With so many classic merchandising properties making big comebacks these days, it was only a matter of time before Holly Hobbie got back on the horse. The 30-year old girl’s doll line will join the likes of Strawberry Shortcake and Trollz when it gets updated for an animated direct-to-video series to be produced by Nickelodeon and distributed by Paramount Home Entertainment.
Scheduled to premiere in the spring of 2006, the first Holly Hobbie & Friends video will introduce a new generation of youngsters to Holly and her best friends, Amy and Carrie. The girls spend summers together in the cozy town of Clover and experience all of the things typical ten-year-old girls face. Holly herself is the great, great grand-daughter of the original Holly Hobbie.
“Holly Hobbie & Friends is a contemporary evolution of the classic brand,” comments Michael Brown, VP of licensing for American Greetings. “The property celebrates the magic milestones of growing up in today’s world while retaining the innocence and charm of the original Holly Hobbie.”
The home video debut will be followed by new Mattel toys and a complete line of merchandise set to launch later in the year. The original incarnation of Holly Hobbie brought in $1 billion in retail sales in the 1970s.
American Greetings last month re-launched Holly Hobbie, featuring the original character and artwork on a wide variety of products including collectible gifts and social expression items. The company has partnered with Nickelodeon and Viacom Consumer Products to act as a licensing agent for both the classic and contemporary versions of the property.
Nickelodeon will showcase both Classic Holly Hobbie and Holly Hobbie & Friends at its booth (#1317) at the 2005 Licensing Show, taking place at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City, June 21-23.
