Los Angeles, Calif., Aug. 2, 2024 — Batter up! Hidden Pigeon Company (HPC), the dynamic new multiplatform kids and family content company that is extending the reach of award-winning children’s author/illustrator Mo Willems’ beloved character brands, has “teamed up” with New Era Cap, LLC and OT Sports for official co-branded licensed New York Yankees caps and apparel. The new merchandise for kids and adults featuring The Pigeon and Elephant & Piggie is now available at Yankee Stadium.

“We are absolutely thrilled to be working with the famed New York Yankees and these amazing partners, New Era Cap and OT Sports,” said Tori Cook, SVP, Franchise Management at HPC. “This special collaboration between The Pigeon and Elephant & Piggie and baseball’s legendary Yankees is a definite home run.”

“The Pigeon and Elephant & Piggie are beloved characters, and this collaboration provides a special opportunity for devotees young and old to have merchandise that reflects their enthusiasm for Willems’ timeless books and the New York Yankees,” said Marty Greenspun, SVP of Strategic Ventures at the New York Yankees. “The collection was a lot of fun to put together, and we can’t wait to see fans enjoying it.”

The new co-branded merchandise is being debuted in advance of two Mo Willems Family Days at Yankee Stadium — The Pigeon Day on Saturday, Aug. 3, and Elephant & Piggie Day on Sunday, Sept. 1. Fans who purchase special event tickets for these dates will receive limited-edition collectible bobbleheads of The Pigeon (Aug. 3) and Elephant & Piggie (Sept. 1). And to further celebrate the initiation of the partnership, The Pigeon (in large mascot form) will greet special event attendees on Aug. 3, and Willems will throw out the game’s ceremonial first pitch.

“New Era is proud to be a part of this collaboration between Hidden Pigeon Company and the New York Yankees,” said Mark Maidment, SVP, Marketing & Brand, New Era Cap. “These events will be a unique experience for all parties involved and we are excited to be a part of them.”

New Era Cap has created an adjustable baseball cap that couples the Yankees’ iconic NY logo with images of Mo Willems’ characters dressed in signature Yankees pinstripes. The caps are available with The Pigeon or with Elephant & Piggie in both children’s and adult sizes.

“OT Sports is honored to partner with Hidden Pigeon Company and the New York Yankees to bring fans a fun line of quality apparel featuring The Pigeon and Elephant & Piggie,” said Scott Gollnick, EVP, OT Sports. “This is a unique and exciting co-brand that will have something for everyone in the family, and we are thrilled to be a part of it.”

OT Sports has introduced a wide range of apparel, including co-branded t-shirts and sweatshirts for men, women and children. The products feature the characters suited up in Yankees jerseys and ready to play ball!

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About Mo Willems

Mo Willems is the beloved artist and author behind #1 New York Times bestselling and Caldecott Honors-awarded picture books like Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! and the Knuffle Bunny series as well as his celebrated Elephant & Piggie early reader series, for which he has won two Theodor Seuss Geisel Awards and five Geisel Honors. Willems has published more than 71 children’s books — more than 50 of them New York Times bestselling titles — with 26+ foreign language translations. In addition to his Caldecott honors, Willems has earned six Emmy Awards for his writing on Sesame Street, where he began his remarkable career. He also has created three television specials, six animated series, seven musical adaptations, five licensed theater productions and three touring exhibits – and he’s the first-ever Education Artist-in-Residence at the esteemed Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

About the New York Yankees

Founded in 1903, the New York Yankees (www.yankees.com and @yankees on social media) are the most successful and popular team in Major League Baseball history, having won 27 World Series championships and 40 American League pennants. The club plays its home games at Yankee Stadium, which has received a Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Award in both 2023 and 2024. As one of New York City’s most-frequented tourist destinations, the Stadium is home to numerous non-baseball events, including concerts, soccer and college football’s Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl. As a result of their on-field accomplishments and iconic interlocking “NY” logo, the Yankees’ brand is among the most recognized in the world.

About New Era

New Era Cap, LLC is a global lifestyle brand with a deeply rooted connection to sport, fashion and culture, and offering apparel and accessories for men, women and kids. Founded more than a century ago, New Era is recognized around the world for its craftmanship and leadership in headwear, which includes official partnerships with Major League Baseball, the National Football League and the National Basketball Association, in addition to being the headwear of choice for many global sports and events, including European soccer clubs, U.S. and European auto racing teams, Grand Slam tennis tournaments and major golf championships, among others.

Since 1920, New Era has maintained its core values of creativity and self-expression and regularly collaborates with celebrities as well as many of the most prominent and influential designers and creatives. The brand is available at 42,000 points of distribution, including 925 franchise and partner stores across 110+ countries. New Era is proudly headquartered in Buffalo, New York, with offices in 14 countries around the world. For more information, visit www.neweracap.com.

About OT Sports

OT Sports is a North Carolina based manufacturing company that has been supplying professional baseball teams with jerseys and apparel for more thab 25 years. The leading supplier of game uniforms, theme night jerseys and replica jerseys throughout Minor League Baseball, OT Sports has recently expanded its assortment of products into the MLB co-branded apparel space.

About Hidden Pigeon Company

Hidden Pigeon Company (HPC) is an exciting new multiplatform kids and family content company founded in early 2023 by celebrated children’s book author Mo Willems along with Stampede Ventures and RedBird Capital Partners. It was formed with the goal of expanding the already-impressive reach and impact of Willems’s best-selling catalog of children’s books and intellectual property across all entertainment platforms – from television, film, and digital to live events, location-based experiences, licensing & merchandising, publishing and more. Hidden Pigeon Company takes its name from Willems’s immensely popular character, The Pigeon, from Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! and Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late!, as kids and “former kids” (as Mo likes to say) – delight in finding The Pigeon hidden somewhere in all his books. HPC’s Mo Willems Workshop YouTube Channel features fresh content based on Willems’s characters and brands, including Elephant & Piggie, Knuffle Bunny and The Pigeon, to inspire creativity and spark serious silliness.