Sakar Electrifies 'So So Happy' Brand with New License Agreement

NEW YORK, Feb. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Sakar International is about to put a happy face on youth electronics (literally) with a new licensing agreement for Art Impressions' So So Happy lifestyle brand. The brand's quirky cast of friendly monsters, robots and other oddball characters will appear on a wide assortment of audio, video and computer accessories to be sold exclusively by Hot Topic beginning in late Q1.

Products will range from branded calculators, gooseneck lamps and alarm clock radios to headphones, earbuds, speakers, walkie talkies, docks and chargers. The mix will also include MP3 players, webcams, and digital and video cameras; computer keyboards, mice and mouse pads; and camera and portable device cases and sleeves.

"The beauty of the So So Happy franchise is that the characters are whimsical, offbeat, and appealing even to people who won't buy anything with a major brand on it. They also cross multiple age segments from tweens and teens to young adults and even beyond," said Liza Abrams, Sakar Vice President of Licensing. "This is a unique license that will have a lot of selling power in places like Hot Topic that are looking for merchandise in the hip, out-of-the-ordinary category."

"So So Happy is one of our newer properties, and it's growing quickly because it has a timely, relevant message – of positivity, respect for individuality, and being kind to one another – that resonates with our customers," said Cindy Bailey, CEO of Art Impressions. "Sakar will bring So So Happy into the electronics world for the first time, and we expect our audience will really embrace the combination of our characters with technologies they enjoy and use every day."

The new products are being exhibited in Booth #2445 at the Toy Fair 2011 show that opens today in New York. They will be sold in the U.S. and Canada.

Sakar's licensing portfolio also includes other top-tier brands such as Kodak, Made for iPod, Crayola, Sanrio's Hello Kitty, LeapFrog, The Biggest Loser, The Weather Channel, Iron Man 2, Batman, EA SPORTS, Gummy Bears, Mattel's Monster High and multiple Nickelodeon properties including iCarly and SpongeBob SquarePants.

About Sakar International

Sakar International Inc. designs and manufactures a wide range of technology, toy, and consumer electronic products. Founded in 1977, the company is the manufacturer of Vivitar camera equipment and accessories, a market leader in youth electronics and rechargeable batteries, and a producer of licensed products for leading consumer brands. Products range from digital cameras and camcorders with related accessories to computer, iPod, GPS and gaming accessories, binoculars, MP3 players, clock radios, gift and toy electronics. The company is privately held and headquartered in Edison, N.J. For more information, visit www.sakar.com.

About Art Impressions

Art Impressions is a leading full-service brand-development and licensing agency which specializes in creating lifestyle brands. The company focuses on developing "evergreen" programs capable of achieving licensing success across a broad spectrum of consumer products. Among Art Impressions' properties are pop-culture lifestyle brands So So Happy (www.sosohappyonline.com) and Skelanimals, character property Milky Way & the Galaxy Girls, and artists Josephine Wall, Valerie Tabor-Smith, and Schim Schimmel. For more information, visit http://artimpressionsinc.com.

SOURCE Sakar International