CLIFFORD IS ‘TOP DOG’ AT LICENSING SHOW 2005
Scholastic Entertainment Transitions Classic Clifford the Big Red Dog Toward Evergreen Status Through Grow With Clifford Campaign
New York,
NY (May
31,
2005) --
Scholastic Entertainment (SE) heads into Licensing Show 2005 starting a new chapter for everyone’s favorite crimson canine Clifford the Big Red Dog. A “bone-afide” international and domestic superstar, Clifford is an enormous success in traditional and nontraditional licensing categories and continues to perform as one of the world’s top preschool properties. Now, five years after Clifford’s debut on PBS KIDS, SE is looking to the future and developing a long-term marketing campaign that will emphasize all the wonderful ways children can “Grow with Clifford.” The new strategy will combine various promotional and educational activities across Clifford the Big Red Dog and Clifford’s Puppy Days brands to extend the life of the character in new and exciting ways.
“Clifford is a classic children’s favorite that has proven his worth and undeniable appeal for several generations,” said Leslye Schaefer, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Consumer Products, Scholastic Entertainment. “It is our aim this year to further establish the property as a true evergreen with long term appeal for retailers, licensees and consumers alike. Numerous partnerships and promotions with top companies and manufacturers, including Fisher-Price, General Mills and Nabisco have proven the brand’s continuing appeal.”
Clifford has proven successful in various categories including electronic learning toys, pet supplies/goods, playground/outdoor equipment and live shows. Recent deals with Fisher-Price and General Mills’ organic cereal division, Cascadian Farm, have created top-selling product offerings such as the Ready for School™ CLIFFORD® and Clifford Crunch Cereal. These products encourage children to lead healthy and wholesome lives with an emphasis on improving the mind and body. A list of current licensees includes:
APPAREL & ACCESSORIES
A.D. Sutton & Sons (B,P)
Children’s Apparel Network (B,P)
Heyman Corporation (P)
S. Goldberg & Company (B, P)
Wormser Company (B, P)
DOMESTIC & HOME FURNISHINGS
Cranston Consumer Products (B)
Crown Crafts Infants Products (B)
Franco Manufacturing Company, Inc. (B, P)
Northwest Company (B, P)
Playhut (B)
Thermos LLC (P)
Zak Designs (B)
FOOD & BEVERAGES
Bakery Crafts (B)
Brach’s Confections (B)
General Mills (B)
Hansen’s Beverage Company (B)
In Zone (B)
Kelly Foods/BilJac (B)
Kraft (B)
Lucks (B)
Unilever Bestfoods (B, P)
HEALTH & BEAUTY
Arquest, Inc. (B, P)
Beiersdorft (Curad) (B)
Charles Flora Consumer Products (B)
INTERACTIVE
Lions Gate Home Entertainment (B, P)
Scholastic Media (B, P)
MUSIC
Music for Little People (B)
PUBLISHING
Publications International (B, P)
Scholastic Book Group (P)
Soft Play (B)
PROMOTIONAL PARTNERS & LIVE ENTERTAINMENT
Turnstile Entertainment (B)
Quiznos (B)
STATIONERY & PAPER GOODS
American Greetings (B, P)
Amscan, Inc. (B, P)
Center Enterprises (B)
Demco, Inc. (B)
Learning Curve/RC2 (B)
Mead Corporation (B)
Peaceable Kingdom Press (B)
Proctor & Gamble Company (B)
Smilemakers (B)
Trends International (B)
Unique Industries (B)
Wink, Inc. (B)
TOYS & GIFTS
A&A Global Industries (B)
Alpha International (B)
Accessory Time (B)
American Plastics (B)
Casa D’Oro (B)
Fisher-Price (B)
Galison/MuddyPuppy (B)
International Playthings, Inc. (B)
Jolly Roger (B)
Kurt Adler (B)
Leapfrog (B)
Madame Alexander Doll Company (B)
Nancy Sales Company (NANCO) (B)
Pamela Drake, Inc. (B)
Playcore Company (B)
Playhut (B)
PTI Group (B)
Rubie’s Costume Company (B, P)
Small World Toys (B, P)
Sidekicks (B, P)
Toy Island (B, P)
Warren Industries (B, P)
*B=Clifford the Big Red Dog, P = Clifford’s Puppy Days
About Clifford The Big Red Dog
Clifford The Big Red Dog is a “bone”afide children’s literary classic. First published by Norman Bridwell in 1963, there are now more than 110 million Clifford books in print. In fall 2000, everyone’s favorite BIG red dog made his TV debut on PBS KIDS and the animated series rapidly became one of today’s biggest hits. The top-rated show has received numerous accolades, most notably multiple Daytime Emmy Award nominations and the Humanitas Prize in the children’s animation category for a groundbreaking episode about disabilities. In 2004, Clifford jumped to the big screen in his first theatrical release, Clifford’s Really Big Movie. The Clifford LIVE! tour also debuted last year along with a traveling museum exhibit, Adventures with Clifford The Big Red Dog, that is touring nationwide at children’s museums and is currently at The Strong Museum in Rochester. Clifford’s two websites (scholastic.com and pbskids.org) combined receive more than 18 million page views monthly.
About Scholastic Entertainment
Scholastic Entertainment (SE) is the entertainment and media division of Scholastic, the global children's publishing and media company. A proven leader in the children's entertainment landscape, SE ranks as one of the foremost producers of quality, family-oriented television programming, feature films, videos, and web sites, and an award-winning licensor and marketer of children's properties worldwide. In addition to Maya & Miguel™, SE's production credits include such popular television series as the top-rated Clifford The Big Red Dog® (PBS KIDS); the spin-off of this hit TV series, Clifford’s Puppy Days™ (PBS KIDS); the Emmy award-winning series I SPY (HBO Family) and The Magic School Bus™ (TLC); as well as Dear America, The Royal Diaries™, Animorphs ™ and Goosebumps™. In the feature film arena, SE has produced the critically-acclaimed movies Clifford’s Really Big Movie, The Baby-sitters Club, The Indian in the Cupboard, Tuck Everlasting and The Mighty and is currently adapting the best-selling Philip Pullman trilogy, His Dark Materials, for the big screen with New Line Cinema. Additionally, SE serves as the exclusive licensing, merchandising and promotional representative for such prominent franchises as Home Movies™. SE has been recognized with the LIMA Award for Best Brand/Corporate License for its Scholastic Brand product line as well as LIMA’s Best Character License of the Year for Clifford The Big Red Dog. For more information, visit Scholastic's Webby award-winning web site at scholastic.com.
About Scholastic
Scholastic Corporation (NASDAQ: SCHL) is the world's largest publisher and distributor of children's books and a leader in educational technology. Scholastic creates quality educational and entertaining materials and products for use in school and at home, including children's books, magazines, technology-based products, teacher materials, television programming, film, videos and toys. The Company distributes its products and services through a variety of channels, including proprietary school-based book clubs, school-based book fairs, and school-based and direct-to-home continuity programs; retail stores, schools, libraries and television networks; and the Company's Internet site, www.scholastic.com.
Contacts:
BENDER/HELPER IMPACT
Brian Reinert
212-689-6360
BENDER/HELPER IMPACT
Jessica Simon
212-689-6360
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