SCRABBLE(R) Celebrates 60th Anniversary With Launch of SCRABBLE: Diamond Anniversary Edition

Hollywood Luminaries Among First to Play New Diamond Anniversary Edition
Game at Beverly Hills 'SCRABBLE Under the Stars' Event Benefiting St. Jude
Children's Research Hospital(R)
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., June 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Hasbro, Inc.,
maker of SCRABBLE(R), the irresistible word game that grew from underground
craze to cultural icon, celebrates the 60th anniversary of the popular game
with the national launch of its best-ever version, the SCRABBLE: Diamond
Anniversary Edition Game. Hollywood celebrities were among the first to
play the new SCRABBLE: Diamond Anniversary Edition Game last night at an
exclusive charity event, hosted by SCRABBLE enthusiast Jimmy Kimmel of
ABC-TV's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" show. Kimmel and his producer Daniel Kellison
were crowned the Celebrity Doubles Champion after a night of heated game
play.
To raise funds and awareness for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital,
the premier center for the research and treatment of pediatric cancer and
other catastrophic childhood diseases, Hasbro donated $50,000 and partnered
with Clothes Off Our Back to feature SCRABBLE: Diamond Anniversary Edition
Game boards signed by celebrities during event game play. The public can
bid on those items and others at http://www.clothesoffourback.org through June 30,
2008, with proceeds benefiting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
The invitation-only SCRABBLE soiree was emceed by actor, writer and
comedian Aisha Tyler and held at the private Goldstein Estate overlooking
the lights of Los Angeles, where VIP players competed in eight teams of two
for the coveted title of SCRABBLE Celebrity Doubles Champions. Kimmel and
Kellison along with Skeet Ulrich and teammate Seth Green accumulated the
most points at the end of two qualifying rounds and advanced to the finals,
earning the chance to vie for the championship on a one-of-a-kind SCRABBLE:
Swarovski Encrusted Board Edition featuring more than 30,000 sparkling
Swarovski crystals, which is also available at auction through Clothes Off
Our Back. Meanwhile celebrity game players including Rashida Jones, Dave
Annable, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Sarah Chalke and Natalie Maines enjoyed
SCRABBLE-inspired cocktails from Grey Goose Vodka; wine and champagne
courtesy of The Little Penguin; beer from Heineken and hors d'oeurvres
courtesy of Chef Andrew Humbert.
"Everything about SCRABBLE sparkled last night at the 60th Anniversary
celebration -- from the crystal-encrusted game board to the Hollywood stars
in their finery, marking a fitting tribute to America's most popular word
game," said Jay Bruns, Director of Marketing, Hasbro Games. "Now, with the
launch of the SCRABBLE: Diamond Anniversary Edition Game, we've created
special new features that make it easy for everyone to enjoy their favorite
game anytime, anywhere."
Store, fold, grab and go: New SCRABBLE: Diamond Anniversary Edition
Game
The SCRABBLE: Diamond Anniversary Edition Game is designed with one
idea in mind: to spoil SRABBLE players wherever they go. From the sleek
folding carrying case to the two slide-and-store trays, there's never been
a more convenient way to enjoy the popular game.
The new edition features a redesigned game board that keeps the letter
tiles in place, a rotating base and curved tile holders so players can keep
their letters a secret. In addition, the game board is refreshed with a
modern color palette and box design, and folds for easy portability. Two
built-in side trays provide easy, compact storage, and a game case handle
makes it easy to grab a game and go. The SCRABBLE: Diamond Anniversary
Edition Game is now available at mass merchandise and toy stores throughout
America for the approximate retail price of $34.99. For more information on
SCRABBLE and game playing tips, visit http://www.SCRABBLE.com.
Sixty Years of SCRABBLE
A family favorite since 1948, SCRABBLE's meteoric rise began when an
out- of-work architect from Poughkeepsie, New York decided to invent a
board game. Alfred Mosher Butts attempted to create a game that would use
both chance and skill by combining features of anagrams and the crossword
puzzle. He studied the front page of The New York Times and did painstaking
calculations of letter frequency. His basic cryptographic language analysis
and his original tile distribution have remained valid for almost three
generations and billions of games played, according to the National
SCRABBLE Association. Butts was initially turned down by two game companies
that thought the game had no commercial potential. Sixty years later,
SCRABBLE has sold over 100 million sets worldwide and there are between one
and two million sold each year in North America. Today the SCRABBLE game is
found in one out of every three homes in America, according to Hasbro.
The appeal of SCRABBLE is that anyone of any age can play. And because
it's a game that brings families and friends together, every word counts,
and every word is a winner. For example, more than one million students
play SCRABBLE in more than 20,000 schools nationwide. Adults also play
SRABBLE to have fun, build vocabulary skills and keep their minds sharp. In
fact, a recent survey conducted by Russell Research for Hasbro found that
20 percent of baby boomers surveyed believe SCRABBLE is the board game that
has the greatest impact on their mental acuity or sharpness.
About Hasbro
Hasbro (NYSE: HAS) is a worldwide leader in children's and family
leisure time entertainment products and services, including the design,
manufacture and marketing of games and toys ranging from traditional to
high-tech. Both internationally and in the U.S., its PLAYSKOOL, TONKA,
MILTON BRADLEY, PARKER BROTHERS, TIGER and WIZARDS OF THE COAST brands and
products provide the highest quality and most recognizable play experiences
in the world. SCRABBLE, the distinctive game board and letter tiles and all
associated logos are trademarks of Hasbro in the United States and Canada
and are used with permission.
About St. Jude
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is internationally recognized for
its pioneering work in finding cures and saving children with cancer and
other catastrophic diseases. Founded by late entertainer Danny Thomas and
based in Memphis, Tenn., St. Jude freely shares its discoveries with
scientific and medical communities around the world. No family ever pays
for treatments not covered by insurance, and families without insurance are
never asked to pay. St Jude is financially supported by ALSAC, its
fund-raising organization. For more information, please visit
http://www.stjude.org.
Contact:
Crystal Schweim Patricia Riso
Carmichael Lynch Spong Hasbro Games
(612) 375-8505 (413) 526-2307
crystal.schweim@clynch.com priso@hasbro.com
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SOURCE Hasbro, Inc.