TV-Loonland’s Little Princess Gears Up for Product Rollout

LONDON, January 7: TV-Loonland and Martin Yaffe
International are set to launch a new line of merchandise for the hit preschool
property Little Princess, with the first
range of products hitting stores at the end of February.

The spring/summer products and autumn/winter lines will be
showcased at Toy Fair 2008, which takes place January 30-February 2. Under the Born to Play
brand, Martin Yaffe International, the master toy licensee for Little
Princess,
will be launching items from the spring/summer collection, including beanies of
character favorites Gilbert, Puss, Scruff and Little Princess, as well as plush
toys of Little Princess and Gilbert. The Little Princess musical TV, which plays
the show’s theme song, will also be on display at Toy Fair 2008, along with a
range of inflatables.

Little
Princess
outdoor items include an inflatable space hopper and an inflatable bouncy
castle. The Nessie Stick horse is based on the General’s hobby horse and has
sound effects that are activated by pressing Nessie’s ears. Also available will
be the inflatable spray pool and a selection of wheeled toys.

At Toy Fair 2008, visitors to the Born to Play stand will
also get a sneak peek at the Little Princess Castle Playset, an activity center that is a replica of
the castle from the series. The playset includes furniture and favorite
characters from the show. It is suitable for children aged 2 to 4, and will be
available throughout the U.K. and Ireland, along with other products from the
new Born to Play Little Princess line.

The Little Princess series
was rated the top program on terrestrial TV in the U.K. in March 2007, and the
second 35×11-minute season is currently airing on Five’s Milkshake! programming block. The series, which has been sold in
more than 150 countries to date, features the voice talents of Jane Horrocks and Julian
Clary, and is based on the best-selling picture books of award-winning
author/illustrator Tony Ross. Produced by The Illuminated Film Company, Little
Princess is aimed at children aged 2 to 6.

Olivier
Dumont, the managing director of TV-Loonland, commented: “Little
Princess has an extremely loyal fan base, which is rapidly increasing judging by
the fantastic ratings the show is pulling in all key markets including the U.K.
The creativity and quality of the first toy samples we have seen come out of
Martin Yaffe are absolutely stunning. They love and care about Little
Princess and it shows!”

Peter
Hatton, the toy director at Martin Yaffe International, added: “We are
delighted to have been appointed master toy licensee for Little Princess and will be showcasing
the new range at Toy Fair ’08. Strong retail distribution is anticipated, with
products due to be on shelf in time for Easter.”

—By Kristin Brzoznowski