American Greetings Celebrates 30 Sweet Years of Strawberry Shortcake™

NEW YORK, Oct. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Pop culture icon Strawberry Shortcake™ celebrates her berry sweet 30th anniversary this month, commemorating three remarkable decades of sweetness, friendship and fun. In honor of this major milestone, American Greetings Properties, the intellectual property and outbound licensing division of American Greetings Corporation (NYSE: AM), has unveiled a series of 30th anniversary initiatives to coincide with the debut of Strawberry Shortcake's all-new animated television series "Strawberry Shortcake's Berry Bitty Adventures" which began airing nationwide October 10th on The Hub, a new TV network for kids and their families.

Debuting in 1980 as a line of social expressions products and a television special quickly following, Strawberry Shortcake grew from being a little girl with a mop of red yarn curls into a superstar with her own line of toys, games, crafts, and books. In just five years, the property generated more than $1.2 billion in worldwide retail sales, selling 25 million dolls and producing three gold records.

"Strawberry Shortcake's success can be attributed to her wholesome values, lessons of teamwork and friendship, fantasy adventures, and her optimism that even little girls can do big things," said Gabrielle Oliff, marketing director for American Greetings Properties. "Moms who grew up with the property 30 years ago love and trust Strawberry Shortcake and are thrilled that they can share this sweet little red-head with their daughters. We at American Greetings look forward to the next 30 years of sweet success with Strawberry Shortcake and are very excited to see where she goes from here."

Strawberry Shortcake's 30th anniversary kicks off with the all-new CGI animated television series "Strawberry Shortcake's Berry Bitty Adventures" which premiered October 10th on the new kids TV network The Hub, a joint venture of Discovery Communications and Hasbro, Inc. The series follows Strawberry Shortcake and her five berry best friends Blueberry Muffin, Plum Pudding, Raspberry Torte, Orange Blossom and Lemon Meringue in the whimsical land of Berry Bitty City, a tiny world underneath the leaves of a berry patch. Keeping with contemporary nutritional concerns, both Strawberry Shortcake and her magical home, Berry Bitty City, reflect a fruit-friendly atmosphere.

In addition, Hasbro has created a special 30th Anniversary three pack of dolls that includes replicas of three original characters - Strawberry Shortcake, Raspberry Tart and Orange Blossom – exactly as they appeared in 1980. Each doll is outfitted in her classic fruit-themed pinafore and bonnet and emits their classic fruit scent. The retro-inspired collection will be available on TysToyBox.com and www.hasbrotoyshop.com beginning this November (for ages 3 years & up, approximate retail price: $29.99).

An array of digital offerings are also launching this month including a new Berry Happy Birthday theme on StrawberryShortcake.com which features fun-filled activities to throw your berry own Strawberry Shortcake party. StrawberryShortcake.com also includes a section for parents filled with nostalgic Strawberry Shortcake fun facts and timeless recipes for moms and daughters to enjoy together. Additionally, Strawberry Shortcake is introducing her first-ever iPhone application this fall where players are tasked with helping Strawberry Shortcake prepare for a big party at her Berry Cafe and fill all of her smoothie orders.

The 30th anniversary also marks a new partnership with McDonald's for a Happy Meal and Mighty Kids Meal promotion which includes six 3" sweet-smelling poseable plastic dolls, plus a very special accessory that reflects each character's role within Berry Bitty City. Available through October 14, the Strawberry Shortcake Happy Meal toys come with an online code that unlocks a virtual strawberry plant that grows in McWorld®, McDonald's immersive virtual world experience at www.happymeal.com.

Strawberry Shortcake is also giving back this year through a new partnership with Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF). Together, they are enlisting volunteers across the country to host Strawberry Shortcake Alex's Lemonade Stands during September and October to help raise national awareness and support fundraising efforts for childhood cancer research. All funds raised at these special lemonade stands will go towards ALSF along with an additional $50 for every strawberry lemonade stand registered to be donated by American Greetings Properties up to $15,000.

For more information about Strawberry Shortcake and her magical fruit-filled world, visit www.strawberryshortcake.com or Facebook at www.facebook.com/strawberryshortcake.

About American Greetings Corporation

For more than 100 years, American Greetings Corporation (NYSE: AM) has been a creator and manufacturer of innovative social expression products that assist consumers in enhancing their relationships. The Company's major greeting card lines are American Greetings, Carlton Cards, Gibson, Recycled Paper Greetings and Papyrus, and other paper product offerings include DesignWare party goods and American Greetings and Plus Mark gift-wrap and boxed cards. American Greetings also has the largest collection of electronic greetings on the Web, including cards available at AmericanGreetings.com through AG Interactive, Inc. (the Company's online division). AG Interactive also offers digital photo sharing and personal publishing at PhotoWorks.com and Webshots.com and provides a one-stop source for online graphics and animations at Kiwee.com. In addition to its product lines, American Greetings also creates and licenses popular character brands through the American Greetings Properties group. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, American Greetings generates annual revenue of approximately $1.6 billion, and its products can be found in retail outlets worldwide. For more information on the Company, visit http://corporate.americangreetings.com.

About American Greetings Properties

American Greetings Properties (AGP) is the intellectual property and outbound licensing division of American Greetings Corporation. Built upon the successful re-launches of Care Bears and Strawberry Shortcake licensed products, which have garnered over $5 billion in retail sales worldwide combined since 2002, AGP develops multi-platform campaigns for its properties through digital media, entertainment, marketing and merchandising. In addition to Care Bears and Strawberry Shortcake, AGP's active classic brands include Holly Hobbie, Popples and Madballs, as well as new properties Twisted Whiskers, Maryoku Yummy and TinPo. Children can experience AGP online at www.agkidzone.com. For more information on AGP, visit www.agpbrands.com.

About The Hub

The Hub, a multi-platform joint venture between Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) and Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE: HAS), will entertain, enlighten, empower and educate children and their families.  The cable and satellite television network will feature original programming as well as content from Discovery's library of award-winning children's educational programming; from Hasbro's rich portfolio of entertainment and educational properties built during the past 90 years; and from leading third-party producers worldwide.  The Hub lineup will include animated and live-action series, specials and game shows, and the network will extend its content through a robust and engaging online presence. The Hub will launch October 10, 2010 (10-10-10) reaching approximately 60 million U.S. households on what is currently Discovery Kids channel. The online home of The Hub is www.hubworld.com. The Hub logo and name are trademarks of Hub Television Networks, LLC.  All rights reserved.

SOURCE American Greetings Corporation