NEW YORK -- With an unusual head start, "WordWorld", a new PBS preschool show funded in large part by a multimillion-dollar grant from the Department of Education, lined up several licensing partners and an exclusive retail deal with Target even before it bowed this week.
It is rare for licensees to sign onto a TV property before determining ratings or the success of a show. Even most producers and networks prefer to wait and see how a new series goes before lining up merchandising partners.
The concept of the show, which depicts the letters that spell a word morphing into the animals or objects they spell (i.e. the letters D-O-G turn into an animated dog), was appealing enough to Target and licensees including Mega Bloks, Spin Master, Sababa Toys and Rose Art to sign deals with WordWorld.
"The whole idea behind the license is a great idea on its own," said Harold Chizick, spokesman for Mega Brands, makers of Mega Bloks. "I think the show is going to give our products even greater exposure, but in terms of play value and educational value, the benefit kids are getting out of the product is a big plus. We bought into the whole concept of word building and wordplay. We saw a natural fit for our company and what we do in the construction aisle based on the innate play pattern of letters becoming words becoming things."
"It speaks to the uniqueness of the property," added Don Moody, founder and CEO of parent company Word World Llc.
It is rare for licensees to sign onto a TV property before determining ratings or the success of a show. Even most producers and networks prefer to wait and see how a new series goes before lining up merchandising partners.
The concept of the show, which depicts the letters that spell a word morphing into the animals or objects they spell (i.e. the letters D-O-G turn into an animated dog), was appealing enough to Target and licensees including Mega Bloks, Spin Master, Sababa Toys and Rose Art to sign deals with WordWorld.
"The whole idea behind the license is a great idea on its own," said Harold Chizick, spokesman for Mega Brands, makers of Mega Bloks. "I think the show is going to give our products even greater exposure, but in terms of play value and educational value, the benefit kids are getting out of the product is a big plus. We bought into the whole concept of word building and wordplay. We saw a natural fit for our company and what we do in the construction aisle based on the innate play pattern of letters becoming words becoming things."
"It speaks to the uniqueness of the property," added Don Moody, founder and CEO of parent company Word World Llc.
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