Bon voyage…! Nelvana Enterprises and Hôtel Plaza Athénée 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, Hôtel Plaza Athénée will welcome the worldly pachyderm with an exclusive year-long promotion. Beginning this summer, Hôtel Plaza Athénée 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 Hôtel Plaza Athénée, 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 Athénée, 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 Hôtel Plaza Athénée 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 Hôtel Plaza Athénée 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 Hôtel Plaza Athénée will host a Babar-themed “green-carpet” event, with more details to be announced soon.
The partnership with Hôtel Plaza Athénée 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.
