16th January 2010
STARS OF ALBERT SQUARE ADORN NEW RANGE OF MERCHANDISE
Coinciding with the 25th anniversary of EastEnders, BBC Worldwide has signed a deal with Blackstone Design to produce a range of men’s and women’s t-shirts based on some of the show’s iconic Walford residents. The move sees the first licence granted by BBC Worldwide to produce official EastEnders product since 2005.
Maintaining its status as one of the BBC’s most successful shows since its launch on 19th February 1985, EastEnders has continued to entertain and enthral audiences for the past 25 years. The agreement with Blackstone Design becomes the first significant move into licensing for the brand.
The t-shirts will be produced through Blackstone’s Two Bucks and Tee & Cake labels, making lines for men and women respectively, and are being targeted towards key fashion retailers. Initial designs – which feature some of the show’s most infamous characters including Frank Butcher, the Mitchell brothers and Dot Cotton – will be available from March, 2010. BBC Worldwide is also looking at developing lines featuring Dirty Den and Arthur Fowler – one of the original 23 characters from the soap.
Cassie Allen, Licensing Manager for BBC Worldwide Children’s and Licensing, says: “Working with EastEnders, which already has such a rich heritage and following, brings us some fantastic opportunities for developing apparel. The imagery for this line brings together the essence of the show through the characters, along with the retro appeal that’s driving the market right now. We’ve had strong interest from retailers so far, and we’re confident that these t-shirts are going to be a big success.”
ENDS
For images or more information please contact: Anna Kingsley or Luke Campbell on
0208 433 3022 / 0208 433 1683 or at anna.kingsley@bbc.com / luke.campbell@bbc.com
