TORONTO -- June 7, 2004 -- The worldwide master toy licensee is in place for Breakthrough Animation's ATOMIC BETTY. In a deal negotiated on behalf of Breakthrough by Breakthrough Animation Licensing Agency of Record Joy Tashjian of Joy Tashjian Marketing Group, Playmates Toys has been awarded the master toy license for ATOMIC BETTY, it was announced by Kevin Gillis, a managing partner of Breakthrough Animation Inc and an Executive Producer of the animated series.
Playmates Toys has set January '05 for the roll-out of its ATOMIC BETTY line, which will encompass dolls, playsets, action figures and toy accessories based on the eagerly anticipated animated series which makes its debut on Cartoon Network this fall as well as TELETOON (Canada), M6 (France), TELETOON (France) and Cartoon Network (UK). In addition, the series has thus far been licensed to over 55 countries worldwide.
Playmates will offer an extensive array of dolls and figures at several price points, as well as transforming figures and play environments, accessories and playsets.
"We are extremely pleased to award the ATOMIC BETTY master toy license to Playmates Toys. One of the industry's most prominent and innovative companies, Playmates has applied its extraordinary creative resources to create a toy line that fully captures the empowering spirit that ATOMIC BETTY embodies. We look forward to working with Playmates towards a successful launch of the ATOMIC BETTY toy line," said Gillis.
"With nearly four decades of success, Playmates Toys, Inc. is among the most well respected and creative marketing companies in the global toy industry. We are thrilled not only with the play appeal of the line that Playmates has created but also with the way in which these toys will enable kids to immerse themselves in ATOMIC BETTY's world," said Tashjian.
"The ATOMIC BETTY animated series is exceptionally rich in all of the key character and story elements that make for great toys. The series' humor, frantic action and fast paced adventure inspired us to create a feature filled line that will bring Betty and her world to life for fans of all ages. We are very pleased to be partnering with Breakthrough Animation and Joy Tashjian in the launch of a toy line that reflects the hip attitude and fun of this exceptional property," said Playmates Toys President, Lou Novak.
ATOMIC BETTY follows the adventures of Betty, a little girl with a big secret. To her friends and family, she's the sweet and brainy girl next door, but when the galaxy beckons, she sheds her humdrum persona and becomes: "Atomic Betty, Galactic Guardian and Defender of the Cosmos." While the citizens of Earth carry on with their every day lives, Atomic Betty zips across the galaxy on daring and valiant missions, from saving a race of space monkeys from a giant caterpillar invasion to rescuing a kidnapped ambassador from a ruthless king. She's a hero to the universe, but on her home planet Earth, Betty's just one of the gang. But that's the way she likes it - if her Mom and Dad knew she was out zooming through the cosmos without a license, she'd be grounded for sure!
ATOMIC BETTY was created by ATOMIC CARTOONS and developed by Breakthrough Animation and Fresh Produce. An official Canada-France co-production, the series is produced by Breakthrough Animation Inc. and Atomic Cartoons with Tele-Images Kids in association with TELETOON Canada and the participation of the Shaw Fund and the Canadian Television Fund.
About Breakthrough Films & Television:
Toronto-based Breakthrough Films and Television is a producer of popular children's, factual, drama and lifestyle programming. Over the past 20 years, executive producers Ira Levy and Peter Williamson have built a creative partnership to establish themselves as one of Canada's most prolific providers of television programming, having produced over 250 half-hours of programming in 2003 alone. Breakthrough is located on the web at www.breakthroughfilms.com.
About Playmates Toys Inc.:
With over thirty five years of experience, Playmates Toys, Inc., headquartered in Costa Mesa, California, is among the most well respected and innovative marketing companies in the global toy industry. Playmates has a proven history in the management of long term, proprietary and licensed entertainment brand franchises. Playmates designs, develops, markets and distributes its products in over sixty countries worldwide. Playmates Toys Inc. is a division of Playmates Holdings Limited, a Hong Kong-based company whose stock is traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
