Global Campaign will Celebrate 80 Years of Adventures and Friendship
Business Wire
December 7, 2005
Disney is marking Winnie the Pooh's 80th anniversary in 2005/2006 with an 18-month celebration to be commemorated with new Winnie the Pooh entertainment from Disney Live!, Buena Vista Home Entertainment and Walt Disney Records; special edition product from Disney Consumer Products; and international support in all major regions leading to the 2007 premiere of Disney Channel's learning-focused CG-animated series for preschoolers, My Friends Tigger and Pooh. Winnie the Pooh's 80th Anniversary kicks-off on December 7th with the New York premiere of Disney Live! Winnie the Pooh and will continue globally through 2007.
"Winnie the Pooh is one of Disney's premiere character franchises that remain as relevant to parents and kids today as it did 80 years ago," said Matt Ryan, senior vice president, Disney Corporate Brand Management. "Pooh's 80th Anniversary celebrates the tremendous heritage of this franchise, and a key initiative for Disney is to continue to develop Pooh with new creative programs across the company that will keep it fresh for the next 80 years. The new Winnie the Pooh television show planned for 2007 is part of that effort."
In 2006, Disney Stores will feature special Winnie the Pooh product shops in celebration of their new infant product line and the 80th Anniversary; Radio Disney will launch "Pooh's-Days" every Tuesday on its Playhouse Disney block; Buena Vista Home Entertainment will release Pooh's Grand Adventure on DVD for the first time in March; and a new, original Winnie the Pooh song - My Friend Pooh -- from Walt Disney Records' artist, Ralph Covert, is scheduled for release.
Throughout the celebration, special edition product from Disney Consumer Products will be available at retail, including the 80th Edition Winnie the Pooh plush exclusively at Toys 'R' Us through March. Disney Publishing will also release an 80th Edition Storybook and Coloring Book in Fall 2006. The celebration leads into the 2007 global launch of Disney Channel's learning-focused, CG-animated series for preschoolers, My Friends Tigger and Pooh to be seen during its Playhouse Disney programming block.
The 80th Anniversary celebrates the London Evening News' first printing of a Winnie the Pooh story on December 24, 1925. Winnie the Pooh's heritage with books and storytelling has left a legacy with children and fans around the world. First Book, a national nonprofit organization with a single mission: to give children from low-income families the opportunity to read and own their first new books, will be one of the charitable organizations that will benefit from the efforts during the 80th Anniversary.
Disney Live! and First Book will hold reading events in the New York area throughout December, including a celebrity reading event at the New York Public Library on December 20, 2005. Celebrity readers will read Disney/Winnie the Pooh stories to First Book kids, and Disney Live! will preview their Winnie the Pooh stage show. First Book will also give away a Disney/Winnie the Pooh book to audience members.
Winnie the Pooh reaches children and families through seven theatrical releases, more than 30 home videos, an award-winning television series, consumer products and in Disney theme parks around the world. Winnie the Pooh entertainment and products can be found in more than 38 countries with books and videos translated in 29 languages. Additionally, Forbes Magazine has consistently ranked Winnie the Pooh and Friends a top-earning character franchise with more than $5b in retail sales worldwide.
Business Wire
December 7, 2005
Disney is marking Winnie the Pooh's 80th anniversary in 2005/2006 with an 18-month celebration to be commemorated with new Winnie the Pooh entertainment from Disney Live!, Buena Vista Home Entertainment and Walt Disney Records; special edition product from Disney Consumer Products; and international support in all major regions leading to the 2007 premiere of Disney Channel's learning-focused CG-animated series for preschoolers, My Friends Tigger and Pooh. Winnie the Pooh's 80th Anniversary kicks-off on December 7th with the New York premiere of Disney Live! Winnie the Pooh and will continue globally through 2007.
"Winnie the Pooh is one of Disney's premiere character franchises that remain as relevant to parents and kids today as it did 80 years ago," said Matt Ryan, senior vice president, Disney Corporate Brand Management. "Pooh's 80th Anniversary celebrates the tremendous heritage of this franchise, and a key initiative for Disney is to continue to develop Pooh with new creative programs across the company that will keep it fresh for the next 80 years. The new Winnie the Pooh television show planned for 2007 is part of that effort."
In 2006, Disney Stores will feature special Winnie the Pooh product shops in celebration of their new infant product line and the 80th Anniversary; Radio Disney will launch "Pooh's-Days" every Tuesday on its Playhouse Disney block; Buena Vista Home Entertainment will release Pooh's Grand Adventure on DVD for the first time in March; and a new, original Winnie the Pooh song - My Friend Pooh -- from Walt Disney Records' artist, Ralph Covert, is scheduled for release.
Throughout the celebration, special edition product from Disney Consumer Products will be available at retail, including the 80th Edition Winnie the Pooh plush exclusively at Toys 'R' Us through March. Disney Publishing will also release an 80th Edition Storybook and Coloring Book in Fall 2006. The celebration leads into the 2007 global launch of Disney Channel's learning-focused, CG-animated series for preschoolers, My Friends Tigger and Pooh to be seen during its Playhouse Disney programming block.
The 80th Anniversary celebrates the London Evening News' first printing of a Winnie the Pooh story on December 24, 1925. Winnie the Pooh's heritage with books and storytelling has left a legacy with children and fans around the world. First Book, a national nonprofit organization with a single mission: to give children from low-income families the opportunity to read and own their first new books, will be one of the charitable organizations that will benefit from the efforts during the 80th Anniversary.
Disney Live! and First Book will hold reading events in the New York area throughout December, including a celebrity reading event at the New York Public Library on December 20, 2005. Celebrity readers will read Disney/Winnie the Pooh stories to First Book kids, and Disney Live! will preview their Winnie the Pooh stage show. First Book will also give away a Disney/Winnie the Pooh book to audience members.
Winnie the Pooh reaches children and families through seven theatrical releases, more than 30 home videos, an award-winning television series, consumer products and in Disney theme parks around the world. Winnie the Pooh entertainment and products can be found in more than 38 countries with books and videos translated in 29 languages. Additionally, Forbes Magazine has consistently ranked Winnie the Pooh and Friends a top-earning character franchise with more than $5b in retail sales worldwide.
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