MIDDLETON, Wis., April 27, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Lights,
camera, action! Today, American Girl brings its popular stop-motion
vlogger character, Z Yang, to life for millions of fans who have
come to know and love her as the star of the company's popular web
series, Z's Crew. Inspired by the American Girl Stop Motion
(AGSM) phenomenon, the series has garnered more than three million
views on YouTube and continues to draw a large fan base.
Z (short for Suzie) is a Korean American hailing from
Seattle, and is the latest
addition to American Girl's new series of contemporary characters
and stories designed to speak to more girls' interests,
backgrounds, and experiences. Through Z, girls get to learn more
about this creative young filmmaker who loves staying connected
with friends and sharing a good story through her stop motion
videos. Z's adventures unfold in a two-book series, The Real
Z and Z on Location, as well as an Amazon Original
Special, An American Girl Story: Summer
Camp Friends for Life, scheduled to premiere on Amazon
Prime Video on June 9, 2017.
Z jumps from the screen to beautiful 18-inch doll, featuring
long dark-brown hair, warm brown eyes, and a beauty mark on her
left cheek. The Z doll comes dressed in her signature outfit, along
with the first book in the series. The full Z product collection
includes several creatively-inspired doll outfits and accessories
that reflect her filmmaking interests, such as a wooden fold-out
desk—complete with a chair and several pretend video-making
supplies like a laptop and video monitor, as well as her own
filming accessories like a camera, smartphone, and tripod, to name
a few.
The Z books, published by Scholastic and written by author
Jen Calonita, introduce readers to
Suzie "Z" Yang and her vlog, Z's Crew, which she created to share
her passion about stop motion animation and ended up making friends
all over the world. Now, she's taking a shot at her dream of
becoming a true filmmaker by participating in a film festival
documentary contest. Outside of her comfort zone and under the
stress of trying to be a real filmmaker, Z loses
sight of why she liked making movies in the first place. And, with
a little help from her crew, she discovers that to be a real
filmmaker, she'll first have to be her real self.
Other Z-related initiatives being held throughout the year
include the following:
- Z Online and Digital Play: Girls can visit the
Z-dedicated site at americangirl.com/play/zcrew/ for free
book excerpts, stop motion and product videos, activities,
wallpaper and e-cards, and much more.
- Z Retail Events: Starting April
27, American Girl stores are hosting Z's Debut Event, where
girls will get a first look at her full product collection, plus
channel their inner director with a special giveaway, featuring a
doll-sized movie clapboard and director visor. Girls will also be
able to make their own stop-motion film with a Z-themed paper doll
craft. For more details on the in-store events, visit
americangirl.com/retail.
- Amazon Original Special: An adaptation of American
Girl's stories about Z, the live-action special, An American
Girl Story: Summer Camp Friends for
Life, will premiere on Amazon Prime Video on June 9, 2017.
The Z collection is available on April
27, 2017, through American Girl's catalogue; at
americangirl.com; at all American Girl retail locations
nationwide; and at the American Girl brand store at Amazon:
www.amazon.com/americangirl. Outside of the U.S, Z products are
available at American Girl specialty boutiques at select
Indigo™ and Chapters™ in Canada. The Z books can also be purchased
through retail and online booksellers.
To learn more about Z and other new American Girl characters
debuting throughout 2017, go to americangirl.com, Facebook
at facebook.com/americangirl, Twitter at
twitter.com/american_girl, Pinterest at
pinterest.com/agofficial, and American Girl's Instagram page
at instagram.com/americangirlbrand. To request an American
Girl catalogue, call 1-800-845-0005.
ABOUT AMERICAN GIRL
American Girl is a premium brand
for girls and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mattel, Inc.
(NASDAQ:MAT, www.mattel.com), a creations company that
inspires the wonder of childhood. Headquartered in Middleton, WI, American Girl offers an
inspiring world of dolls, content, and experiences that nourish a
girl's spirit and help develop her strength of character.
Best-selling lines include Truly Me™, Girl of the Year™, Bitty
Baby™, WellieWishers™, and the classic historical character line
BeForever™. The company sells products through its award-winning
catalogue, on americangirl.com, in its proprietary U.S.
experiential retail stores, and at select specialty retailers
nationwide. Outside of the U.S., American Girl products are sold in
specialty boutiques at select Indigo™ and Chapters™ in Canada and El Palacio de Hierro locations in
Mexico City. By inspiring girls to
be their best, American Girl has earned the loyalty of millions and
the praise and trust of parents and educators.
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SOURCE American Girl