A Century of Kids and Fun - Buster Brown Shoes Celebrate 100 Years Brand Built On A Kid, His Dog, and Fun Will Mark 100th Anniversary Milestone With Year-Long Events ST. LOUIS, July 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Most grown-ups today remember "That's my dog Tige, he lives in a shoe. I'm Buster Brown, look for me in there too!" and probably have shoe boxes full of other Buster Brown memories. The shoe championed by a mischievous yet well-intentioned boy and his dog turns 100 this year. And while the shoes have evolved from yesteryear's brown and buckled to the latest in fashion and function, the brand's inherent character of kids' mischief and fun still holds true, one century later. "Since our beginning, Buster Brown has been about reaching kids through television shows, advertising, gifts-with-purchase, and live receptions. With this anniversary we are returning to our roots, focusing the next 100 years on being a fun brand for kids," said Buster Brown Director Maureen McCann. "We want to give today's kids the same enjoyment that a boy named Buster Brown and his dog Tige gave their parents when they were children." The first one hundred years of Buster Brown offer a unique look at both the history of brand marketing as well as the evolution of the American consumer. Buster Brown - one of the nation's oldest existing children's shoe brands - originated in 1902 as a comic strip by Richard Outcault in the New York Herald. The Buster Brown brand debuted in 1904 at the St. Louis World's Fair and Brown Shoe was one of more than 40 companies to license the Buster Brown character. The brand gained quick momentum with children through innovative marketing techniques. From 1904 to 1930, Brown Shoe brought the Buster and Tige comic characters to life using actors, like the 41-inch tall Major William Ray, to play Buster Brown and dog Tige across the United States. Well-promoted in advance, visits by Buster Brown and Tige generated sizable crowds. Buster Brown told jokes, while the trained dogs untied the shoelaces of any child in non-Buster Brown shoes. As soon as there were airwaves to take to, Buster Brown sponsored children's programming from 1943 to 1959. The brand sponsored the Smilin' Ed McConnell Show on radio (1943-1954) and television (1950-1954), the Andy Devine's Gang television show (1955), and the Captain Kangaroo Show (1956- 1959). Subtlety rarely came into play as hosts frequently reminded their audiences to wear their Buster Brown shoes and receive the latest Buster Brown comic. While appealing to children through programming, Buster Brown appealed to moms through advertisements in The Saturday Evening Post, Life Magazine, Vogue, and Ladies' Home Journal. In addition, Buster Brown shoes introduced "gifts-with-purchase" -- toys that ranged from noise-makers, to mirrors, to ornaments. Today, Buster Brown shoes have come a long way from the shoes most adults remember wearing. New technology includes the Kids' Fit System, a unique insole comfort system that pads and protects a child's foot, and Toe Zone, which uses Visual Fit Technology to help determine fit. Recently, Buster Brown shoes updated the traditional "Buster and Tige" logo on its advertising and packaging with a series of photos of modern kids and dogs. The brand's new identity, "Kids only. Fun." brings to mind a no-parents-allowed clubhouse where kids can be themselves and play to their hearts' content. Activities to celebrate the 100th anniversary will get national attention starting this summer. A national contest kickoff in New York will invite children to submit photos with their dogs to win a chance to be featured on Buster Brown shoe boxes and marketing materials. More details about the contest is available on http://www.busterbrownshoes.com/. In addition, an anniversary line of Buster Brown shoes will be available in late July, just in time for back-to-school shopping. Buster Brown retail partners include Famous-Barr, Famous Footwear, Filene's, Foley's, Hecht's, Kaufmann's, L.S. Ayres, Meier & Frank, Robinsons-May, Strawbridge's, Shoe Department, The Jones Store, select Babies R Us stores, and select independent shoe stores. Buster Brown is Brown Shoe's flagship children's brand. Brown Shoe is a $1.8 billion footwear company with worldwide operations. The Company operates the 900-store Famous Footwear chain, which sells brand name shoes for the family. It also operates 400 Naturalizer stores in the United States and Canada that sell the Naturalizer brand of shoes and accessories. Brown Shoe, through its Wholesale divisions, owns and markets leading footwear brands including Naturalizer, LifeStride, Connie, Buster Brown; it also markets licensed brands including Dr. Scholl's, Bass and Carlos by Carlos Santana for adults, and Barbie, Supergirl, Superman, Spider-Man, and Bob-the-Builder character footwear for children. Brown Shoe press releases are available on the Company's Web site at http://www.brownshoe.com/. ** CALL FOR ENTRIES! CALL FOR ENTRIES! CALL FOR ENTRIES! ** Calling All Kids and Canines - Enter Buster Brown's National Search for The Next "Pair to Remember" CONTEST: Buster Brown Shoes - 100 years old this year - celebrates a century of kids, dogs and fun with a national search for six new "pairs to remember" - boys and girls with their dogs - to be featured on Buster Brown shoe boxes and win $5,000 savings bonds. A photo search is on for the next "Sam and Sparky" or "Samantha and Spot" who represent the enduring qualities of Buster Brown. Kids ages 2-12 years are invited to enter a photograph submission of themselves and their dog. Winners and their four-legged friends will be featured on Buster Brown shoe boxes starting in early 2005. Kids in New York will have a special opportunity to participate in Buster Brown's kick-off anniversary event being held at Chelsea Piers on July 31, 2004. During this event, kids can have their photos taken and submitted on the spot while also participating in activities that celebrate "Kids. Dogs. Fun." TO ENTER: Visit http://www.busterbrownshoes.com/ to submit a completed Official Entry Form with a photograph. Or, mail the form available at participating Famous Footwear locations and photograph to the following address: Buster Brown, P.O. Box 8797, St. Louis, MO 63101-8797 Completed submissions will be accepted July 15, 2004 through September 8, 2004. FINALS: Selected from all submissions, six lucky pairs of kids and dogs will have their photo printed on Buster Brown shoe boxes. (One pair selected from the New York event, and five from photo submissions.) JUDGING: Entrants will be judged on personality and spirit as it relates to the Buster Brown brand character. Creativity that brings the "pair to remember" theme to life is encouraged - kids and dogs might look alike, dress alike, or make a matching expression. PRIZES: Six grand prize winners will receive a: - $5,000 US savings bond Series EE (Value of Bond at Maturity) - Their photo printed on Buster Brown shoe box - Trip to photo shoot location, with dog and up to two parents or legal guardians. INFO: For more information on the Buster Brown "Pair to Remember" contest, official rules, or Official Entry Forms, please visit http://www.busterbrownshoes.com/. DATASOURCE: Brown Shoe Company, Inc. CONTACT: Erin Conroy, , or Beth Fagan, +1-314-854-4095, cell, +1-314-323-8301, both of Brown Shoe Company, Inc.; or Ann Balsamo of Fleishman-Hillard, +1-314-982-8698, cell, +1-314-520-7973, or , for Brown Shoe Company, Inc. Web site: http://www.busterbrownshoes.com/ http://www.brownshoe.com/

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