Warner Bros. Consumer Products Kicks Off Collection Of Official Licensed Products For UEFA EURO 2004
(November 30, 2003 - Lisbon, Portugal) – With less than 200 days until the kick off of UEFA EURO 2004, Warner Bros. Consumer Products will unveil a selection of Official Licensed Products (OLP), developed by the 28 companies that have been granted the UEFA EURO 2004 license, at the Final Draw in Lisbon. Warner Bros. Consumer Products is the exclusive worldwide licensing agent for the tournament, which will be held in Portugal 12 June – 4 July in 2004.
“We are impressed by the breadth and depth of products developed by the licensees selected by Warner Bros. Consumer Products. The collection has captured the spirit of the event and we are looking forward to the roll out of products in Portugal and in the rest of the world,” said Gerhard Aigner, UEFA Chief Executive.
UEFA selected Warner Bros. Consumer Products (WBCP) to represent the licensing efforts for Euro 2004 based on their successful track record of international licensing success with major properties as well as their worldwide network of offices.
“The UEFA European Football Championship is the crown jewel of European football and one of the major sport events in 2004. Warner Bros. Consumer Products is honored to be working with licensees and retailers across Europe on such a high profile event,” said Mark Matheny, Executive Vice President, International, Warner Bros. Consumer Products.
In an unprecedented move in football licensing, WBCP developed six art directions -- “National Pride,” “Street,” “Fashion,” “Event,” “Photographic” and “Kinas Character” -- to broaden the appeal of the licensing program, from kids to devoted football fans but also to women who represent an increasing part of the viewership and fan base.
Warner Bros. Consumer Products has given selected licensees enough product breadth to create a full collection for key categories such as apparel, accessories, footballs, glassware, chinaware, gifts and souvenirs, writing instruments, stationery and bags.
The centerpiece of the OLP program is Kinas, the official mascot which was specifically designed by WBCP for the UEFA EURO 2004 tournament. Kinas will figure prominently both as part of the OLP mix as well as POP and other advertising materials.
In addition to the range of classic football merchandise such as Kinas T-shirts, caps and pins, highlights of the Official Licensed Product collection include the “Golden” football, the “X Ray” T-shirt, the “Silhouette” mug, the “Fashion” watch, the “Street” shoulder bag and the “Vive o 2004!” watch by Swatch.
UEFA’s aim is to provide fans across the world with access to the best possible products. In Portugal, Official Licensed Products will be made available across multiple retail channels: dedicated shops in airports and shopping malls, department stores, hypermarkets, convenience stores and specialized stores. In addition, at the time of the tournament, OLPs will be sold in match stadiums and in a dedicated Superstore in Lisbon.
Throughout the rest of Europe, in particular key European markets, OLPs will be available in retail channels such as hypermarkets, department stores and specialty retail outlets. WBCP retail teams are working with leading retailers to create dedicated OLP corners.
Some Asian markets where interest in the tournament is high– Japan, Korea and Thailand, for instance - will also figure into the retail distribution plan, with OLP available in select boutique stores and dedicated areas in large retail outlets and possibly high traffic locations such as airports.
As of November 30th, 2003 consumers will also be able to purchase tournament merchandise online at euro2004.com, the official website of the UEFA EURO 2004 tournament.
Product roll out has started already in Portugal: A limited selection of OLPs are already available in nearly 2000 outlets – airports, hypermarkets, department stores, specialized stores and kiosks - and products are added regularly as they become available. In the rest of Europe product roll out will start as of March 2004.
Warner Bros. Consumer Products, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, is one of the leading licensing and retail merchandising organizations in the world.
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