New Line of Berry Sweet Scented Dolls From Bandai America Flying Off Store Shelves

NEW YORK, Feb. 16, 2003 – Strawberry Shortcake, one of the most popular dolls of all time, has returned, causing quite a stir among a new generation of young girls and the adult fans who grew up with the classic character. As Bandai America Incorporated showcased its complete line of berry sweet scented dolls at Toy Fair 2003, major retailers from across the country have begun to report that the new Strawberry Shortcake has been in tremendous demand with some stores exhausting their initial stock in just the first month of sales.

The introduction of Strawberry Shortcake signifies Bandai’s expansion into the girls’ toy category, which began with the launch of Hello Kitty dolls, playsets and other toys in 2002. The extensive new line includes dolls in a variety of sizes, price points and categories including:

• Collectibles: Berry Sweet Wearables, scented 1.5-inch miniature collectibles that girls can wear in a mini necklace tote or keychain and take wherever they go.
• The World of Strawberry Shortcake: Berry Cute Girls, featuring an adorable, 2.5-inch doll with a fun scent that comes in a cute carrying tote; Berry Cute Mini Lands, with Strawberry Shortcake and her friends in various fun scenes; and Berry Cute Houses, featuring the ability to connect with one another to form a magnificent Strawberry land.
• Fashion and Hair Play: Berry Best Friends, scented 5.5-inch dolls with brushable hair and removable berry fun fashions; Berry Special Parties, 5.5-inch dolls with fun party themes; Berry Sweet Sisters, which include a special DVD; and Berry Happy Homes, the playhouse that doubles as a carrying case.

New products for Fall 2003 include various fashion changes, accessories and pets, as well as scented collectible Berry Mini-Friends; Berry Soft Friends, the 10-inch rag dolls that come with Berry Fun Fashions; and the Berry Talkin’ Friends line of dolls that speak more than 100 different phrases and songs.

“We’ve expanded our girls lineup with a character that truly has a timeless appeal, and given the initial response, her return has been much-anticipated by fans all over the world,” said Bill Beebe, senior vice president of sales and marketing, Bandai America Inc. “The excitement of Strawberry Shortcake is contagious for both little girls who are discovering the adventures of the adorable redhead for the first time and for moms who are sharing a piece of their childhood with their kids.”

As one of the world’s most popular icons from the ‘80s, Strawberry Shortcake made history as the first scented doll to hit the market. She achieved an unprecedented $100 million in sales in her first year, and within the first five years of being on toy shelves, reached more than $1.2 billion in sales. Now, the beloved character has returned with her signature scent and cuteness factor, but sports a fun, contemporary look complete with wide-brimmed hat, colorful T-shirt and blue jeans created by licensors American Greetings and DIC Entertainment.

Timed to coincide with a comprehensive licensing and merchandising re-launch by American Greetings and DIC Entertainment, Strawberry Shortcake will make her way to DVD and VHS in four brand new, never-before-released titles. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment will release the first two animated titles – Meet Strawberry Shortcake and Spring For Strawberry Shortcake – on March 11, 2003. Meet Strawberry Shortcake will make its debut on the FOX Network in March 2003, just prior to its video release.

“The early sales success of the new dolls shows all the signs of a new Strawberry Shortcake phenomenon,” said Jedd Gold, DIC Entertainment director of marketing and promotions. “Because of the tremendous potential for the brand, we will support the entertainment and licensing initiatives with a multifaceted marketing campaign including packaged goods promotions, costume character appearances, a fan-club, on-line initiatives and many more surprises.”

“As a devoted Strawberry Shortcake collector, I never thought I would see my favorite childhood doll returning to store shelves,” said Jennifer Bowles, author of The Cream of Strawberry Shortcake Collectibles (with Jan Lidenberger). “The new Strawberry Shortcake has a cute hat, bright smile, and of course, the same ‘berry’ sweet scent that made her so appealing back when she was first introduced.”

About Strawberry Shortcake

Almost 20 years after the initial retail phenomenon, the classic girls’ property will be re-introduced in early 2003 with direct-to-video/DVD movies and a comprehensive licensing and merchandising roll-out at retail. The Strawberry Shortcake stories follow the good-hearted and
lovable adventures of Strawberry Shortcake and her friends who live together in the magical world of Strawberryland. With darling and mischievous characters like her sister Apple Dumplin’, her friends Ginger Snap, Orange Blossom, Angel Cake, Huckleberry Pie and her pets Honey Pie Pony, Custard and Pupcake, Strawberry Shortcake finds herself exploring magical lands while learning valuable lessons. For more information, visit StrawberryShortcake.com.

Strawberry Shortcake, Strawberryland, Apple Dumplin’, Ginger Snap, Orange Blossom, Angel Cake, Huckleberry Pie, Honey Pie Pony, Custard, and Pupcake trademarks and characters © 2003 Those Characters From Cleveland, Inc.

About DIC Entertainment

DIC Entertainment is a leading children’s entertainment company with over 3,000 half-hours of programming in its prolific library, ranked as the second largest library of American animation. DIC has also amassed an incomparable family of domestic and international
broadcasters who air DIC programming in Europe, Asia, Latin America, Africa and Australia. Some of DIC’s popular properties include “Inspector Gadget™,” “Madeline,™” “Where On Earth Is Carmen Sandiego?™,” “Sonic The Hedgehog™,” “Super Mario Bros™,” “Captain Planet™,” “ Sailor Moon™,” and such new shows as “Super Duper Sumos™,” “Liberty’s Kids™,” “Alienators: Evolution Continues™” and “MaryKate & Ashley, In Action!™.” Over 25 million children watch DIC’s popular programs each week. DIC is a full service studio with production, development, distribution, home video, marketing and licensing departments.

About American Greetings

American Greetings Corporation (NYSE: AM) is the world’s largest publicly held creator, manufacturer and distributor of greeting cards and social expression products. Its staff of artists, designers and writers comprises one of the largest creative departments in the world and helps consumers “say it best” by supplying more than 15,000 greeting card designs to retail outlets in nearly every English-speaking country. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, American Greetings generates annual net sales of approximately $2 billion. For more information on the Corporation, visit http://corporate.americangreetings.com on the World Wide Web.


About Bandai America

Bandai America Inc. is a subsidiary of Bandai Co. Ltd., the third largest toy company in the world, with 27 subsidiaries in 8 countries worldwide. Global interests include toys and children’s entertainment, video game software, multimedia, music, full-length feature films, vending machines, trading cards, candies and licensed apparel.

Bandai America Inc. is celebrating its 25th anniversary as the master toy licensee of some of the most popular properties and brands in children’s toys and entertainment, including the Power Rangers, Gundam, Digimon, Strawberry Shortcake and Hello Kitty product lines. Bandai America is headquartered in Cypress, California and company information is available at bandai.com.