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GUND® Signs Licensing Deal for UGLYDOLL® Plush
Pretty Ugly™, LLC shifts emphasis to focus on licensing
EDISON, N.J., June 11, 2012 -- GUND®, maker of the world's most huggable plush, announced today it has signed a licensing deal with Pretty Ugly™, LLC to make UGLYDOLL® branded plush characters. GUND, the plush division of Enesco LLC, will begin selling and shipping UGLYDOLL plush products to current and new retail customers worldwide this summer, while Pretty Ugly, LLC will focus its efforts on expanding licensing programs across multiple product categories for the UGLYDOLL brand.
"After 10 years of building UGLYDOLL into an evergreen brand, we have decided to discontinue manufacturing and selling products directly... and, instead, focus our efforts on building the brand and continuing expansion of UGLYDOLL licensing programs across new and existing categories," said Alita Friedman, Partner and Chief Brand Officer. "We are excited to have GUND as our newest licensing partner for core plush dolls, continuing the business that we began. Given GUND's long tradition as a leader in soft toys, we expect GUND to expand the UGLYDOLL plush business with new products and broader distribution."
"Cute, funny and huggable, UGLYDOLL characters are a perfect addition to the GUND portfolio of soft toy brands that delight consumers around the world," said GUND President Bruce Raiffe. "We recognize the tremendous job that retail customers have done merchandising this brand for a decade, and will work closely with the Pretty Ugly team to insure a smooth product transition."
The UGLYDOLL line was first launched in January 2001. Created by artists David Horvath and Sun-Min Kim, who started with a drawing of a playful orange character known as Wage™, the line has grown into an entire universe of characters, stories and products for all ages. The brand is distinguished by an aesthetic that balances traditional cuteness with perceived ugliness.
For more information on GUND, please visit http://www.GUND.com. For more information on UGLYDOLL, please visit http://www.uglydolls.com.
About Pretty Ugly, LLC
UGLYDOLL & Pretty Ugly, LLC
David Horvath & Sun-Min Kim created the first UGLYDOLL hand-sewn plush toy in 2001. Since the inception of the first character, Wage™, who David drew on a love letter to Sun-Min, UGLYDOLL has grown into an entire universe of characters, stories, and products for all ages.
The UGLYDOLL brand was launched in 2002 by Pretty Ugly, LLC in Edison, NJ. The property is distinguished by David & Sun-Min's unique aesthetic and voice defining "ugly" as distinctive and unique. The award-winning UGLYDOLL characters appear in a variety of toys, books, apparel, and other licensed products that are available in thousands of stores, worldwide. For more information, please visit http://www.uglydolls.com.
About GUND®:
GUND, a division of Enesco, LLC, is known worldwide for its top quality, soft and huggable plush designs and gift products. Award-winning GUND products appeal to all ages, from infants up, and are perfect for both play and collecting. The 114-year old company is based in Edison, New Jersey, and distributes throughout the United States and Canada as well as in Europe, Asia, Australia and South America. GUND products may be found in gift, specialty, toy, book, museum and department stores and many other retail outlets. To find your nearest retailer, visit http://www.gund.com.
About Enesco, LLC:
Enesco, LLC, is a global leader in the giftware and home and garden decor industries. Serving more than 44,000 customers worldwide, Enesco distributes products to a wide variety of specialty card and gift retailers, home decor boutiques, fine department stores and direct mail retailers. With subsidiaries in the United Kingdom, France, Canada and Hong Kong, Enesco serves markets operating in Europe, the Americas, Australia and Asia. The company's product lines include some of the world's most recognized brands including Heartwood Creek® by Jim Shore, Foundations®, Our Name is Mud®, Gund®, Boyds®, Department 56® Villages, Country Artists®, Walt Disney Classics Collection®, Disney Traditions™, Border Fine Arts™, Cherished Teddies®, The Trail of Painted Ponies®, and Lilliput Lane, among others. Further information is available on the company's Web site at http://www.enesco.com.