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STATE OF THE NATION: CORPORATE
Princely apparel for Zara Those Licensing People is continuing to build the consumer products programme around The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. A global launch of apparel has hit Zara stores and online, with the long-sleeve sweatshirt already proving a hit with fans. Other new signings for the French-based classic IP include The Little Prince Star Registry with personalised books based on the original Above: The Zara work; plus a partnership with Unrooted sweatshirt is proving Drinks for a new health drink made from to be a hit. the juice of the Baobab Tree. In addition, September saw the launch of The Little Prince online shop which will offer 80 skus across apparel, accessories, gifting, stationery and prints. Leah Dever, licensing manager at Those Licensing People, said: “Zara is fabulous PR for this delightful and enigmatic brand which is now being supported in the UK very strongly. The timing into the fourth quarter gift season is perfect for us and the start of an expansion into our direct to consumer activity through TLPGlobal.”
Gulliver’s ups licensing game Gulliver’s Theme Parks & Resorts opened the gates to its fourth venue as lockdown restrictions eased in early July. Gulliver’s Valley Resort is located in South Yorkshire and is the business’ largest and most ambitious resort to date. The company has increasingly ventured into licensing Above: Bing and Flop have partnerships in recent years, been resident at the Milton alongside its own mascot, Gully Keynes resort this year. the mouse. This year there are resident characters on-site for the season at three of the resorts – Bing and Flop (Milton Keynes), 44 Cats’ Lampo and Milady (Warrington) and The Clangers (Sheffield). In addition, Gulliver’s has a long-term partnership
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Inset: Proceeds will be donated directly to The Light Fund.
The Light Fund covers up FOCO has launched a three-pack of dedicated face coverings to raise money for The Light Fund. All proceeds raised from the sale of the masks will be donated directly to the industry charity. The coverings – which utilise The Light Fund colours and logo – are priced at £15 per pack. “Innovative, functional and fun, The Light Fund face masks are an essential item in the fight against COVID,” commented Trevor Jones, chairman of The Light Fund. “Like all charities, The Light Fund has struggled to raise money this year, so the masks are a great initiative to generate cash for the charity. So, please buy them today!”
with JCB activity zones, which has been extended into 2021. It also offers shorter experiences and bespoke activities year-round and in the past 12 months has hosted SEGA with Sonic, Thunderbirds Are Go, The Uglydolls movie and Ranger Rob across its sites. Heading into 2021, Gulliver’s is looking to extend some of existing partnerships, while discussions are on-going with regards to new full-season characters.
Right: Retail Monster is eyeing further growth for its portfolio.
Ambitious Retail Monster has made a firm imprint in the UK market, and is eyeing up further growth for its portfolio of gaming, digital entertainment and lifestyle clients. The agency – which has offices in the US and in London – aims to provide ‘one stop service management’. The European arm of the company is headed up by Gemma Witts, supported by Liesa Dornan as licensing director. In the digital space, Retail Monster has seen significant growth in engagement for its brands in 2020. For example, Oddbods saw its viewership on YouTube grow by 2 billion in June and July, with a targeted retail launch being planned for SS21. In August, Subway Surfers exceeded 3 billion downloads, making it the most downloaded mobile game in the world. Alpha Group has recently launched the Subway Surfers toy range into Wal-Mart, Tesco, Asda, TRU Canada and Amazon. In addition, the company has also successfully tapped the global fan base for Borderlands from Gearbox. Away from the gaming category, it has delivered fashion ranges for Cottonwood’s Find Me in Paris, the Shelby automotive brand and Chuggington.
LICENSING SOURCE BOOK EUROPE 2020
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