American Greetings Properties Looks to Bolster International Presence

NEW YORK, April 11: American Greetings Properties is aiming to expand its international business, coming to MIPTV with a lineup of content from established series such as Care Bears—which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year—to brand new properties like the girl-skewing Eva Fonteek and the action series Super BadGuy.

This year, to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Care Bears series, American Greetings Properties, in partnership with The Hatchery—of which American Greetings Corporation owns approximately 50 percent—has developed new Care Bear characters, and entertaining plot lines. The CGI feature, Oopsy Does It, which features one of the new care bears, Oopsy Bear, will hit theaters this summer. Two additional 2-D animated releases are planned for 2008, and Fox Home Entertainment has signed on as the exclusive U.S. distributor. At MIPTV, American Greetings Properties is seeking international distribution opportunities for the new Care Bears entertainment. Additionally, American Greetings Properties acquired the classic Care Bears library that was previously owned and represented by Nelvana. The classic Care Bears series—including dozens of 11-minute and 22-minute episodes from the 1980s—is also available for international distribution.

The company will also debut two new properties: Eva Fonteek, a series targeted at girls aged 4-8-years-old, and Super BadGuy, aimed at kids aged 6-11-years-old. Eva Fonteek features an 8-year-old girl named Eva who is a successful fashion and accessory designer. Super BadGuy features a misunderstood hero who is often pegged as a villain despite his honorable intentions.

In addition, American Greetings Properties will also be seeking international distribution opportunities for the Holly Hobbie & Friends as well as international merchandise licensing partners for the series. Holly Hobbie & Friends, which was launched in the U.S. in 2006 through animated specials for DVD that also aired on Nickelodeon, follows Holly and her friends Amy and Carrie, as they spend summers together in the cozy town of Clover and experience all of the key milestones and joys of ten-year-old girls. The new animated series Sushi Pack, co-produced with DIC Entertainment, will also be available at the market. Targeted at kids aged 6-11-years-old, it features a quintet of brave, smart and precocious adolescent pieces of sushi that come to life through a series of extraordinary events. DIC handles the international distribution and licensing for the series and American Greetings Properties handles all U.S. and Canadian sales.

“With over 100 years of experience creating characters that people around the world enjoy, there is so much opportunity for both our new and established properties internationally,” said Tamra Knepfer, the SVP of consumer products for American Greetings Properties. “This is an exciting area of growth for us. We are thrilled with the all-star line-up of entertainment properties we will be showcasing at MIP and the talent we have at American Greetings Properties to support them.”