a major Care Bears promotion. Targeted to the teen/tween demographic, the centerpiece of the campaign is a sweepstakes that offers the grand prize of a 2003 VW Beetle filled with Care Bears product. Musicland locations nationwide will highlight the promotion with in-store signage, dedicated Care Bears displays, and a full-page print advertisement in top teen girl publication YM.
In addition to Musicland, leading specialty retailer Mervyn's has chosen Care Bears as one of its featured properties for the holiday season. From November 1, 2003 through December 31, 2003, dedicated Care Bears displays will be prominently showcased in all Mervyn's stores. Mervyn's will further support its holiday campaign with in-store signage and regional advertising.
"National Care Week" Pre-School Curriculum Program
American Greetings has partnered with leading youth curriculum agency YMI to develop an educational program that will be delivered to teachers at over 25 thousand preschools - reaching a potential audience of more than eight million preschoolers nationwide. Designed to be utilized in classrooms from October '03 through May '04, the Care Bears program will contain caring and sharing activities with the Care Bears characters featured as the "Ambassadors of Good Will". The materials will encourage teachers to organize community service activities for their classes that help further showcase the main mission of National Care Week: "You're Never Too Young To Care." The program will also be supported by national and local media campaigns, the week of November 10, to kick off National Care Week.
About The Care Bears
When introduced by American Greetings in 1982, the Care Bears property was truly ahead of its time. Never before had a property been introduced for children that was specifically designed to help teach them the importance of caring for others and sharing ones special feelings. The unique concept of each bear representing a feeling - or caring-based relationship - through a bright-colored symbol on its tummy proved to be incredibly popular.
Led by Cheer Bear, Tenderheart Bear, Share Bear and the other unforgettable characters, the Care Bears with their emotional underpinning truly connected with consumers, resulting in more than $1.5 billion in retail sales of licensed products and spawning three hit feature films - the first of which was the highest-grossing animated movie of all-time up to that point -- and a top-rated Saturday morning animated series.
In 2002, the instantly recognizable Care Bears made a grand exit from hibernation. Their return grabbed national headlines, from Time and Newsweek to USA Today, and sparked a consumer frenzy as the cuddly characters' sharing and caring message struck a huge chord with a new generation of kids and teens, and parents who originally grew up with them. With initial sales of licensed product soaring from $70 million in 2002 to more than $250 million expected in 2003, the Care Bears have clearly demonstrated their growing appeal as a true classic, evergreen property.
American Greetings
American Greetings is the world's largest publicly held creator, manufacturer and distributor of greeting cards and social expression products. Its staff of artists, designers and writers comprises one of the largest creative departments in the world and helps consumers "say it best" by supplying more than 15,000 greeting card designs to retail outlets in nearly every English-speaking country. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, American Greetings drives annual sales of more than $2.5 billion. For more information on the company, visit http://www.americangreetings.com on the World Wide Web.
About The Joester Loria Group
The Joester Loria Group, www.joesterloriagroup.com, is a full-service licensing and marketing agency providing its clients with a full array of services including: strategic planning, competitive analysis, implementation of licensing strategy, management of publicity, advertising and marketing for licensing programs. The Joester Loria Group represents Berlitz, Boeing, DaimlerChrysler Corporation for Jeep and Chrysler, American Greetings for Care Bears, Gruner+Jahr including Parents Magazine and YM, Schering-Plough, Inc. brand Coppertone, New York City Police Department, Mollie Katzen and the family of Rodale Inc. magazines including Men's Health and Prevention.
