Elvis Presley Licensing Sees Continued Growth in International Markets and Unique New Ways for Fans to Celebrate the King

MEMPHIS, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The worldwide licensing program of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. continues to see growth with hundreds of new products being launched by more than 260 official licensees around the globe. Included is significant new activity from six international agents as well as growth and new products from domestic licensees.

“I AM AN ELVIS FAN: A Collection of Elvis Songs Chosen by the Fans.”

As fans around the world celebrate the 35^th anniversary Elvis Week in August 2012, products are being developed to commemorate both that milestone as well as to prepare for exciting opportunities to celebrate Elvis in 2013 and beyond. Exciting new products targeting Elvis fans of all ages include apparel, books, music and a 4D film.

Elvis and his legacy of rockin’ music are celebrated in a new casino multi-level progressive jackpot slot machine from International Game Technology (IGT) unveiled recently at the Global Gaming Expo. Featuring a classic jukebox design, players can sing along to Elvis’ hits while they spin and win on a number of king-inspired bonuses. The blockbuster game was released this spring and is already performing above house average on many casino floors in the U.S.

“Graphic Elvis,” a book from licensee Liquid Comics, is in stores now and combines rare quotes, writings, photos and memorabilia with original pieces of artwork by leading international graphic novel artists. Licensees who have seen the Elvis inspired art from the book are excited about incorporating the unique works of art into their own products which are now in development.

The list of other new products that Elvis fans will be able to find at retail include an Elvis Kingman acoustic guitar from Fender Acoustics, an “Aloha from Hawaii” Mr. Potato Head from PPW Toys, and Elvis figurines, ornaments and waterballs from Precious Moments. Tommy Hilfiger will launch a limited-edition American Icon t-shirt collection this summer including both a men’s and women’s Elvis design. The shirts will be sold at Tommy Hilfiger stores, Tommy.com and outlets worldwide. Lionel NASCAR will also be introducing NHRA two-car die-cast program which includes John Force’s Castrol car and Robert Hight’s Auto Club car, both of which will be racing with their Elvis paint schemes at the Ford NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway, June 15-17.

With more than six million fans active on Elvis’ Facebook page, 15 million monthly views on Elvis.com, and a significant presence in other social networks, one promotion that was recently launched combines all of these elements with several partners and licensees.

Since May 1, 2012, fans have been able to visit Elvis.com/ElvisFan and participate in the “I am an Elvis Fan” promotion by clicking on the three promotional icons that let them UPLOAD, CREATE and WEAR.

First, fans are uploading their own personal photo through June 1 to be included in an officially-licensed photo mosaic of the king. The Elvis photo mosaic will be designed by EPE licensee Fan Mosaics and will feature a classic image of Elvis made up of thousands of his fans’ images. A commemorative print of the image will be available for purchase at FanMosaics.com/Elvis.

Second, fans are voting on their favorite Elvis songs to create a new CD that will be released on July 31 by Sony/Legacy Recordings titled “I AM AN ELVIS FAN: A Collection of Elvis Songs Chosen by the Fans.” The cover for the CD will come from the fan mosaic image of Elvis that is being developed. Those who pre-order during the voting period will get their name in a limited-edition version of the CD. The release will be available at IamanElvisfan.com, ShopElvis.com and other retail outlets.

Finally, as part of the promotion, fans are able to purchase an “I am an Elvis fan” t-shirt on ShopElvis.com. The t-shirt is branded with the graphics from the promotion and fans will be encouraged to wear it to the Elvis Week 2012 kick-off event in Memphis on August 10, 2012, at AutoZone Park. Fans who aren’t able to be in Memphis for the event can still participate by uploading an image of themselves wearing the t-shirt in their own hometown via Instagram and tagging it #ElvisFan. All of these images will be featured in an Instagram online gallery on Elvis.com/ElvisFan.

The excitement and enthusiasm of utilizing Elvis in licensed products internationally has seen remarkable growth in the last several years. “We have always been aware of the large and growing number of Elvis fans outside the United States,” said Carol Butler, Vice President of Worldwide Licensing for Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. “By working closely with our international licensing agents, we’ve been able to provide those fans with many fun, new items to celebrate their love of Elvis.”

Celebrity-Entertainment, EPE’s agent in Europe, recently announced a deal with Sanrio that will co-brand Hello Kitty with the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll and feature the famous Hello Kitty outfitted in Elvis’ signature sunglasses and classic jumpsuit. Other new products from Europe include: an Elvis-inspired 4D movie developed for attraction and ride films from the juice; an Elvis Triumph motorcycle; and a line of Elvis-inspired apparel from Benetton.

Special events taking place around the world are also a key driver for generating the desire for licensed products. “Elvis Presley in Concert,” the production that reunites former Elvis band mates live on stage with a state of the art video-projected Elvis, just returned from an 15-city European tour and licensed preliminaries for the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest are taking place this summer in Japan, Canada, the UK, and Australia, for a total of 30 locations around the world. Additionally, the largest exhibit of artifacts ever displayed outside of Graceland in Memphis will be on display this fall in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

On January 10 – 15, 2013, fans will be gathering in Honolulu, Hawaii, for a celebration of the 40^th anniversary of “Aloha from Hawaii” and licensees are taking the opportunity to create Hawaiian-inspired merchandise that celebrates Elvis’ movies, concerts and love of the islands.

Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. will have a number of representatives in Las Vegas this June at the 2012 Licensing International Expo in booth 4477. For more information on EPE’s worldwide licensing program, please visit www.ElvisLicensing.com.

About Elvis Presley Enterprises

Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. (EPE), a division of CORE Media Group, Inc., is based in Memphis, with additional offices in Los Angeles. In addition to Graceland and its related attractions in Memphis, including the Heartbreak Hotel, EPE is aggressively involved in a worldwide licensing program, merchandising, music publishing, and television, film, video and Internet projects. For more information on EPE and Graceland, visit www.elvis.com.