March 01, 2004

By: Barbara Wells
Website: http://www.1st-in-kids.com

Proven Kids-Did-It! Designs Giftware License Now Available

San Diego based Kids-Did-It! Properties represents a fresh, colorful collection of beautiful artwork created by young children, ages 3 – 14. In addition to learning the fundamentals of art and design, each young art student also earns a royalty for the licensed reproduction of their artwork.

To date, more than 39 kids have been published on a variety of merchandise, garnering licensees more than $2.68 million in retail sales.

Last year, long term licensee Papel Giftware, expanded its licensing relationship with Kids-Did-It! adding a total of six youthful design partners and 23 pieces to their Kids-Did-It! Designs holiday collection.

The line is doing well, reported Adrienne Sobroza, Papel product manager, "and this year we've added shelf talkers, point-of-purchase advertising featuring cute pictures of the kids holding up their creations. Sobroza says the mugs, votives, gift bags, and ornaments are among the top sellers for holiday 2002. Even though it's a small concept, it's holding it's own!

But now, with the surprise February folding of Papel’s parent company Cast Art Industries, Kids-Did-It! Properties finds itself actively pursuing new giftware licensees, along with new stationary, greeting card and full-line licensing opportunities as well. Picking up a Kids-Did-It! license right now could prove to be a great business decision.

Just ask Kids-Did- It! Properties president, Glenn Abrams, Last year sales of Kids-Did-It! check and address labels doubled even our wildest expectations! Plus the brand received huge national exposure. And right now, office product giant MeadWestvaco is distributing a Kids-Did-It! wall calendar that features a dozen beautiful illustrations along with our Kids-Did-It! Designs retail brand logo.

Sandy Morse of MeadWestvaco reports, The feedback from all the shows has been great! Our wall calendar orders usually start coming in May and June, so it is a little early to tell how big a seller this will be, but based on the level of interest, I feel it will be a big success.

MeadWestvaco was spurred to select illustrations from the Kids-Did-It! Designs collection because of their great creative appeal and unique promotional possibilities. We also heard there was a dramatic increase in sales from some other licensees, so we also took an option for an additional press run… just in case! said Senior Art Director, George A. Lord. In addition to MeadWestvaco and successful licensee, Checks Unlimited, specialty bag manufacturer PAK2000 is also selling Kids-Did-It! Designs illustrations once again this year through nationwide retailer Dollar Tree Stores.

The DayGlo Color Corporation and publishing firms Prentice Hall and Houghton-Mifflin have also teamed up with the kids for print-related projects, along with The Covenant House for homeless children, KPBS Radio, and the San Diego Hospice, as part of their fund raising exhibitions.

Almost all of the illustrations in the Kids-Did-It! collection are created by the young students of California artist and art teacher, Michelle Abrams. Throughout the summer young children, ages 5-14, join Michelle for art classes in her San Diego studio. Her encouragement and contagious love for the arts brings out the best from her students, and the resulting illustrations are fresh, exuberant, and quite inspirational.

Michelle compares the student artwork to those of the classics, describing their artwork as, quite colorful and strikingly beautiful - worthy of being called fine art in the tradition of Matisse, Van Gogh, Picasso or Miro.

After class, Michelle encourages parents and students to, take off the refrigerator, enlarge it, frame it – treat it like fine art and display it proudly throughout the house!

Inspired by the artwork on display, Michelle's husband, Glenn, created Kids-Did-It! Properties, a business that collects, represents and reproduces the student artwork.

So, aside from the thrill and satisfaction of being published, the young artists also earn a royalty for the licensed reproduction of their work. Students often use the proceeds as extra allowance, or for college savings. Some students have even framed their first royalty check! says Glenn.

The artwork is beautiful - fresh, inspirational - very colorful and surprisingly sophisticated. It's a complete, cohesive collection with proven consumer appeal we could easily adapt it for reproduction as a complete product line on a variety of materials including paper goods, textiles, clothing, household and soft-goods, ceramics, plush toys, giftware- let your imagination go! says Glenn.

Reaction to the concept, our story-telling Kids-Did-It! Designs brand logo, and the images we represent continues to be positive and bode well for continued growth.

Once again this year Kids-Did-It! will be exhibiting their collection at SURTEX and The L!CENSING Show in New York City. Last year at SURTEX and The National Stationary Show, five-year-old Kids-Did-It! artist Robert Hawk received some well deserved attention when his painting, Big Red Heart, was selected as one of eight designs for a special post-9/11, limited edition greeting card run sponsored by Detroit-based Avanti Press Inc. benefiting New York City relief and recovery.

Kids-Did-It! Designs artwork has been published on a variety of items ranging from book and CD covers, checks and address labels, note and greeting cards, to gift bags, holiday giftware and calendars. More than 280 of the most compelling illustrations from the collection can be digitally adapted to any surface, and are also available for licensed reproduction or distribution under the Kids-Did-It! Designs retail brand logo.

About The Author:

Barbara Wells is a successful author and regular contributor to http://www.1st-in-kids.com.  Helping parents find kid-approved clothes, toys, games, books, activities and more.