Nelvana to create new TV series and drive global merchandising as Cepia brings back hamsters.
Toronto, Canada -- Get ready for the return of the world’s most beloved robotic pets – ZhuZhu Pets! Corus Entertainment's Nelvana, one of the world's leading international producers and distributors of children’s animated and live-action content, announced a partnership with Cepia, LLC the innovative toy company behind the multi-billion dollar ZhuZhu Pets brand. The agreement includes plans to bring the pets back to store shelves, and will see Nelvana Studio produce a new animated series based upon the property. Nelvana Enterprises will also oversee global merchandising of the brand in conjunction with the distribution of the new series.
In anticipation of the arrival of new content, Cepia will be reintroducing the original ‘fab four’ hamster toys refreshed with an all-new look for fall 2015. Mr. Squiggles, Pipsqueak, NumNums and Chunk will all don renewed features which will enhance their realistic qualities and add playful personality to the pets. The range will also introduce an additional two new characters, pink and white “Jilly” and lavender colored “Tulip”. Building on the classic characteristics that kids loved in the original pets, this iteration will embrace their wacky, unpredictable behavior and ability to act just like real pets do.
“We are incredibly excited to be working on a highly sought-after brand that has already proven to have sizable success with kids,” said Andrew Kerr, Co-Head of Nelvana Enterprises. “We look forward to reimagining the brand, alongside Cepia, to bring ZhuZhu Pets to life on screen and further expand the brand’s offering for kids around the world.”
The original line of ZhuZhu Pets took the world by storm six years ago and was awarded one of TIME Magazine's "Top 100 Toys of All Time" and was named Toy of the Year in the U.S., UK, Australia, Brazil, Norway, and Czech Republic. With global retail sales exceeding $2 billion and over 70 million pieces sold in 2 years, the re-launch of ZhuZhu Pets gives one of the most successful brands in toy history a new life and offers more kids the joy of having a furry friend without all the mess.
“ZhuZhu Pets have always had distinct personalities so bringing the characters to life through entertainment is a natural evolution of the brand,” said Cepia CEO and inventor of ZhuZhu Pets James Russell Honsby. “We are delighted to have found the perfect alliance with Nelvana to accomplish this dream and to create wonderful entertainment as well as new ways to enrich the brand experience with kids.”
In 2009, ZhuZhu Pets sent the world into a hamster craze, establishing themselves as a child favourite. Combining wacky unpredictable behaviour and jam-packed personality, the ZhuZhu Pets appear to have a mind of their own, just like any real pet. Each ZhuZhu Pet is unique with its own name, biography, special symbol, and its own silly sound. Additionally, each pet has its own cute features and colors. It all synergizes to make a fun, collectible toy that is winning the hearts of children and parents across the globe.
Source: Nelvana
Formerly Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network, Jennifer Wolfe has worked in the Media & Entertainment industry as a writer and PR professional since 2003.
