The Bugg Report Magazine - Edition 15

toys & licensing

www.buggtoysandlicensing.com edition 15

TM

From the Editor Well 2015 is well underway and we have already seen the Hong Kong International Licensing Show, Nuremberg Toy Fair and New York Toy Fair come and go in what looks to be an exciting and successful year for the industry. Like we always say, this industry is all about the hype, so it will be very interesting to see how the year pans out and what brands rise to the top?

There are so many great movies with huge hype ready to hit cinemas this year, not to mention TV shows and apps. I am not going to make any bold predictions, however I think it is safe to say that the new Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens has been the talk of the town lately! I even read an article (at the time of writing) that Apple’s Jony Ive is to blame for that new flickering light saber from the trailer! For anyone who is interested, you can read more here: http://goo.gl/bxB7ca.

From an online viewpoint, look-out for a new ‘Movie Guide’ online at www.buggtoysandlicensing.com launching soon. We are putting this together to help you keep up-to-date with all the upcoming movies and coinciding release dates, with the intention of helping you work out what is happening and when! On another note, if you are not signed-up to receive our email updates, I encourage you to sign-up so you don’t miss out on any industry news by visiting www.buggtoysandlicensing.com/subscriptions.

This month we have lots of great features to share with you including interviews with Melissa Tinker (Turner), Katherine Powell (Disney), Andre Reich (Kmart) and Paul Field (The Wiggles). As always, we strive to bring you all the latest, greatest and exclusive first hand updates from the major players via our regular Market Wrap. Perhaps most exciting addition to this magazine is our new Sport Licensing supplement, which you will find by flipping the magazine over. We aim to build on our Sport Licensing supplement and make this new development a regular edition to our annual publishing schedule.

As always, we really do like to hear your feedback from a constructive criticism point of view and also anything that you find engaging and interesting to read. Let us know what you would like to see more and/or less of by emailing me at editor@buggtoysandlicensing.com

For all relevant contacts please refer below: Media releases: media@buggtoysandlicensing.com Feedback/suggestions: editor@buggtoysandlicensing.com Advertising/bookings: bookings@buggtoysandlicensing.com Bugg Toys & Licensing is published by Bugg Marketing Solutions Managing Director – Tony Bugg – tony@buggsolutions.com.au Editor in Chief – Matthew Bugg – matt@buggsolutions.com.au Bugg Marketing Solutions Phone/fax: +61 3 9769 3963 Email: info@buggsolutions.com.au Address: Unit 5, 24-26 Woods Street, Beaconsfield VIC 3807 Postal: PO BOX 491, Berwick VIC 3806 Bugg Toys & Licensing has been compiled as a guide to Toys and Licensing.

The views and opinions provided are based upon the views and opinions of its writers. In no way is Bugg Toys & Licensing a factual guide to Toys and Licensing and does not take responsibility for how the information provided is used by its consumers.

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Contents

13

Disney Feature Interview with Catherine Powell

29

Kmart Feature Interview with Andre Reich

40

Cartoon Network Feature Interview with Melissa Tinker

55

The Wiggles Feature Interview with Paul Field

64

WWE Feature Interview with Chris Marsh

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create innovate innovate engage engage create

Visit us at stand G09

For licensing enquiries please contact: Manager, Brands and Licensing:

Yasmine Lucien

lucien.yasmine@abc.net.au

+61 2 8333 3101

Senior Brand Manager: Brand Manager:

Beatriz Seligmann Danielle Smith

seligmann.beatriz@abc.net.au smith.danielle@abc.net.au

+61 2 8333 3946 +61 2 8333 5011

ABC Kids, Giggle and Hoot and Play School © Australian Broadcasting Corporation 2015. Prisoner Zero © 2015 Prisoner Zero Holdings Pty Ltd and TELEGAEL TEORANTA. Maya the Bee. Based on the books written by Waldemar Bonsels “Maya the Bee” © Studio 100 Animation. Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries © Every Cloud Productions Pty Ltd and Australian Broadcasting Corporation 2015.

Photographer: Russell Privett

Play School Play School, Australia’s longest running children’s TV program, will be celebrating its 50th Anniversary in 2016. ABC Kids’ beloved flagship program will be honoured in a truly special way in the lead up to, and throughout the anniversary year, with special events, products and programming in the making.

Children unable to wait that long can watch classic nursery rhyme characters magically come to life as the pages of the storybook are turned in the exciting new Play School live production, Once Upon A Time. Jemima, Big Ted, Little Ted and Humpty travel through an enchanting adventure filled with stories, songs and dance as they entertain audiences in locations across the nation between February and November this year. A new music title of the same name is also being released on CD and iTunes in February.

Giggle and Hoot The second Giggle and Hoot & Friends live show took to a hoot-astic start in Melbourne in December last year and is currently touring nationwide.

Presented by Live Nation in association with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Giggle and Hoot & Friends is a 50-minute stage spectacular with everyone’s favourite songs, dancing, and of course fun and laughter.

Joining Jimmy Giggle, Hoot and Hootabelle onstage is everyone’s favourite twins, the Bananas in Pyjamas, B1 & B2, who are now in their 22nd year and continue to be loved by children and parents globally.

The highly-awaited launch of the Hoot and Hootabelle walkabout costumes this April

will bring exciting new marketing and promotional opportunities around our lovable owls.

In partnership with Showtime Attractions, Hoot and Hootabelle will be performing live pods at shopping centres from Q2 onwards.

This first quarter of the year has also seen the expansion of the Giggle and Hoot novelty publishing range with educational titles such as Learn to Count and Learn to Write and Hoot’s Egg Hunt lift-the-flap book. A new music title Hootastic Tunes is due for release on CD and iTunes, and with new characters joining the show this year, 2015 is shaping up to be a great year for Giggle and Hoot.

have been running promotional campaigns surrounding the retro apparel range which is available exclusively on ABC Shop Online.

For information visit ABC Licensing at stand G09

triple j Australia’s national youth radio station, triple j, turned 40 this year. The yearlong party kicked off in January with triple j’s Beat the Drum concert in Sydney’s Domain which attracted 25,000 people. Live acts included Vance Joy, Ball Park Music, The Presets, The Cat Empire and Hill Top Hoods amongst many others.

A series of iconic retro t-shirts were released in February paying homage to the station’s colourful history. Designs include triple’s j Exploding Head image from the early 80s, as well as the original Double J 1540 logo which recognises the station’s very first moniker. Both Double J and triple j stations

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Collecting AFL footy cards will go digital once again in 2015 with the latest release of the Select Official AFL Collector Cards app.

The AFL, the AFL Players’ Association and Select Australia – the AFL’s Official Collector Card licensee for over 20 years – have again partnered with digital agency Isobar to bring collectors a new and exciting trading card app via the latest mobile and tablet technology.

This year’s app includes a number of new and innovative features that are sure to delight collectors young and old, including the digital marketplace, Select Fantasy and an expanded range of digital cards.

Market For the first time collectors will be able to buy and sell digital cards using virtual coins in the ‘Market’.

BUY – can’t get your hands on that illusive Chad Wingard Great Plays digital card?

Search the Market and if it’s available, purchase the card using your virtual coins.

SELL – can’t stand to have any Collingwood players in your digital album? Set the price and sell them to other users keen to complete their Magpies collection!

Champions 2015 Official AFL Collector Cards into a digital album. To complement the physical cards, a variety of digital cards will be available exclusively via the app.

The 2015 Select Official AFL Collector Cards app enables users to expand their digital collections by purchasing virtual coins to buy digital card packs in a variety of formats.

Users will also be awarded free coins for each card they scan into the app.

New for 2015 is the Captain’s Signature Series, featuring all 18 AFL Clubs’ captains and utilising animated signatures to recreate a virtual signature on each card.

Select Fantasy Last season’s ‘My Team’ feature has transformed into ‘Select Fantasy’. Users will be able to create a team using their own card collection and compete against other users throughout the season. The Select Fantasy game will incorporate weekly AFL Fantasy points provided by Champion Data with unique weighting determined by each card’s rarity.

Competitors will have the opportunity to win a variety of prizes throughout the season via Select’s website, Facebook and Twitter pages. Prizes to include tickets to the 2015 Toyota AFL Grand Final, AFL Memberships and a variety of Select Official AFL Collector Cards product and other AFL merchandise.

Digital Cards Once again, the Select Official AFL Collector Cards app enables fans to use image recognition to scan physical Select

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Collectors will also have the opportunity to collect digital cards featuring vision of the best marks and goals of 2014. The Fresh Faces subset is back for 2015 giving users the opportunity to collect digital cards for key players that switched Clubs during the free agency and trade period.

Select’s 2014 Official AFL Collector Cards App made a huge impact with collectors and was awarded bronze in the ‘Branded Mobile Application’ category at the 2014 Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) MIXX Awards.

The App will be available to download on iPhone, iPad and iPod from the iTunes App Store on Monday 2nd March 2015. The release coincides with the launch of Select Champions 2015 Official AFL Collector Cards available in newsagencies, hobby and AFL Stores, plus BP, 7-Eleven, Coles Express and Woolworths Petrol Stores.

For more information contact Jessica Hatz, AFL Licensing Manager at jessica.hatz@afl.com.au or on (03) 9643 1791

15 20 y To r fo e n on Fu ery ay ev lf D o G

e ad Tr

Supporting Wheelchairs for Kids.

Yarra Yarra Golf Club Monday May 11 The Toy Trade Golf Day is an annual event with all money raised going to the Toy Charity Foundation of Australia. $150.00 all inclusive per player (incl. GST) Registration 11.00am Shot Gun Start 12.00pm Refreshments & Presentations 4.30pm Opportunites exist for hole sposorships as well as the drinks cart. Sponsors’ businesses will be promoted in a variety of ways.

To book your place, go to the ATA’s website austoy.com.au and download the form(s) or contact the Australian Toy Association on 03 9320 2600 or email tborin@austoy.com.au

MAJOR HALO PROMOTION 2015 Off icial Launch Event | National Media Partnership Live Shows & Appearances | Hello Kitty Cafe Prizes & Giveaways

To join the Kindness Revolution contact Sapienza Salerno on ssalerno@havenlic.com.au or +61 2 9357 9888

SHERLOCK

SOOTY

TOP GEAR

DOCTOR WHO

SARAH & DUCK

HEY DUGGEE

CHARLIE AND LOLA

Building brilliant brands

B B C AU S T R A L I A . C O M

Visit us at Stand B04, Australian Toy, Hobby & Licensing Fair FOR ALL LICENSING ENQUIRIES: Brigid Roberts / Retail & Licensing Manager brigid.roberts@bbc.com / T +61 2 9744 4569

FOR ALL WHOLESALE ENQUIRIES: Nicole Chungue / Retail & Licensing Executive nicole.chungue@bbc.com / T +61 2 9744 4570

Joanne Webb / Business Manager – Wholesale joanne.webb@bbc.com / T +61 2 9744 4500

B B C AU S T R A L I A . C O M

BBC Worldwide Australia and New Zealand boasts a portfolio of the very best of British brands, including some of the BBC’s most acclaimed and popular content.

The team has recently expanded their operations, with products not only sold into retailers, but used for pop-up shops, live events and the BBC online shop at www.bbcshop.com.au.

Doctor Who continued to capture the public’s imagination in 2014, with Peter Capaldi introduced as the Twelfth Doctor.

As part of a major global tour to launch series 8, Peter and his onscreen companion Jenna Coleman (Clara Oswald) circumnavigated the globe, visiting seven cities across five continents in 12 days. The tour included a sell-out fan event in Sydney, where they were greeted by 2000 Whovians.

The extraordinary Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular returned to Australia and New Zealand this year. The musical celebration, presented by Fifth Doctor, Peter Davison, featured a cast of Daleks, Cybermen and a host of Doctor Who monsters.

The overwhelmingly popular Doctor Who pop-up shop materialised in Sydney and Melbourne in 2014, stocking a host of merchandise, including an exclusive TARDIS print fashion range.

2015 is set to be another big year, with the upcoming ninth series and the exciting launch of a LEGO® Doctor Who set.

Top Gear has raced into 2015, with Australian viewers able to watch the new series on BBC Knowledge within minutes of it airing in the UK. The fastest and loudest Top Gear Festival ever will take place at Sydney Motorsport Park in April. For the first time, all three UK presenters – James May, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond – will lead the charge in a weekend of festival action.

a dedicated area at the Doctor Who pop‑up shops.

This year sees the 10th anniversary of the Charlie and Lola television series, which continues to be as popular as ever with young fans.

Following the success of last year’s sell-out tour, Charlie and Lola’s Extremely New Play tours Australia in April, and a new range of Charlie and Lola Babylove Training Pant nappies will hit stores nationally this month.

2014 saw the launch of exciting new Children’s titles Sarah & Duck and Hey Duggee.

The curious adventures of Sarah and her best friend Duck have enchanted audiences, with the BAFTA-winning series reaching over 2.3 million Australians.

In addition to the Sarah & Duck app from Scary Beasties and picture books by Penguin, further products including plush toys and DVDs will launch this year, and series 2 starts on CBeebies this month.

BAFTA and Emmy award-winning Sherlock is set to return to screens for a Special, followed by a series of three new episodes.

Hey Duggee is a place for children (and their parents) to have fun, be energetic, and – most of all – to do things! With its engaging and entertaining stories, Hey Duggee has been delighting parents and kids alike, and a new series will be coming to CBeebies later this year.

Products including T-shirts and stationery with phrases such as “I’m not a Psychopath…

I’m a high functioning Sociopath” proved hugely popular with fans at ‘Sherlock Corner’,

BBC Worldwide is the official licensing and merchandise agent for the Sooty brand in Australia and New Zealand. One of the longest running children’s television shows

in the world, The Sooty Show has recently been enjoying a revival with a new generation of fans in the UK, with the modern series becoming the most watched pre-school show on CITV, a sell-out live tour, and Sooty the Movie set to go into production this year.

As such a widely recognised and treasured brand, Sooty has exciting possibilities.

In their own immortal words... Izzy wizzy, let’s get busy!

Visit us at Stand B04 at the Toy, Hobby & Licensing Fair.

For more information or to make an appointment, please contact Nicole Chungue on nicole.chungue@bbc.com

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Congratulations to all of our partners for making Disney’s Frozen the Property of the Year*

©Disney

*As voted by 2015 Toy Industry Association, Inc, USA and announced at the 15th Annual Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards, New York City, 13 February 2015

After more than 20 distinguished years with Disney, John Cracknell announced his retirement from the organisation in late 2013; Catherine Powell was then appointed to take over the role as Managing Director of The Walt Disney Company Australia and New Zealand.

Prior to moving to Australia from the UK in July 2014, Catherine had served as General Manager, Media Distribution, overseeing distribution of Disney’s content across all of EMEA. As you will gather from her former title, content and content distribution has been a big part of her life with Disney. Catherine cites her appointment as “perfect timing”, which isn’t surprising when you understand the quality and diversity of the content that Disney has both in its archives and its pipeline.

Now that Catherine has settled here in Australia, we were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to speak with her about her plans for the Disney business, her views on the market and what the future looks like in our region.

For Catherine, it’s all about taking the consumer on a journey.

“At Disney, we know how to connect and engage with consumers. For me, it’s an immediate priority to work closely with licensees and retailers to bring the Disney brand and our core franchises to life at retail, which in turn creates that emotional bond and experience for our customers.”

Her observation of the local market is that retail and shelf space is at a premium. But she says that if you can offer a franchise solution, which has long-term relevance and a proven track record, to a retailer, it allows you to be on the front foot.

Catherine references Disney CEO Bob Iger’s genius in acquisitions, which has assembled four key brand pillars for the organization – Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars. All of these powerful global brands sit comfortably alongside each other.

“We are in a fortunate position where the breadth of our portfolio means we have multiple franchises with widereaching appeal – to parents and children, grandparents, sci-fi geeks and fanboys.

Only Disney can bring this unparalleled collection of strong brands and pipeline of great content to the table.”

In terms of Disney’s relationships with their partners, she sees global deals continuing where they are relevant, but says regional and local licensees play a critical role in allowing the company to be flexible and nimble, and capitalise on emerging trends.

Her advice to partners? Quite simply, “Trust Disney, trust our brands. We will not let you down.”

As you settle into your new role here in Australia, what is the most noticeable dynamic that is particularly prominent in this market V EMEA from a business perspective?

From a broad perspective, I’ve been very impressed with the quality of the cinema experience here, and I’ve been struck with the importance of lifestyle and outdoor.

With that in mind, I’ve tasked my team with creating more opportunities for fans to really experience our stories, our characters and our brands, like our recent partnerships with Tennis Australia at the Australian Open, and with the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney and Melbourne to create the Disney Fairies Trail.

In licensing, we all know there are challenges inherent in lack of scale, and of course, we recognise the pressure this puts on partners.

From a retail standpoint, there is obviously a concentration at retail here in Australia, which means there is lots of competition for shelf space. That said, you can also make a big splash in-market when you partner with major retailers as we did for our Frozen Spectacular campaign last year and as we will do with our recently announced partnership with Woolworths for the dominos program.

It is a fact that Disney now owns many of the biggest brands, franchises and movies on offer to the consumer globally.

What is your philosophy on how you present this to market?

We are very excited about 2015 – we will be bringing Australian audiences the magic of Disney with Cinderella, the emotion of Pixar with Inside Out, the superheroes of Marvel with Avengers: Age of Ulton and Ant‑Man, and the epic adventures of Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens.

Our commitment to partners is to engage with our consumers, their audiences, through our brands and franchises, specifically through the characters and magical storytelling that is the essence of everything we do.

Content is at the heart of this, but at Disney we are structured in such a way that we connect consumers to this content by creating multiple touch points and experiences that not only build awareness but also that strong emotional connection which keeps the audiences coming back from more.

People know what our brands stand for, and they can trust them to deliver. I believe that Disney does this more effectively and successfully than any other media and entertainment company. When you say Disney, Pixar, Marvel or Star Wars, it means something to consumers.

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Disney’s recently-launched A Life More Magical brand campaign For many years now we may have been a bit too focused on Kids brands in this market. Should we expect a more holistic approach from you?

content to market with more immediacy that this will discourage and slow the piracy rate?

Whilst the Disney brand certainly has family appeal, the Marvel and Star Wars brands take our appeal beyond that core, meaning Disney really has something for everyone. You can look at the recent box office success of the Oscar-nominated Into the Woods, which was geared to a more sophisticated theatre-goer, as well as the upcoming Cinderella which will target females of all ages. Also, Marvel films, somewhat surprisingly to many, appeal equally to males and females.

Physical and digital piracy is an ongoing industry issue. Australians love product and love content. Our challenge is to get this product and content to them as quickly as possible. There are logistical issues in speeding up physical distribution. But for digital, we need to find the right partners, create the right product that ensures the best possible consumer experience, and distribute it effectively and efficiently. Ongoing technological development will only make this process easier.

If you look at our most recent brand campaign, it’s certainly playing to that deep love and affection for the Disney brand among multiple generations. The “A Life More Magical” campaign reminds you that everyday life is a bit more magical with Disney.

The younger generation seems to be all about access rather than ownership.

With music platforms such as Spotify, and things like Netflix, it changes the game. What is your view on this across all demographics?

You mentioned that Piracy in this market is particularly prevalent, access for the consumer is key, with technology improving every day, do you believe that if corporations such as Disney can bring

Disney is in a privileged position because people want to own Disney products and pass them down from parent to child. There is an inherent appeal and longevity of the brand that few other companies could claim. But we certainly believe that fans should be able

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to consume content how and when they like – whether it’s on linear channels, on demand or using over-the-top services like Netflix. We work with key partners like Seven, Foxtel and Netflix to ensure customers have multiple ways to enjoy our fantastic content.

Was your recent event “Disney at the Australian Open” a result of your belief that Australians love their live experience?

Can we expect more of these events as part of your future plans?

Experiential marketing is an area of increased focus for me and something that you’ll likely see more of from Disney. We need to ensure every consumer goes on a journey with us and really connects with our stories, characters and ultimately, our brands.

DCP has always been an important component of the Disney experience.

With Kylie now assuming the Retail and Licensing role what can we expect from a merchandise and retail activation standpoint over the next 2 years?

Disney’s licensing and retail businesses are of critical importance because of the opportunities they provide us to

connect with consumers and bring our brands and franchises to life. Kylie has an extensive understanding of both areas of the businesses, and she can apply the experience she gained during her tenure as CMO to help us further enhance our retail and licensing partnerships and experiences.

With Asia on our doorstep and a rumoured 600 million middle class Chinese in Mainland China by 2020, the opportunity for brands and entertainment content will be huge. How do view this region from a Disney standpoint?

China represents a significant opportunity for the entire Walt Disney Company. In our most recent earnings call, our CEO described Shanghai Disney Resort as our most ambitious project ever and said he was thrilled with the way this spectacular destination is coming along. There are an estimated 330 million potential guests within a three-hour travel radius of our Shanghai resort.

Do you believe that Disney may have been focused a bit too much on the physical aspects of the business at the expense of technology in this market?

We will focus on optimising all our businesses in each market – working with what the market supports, whether it be in physical, digital, live entertainment or partnerships. We are very focussed on the digital economy and how we can leverage technology as it develops to create the best possible experience for consumers.

Disney’s long-term strategy appears to emphasise creativity, innovative use of technology and global growth. The sharpness of their focus in these areas results in increased alignment and commitment through out the organisation.

Disney’s real brand strength lies in its use of technology and data. They use this to understand what customers want and to personalise their experience.

The opportunity for you to capitalise on the content, which is available to Disney across all channels, does allude to ‘perfect’ timing.

Thank you for your insight into the Disney business.

A young fan finding fairies using an augmented reality app, as part of this summer’s Disney Fairies Trail experience at the Royal Botanic Gardens

For more information about Disney, please contact support@disney.com.au

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LICENSING AVAILABLE

FROM WARNER BROS. CONSUMER PRODUCTS

Tim.S.Everett@warnerbros.com

Entertainment One’s continued Australian expansion into 2015 and beyond After ten years of successful broadcast on Australia’s ABC4Kids, Peppa Pig has established itself as the leading preschool licensed brand in Australia. The brand has a reputable licensee base of over fifty partners, enjoys great retail success and warms the hearts of Australian consumers.

Peppa Pig has established a solid consumer base and is a consistent ratings winner on ABC. It is the leading children’s home entertainment brand and the No. 1 licensed brand overall in children’s publishing, with book sales surpassing one million copies in 2014. Peppa is one of the fastest growing toy brands in the Australian market, with enormous success in both the infant/ preschool and plush categories. eOne home entertainment has also exceeded a million units, with Peppa established as the number one children’s franchise on iTunes and collections consistently reaching the top of the charts.

Key Peppa Pig licensing partners in Australia include Big Balloon (master toy & role-play), Penguin Publishing (books), Caprice (apparel), Neet Feet (footwear),

Lifelike Touring (live shows), Zoggs (Swim accessories) Fonterra (yogurt), Skinhealth (Cancer Council sunscreen) with new partners rolling out product in 2015 including Maxwell Foods (sultanas), Crayola (colour & activity packs), Portmeirion (ceramic & silverware) and Universal Brand (health & beauty). Peppa Pig’s first live ticketed show, Peppa Pig Live: Treasure Island, sold over 175,000 tickets in Australia, across both national & regional tours during the course of 2013 and 2014. eOne has lined up some extended TV specials that are planned for rollout in the second half of 2015 on ABC4Kids. This year will see the continuous development of the brand’s online and digital platforms, ongoing distribution of the standalone Peppa Pig official magazine (a leading Australian preschool title), in addition to themed marketing & promotions nationwide.

According to BrandTrends Australia consumer research data from October 2014, Peppa Pig is the number one brand amongst both boys and girls aged three to six, for both aided and unaided brand awareness.

Alongside Peppa, eOne’s other much loved preschool brand, Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom, also hails from award-winning animation studio Astley Baker Davies, the creators of Peppa Pig, is rapidly gaining momentum. A consumer products range based on the Emmy & BAFTA Award winning series made its retail debut in 2014 across ABC Shops nationally. Big Balloon’s master toy range expanded distribution across the wider retail market in early 2015 and was met with great consumer demand within the first few weeks of expansion.

Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom is a ratings winner on ABC4Kids, and is one of the most downloaded children’s programmes on ABC iView alongside Peppa Pig. Approximately 15 licensees are currently on board the licensing programme in Australia, including Penguin Publishing (books), Big Balloon (master toy), Caprice (apparel & footwear), Tree Toys (puzzles & games), The Entertainment Store/Lifelike Touring (live shows & appearances), Network Clothing (manchester/bedding), Jasnor (melamine) & Courier Luggage (bags & backpacks).

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Heightening awareness of the brand amongst consumers, Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom will be the headline children’s entertainment act at the Pregnancy, Babies & Children’s Expo nationally in 2015. The brand also has a newly established social media platform as well as a brand new Australian website in early 2015. In 2014, Yahoo7 announced Peppa Pig as one of the Top 10 most searched topics online in Australia.

The local Entertainment One Licensing office was established in July 2014 and oversees licensing in both Australian and New Zealand territories. It is managed by licensing veterans, Con Goutzoulas and Trish Padoin, both Directors of the eOne ANZ office. eOne Licensing will be exhibiting at stand F33 at the Australian Toy Hobby & Licensing Fair and invite you to come along and discuss any potential opportunities across the brand portfolio.

Con Goutzoulas and Trish Padoin

eOne Licensing will be exhibiting at stand F33 at the Australian Toy Hobby & Licensing Fair

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• Consistently No.1 in its timeslot for 1st run & repeats on ABC2 (AUS)* • Top 5 kids’ DVD brand at launch for DVD partner, Roadshow** • New Global Master Toy partner -Jazwares • Funtastic to distribute new toy line from Q3 2015 • Dedicated PR and Marketing support for product launch * kids 0-4, February 2015 ** ABC Stores, Dec 2014

Liz Burnett Director, Consumer Products liz.burnett@fremantlemedia.com.au www.fremantlemedia.com

© BBC and FremantleMedia Limited MMX

FremantleMedia Kids & Family Entertainment (FMKFE) is a worldwide leader in family entertainment and one of the most dynamic independent producers, licensors and distributors of engaging and groundbreaking content in the sector. The division has a number of properties established on leading broadcast platforms in Australia and the consumer products for these brands are starting to roll out at retail.

Tree Fu Tom A magical, interactive animated adventure series for 3–5 year olds, Tree Fu Tom (52 x 30’) follows a young boy who uses movement magic (‘Tree Fu’) to transform into a magical superhero.

An instant hit in the UK, the show’s global appeal extends to Australia and New Zealand where it airs on ABC2 and TV Four. On ABC2 Tree Fu Tom has regularly ranked no.1 in its timeslot among children 0–4. Roadshow’s first Tree Fu Tom DVD launched exclusively in ABC stores over Christmas and proved to be an instant hit as one of the retailers top five kids’ DVD brands over the festive period.

2015 brings exciting developments for the tiny superhero. Distributor Funtastic will launch the highly anticipated first range of Tree Fu Tom toys, produced by master toy licensee Jazwares, at retail in Australia in Q315. The range includes an Ultimate Tom figure, Magic Sapstone Belt & Holopax set, a four pack of 3” figures, and Tom’s Magic Gloves & Cape set.

Liz Burnett, Director, Consumer Products FremantleMedia Australia said: “Given the success of the DVD we know there is an appetite for Tree Fu Tom products so we are really looking forward to the toy launch and the subsequent product roll out in Australia.”

includes a four pack of Ella figurines, an assortment of small plush toys and an Ella Feature Plush that plays the theme tune.

A selection of toys will be available at Toys R Us from Q215 and Banter will be releasing further lines for autumn/winter 2015.

The BBC has also commissioned a third series of the show, due to air on CBeebies UK in 2016, further cementing the show’s opportunity for growth and its reputation as a major pre-school property.

Danger Mouse

Ella the Elephant A bright, new pre-school show, Ella the Elephant (52x11’) follows the animated adventures of Ella, a sweet, kind and generous little elephant with a magic red hat. Originated in Canada, the series airs on ABC2 in Australia and TV Four in New Zealand.

Ella the Elephant DVDs distributed by Shock were released in 2014 and are currently available in Target, ABC Shops and JB Hi-Fi. A range of toys manufactured by Jazwares and distributed by Banter Toys will be on show at the Melbourne Toy Fair. The range

With the high profile launch of the brand new series of Danger Mouse due to premiere in the UK this year, FremantleMedia Kids & Family Entertainment is currently running parallel licensing programmes for the world’s greatest secret agent, with Classic Danger Mouse targeted at adults who love the original series, whilst the licensing for the brand new series will be aimed at children.

The division is set to announce a range of Australian deals in the near future.

For more information please contact: Liz Burnett, Director, Consumer Products FremantleMedia Kids & Family Entertainment (AUNZ) +61 2 9434 0722 liz.burnett@fremantlemedia.com

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THE WORLD’S PREMIER INDEPENDENT LICENSING AGENCY

For All Licensing Enquiries, Contact Elie Mansour Director Of IMG Licensing Australia.

Phone: +612 9285 8000 - Direct: +612 9260 2378 - Mobile: +61 439 451 376 Address: Level 2, 179 -191 New South Head Road, Edgecliff, NSW 2027 Email: Elie.mansour@img.com | Web: www.imglicensing.com

Jasnor is geared up for a strong 2015 with many new releases planned for their brands and licensed properties – particularly In the Night Garden, Shaun the Sheep, Disney Baby, Paddington Bear, Disney Frozen, Peppa Pig, The Wiggles, The Very Hungry Caterpillar and many more!

Jasnor’s range of In the Night Garden offers super soft plush and chunky style plastic toys filled with loads of interactive features which are not only fun but also have developmental benefits for children. From the popular Talking Igglepiggle and Upsy Daisy to the soothing sounds of Glowing Makka Pakka: this year’s range has something for everyone!

Jasnor is pleased to introduce the new In the Night Garden Activity Table, which will provide hours of fun whilst introducing young children to simple learning patterns through colour, lights, games, songs and stories.

Additionally the brand new Play & Learn Activity Carousel: a chunky play centre with a carry handle based on the iconic carousel from the show, is sure to be a popular choice for fans of the show this year.

releases in Australia on the 26 March 2015 and Jasnor is excited to be master toy partner for this popular franchise.

Peppa Pig the lovable cheeky little piggy continues to be popular! Jasnor’s fun range of luggage, mealtime and activity stationery is a must-have. With a fresh new look the ‘Home Sweet Home’ styling brings freshness to the overall look. The Wheelie Bag is great for adventures away, whilst the little Tote Bag is perfect for holding those most loved treasures. The colourful Lunch Bag will keep snacks fresh and cool, whilst being a stylish addition to the school bag.

Disney’s classic characters have a rich storytelling tradition and Jasnor’s range of Disney Baby products are especially sweet for little ones, who can explore the amazing world of Disney, sound and colour through these entertaining toys. In 2015 we see the introduction of the popular Jack in the box in a variety of traditional Disney characters; Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Winnie the Pooh and Dumbo as well as several new activity toys and teether style flat blankies.

The beloved Paddington Bear first appeared in 1958 and has featured in more than twenty books, with over 30 million copies sold worldwide! The polite immigrant bear, with his old hat, battered suitcase, duffle coat and love of marmalade sandwiches, has become a classic character loved by generations! The franchise boasts over 265 licenses, making thousands of different products across various countries. Jasnor are the proud distributors of the plush range in Australia and New Zealand which have been strong sellers on the back of the release of the ‘fun for the whole family’ film ‘Paddington’, late in 2014. With an allstar cast, the film was nominated for two BAFTA awards and with the DVD release planned in March 2015: this brand will grow from strength to strength.

Shaun the Sheep thinks and acts like a person in a barnyard, which usually gets him into trouble. The farmer’s sheepdog, Bitzer, tries to keep Shaun and his friends out of trouble. In the upcoming movie Shaun decides to take the day off and have some fun but gets more action than he bargained for. Jasnor’s range of ‘movie product’ is filled with just as much action with the interactive Catapult Shaun, or the popular Shivering Shaun. Jasnor’s range of backpacks suits both young and tween, whilst the super soft plush in a variety of characters, and a range of fun activity stationery means there is a Shaun product for everyone! Shaun the movie

The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter was first published in 1902 and has never been out of print since, with over 250 million books sold worldwide. The popular story has now been re-imagined into a 3D CGI animated TV series for pre-schoolers, receiving consistently high ratings on ABC 4 Kids. Jasnor’s popular product range includes Action Figurines, Playing Cards, Puzzles, Activity Sets, Plush and Interactive Talking Plush based on the much-loved Peter Rabbit series. In 2015, a new interactive Story Telling Peter Rabbit and Talking Benjamin Bunny are expected to be top picks among parents and preschoolers alike.

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As well as internationally recognised characters, Jasnor is proud to manufacture some of Australia’s much-loved friends from Play School, Bananas in Pyjamas, Giggle and Hoot and The Wiggles. On the back of a very successful national tour, Jasnor’s range of The Wiggles Mealtime items have been popular with retailers since their launch in 2014 and the company is excited to be working on some fresh new product formats for introduction later in the year. Likewise, with the impending 50th Anniversary for Play School in 2016, Jasnor is already at work developing some key pieces to commemorate such a momentous achievement for the iconic television series. New Dress-up Play School characters are also in development for release prior to Christmas.

Founded in 1988, Jasnor is one of Australasia’s leading distributors of quality and innovative licensed products, toys, plush and gifts with a reputation for providing value for money combined with a high level of service, experience and expertise. Be sure to visit Jasnor at Toy Fair to see their comprehensive collection of iconic characters!

Visit us at the Melbourne ATA Toy Fair on Stand E40 as we showcase our much-loved toy brands and the best and brightest pre-school brands for 2015!

Contact details 1300 881 940, enquiry@jasnor.com, www.jasnor.com.au

NEW!

NEW!

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Jasnor (Australia) Pty Ltd Shop online www.jasnor.com.au Phone 1300 881 940 · E-mail sales@jasnor.com Visit us at Toy Fair - Stand E40

Facebook/JasnorAUS

Bringing a retailer back from the brink

Kmart Australia’s turnaround may seem to have occurred sometime back but when you consider it was just over six years ago (2008) that an ownership and leadership change offered the opportunity to take an icon Brand from being ‘out for the count’ to what some say is ‘the most successful retail business transformation in Australia’s history’ it wouldn’t be wrong to say that a lot has happened in this short amount of time.

Getting the foundations right was first and foremost the most important thing we needed to do. Looking back at who we thought we were in 2008 and what we thought our customers (and team members) wanted in 2008 it was obvious we had lost connection with our key stakeholders.

Growing up, many of us are reminded to ‘respect where you came from’. It would be fair to say that this statement really defined the first stage of Kmart’s turnaround. Our business had run flat sales growth for over 10 years and profit had been in decline over the same period. In 2009, the year of Kmart’s 40th anniversary in Australia, our focus was understanding where we had come from and what role we played in the lives of our customers and team members going forward. Needless to say we weren’t good at pleasing anyone. The entire business set about understanding the role we could play in the lives of families – which in our case meant endless conversations with our customers, team members and broader stakeholders. Three key responses quickly

summed up our customer’s experience, “you don’t have what I want”, “when you do I can’t find it” and “I don’t trust your prices”.

Historically, based on the highly competitive Australian and New Zealand retail market, the department stores and discount department stores would drive customers into store with blanket category discounts – creating a “I’ll just wait until it is on sale” response from customers. The consequence for the retailer would be that the best-selling product would be sold on discount and the product that was left would be sold later at an even greater discount. Kmart was in a discount cycle that was increasing in frequency and discount depth perpetuating its customer’s experience of “you don’t have what I want”, “when you do I can’t find it” and “I don’t trust your prices”.

Every great business, retail or not, has a highly influential leader with a passionate and committed leadership team working alongside all team members to create a magnificent culture. The work that had to be pursued to move Kmart into profitability

required the commitment of the entire organisation. Engaging and aligning the entire 30,000 strong Kmart team was paramount and considering what they had experienced to date such as many management changes and many strategies they were fatigued and disengaged. However underlying this everyone always knew the answers would come from our team and there was an incredible belief that Kmart would rise to success again one day.

The first thing that occurred was that leadership undertook an intense alignment program, which then over a number of years, cascaded through the entire organisation.

Alignment was simply achieved by creating a not negotiable belief that big ideas would be actively debated and when an idea was accepted, the idea was owned and supported.

As we embarked on the intense wave of ideas and learnings across Kmart, we saw the regular discounting we were doing was selling out the products that most people came to Kmart for – these items were those everyday products that all families BUGGtoysandlicensing.com

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need. One of the boldest initial ideas we implemented was to stop discounting those everyday products and fix a low everyday price. The noted outcome was that the products sold out without advertising or any particular support in store – this was the birth of our Every Day Low Price Strategy (EDLP). The vision of Kmart being the place “where families come first for the lowest prices on everyday items” was now born. The economics of this new retail model however required significant bold changes to many parts of our business including our sourcing model. In order to deliver on our vision of lowest price, we needed to significantly reduce the number of products in Kmart (100,000 down to 50,000 over three years) and restructure our promotional agreements with our branded partners to EDLP in order to source volume from the biggest partners and factories at the lowest price. During this period we said farewell to those partners who could not or did not want to accompany us on this journey. In the case of branded and licensed products in Apparel, due to the complicated and fragmented nature of our agreements, we decided to simplify our business model and concentrate on our own branded products to re-establish our core product proposition for our customers.

In the early stages of team feedback, three themes became apparent. It became obvious that Kmart lacked transparency, integrity and clarity of what ‘great’ looks like. To overcome this we needed commitment from all team members to execute the big ideas and back big volume. Moving an entire organisation to EDLP, reducing every price and doubling Kmart’s unit volume required the highest level of transparency, integrity and measurement from all team members and stakeholders.

At this point in time we also raised the visibility and focus on our values and behaviours right across the organisation and we introduced a program called “Unwritten Ground Rules” (UGR’s). UGR’s made way for all levels and ranks of the organisation to promote and challenge values and behaviours. During this stage we asked team members to back this cause and those who could not, chose to move on with dignity.

Creating clear accountabilities for all team members using our 10/10/20 measures (+10% Sales, +10% Profit, 20% Return on Capital) aligning Kmart to our ultimate measure – our shareholders.

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Andre has been with Kmart since 2009, is a member of the Kmart leadership team, a member of the Westfarmers senior leadership team and a Kmart board member.

Andre has led the Apparel buying teams to profitably deliver Kmart’s lowest price strategy which has reshaped clothing retailing in Australia. He has rapidly developed Kmart’s forecast and design team and is now integrating the design, merchandise and marketing teams to lead Kmart’s future growth.

Prior to Kmart, Andre was CEO of Review Clothing, an iconic women’s clothing retailer.

During his time as CEO he transitioned the Review business from being a family owned business to become part of the PAS Group whilst reinvigorated the brand and expanded Review’s retail stores.

Andre’s retailing foundations began at Myer, one of Australia’s leading department stores. Having spent 12 years at Myer, Andre worked across many aspects of the operation from stores, leasing (concessions), merchandising buying, projects (most notable being the Basement youth precinct) and part of the team that supported the sale of Myer from public to private equity ownership in 2006.

Andre has been an active member of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology School of Fashion and Textiles industry advisory board for almost 10 years.

Once we established our transparency, integrity and measurement systems, we set about learning hard and challenging retail convention in order to deliver honest everyday products and prices to our customers. A large part of our learning came from our “Myth Busting”, where we took retail norms and systematically tested the opposite. One myth was $4.99 sells more that $5 – we proved $5 sells more. We also challenged ourselves on clearance (permanent markdowns) and questioned whether it was the discount sticker or the new lower price that drove the sales increase. We proved the new lower price sells more. Our boldness has been supported by a concept of doing what makes sense and also promoting a culture of ”Kmart first” rather than “self-first”. We have experienced many successes and many failures and what keeps us moving forward is that we continue to “learn hard fail well”, this is what drives innovation across our entire business.

Nailing our core proposition of everyday items (products that support the EDLP retail model) was a massive program. Right across Kmart, teams and individuals went on the hunt to identify the products that our customer needed every day. The simple approach we took was to identify those common items in every household and find the volume

products that factories were producing for volume retailers across the world. Then our job was to find a way to get these items into store as efficiently as possible. Execution in store was a critical factor to our success and saw the birth of single product and price pointed fixtures, aisle ends and our famous power tables – mechanisms used to display and sell high volume at the lowest price.

This is program in particular galvanised our cause and accelerated the establishment of our core products and what we are known for today. It also entrenched a culture of always looking for more ideas, opportunities and improvements – as a team we are constantly looking for ways to improve our business and celebrating these ideas.

Our Product Design, Sourcing and Buying teams, who had developed the systems and capabilities to deliver our core basics in volume, then started testing and trading core basics with added value or features and benefits (internally known and loved as 1UP’s). We found that our customers bought into our 1UP products (those that represented extreme value) in the same volume as our opening price points. The real advantage that 1UP’s give Kmart and our customers, is that they use the same Design, Sourcing and Buying platform that all of the volume

lines use in Kmart allowing us to pass our efficiencies and savings onto our customers.

Following on from our 1UP strategy emerged a model where we trialed a number of world known license designs using our EDLP and volume sourcing model. Much to our surprise, and the licensees’ surprise, we have seen huge success and we have re-entered the apparel licensing business using the strength of our volume retail model, the strength of our Licensees trading model and the strength of our Licensors ability to identify the best-selling global designs. Ultimately we have found a way to make money for all partners, Kmart, the licensee and licensor, by hitting the price that sells volume every day.

At Kmart we are all proud to be part of one team and whilst we have seen success over the last few years we know that the retail environment can change very quickly. Our ambition is to be one of the best retailers in the world and to achieve this we have to always question where we are and where we are going and ensure our customers and our team members are constantly engaged.

Article by Andre Reich www.kmart.com.au

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The Future is bright for 20th Century Fox Twentieth Century Fox is no. 1 at the global box office, generating record-breaking sales in 2014. It also dominates the TV landscape, with many of the highest rating shows across all genres.

Licensing agency Merchantwise is now managing the development of licensed merchandise and promotions for Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products in Australia and New Zealand.

Over the next few years, Fox is anticipating strong growth in licensing and merchandising activity from an impressive slate of film and TV franchises.

Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials The Scorch Trials is the second film in the hugely popular Maze Runner series based on the popular young-adult post-apocalyptic science fiction trilogy by James Dashner.

The novels have sold over 6.5 million copies.

Fans are hungry for more, with the sequel due for release in cinemas September 2015.

Film entertainment

The latest collaboration is with gaming giant Minecraft. In February, a Simpsons pack for the Xbox was released, letting fans play as the entire Simpsons family as well as 19 other characters from Springfield.

On the licensing front, a major new collectible toy program will be released by innovative Australian toy company HeadStart from July.

2015 is also the Year of The Kwik-E Mart, with new artwork to celebrate the beloved Kwik-E Mart and the food of The Simpsons.

Alvin and the Chipmunks

Other major film releases from Fox will include: • Paper Towns – a mystery/drama adapted from the bestselling novel by author John Green (The Fault in Our Stars), scheduled June 15;

They’re back! Alvin and friends are going on a road trip across the USA. The fourth instalment in the Alvin movie franchise is scheduled for release in Australia on 26 December 2015.

First created in 1958, Alvin and the Chipmunks is the biggest children’s music brand of all time, selling over 50M records. A major live show will tour globally from late 2015.

Ice Age Scrat, Manny, Sid and Diego return to cinemas in July 2016 in the highly-anticipated release of the 5th instalment in Fox’s mammoth Ice Age franchise. Ice Age remains the biggest international animated film franchise of all time. The property has also become a digital phenomenon, with over 93M downloads of the latest app, ‘Ice Age Village’ and 1M active daily users. A 5-year global live entertainment tour is planned across 30 countries in five continents.

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• Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children – a haunting new fantasy from visionary director Tim Burton, based upon the best-selling novel, scheduled March 16; and • Independence Day 2 – the highly anticipated sequel to the 1996 sci-fi blockbuster, scheduled June 16.

Television The Simpsons The Simpsons continues to be the most popular TV show in the world, with over 150M weekly global viewers and over 78M units sold on Blu-ray & DVD worldwide.

The Simpsons dominates popular culture and is the no. 1 entertainment property on Facebook with over 75M Fans. The show airs somewhere every minute of the day around the world.

The Simpsons continues to be the partner of choice for high profile fashion ranges and other brand collaborations. Recent examples include MAC, Joyrich, A Bathing Ape, Eleven Paris, H&M, Coca Cola, Apple and Lego™.

Family Guy Hot on the heels of The Simpsons with over 56M Facebook fans is Family Guy, the sick and twisted, yet hysterically funny animated TV show from the mind of Seth MacFarlane.

Season 13 kicked off with huge ratings – including over 200,000 viewers on 7Mate in Australia.

In 2014, Family Guy went digital with the latest mobile game, The Quest for Stuff receiving over 20M downloads.

Recent licensing initiatives have included streetwear collaborations with Famous Stars and Straps for Zumiez and Rook for PacSun, co-branding with glam rockers KISS and brand partnerships with Google Chrome and Wheat Thins. The fun new ‘Super Griffins’ style guide has added to the vast collection of current artwork available to licensees.

For further information contact: Bethan Jones Senior Retail Manager P (+613) 9520 1010

Š 2015 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation.

E bethan@merchantwise.com All Rights Reserved.

W merchantwise.com

New From Merchantwise

Sons of Anarchy Sons of Anarchy is the top rating, hard-hitting TV crime drama about the lives of a close-knit outlaw bicycle club operating in California.

In Australia and NZ, the show is so popular that it has become a leading adult contemporary licensed brand celebrating motorcycle culture and lifestyle – selling strongly amongst both men and women.

Merchandise includes an extensive apparel, accessories and giftware program.

Thunderbirds Are Go! American Horror Story American Horror Story is the latest cult-TV phenomenon from Twentieth Century Fox and Glee creator Ryan Murphy.

Rich in design and dark in theme, this psychological thriller has become an Australian fan favourite across four seasons to date, with the fifth season airing from October 2015.

The local licensing program is now in development, with great designs available for apparel and key giftware lines.

Modern Family Modern Family continues to go from strength to strength, recently winning its fifth consecutive Emmy Award for ‘Best Comedy Series’. Now in its sixth season, Modern Family is Australia’s best rating TV series, with over half a million viewers per episode.

In the past 12 months, Modern Family has enjoyed major promotional partnerships with Qantas and Toyota, while merchandise includes board games, stationery, greeting cards, calendars, and most recently a Nicole

by O.P.I. nail polish range.

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Empire About to take Australia by storm is the smashhit new TV drama set in the glamorous world of the hip-hop music industry.

Timbaland serves as the series’ songwriter and song producer, while the line-up of guest stars includes Naomi Campbell, Snoop Dogg, Courtney Love and many more.

In the US, the series debuted in Jan 2015 attracting nearly 10 million viewers, and the audience has steading grown to 14 million.

In Australia, Empire has been airing on Network Ten from late February.

International Rescue is back to save the world! The globally loved, hugely influential British cult sci-fi TV series is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2015.

Now ITV Studios and Pukeko Pictures are launching the highly anticipated new TV series for boys 5–11 years. In Australia, the show will screen on Channel Nine’s GO! From April as well as ABC3 later in the year.

Season 1 consists of 26 episodes, with Season 2 now in production.

Produced in NZ by the legendary Richard Taylor (Lord of the Rings, King Kong, The Hobbit) and the team from WETA workshop, the new show features a ground-breaking mix of CGI animation set against liveaction models (dubbed ‘bigatures’) which pay homage to original producer, model builder and puppeteer, Gerry Anderson.

The result is a cinematic experience quite unlike other boys’ show on TV. A full range of figurines, vehicles, play-sets and role-play toys will roll out from Vivid and HeadStart through all major Australian retailers from June 2015. Other major local partners include ABC Roadshow (DVDs), Hachette (Publishing) with a wide range of other licensed merchandise in development.

Madman Entertainment has been Cartoon Network’s home video partner since 2007 and during that time we’ve worked together to launch over 25 series on home video in Australia and New Zealand including hugely popular brands such as Ben 10 and Adventure Time. Cartoon Network is always supportive and when we all come together, craziness ensues with some unique product and promotional ideas reaching the market.

Madman Entertainment

We have produced and distributed a number of fantastic gifting items using the Adventure Time license, including Funko collectable POP vinyls, which has been received with much hype.

Ikon Australia

2014 was all about growth for us across all categories: including outerwear, sleepwear, underwear, footwear, bags and homeware for Adventure Time. Working with this diverse portfolio has allowed us to push the boundaries creatively and supply retail with fun and colourful cross-category solutions.

Caprice Australia

FLEXES ITS MUSCLE DOWN UNDER In a successful 2014, Cartoon Network invested heavily in cementing their position in the Australian kids’ space and building up a portfolio of strong franchises on air.

This increased exposure and awareness now allows for a multi-branded approach to their consumer products business.

Bugg Toys & Licensing speaks with Melissa Tinker, Vice President of Cartoon Network Enterprises, Asia Pacific, about this strategy and asks what’s next for the franchises.

Cartoon Network seems to be pumping out a heap of new content.

Tell us more and how it translates to a consumer product opportunity.

The Studio is now developing more original content than ever before and, in 2015, we will be producing more than 245 new episodes.

Having such scale of original and quality content is great news for our consumer products business, as it provides us with more breadth at retail. With the majority of the programming falling under the comedy and adventure genre, it also offers us a great point of difference in the marketplace.

In terms of new series, we recently debuted Clarence, Steven Universe and Uncle Grandpa. This year, we’ll be premiering We Bare Bears and Exchange Student Zero – a Cartoon Network series that is written and produced by an Australian studio, and featuring voice actor Rove McManus.

In addition, they’ll be plenty of new episodes coming for our existing hit originals Adventure Time, Regular Show, Ben 10: Omniverse and The Amazing World of Gumball.

The diversity of our content portfolio also opens the doors to bring the franchises together under an overarching Cartoon Network brand. This has allowed us to build concept stores

in Asia and we are currently exploring this approach for the Australian market.

However, we can’t rely solely on investment in content, we need air time and ratings to support these franchises. Not only do our Cartoon Network Originals frequently rate as number one shows on Foxtel’s linear and non-linear platforms, but also on free-to-air with Channel 9 GO, where they regularly air in primetime slots.

With this framework in place, we can now build on our base of strategic partners to bring our retail vision to life. We don’t only look for category specialists, but those who have a true understanding of our DNA and, most importantly, share our appetite for fun.

Cartoon Network has recently captured a larger girl’s audience, how has this translated to product sales?

Adventure Time, The Amazing World of Gumball, Regular Show and Clarence all attract a strong girl following. Comedic content is a great equaliser and brings universal appeal – after all, everyone loves to laugh.

Being able to reach this wider demographic has fuelled product sales and demand. It has also allowed us to further expand our licensing business to create products that speak directly to the female audience.

Hardie Grant has recently developed dedicated girls publishing titles, meanwhile Caprice has driven the girls’ story home with some amazing outerwear, sleepwear, swimwear, underwear and bags. Bensons has also enjoyed a 40% increase in overall sales of showbags for girls. This is just the beginning.

Adventure Time is on fire! Tell us about some of the successes and what’s next for this hit show?

Adventure Time premiered on-air in 2010 and we launched our first product in Australia in 2012 with the Jazwares toyline, working with Banter as a local distributor. The brand has really taken off since then and has become a multi-category success, supported by a highly engaged and very passionate kids fan-base, as well as an older pop-culture following.

In Australia, we have also seen some exceptional results: Madman has sold more than 250,000 DVDs; Hardie Grant has created over 30 Adventure Time publishing titles, selling over 200,000 units. We have sold over 750,000 units of apparel with Caprice; Adventure Time has been the top showbag for Bensons for the last two years; and it was the number-one-selling Funko pop vinyl in Ikon’s range in 2014.

This year, we will work with Haven to diversify the franchise even further.

There is a newly-inked partnership with Verb which includes the production of high-end skateboards – targeting the core skater market – and an April launch of the franchise’s first dedicated magazine with Nuclear Media.

This success has opened up the franchise to all areas of licensing, not just traditional consumer products. In Asia, our Adventure Time characters will take to the skies this April on a Thai Smile Airways’ Boeing 737, which is skinned with our characters and features unique in-flight branded items. There is even a Jake sick-bag for those who don’t travel as well as others!

Adventure Time also featured for 14 months on the Taiwan High Speed Train network and the franchise has a dedicated zone at Cartoon Network Amazone, our newly-opened waterpark in Thailand.

Globally, we continue to bring new partnerships and a host of international collaborations, such as H&M, Dr. Martens, USAopoly, Funko and Little Orbit. And we have just seen the launch of a McDonald’s Happy Meal promotion that will then roll out in Asia.

brings us the local expertise and really drives our vision, we wouldn’t be seeing the growth that we’ve recently enjoyed.

If you look at our portfolio five years ago, it was all about one boys-action franchise: Ben 10. It’s now a more balanced dynamic, with an emphasis on comedy that brings us far more opportunities for expansion.

In the retail sector, specifically, we want to inject our core DNA into the consumer experience. For example, we’re looking to create interactive environments in-store that mimic our fun, our sense of adventure and the element of surprise.

Location-based entertainment continues to grow organically around the region as economies grow and more people achieve middle-class status. The successful launch of Cartoon Network Amazone waterpark in Thailand, combined with our strong brand affinity, puts us in a prime position to expand into further formats in different countries.

The digital business is another pillar that has recently driven our products business and a key support to the franchises. In Australia, CartoonNetwork.com.au is now the No. 1 kids’ STV website, with over 400 online games, garnering 17 million page views in 2014. Another example of the multi-platform popularity is the Cartoon Network Australia Facebook page, which has an impressively large and engaged community of 2.3 million.

Over the past five years, we’ve seen the importance of content availability on mobile devices. In response, we have launched 50 apps including Adventure Time: Card Wars which has had over a 250,000 downloads so far.

The Cartoon Network Watch and Play app also allows viewers to consume both games and video via tablets.

Those girls who save the world before bedtime are coming back into the fold. Tell us more.

If we were to look at Cartoon Network five years ago, how have your strategies changed?

Fundamentally, the strategy remains the same: invest in our partners, bring relevance to the market and adopt a laser focus approach. This is where Haven comes in. Without such a dedicated agent on the ground, who

Everyone is so excited about the return of The Powerpuff Girls, and we have had partners coming to us for some time now asking us to bring the girls back. This demand was not just from one region, but a global plea that we just couldn’t ignore. After all, PPG is one of our top-grossing franchises ever, with more than US$2.5 billion in retail sales since its original launch.

Spin Master has recently come on

board as our global toy partner and is already developing some highly interactive play experiences and product that really taps the energy and personalities of Bubbles, Blossom and Buttercup.

As the original ambassador of “girl power,” The Powerpuff Girls brand continues to resonate with people of all ages. There is tremendous excitement around introducing the girls to a new base of young fans and reconnecting with the brand’s original supporters. With proven success and great content plans in place, there’s so much potential that we’re looking forward to explore with our licensing partners, including new collaborations, fashion lines and accessories.

Come and visit the Cartoon Network booth at the Las Vegas Licensing Expo in June and we’ll have plenty more to share.

Barrelling towards 300,000 Adventure Time books sold in Australia and New Zealand, our Adventure Time publishing is reaching significant heights. From colouring books to fiction, joke books to the encyclopaedia, it's exciting to see fans devouring a wide range of titles and formats. Which makes us all the more excited to launch our Gumball publishing range in 2015 too.

Amy Junor, Hardie Grant Egmont

As the brand builds here we are expecting other FMCG retailers to come on board with some of the exciting items we have planned. Notwithstanding the strong appeal of the property itself, Adventure Time also ticks a major box with retailers as the brand has unisex appeal, always a strong selling point when shelf space is at a premium.

Andre Coutant, Park Avenue Foods

The stable of content that Cartoon Network has developed in recent times is simply outstanding and quite staggering…and some may even say revolutionary. But best of all, kids just flat out love Cartoon Network content.

Lachlan Flynn, Scholastic Australia The Adventure Time property was a fantastic edition to our Back To School offer. Our sell-throughs were strong and the retailers are really pleased with the results. We just can’t wait for more in 2015!

Zak Australia We experienced a noticeable sales spike when we included Cartoon Network licensed promotional gifts with our magazines and we look forward to launching stand-alone magazines, starting with Adventure Time magazine next school holidays.

Michael Downs, Nuclear Enterprises The Amazing World of Gumball injects a new dose of quirky, off-beat animation and humour that Cartoon Network has coined as a signature style into the Hot Springs’ licensing portfolio.

Hot Springs Cartoon Network and Haven have a fun enthusiastic team and have a creative flair which helps with our development for the future. We have received a really good response from our showbags, carnival plush and the inflatable swords.

Samantha Atkinson, Bensons Trading Company

The fun, fast, edgy and off the wall cast of Cartoon Network characters has given Engelite sales across all major retailers in our category.

Engelite

Since the brand’s launch in August 2014, Shopkins has become a global sensation, selling in over 50 countries around the world, led by the USA, UK and Australia. Over 5 million Shopkins are now being produced and sold each week. Shopkins-mania has also created a frenzy of online and social media, with online webisodes and fan made videos receiving over 400 million views.

It’s A Bing Thing!

Bing is the beautiful and highly acclaimed new animated preschool TV show from Acamar Films in the UK, based on the popular children’s’ book series by author/ illustrator Ted Dewan.

The show celebrates the challenges, learning and fun of being a 3 year old child, as well as the grown-ups in their lives.

In the UK, Bing enjoys an enviable 4 slots per day on the BBC’s children’s channel CBeebies. Within weeks of launch on ABCTV and iView in Australia, Bing became a Top 5 rating children’s show reaching over 250,000 viewers.

Moose expects Shopkins to generate over $150M in sales across 85 countries this year. A Shopkins TV series is also in development from Nelvana.

In Australia, Shopkins are selling out at all major retailers including Target, Big W, Kmart, Toys R Us, Coles and Woolworths.

It is no. 1 in the dolls’ segment in both the USA and Australia, outselling Frozen.

A full merchandise licensing program is now in development, with product extensions to include additional toys, games and puzzles, storage and carry cases, publishing, back to school, apparel and accessories.

Sonic Boom Sonic Boom is the new action-packed, hilarious CGI animated TV series starring Sonic the Hedgehog and friends battling goofy arch-nemesis Doctor Eggman. Sonic Boom is already a top rating show on Cartoon Network in the USA and will soon launch in Australia on both cable and free to air. A major motion picture from Sony Pictures is also in development.

SEGA’s Sonic the Hedgehog is a billion dollar franchise in the global video game industry, with 70M console and handheld games sold and 60M mobile games downloaded.

The latest game mobile game Sonic Dash, clocked 29M downloads worldwide.

Sonic also has a major new toy program from TOMY rolling out through all Australian key retailers, including plush, action figures,

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Betty Boop, one of the best-known and most popular classic characters, is a billion dollar retail property selling in 120 countries.

Celebrities such as Rihanna, Katy Perry and One Direction have worn Betty Boop collaboration apparel.

Betty Boop has now partnered with leading Australian specialty retailer Bras N Things for a new sleepwear and intimates collection.

Strawberry Shortcake, celebrating her 35th anniversary in 2015, is a favourite with little girls and mums alike, teaching wholesome values and proving that little girls can do big things. The CGI TV series airs regularly on Channel 11 and Boomerang, with Season 4 due for release in 2015. Strawberry Shortcake is a top performer in girls’ DVD sales, with over 500,000 units sold.

Shopkins Shopkins is the hottest new girls’ collectible toy craze sweeping the globe from innovative Australian toy company Moose, creator of The Trash Pack. Shopkins are super cute, fun, small characters that live in a big world of shopping.

Betty Boop

Strawberry Shortcake

The launch of a range of Bing things has already begun. Harper Collins is the global publishing partner producing a range of storybooks, activity and colouring books, while global toy giant Fisher Price is planning to roll-out an extensive range of plush, figurines, playsets and bath toys from later this year.

Once you shop… You can’t stop!

role play, remote control vehicles and more.

Other licensed categories include publishing, showbags, giftware, boys and men’s apparel.

In September 2014, a brand new range of sweet-smelling Strawberry Shortcake dolls and playsets was launched by The Bridge and Funtastic into Big W, Toys R Us, Toyworld and Myer. Initial sales have been strong and the program is now being expanded into all retailers later in the year. Other licensed products include girls’ apparel, publishing and showbags.

MOVIE RELEASE SEPTEMBER 2015 • New toy range from Headstart • Leading Gold Coast attraction Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary the home of Blinky Bill & Friends • Consumer product roll out planned for Q3 2015

For further information contact: Kerryn McCormack, Senior Account Manager P (+613) 9520 1010 E kerryn@merchantwise.com W merchantwise.com ® & © Flying Bark Productions

Australian icons Blinky Bill Australia’s favourite larrikin, Blinky Bill, is returning to inspire a new generation of fans in a major new animated movie scheduled for release in cinemas throughout Australia in September 2015.

Produced by Flying Bark, the stellar voice cast includes Ryan Kwanten, Toni Collette, Barry Humphries, Rufus Sewell, David Wenham and Deborah Mailman.

A new 52 episode TV series is also in production, likely to broadcast on free to air TV in late 2016.

Blinky Bill is true, multi-generational Australian icon with exceptional recall and affinity amongst Australian parents and grandparents.

In the nineties, Blinky generated $30M in royalties from over 60 licensees.

A wide array of licensing and merchandising activity is underway. Australia Post launched an extensive range of vintage plush, stamps, books and collectible biscuit tins for Christmas 2014. Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary on the Gold Coast has become the home of Blinky Bill and Friends, including daily live shows, character appearances and a new themed precinct.

Other key partners include Headstart (master toy/plush), Harper Collins and Five Mile Press (publishing), The Entertainment Store (character appearances) and a soon-to-be launched range of sultanas from market leader Sunbeam.

Play School 2016 will mark the 50th birthday of Australia’s favourite and longest running infant and preschool TV show, Play School.

This beloved Australian show is produced by the ABC, the most trusted name in preschool entertainment.

Play School reaches 1.2M viewers in metro markets each week and is watched by one in two preschoolers aged 0–4 years. The concerts tour nationally each year – performing to audiences of over 110,000 people.

The ABC is now planning a special anniversary celebration for Play School in 2016, including a TV documentary, special live concerts, festivals and exhibitions.

A special anniversary style guide and licensing program is in development, with a variety of merchandising and promotional opportunities now available for discussion.

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May Gibbs’ Gumnut Babies May Gibbs is one of Australia’s best loved classic children’s book writers and artists.

May’s stories and illustrations brought the world of Australian bush fairies to life. 2016 will mark the 100 year anniversary of The Gumnut Babies, while 2018 will make the anniversary of her most famous creations Snugglepot & Cuddlepie.

CDP Productions is currently writing and producing a major new stage show of Snugglepot & Cuddlepie to premiere at the Sydney Opera House in mid-2015 and then tour nationally.

High end fashion label Romance Was Born recently created a stunning designer apparel collaboration, deriving from their nostalgia for childhood stories and dreams. The collection is inspired by May Gibbs, her cherubic Gumnut Babies and the freedom of growing up in the Australian outback.

such as Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Werewolf and The Invisible Man. Now the Bat Pack is returning for an all‑new comedy adventure, scheduled November 2015 in Australia. Hotel Transylvania 2 will build on the success of the first movie, cementing the property’s franchise status and opening up a wide range of spooky fun merchandise opportunities.

The film is written by Adam Sandler and Robert Smigel and directed by Genndy Tartakovsky. The all-star comedy cast includes Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez, Fran Drescher, Kevin James, Steve Buscemi, David Spade and the legendary Mel Brooks.

AC/DC Since forming in 1973, Aussie band AC/DC’s electrifying rock has thrilled the world, generating more than 150 million album sales and making them one of the top five best-selling bands in American music history.

After years of anticipation, AC/DC has now released a new no. 1 album (Rock or Bust) and is set to electrify fans once again with a world tour in 2015, expected to include Australia.

Sony Pictures delivers scares, laughs and drama Hotel Transylvania 2 Released in 2012, the original Hotel Transylvania opened at No. 1 in over 40 countries and generated $360M at the worldwide box office. The film brought a hilarious new take to iconic movie monsters

Better Call Saul With a legion of fans throughout the world, Breaking Bad is one of the most critically acclaimed, award winning series in television history. It has also become a global merchandise success story.

Now Breaking Bad fans are watching the hotly-anticipated prequel Better Call Saul, which launched in February 2015. Better Call Saul is a ‘dramedy’ set in the same world as Breaking Bad, starring the sleazy but whip-smart lawyer Saul Goodman.

In Australia, Better Call Saul is the flagship property on Stan, Australia’s first Netflix style streaming service – backed by the combined might of the Nine Network and Fairfax Media. All episodes are available just hours after the US broadcast. A global licensing program is now in development.

New Toy Range Out Now

• TV support from Channel 10, T Toasted d TV airing weekdays w with Season 3 premiering in Q3 2015 • New master toy range from Funtastic now availa available able trade wide • Extensive creative assets and d digital marketing support available

For further information ormation contact: Kerryn McCormack, Manager k, Senior Account Manag ger P (+613) 9520 1010 kerryn@merchantwise.com 10 E kerryn@merchant twise.com W merchantwise.com com Strawberry Shortcake™ and nd related trademarks ©2015 Thos Those e Characters From Cleveland, Inc. ose logo is a trademark of AGC, LL LC. American Greetings with rose LLC.

Monster Trucks

Goosebumps The Movie Goosebumps is one of the biggest success stories in the publishing world, generating over $2 billion at retail. More than 350 million books sold in 35 countries, making it the second bestselling book series of all time behind Harry Potter.

Sony Pictures and Village Roadshow have joined forces to bring us the first ever Goosebumps movie, based on the bestselling book series by R.L. Stein, scheduled for release in December 2015. The movie stars the legendary Jack Black playing Goosebumps author R.L. Stine and Slappy the evil ventriloquist dummy.

Pixels Launching on Father’s Day (September 15), Pixels is a comedy action movie paying tribute to classic eighties’ video games such as Pac Man, Space Invaders, Donkey Kong, Frogger, Centipede and many more. When the world is attacked by aliens, only a ragtag bunch of former champion ‘Arcaders’ can save the world against this deadly threat.

Directed by legendary Chris Columbus (Home Alone, The Goonies, Gremlins, Mrs Doubtfire, Harry Potter), the stellar cast includes Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Peter Dinklage, Josh Gad and Michelle Monaghan.

The movie will be a scary but thrilling live action adventure with CGI monsters, targeting a wide family audience.

Already a strong retail trend, Pixels is expected to drive further demand for retro video game themed apparel and other products.

From a merchandising perspective, Goosebumps has strong retro and nostalgic appeal for young adults who grew up reading the book series and watching the TV series as was well as the new generation of movie fans.

New from Paramount Terminator Genisys Arnie is back in a major reboot of the billion dollar Terminator franchise, produced by Skydance Productions and distributed by Paramount, scheduled for Australian release in June 2015.

Terminator Genisys is the fifth film in the movie franchise worth $1.4B at the box office. Arnie leads a star-studded cast including Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones) and Matt Smith (Doctor Who) alongside Aussie actors Jai Courtney and Jason Clarke.

This will be the biggest budget Terminator movie ever. Global consumer products partners include Mega Bloks, NECA, Hot Toys and Titan Books.

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Monster Trucks is a high octane new $100M tent-pole release for Paramount Animation, in the style of Transformers. It stars Lucas Till, Jane Levy, Amy Ryan and Rob Lowe.

The film is directed by Chris Wedge (Ice Age) and will tear up Australian screens from December 2015. The movie shows what happens when you literally combine monsters with trucks. A three film franchise is anticipated.

The style guide targets tween boys, with strong designs for apparel, back to school, accessories and homewares. Spin Master has been appointed as the global toy partner with a range to be distributed by Funtastic in Australia.

Non Stop Entertainment From Nickelodeon & VIACOM Consumer Products

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, SpongeBob SquarePants, PAW Patrol and Dora and Friends make 2015 a banner year for Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products (NVCP) is headed to Melbourne Toy Fair 2015 with a strong portfolio featuring some of the most popular, time-tested entertainment brands for kids young and old.

2015 is all about NEW and the content pipeline for Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. has never been bigger since Nickelodeon launched on Australian screens 20 years ago and Nick Jr. 17 years ago.

NVCP Pre-School Licenses go Top of Class Nick Jr.’s focus on EDUTAINMENT and being “The Smart Place to Play” is evident in its pre-school licenses, Dora and Friends and PAW Patrol, which consistently rate above Nick Jr.’s channel average and rank #1 and #2 respectively.

Turtles and SpongeBob continue to reach new heights Nickelodeon was the highest reaching kids’ channel in Australia 2014, reaching almost 1.2 million Aussie kids aged 0–121, with brand awareness in Australia at 96%.

Since its debut in 2012, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has steadfastly held #1 rank as the top performing boys’ action figure around the world and continues to dominate the Australian and New Zealand licensing scene.

Paramount Pictures has lined up a major above-the-line advertising campaign spanning TV, print, posters, digital together with an impressive slew of third party promotional partners. To celebrate the movie release Nickelodeon has launched an exclusive collection of limited edition women’s, men’s and girl’s apparel and accessories at retailer Forever 21.

Season 3 launched in February and new episodes appear every Saturday morning in the prime time toon slot at 8.30 am and on free-to-air in Channel 11’s Toasted TV block.

To date, 55 million action figures have been sold around the world. Keeping up with the Turtles phenomenon, Playmates and Nickelodeon have created Half Shell Heroes – Turtles adventures for pre-school heroes. The pre-school toy line released late last year and has been an instant hit with the range set to expand throughout 2015.

SpongeBob triumphs around the world

PAW Patrol is a CG, action-adventure preschool series featuring Ryder and his team of heroic pups, who champion teamwork and problem-solving skills.

SpongeBob holds the number one TV kids show in more than 170 countries with more than $13 billion in global consumer products sales to date.

Launched on GO! last May, PAW Patrol airs Monday to Friday at 6.30 am and joins Dora The Explorer on Channel Nine on Saturday and Sunday mornings.

Hot off the Milan catwalk last year, SpongeBob SquarePants Moschino inspired ranges of apparel are set for release in Australia and New Zealand.

Toys have been flying off the shelves since launch last October and now there is a full licensed program rolling out over the year supported by new TV episodes and TV and print advertising.

HeadStart International and Planet Fun are releasing toys in Australia and New Zealand, respectively to coincide with the movie launch and the world turning yellow.

Nickelodeon partnerships Off channel, Nickelodeon partnered with Qantas for its Little Travellers take-over of the Qantas lounges in Sydney, Melbourne and LAX. In late 2014, Wet’n’Wild Sydney launched Nickelodeon Beach and Sea World, on the Gold Coast, introduced a brand new Turtles Meet and Greet experience.

Dora and Friends now in the city Armed with a magical charm bracelet, a mobile map app and a new group of friends, Dora is set for a new adventure!

Dora and Friends launched on Nick Jr. last November instantly becoming the #1 show for kids 0–4 years old. This has been the biggest advertising campaign to date for Nick Jr. and with new episodes launching, continues with press and online ads and school holiday promotions with Hoyts Jnr. Fisher-Price is the master toy licensee with toys released in the U.S. last year and programs planned around the world from July this year.

Paramount Home Entertainment release the DVD June 2015.

For the third year, Nickelodeon partnered with Tennis Hot Shots to host Kids Tennis Day, which starred international tennis players, Justice Crew and Nickelodeon’s character costumes at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne.

Opening last month in the U.S. and Europe “The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water” exceeded box office forecasts. Released in Australia and New Zealand on 2 April, it’s an all new 3D adventure that’s as wild and funny as its name and stars Antonio Banderas as Burger Beard and Bikini Bottom’s perennial stars.

NVCP’s brand portfolio continues to expand across MTV, the world’s premier youth entertainment brand and 3rd most liked brand on Facebook with 80 MILLION global likes.

In 2015, MTV announced CLUB MTV and its currently rolling out nationally. Taken from one of the hottest club nights in the UK with a national tour.

2015 is set to be a big year for NVCP. With a diverse portfolio spanning animation, pre-school, student and youth-oriented licenses, NVCP is committed to providing key partner development and innovative marketing solutions, ensuring the highest quality product offering across some of the world’s most powerful TV and entertainment properties.

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RUBIE’S DEERFIELD PTY. LTD. ABN: 26 122 874 079

5-7 Corporate Ave, Rowville, VIC 3178, Australia admin@rubiesdeerfield.com.au T: 03 9755 7739

www.rubiesdeerfield.com.au

The Resurgence of The Wiggles

Since 1991, The Wiggles have been the world’s most popular children’s entertainment group and now is a great time to check-in with Paul Field, Managing Director at The Wiggles, to learn all about this exciting new era for the group which will even include a new feature film.

Paul, thank you for taking the time to speak to us about The Wiggles and what is coming up for the group as you move into a new era of Wiggles entertainment.

Thanks, it sure is an exciting new era for The Wiggles as the latest iteration of the group has been performing for over two years now and it’s been an amazing success, and I’m pleased to add that they’re all signed up for the next five years. We’ve worked so hard on a number of levels to build this success.

Firstly, on a business level, I’ve taken on a much more hands-on approach with the company. One of my first priorities was that we needed to restructure the company and divest ourselves of parts of the business that were not profitable and refocus all of our energies on our core business. We have since successfully achieved this. On the creative side of things, Anthony, Emma, Lachy and Simon have produced an amazing amount of new content, including eight CD and DVD releases and three TV series, and audiences here in Australia and overseas love these Wiggles. To the new generation of children coming to our shows, these are their Wiggles.

As a result of all of this, the future is looking even brighter!

Firstly, can you tell us about the resurgence of The Wiggles and some of the current successes you have been working on with the group?

Having worked with The Wiggles back when they first broke through on a large scale both here in Australia and overseas, I’m seeing the exact same patterns of acceptance and benchmarks of success.

The Wiggles won an ARIA for best children’s album for their release Apples and Bananas last year. GFK declared The Wiggles the number one children’s brand for DVD sales in 2014. This pushed them ahead of popular children’s brands including Dora the Explorer and Peppa Pig. The Wiggles’ latest CD release debuted at #1 on the iTunes children’s charts and made the top 50 on the ARIA music charts, being referred to as a “bullet performer”. Once again they’ve had phenomenal results with their touring, performing in every state and territory in Australia to sell-out crowds. And that’s just to name a few!

Emma, the first female Wiggle, has been hugely popular with her emergence with Anthony, Simon and Lachy. Can you tell us just how popular Emma has been with The Wiggles fan base?

Emma is a phenomenon! Her character is based on Emma herself who is quite a unique young woman. She is a dancer of many disciplines, drummer, singer, uses sign language and speaks French, amongst other talents. Of course putting all that aside, she has a very natural warmth and charm that engages children on a personal level. One American journalist dubbed her multitude of followers dressed just like her (wearing yellow and black with bow headbands and shoe bows) the “mini Emma army”.

The Wiggles’ audiences have always had a favourite, it used to be Jeff and now it is Emma. This is evident by sales of Emma specific products, from books to plush toys to t-shirts. The most dramatic example of this popularity is that we’ve created a television series called Emma, where she is the sole performer. ABC will begin broadcasting these 30 x 4 minute episodes in the near future.

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The Wiggles has always appealed to both boys and girls, however has Emma brought about a shift to an even stronger girl following for the group?

This is certainly the case. She is an aspirational role model for our young audience. So many of our young audience learn to dance and would love to one day perform, Emma is someone who has made that dream come true. The Wiggles’ very first live video, Wiggledance, was filmed at Sydney’s Seymour Centre. Of course, during the video the cameras cut to the audience and at one stage we see Emma and her sister as young girls dressed in their pinafores dancing to The Wiggles. So one of our audience members has eventually become a Wiggle and while the great majority of our audience won’t become Wiggles, they will certainly be encouraged to sing, dance, play a musical instrument and perhaps speak another language. Further to this, Emma’s fashion choices (bows, hair pieces, etc.) are also things emulated by our young audience.

Emma’s popularity has opened up a whole new range of possibilities for consumer products, even more than Dorothy the Dinosaur does because she’s a human being.

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With respect to all of the current Wiggles, has Anthony’s experience helped to guide the new Wiggles forward into the style and culture? It seems that the traditional Wiggles vibe is still present with some new and refreshing perspectives on the group?

Dorothy, Henry, Wags and Feathersword have stood the test of time and are still hugely popular with Wiggles fans. How important has it been to have these evergreen characters around as the Wiggles transition into a new era?

Of course! Anthony started The Wiggles combining his musical pedigree (gold and platinum albums with The Cockroaches) with his studies in early childhood learning (he has a university degree and honorary doctorates) and this rare confluence set The Wiggles apart from day one. Anthony produced The Wiggles’ music and has been their creative director from the beginning and so he leads and mentors Emma, Lachy and Simon down a new Wiggles path while maintaining The Wiggles’ core values. Emma, Lachy and Simon bring their own unique performance and song writing talent to the team which has added something quite fresh to the appeal of the group.

It’s critical to have a sense of continuity within the group. Anthony has provided the human continuity and Captain Feathersword, Dorothy the Dinosaur, Wags the Dog and Henry the Octopus remain a constant over the last 24 years. Children are comforted by their continued presence.

The Wiggles were on tour for most of 2014, can you tell us about the tour last year, its success and what the future holds as we move into 2015 and beyond?

2014 saw The Wiggles double their ticket sales from the previous year, with 137 sold out shows across every state and territory in Australia! The Wiggles took their energetic and engaging show to over 100 different towns and cities around the world. In total, The Wiggles performed to over a quarter of a million fans, making The Wiggles the most successful children’s entertainment show in Australia. One of the main highlights from 2014 includes Australia Day, when The Wiggles headlined the celebrations at The Summer Playground in Sydney’s Hyde Park.

So many excited families swarmed to Hyde Park to see them that by 1pm, organisers

had to announce that the park was closed, as 20,000 people had packed the vicinity. This is only the second time in Hyde Park’s history that the park has been closed!

Another highlight includes The Wiggles’ Big Show! tour which saw The Wiggles sell-out arenas and entertainment centres around Australia. They even had two sold out shows at Rod Laver Arena which saw them perform to 20,000 adoring fans! 2015 started with a bang as The Wiggles headlined the Australia Day concert at both the Sydney Opera House and Parramatta Park. Thousands of fans endured the wind and rain to see their idols performing live on stage! The Wiggles recently announced their Rock & Roll Preschool tour, and within two weeks have sold-out over 42 shows and set local records around the country. The Herald Sun reported that The Wiggles’ Plenty Ranges show had sold out within 3 minutes, breaking the previous record of selling out a show in just 10 minutes set by… you guessed it, The Wiggles!

Ready, Steady, Wiggle is the new series for The Wiggles, can you tell us more about this series and how it has taken off?

The Wiggles have been with the ABC since they began with interstitials back in 1991. Australians love their ABC and trust it to have the highest quality in children’s entertainment. The ABC broadcast the first series of Ready Steady, Wiggle! in 2013 and it had a hugely positive impact with the new generation of Wiggles fans. The second series of Ready Steady, Wiggle! has just begun on ABC TV and is on every day at 4:25pm. Deirdre Brennan brings her wealth of experience in children’s television to ABC Kids TV and is committed to broadcast of this series over the next few years.

The rumoured feature film is also currently of huge interest, can you tell us anything about this in terms of its direction and release date?

of the film is to broaden The Wiggles’ appeal to a much wider audience while maintaining their core following. This is why Ben has written the film script and has co-written the soundtrack with The Wiggles. We hope to find the right partners to take this film to the world!

Paul, thank you again for your time and we look forward to learning more about the new Wiggles era as it evolves to even greater heights!

Thanks so much, Tony. As Browning said, “…the best is yet to come”.

For licensing, marketing or promotional opportunities please contact Alex Ishchenko on 0407 882 627 or email aishchenko@thewiggles.com.au

As we all know with feature films, it’s not on until you see it on the big screen! So we are taking this step by step. The creative is very exciting indeed, Ben Elton (comedian and writer of legendary comedy and hits such as The Young Ones and Blackadder. He has also had huge success with musicals, co-writing two with Andrew Lloyd Webber and the runaway success of We Will Rock You, the Queen musical) has completed the script and will be the director of the film. The aim

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What’s the school where you sing and dance all day?

The Wiggles’ Rock & Roll Preschool!

Anthony, Emma, Simon have created Lachy and over 20 songs that will top the every home! You’ll charts of shake to “That’s the Sound of Rock rise and shine & Roll”, with “Wake Up!”, swing along as with Emma” and you “Dance shake your hips with “Two Polite amazing collection Elvises”. This of swinging songs is really all shook The Wiggles are up! joined by friends, including La Bamba Lou Diamond Phillips from the star USA, Aussie entertainer Campbell and New Zealand’s David Robert Rakete. rockin’ all over They really are the world! The Wiggles’ Rock open now and & Roll Preschool the lesson for is today is to have some fun!

The Wiggles: Anthony Field, Executive Producers: Lachy Gillespie, Simon Pryce, Emma Watkins Murray Cook, Jeff Fatt, Anthony Field Music Produced

by Anthony

Field Visit www.thewiggle s.com for all things Visit www.abcshop.co wiggly! m.au for details on the Rock & Roll Preschool DVD! LIKE US www.facebook.c om/thewiggles FOLLOW US www.twitter.com/

1. ROCK & ROLL PRESCHOOL

(Feat. Lou Diamond

Phillips)

2. THAT’S THE SOUND OF ROCK & ROLL 3. HENRY LIKES WATER 4. I WENT TO THE LIBRARY 5. DANCE WITH EMMA 6. JESS’S SONG 7. TWO POLITE ELVISES 8. MR WARDROBE (Feat. David Campbell)

9. BALLA BALLA BAMBINA 10. IT’S A TICKLE PARTY 11. BALLERINA, BALLERINA

12. UKULELE ROCK (Feat. Robert Rakete)

13. BROCCOLI BUNCH 14. THE STORY OF EMMA’S GLASSES 15. WAKE UP! 16. MELBOURNE AMORE 17. RIDING MY BIKE 18. GOOMY GALAH 19. IT’S OKAY TO CRY 20. YOU GOT THE DROP 21. GOOEY, GOOEY, SPLIDGY, SPLODGE, SPLODGE 22. I WANT A LEATHER JACKET 23. IRISH STEW

thewiggles

All Recordings Artwork © 2015 2015 The Wiggles Pty Ltd. All The Wiggles Pty Ltd. Exclusively licensed 2015 to Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Marketed and distributed Music Australia

by Universal Pty All rights of the Limited under exclusive licence. owner of copyright recording reserved. in this sound diffusion, public Any copying, renting, lending, © 2015 The Wiggles this record withoutperformance or broadcast of The Wiggles logo, Pty Ltd. The Wiggles, the authority of the copyright owner is prohibited.

Henry the Octopus, Dorothy the Dinosaur, Made in Australia.

Captain Feathersword, www.abcmusic.com.

Wags the Dog and au trademarks of The Big Red Car are Wiggles Pty Ltd.

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Bugg Toys & Licensing recently sat down with Chris Marsh, Vice-President and General Manager of WWE Asia Pacific to discuss all things WWE as we approach WrestleMania 31.

WWE is obviously a huge global phenomenon, can you tell us how the local Australian market compares to other territories from a consume products and licensing perspective?

Australia is a priority market for all our lines of business. Being home to some of our most passionate fans, demand for more WWE product is at a renewed high. Our global partners Mattel and 2K have both enjoyed significant success over the last 12 months with varying activities launched and planned across Target, Kmart, Big W, TRU, JB Hi-Fi and many others. Our local representing partnership with Haven Licensing has also been blossoming with leading partners now secured across many categories including novelty toys, dress up, party ware, apparel for kids and adults, footwear and outdoor and sporting goods. With the ongoing popularity and growth across this region, WWE will continue to bring WWE Superstars, Divas and Legends into the market throughout 2015 and beyond.

At the 2014 Melbourne Toy Fair we were lucky enough to have Booker T attend and ‘meet-and-greet’ with people at the show.

Can you tell us about any other events that the WWE superstars will be making downunder in the next 12 months?

WWE Live returns to Australia this August for three shows beginning on Thursday August 6

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at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre in Brisbane, Friday, August 7 at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne and Saturday, August 8 at Qantas Credit Union Arena in Sydney.

In addition to these events, WWE Superstars will make appearances at local retailers and shopping centres; and will take part in a variety of community events designed to give back to the local community.

From a marketing perspective, can you tell us how social media has changed the marketing initiatives for the WWE? Social media gives WWE the ability to engage with our fans through direct interaction with their favourite Superstars and Divas. Through social media, we extend storylines and give fans the ability to influence outcomes, choose opponents, match types and stipulations.

Fans know their voice matters and this keeps them engaged with our brand. With more than 450 million social media followers worldwide, we have the most passionate and loyal global fan base and social media has reshaped the way we connect with them, giving them a chance to get even closer to the action and Superstars.

WWE used to follow a traditional pay TV model in terms of weekly shows and payper-view events. How has YouTube, WWE Network and online streaming affected this for the company?

WWE is a leading content creator that continues to produce original weekly programming that is broadly distributed on TV both domestically and internationally.

In addition to weekly programming via traditional TV, we have the ability to entertain our fans on every platform, reaching them whenever and wherever they are.

Vince McMahon revolutionised event programming for sports and entertainment decades ago by bringing WWE to cable, closed-circuit television and pay-per-view and he continues to be a visionary today as WWE reimagined how it delivers premium live content directly to our fans around the world with WWE Network.

With the launch of WWE Network in more than 170 countries, WWE has created a new way to engage fans with an extraordinary value proposition. With more than 1 million subscribers in just 11 months, WWE Network has become the fastest-growing digital subscription service.

Beyond WWE Network, WWE also has had more than 4.2 billion video views on YouTube in the past 12 months, surpassing the NBA, MLB, NFL, NHL, ESPN and NASCAR to become the No. 1 Sports channel on YouTube. These online streaming services give the WWE Universe access to WWE content like never before.

From a fan perspective, the WWE has transitioned through the ‘Attitude Era’ right through the ‘Reality Era’, what is next for the WWE in terms of the approach to programming, as the company has become much more tailored to fans of all ages?

The foundation of WWE’s longstanding popularity is the appeal of our brand to a diverse, multi-generational audience. In 2008, WWE made a business decision to transition all of our primetime television programming to TV-PG to attract a broader audience and more corporate partnerships (SmackDown was TV-PG since its inception in 1999, and in 2008, we transitioned Monday Night Raw to TV-PG). Our shift to family-friendly entertainment has helped establish partnerships with brands like Mattel, Kmart, GM, Kraft Foods, Frito-Lay, Post Foods, MilkPEP and Totino’s. We will continue this programming strategy moving forward.

Can you reveal any exciting details for WrestleMania 31 this years at Levi’s Stadium in California?

More than 70,000 fans from all 50 states and more than 30 countries will come to Santa Clara for a week-long line-up of festivities all leading up to WWE’s annual pop-culture extravaganza, WrestleMania 31. WWE hosts WrestleMania Axxess from Thursday, March 26 through Sunday, March 29, the ultimate fan experience for the WWE Universe, where fans will get unprecedented access to meet their favourite WWE Superstars, Divas and Legends through a host of interactive experiences, including autograph signings and live matches. The 2015 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place at the SAP Center the night before WrestleMania.

Current inductees include “Macho Man” Randy Savage, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Rikishi with more to come. Monday Night Raw will take place at the SAP Centre the night after WrestleMania, when the Road to WrestleMania 32 begins. In addition, WWE hosts numerous community events designed to give back to the host community which include hospital visits, anti-bullying rallies, reading celebrations and the fulfilment of wishes through Make-a-Wish.

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