Strawberry Shortcake, whose reinvention a mere five years ago has seen a beyond impressive return in the billions of dollars, is looking to find its way into new forms of publication through music, home video and filmmaking, as is the goal of the property's owners. Plus Licens AB in particular, is expected to help facilitate Strawberry Shortcake's popularity through the development and implementation of key merchandising efforts throughout its region of specificity. According to Plus License AB, their market reach amounts to more than 438 million consumers--more than half of Europe's entire population.
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"The classic Strawberry Shortcake franchise was one of the biggest licensing innovations of its time, and the power of the re-launched brand combined with Plus Licens' fashion design experience and market position in Eastern Europe should provide the base for a brightening long-term future for Strawberry Shortcake in these territories".
At present Strawberry Shortcake touts more than 300 licensees worldwide. The franchise, since its reinvention as recent as the 2003-year, has generated more than $2.5 billion in worldwide retail sales [past A.I. news: "'Strawberry Shortcake' Hits $2b Sales Benchmark"].
Inclusive of any number of doll and toy-lines, video games, apparel, gifts, an animated television series (thirty-six episodes), a theatrical feature and much more, Strawberry Shortcake keeps expanding and expanding and expanding.
According to DiC and American Greetings, "major promotional partnerships are in development for 2008 and beyond," that will be designed to exploit new character themes: dance, western, music, fairytale and Hollywood glamor.
"Strawberry Shortcake continues to do phenomenally well throughout Europe and the world, and we are thrilled to have Plus Licens AB onboard to develop and aggressively drive the merchandising and publishing program throughout the territory," Leslie Nelson, Senior Vice President & Managing Director, EMEA at DIC, commented. "We look forward to continuing to create fresh and unique product lines to continue to build the awareness and success of the brand."
Plus Licens AB also represents such meaningful and influential properties across Europe such as: Asterix, Garfield, Totally Spies, Kung Fu Panda, Schulz's Peanuts, the Korean-developed PUCCA, the hit anime franchise Pure Cure, South Park, Horseland, and many others. Known in Central and Eastern European regions as Zemlyanichnoe, as Pechenie Truskaweczka and Eperke; the Strawberry Shortcake franchise is likely to be focused and funneled into the development of merchandising and publishing activities across the new territories.
on DiC Entertainment: DiC (www.DiCEntertainment.com) is a fully-integrated global brand management company, is dedicated to creating, developing, producing, distributing, marketing and merchandising family-based intellectual properties.