PRODUCTS & PROMOTIONS 2003-03-24

CHEERIOS BREAKFAST SETS

ral Mills Trademark Licensing here has joined with Sherwood Brands, Rockville, Md., to release a line of Cheerios breakfast gift sets. The six-piece sets include two large ceramic cereal bowls, two ceramic mugs, two spoons and two .56-ounce boxes of Cheerios. The sets will be available at supermarkets, mass merchandisers, warehouse stores, drug and specialty stores nationwide. Cheerios already licenses its brand name to children's toys, games and books, toddler utensils and tableware, other gift sets and diaper bags. "We are pleased to offer consumers another fun way to enjoy their daily bowl of Cheerios," said Leigh Ann Schwarzkopf, manager of General Mills trademark licensing.

WAR AND WESTERNS FOR DAD

SANTA MONICA, Calif. -- MGM Home Entertainment here will present a Father's Day promotion on May 20 centered on 13 war and Western classics that are new to DVD. The promotion will be supported by a national consumer advertising campaign, as well as an offer that gives consumers the chance to buy two and get one free. Five of the DVDs will also air during TNN's "Dad's Week" in the same time period. Titles included in the offer and promotion are: "The Unforgiven," "633 Squadron," "Five Guns West," "Duel at Diablo," "Battle of Britain," "Zulu" and "Mosquito Squadron," among others.

Another Big Idea

CHICAGO -- Big Idea Productions here entered into a licensing agreement with Dalmatian Press, Franklin, Tenn., to produce VeggieTales-licensed coloring and activity books for children. The series of books, based on the popular animated "VeggieTales" TV and video series, features characters from the show. The book series will be released over the next three years, beginning this spring at mass market stores, including supermarkets, but also Wal-Mart, Target and drug stores. The majority of the books will come with a suggested retail price of $5.