LPWire: Disney Brings the Magic of Friendship to the U.S. with the Launch of W.I.T.C.H. Books

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Disney Brings the Magic of Friendship to the U.S. with the Launch of W.I.T.C.H. Books
Unprecedented Global Publishing Success in over 64 Countries

Significant Marketing Campaign Planned across the Walt Disney Company in Support of W.I.T.C.H. Book Launch

Disney Publishing Worldwide announced today that it is launching W.I.T.C.H., a tremendous new book series for tween girls that has seen extraordinary global publishing success, in the U.S. market. An emerging girl property, W.I.T.C.H. is already the fastest growing girls' comic magazine in the world, published monthly in over 64 markets and in 27 languages. Nine W.I.T.C.H. books will be introduced in the U.S. beginning in April 2004 published by Hyperion Books for Children. The first title will offer a hybrid format that combines four-color comics with a traditional chapter book.

Will. Irma. Taranee. Cornelia. Hay Lin. Together they are W.I.T.C.H. - five ordinary friends with an extraordinary secret - they each have the power to control a natural element. W.I.T.C.H. is the acronym of the first names of the 5 heroines, all of who are 13 or 14 years old and are just like others of their age; they wear trendy clothes, they have fun with their friends, they're classmates.... But they also have magical powers. Will controls energy, Irma commands water, Taranee has power over fire, Cornelia controls earth, and Hay Lin dominates air. The girls use their powers to guard against evil and to uncover the truth behind mysterious portals leading to other worlds.

"Since W.I.T.C.H. was first introduced in Italy in 2001, we have experienced an unprecedented global response to the characters and the concept," said Robert Iger, president and COO of The Walt Disney Company. "W.I.T.C.H. is a great example of Disney's ability to create and launch exciting properties in different parts of the world and by the many talented people at Disney's different divisions. Its expansion into the world's largest market through multiple business units of the company should ensure duplicating the success it has seen around the world."

W.I.T.C.H. magazine currently has a circulation of over 1 million copies each month. The global book launch has seen W.I.T.C.H. titles propelled onto bestseller lists in several countries, including Brazil and Italy. The magazines currently sell over 100,000 copies each month in Italy, France and Spain. Girls around the world have created over 50 fan websites in response to the W.I.T.C.H. phenomenon, and a major consumer products campaign was rapidly launched as a result of tweens writing letters and clamoring for more W.I.T.C.H. Wireless downloadable W.I.T.C.H. images have also become popular with cellphone-toting girls.

Conceived and developed in Italy, W.I.T.C.H. was created as a magazine after years of socio-cultural studies of the world of young people so as to enrich, stimulate, and encourage girls with positive values that are in keeping with Disney storytelling: courage, loyalty, togetherness, tolerance, and team spirit.

"W.I.T.C.H. has all the elements of a blockbuster series: drama, adventure, humor, style, friendship, heroism, and magic - all set within a world in which adolescent girls are grappling with various kinds of transformation," says Lisa Holton, senior vice president and publisher, Hyperion Books for Children. "Millions of girls all over the world - from Thailand to Finland - have fallen in love with this world, and we're very excited to bring it to American kids."

Creative divisions of The Walt Disney Company are already embracing W.I.T.C.H., nurturing it to become a major company initiative, with a television show and a full consumer products program in development.

Capitalizing on the synergies created through The Walt Disney Company, the W.I.T.C.H. publishing program has an unparalleled marketing campaign behind it, including major national print advertising; a dedicated website at www.clubwitch.com; value-added giveaways; cross-sell messaging on Walt Disney Records releases; book samplers at promotional movie screenings including The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement; trailers on Disney DVD's including Lizzie McGuire and Kim Possible titles; a presence at Disney Stores, and a trailer on the company's in-flight video package on United Airlines.

Hyperion Books for Children is a unit of Disney Publishing Worldwide. Disney Publishing Worldwide publishes books and magazines in 55 languages in 75 countries, reaching more than 100 million readers each month.

Posted March 23, 2004
Source: Disney Publishing Worldwide