BURBANK, CA--(Marketwire - October 15, 2009) - ABC Family and Build-A-Bear Workshop® are
coming together to create a little holiday "hoofla" this season as the
network debuts an animated special that marks the first time in the
retailer's 12-year history that its plush animals are brought to life on
television. "Holly and Hal Moose™: Our Uplifting Christmas Adventure,"
a one-hour feature movie, makes its nationwide premiere on ABC Family on
Tuesday, Nov. 24 at 7:00 PM ET/PT (with an encore presentation on Saturday,
Nov. 28 at 10 AM ET/PT). The television special is based on a book and
series of webisodes that introduced Holly and Hal Moose last year and
captured their holiday antics, powerful imaginations and love of adventure.
"Holly and Hal" features Meaghan Martin ("10 Things I Hate About You,"
"Camp Rock") and Jonathan Morgan Heit ("Bedtime Stories") as the voices of
Easton and Weston (respectively), two high-strung elves who monitor the
North Pole Weather Center. In addition, an exclusive theme song, "When You
Dream," was created for the movie by Tena Clark, award-winning music
producer, song writer and CEO/chief creative officer of DMI Music & Media
Solutions.
"Holly and Hal were our first characters to inspire a storybook, and now
they're the first to become movie stars," said Maxine Clark, founder and
chief executive bear of Build-A-Bear Workshop. "The tale of this
antlered-sibling duo is meant to inspire people to follow their dreams --
no matter how big they seem. It's a classic holiday adventure that offers
families the opportunity to start a new tradition of watching it together
each season."
"We're very excited about this first-time partnership with Build-A-Bear
Workshop," said Tom Zappala, senior vice president, Disney ABC Television
Group. "The story of Holly and Hal Moose is a perfect addition to our
family holiday programming."
Families can relive the excitement of the movie by making their own Holly
and Hal stuffed animal friends and dressing them in new signature outfits
and accessories from the movie. In addition, Build-A-Bear Workshop is
introducing Lil' Hal, a rogue robot in Santa's Workshop until Holly rescues
him from recycling and he becomes her skillful and loveable sidekick.
Merchandise is available at Build-A-Bear Workshop stores and online at
buildabear.com®. The movie DVD will be released starting Nov. 25.
To kick off the movie and holiday season, ABC Family and Build-A-Bear
Workshop will host preview parties at several mall locations, offering
Guests and special families the opportunity to view the movie early.
Families who attend the preview parties will be asked to either purchase
and make a furry friend at Build-A-Bear Workshop or bring a new, unwrapped
gift to donate to Toys for Tots.
Additional support includes:
-- Movie promotions in buildabearville.com, the Build-A-Bear Workshop
virtual world, including interviews with Holly and Hal Moose on The Chloe
Show, the virtual world's celebrity interview show, new webisodes and
virtual giveaways (while supplies last).
-- Online and social media outreach via Facebook and Twitter, a blog
written by Holly (http://www.buildabear.com/HappyHollyBlog/blog/), the
creation of a Holly and Hal microsite, a Google advertising campaign and a
video offering on Hulu.com.
-- In-store and mall communications, including the distribution of paper
antlers with coupons (while supplies last), and a holiday mailer to Guests.
-- A specially-produced music video playing out the movie's inspirational
message.
-- A mini Holly and Hal giveaway offer on Black Friday (while supplies
last).
About Build-A-Bear Workshop
Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. is the leading and only global company that
offers an interactive make-your-own stuffed animal retail-entertainment
experience. Founded in 1997, the Company and its franchisees currently
operate more than 400 Build-A-Bear Workshop stores worldwide, including
company-owned stores in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, the United
Kingdom, Ireland and France, and franchise stores in Europe, Asia,
Australia and Africa. In 2007, the interactive experience was enhanced --
all the way to CyBEAR™ space -- with the launch of buildabearville.com,
the company's virtual world stuffed with fun. The company was named to the
2009 FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For® list. Build-A-Bear Workshop
(
NYSE:
BBW) posted total revenue of $468 million in fiscal 2008. For more
information, call 888.560.BEAR (2327) or visit the company's award-winning
Web site at
www.buildabear.com.
About ABC Family
Part of the Disney-ABC Television Group, ABC Family is distributed in over
98 million homes. ABC Family features programming reflecting today's
families, entertaining and connecting with adults through relevant stories
about today's relationships, all told with diversity, dysfunction, passion,
humor and heart. ABC Family's programming is a mix of network defining
original series and original movies, quality acquired series and
blockbuster theatricals. ABC Family is also the destination for annual
Holiday events with "13 Nights of Halloween" and "25 Days of Christmas!"
ABC Family. A New Kind of Family.
TRADEMARKS
We would like to thank you for your interest in covering our business. As
you write your story, we would ask that you use our full name: Build-A-Bear
Workshop and that when referencing the process of making stuffed animals
you use the word "make" not "build." Build-A-Bear Workshop is our
well-known trade name and our registered trademark of Build-A-Bear Retail
Management, Inc. Build-A-Bear Workshop should only be used in capital
letters to refer to our products and services and should not be used as a
verb. Note: Parental permission may be required to
buildabearville.com. Visit
buildabearville.com for details.
To view a media-rich version of this release, go to:
http://www.pwrnewmedia.com/2009/babw91014hollyandhal/index.html
Contact Information: Contacts
Wendy Bain
Blick&Staff Communications (for Build-A-Bear Workshop)
314-727-5700 x 110
Kris Brill
Blick&Staff Communications (for Build-A-Bear Workshop)
314-780-1332
Amy Prenner
ABC Family
818.569-3309