Andy Heyward forms A Squared Entertainment

[John Dorian]

New Children’s Media Company, A Squared, Joins with AOL to Create and Distribute Premium Brands for Kids Introduced Online




Los Angeles, CA – July 24, 2009 – A Squared Entertainment LLC, a new children’s media company formed by industry and marketing veterans Andy Heyward (Co-President) and Amy Moynihan (Co-President), has teamed up with AOL to unveil new slate of purpose-driven entertainment brands for children. The programs will feature some of the most iconic personalities of all time -- Warren Buffett, Gisele Bündchen, Martha Stewart and the late Carl Sagan -- and will entertain and teach kids about finance, the environment, creativity, and science.

A Squared, working in collaboration with AOL, will produce a season’s worth of 3-5 minute webisodes involving each celebrity that will premiere on AOL. AOL will also work with A Squared to distribute the webisodes more broadly on the Web, leveraging the power of social networking. In addition, AOL is working with MGX Lab to create a unique dynamic interactive world for each property, with games and activities to support and extend the webisode content. Secret Millionaire’s Club, featuring Warren Buffett, and GiGi & the Green Team, featuring Gisele Bündchen, are scheduled to debut on AOL this fall with Little Martha, featuring Martha Stewart, and Kosmos, inspired by Carl Sagan and created by Cosmos co-author Ann Druyan, to launch in spring 2010.

“A Squared was created to introduce great entertainment for kids that also serves to teach them about the world around them in fun ways,” said Heyward. “We are privileged to have some of the premier icons of our time to inspire modern content for children. Each an expert in their respective fields, these celebrities have committed to bringing content with a purpose to kids. Together with AOL, we are reinventing the way multi-media brands are launched to connect with kids throughout their multi-tasking daily lives.”

Joining the announcement, the legendary Warren Buffett stated, “What better time to help educate our kids about financial responsibility. Andy Heyward and I have a longstanding relationship, and I am excited to introduce a series that is as fun as it is informative.”

“AOL has a proud heritage of providing families and children with high-quality educational and entertaining online content, and we’re delighted to work with A Squared to bring these innovative programs to our users and across the Web,” said AOL Chairman and CEO Tim Armstrong. “These experiences provide fun content that serves a purpose, and we’re bringing our expertise in creating and distributing digital content to this effort to help deliver this unique content to AOL users and across the Web.”

In Secret Millionaire’s Club, an animated Warren Buffett is a mentor to a group of kids who have adventures in business and learn financial lessons along the way. Gigi & The Green Team features an animated Gisele Bündchen, who lives a double life--supermodel by day, superhero protector of the environment by night. The series marks the first superhero series for girls that will educate, entertain, inspire and empower girls to protect and preserve the environment. Little Martha (working title) features a 10-year old animated Martha Stewart who operates an event planning company from her tricked-out treehouse. Together with a group of friends, Little Martha teaches kids about cooking, crafting, and gardening as they create unforgettable events together. Kosmos features an animated Carl Sagan, and was inspired by the best-selling science series, Cosmos, to introduce an exciting new version for kids. Developed by Ann Druyan, co-creator of Cosmos,Creative Director of NASA's legendary 'Voyager Interstellar Message', Kosmos combines real science with action-adventure in space.

With over 30 years of experience as a leading executive in children’s entertainment, Andy Heyward is an Emmy Award winning producer, who created and ran the largest independent children’s media company, DIC Entertainment, which produced some of the most popular and successful properties of all time, including Strawberry Shortcake, Care Bears, Inspector Gadget, Hello Kitty, Super Mario Brothers, Madeline, Alvin and the Chipmonks, The Real Ghostbusters, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, the Archies, Liberty’s Kids, and many more. Heyward spearheaded DIC’s production of over 4,000 episodes of programming for all the major network and cable channels. He has also collaborated worldwide with all the major advertisers, licensees, licensors and promotional partners in the children’s industry, including Hasbro, Nintendo, McDonald’s, General Mills, Kelloggs and Wal*Mart, to name a few.

Amy Moynihan is a 20-year brand marketing veteran who has been responsible for developing and launching new products for some of the world’s most valuable brands, including McDonald’s, Disney Cruise Line, Hasbro and The Los Angeles Times.

About A Squared Entertainment LLC
A Squared Entertainment is a new children’s entertainment company dedicated to creating original family-based intellectual properties. A full-service brand management company, A Squared Entertainment creates, develops, produces, programs, markets, merchandises and distributes content for children across all formats. Formed by Andy Heyward and Amy Moynihan, Co-Presidents, the company is headquartered in Los Angeles. (www.a2entertain.com)

About AOL
AOL is a global Web services company that operates some of the most popular Web destinations, offers a comprehensive suite of free software and services, runs one of the largest Internet access businesses in the U.S., and provides a full set of advertising solutions. A majority-owned subsidiary of Time Warner Inc., AOL and its subsidiaries have operations in the U.S., Europe, Canada and Asia. Learn more at AOL.com.

MGX Lab
MGX Lab, LLC is an independent, full-service, digital media, brand strategy, and business development agency. Clients include Marquis Jet, NetJets, Tom Brady, The Jonas Brothers Change For The Children Foundation, Matt Damon’s OneXOne, CKX, Inc., Muhammad Ali Enterprises, Brad Pitt’s Make It Right New Orleans and Bayer HealthCare. MGX Lab is headquartered in New York City. (www.mgxlab.com)




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Huh.

Seems like Andy left Cookie Jar after its token year deal expired. And it also seems that these projects are similar to the ordinary DIC E/I cartoons that was in production before Cookie Jar Entertainment acquired DIC from Andy. Well, at least Andy's doing something.

[Mandouga]

Unfortunately, this just seems to be more "kissing up to the parents". Some people (such as the "target audience") will have never heard of these people (Martha Stewart maybe, but not the others), really making them more for the parents.

That's not how "family entertainment" works, but that's for another thread in another forum, plus I don't wish to debate the issue.

I know it's Andy Heyward, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the shows will be as good as when he was at DIC.

[CrazyChase]

If anyone remembers these shows in 10 or so years, mission accomplished. Until then, pass.

I mean, what shows he was involved in was good past 1994?

[John Dorian]

Originally Posted by CrazyChase

If anyone remembers these shows in 10 or so years, mission accomplished. Until then, pass.

I mean, what shows he was involved in was good past 1994?

I thought Mummies Alive! and Liberty's Kids were awesome, and also Trollz for its cute designs. Other than that, you're right.

[Mister Donut]

Originally Posted by Mandouga

Unfortunately, this just seems to be more "kissing up to the parents". Some people (such as the "target audience") will have never heard of these people (Martha Stewart maybe, but not the others), really making them more for the parents.

That's not how "family entertainment" works, but that's for another thread in another forum, plus I don't wish to debate the issue.

I know it's Andy Heyward, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the shows will be as good as when he was at DIC.

I'm only surprised he even bothers staying in the biz.

[The Wolverine]

Originally Posted by John Dorian

I thought Mummies Alive! and Liberty's Kids were awesome, and also Trollz for its cute designs. Other than that, you're right.

He's also responsible for everything on KEWLopolis.

Most of it's crap, but Sushi Pack is all sorts of awesome, and the current Care Bears series is really cute.

[Gonzales]

Sounds like a complete and utter waste of time. What kid who doesn't watch CNBC would know who the hell Warren Buffet is?

[John Dorian]

Originally Posted by Chibi Goten

He's also responsible for everything on KEWLopolis.

Most of it's crap, but Sushi Pack is all sorts of awesome, and the current Care Bears series is really cute.

Well, DIC never actually produced the new Care Bears and Sushi Pack is the best out of KEWLopolis.