MALIBU, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--JAKKS Pacific, Inc. (Nasdaq: JAKK) spreads the magic of Nickelodeon’s animated action and fantasy series, Winx Club, to Australia through an exclusive agreement with Funtastic Limited to market and distribute the Winx Club toy line.
JAKKS’ Winx Club product line is scheduled to launch in the U.S., Australia, North America, Latin America and the UK in Fall 2012 to coincide with the premiere of the brand new CG episodes of Winx Club on Nickelodeon and will span multiple categories, including dolls, playsets, role play, dress-up and Halloween costumes.
“The agreement with Funtastic for the Winx Club product line strengthens our international presence in the girls toy aisle,” said Stephen Berman, President and CEO, JAKKS Pacific, Inc. “We are looking forward to introducing to the Australian market our comprehensive line of Winx Club products that bring positive messages of girl empowerment, friendship, adventure, magic and fashion that Winx Club epitomizes.”
Stewart Downs, Chief Executive Officer, Funtastic Limited, added, “We are looking forward to bringing the magic of JAKKS’ Winx Club product line to young girls in Australia, and we are thrilled to have been chosen as their distribution partner for this innovative girls’ brand.”
Winx Club is an animated modern fantasy adventure series that follows six best friends -- Bloom, Stella, Flora, Musa, Tecna and Aisha -- enrolled in Alfea College, the finest fairy school in all the realms. When trouble arises, the Winx girls transform into beautiful fairies who use their unique magical powers to fight villains and save the world from evil. Winx Club first debuted in Italy six years ago and quickly became a hit that has generated an international franchise of toys, books, clothing, and DVDs, as well as a CG-animated feature film.
The Winx Club began airing on Nickelodeon in the U.S. in June 2011 and in Australia in September 2011 with four specials premiering monthly through the fall, followed by a weekly series of Winx Club seasons three and four. Culled from the first two seasons of the Italian hit series from Rainbow S.p.A., the four specials include state-of-the-art visual effects and feature the voices of some of Nick’s biggest stars, including: Keke Palmer (True Jackson, VP) as Aisha; Elizabeth Gillies (Victorious) as Daphne; Ariana Grande (Victorious) as Diaspro; and Matt Shively (True Jackson, VP) as Skye; as well as Molly Quinn (Castle) as Bloom. Cymphonique Miller (How to Rock) performs the show’s theme song, “Winx You're Magic Now.” Winx Club is a co-production with Rainbow S.p.A. and Nickelodeon.
About Funtastic Limited
Funtastic Limited (ASX: FUN) supplies retailers and customers across Australia, and the world, with an array of leading products for kids of all ages.
As one of Australia’s leading distributors of toys, sporting, confectionery and nursery products, Funtastic is proud to partner with JAKKS Pacific, Inc. on brands including Cabbage Patch Kids®, Real Construction™ and Spy Net™.
For more information visit www.funtastic.com.au.
About Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon, now in its 32nd year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books, and feature films. Nickelodeon’s U.S. television network is seen in more than 100 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 16 consecutive years. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B).
About Rainbow S.p.A.
Founded in 1995, Rainbow S.p.A. is a content company which develops animated and multimedia properties. Today it is one of the largest and most internationally renowned animation studios in the world. It is the only production company in Italy able to complete all stages of animation internally, including 3D animation. It currently has 200 full-time employees, as well as a network of animation freelancers and professionals who work with the company on a regular basis. The companies within the Rainbow group holding include: Rainbow Distribution BV in the Netherlands and Rainbow Spain (local offices which manage TV and licensing interests in association with the head office in Loreto); Rainbow CGI in Rome (film production, special effects and 3D animation); Rainbow Entertainment in Rome (fiction and live action); Rainbow Media in Singapore (videogames, internet, and on-line games); Tridimensional in Loreto (publishing and DVDs sold in kiosks); and Witty Toys in Amsterdam and Hong Kong (toy manufacturing). Rainbow S.p.A. creates and distributes original properties Winx Club, Huntik, PopPixie, Monster Allergy, Tommy & Oscar, and Maya Fox. For more information visit www.rbw.it.
About JAKKS Pacific, Inc.
JAKKS Pacific, Inc. (NASDAQ: JAKK) is a leading designer and marketer of toys and consumer products, with a wide range of products that feature some of the most popular brands and children's toy licenses in the world. JAKKS’ diverse portfolio includes Action Figures, Electronics, Dolls, Dress-Up, Role Play, Halloween Costumes, Kids Furniture, Vehicles, Plush, Art Activity Kits, Seasonal Products, Infant/Pre-School, Construction Toys and Pet Toys sold under various proprietary brands including JAKKS Pacific®, Creative Designs International™, Road Champs®, Funnoodle®, JAKKS Pets™, Plug It In & Play TV Games™, Kids Only!™, Tollytots® and Disguise™. JAKKS is an award-winning licensee of several hundred nationally and internationally known trademarks including Disney®, Nickelodeon®, Warner Bros.®, Ultimate Fighting Championship®, Hello Kitty®, Graco®, Cabbage Patch Kids® and Pokémon®. www.jakks.com
This press release may contain forward-looking statements (within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) that are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about JAKKS Pacific's business based partly on assumptions made by its management. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in such statements due to numerous factors, including, but not limited to, those described above, changes in demand for JAKKS' products, product mix, the timing of customer orders and deliveries, the impact of competitive products and pricing, and difficulties with integrating acquired businesses. The forward-looking statements contained herein speak only as of the date on which they are made, and JAKKS undertakes no obligation to update any of them to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this release.
© 2011 JAKKS Pacific, Inc. All rights reserved.