AGP Inks Hasbro Deal for Care Bears, Strawberry Shortcake

NEW YORK, June 12: American
Greetings Properties (AGP) has appointed Hasbro as the new worldwide master toy
licensee for Care Bears and Strawberry
Shortcake, beginning January 2009.

Kenner was the original
toy partner for both brands when they first launched in the 1980s. Kenner
became part of Hasbro in 1991. Care Bears and Strawberry Shortcake,
since their relaunch in 2002 and 2003, respectively, have garnered almost $5 billion in retail sales worldwide. Hasbro will
be developing a full line of toys for Care Bears and Strawberry Shortcake, including plush, dolls, play sets, games, puzzles
and figures, as well as introducing new categories.

To build on the success of
Strawberry Shortcake, AGP is
creating a new look for the classic brand to appeal to girls today. Inspired by
some classic Strawberry Shortcake
books from the ’80s, the new world is now miniature, hidden beneath a berry
patch. In Berry Bitty City, Strawberry and her friends run their own shops,
including a café, a salon, a general store and more. The new line of
strawberry-scented toys is scheduled to hit shelves in fall 2009, in time for a
new CGI movie and DVD release. Additional DVDs and a new television series are
also in production, in conjunction with DIC Entertainment.

The Care Bears, which turned 25 last year, also have a new look.
The new Care Bears toy line,
based on the updated series Care Bears: Adventures in Care-A-Lot—airing on the KEWLopolis block on CBS—will be part of Hasbro’s
Playskool brand. The toy line will debut in fall 2009 alongside a CGI movie and
DVD release.

“Both Care Bears and Strawberry Shortcake have a strong history with Hasbro, and we are
thrilled to be working with them on our two biggest classic brands,” said Tamra
Knepfer, the senior VP of consumer products at AGP. “Hasbro has unparalleled
experience leveraging evergreen franchises with toy lines at retail and we are
incredibly excited about the innovation, marketing, and retail presence that
this alliance brings to both brands as we look to grow both here in the U.S.
and around the world.”

Sharon John, the general
manager for toy marketing at Hasbro Toys, added: “We look forward to working
with AGP to build on the strong foundations of both brands. Our strategy
includes incorporating new technology for breakthrough, adorable Care Bears plush, plus introducing a new line of Strawberry
Shortcake toys including small
dolls to little girls everywhere.”

—By Mansha Daswani