Digital specialist AT New Media, licensing agent for the smash-hit internet phenomenon Gummy Bear, has announced that a fantastic plush line based on the character has launched at retail in territories across southern Europe and is now available in the UK and Ireland as well as across the whole of Europe.

Gummy Bear (aka Gummibär) is the all-singing, all-dancing icon that has been one of the standout digital hits of recent years. The multi-lingual crooner can sing in eleven different languages and this has led to a monumental international following, making him a huge superstar on the Web. Fans watch Gummy Bear content through sites such as YouTube and MySpace and via a dedicated web presence at www.gummibar.net, whilst Gummy Bear videos are a constant presence in the top 10 of the UK iTunes Dance Music Video Chart. Breakthrough hit The Gummy Bear Song has been downloaded an astonishing one billion times and now features on the latest instalment of Ubisoft’s highly successful music video game franchise – Just Dance Kids, which will be heavily promoted in the UK and Europe. The plush is a 12in Gummy Bear toy that sings The Gummy Bear Song when his tummy is pressed. The licensee is Whitehouse Leisure – a significant presence in the plush sector with a strong reputation for producing quality products based on the hottest kids’ brands on the market.

The Gummy Bear plush is adding to the brand’s considerable presence here in the UK and on the continent - licensed merchandise is flying off the shelves across Europe and companies such as Turkish telephone giant BN Telecom, Greek food manufacturer Ifantis and McDonald’s in Germany have all launched successful promotional campaigns featuring Gummy Bear.

“This new plush line is being released into territories that have a huge appetite for anything related to Gummy Bear, as the brand is absolutely red hot in southern Europe,” says Simon Kay of AT New Media. “This popularity is transferring to the UK through massive levels of internet viewership, which in turn is attracting considerable interest from the licensing sector - we are currently in negotiations with a number of potential partners and expect to be making announcements soon regarding additional deals for the UK market.”