Press Release from Chorion
London/New York, 1 June 2009: Leading family entertainment producer and distributor Chorion has signed a number of licensing deals for The World of Eric Carle in the US and Europe and has appointed a new agent, CPLG, for the property in Benelux.
In the US, Crayola will begin a collaboration with The World of Eric Carle with a large format coloring book. JEM will produce tees for juniors and children. Zoobies bring their patent-pending 3-in-1 plush, pillow, blanket concept to The World of Eric Carle characters and Carson-Dellosa will produce a range of classroom products including bulletin board sets, borders, cut-outs and work holders.
Leapfrog Enterprises, Inc., has also signed to produce the PANDA BEAR, PANDA BEAR, WHAT DO YOU SEE? book for its Tag Junior system for 2-4 year olds which will teach about the life of animals through the lens of Eric Carle.
Continuing on from the success last summer in the US with The World of Eric Carle, Applebee's Neighborhood Grill and Bar, the world's largest casual dining restaurant chain with nearly 2,000 locations, will distribute a themed Family Activity Booklet throughout the Spring.
In Europe, CPLG has been signed by Chorion to represent the licensing rights to The World of Eric Carle throughout Benelux. Licensing Expo will mark the company's debut as brand sub-agent, focusing on signing deals in the toy, apparel and homeware categories. CPLG has already signed its first deal which will see a new line of stationery from Interstat.
In the UK, THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR will feature in his very own garden as part of the ground-breaking Butterfly World Project which opens in June in St Albans. In 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar Edible Garden', families will be able to walk around the flower beds and feast their eyes on an abundance of edible plants and fruits, as well as a large scale Caterpillar sculpture.
Also in the UK, Character World has been awarded the license to produce bedroom ranges based on the much-loved THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR including duvet covers, curtains, cushions, towels, blankets and rugs, while Trademark Collections will produce a range of children's bags.
These deals follow a raft of promotional activity for The World of Eric Carle and its celebration of the 40th anniversary of the iconic picture book, THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR, which kicked off in March 2009.
Chorion represents the worldwide rights to The World of Eric Carle brand and has licensed products in place across the globe in key markets: the US, UK, Germany, Japan and Australia.
Eric Karp, EVP Global Licensing & Merchandising at Chorion says: "The World of Eric Carle is an evergreen property which maintains a contemporary feel and continues to delight children around the world. We are excited to be bringing new products to the market and starting new initiatives for the brand as we continue a year of celebrations for the 40th anniversary of Eric Carle's most beloved character, THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR."
THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR, written by Eric Carle sells one copy every 30 seconds somewhere in the world and has eaten its way into the hearts of literally millions of children around the globe. The beloved picture book has been translated into more than 45 languages and has sold over 29 million copies and a brand new THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR pop-up book has been released in the US, UK, Germany, Japan, Italy, Taiwan and Norway.
