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By Laura Liebeck<br><br>

Cats and birds aren't supposed to be friends. But Warner Bros. Consumer Products (Burbank, Calif.) and Sanrio Inc., (Torrance, Calif.) have found that Tweety and Hello Kitty go great together.

The two companies have forged a multi-year agreement to pair the two characters on a broad range of consumer products aimed at young women in Asia. The co-branded assortment will launch in March in Japan and then extend to Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore.

"Asia is the logical and smart starting point given the equity of Kitty in the market and the growing popularity of Tweety," says Mark Matheny, executive VP international licensing, WBCP.

Distribution beyond Asia will be considered, both companies tell License!.

The program's theme, friendship and international goodwill, will be offered in two ways. Tweety and Hello Kitty co-branded products will be limited to Sanrio core goods like stationery, school supplies, gifts and accessories, says Bruce Giuliano, VP licensing, Sanrio. Tweety-exclusive goods, made by Sanrio, will be broader in scope and include fashion and home accessories, personal care items, plush, electronics, and food. Some of these goods will be licensed to third parties using designs created by Sanrio for Warner Bros., and others will be jointly licensed, says Giuliano.