Leading family entertainment producer and distributor Chorion is expanding its growing global franchise for hit properties Mr. Men and Little Miss and Noddy by appointing Dream Theatre as its agent for the Indian subcontinent.
Press Release from Chorion
New territories for Noddy and Mr. Men and Little Miss London/New York, 16 June 2010: Leading family entertainment producer and distributor Chorion is expanding its growing global franchise for hit properties Mr. Men and Little Miss and Noddy by appointing Dream Theatre as its agent for the Indian subcontinent.
Dream Theatre Private Limited, an entertainment company based in Mumbai, has won the exclusive licensing and merchandising rights for Mr. Men and Little Miss and Enid Blyton’s most loved pre-school character Noddy across India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
For the first time ever in India, Dream Theatre plans to introduce Noddy apparel, home furnishing, personal care, school bags, home video and other categories. It will also concentrate on licensing deals and merchandising promotions for the Mr. Men and Little Miss classic characters.
Melissa Tinker, SVP Licensing, Asia Pacific at Chorion, says: “Chorion is excited that Dream Theatre is representing our Noddy and Mr. Men and Little Miss properties in India. Noddy has achieved an impressive level of awareness over the years with an extensive publishing range by Eurokids, toys distributed by Funskool and the support we have received from Cartoon Network with our Make Way for Noddy series and newly launched Noddy in Toyland. Dream Theatre has been proactive in bringing new partners on board in key categories and we look forward to building the Noddy program. Mr Men and Little Miss is new to this market, however, the support of Cartoon Network for both Series 1 and 2 paired with the brand’s proven success and universal appeal means we are very optimistic for the future of Mr. Men and Little Miss in yet another territory.”
Jiggy George, founder and CEO of Dream Theatre Private Limited, comments: “Having worked for a while in this industry, I had reached a stage where I wanted to give life to my dream of creating out of the box licensing models for brands to swear by – Dream Theater is an attempt in that direction. We are extremely fortunate to have attracted such big names and properties and the wins have reinforced our aim of creating and launching some of the most successful partnerships between brands.”
Celebrated author Enid Blyton’s most popular creation, Noddy first appeared in 1949 in the classic book Noddy Goes to Toyland. Since then, the little wooden boy with the jingly blue hat has appeared in countless adaptations for the screen and stage, met the Queen of England, sold more than 250 million books, and touched the lives of millions upon millions of children from all over the world. Today, the brand boasts annual retail sales of over £50 million, driven by 200+ licensees offering more than 1,000 individual products in over 100 countries. Noddy’s popularity with pre-schoolers has also created a top-rated TV show, award-winning website and sell-out live shows.
In celebration of the brand’s 60th Anniversary in 2009, Noddy In Toyland was launched, a brand-new 52 x 11 minute animated CGI series created by Academy Award nominated Brown Bag Films. The breathtaking show reveals Blyton’s Toyland in all its expansive splendour – complete with come-to-life toys, racetrack, mermaid’s cottage, and deep dark woods. Both entertaining and nurturing, Noddy occupies a unique place in the hearts of children all around the world. As Noddy plays and learns, so too does his audience of viewers and readers – just as Blyton intended.
With over 100 million copies sold worldwide, Mr. Men and Little Miss books have become a publishing phenomenon. Truly a property everyone can relate to, the brand has inspired a comprehensive consumer products program with over 280 licensees worldwide. Whether it is through the animated sketch comedy series – The Mr. Men Show—or its award winning Website, Mr. Men and Little Miss gets consumers laughing about the range of personalities we encounter in life.
For more information visit www.ilovemrmen.com and www.mrmen.com and for Noddy, please visit www.noddy.com
About ChorionChorion is a leading provider of quality family entertainment for the global marketplace. Chorion brings a combination of brand management savvy and creative vision to the development of literary copyrights across all media. Chorion’s portfolio includes classic children’s brands such as Mr. Men and Little Miss, Beatrix Potter, Paddington, Noddy, OLIVIA, and The World of Eric Carle as well as art and lifestyle brands. Chorion also owns and manages the literary works of Agatha Christie, Raymond Chandler and Georges Simenon, among others.
Chorion’s animated television productions include OLIVIA, The Mr. Men Show, Famous Five: On the Case and Noddy and Noddy in Toyland. New productions for 2010 include The Octonauts and Gaspard and Lisa. Chorion has offices in London, New York and Sydney. For more information, please visit www.chorion.co.uk.
About Dream TheatreDream Theatre is a start up Entertainment Company that uses the power of licensing to build new brands, enhance the strength and presence of existing brands, represent companies on syndication and licensing and consult on retail and licensing projects thereby creating an optimal synergy between the brand property owners, retailers and their corresponding end-users. The company is set up by Mr. Jiggy George, who has over 15 years of experience in marketing, sales and the licensing industry – having worked with Viacom, Turner & the Times Group. Armed with a very competent and experienced core team, Jiggy aims at building the first professional Licensing enterprise of its kind in the country and aims at creating out of box licensing models for brands across innovative categories.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
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