The Pink Panther — La Pantera Rosa as he’s known in Spanish — is apparently still huge in Latin America. So much so that the Panther’s studio, MGM, is launching a huge branding campaign there to incite renewed Panteramanía:

New York-based Big Tent Entertainment has entered into an agreement with MGM Consumer Products to become the exclusive licensing agent for Argentina and Chile, the two companies announced Thursday. “Latin America is a burgeoning marketplace for branded entertainment and I believe it will continue to be so for the foreseeable future,” said Richard Collins, president and CEO of Big Tent.

Paul Flett, vice president of worldwide marketing and promotions at MGM, added that the characters of Pink Panther and Rocky have remained hugely popular in both territories over the years — with Panther TV episodes still airing there to buoyant numbers.

The marketers are pointing to a growing middle class with more disposable income in the region as a factor for the upcoming Panther Push. It’s interesting that Latin America they are focusing on selling people recycled stuff from the 80s and 90s rather than new cartoons.

Via / Yahoo! Entertainment