LONDON, 14 September 2011 – Imagination Games, EMI Music Publishing, EMI Music’s Abbey Road Studios and DCD Publishing are delighted to announce the release of a unique music trivia board game ahead of the 80th anniversary celebrations of Abbey Road Studios this November.

Michael Gottlieb Head of Licensing and Music Merchandising DCD Publishing said: “Music-related games saw an increase of in sales last year to over £100m at retail and so the launch of the Abbey Road Studios Music Trivia Game with the largest retailer in the UK is great timing. DCD Publishing are very proud to have brokered this innovative deal.”
Abbey Road Studios Music Trivia game is the result of a truly collaborative approach between Imagination Games, Abbey Road Studios, EMI Music Publishing, DCD Publishing and Tesco. The game has just gone on sale exclusively in selected Tesco stores in the UK and online through Tesco Direct.
The game is a mix of music trivia, missing song lyrics and guessing the song or artist.  The board features wonderful photographs from the famous studios, with special limited edition graphics and game pieces. Players start the game on the iconic Abbey Road Studios zebra crossing, taking it in turns to roll the die and enter the studios. Upon entering the studios players make their way through the iconic Studios One, Two and Three and chillout rooms, answering questions and collecting pieces of an 80th anniversary album token as they go.  The winner is the first person to complete their album and make it back to the zebra crossing.
The launch of the game includes extra special golden tickets hidden in five packs which will enable five lucky winners the opportunity for a once-in-a-lifetime guided visit through Abbey Road Studios. The Studios, which are not normally open to the public, have been the site of some of the most famous recordings in history including seminal works from artists including The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Kate Bush, Radiohead and Oasis, as well as scores to movies such as the Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter series’.
David Snow, Managing Director of Imagination Games said: “Working on this project has been a fantastic experience. The 80th anniversary of Abbey Road Studios is certainly something worth celebrating. The game will give a real insight into the great studios and give music and game fans a chance to show how good they are with music trivia and song and artist knowledge. I am very proud to deliver this great new game for Christmas 2011. The golden ticket promotion will give lucky consumers the chance to follow in the footsteps of some of the greatest recording artists of our time, a prize that money truly can’t buy.”
Kerin Purcell, Head of Brand and Marketing at Abbey Road Studios said: “We are really excited about the launch of the Abbey Road Studios Music Trivia Game. It is a fun way to celebrate 80 years of making music and a great game for music lovers everywhere.“
Ruth Anderson-Davis, Licensing Manager – Merchandising and New Media at EMI Music Publishing, said: “This is a classic example of how EMI works together as a team – developing a new music-related product by combining the quality of our publishing roster with the strong brand identity of Abbey Road to create a fantastic experience for music fans. The hidden golden tickets in the first batch of games being sold through Tesco are the closest thing to a modern day Willy Wonka chocolate factory experience. It’s where the magic happens and it’s great to be able to offer five lucky winners the chance to see the historic Abbey Road Studios for themselves.”
Tesco board games buyer Jonathan Ferdenzi said: “The new game is great fun for all the family – whether you are seventeen or seventy. Abbey Road is iconic and means so many different things to different people. TV Talent shows such as X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent have helped to increase people’s interest in the music world. The game will be a great fun at Christmas.”
The Abbey Road Studios Music Trivia game is available from Tesco Direct online and in selected Tesco stores in the UK now. The golden ticket competition is now open, terms and conditions apply.
-ENDS-
For further information contact:
Nahid Burke
DCD Media plc/ DCD Publishing
DL +44 (0) 208 563 6976
nb@dcdmedia.co.uk
Carly Brewer
EMI Group, London.
Tel: +44 (0)20 7795 7201
Email: brewerc@emigroup.com
About Imagination Entertainment
Imagination Entertainment creates, produces and distributes the most compelling interactive entertainment to the world. See more great games at www.imaginationgames.co.uk.
About Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios is the most famous recording studio complex in the world. The studios have been at the heart of the UK music industry since opening in 1931 and have been the location of countless landmark recordings. On 12th November this year, the studios will celebrate their 80th anniversary. Today, Abbey Road Studios is one of the most technically advanced recording, mixing and post-production facilities in the world, boasting award-winning engineers, legendary acoustics, one of the greatest working microphone collections in the world and a mixture of unique, historic audio equipment alongside cutting-edge recording technology.
About EMI Music Publishing
EMI Music Publishing is the world’s leading publisher of popular music, representing more than one million copyrights including some of the best known songs ever written. Iconic songs in the EMI Music Publishing catalog include “New York New York”, “You’ve Got A Friend”, “The James Bond Theme”, “Lady Marmalade”, “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”, “Always On My Mind”, “Over The Rainbow”, “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” and “Singin’ In the Rain”. Its current hit-making writers and producers include Beyoncé, James Blunt, Lady Antebellum, Jay-Z, Norah Jones, Pink, Stargate and Kanye West.
www.emimusicpub.com
About DCD Publishing’s Music Merchandising Division
DCD Publishing’s music merchandising division launched in September 2009 is powering long at great pace. As well as representing the catalogue of the world’s leading music publishers – giving them access to over 6 million songs, the team headed by Michael Gottlieb is constantly developing relationships in this area. Since June 2011 DCD Publishing also represents Donny Osmond in the UK for licensing & merchandising. Latest licensees are Imagination Games with, the award-winning interactive musical game – Play That Tune launched in 2010 (just nominated as finalist at The Licensing Awards 2011 in the Innovation category) winners to be announced on 13 September in London), and Zeon (ex Wesco) with a plush puppy alarm clock that wakes you up to the sounds of Donny Osmond’s iconic hit Puppy Love, amongst other Puppy Love items such as purses, bags and watches.
For more info visit www.dcdmedia.co.uk/publishing