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New Twist on the Iconic, Yellow Smiley Face Sure to Bring Smiles to Parents and Kids
Introducing SmileyCentralStudio.com, a Free Online Creativity Site for Kids
NEW YORK --(Business Wire)-- Jul 08, 2009 Animated smileys get made up, accessorized and e-mailed everywhere thanks to SmileyCentralStudio.com, a free online arts and crafts destination for kids launched today by Mindspark Interactive Network, Inc., a wholly owned company of Internet powerhouse IAC, and toy innovator Techno Source. The creativity Web site, www.SmileyCentralStudio.com, allows kids to create, personalize and share custom smileys in unprecedented ways.
“We wanted to create a Web site that would offer kids a fun, modern way to play and express themselves online, at a price point that parents can afford,” says Mike Primiani, senior vice president of strategic partnerships, Mindspark. “It’s free! All families need is a home computer and Internet connection. We hope SmileyCentralStudio.com will bring smiles to kids and parents alike.”
At SmileyCentralStudio.com, a COPPA-compliant and family-friendly online environment, kids can mix and match smiley parts to create unique emoticons with the Create-A-Smiley feature, share them in the online Art Gallery and then save, print or e-mail. They can also use their original smileys to create artwork in the online Art Studio. Here’s how it works:
- Create-A-Smiley – Start with a smiley head. Keep it yellow or choose from a palette of more than 50 colors to turn it shades of pink, purple, blue, green and more. Mix and match smiley eyes, mouths, hands, feet, hair and accessories. Then use art tools like Draw, Spray Paint, Paint Roller, Stencil, Spin Art and more to create a truly one-of-a-kind emoticon.
- Art Studio - Create personalized greeting cards, invitations, calendars, computer wallpaper, and diary and scrapbook pages with this complete online art studio. Choose from a library of backgrounds, fonts, graphics, and borders and use fun art tools, including Sling Shot, Sponge, Stamp and more.
- Art Gallery – Show off customized smileys in this online community gallery. Sort by Newest, My Smileys, My Favorites or View All. Click “I Love it” to give a smiley “Loves” and make it the most popular. Tag smileys to change their status by giving them virtual gifts—duck (cute), bear (huggable), sunglasses (cool), flower (pretty), diamond (fabulous), cupcake (sweet), Groucho glasses (silly), painter’s palette (creative), or lips (sassy).
“Since 2003, SmileyCentralStudio.com, a site for those ages 13 and older, has changed the way people communicate online by providing consumers with best-in-class emoticons,” says Primiani. “We’re really excited that SmileyCentralStudio.com will give kids an opportunity to create their own unique smileys and share them with their friends and family.”
Currently, Mindspark’s SmileyCentralStudio.com offers its more than nine million unique monthly users the most popular emoticons online. About 3.8 million smileys are sent weekly from Smiley Central’s library of more than 12,000 smileys, and over 3.35 billion smileys have been sent to date. Smiley Central® is one of the most downloaded applications in the world.
“Smiley emoticons have become an integral part of modern communication, allowing us to express ourselves in a powerful way,” says Eric Levin, president, Techno Source. “In fact, I can’t remember the last time I got an e-mail or text message from one of my daughters without one. As a toy company, we are excited to be introducing SmileyCentralStudio.com with Mindspark, a leader in this space, and creating a line of toys that allows kids to not only enhance their online experience, but also take the fun offline.”
Beginning September 2009, kids can also express how they feel, who they are, and who they want to be with Smiley Central Studio toys from Techno Source. They will be able to collect their favorite Smiley Central Studio characters in the form of collectible plush, bobblers, figurines and charms. Each Smiley Central Studio toy includes a secret code to unlock premium content—smiley features and accessories, as well as new art tools for online creation—online at SmileyCentralStudio.com. It’s simple: Collect! Click! Create! Communicate!
Smiley Central Studio toys will be available for purchase at Target stores nationwide and range in price from $4.99-9.99—the entire line and hours of fun is under $10!
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About Techno Source
One of the fastest growing companies in the toy business, Techno Source is a privately held toy company headquartered in Hong Kong and with offices in New York. The company is committed to delivering high-quality toys and games featuring top-tier licensed brands at aggressive price points. Its award-winning branded product portfolio includes Smiley Central®, Printies™, Disney®, Clickables™, Rubik’s®, Bee® & Bicycle® (U.S. Playing Card Company), Intellivision™, Sesame Workshop®, Phase 10® (Fundex), Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?™ (Mark Burnett Productions), Guess What I Am!™, Ouaps™, X vs. Y, and Electronic Touch-Screen Sudoku™. For more information, visit www.technosourceusa.com.
About Mindspark™
Mindspark Interactive Network, Inc. a wholly owned business of IAC (Nasdaq: IACI), is a leading developer of social networking applications, informational websites and portals that enable users to creatively and visually express themselves online. Mindspark brands include Zwinky®, Zwinky Cuties™ Girlsense®, Smiley Central®, Webfetti™, IWON®, Vimeo®, Life123™, Kazulah™, Popular Screensavers™, MyFunCards™, Cursor Mania™, as well as the Excite® portal.
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