COPCORP LICENSING APPOINTS UNITED MEDIA
TO REPRESENT JIM BENTON’S IT’S HAPPY BUNNY™
FOR LICENSING IN JAPAN
NEW YORK (March 1, 2006)CopCorp Licensing President Carole Postal today announced the appointment of United Media (UM), a leading worldwide licensing and syndication company, to manage the licensing program in Japan for Jim Benton’s It’s Happy Bunny ™ property. With the It’s Happy Bunny licensing program already enjoying great success in North and South America as well as Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand, this appointment represents the popular brand’s first foothold in the East Asian market.
Jim Benton’s It’s Happy Bunny™ is a cute little bunny with a BIG attitude, winner of the 2005 Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association’s (LIMA) International Licensing Excellence Award as Best Art Brand License of the Year, star of a popular illustrated book series (the first two books having been selected by the American Library Association for its prestigious 2006 Quick Picks list) from Scholastic, and one of the hottest properties in licensing today.
With the global success the licensing for It’s Happy Bunnyhas experienced thus far, bringing it to Japan, where audiences have a keen eye and taste for iconic animated characters, makes a lot of sense,” says United Media Senior Vice President of International Licensing Rita Rubin. “CopCorp has done an excellent job building It’s Happy Bunny’s program in the global marketplace, allowing us the leverage to make our way strategically into this key Asian market.”
“It’s Happy Bunny is simply drawn and instantly recognizable, yet at the same time its character provides a unique attitude toward life..something fresh and new for today’s consumer. It’s sure to be a hit here in Japan, as it has been globally,” said Akio Matsunaga, Managing Director of United Media’s Japan office.
United Media's licensing program for It’s Happy Bunny will focus initially on key categories such as apparel, accessories, and wireless content. As the program builds, gift, stationery, and other categories will be targeted.
“We are thrilled to be working with United Media – and to be able to draw on United Media’s considerable experience and expertise -- to bring It’s Happy Bunny to fans in Japan,” says Postal.
About J.K. Benton Design Studio
Jim Benton – an artist, author, and animator who has enjoyed success and earned critical praise in each of those diverse fields -- has been hailed as “the most visible cartoonist in America” by People Magazine. Benton’s J.K. Benton Design Studio is the source of thousands of original characters appearing in books, magazines, on television, online and on a wide variety of licensed products in America and around the world. For more information about Jim Benton and J.K. Benton Design Studio, visit www.jimbenton.com
About United Media
United Media (UM) is a worldwide licensing and syndication company that focuses on building brand equity around a wide range of creative content. The company recently partnered with Mary Engelbreit Studios, the business behind the popular and prolific artist and Televisa, a leading Spanish speaking media company, to represent the U.S. rights to its long-running hit television series “El Chavo.” United Media licenses and/or syndicates other properties, including Peanuts, Precious Moments, Raggedy Ann & Andy, Jakers! Arthur, Tamagotchi and Dilbert. United Media is an E.W. Scripps Company.
About CopCorp Licensing
CopCorp Licensing www.copcorp.com, global licensing agent for Jim Benton’s It’s Happy Bunny is an innovative and strategic licensing/retail consulting agency that specializes in the development of brand, character, art, publishing, and entertainment based licensing opportunities for presentation and packaging to the manufacturer and retailer communities. As a multi-functional sales and marketing firm, CopCorp Licensing offers both licensors and licensees a bridge to the retail community. Led by Carole Postal, Founder and President, CopCorp Licensing develops, sells, negotiates, markets, and implements complete licensing strategies and programs for major entertainment corporations, artists, art studios, apparel brand names, among many others.
