Illumination Entertainment And NBCUniversal Brand Development To Launch Minions Surf Collection

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif., July 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Illumination Entertainment and NBCUniversal Brand Development today announced a surf capsule collection based on the Minions from Universal Pictures and Illumination's Despicable Me global film franchise.  Inspired by the theme in the popular Electronic Arts (EA) Minions Paradise mobile game, the "Minions Lost in Paradise Collection" features limited-edition apparel and swimwear for young men and women designed by renowned street artist Buff Monster and Australian surf industry leader Rusty.  Available August 15, 2016, the collection will be sold exclusively by online action sports retailer Swell.com in North America and Europe and by Surfstitch.com in Australia.  

Celebrating the Minions' passion for the beach lifestyle as highlighted in the Minions Paradise mobile game, now available worldwide from EA, the "Minions Lost in Paradise Collection" will include t-shirts, denim and board shorts for men; and t-shirts, a midi dress, denim and swimwear, including a bikini and one-piece options, for women. Known for his iconic The Melty Misfit characters, Buff Monster interpreted key elements from the Minions Paradise game to design the core collection art.

Style icons and models; filmmakers; innovators on Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube; and real-life couple Jay Alvarrez and Alexis Ren have been tapped to collaborate on the marketing campaign for the launch. Additionally, surfers, such as Rusty athlete Noa Deane, will appear in association with the collection. The influencers will be featured in a multi-layered digital campaign timed to the launch of the collection.

"Fans all over the world have embraced the Minions, and the popularity of the Minions Paradise EA game leading to the launch of an inspired apparel line is a real testament to the characters' broad appeal," said Manuel Torres, Executive Vice President, NBCUniversal Consumer Products. "Our partners at Illumination continue to inspire us to develop new creative opportunities for the Minions, and we look forward to the fans' reaction to the limited-edition surf collection."

"Creating a lifestyle collection that captures the essence of the surfing culture and represents the pop culture of the Minions was exciting," said Gail Harrison, President of Marketing and Branding, Illumination Entertainment. 

"Our collaboration with renowned artist Buff Monster and Australian surf industry leader, Rusty, offers a fun theme to develop a capsule collection that stylistically pairs the beach lifestyle with the Minions," said David Swift, Creative Director, Illumination Entertainment. 

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About Illumination Entertainment

Illumination Entertainment, founded by Chris Meledandri in 2007, is one of the entertainment industry's leading producers of event animated films.  Illumination, which has an exclusive financing and distribution partnership with Universal Pictures, is the creator of the hugely successful Despicable Me franchise, which includes Minions, the second-highest-grossing animated film of all time, as well as Despicable Me 2, an Academy Award^® nominee for Best Animated Feature of 2013.  In all, Illumination's films, which also include 2011's Hop and 2012's Dr. Seuss' The Lorax, have grossed more than $3.2 billion in worldwide box-office revenues and feature some of the world's most renowned talent. 

Upcoming films include Sing, starring Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Seth MacFarlane, Scarlett Johansson, John C. Reilly, Taron Egerton and Tori Kelly, which arrives in theaters in December 2016; Despicable Me 3, starring Steve Carell and Trey Parker, which is set for June 2017; and a newly-imagined version of Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas, starring Benedict Cumberbatch in the title role of The Grinch, that is set for November 2017.  In addition, Minion Rush (800 million downloads) has become one of the world's most popular apps, and Minion Mayhem attracts huge crowds at Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood.

About NBCUniversal Brand Development

NBCUniversal Brand Development (NBCUBD) drives expansion of the company's intellectual properties, franchises, characters and stories through innovative physical and digital products, kids and family content, and consumer experiences globally. Along with franchise brand management, NBCUBD includes three lines of business: NBCUniversal Consumer Products, Universal Kids & Family Productions, and NBCUniversal Games and Digital Products. NBCUniversal Brand Development is a business segment of Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, and part of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation.

About Swell

Swell emerged as the first online action sports retailer in the world in 1999 and today they continue their First In Surf tradition, redefining online retail and enhancing customer engagement levels by merging commerce and content. As the top online surf lifestyle destination for men and women, they look to influence and set the trends by partnering with brands and athletes that bring their customers innovative products, exclusive assortment, relevant content, and exceptional service. From bringing the very best from established surf brands such as Rusty, Volcom, RVCA, Hurley, and Quiksilver to hand selecting styles from up-and-coming surf and lifestyle brands, they are carefully curating a selection of apparel, hard goods, footwear, wetsuits, boards, and more.

About Rusty

Rusty is a major wholesale supplier of surfwear apparel and accessories globally. Within the global surf market the majority of the brands will attempt to anchor themselves to a key attribute of surf, skate or snow culture in an attempt to appear legitimate and credible amongst their target customers. In Rusty's case, the brand's heritage and reputation as one of the world's leading surfboard manufacturers affords for its TRUE AUTHENTICITY. 

Surfing, Music & Art make up our brand's DNA. Remaining modern, youthful and progressive has been key to our brand's success. Staying on trend and relevant at all times, the brand has always prided itself on its roster of marquee athletes and brand ambassadors. 

About Buff Monster

Originally known as a street artist, over the last 15 years Buff Monster has worked on an impressive variety of projects. He's also created a variety of limited-edition collectibles including vinyl and resin toys, prints, shirts, stickers and two series of his ambitious trading cards/stickers called The Melty Misfits. He's worked with some of the most recognizable brands such as Disney, Converse, Hello Kitty, Samsung, Coca-Cola and others. Along the way, he's cultivated an impressive following on social media.

SOURCE NBCUniversal Brand Development