Sanrio and Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products Announce Creative Partnership to Launch Nickelodeon's Hit Property Blue's Clues in Japan

Sanrio and Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products Announce Creative Partnership to Launch Nickelodeon's Hit Property Blue's Clues in Japan

America's Favorite Puppy and Japan's Best Known Kitty Join Forces With an Innovative Co-Licensing Venture to Create Limited-Edition Blue's Clues and Hello Kitty Line

Sanrio Named Master Licensee for Nickelodeon's Blue's Clues In Japan, as the Hit Series Continues to Celebrate a Decade of Success

TOKYO and NEW YORK, Oct. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Nickelodeon and Viacom Consumer Products (NVCP), one of the world's leading licensing businesses and Sanrio, the world-renowned Japanese character licensing group, announced today a multi-faceted creative partnership that includes an exclusive co-licensing joint venture and master license agreement to develop Nickelodeon's hit property Blue's Clues in Japan.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20061018/NYW119)

The co-licensing deal, a creative and business first for any Nickelodeon property, will see the two companies bring together their famous characters, Blue the beloved puppy from the hit Nickelodeon preschool series Blue's Clues and global superstar Hello Kitty in a specially designed product line created specifically for tweens and young adults.

The upcoming line is a wholly original concept based on Blue the dog and Hello Kitty the cat imaginatively adapted by Sanrio into Hello Kitty's familiar world and product range. The new Hello Kitty and Blues Clue's limited edition line from Sanrio will debut in Spring 2007 and will be available for a short time only at select retailers.

Further deepening their partnership in the market, NVCP has granted Sanrio the master license for Blue's Clues across all toys, apparel, packaged goods, home furnishings, stationery, gifts, accessories, consumer electronics, party supplies and sporting goods. Blue's Clues merchandise will roll out in Japan in Summer 2007.

"As a huge fan of Hello Kitty, it's exciting to forge a creative partnership with Sanrio to co-develop and manage Blue's Clues. It is also a significant step in the growth of our business in Japan and a tremendous opportunity to bring new creative dimensions to one of our most successful properties," said Leigh Anne Brodsky, President, Nickelodeon and Viacom Consumer Products. "Blue and Hello Kitty represent both Japanese and American creativity and licensing success. Bringing the characters together in this highly innovative product line will bring their popularity and charm to new audiences."

"We are delighted and excited to have this opportunity to further our partnership with a global media company like Viacom and Nickelodeon," said Akito Sasaki, Director and General Manager, Character and Licensing Division, Sanrio Company, Ltd. "With the marketing efforts planned for the Hello Kitty and Blue's Clues product line, we are well poised to establish Blue as one of the most beloved characters here in Japan."

"It is incredibly heartwarming that Blue has been invited to become part of Hello Kitty's fantastic world," said Traci Paige Johnson, Co-Creator, Executive Producer, Director of Design, Blue's Clues. "Hello Kitty was a tremendous inspiration in the creation of Blue's Clues and has been one of my favorite characters since childhood."

In June 2006, NVCP entered a multi-year agreement with Sanrio Far East Co., Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sanrio, to represent Nickelodeon's multi-billion dollar global franchises, SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer and Comedy Central's South Park in Japan. SpongeBob SquarePants merchandise launched to select retailers in January 2006 and has already generated $20 million at retail.

ABOUT BLUES CLUES

Blue's Clues is an award-winning, play-along, think-along, half-hour animated series. The show stars a live-action host and an energetic, bright blue puppy named Blue. In each episode, the host invites viewers into his computer-animated storybook world to help him and Blue solve the day's puzzles. Blues Clues can currently be seen on Nickelodeon Japan.

Considered the gold standard in interactive preschool television, Blue's Clues has continued to prevail over the last 10 years as one of the top five preschool series on all of commercial television in the US. Recently celebrating its 10th Anniversary on air, Blue's Clues is currently syndicated to 120 countries and has been translated into 15 languages. Blue's Clues has earned $3.6 billion at retail since 1998, selling more than 25 million "Handy Dandy Notebooks" and 35 million books to date.

Blue's Clues was created by Traci Paige Johnson, Todd Kessler and Angela C. Santomero. Santomero serves as Executive Producer and Head Writer, and Johnson is Executive Producer and Director of Design. Jennifer Twomey also was Executive Producer and writer for the original series.

ABOUT HELLO KITTY

Hello Kitty is a twinkling-eyed cartoonish character which was invented and promoted by a Japanese company called Sanrio in 1974. Sanrio is famous for their adorable and cute cartoon characters, including Hello Kitty, Keroppi, Melody and more. This line of cute little characters soon attracted millions of people around the world. Hello Kitty is the most successful out of all the Sanrio characters.

Hello Kitty has produced different products all around the world, including wallets, watches, clothing, fabrics, Polaroid and digital cameras, portable CD players and stereos, handkerchiefs, stationery, cutlery, lunch boxes, puppets and more.

ABOUT SANRIO COMPANY, LTD.

Sanrio's principal business activities include the design and sale of social communications gifts and greeting cards, the publication and distribution of books and magazines, character licensing and adaptation services, and others. Consumers are primarily women of all ages. Sanrio was established in 1960 and has built a strong offline brand with a large consumer base and growing online following. For more information, please visit http://www.sanrio.co.jp/english/.

ABOUT NICKELODEON

Nickelodeon is the most widely distributed kids' network in the world and the only multimedia entertainment brand dedicated exclusively to them. First launched in the U.S. in 1979, Nickelodeon today consists of 34 channels, 20 branded program blocks, 7 mobile TV channels, 32 web sites and TurboNick, Nickelodeon's broadband video service in Australia, the US and UK.

Nickelodeon's "kids first" philosophy is the key element to its business successes, and the company's portfolio of international businesses also includes program syndication, digital media, Nick Movies, recreation, publishing, and global licensing and merchandising of consumer products featuring Nickelodeon's program franchises Dora the Explore and SpongeBob SquarePants. Nick & Viacom Consumer Products is the 3rd largest licensing business in the world and the largest licensing business based on TV-first properties.

1. Blue & Hello Kitty
2. L-R: Traci Paige Johnson, Co-Creator, Executive Producer and Director
of Design for Nickelodeon's Blue's Clues and Yuko Yamaguchi, Chief
Designer, Hello Kitty.
First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:
http://www.sanrio.co.jp/english/.

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20061018/NYW119
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN4
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: Nickelodeon

CONTACT: Jonathan Finn, +1-212-846-5961, or Photo Contact: Michele
Hernandez, +1-212-258-7722

Web site: http://www.nick.com/

NOTE TO EDITORS: Artwork is available at the following FTP link: https://sftp.mtvne.com/~stevensh3/Sanrio%20-%20Blues%20Clues%20Hello%20Kitty

-------
Profile: intent