Chorion Unveils Celebrations For Mr. Men’s 40th Anniversary Year

Leading family entertainment producer and distributor Chorion has a raft of exciting plans for the 40th anniversary celebrations of its much-loved children’s property Mr. Men.

Press Release from Chorion

London 10 May 2011: Leading family entertainment producer and distributor Chorion has a raft of exciting plans for the 40th anniversary celebrations of its much-loved children’s property Mr. Men. Highlights for the anniversary year of 2011 have so far included launch of a new character, launch of a confectionery range, and an exciting collaboration with Google featuring a series of Google doodles celebrating the brand and its creator around the world. Further initiatives will see the introduction of new products, exclusive fashion partnerships, campaigns in social media and music festivals, and a live music-based show to tour regional theatres.

The year kicked off with the launch of brand new character and fashion icon, Little Miss Princess, the first new character to be added to the Mr. Men and Little Miss collection for over five years. Egmont published the book in March 2011 and this will be followed by the launch of apparel, accessories, confectionery and toiletries ranges throughout the year.

In partnership with Tesco, the Mr. Men and Little Miss characters have been immortalised in sweets form with an expansive new confectionery line. New product lines being introduced by the grocer through 2011 and 2012.

Google commemorated the 40th Anniversary on May 9th, the birthday of the creator Roger Hargreaves, across all Google pages worldwide. A collection of sixteen unique doodles were rotated on the homepage throughout the day, encouraging users to re-visit the site and collect them all. This was the first time Google created so many designs for one brand.

Within social media, new campaigns aimed at young adults and parents of young families are underway on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Mr-Men-Little-Miss/132086900184239. Official pages feature competitions, fan exclusives along with interactive features to be unveiled over the summer. New apps with character-driven game play are in development.

New for Mr. Men and Little Miss, Chorion will take the 40th celebrations to some of Britain’s leading music festivals, with content, events and product placement featuring on the festival circuit.

The second half of 2011 will see the launch of a special edition Mr. Tickle book from Egmont, a collector's edition DVD box-set from Delta, and a brand new plush line from Posh Paws.

An official anniversary day (to be announced) over the summer will see a major programme of events at an iconic British retailer (also to be announced). Along with story readings, signings and a calendar of family-wide activities, fans can expect to see exclusive product ranges of their favourite characters.

During the Autumn, the focus will be on the iconic art of the Mr. Men. An exhibition of Mr. Men artwork and memorabilia will also feature original interpretive oil paintings from up-and-coming artist Paul Oz.

Mr. Men’s fashion credentials continue to expand through a number of collaborations with the country’s hottest style press (to be announced), along with product collaborations with Swarovski Elements and a limited edition of nail polishes from Nails Inc.

Esra Cafer, VP Brand Management & Marketing from Chorion says, “40 years is a great milestone for Mr. Men and Little Miss and really shows the genuine long-lasting appeal of one of Britain’s favourite brands. We started the year on a high with the brilliant Specsavers campaign that kicked off during the holidays last year, and we have many more exciting initiatives planned this year to further grow the Mr. Men and Little Miss brand franchise.”

The Mr. Men brand began in 1971, when six of the world’s most iconic books were first published: Mr. Tickle, Mr. Bump, Mr. Greedy, Mr. Happy, Mr. Nosey and Mr. Sneeze. For more information about Mr. Men, visit www.ilovemrmen.com and www.mrmen.com.

About Mr Men and Little MissWith over 100 million copies sold worldwide, Mr. Men and Little Miss books have become a publishing phenomenon. Truly a property everyone can relate to, the brand has inspired a comprehensive consumer products program with over 280 licensees worldwide. Timeless and universal, Mr. Men and Little Miss gets consumers laughing about the range of personalities we encounter in life.

About ChorionChorion is a leading provider of quality family entertainment for the global marketplace. Chorion brings a combination of brand management savvy and creative vision to the development of literary copyrights across all media. Chorion’s portfolio includes classic children’s brands such as Mr. Men and Little Miss, Beatrix Potter, Paddington, Noddy, OLIVIA, and The World of Eric Carle as well as art and lifestyle brands. Chorion also owns and manages the literary works of Agatha Christie, Raymond Chandler and Georges Simenon, among others. Chorion’s animated television productions include OLIVIA, The Mr. Men Show, Famous Five: On the Case and Noddy and Noddy in Toyland. New productions include The Octonauts and Gaspard and Lisa. Chorion has offices in London, New York and Sydney. For more information, please visit www.chorion.co.uk.