Fox Licensing signs agreements for Chipmunks products
Licensees include Jakks Pacific, Build-A-Bear and Ty
-- Kids Today, 11/20/2009 6:10:00 AM
CENTURY CITY, Calif. – This holiday, Alvin and The Chipmunks are back for the family event film of the season – Alvin and The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel, in theatres Dec. 23. To answer overwhelming consumer demand for the film Twentieth Century Fox Licensing & Merchandising and Bagdasarian Productions have teamed for an extensive global licensing program that will introduce the characters to fans like never before.
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| Alvin and The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel will be joined by a massive roll-out of character products. |
From toys to apparel and publishing, Alvin and The Chipmunks and the soon-to-be introduced Chipettes, will have consumers going ‘nuts’ for more. Alvin and The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel is the follow-up to one of the most successful family films of 2007, Alvin and The Chipmunks, which earned more than $360 million in worldwide box office receipts.
“The success of the first Alvin and The Chipmunks film proved that this is a brand that continues to resonate with audiences more than 50 years after its creation,” said Robert Marick, EVP of Fox Licensing. “With the Squeakquel, we’re taking the property to the next level with The Chipettes - the female counterparts to Alvin and his gang. Our licensing program is going to match the enthusiasm and scope of this new addition.”
A bevy of new deals have been signed in support of the film. On the global stage, a master toy agreement with Jakks Pacific will introduce an Alvin and The Chipmunks toy line throughout North America and Europe at mass retailers. Adding to its toy line-up, Fox Licensing has partnered with the popular Build-A-Bear chain to offer stuffable and prestuffed plush chipmunks, with optional sound chips, exclusively at Build-A-Bear Workshops nationwide. Finally, Ty, Inc. will offer specialty items such as the highly collectable plush beanie babies and Nanco will make plush for the amusement channel.
In the interactive world , Majesco Entertainment will feature everyone’s favorite music group in an all-new video game for the Nintendo Wii and DS December 1st – Alvin and The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel the Video Game. Additionally, Emerson Karaoke will bring its electronic music maker with a function that allows everyone to sing like a chipmunk to parties all across the globe through a full line of karaoke products in 2010 plus FunKo will create Alvin and The Chipmunks bobbleheads this holiday.
On the apparel side, the company will join forces with American Marketing Enterprises, Inc. (AME)/Next Craze for girls sleepwear. Product will be in novelty packaging and utilize light-up technology. This agreement joins previously announced apparel deals with Mad Engine for boys tees and Issac Morris Limited which will produce girl tees plus outerwear for both segments.
New deals for the property’s publishing program include an agreement with Harper Collins who is on board for a line of storybooks. Bendon Publishing will develop a line of color/activity and educational books for the US market and Canada. Five Mile Press will release activity books, coloring books, bound sticker books, puzzle books, and paint books in Australia and New Zealand. Aquarius will offer various sizes of posters, boxed puzzles and wall calendars.
“The new designs of The Chipettes, which my wife, Janice Karman has done for the movie has been wonderfully received and we’re delighted that our fans will now have an opportunity to take the characters home with them,” said Ross Bagdasarian.
In addition, a soundtrack will be available from Rhino Records on Dec. 1 featuring The Chipmunks and The Chipettes.
After finishing as one of the most successful family films of 2007 and scooping up the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Award for “Favorite Movie” – Alvin and The Chipmunks is officially back at the top of the charts. The extended Alvin and The Chipmunks merchandising program is bolstered by the extraordinary success of the DVD release that sold over 2.6 million units in its first 24 hours of availability and the original motion picture soundtrack Alvin and the Chipmunks (Razor & Tie/FOX Music), which has spent 57 weeks on the Billboard Top 200 album chart peaking at #5. The soundtrack has been certified platinum and recently won an American Music Award for Favorite Album – Soundtrack category. Alvin and The Chipmunks released a follow up album, Undeniable.
The 2007 theatrical release of Alvin and the Chipmunks earned $45 million in its opening weekend alone. The DVD garnered huge success with over 13 million units sold to date to become the #1 selling family DVD of the year. Its success followed a legacy of hits for the brand including six Grammy Awards, 18 Grammy Nominations, 14 Gold and Platinum albums, five Emmy Nominations. The brand currently boasts 95% awareness amongst moms with kids 2-11, 94% awareness with men 18-49 and 96% awareness with women 18-49.
All licensing agreements and future product introductions are made possible through collaboration between Fox Licensing and Ross Bagdasarian, Jr. – son of the Alvin and The Chipmunks creator – and his wife and partner, Janice Karman, who are the creative team behind The Chipmunks.
