Business News

American Greetings and Sesame Workshop Expand Long-Term Partnership

Wednesday 02. July 2008 - Successful licensing relationship solidified with multi-year commitment

Following on the heels of a 10-year licensing relationship built on trust and mutual respect, American Greetings Corporation (NYSE:AM) and Sesame Workshop signed a contract that joins the two entities for many years to come. What started as a licensing agreement for greeting cards, gift enrobing and stickers in 1999, has now evolved into a multi-faceted commitment that not only delights children and families with Sesame Street favorites like Elmo, Big Bird, Cookie Monster and the newest monster, Abby Cadabby on product, but also supports Sesame Workshop’s programs and initiatives including sponsorship of children’s programming and funding educational content that helps children everywhere learn and grow.

This long-term partnership includes licensing the Sesame Street trademark and characters in the U.S. and Canada on greeting cards, party goods, gift packaging, ornaments, juvenile valentines and sponsorship of Sesame Street on public television (PBS KIDS). American Greetings is also a sponsor of various multimedia educational outreach programs developed by Sesame Workshop including Talk, Listen, Connect II: Deployments, Homecomings, Changes, which is intended to help children within military families who are experiencing deployment, homecomings associated with multiple deployments, and changes related to a parent who returns home with an injury. All materials created for this initiative are available in both English and Spanish.

Separately, American Greetings and Sesame Workshop have expanded the partnership internationally to include licensing agreements in Mexico, Australia and the UK.

“Our relationship with Sesame Workshop is one of outstanding collaboration in creating great product and respected working relationships within different departments of our organizations,” states Michael Brown, Vice President of Licensing, American Greetings. “The relationship has been beneficial to American Greetings as it has provided us the opportunity to grow on many levels and recognize the reason why we do this everyday — for children and their parents/caregivers to celebrate special events while making the world a better place!”

“We are proud to stand with American Greetings as we work together to make children’s lives full of purpose, accomplishment, fun and joy,” said Maura Regan, Sesame Workshop’s Vice President and General Manager of Global Licensing. “From developing quality products to supporting our educational programming, American Greetings’ commitment to children creates a lasting impact.”