y l oved! Heritage Two of UBD’s stand-out heritage brands include the publishing phenomenon Where’s Wally? and true pop icon Felix the Cat, (which is managed globally by CPLG). Where’s Wally? is 30 years old this year, and with over 67M books sold, it remains a very strong performer in the UK with a loyal fan base of kids, families and young adults. UBD has plans to expand Wally with retailers and licensees throughout 2018, and to build on opportunities such as the current promotion Wally is enjoying with the ASK Italian restaurant chain. The brand is now a fashion and lifestyle icon appealing to young adults and teens. This AW sees Felix in the UK market with fashion and retail collaborations with partners such as Rolex, Scotch & Soda and Fyodor Golan. There are extensive plans for expanding in 2018 ahead of Felix the Cat’s 100th anniversary in 2019. Felix will be celebrating his 100th anniversary.
DreamWorks Dragons DreamWorks’ How To Train Your Dragon 3 will be a focus at this year’s BLE. The much-anticipated continuation of one of the most beloved animated film franchises in history, starring Cate Blanchett, T J Miller and Kristen Wiig, and is set to make its theatrical debut in 2019. Dragons: Race to the Edge is currently the number one animation TV series in multiple territories including the UK where it is a firm CBBC favourite, France, Germany and the Netherlands. Spin Master is the master global toy partner, with Playmobil also signed for a toy launch in February 2019. UBD is starting discussions with new partners to join the consumer products campaign and will be building the brand throughout 2018, ready to make a big roaring noise for the film’s release in February 2019.
Trolls Yippee! In less than a year, DreamWorks Trolls has stolen the hearts and minds of fans worldwide, spreading nothing but happiness in its path. The irrepressible DreamWorks Trolls became the top Christmas film of 2016, shifted half a million DVDs and, then, according to The NPD Group, powered up the rankings to become the #2 girls’ license and the fastest growing girls’ license of the year, behind only Batman in the total market (NPD July 2017). It is now also the #6 license across total toys (NPD July 2017). Capturing the zeitgeist and the appetite for a celebratory, feel-good brand, DreamWorks Trolls has re-vitalised the tween market and satisfied young and classic fans alike. DreamWorks Trolls has enjoyed success in every retail sector - it has taken £8m retail sales January-July this year and secured a Top 6 Toy Sales spot against a market that is down 2% year on year (NPD July 2017). There have been innovative partnerships, like the one with MAC cosmetics, and ace retail executions - it was Tesco’s licence of the year last year. The colourful musical world of DreamWorks Trolls shows no signs of stopping, as UBD rolls out plans to keep the party going ahead of Trolls 2.
DreamWorks Voltron Legendary Defender This Netflix original series comes from the DreamWorks Animation Television portfolio. Set long ago, in unchartered regions of the universe, five unsuspecting teenagers become the pilots of five robotic lions in order to protect the universe from evil. Being led by an alien princess into the furthest reaches of space; putting aside their differences and trying to summon up the perfect cheeseburger, they strive to become the heroes they were meant to be. DreamWorks Voltron Legendary Defender is huge in the US but now, after airing exclusively on Netflix, seasons 1 and 2 launched free-to-air in the UK, on Sony POP and POP Max platforms in September 2017. Flair will launch the UK toy line in spring 2018 and publishing and DVD will follow in AW 2018. This starts the build up to the launch of secondary product categories the following year.