LM Jan 2018 eng

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LICENSING | BRANDING | MEDIA&DIGITAL | PUBLISHING TRADE MAGAZINE

NICE LICENSING, WHEN LICENSING MEETS FASHION INTERVIEW WITH GUSTAV MELIN, BULLS LICENSING DIGITAL & BRANDING. THE LATEST TRENDS

DISCOVER THE ONLY LICENSING EVENT IN ITALY 26-28 March 2018 Bologna Italy Fairground Hall 31 Piazza Costituzione, 6 40128 Bologna INFO Phone +39 051 282 242 Fax +39 051 63 74 011 licensing@bolognafiere.it www.bolognalicensing.com an event by

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair

design by Chialab

MAKING LICENSING WORK

Editorial

Dear reader The first months of 2018 are very rich for Licensing Magazine, become the indisputable leader in Italy and amongst the most authoritative publications abroad. The magazine is set to be protagonist in a series of crucial events in the industry. Amongst these events are Pitti Immagine Bimbo and the Nuremberg Toy Fair, to name the most important.

Thanks to the rich presence and the exclusive projects that have been developed by BM, such as the innovative NICE LICENSING space at Pitti Bimbo, on behalf of Bolognafiere and Pitti Immagine, the January issue of the magazine is particularly rich. Much space has been dedicated to children’s fashion trends and licensing: from the brands that are present at Pitti to the latest trends; from the main brand news to the opinions of those who work in the fashion and licensing fields. All content is exclusive and provides a vision of the current state of the relationship between fashion and licensing.

Great attention to the world of toys is never a miss, another protagonist of this issue.

Licensing Magazine is the only publication with its own booth in a strategic area of the prestigious Spielwarenmesse, in the foyer of the pavilion 12.0 (NCC WEST booth 08).

Also for this main theme, a rich reportage on the latest trends in the sector, including also an exclusive trends analysis by Kidz Global.

A wide space is reserved for the digital frontier. The digital world is a predominant theme for those in branding and licensing alike. It is central when dealing with the communication of commercial messages to the consumer and in the construction of solid branding; it is essential when speaking of content for children and it is becoming so also in the world of publishing, with the entry of augmented reality, which immerses young readers in stories.

Latest news from licensing keyplayers are central as ever, and particular attention has been paid to a timeless global brand - the Moomins – that is in sync with all of the themes that we have looked at in this new issue.

As always, happy reading!

Follow our daily news on: licensingmagazine.com brands-magazine.com SOCIAL @BM_BrandsNews @BMLicensingNews

PUBLISHER BM Srl EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Daniele Passanante GRAPHIC DESIGN Francesca Wolfler CONTRIBUTORS Cristina Angelucci, Chiara Pellegrini, Kay Bird, Nepal Campagna, Neal Hoskins, Ivan Colecchia, Rebecca Ash PUBLISHING, ADVERTISING AND ADMINISTRATION BM Srl Piazza Statuto, 3 - 10122 Torino, Italy Ph. +39 011 8131579 info@bm-eu.com www.bm-eu.com PRINTING Pixartprinting SpA, a Cimpress Company Via 1° Maggio, 8 - 30020 Quarto d’Altino VE, Italy The editorial staff has taken every care to obtain from copyright holders the authorization to publish the pictures in this issue. In any cases where this has not been possible, the editorial staff would like to make it known that they are available to eligible parties to settle any amounts that are owed.

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number 25906

Contents

6

Cover story Turner

10

Interview

14 16 18

News

Gustav Melin, Bulls Licensing

CPLG

50

Interview

53

Digital & Media

54

Events

57

Digital & Media

58 59

Events

Maurizio Distefano

Sanrio

16 22 24 26 27

News

28 30

Focus

32 39 40

42

Trends Fashion & Lincensing

Adam Rubins, Way to Blue

Studio Killers

Children’s Global Media Summit

Bologna Digital Media

Kiddinx

Wicked Cool Toys

Mondadori Mondo TV

Pokémon Smiley

54

Cool Things Grani & Partners

Events Pitti Bimbo 86

60

Trends

62

Events

64

Save the date

Kidz Global

Kazachok Forum

Sun City Pitti Uomo

4

What’s next

Cover story TURNER

TURNER’S CONSUMER PRODUCTS PRIORITIES FOR 2018 THE RELAUNCH OF BEN 10 From new projects to retail initiatives, a positive first balance and a future full of projects for the timeless Ben 10 Ben 10 is the Turner property that stars 10-year-old Ben Tennyson as protagonist.

The boy-hero can transform himself into 10 different aliens to combat evil, thanks to his Omnitrix watch. This brand has been central to Turner Italy’s rich licensing program since the all-new series was premiered on the free channel, Boing (Channel 40 on Italian Digital) in June 2017, giving due focus to the Christmas 2017 sell-out of the Playmates toy line, distributed by Giochi Preziosi in Europe.

The launch of Ben10 was accompanied by a series of marketing and programming activities, as well as highly innovative retail initiatives.

From January until March 2018, Ben 10 is set to spearhead the fun WINTER TOUR, organized by Giochi Preziosi in collaboration with Turner. In the most popular ski locations (from Bormio to Caourmayeur, closing at Easter time with Livigno) children can meet Ben 10 and the alien Inferno, take photos with them, enjoy fun quizzes and win fantastic prizes.

More news for 2018 is the brand-new Boing production, My Personal Hero, airing on the channel from 29th January, every Monday at 19.30. The sitcom follows the protagonist family Ricci and Fabio Massei - the young motorcycle champion who is sponsored by Turner and and sports the Ben 10 graphics on his suit and helmet - as he carries on his moto racing career after coming 2nd in the Yamaha R1 Cup 2017, and classifying 1st in the under 27s category.

With lightheartedness and fun, in pure Boing style, the series brings the classic

6

problems and discussions that come about in every family to the screen, while ironizing the crazy requests of everyday kids days and presenting a reflection of this theme at the end of each episode.

The gear, helmet and water bottle belonging to Fabio will feature Ben10 this year too, confirming the strong synergy

Cover story meet and greet events with characters, free gifts and special prizes to be won.

After the 2017 launch of the toy line, there are set to be lots of new products on the shelves for fans of the young hero.

Amongst these: puzzles and educational toys by Clementoni, the Panini magazine and sticker album, the Preziosi Food Easter Egg, Lisciani board games, the WalCor pralines, a clothing and accessories line by Sun-City and a brand-new line-up of toys are set to come out in Spring, with many new products for children aged 4-7, the core target for the series.

between the action series and the world of sport.

Supporting the consumer products launches for Easter 2018, new episodes of the Ben 10 live-action game show entitled “Ben 10 Challenge” will be aired in February and March. The show developed by Cartoon Network EMEA has 8 countries participating at present: France, Germany, Italy, the Middle East,

Poland, Spain, Turkey and the UK. Each episode will see two teams competing, yellow and blue, made up of one adult and two children (representing the Ben, Gwen and Max trio). The teams will face a series of challenges that test speed, strength and knowledge of the Ben 10 series. The show, which launched on Boing in October 2017, enjoyed great success, reaching 156k AMR/8.2% Share Kids and 256k AMR/1.1% Individual Shares on average. Both the first and last episodes also scored the highest ratings in primetime of all kids channels in the 20.00 - 20.25 slot.

From a retail point of view, last October saw the Italian arrival of the BEN 10 “HERO TRUCK TOUR” featuring the augmented reality Hero Experience that gives kids the chance to become their favourite boy-hero and turn into aliens.

The European tour set off in the UK in June and then visited Poland, Spain and Italy where selected Toys Center stores were involved in the event. Moreover, Ben 10 was last Autumn’s protagonist on the “BOING & CARTOONITO TOUR”, which hit the main squares in Milan, Naples, Turin, Rome and Bari. Last but not least, at the Finiper, Carrefour and Toys Center stores, dedicated sell-out activities were planned with Giochi Preziosi, such as

7

The original BEN 10 series, which hit screens for the first time on Cartoon Network in January 2006, made a name for itself from day one with the critics and public alike. The show quickly became one of the main children’s brands on a global scale. Other than being one of the most followed and loved children’s series’, it is also one of Cartoon Network’s most successful franchises , with over $4.5 million dollars in global retail sales.

“We are enthusiastic about the positive launch the all-new series of Ben 10 and the early sales success of the toys,” said Ilaria Rossi, Licensing Director for Turner Italy. “According to the NPD data, in only two months since the launch of the series on Boing, Ben10 was number two in the action figures category, overtaking a lineup of very popular classic brands with much wider visibility. Now, our work is dedicated to retail support, digital and marketing for the new launches coming in 2018”.

Cover story TURNER

THE POWERPUFF GIRLS. AS FASHIONABLE AS EVER The special “mini me” Powerpuff Girls capsule collection that has been designed by the young talent of Kid’s Evolution, in collaboration with Cartoon Network.

Fashion Comics returns to Pitti Bimbo 86, the brainchild project of Alessandro Enriquez in collaboration with Pitti Bimbo, and the inspiration this year is the superhero sisters The Powerpuff Girls,

stars of the Cartoon Network hit series (channel 607 on Italian Sky and 350 on Mediaset Premium).

Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup , the three sisters that were created with superpowers, save the world every day before bedtime and they are set to be the protagonists of a mini-me capsule collection (made up of three garments for women and three for girls) created by young brands and designers Bad Deal, Cor Sine Labe Doli, I’m Isola Marras by Efisio Marras and The Dots, all presenting on the central runway.

What’s more, the pintsized superheroes are set to be protagonists for the whole of 2018.

After the footwear and sunglasses launch of the Spanish brand Miss Hamptons, the surprise Easter eggs and Maxi Surprises

by Ferrero will be on shelves, not to mention the long-awaited line of books

8

by Gribaudo, focused on “girl power”, the Commericale Campana footwear by the Original Marines group and much more to be announced in the coming months.

The Powerpuff Girls is an animated series that girls and women of all ages love, and it is one of Cartoon Network’s most enduring and successful franchises.

The show continues to inspire numerous global fashion designers, such as Moschino, Fyodor Golan, Bizuu, Saucette and Raisa&Vanessa, that have chosen to create collections inspired by the superheroes over the past few years.

Since their debut in 1998, Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup have served as ambassadors of girl power. Moreover, in 2017, a 5-episodes special was premiered starring the new edition to the group, Bliss, who was dubbed by Roshelle in Italy, one of the stars of X Factor Italia in 2016.

Cover story

CARTOON NETWORK. 25 YEARS OF SUCCESS From its debut to the hits that have been launched since, the animation channel is a beacon for kids all over the world On October 1, 1992, the way we enjoyed cartoons changed forever when Cartoon Network launched as the very first 24hour network dedicated to animation from a vast library of classic toons in two million U.S. homes.

Today, that spirit of re-inventing television continues in 192 countries and over 400 million households worldwide where Cartoon Network is making kids laugh by drawing on its history of innovation as the leading global kids culture brand for the mobile-first generation.

From the inventiveness of Hanna Barbera and Looney Tunes, to a redefining genre of original animated series that include Dexter’s Laboratory and Johnny Bravo; Cartoon Network has continued to deliver groundbreaking innovative shows such as Adventure Time, Steven Universe, The Amazing World of Gumball and OK K.O.! Let’s Be Heroes.

There are numerous initiatives that Turner Italy implemented for this important anniversary.

Amongst these, a Cartoon Network Origins pop up aired in the first week of January 2018 CartoonFairy Network +1 a(Channel Regalon Academy Tale Party Gradara 608 Italian Sky), celebrating the history of the channel with programming that was entirely dedicated to its cult shows.

Turner Italy also paid homage to the 25th Anniversary in an artistic manner, with an extraordinary mural on the face of its Roman headquarters by street artists omino71 and Mr.Klevra. The opera of art was created in collaboration with the Assessorato alla Crescita Culturale of Rome Municipality, who aim to give value to and promote the Ostiense area of the city, already rich with creative ideas, both artistic and cultural, that characterize the zone.

The two artists interpreted the theme that was chosen for the piece: Friendship, meeting up and diversity, developing a project that showed elements of the past, from grand works of renaissance to Mexican murales, trying at the same time to add a modern feel to the wall, the freshness and fun that is typical of Cartoon Network.

Omino71 and Mr.Klevra created a “half wall” where the creators that are represented in the piece are the most famous characters to come out of Cartoon Network Studios, from Dexter to Ben10, from The Powerpuff Girls to Samurai Jack, Steven Universe, Finn and Jake of Adventure Time, Johnny Bravo, We Bare Bears, Courage the Cowardly Dog, Uncle Grandpa, Clarence, Gumball and many more.

The Cartoon Network brand, with its rich content and properties, offers numerous opportunities to create promotional activity and multi-property loyalty programmes. Ilaria Rossi, Licensing Director of Turner Italy said, “After 25 years, Cartoon Network’s characters and franchises are in constant growth in Italy.

Today, even young parents are interested in being a part of loyalty programmes dedicated to the family”.

9

Interview BULLS LICENSING

Moomin. From Magic Illustrations through Lifestyle Icon WE TALK ABOUT BACKGROUND AND FUTURE OF THIS GLOBAL BRAND TOGETHER WITH GUSTAV MELIN, HEAD OF INTERNATIONAL LICENSING AT BULLS LICENSING, THE LICENSING AGENCY WHICH REPRESENTS MOOMINS WORLD-WIDE. The first licensing categories the brand moved into were toys, confectionery and tableware. A Finnish company called Atelier Fauni made the first Moomin dolls without Tove Jansson’s permission in 1955, but since she liked the dolls so much they made a contract and Fauni Moomins became official Moomin

Gustav Melin LM Could you tell us briefly the story of Moomins and how they have become an icon GM. At its heart are the stories and artwork created by acclaimed Finnish artist Tove Jansson, which date back to 1945. A hugely talented author and illustrator – as well as painter – Tove created a magical world inhabited by characters which are at the same time fantastical and highly relatable, and which appeal to fans young and old. Universal themes of family, love, friendship, tolerance, respect and adventure run through the stories, and are as relevant and important in today’s world as they were when the stories were first written.

products. Ceramics manufacturer Arabia launched its first Moomin products, a pair of children’s dishes, back in the 1950s.

They’ve been selling Moomin products ever since and their range of Moomin mugs are now highly desirable collectors’

10

items. The collaboration with confectioner Fazer was a natural fit, as in the first Moomin story, The Moomins and the Great Flood, Tove included an illustration of Moomintroll and Sniff eating Fazer chocolate. Fazer sold its first Moomin candies in 1957.

So yes, there was a wide range of licensing prior to the first animation – although of course it gave a big boost to the licensing programme. Moomin is now one of the world’s most recognisable character-

Interview the age and gender of the consumers.

In the Nordics the Moomins are well known and appreciated on products for babies, kids and adults. While in the Asian territories and specifically Japan, the average consumer is a female between 17-35.

In the Asian territories we have several cafés, bakeries and shops and the number of locations increase each year. We have also had three Moomin shops in Finland and two in London (not to mention the pop-up shops). Last year the MuminKaffe (Moomin coffee in Swedish) cafés were launched in Finland, in August this year it was launched in Sweden and are now also being planned to open in other European markets. In Japan we have a theme park opening in 2019.

based brands, with over 600 licensees around the globe and a yearly retail value of 700 million EUR. LM According to you - as this IP has a long background - which is the secret ingredient that has permitted to Moomins to be still so actual nowdays?

GM. The key for us is integrity – with regards to both Tove’s original artwork and the spirit of her storytelling. We’re often asked whether we’re tempted to give the brand a ‘revamp’ but, with this wealth of artwork, this answer to us is obvious. There have been many different interpretations of Moomintroll and his friends since the first story was published, but Tove’s versions are always the original and best. Her artwork was exceptional, so why use anything else? The same applies to the spirit and values of the stories, which guide us and which we always remain true to.

LM. Which are the territories where you would love to develop further Moomins presence?

GM. We have licensees in most of the categories already but we would of course like to increase the Moomin awareness in the territories where we currently do not have strong presence. We will proceed to develop the exisiting markets where we already have agents but there is still more business potential and are also appointing new agents in new territories.

LM Which are the territories where Moomins are most popular? Where the licensing programme is more developed?

GM. The strongest markets are the Nordics and the Asian countries at the moment but we see increased awareness each year in other territories. The UK is an excellent example of this, as we each year receive more interest from companies that would like to become a licensee.

The major difference between the territories at the moment is in regards of 11

LM. Moomins is also a lifestyle brand appealing to an adult audience, as well.

How this has been possible? Can you tell us about some successful lifestyle license case history?

GM. We believe that the Moomin brand has remained so appealing over the decades because it’s an art-based brand – which makes it unique amongst single character brands. We have always emphasized that the Moomins are not an entertainment brand as the other properties are. Our aim is to stay true to the original stories and illustrations that Tove Jansson created.

The Moomins are one of few licensable art based character brands in the world.

Interview BULLS LICENSING The original stories have the brand values that we all consider to be important in life and it is not often you find a character brand that was created by an author and pictorial artist where you can also find the core values such as family, love, friendship, tolerance, braveness and respect for nature. All of this is included in her books.

We are very focused on ensuring the brand feels fresh and relevant and engaging with new audiences. We’re keen to work with have a combined reach of around 20 million people every month. Moomin’s dedicated digital team produces huge amounts of quality content which is tailored to work across the website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and the newsletter, ensuring we reach fans wherever they want to engage with us.

During 2017 we have had very exciting product launch from Chinti & Parker to name an example.

influencers who have huge followings amongst a younger demographic; we recently got Moomin product featured in a vlog from YouTube superstar Zoella – it’s been viewed over two million times, so that’s a huge audience of potential new fans.

And of course there is Moomin.com and the Moomin social media channels, which

LM. What about Moomins development in the toy category?

GM. We are hugely excited for the new animation, coming in late 2018, as it will bring Moomin to our screens in a way never seen before thanks to an innovation 2D/3D hybrid technique. The artwork that has already been created is very magical, and we can’t wait to see the new products our licensees are going to design to tie in with this new telling of the Moomin stories.

Our main areas of focus for the coming year will be gearing up for the brand

12

new TV animation Moomin valley, which will hit screens late in the year. The starry cast, which includes names like Kate Winslet, Rosamund Pike and Taron Egerton, has already been announced and Oscar-winner Steve Box is directing the production. This will present a huge opportunity for licensees as a wealth of beautiful new artwork will be created and made available for new product lines.

We’d like to work with as many of our licensees as possible during the coming year to help them take advantage of this huge moment for the brand.

LM. Which are your expectations on Moomins brand for this year and the next future?

GM. The brand has steadily increased its awareness around the world each year and we do not see that it will decrease any time soon. Most companies that have taken in the brands would like to proceed to develop and produce more and more products. 2019 is going to be a very important year for Moomin with the new TV series and theme park opening.

News CPLG

TOY NEWS TO UNCOVER AT NUREMBERG IN LIGHT OF THE WORLD’S MAIN B2B TOY EVENT, THE SPIELWARENMESSE, CPLG ARE OFFERING OUR READERS A VIRTUAL TOUR OF SOME OF THE MAIN EXHIBITORS AT THIS KERMESSE, TO GET TO KNOW THE HOT PROPERTIES OF THE NEAR FUTURE.

L.O.L Surprise!

new collection of dolls on display, ready to invade the market. GIOCHI PREZIOSI is ready to present the new releases that are arriving in Italy during the year: L.O.L. Confetti Pop and L.O.L. Pets.

Giochi Preziosi S.p.A. Hall 12.0 / D-12, E-07

Hatchimals Sold on the Italian market since May 2017

by Giochi Preziosi, L.O.L. Surprise! by MGA Entertainment were the most sold dolls of 2017. From the same creator of the Bratz phenomenon, L.O.L. Surprise! is a sphere containing a mini doll and 6 levels of accessories to dress and play with the dolls. Thanks to the surprise element, L.O.L. Surprise! has become a global retail phenomenon in a very short time.

At the occasion of Nuremberg Toy Fair, MGA Entertainment is all set to put the

Hatchtropia - along with the well awaited new Hatchimals egg, that will be revealed to the public in October 2018 during the annual Hatchimals Day, just in time for Christmas.

Spin Master International Hall 12.0/ D-10

The franchise that was born from the innovative interactive egg by Spin Master has broadened its line with new products. In Nuremburg the new series of Colleggibles is set to be presented collectable minifigurines from the land of

© MGA

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©2016. All right reserved. Hatchimals™ trademark owned by Spin Master Ltd.

Hey Duggee

Hey Duggee is the brand new multi-colored preschool tv series by BBC Worldwide, made up of two series’ that are aired in Italy daily on Cartoonito and DeAJunior.

The series is loved both by little ones and their mummies, thanks to the educational component that characterizes the show: the funny adventures of the baby animals encourage children to copy the characters and to resolve small problems with a positive attitude. Chicco (Artsana), top brand for the infant category, is the Toy licensee of this property with the plush toy line that is dubbed with the same voices of the tv show, becoming a star of last Christmas in all Chicco stores.

On the occasion of the Toy Fair, Artsana

News

The Deep

©2015 Hydrologic Productions Inc. and the Deep Right Pty Ltd.

HEY DUGGEE™ and character logos™ & © Studio AKA Ltd 2014. Licensed by BBC Worldwide Ltd. BBC logo ™ & © BBC 1996.

plans to put new focus onto the brand and show what is next for the Hey Duggee property.

Artsana SpA (Chicco) Hall 12.2 / P-04

Amusement Park

Hotel Transylvania 3

Adding to the television series that is aired with the Disney Channel, a new chapter for the fun loving franchise by Sony Animation is arriving to cinemas in August 2018. Kids can buy toys based on their own favorite characters from the Back to School season, including plush toys, play sets and figurines that have been created

by Jazware. At the Master Toy Partner’s stand, it will be possible to see a preview of the line of products that are inspired

by Dracula, Mavis and the rest of the fun crew that we will see in a different light in this new film, not in a hotel but on a cruise holiday.

Jazware GmbH Hall 6/ C-41

TM & 2018 Sony Pictures Animation Inc. All Right Reserved.

TM & ©2017 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

This is a new animated title by Paramount with a predicted release date for Spring 2019; the 3D movie is produced in collaboration with Nickelodeon Movies and it tells the story of a twelve year old girl named June, who is independent and creative. Thanks to her animal friends, she tries to rebuild an abandoned theme park to bring fun and the park’s attractions back.

Funrise, Master Toy Partner, is set to present a preview of the upcoming toy line at their stand. The line is inspired by the film and is composed of figurines, play sets, plush toys and role play toys that will hit shelves in Italy with an exceptional partner in the first semester of 2019.

FUNRISE Toys Ltd Hall 12.2 / P-21 15

This is the brand new adventure tv series that is aired with POP, soon to be moving into the second series. Based upon two multi awarded winning stories, The Deep narrates the adventures of the Nektons, a family of four brilliant explorers from the deep who solve mysteries, discover new life forms and save the oceans from their criminal antagonists in each episode.

Simba, Master Toy Partner of this tv series, has developed a rich line of toys that are coherent with the essence of the brand.

The roll-out is predicted to be twofold: first the release of the core line, which is made up of action figures, role play toys and play sets, and second the expansion of the range with die-casts, outdoor toys, remote control and wheeled toys.

Simba toys Gmbh Hall 6/ B-02 Last but not least, also on the occasion of the Nuremberg Toy Fair, two more important agreements are to hit the licensing world: the Master Toy License of Rainbow Ruby, of which the second tv series is ready to air on Frisbee, and the partnership of excellence that will be developing the Ugly Dolls line, a new cinema franchise that will come out in theatres from Spring 2019.

©2015 Hydrologic Productions Inc. and the Deep Right Pty Ltd

News MAURIZIO DISTEFANO THE EVOLUTION OF LICENSING

A year of consolidation and expansion for Masha and the Bear SIGNIFICANT LICENSE AGREEMENTS SIGNED OR EXTENDED AND NEW PROJECTS PLANNED FOR 2018 FOR THE RUSSIAN ANIMATED SERIES THAT IS A HIT WITH CHILDREN ALL OVER ITALY.

2017 was a year of consolidation and expansion in the Italian market for Masha and the Bear, which has been a big favourite with kids since 2012.

And even after close to six years of programming, its popularity through children remains undiminished. Now, in fact, it has taken its place among the truly classic properties.

The third season, which has been showing since December 2016 on Rai YoYo, has been another big hit with fans. In this series Masha decides to leave the house in the forest that has been her home for so long – and her friend Bear – because she thinks she’s all grown up, but things don’t quite go according to her plans and she is soon back with her friends.

The popularity of the series has been strengthened by the launch of two very successful spin-offs, again on Rai YoYo: Masha’s Tales and Masha’s Spooky Stories.

Masha and the Bear is undoubtedly a TV phenomenon. But Masha and Bear is also a hit on multiple digital platforms,

such as Netflix, Infinity and TIM Vision.

There is also an official Masha and the Bear YouTube channel, which boasts over 180,000 subscribers. And,of course, there’s also an official Facebook page,

which has achieved an amazing response, with over 5 million likes at the last count.

Not surprisingly the Masha phenomenon has extended into licensing with a strong presence in Italy in the world of consumer products. The recent launch by Simba Master Toy of a new line of toys will be followed by further launches in 2018 and 2019.

And this success is set to continue.

Maurizio Distefano Licensing, which represents the brand in a number of territories on behalf of Ink Group, has renewed many established licensing agreements with a number of major Italian companies. They include Arnetta, Balocco, Denver, Grabo, Modecor, Sicem, Walcor, Wordcart, Mondo and many others.

In the all-important publishing category Fabbri continues to offer its wide range of popular storybooks, activity books and music books. Meanwhile WUI has taken costume characters on tour throughout Italy on highly successful promotional tours and events. New contracts include Original Marines, which has developed a capsule nightwear collection; Narhinel, with a promotional offeringof a soft Masha and the Bear blanket to buyers of its children’s health products; and Impronta Designers, with a fun kiddie ride.

A fourth and fifth tv series seasons are on the way after Animaccord announced plans for more Masha and the Bear TV shows at last BLE. In Italy this will be supported by continuing activity and new projects, including major new attractions that will be developed at Leolandia theme park for children.

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News SANRIO

Sanrio’s successes in 2017 2017 WAS A KEY YEAR IN THE GROWTH OF HELLO KITTY, WHICH IS BACK AMONG THE WORLD’S TOP LIFESTYLE BRANDS. HELLO KITTY HAS RE-ASSERTED HERSELF AMONG THE MOST LOVED PROPERTIES FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS OF ALL AGES, CEMENTING HER STATUS AS A GLOBAL ICON WITH OVER 40 YEARS OF SUCCESS. Collaborations with important partners in the fashion industry such as the global e-tailer Asos, the English brand Lazy Oaf and the Italian street-wear brand GCDS have guaranteed great visibility to the brand. Furthermore, dedicated marketing campaigns have made a big impact, with some of the most important European, Asian-Pacific and American bloggers and influencers engaging with new product lines and the brand in general.

Ongoing international press engagement has enabled constant brand exposure especially in the last quarter of the year.

Coverage has appeared in Cosmopolitan, Vogue, Vanity Fair and Marie Claire.

New and important partnerships in fashion and accessories have already been confirmed for 2018. Pinko has just unveiled the “Pinko x Hello Kitty” collection consisting of a series of outerwear and accessories including

marketing campaign Hello Kitty Gang, inspired by Hello Kitty’s motto “you can never have too many friends”. During the year various initiatives and events at a local level established a community of “Instagram-famous fans” of Hello Kitty who are welcoming their followers to the world of Hello Kitty in an authentic way. In 2018 the campaign will expand in Spain, Benelux, the Nordics and Russia, with new events and product launches at

Pinko x Hello Kitty

GCDS x Hello Kitty (Courtesy Chiara Ferragni Instagram)

T-shirts, sweatshirts, cardigans, jackets and handbags that present the brand in a unique and original way.

In the first half of the year the launch of capsule collections created with international brands such as Furla, Save my Bags, Puma, Converse and Casio, will support already established partnerships with leading retailers such as H&M, Zara, C&A, Primark and Women’s Secret. To the latter will be added important launches at Mango Kids and Bershka.

The brand repositioning strategy has been supported by the influencer 18

ASOS x Hello Kitty

News

Pinko x Hello Kitty retailers such as Bershka and H&M. For Sanrio, 2017 also represented a year of growth in brand extension, particularly space licensing. New stores, hotels, cafés and other “entertainment facilities” have allowed fans to enjoy a completely immersive experience, going beyond products alone.

Barbie Hello Kitty Doll

In Rimini, Italy’s first ever hotel room dedicated to Hello Kitty was inaugurated.

On the same beach a dedicated “Hello Kitty Summer Friends” lounge area was created for a more complete experience. Themed sun beds and umbrellas, together with a set of Hello Kitty products, welcomed guests for a memorable holiday.

After the great success of the first European pop-up café at Cutter and

Hello Kitty Tombo Cafe’ 19

Squidge in London (in 2016), September 2017 saw a Hello Kitty pop-up launched in partnership with the family-owned English restaurant chain Tombo Cafè.

Hello Kitty fans had the opportunity to enjoy a dedicated menu with Hello Kitty main and dessert options, and exclusive merchandise.

Toys remain a very important category for Sanrio and there is no lack of prestigious partnerships with the global launch of the “Barbie Hello Kitty Doll”. Barbie pays homage to Hello Kitty with a fun yet fashionable look, inspired by Hello Kitty’s iconic red bow. The “Barbie Signature” collection was launched in November 2017 in the United States and from January 2018, it will be available to buy in Europe’s best retailers. A line of outfits and accessories dedicated to the most commercial fashion doll will follow.

The diversification strategy of the Sanrio catalogue continues, with success already achieved by the newcomers Gudetama and Aggretsuko.

Gudetama, the “lazy egg”, captivated and entertained both the general public and European influencers and You Tubers this summer after they attended the official UK launch party in August. Reach on social media generated by the event was over 1 million users.

2018 sees Sanrio take selected You

News SANRIO Tubers to visit the Japanese HQ of Sanrio and Puroland, the multi-character theme park in Tokyo to immerse themselves in the world of Gudetama.

Aggretsuko, the cute red panda and lover of karaoke and death metal music, will star in a new Netflix series premiering in the spring of 2018, and will be followed by a dedicated licensing programme.

2017 was also a strong year for Mr. Men Little Miss with a host of new collaborations and partnerships.

McDonalds launched all 90 characters as mini figurines in one of their largest ever Happy Meal premium campaigns across Asia and France. The campaign featured TV advertising in France, bespoke gaming apps and a very unique Happy Meal box.

The Mr. Men and Little Misses were introduced to the adult worlds of dating, motherhood, office parties and fitness fads in the new Mr. Men for Grown Ups

Mr Men Little Miss Debenhams Pop Up store taken the press by storm. Set to be the next positive role model for young girls, Little Miss Inventor officially launches on the 8th March to coincide with International Women’s Day and British Science Week.

Little Miss Inventor parody books which have already been a great success at retail.

With the brand’s affinity to self-expression, personalisation was a key focus throughout 2017 with a total of 13 popup shops in premium department stores across the UK, including Debenhams, Selfridges and Arnotts.

Looking ahead to 2018, there is a new Little Miss on the scene that’s already

Mr Men Little Miss Keds 20

Along with exciting fashion and beauty collaborations including a global collaboration with American footwear brand KEDS, Mr. Silly will also have his moment in the spotlight as one of the 10 selected titles for World Book Day.

News MONDADORI

LICENSING APPLIED TO MONDADORI MAGAZINE MONDADORI MAGAZINE, PART OF THE ITALIAN LEG OF THE MONDADORI GROUP, HAS DEVELOPED A LICENSING PROGRAM FOR ITS OWN BRANDS OVER THE LAST YEAR, CREATING INTERESTING CASE HISTORIES FOR THE MARKET. company. The greatest response from the market has taken place with specialized titles that each have well defined targets, first in the kids segment with Focus Junior and Focus Wild, followed by fashion and decorating.

The near future sees particular attention paid to cooking, with Giallo Zafferano at the top of the list. The nature of the brand is set to attract a young target that is curious and interested in passionate cooking with skill and ironic notes.

At the base of this route, the radical change of the magazine’s concept that, from a single product became an integrated communication system containing the paper magazine, web and social aspects, events, radio, tv and the community, all under a single brand name. This way, the Mondadori properties generate a system of values that is constantly appreciated by the public.

Mondadori Magazine is definitely set to offer more to both the market and those within the field during the course of 2018.

Mondadori Magazine licensing was born of this process that takes advantage of the variety of content and targets for the construction of strong licensing projects. Moreover, the endorsement and contribution from individual newsrooms represent a plus and a brand new idea in the panorama of Italian licensing.

At the next edition of the Bologna Licensing Fair (26-28 March), Mondadori Magazine has the chance to show off the various opportunities that they are offering in terms of licensing and to illustrate the details of the numerous projects that have been completed up until now, initiatives that have already offered ideas and chances for reflection, not to mention providing evidence of outcomes for the

Focus Junior have the Giochi Preziosi partnership with the creation of the 2018 Back to School Agenda Diary in their portfolio.

Also for Focus Junior, together with Focus Wild, the agreement with BM Arti Grafiche is continuing for the second year running, in the creation of school exercise books.

Amongst the mentionable successful experiences of 2017, in the world of female brands, are the agreement with Grazia, interpreted by fashion and Italian style across the world, and the Italian brand My Style Bags for the launch of an exclusive collection of handbags, holdalls and accessories for summer 2017.

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You can purchase 12 months access to the online directory at a price of €185 Euros

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News MONDO TV

Robot Trains are going places - fast!

ACTION-PACKED ANIMATION STARTS 2018 WITH FREE-TO-AIR LAUNCH ON ITALIAN TV AND STRONG LICENSEE SUPPORT that has already signed a master toy partner in the shape of Hong Kong’s Silverlit, a leading toy manufacturer with many offices around the world. Silverlit Robot Train ranges will be distributed in Italy by Rocco Giocattoli, a leader in toy distribution in that country. Rocco Giocattoli has already demonstrated enormous commitment to this property, with major investments in marketing and promotion as well as advertising across television and other media.

Robot Trains are coming! Early 2018 sees the arrival on the free to air television in Italyof this exciting new animated TV series for kids. Produced by South Korean content and marketing giant CJ E&M, Robot Trains launches on Cartoonito in February. And it’s not just the core audience of three-to-five year-olds who are looking forward to Robot Trains.

Animation giant Mondo TV is keenly awaiting its arrival too. Here’s why.

The first season of Robot Trains, an exciting, inventive new animation for kids, produced by South Korea’s CJ E & M, one of the leading Asian names in the production and distribution of audiovisual content, launched on Italian payTV channel DeA Junior on September 4, 2017. Now, hot on the heels – or tracks – of this successful pay-TV launch, Robot Trains is due to arrive in February on freeto-air DTT channel Cartoonito, exclusively

through Prima TV Italia, supported by an on-air campaign starting in January.

This thrilling series, for children from three-to-five-years-old, is set in Train World. Train World is an extraordinary place, inhabited by talking trains. But some trains are even more amazing: they can turn into robots!

Over 32 11-minute episodes, kids can enjoy the exciting adventures of the five stars of the series –Kay, Alf, Duck, Selly and Victor –and find out how Kay, the fastest train in the world, lost his memory in an accident– and how he plans to get it back. To recover his memory Kay will leave for a trip with his friends and, on the way, will have many different adventures and face many challenges.

The free-to-air launch of the series is supported by a major licensing programme 24

It’s a big commitment, as Gianluca Giordano, Marketing Manager, Rocco Giocattoli, explains. “The distribution of Robot Trains toys is in line with our constant search for new products that stimulate the interaction and imagination of children,” he says. “We will support the launch with a diverse and wide-ranging marketing campaign, which will involve dedicated brand pages, remarketing and the use of You Tubers and bloggers. We will also be disseminating the brand via the best-known social media channels.

But traditional media will be an equally strong focus. For example, we’re planning a strong TV campaign on the main kids’ channels, developing a different message for each channel, tailored to the target audience. And, of course, the Robot

News

Trains brand will enjoy wide visibility in all our stores with try-me areas, dedicated corners and the use of POP materials. We also aim to support the brand through creative partnerships, adding value to the brand. All these approaches are important to the overall aim: to create a narrative around the brand that makes the whole line unique, stimulating and identifiable.”

While it is an important category, toy licensing is far from the only one established for Robot Trains. The licensing programme in Italy now covers all the main categories and can already boast a number of major players onboard, including Grani& Partners (for Robot Trains 3D products), Preziosi (for confectionery and snacks), La Feltrinelli (publishing), Ravensburger (puzzles and memory games), Modecor (for confectionery decorations) and Kimbe (for live characters and events).Kiosk products from Panini, carnival costumes, party sets and summer toys produced

by CIAO, and paper handkerchiefs from Cleanpaper add up to an impressively wide-ranging licensing portfolio – even before the show’s arrival on free-to-air TV.

baby and toddler items.

Supporting a strong brand is clearly a major focus of the many licensing partners already signed up. It’s also important to Mondo TV, one of the largest European producers and distributors of animated content. That’s because Mondo TV is the distributor of the first season of Robot Trains in numerous EMEA territories and will be distributing the second season of 52 11-minute episodes, which has already been announced and is currently in production.

But Mondo TV’s involvement goes much deeper than distribution. Mondo TV will not only distribute series two in different territories

In some ways, of course, that’s not surprising. The series has already been a great success in Korea where a very strong licensing programme has been developed in the toy, publishing, kitchenware, and food categories, as well as in a number of 25

but will co-produce the second series as it takes the incredible concepts and characters of series one in exciting new directions.

As Matteo Corradi, CEO of Mondo TV, says:“Robot Trains is an exciting, entertaining and well-designed series with a clear appeal to pre-schoolers, and we’re really looking forward to seeing Robot Trains repeat its Korean success in Italy – and many other territories! We’re delighted with the enthusiasm and commitment of everyone on board so far and we are sure the success of the licensing programme will be even further boosted by the show’s arrival on one of the leading channels serving the target audience.”

These trains are clearly going places – fast!

News POKÉMON

A record - breaking 2017 ON THE BACK OF A HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL 2017, THE POKÉMON COMPANY INTERNATIONAL IS LOOKING FORWARD TO ANOTHER SENSATIONAL 12 MONTHS, FOR ITS PARTNERS AND PASSIONATE FANS. kids’ apparel & accessories in the Italian market.

This follows other recent successes in fashion for the Pokémon brand, which included a special partnership with famous French children’s fashion retailer La Compagnie des Petits, who delivered

Pokémon’s three key pillars – video games, the Trading Card Game and animation – all enjoyed a vibrant 2017. Pokémon arrived on Nintendo Switch last year with the acclaimed launch of Pokkén Tournament DX whilst Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon launched exclusively on the Nintendo 3DS. These latest titles helped Pokémon video games to top an incredible 300 million sales worldwide since the release of the first video game in 1996.

Fashion UK’s ‘Next Range’ scooped Best Licensed Children’s Apparel Award.

Following the success of the previous collections for both apparel and nightwear, Pokémon and Zara Kids have renewed their partnership and new products will soon be available globally.

Additional agreements have been secured around Europe in the Softline category, as it is the case with Sicem International for

The loyal and engaged fan base of this iconic, evergreen brand continues to grow as the company constantly seeks to innovate and reach out to new demographics. Pokémon is growing its presence in the fashion scene with special partnerships, collaborations and products designed for young and older fans alike.

In September 2017 Pokémon received the Classic Licensed Property Award at the prestigious Licensing Awards. In addition, 26

two capsule collections for boys and girls in 2017 and gave the brand fantastic in store merchandising and event support.

2018 is set to be another exciting year for fashion partnerships with the announcement of its forthcoming collaboration with high-end Parisian brand Maison Labiche for men’s and kids’ daywear and accessories. The upcoming premium capsule collection is slated to launch in Autumn 2018 and will have its first reveal at Pitti Bimbo and Pitti Uomo this January. In addition, The Pokémon Company International is also excited to announce their partnership with Fabric Flavours, who will be launching high end Pokémon kids’ apparel within the UK this year.

News SMILEY

A LIFESTYLE BRAND FOR EVERY TARGET FROM KIDS TO TEENAGER, SMILEY CAN BE ADAPTED TO EVERY KIND OF NEED, TASTE, TREND AND MESSAGE. SmileyWorld is really focussing on creating a brand that connects with the tween and teen fashion audience and which can be adopted as their lifestyle brand of choice.

After all they are the first generation that really communicates in Smileys and already feel a close connection with the brand and the licensor is doing a hard work on partnerships and in supporting marketing to build that audiences affinity.

From this perspective, 2017 was a breakthrough year in terms of creating a range of products that truly connects with this consumer. The secret is the importance of creating a genuinely meaningful engagement with this community because they are super savvy.

Smiley’s biggest childrenswear success stories from 2017 featured Zara, who launched a million smiley pieces into the youth oriented market, which included kids apparel, accessories and even a fragrance; whilst Orchestra have grown in 18 months to become Smiley’s 3rd biggest grossing apparel partner, reporting sell through of 91% and a 100% growth in sales from SS17 to SS18.

Zara Kids Due to the amazing success of brand collaborations with Joshua Sanders and Palladium, both brands have evolved their product offering into the kids market, with Palladium forecasting a 400% increase in sales for SS18 due to this.

Childrens Salon enjoyed a super successful launch of a new Smiley Originals line for kids for the AW17 season, which was supported by an influencer campaign and excellent sell through. Whilst Olivier Baby, outfitters to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s children, launched a new collaboration made of high end cashmere for tweens.

Mango For 2018 Smiley Company has taken this strategy even further, introducing new style guides for this audience that are packed full of attitude and inspired by urban environments and have a strong street-wear influence.

With kids-wear launches this season to come on the high street with; Mango, C&A, EKKS and Lee Jeans, 2018 will see another huge growth for Smiley in this important market sector. Moreover, Smiley will support licensees with more digital content, a major influencers campaign and engaging TV and social media advertising campaigns.

C&A This strategy will help Smiley to continue to build relationships with the tween market and help them to develop a brand loyalty and affinity with the exciting products lined up in the apparel, back to school, food, gift and home markets. It is also a unique way to support Smiley’s licensees and help them to sell more products, which is a key business objective of all partners involved.

Orchestra 27

Focus on COOL THINGS

PROJECTS AND PERSPECTIVES FOR 2018 TO FIND OUT ABOUT THE COOL THINGS STRATEGY FOR THE NEAR FUTURE, LM SAT DOWN WITH MARCO GERMANO, JUST A FEW MONTHS INTO HIS GENERAL MANAGER POSITION FOR THIS INTERNATIONAL AND DYNAMIC COMPANY the Cool Things business is different, the DNA of the product is the same.

LM. Cool Things is dynamic and operates on many levels. What do you think are the main priorities for the near future?

MG. The strong point for Cool Things, other than the huge energy of those who founded it, is the company’s ability

Marco Germano LM. Marco, you have been General Manager of Cool Things for just a short time. How did the entry into this company go for you?

MG. Extremely naturally. I have known the company and its owners for many years and, before embarking upon this new adventure, we spoke long and hard about the values and visions for the future of the company. I knew that I was moving into a team of young talents that are dynamic and coherent - almost like a family - and that was a great pleasure for me. Moreover, I come from 18 years of experience in the toy industry and, even if

to find and invent products of such a small size, but large in the sense of their value, especially with the initiation of children’s trends. As a result, the focus on the ‘product’ is always our number one priority. Other than these things, there are two other great challenges that we are facing with urgency: the growth of the Cool Things brand and the development of our business on the international market, that for us is not necessarily constricted to the European market, but rather global.

LM. Which strategies are you planning for the new year? How weighty is the Italian market compared to that of other countries for the next steps?

MG. In this new year, we are concentrating on 3 main goals. First of all the increase of 28

the Cool Things brand visibility. We will be distributing over fifty million Toys per year.

All children know our products. We would also like it if our brand was known to consumers. The second objective for us is that of implementing the “Puppy Club & Friends” line: one of our properties that has been released onto the market with great success that we are very proud of.

Focus on are also valuable for the end consumer.

LM. Cool Things follows the licensing side of things. Which are the brands that you have met for your future operations and with whom have you already collaborated with?

MG. Cool Things began to make licensed products in 2005 with Warner Bros. and Cartoon Network. From that moment, the focus of the company in the world of licensing has been ever increasing.

Today we collaborate with many licensors, such as Universal, Mattel, Dreamworks, Rainbow, Sanrio, EOne, Warner Bros. and TF1, just to name a few. We are always looking at partnerships on an international scale. Moreover, in the near future we are going to announce more important news.

The third goal, which is no less important, is the growth of our business on an international scale. The European market is still our first point of reference, but we are collecting more and more orders from the USA, South America and the Far East. We are managing this thanks to the beauty and quality of our products, not to mention our capability of offering the best quality/price ratio with our licenses.

If we are talking about the relationship between the international market and the Italian one, from a profit point of view, they are both more or less 50% at the moment. Over the space of three

years we are looking to increase the international market to 60% of the entire company’s profit.

LM. Which projects are you currently working on and what will we see on the market soon?

MG. We are coming out with the new line of Puppy Club & Friends very soon, with a line dedicated to PJ Masks, not to mention other news with this product. We

LM. From an employee’s perspective, how would you evaluate the current health of the licensing market, and what do you think it will look like in the future?

MG. It isn’t easy for me to judge. The current licensing market seems almost to be in difficulty for many reasons that are linked to the current economy crisis: the reduction of space on the shelves themselves, the reduction of power to purchase for the consumer, but also the overabundance of brands. Of course, the lifespan of success of properties is slightly less than is was, but I do not know if all of this can be classed as a trend. That of licenses is a world that has given the chance to rebuild and

Jessica Gasperoni are also moving at a fast pace in the world of licensing. It is still fundamental for a company such as ours to construct real partnerships with our licensors that are not confined to the market of “vending”.

A continuous relationship allows us to create projects that last in time but that 29

reserve unforeseeable surprises on many occasions.

In any case, the future will be important for licensors to be quick and streamlined in their work, in my opinion. They will be able to create partnerships with licensors that are willing to construct a project.

Focus on GRANI & PARTNERS

ROLLINZ 2.0.

CONSOLIDATES THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN BRANDLOYALTY ITALIA AND GRANI & PARTNERS THE BRAND NEW ROLLINZ STAR WARS COLLECTION, PROPOSED BY ESSELUNGA FROM 14TH DECEMBER 2017, IS CHARACTERIZED BY NEW CHARACTERS AND A RICH DIGITAL INTEGRATION. is renewed with “A star collection” of Star Wars Rollinz 2.0”.

The new campaign that began on 14th December 2017, in line with the cinema release of “Star Wars: The Last Jedi”, has promised even greater results than the first time around from day one.

Stefano Araldi Capturing the attention of millions of people, who are bombarded with multiple promotional and advertising messages on a daily basis, is always a challenge. In this jungle of initiatives, it is more and more difficult to create a campaign that is worthy of a growing number of customers.

From this point of view, BrandLoyalty Italia and Grani & Partners have nailed the goal in the head. As Stefano Araldi, General Manager of BrandLoyalty Italia, explains, “involving consumers in important ideas that leave an impact is presenting itself as quite a challenge. We approach this on a daily basis with enthusiasm, both with and for our customers. In 2016, we enjoyed great success with the “Star Wars Rollinz Collection”, that sold over 50 million pieces and established a new benchmark for the sector. Today, the initiative that was created for Esselunga

The promotion, planned to run until 18th February, involves millions of Italians of all ages, who are intent on collecting all of the characters from the series, buying the new Star Wars Rollinz 2.0. The collection is made up of 24 characters from the saga and 7 are made “Super Rare” in limited edition. The new Rollinz can be stored in the Star Destroyer, the well known iconic spaceship from the series. Moreover, a QR code positioned inside the Star Destroyer allows customers to download the free app, created by Brandloyalty in collaboration with the digital partner Melazeta and to discover the digital galaxy, “a star collection”. The Rollinz 2.0 30

app, available to download on the App Store and Google Play Store, transforms fans into protagonists on galactic missions in the Star Wars universe. A real 2.0 promotion.

Rollinz 2.0 only strengthens the relationship between BrandLoyalty and Grani & Partners, global leader in the production of carriers destined for the world of loyalty programmes, publishing and promotion. “We are very satisfied with this collaboration that has allowed us to enter into the homes of millions of Italians and to give fun to people of all ages. - declares Enrico Grani, CEO of Grani & Partners - We hope to see a repeat of the gained success with the first collection and to continue into a future of giving life to enthusiastic and creative experiences”.

Enrico Grani

ROLLINZ 2.0 DI STAR WARS : TM

UNA NUOVA COLLEZIONE STELLARE PROSEGUE LA PARTNERSHIP DI SUCCESSO TRA GRANI & PARTNERS E BRAND LOYALTY ITALIA

Events PITTI BIMBO 86

NICE LICENSING A PITTI BIMBO 24 BRANDS PRESENT THEMSELVES TO THE FASHION WORLD In collaboration with the Bologna Licensing Trade Fair, the point of reference for licensing players in Italy, Pitti Immagine Bimbo launches a new space that is dedicated to introducing 24 selected licenses into the world of clothing, at the 86th edition (18-20 January 2018). The licenses are linked to the world of cartoons, entertainment and brands. Situated in the Cavedio of the Padiglione Centrale area, Nice Licensing is a project that is aimed mainly at clothing manufacturing companies, both Italian and international. They are presented with a selection of possible licenses for their future collections.

Pitti Bimbo is the main international trade fair dedicated to childrenware. It is the go-to professional platform for the presentation of new lifestyle trends linked to children’s fashion. Subdivided into sections by theme, from the Fancy Room to Streetwear, the event that takes place in Florence twice a year (in January and June) shows off the brand new collections for the upcoming season, for the first time ever, and the worldwide guidelines for childrenswear are released.

With the presence of the main brands and clothing producers, this is an event not to be missed for both Italian and foreign buyers, trend setters, designers,

fashion producers and licensees, who are looking for partners in the clothing sector for their brands. In the last edition, 548 brands were present, along with 5300 international buyers and 10,000 visitors.

Each edition of Pitti is characterised by a theme. The one chosen for this January event is “Cinema”.

© Animaccord LTD 2000 - 2017 www.mashabear.com

© 2015-2018 emoji company GmbH. All rights reserved. Licensed by Universal Music Spain.

© Sekiuchi/Technicolor Animation Productions/TF1

Maurizio Distefano the evolution of Licensing www.mdistefanolicensing.com

info@mdistefanolicensing.com

Events

Barbie

Betty Boop Born on Broadway, created by Max Fleischer towards the end of the 30’s, Betty Boop, the first queen of cartoon, quickly became a legend.

In her journey, Betty Boop has become a best seller and an icon.

The world of fashion particularly loves her and there have been many projects that have featured her over the years, from Pantone to Moschino.

The strategies are mirrored in the selection of the right licensees, amongst the best in the various categories, to allow the character/brand to maintain its prestigious and quality position that has allowed them to ensure the brand stays at the top.

Betty Boop is a classic and is not linked to temporal events: a timeless and lasting property.

Icon of fashion and style, Barbie is the most famous Fashion Doll in the world, which every day inspires girls to play different roles, encouraging them to pursue their dreams. Barbie has always represented the unlimited potential of every child, which can be declined in endless styles of fashion collections, always appreciated by little girls thanks to the emotional connection with the brand.Barbie is the leader in the category of Fashion Dolls and Property number 1 in the market in Italy. On YouTube they are available the new animated series “Barbie Dreamtopia” and “Barbie LIVE! In the Dreamhouse.” With over 329 million visits to the Barbie.com site and more than 14 million fans on Facebook, Barbie celebrates her 60th anniversary in 2019.

Ben 10

Doraemon Born in Japan as a manga phenomenon by the duo Fujiko Fujio and published for the first time in 1969, Doraemon, with its collection of over 1800 pieces of “secret merchandise”, is one of the most popular properties that ranges from manga to animation,

The new Ben10, aired with Cartoon Network and Boing, tells the adventures of Ben Tennyson, a 10 year old who is accompanied by his cousin Gwen and his grandfather Max. Thanks to his Omnitrix, he can transform into ten spectacular and powerful aliens as

from video games to consumer products. The franchise enjoys over 600 million annual sales, over 600 active licenses, more than 140 million manga comics sold and over 1000 episodes currently airing in over 35 countries across the world. Thanks to the planetary awareness of the property, Doraemon has inspired prestigious collaborations in the fashion world, such as that of Uniqlo, Converse, Aloye and Moleskine.

Moreover, Doraemon is the “Special Ambassador” for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

he faces numerous fun adventures.

The first series of Ben 10, which aired with Cartoon Network in 2006, became one of the strongest children’s brands on a global scale. With over 4.5 billion dollars in retail sales, the show has inspired merchandise in every category. In 2017, the global Master Toy Partner for the brand, Playmates, released a line of toys, and 2018 will see new products launched.

©Fujiko Pro

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Events

Geronimo Stilton

Hot Wheels Hot Wheels brings adrenalin-like experiences to children through their cars and tracks, helping them to express their best, stimulating creativity, problem solving skills and encouraging them to try again after failure, until success is achieved.

Leader in the mini-vehicle category in Italy, the Hot Wheels toy car is the best-selling toy in the world. The new “accept the challenge” campaign aims to feed the children’s natural attitude to overcome their limits, reaching their maximum potential. This year the brand will turn 50 and there are many initiatives on the way to celebrate it this important date, in addition to the app and the numerous YouTube contents.

Geronimo Stilton is the most read journalist mouse amongst Italian children and children all over the world, with 142 million copies sold. Geronimo Stilton is not only the protagonist of his books, however; he is the author of his works, but also the star of 3 seasons of his tv show (78 episodes); he is the face of Leolandia (famous Italian theme Park), musicals across the continents, live shows, a website, the app, Facebook and naturally a star of consumer products. In 2018, there will be 3 tv campaigns for the promotion of 40 new books, and they will join the 400 titles that are already part of the catalogue.

© 2017 Atlantyca SpA All Rights Reserved

Hello Kitty

Keith Haring Hello Kitty was born in London in 1974.

Throughout the years she has become one of the most unique and interesting characters ever created, a worldwide social icon with relevance to women of all ages, ethnicities

Keith Haring (195890) was one of the biggest street artists of alla times and in particular in the ‘80s.

Inspired by graffiti, Haring began drawing on subways, speaking to a growing heterogeneous audience.

He gained international success in the ‘80’s and his fame has only continued to grow until today.

Today it is possible to appreciate Keith Haring’s works in the world’s main museums.

Keith Haring developed a unique and recognisable visual style.

Essential concepts - birth, death, love, war - are expressed through simple shapes such as hearts, waves of energy, beaming children, stylized men and many other elements.

and economic backgrounds as well as an inspiration to artists and designers. Thanks to her brand values - happiness and affection, fashionable for all ages, always popular, never stale, never out of date, simplicity and flexibility - Hello Kitty is today one of the coolest lifestyle brands, joining forces with the most respected Companies in every possible category…: as Hello Kitty says, you can never have too many friends!

© Keith Haring Foundation. Licensed by Artestar, New York

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Events

L.O.L. Surprise

NFL (National Football League)

From the same creators as the Bratz phenomenon, L.O.L. Surprise! is a sphere that contains a mini doll and 6 levels of accessories to discover, dress and play with.

Distributed from May 2017 by Giochi Preziosi, MGA Entertainment’s L.O.L. Surprise! proved to be the most sold mini doll of the summer, positioning itself at 1st place both in the toy sector and in the girl’s collectables area. Thanks to the surprise element, to the collaborations with numerous influencers and to the important social and digital ad campaign, L.O.L. Surprise! became a global retail phenomenon in a very short time, continuing its success with numerous new aspects.

The NFL (National Football League) is the most followed sports league in the United States. 32 American football teams compete each year, with the goal of winning the most prestigious and followed sporting competition in the world - the Super Bowl. Over the course of its 90 seasons since its founding in 1920, the NFL has constructed its reputation on the grounds of quality, innovation and strength of both the brand and the game. With over 500 million fans across the world, the NFL is characterized by sporting format and dynamic and an innovative entertainment factor, which is capable of bringing people together both emotionally and socially like no other brand.

© MGA Entertainment, Inc. L.O.L. SURPRISE!™is a trademark of MGA in the U.S. and other countries. All logos, names, characters, likenesses, image, slogans, and packaging appearance are the property of MGA.

Mr. Men and Little Miss

National Geographic

With a cast of over 90 characters, the Mr Men and Little Misses are a firm family favourite around the globe bringing laughter and fun to generations. Currently one Mr. Men and Little Miss book is sold every 2.5 seconds worldwide, and lifetime sales total 250 million books. There is a Mr. or Little Miss for every personality and occasion, making the brand stand out for baby, kids wear and promotions.

March 2018 sees the brand officially launch Little Miss Inventor, the newest member of the cast.

Mr. Men Little Miss will also be touring the UK in the autumn in a themed moving library, giving away books to children who live in areas where literacy rates are struggling.

National Geographic reaches millions of consumers of every age across 172 nations. Since 1888, National Geographic has been speaking to people through the eyes of the best scientists, photographers, journalists and filmmakers, creating a real life global community that is connected through television channels, books, magazines, maps, consumer products and much more.

More than a quarter of National Geographic’s profits go to the non-profit organization, the National Geographic Society, which funds research in science, exploration, conservation and education. This unique relationship creates a virtuous cycle of storytelling and exploration.

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Events

Pennuti Skizzati

Pokémon The Pokémon Company International, a subsidiary of The Pokémon Company in Japan, manages the property outside of Asia and is responsible for brand management, licensing, marketing, the Pokémon Trading Card Game, the animated TV series, home entertainment and the official Pokémon website. Pokémon was launched in Japan in 1996 and today is one of the most popular children’s entertainment properties in the world.

For more information, please visit www.pokemon.co.uk.

Pennuti Skizzati is the brand for teenagers that makes them feel special: it is an illustration & graphic property that launches a precise message: «I love differences». Each illustration shows sweetness and love for others. Similar images are capable of interpreting female emotions. The Pennuti Skizzati have been in the licensing world for less than a year, and the brand has already found great interest with potential partners: thanks to the plain and bright colours and strong outlines, Pennuti Skizzati are perfect for the creation of clothing, gifts, stationery, home textiles and all of those “speaking” products that put a smile on people’s faces with a positive message.

© 2012 Clara Grassi. All rights reserved

Pink Panther

Popeye & Olive Oyl Thought up in 1964, the Pink Panther is a sophisticated and glamorous timeless icon that is known all over the world.

Protagonist of 8 films, 2 remakes and various animated series’, the Pink Panther has over 20 million views a month on the

Popeye is one of the first ever comic book and cartoon characters in history. In 2019 the brand will be celebrating its 90th anniversary, born in 1929 of the lucky pen of Elzie Crisler Segar for the King Features Syndicate comics.

With 98% notoriety, millions of products and

dedicated YouTube channel and over 2 million fans on Facebook.

For the 50th anniversary, in 2014, students of Communication Design at the Politecnico in Milan have created 12 new style guides that reinterpret the character in a trendy and modern manner. The Pink Panther is a fountain of inspiration for many fashion brands, such as Iceberg, Pinko, Monnalisa, Happyness and Zara.

advertising campaigns have used Popeye and Olive Oyl as testimonials and they have always been protagonists of fashion.

These extraordinary characters continue to win over new generations of fans: the initiatives that feature them as protagonists are successful with all age group targets, genders and class, all over the world.

(Legal line: THE PINK PANTHER TM & © 1964-2018 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved. www.pinkpanther.com)

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Events

The Smurf

Sesame Street

Born by the pen of Peyo (Pierre Culliford) 60 years ago, they became indisputable protagonists of the works of the Belgian genius in a very short time. The Smurfs represent a fun concept that is full of positive values and great spirit of adventure. The Smurfs represent a unique opportunity to create licensing campaigns and communication operations of great impact. Their longevity and planetary success come from the comic strips, translated into all of the languages thanks to over 120 publishers in over 90 countries; 3 movies and 2 television series’ making up a total of 272 episodes that have been translated into 40 languages, which air in over 100 countries; and a brand new tv series, which is in the phases of

Produced in the United States, the show aired for the first time in 1969.

Sesame Street is the longest running children’s television series in the world and has won over 170 Emmy Awards.

The series has a strong educational component: the goal is to help children to grow up to be strong and intelligent, giving them advice on how to face daily tasks. Thanks to their innate likability factor, the Sesame Street characters have been protagonists of uncountable ad campaigns (Karcher, BMW, Apple) and fashion collaborations across the world, such as Peter Alexander, Puma, Uniqlo and many more. Great expectations for the 50th anniversary of the brand in 2019.

development, set to be released in 2020.

© Peyo- 2018 - Licensed through I.M.P.S. (Brussels) - www.smurf.com

™/© 2011 Sesame Workshop

Rubik’s

Shimmer & Shine In the time since its international launch in 1980 an estimated 450 million Rubik’s Cubes have been sold. The appeal of the Rubik’s brand cuts across age, taste and cultures; having established itself as the world’s best selling toy for over 3 decades, it is now developing a brand extension program that is expanding the Cube into a new world of products and categories.

Shimmer & Shine, with its bright coloured glittery image, is the first Nickelodeon property that is entirely dedicated to the female universe of chic-fashion.

This is set to be the property to watch for 2018 thanks to an intensive program that involves many different aspects: from the airing of the tv series to product launches in every merchandise category, from events to retail activity. Marketing & communication contributes to the popularity of the brand, such as activities that are organized for the International Day of Children’s Rights that saw Shimmer & Shine as protagonists at the Mudec Museum in Milan. This event has been proposed again for 2018.

This has been carefully developed in partnership with The Smiley Company, to meet the growing demands for the brand, as it finds itself at the centre of major lifestyle trend and intelligence revolution.

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Events

Simpsons

Space Invaders

The Simpsons is a multigenerational brand that covers 3 decades of fans, from the ‘80’s up to the present day.

With over 40 million watchers across the world, The Simpsons are the most loved family in television. Over 20 years of uninterrupted success with 29 series’ to date, constant airing and a Facebook page that has over 75 million fans.

Next to the multiple local projects in the various merchandise categories, soon to hit shelves is The Simpsons x Fingers In The Nose and the renewed partnership with Joyrich on a global scale. Well awaited for FW18 is the KIDS and BOYS collection by Original Marines.

Since its release in 1978, Space Invaders has revolutionised the gaming industry, transforming itself to suit fashion trends of the moment to make a global phenomenon.

The most influential cult video game was also the most sold in the Arcade generation. It was the first title to be entered into the Guiness Book of World Records and Space Invaders enjoys $60 million in licensing revenue over the world. Its simple graphics that were typical of the first video games, became a pop culture icon and they continue to be a symbol for the gaming market. Recognised today as one of the most relevant retro brands, Space Invaders became a star on the catwalk with Anya Hindmarch, Hogan and Fred Perry.

THE SIMPSONS TM & © 2018 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved

© TAITO CORPORATION 1978,2018 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Smiley Original

We Bare Bears

From premium collections and limited edition capsule ranges through to prestigious collaborations with some of the world’s most celebrated fashion houses, Smiley Originals celebrates the creative, unique, individual and inspirational - whilst inspiring the opinion formers and tastemakers to keep Smiley continually creating trends.

Taken from the Three Bare Bears, web comic by the Korean Daniel Chong, “We Bare Bears” circles around the events of the brother bears as they work through their daily lives as children do.

The series has been aired since 2016 with the paid channel, Cartoon Network, and on digital terrestrial channel Boing. In 2018, the programming is set to be intensified: the target audience is unisex 6-12 years, but the show itself shows humour that is appreciated by adults, too.

The development program of the brand is in the phases of its European debut, while in Asia and the USA it is already enjoying important partner collaborations, particularly in fashion and accessories.

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Events SUNCITY

NOT JUST ENTERTAINMENT CHARACTERS SUN CITY IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT LICENSEES IN ITALY AND EUROPE. TO FIND OUT ABOUT THE LATEST NEWS, LM HAS INTERVIEWED FRANCESCO DE ROBERTIS, COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR OF SUN CITY. hold represent the vital lymph of our business; it is our main characteristic and we work with many different categories of product, greatly multiplying our results and potential for growth that we still have within the market.

LM. Sun City Fashion Group has notably developed their own lines of clothing and licensing entertainment. What are you presenting at Pitti Bimbo, in particular?

FDR. We are presenting NAF NAF kids for girls between 0 and 14 years of age: a fashion Clothing and Accessories line that fits perfectly with the trends from the ‘80’s. The second brand that we will be showing is Little Marcel, 0-14 boys and girls, following the iconic stripe style that definitely represented last summer for women’s bags.

Another important brand for us is Daniel Hetcher, with a line that displays boys and girls 0-14 years clothing with an air of classic high end French tradition, in its 40th anniversary this year. We can also confirm the presence of Sergio Tacchini, also for 0-14 years, that is returning thanks to the Athleisure trend. Last but by no means least, we are all set to present a 0-8 year olds’ gold line by Walt Disney,

dedicated to Mickey Mouse’s 90th birthday on 17th November 2018.

LM. What is the underlying strategy with this double choice of clothing line?

FDR. Sun City intends to bring Premium Brands onto the Italian market and to do so by bringing the eye to the endless possibilities, such as using the distributive approach, accessibility of prices to the public and also guaranteeing the margin for our clients by way of retail availability.

LM. Regarding the great world of fashion, you have covered many categories in over 30 years. Which are they and how are they affected by licenses in their development?

FDR. The product categories that our group produces and distributes are clothing, pajamas, fashion accessories, swimwear, handbags, footwear, lingerie and hosiery. For a licensing company such as Sun City, the licenses that we 39

LM. 2018 has just begun. What are you looking at this year?

FDR. Sun City closed 2017 with a 16% increase respect of 2016 (that saw a 28% growth respect of 2015). In 2018, we will be presenting a new challenge, to manage to keep growing and to consolidate the shares of the market that we have gained over the years. We are happy and enthusiastic to plan our goals, knowing that we can count upon the extraordinarily positive feedback that we have already received from the market.

Events PITTI UOMO

CPLG ITALy BRINGS FELIX THE CAT TO PITTI UOMO THE ITALIAN DESIGNER ALESSANDRO ENRIQUEZ RECREATES FELIX THE CAT BRAND IN A NEW COLLECTION PRESENTED AT THE 93RD PITTI UOMO EVENT. Thanks to the collaboration between CPLG Italy and the designer Alessandro Enriquez, Felix the Cat was amongst the protagonists of the last Pitti Uomo.

Felix The Cat made his debut on the big screen in 1919 and became the protagonist of a tv series soon after. Felix was the first cartoon character to be put on tv in 1928 and he became a real

pioneer of television transmission and a pop icon. The theme at Pitti Uomo this year is cinema, making Felix the perfect choice.

Created by a talented team of animators such as Otto Messmer and Joe Oriolo, Felix The Cat has appeared in over 100 films in the ‘20’s and ‘30’s. Felix is considered today to be an authentic pop icon amongst teens and young adults, and has become a lifestyle brand in itself thanks to collaborations with the fashion world in Castlebajac Paris, Coach, Scotch&Soda and the most recent Fyodor Golan.

© 2018 DWA LLC. All Right Reserved.

For the January edition of Pitti Uomo, Felix The Cat was back through the world

of fashion, with a touch of irony and Italian style, as Alessandro Enriquez showed his various garments of sweatshirts, t-shirts, jumpers and shirts, for a capsule collection that is joyous and profane. The preview of the collection was presented at the 10x10 ANITALIANTHEORY booth, a brand that was created with Enriquez as stylist, and it is on sale from September 2018.

Enriquez is also working on a limited edition collection made of t-shirts, that will be on sale exclusively at the Milanese boutique Banner, during the Valentine’s week and all proceeds will go to charity.

#FELIXTHECATFASHION

WHO IS ALESSANDRO ENRIQUEZ Alessandro Enriquez was born in 1983 of a Sicilian mother and French-Tunisian father.

After graduating in History of Art at the University of Palermo, Enriquez began to travel, moving to Barcelona and then Palma de Mallorca, ending up in London where he went on to study fashion design at the prestigious London Central St. Martin institute. After completing his studies at the Marangoni institute of Milan, where he was professor from 2009, he began his career as a designer working for the Costume National house. He loves good food to share with friends, travel as an instrument for inspiration and he writes, collaborating with numerous magazines such as Vogue Kids, Vogue Wedding, grazia.it, elle.it and Marie Claire, finally becoming known in the cool hunting field.

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NEW YORK RIGHTS FAIR The International Adult & Children’s Content & Licensing Marketplace

May 30 -June 1

2018 Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 W. 18th Street, New York City

BUY, SELL & SHOWCASE AT THE NEW YORK RIGHTS FAIR This global event is the first U.S.-based fair dedicated exclusively to international rights and the distribution and licensing of content. This one-stop marketplace is the new hub for rights sales negotiation and distribution of content, both adult and children’s, across all formats, including print, digital, audio, film, and television.

Who you’ll meet: • Acquiring agents and co-agents

• Publishers

• IP companies

• Rights managers

• Licensees

• Content professionals

• Scouts

• Film production houses

What you’ll find: Not only will there be booths, exhibits, information, and representatives from all segments of the content world, but look for these unique features: • Dedicated kiosks for content and titles

• Global rights showcase

• Agent tables

• Translation center

• Seminars to enrich international negotiation

The deals are waiting for you! www.newyorkrightsfair.com

Presented by

Trends FASHION & LICENSING

FASHION FROM A LICENSING PERSPECTIVE ON THE OCCASION OF THIS SEASON’S IMPORTANT EVENTS IN THE FASHION INDUSTRY, WE HAVE ASKED A FEW LICENSING PROTAGONISTS FOR THEIR OPINIONS AND APPROACHES TOWARDS THE CRUCIAL WORLD OF FASHION. ATLANTYCA. Fashion is the main goal for 2018

SANRIO. Fundamental role in the licensing program, Hello Kitty and more

Atlantyca is set apart from the rest as they offer the world of brand licensing positive and valuable content, both with their own properties such as Geronimo Stilton, and by represented brands such as Pennuti Skizzati. Atlantyca’s focus on the excellence of Geronimo Stilton in Bookstores (the most read book amongst Italian children) together with the excellences that come from the fashion industry, which are not only attentive to the aesthetic aspect but also

The world of fashion is always one of the most prestigious and satisfying categories for all Sanrio brands and, naturally, for Hello Kitty. The company continues to cover a fundamental role both from a business point of view and from that of brand image. Sanrio benefits from consolidated partnerships with the main international retailers, such as H&M, Inditex, Gruppo Cortefiel, C&A, Primark, not to mention e-retailers such as Urban Outfitters and Asos, who are ready to invest in the launch of new products and collections each year. There are many important diverse and prestigious partners present with big names such as Pinko, GCDS, Fila, Puma, Vans, Converse, Lazy Oaf and past collaborations that have been

to quality and positive values. Style Guides have already been developed that were thought up especially for fashion and that capture the essence of Geronimo Stilton as the character is transferred to children’s clothing.

Marco Piccinini The 100% Italian company, Atlantyca, gives clothing partners the gift of flexibility.

- Marco Piccinini, Licensing Manager, Atlantyca Entertainment -

Thanks to Atlantyca’s flexibility, with Geronimo Stilton they are able to create licensing projects that are taylor-made, thought up especially for the partner. Just as reactive to the market is the Pennuti Skizzati brand, created by Clara Grassi, polyhedral illustrator from the class of 1982. She is able to identify the trends that are expressed by teenagers and children, and to capture their essence through graphics and illustrations that are always refreshed and timeless.

This makes the brand perfect for licensees who aim to intercept young generations by offering them avantgarde fashion clothing and accessory lines. Other than the support that has been offered by their partners in the phases of product launch, Atlantyca knows how to structure a fluid collaboration, which is immediate in response and able to adapt to the market needs of each partner.

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Trends Viacom Consumer Products establish a relationship based on the reaching of a common goal that is inspired by both the vast experience of the partners - who include both constant presence in their field to monitor the fashion market and being able to anticipate trends, in their portfolio. Amongst these have to be both international and national players in the field. This mutually influential relationship is translated in terms of style, quality, in a product distributed in detail over all available channels, from high end fashion to international department stores, from specialist retailers to large scale distribution chains.

Moris Calasso We are always installing tight collaborations with fashion brands, to allow the customer to live a valuable brand experience through an original and trendy collection.

- Moris Calasso, Licensing Director EMEA, Sanrio GmbH -

renewed such as Barbour, Diesel, Reebok and Dr. Martins, who offer both trendy and glamorous capsule collections and limited editions.

A fundamental role comes from the synergy between Sanrio design and the team of stylists that work under strict contact with the partner to find the perfect mix of the two worlds to exalt the originality whilst maintaining the identity and distinctive characteristics.

Shimmer&Shine, a brand with a glamorous image that is amongst the protagonist properties of 2018 for Nickelodeon thanks to the intense program that involves many aspects, from programming to merchandise from all categories (from clothing and accessories that represent the essence of the brand, to the rest of “food” and “non food” items), from marketing activity and retail to communication.

VIACOM. Fashion development is always central, from MTV to children’s properties Fashion has always been fundamental for Viacom, regardless of if we are talking about MTV, which sees music and fashion at its highest importance and is translated into rock based projects, but with a style that anticipates trends, such as in the latest MTV capsule collection, Happyness.

There are also prestigious collaborations with great names in fashion that are captured by the sheer capability of Viacom/ Nickelodeon to interpret brands in a modern manner; from Moschino who has chosen the Spongebob line, Spongebob Gold, and Joshua Sanders who chose the Ninja Turtles for his inspiration. Fashion is such an important aspect so as to bring the Consumer Product division of Viacom Italia to the development of brands through fashion, by way of children’s clothing, just like in the case of the animated tv series

Nadia Caron We usually formulate collaborations by involving our licensees from the very first steps of the brand/product development. We share goals and opportunities with them, along with fast fashion guides and trend concepts, undertaking collaborative relationships made of mutual exchanges of experience, know-how and creativity.

- Nadia Caron, Senior Director Licensing, Turkey and Greece, Viacom International Media Networks 43

Trends CAA – GBG. Fashion and its drive effect

FASHION & LICENSING PREMIUM LICENSING. Quality business for the world of fashion

According to one of the main companies in brand management, Global Brands Group, fashion has a double effect. On the one hand, Halo Collaborations create trends, becoming a fountain of inspiration and emulation for the companies that operate at both lower and mass distribution levels.

On the other hand, they are able to project brands, which would normally speak to a children’s target, through a universe of adults using a process that, in actual fact, transforms junior graphics into iconic elements. With Italy in mind in particular, it is useless to deny the fact that the country lives and breathes fashion on a daily basis, the collaborations with renowned stylists have always had important drive.

Premium Licensing is famous in Italy for their representation of classic brands, such as Betty Boop and Popeye. The company developed interesting fashion projects before any other, which included important companies from the world of Italian fashion, creating real life case histories.

Maria Grazia Bussandri Our attention is always focussed on choosing partners that are amongst the best in their sector to maintain the level of quality that has always set Popeye and Betty Boop licenses apart from the rest.

- Maria Grazia Bussandri, Licensing Manager, Premium Licensing -

as people can identify with him in an ironic way; Olive Oyl, an eccentric figure, is funny and particularly loved by fashion designers who have interpreted her in an array of manners, even with sophistication.

Popeye has been the object of collections

by Iceberg, Dolce&Gabbana, Philipp Plein, Rolex, Fossil and Roy Rogers; while Olive Oyl has been the muse of perfume by Moschino for over twenty two years, she is also set to be presented in fashion at PE18.

In the world of fashion, the Popeye characters have always been winners both for adults and for children, males and females. Thanks to their strong personal connotations: Popeye and Olive Oyl support each other and can be used both together and apart to drive either the male or female target: Popeye, with his sheer strength and impetuosity, is loved by the male audience

Betty Boop is also a fashion icon. The world of fashion loves her particularly and we can cite her in recent projects, such as Jean Paul Gaultier’s new perfume; a Mac Lipstick (using the Betty Boop red Pantone ); Zac Posen has created a dress for her; Saint Laurent has dedicated a garment that was worn by Madonna straight away, not to mention the new Moschino collection for the SS18. In 2018 we will see Betty Boop shine under media attention of a fashion persuasion!

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Eugenia Peia We like to work with fashion partners in such a way that the selected brand can be infused with the DNA of the company, making it unique, special and unrepeatable.

- Eugenia Peia, Managing Director, CAA – GBG Italy -

Trends league logos but of all teams. Moreover, the possibility to tap into the historical archives to look at all of the old brands that are no longer in use but offer interesting ideas to create vintage collections. The brand is young, colourful and is well adapted to the world of children’s fashion.

Maria Giovanna Gurrieri Our designers collaborate with companies by creating moods and inspiration boards for them that can serve as inspiration and stimulus to create collections which are always original and impactful.

- Maria Giovanna Gurrieri, Managing Director of CPLG Southern Europe -

CPLG. From characters to lifestyle brand For CPLG, fashion is of great importance.

Within agency’s portfolio they are represented brands for which fashion collections are the main pillar to base their development. We can quote brands as Pink Panther, or Felix, but also Doraemon and Sesame Street, which arise from entertainment but express themselves brilliantly in the fashion world.

Apparel companies have the unique opportunity to capitalize on the heritage of famous people and help to make them

further iconic by giving their creative contribution and thus transmitting their personality.

CPLG supports licensees as spokespersons for their needs with IP owners, and at the same time it stimulates them through mood and inspiration boards to help them understand the actual potential and versatility of the character. This modus operandi is undoubtedly virtuous and among the most recent fashion collaborations that the agency is proud to mention, there are Mimi Wade with the Pink Panther, but also Fyodor Golan and Alessandro Enriquez with Felix the Cat and Bobby Abley with Teletubbies.

IMG. Sport and adventure, dedicated to lifestyle IMG is one of the main global brand extension companies. Compared to the brands that IMG presented at Nice Licensing (page 33-38), NFL - National Football League, keeping the strong sports character, above all outside of the United States, has a lifestyle value. For this reason, trends and fashion have an influence on how the brand develops in consumer products. NFL offers an almost unlimited style guide. The assets that are available offer not only the 45

Paolo Perfetto While NFL, even maintaining its sports character, has a lifestyle value to it, National Geographic inspires the world of fashion through adventure, discovery and the outdoor world.

- Paolo Perfetto, Global Licensing Director, IMG National Geographic, on the other hand, maintains its identity that has been dictated by the brand’s strong roots that it has on a global scale. The characteristics of the brand are less influenced by fashion trends, yet the collections must be well defined and built around the outdoor world, adventure, discovery and conservation. Nevertheless, for special collections, co-branding and capsule collections, the brand knows exactly how to get closer to the world of fashion with really interesting partnerships.

Other than a high level style guide, National Geographic offers licensees their incredible archive of images. Millions of photographs taken by the most famous photographers in the world. These images, together with the logos and style guide, are fundamental to create themed collections.

Trends FASHION & LICENSING TURNER BROADCASTING SYSTEM. Synergy with the licensee and retail Turner is generally distinguished by their flexibility, trying to meet the needs of the licensee and retailer, both from a creative perspective and in the implementation to the world of retail with supporting investments. Indeed, the collections that gain the highest success are those that are in perfect sync with the mood of the licensee developed collection and the selected character, amplifying visibility with sell-out actions. Even with more “mass” retailers, the consumer awaits innovation and creative detail, not simply the purchase of a branded item at the expense of material performance.

MATTEL. Barbie and fashion: an indissoluble link

Ilaria Rossi For Turner, fashion is a key category in the development of a brand, distinguishing between “vintage” brands, which enjoy a smooth landing in clothing, and new IPs, where development of clothing is often a follow up of a television release and successful toys.

- Ilaria Rossi, Licensing Director, Turner Broadcasting System -

The link between Barbie and fashion was recognised from her very first appearance in 1959: Barbie is the incarnation of fashion, always following the latest trends, a style icon and muse for important fashion designers.

She is the most famous Fashion Doll in the world, who inspires little girls to express their dreams and make their own inspiration each day. The fashion collections dedicated to Barbie are appreciated by both girls and young women thanks to the motivational aspect of the brand, that allows expression through style with infinite possibilities, even dressing the doll in the same outfits as the little girl.

For boys, Hot Wheels is a successful brand that is celebrating its 50th anniversary this

Eleonora Schiavoni The collaborations with fashion companies always come from the development of personalised projects, which reflect and value the specifications of the involved brands. Both for Barbie and Hot Wheels, the fashion designers have uncountable style guides available to them, allowing for complete freedom in style design.

- Eleonora Schiavoni, Managing Director, Victoria Licensing & Marketing -

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Trends 4-8 February 2018 NEC Birmingham Volume sector opens 3 February 2018

Be our guest From Disney to Star Wars and beyond, find Europe’s greatest range of licensed products for your store at Spring Fair.

Get your free ticket now at springfair.com Our carefully curated show sectors: Beauty & Wellbeing • Children’s Gifts & Toys • Christmas Gifts, Floral & Seasonal Decorations • Contemporary Gift • DIY & Home Improvement • Fashion, Jewellery & Luggage • Gift • Greetings & Gift • Home • Kitchen, Dining & Housewares • Retail Solutions • Party • The Summerhouse • Volume Gift & Home and Glee at Spring Fair

Image courtesy of Paladone Products

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Trends FASHION & LICENSING

Mathieu Galante With more than 800 characters, seven different regions and several types of Pokémon, such as Water, Fire, Grass and Electric, the brand offer a wide range of opportunities in terms of design.

- Mathieu Galante, Senior Licensing Manager (Europe), The Pokémon Company International -

year. The brand is distinguished by adrenaline and living out experiences, thanks to the vehicles and circuits, which communicate positive values such as creativity, problem solving, team spirit, grint and passion. And so, the Hot Wheels fashion collections take on these elements in easy-to-wear garments that are sporty and practical. Kids can play with personalization through the prints that are endowed with the logo, impacting Hot Wheels vehicles and playful elements, such as a driver’s helmet. The collaborations that have been developed by Victoria Licensing & Marketing, exclusive agent for Italy for the Mattel brands, are always supported by integrative communication plans, to give the best possible visibility to the fashion collection, both in store and through traditional channels and digital means from the companies and Mattel themselves. A peculiar characteristic that is unique of the Barbie brand is that of valuing the fashion collections through “one of a kind” dolls that are in limited edition. These dolls can be found wearing the same clothing as the child, so that little fans can match their Barbie.

POKÉMON. A multitude of characters to create an appealing fashion collection for kids The Pokémon Company International (TPCi) is always looking for ways to enhance our consumer’s experience in ways that will appeal to them and this includes fashion.

For instance, the most recent video

48

game releases Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon included the option to customise your character’s clothing and appearance.

TPCi’s Product Development and Licensing teams work closely with fashion partners to ensure that each collection not only reflects current trends but remains true to the brand’s core values.

In association with

Cannes International Series Festival

Live-Action Digital Creators Animation Join the Junior Community at MIPTV for the Biggest Week in TV. 4 days / 10,500 participants / 1,632 exhibiting companies / 100 countries / 3,800 acquisition executives. www.miptv.com

- MIPŽ TV is a registered trademarks of Reed MIDEM – All rights reserved - Getty Images

9-12 April 2018 Cannes - France

Interview WAY TO BLUE

NEW BRANDING FRONTIERS AT THE RECENT CARTOON DIGITAL CONFERENCE IN NOVEMBER, WHERE INDUSTRY LEADERS DISCUSS THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN DIGITAL ANIMATION AND ENTERTAINMENT, ORGANISED BY CARTOON MEDIA IN MADRID, LM INTERVIEWED ADAM RUBINS, CEO AT WAY TO BLUE. ADAM’S AGENCY IS A LEADING GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS BUSINESS WITH A DIGITAL-LED APPROACH, DEVELOPING BRAND STRATEGIES AND DELIVERING THE LATEST IN SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING AND STORYTELLING. entertainment. Over the last 20 years our business has evolved to represent the best of brand and entertainment digital marketing working with household names such as Amazon, InterContinental Hotels Group, 20th Century Fox and NBC Universal.

Adam Rubins LM. Can you tell us more about the business of your company?

AR. Way To Blue is a global integrated communications agency working with high-profile brands in consumer, lifestyle and entertainment. With offices all over the world, we are an independent agency reshaping the future of brand communications.

We have specialist entertainment and consumer full-service marketing teams in each office and pride ourselves on being globally collaborative, integrated and flexible. Established in 1997, the agency built its reputation in film and

LM. How digital marketing can change the way to communicate a brand?

AR. We have seen digital marketing explode in the last decade. We have seen many businesses move from a very traditional advertising-led approach to a more digital-led approach, courting influence as well as awareness. This is something the more traditional avenues such as TV advertising and out of home give brands.

Digital works well as an awareness platform alongside more traditional channels, but it also allows you to engage with an audience in a more interactive way (speaking ‘with’ as opposed to ‘at’). Arguably, this allows marketers to influence buying decisions more capably.

Clever brands do this by giving the audience an ambassadorial license to sell products.

LM. How has Social Media changed the way to build the awareness of a property?

AR. Social media is all about to peer to peer and less about authority figures and experts passing down decree. It is also a great advertising platform that allows both organic and paid advertising 50

“50% of people multitask online whilst watching TV and 70% of people are doing so specifically by looking on their phones.... we know that 75% of all mobile data traffic will be video by 2020.”

to work together in harmony, making sure audiences are hit with the right messages, at the right time, on the right platforms. The ability to optimise a message, the flexibility to change that message if something isn’t working and the opportunity to closer segment and target your audience are all things that drive advertisers towards this platform and away from less efficient models.

LM. What about the potential interaction between TV and mobile for an entertainment brand?

AR. Given that 50 per cent of people multitask online whilst watching TV and 70 per cent of people are doing so specifically by looking on their phones, mobile marketing is an extraordinary opportunity. Audiences now use mobile to research, plan and buy in advance.

Interview

“Marketers must understand the importance of peer to peer influence when engaging with their audience via social media.”

Unsurprisingly, entertainment brands are heavily reliant on their most premium content, video, mobile is a mass-market platform that delivers both peer to peer opportunities and video playing capabilities. We know that 75 per cent of all mobile data traffic will be video by 2020.

more about the inter-connectivity of our messaging across multiple platforms and in a variety of different ways, whether it’s earned (PR), owned (social) or paid (advertising). In an ideal world, these things should work together to create the best results.

LM. How the relationship with audience has changed today?

AR. Audience behaviours are changing as time becomes a premium. There is more competition for time than ever before, whether it be from your phone or other leisure activities. Therefore, reaching your audience is harder, making the requirement to stand out even greater.

Of course, the audience doesn’t really think this way, that is up to marketers. A lot of our job is about making sure that we hit the right audience with the right content (something that will stand out in a newsfeed) on the right platforms, whether that’s on a TV or mobile phone. Otherwise, we are wasting money by advertising to audiences who are unlikely to invest their hard-earned money in your brand.

Previously, we relied on creating and distributing marketing content through paid advertising. We now must think a lot

LM. For each media it’s important to create the appropriate message. What does it really mean and can you tell us 51

“Data will shift from being a reactive measure to a proactive tool that helps to inform or create a result, rather than predict one.”

Interview WAY TO BLUE about some examples?

AR. Digital, compared to TV is still in its infancy, so we have seen many brands getting it wrong before getting it right. You would never see an online advert used as a television advert, so it surprises me how often we see content made for other platforms used on digital platforms. Marketers must appropriate budget to ensure they have a suite of content that suits every channel.

If we plot the future, it’s advisable to observe technology to truly understand how your customer wants to engage with content. YouTube no longer runs preroll video without a ‘skip’ button, giving viewers an option. That’s a huge shift in the way we interact with advertising and yet we still live in a world where many entertainment advertisers still

spend millions and millions on TV adverts designed for completed views.

Entertainment advertisers are fortunate, they have the most engaging forms of content. However, they unequivocally need to change the way their stories are told. If content is skippable, we need to hook our audience first, sacrificing the slow build for the quick win. We need to grab our customers attention or risk losing them to something else.

LM. How data are important to monitor a social campaign?

AR. If used correctly, data should provide information in a timely manner that allows advertisers to make cost effective decisions. It should help you identify who your audience is, how to reach them, where to reach them and with what

messaging.

In the future, data will be real time, it will be cheaper and marketers will be able to use it throughout the lifecycle of each campaign. Data will shift from being a reactive measure to a proactive tool that helps to inform or create a result, rather than predict one.

“Social media is all about to peer to peer and less about authority figures and experts passing down decree.”

“Way To Blue helps brands develop a more digital-led marketing approach. Here is the hugely successful PowerPuff Girls Story Maker app they created for client Cartoon Network to support the brand release across EMEA, surpassing 1 million downloads.”

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Digital STUDIO KILLERS

AnimaTION AND MUSIC. Virtual? NoT ONLY EJ. Through Ode to The Bouncer in 2011, the Studio Killers were born when the music gave life and voice to Cherry the lead singer of Studio Killers, a luscious animated persona. Since then, their presence on social media was tangible.

Through video blogs, art, art exhibitions, and eventually live shows, their presence in the world became more and more solid to a growing group of fans.

Finland continues to suggest new trends to European teenagers and young adults.

This is the time of a virtuous mix between music and animation, with a touch of digital. Let’s talk about Studio Killers, a European electro-pop virtual band, made up of virtual characters: singer and designer Cherry, keyboardist Goldie Foxx, DJ Dyna Mink and, as a manager, a bipolar bear. The true identities of the group members are unknown.

It is a brand that speaks to teenagers and that contains the essence of social media: it is irreverent and engaging; creative and contemporary. The style of the characters is such that, in addition to the musical element, has also inspired art, with different artworks and interpretations of

the protagonists of the band.

To learn more, LM interviewed with Eliza Jäppinen, CEO, Visible Realms.

LM. Story, background and description on how this virtual music band was born and how it has developed its success through the years

LM. How does the interaction between the music band and its fans work through social media? And how does its awareness increase?

EJ. Studio Killers wouldn’t exist without social media and the internet as with the exception of the live shows they solely exist online. But on Studio Killers Facebook you can talk to the characters.

On tumblr you can join the creative fun in creating endless amount of fan art, or be apart of the phenomenon when taking part in a Studio Killers cosplay competition. Follow Cherry’s outfits of the day on all platforms and hear from the band members themselves as they update or entertain through YouTube.

LM. Which are the next projects for the band?

EJ. This year we will be ramping up our social media again! With new music in the pipelines, lots of creative fun to be part of and consume! We want to keep things a bit vague as a lot of things are still in the works. But if you’re looking for something to follow online, we won’t disappoint, with more outfits of the day, art, video blogs, and fantastic new music and music videos are all planned for 2018!

To learn more about Studio Killers: Youtube: www.youtube.com/user/StudioKillers Facebook: www.facebook.com/studiokillers Twitter: www.twitter.com/studiokillers Tumblr: studiokillers.tumblr.com Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/studiokillers 53

Events CHILDREN’S GLOBAL MEDIA SUMMIT

UNLIMITED GENERATION. THE FUTURE OF MEDIA FOR CHILDREN

BY REBECCA ASH, TOTAL LICENSING LTD the Children’s Global Media Summit ran from the 5-7 December, in the media hub of the UK, Manchester.

The summit covered a wide-ranging level of subjects concerning children’s media, and encompassed panels, debates, content and technology showcases and keynotes from industry leaders.

The over-arching theme of the conference was looking at Generation U - the unlimited generation of children, and the first generation who will grow up immersed in technology, and how this will impact even aspect of their lives.

In an ever-changing era of digital platforms, instant availability of programming, and children who are much more tech-savvy than their parents, the conference also explored the responsibility of children’s media - and how traditional landscapes

Rebecca Ash The Global Children’s Media Summit is an event held every three years in a different venue in the world. All main children’s media keyplayers from all the globe gather together to meet and share thoughts and opinions.

Each edition is dedicated to a specific theme and addresses the main goals and strategies on children’s media for the next future. The theme of last edition was “future”: the future of media, contents and U Generation, where U means Unlimited. Rebecca Ash, Editorial Director of Total Licensing, wrote a report for us on the main contents emerged during the summit.

In a truly international event that gathered together global executives, tech experts, thought-leaders, researches and influencers - as well as the royal family -

Tony Hall 54

of broadcast are changing, making way for subscription and streaming services. One of the key themes was also safety online.

It was also stressed how, as ever, content is absolutely key, despite the huge landscape of digital platforms.

In his keynote speech, BBC DirectorGeneral Tony Hall, talked about the marriage of storytelling, creativity and tech, and the real opportunity to create a media world that can do more than ever before for children and for their future.

“We want to encourage (children’s) creativity. Give them skills and confidence that will enable them to thrive. Help to communicate, collaborate and keep each other safe.” Hall went on to say that we have to do everything we can, right now, to create a media future for children that we can be proud of. Noting that this

Events moment in time is a critical moment, for those in the media industry, Hall commented that if you are not relevant to a kid’s world today, you will simply not be relevant in the future.

“We’ve been reminded this morning of just how much has changed in the media world, and how the pace of that change is far faster than many predicted.Let me say at the outset, I believe choice is a great thing. It’s fantastic that we’re all offering so much to young people. When I was a child the choices I had were so limited. I loved all that, but what I’d give to be a kid today! With such an incredible world of choice from Minecraft and Pokémon GO, to everything on offer from Toca Boca and LEGO, to - you’ll forgive the mention CBeebies Playtime Island and BBC iPlayer Kids.”

Hall stated that anxiety about major advances in technology is nothing new, looking back over history to see that outbreaks of panic have been caused by every new advancement.

However, the speed and scale of change is enormous and fast– and while these changes can cause alarm, there needs to exist a happy medium between caution and adaptation – and it is essential to help children navigate their world.

Alice Webb, Director, BBC Children’s & BBC North, reiterated many of these statements. Commenting on how children

Alice Webb today will be the first to grow up in a fully digital world, she stressed how imperative it is that content creators, broadcasters and creative act now, to ensure the audience and children can ride a wave rather than be washed away by it.

“Today’s tech world brings opportunities and challenges like nothing we have

55

ever seen before,’ she said. “Generation U is the unlimited generation, seeing opportunities far beyond those imagined by their parents and generations before them – and it really is essential that the media industry as a whole adapts to this.”

The summit dove in-depth into numerous areas affecting the industry, from whether

Events CHILDREN’S GLOBAL MEDIA SUMMIT Amazon and Netflix and co will ‘do-away’ with traditional broadcasting altogether, to the influences on children that the digital world around them has, as well as the everyday problems that young people have online.

As we have seen since the advent of social media, platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have grown exponentially with billions of users around the globe – at the same time connecting, and posing a risk, to many people.

Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, delivered a heartfelt speech at the Summit.

He began by commenting: “We know that childhood matters.The years of protection and education that childhood provides are the foundation for our society. The programme makers and tech leaders in this room understand that.Our childhood years are the years we learn.They are the years we develop resilience and strength.

They are the years where our capacity for empathy and connection are nurtured.

They are the years where we impart the values of tolerance and respect, family and community, to the youth that will lead our nations in the future.Parents like Catherine and me are raising the first

generation of digitally-immersed children – and this gives us many reasons to be optimistic about the impact of technology on childhood.”

He went on to say how barriers around the world are falling, and children can learn about far-flung corners of the world with previously unimaginable ease. And while social media holds a promise for children who feel isolated to build friendships, and that the world should embrace changes, we as a world cannot pretend that the impact of digital technology is all positive.

He said that he, as a parent, understood and had his own grounds for concern.

“The changes we have incorporated into our own lives as adults have often felt incremental, not revolutionary.The vast array of digital television content that many households enjoy today did not spring up overnight.The birth of the smartphone was heralded as a landmark moment. In truth, though, we incorporated constant texting, checking of email on our devices, and 24/7 availability into our lives over the course of many years.The centrality of the internet for education, shopping, and the organisation of domestic life has been the work of two decades.And it is the gradual nature of this change – the slow warming of the water in the pot if

56

you like– that I believe has led us to a moment of reckoning with the very nature of childhood in our society.

The Duke commented that parents who were born before the invention of the World Wide Web now have children aged 5 to 15 who spend two hours a day online.Ten years after the introduction of the iPhone, over 80 percent of 12 to 15 year olds have a smartphone.

“Many of my contemporaries graduated from university before anyone had a Facebook account,” he continued. “My alarm comes from the fact that so many parents feel they are having to make up the rules as they go along.We have put the most powerful information technology in human history into the hands of our children – yet we do not yet understand its impact on adults, let alone the very young.”

He concluded: “We can be optimistic about the way digital media will help our children when we can be frank about our concerns.Families can embrace technology with confidence when they can access the best the best support and advice.And we can be hopeful about the future of our society when we all know that protecting the essence of childhood remains our collective and urgent priority.”

Digital BOLOGNA DIGITAL MEDIA

AR AND THE WORLD OF KIDS MIXED MEDIA DEVELOPMENT

BY NEAL HOSKINS, BOLOGNA DIGITAL MEDIA CONSULTANT purchase price of the book and therefore that cost point remains with a margin that allows viable numbers to be achieved and not the very low price of the app ecosystem where competing with games is a very hard task indeed.

Neal Hoskins Why is AR exciting?

With all new things surveying the landscape of a publishing platform like AR can appear very attractive on first look.

That also means there is a production learning curve and risk to getting involved in some of the newest tech and connect its development into current cost bases. Is AR for example the missing link between the print and digital world, one of the first since you might say the heady days of the first iPad launch. One of the main reasons why I think this is the case is due to price and sales in AR and print book falls on the

Where do I go from here?

Well looking into the cost and platforms to use for augmented reality is the first challenge especially if you would rather develop in house your own IP into AR? There are many kits and platforms to run with ARcore, ARkit, Vuforia all provide the nuts and bolts tools for publishers but often this is where project can get exciting and collaborate across brands and media.

You may indeed have a mix of some new IP animation, audio files, YouTube video, books, apps. and merchandize. All of these media driving revenue from a core character storyline and related narrative.

You can also find lots of free 3D objects to experiment with at Poly 3D from google and the Mixed Reality Viewer on Windows. Some projects in combining media may take a different stance like the tigerbox cube (see above mid page photo) for kids selling digital audio books and a 57

speaker all-in-one package for families.

Using traditional and known media format can also be part of the newer and more dynamic augmented ones too.

What’s in store for Bologna 2018?

Surprise, surprise AR and publishing will be one of the key drivers for the fair at the end of March (26-29) In the Bologna Digital Media area, right across from the licensing hall you will find events and special programming around this form of work, even including some special developer hands on events. Alongside this you’ll also be able to see and meet with all the eclectic mix of clients and professional who may also be looking to partner up with companies on new AR project, such is the business life of a great fair!

So as we open the diaries and think to the coming spring and our work schedule spare a moment for connecting the real with the virtual in our world and thinking how can I do more from my company or assets and of course for our young readers looking to be in the story - a feature found more often today in children’s stories.

Events KIDDINX

GERMAN LICENSING SUCCESS STORIES KIDDINX, A LEADING GERMAN LICENSOR AND MEDIA COMPANY, WILL PRESENT AT NUREMBERG TOY FAIR, BY THOMAS PUCHERT, HEAD OF LICENSING AT KIDDINX MEDIA, THE LATEST NEWS ON ITS TOP BRANDS, AS BENJAMIN THE ELEPHANT AND SORGENFRESSER.

Thomas Puchert BENJAMIN THE ELEPHANT Benjamin the Elephant (original German name: Benjamin Blümchen) is an animated TV series, distributed in over 20 languages, produced by Kiddinx Studios in Berlin.

The show is based on audio stories by Elfie Donnelly. The audio series has been running since 1977 and has 135 stories as of 2017. Within the past 40 years, they

have been sold 65 millions of audio-plays, 10 millions of Videos and DVDs. There are more than 500 licensed products in all categories, more than 11,5 millions of sold books and more than 26 millions of sold magazines.

So, on the 2018 it’s time for Benjamin to be heard and watched on the big screen. The high-tempo and funny family adventure, directed by Tim Trachte and written by Bettina Börgerding, opens up the gates to the Neustadt Zoo, where all the stories of Benjamin and his friends are set. BENJAMIN BLÜMCHEN (Benjamin the Elephant) is produced by Westside Filmproduktion in co-production with Rat Pack Film, Kiddinx and STUDIOCANAL Film. STUDIOCANAL is also responsible for worldwide distribution.

Among the main partners of this famous German property, we can include the Toy company Jazwares, which co-operates with Kiddinx since 2016. At the occasion of the movie release, this licensee will release plush, accessories, playsets, key chains, headphones and much more.

SORGENFRESSER – The Worries Eaters!

All children have worries or fears. Some are big, some are small, but all of them are very real. Parents do their best to try and help their little ones, but they can’t if they don’t know what the problem is. This is where the SORGENFRESSER come in.

Children can write or draw their problems on a piece of paper, secretly if they prefer, and feed it into the mouth of their favorite SORGENFRESSER. With the problem in the mouth of a worry Eater, parents have also the opportunity to discover the root of the problem.

The SORGENFRESSER’S motto is ‘We eat your worries’, and sometimes with just a bit of help, this is exactly what they do!

Since December 2017, Sorgenfresser are now also on TV, thanks to Nickelodeon, which secures exclusively Sorgenfresser TV series broadcasting. The series is a co-production of Nick and Hahn-Film.

The stories of Saggo, Pomm, Flint & Co. show the children that it is quite normal sometimes to worry or even to be afraid.

Lovingly and playfully, the worries and needs get to the bottom and suggestions for a solution are found.

58

Events WICKED COOL TOYS

NEW LAUNCHES PLANNED FOR 2018 LM. Which are the other novelties by Wicked Cool Toys?

GR. Cabbage Patch Kids will celebrate its 35th Anniversary this year. For this occasion, we will release a new 14” kids line and a special packaging. We will also be promoting a new Adoptimals (pet) line.

It’s an iconic toy line with a long history and strong presence in the market. We hope to bring fans something they will remember and love forever.

Founded in 2012, Wicked Cool Toys (Wicked Cool Toys LLC/WCT) is a leader in play that creates, designs, manufactures, and markets an innovative and fun portfolio of toys for all ages. With offices in Bristol, Santa Monica, Hong Kong and China, its portfolio includes both licensed and proprietary brands.

The Company will focus for the upcoming Toy Fairs on the new Toy Master License of Pokémon. Thanks to this new deal, its global perspective will be even wider.

To learn more on this latest news, LM interviewed with Gerhard Runken, Vice President, Marketing & Brand Strategy, Wicked Cool Toys.

LM. How the new Pokémon license will strengthen your distribution plans?

GR. Wicked Cool Toys has grown very quickly in the last year and half. Although our distribution is already global, the Pokémon brand will strengthen this perspective. In terms of territories, we have a strong presence in US, Europe, Canada and Australia. With Pokémon we will become even stronger in Latin America as an example.

LM. How this deal is strategic for your company?

GR. This is a long-term relationship with The Pokémon Company.

The toy line covers a wide range of products, from action figures, plush and role play items based on the hit Pokémon animated series. We strive to create something never seen before, offering a global roll out for all the toy line (excluding Asia), which includes both core and innovative items. Additionally we are offering more Pokémon characters than ever before.

LM. Which launch campaign have you planned and how do you expect to develop further this toy line?

GR. Pokémon toys will be on shelves on July 1st. We have already planned for a very immersive and engaging marketing strategy that includes TV and digital campaigns. Moreover, we will work with retail partners to create and give the best consumer experience for each market.

For the future, we will be expanding our product range, through technology, including AR, RC gamification and more.

59

Teddy Ruxpin has an incredible history and been re-embraced by old and new fans alike! We introduced Teddy Ruxpin in 2017 and it became one of the biggest sellers of the year, since its first launch in early ‘80s where it took the toy industry by storm! The style and technology has been updated but its look and offering has stayed true from its original release.

We hope to see a whole new generation love and engage Teddy Ruxpin for years to come!

Trends KIDZ GLOBAL

HOW CHILDREN SPEND THEIR POCKET MONEY

BY IVAN COLECCHIA, KIDZ GLOBAL

Graph 2

Ivan Colecchia The Kids market is one of the most interesting markets in the competitive global panorama today, above all for its ability to innovate from the very start.

Children of today, and we are looking at a wide age target of 3-18 year olds, are no longer passive, but rather they act, create, and become protagonists in the world in which they are living. This market becomes more and more competitive each day, not to mention difficult to satisfy with a product or service that is able to hit all of the stops.

A factor that determines success amidst the rule changing of the market, is that children are growing up faster than they

ever have before.

From the data that has been collected by our service Brand Trends (the monitoring of the 30 top entertainment and sport properties), states that children are abandoning the classic entertainment products, such as animated cartoon, much faster than those of their age in the past. They are dedicating themselves to different kinds of entertainment, for example to youngsters sitcoms (Soy Luna, Maggie & Bianca, to name a couple), or they use social media or new channels on YouTube, where product placement videos by influencers can be found, such as unboxing videos and sitcoms of many genres (from fake amateur to pure amateur), that cover a wide audience, from preschoolers.

From Kids & Digital (the monitoring of trends and habits of use and consumption on digital devices) we can see that television is less and less used on a global school as a preferred digital device, and it is becoming forgotten about thanks to devices such as tablets and smartphones.

The profile of the child that springs to mind from our analysis, is that that of a boy who becomes more and more creator of content rather than a simple user. He is very independent from his family and he

Graph 1 60

Trends

Kidz Global is one of the main market research companies in the world, specialising in the Kids, Teens and Family targets first and foremost, along with the licensing world.

For more info: ivan. colecchia@kidzglobal.com

Graph 3 needs economic independence.

Pocket Money, the tracking source of Kidzglobal, analyses what, how and why pocket money is spent.

Pocket Money represents a business of considerable dimensions, if we consider that in Italy, 1.2 billion dollars have been given to children, mainly between the ages of 10 and 18 years, making up 90% of the global business, (Graph 1).

Pocket Money asks some questions about the spending, such as: 1) What is the profile like for the child who receives Pocket Money?

2) How much do they receive?

3) How often?

4) What is it used for?

5) How well is the amount understood?

6) Do they have a bank account?

1) Child’s profile: Children between the ages of 3 and 18 that receive Pocket Money make up 54% of Italian children, which is already an interesting figure, but they do not reach the levels of the Nordic countries, who receive about double the amount of Italian children.

in 61% of cases, parents tend to give money on certain occasions rather than on a structured schedule. Only 32% of cases show a weekly payment.

4) What is it used for?

The heaviness of the “big kids� is over 90%, as shown in graph 3, and the categories that they spend their money in are on sweets (35% of cases), chewing gum and snacks, followed by books, magazines, comic books (23% of cases) and saving in the bank (22% of cases).

5) How well is the amount understood?

Next to their parents, who in 3/4 consider the amount the children receive as more than enough for their needs, children are showing great understanding of the value of money.

75% of children know exactly how much they are receiving in money, but the statistic that is quite shocking is how young children are as they begin to

2) How much do they receive?

10,80 dollars is the median monthly amount that children receive, and 15-18 year olds have the most resources (23,79 dollars), compared to younger children, (Graph 2) 3) How often: Receiving Pocket Money in Italy does not have a fixed frequency for Italian children,

Graph 4 61

understand it (graph 4), 74% of children between the ages of 3 and 6 know exactly how much they receive.

6) Do they have a bank account?

If it is true that a child currently has great knowledge of what they are receiving, it is also true that the rate in which they are saving money is not very high, even if we distribute the numbers evenly between age groups, we find that less than 30% of children have savings in a bank account.

To conclude, Pocket Money is a business that is becoming more and more interesting for companies, even in merchandise categories that are disparate (snacks, drinks, collectables; books, video games). We can see competition based on children having a small amount of money to spend, making the processes of marketing and communication for these standards quite complex in order to reach a wider and wider audience.

Events KAZACHOK FORUM

The French Licensing Show will celebrate its 15th anniversary this year THE 15TH EDITION OF THE KAZACHOK LICENSING FORUM WILL TAKE PLACE AT THE PARIS EVENT CENTER, PORTE DE LA VILLETTE, ON APRIL 4TH AND 5TH, 2018 Trends Corner is a space dedicated to showcasing licensed products based on a specific theme. For this 15th edition, the Trends Corner will be built as a pop-up Museum of License displaying emblematic licensed products, with exclusive pieces sometimes not even yet on the market.

In order to celebrate the 15th edition of the fair, Kazachok organizers are preparing several surprises during the two days, including a big party on the evening of the 1st day.

The Agora: a space dedicated to Sports & Licensing The fair includes not only booths but also a series of conferences hosted by such institutes as NPD and Junior City among others to identify and decipher market value and licensing figures.

This year, a new area will rise: the Agora.

Dedicated to Sports & Licensing, this space will be open, encouraging people to sit and leave as they want. Conferences will be held there along with round tables led by exhibitors.

A tradeshow that emphasizes exchange and value-creation Kazachok Licensing Forum’s goal is to help participants understand they can use licensing whatever their importance and financial means may be. At Kazachok

Licensing Forum, networking takes on a whole new dimension since they go out of their way to ensure that everyone finds the suitable contact, client, licensee, rights holder or partner to develop new business opportunities. To do so, everyone has its personal space online where they can manage their appointments directly.

The Trends Corner: a Licensing museum Each year they select novelties that can interest their visitors and exhibitors. The

The MarketPlace: manufacturers also have their space for exhibiting For the 2nd years, the Kazachok Licensing Forum offers the opportunity for manufacturers to exhibit and to showcase their products to the visitors.

This year, a whole area will be dedicated to manufacturers, with a focus on the toy industry.

Some of the exhibitors: The Pokémon Company, TF1 Licences, France TV Distribution, Mediatoon, Rainbow, Toei Animation, Nelvana Enterprises, Smiley, Hasbro, Mattel Brands, Warners Bros. CP, CPLG, Nickelodeon Viacom, The Licensing Company, Studio 100, Viz Media Europe, Cyber Group Studios, M6 Licences, Biplano, Studiocanal, Universal Studios CP… and many more

For any further information and to register: http://forumlicence.kazachok.com forumregistrations@kazachok.com 62

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EVENTS CALENDAR EVENTO

LUOGO

DATE

CATEGORIA

SITO WEB

PITTI BIMBO

FLORENCE

18th –20th/01/2018

childrenswear

www.pittimmagine.com/corporate/fairs/bimbo.html

MAISON&OBJET

PARIS

19th-23rd/01/2018

homeware

www.maison-objet.com

HOMI

MILAN

25th-29th/01/2018

homeware

www.homimilano.com

PAPERWORLD

FRANKFURT

27th-30th/01/2018

stationary

www.paperworld.messefrankfurt.com/frankfurt/en/

PLAYTIME PARIS

PARIS

27th-29th/01/2018

childrenswear

www.iloveplaytime.com/paris

BUBBLE LONDON

LONDON

28th-29th/01/2018

childrenswear

www.bubblelondon.com/Home

ISPO MUNICH

MUNICH

28th– 31st/01/2018

sport

www.ispo.com/en

SPIELWARENMESSE

NUREMBERG

31st-04th/02/2018

toy

www.spielwarenmesse.de

SPRING FAIR

BIRMINGHAM

4th-8th/02/2018

homeware

www.springfair.com

AMBIENTE

FRANKFURT

09th-13th/02/2018

homeware

http://ambiente.messefrankfurt.com/frankfurt/en/

PLAYTIME NEW YORK

NEW YORK

11th-13th/02/2018

childrenswear

www.iloveplaytime.com/newyork

MICAM/MIPEL

MILAN

11th-14th/02/2018

accessories

www.themicam.com - http://mipel.com

KIDSCREEN SUMMIT

MIAMI

12th–15th/02/2018

entertainment

http://summit.kidscreen.com/2018/

NY TOY FAIR

NEW YORK

17th–20th/02/2018

toy

www.toyfairny.com/

PLAYTIME TOKYO

TOKYO

20th-22nd/02/2018

childrenswear

www.iloveplaytime.com/tokyo

NY LICENSING SUMMIT

NEW YORK

20/02/2018

brand licensing

http://nyc-summit.licensemag.com/

SUPER

MILAN

24-26/02/2018

fashion

www.pittimmagine.com/corporate/fairs/super.html

WHITE SHOW

MILAN

23th–26th/02/2018

fashion

www.whiteshow.it

SMMEX

LONDON

05/03/2018

sport

www.smmexevent.com/

CARTOON MOVIE

BORDEAUX

07th-09th/03/2018

entertainment

www.cartoon-media.eu/cartoon-movie-event/cartoonmovie-2017.htm

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c o - p r o

f o r u m

years

f o r

a n i m a t i o n

f i l m s

cartoon movıe 7 - 9 March 2 0 1 8 • B o r d e a u x

www.cartoon-media.eu

© TOMY . OLM/ Miracle Tunes Project

FOR LICENSING OPPURTUNITIES: LICENSING@SHOWLAB.IT

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