BANDAI AMERICA, INC.:
Cypress, CA, named Ryan Partnership, Los Angeles, promotion agency of record. Ryan will handle national promotions for Bandai toy brands including Power Rangers, Strawberry Shortcake, Gundam, Teen Titans, Astro Boy, SD and B*Stylin’. Ryan will also work on account-specific brand planning, co-marketing, online support and partnership tie-ins. First work breaks this month with on-air promotions for Gundam and Teen Titans, and on-pack promos for Strawberry Shortcake. Ryan won a creative shootout in June and got the AOR nod in January.
CHI-CHI’S RESTAURANT: closed 26 under-performing restaurants last week as part of the company’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization. The Louisville, KY-based Mexican restaurant chain filed for bankruptcy protection in October, not long after an outbreak of hepatitis A at the company’s Beaver Valley Mall restaurant near Pittsburgh. At least 660 people got sick and three died in the outbreak, which was traced to bad green onions.
CREATIVE DESIGNS INTERNATIONAL: is expanding its licensed toy program to include a McDonald’s Toy Drive-Thru Center featuring built-in sound chips. The Feasterville, PA-based company’s line up of McDonald’s toys also includes a Cash Register Combo Set and Play Food Sets.
BRAND FUEL PROMOTIONS: Morrisville, NC, hired Lynda Wesner and Shaw Garrison as account executives. Wesner had been business development manager for premiums agency Cyrk. Garrison had been assistant tour manager and head of touring merchandise for the band Widespread Panic and its tour production company, Brown Cat, Inc.
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