MEXICO CITY-The locally based retailer KidZania has hired CB Richard Ellis to find locations in the United States for its brand of children’s entertainment. The locations, typically about 75,000 square feet, are elaborate fake cities with pretend “jobs” that match children up with, and at times funded by, national consumer product brands.

The company opened its first location here in 1999, and now has eight locations around the globe and another 13 under construction. CBRE has been hired to find spots for 12-to-14 locations, with New York City, Chicago or Los Angeles seen as the likely first flagship store for the company. The first property is expected to open in the states in 2013.

Branded both as “edutainment” and “advertainment,” the experience allows children to pretend adult roles in jobs and other tasks. However, these tasks typically are done by using a peculiar form of live product placement, such as working at a McDonald’s restaurant or bottling Coca-Cola, reports say.

Cammie Dunaway, global chief marketing officer for the firm, said that the locations draw great mall traffic, especially since parents can drop children off to play. “We’re very unique with only one location per market, so it’s critical we establish ourselves in the right spot,” she said in a statement Wednesday.

Other existing locations include Lisbon, Portugal; Tokyo, Dubai and Seoul, and locations are planned for Istanbul, Kuwait, Moscow, Singapore and Saudi Arabia. The Tokyo location has consistently drawn nearly a million annual visitors for each of the past five years, according to the firm.