American Greetings Interactive Partners with Comedy Time
Comedy Time, the leading provider of short-form comedic content for mobile devices, broadband and cable, has joined forces with American Greetings Interactive, the online division of American Greetings Corp. to offer a new collection of funny e-cards. The new
line, now available at www.AmericanGreetings.com, includes both live and studio performances from some of today’s up and coming stand-up comics and sketch performers, all featured at www.ComedyTime.tv.
Capstone Expands with Industry Vets
Capstone Publishers, the largest publisher of original characters and graphic novels for schools in the country, has teamed up with actress/writer Marisa Coughlan and veteran entertainment lawyer-turned-producer Eric Feig to bring its vast library of original fiction content to film, television, new media, and merchandising. Feig and Coughlan have enlisted the talents of two industry veterans, lit rep Alan Gasmer and licensing agent Ken Abrams, to assist with the project.
Coughlan and Feig will focus on the Stone Arch Books division and strategic partners such as DC Comics and Sports Illustrated. A seasoned lit rep, Gasmer has represented properties in all aspects of the entertainment industry.
Abrams was the director of licensing at Paramount Pictures, former vp of consumer products and marketing for Marvel Entertainment. Currently he is president of Character Vision, a licensing agency that develops merchandising programs for a vast array of intellectual properties including; Bigfoot Monster Trucks, artist Patrick Nagel, and The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
Senario Makes Statement Against Potential Infringers
Senario LLC, a leading innovator of consumer electronics, entertainment, and publishing, has filed a formal complaint against Novelty, Inc., of Greenfield, Ind. for infringing on Senario patents, which encompass its Bunjie monkeys and Projectile Plush.
“This is a clear case of patent infringement that Novelty, Inc., has engaged in,” said Mike Nakamura, founder and CEO of Senario in a statement. “Senario has aggressively protected this intellectual property over the years with 100 percent success and we will continue to do so.”
MGA to Have IPO?
It has been widely reported that MGA Entertainment’s CEO Isaac Larian will consider an initial public offering for the company. In addition, Larian
announced a distribution agreement for MGA’s Moxie Girlz line of fashion dolls with Giochi Preziosi (GP) Toys. GP Toys
will distribute the doll in Italy, France, Greece, and Turkey.
Precious Moments and Baby Boom Sign Agreement
Precious Moments, Inc., announced a recent licensing agreement with Baby Boom Consumer Products, a Betesh Group company. Under the agreement, Baby Boom will develop and distribute a line of baby bedding and room décor featuring Precious Moments artwork.
Precious Moments baby products by Baby Boom are available in Kmart stores nationwide now and will be at Walmart stores in June of this year.
The Beanstalk Group Opens L.A. Office
The Beanstalk Group announced an agreement with Associated Talent Management (ATM), a full-service personal management and licensing company based in Los Angeles, transforming it into Beanstalk’s Los Angeles office. The former principals of ATM will join Beanstalk as managing directors of its newly formed Los Angeles office, rolling its existing client base and licensing programs into Beanstalk’s client roster. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Founded in 2004 by entertainment attorney Daniel J. Levin and merchant and retail veteran Todd Optican, ATM has grown to service an exclusive group of clients for whom it has created
and managed multi-million dollar media and licensing businesses, including lifestyle expert Christopher Lowell, among others.
Working in close collaboration with Beanstalk’s offices in New York, London, and Hong Kong, Levin and Optican will continue to service current clients, growing their brands across the U.S. and globally; support Beanstalk’s current roster of celebrity clients, including Paris Hilton and Salma Hayek; and pursue new celebrity clients looking to license their names around the world.
Fisher-Price Launches Moments to Share Facebook Application; iPhone Apps for Classic Brands
Fisher-Price, Inc., today launched the Moments to Share application, built on the Facebook platform. The application, shown exclusively to aNb
Media earlier this week, makes it easy for parents to record their child’s special moments in a timeline they create and control with digital photos,
videos, dates, captions, and stories.
Photos and videos can be easily uploaded to Fisher-Price’s Moments to Share from a computer hard drive or existing Facebook albums. Content can be customized by adding dates, location, captions, and even a short story about the moment. Once moments are
loaded in the Moments to Share timeline, parents have a scrollable, digital album they can refine as their child grows.
A unique feature of this application lets parents control with whom they share their moments. They can choose to share moments with all of their friends on Facebook, or they can share it with a chosen group of family and friends allowing for privacy. Another unique feature allows chosen family and friends to add new moments to the timeline while the parent retains
ultimate control and final say over the timeline.
In addition, the application will feature Fisher-Price product recommendations relative to each child’s age. Users will be able to click through to Fisher Price’s website.
Fisher-Price enlisted social media and consumer engagement agency, Big Fuel
Communications, Inc., to help create and manage the Moments to Share application and outreach campaign.
Fisher-Price’s second announcement of the day is the launch of its first iPhone applications. The Chatter Telephone toy (first introduced in 1962), See ‘n Say (first introduced in 1965) and Little People Farm (the Little People brand was first introduced in 1959) applications, for ages 2-5, are available for download on the iTunes App Store now for $.99-$1.99 each.
Just to give one example, the Fisher-Price See ‘n Say App ($1.99) will work like this: spin the virtual dial or move it to any picture of an animal and it comes to life with a quack, meow, or moo and the name of the animal. The screen immediately transitions to a short video about the
selected animal including fun facts. Spin the virtual dial again to see what animal the arrow will land on next. The app features 12 animals, 48 videos, 48 facts, and music and fun sound effects.
Fisher-Price worked with IDEO LLC, a California-based design and innovation firm, to develop the iPhone applications.