ZhuZhu Pets® are Set to Debut at the 2011 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade® and Will Help Fill Santa's Sleigh this Year at Macy's Santaland®

ST. LOUIS, Dec. 2, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- The hamsters are coming! ZhuZhu Pets®, the nation's favorite furry, animated and interactive hamsters and 2010 "Toy of the Year," will invade the streets of New York and spread holiday joy to millions of children watching across the country as they join the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade® beginning in 2011.  ZhuZhu Pets®, and all their friends within the "Zhu-niverse," will have their very own float alongside some of the most iconic toys, characters and entertainment figures in American history.

"The huge popularity of ZhuZhu Pets® has allowed us the opportunity to participate in one of the country's most recognized and historic events," said Russ Hornsby, CEO, Cepia LLC. "The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade has been a holiday tradition amongst families for decades, ushering in the holiday spirit. Children love the magic and charm of ZhuZhu Pets® and we hope that our float will bring an even bigger smile to their faces when they see us coming down the parade route."

The more than 50 million viewers at home and 3.5 million spectators at the parade will get the chance to see their favorite ZhuZhu Pets® characters on their float starting next year and through 2013.

However, kids won't have to wait to catch some of their favorite hamsters zhu-ooming around New York City. This year, ZhuZhu Pets® will be among the toys featured inside Macy's Santaland®, one of the city's biggest holiday attractions located at Macy's flagship Herald Square store. The closest thing to Santa's Workshop outside of the North Pole, Santaland is a winter wonderland filled with the season's most popular toys and games – and Santa himself – for kids to make their wish list requests.

Santaland is also the ultimate place to spread holiday cheer and Macy's is doing just that with its annual Operation Happy Children event, which invites more than 1,000 underprivileged children in New York and Boston to a special holiday breakfast with Santa where kids will also be able to pick out one gift from his sleigh full of toys.

As part of the toymaker's charitable giving program, Random Acts of Zhu (RAZ), Cepia LLC will donate ZhuZhu Pets® toys for the children to pick from during their trip to Santaland. Through this donation, Cepia hopes to inspire others to participate in charitable acts for less fortunate children during the holidays.

"We are excited to partner with ZhuZhu Pets® on our most iconic holiday events, the world-famous Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and our spectacular Macy's Santaland, home to the one and only Santa Claus," said Amy Kule, group vice president, Macy's National Events and Partnerships. "The adorable ZhuZhu Pets® are bound to be a huge hit with Parade spectators next year and will bring joy to our visitors and children at Santaland over the course of this holiday season."

About ZhuZhu Pets®

ZhuZhu Pets® are innovative, realistic, interactive, plush, and artificially intelligent hamsters that talk and move around in their own playsets. ZhuZhu Pets® include two play modes: nurturing mode where the hamsters coo and purr and adventure mode where the hamsters explore their habitat with intelligent audio and mechanical responses to various habitat stimuli. Add-on accessories can be purchased to build an ever-evolving habitat for your pet to play in and explore. The brand expanded its product line with the addition of ZhuZhu Rock Stars, ZhuZhu Wild Bunch and Kung Zhu™, the first ZhuZhu Pets® specifically designed to appeal to boys. Powered by 2 AAA batteries (included), both ZhuZhu Pets® and Kung Zhu™ are suitable for ages 4 and up.  ZhuZhu Pets® are sold globally through more than 60 national chain retail outlets and independent toy stores. In 2010 ZhuZhu Pets® received top awards in three categories at the 10th annual Toy Industry Association Toy of the Year Awards, including the 2010 "Toy of the Year." ZhuZhu Pets® also took home awards for "Girl Toy of the Year" and "Innovative Toy of the Year." For more information, please visit www.zhuzhupets.com and www.kungzhu.com.  

About Cepia LLC

Headquartered in St Louis, Mo., Cepia LLC is a privately held company that manufactures toys and games for children of all ages. The company was founded on the premise that sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. Ingenuity, creativity, playfulness, and passion are the heart of Cepia and everything it creates. Cepia's toy building enterprises include: Glo-e, a light-up plush bear, Hydro Max, a motorized water blaster, Sky Raptors, and ZhuZhu Pets®. ZhuZhu Pets® have become an international sensation by combining realistic interaction with a fun, imaginative, interactive play design. With the introduction of the transformative Kung Zhu™ Battle Hamsters, the brand expands its platform of providing fun, innovative toys for kids. For more information, please visit www.cepiallc.com.

SOURCE Cepia LLC