Licensing Source Book Europe: Summer 2023

© The Pinkfong Company. © 2023 Viacom

Only Connect

If there’s one thing guaranteed to make pretty much anyone in the UK smile, it’s the sun coming out. From retailers, who know that consumers will be heading out to enjoy the weather and will be more likely to spend; to licensees, who will be hopeful their products are what the consumers are spending their money on; to the team at Max Publishing, who might or might not currently be thinking of cold pints/glasses of wine in beer gardens.

Speaking to a selection of licensees across all categories, there is certainly an air of ‘green shoots and positivity’, as one described it. There are also hopes that by the time summer really arrives, some serious headway will have been made to clear the stock hangover that has been clogging up many retail supply chains. The ultimate wish for many is then a period of stability for the industry as we head towards Q3 and the all-important Q4.

Speaking of stability, the block building powerhouse that is Minecraft has firmly cemented itself as an evergreen brand, knocking on the door of its 15th anniversary in 2024. We were lucky enough to get an audience with Federico San Martin, global head of consumer products, ahead of his keynote at Licensing Expo in June and his enthusiasm for the brand is infectious. So too is that of Netflix’s senior director of consumer products

EMEA, Filippo Zuffada, who shared an amazing story which showcases just how much emotional attachment fans have with the streaming giant’s brands and underlined the whole point of not just

Netflix’s CP programme, but any CP programme. “It’s not about making a quick buck; it’s about integrating the fandom and finding ways to connect to people in a meaningful way,” he told us.

A desire to connect fans with the art of Vincent Van Gogh has also led the Van Gogh Museum – which is celebrating its 50th anniversary – to a host of innovative yet meaningful collaborations. You can read all about these in our 16-page special publication with this issue, and find out how the Museum and its local agents have helped partners to be inspired by the various themes running through Vincent’s work.

Inspiration also comes in spades from the creativeness, vision and sheer determination of Isaac Larian, MGA’s founder and ceo. You can read more on the company’s developments within the licensing space in our special focus from page 99.

The ultimate message from many in this issue is one of connection. For the team at Max, we’re looking forward to connecting with as many of you as possible at Licensing Expo, most likely with that cold drink we’ve been thinking about.

The LSB Team

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Samantha Loveday - Group Editor Ian Hyder - Chief Executive Officer

Jakki Brown - Managing Director and Editorial Director

Rob Willis - Chief Operating Officer

Mark Grayson - Creative Director

Tel: 020 7700 6740

E-mail: hello@max-publishing.co.uk

Copyright 2023. The publishers cannot accept legal liability for any errors or omissions, nor can they accept responsibility for the standing of advertisers nor any organisation mentioned in the text.

ISSN 25158643.

Samantha Loveday, Jakki Brown, Ian Hyder, Rob Willis, Tessa Clayton and Mark Grayson.

Inset: (from left to right) Ian Hyder, Rob Willis, Jakki Brown and Samantha Loveday.

What’s Inside?

of the Nation: Corporate

16-17 The Big Interview: Federico San Martin, global head of consumer products, Minecraft

20-23

Feedback: Trading expectations for the summer season

30-31 The Big Interview: Julian Moon, head of consumer products EMEA and Asia Pacific, Warner Bros. Discovery Consumer Products talks WB100

33-35

36-37 Maarten Weck, evp and md at WildBrain CPLG, on why the licensing business needs to tear up the old rulebook 40-41

54-55 The Big

Filippo Zuffada, senior director of consumer products, EMEA, Netflix

58-59

In a winning mood…

2023 Boutique license of the year –Australian Toy Association

Las Vegas Licensing Expo 2023 – Excellence Award 2023 finalist

iconic by design

Business

minded

From new industry-wide wellness initiatives and global successes, through to new agency wins and innovative brand collaborations, LSB rounds up some of the latest news from across the business.

IMG gets on board with TfL

Transport for London has confirmed a multi-year deal with IMG to expand its brand engagement and licensing programme both within the UK and across the world.

The new multi-year agreement will see IMG manage and build on TfL’s existing licensing programme, which has seen major collaborations with brands in recent years such as Arsenal, Kurt Geiger and Uniqlo

The new partnership follows on from TfL’s successful seven years working with TSBA Group.

Peter Rabbit: global fashion star

Penguin Ventures has been enjoying major success on the global fashion scene with Peter Rabbit, resulting in exponential growth for The World of Peter Rabbit brand.

Apparel collections have performed particularly strongly in the UK, with M&S being a halo partner during the 120th anniversary celebrations last year. A successful tie-up with Cath Kidston paired its distinctive handwriting with the delicate drawings of Beatrix Potter, while Blade & Rose delivered a desirable infant range.

The anniversary and the Year of the Rabbit have also proved compelling hooks for China, with collections launching to mark both occasions from companies including Shanghai Lingdong Trading, NEIWAI, Peacebird Men Fashion Co, Chickabiddy, Hangzhou Zaiyi and Ribo.

In Australia, Target has fast become the home of Peter Rabbit, while other success stories include Designworks, Peter Alexander and Cotton On Body. Meanwhile, in the US, TJ Maxx and Marshalls both launched collections from Children’s Apparel

The two companies will look to extend TfL’s internationally recognised brand across new markets, with a special focus on engaging children and supporting wellness and active travel products. These will include apparel and accessories, home, gift and stationery, publishing, food and beverage, toy and games and experiential experiences.

“We are delighted to be partnering with IMG to grow our brand licensing work,” commented Ellen Sankey, brand licensing manager at TfL. “Every penny made by TfL is reinvested back into the transport network, and working with such a recognised leader in this field will help us reach new markets and engage with new audiences, such as licensed products for children. We are so excited to see where we can take the brand.”

Network, while Mori’s high-end collaboration secured good coverage across the global fashion press.

Finally, in Japan, Melrose designed trademark feminine ranges for Pink House, while Domace launched women’s pyjamas which sold exclusively via the Distribution shopping TV channel.

“It has been a fantastic year for Peter Rabbit, and I am grateful to our team and our global licensing agents for their continued enthusiasm for the brand and their unmatched regional expertise which has delivered significant YOY growth,” said David Sprei, commercial director at Penguin Ventures.

Above: TfL and IMG will have a special focus on engaging children and supporting wellness and active travel products.

Above: Successful fashion collaborations have resulted in exponential growth for The World of Peter Rabbit.

Misirli welcomes high profile new hires

Misirli is gearing up for the next phase of its growth, welcoming two high profile new hires in newly created roles.

Christine Roberts has joined the licensee as head of licensing, bringing with her a wealth of experience from roles at Tesco and eOne. In addition, Emma Vann has joined as commercial director – with her previous roles including BCI - and will be instrumental in bringing Misirli’s strategic plans to fruition.

“I am thrilled to be joining the passionate team at Misirli to head up their licensing business at such an exciting period of growth for the company,” commented Christine. “There is already an excellent robust portfolio of brands in place and I cannot wait to work with new and existing licensors to drive additional growth and deliver best in class products to our retailers.”

Emma continued: “I am thrilled to be working with such an amazing team. I thank Gary and Kim for the opportunity to be joining the business at this time with many exciting challenges ahead.”

European retailers head en masse to Licensing Expo

Over 1,000 retailers are among those registered to attend Licensing Expo, when it returns to the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas from 13-15 June.

They include buyers from European retailers Primark, H&M, Frasers Group, Asda George, Lidl, The Entertainer, El Corte Ingles and Toys R Us, as well as first time attendees B&M and Lush.

Licensing Expo has also attracted several new retailers from North America and Latam including TJX, Urban Outfitters, Abercrombie & Fitch and Tilly’s, while Hot Topic, Walmart, Target, Five Below, Aldo, Game Stop, Coppel, Liverpool and Pottery Barn are among the returners from 2022.

“We’ve worked really hard to drive high quality local and international attendees to Licensing Expo through multi-channel marketing and one to one outreach,” said Laura Freedman-Dagg, head of retail at Informa Markets. “I’m particularly excited to see the likes of Shein and Mr Price (which is massive in South Africa) have registered to attend – in fact, I’m delighted with all the registrations so far.”

License to Move wellness initiative launches

The licensing industry –led by Informa Markets’ Global Licensing Group, with support from trade association Licensing International and key licensing media outlets – is uniting for License to Move, a new, inclusive wellness initiative to get the global industry moving and raise valuable funds for The Light Fund

Anyone and everyone connected to the licensing industry is asked to move 5km and make a donation to the events’ charity partner The Light Fund. How they move is entirely up to them.

The License to Move platform is now live (www.licensetomove.com) and the goal is for the industry to achieve a collaborative distance of 8,412 km, which maps the journey from Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas to ExCeL in London.

“I know this is industry loves to collaborate and when it does it’s much greater than the sum of its parts, so I can’t wait to see the whole business getting behind this together with the Licensing Expo and BLE teams, our trade association Licensing International and our amazing media partners and friends; all working together to help give back to great causes,” said Anna Knight, svp licensing at Informa Markets

The Licensing Awards 2023 entry deadline nears

The deadline for entries into The Licensing Awards 2023 has been extended – now giving you until Thursday 22 June for submissions.

The decision to extend the entry deadline was made after Max Publishing – owner and organiser of The Licensing Awards – was contacted by numerous companies asking for more time due to busy schedules caused by the new date of this year’s Licensing Expo (1315 June), as well as the three bank holidays in May.

This means that, for this year only, the deadline has been moved from the original end of May slot to 22 June.

All of the award categories – including those for licensed products, licensed properties, retail, marketing, honorary achievement, plus the awards for sustainability, international retail and licensed live events – can now be entered, for free, via the website (www.thelicensingawards.co.uk/enter/).

The Licensing Awards 2023 cover licensed product launches, licensing activity and licensed retailing execution taking place between 1 June 2022 and 31 May 2023.

Entry and judging of all the product categories will once again be done online.

The awards event itself will return to The Great Room at The Grosvenor House Hotel, London on Tuesday 12 September 2023

Above & below: Emma Vann and Christine Roberts have taken on two new roles at Misirli.

Above: Laura Freedman-Dagg, head of retail, Informa Markets.

Walker marks Guess milestone

Walker Books and Candlewick Press are celebrating 30 years of Guess How Much I Love You with a bumper global marketing campaign.

Since its publication, the book has sold over 55m copies in 57 languages across all formats worldwide. Marking the milestone, a year-long marketing campaign will launch in autumn 2024 which will include a gold foil anniversary logo, consumer and trade advertising, a social media influencer campaign, deluxe event assets and signage provided to key retail partners, bespoke partnerships and new anniversary year publishing.

Two new editions launching this autumn will set the stage for the celebration - Guess How Much I Love You: Deluxe Book and Toy Gift Set, plus a board book edition of Will You Be My Friend?

The licensing programme also continues to grow with partners including Aquarelle Publishing, Stickerscape, Rainbow, Carousel, Jainco and Dennicci launching new products. An exclusive line of ceramics and giftware has also launched with German bookseller Thalia, alongside a host of other new deals across Germany and in the US.

In addition, a permanent GHMILY attraction has also launched in Lisburn in Northern Ireland.

SEGA and LEGO click on Sonic

LEGO Group and SEGA are bringing characters and environments from the Sonic universe to brick form.

The new Sonic the Hedgehog range will launch from August and will include four sets in different sizes and complexity. They will further build on the successful 2021 collaboration between the two companies, the LEGO Ideas Sonic the Hedgehog Green Hill Zone set.

Ivo Gerscovich, chief business and brand officer at SEGA of America, said: “Through our creative collaboration with the LEGO Group, Sonic fans of all generations can use their imaginations to play out their favourite Sonic moments, and we can’t wait to see their awesome creations.”

Tinderbox and GMS hit the right note

Anya Hindmarch meets Mr Potato Head

In a first for Mr Potato Head, the loveable character is teaming up with luxury global brand, Anya Hindmarch for a limited edition collaboration.

A new eight-piece capsule collection of small leather goods featuring Mr Potato Head will launch imminently, with the stand out piece being a cross body replica bag in multi raffia. Other items will include a key fob, ear pods pouch, a phone pouch with strap, a zip card case, envelope purse sticker, card case and mini trifold Mr Potato Head.

“We’re excited to have our iconic Mr Potato Head meet luxury fashion through this fun collaboration,” said Marianne James, VP EMEA and Asia Licensed Consumer Products, Hasbro. “It’s exciting opportunities like this that show our Blueprint 2.0 in action in offering playful, new ways for consumers to experience our beloved brands.”

Global Merchandising Services has secured a partnership with Tinderbox, the digital division of Beanstalk, to drive the growth of its entertainment and music icons into video game brand partnerships globally.

With a client roster including Iron Maiden, Ozzy Osbourne, Backstreet Boys, Mötley Crüe and more, the new alliance will see Tinderbox assist Global Merchandising Services in bringing icons into the virtual realm through partnering them with leading gaming studios to launch into console and mobile games. Tinderbox will focus on the growing market of in-game licensing and brand partnerships.

“As the trend in licensing further accelerates to in-game brand partnerships, we are thrilled to be working with Global Merchandising Services to bring their iconic entertainment and music clients to a whole new gaming fanbase,” said Dave Tovey, head of Tinderbox Jens Drinkwater, Global’s head of licensing, added: “We feel that Beanstalk’s focus and relationships with some of the biggest gaming names will lead to exciting opportunities for all.”

Above: German bookseller Thalia has an exclusive line of ceramics and giftware.

Above: Four sets in different sizes and complexity will launch from August.

Below: A cross body replica bag in multi raffia is a stand out piece in the new collaboration.

The Traitors ready for licensing

Licensing agency, Metrostar, has secured the rights to represent the hit BBC One and BBC iPlayer show The Traitors in the UK and Eire.

The agency is partnering with the series’ global distributor, All3Media International, to create a consumer products programme covering giftware, dress up and apparel rights for the hit show.

The news follows on from The Traitors winning Entertainment Performance for its host, Claudia Winkleman, and Reality and Constructed Factual at the BAFTAs

“I lost a week’s worth of evenings to The Traitors when I binge-watched the entire series in the run up to Christmas,” commented Claire Potter, founder and ceo at Metrostar. “This is the best television I have seen in a very long time and with its riveting game play, popular slogans and young demographic, it is a natural fit for licensing.”

Jane Sharp, vp commercial licensing at All3Media, continued: “With brilliant ratings, critical acclaim and consistent trending on social media, there is huge appetite for The Traitors products, so we are delighted to have Metrostar on board as the series’ licensing partner for giftware, dress-up and apparel rights.”

Rocket to licence The 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop

Rocket Licensing has been appointed to manage the licensing in the UK and other countries in Europe for The 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop – an innovative campaign that honours the legends and communities that birthed the movement in 1973.

Determined to build a permanent bridge back to the communities that created the hip hop culture and to honour, support and uplift those communities, The 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop campaign is organising a number of concerts, events and collaborations, as well as investing in content creation and licensing.

Rocket will be managing the UK and parts of the Europe market, supported by master agent The Brand Liaison, in the US.

Bioworld International is the first UK licensee signed to the programme and will be producing a range of daywear, loungewear, nightwear and accessories for adults and older children. It will reach retail in the UK and Europe in late summer this year.

“We are delighted to be part of this collaboration and to contribute in any way we can in raising awareness of this extremely important historic anniversary,” commented Rob Wijeratna, joint md at Rocket Licensing.

Rocky Horror Show moves at warp speed

As it celebrates 50 years on stage, the licensing programme for the Rocky Horror Show is also gathering pace.

In the US, sub-agency The Sharpe Company is working to finalise A/W ‘23 launch ranges including board/card games and puzzles, apparel and fashion accessories; Halloween costumes and dress up; magnets; and buttons and key chains with licensees Fun.Com, H3 Sportgear, Ataboy, Ripple Junction, Rock Roll Repeat and University Games. Meanwhile, building the Rocky Horror brand into UK retail is Golden Goose’s newest brand director, licensing expert Robyn Cowling

To drive the programme creatively, a licensing style guide, developed by Dynamo under the guidance of Golden Goose’s product director Rebeckah Dalton, will give licensees a wide range of graphic and packaging assets that fans have never seen before, making the potential for engagement and collectability even greater.

Mattel and Hasbro team on new co-branded toys and games

Hasbro and Mattel are joining forces –having entered into multi-year licensing agreements to create co-branded toys and games from some of their most popular brands.

Hasbro will create Barbie-branded Monopoly games launching for autumn 2023. In addition, Mattel will produce Transformers-branded UNO games, slated for release later this year, and Transformers-branded Hot Wheels vehicles, set to debut in early 2024.

The collaboration launches against the backdrop of two major theatrical releases, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts and Barbie.

“We are excited to pair some of the most popular brands together for the first time,” said Nick Karamanos, svp of entertainment partnerships at Mattel. “This collaboration features world class IP, celebrates the timeless appeal of these brands, and creates unique play opportunities for fans.”

Casey Collins, president, global licensed consumer products and business development at Hasbro, added: “Working with iconic brands in pop culture truly showcases our strategy in action, as we continue to expand our product experiences for audiences everywhere.”

Above: Metrostar has giftware, dress-up and apparel rights for The Traitors.

Building

success blocks of

Powerhouse gaming brand Minecraft turns 15 next year. Federico San Martin, Minecraft’s global head of consumer products, sits down with LSB to talk about the brand’s anniversary plans, the rapid growth of its consumer products progamme and its recent high-profile partnership with Crocs – the subject of Federico’s upcoming fireside

Iabout breaking and placing blocks – which has evolved into a platform and canvas for creative expression – has sold 238 million copies globally across all platforms since its debut in 2009, and hosts 140 million active players monthly, of all ages and genders.

With such a wide and diverse audience, growing a successful consumer products programme comes with its own set of challenges – but they’re ones that Federico San Martin took on happily when he joined Mojang Studios two and a half years ago.

“I had three things in mind when I joined,” Federico says. “One was category expansion, the other two were international growth and process implementation – and to this day, we continue to go after those.” Pursuing those goals has seen the consumer products programme double under Federico’s leadership; it currently boasts over 150 licensing partners worldwide across multiple categories. Global partners include LEGO, Mattel, Random House and Hasbro, while big name retailers carrying Minecraft products range from Amazon to Primark, Smyths, Tesco and Asda.

Bros., DreamWorks, 20th Century Fox/Disney and other top tier companies have enabled him to see the bigger picture, he believes. “My first job was at Mattel, and I got to see how the licensing team interacted with all the big studios. Later I was at Equity Marketing, involved in product development and international sales, and we were a licensee of quite a few studios – so I got to see the other side of the equation, as it were.” His role at Minecraft sees all those skills combined. “I love my job, because there is so much opportunity. This is the first time that I’ve managed one brand, and I can put all my energies towards it.”

Federico is due to give a keynote at Licensing Expo in June alongside Crocs’ vp of brand partnerships Matias Infante, which will focus on the two brands’ recent footwear collaboration. “We saw the Crocs partnership as a great opportunity for us,” Federico says. “We’re a video game, and fashion allows us to bring the digital world into the physical space. Crocs and Minecraft are both powerful brands and they have a lot of similarities – our game is all about

chat at Licensing Expo.

Federico San Martin, global head of onsumer products, Minecraft.

Inset: Minecraft has sold 238 million copies globally across all platforms since its debut in 2009, and hosts 140 million active players monthly.

creativity, and Crocs is known for that too, with its customisation options and wide range of colours. And the collaboration was another way to surprise and please our fan community – it’s something they probably weren’t expecting!”

While generating revenue through the CP programme is obviously important, serving fans is paramount, says Federico. “Our vision is simple: to delight our global community with products that extend and engage beyond the game, that create lasting impressions and emotional bonds across generations. We’re no different from any other brand in that we get feedback from retailers and from our partners. But we also get feedback from our very active social media community, which is great not only in terms of consumer products, but as a game, so we can incorporate new ideas into further executions.”

Relationships with partners are also a priority for Federico and his team. “I always say, ‘Content is king, and retail is king’. How best can we support our licensees and retailers? One way is providing them with key moments for them to rally around, like our 15th anniversary, which is coming up next year. Another thing is that Minecraft is at the stage where it’s expanding – for instance, there are a tremendous amount of growth opportunities for us in certain territories in Europe and LATAM –and that makes conversations with licensees and retailers that much easier. We work with our agents in key regions to support licensees in any way we can; we want to be approachable, and have open and honest relationships,

and ask them, ‘What else can we do?’”

Coming back to that all-important anniversary… What can we expect to see? Details are tightly under wraps, but it’s something the whole team is prepping for and excited about, says Federico.

“It’s a milestone for sure, and we want to make sure we celebrate this with our community and thank those partners who’ve been with us all this time for helping us to grow an evergreen global franchise.” Retail executions and brand collaborations will be part of the picture, of course – and look out for collectables. “That’s a sector we’re just starting to tap into, and we want to make sure we have some of that in the CP programme,” says Federico. “Of course, it’s not just about consumer products, there’ll be a lot of initiatives planned from the studio point of view.”

Federico is proud of everything that he and his team have achieved over the past two and a half years, and his enthusiasm for Minecraft is stronger than ever.

“It is a beautiful brand,” he concludes. “There are lots of video games that focus on very different genres, but Minecraft is about diversity and inclusion, and bringing people together to build a better world through the power of play.”

Inset: Crocs and Minecraft have a lot of similarities as brands, says Federico.

Below: Minecraft currently boasts over 150 licensing partners worldwide across multiple categories.

As we start the long awaited switch into summer, LSB asks a selection of licensees what their trading expectations are for the season, how sell-through is going in their sector, if stock levels are beginning to open up and what situation they would like to be in entering Q3.

Summer loving?

Norman Thompson, md, Imagine8

“Imagine8’s trading throughout the year will be steady. We are working closely with our partners to serve their needs and are open with each other about potential challenges ahead. Sell-through is considered a measured approach to close exposure for all concerned. Stock levels have been returning to a new routine through planning, learning from the recent past and clear communication, and keeping everybody informed to help make decisions throughout the planning cycle. How we would like the situation to be entering Q3 is simple, straightforward and profitable for all, achieved through clear lines of communication in the

Trevor Cash, director, Mad Beauty

“Despite being an all year round business we always have product that appeals to different seasons and is geared towards seasonal trends. For SS23 our new Rainbow gift collection is a perfect nod to the summer festival season, designed to bring joy and colour to both celebratory glow ups and postparty wind downs.

We are always optimistic about summer and tend to see a strong lift in sales from garden centre and popular tourist destination accounts.

[Sell-through is] very positive - aided by our diverse customer base of pharmacies, garden centres, online retailers and pop culture stores. Export also plays a large part in providing a fairly consistent sell-through all year round due to seasonal variations and holidays in different territories.

We are expecting a very positive summer with good sell through and kickstarting conversations with retailers to get them excited about our new launches for AW23.”

Valentin Ortiz, ceo, Stor

“We would be happy if reaching the same traction as 2022 [for summer]. That was fantastic but up to now we feel less than last year.

We are having a slower sell-through than 2022 but, as mentioned, it was exceptional by then. We cannot take 2022 as a normal season - indeed an unexpected licensed good year. Due to this and based on the expectations of buyers, the stock levels are being harmonized gradually during Q2 and this is looking to be also on Q3 and Q4.”

Inset: Licensees are feeling positive that the sun will shine on them as the summer months arrive. Below: Trevor says that Mad Beauty is expecting a “very positive” summer.

Above: Norman Thompson, Imagine8.

Rob Broadhurst, commercial director, Aykroyd & Sons

“My indefatigable optimism always tells me that good times are just around the corner, but I do feel that maybe consumer confidence is not quite as dented as we have been led to believe. It varies hugely depending on the category and age/demographic you operate in, but there does still seem to be money around to be spent – and I think this second half of the year might finally see some serious headway being made to clear the stock hangover that is clogging up many retail supply chains. It won’t make much difference for AW23 to those supplying MTO on longer lead times, but provides genuine light at the end of the (chuffing great big) tunnel for the SS24 order book. Of course, this might just be my chirpy sanguinity talking…” Right: Rob Broadhurst, Aykroyd & Sons.

Aylish Ellwood, product manager and licensing development, Enesco

“The first quarter has been tough for Enesco with a large number of retailers sitting on stock that they purchased in Q4 2022, with a real focus on managing cash flows through the period. We see summer as a time when the retailers should have sold through their overstocks and are looking to make sure they capitalise on the feel-good factor that summer brings.

Enesco is in a unique position for the summer with our new distribution agreement on Newell brands home fragrance ranges – Yankee candle, Woodwick and Chesapeake bay. We have also launched a new range of Scion homewares and pet items which take us into new categories and new channels of distribution. We see summer as a turning point and when sales will pick up significantly versus last year. Sell-through has been slow in Q1 2023, however we are continually trying to create interest in the market through the use of social media and marketing initiatives.”

Allie Wilson, divisional sales director, Dennicci & Blues Nightwear

“Green shoots and positivity us here at Blues Group. Stock for our retailers has in the most been cleared effectively customers are responding well to new season products landing in-store - although the weather is playing a factor in how quickly the current stock is turning. However, early indications are showing positive signs for the season ahead.”

Anthony Duckworth, md, Dreamtex

“Summer is always a busy period for home textiles, especially in the towel sector as families make shopping lists for their holidays. We are launching Bluey hooded poncho towels, plus we are adding an older range of hooded towel ponchos, for example with sport licences. Sell-through for summer continues to be strong as our order book grows for the autumn. New retailers have come on board to select our new ranges including Gabby’s Dollhouse, Xbox and Bluey, as well as new Disney and Marvel designs. We have seen an increase in selections for Q3 as confidence in our product category returns. Retailers are beginning to order more stock as the economy continues to open up.

This has added to the optimism and excitement for what Q3 will bring as we push forward with brand new seasonal designs including for the first time in our sector, specific Halloween designs. Our Christmas themed collection featuring The Grinch and The Elf on the Shelf will also see new exclusive retailer designs launched as Christmas sales look to start earlier than ever before.

The market has opened up to new opportunities and continues to ensure we are in a strong position to maximise all of them.”

Above: Anthony Duckworth, Dreamtex.

Lisa Shand, md, Blueprint Collections

“Our summer trading expectations are looking positive - our collections are in broader distribution for back to school than they have been for a couple of years. Sell-through is buoyant we are seeing plenty of repeat orders being placed. Open to buy seems to be increasing for quarter two which has led to quite a few last minute back to school opportunities. We are hoping for good sell-through over back to school, so the autumn/winter collections get off to a good start.”

Above: Aylish Ellwood, Enesco.

Right: Allie Wilson, Blues Group.

Below: Lisa Shand, Blueprint Collections.

Dan Appleby, sales director, Character World Brands

“We are feeling optimistic and looking forward to a healthy summer. We’ve seen success on seasonal product favourites such as towelling, and our new product and brand launches are off to a flying start. We are expecting continued success from our entertainment and gaming portfolio, as well as key magic moments from theatrical releases such as the recent Super Mario Bros. Movie and the upcoming slate of The Flash, Barbie, Transformers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

We are now seeing stock levels return to a more normal level. There’s been a positive shift and things have changed as they will continue to do, but we are optimistic about the future.

We would hope for a Q3 that brings a stability to the industry, helped by (fingers crossed) a healthier economy. The reality is that it is going to take time for the UK to readjust and maybe longer for other territories, but we have every confidence this is a case of when, and not if.”

Ashley Holman, md, ToyTopic

“We have a number of specific summer orientated ranges launching imminently at retail including the Hasbro Splash Games range outdoor and water based toys, so we are hoping for some good weather and favourable retail sales for sure.

Stock is still an issue all around for both licensees and retailers with some heavily discounted offers out there, so we’d ideally see these trade through in time for the all important Christmas season, but only time will tell.”

Mark Lindsay, commercial director, Cotton Division

“We’re expecting a good summer trading this year especially with the Rugby World Cup in France.

Buyers are more cautious then ever with stock levels. We saw an uplift in quick turnaround t-shirts/shorts last summer which we have the ability to react to quickly for our customers.

We are seeing more of our customers trailing more licences with smaller quantities something sells through well we are seeing bigger unit buys. It’s definitely a matter of confidence in the licences/designs at the moment.”

Dan Grant, licensing director, Danilo

“We are feeling positive about the summer trading period, having seen some good results since the start of the year on our core greeting cards and wrap ranges. These are still challenging times with the costof-living crisis continuing, but it does feel like consumers are continuing to spend money on the things that matter to them, such as birthdays and celebrations.

I feel like if we can get good momentum through the summer, it will stand us in good stead as we enter Q3, when our calendar business kicks off at retail.”

Simon Foulkes, md, Rainbow Productions

“The sewing machines and 3D printers in our mascot making studios are running at full pelt and the demand to produce costume character mascots has never been so high. Prices for raw materials in all sectors have spiralled in recent times and we are having to stockpile as a buffer against these rising costs and the diminishing supply.

While the fluff and fur mountains are lovely to look at, we long for Q3 to lead us back to a ‘Just In Time’ inventory system so we can reclaim more workshop space.”

Tony Lewis, director of sales and marketing, Disguise

“We have had some fantastic sales on the back of major movie releases in Q2, with record breaking Super Mario, an immediate uptake in demand and sellthrough, and significantly increased listings with new and existing retailers across the whole of EMEA.

We also have a new range of costumes for Disney’s new live action The Little Mermaid from toddler through to adult.

We are now focused on investing in stock and our operational facilities for the Q3 peak sales period. We will also be partnering with Disney for a D100 Princess activation for Q3 featuring our Princess and Multi Princess anniversary range, while Halloween licensed character dress-up will continue to be a growing trend for the event.”

Above: Licensing is an “incredibly resilient” sector, says Dan.

Right: Ashley Holman, ToyTopic.

Right: Tony Lewis, Disguise.

Above: Mark Lindsay, Cotton Division.

Above: Dan Grant, Danilo.

Below: Simon Foulkes, Rainbow Productions.

I love you right up to the moon . . . AND BACK

From acquisitions and the return of a major presence on Oxford Street, through to Click + Collect expansion and high profile

collaborations, LSB rounds up just some of the latest news from the high street and online.

Word on

the street

Asda proves the power of pre-loved has once again proven the power of preloved, this time at its George HQ where it held a second-hand clothing sale to raise money for victims of the Turkey earthquake.

The clothing sale was launched during April’s Earth Week and featured items donated exclusively by members of the Asda and George at Asda team. Staff came together to raise funds in support of the families and colleagues impacted by the earthquake that struck the area in February this year.

Asda has a sourcing office of around 60 colleagues situated near the impacted area in Turkey, bringing the cause particularly close to the team’s heart.

“Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do and that includes looking after the welfare of others: our colleagues, our supply chain and all our stakeholders,” said Jade Snart, sustainability manager at George and gm at George at Asda.

“Bringing a pre-loved clothing sale into our headquarters has enabled us to not only keep clothing in circulation for longer but also raise

vital funds for victims of the earthquake in Turkey, a cause that is very close to our hearts here at Asda as we stand in solidarity with our colleagues at our Turkish sourcing office.”

HMV to reopen flagship Oxford Street store

HMV is returning to Oxford Street later this year following a four-year absence.

The return to the flagship at 363 Oxford Street – which closed in 2019 after the chain went into administration before being taken over by Sunrise Records – is due to a “dramatic turnaround”, with HMV returning to profit in 2022.

The store will boast new branding – HMV Shop –and a fresh layout. There are plans to roll out the new format to 24 sites and 14 existing stores by the end of 2023, with Sunrise Records’ owner Doug Putman saying that the new concept stores were “really working”.

The Oxford Street store opened in 1921, becoming a famous presence on London’s busiest shopping street and hosting high profile music acts.

Recent years have seen HMV broaden its focus to include a wide range of merchandise.

Primark’s Click + Collect heading to London

Primark is expanding its Click + Collect trial, rolling it out across London stores this summer as it builds on the success of the 25-store trial launched late last year.

From this summer, customers in the capital will be able to shop online from Primark’s range of kids’ products across clothing and nursery, and then collect from one of 32 stores in the region. This means the service will soon be available in around a third of Primark’s UK stores.

The expansion builds on the successful launch of its Click + Collect trial in 25 stores across the North West of England, North Wales and parts of Yorkshire in November last year.

Products proving popular with customers so far include larger nursery items, as well as exclusive online-only options and multipacks.

Above: The clothing sale was launched during April’s Earth Week. Below: The HMV Oxford Street store opened in 1921.

Character.com eyes summer boost with PAW Patrol

Character.com has partnered with Paramount Consumer Products & Experiences on a new collection of swimwear, clothing and accessories featuring PAW Patrol

The PAW Patrol Aqua Pups collection includes swimsuits, a 2 in 1 towel bag, toweling fabric t-shirt and shorts sets and a cap featuring favourite pups such as Chase, Marshall, Skye, Rubble and Coral, who makes her debut in the Aqua Pups season.

For the launch, Character.com has also joined The Swimming Teachers’ Association – a national governing body for swimming and an educational charity – to create new stop motion content featuring STA approved commentary on the importance of swimming and swim safety. This also aligns with STA’s own PAW Patrol swim awards programme, which has been launched in partnership with Paramount.

There is also new lifestyle photography, while there will be social competitions and paid support across parent-focused platforms.

Sanderson Design Group inks key deal with Habitat and Tu

Luxury interior design and furnishings group, Sanderson Design Group has secured a major licensing deal which will see Sainsbury’s Habitat homewares brand and Tu

clothing brand launch a wide range of licensed products in collaboration with Morris & Co and Scion

Habitat will launch homeware products featuring exclusive designs and colour from the Morris & Co and Scion brands. The Scion products under the collaboration will launch in spring next year and the Morris & Co. products the following autumn. Tu, meanwhile, will collaborate with the Scion brand to develop womenswear and children’s clothing ranges for launch in the spring of next year.

Paula Nickolds, general merchandise commercial director at Sainsbury’s, commented: “Habitat and Tu are both design-led brands, so our collaboration with Sanderson to bring customers products featuring iconic prints and colourways from Morris & Co. and Scion feels a natural fit.”

Next acquires Cath Kidston for £8.5 million

Next has added Cath Kidston to its portfolio, paying £8.5 million for the brand name, domain names and intellectual property.

The move sees the lifestyle brand join fellow recent acquisitions Made and Joules in the Next line-up.

Sky News reported that the administrators at PwC said the purchase would allow the company to "flower" under Next's ownership after Hilco started a sale process involving a number of bidders.

Next confirmed that the cathkidston.com domain would be licensed back to the administrators for a period of up to 12 weeks to effect stock clearance before a relaunch.

Mamas & Papas unveils new Laura Ashley line

Nursery retailer Mamas & Papas and home and lifestyle brand, Laura Ashley have introduced a new collection of travel solutions, interiors and baby apparel as part of their eagerly awaited collaboration. The 49-piece range has launched across the brands’ international stores and online.

Taking inspiration from Mamas & Papas’ innovative product design and Laura Ashley’s timeless prints, the carefully curated collection includes baby and toddler apparel, nursery interiors including bedding, plus a selection of classic toys including a Rocking Horse and Ragdolls.

The range also includes two of Mamas & Papas’ bestselling travel pushchairs – Airo and Ocarro. The versatile pushchairs have been re-imagined with vintage Laura Ashley prints while retaining Mamas & Papas’ much-loved modern design aesthetic.

The collaboration between Mamas & Papas and Laura Ashley was originally revealed in July 2022.

Right: The 49-piece range has launched across Mamas & Papas’ international stores and online.

Above: The launch of the new line also saw Character.com team with the STA.

Below: The Morris & Co brand will feature on homewares with Habitat.

Above: Next has acquired the Cath Kidston brand name, domain names and IP.

COMING SOON*

The WB100 celebration has ignited the imagination of partners across the globe, with a licensing programme described as being ‘as diverse as the Warner Bros. archive itself’. Notably, EMEA has the largest WB100 campaign across Warner Bros. Discovery’s global consumer products business. LSB finds out more.

Celebrating every story

Ireaching a century. And Warner Bros. Discovery is certainly going all out, as LSB finds out from Julian Moon, head of consumer products EMEA and Asia Pacific at Warner Bros. Discovery Consumer Products.

“We’re incredibly excited about WB100 and clearly so are our partners - EMEA has the largest WB100 campaign across WBD’s global consumer products business,” he begins. “The milestone is an excellent excuse to celebrate the great heritage of our core franchises including DC, Wizarding World and Classic Animation, but we’re also using this landmark to reimagine our brands in ways that have never been seen before.

“Central to this is our Looney Tunes mash up programme which sees the Looney Tunes dressed as iconic Warner Bros. characters. The premise is that the Looney Tunes are celebrating 100 years of Warner Bros. storytelling by dressing in costumes of their favourite characters. We’re not attempting to build a new IP; this is a limited edition creative execution to mark 100 years of the studio and it has captured the attention of key partners across the region.”

Given the sheer depth and breadth of the portfolio, WB100 has provided a huge source of inspiration for partners.

than 200 licensees now signed to the programme.

Julian continues: “From a Happy Meal promotion at McDonald’s through to inspiring collections from high-end fashion partners like DKNY and Marc Jacobs, WB100 is fully present across all product categories. Zara has reported excellent early sell-through of its boys’ mash up collections, and New Era has launched a Europe wide campaign for its mash up collection with Footlocker including windows, social media and influencer outreach.

“Candlelight: 100 Years of Warner Bros., from Warner Bros. Discovery Themed Entertainment (WBDGTE) and Fever, will bring to life scores from some of the studio’s most celebrated films and television series with commemorative candlelight

Honouring the past and

he centennial year provides us with an incredible opportunity to honour the past and build the future of Warner Bros. and bring our characters and stories to life in new and engaging ways,” says Julian. “In a world where content is consumed so quickly and brands are sometimes here then gone, it’s a great gift to have time to reflect upon what makes Warner Bros. brands iconic and timeless. “Franchises like Batman and Wizarding World have been nurtured over many decades and we feel very privileged to have so many like them in our stable.”

Left: Julian Moon, head of consumer products EMEA and Asia Pacific at Warner Bros. Discovery Consumer Products.

Inset: There are more than 200 licensees now signed up to the WB100 programme.

Global highlights

WB100 is a truly global celebration, with initiatives, live events, new product launches and retail collaborations taking place around the world.

Just some of the activity includes Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi taking a trip down memory lane to the greatest moments in Warner Bros. history; DC-inspired Park Row in Soho, London launching a ‘Master Wayne’ table with butler service and a ‘Taste of Gotham City’ menu; and Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood debuting a new 100 Years of Warner Bros. exhibit.

Meanwhile, product will be varied and plentiful – from Dr. Martens and New Era, to Italian luxury lifestyle brand, Montegrappa; long time partner brands in Brazil such as Cacau Show, DAC, Kalunga and Zona Criativa; plus Suburbia, Walmart, Epicland and C&A among others in Mexico.

Across Asia, retailers and suppliers in the home and apparel space have partnered with WBDGCP including Popmart’s blind box figures and Tom & Jerry mash up toys from Soap Studio. Skechers will also launch an apparel range in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.

In Japan, a special BE@RBRICK collection of Tom & Jerry figures dressed in Hogwarts house-robes from the Wizarding World will launch in August; in South Korea, ice cream brand Baskin-Robbins is offering Looney Tunes and WB100 branded products in its 1,570+ stores nationwide; in India, The Souled Store has eight different styles of t-shirts; New Zealand’s Mint has stepped back in time to launch a series of silver coins called ‘Art of the 100th’, showcasing Warner Bros. movies over the decades; and in Australia, partners include Headstart, Zak, EB Games Australia, Woolworths, Coles and Australia Post among others.

concerts in 100 cities worldwide, while the Royal Dutch Mint will be releasing a commemorative WB100 €5 coin. It’s a licensing programme that is as diverse as the Warner Bros. archive itself.”

Retail wise, Julian says that its ‘hand in glove’ service is already paying dividends. “It’s remarkable how much the retail landscape has changed and how we’ve responded by changing the way that we work with retailers,” he offers. “We pride ourselves on a unique hand-in-glove retail service and our role as a curator, helping retailers to navigate our archive with a laser focus on responding to trends and

developing consumer driven lifestyle brands. It’s an intelligent approach, the results of which will be seen not only in Primark but at Zara, El Corte Ingles, H&M and OVS to name but a few.”

When asked what he would most like to achieve throughout the year of celebrations, Julian is clear that the consumer is key. “Consumers are central to everything that we do and this year, more than ever, we want the fans to be part of Warner Bros. history and celebrate the fandom wherever they are, laying the foundations for another century of storytelling,” he concludes.

Inset:

Inset: McDonald’s is running a special Happy Meal promotion to mark the milestone.

Above: The Looney Tunes mash up programme sees the Looney Tunes dressed as iconic Warner Bros. characters.

Candlelight: 100 Years of Warner Bros. will bring to life scores from some of the studio’s most celebrated films and TV series, with concerts in 100 cities worldwide.

With educational hub Products of Change continuing to drive and inspire activity across the consumer products space, sustainability is no longer a buzzword, but a ‘must-do’. LSB highlights some of the latest news.

Green light

Sustainability guideline reform at Natural History Museum

Inspired by conversations hosted at the Sustainability in Licensing Conference 2022, the Natural History Museum is now working on a new set of licensing programme-specific sustainability guidelines

The work, it believes, will “steer future product development in the right direction”, while encouraging partners and others in the licensing industry to do that same.

Maxine Lister, head of licensing, said: “We took a huge amount from SiLC, much of which has since steered our own approach to sustainability within our own licensing programme.”

A returning sponsor for SiLC 23 in November this year, the Museum has noted that at an industry level rapid advances are being made when it comes to material choices for products, as well as supply chain relationships.

“We no longer feel we are asking the impossible but finding that the industry is actively looking at this [area of development], most likely due to pressures from consumers,” added Maxine.

Hinterland’s Water Rokit boldly goes plastic bottle-free

Rocketry expert and official NASA licensee, Hinterland Water Rokit has taken a ‘bold stride’ in product design to remove the plastic bottle from its educational water rocket kits

Until now, the plastic water bottle had been deemed ‘an essential component’ to the company’s 40 year old product range. However, likening its relaunch to NASA’s return-to-the-moon project Artemis, Hinterland wants to provide product for a new generation

“By removing the plastic bottle, we are firstly no longer shipping plastic around the world and secondly promoting environmental education to children around the idea of reuse and upcycling their own ‘waste’ that would otherwise be landfill,” said Dan Wilkins, director at Hinterland Water Rokit

“We felt that environmental education was more pressing to address and that there’s no better time to be courageous and do something bold. So, our Precision Water Rokit kits now drive a renewed launch mission: to raise awareness and educate kids on reuse.”

Hinterland has since caught the attention of the UK education platform and Products of Change member, Wastebuster. Through a new partnership, Wastebuster will now promote the Precision Water Rokit range to its audience of thousands of schools and school children across the UK and Europe.

Insset: The ‘robust’ set of guidelines are specific to the Natural History Museum’s licensing programme.

Left: Hinterland is looking to provide product for a new generation.

WE SIMPLIFY SUSTAINABILITY

A membership community to support and educate your transition to a sustainable and profitable future.

We work with:

• Brand Owners

• Licensed Manufacturers

• Retailers

To help you build:

• For the environment

• For society

• For the future

With education and support with:

• Governance

• Legislation

• Guidelines

Products of Change Membership

Products of Change Media

Products of Change Events

Products of Change Consultancy

Driving business towards a regenerative future

Online educational modules

Online digital hub to connect with members

Sustainable research and insights

Live webinars

Topic specific working groups

Discount to in-person workshops

Discount to our annual conference (SILC)

A safe community to learn together

RSPB picks puffin partnership with Muddy Puddles

The RSPB has partnered with the sustainable children’s fashion brand, Muddy Puddles to launch a collection of puffin-design outdoor clothing.

The five-piece range makes up part of the B Corp fashion brand’s Happy Collection, produced from 100% recycled fabrics and delivered in corn starch packaging or fully compostable polybags.

Featuring a striking new Puffin print, the RSPB licensed line-up includes the Ecolight jacket, UV rash vest and bottoms, UV swim shorts and UV surf suit.

A percentage of the profits from the sales of all RSPB items will be donated to the UK wildlife conservation charity.

“As the largest wildlife conservation charity in the country, sustainability is of the utmost importance to us. Muddy Puddles is therefore a lovely fit for us in terms of its recycled fabrics and plastic-free packaging,” said Louisa Skevington, product licensing manager at RSPB “The puffin print showcases one of the UK’s most endearing species which can be sighted at some of the RSPB’s wonderful reserves over the summer months. Puffins are such distinctive birds but sadly are now on the Red List of Conservation Concern. The RSPB is working to support this species, as well as many others.”

Dreamtex puts major sustainability plans into action

Licensed bedding specialist, Dreamtex major sustainability plans into action.

A returning Sustainability in Licensing Conference sponsor, Dreamtex has most recently removed single-use plastic from across all its in-store product in most retailers and turned to 100% recycled polyester for cushion fillings.

On top of this, the team has implemented numerous in-house policies, such as the introduction of soft plastics recycling points, mixed recycling points, and a switch to recycled paper within its own operations.

By engaging stakeholders in the conversation of sustainable development, Dreamtex has even been able to begin work mapping its Scope 3 emissions –those that typically make up 80% to 90% of a business’ greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

“Data has already been collected for Scope 1 and 2 emissions with an aim to start sharing reports soon,” said Andy Downie, commercial director at Dreamtex. “Scope 3 is vast in scale but by breaking it into downstream and upstream categories, we hope to make the collection, reporting and reducing of these emissions manageable.”

Xbox unveils new controller made from recycled old ones

POC at Mattel’s Earth Week Sustainability Summit

Products of Change was afforded a coveted guest speaker slot at a special Earth Week Sustainability Summit hosted by Mattel EMEA

Founder Helena Mansell-Stopher joined Mattel EMEA’s lead sustainability engineer, Elizabeth Eaves for a onehour discussion on the numerous topics spanning the spectrum of sustainability, including incoming legislative changes such as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).

The pair also discussed the power that a brand like Mattel has to influence real change at both a customer and an industry level. Speaking about her job role, Elizabeth admitted it was “an incredibly inspiring and exciting position to be in,” working in an area that ‘innovates new ideas, new ways of producing, and new business models to help the transition to a circular economy.’ Discussion also broached some of the biggest legislative changes heading towards the CP industry, including EPR tax which shifts the burden of cost of endof-life processing of products and packaging from customers to manufacturers and producers.

Microsoft has unveiled a new Xbox controller made from plastics recovered from CDs, water jugs, car headlight covers and other old controller parts. The controller –dubbed the Remix Special Edition – is also one-third made from reclaimed materials and regrind which is mechanically recycled leftover Xbox One controller parts.

The launch is the latest in Microsoft’s ongoing mission to use less new plastic in its production and reduce its waste. It complements a set of ambitious goals that have been set by Microsoft – and by extension, Xbox – to ‘meaningfully reduce its environmental impact’ and be carbon neutral, water positive, and zero waste by 2030.

“Sustainability at Xbox is more than a single destination,” said Phil Spencer, ceo of Microsoft Gaming. “It’s a long-term responsibility that requires commitment, innovation and accountability.”

Below: Muddy Puddles is a good fit with RSPB in terms of its recycled fabrics and plastic-free packaging.

Above: The Remix Special Edition is one-third made from reclaimed materials and regrind.

New world order

Maarten Weck, evp and md at WildBrain CPLG, on why the licensing business needs to tear up the old rulebook and how the agency is well placed to power forward in this new phase of the industry.

As we head into Licensing Expo, I find it’s a moment to reflect on the changes and opportunities in our business. It’s an understatement to say that we are at a pivotal time in the licensing industry.

Consolidation of agencies, advances in brand engagement, changes in the business landscape of our clients, the proliferation of consumer touchpoints, as well as the sheer globalisation of our industry means that we all need to re-consider our approach and embrace a new working model.

THE 360-DEGREE EVOLUTION OF LICENSING

From my perspective, the licensing business needs to tear up the old rulebook. The old school process saw an agent get an entertainment IP once a series had been made and placed, with the consumer products programme kicking in accordingly. In today’s world, the licensing partner needs to be engaged throughout the process, to be part of the holistic life of a brand. The content business has changed due to the rise and proliferation of streaming and digital platforms, especially with the prominence of YouTube and its popularity with kids, so it’s essential that licensors and licensees be in step with this new world.

WildBrain CPLG is well placed to power forward in this new phase of the industry. Our place in WildBrain’s 360° ecosystem makes us unique, providing in-house access to a full suite of brand services, spanning content production, broadcast, distribution, licensing and digital. This elevates our activity above the traditional agency model. We are in a unique position to use insights and knowledge across all touchpoints for a brand to help drive success for our partners beyond consumer products. For example, our dedicated AVOD network, WildBrain Spark, is particularly well placed to offer data insights and content creation for YouTube and other digital platforms.

Our 360° approach equips our team to develop an informed strategy. We can advise on content in ways a traditional agency can’t, making us a very pro-active and creative partner. We can also bring insights from our content teams to augment our strategy for a brand to ensure that it’s well positioned to extract maximum value.

Worldwide.

Inset: WildBrain CPLG enjoyed success with retailers including Primark over the Christmas period with The Grinch from Dr. Seuss Enterprises.

We took this step when we realigned WildBrain CPLG last year. In the creation of a new Partnerships team - headed by Meike de Vaere-Hoorn as vp partnerships - our aim was to offer a more streamlined, nimble and strategic approach to better serve our clients in the evolving business landscape. The key word here is ‘partnerships’: our business is more than just an agency. We strive to be a trusted and collaborative partner to licensors, offering long-

A GLOBAL APPROACH WITH LOCAL EXPERTISE

The licensing industry has simultaneously become more global and more regional, which presents a huge opportunity to translate local success to the global stage, and vice versa - but only if you have access to an infrastructure that can execute in this environment. At WildBrain CPLG we take the approach of being both global and local in our focus. I like using the term ‘Glocal’ to describe this, to reflect that we have reach and capabilities worldwide, but we also have deep local expertise. This is important because although successful brands generally look for a global consumer products presence, there is not a one-size-fits-all approach, locally. How you do business across China and APAC, compared to Europe or Latin America for example, requires specialised local knowledge built into the global plan. That’s why we have recently launched expanded operations across APAC, with dedicated new offices in Singapore, Taipei and Seoul, adding to our existing presence in Shanghai. Knowing what and where to focus on - and when - can make or break a campaign.

term strategies with global reach and local expertise, powered by highly experienced and innovative people and complemented by comprehensive back-of-house capabilities, including creative, design and legal services.

A FLEXIBLE STRATEGY ACROSS TERRITORIES

The old way of doing business was that each local office would manage their own commercial activities in-territory. Today, our partnerships team is in the driving seat as to where to focus on commercial activity, often starting with a global plan. We put the brand first, knowing that with an informed strategy, revenue will follow. It’s much more focused on meaningful long-term and sustainable success, not just the easy wins. The other challenge for IP owners with the old territory by territory approach was managing a unified global licensing strategy while using multiple agencies, each with their own priorities and focus. The global, sustainable, long-term play loses out, as there isn’t the incentive to collaborate on a regional or global plan that doesn’t directly benefit your own bottom line. This is another reason why we streamlined at WildBrain CPLG. Now our partnerships team steps in and ensures activity is territory-relevant within the context of a global strategy, playing to the knowledge of our local offices, but still cohesive across the larger brand strategy. Our ultimate motivation is collaboration. If we are trusted partners, operating as an extension of the licensor with shared goals, we can find innovation and success in navigating this new world together.

Above: WildBrain CPLG was appointed to handle worldwide rights for Playmobil earlier in 2023.

Below: Meike De Vaere-Hoorn, vp partnerships, WildBrain CPLG. Below centre: Maarten Weck, evp and md, WildBrain CPLG.

Inset: SEGA and Sonic Prime is part of the agency’s wider slate.

The Gruffalo and Friends Clubhouse in Blackpool

Featuring Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s story, The Snail and the Whale

Series LaunchedTwo

In demand

It’s been almost three years since we last sat down with Rick Lowe, md of Brands In. Back then, it was the summer of 2020 and, like all of us at the time, Rick and the team were busy navigating a pandemic, lockdowns and all the challenges that came with it.

Fast-forward to summer 2023 and the company is in a strong position. Its drop ship business model helped it trade nimbly through the tests of Covid, while it also spent the time building solid foundations which has set it up for future growth. A different set of challenges remain, however, and the past year hasn’t been without its bumpy periods for everyone –cost of goods increases, the aftermath of Covid, commitment from retailers due to existing stock levels and moving these through the channel.

For Brands In, the busy periods are high summer and quarter four, so the first spike of the year is on the way.

“It feels like the market has settled a bit,” Rick tells LSB. “I think if we all read the press last December, then the world was going to stop spinning in January… well, it obviously hasn’t and there are people still spending. Where people have traded down, we can make it work for us with our grocer relationships, plus a lot of what we do on Amazon is quite price sensitive. We’ve also got a good

spread of retailers so I feel quite safe in that respect.

“We are a growing business and we’re growing quite quickly, so we have gone through some challenging times, but what this kind of downturn has helped us identify is things that we didn’t really look at before. Now we’ve had a good look under the bonnet.”

It’s clear there is massive ambition at the company. Notably, Rick says that the big area of growth in the next half of the year will be in the nightwear category. “We’re going to be looking at a drop ship programme for that with two or three main retailers; we’ve added it to our licensed portfolio with Disney, Warner Bros. and Netflix and it’s an area of growth we’re really going to focus on,” he comments.

An initial trial in kidswear will begin in Q4 and the team is

into new categories, expansion in Europe and why there is always growth to be found if you’ve got the right proposition.

Top: Rick Lowe, md, Brands In. Inset: Brands In has been enjoying a good time in the music category.

Success stories

“We’ve had a very good run with Disney’s Lilo and Stitch; it’s come out of the blue, but it seems to be a new evergreen for us,” says Rick. “If we look in our top ten sellers online each week, it will be in there.

“Mickey Mouse has also proved really popular around the Disney 100 celebration and we’ve had a really strong run with Netflix and Stranger Things. We’ve also had a good time with music over the past 12 months, with the whole rock theme playing through into the market.

“We’re always looking for things that would fit into our portfolio. We’d love to do more in gaming, for example, that’s an area we’d like to go after, as well as anime. Sport is an interesting area, as is food and drink. You have to match your retail space to the opportunity and there are a lot of licences available so we’re approaching it carefully, but we are always looking for opportunities that might work.”

confident it has the right price architecture to make it work. “I think it is quite a crowded sector, but I think the benefit we’ve got is that we can offer quite a wide selection, so quite a long tail to capture interest in things that are not readily available in the market, but also trade into the winners much more easily because we have the flexibility and we can do it on demand.”

Another growth area is across Europe, as Rick explains: “We’ve been active in Europe really for the past two or three years, but there’s a big programme we’re putting together out there for a lot of the fashion marketplaces like Zalando, About You, La Redoute, Otto, etc. Setting all that up from a technology side is now complete, so we think that will be a really good addition to the business.”

Rick is keen to point out that further expansion is going to be quite considered, however: “We don’t want to go too wide and on board a lot more retailers in the next 12 months, we want to do more with the ones we’ve got. It feels like the foundation has been put in over the past 12 to 18 months, so now we can do a lot more.”

The company has recently secured a partnership with Next on licensed, while it would also like to grow its successful relationship with George at Asda. Rick believes there is also a huge opportunity in the 9-15 age group for licensing with New Look.

“I think what’s interesting for everybody, or surprising, is that post Covid when everyone thought

bricks and mortar was going to have a very difficult time, those with good businesses that also have a good online proposition and have managed to, let’s say, redefine the shape of the business and the outlets, the bricks and mortar units they’ve got to make it profitable, are in quite a good strong position,” says Rick.

Rick is confident that Brands In’s USP offers a point of difference – the company is European-centric, with manufacturing capabilities in the UK and Europe, it has technology available to list on multiple marketplaces and it can drop ship. “We’re offering a licensor the ability for retail growth; we feel there is a different proposition and that we’ve carved out a nice niche. Rick is looking forward to things as a whole settling down, however: “I think for everyone in our world, the last year has zipped by. And if you think of the previous couple of years… Covid, the war in Ukraine, all the cost increases… it just doesn’t seem to have been a time where anything feels settled. Not that retail ever is and that is why we like the retail space, because it’s always really dynamic, but it has been a very bumpy ride. I’m really looking forward to hopefully things settling down a bit and we can build the next tier onto the business… that’s what my focus is.”

Inset: Brands In is always looking for new opportunities that would work with the portfolio, says Rick.

Above and right: Lilo and Stitch has been among the strong performers for Brands In.

LSB catches up with Mark Kingston to discuss his new role as svp global consumer products at ZAG, his admiration and respect for the studio

Entrepreneurial

I have huge admiration and respect for a smaller studio pushing beyond its weight in a small space of time and with such huge potential for further development of existing IP,” says Mark Kingston when asked what appealed to him about joining ZAG. “Working within the bigger corporate studio system for many years, I was attracted to the entrepreneurial nature of ZAG. With their flagship IP, Miraculous, Jeremy Zag has created a global powerhouse franchise based on the idea that kids’ programming can not only entertain kids but also encourage them to believe in themselves.

“And Julian Jacob Zag, who helms the consumer products division, has done such an incredible job growing the company’s commercial business by building out an executive team across the globe with a strategy to handle much of the company’s licensing and promotions businesses directly.”

Mark joined as svp global consumer products in March. He explains: “As the company has grown, so has the need to add a new management layer to support Julian’s efforts in solidifying cohesive franchise strategies and consolidating our approaches to licensing, retail support, brands marketing and team structures.”

ZAG has offices in Paris, London, Montreal, Santa Monica, Miami, Mexico, Frankfurt, Tel Aviv, Frankfurt, Dubai and Shenzhen, so there is a lot to manage to ensure that it maximises the reach of its CP programmes across all categories and retail channels. There are certainly plentiful opportunities. For Miraculous, there will be a fresh injection of enthusiasm for the brand globally with the summer launch of the US$100m+ Miraculous Ladybug and Cat Noir: The Movie.

spirit

ZAG’s newest property, Ghostforce, also has strong visibility on Disney Channel across EMEA, on TF1 in France and Discovery Kids in LatAm. Looking further into the future, animated musical feature Melody, starring Katy Perry, is in production. There are also 10 additional movies in development with Cross Creek including animated musical Fairy Force; a live action movie based on Ghostforce; Ladylion, an animated musical to be developed with global wildlife ambassador Dean Schneider; and hybrid live action musical Choco.

Mark continues: “One of the reasons that ZAG’s content is so successful is that Jeremy Zag and his creative team understand what kids are looking for in their content.”

There are clear aims, too, for the rest of 2023, as Mark concludes: “To have built and communicated a clear strategy internally to the team and externally to our partners that will continue to achieve ZAG’s objectives for future growth; and we’ll have opened new offices around to the world to be closer to our partners and broadcasters. We’ll work alongside the content teams and the new ZAG Toy Division to maximise opportunities and ensure that fans will continue to have multiple options to engage with ZAG’s IP.”

Top: Mark Kingston, svp global consumer products.

Centre: Julian Zag, evp global operations and head of consumer products.

The Insights Family takes a look at the role of cinema in creating compelling IP.

magic Movie

On a typical day, the average 10-15 year old in the UK spends 51% of their free time doing digital activities, including watching TV shows (1 hour 16 minutes) and being online (1 hour 15 minutes). That's a total of 4 hours and 43 minutes of daily interaction with brands and IP with which kids may develop strong affinity. Besides indicating the degree to which digital interactions have become the absolute norm, this also highlights how critical it is for IP strategies to cover all relevant touchpoints.

channel presence, Kids Insights UK data shows that tweens and young teens aged 10-15 are likely to connect with characters across a variety of different platforms and mediums. Specifically, nearly a third of those surveyed said that they've interacted with their favourite characters on a streaming platform (34%), on YouTube (33%), or a video game (27%). Additionally, 1 in 5 watched linear TV (20%) or have seen a film (19%) related to their favourite character.

The rise of video content has breathed life into kids' favourite characters. As demonstrated, it is tweens' and young teens' touchpoint of choice to interact with their favourite characters and while frequency of interaction depends on ease of access, our data reveals a characteristic that the most popular characters have in common –they've all had a big screen appearance. Could the cinema have the ability to reinvigorate a character and turn it into a top hit?

More specifically, in the UK, the list of the most liked characters with tweens and young teens is predominantly made of IP, which among other areas, characters with British 10-

Simpson). The ability that film characters have to engage audiences is not only seen in the UK but across the world. For example, out of the top 10 most liked characters in the US only Bart Simpson didn't appear in a film

It could be argued that teaming up with a studio to produce a film is a natural next step for a successful character. It is, h one of the most hefty-priced ventures an IP can embark on, which has no guarantee. Filmlifestyle.com estimates that the average film production costs between US$50m and US$100m. In the past, we've seen box office releases performing poorly against all odds.

This being said, Kids Insights UK data shows that 10-15s who say they've interacted with their favourite character at the cinema over-index on buying licensed products related to their favourite films, including toys (+69%), music (+48%), magazines (+39%), video games (+32%), books (+31%) and even food (+16%). It is evident that video content is something teens attend to daily.

With video content having become so mainstream, going to the cinema has become more precious; in the sense that it is more likely to be viewed as an exciting activity compared to watching a show on a TV or a portable device.

For tweens and teens, going to the theatre is a one-off opportunity to be the first to watch a highly anticipated film that is talked about among peer groups. Interacting with a favourite character by watching them at the cinema is a memorable activity that leads to a deeper emotional connection, affinity and advocacy, so much so that, as the data suggests, watching a character on the big screen leads to an amplified desire to buy licensed merchandise by up to +69%.

In the past year, we've seen video game IP (which one may say are rather classic) making a strong re-appearance via the big screen. Characters whose video games constitute the most vivid childhood memories for Gen X and Millennials choose to introduce themselves to the Gen Z and Gen Alpha generations via films. These include (but are not limited to) Sonic the Hedgehog and Super Mario, which has set a global box office record for recording the biggest opening weekend for an animated film.

Following a turbulent two-year period during the pandemic, the global film industry has made a full recovery, with Statista estimating that in terms of revenue, 2023 will be more profitable than 2019. Kids Insights UK data notes a +26% year-on-year increase in the number of 10-15s who go to the cinema every month

The Insight Family's class-of-one analysis tools enable users to not only track the course of IP, brands and trends but also assess market share, profile audiences and identify lucrative partnerships. In its latest case study report, The Insights Family investigates the factors behind the success of PRIME Hydration Energy Drink and the potential impact of KSI's reckless behaviour. To access the case study, visit: https://go.theinsightsfamily.com/prime.

Inset: The Super Mario Bros. Movie set a global box office record for the biggest opening weekend for an animated film.

Inset: Out of the top 10 most liked characters in the US, only Bart Simpson didn’t appear in a film.

Premium Bond

Somerbond has been a key name in the licensed apparel industry for 36 years, and a takeover by Yaman Group in June 2021 has given the company even further impetus, including the ability to expand into new markets and product categories. LSB sits down with md Ozgur Dokurlar to find out more on the licensee’s plans.

Somerbond is a long-standing name in the UK licensing business –established back in 1987 as predominantly a licensed underwear and nightwear company, the last few years have seen the licensee further expand its reach, underscored by a takeover by the Yaman Group in June 2021.

The company is now part of a much larger group incorporating Yaman Tekstil, Ulupinar Tekstil and Uptextile, with the Yaman Group of companies designing and manufacturing kids, ladies, mens, daywear, underwear and accessories.

new direction of md Ozgur

Dokurlar – who has been part of the Yaman Group for over 20 years in various different roles –it has already expanded its categories to include a wide range of products such as jewellery, bags, hats, caps, socks, jackets and more. On top of this, a further part of the growth strategy is expansion into markets such as Spain, France, Finland, Germany, Turkey and the Middle East. Sourcing capabilities have also been expanded, as Ozgur explains: “In India there is a team in place who follow production from start to finish. In addition to this we have expanded sourcing into products from China, Bangladesh and Turkey. Somerbond is also fortunate enough to have manufacturing

Inset: Somerbond has recently collaborated with the Smiley brand and ASOS on a 58-piece collection.

Above Ozgur Dokurlar, md, Somerbond.

support from its sister company Ulupinar Tekstil, based in Turkey.”

Across its three manufacturing bases within Turkey, Ulupinar Tekstil has a production capacity of two million pieces per month. In addition, it is building a new factory site in Tokat which will give an additional one million pieces production capacity per month. “This new factory is being built on the principles of sustainable energy and will employ the most up to date technological equipment and machinery,” says Ozgur.

Somerbond itself has its head office in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire – where its sales, merchandise and tech teams are based - as well as a design team in the London office. As the business expands, the various teams will too, covering sales and design roles in the EMEA and MENA regions.

And there’s also expansion when it comes to the licensed portfolio. The company works with all the key licensors and has more than 50 licences in all the territories that it operates in. It continually follows trends, says Ozgur, and at the moment is seeing a real interest in K-Pop, Japanese culture, anime and manga and is focusing on expanding its portfolio to include these. It is also looking to attract Gen Z and Gen Alpha with its creative direction.

Ozgur explains: “We are working to integrate AR and VR technologies to our projects and are already planning some projects with different licences.

‘The future is bright’

The metaverse is also a wild area to discover. We are also developing some metaverse integrated projects with some retailer partners.”

There is certainly a lot going on and it’s encouraging to see a licensee embracing new opportunities and technologies.

“We have been fortunate enough to have a great and strong start to 2023, working alongside some of our major customers on exclusive licensed collaborations. Our intention is to continue to hit our targets and to grow more. The current AR and VR integrated projects we are working on are very exciting projects for us and we hope to be in a position to bring these to market by the end of 2023, which will be a great achievement in itself,” Ozgur concludes.

“Somerbond has a very bright future. We are very excited about the new milestones the company has achieved under the new management,” says Ozgur. “Somerbond was taken over during the pandemic and, since then, the company is hitting its targets within this two-year period despite difficulties which everyone is experiencing globally.

“With regards to Somerbond’s growth plans, we believe it is important to have the right licensed properties at the right time, which is why we are in constant communication with all our licensor partners. International growth into new markets plays a key goal for us, too. A lot of effort is being put into growing the European and Middle Eastern markets and these growths are key milestones for us to achieve.”

Ozgur agrees that the licensing apparel space is a competitive one, but he believes that what makes Somerbond stand out is its “ability to produce and manage the right level of product with the right licence for the right customer. Our sales commercial managers have a wealth of experience within the apparel market. Alongside this we have long-standing and established relationships with our supply base so we will always get the most competitive prices for our customers. I would say one of our biggest strengths is having the inside knowledge of production market trends through our sister manufacturing company.”

Above: Somerbond has enjoyed a strong start to 2023, says md Ozgur. Left: The company is seeing a real interest in anime brands at the moment.

Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet released on November 18, 2022. Sales exceeded 10 million units worldwide during launch weekend.

The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero, DLC for Pokémon Scarlet or Pokémon Violet, includes The Teal Mask, releasing fall 2023, and The Indigo Disk, releasing winter 2023.

A player’s time spent sleeping affects the gameplay in Pokémon Sleep, launching summer 2023 for iOS and Android devices.

A new animated series, featuring Liko and Roy’s adventures across the Pokémon world, will premiere across markets in 2023.

440 Over million units Pokémon software sold worldwide

Pokémon animation: 1,000+ 23 25 177 30 episodes movies seasons countries and regionslanguages

77 13 Pokémon TCG: countries and regionslanguages

15 Pokémon mobile apps available around the world

Winner: Licensing Awards UK • Licensing International France Awards

Bologna Licensing Awards • Licenses Actualidad Awards • Toy of the Year Awards

NPD Consumer Electronics Industry Performance Awards

For licensing opportunities, contact:

Jade Kellman

Senior Manager, Licensing

UK & Nordics

j.kellman@pokemon.com

Ifè Ajayi

Junior Licensing Manager

UK & Nordics

i.ajayi@pokemon.com

Netflix’s senior director of consumer products

EMEA Filippo Zuffada tells LSB about the streaming giant’s recent fashion collaboration with Lacoste, why fan art can spark great product ideas, and how – with Queen Charlotte having logged over 148m hours viewed during the first week of its release – the Bridgerton IP remains “hugely important” to the company’s licensing programme.

Streaming

Filippo Zuffado confesses that the day before this interview, he’d reduced a woman to tears.

“My team and I went to the Lanesborough Hotel to try their Bridgerton Afternoon tea. There was a lady there who was celebrating her birthday with her family, and someone on my team noticed and took over some of the things that we’ve developed for our retailers,” he says. “She started to cry, because she’d wanted to go to the Tea the previous year and couldn’t, and it meant a lot to her.”

That kind of emotional attachment is, for Filippo, the whole point of Netflix and its consumer products programme. “It’s not about making a quick buck,” he explains. “It’s about integrating the fandom and finding ways to connect to people in a meaningful way.”

When Filippo took up his current role in 2021, he was basically operating as a team of one; two years on, he oversees a team of more than 20 people. The results are clear to see at retail.

Fashion brand Stradivarius debuted a Bridgerton apparel line last year to coincide with the launch of the second series, while Primark’s Bridgerton sleepwear and lifestyle collection is flying off the shelves. This year also saw Netflix team with Lacoste on a fashion collection that celebrates some of Netflix’s most popular shows, with the iconic Lacoste crocodile transformed into the Demogorgon from Stranger Things, given a giant

wig à la Queen Charlotte from the Bridgerton universe, and sporting a striped anorak, a nod to Sex Education’s main character Otis.

“The idea for the Lacoste collaboration came about just after I started in this role,” says Filippo. “We were looking at the different brands that we would love to work with, and on our dream list was Lacoste, because their positioning, their heritage and their identity as a French brand that is truly global really resonated with us. The Lacoste creative and marketing teams were incredible to work with. A lot of brands are very protective, whereas we were free to interpret this collection in the way we thought best for the consumer.”

Inset: Growing the Bridgerton brand is a major focus for Netflix.

Below: Filippo Zuffada, Netflix’s senior director of consumer products EMEA.

As well as partnerships in the fashion space, Netflix is seeing “incredible” growth in the food and beverage sector. Filippo elaborates: “We have had some very successful case histories in the US, and we did a big collaboration recently in Italy with Ferrero Rocher for Stranger Things S4 Easter eggs, which generated hundreds of millions of views on TikTok. There’s a big opportunity in food and beverage to create extensions of shows at price points that offer great value, and we want to do more in that sector in the future.”

Another huge opportunity for Netflix is, in Filippo’s words, “bringing more entertainment to the retail space”.

“I think it's a very interesting time now, there’s a chance to reinvent things a little bit,” he explains. “If we can bring joy to people where they go shopping and create another opportunity for them to visit the store and find something they love, that will build brand loyalty and a stronger connection over time for both us and our retailer partners. We’ve done some interesting activations with Asda for Stranger Things S4, we have done exciting things with Carrefour in France for multiple titles, and we have our Bridgerton ranges at Stradivarius and Primark. But even with grocers, I think there's an opportunity to go much broader now, for example, with items like ceramics and the Bridgerton IP.”

From fashion and food to homewares and beyond, Netflix products have to mean something to fans, says Filippo. “Our CP programme puts fandom and storytelling at the centre in a way that I think is quite distinctive. Things like fan art allow us to understand what’s authentic, and what resonates with fans. You can’t engineer fandom and passion, so we don’t try to chase every trend. If you look at a lot of the things that we are doing, they have been initiated by the fans.

“Stranger Things Day, on 6 November, wasn’t something Netflix came up with; it happened organically.”

It’s also important to Filippo that Netflix products cater to everyone. “If you look at our overarching philosophy as a company, it’s to entertain the world. We don't want to be elitist in our consumer products or our service. Yes, you’ll see collaborations with luxury brands like Balmain [for Stranger Things], but you’ll also see more accessible ones. We’re aware that not everybody has the same purchase power or the same preferences.”

Aside from the upcoming Licensing Expo, what’s Filippo’s focus? “In terms of IP, Bridgerton is going to remain hugely important for us, not only in the UK, but more broadly,” he says. “One other thing that I'm very excited about is One Piece; it’s a great anime, a great manga. We’ll be presenting it at the Expo, so come and visit us and find out more.”

Inset: The Lacoste crocodile sports a striped anorak, a nod to Sex Education’s main character Otis, as part of the company’s collaboration with Netflix.

Inset and below: Stranger Things has been the subject of a number of major collaborations, with more to come.

Fan favourites

It’s been a strong year so far for Funko, with growth across key areas of its business. LSB catches up with Rich Smith, vp of global sales, and Stephan Brissaud, senior director of games at Funko EMEA, to find out more on their respective divisions.

For Rich Smith, vp of global sales, there is a lot to be looking forward to for the second half of 2023.

For starters, his recent promotion from senior director of softlines means that he will soon be making the move to the US, and he “can’t wait” to take his EMEA vision global.

Secondly, the softlines division is in an exceptionally good place, as Rich explains to LSB: “Our softlines division has been soaring; sales have continued in a positive upwards trajectory which, given the industry-wide shipment delay issues, is amazing. We have also grown the team from two to six given the incredible growth we’ve experienced.”

One of the biggest wins for Loungefly this year has been securing the McDonald’s licence. “This meant the release of a brand new, innovative drop of bags in collaboration with another global powerhouse – and the responses to that line have been and still are incredible,” enthuses Rich.

The apparel side of the business has also seen more retailers jump on board, with Rich saying that the company is “consistently onboarding” new partners, with a set of new retailers due to be announced very soon.

Rich continues: “Further growth for the softlines category will develop through us offering even more licences throughout the year. We will be able to service hundreds of new fandoms. I also think the phenomenal growth of our blind box pins – whether you collect Funko Pops! or Loungefly, or both, the fans are loving that category. We want to continue to keep our fans happy, existing customers happy and continue to bring in more retailers. We’re also hoping to activate some big marketing plans this year.”

Rich also leaves us with a tease… when asked about new launches for the rest of 2023, he simply says: “It’s still too early to share, but I’m happy to announce that there are very, very exciting things in the pipeline for Loungefly … we may or may not be dipping our toes into the lifestyle sphere soon…”

“Our softlines division has been soaring”

Right & below: One of the biggest wins for Loungefly this year has been securing the McDonald’s licence.

Inset: Further growth for the softlines category will come from offering even more licences throughout the year, says Rich.

“Our main focus is on storytelling”

The games division is a rapidly growing part of Funko and is focused on creating evergreen games. The Seattle office has a team of 40 employees dedicated to research and production, while in EMEA there are two full time employees working alongside three others who also support the softlines department.

Stephan Brissaud is senior director of games, Funko EMEA, and boasts significant experience in the games category. “I have lived in two countries - France and the USA - for the past 35 years, and recently added the UK as my third home,” he says. “With my experience as founder of Asmodee USA and IELLO USA, and my four-year stint as president of the Game Manufacturers Association, I have gained a unique perspective and a broad network in the gaming industry on both sides of the Atlantic.”

Stephan says that the division’s main focus is on storytelling –something which sets it apart from other game developers. “We aim to create an immersive gaming experience that always honours the property. Our team comprises highly skilled employees from the movie industry, who write a script to design a game that brings that story to life. This approach results in a highly satisfying gaming experience for our users.”

It houses a variety of licences with the majority being from Disney including popular franchises such as Marvel and Star Wars, which make up around 30% of its offering. In addition, it has exclusive licences like Five Nights at Freddy’s, as well as licences for movies and TV series such as Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window, Ted Lasso and Scream.

It also recently secured a deal with Hasbro to revive the Cranium brand, which will see it launch four new games.

The pre-release of Star Wars: Rivals at the recent Star Wars Celebration received an overwhelmingly positive response, while other new launches coming up this year include more Disney games in the shape of Disney Animated, Disney Villains Sinister Spoons, Disney/Pixar Launch N Race and Something Wild! Steamboat Willie, as well as four different Indiana Jones games and a Star Trek Escape Room game among others.

Stephan continues: “The UK's games and puzzles market is doing exceptionally well compared to other countries in EMEA. According to Circana (formerly NPD), it has grown by 10% this year and represents a 13% share of the global UK toy market.

“It is at the moment, our biggest market in EMEA as 80% of our catalogue is only available in English, but we are working on localising more titles to expand our offering and seeing successes in that department all the time.”

Stephan also has some clear goals he would like to achieve by the end of 2023. “Our primary goals include the successful launch of Star Wars: Rivals, the revitalisation of the Cranium brand and the expansion of our localised markets. We’re excited to continue to communicate the message that Funko is more than just POP!”

Above: Stephan Brissaud, senior director of games, Funko EMEA. Inset: The pre-release of Star Wars: Rivals at the recent Star Wars Celebration received an “overwhelmingly positive response”.

Inset: The company recently secured a deal with Hasbro to revive the Cranium brand. Below centre: Four new Indiana Jones games are due later this year.

LSB sits down with Anna Knight, svp licensing at Informa Markets, to talk all things Licensing Expo.

Expo

essentials

The average temperature in Las Vegas in June tends to hit 40 degrees – hot by anyone’s standards, but the team at Informa Markets has been working hard to ensure that Licensing Expo (13-15 June) also turns up the heat for exhibitors and visitors.

Some 300 exhibitors are heading to the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, with more than 70 companies exhibiting for the first time. There are companies exhibiting from over 20 countries and notably, this will be the first truly international in-person Expo since 2019 because – thanks to restrictions being dropped in Asia – the show is once more welcoming exhibitors from South Korea, Japan, China and Taiwan.

Exhibitors will certainly be well supported, as Anna Knight, svp licensing at Informa Markets, tells LSB: “We’ve upgraded the meetings and matchmaking platform and allocated even more concierge resource. Onsite, every exhibitor has a point of contact who will look after them, too. We’ve upgraded scanning technology, so it’s easier for exhibitors to scan attendee badges and upload the information into a platform where it can be easily downloaded for follow ups postshow. We also promote our exhibitors and tell their stories to our visitors as much as possible and profile as many of our new exhibitors as possible. It's important to us that we look after the smaller and newer exhibitors because we know that Expo is a big event and can be overwhelming.”

The team is also introducing two new features to help people who are new to the show. Orientation sessions will take place on the first and second day to help visitors understand how to make the most of the show, while round table sessions will give people the opportunity to meet the experts. And then, of course, there is the fashion theme. So far, two fashion keynotes have been confirmed – from shoe brand, Sam Edelman, plus Minecraft and Crocs – while a third was still to be unveiled at time of press. Anna continues: “We’ve got the fashion showroom, too, which is slightly different to what you’ve already seen at BLE. It’s an area in the Brands and Agents space with 16 beautifully designed showrooms where brands will show off their fashion ranges. Confirmed showrooms are across entertainment and brand and I think our visitors will be really surprised by the depth of ranges on display by these brands.”

On top of all this, License This returns, while there are new Ignite the Brand pitches. Away from the showfloor, the Licensing International Excellence Awards will take place at the HyperX Arena at The Luxor on Monday 12 June, while the Opening Night – complete with entertainment from Ja Rule – is on Tuesday 13 June at Daylight Beach Club.

It’s going to be a jam-packed week for many and Anna has one last piece of advice: “Finally – don't forget to have fun and enjoy yourself!”

Above: The show will welcome exhibiting companies from over 20 countries originating from Asia, Europe, North America and South America.

Inset: Minecraft and Crocs will give the keynote on the second day of the show.

Right: Anna Knight, svp licensing, Informa Markets.

70 Years of Bash Street Kids!

Ready. Set.

Vegas

Sesame moving into new categories including adult collectables.

over

70 companies exhibiting for the first time –will be taking to the floor at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas from 13-15 June. LSB highlights a selection of companies across the character, entertainment, lifestyle, sports and art categories to find out what they will be showing.

Penguin Ventures

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Penguin Ventures will be showcasing its portfolio of iconic literary brands and characters.

Last year marked the 120th anniversary of The Tale of Peter Rabbit, which was celebrated around the world. In 2023, the company has another unique opportunity with the Year of the Rabbit and has loved celebrating the cultural moment with its global partners.

The World of the Snowman remains a core part of annual festive family fun and will also star on the stand, while the company is also marking the 100-year anniversary of Cicely Mary Barker’s

Sony Pictures Consumer Products

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Sesame Workshop

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Just Play - master toy partner for North America, EMEA and LatAm - began rolling out its new Sesame Street line and includes core categories like plush, figures, play-sets, vehicles, role play/dress up, bath and learning toys.

Super7 is leading the charge for Sesame Street’s entry into adult collectables with the launch of the 16” Supersize Count von Count figure, while new multiterritory partner, DK Publishing, is launching a first encyclopedia for little learners.

Elsewhere, HipDot has two Sesame Street collections, expanding its Eyecons with four characters, as well as debuting a set of Snuffleupagus’ envy-worthy eyelashes.

Copper Pearl’s first licensed collaboration includes 75+ items – from bandana bibs to swaddles – while Sesame Workshop and Rockefeller Productions also debuted the Off-Broadway production Sesame Street the Musical featuring live puppetry, songs that fans already know and some new compositions.

Flower Fairies brand and will be looking to bring the illustrations to a wider audience.

Finally, it will also be sharing updates on preschool brand, Spot

Cobra Kai is back for a highly anticipated sixth season, with fans of the martial arts action comedy able to look forward to new CP releases throughout 2023.

SPCP will also be continuing to focus on the Ghostbusters franchise, with new content and collaborations due as it approaches its 40-year anniversary in 2024. Indeed, just ahead of Licensing Expo – on 8 June – the franchise will celebrate ‘Ghostbusters Day’.

To celebrate the premiere of the upcoming Gran Turismo film, the first silver-screen adaptation of the bestselling PlayStation video game, a robust line-up of licensees will be unveiled including die-cast vehicles, apparel, accessories, specialty retail and e-comm.

Other brands being showcased will include post-apocalyptic video game Twisted Metal; Gen V, the college spin-off of The Boys; and time travelling historical drama, Outlander

Hasbro

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Right: Hasbro is showcasing a number of its key brands.

Hasbro is returning to Licensing Expo to showcase a number of its key brands.

Leading up to the release of Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, the brand continues to expand with immersive LBE experiences in China, plus premium collaborations with LEGO and Robosen, and more.

Dungeons & Dragons is keeping the excitement of the hit movie –Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves – going with a number of collaborations across key categories, while the hype for the 20th birthday of Peppa Pig in 2024 to build, with a second North American theme park in Dallas just one of the many initiatives launching.

My Little Pony is marking its 40th anniversary in 2023 with new content, LBE attractions and premier partnerships, while NERF is shining as an active lifestyle and pop culture brand with new Franklin Sports products, NERF Action Xperience centres and the first NERF Theme Park Land.

The Monopoly Lifesized Experience is continuing to make waves in London, while the brand also passes go with Monopoly Dreams in Melbourne and, finally, Kiya & the Kimoja Heroes – which debuted on Disney+ this spring – has a number of new adventures ahead.

WildBrain CPLG

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WildBrain-owned brands

Strawberry Shortcake and Teletubbies headline a robust slate. The world of Strawberry Shortcake enjoys an extensive licensing programme for fans of all ages, supported by new animated series Berry in the Big City, alongside classic Strawberry’s rapidly growing offering.

For Teletubbies, a high-end fashion collaboration with designer Christian Cowan created significant buzz worldwide, with several items selling out within the first week of launch. New content includes a reimagined live-action Teletubbies series (Netflix) and the CG-animated Teletubbies Let’s Go! (YouTube), produced by WildBrain Spark’s digital studio.

Additionally, WildBrain CPLG will showcase WildBrain’s Brave Bunnies, In the Night Garden, Caillou and Inspector Gadget. The wider slate features Peanuts, Hasbro/eOne, SEGA, Playmobil, Dr. Seuss, Wednesday from MGM on Netflix, Magic Mixies, Carmen Sandiego, Petronix Defenders, Space Invaders and Brawl Stars.

Meanwhile, ASPIRE will focus on brands including Sauber Motorsports’ Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake, Master Lock, Absolut, Malibu, Yale and Harvard Universities, Revolution Beauty and more.

Licensing Matters Global

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Mercis

Booth L204

Miffy was ‘born’ on 21 June 1955 when Dutch artist Dick Bruna first drew the character to entertain his young son while on a rainy seaside holiday in Holland. The series of picture books which followed used simple illustrations and rhyming text to explore the universal experiences of childhood. 60 years later, the Miffy books have sold more than 85 million copies and are currently published in over 50 languages. Merchandise is available across five continents with recent activity including a pop-up in London’s Chinatown to celebrate Year of the Rabbit, plus a collaboration with Mulberry among others.

Global brands being showcased by Licensing Matters Global at the show include KFC, Peugeot, Shure, Yale, Harvard, Route 66 and Fruit-tella

It’s been a busy 12 months for LMG. Recent programmes include a global Peugeot-branded high-end luggage range; a trend-led apparel range targeting Gen Z on behalf of KFC in the US; a collection of pro-audio, IT and AV equipment under the Shure banner; plus multiple food products bursting with fruity flavour for Fruit-tella.

LMG’s senior teams from Asia, North America and Europe will welcome existing and new licensees, as well as global brands on the lookout for agency representation.

Above: The Peugeot brand will be one of LMG’s key focuses at the show.

Above: Miffy merchandise is available across five continents.

Right: Pokémon enjoyed another record breaking year in 2022.

The Pokémon Company International

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Pokémon returns to Licensing Expo after yet another record-breaking year, winning Best Gaming Licensed Property at The Licensing Awards for the second year running and solidifying its position in the top five of License Global’s Top 150 Licensors.

Posting its best-ever NPD results, Pokémon achieved its highest-ever annual position in the UK, Germany and Italy while remaining number one in France, Belgium and the Netherlands.

The success reflects the huge popularity of The Pokémon Trading Card Game and its toy range, which includes Jazwares’ award-winning toy line, Mattel’s MEGA sets and new Squishmallows.

Pokémon continues to forge innovative collaborations at retail with recent highlights including a sixweek pop-up branded space in Harrods’ toy department and events at six major ASDA stores fashion collaborations, meanwhile, include Clarks, Balmain and PUMA

Moonbug

Booth R212

Busy Moonbug will be showcasing the hit preschool brand CoComelon, with attendees able to catch up with latest collaborations and deals for JJ, his family and friends.

Blippi will also be a star of the stand – the live action preschool programme takes children on field trips where they explore kid-friendly and interactive destinations. Little Angel, meanwhile, is currently capturing the imagination of preschoolers and their families around the world with its humour, upbeat songs and familiar nursery rhymes. My Magic Pet Morphle follows the ‘fantastical’ adventures of Mila and her magical pet Morphle, who can transform into anything, while the roster is completed by Oddbods, a comedy that follows the adventures of a group of very individual and quirky friends.

Jazwares

Booth S212

Beanstalk

Booth G134

Brand extension agency, Beanstalk offers a breadth of services across its practice areas including brand representation, digital media representation (Tinderbox), manufacturer representation, consulting, cultural intelligence, brand partnerships, web3, legal and financial services and royalty auditing.

A few names in the portfolio include Procter & Gamble, Stanley Black+Decker, Diageo, Jacuzzi, Audi, Bentley, Shell, U.S. Army, The Ohio State University, Skullcandy, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Kellogg's, Dole, TGI Fridays, Perkins and Huddle House, Microsoft, Activision, Ubisoft and Atari.

The Jazwares-owned IP, Squishmallows is currently the number two overall toy property according to NPD and the number one plush brand in the US (February 2023).

As it continues to grow as a lifestyle brand, Squishmallows is being fuelled by new cross-category collaborations across beauty, games, apparel, home décor and more – adding to a portfolio of over 60 licensing partners.

In 2022, Squishmallows took the play industry’s top honour - the Toy Association’s coveted overall Toy of the Year award. The brand won four Toy of the Year Awards - also for Plush Toy of the Year, Licence of the Year, Overall Toy of the Year and People’s Choice.

Above: Moonbug is bringing its full line-up to the show.

Above: Beanstalk will be discussing its varied slate at the show.

Left: Squishmallows is being fuelled by new cross-category collaborations.

ZAG

Booth Q202

ZAG is attending the show following a strong two years for flagship brand Miraculous - Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir and will be sharing news of consumer products launches for the original comedy-action series Ghostforce and present the newest property, Melody (which stars Katy Perry).

With retail sales hitting over US$1billion, Miraculous continues to soar with season five on air across the globe, and the US$100 million animated movie coming this year. Major new partners recently announced include PUMA, Kellogg, Build-A-Bear, Playmobil and gaming hardware developer Hyperkin. Additional promotional partners for the movie will soon be announced, while master toy partner Playmates and ZAG will launch a new product line in the autumn.

Products for Ghostforce in Europe include magazines from Blue Ocean and books from Panini in the GAS region, with additional upcoming launches from Rubies and Edel among others.

YuMe Toys

Booth K218

YuMe Toys is heading to Licensing Expo for the first time and will be showcasing its successful 2023 toys and collectables lines, as well as offering a peek at 2024 launches.

Series one of YuMe’s Disney 100 Surprise Capsules launched earlier this year and the company will be unveiling series two at the show. Meanwhile, another series two in surprise capsules on the booth will be the Stranger Things Upside Down Capsule collection. Following the sell out success of series one, the new range welcomes fan favourite new characters such as Vecna and other treats.

DZNR, YuMe’s high design range of collectable soft toys – which launched earlier this year –continues to grow with Expo visitors seeing new skus from IPs including Netflix and Crunchyroll. Finally, YuMe will unveil a new range of anime licensed collectables and stationery, spearheaded by Jujutsu Kaisen.

The Pinkfong Company

Booth O202

Perfetti Van Melle

Booth D134

Perfetti Ven Melle is keeping the Mentos brand in the spotlight with a collaboration with pop artist Philip Colbert. The Mentos x The Lobstars fashion collection sees the artist’s famous cartoon lobster characters twist and toy around with Mentos.

In addition, Mentos is making its first entry in the beverage category with the launch of a non-sparkling drink from Korean drinks partner, Namyang

Sister brand Airheads is starring at Walmart with an exclusive Justice x Airheads collaboration, while the licensing programme is also actively entering into F&B extensions.

In the US, several Perfetti brands have joined in a collectable nostalgic series, make up ranges and quirky accessories. The Chupa Chups brand is also witnessing growth in F&B with launches in frozen novelty, bakery, snacks, drinks and protein categories. In parallel, its latest fashion collaborations include designer Sharmila Ruberu of Meraki which has been showcased at Colombo Fashion Week in Sri Lanka. Finally, Chupa Chups is also getting ready to launch in the digital playground with sandbox this autumn.

The Pinkfong Company will be showcasing a strong portfolio of its core preschool properties including Baby Shark, Bebefinn and Pinkfong

The company will also be debuting a new, 3D animated series called Sealook which targets the Young Adult/Adult demographic. Co-produced by Million Volt - the animation studio founded by the creators of the global hit animated series Larva - Sealook follows a group of lighthearted seals as they journey on comedic adventures in the Arctic.

Right: Ghostforce already has a number of products available across Europe and LatAm.

Above: Series two of YuMe’s Disney 100 Surprise Capsules will be unveiled at the show.

Right: Pinkfong will be showcasing its portfolio of core preschool properties.

Below: Mentos has been continuing to build in the fashion category.

Mojang Studios

Booth J80

Microsoft’s Mojang Studios is heading to the show with the full CP team to showcase new initiatives, including plans for Minecraft’s 15th anniversary celebration in 2024.

The hit game debuted in 2009 and has since sold more than 238 million copies across all platforms. It has also evolved into an evergreen entertainment franchise with over 150 licensing partners worldwide across multiple categories. Global partners include LEGO, Mattel, Random House, Hallmark, Hasbro, Havaianas and Uniqlo. Regional partners include Fashion UK, Character World, Cataic and Caprice to mention a few. Additionally, Minecraft has collaborated with several fashion brands including PUMA, Burberry, Lacoste and Crocs.

Cloudco Entertainment

Booth D178

BBC Studios

Booth N204

Hey Duggee will be one of the stars of the BBC Studios stand, with it remaining the most streamed children’s show on BBC iPlayer for the third year running. Hey Duggee The Live Theatre Show has also won an Olivier award and is selling out theatres nationwide.

New series three episodes of Bluey will land on Disney+ later this year, and a second album, Bluey: Dance Mode, is enjoying a successful global release. Bluey was also the leading preschool toy growth property in the UK, doubling sales from 2021 (NPD 2022).

Doctor Who fans outside of the UK and Ireland will be able to watch new episodes on Disney+ from November, when the show returns for its 60th anniversary. BBC will remain Doctor Who’s home in the UK and Ireland.

BBC Studios’ Natural History Unit continues to produce iconic programmes. These include Seven Worlds, One Planet, which is the focus of the recently launched BBC Earth Experience in the UK.

Abysse Corp

Booth L218

Pop culture merchandise specialist Abysse will be showcasing its ABYstyle brand range which includes homeware, drinkware, gift sets, textiles, accessories and more.

Meanwhile, the ABYstyle Studio brand centres around the Super Figure Collection and replicas.

The GB eye brand is the second largest poster manufacturer in the world with an international reputation for wall decoration and framing and, most recently, GB eye Music has grown to include a wide range of classic and contemporary artists.

Cloudco will be bringing the Care Bears and their messages of positivity and togetherness to Licensing Expo –fresh off the 40th anniversary, the brand is sure to be a draw on the stand.

Elsewhere, Madballs is described as the ‘epitome of gross out humour’, with the outrageous and shocking designs appealing to fans of horror and comedy alike. First introduced in the 1980s, the bouncing rubber balls with grotesque faces became a cultural phenomenon.

Finally, Holly Hobbie – a character first introduced in the 1960s – continues to inspire messages of kindness and creativity.

Boat Rocker

Booth A149

Dino Ranch –the combination of two preschooler passions, dinosaurs and cowboys – is emulating its US success in the UK. A hit on Disney+ in April 2021, series three is currently in production and will premiere in the US later this year. Series two will launch on Tiny Pop this summer.

The Next Step – the reality dance drama for tweens – is now on its eighth series. The virtual and in person The Next Step dance workshops at Pineapple Dance Studios continue to be popular, along with the associated collaboration clothes line. The show celebrates its 10th anniversary next year, with a programme of activity planned.

Below: Abysse will be showcasing its pop culture offerings.

Right: Minecraft has collaborated with several fashion brands including Burberry.

Above: Care Bears, Madballs and Holly Hobbie will star for Cloudco.

Above: Doctor Who is returning for its 60th anniversary later this year.

Below: Dino Ranch is emulating its US success in the UK.

Celebrating 20 years in 2024!

Van Gogh Museum

Booth E124

Van Gogh Museum is celebrating 50 years of inspiration at Licensing Expo. For 50 years, the Van Gogh Museum, located in Amsterdam, has been home to the world’s number one largest collection of renowned artist, Vincent van Gogh.

The Museum has engaged in licensing collaborations across various consumer product categories - the mission being to inspire a diverse audience with the life and work of Vincent van Gogh, all over the world.

Through these brand collaborations, stories are encouraged to be told – delivering education, provenance and added value to all collaborations and the end user - the consumer.

To celebrate the significant 50-year milestone, the Van Gogh Museum has designed an exclusive artwork dedicated to Vincent’s paintings of flowers

The celebrations will be visible at the Licensing Expo, with a festive flower decorated booth and inspirational examples of collection that have been developed by its partners to celebrate the 50th anniversary. The Museum has also been shortlisted across multiple categories at the Licensing International Excellence Awards 2023

Striker Entertainment

Booth D188

Striker Entertainment is showcasing a dynamic portfolio of pop-culturally relevant IP from motion pictures, TV/streaming series and video games – ranging from classic horror like Evil Dead and the new Evil Dead Rise, to Creepshow

and The Walking Dead Universe

On the feature film front, there is Meg 2: The Trench, Boy Kills World, and from Blumhouse/Universal Studios Five Nights at Freddy’s, based on the successful indie game franchise that has spawned a billion-dollar merchandising business. Five Nights at Freddy’s is also celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2024.

In gaming, Striker is promoting the Indie Game of the Year and BAFTA nominee Stray from Annapurna Interactive; from Squanch Games, the Xbox breakout hit High on Life; plus content from both Twin Atlas and The Gang Sweden, two of the top Roblox developers on the social gaming platform. TV/streaming includes the return of The Dragon Prince for season five on Netflix; Blade Runner on Amazon; and Physical on Apple TV+; plus the breakout hit Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared from Blink Industries. And in Web3, the company is introducing The Remarkables from a new partnership between its client The Doodle Boy and Orange Comet

Banijay Brands

Booth F196

From entertainment and scripted through to animation and game shows, Banijay’s diverse portfolio offers commercial opportunities in multiple categories. Banijay is home to over 130 production companies across 21 territories, and a multi-genre catalogue boasting over 160,000 hours of original standout programming. With its commercial capabilities, Banijay Brands brings the group’s stories and brands to life through consumer products, live experiences and gaming.

Banijay Brands represents some of the biggest global brands including the award-winning anthology Black Mirror; epic crime drama Peaky Blinders; the most travelled food format in the world, MasterChef; the iconic reality format, Big Brother; one of the biggest animated YouTube sensations of recent years, Simon’s Cat; adventure-reality stalwart Survivor; global game show phenomenon, Deal or No Deal; action-packed family entertainment brand Wipeout; and globally loved animation Mr Bean.

MGA Entertainment

Booth U224

One of the world’s fastest growing and largest privately held toy and entertainment companies, the MGA family includes L.O.L. Surprise!, Little Tikes, Rainbow High, Bratz, MGA Miniverse and Na! Na! Na! Surprise

The company will be talking to visitors to the stand about key plans for its brands, while you can get a sneak peak by turning to our MGA special from page 99

Sony Pictures Television – Kids

Booth N214

Sony Pictures Television – Kids (formerly Silvergate Media) will be showcasing its award-winning slate of children’s television properties at Licensing Expo including Octonauts: Above & Beyond, as well as unveiling an exciting and fresh pipeline of content.

Hot on the heels of the global premiere of Chapter 3 of The Creature Cases on Netflix - the company’s hit animal detective series - SPT – Kids will also outline plans for new consumer product retail launches and live events partnerships in key territories worldwide.

I’m Scared is part of Striker’s TV/streaming offering.

Above: The Van Gogh Museum is celebrating 50 years at Licensing Expo.

Above: MasterChef is the most travelled food format in the world.

Below: Chapter 3 of The Creature Cases recently launched on Netflix.

MHS Licensing

Booth G88

MHS Licensing + Consulting will be introducing Jaleh Sadravi, By the Lakeside and Megan Mehu at the show.

Jaleh only started painting in 2020 during the pandemic, but three years later she has amassed 550k followers and is kicking down the door of art licensing. By the Lakeside creator and surface designer Pooja Kenjale-Umrani has a tremendous drive to see her bright and fresh paintings on everyday consumer products, while Mehu Art creator Megan Mehu enjoys creating animals with individuality and unique personalities and has seen early success with a product placement in 3,500 Walmart stores.

In addition to the new art brands, MHS will also be introducing new images from its existing portfolio.

The Wyld Bunch

Booth O258

The Wyld Bunch is aiming to help you unlock the power of social media marketing with Clout – billed as the ‘ultimate’ micro-influencer platform created exclusively for the licensing industry. Founded by Paul Brunton and using an existing network of thousands, across all social platforms, The Wyld Bunch aims to connect IP through relevant brand ambassadors to potentially millions of fans anywhere in the world. Brands can collaborate with the platform and trusted influencers to create authentic, targeted content that resonates with their audience, increasing brand awareness and delivering tangible sales analytics.

IMG

Booth G144

After a successful 2022 which saw IMG sign a slew of new clients and major deals, 2023 is shaping up to be another landmark year for the agency.

While IMG will represent its entire global portfolio of clients at Licensing Expo, the spotlight will be on gaming phenomenon Fortnite, Rovio’s Angry Birds, Skydance Animation and its upcoming release Spellbound, plus Lionsgate’s blockbuster film franchises including John Wick, Hunger Games, Saw and Dirty Dancing.

Dr. Seuss Enterprises

Booth D196

Dr. Seuss Enterprises is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year and, over the last three decades, it has built a solid reputation, inking hundreds of licensing deals in virtually every category.

At the show, it will highlight a range of new initiatives including deals and partnership plans with partners including USAopoly, adidas, Fall Guys, Hershey and Pottery Barn among others. It will also launch Seuss Studios, a line of books for early readers by new and emerging authors and illustrators who will create original stories inspired by Ted Geisel’s (aka Dr. Seuss) unpublished sketches and illustrations.

Meanwhile, when it comes to content, The Cat in the Hat film from Warner Bros. Animation will kick off the new Dr. Seuss movie slate, followed by Thing One and Thing Two in an original feature length animated adventure.

Bad Robot Productions has also been tapped to adapt Oh, the Places You’ll Go! for the big screen, while Netflix and Dr. Seuss are currently working on a slate of animated preschool series inspired by the stories and characters.

IMC Toys

Booth R256

Alongside its strong presence in the toy aisle, IMC Toys has developed a robust global licensing programme for its Cry Babies brand.

The company’s licensed offering continues to grow, thanks to its continued investment in creative product innovation, combined with a 360 degree approach to its digital and content.

With over 100 licensees in 50 countries across the world, and over 800 products, IMC Toys will be showcasing the latest Cry Babies merchandise from a selection of its US partners. Products from the likes of Bendon Publishing, Ravensburger, Rubies, Intimo, Mighty Mojo Toys and candy by Grezon will all be on display.

The Cry Babies animated series continues to see strong global success, with over six billion views on YouTube/Kitoons and huge popularity on Netflix.

Right: Megan Mehu creates animals with individuality and unique personalities.

Below: Dr. Seuss Enterprises is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.

Above: Stacy Reiner (Cry Babies US licensing agent and owner of Remarkable Brands Agency) and Cristina Camprubi Palomino (IMC’s licensing director).

Below: IMG is looking to further build on a successful past year which saw it sign a number of new clients.

Licensing Works!

Booth H102

Busy Licensing Works! will be using Licensing Expo to showcase its wide ranging portfolio.

This includes Le Petit Prince/The Little Prince and Antoine de SaintExupéry from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Estate; Zorro from Zorro Productions; Fun With Spot from The Eric and Gillian Hill Family Trust/Salspot; The Snowman from Snowman Enterprises; Winchester Mystery House from WMH; Moulin Rouge; Tarzan and Jane and Tarzanimals from Edgar Rice Burroughs; the In My Pocket franchise from MEG; Kewpie from Kewpie Corporation; and The Valentines from Millimages.

Dependable Solutions

Booth D208

The LA-based software and services provider, Dependable Solutions is looking forward to meeting licensing professionals from all areas of the industry at the show.

The company supports licensors, licensees and licensing agents on their journey towards smooth and efficient workflow administration, secure and consistent contract and royalty management, and insightful and timely report generation.

It offers a range of software and services for commercial, creative, financial, legal and management personnel, with packages being flexible and customisable to suit the needs of any licensing operation.

CAA Brand Management

Booth G156

CAA Brand Management says that its specialty is building consumer product programmes that can tell a brand’s story and drive revenue.

A snapshot of the brands the company will be showcasing on its booth include Minecraft, CocaCola, Porsche, McLaren, Ford, F1, Jelly Belly, Playboy, Bobcat, Budweiser, The Cheesecake Factory, Skechers and League of Legends

Brandgenuity

Booth J140

Jewel Branding & Licensing

Booth C134

JBL has signed several new clients that will be debuting. These include Tea Forte, known for its luxury tea products and distinct flavours; Amber Vittoria, an artist and poet whose work is focused on expressions of emotion and the female form; and Breathe Live Explore, which embraces the joy of slow living through designs that stem from a place of mindfulness and active participation.

These join existing brands such as the New York Botanical Garden, plus the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation which has recently teamed with Kith to create Made in USA New Balance 998s which feature a varied sense of texture and colour palette pulled from the architectural sketches and models of Frank Lloyd Wright’s futuristic city concept, Broadacre City.

JBL will also be highlighting National Wildlife Federation, Nikki Chu and lifestyle brand EttaVee among others.

Licensing Expo is set to be an exciting one for Brandgenuity, as the agency continues to develop licensing programmes for clients including BMW, Kahlúa, Paramount, NFLPA, MINI, Southern Comfort and Ed Stafford

The company recently expanded its representation of Paramount in the UK to include Baby Shark, SpongeBob, Emily in Paris, South Park and more, alongside MTV. It has also partnered Kahlúa with Nestle Coffee mate for a non-alcoholic Coffee mate Kahlúa & Crème Flavoured Creamer; and has driven the BMW licensing programme with licensees including PUMA, Marcolin, Ports 1961, LEGO, Playmobil and more in the lifestyle, interactive and toy space.

NFLPA grew its European presence with games in both England and Germany in 2022, with more to come in the 2023 season. Brandgenuity is planning to reveal licensing plans with major German sports and fashion retailers, as well as local licensees in key categories. Finally, it is working on sustainable solutions with Ed Stafford including the recent Groundtruth x Ed Stafford backpack which is made from repurposed and recycled components and materials.

Right: Licensing Works’ roster ranges from classic brands like The Little Prince and The Snowman through to newer brands such as Millimages’ The Valentines.

Right: The agency has partnered Kahlúa with Nestle Coffee mate for a non-alcoholic Coffee mate Kahlúa & Crème Flavoured Creamer.

Above: Some of the Dependable Solutions team at last year’s Licensing Expo.

Above: The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation has recently collaborated with New Balance.

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Including news, interviews and analysis, as well as an event diary, a hugely successful jobs board and more, The Source is the central hub of information for the worldwide licensing community.

The team behind LicensingSource.net has over fifty years experience in the licensing industry, and also own and organise The Licensing Awards, publish The Licensing Source Book Europe and an array of other market leading trade titles.

With an e-subscriber database of over 9,500 key contacts, advertisers can expect to receive high visibility, not only on the website, but also on the trusted daily news flashes and social media boasting a strong following.

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Inset: The YPN has a dedicated committee leading the programme of events for the next 18 months including the recent event to Monopoly Lifesized.

Trade bodies hold a pivotal position in any industry – understanding the unique challenges and opportunities for all of its members across all different sides of the business. For Licensing International, there is also an emphasis on education, when it comes to engaging with members and outside of the industry, too. LSB catches up with Steve Manners, head of global marketing and UK md, to find out more.

BodyBody of work

June will mark a year since Steve Manners took on his expanded role at trade body Licensing International as head of global marketing and UK managing director and, as he admits to LSB, “it’s been full on”. He comments: “Missing BLE due to emergency eye surgery was a major blow, as I was really looking forward to seeing everyone from the industry. But I have been working with the team to best position Licensing International both globally and specifically in the UK to ensure we are relevant and bring value to all our members. A major focus has been the recent brand refresh, which brings a fresh, inclusive and welcoming tone to LI.”

A number of initiatives have been keeping Steve busy. As well as the new advisory council and Euromonitor tie-up (see separate box outs), the Young Professionals Network has made its return in the UK. “We now have an incredibly driven and dedicated committee that is full of ideas and leading the programme of events for the next 18 months,” says Steve. “As well as YPN events at both Licensing Expo and BLE, we’re finalising in-person and webinar events that will have fantastic networking opportunities, help to expand

“Research is one of the cornerstones of our membership offering and we know how valuable it is to every corner of the industry,” Steve continues. “The annual Global Licensing Study, produced for us by Brandar, gives a fantastic overview of the current state of the industry, areas of growth and opportunities moving forward.

“By partnering with Euromonitor, we’ve been able to offer members further insight into these growth areas - such as food and beverageoffering an overview of the industry, the trends and key players. This quality of research deepens their understanding of the industry and supports their strategic decisions.”

understanding of different parts of the industry and be a great deal of fun.”

Driving retail membership has also been key: “Engagement with retailers is important to all our members and we recognise that increasing our retail membership is vital for LI too. As well as speaking directly with retailers to help them appreciate all the benefits and advantages of being a member of LI, we work very closely with Laura Freedman-Dagg at Global Licensing Group, Informa to support their fantastic retail initiatives such as the Retail Mentoring Programme and, most recently, the hugely successful Licensing for Retail Day.

“We’re in discussion about future events that will be of benefit to retailers as well as looking at what, specifically, LI can do to support retailers with regard to licensing.”

On top of this, there are also some key focus areas for this year – including sports, fashion, sustainability and location-based experiences - as Steve explains. “LI’s new sustainability committee has been incredibly dedicated, launching not only a series of webinars connecting our members with experts from across the industry, but also in providing tangible resources that will support companies as they continue to make changes to meet consumer demand for sustainable products and experiences.

“And when it comes to categories like fashion, sports and location-based entertainment, we are working to provide content, events and research that keep our members informed of the newest trends so they can take advantage of growth opportunities. For example, we held the inaugural Sports Licensing Summit in Vegas earlier this year, bringing together an amazing group of experts to discuss everything from NFTs to NIL.”

Good advice

There are over 130 individual UK member companies for the trade body, and a member information campaign is currently being worked on to help explain the benefits of LI to ensure everyone maximises their membership.

“I know from my previous roles that many are not fully aware of all the benefits available to them, nor that once the company itself is a member, any of their employees can have their own individual access,” says Steve.

Education outside of the industry is also key. Steve continues: “Of all the topics I discuss with members, this is the area that everyone raises. There is not one single person I know who did not ‘fall into licensing’ through another route, and educating the larger business world about our industry is crucial. Together with the advisory council, we’re looking at the best way we can perform outreach to universities, and I’m also keen to look at apprenticeship programmes with member companies.”

It’s clear that Steve hasn’t been sitting on his laurels for the past year and he’s excited that his role means he gets to spend time with all sectors of the business. “There’s always something new to learn,” he concludes.

“I am so pleased that we now have an advisory council specifically focused on the needs of the UK, comprised of Will Stewart (The Point.1888), Richard Pink (Pink Key Licensing), Susan Bolsover (Lightbulb Licensing), Esther

says Steve.

“There are so many things we really want to do in the UK, but I realised that I cannot do it alone. To have a group of seasoned, experienced industry professionals with expertise across all the disciplines ready and willing to advise, guide and support LI is fantastic. They are not afraid to speak their minds and bring amazing insight and ideas.”

Jolley (Stobbs), Gary Pope (KI), Kirsty Barr (Grapevine PR) and Sarah Hurley (Sarah Hurley Academy),”

Left: LI supported the recent Licensing for Retail Day which was hugely successful.

Below: LI held the inaugural Sports Licensing Summit in Las Vegas earlier this year.

Left: Steve Manners, head of global marketing and UK managing director.

Inset: Titanosaur: Life as the Biggest Dinosaur has welcomed over 50,000 visitors since it opened.

Brand names

Natural History Museum riding high

The Natural History Museum’s new blockbuster exhibition Titanosaur: Life as the Biggest Dinosaur has welcomed over 50,000 visitors since it opened at the end of March, with the first two weeks at 95% capacity every day. And it’s not just the dinosaurs that are gargantuan – 2022 saw a 196% increase in attendance with 4,654,608 visitors, making it the most popular indoor attraction in the UK

A further expansion of the licensing programmes includes NHM-branded STEM toys and kits from Galt Toys; daywear, nightwear and accessories from Blues Group; sustainable products from A2V via a partnership with World Duty Free stores; artwork from East End Prints; bespoke products from Surface View; and a second womenswear collection from Joanie

In addition, after collecting the Sustainability Brand Licensed Product or Range Award at this year’s Brand & Lifestyle Licensing Awards, the Dunelm and NHM partnership continues to engage customers with a new collection of homewares inspired by the beauty of tropical coral reefs and the British shoreline.

Morris & Co is a hit Stateside

British heritage home furnishings brand, Morris & Co has been enjoying success in the US with a tabletop and kitchenware collaboration with Williams-Sonoma The range includes plates, chargers, platters, bowls, canisters, aprons, napkins, tablecloths and table runners, using designs such as Bluebell, Marigold, Pimpernel and Golden Lily.

“I’m so pleased to introduce the new table and dinnerware range from Morris & Co. at Williams Sonoma,” commented Claire Vallis, group creative director at Sanderson Design Group. “This new range combines iconic patterns inspired by original archival documents with thoughtful, new colour stories. Emphasising the curious, flowing and evocative designs from a long heritage portfolio, these products offer a refined aesthetic to tables and homes. Expressed across a range of utensils and crockery, this range perfectly encapsulates Morris’s own desire to combine beauty with utility.”

Below right: The table and dinnerware collaboration has proved a hit in the US.

TSBA builds National Portrait Gallery programme

The National Portrait Gallery has welcomed a number of new licensees as it gets ready to re-open its doors to the public on 22 June, following the launch of its new brand identity.

The National Portrait Gallery has developed a fresh visual identity to better reflect its role as a gallery that is of people, for people, telling the story of Britain’s past, present and future through portraits.

Its initials now appear as a monogram reflecting motifs from the Gallery’s history – ‘NPG’ can be seen throughout the Gallery building, within the metalwork of railings, embossed onto furniture and as part of original mosaics. This is coupled with a fresh, modern colour palette, inspired by materials in its archive, and a bolder use of the Gallery’s collection of portraits to create a distinctive new look and feel.

Alongside this activity, TSBA Group – the National Portrait Gallery’s global licensing agent – has signed The Tea Makers of London and MuseARTa as new licensees. Licensed to Charm, meanwhile, has launched its second collection of jewellery and will also create a capsule range to celebrate the Gallery’s reopening.

Barratt brand enters the sports market

PUPPiE love

Pink Key Licensing is continuing to grow the programme for SLUSH PUPPiE in Europe.

The SLUSH PUPPiE Fizzie has enjoyed a strong start since its introduction back in March. It was initially launched into grocery and independent stores by Nichols in two-litre and 500ml bottles and the sell-through has been ‘phenomenal’ according to Pink Key.

There are two flavours of the carbonated drinkBlue Raspberrie and Strawberrie flavours. The launch has been supported by a disruptive through-the-line marketing campaign, with instore activations, social media support and PR. The drinks join confectionary, frozen food, biscuits, apparel and the successful SLUSH PUPPiE maker and its range of accessories.

Confectionery company Barratt is entering the sports market with a range of protein and workout powders produced in partnership with sports nutrition company, Bulk.

Sports supplements are a new area for the Barratt brand licensing programme which it runs with The Point.1888 The intention is to give fans of Barratt sweets a way to enjoy their favourite flavours on the go or while at the gym.

The range includes Barratt Dip Dab Clear Whey and Barratt Refresher Clear Whey; Barratt Pure Whey Protein in BlackJack, Flumps or Fruit Salad flavour; Barratt Refresher Vegan Protein Powder; Barratt Refresher Pre-Workout Powder; and Barratt Fruit Salad BCAA

There is also a Barratt branded Bulk steel shaker bottle

Below: The National Portrait Gallery has developed a fresh visual identity

Above: The SLUSH PUPPiE Fizzie has enjoyed a tremendous start since launch in March.

Eastpak on board with Van Gogh Museum

Eastpak is collaborating with the Van Gogh Museum on a new collection which is due to go live in commemoration of the Amsterdam museum’s 50th anniversary

The range includes some of the company’s most iconic packs, luggage and accessories – including the Day Pak’r, Springer bumbag, Duffl’r M and Daller Pouch –reimagined via prints inspired by Vincent Van Gogh’s Sunflowers (1889), Almond Blossom (1890) and Selfportrait with Straw Hat (1887).

"We are very pleased with the collaboration between Eastpak and Van Gogh Museum,” commented Marijn

Veraart, head of global licensing at Van Gogh Museum. “The collection perfectly matches Vincent's work being interpreted by a legendary brand like Eastpak. This collaboration has resulted in a unique collection which allows us to show our audience how relevant the work of Vincent still is nowadays.”

Chris Taday, director of Licensing Link Europe – VGM’s agent in the UK and Ireland which brokered the deal –added: "We are thrilled to announce the collaboration between Eastpak and our client, the Van Gogh Museum. The partnership combines the innovative design associated with Eastpak with the timeless beauty of Van Gogh's art. Thus creating this fabulous collection that celebrates the creativity and individuality of both brands."

Diamond deal for National Trust

The National Trust is collaborating with garden centre group, Blue Diamond on a collection of seeds, bulbs, roses and other plants that are inspired by the gardens it cares for.

The long-term collaboration will also allow members of the public to become custodians of some incredible saplings, including from Sir Isaac Newton’s Apple Tree and the Ankerwyke Yew, which witnessed the signing of the Magna Carta. These will be available by auctions, hosted on the Blue Diamond website.

Through sales generated from the National Trust Collection by Blue Diamond, a minimum of 10% of the retail selling price per product will be given to the National Trust.

Products in the collaboration include six property inspired collections of seeds and a wildflower collection; bespoke herbaceous border collections inspired by four National Trust properties; ready to plan Plant-O-Mat trays; a number of National Trust inspired roses - including Rosa ‘Octavia Hill’, named after one of the founders of the charity; and native trees and shrubs.

Historic Royal Palaces raises a glass for the coronation

A new special edition gin has launched at John Lewis stores and online to mark the Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort

Created in collaboration with Gin In A Tin and as part of HRPs’ licensing programme with The Point.1888, The Coronation Gin design is inspired by the Crown Jewels, housed at the Tower of London. With notes of lemon peel, coriander, cardamom and juniper, the London Dry gin is presented in lightweight letterbox-friendly tins and is adorned with a gold foiled crown featuring the symbols of the four nations of the United Kingdom: a classic English rose, a traditional Scottish thistle, a Welsh daffodil and the Irish shamrock.

Emma Saunders, senior licensing manager at Historic Royal Palaces, commented: “We are delighted to be working in collaboration with Gin In A Tin, who have created a classic product to mark such a magnificent event this year. We plan to develop further collections in partnership with Gin In A Tin, whose inspiration can be taken from the most wonderful palaces in the world.”

Below: The Eastpak collection allows VGM to show how relevant the work of Vincent still is nowadays.

Inset: The special edition gin has notes of lemon peel, coriander, cardamom and juniper.

Above: The collaboration includes six property inspired collections of seeds and a wildflower collection.

London Fog and The National Gallery mark 100 years

With this year marking the 100th year of heritage apparel brand, London Fog, the company has teamed up with The National Gallery.

The new collaboration looks to spotlight leading French Impressionist Claude Monet (1840-1926), whose paintings, among others, came to define the movement.

The collection – which includes men’s, women’s and children’s outerwear – features five Monet masterpieces. Each product is inspired by and lined with images of one of the stunning artworks. The hues and tones of each painting are incorporated throughout the design with Monet’s signature delicately added to tie the collection together.

RHS continuing to bloom

Busy RHS has been continuing its expansion into homeware, giftware, kitchenware, quilting and more, while the appeal of the brand to gardening and related sectors also remains strong.

Some of the latest launches include Woodlodge with a range of pots supporting the RHS Crops in Pots initiative; Genus Gardenwear; and the RHS Bothy from shepherd’s hut maker, Plankbridge

The positive associations of the brand also extend to categories like homeware through an RHSinspired cotton quilting and sewing fabric collection from Riley Blake Designs (launching later this year), plus Sofas & Stuff’s RHS Fabric 23 Collection

Meanwhile, in kitchenware, Dexam has a new RHS Benary three-piece ovenware collection, which is an addition to last year’s successful kitchen textiles range.

Their Nibs marks 20 years

Brace for National Museum of the Royal Navy

National Museum of the Royal Navy has secured new licences with US-based Ampersand Book Studio and UK jewellery company, Hepburn & Hughes.

Both will be using historic and highly sought after wood originating from HMS Victory

Ampersand Book Studio creates hand crafted books, journals and book-related art prints. The company will create a fine press edition of Patrick O’Brian’s novel, Master and Commander, and will create covers made from authenticated wood taken from HMS Victory.

Hepburn & Hughes, meanwhile, has created a unique and interesting range of sterling silver pendants cuff links and rings by upcycling the precious material from HMS Victory. Each item comes complete with a certificate of authenticity bearing the HMS Victory trademark.

Independent sleepwear brand, Their Nibs –synonymous with its hand drawn original designs and prints – turns 20 this year, and is continuing its growth in the licensing space as part of its celebrations.

Home and interiors form a large part of the brand and, through licensing, This is Iris has been able to take the most popular and recognisable prints onto new products and into new markets.

Current partners include Samuel Lamont,

We Love Cushions

Half Moon Bay, while a capsule collection with Boots also featured as part of the retailer’s 2022 Christmas campaign.

This is Iris is now exploring other core categories with partners from home and lifestyle.

This is Iris is exploring core categories for Their Nibs in home and lifestyle.

Inset: Sofas & Stuff has launched a new RHS Fabric 23 Collection.

Inset: The collection spotlights French Impressionist Claude Monet.

Above: The Hepburn & Hughes range has upcycled the precious material from HMS Victory.

A glittering occasion

Awards 2023 shone the spotlight on a sector which has truly come of age - exciting, vibrant, fearless and far reaching when it comes to collaborations and product innovation, the category exudes confidence. Hosted by Matt Forde, some 450 industry executives headed to the Royal Lancaster London for an afternoon of networking and celebrating some of the best in the business. LSB offers a flavour of the event before highlighting the winners.

Top: The glittering trophies. Left: RHS once again supplied the bloomin’ marvellous table centrepieces, while Perfetti Van Melle’s Chupa Chups brand sponsored the first ever vegetarian menu.

Below: The Style Sisters, Gemma Lilly (left) and Charlotte Reddington, entertained attendees with their pre-lunch speech.

Left: The awards were presided over by standup, impressionist, writer and podcaster Matt Forde.

Below centre: Pink Key Licensing’s Nancy Jones (left) and Talia Tester from Carte Blanche with their RHS centrepieces. Below right: Acoustic rock band, Moondance kept guests entertained while lunch was being served.

Inset: Van Gogh Museum’s Marjin Veraart (left) and Eva Derksen with Licensing Link Europe’s Chris Taday.

Inset: The team from Sara Miller Londonincluding the lady herself (second right)celebrating the win for Best Licensed Fashion or Talent Brand.

Above: (from left) Robyn Elliott, H&A; Holly Smith, Disney; Judith Noble, H&A; Abbie Burrows, Hasbro; Livy Coare, H&A; Sara Stewart, Disney; and Kris Murray, Paramount.

Below: Delegates from Brand Licensing Europe’s Retail Mentoring Programme with Keith Pashley, retail licensing consultant and Laura Freedman-Dagg, head of retail, licensing at Informa Markets (fourth from right).

Inset and right: The Poetic Brands and George @ Asda team celebrating their Best Brand Licensed Children’s Product or Range win for the Animal Planet collection.

Above right: Lisle Licensing’s Rebecca Sherwood and Francesca Lisle and guests were all smiles during the drinks reception.

Right: Anna Knight from Informa Markets and Max Publishing’s Ian Hyder presided over the raffle in aid of The Light Fund.

Below: (from left) Hannah Lowe, Roy’s Boys; Pindy O’Brien, Walker Books; Alli Moore, Wonder; Emma Norris, Walker Books; and Mel Beer, Wonder.

Above: (from left) The Point’s Rosanna Cousins, Bethan Garton and Hannah Redler. Left: Tesco’s Pippa Woods (right) congratulating Sophie Richardson from Brand Society on her big raffle prize win.

BEST BRAND LICENSED FASHION ACCESSORIES OR LIFESTYLE PRODUCT OR RANGE

BEST BRAND LICENSED FOOD OR BEVERAGE PRODUCT OR RANGE

The National Gallery Canned Wine Collection from Canned Wine Co

BEST BRAND LICENSED HEALTH & BEAUTY PRODUCT OR RANGE

Coca-Cola Creations Make-up Collection from Revolution

sponsored by

sponsored by

sponsored by

TfL Handbag and Wallet Collection from Kurt Geiger

Left: Francesca Lisle, md at Lisle Licensing, announced the winner.

Right: (from second left) TSBA Group’s Jo Edwards, Ian Mallalue and Archie Harris-Eva collected the award from Francesca Lisle, md of category sponsor Lisle Licensing.

Left: Daniel Avener, ceo at MDR Brand Management, did the honours of announcing the winner.

Left: Alexandra Bovey, senior licensing partnerships manager at Hearst UK, presented the award.

Right: (centre) Louise King, associate licensing manager at The CocaCola Company, was all smiles collecting the award from Hearst UK’s Alexandra Bovey.

Right: (from second left) Judith Mather from The National Gallery, Simon Rollings and Abi Chell from The Canned Wine Co were delighted to accept the award from category sponsor MDR Brand Management’s Daniel Avener.

BEST BRAND LICENSED ADULT APPAREL PRODUCT OR RANGE

sponsored by

Alice Temperley A Life in Print Collection from Anthropologie

BRAND LICENSED GIFTING PRODUCT OR RANGE

BEST

sponsored by

Natural

History Museum Collection from Blueprint Collections

BEST BRAND LICENSED HOMEWARES, KITCHEN & TABLETOP PRODUCT OR RANGE

Nadiya x Prestige Cookware and Bakeware from Meyer Group

sponsored by

Right: Victoria Whellans, commercial director, presented the award on behalf of category sponsor ASPIRE by WildBrain CPLG.

WINNER

Left: The award was presented by category sponsor, Judith Mather, buying and brand licensing director at The National Gallery..

Far right: (from second left) Suzanne Chater, product development director and Lisa Shand, md at Blueprint Collections, collected the award for the company’s ‘roarsome’ range from The National Gallery’s Judith Mather.

WINNER

Right: As category sponsor, Natural History Museum’s Maxine Lister (far right) presented the award to Mark Ivory (centre), chairman and md at Meyer Group.

Right: Maxine Lister, head of licensing at Natural History Museum, announced the winner.

Right: (centre) Angela Farrugia, founder of Brand X Society, accepted the award from ASPIRE’s Victoria Whellans.

sponsored

sponsored by

Left: Ian Downes, md at Start Licensing, was the proud sponsor of this award.

Right: (from second left) Poetic Brands’ Terry Kinnersley and Dona Kaluarachchi, Tina-Louise Foster from IPR Licensing, category sponsor Ian Downes and Poetic Brands’ Paul Coleman posing up a storm on stage.

Right: (from second left) Smeg’s John Davies and Niamh Steptoe were delighted to accept the honour from category sponsor, Adam Bass, md at Golden Goose.

Above: Adam Bass, md at Golden Goose, did the honours with the winner announcement.

WINNER

Left: Richard Pink, md at Pink Key Licensing, unveiled the winner in the hotly contested category.

Far right: Claire Abercrombie (centre), director of customer, marketing and brand at Homebase, collected the accolade from category sponsor Richard Pink, md at Pink Key Licensing.

INSPIRED INNOVATION BRAND LICENSED PRODUCT OR RANGE AWARD

THE SUSTAINABILITY BRAND LICENSED PRODUCT OR RANGE AWARD

BEST FASHION RETAILER OF LICENSED BRANDS

sponsored

Right: Category sponsor Sasha Lerner, vp EMEA at CAA Brand Management, announced the winner.

Far right: (from second left) Chris Chen, group licensing director at THG Nutrition, and CAA’s Jade Perry were overjoyed to collect the award from Sasha Lerner.

Left: Helena Mansell-Stopher, ceo and founder of Products of Change, praised all the nominees in the category before announcing the winner.

Far right: Alisha Masterson, category director at Dunelm, collected the award with her colleague Laura Boddice and Natural History Museum’s head of licensing, Maxine Lister.

Right: Louise French, svp business development and operations at Beanstalk, did the honours as category sponsor.

Right: Sarah Theobald (centre), senior buyer gifts, food and drink, toys, Christmas and outdoor at Next, was all smiles collecting the award from category sponsor Louise French at Beanstalk.

sponsored

BEST DEPARTMENT STORE OR MIXED RETAILER OF LICENSED BRANDS

BEST SUPERMARKET OF LICENSED BRANDS

Iceland

BEST SPECIALIST RETAILER OF LICENSED BRANDS

sponsored by

sponsored by

John Lewis & Partners

Left: Category sponsor, Claire Potter, md at Metrostar, had the important role of announcing the winner.

Right: (from second left) Ashley Wilde Group’s brand director, Marc Strong, and Lorna MacPhee, Partner and buyer, cushions and casual seating at John Lewis, accepted the award from Metrostar’s Claire Potter.

Right: Oliver Gilding (centre), exclusive brands manager at Iceland, did the honours in accepting the award from category sponsor, Jo Edwards at TSBA Group.

Left: Teri Niadna, md at category sponsor Brandgenuity, ready to announce the winner.

Far right: Gary Freeman (centre) collected the award on behalf of Boots from category sponsor, Teri Niadna, md at Brandgenuity.

Above: Jo Edwards, head of global licensing at TSBA Group, announced the winner of this category.

sponsored by

BEST LICENSED HERITAGE OR INSTITUTION BRAND

BEST LICENSED LIFESTYLE BRAND

BEST LICENSED DESIGN-LED LIFESTYLE BRAND

sponsored by

sponsored by

sponsored by

Natural History Museum

Right: Anna Knight, svp licensing at Informa Markets, ready to announce the winner.

Above: Category sponsor Rhys Fleming, sales and marketing director at Dependable Solutions, revealed the winner.

Right: David Bowyer, operations director at Poetic Brands, did the honours as the category sponsor

Right: Maxine Lister (centre), head of licensing at Natural History Museum, returned to the stage to collect the award from category sponsor Anna Knight at Global Licensing Group, Informa Markets.

Above: Mara Verze (centre), senior licensing director at IMG, was over the moon to accept the award from Dependable Solutions’ Rhys Fleming.

Right: It was a full turn out from the overjoyed Smiley team to collect the accolade from Poetic Brands’ David Bowyer.

BEST LICENSED FOOD OR BEVERAGE BRAND

BEST LICENSED FASHION OR TALENT BRAND

THE B&LLAS RISING STAR AWARD

WINNER

sponsored by

sponsored by

Coca-Cola

Left: Steve Manners, head of global marketing and UK md at Licensing International, getting ready to announce the winner.

Right: It was a second trip to the stage for Louise King (centre), associate licensing manager at The Coca-Cola Company, to collect the award from category sponsor, Steve Manners at Licensing International.

WINNER

Right: Sara Miller (centre), creative director and brand owner, couldn’t hide her delight as she collected the award from category sponsor, Nicola McQuillan at H&A.

Left: Laura Freedman-Dagg, head of retail, Brand Licensing Europe, had the honour of announcing the winner of the inaugural award.

Far right: Amy Austin (centre), brand licensing junior buyer at DFS, collecting the first ever B&LLAs Rising Star Award which was sponsored by BLE’s Retail Mentoring Programme and presented by Laura FreedmanDagg.

Amy Austin, brand licensing junior buyer, DFS

Sara Miller London

Above: Nicola McQuillan, marketing director at H&A, announced the winner.

sponsored by

BRAND LICENSING AMBASSADOR 2023 WINNER

Maxine Lister, head of licensing, Natural History Museum

Maxine shared how it felt to win the award…

“I am still shocked but thrilled to have been named as Brand Ambassador at the B&LLAsnever did I think that this would be something that I would be awarded. It was lovely to have the award presented by Denise who gave me my first job in licensing at ITV Studios, that was really special. I also have to thank the teams I have worked with over the years - so many people have helped me to develop and understand licensing and I am very grateful for this.

The UK licensing industry is one of the best in the world, I love the creativity and opportunities it presents and am excited about what I will be involved in with the Museum over the next few years.”

sponsored by

An excerpt of the speech Jakki Brown, md and editorial director at Max Publishing, gave:

“Having started their career in publishing, the special person we honour today then earned their spurs in retail, working for both Borders Books and HMV before making the leap into licensing, bringing with them their retailing nous and passion for product.

Having worked on the entertainment side of licensing for both ITV and BBC for number of years, showing a courage of their convictions, they gave it up for 18 months to pursue their personal passion as a wildlife photographer.

The industry could well have lost this talented individual had it not been for them spotting what was their dream job… the chance to head up the licensing of a world leading science research centre and the most visited natural history institution in the whole of Europe.

Undaunted by the vastness of the asset base, an astonishing 80 million specimens, which ranges from the tiniest insect to the largest mammal, the rarest mineral to the most intricate botanical drawing, has seen them lead a charge in sustainable brand licensing, work closely with top retailers, some of whom have never embraced brand licensing before and forge relationships with licensees which has resulted in some truly outstanding product ranges.

They have achieved more in the last seven years than so many could only dream in a lifetime, be it in the sustainable standards they have set for licensed merchandise, the consumer reach these have achieved and the collaborations they have executed; many of these have been celebrated in the B&LLAs over several years.

And for all the might of the venerable institution whose brand they fiercely protect, this is not someone who has a huge team of people to help them. Not, at all. They have rolled their sleeves up and got stuck in.

Their passion is infectious, be it as a champion for Products of Change, of which they are a founding member or when pushing the boundaries on new materials or packaging initiatives with licensees.

The enormous archive upon which the majority of their licensing activity is based may be treasures from the past, but this trailblazer has fast tracked their evolution to the forefront of brand licensing. She’s certainly no dinosaur.”

Left: Maxine has led a charge in sustainable licensing at the Natural History Museum

Above: Jakki Brown, md and editorial director at Max Publishing, praised Maxine’s “infectious passion” in her speech.

Above right: Denise Penn, md EMEA at Brandcomply.com/Octane5, ready to present the final award of the afternoon.

Right: The culmination of a glittering afternoon, a proud Maxine Lister (centre) was presented with her Brand Ambassador award by category sponsor Denise Penn, md EMEA at Brandcomply.com/Octane5.

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Strengthen your business, deepen your current relationships, develop new ones, and discover products, brands and entertainment experiences all under one roof in the world’s most vibrant city.

Featuring thousands of new and unique international toys, games, edutainment, entertainment-driven experiences, and more, Toy Fair offers attendees a competitive edge no other trade event can match!

BEST LICENSING PARTNER • BEST LICENSING BRANDS

PREPARE TO BE ENTERTAINED…

Welcome to this special supplement devoted to MGA Entertainment, home to some of the biggest and best-known toy and entertainment brands on the market.

From the mould-breaking Bratz to the UK’s fastest-growing fashion doll brand Rainbow High, evergreen classic Little Tikes and the unstoppable phenomenon that is L.O.L. Surprise! (which turns seven on 07/07 this year), MGA Entertainment brands continue to dominate at retail, on screen and in the licensing space. In our in-depth interview on page 102, we delve into the hows and whys with founder and CEO Isaac Larian, and find out more about the company’s “next billion-dollar property”. We’ve rounded up all the latest product and content releases from the MGA stable on page 107, and on page 115, leading licensees and retailers give an insight into their partnerships with MGA and the licensed products that are flying off the shelves. Kids, parents, kidults, collectors, nostalgia fans – MGA’s portfolio offers something for everyone. We hope you enjoy finding out more.

The LSB team

“One of our key aims at MGA Entertainment is to offer as many touchpoints as possible for fans to interact with their favourite brands – and licensing is a huge part of that. For our recent L.O.L. Surprise! Loves Mini Sweets line we teamed up with Chupa Chups, Jelly Belly and other big names in the confectionary world, which has strengthened the brand while giving the ‘surprise’ element of it an extra dimension; wondering which world-class candy brand we’re going to partner with next is definitely keeping fans on their toes.

Our strategy is to continue to create new stories, while staying true to the core essence of our brands. We’re very much looking forward to this year’s Licensing Expo, where we’ll be showcasing yet more innovative play patterns and some exciting ‘newness’ for the back half of 2023 and early 2024 – keep an eye out for a few fun surprises for Bratz in the run-up to the holiday season! We pride ourselves on constantly offering new ways to keep fans engaged and excited, and with our latest slate of content, products and partnerships, we’re confident our brands will continue to touch multiple generations of fans around the world.”

Mindy Puente-Escalera, SVP of global licensing, MGA Entertainment

FOLDS FOR EASY STORAGE

FOLDING

DOUBLE SIDED DESIGN

FOLDS FOR EASY STORAGE

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CONTENTS

102

PLAYING TO WIN MGA Entertainment’s founder and ceo Isaac Larian gives an insight into what kids – and kidults – will be playing with this year.

107

MAKING HEADLINES

A look at the latest innovations from MGA Entertainment, from toys and fashion collaborations to gaming and TV content.

115

LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE TOYS!

Licensees and retailers of some of MGA Entertainment’s biggest brands explain what keeps consumers coming back for more.

Mindy Puente-Escalera  SVP, global licensing, MGA Entertainment MEscalera@mgae.com

A consistent game changer in the toy space, MGA Entertainment has built a portfolio of compelling and trend-setting brands over the course of its 44-year history, from fashion dolls Bratz, L.O.L. Surprise! and Rainbow High to its latest hit IP – MGA’s Miniverse Make It Mini Food. Founder and CEO Isaac Larian explains why “don’t copy, be innovative” is the foundation for success.

“We’re the only toy company that has come up with over 100 new brands, from zero up,” says Isaac Larian when asked to sum up MGA Entertainment in a nutshell. “Out of those, 13 have gone on to do between $100m and $10bn, and another 50 have achieved anywhere between $25m and $50m.”

It’s fair to say that Isaac has the golden touch. Having arrived in the US

PLAYING TO WIN

from Iran in 1971 as a 17year-old, he now sits at the helm of one of the largest and fastest growing independent toy and entertainment companies in the world, which generates around $4bn–$4.5bn a year in retail sales and has nearly 1,700 full-time employees in multiple cities around the globe. It’s an achievement that is largely down to Isaac’s instinct for what delights kids, and a desire to embrace the new. “I love the toy business, I’ve been doing it all my life, and what drives it is innovation, products that capture the imagination of little kids and have a lifelong effect on them. Many large companies just recycle the same ideas, and it’s something I’d like to see change in the industry. Because innovation fuels growth.”

Isaac seized his chance to bring something new to the toy market back in the early 2000s, when he spotted a gap in the market for fashion dolls that weren’t, “like 98 per cent of dolls [at that time], blonde and blue-eyed”. The resulting Bratz line – “the girls with a passion

Above: MGA’s Miniverse line, launched last year, includes miniature Bratz cosmetics.

Below: Isaac Larian, founder and CEO of MGA Entertainment.

for fashion” – hit the market in 2001 and proved an instant hit, creating more than $2bn a year in revenue within just three years of launch.

The brand has recently exploded in popularity again, blowing up on TikTok and connecting with the original fans – many of whom are now parents themselves – as well as new ones. “My daughter and all her friends who grew up with the brand are returning to it for the nostalgia value,” says Isaac. “I even saw my daughter dress my baby granddaughter in a Bratz outfit.”

This cross-generational appeal has seen a wealth of collaborations across diverse categories such as cosmetics, adult apparel and mobile phone accessories, as well as innovations such as Bratz Minis and Bratz Mini Cosmetics, a line of 40 pop-culture collectibles that debuted last June. The Minis launch kicked off MGA's Miniverse, a new kidult-oriented collectible line of miniaturised versions of classic brands, such as Mini Little Tikes, which also encompasses MGA’s latest offering: MGA’s Miniverse Make It Mini Food. Inspired by the social media trend for miniaturised items, the blind-ball line offers consumers the chance to combine the individually wrapped mini “ingredients” into a finished dish that hardens when exposed to daylight or UV light. “As of this week, we are the

Driving success

number two mini collectible brand in the US, in less than six months,” says Isaac. “It’s going to be our next billion-dollar property.”

MGA’s stable of brands is wide-ranging, encompassing colourchanging Mermaze Mermaidz, Na! Na! Na! Surprise and Zapf

Creation’s Baby Born, but it’s fair to say that its stand-out successes are two of the toy industry’s biggest hits of recent years – L.O.L. Surprise! and Rainbow High. L.O.L. Surprise! caused a sensation when it launched in 2016; the cute mini dolls (Tots) and accessories, wrapped in layers of coloured plastic and paper, captured all the excitement of the YouTube unboxing trend, and the brand extensions and innovations have kept on coming. Consumers can now get a super-sweet fix with L.O.L. Surprise! Loves Mini Sweets: dolls dressed in outfits inspired by wellknown confectionery brands, including Hershey’s Kisses, Jolly Rancher and Chupa Chups. The range launched at Smyths Toys in the UK in December last year and at wider retailers this January. “We haven’t done

Little Tikes joined the MGA Entertainment family in 2006 and continues to capture the imagination of pre-schoolers and parents alike. The classic outdoor brand is the UK #3 property and #1 brand in Outdoor & Sports Toys and the #1 property in Playground Equipment in value sales in the 12 months to March 2023, according to Circana UK POS data, while the Let’s Go Cozy Coupe series of animated shorts on YouTube has racked up 100 million views. The latest brand innovation is blindball Little Tikes Minis, scaled-down versions of classic designs like the Rocking Horse and Turtle Sandbox, presented in replicas of their original packaging.

Left and below: Also included in MGA’s Miniverse line are Little Tikes Minis – collectible miniature versions of classic designs – and Bratz Mini dolls.

Above: Diverse and fashion-forward, Bratz shook up the doll market when the brand launched in 2001.

Over

40,000 readers every month.

The official L.O.L. Surprise! magazine is the perfect treat for kids aged 5-9 and is packed with fun facts, quizzes, puzzles and crafts. A brand-new, exciting issue is on sale every four weeks and always comes with an amazing L.O.L Surprise! gift that L.O.L fans will love unboxing, as well as including lots to colour, make and do inside.

No. 4 Girls’ title and still growing!

much in-licensing before and it’s important that we try new things,” says Isaac. On screen, the first animated series focusing on the Tots will be debuting on 22 July 2023 on YouTube and KidoodleTV, and the MGA team will be working closely with US and UK retailers on promotions to align with the launch.

Like Bratz, Rainbow High fashion dolls are designed to be inclusive of all skin colours, ethnicities, and other differences. “The tagline is ‘Let your true colours shine,’” explains Isaac. “It’s the most beautiful fashion doll on the market, and the only one at that price point [for autumn lines prices start at below $20 rising to $60–$70] that has glass eyes.

Little girls want their dolls to have beautiful hair, and Rainbow High hair is washable in water, and the outfits and accessories are so detailed.” A HarperCollins book series launched in March, based on the hit animated Netflix series. “And we’ll be bringing some arts and crafts activity to the brand this autumn, which we’re excited about,” Isaac says.

The ‘Entertainment’ part of MGA Entertainment’s name indicates its position as a 360-degree brand, with toys forming just one part of the ecosystem. Having last year acquired animation studio Pixel Zoo and established MGA Studios, a new content division backed with $500m in capital, MGA is looking to expand its presence in the digital entertainment landscape. As well as ramping up its output of movies and TV shows, it will be making further inroads into the gaming market, an increasingly important touchpoint for

young fans of MGA brands. This autumn will see the launch of the first-ever Rainbow High console title, Rainbow High: Runway Rush.

“One of our strategies is to provide as many touchpoints as possible for consumers to interact with the brand, whether it’s the dolls, or games, or clothing or costumes, and that’s why licensing is so important to us,” Isaac asserts. The company is also looking to develop projects in the LBE space, but for now, details are under wraps. What else is new? “A challenge and a goal for me is boys’ toys,” says Isaac, “and I’m excited to say we have a huge boys’ toy property coming in 2024.”

He may have a unique gift for tuning into what kids want, but Isaac gives all the credit to his creative team. “I’m really proud of them. I sometimes literally dream of things that aren’t possible to do, and God bless them, they make it happen.”

Top: Isaac predicts MGA’s Miniverse Make It Mini Food will be the company’s next billion-dollar property.

Above: MGA has made a foray into in-licensing with L.O.L. Surprise! Loves Mini Sweets.

Right: Console game Rainbow High: Runway Rush will hits stores in autumn this year.

Below: The OGs: Rainbow High debuted in 2020 with six colour-themed characters.

MAKINGHEADLINES

From toy and game releases and upcoming TV content to health and beauty buys and fashion collabs, LSB rounds up the latest news from MGA Entertainment.

L.O.L. Surprise! to launch innovative Bubble Surprise line

Globally popular toy line L.O.L. Surprise! has harnessed the power of colour transformation for its latest brand extensions. Launched in March 2023, L.O.L. Surprise! Sunshine Makeover Dolls (Tots and larger L.O.L. Surprise! O.M.G. dolls) reveal

Blockbuster brand L.O.L. Surprise! is the #1 property in the Total UK Playset Dolls & Accessories and Collectibles categories in value sales and the #2 Doll property in value sales overall [Circana, UK POS retail tracker value sales, year to date December 2022].

hair and fashion changes when exposed to daylight, while L.O.L. Surprise! Bubble Surprise Dolls, slated for release on 1 June 2023, feature an all-new innovative foaming

action, 12 fan-favourite Tots and “dazzling bubble surprises” to discover. All you have to do is mix water and the provided “sugar” and “spice” in the ball, then twist and watch the bubbles fizz up and change colour to reveal the hidden doll and other items.

Additional products (launching June 2023) that undergo this transformation include the L.O.L. Surprise! Pets line, and L.O.L. Surprise! Bubble Surprise Deluxe, which includes an exclusive Tot doll, Lil Sister, Pet, two outfits, two pairs of shoes, a bottle and colour-changing fizz.

Six new characters join the Rainbow High family

Having been named Doll of the Year by the UK Toy Retailers Association earlier this year, Rainbow High (including spin-off lines Shadow High and Junior High) continues to dominate the fashion doll market. Now, fans of MGA’s colourful brand can expand their collections following the launch of six new characters in the Spring 2023 collection. The latest range features Priscilla Perez, Michelle St Charles, Olivia Wood, Kim Nguyen, Aidan Russell and Victoria Whitman, the first doll with freckles from head to toe. Championing inclusion and diversity, each doll comes dressed in a stylish outfit –including fun accessories such as hair styling tools and mini laptops –that reflects their own unique personality, and features Rainbow High’s trademark brushable hair, glass eyes, long eyelashes and fully articulated features.

Launched just three years ago, fashionforward doll brand Rainbow High was the 11th bestselling toy in the UK overall in 2022, according to Circana POS data for January–December 2022, and is currently the #3 Doll property and the fastest-growing Fashion Doll brand.

First-ever Rainbow High console game set for autumn release

MGA Entertainment has teamed up with global video games publisher Outright Games for Rainbow High: Runway Rush, the first video game for consoles and PC based on the bestselling fashion doll line. Fans will be able to step into the colourful, immersive school environment of Rainbow High and play as one of their favourite characters –Ruby, Poppy, Sunny, Jade, Skyler or Violet –utilising their different creative skills to complete puzzles and help their classmates. In addition to the main story mode, players will be able to take on a series of quests and find collectibles to level up their characters with unlockable outfits.

“Rainbow High is largely themed around art and creativity, so we worked to integrate these elements into the game through several touchpoints, including mini games that are tailored to the target audience and allow players to illustrate and design clothes,” says Beth Goss, CEO of Outright Games. “As a company we are dedicated to creating games designed with first-time, young players in mind, and we hope this game will be an opportunity to introduce a new generation of kids to the world of gaming.”

Rainbow High: Rainbow Rush will be available this autumn on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Playstation 4, Playstation 5, Nintendo Switch and PC.

Following its successful social media-led launch in the US, kidult-targeted brand MGA’s Miniverse debuted in the UK in April this year with two food-themed collections: Make It Mini Food Café Edition (£6.99) and Make It Mini Food Diner Edition (£8.99), priced to reflect MGA’s ongoing mission to provide smaller and more affordable toys amidst inflation.

Combining the two latest TikTok crazes –miniature items, in particular food, and crafting – the new line features tiny “ingredients”, kitchen accessories and recipe cards that come beautifully packaged in a blind ball, which can be combined to create culinary masterpieces that harden when exposed to daylight or UV light.

MGA’s Miniverse has been named #9 in Circana’s roundup of the Top 10 New Properties and ranked as the #3 Miscellaneous Toy in April in the UK market. In the US, the line has enjoyed phenomenal success, selling more than 2m balls to date and earning a place on Circana’s list of Top 5 New Toys.

The new line has racked up impressive follower numbers across social media channels, reaching more than 37m people during the first phase of the launch campaign in the UK, and has partnered with some of the biggest crafting influencers on TikTok, including Kira Goode, who boasts more than 700,000 followers and 32 million likes.

MGA corners kidult market with MGA’s Miniverse Make It Mini Food

Bratz and Skinnydip team for Primark collection

In January 2023, Primark teamed with Skinnydip, the London-based “connoisseur of quirky”, for a Bratzthemed adult beauty and lifestyle range that reportedly flew off the shelves. Beauty products including face cloths, a hair detangler, eye mask, compact mirror, eyelash curlers, makeup sponges and hairclips, as well as notebooks, a phone charm, water bottle, throw blanket and pencil case, caused a major buzz on social media, with nostalgia fans professing their eagerness to get their hands on the Bratz-branded goods – and some buying up the entire collection. The launch was supported by posts on Primark’s main and beauty social channels.

New content for Rainbow High and L.O.L. Surprise!

With Season 3 of CGI animated series

Rainbow High making its Netflix debut in May 2023, MGA Entertainment has announced that the fourth season will follow later this year. “Usually we launch each season in the US first, then in other territories later, to allow time for translation into different languages,” says Alan Hilowitz, MGA Entertainment’s vice president, global corporate communications, “but for Season 4, we’ll

be launching globally, which is a first and something we’re very excited about.”

The Rainbow High animated series, available on Netflix and YouTube, has had over 1bn views worldwide. Also in the works this year is the first animated series focusing solely on the Tots, the miniature blind-ball L.O.L. Surprise! dolls, produced by MGA Entertainment’s recent acquisition, Australia-based animation studio Pixel Zoo.

Rainbow High debuts Paris Hilton collector doll

Following her cameo appearance last year in the Rainbow High animated series as the headmistress of Rainbow High’s sister school Pacific Coast High, Paris Hilton was immortalised in doll form in December as the Rainbow High Premium Edition Paris Hilton Collector Doll, marking MGA’s first-ever celebrity partnership for the leading fashion doll brand.

Appealing to the burgeoning kidult market, the Rainbow High Paris Hilton Collector Doll features two outfits hand-picked by Paris herself: a chainmail pink dress with safety-pin details, and a dress embellished with pearl and rhinestone detailing worn with a pink blazer, with a matching pair of knee-high boots.

For the ultimate unboxing experience, Paris comes in a luxe pink collector box secured with a gold plaque, which opens to reveal the doll, clothing and accessories, along with a message from Paris and her autograph.

“Paris Hilton represents the confident individuality, bold fashion and entrepreneurial spirit that Rainbow High is all about,” says MGA Entertainment CEO and founder Isaac Larian.

The Rainbow High Premium Edition Paris Hilton Collector Doll is available in the US at Amazon, Walmart and Target.

ASOS x Bratz womenswear capsule has summer sorted

More than 21 years since its debut, iconic brand Bratz continues to make its presence felt in the fashion space. May 2023 saw the launch of a trend-led 18-piece

ASOS Design Bratz

womenswear collection, produced for the leading online fashion retailer by Somerbond. The festivalinspired pieces include a pink knitted tank top featuring the iconic Bratz logo and lips design, a split-front cami top co-ord with lace trim, a satin heart-shaped diamante-studded clutch, sleepwear and swimwear. Supported by extensive social media coverage, the line was released in time for all Bratz nostalgia fans to get summer-ready while showing the world their “passion for fashion”.

Licensing partnerships a sweet success for L.O.L. Surprise!

In 2022, L.O.L. Surprise! partnered with leading confectionary brands, including Hershey’s Kisses, Jolly Rancher, Chupa Chups and more, for a collectible line designed to spark sweet memories for parents and kidults alike. Launched in the US in autumn and in the UK at Smyth’s Toys in December (and at wider retailers in January 2023), L.O.L. Surprise! Loves Mini Sweets has steadily grown to be the leading segment across the brand in 2022 and 2023 to date. Featuring favourite Tots characters dressed in candyinspired looks, the line-up is available in two different series, all featuring a unique and exclusive unboxing experience: the classic L.O.L. Surprise! Loves Mini Sweets ball with compostable paper ball and the L.O.L. Surprise! Loves Mini Sweets Surprise-O-Matic capsule with vending machine reveal.

LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE TOYS!

Geoff Sheffield, chief commercial officer, The Entertainer

“L.O.L. Surprise! is a consistent bestseller for us, even in a soft year, and that’s down to the constant innovation and reinvention of the play pattern, which have kept the brand fresh.

The new L.O.L. Surprise! Loves Mini Sweets line is doing well. MGA’s Miniverse, which is the company’s big launch for this year, is also going well, and seems to have wide appeal amongst both kids and adults. It’s going to be an interesting one to watch this year.

MGA is definitely disruptive in the field of fashion dolls. When you get up close to the Rainbow High dolls and look at some of the detail that’s put into them, it’s incredible. Adding to the brand with lines like Shadow High means MGA continues to challenge the norm in that space, which keeps consumers coming back.

As retailers, we drive promos and value for our customers and MGA has supported that over the years consistently. We’ve done unboxing events in stores in the past, and our marketing teams are working on activations for the second half of the year around window displays.”

We asked a panel of leading licensees and retailers for the lowdown on the MGA products that are currently topping their bestseller lists, and to share their thoughts on what gives blockbuster brands like L.O.L. Surprise!, Rainbow High, Bratz and Little Tikes the edge in a crowded market.

Jonathan Cotugno, vp product development, Townley

“Townley has been developing product globally with MGA since 2020. L.O.L. Surprise! immediately skyrocketed to become one of the top licences across our entire portfolio. Our view is that the strength and continued success of MGA brands lies not only in their uniqueness when compared to the competition, but in the constant expansion of the creative, aligning with on-trend, aspirational moments.

We’re thrilled to be launching product in Q3 2023 surrounding the iconic Bratz brand. This line not only has the nostalgia element, but also the trend-right, quality cosmetics the customer demands. The detailed collaborations that happen daily with the various MGA teams are a direct contribution to the success of all MGA x Townley product lines.”

Lisa Shand, md, Blueprint Collections

“Blueprint has partnered with MGA to create L.O.L. Surprise! stationery and bags since 2017, and the products established themselves quickly in our portfolio as bestsellers. The target age group and ‘collectability’ of the brand is a perfect match for the back-to-school category. L.O.L. Surprise! is now a classic in our range; key items include our L.O.L. Surprise! Bumper Stationery Set, Large Art Set and backpack. The MGA team is great to work with. We’re given lots of support with new style guides and quick turnarounds on approvals.”

Dan Grant, licensing director, Danilo

“L.O.L. Surprise! is consistently in our top five licences across our whole portfolio. Our bestselling licensed products are greeting cards and gift wrap – we sold over 1m units in 2022 and the products are stocked in all key retailers in the UK.

There is a big element of fun and cuteness to L.O.L. that young kids love. The dolls all have their own individual styles and outfits, plus accessories to match. The artwork is kept really fresh, so our products always look strong on-shelf and are recognisable to the person purchasing the cards for the end recipient.

We keep our greeting card designs updated each year, using the refreshed artwork and style guides that MGA supplies on a seasonal basis. We also work closely with MGA to keep pace with its marketing activity and align our marketing accordingly. The other great benefit of the partnership is that MGA has a wide number of licensees and influencers that we can partner with to drive strong activity such as online and in-store retail, competitions and more.”

Beth Goss, ceo, Outright Games

“Since our multi-year licensing partnership with MGA first began in 2020, we have launched L.O.L. Surprise! and Bratz games for PC and console, and we are delighted to continue our partnership with console game Rainbow High: Rainbow Rush, which will be released this September.

Bratz: Flaunt Your Fashion is one of our bestselling games to date, as it tapped into the nostalgia of the brand for long-time fans and also expanded accessibility to younger gamers.

All three of these brands have incredibly strong USPs based around friendship, artistic expression and fashion, with distinctive visual styles that translate incredibly well to the world of video games. The deep connection between the TV, toy and gaming markets enables cross-promotion. MGA was quick to recognise gaming as an important vertical in expanding the worlds of its IPs, and our partnership with MGA delivers a robust brand experience for consumers.”

Rob Broadhurst, commercial director, Aykroyd & Sons

“We’re proud to say we’ve worked on both L.O.L. Surprise! and Rainbow High since the consumer products programmes launched. In the case of L.O.L. Surprise!, that would be seven years now – it’s been a hell of a ride! We’ve really stepped up our marketing activity in recent years and MGA has been a great partner. An excellent example of this was the L.O.L. Surprise! fashion show at Westfield London back in October, where our George at ASDA range was showcased and then shared on social channels by all partners.”

Laura Adnitt, publishing and brand management director, Story House Egmont

“Story House Egmont has published the L.O.L. Surprise! magazine since 2020 and it has gone from strength to strength. Currently it’s the #4 Primary Girls’ magazine in the UK market; against the backdrop of a declining sector, it’s showing growth of 2% YOY. It is market-leading across all our regions: UK, Eire, ANZ, GSA, Poland, CEE and Nordics.

The L.O.L. Surprise! brand is constantly evolving, so there is always something new for young fans to enjoy. The L.O.L. Surprise! movies have helped to really put the O.M.G. dolls at the forefront of young girls’ minds, and they love being introduced to the dolls on a deeper level, through fun and engaging activities and puzzles in the magazine.

Our seasonal specials are hugely popular – we invest in the product and at retail and we push heavily across our social media marketing platforms. These issues are innovative in terms of content and format, really standing out on-shelf and driving RSV in key seasonal periods.”

Phil Ratcliffe, md, MV Sports

“Our relationship with MGA started with the game-changing Bratz in 2003 and has continued ever since.

Helen Lynch, licensing & range manager, TJ Morris/Home Bargains

“We have stocked MGA brands for a number of years, and have also built up a significant offer made up of products from respected licensees complemented by successful innovative DTR ranges of products that we’ve produced ourselves. These include our range of L.O.L. Surprise! gifting, which launched in A/W 2021, and Little Tikes preschool toys (S/S 2022).

Our L.O.L. Surprise! beauty accessories are popular with our younger customers due to the element of surprise and great perceived value through sets and add-on accessories. Our Little Tikes range includes bubbles, ball and hoop games and musical instruments. The branding is really bold and impactful and works well when we highlight a particular theme/story in-store on a gondola end or on social media.”

The launch of our first L.O.L. Surprise! range in 2018 made a massive impact on our licensed wheeled and outdoor toy sales. All our L.O.L. Surprise! products are emblazoned with bright, iconic colour pops and stylised graphics, including our latest line, which consists of 3-in-1 Scootin’ Suitcase, Lithium Electric In-line Scooter, Inline Skates, Hopper, Safety Helmet, Pop Up Tent and Tepee, alongside much-sought-after products such as the Folding In-line Scooter and 14” and 16” bikes.

Last year we added Rainbow High to our extensive portfolio of licences, including a Folding In-line Scooter, 14” Bike, Safety Helmet and In-line Skates. The diverse nature of the characters combined with bright, fun slogans and graphics keeps consumers coming back for more.”

BEST LICENSING PARTNER • BEST LICENSING BRANDS

Licensees

Licensees are partners (usually manufacturers or retailers) who obtain a licence from the licensor to make and sell products bearing the licensed character or brand.

The following section is devoted to purveyors of licensed products and those whose products might be suitable for licensing.

If you are a retail buyer reviewing licensed products available or a licensor looking for new products for your licences, read on.

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titles like Epic Encounters, which Forbes called the “Blue Apron [of] Dungeons & Dragons”; the highly-rated skirmish wargame, Godtear; and their star-studded upcoming dungeon explorer, Bardsung, Steamforged is fast building a reputation as a producer of their own excellent IP’s.

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