Toy and game development firm McNeill Designs for Brighter Minds aligns with Music City Industry

WILMINGTON, Delaware (September 8, 2011) – Educational toy and game manufacturer McNeill Designs for Brighter Minds recently announced the official signing of a representation agreement with HSA, located in Nashville, Tennessee. The independent firm, represented by Preshias Harris, Suzzane Skinner and Kat Atwood, will work collectively, and in alliance with McNeill Designs, to produce and promote a new line of board games, card games and electronic games geared specifically toward Country Music enthusiasts.

Recognized by over a dozen toy and game industry experts, as well as numerous educational organizations, McNeill Designs’ flagship word game, the multi award-winning You’ve been Sentenced! (YBS!) is a unique word game that has drawn overwhelming positive reviews from children, parents and educators alike. YBS! is a fun and memorable tool to help understand, construct and deliver a complete sentence in a competitive and fun way. With a number of themed add-on decks available to enhance the sentence variables, the first McNeill/HSA project will involve creating a Country Music sector of the word game that highlights its’ terminology.

“As active members of the Music City community, the ladies of HSA have their fingers on the pulse of Country Music,” said McNeill Designs’ President and CEO Donald McNeill. “This version of the game will embrace the popularity of the Country Music genre throughout the USA and globally. HSA will be instrumental in developing the language for this sector of the game, as well as opening the door to potential partnerships with industry associations and Country Music artists.”

Accounting for nearly 15% of the music product sold since 2006 (in addition to CD sales and on the radio airways) Country Music has made its impression in various books, television, magazines and games; artists have been recognized with Presidential honors and appeared in movies; and corporate sponsors have come forward with multi-million dollar deals utilizing the Country Music platform to elevate product awareness.

“The statistics support our endeavor to branch into the Country Music arena,” McNeill added. “With existing add-on decks such as NASA Space Terminology, Gourmet Cuisine, Pop Culture, Sports Highlights and more, adding Country Music terminology opens the field to an entirely new family of gamers.”

According to the Country Music Associate Research Report (2006):

• 31.7% of Country Music listeners reside in the top 25 DMAs
• More than 48.1 million adults listen to Country Music radio stations nationwide each week, reaching more listeners than any other format
• More than 27% of adult radio listeners tune to Country Music radio

Additionally, Country Music has grown exponentially in recent years due to high profile corporate sponsorships including:

• Crisco partnered with CMA to produce Crisco Country Favorites Vol. 3, a collection of 59 recipes utilizing Crisco products – some by Country artists including Rodney Atkins, The Grascals, Little Big Town, The Oak Ridge Boys and more
• Country Music superstar Carrie Underwood appeared in her second Skechers footwear campaign and posed for a “Got Milk” Milk Mustache ad
• Reba launched her own signature clothing line at Dillard’s department stores
• Trace Adkins became the spokesman for IdleAire Technologies
• Taylor Swift appeared with NASCAR driver Darrell Waltrip in a “NASCAR AutoCare” commercial

Other corporate endorsers have included Bud Light, Chevrolet, Hallmark, Toyota and Wrangler.

“We believe You’ve been Sentenced! is a fun-filled, educational game that can be played by one and all,” said HSA’s Preshias Harris. “It’s a natural fit for the Country Music format, its artists and its fans; the possibilities are endless. We are excited to see how big this will become!”

HSA’s first course of business is to prepare the Country Music vocabulary list and extend an outreach to Country Music artists and potential sponsors to establish working relationships with McNeill Designs.

For more information about McNeill Designs for Brighter Minds and the You’ve been Sentenced! word game please visit: McNeillDesigns.com

About McNeill Designs for Brighter Minds
Based in Wilmington, Delaware and founded in 2004, McNeill Designs launched into the marketplace with a series of innovative board, card, and party games including its flagship product, the word game, You’ve been Sentenced! Following up its success the education game company added the multi award-winning memory game Twisted Fish, as well as a number of You’ve been Sentenced! themed add-on decks including the most recent addition in 2011, the NASA Space Terminology Deck.

YBS! has consistently been recognized for excellence by the toy and game industry, as well as by education experts. The game is the recipient of an impressive list of awards and honors since its introduction to the marketplace including:

• Oppenheim Toy Portfolio, Gold Seal Award
• iParenting Media, Hot Product Award
• Creative Child Magazine, Seal of Excellence
• Dr. Toy, Best Products Award
• Spewgie Award, Best Family Fun Game Award
• Tillywig Award, Laugh Out Loud Fun Award
• Scholastic Instructor Magazine, Best of Teachers Picks Award
• National Parenting, Seal of Approval
• Mr. Dad, Gold Seal of Approval
• Dad Does, Approved Award
• Parent Tested Parent Approved, Best Product
• Parents’ Choice Award, Recommended
• The Toy Man, Seal of Excellence, 5 Stars
• Parents with Style, Stylish Product Award
• Mensa Parenting for High Potential, Hot Product
• FAO Schwarz Toy Auditions, Winner
• George Lucas Educational Foundation's Edutopia magazine, Hot Media for Educators

About HSA
Preshias Tomes-Harris is a 27-year music industry executive. Known as the "Queen of Networking," she began her career at BNA Records and moved on to become a freelance writer who has interviewed with some of country music's biggest names. She is the author of the longest running monthly country music column in the U.S., "Inside Track on Music Row." The column celebrated its sixteenth year in ink as a feature in Nashville Music Guide (December 2010). A true "Jill of the Trade," she has worked as an A & R assistant and “songplugger,” she's been in promotions and has become a sought-after judge at a variety of talent contests including country's largest country radio talent contest, The Country Showdown.

As current VP of Artist & Industry Relations, PCG Nashville, Preshias utilizes her talents to work with new, aspiring artists; the company provides advice and guidance, along with introductions into working relationships, on image, live stage coaching, individuality, media training, personal skills and mannerisms, music business and ethics 101, artist direction, studio overview, label/A & R presentations, songwriting advancement, radio campaigns and promotion, career guidance and mentoring.

With expertise in all aspects of artist development and production, Suzzane Skinner is a Music Row image and career coach, talent executive, casting director and audience producer. She has acted as consultant for numerous networks, corporations, professionals and amateurs for more than 32 years. For more information, visit: Imagecast.tv

Kat Atwood is Director of Music City Media. A 17-year veteran in the publicity and marketing arena, Atwood works with artists from the road to the red carpet. In the past, she has represented headlining acts Keith Urban, Eddie Money, Russell Hitchcock (Air Supply), Chely Wright, Chris Cagle, Mark Chesnutt, Tracy Lawrence and Lorrie Morgan. As part of the Music City Media publicity services, the firm offers CD release campaigns (covering national, regional, and local press including print, radio and television), artist material preparation (bios/cut-by-cuts, etc.), press announcements, assists with new artist launches (single release campaigns), special events/industry event participation, ghost writing (for Q&A's and columns), tour press, media training and image consulting. For more information visit musiccitymedia.com

1729 Marsh Road
Wilmington, DE 19810

This release was published on openPR.