Foundation Media Partners drives the
collaboration with Odd Dot,
a division of Macmillan
Children's Publishing Group, to create and produce compelling
content for readers of all ages
NEW
YORK, April 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ --
Build-A-Bear Entertainment, a subsidiary of Build-A-Bear
Workshop, Inc. (NYSE: BBW), and Odd Dot, a division
of Macmillan that publishes joyful and innovative books
that inspire kids to explore, learn, develop skills and have
fun, announced today a powerful new content development
relationship designed to create and produce a wide offering of
books inspired by the vast array of characters and stories
associated with the Build-A-Bear brand.
As Build-A-Bear envisions extending its entertainment footprint
further by bringing new adventures to life in different ways, this
relationship with Macmillan, a publisher known the world over for
the creation of innovative and engaging content, is a natural next
step. The imprint will expand the reach of beloved intellectual
properties by creating board books, picture books, chapter books,
sticker and activity books which will bring Build-A-Bear characters
and stories to life across multiple genres for a wide age range of
readers. These properties include the popular Build-A-Bear product
line Honey Girls, currently seen as a live action feature
film on Netflix, as well as the upcoming Christmas 2023 film
Glisten and the Merry Mission, based on Build-A-Bear's
multi-million dollar holiday offering.
Build-A-Bear has been captivating guests and audiences with its
unique approach to the creative process and storytelling since its
inception in 1997, when the company disrupted the toy and plush
industry and was simultaneously credited for being a pioneer of
experiential retail where consumers could make their own stuffed
animals. As the brand rose to iconic status over the past 25 years,
Build-A-Bear has also developed a rich library of intellectual
property, many of which have been recently translated beyond retail
and plush, through the creation of content including feature film
and music. With 225 million "furry friends" sold over the last
quarter century, each representing a unique memory and a special
story, the brand has also created millions of heartfelt
relationships spanning generations of kids and adults.
Build-A-Bear has been executing a strategic corporate evolution
which includes a dynamic digital transformation, an expanded
multi-channel business model, the extension of the addressable
market and the reimagination of the company's entertainment
division, all aligned with the continuation of its the mission to
bring a little more heart to life. The company intends to continue
and expand its high engagement touchpoints and creative content. By
driving this strategy, Build-A-Bear has continued to deliver
profitable growth, recently reporting record breaking financial
results by ending fiscal 2022 with the highest profitability in the
company's history on top of having delivered record profitability
in the previous fiscal year as well.
"Storytelling and creativity have always been at the center of
the Build-A-Bear experience, each personalized furry friend created
by our guests celebrates unique stories, and our partnership with
Macmillan, allows us to share new ways for guests to interact with
their beloved and favorite Build-A-Bear characters by bringing them
to life through stories, books and activities We are delighted to
expand the love and appeal of our brand and encourage further
creativity for children, tweens and teens," said Sharon Price John, President and Chief Executive
Officer of Build-A-Bear Workshop.
Odd Dot Publisher Nathalie LeDu
will oversee the imprint for Macmillan, and Foundation Media
Partners, who orchestrated and structured the deal, will be
overseeing operations for Build-A-Bear.
"We're thrilled to be partnering with Build-A-Bear," says
Nathalie Le Du, Publisher of Odd
Dot. "Their experiential retail locations and hands-on approach to
storytelling could not have been a more natural fit for Odd Dot's
expertise in imaginative play, creating one-of-a-kind novelty
experiences, and family-friendly activities. The ethos of
connection and creativity will be at the core of all the books Odd
Dot dreams up with Build-A-Bear."
"Because of their reputation for innovative and engaging content
that inspires kids and kids at heart to explore, learn, and have
fun, we were confident from the beginning that Odd Dot and
Macmillan would be the perfect match for Build-A-Bear," said
Patrick Hughes, founder and CEO of
Foundation Media Partners. "As we continue to strategically extend
the widening entertainment footprint of the Build-A-Bear brand, it
is crucial to have the right partners who understand the importance
of integrating brands and traditional entertainment through the
creation of engaging content designed to impact the market in
unprecedented ways.''
This partnership between Build-A-Bear and Macmillan marks a
significant milestone for both companies. As one of the top five
publishers in the world, Macmillan's ability to secure such a
powerful retail partner is a testament to its reputation and
influence in the industry. Few retailers have the reach to offer
publishers the kind of exposure and sales potential that
Build-A-Bear can provide. By tapping into Build-A-Bear's vast,
loyal customer base and leveraging its industry-leading footprint,
and leaning into Macmillan's already established reach and impact
in the market, these companies will together cement their positions
as a leading player in the publishing industry. For both, this
groundbreaking partnership is sure to drive significant growth and
revenue.
ABOUT BUILD-A-BEAR ENTERTAINMENT
Build-A-Bear
Entertainment, a division of Build-A-Bear Workshop, the IP-based
company best known for its memorable and unique 'build-your-own'
retail concept, has been actively creating a variety of content
while cultivating the right relationship for its big screen debut.
The company has produced several feature-length films in
conjunction with Foundation Media Partners, including Honey
Girls, Deliver By Christmas and Christmas CEO. Upcoming
projects include a partnership with Hello Sunshine on a reimagined
Goldilocks and the Three Bears film, and the holiday film
Glisten and the Merry Mission featuring Build-A-Bear's
iconic holiday characters is set to release in 2023.
Separately, the highly anticipated documentary from award-winning
director Taylor Morden, which
chronicles the compelling journey of Build-A-Bear's rise from a
1997 retail-tainment start-up, to a successful multi-million dollar
public company, to its current evolution and digital transformation
into a multi-generational, diversified, omni-channel organization
that posted its most profitable years in 2021 and 2022, will also
be released later this year.
ABOUT BUILD-A-BEAR WORKSHOP, INC. (NYSE:
BBW)
Build-A-Bear is a multi-generational global brand
focused on its mission to "add a little more heart to life"
appealing to a wide array of consumer groups who enjoy the personal
expression in making their own "furry friends" to celebrate and
commemorate life moments. Nearly 500 interactive brick-and-mortar
experience locations operated through a variety of formats provide
guests of all ages a hands-on entertaining experience, which often
fosters a lasting and emotional brand connection. The company also
offers engaging e-commerce/digital purchasing experiences on
buildabear.com including its online "Bear-Builder", the
animated "Bear Builder 3D Workshop" and its age-gated,
adult-focused "Bear Cave". In addition, extending its brand power
beyond retail, Build-A-Bear Entertainment, a subsidiary of
Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc., is dedicated to creating engaging
content for kids and adults that fulfills the company's mission,
while the company also offers products at wholesale and in
non-plush consumer categories via licensing agreements with leading
manufacturers. Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. posted total revenue of
$467.9 million in fiscal 2022. For
more information, visit the Investor Relations section of
buildabear.com
ABOUT MACMILLAN PUBLISHING
Macmillan Publishers is the
U.S. trade division of the Holtzbrinck Publishing Group, a large
family-owned media company headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. Its publishing companies
include prominent imprints around the world that publish a broad
range of award-winning books for children and adults in all
categories and formats.
U.S. publishers include Celadon Books, Farrar, Straus and
Giroux, Flatiron Books, Henry Holt
& Company, Macmillan Audio, Macmillan Children's Publishing
Group, The St. Martin's Publishing
Group, and Tor Publishing Group. In the UK, Australia, India, and South
Africa, Macmillan publishes under the Pan Macmillan name.
The German company, Holtzbrinck Deutsche Buchverlage, includes
among its imprints S. Fischer, Kiepenheuer & Witsch, Rowohlt,
and Droemer Knaur. Us.macmillan.com
ABOUT ODD DOT
Odd Dot is a publisher of innovative
books in formats of all kinds, for kids of all ages. With titles
that range from trend-setting sticker compendiums, to educational
workbooks, to definitive outdoor field guides, to toy-like board
book novelty, and beyond, Odd Dot's mission is to create joyful
books for curious minds–and have fun doing it. You can learn more
about the imprint's books on www.odddot.com or by following
along on social media @odddotbooks.
ABOUT FOUNDATION MEDIA PARTNERS
Foundation's clients
and executive team have produced a number of commercially
successful and award-winning films for major studios and
independent financiers. Foundation's slate includes movies from
some of the most prolific filmmakers in the world, cultivating some
of today's most dynamic and cutting edge new voices. Recent titles
include THE BAD GUYS, based on the best-selling book franchise by
Aaron Blabey, which was released in
2022 and went on to become one of the highest grossing films of the
year by Dreamworks Animation and Universal Pictures; THELMA THE
UNICORN, based on another best-selling book franchise by Blabey, is
currently in production with director Jared
Hess (Napoleon Dynamite) for Netflix; DELIVER BY CHRISTMAS,
which was Build-A-Bear Entertainment's first film with Hallmark
released in Fall of 2020; and HONEY GIRLS, the first Build-A-Bear
Entertainment feature film for Sony Pictures Worldwide
Acquisitions, based on Build-A-Bear Workshop's pop music trio and
released in 2021. Over the last five years, Foundation Media
partners and clients have over 40 million books in print.
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SOURCE Build-A-Bear Workshop