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International Entertainment News

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

W!LDBRAIN Launches Multi-Million Dollar Licensing Program for Hit Television Series YO GABBA GABBA!; Product Launch Timed With Highly-Anticipated Second Season

W!LDBRAIN Launches Multi-Million Dollar Licensing Program for Hit Television Series YO GABBA GABBA!; Product Launch Timed With Highly-Anticipated Second Season

W!LDBRAIN Signs Top Licensees Including Kidrobot, Nickelodeon Home Entertainment, Simon & Schuster, Nick Records and Master Toy Licensee Spin Master, Ltd.

W!LDBRAIN's Licensing Program Raises Industry Bar in Product and Lifestyle Categories; YO GABBA GABBA! Apparel, Accessories, Books, Electronics, Games, Home Decor, Toys and More Arrive at Retail in 2008

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Feb. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- The award-winning animation and entertainment company W!LDBRAIN announces today a multi-million dollar, ground-breaking licensing program for the hit children's television series YO GABBA GABBA!, produced by The Magic Store and W!LDBRAIN. Recently hailed as one of the top 10 new television series of 2007 by TIME magazine, the hip and critically-acclaimed magazine-style music series YO GABBA GABBA! airs domestically on Nick Jr. and Noggin. W!LDBRAIN has signed key licensees to create and distribute extensive YO GABBA GABBA! merchandise in 2008, including apparel, accessories, books, games, toys and other consumer products featuring the popular series' characters. Due to the show's unprecedented cross-over appeal to children, teens and adults alike, licensed products designed to excite all age groups will hit shelves in 2008 worldwide, timed with the highly-anticipated second season of the series.

"We have an incredibly strong and diverse lineup of licensed YO GABBA GABBA! products coming to market in 2008," said Michael Polis, Chief Marketing Officer, W!LDBRAIN. "Given the show's appeal to preschoolers and young adults, consumers can look forward to seeing products in channels that cater to both audiences. Our partners are capitalizing on the fresh look of the show, colorful characters and cross generational appeal of the music to deliver products that are both innovative and fun to share," he added.

"I'm thrilled with the continuing momentum for YO GABBA GABBA! and look forward to providing fans of the show with a consumer products program that exceeds their expectations," said Charles Rivkin, President and Chief Executive Officer, W!LDBRAIN. "With the production of the second season underway, we expect to expand our repertoire of music and themes and incorporate those into consumer products launches in 2008 and beyond," he said.

Officially licensed YO GABBA GABBA! merchandise will be available to consumers in 2008 through top licensees including: vinyl collectible toys by Kidrobot; accessories by Loungefly; apparel from Kidrobot, The Merchandise Company, Mighty Fine and Success Apparel; books through Simon & Schuster; CDs from Nick Records; crafts by NSI International, Inc.; DVDs through Nickelodeon Home Entertainment; electronics by Blue Box International; wood puzzles and Uno by Sababa Toys; holiday items through CSS; home decor by The Betesh Group, G-Wiz, Marshmallow and Spin Master Ltd.; key chains from Basic Fun; play structures through Time to Play Corp. Ltd.; sleepwear by American Marketing Enterprises, Inc.; and a full line of toys by master toy licensee Spin Master Ltd..

W!LDBRAIN subsidiary Kidrobot, the world's premier creator and retailer of limited edition art toys and apparel, is the first to debut YO GABBA GABBA! product. Kidrobot has released limited-edition 10-inch collectible vinyl figures featuring five of the series' popular characters -- Brobee, Foofa, Muno, Toodee and Plex -- each retailing for $24.95. Kidrobot has also released limited-edition YO GABBA GABBA! clothing and accessories for both kids and adults, ranging in price from $25.00-$150.00. The collectible vinyl figures, apparel and accessories are currently available at all Kidrobot locations, online at http://www.kidrobot.com/, and with select retailers worldwide.

The excitement is due to heighten with the premiere of the highly-anticipated second season of YO GABBA GABBA! later this year and the launch of a new line of innovative products by Spin Master Ltd. As the master toy licensee, Spin Master will help take the brand to a new level of consumer awareness with the unveiling of their YO GABBA GABBA! toy line in Fall 2008, which will be carried by every major domestic retailer. The Spin Master YO GABBA GABBA! line will mirror the show's fresh style and will offer preschoolers lots of new and original ways to interact with their favorite YO GABBA GABBA! characters and music. Highlights of the 2008 YO GABBA GABBA! toy line include "Dancing Brobee" -- featuring songs and sounds from the show including the hit song "I Like to Dance," with a MSRP of $34.95 -- and the "Grooves Guitar," a kid-sized guitar fashioned after the series character Muno, with a MSPR of $24.99. Product will be available internationally through Spin Master as the show premieres in other territories.

Additional offerings are available to licensees in various categories.

About YO GABBA GABBA!


Recently named one of the "Top 10 TV Shows" of 2007 by TIME magazine, YO GABBA GABBA! premiered on Nick Jr. in the U.S. on August 20, 2007 and is produced by The Magic Store and W!LDBRAIN. Christian Jacobs and Scott Schultz are the series co-creators. YO GABBA GABBA! currently airs weekdays on Nick Jr. (11:30 AM ET/PT Monday through Friday) and on Noggin on weekends (8:30 AM ET/PT Saturdays and 2:00 PM ET/PT Sundays). The magazine-format series infuses retro-style and beat-driven music to teach simple life lessons through a vibrant world of puppet characters who play and dance as soon as they hear the magic words, "Yo Gabba Gabba!" The series stars DJ Lance Rock (Lance Robertson) and a cast of colorful characters, including: Brobee, the little green one, Foofa, the pink flower bubble, Muno, the red Cyclops, Toodee, the blue cat-dragon and Plex, the yellow robot. YO GABBA GABBA! features over 100 original songs, unique animations, an impressive lineup of musical talent and celebrity guest stars including Laila Ali, Tony Hawk, Nikki Flores, Sean Kingston, Elijah Wood, Biz Markie, Mark Mothersbaugh, Mya, Rahzel, The Shins, Sugarland and others. YO GABBA GABBA! also features an eclectic mix of unique music genres, including, Pop, 80s, Electronic, New Wave, British Invasion, Hip Hop and more. YO GABBA GABBA! is recommended as a trusted program for preschoolers by The Smart Television Alliance, a non-profit organization comprised of leading non-profit children's media organizations including Common Sense Media, Parents' Choice Foundation, Parents Television Council and Coalition for Quality children's Media: KIDS FIRST!.

About W!LDBRAIN:

Founded in 1994, W!LDBRAIN (http://www.wildbrain.com/) is an award-winning entertainment company that develops and produces unique and compelling content across the media spectrum. Powered by its distinctive pool of talented executives, animators and directors renowned for blending traditional animation methods with state-of-the-art computer graphics, the studio and its creative team have consistently won top industry awards. In film, W!LDBRAIN has garnered numerous awards including an Annie for its computer graphics short film Hubert's Brain. In television, the studio has produced an exceptional slate of original work, including the hit series YO GABBA GABBA!, airing weekly on Nick Jr., Nickelodeon's award-winning programming block for preschoolers, and Higglytown Heroes, the top-rated and critically acclaimed animated series airing daily on the Disney Channel. As one of the nation's foremost producers of animated commercials, W!LDBRAIN has won Clios, Addys, BDA Awards and Annies for their commercial work, reinvigorating classic brands and developing cutting-edge spots for leading companies including The Coca-Cola Company, Esurance, Honda, Kraft, Nike and Virgin America. W!LDBRAIN also creates and distributes collectible merchandise through its subsidiary Kidrobot, planet Earth's premier creator and retailer of limited-edition toys, clothing, mini-figures, artwork and books.

Contact:
Lisa Rose Kelly Kimball
W!LDBRAIN -- San Francisco W!LDBRAIN -- Los Angeles
415-216-2048 310-701-7773
lrose@wildbrain.comkkimball@wildbrain.com

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:


Source: W!LDBRAIN

CONTACT: Lisa Rose, W!LDBRAIN -- San Francisco, +1-415-216-2048,
lrose@wildbrain.com, or Kelly Kimball, W!LDBRAIN -- Los Angeles,
+1-310-701-7773, kkimball@wildbrain.com, both of W!LDBRAIN

Web site:

http://www.wildbrain.com/


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