Babar Packs His Trunk for Exclusive Stay at Iconic, Five-Star Htel Plaza Ane in New York City

7/9/2013

Babar Packs His Trunk for Exclusive Stay at Iconic, Five-Star H tel Plaza Ath n e in New York City

New Partnership Invites Young Guests and Their Families to Join in the

80th Birthday Celebration of World-Famous Children's Character

Bon voyage ! Nelvana Enterprises and H tel Plaza Ath n e are teaming up to bring the globally-famous children's character, Babar, to Manhattan's Upper East Side for an extended stay at the fashionable, five-star boutique hotel.

As part of the continuing celebration of the beloved brand's 80th anniversary this year, H tel Plaza Ath n e will welcome the worldly pachyderm with an exclusive year-long promotion. Beginning this summer, H tel Plaza Ath n e will offer creature comforts, including special Babar gift baskets, entertainment and promotional items, for its young guests. In addition, the hotel will host a festive fete to celebrate the 2013 holiday season Babar-style!

We're delighted to establish H tel Plaza Ath n e, a member of the Leading Hotels of the World, as Babar's home away from home,' said Andrew Kerr, Head of Consumer Products, The Americas and Australasia, for Nelvana Enterprises, who manage the Babar brand in collaboration with The Clifford Ross Company. The partnership provides a unique and memorable opportunity for the youngest set of travelers to be welcomed by the most famous and fashionable elephant when they visit the Big Apple this summer and throughout the year.

At the Hotel Plaza Ath n e, we have a long tradition of walking the extra mile to welcome families to make their stay not only enjoyable, but also memorable, explains the hotel manager Sebastian Wurst. Welcoming Babar as a special guest of the hotel will create an enhanced experience for the children and the parents alike.

From Celestville to Manhattan, Babar's style and sophistication are known the world-over, said Clifford Ross, President of The Clifford Ross Company. The amenities and grandeur of H tel Plaza Ath n e are fit for a king' and this new partnership is a perfect fit for the brand and Babar's impeccable taste.

As part of the promotion, guests who book the H tel Plaza Ath n e children's package will receive a special Babar gift basket to include 80th anniversary Babar plush and other exclusive Babar merchandise. In addition, the hotel will offer Babar DVDs for in-room entertainment.

To continue the merriment into the holiday travel season, the H tel Plaza Ath n e will host a Babar-themed green-carpet event, with more details to be announced soon.

The partnership with H tel Plaza Ath n e is the latest activity surrounding the brand's 80th anniversary. Babar has recently been spotted at other New York City hotspots, including the famous holiday windows and children's department of Saks Fifth Avenue; New York City's largest independent children's bookstore, Books of Wonder; the New York Stock Exchange and at Opening Ceremony, where he has a starring role in a high-end global menswear collaboration from the famous Danish fashion house, Soulland.

Babar originated in the 1930s as a bedtime story told to Laurent de Brunhoff and his brother by their mother, Cecile, and first came to life through the art of Laurent's father, Jean, a painter, who produced seven books about the character. When Jean passed away at the young age of 37, Laurent, who studied at the same art academy, built on his father's work, creating many lively adventures for the elephant family. A remarkable success story with humble beginnings, today Babar continues to reign as the king of children's literature. The lovable elephant has appeared in more than 100 books in 17 languages as well as multiple TV series and specials and even a feature-length film. Over 42 Babar titles have been published to date with more than 10.1 million copies sold in the U.S. alone.

The Babar brand is managed by Nelvana Enterprises, in collaboration with The Clifford Ross Company.

About H tel Plaza Ath n e

One of the most well-respected hotels in the world, New York City's H tel Plaza Ath n e provides cosmopolitan luxury within the intimacy of a boutique hotel. Located on the fashionable Upper East Side of Manhattan on a quiet tree lined street, the hotel offers a unique relaxing atmosphere surrounded by refined townhouses. Located one short block from Central Park and steps from Madison Avenue, the Plaza Ath n e is the perfect getaway from Midtown Manhattan and a welcoming retreat after a long day of seeing the sights. There's plenty to see and do from this wonderfully central location.

37 East 64th Street, NY, NY 10065 Tel: 1-212-734-9100 Fax: 1-212-772-0958 www.plaza-athenee.com

About The Clifford Ross Company

Founded in 1985 by artist/photographer Clifford Ross, The Clifford Ross Company focused on three classic properties during its early years: the works of Edward Gorey, Tom Swift and Babar. After optioning the rights to Babar in 1986 directly from Laurent de Brunhoff and the de Brunhoff family, CRC entered into a working relationship with Nelvana on all aspects of the property. For over 20 years, the companies have worked together producing both television and feature-length movies featuring the Babar characters and developing a worldwide licensing program. Ross recently completed Harmonium Mountain, an animated, computer-generated landscape video, with an original score by Philip Glass, which was an original selection of the Tribeca Film Festival. He has just completed a stained glass wall for the new United States Federal Courthouse in Austin, Texas.

About Nelvana

Founded in 1971 as a small independent studio, Nelvana is now one of the worlds leading international producers and distributors of children's animated and live-action content and is owned by Corus Entertainment

LINK:	http://www.corusent.com/home/Corporate/PressReleases/tabid/1697/Defaul...
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