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The #1 bestselling story Bible of all time, The Beginners Bible®, is expanding its beloved characters beyond the printed page. Mission City Press, owner of The Beginner’s Bible®, has named DIC Entertainment (DIC), a global brand management company, as worldwide licensing agent for all The Beginner's Bible merchandise and interactive content, excluding publishing. Zondervan will remain the master publishing partner for all print products. The Beginner’s Bible® is a trusted, proven brand that helps parents and children discover the life and fun of Bible stories in an engaging, entertaining, and educational way. DIC will develop branded products that extend the experience of The Beginner’s Bible®, literary heritage into a broad-based consumer products program, including toys, apparel, accessories, and an online web community for the brand. The program will primarily focus on children 2 – 5 years old, with a secondary market of parents and grandparents. The program will be supported with a comprehensive national marketing and promotional campaign. “The Beginner's Bible®, is the crown jewel of the Christian children’s publishing industry. Mission City Press and Zondervan wanted to find an experienced and innovative company with both the resources and the vision to extend The Beginner's Bible® into new frontiers and new product formats,” says Sandi Shelton, President of Mission City Press. “We found a terrific partner in DIC Entertainment, one of the most creative, education-oriented, children’s entertainment companies in the country.” “The Beginner’s Bible® is a trusted, value-rich children’s publication, and DIC looks forward to creating a merchandise line that will take these timeless stories and bring them into a child’s everyday life in a fun and engaging manner,” comments Andy Heyward, Chairman & CEO of DIC. “Our goal is to inspire kids around the world to develop a life of faith through a broad reaching program.” “DIC was interested in children’s Bible programming and actually sought us out because of the reputation of The Beginner's Bible®,” said Kathy Needham, Marketing Director for Mission City Press. “First published in 1989, The Beginner's Bible® has stood the test of time, and The Beginner's Bible® characters are now the best known children’s Bible characters in the world. The vibrancy, charm, and appeal of the characters lend themselves to a myriad of three-dimensional product opportunities. Expanding the reach of the beloved characters of The Beginner's Bible® beyond print will allow us to connect with children in new ways.” The Beginner's Bible® was fully updated in 2005 with new artwork and text. To date, over 15 million units of all The Beginner’s Bible® book formats have been sold. Published by Zondervan, The Beginner's Bible® is available in more than 20 languages worldwide. Recently awarded the 2006 Retailers Choice award by the Christian Booksellers Association in the U.S., it also won the 2006 Children’s Nonfiction Book of the Year Award in the U.K. Zondervan has an extensive The Beginner's Bible® publishing program in place and will continue to aggressively support the brand with exciting new print product releases every year. DIC Entertainment currently serves as the worldwide licensor or agent for evergreen brands such as McDonald’s, Strawberry Shortcake, Madeline, Mommy & Me, and Eloise. Since DIC re-launched Strawberry Shortcake into the marketplace in 2003, the brand has generated over $2 billion in worldwide revenues. DIC additionally develops its own brands for global distribution, including Horseland and Dino Squad, both properties currently airing on the children’s branded programming block, “KEWLopolis on CBS.” “With DIC’s creativity, resources, relationships, and licensing offices around the world, DIC can greatly enhance our mission of creating products that will help instill faith in God and introduce children to the wonderful, timeless stories of the Bible,” says Shelton. “Despite existing success ‘of biblical proportions,’ we believe the best years and the biggest impact on children’s lives are yet to come!” |
