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Revision as of 17:54, 10 November 2006 by 68.160.188.160 (talk) (delete product catalog)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Baby Einstein is a multimedia series and toy line that specializes in learning activities for children aged six months to three years old. Each video of the series is designed to capture the attention and stimulate the mind of its young audience. Subjects such as classical music, art, and poetry are prominently explored.
The Baby Einstein Company was founded in 1997 by Julie Aigner-Clark from her home in suburban Denver, Colorado. Aigner-Clark and her husband Bill Clark invested $18,000 of their savings to produce the initial product, a VHS/DVD video called Baby Einstein, later sold as Language Nursery.
The video shows a variety of toys and visuals interspersed with music, stories, numbers, and words of many languages. This first video was extremely popular with parents, and Aigner-Clark eventually convinced a national retailer to test-market the video in six of its stores. Eventually, the video was successful enough to market across the United States. Other videos followed, some featuring the Clarks' two daughters, Aspen and Sierra.
Baby Einstein became a multi-million dollar franchise that eventually attracted the attention of The Walt Disney Company, which purchased the company in 2001. As a subsidiary of Disney, the production budgets were increased and the concept was expanded to teach more complex topics that would appeal to pre-schoolers, including Baby MacDonald, a video about agriculture. A line of educational toys was also developed.
In 2005, the franchise inspired a Disney Channel animated television series called Little Einsteins.
Although Julie Aigner-Clark no longer owns or operates the company she founded, she is visibly active as a consultant and spokesperson for the series. In each video, she can be seen in advertisements promoting the series.
The official Baby Einstein website is available in seven languages, with specific content for twelve different countries.
The franchise is named after and pays significant royalties to the estate of deceased physicist Albert Einstein.
CFCC Complaint to FCC
In May, 2006, the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood filed a lawsuit and a complaint to the FCC against the makers of Baby Einstein and similar series geared towards very young children. They cite false advertising by these companies, due to the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendation that children under two do not watch television , and a study showing that only 6% of parents are aware of the recommendation, yet 49 percent of parents think educational videos like these are very important in the intellectual development of children.