JAKKS Pacific Signs Definitive Agreement to Acquire Disguise, Leading Halloween Costume Company

2008-11-24 12:04:04 -

www.jakks.com - cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT"id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww .. (NASDAQ: JAKK) has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the assets of leading Halloween costume and décor company cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT"id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww .. and a related Hong Kong company, both subsidiaries of France-based César S.A. This newest acquisition will firmly position JAKKS in the Halloween industry and further bolster its industry-leading position in the children"s dress-up category.
San Diego-based Disguise is a 21-year-old leading manufacturer of Halloween costumes and accessories, with an expansive and innovative line based on hundreds of new and classic favorites for all ages. Disguise"s portfolio includes non-licensed Halloween costumes based on everything from horror, pirates, historical figures and aliens to animals, vampires, angels and more, as well as popular licensed characters from top intellectual property owners including Disney, Marvel, Mattel, and many others. Disguise has received six "Licensee of the Year" LIMA Excellence Awards since 2002 for its outstanding licensed costume programs.
"Our entry into the Halloween industry is the next step in our acquisition strategy as we further diversify our portfolio with products such as Disguise® costumes that should provide synergies with our existing role-play and dress-up business, while simultaneously positioning JAKKS in the approximately $2 billion seasonal Halloween costume business," said Stephen Berman, President and COO of JAKKS. "We have been watching this business for years and believe we are going to inject some major league excitement into the celebration of Trick or Treat for both retailers and consumers with a great new variety of innovative product offerings for millions of fans of Halloween."
The acquisition is subject to closing conditions, including approval by César"s secured creditors, and is expected to be completed in December 2008. BNP Paribas acted as financial advisors to JAKKS Pacific in this transaction.
For more information about Disguise, visit cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT"id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww ...
About Disguise
Since its inception in 1987 with only twelve designs, Disguise has established itself as the leading fashion-driven design company in the global costume industry creating the hottest styles for both everyday costume play and Halloween. In 1997, Disguise joined cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT"id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww .., an international costume and playwear group founded in France in 1842. It then became the largest costume and dress up manufacturing group in the world. The synergy of creative and international presence of both companies has produced facilities in ten countries and distribution in more than sixty. Disguise partners with leading studios, such as Disney, Marvel, Mattel, Hasbro and Sesame Workshop, and leading retailers to bring over ten million costumes to the American market each year.
About JAKKS Pacific, Inc.
JAKKS Pacific, Inc. (NASDAQ: JAKK) is a leading designer and marketer of toys and consumer products, with a wide range of products that feature some of the most popular children's toy licenses in the world. JAKKS" diverse portfolio includes Action Figures, Art Activity Kits, Stationery, Writing Instruments, Performance Kites, Water Toys, Sports Activity Toys, Vehicles, Infant/Pre-School, Plush, Construction Toys, Electronics, Dolls, Dress-Up, Role Play, and Pet Toys and Accessories, sold under various proprietary brands including JAKKS Pacific®, Play Along®, Flying Colors®, Creative Designs International", Road Champs®, Child Guidance®, Pentech®, Funnoodle®, Go Fly a Kite®, Color Workshop®, JAKKS Pets", EyeClops®, Plug It In & Play TV Games", Kids Only® and Tollytots®. JAKKS is an award-winning licensee of several hundred nationally and internationally known trademarks including Disney, Nickelodeon, Warner Bros., World Wrestling Entertainment, Ultimate Fighting Championship, Graco and Cabbage Patch Kids. JAKKS and THQ Inc. participate in a joint venture that has worldwide rights to publish and market World Wrestling Entertainment video games. For further information, visit cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT"id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww ...
This press release may contain forward-looking statements (within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) that are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about JAKKS Pacific's business based partly on assumptions made by its management. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in such statements due to numerous factors, including, but not limited to, those described above, changes in demand for JAKKS' products, product mix, the timing of customer orders and deliveries, the impact of competitive products and pricing, and difficulties with integrating acquired businesses. The forward-looking statements contained herein speak only as of the date on which they are made, and JAKKS undertakes no obligation to update any of them to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this release.

JAKKS Pacific, Inc.

Genna Rosenberg, 310-455-6235

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Joel Bennett, 310-455-6210