MIDDLETON, Wis., Jan. 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, millions
of girls are going wild for Lea
Clark™, American Girl's 2016 Girl of the
Year™! Lea, a talented photographer with a love for
animals, discovers a wide world of possibilities when she embarks
on a faraway adventure to Brazil.
Available for only one year, Lea's collection includes a beautiful
18-inch Lea™ doll featuring long wavy hair and warm
hazel eyes, plus several tropical-inspired outfits, accessories,
and toys that reflect her Brazilian travels—including Lea's
Rainforest House with over 30 pieces! To further expand Lea's world
for girls, an all-new, action-adventure film will debut on DVD from
Universal Studios Home Entertainment in summer 2016.
Written by award-winning author Lisa
Yee, the 2016 Girl of the Year books—Lea Dives In, Lea
Leads the Way, and Lea and Camila—introduce girls to a
curious ten-year-old girl with an adventurous spirit. On a family
trip to Brazil to visit her older
brother, Zac, who is studying the Amazon rainforest, Lea is excited
to capture everything she sees with her camera. Soon Lea makes some incredible discoveries, but
she also faces unexpected challenges, including a fear of the
ocean, tension with Zac, and finding a baby sloth that has been
gravely injured. With the help of her family, her new Brazilian
friend, Camila, and her late grandmother's guiding inspiration, Lea
finds the inner strength and confidence to live her new adventures
to the fullest.
Giving Back with Lea
To show girls that, together,
they can make a difference in helping protect animals and their
habitats, American Girl has created Wild at Art, a
year-long fund-raising campaign in support of World Wildlife
Fund (WWF). Starting January 1,
American Girl is encouraging girls to use their artistic abilities
to host an art sale and donate the proceeds to WWF. To launch the
campaign, American Girl has made a $50,000 donation to WWF and also invites
customers to contribute at American Girl retail stores and
americangirl.com. Parents can visit
americangirl.com/wildatart to learn more and register for
Wild at Art, plus get animal-themed craft ideas, and be entered
into a sweepstakes for the chance to win one of 17 Lea prize
packages.
In addition, from January 1 through
December 31, 2016, for every purchase of one of the three
plush animals in Lea's collection—the margay, sea turtle, or
sloth—American Girl will donate $1
(up to a maximum of $100,000) to
WWF.
Other Lea-related initiatives being held throughout the year
include the following:
- Lea™ Born for Adventure Paid App and Online
Play: Girls can join Lea in Brazil for an adventure of a lifetime with
this paid app, featuring beautiful graphics, exclusive content, and
endless play. The app retails for $1.99 and is available for download on
americangirl.com/girloftheyear. Girls can also visit the
Lea-dedicated site for book excerpts, movie-related content, games
and quizzes, wallpaper and e-cards, and much more.
- Lea Retail Events: On January
1, American Girl stores are hosting Lea's Debut Event, where
girls will get a first look at her full product collection, plus
enjoy in-store activities, colorful crafts, giveaways, and a fun
photo opportunity. Girls can also take part in free and paid
Lea-related events throughout the year. For more details on the
in-store events, visit americangirl.com/stores.
The Lea collection is available on January 1 through American Girl's catalogue;
at americangirl.com; at all American Girl retail locations
nationwide; and at American Girl specialty boutiques at select
Indigo™ and Chapters™ in Canada and El Palacio de Hierro locations
in Mexico City. The Lea books can
also be purchased through retail and online booksellers.
To learn more about Lea and the Girl of the Year™
line, go to americangirl.com, Facebook at
facebook.com/americangirl, Twitter at
twitter.com/american_girl, Pinterest at
pinterest.com/agofficial, and American Girl's Instagram page
at instagram.com/americangirlbrand. To request an American
Girl catalogue, call 1-800-845-0005.
ABOUT AMERICAN GIRL
American Girl is a premium brand
for and about girls and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mattel, Inc.
(NASDAQ:MAT) (www.mattel.com), the worldwide leader in the
design, manufacture, and marketing of toys and family products.
Headquartered in Middleton, WI,
American Girl offers an inspiring world of dolls, experiences,
and entertainment to empower and unite girls of all ages.
Best-selling lines include Truly Me™, Girl of the Year™, Bitty
Baby™, and the classic historical character line BeForever™. The
company sells products through its award-winning catalogue,
on www.americangirl.com, in its experiential retail stores
nationwide, and in specialty boutiques at select Indigo™
and Chapters™ in Canada
and El Palacio de Hierro locations in Mexico City. American Girl's mission is
to fuel belonging and connection among girls, a goal that has
already earned the loyalty of millions and the praise and trust of
their parents and educators.
ABOUT WORLD WILDLIFE FUND®
WWF is one
of the world's leading conservation organizations, working in 100
countries for over half a century. With the support of almost 5
million members worldwide, WWF is dedicated to delivering
science-based solutions to preserve the diversity and abundance of
life on Earth, halt the degradation of the environment and combat
climate change. Visit www.worldwildlife.org to learn more and keep
up with the latest conservation news by following @WWFNews on
Twitter.
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SOURCE American Girl