TOTAL LICENSING WINTER 19

Winter 2019

34

98

76

Regular Features

Middle East/Russia

Comment........................................................................ 6 Global news.................................................................... 8 Legally Speaking........................................................... 90 The LIMA Page............................................................ 92 What’s On.................................................................... 94

Licensing Expo 2020 Dubai....................................... 34 A guide to doing business in Russia........................ 82

Europe

UK 18

SEGA at Toy Fairs........................................................ 14 Pokemon set for successful year............................. 16 60 Years of Asterix...................................................... 18 Winx celebrates 15 Years.......................................... 26 Latest from Toei Europe............................................ 28 Find Me in Paris hits the right note........................ 32 Feisty Pets from Mondo............................................ 40 Licensing in the Nordics............................................ 50 German Market Update............................................ 54 The World of Thelwell............................................... 59 Zafari - celebrating diversity..................................... 61 Kids Insights - latest research.................................. 70

USA/Canada Kidscreen Summit Preview....................................... 64 Licensing in Canada.................................................... 72

Worldwide Happy Birthday Popeye!............................................ 38 Movies 2019................................................................. 60 The future of Licensed Toys and Games................ 66 Toy Fair Previews........................................................ 68 The World of eSports and Video Games............... 80

Asia/Australasia

62

Think you Know the Wiggles?.................................. 21 Pukeko - taking New Zealand to China................. 30 Godzilla - properties don’t get much Bigger........ 62 China Market Report................................................. 86

32 50 Total Licensing World is the definitive online licensing database.

For more details visit www.totallicensingworld.com

4

Co-Publisher Francesca Ash francesca@totallicensing.com

Co-Publisher Jerry Wooldridge jerry@totallicensing.com

As anybody who reads Pukeko Pictures Total Licensing knows, Taking New Zealand into China! we are a fully worldwide magazine. Not just in name or the odd news item from a ‘foreign’ company but we believe, and have always believed, that licensing is a truly globalised business and Happy this is also represented Birthday Popeye! within the pages of our publications.

Most people, today, understand this. But it hasn’t always been the same. I remember, many years ago as an early officer of LIMA, attending a board meeting and (almost literally) banging my head against the wall trying to explain to very senior US executives on the board that just because something worked in the US didn’t mean it would work in, say, Belgium, Italy or Spain.The solution according to these very senior execs after much discussion? A cocktail party at the Frankfurt Book Fair! I rest my case.

How things have changed over the last twenty or so years. LIMA has become a truly global organisations with offices across the world and a nonNorth American membership that rivals their domestic one. How times have changed.

We strongly believe that to begin to understand a market you need to visit it, talk to people and look at retail, how it works and what makes it tick.

To this end, we’re rather proud of the fact that over the last twelve months, Total Licensing has travelled 135,029 miles (217,308 km) with places as far apart as New Zealand, Russia, China and the USA. To put that into perspective, it’s 5.4 times around the world!

It is surprising in all this how similar some of the markets are in their tastes. Peppa Pig seems to be pretty much loved anywhere you go - except for in parts of China where she is seen as a ‘subversive symbol of counterculture.’

And this is not the only example of logic that is, perhaps, strange to most of us. Bob the Builder, TOTAL LICENSING

On a recent visit to Wellington, New Zealand, Total Licensing caught up with Clive Spink, Chief Executive and Alison Heath, Chief Brands Officer at Pukeko Pictures to find out more about the company, and how they are forging new partnerships in China.

Pukeko was founded in 2008 as a partnership between Weta Workshop’s founder Sir Richard Taylor together with Tania Rodger and well-known author Martin Baynton specifically as a company concentrating on the children’s marketplace. Based on Wellington’s Miramar Peninsula, Pukeko is part of the World-famous Weta network of creative companies and home to some of the world’s finest filmmaking talent

Clive Spin, CEO and Alison Heath, Chief Brands Officer, Pukeko Pictures

and technology. Weta Workshop, of course, is the company responsible for Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, Avatar and countless other major success stories.

Pukeko’s first project was the television series Jane and the Dragon, a CGI animated series about a medieval girl and her pet dragon, swiftly followed

by The WotWots, an early preschool series featuring extra terrestrial characters who arrive in the middle of a zoo. The WotWot characters were designed by Weta Workshop with live action sequences shot on location at Wellington Zoo as well as Auckland, Melbourne and Sydney.

The WotWots has aired in more than 100 territories around the world including The Hub, Netflix, Hulu and Comcast in the US as well as on ABC Kids in Australia and TVNZ in New Zealand.

The WotWots gave Pukeko a strong basis in terms of consumer products with a broad range of publishing and other product lines. And this is where Alison Heath comes in.

“Everybody knows that broadcasting sales alone are never sufficient to generate the income needed on a

property,” explained Heath. “The income needs to be supplemented with clothing, toys, books and games.

If the property is popular, consumers will demand products based on their favourite characters.”

But the company did not just limit themselves to preschool and animation, as Clive Spink explained.

“We have 199 Little Heroes which are five minute programs featuring children’s journeys to school around the world,” he said. “This helps to introduce children to the concept of documentaries.”

Cleverman is a further Pukeko production that combines live action with animated creatures created by Weta Workshop. The series, aimed at an older market, is an original drama that sees a group of non-humans battling for survival in a world where humans feel increasingly inferior to them. Comprising two series of 6 x 1 hour episodes, Cleverman tells the story of two indigenous half-brothers who join forces to battle these forces.

Pukeko also co-produced the recent remake of Thunderbirds with ITV Studios using a mix of CGI animation and live-action model sets

92

ACCESS A WORLD OF NEW OPPORTUNITIES WITH EXPO 2020 DUBAI’S LICENSING PROGRAMME

Companies globally are invited to join the next World Expo as an official licensee, with toys, games and back-toschool items the latest product categories to open up.

Editorial Director Rebecca Ash becky@totallicensing.com

As Popeye celebrates his 90th birthday, Total Licensing talked to Carla Silva, Head of Licensing at King Features Syndicate to find out more about the character’s extraordinary longevity and how they keep their licensing programs up to date and on trend.

Carla Silva Vice President/ General Manager, Global Head of Licensing, King Features

92

Business Development Manager Jo Cassidy joanna@totallicensing.com

Office Manager Helen Bowerman helen@totallicensing.com

Japan Agent Roger Berman, ZenWorks rmb@zenworks.jp

TOTAL LICENSING LTD 4 Wadhurst Business Park Faircrouch Lane, Wadhurst, East Sussex TN5 6PT UK Tel: +44 (0) 1892 782220 Fax: +44 (0) 1892 782226 www.totallicensing.com enquiries@totallicensing.com

© 2019 Total Licensing Ltd All illustrations are reproduced by permission of their owners. No part of this magazine may be copied or quoted without permission from the Publishers first. Total Licensing Ltd does not warrant or assume any legal liability for the accuracy or legality of contents, images or advertisements submitted to the magazine. Opinions of the contributing writers are their own and do not reflect the opinion of Total Licensing Ltd. Printed in England

6

Can you tell us something about Popeye’s beginnings?

Originally appearing in 1929, E.C. Segar’s Popeye character first debuted in “The Thimble Theatre” comic strip in the New York Journal-American, which was at that time owned by Hearst Founder William Randolph Hearst. Popeye’s introduction was a small “walk-on role”, but as soon as readers discovered his famous first line ‘Ja think I’m a cowboy?!’ he was an instant hit and soon became a regular character in the strip that eventually became known as “Popeye” in 1967. There are 1000s of comics in the historical archive, and new Popeye comic strips are released weekly. After Segar’s passing in 1938, the strip was kept alive through the talents of

Over time, the much-loved character developed alongside his cast of friends before making his film debut in 1933 and television debut in 1960.

For 90 years, the Popeye character has resonated with audiences of all ages and 600+ Popeye cartoons are in existence. “I Yam What I Yam” was the first cartoon in the Popeye series produced by the Fleischer Studios and distributed by Paramount Pictures between 1933 and 1942. Popeye was originally voiced by William Costello and later by Jack Mercer, and his first animated appearance also introduced his theme song, “I’m Popeye the Sailor Man,” composed by Sammy Lerner,

which gave birth to Popeye’s most famous line “I’m strong to da finich ‘cause I eats my spinach.”

When were the first licensed products produced? Were they aimed at adults or children?

In less than two years, Expo 2020 Dubai will open its doors to the world, bringing millions of visitors and 190 nations together to explore the very best ideas, innovations, cuisines and culture in one place.

The first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region will run from 20 October, 2020 to 10 April, 2021 and is expected to record 25 million visits.

With an unprecedented 70 per cent of visitors anticipated to come from outside the UAE, the six-month event is an invaluable opportunity for businesses to expand their reach to a massive international audience.

There will be more than 200 participants including nations, multilateral organisations, businesses and educational institu-

tions taking part. Already, 190 countries have confirmed their participation in what will be the first World Expo to implement a ‘one nation, one pavilion’ policy, giving each participant a platform to showcase their achievements, aspirations, culture and more.

Expo 2020 Dubai is guided by the belief that innovation and progress are the result of people and ideas combining in new ways. Its theme, ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’, is supported by three subthemes, Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability.

Reaching the world through Expo 2020 Dubai’s licensing programme

Expo 2020 Dubai’s licensing programme will include up to 70 licensees from across the globe, who will create approximately 5,000 branded products.

Twenty-three licensees already have been officially signed up in categories including apparel, homeware, souvenirs, regional food and spices, collectibles and precious metals, corporate gifting and holograms. They include prominent Middle Eastern brands such as Emirates (a range of model planes),

Splash (apparel), Patchi (chocolate gift boxes), Bateel (gift boxes of dates) and Gallery One (specialty souvenirs).

The first Expo 2020-branded products are on sale, including speciallydesigned gift boxes of dates by one of the GCC’s most recognisable brands, Bateel, and artisanal chocolate bars by Emirati SME Mirzam Chocolates.

In the first quarter of 2019, Expo 2020 is widening its scope to include toys, games and back-to-school products,

xx

TOTAL LICENSING

cartoonists such as Tom Sims, Bela”Bill” Zaboly, Bud Sagendorf, Bobby London. Today, Hy Eisman’s Popeye strip is printed in newspapers in 9 countries around the world.

at its height was again loved by children around the world. Except Korea where parents discouraged their children from watching it in case they wanted to emulate Bob and become a builder (presumably rather than a more respected lawyer or doctor).

A Guide to entering the Russian market All of this is understood by being in the country and talking to people. Failing to do this can result in spectacular errors.

When Pepsi introduced their ‘Come Alive with Pepsi Generation’ into China, it was translated, understandably, into Chinese. The result was ‘Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the grave.”

Car manufacturer Vauxhall were left similarly redfaced when their Nova model was launched into Spain (where ‘no va’ means ‘it doesn’t go’!) They quickly changed the brand to Vauxhall Corsa which seemed less contentious. And Coca-Cola, translated phonetically into Chinese means ‘bite the wax tadpole’! The list goes on and on.

2019 will see Total Licensing on the road again.

Through January and February we, and the magazines, will be seen in Nuremberg and New York Toy Fairs, Melbourne at the Australian Toy Hobby & Licensing Show, Kidscreen in Miami and Moscow for Licensing World Russia. And that’s on top of the Hong Kong Licensing Show that kicks off the month.

We hope you enjoy this issue and find it useful in your licensing efforts. Of course we always like to hear from our readers so, if you see any of us at any of the fairs, do stop and say hello. In the meantime, happy travels!

TOTAL LICENSING

TOTAL LICENSING

Marina Semenikhina, LIMA’s representative in Russia tells readers the best ways to approach entering the Russian licensing market.

For more information, contact Marina at msemenikhina@ licensing.org

The first products featuring Popeye and his friends were collectibles dating back to the early days of the Popeye comic strip, but once the original Popeye cartoons began airing on television the licensing program really took off. Popeye was one of the first animated characters on TV whose popularity inspired demand for product tied to the entertainment and the consumer products program doubled in size by the time the King Features cartoons were airing in the 60s. Products were wide-ranging, from C&A books to costumes, dolls, puppets, toys, lunch boxes, art kits, consumables, and homegoods.

Have you ever thought about the Russian Licensing Market?

I am asking because this summer I have started receiving requests about getting into Russian licensing market.

I know, it is not statistically accurate to assume that five calls make a trend, however the interest has been registered.

Moreover, the recent CPLG purchasing 49% of the Pullman Licensing made the first prominent case of getting into Russia using the acquisition of an existing company. So what is about Russia that make companies thinking of entering its licensing market?

Market overview According to the LIMA Annual Global Licensing Industry Survey, Russia takes the 14th place in the global rankings. Moreover, Maura Regan, LIMA president, said in her welcome video at Moscow Licensing Summit in September 2018, there is no doubt Russia has every opportunity to become a Top 10 licensing market.

The Russian licensing marketing is quite young. As a country, the Russian Federation has existed since 1991,

92

when the Soviet Union fell apart. It took industries almost a decade to adjust to this new reality, and by 2000 the first attempts were made to work officially with intellectual properties.

Part 4 of Russian Civil Code that regulates intellectual properties emerged in 2006, but the authors did not embrace licensing practices in full. Today there is still a gap between official law and common business.

Having that said it is important to mention that licensing practices have improved a lot as a result of the biggest companies (Disney, Mattel) entering the market and sharing their routines. The two major sporting events - Sochi 2014 Olympics and the FIFA WorldCup in 2018 - have greatly helped to structure licensing.

Oh those Russians!

Getting into Russia is not easy… and at the same time not that complicated if you have right partners. Yes, it is important to have local people working for you. The reasoning goes beyond language differences. Culture is also an issue (do not take this literally; we do not have bears walking the streets playing balalaikas). It is mostly about interpersonal relationships.

We have a saying: it takes a lot of time to gear up, but the ride will be fast. Russians may look open, spend money excessively, promise to get the stars and the moon (especially while drinking – business talks in restaurants are still common) but this is not a sign of trust or relationships being built.

Russians are very generous and it is in their genes to meet people with everything they can offer.

It might sound a bit strange and

contradicts all recent external affairs scandals. Firstly Russia has had a tough history over the last 100 years. World War II with a Civil War (4 years of battles in the territory), the rise and fall of Communism, the scary 90s with the first attempts at creating business (using guns and power). The upshot is that we have what we have now. I am not proud of either the political situation or the depression in the economy; but I understand where it comes from. Moreover, I do not have relevant education or experience to judge. I am a licensing professional, so back to the industry.

The industry As I mentioned, the Russian licensing market is young. This has been the opening line for all my presentations over the last five years. Yes, we are more civilized now than 7 or 8 years ago when I started working as a licensee and yet,at the same time, we are not quite mature yet.

One of the features of the industry’s infancy is that 90% of the deals are entertainment/preschool character ones. The percentage was even higher; however, the sport licensing’s share has increased because of the FIFA WorldCup. Sport club licensing is developing as well. Local clubs have opened their own stores (a great example is Zenit Football club with a chain of official stores opened first in their home region and then expanded into areas where the club has a prominent fan base). Foreign clubs are also interested in running licensing programs in Russia but the main challenge here is distribution.

Where local clubs can offer licensees

Francesca Ash Co-Publisher Jerry Wooldridge Co-Publisher

With Thanks to this Issue’s Contributing Writers: Gregory Battersby Martin Brochstein Axel Dammler

Jed Ferdinand Philippe Guinaudeau Tom Power

Nick Richardson Jonathan Watson Alice Yang

NEWS

TOTAL LICENSING

BABY RIKI IN CHINA BabyRiki is enjoying online and offline success in China with the launch of a comprehensive line of children’s dairy products, innovative toys for preschoolers and a themed coffee shop in Wuhan. A comprehensive range of 6 types of BabyRiki-themed dairy products available on China’s e-commerce giant TMall and other retailers Lakto, the dairy brand from Northern Europe has selected BabyRiki to launch a highly anticipated line of dairy products in mainland China. The products were launched on TMall to much success, with six main product types and over sixteen SKUs in the dairy category released between August and November 2018. The online momentum is further extended with retail availability. Recently the Lakto line was launched in SPIG G-Mart in Shanghai, as well as in 7-11 stores across Eastern China. The products, which include fresh cheese, yoghurts, milk-based puddings and nutritionally-enhanced milk, will also be available in over 160 shops from the first quarter of 2019.

The dairy snacks follow a 3-step program that is scientifically backed to support children’s different needs throughout the day: to energize, to recharge and to protect. Each product contains nourishing ingredients in portions that are well adapted to smaller stomachs. The Lakto Nutrition Plan can be followed by families through the brand’s communications, in particular on WeChat.

Recently the BabyRiki toys, produced by toys manufacturer KingBee, made their debut in the Hamleys Beijing flagship store. The toys are based on the children’s animation series, which has amassed over 1.5 billion views since its launch on mainland Chinese streaming platforms last year. BabyRiki is recognized worldwide for its creative union between entertaining stories and age-appropriate life lessons. The musical stories are introduced in familiar contexts for preschoolers and promote the (4Cs) skills that also inspired the BabyRiki toys: Communication, Creativity, Critical thinking and Cooperation. Over thirty SKUs in the BabyRiki line are now available to purchase. After the success of the Beijing opening ceremony at Hamleys, BabyRiki will next launch in the new Hamleys HangZhou Store.

Finally, last month also saw the opening of the first BabyRiki-themed restaurant in Wuhan, China.

This unique coffee shop is over 600 square meters in size, with multiple play areas for children to have fun while parents can relax and enjoy the food on offer. The coffee shop also offers regular workshops to engage parents and children. The BabyRiki-themed dairy products are also available to purchase and consume onsite.

8

NEWS

TOTAL LICENSING

PYRAMID DEBUT PRODUCT AT SPRING SHOWS Pyramid International are proud to be exhibiting again at this year’s Spring Fair and Nuremberg Toy Fair. As always, both shows provides them with

For further information, contact Pyramid on +44 (0)116 284 3640.

Or visit them at Nuremberg Toy Fair – Hall 12.0 Stand A-09 Spring Fair - Hall 5 – Stand J66-J71

an excellent opportunity to meet customers and showcase some of their portfolio of new licenses and product ranges.

One of these new licenses is the Netflix phenomenon that is Stranger Things. Launched in September last year, Pyramid are thrilled to now be able to present a growing range that includes a doormat, stationery items and heat change and metallic finished mugs. These will sit alongside their range of UK produced everyday mugs, posters and wall art, resulting in an excellent retail prospect that reflects the broad appeal of the show. Pyramid have also developed new collections for the Harry Potter franchise. This refreshed range includes debossed, foil Premium Notebooks for each of the famous houses, an Espresso set inspired by potion bottles and a magical ‘glow in the dark’ Patronus mug.

The company will also display, for the first time, a number of new formats, including tech stickers, luggage tags an eco-friendly travel mug as well as a collection of other pieces. These will be available in 2019 and they believe these products add exciting new depth to their range, providing retailers with even greater selling opportunities.

2019 is certainly looking like a great year for cinema with Pyramid having chosen a few key releases to discuss.

Q1 kicks off with Lego Movie 2: The Second Part and How to Train your Dragon:The Hidden World, two popular family franchises.There is also DC’s Shazam which will be hoping to capitalise on the recent success of Aqua man and the Secret Life of Pets 2 to name just a few of the things lined up for 2019.

On top of this already impressive slate, Disney are set to have an epic year. From reimaginings of beloved classics Dumbo, Aladdin and The Lion King, epic adventures from Marvel and even the return of modern classics such as Toy Story. Disney are offering something for fans across 2019, creating an impressive prospect. Pyramid are perfectly placed to help retailers capitalise on this fantastic theatrical slate, working on ranges across their product categories, including UK produced, posters and wall art, everyday drinkware and badges as well as accessories, stationery, gifting and feature

mugs produced in more exotic places.

Gaming is a hugely popular medium with a highly engaged and enthusiastic community. Games from the big studios often rival Hollywood in terms of budget and new releases, while indie developers have carved themselves a smaller by fiercely loyal fanbase. 2018 saw the continued growth and importance of nostalgia with movies and TV shows such as Guardians of the Galaxy and Stranger Things capitalising on this trend. Gaming has seen similar success, with remasters of 90’s classics Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon performing well at retail; making their addition to Pyramid’s license portfolio an exciting prospect and sit nicely alongside their long-running and hugely successful Nintendo license, specifically 80’s created, Super Mario and The Legend Zelda franchises.

Products are now available across these properties.

Online gaming is also an area which continues to grow every year and is an important focus for the gaming industry. Gamers who play online, often invest a lot of time into these games, fully immersing themselves in the world and build a connection to the world and its characters. Online success can be seen in the hugely popular online role-playing first-person shooter franchise Destiny and the ever popular Call of Duty franchise both of which Pyramid have in their repertoire.

TOY RANGE FOR SARAH & DUCK BBC Studios has announced a UK deal with 8th Wonder to create wooden and plush toy ranges for the hit CBeebies show Sarah & Duck.

Both ranges will launch at retail from Spring/Summer this year.

The deal marks the first wooden toy range for Sarah & Duck, and will include wooden dominos, blocks, sound puzzles, a skittles set and a train set. The range will join those currently being created by 8th Wonder for Hey Duggee and Something Special, both due to hit the shelves later this year.The talking

10

plush toys being created by 8th Wonder for Sarah & Duck will be the first to launch for the brand since 2014.

Julie Kekwick, Senior Licensing Manager at BBC Studios said: “We’re excited to be continuing our partnership with 8th Wonder and creating a beautiful range of toys for Sarah & Duck. The wooden toy range and plush range are fantastic additions to our range of Sarah & Duck toys, and we’re looking forward to launching them later this year”.

Gary Tyrer at 8th Wonder Ltd said: “We are delighted to work with BBC Studios on the classic Sarah & Duck

brand, we feel the license is a perfect fit for our wooden and plush toys!”

Now in its third series, Sarah & Duck continues to be a great performer on CBeebies, growing on its previous series and winning its timeslot for key audiences. Outside of the UK, key broadcasters for the series are NBC Universal Kids in the USA, BesTV and iQiyi in China, ABC in Australia, KIKA in Germany and Disney Channel in Japan. Sarah & Duck can also be seen live on stage in brand new theatrical adventure Sarah & Duck’s Big Top Birthday, which is currently touring Australia.

NEWS

TOTAL LICENSING

NEW PRODUCT FROM EONE Entertainment One is heading into 2019 with a wide range of new products for Peppa Pig and PJ Masks that will be available across the U.S. and Canada. Among the newest toys making their debut will be the Peppa Pig Let’s Chat Learning Phone and the PJ Masks Super Learning Phone, both from VTech. Designed for ages 2+, the Peppa Pig Let’s Chat Learning Phone lets toddlers explore basic math skills through four interactive games featuring Peppa and her family. The PJ Masks Super Learning Phone enables children ages 3-6 to play and chat with Catboy, Gekko and Owlette through educational games,

14

voice-activated conversations and fun voice messages. Both will be available spring 2019.

Also coming this year for PJ Masks is the Seeker and Mystery Mountain Playset from Just Play, available fall 2019.

In addition, for both Peppa Pig and PJ Masks fans, Galerie, Inc. is introducing an expanded range of Finders Keepers Peppa Pig candy and toy combos, featuring a milk chocolate candy egg and toy surprise. One of ten collectible Peppa Pig toys is tucked inside the milk chocolate egg to delight children.

PEZ Candy, Inc. is launching two new PJ Masks items, the PEZ PJ Masks Assortments and the PJ Masks Gift Set. The Gift Set includes all three PJ Masks characters, Gekko, Catboy and Owlette, as PEZ Dispensers, and a six-pack of PEZ Candy refills, while the Collection comes with one candy pack and a character dispenser. Available February 2019.

Jazwares and Just Play, the respective master toy licensees for Peppa Pig and PJ Masks, will introduce a range of new offerings in 2019.

TURNER DEBUT KOREAN GAME Korean game developer SundayToz has once again partnered with media group Turner to launch a new Cartoon Network game for Asia Pacific.

The announcement follows the 2018 global rollout of the We Bare Bears Match3 Repairs puzzle game, which has had 6.5 million app downloads to date, as well as excellent engagement stats and retention rates.

The new agreement includes game development and servicing by SundayToz, and features four popular Cartoon Network properties.

Characters from Cartoon Network’s The Powerpuff Girls, Adventure Time, The Amazing World of Gumball and We Bare Bears – properties with a wide and diverse audience – will all make an appearance in the world-building game.

Phil Nelson, Turner’s Managing Director of North Asia, said “Our two companies have already demonstrated great synergy by combining world-class game development and hugely popular IP. ”

TOTAL LICENSING

SEGA EUROPE AT LONDON AND NUREMBERG TOY FAIRS SEGA Europe’s award-winning Brand Licensing team will be attending the London Toy Fair from 22nd – 24th January at Kensington Olympia and the Nuremberg Toy Fair from 31st January – 4th February at the Messezentrum Nuremberg. They’ll be bringing with them an exciting line-up of Sonic the Hedgehog and SEGA licensed products.

Team Sonic Racing is the ultimate arcade and fast-paced competitive style racing experience, featuring your favourite characters and environments from across the Sonic Universe. Race together and win together in online multiplayer or local co-op mode utilising the dynamic team mechanics and vehicle customization features to dash across the finish line.

2019 is set to be a huge year for Sonic as he hits the silver screen in Sonic the Hedgehog a live-action theatrical release from the filmmakers behind Deadpool and The Fast and the Furious.

SEGA Europe have tied up a number of licensing deals for kids and adults classic and modern Sonic themed apparel.

On the 21st May, on Xbox One, Playstation 4, Nintendo Switch and PC, Sonic will be back behind the wheel in Team Sonic Racing. Developed by award-winning studio Sumo Digital,

14

Sun City have renewed in France regions while Licensee Factory is a new partner for Germany, Switzerland and Austria. Poetic Brands and Global Brands Group have renewed their licenses which also include SEGA’s retro games and consoles covering

the UK and European Markets respectively.

Elsewhere, Half Moon Bay successfully launched their range of classic Sonic gift and novelty products in Q4 2018 and The Hut Group have signed up to sell apparel, accessories, homewear and gift and novelty merchandise across their portfolio of online stores for Classic and Modern Sonic, Total War, Football Manager and SEGA Retro IP. For more information about all of these products and licensing deals, visit the SEGA Europe Brand Licensing Team at either the London or Nuremberg Toy Fair where they will be exhibiting much of the aforementioned merchandise.

For more information about SEGA Europe, log on to www.sega.co.uk.

TOTAL LICENSING

Global phenomenon Pokémon heads into an exciting 2019 on the back of another successful year.

Pokémon’s reputation for innovation continued with new products such as the enthusiastically received recent launches of the Nintendo Switch exclusive titles Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee! and the accompanying portable Poké Ball Plus controller. Ahead of the

16

Pokémon: Let’s Go title launches sales of Pokémon video games exceeded the 324 million mark by September 2018 making it one of the best-selling video franchises of all time.

There were also inspirational collaborations across 2018: Pokémon created cutting-edge capsule fashion collections with leading fashion designer Jeremy Scott, and top fashion brands: GCDS, Maison Labiche, and Sprayground. In 2018 Pokémon also partnered with leading brands such as Geox (Kids footwear), Moleskine (Notebooks), and Société Générale (Retail banking).

And with anticipation growing for the release of the first-ever Pokémon live action movie, 2019 looks set to be another exceptional year for the company. Pokémon: Detective Pikachu, from Legendary Entertainment, stars Ryan Reynolds, Justice Smith, Rita Ora, Ken Watanabe, Suki Waterhouse, Bill Nighy, Chris Geere and Kathryn Newton and is due to premiere in May 2019.

Expectancy started to build in late 2018 with the release of the first official trailer, which garnered 140 million global views in the 24 hours after its launch making the trailer #4 in the world for 1st day views.

With the movie boosting excitement across the retail landscape, a selection of tie-in products from a range of Pokémon licensees will be available.

Following their award-winning debut in 2018, Wicked Cool Toys are launching an enhanced range of toys in 2019, including some movie tie-in products with added retail support.

There will also be a host of additional brand-new movie tie-in products available across Europe across a number of categories including kids and adult’s daywear, nightwear accessories, posters, gifting and puzzles.

The hugely popular Pokémon Trading Card Game will see the release of new Pokémon: Sun and Moon mechanic, Tag Team, in 2019, as well as a supporting movie tie in expansion.

Further ahead, anticipation is building for a new core RPG video game in the works for release in the second half of the year.

In addition fans will also be able to enjoy a brand new animated series and tie-in movie.

It’s set to be a bumper year with a host of happenings – make sure you catch them all!

TOTAL LICENSING of events began, with the release in movie theatres of a new CGI Movie: Asterix : The Secret of the Magic Potion! Based on an original screenplay, the highly anticipated movie is already a major hit in France and will be released in more than 50 countries during the first quarter of 2019.

Asterix, an evergreen property: 60 years of success !

Born in 1959 thanks to Albert Uderzo and Rene Goscinny, Asterix the little Gaul is now a major licensed character, continuously appealing to new fans of all ages and from all around the world.

In the publishing field, the result is an off-the-wall phenomenon with more than 380 million copies sold internationally. It makes it the highest selling comic book series ever!

Not only a huge publishing success, Asterix is a cross-media character: the ten animated movies and four live action movies released over the decades have brought more than 100 million people into movie theatres. And Parc Asterix near Paris is the second

most-visited theme park in France with more than two million visitors per year.

2019 - a year of celebrations!

In 2019, Asterix will celebrate his 60th birthday!

All year long, major partners and licensees will take this opportunity to pay tribute to Asterix by developing collector products and exclusive promos: FMCG loyalty program, QSR promo, Institutional partnerships.This past Christmas, an anniversary year full

Meanwhile, Parc Asterix seems to be boosted by magic potion as well and keeps on growing!

To celebrate the Parc’s 30th birthday in April, Parc Asterix will launch a new spectacular attraction: a 4D CGI movie that for the first time will propel the audience into the Asterix universe.

And in October, a new comic album will be released throughout Europe with an impressive first print run of 5 million copies.

The perfect event to complete this anniversary year!

And it’s only the beginning…

In 2020, the adventure continues!

For the first time in six decades of Asterix comics, France Télévisions, Editions Albert René, Studio 58 and Futurikon are pleased to announce the production of Dogmatix and the Indomitables, a 3D animated series based on the adventures of the famous canine.

Expanding on the world of Asterix, Dogmatix and the Indomitables explores the surprising past of Obelix’s pet dog. The French-produced series will comprise 52 episodes with a runtime of 11 minutes and is designed for children aged 5-10.

Dogmatix and the Indomitables will undergo a licensing process entirely dedicated to this new property with a style guide full of illustrations that will accompany the products planned for Autumn 2020.

For further information, contact Baptiste Cezaux, Head of Licensing, Les Editions Albert Rene. lacazaux@editions-albert-rene.com Tel: +33 (0) 1 43 92 39 72

18

NEWS

TOTAL LICENSING

HENSON INDEPENDENT PROPERTIES RELAUNCH At Kidscreen The Jim Henson Company is relaunching HIP (Henson Independent Properties), a third-party licensing banner formed initially in 2009, to acquire and service global consumer products programs and media distribution for external brands.

Claudia Scott-Hansen, Senior VP for Global Distribution, will be meeting with producers to actively pursue opportunities to sign new entertainment properties to the label. Key titles previously represented by the company include Elias: Rescue Team Adventures and Lily’s Driftwood Bay, for which Henson signed multiple distribution deals across the globe.

Also new at Kidscreen Summit is a shift in focus for the company’s development slate.With many STEM- based series successes under their belt, the company is now focusing on properties with social-emotional learning themes, at a time when there are deepening divisions around the world.

Three new series are in development, each with an existing audience across publishing and/or toys.

10

Teddy Ruxpin: Most recently Henson teamed up with Alchemy II to develop an animated fantasy adventure series for kids ages 3-7 based on the popular Teddy Ruxpin property. The new series will focus on important themes and skills like fostering self-esteem, empathy and individuality. The Teddy Ruxpin series will have an all-star team, including showrunner John Tartaglia (Splash and Bubbles, Johnny and the Sprites); producer Russell Hicks, the original head illustrator for Alchemy II during Teddy Ruxpin’s initial launch; global master toy partner Wicked Cool Toys; and The Jim Henson Company led by executive producers Lisa Henson and Halle Stanford. World-renowned Jim Henson’s Creature Shop will bring the series to life with its Emmy Award-winning Henson Digital Puppetry Studio.

Henson is also developing a new liveaction puppet preschool series based on Slumberkins, a leading educational children’s brand working to teach positive social-emotional life skills to both parents and children. Co-founded in

2016 by Callie Christensen and Kelly Oriard, an educator and a family therapist respectively, Slumberkins strives to empower children and parents through the use of their plush and snuggly creatures, help navigate life in a balanced way. And interactive board books and storylines incorporate therapeutic techniques that accompany each creature.

Each Slumberkin has a specific socialemotional life skill it promotes, such as self-esteem, relaxation, transition/ coping with change, mindfulness, conflict resolution, growth mindset, and authenticity.

Finally, based on Audrey Penn’s picture book series, The Kissing Hand will be brought to life with puppets from Jim Henson’s Creature Shop. The Kissing Hand will feature Chester the raccoon as he learns how to navigate going to school, making new friends, and dealing with the daily anxieties of a preschooler, with the love and support of Mama Raccoon and help from a comforting kiss she leaves on his hand.

TOTAL LICENSING

The success of The Wiggles, Anthony (Blue Wiggle), Emma (Yellow Wiggle) Lachy (Purple Wiggle) and Simon (Red Wiggle) lies in the relationships they build with their audiences. They are real people just like mom and dad, making The Wiggles a child’s first love outside of their family.

“The core of The Wiggles is their humanity,” Ben Elton (Writer and Director) says. “They are not puppets, they are not cartoons, they are real people, there is something life-enhancing about The Wiggles.”

Children need opportunities to develop a sense of their own identity, to become connected with their world and to contribute to it, to develop a strong sense of wellbeing, to become confident learners and effective communicators. In all of their work The Wiggles see things from the perspective of children along with their early childhood educational background and songwriting prowess it is easy to see why The Wiggles have been successful.

So, who are The Wiggles? Emma is the first female Wiggle and the most popular of the Fab Four. She sings, drums, uses sign language and is

known for dancing. Emma has changed the play patterns of The Wiggles’ audience with her focus on ballet. Anthony created The Wiggles and has produced all of their albums, over 1,600 Wiggles songs. He remains the creative director of the group.

Lachy is a graduate of Australia’s premier musical theatre college WAAPA where alumni such as Hugh Jackman learned their craft. Lachy is Anthony’s musical right-hand man in the studio and, with his voice, specialises in arranging harmonies. Simon has a pedigree in musical theatre, performing as the Phantom in ‘The Phantom of the Opera’ that toured Asia for five years. His bass-baritone voice and sense of humour are but a part of his impressive stage presence.

The last seven years have had sig-

nificant growth with new audiences and digital platforms.

Due to the popularity of Emma, there are new license categories and products.

Paul Field, The Wiggles Managing Director says “Emma’s success is echoed in the sales of a range of Emma specific products, enabling a new play pattern of dolls and dance! The Bowtiful Ballet Studio l inspires interactive play which is an important part of the cognitive development of children.”

These toys are available in Toys “R” Us and Walmart Canada and selected Barnes and Noble stores in the USA.

The Wiggles’ YouTube North American audience makes up a whopping 49% of total viewership. Total watch time is 320,982,710 minutes (equivalent to 610 years, 107 days), which is due to regular video uploads and collaborations with content creators like Super Simple Songs, with shared playlists and appearances in their productions. There’ll be a Wiggles Week celebration on their channel to launch ‘The Toilet Song.’ The Wiggles have been asked for decades to write a song to help parents and carers with the toilet training of children. The ‘Toilet Song’ is a fun, musical way to engage with children on this

It has been 28 years since the world was introduced to the iconic blue, red, yellow and purple skivvies of The Wiggles.

The Australian powerhouse and international phenomenon was founded on Early Childhood learning principles which both entertain and engage preschoolaged children.

The Wiggles have cemented themselves as icons, creating an enduring legacy.

Children who once saw The Wiggles are now bringing their children to see The Wiggles.

21

TOTAL LICENSING The Wiggles’ sponsorship partners sold 42,383; which is a 163% growth from 2017!

2019 will be the biggest concert tour in many years. ‘The Wiggle Fun Tour’ will be a full production featuring all The Wiggles hits from ‘Hot Potato’ to ‘Do the Propeller!’. The tour will travel to the USA in May/June 2019, coast to coast to 32 cities over six weeks. Canada will see them perform 80 shows in 30 venues across the country from Newfoundland to British Columbia.

important topic. The Wiggles have collaborated with Sesame Street and with Mother Goose Club to create playlists, and the Mother Goose Club live tour competition which generated 4000 entries in 7 days!

Spotify has been an equally successful platform for The Wiggles with 2018 pulling in 65 million streams and growing rapidly. Similarly, TV streaming services worldwide have been another great triumph for The Wiggles, with Andrew Thomas, Director, Content (Kids and Family) with Hulu, confirming that “The Wiggles have been a spectacular hit on Hulu”.

The Wiggles are one of the hardest working and most successful musical groups in the world, touring the USA, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand over the last year.

Ticket sales in Canada doubled from last year to 90,000 ticket sales. In 2018 they played 348 shows, selling over 405,000 tickets. Parents cannot wait to get Wiggles tickets for their children.

On the end of year arena tour alone, ticket presale sold 101,112 tickets within 24 hours! This is a 31% growth from 2017! The presale tickets for

Over the last seven years The Wiggles have produced six TV series: ‘Ready, Steady, Wiggle!’, ‘Ready, Steady, Wiggle!

Series 2’, ‘Wiggle Town!’, ‘Emma!’, ‘Lachy!’ and ‘Wiggle Wiggle Wiggle!’.

In the USA, these series have been broadcast on Universal Kids and Hulu, in Canada on Treehouse. Netflix has streamed The Wiggles in 191 countries. ‘Emma Series 2’ and ‘Wiggle Time’ (6 x 20 minute specials) will be available for Treehouse and Netflix in Canada and on Universal Kids and Hulu in the USA in the first half of 2019.

There will be a number of premium video specials for 2019. One of the most exciting projects is ‘The Wiggles Big Ballet Day!’ which features stars of The Australian Ballet Company. The delightful narrative follows a child on a journey to see the ballet in a theatre for the first time. This will be available for release in the second half of 2019.

A new Wiggles TV series will be available in early 2020 and is set to be the most exciting Wiggles series yet!

The licensing program is growing rapidly. In 2019, The Wiggles will range a broad spectrum of The Wiggles and Emma! branded products - bicycles, apparel, puzzles & games, dolls, feeding range items, arts & crafts and, of course, musical toys.

With so much excitement it is fair to say it really is a Wiggly, Wiggly World!

22

NEWS

TOTAL LICENSING

BULLDOG TAKE ON TREASURE X Bulldog Licensing has signed an agreement to represent Treasure X – the latest collectible sensation from Moose Toys.

Treasure X has sparked a playground craze and brought a new level of innovation to the collectible category through a hyper unboxing process.

Kids rip into the box and then dig their way past multiple layers using the plastic excavating tool to uncover one of 24 high quality, collectible action figures, each with their own distinctive weapon, which they assemble and add to their collection. Each character is guarding a chest, which reveals its hidden treasure when you pour water into it. And some lucky collectors will even find the ultra-rare gold-plated treasure!

“We are incredibly excited about representing Treasure X,” says Bulldog Licensing Director Vicky Hill. “Coming from Moose Toys it obviously has immense pedigree, as they have shown through brands such as Shopkins and Pikmi Pops that they’re masters of the collectible – and I’m sure Treasure X will be just as popular! The brand has massive licensing potential and we will be announcing initial deals very soon.”

LIVE SHOW FOR RAINBOW RANGERS Following on its strong premiere on Nick Jr, Genius Brands International’s new animated adventure preschool series, Rainbow Rangers, will be heading to the live stage following a rights acquisition deal for live touring shows by diversified entertainment production and marketing agency Gershwin Entertainment. The live theater production debut of Rainbow Rangers is timed to coincide with the preschool brand’s U.S. retail launch in 2019.

“The consumer response to Nick Jr.’s introduction of Rainbow Rangers demonstrates that the brand’s plethora of licensing partners are on track to benefit from what promises to be one of 2019’s hottest new preschool entertainment properties,” said Lloyd Mintz of Genius Brands. “Todd Gershwin and his amazing team of live stage performance professionals share our vision for this dynamic property. As a longtime producer, Todd has developed and produced numerous successful theatrical productions, Broadway shows, concerts and tours for various iconic brands and we are all very excited to place Rainbow Rangers in his very capable hands.”

“Young children are already clamoring for all things Rainbow Rangers,” added Todd Gershwin. “The colorful costumes, music and amazing adventures that provide the formidable foundation for the animated series lend themselves to live theater production, and we are honored the Genius Brands has entrusted us to develop another exciting platform for its young fans to engage with the Rainbow Rangers characters.”

Genius Brands has partnered with over 25 blue-chip industry-leading licensing partners for the retail launch of Rainbow Rangers, including Mattel Inc. (master toy), MacMillan Publishing (master publishing), Bentex (master apparel).

24

CHINESE ONLINE STORE FOR OLYMPICS The International Olympic Committee and Worldwide top partner Alibaba Group recently announced the launch of the first-ever Olympic store on Tmall, China’s largest B2C marketplace for brands and retailers.

The new Olympic store will be initially available to Chinese fans on Alibaba’s Tmall, with additional plans in development to create a global ecommerce platform for fans around the world.

The Olympic store on Tmall has been launched as part of the new IOC Global Licensing Strategy, which aims to engage and connect with fans seeking official Olympic branded merchandise, in line with the Olympic Agenda 2020. The launch was announced at the second annual Tmall Winter Festival in Zhangjiakou, a three-day online and offline retail event to generate excitement for winter sports among Chinese consumers.

The Olympic store on Tmall will offer official products developed as part of three Olympic core licensing collections, aimed at engaging Chinese fans all year round.The Olympic Games Collection celebrates the upcoming Olympic Games and includes branded products from the Beijing 2022 and Tokyo 2020 Games, such as pins, apparel and other memorabilia.

The Olympic Heritage Collection will feature products that include art and design elements from previous Games editions, such as postcards of historical Olympic posters, connecting fans and connoisseurs with the rich heritage of the Olympic Games.

Finally, the Olympic Collection will target a young and active audience through unique branded products, mainly sports equipment and toys.

In December 2017, Alibaba Group, in partnership with the Beijing 2022 Organising Committee, introduced the official online shop for Beijing 2022 on Tmall to help promote the Games among fans in China.

TOTAL LICENSING

The World’s Best Loved Fairies Turn 15:

Rainbow Celebrates Winx Club!

2019 marks the fifteenth anniversary of Winx Club, a landmark turning point for one of the world’s best-loved and most popular brands for girls.The fairy property, born out of the creativity and talent of Rainbow Founder and CEO Iginio Straffi has constantly reinvented itself, responding to the ever-changing market trends and often anticipating new styles, naturally becoming one of the most followed TV shows worldwide - captivating millions of fans from all five continents.

The famous fairy team made up of Bloom, Stella, Flora, Aisha, Musa and Tecna has grown up alongside millions of girls, spreading magic and positive values like friendship, altruism and commitment and reaching over 100 countries through eight TV series, two original series co-produced with Netflix, three feature films and numerous live shows and international musicals.

Winx Club’s 15 years offers Rainbow a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the

26

extraordinary success of the brand with fans, through a special series of dedicated initiatives.

A touring exhibition celebrating the 15 years of Winx will guide fans through the magical world of their favorite fairies with stories, fun facts, unpublished material, news and interactive activities. After premiering at Lucca Comics and Games 2018, the exhibition will move to Milan, and will

then be hosted in various European countries in 2019. The celebrations will continue throughout the year, with exclusive events and partnerships to engage all fans. And the magic doesn’t end there…

Important news is on the way: the next chapter of the Winx Club saga will hit screens in spring 2019, and series 8 will see the fairies undergo a thrilling new transformation, and see the return of their most popular ones like Enchantix, Sirenix and Butterflix.

What’s more, theaters around the world will welcome the debut of a brand new live show that will enchant the audience with special effects, cutting-edge technology, holograms and spectacular light effects.

Finally, the highly anticipated live action TV series, co-produced with Netflix, will see the Winx turn into real girls, bringing the magic to a new level of entertainment and thrilling the young adult audience.

TOTAL LICENSING

TOEI ANIMATION EUROPE’S MOMENTUM CONTINUES IN 2019 Toei Animation Europe’s (TAEU) 2019 licensing endeavors are already well under way. Continuing its 2018 momentum, TAEU is once again setting the global stage with creative, diverse and wide-reaching campaigns for its legendary animated library.

Dragon Ball Super’s acclaimed storyline continues in the feature film Dragon Ball Super: Broly. The 20th film in the Dragon Ball series, and the first to follow the television run of Dragon Ball Super, the film has earned outstanding figures in Japan. Since its December release, the film has earned a stunning box office return of 3.3 billion yen ($30 million plus USD) and stands as one the most-anticipated films of the year in countries across Europe – where its release schedule is confirmed: January 23 in the UK; January 29 in Germany; February 1 in Spain; February 28 in Italy; March 13 in France.

At the same time, the Dragon Ball Su-

28

per television series will soon be available in new markets across Europe. Nickelodeon in Greece debuted the series on January 14, while Biggs in Portugal is confirmed for a March launch.

Supplementing these significant feature film and television broadcast updates is a comprehensive merchandising program encompassing several major retail categories. Bandai is hard at work developing a new action figure line in follow up to their incredibly successful 2018 releases – which were included in the top ten sales figures in France and Spain.

At the same time, noted Spain-based clothing retailer, Bershka, is designing a men’s apparel collection utilizing images and characters from the worldfamous Dragon Ball.

Dragon Ball wowed the gaming world in 2018 with the release of Bandai Namco’s award-winning multi-console videogame, Dragon Ball FighterZ. Not only did it sell 750K units in EMEA (3.5 million worldwide), but its French promotional video made with Le Rire Jaune was the most seen video of 2018 in France (over 13.6 million views). Bandai Namco plans to extend their success with the franchise this year, with Super Dragon Ball Heroes World Mission for the PC and Nintendo Switch. A digital card game, Super Dragon Ball Heroes World Mission will captivate players when it launches on April 5.

Another surprise success for Toei Animation Europe and Dragon Ball

was its symphonic concert series which toured across Europe. This is confirmed for its triumphant return in 2019. After breakthrough performances throughout Europe, including a sold-out concert at the Grand Rex in Paris (October 27th), the live musical journey through the world of Dragon Ball has become a popular addition to the brand’s storied history.

The concerts are currently scheduled on May 4 in Milano, Italy, and May 11 in Barcelona, Spain.

2019 will also be a year for celebration and reflection – it’s classic property, the One Piece animated series, will turn 20. After 20 years, however, One Piece shows no sign of slowing down. Not only is a new feature film being produced for an August release (the series’ 13th overall) – but, new broadcasts continue to line-up through Europe, including most recently simulcasts on Wakanim in Russia and Germany, Anime on Demand in Germany, ADN in France. The series is

TOTAL LICENSING

also about to be aired on free TV TFX in France. Alongside these updates, European One Piece fans will also have the opportunity to celebrate the anniversary by attending a new series of symphonic concerts set for a multicountry tour in 2019.

On the merchandising front, Winning Moves, which specializes in variants on classic board games, will develop a very special One Piece-themed Monopoly board. One Piece’s successful creative collaboration with Skechers will also continue through the year.

After six pairs of One Piece-inspired sneakers became one of 2018’s biggest footwear fashion sensations, Skechers will launch a new collection for a spring/summer 2019 release.

In the world of digital entertainment, Bandai Namco is further developing a highlyanticipated new videogame. A new action/ adventure game, One Piece World Seeker is a deeply ambitious title that has grabbed the attention of the gaming community since its rousing introduction. The game is one of the most anticipated titles to be featured at the latest Gamescom and Tokyo Games Show, where eager players from around the world got to play and learn more about the upcoming adventure. Its

firmed for broadcast on Crunchyroll (EMEA), Wakanim (Germany, Russia, France), and ADN (France).

In collaboration with Netflix, Saint Seiya will be re-imagined for a new generation with Saint Seiya Knights of the Zodiac. Produced with CGI elements, Saint Seiya Knights of the Zodiac is an ambitious chapter in the franchise’s long history. Made to thrill Saint Seiya fans while conquering a new generation’s heart, Saint Seiya Saintia Sho and Saint Seiya Knights of the Zodiac will be major pop culture topics of conversation in 2019.

Beyond the two new series, Toei Animation Europe is bringing in partners to establish a symphonic concert series. Following the same formula of success that catapulted its concert series for Dragon Ball and One Piece to international acclaim, the Saint Seiya concert is in its very early stages –

release is scheduled for March 15th 2019, when it will be available for the Xbox One, PS4 and PC digital.

If all this wasn’t enough,Toei Animation Europe is set to produce all-new television series based on its storied Saint Seiya franchise, with two new productions currently in development for 2019. Saint Seiya Saintia Sho (10x26’) follows 2015’s Saint Seiya Soul of Gold, which surprised fans with its rollercoaster cosmic adventure. Saint Seiya Saintia Sho is notable in that it follows a cast of female heroines. It is con-

with an expected April 2020 launch of the European tour.

2018 was a year filled with strong development and successful activities, which culminated in a Special Jury Award from the First-Annual LIMA France Licensing Awards.

But, Toei Animation Europe is not taking any time to reflect as it prepares to continue its momentum into 2019.

As it has always done, Toei Animation Europe excels at setting standards across the entertainment and licensing industry.

Dragon Ball Super: ©Bird Studio/Shueisha,Toei Animation Dragon Ball Super: Broly movie : ©Bird Studio/Shueisha ©2018 Dragon Ball Super The Movie Production Committee One Piece: ©Eiichiro Oda / Shueisha,Toei Animation Saint Seiya Saintia Sho: ©Masami Kurumada, Chimaki Kuori(AKITASHOTEN) / Toei Animation

29

TOTAL LICENSING

Pukeko Pictures On a recent visit to Wellington, New Zealand, Total Licensing caught up with Clive Spink, Chief Executive and Alison Heath, Chief Brands Officer at Pukeko Pictures to find out more about the company, and how they are forging new partnerships in China.

Taking New Zealand into China!

Pukeko was founded in 2008 as a partnership between Weta Workshop’s founder Sir Richard Taylor together with Tania Rodger and well-known author Martin Baynton specifically as a company concentrating on the children’s marketplace. Based on Wellington’s Miramar Peninsula, Pukeko is part of the World-famous Weta network of creative companies and home to some of the world’s finest filmmaking tal-

Clive Spin, CEO and Alison Heath, Chief Brands Officer, Pukeko Pictures

ent and technology. Weta Workshop, of course, is the company responsible for Lord of the Rings,The Hobbit, Avatar and countless other major success stories.

Pukeko’s first project was the television series Jane and the Dragon, a CGI animated series about a medieval girl and her pet dragon, swiftly followed

by The WotWots, an early preschool series featuring extra terrestrial characters who arrive in the middle of a zoo. The WotWot characters were designed by Weta Workshop with live action sequences shot on location at Wellington Zoo as well as Auckland, Melbourne and Sydney zoos.

The WotWots has aired in more than 100 territories around the world including The Hub, Netflix, Hulu and Comcast in the US as well as on ABC Kids in Australia and TVNZ in New Zealand.

The WotWots gave Pukeko a strong basis in terms of consumer products with a broad range of publishing and other product lines. And this is where Alison Heath comes in.

“Everybody knows that broadcasting sales alone are never sufficient to generate the income needed on a

30

property,” explained Heath. “The income needs to be supplemented with clothing, toys, books and games.

If the property is popular, consumers will demand products based on their favourite characters.”

But the company did not just limit themselves to preschool and animation, as Clive Spink explained.

“We have 199 Little Heroes which are five minute programs featuring children’s journeys to school around the world,” he said. “This helps to introduce children to the concept of documentaries.”

Cleverman is a further Pukeko production that combines live action with animated creatures created by Weta Workshop. The series, aimed at an older market, is an original drama that sees a group of non-humans battling for survival in a world where humans feel increasingly inferior to them.

Comprising two series of 6 x one hour episodes, Cleverman tells the story of two indigenous half-brothers who join forces to battle these forces.

Pukeko also co-produced the recent remake of Thunderbirds with ITV Studios using a mix of CGI animation and live-action model sets which show-

TOTAL LICENSING

cased Pukeko and Weta Workshop’s ground-breaking creative and technical excellence. Three series have now been aired.

Certainly, it becomes very clear that Pukeko, and their close association with Weta Workshop, are at the forefront of production and the creation of intellectual property.

One area where both Spink and Heath are very excited is a recent coproduction deal in China. Pukeko and Hengxin Shambala Kids (Guangzhou) Cultural Industry Development have joined together to broadcast Kiddets, the sister series to The WotWots on

CCTV in China, following the series’ success in New Zealand in Australia. It is the first official children’s television co-production between New Zealand and China.

The series already airs on TVNZ’s TV2, Hei Hei and On Demand services in New Zealand as well as ABC Kids in Australia.

Kiddets expands upon The WotWots franchise with brand new adventures and sees the introduction of five new WotWot characters, Patches, Dapper, Bounce, Stripes and Luna - young space cadets in training at a play school space academy on planet

WotWot. Under the watchful eye of SpottyWot and DottyWot who are based on planet Earth, Patches, Dapper, Bounce, Stripes and Luna learn all the skills they need to embark on a mission to a new world.

Aimed at new and existing fans of The WotWots, Kiddets offers a broader audience appeal including older preschool children with each episode demonstrating the positive values of teamwork and the building blocks of true and enduring friendship.

Kiddets was created by The WotWots’ Creator, Martin Baynton and is Executive Produced by Richard Taylor.

Clive Spink takes up the story. “The Kiddets are, effectively, baby WotWots and teach very small children the value of learning through play. We’re excited that Season One is already out and Season Two is now in production.”

Commenting on the deal, Sir Richard Taylor, who founded and co-owns Pukeko said, “We are delighted that it will have its premiere broadcast on CCTV which is testament to the successful and ambitious working partnership on the show with our friends and partners, Hengxin Shambala Kids.”

31

TOTAL LICENSING

En Pointe For Tween Audiences Find Me in Paris Hits the Right Note

32

Federation Kids & Family has announced its licensing partnership in Italy with leading kids entertainment company Planeta Junior, for its premium time-traveling ballet series Find Me in Paris.

Now in its second Season, Find Me in Paris (52 x 26) launched on the Disney Channel Italy in November 2018, alongside a worldwide debut on important platforms across the globe including: NBC Universal Kids and HULU (US), Nickelodeon (UK), France Télévisions (France), Disney (France), ZDF (Germany), ABC (Australia), and VRT (Belgium), among others.

Planeta Junior will take on the licensing rights to the series, concentrating on the opportunities provided by a tween live action series revolving around music, ballet and modern dance – set against the backdrop of the most iconic opera house, in the most famous city in the world. A first key book deal has already been signed with Mondadori, which will launch in 2019.

“We are thrilled to have a brand of

such high standard to work with. The high production budget, on-location filming in Paris and the Opera Garnier, and the world-class choreography, have made this a compelling brand across all categories. We are really proud to work side-by-side with a top entertainment company like Cottonwood,” said Simone Fenu, Planeta Junior.

“With major licensing partners in France and Germany already working on a strong merchandise program ranging from books and magazines, to bedding, fashion, toys and stationery, we have no doubt Find Me in Paris will become a hot and fashionable property in Italy. We are delighted to benefit from Planeta Junior’s licensing experience and we’re fully committed to working with the best licensees in the Italian market to build Find Me in Paris into a long term franchise,” added David Michel, Managing Director, Federation Kids & Family.

Find Me in Paris is produced by Federation’s sister company Cottonwood Media with ZDF, ZDF Enterprises, B-FILMS, and the Opera National de

Paris. Producers include David Michel, Zoé Carrera Allaix, Cecile Lauritano and Pascal Breton, along with co-executive producer Leila Smith.

Written and co-executive produced

by Jill Girling and Lori Mather-Welch (creators of Nickelodeon’s hit series “Ride”), the show stars Jessica Lord, Eubha Akilade, Rory J. Saper, Hannah Dodd, Castle Rock Peters, and Hiran Abeysekera.

Find Me in Paris follows the story of Lena Grisky, a time-travelling ballet dancer from 1905 Russia trapped in modern day Paris, and the many dilemmas she faces finding her place between two worlds. Filled with world class ballet, modern dance, music, drama and comedy - all filmed on location in iconic Paris and the National Garnier Opera House, with a production budget unparalleled in the market Find Me in Paris has already taken the tween genre by storm with worldwide sales and critical acclaim. Recent accolades include the Washington Post’s listing of the series as a top choice for parents to watch with kids, noting: “This international series also features a lot of really impressive dance sequences from the talented cast.” The second season of Find Me in Paris is currently being filmed in Paris.

TOTAL LICENSING

The Middle East The UAE and Saudi Arabia Light competitive environment for these two territories with many of the brands appealing to both genders at the same time. Each demographic target knows about twenty two different brands - 33% of what British Children would mention. Altogether, kids can mention 71 different brands across all demographic groups.

Although there are a few gender-orientated brands, most of them would appeal to both boys and girls, aged from three to fourteen years.

Infant brands are not so developed in the Middle East countries.

Fulla is a fashion doll in the Middle Eastern countries. The brand now attracts more younger girls than a year ago but directly competes with Barbie on this demographic target.

Birds of Paradise: Not only a TV channel (on YouTube, the channel even registers 3.9 million subscribers) but also a band with children’s songs.

Among those aware of the brand, 55% love the brand. Consequently, the brand scores a high purchase intention level but only in the master category of the brand (music).

it in Saudi Arabia, 60% of the kids love the brand and want a licensed product with Masha - especially girls (50%).

FIFA: This license appeared in the top 30 for the first time; clearly favored by boys aged 10 to 14, especially in Saudi Arabia (12% of them place it as one of their three favorite brands). This is also one of the rare top brands attracting such a segmented demographic group in Middle Eastern countries.

Spider-Man: Kids 3 to 6 and 7 to 9 know the brand and love it. The brand is even their favorite of all for boys aged 3 to 6 years. And although

UAE AND SAUDI ARABIA The Facts

Population 2018 Births (2017) 0-14 Population 0-14 in % population Source: Eurostat

Brands

615,102 8.755m 24.9%

Oct 2018

No Entertainment brands kids 0 - 14 know 71 Top 5 favorite 26% Top 20 favorite 75% Source: BrandTrends Research by Kidz Global

Philippe Guinaudeau of Kidz Global takes a look at children’s entertainment brands that are popular in two key Middle Eastern territories - the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

ownership is quite general, consumer demand for the brand remains very robust, with even more kids willing to have products than kids already having products.

TOP 30 FAVORITE ENTERTAINMENT BRANDS Kids 0 to 14 years. UAE and KSA - October 2018.

Unaided mentions

Masha and the Bear is one of the growing brands in the region for kids up to 6 years old. Ahead of Birds of Paradise in the UAE, and right behind

33

TOTAL LICENSING

ACCESS A WORLD OF NEW OPPORTUNITIES WITH EXPO 2020 DUBAI’S LICENSING PROGRAMME Companies globally are invited to join the next World Expo as an official licensee, with toys, games and back-toschool items the latest product categories to open up.

In less than two years, Expo 2020 Dubai will open its doors to the world, bringing millions of visitors and 190 nations together to explore the very best ideas, innovations, cuisines and culture in one place.

The first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region will run from 20 October, 2020 to 10 April, 2021 and is expected to record 25 million visits.

With an unprecedented 70 per cent of visitors anticipated to come from outside the UAE, the six-month event is an invaluable opportunity for businesses to expand their reach to a massive international audience.

There will be more than 200 participants including nations, multilateral organisations, businesses and educational institu-

tions taking part. Already, 190 countries have confirmed their participation in what will be the first World Expo to implement a ‘one nation, one pavilion’ policy, giving each participant a platform to showcase their achievements, aspirations, culture and more.

Expo 2020 Dubai is guided by the belief that innovation and progress are the result of people and ideas combining in new ways. Its theme, ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’, is supported by three subthemes, Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability.

Reaching the world through Expo 2020 Dubai’s licensing programme Expo 2020 Dubai’s licensing programme will include up to 70 licensees from across the globe, who will create approximately 5,000 branded products.

Twenty-three licensees already have been officially signed up in categories including apparel, homeware, souvenirs, regional food and spices, collectibles and precious metals, corporate gifting and holograms. They include prominent Middle Eastern brands such as Emirates (a range of model planes),

34

Splash (apparel), Patchi (chocolate gift boxes), Bateel (gift boxes of dates) and Gallery One (specialty souvenirs).

The first Expo 2020-branded products are on sale, including speciallydesigned gift boxes of dates by one of the GCC’s most recognisable brands, Bateel, and artisanal chocolate bars by Emirati SME Mirzam Chocolates.

In the first quarter of 2019, Expo 2020 is widening its scope to include toys,

TOTAL LICENSING

Al Wasl Plaza

‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ Expo 2020 Dubai is guided by the belief that innovation and progress are the result of people and ideas combining in new ways. Its theme ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ is based on the principle of providing a gateway for collaboration, creativity and innovation.

games and back-to-school products, and more categories will open later in the year. These exciting licensing categories will predominantly relate to the Expo 2020 mascot, due to be revealed in 2019, and will be important expressions of Expo 2020’s subthemes, Op-

portunity, Mobility and Sustainability.

Licensees will have a unique platform to grow their existing business, collaborate with an extensive network of partners and affiliates, strengthen their brand and product offering and reach new global audiences.

Their Expo 2020-branded products will be sold through 5,000 sqm of retail space on the Expo site, as well as at selected retailers and dedicated Expo shops throughout the UAE and through Expo 2020’s official online store, providing greater reach to customers around the world.

The next World Expo is a much-antic-

Expo 2020’s licensed products will bring to life its subthemes: Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability. Opportunity refers to unlocking the potential for individuals and communities to shape the future, and could be particularly ipated event expected to inspire and relevant for licensed products in eduexcite millions of people from around cational, toy and digital categories. The the world, who will seek souvenirs to Mobility subtheme mark their experience. will explore the Upcoming licensed product smarter and more opportunities include: productive move• Infant educational toys and games ment of people, (ages two to six) goods and ideas, • Educational toys and games (ages both physically and six and above) virtually. Licensed • Board games, card games and products such as puzzles bikes, scooters, • Mobility – bikes, scooters, sporting goods and hoverboards and skates outdoor play will • Sports and outdoor play likely reflect this • Collectibles – figurines, stickers subtheme. Sustain and trading cards ability is expected • Electronic toys – robots, remote to run through controlled toys and many of Expo electronic learning toys 2020’s licensed • Technical – action toys and product categories, demonstrating brick sets new ways in which we can continue to • Back-to-school bags – trolley bags, develop and progress while respecting backpacks, laptop bags, tablet and living in balance with the planet, to cases and briefcases ensure a sustainable future for all.

• Stationery equipment – pencil cases, pens, coloured pencils, In another example of bringing to rulers, erasers, sharpeners, life its theme, Expo 2020’s Online scissors, crayons, colouring Marketplace (OMP) (https://omp.ex pages, markers, paint, paint sets, brushes, art kits, clay, chalk, stickers, binders, Mobility Pavilion stickers, stamp sets, glue, folders and adhesive notepads • Lunch boxes and bags – water bottles, water bottle holders, back to school sets and creative art sets • Digital games – running games, educational games, virtual reality and augmented reality games

35

TOTAL LICENSING – is being used to build Al Wasl, which means ‘connection’ in Arabic.

A 67.5m-tall, 130m-wide steel dome will double as a giant 360-degree projection surface, creating a truly breathtaking structure. Al Wasl Plaza will host events such as the opening and closing ceremonies, concerts and National Day celebrations. po2020dubai.com) has been designed as a tool to enable users to connect with Expo 2020 and its participants, licensees and contractors, as well as other registered businesses around the world, to showcase their products, services and expertise. The free-touse platform also contributes to Expo 2020’s commitment to create a longlasting economic impact by supporting companies of all sizes, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

More than 25,000 companies from 149 countries are already registered on the OMP. About three-quarters are SMEs, which will benefit from Expo’s commitment to allocate 20 per cent of its direct and indirect spend to SMEs from around the world.

A gateway to the world The UAE is one of the most important countries in which to do business.

Located within eight hours’ flying time of 80 per cent of the global population, it connects North and South, East and West.

Visit www.expo2020dubai. com to learn more about the event and contact Michael.Beckett@ expo2020.ae or Victor.Gimenez@ expo2020.ae for licensing enquiries.

36

Expo 2020, located in Dubai South, is one of the most connected sites on the planet, both physically and virtually.

The first commercial customer to access next-generation 5G services in the region, Expo will be a world-class destination for leisure, culture and business that is also highly accessible – located close to Al Maktoum International Airport and within easy reach of Dubai and Abu Dhabi International Airports and Jebel Ali Port.

At the heart of Expo 2020 is Al Wasl Plaza, the newest iconic attraction in a city renown for impressive architecture. About 22 storeys high, 13km of steel – the length of 16 Burj Khalifas

Al Wasl Plaza will connect to the three Thematic Districts, each anchored by their respective Thematic Pavilion, which will bring to life the three subthemes through immersive journeys designed to inspire and excite visitors.

The Opportunity Pavilion will inspire visitors to make a change and support global development; the Mobility Pavilion will explore how mobility has driven mankind’s development and encourage visitors to continue to explore unchartered territorities; and the Sustainability Pavilion, itself an extraordinary piece of architecture that pushes the boundaries of sustainable design, will inspire visitors to take actions that help preserve the planet.

For the first time in the 168-year history of World Expos, each participating nation’s pavilion will be located according to the subtheme they have chosen to emphasise, rather than their geographical location on the globe.

This is intended to encourage greater collaboration and connections that may otherwise not occur and which may lead to better solutions to global problems.

There will be something for everyone, with 60 live shows every day for 173 days, plus gastronomic experiences from around the world at more than 200 food and beverage outlets. With the world in one place, Expo 2020 also will be an incredible exploration of cultures. Running from October to April means Expo 2020 can celebrate Special Days including Diwali, New

Year’s Eve and Chinese New Year.

Since they began in London in 1851, World Expos have launched the latest innovations, including the telephone (Philadelphia, 1876), the Ferris wheel (Chicago, 1893), the diesel engine (Paris, 1900), the X-Ray machine (Buffalo, 1901), the ice cream cone (St Louis, 1904), commercial broadcasting (New York, 1939), IMAX (Osaka, 1970), touchscreens (Knoxville, 1982) and the humanoid robot (Nagoya, 2005).

In today’s digital world, it is difficult to predict but exciting to wonder what innovations will be revealed – or created – at Expo 2020 Dubai.

Licensees have the opportunity to be a part of this enduring legacy.

One visit to Expo 2020 Dubai will not be enough! Expo will be the most sought-after destination for visitors in the UAE during its six-month duration, and organisers are already work-

ing with authorised ticket resellers to ensure visitors globally maximise their experience at Expo.

Expo 2020 has also partnered with many leading companies to help create an exceptional World Expo. So far, 11 Premier Partners have been signed: Accenture, CISCO, DP World, Emirates, Emirates NBD, Etisalat, Mastercard, Nissan, PepsiCo, SAP and Siemens.

Expo will leave a lasting impact as an economic driver and a catalyst for change in many areas – for the UAE, Expo’s participants and visitors. Become an Expo 2020 licensee and discover the many ways in which your business can benefit.

TOTAL LICENSING Hasbro Transformers continues to enjoy popularity in the region, with the spin-off movie, Bumblebee adding to fans’ excitement. Bumblebee merchandise hit retail shelves in September 2018 to tremendous sell through. Popular products included the new toy line from Hasbro, apparel, footwear, back to school, water and more.

Nerf is becoming a fast growing lifestyle brand in the region, with a merchandising program across categories such as apparel, back to school, accessories and outdoor toys arriving at retail in summer 2019.

My Little Pony has enjoyed steady growth each year and expansion into consumer categories that are breaking age and gender barriers.The brand continues to reach beyond traditional demographics and form new collaborations. 20too’s team is currently working on a new ‘halo’ project, which will further enhance brand’s reach at retail and in the fashion world.

Since Hasbro’s acquisition of Saban Brands’ Power Rangers and other assets, the opportunities within the Hasbro world are greater than ever.

Angry Birds Rovio is developing a long-term and diverse platform of content for its passionate global audience including The Angry Birds Movie 2 scheduled for release on August 16, 2019. With powerful content ahead, both Rovio and 20too are ramping up the multiyear licensing roadmap for Angry Birds. Sony Pictures’ hotly anticipated sequel to the 2016 blockbuster film The Angry Birds Movie will see the returning voice cast including Jason Sudeikis as the temperamental Red, Josh Gad as speedy Chuck, Danny McBride as the volatile Bomb, and Peter Dinklage as the legendary Mighty Eagle. Rovio and 20too have already appointed new licensees and are re-

freshing ongoing partnerships in preparation for the release.

The global master toy partner Jazwares will deliver an innovative range of toys and engagingly interactive experiences that will bring the Angry Birds universe together for fans in cool new ways. Other recently signed up partners include Maisto who will develop pull-back toy cars, launcher sets, R/C vehicles and track sets, and Edukie who is working on a range of construction toys. In the Middle East, the cross-category program for the movie will also extend to apparel, footwear, back to school, live events and FMCG. The release of The Angry Birds Movie 2 is coinciding with the 10th anniversary of the hit videogame Angry Birds in December next year.

Rovio’s other flagship projects to bolster the brand include a new longform animated TV show planned for 2020, live stage shows, location-based entertainment instalments like Angry Birds World in Qatar, and animated and live-action productions for Rovio’s Angry Birds YouTube channel.

Discovery Fatafeat, a Middle Eastern food and lifestyle television channel created for those passionate about food, inspiring female audiences in Arab world, had a tremendous year attracting new partners across different mediums and categories. The licensing program inspired by Fatafeat, designed in collaboration with one of the top hypermarket chains in the region, is about to hit shelves in the Middle East.

The range of products will include food and non-food items such as oven mitts, dinner sets, aprons, cutlery, cooking pans, spices and more. The launch, supported via POS material, digital campaign, product placement, TVC and promotion on Fatafeat’s social platforms, begins an impressive

roll-out of various product categories inspired by Fatafeat.

PJ Masks In the ever-competitive pre-school sector, Entertainment One’s popular property PJ Masks enjoyed a year of rapid growth and expansion. With multiple licensees signed up and more and more retail partners on board, today it is one of the most successful pre-school brands and the hottest license in the industry.

PJ Masks licensees continue to thrive and deliver high quality products and retail experiences. Today, PJ Masks’ cross-category program covers toys, apparel, footwear, back to school, premiums, confectionery and more.

Global Village, the world’s leading multicultural festival park and the region’s first family destination for entertainment, is launching the region’s first PJ Masks live shows this season.

With a new Super Moon Adventure themed product range coming to the market in Q1 2019, season 3 premiering in January 2020 and a content roadmap lined up for next 5 years, the brand continues to grow and attract partners for both traditional and new categories.

20too Licensing is a leading licensing agency in the MENA region, and a strategic partner to some of the world’s bestknown licensors including Hasbro, Entertainment One, emoji, Rovio, Discovery, IMPS, Moose and Silvergate.

20too specializes in and provides not only brand extension services but also content sales, product strategy, marketing, communication and PR services.

The company’s portfolio is strategically diversified and includes brands spanning from pre-school, lifestyle, young adults, edutainment and promotional brands.

MTV MTV, the home of millions of young people aged 16 to 30 spanning millennials and generation Z, is known to be appealing to a big Asian community in the Middle East. MTV constantly engages with their audience via TV, digital, social media, consumer products, promotions and events. MTV’s persistent coolness is allowing the brand to venture into new merchandising and licensing agreements in the region. Recently, Viacom Consumer Products and 20too Licensing tapped new licensees for merchandise based on the MTV brand.

In 2019 the timeless MTV brand will extend into more exciting products including backpacks, stationery, apparel, and various event collaborations in the Middle East market.

37

TOTAL LICENSING

Happy Birthday Popeye! cartoonists such as Tom Sims, Bela”Bill” Zaboly, Bud Sagendorf, Bobby London. Today, Hy Eisman’s Popeye strip is printed in newspapers in 9 countries around the world.

As Popeye celebrates his 90th birthday, Total Licensing talked to Carla Silva, Head of Licensing at King Features Syndicate to find out more about the character’s extraordinary longevity and how they keep their licensing programs up to date and on trend.

Carla Silva Vice President/ General Manager, Global Head of Licensing, King Features

38

Can you tell us something about Popeye’s beginnings?

Originally appearing in 1929, E.C. Segar’s Popeye character first debuted in “The Thimble Theatre” comic strip in the New York Journal-American, which was at that time owned by Hearst Founder William Randolph Hearst. Popeye’s introduction was a small “walk-on role”, but as soon as readers discovered his famous first line ‘Ja think I’m a cowboy?!’ he was an instant hit and soon became a regular character in the strip that eventually became known as “Popeye” in 1967. There are 1000s of comics in the historical archive, and new Popeye comic strips are released weekly. After Segar’s passing in 1938, the strip was kept alive through the talents of

Over time, the much-loved character developed alongside his cast of friends before making his film debut in 1933 and television debut in 1960.

For 90 years, the Popeye character has resonated with audiences of all ages and 600+ Popeye cartoons are in existence. “I Yam What I Yam” was the first cartoon in the Popeye series produced by the Fleischer Studios and distributed by Paramount Pictures between 1933 and 1942. Popeye was originally voiced by William Costello and later by Jack Mercer, and his first animated appearance also introduced his theme song, “I’m Popeye the Sailor Man,” composed by Sammy Lerner,

which gave birth to Popeye’s most famous line “I’m strong to da finich ‘cause I eats my spinach.”

When were the first licensed products produced? Were they aimed at adults or children?

The first products featuring Popeye and his friends were collectibles dating back to the early days of the Popeye comic strip, but once the original Popeye cartoons began airing on television the licensing program really took off. Popeye was one of the first animated characters on TV whose popularity inspired demand for product tied to the entertainment and the consumer products program doubled in size by the time the King Features cartoons were airing in the 60s. Products were wide-ranging, from C&A books to costumes, dolls, puppets, toys, lunch boxes, art kits, consumables, and homegoods.

TOTAL LICENSING In Japan, there is a unique history tied to publishing. In 1976, “Popeye” magazine was the first fashion and lifestyle magazine to be published in Japan that targeted Japanese young men. The launch editor,Yoshihisa Kinameri (now Magazine House Honorary Advisor) and the Editing Department Head, Jiro Ishikawa, established the magazine.

As they were thinking of a name for the magazine, Kinameri, knowing that Ishikawa’s young son liked the character Popeye, suggested that name would be good because Popeye was strong, kind, and everyone loved him, so that was it. Popeye magazine was born. The first issue also happened to be a special feature on California, so the name was a good match to convey as-yet unknown American culture in Japan, and it is well-known as the first magazine for introducing US West Coast style to Japan.

When Popeye was first published, there were no other men’s fashion magazines focused on fashion and culture including US and Europe in the

market, so it was an innovative step for the men’s magazine industry. The magazine immediately became very popular, fostering new worldviews among young people in their late teens to 20s because it features culture and combines products with lifestyles and tastes. Because of its heavy use of photography and the popularity of and interest in Japanese fashion overseas, Popeye magazine is increasingly popular outside of Japan, especially among men’s fashion designers and men’s apparel companies in the US and in Europe. Due to the popularity Popeye gained, the magazines Brutus, Olive, and Casa Brutus were later launched. Although each magazine has its own special perspectives and themes, they are all regarded as part of the same family.

Popeye and his friends have also been prevalent in brand promotion for decades, appearing in commercials and ads for brands such as “Start” orange juice, Cocoa Puffs, Dr. Pepper, and Quaker Oatmeal. More recently, Popeye and his crew have been spokecharacters for Bank of America, Pepsi, Kerrygold, BMW, La Lait and Google/ YouTube.

However, Popeye’s endorsement power doesn’t only lay in the realm of consumer products. When a symbol of power or strength is needed for an cause, Popeye is often chosen. His character is associated with anti-bullying and in the early 90s, Popeye was named the official mascot for the Boy Scouts of America. Popeye has a history of being active in environmental conservation, advocating for marine life protection and empowering folks to take action on water pollution. We are planning to reignite Popeye’s activism in his anniversary year through new partnerships. And we are excited to announce our charitable partner-

40

ship with Fundação do Câncer in Brazil. Popeye will serve as their the spokes-character starting in 2019.

How has the program developed over the years?

Today we offer a range of products from collectibles to publishing. Some of our latest products include toys with Funko Pop!, notebooks from Tilibra, athletic apparel from Taymory, apparel in France, Belgium, and the

Netherlands from Bellerose and retail partnerships Riachuelo and Renner in Brazil. But over the years, Popeye has evolved from a well-known character in print and on the silver screen into a fashion icon! In recent years, we’ve seen much success for the brand in the streetwear category through partnerships with brands like Joyrich, Supreme, Iceberg, A Bathing Ape, H3 and more. We are excited for more upcoming collaborations in 2019, including our latest partnership with popular streetwear brand, HUF as well as anniversary collections with Scotch & Soda and Zara, just to name a few.

Popeye has been popular now for 90 years. What do you attribute his longevity to?

Popeye is a unique character that people both aspire to be — he’s a tough guy who fights for the underdog — and relate to — he’s true to himself and doesn’t try to be anything else.

This is true not just in the US, but with fans around the globe as well. His attributes are unchanging, which makes him ageless and continuously relevant, no matter what generation fans belong to or where in world they live.

TOTAL LICENSING

Popeye’s trademark spinach is no doubt encouraging healthy eating. Has this been a help with the program?

It absolutely is. In the 1930s the spinach growers credited Popeye with increasing the United States consumption of spinach by 33%! In 1937, a statue was erected in Crystal City, Texas, the self-proclaimed Spinach Capital of the World, to honor E.C. Segar and Popeye for their influence on America’s spinach eating habits, making Popeye one of the first cartoon characters ever immortalized in public sculpture.

And that tradition continues today, our fresh and canned spinach partners are some of Popeye’s longest standing relationships lasting almost 40 and 30 years respectively. And they are just as important to our program today as they were decades ago.

Other than toys, what are the most popular product categories for Popeye?

Apparel and accessories are key categories for Popeye. We continue to

42

seek and secure new partners in the space who are inspired by his strong to the finish mantra and lifestyle.

In order to expand the licensing program, we’re focusing on ecommerce, new content, location-based entertainment, and creating quality digital and physical product offerings to introduce Popeye to a new generation of fans.

Location-based entertainment is an important aspect of our overall business as it serves as another way to engage fans and offer them the opportunity to experience the brand firsthand.

When these events become a reality, they not only create brand awareness, but they also develop a deeper connection with the fans. We know that the fans want meaningful experiences they can share with their friends. It’s all about story-telling and creating that emotional connection. We need to attract new audiences with original entertainment and innovative experiences. Our focus is to provide authentic and inspiring products and experiences for our fans around the globe!

Which countries have proved particular successful?

Outside of the US, Japan is a significant market for Popeye. Our agent in the territory, Copyrights Asia, launched an aggressive Popeye program in Japan in 2018, partnering with best-in-class brands such as Dickies, New Era, and A Bathing Ape. For decades,Tokyo based

TOTAL LICENSING Magazine House has been aligning the brand with the latest trends through their Popeye, Brutus and Casa Brutus publications, featuring fresh content for fashionable men. In addition, the publisher recently developed online content for each magazine and announced an upcoming Olive project in 2019.

How are you looking to expand the program, both domestically and internationally?

We expect the celebration of Popeye’s 90th anniversary and Olive Oyl’s 100th anniversary in 2019 to generate a lot of excitement and interest around the brands, and continuously seek new partners across multiple categories around the world. In order to expand the licensing program, we’re focusing on ecommerce, new content, location-based entertainment, and creating quality digital and physical product offerings to introduce Popeye to a new generation of fans. We are looking at new categories, such as in-

teractive apparel using AR technology, which will be launched by our new partner deKryptic in February and vitamins from Brasterápica in Brazil. We also plan to launch a special 90th Anniversary collection of men’s grooming products from Razor MD in multiple territories and release limited edition art pieces from talent including Mr. Brainwash, Super A and Don Oriolo, stateside.

The anniversary is a global celebration and we are proud to announce two exciting events for Popeye in 2019: in Brazil MIS (Museu da Imagem e do Som) comics exhibition will be hosting a “The Popeye Day” for the 90th anniversary on January 19th, and a Popeye musical hitting the stage in China!

Location-based entertainment is an important aspect of our overall business as it serves as another way to engage fans and offer them the opportunity to experience the brand firsthand.

When these events become a reality, they not only create brand aware-

ness, but they also develop a deeper connection with the fans. We know that the fans want meaningful experiences they can share with their friends. It’s all about story-telling and creating that emotional connection.

And our focus is to provide authentic and inspiring products and experiences for our fans around the globe.

How else do you plan to celebrate 90 years of Popeye?

King Features Syndicate, debuted “Popeye’s Island Adventures” this December to kickoff the anniversary celebration.

The original animated short series created for YouTube is intended

CONGRATULATIONS TO POPEYE ON HIS 90TH ANNIVERSARY

from your friends at

TM

& © 2019 King Features Syndicate, Inc. TM Hearst Holdings, Inc.

www.allsortsmedia.co.uk 43

TOTAL LICENSING

Building Momentum in the UK Allsorts Licensing report that the story is building for Popeye in the UK as they move towards the brand’s 90th anniversary in 2019.

Funko already have Popeye figures on sites including amazon.co.uk, forbiddenplanet. com and magicmadhouse.co.uk According to Allsorts Licensing, apparel is going well from Global Licensing with ASOS currently

A few things most people don't know about Popeye!

44

•

Popeye is known as Braccio di Ferro in Italy, Karl Alfred in Sweden, and Skipper Skraek (“Terror of the Sea”) in Denmark.

•

Wimpy’s iconic catch phrase originally started in 1931 as, “Cook me up a hamburger. I’ll pay you Thursday.”

•

In the 1930s, Popeye was also a radio program that aired 15-minute episodes three times a week.

Supporting voices included Detmar Poppen as Popeye, Olive Lamoy as Olive Oyl, Charles Lawrence as Wimpy, Jackson Beck as Bluto and Mae Questel as Swee’Pea.

•

It is thought that Popeye and his spinach inspired later animated cartoon characters with unique power sources

•

The Popeye Village in Malta that was developed for the 1980 Popeye movie starring Robin Williams still exists today! It has grown from its days as a film set for the musical production into a major tourist attraction in the Maltese Islands.

•

In 1957, Popeye joined the Macy’s Day parade and in the early 1980’s Olive Oyl became the first female balloon to join the parade.

•

Popeye was also featured as the Google Doodle in 2009 in honor of creator E.C. Segar’s birthday

running two tops. Tesco have recently tested a T-shirt and have now reordered in bigger quantities. Further T-shirts are launching at other retailers shortly.

In addition, Foska.com are still marketing their cycling apparel range.

The Cend International websites Zavvi and Iwoot launched in January with tees, sweats, phone cases, mugs and coasters on a worldwide basis.

Rubies’ new Popeye and Olive Oyl costumes will be available to order as from Toy and Spring Fairs early this year.

Product will be available from June. Other categories are currently in discussion.

to introduce Popeye and his friends to today’s digitally native children via the Popeye and Friends Official YouTube Channel.

Developed with children in mind, “Popeye’s Island Adventures” introduces the spinach-loving sailor man to the younger generation by combining the original squash and stretch animation style with a fresh update on the original characters and storyline. The new Popeye has a youthful appearance and more eco-friendly position, growing spinach on the roof of his dieselpunk style houseboat and collecting rain water in barrels. Olive Oyl, the original damsel in distress, is now a shining example of feministic ideals that fans new and old will want to emulate. No longer sitting on the sidelines, Olive is now a strong, independent, and resourceful woman who is at the center of every adventure. Bluto remains the series’ antagonist, but his motives have changed as he pursues Popeye’s spinach in a quest for strength. The new Popeye project will complement the sailor man’s growing online presence; the character currently has close to 10 million followers on Facebook.

Fans can start watching “Popeye’s Island Adventures” today at the Popeye and Friends Official YouTube Channel and can check out the recently launched website for the latest updates on Popeye’s 90th Anniversary Celebration. Popeye.com also fea-

tures an interactive timeline charting his history and a photo filter feature that allows fans to brand and share their Popeye-inspired strong to the finish moments.

In addition to the new entertainment, Popeye’s anniversary also includes the return of “Popeye’s Cartoon Club” as an homage to the fan art that E.C. Segar often shared at the end of “The Thimble Theatre” comic strip. The campaign invites top cartoonists from around the world to contribute their own Popeye comics. And the unveiling of merchandise from more than a dozen new partners from around the world to elevate the iconic sailor at retail in the coming months.

TOTAL LICENSING

From Insurance to Fashion Icon!

The history of Popeye licensing in the Benelux goes back to the early seventies. At that time the strong sailor was known as a comic in magazines and albums. Dutch insurer Nationale Nederlanden was launching a new policy for pleasure crafts, and wanted to use the character of Popeye the Sailor Man to promote this new product at the Hiswa sailing event. The link between Nationale Nederlanden’s policy and the adventurous sailor was an instant success and opened many doors going forward.

As merchandising was still in its infancy stage in the Benelux, the first years following this most projects were promotions. We have seen Popeye promote Nutella with a licensed puzzle in the lid, attract

children to open a savings account and even meat spreads with a Popeye. Off course a spinach deal could not missed on his resume so the launch of a new “spinachburger” had to be done with Popeye!

Through the years Popeye has always kept an important spot in the licensing. As a classic, BN Licensing has seen him beat many hypes and ‘one-day wonders’ After all these years he still appeals to all demographics.

Recently Popeye featured in the national campaign in Belgium to promote chicory, This 4 months promotion included a full outdoor campaign, commercial on national TV, special cookbooks and sampling of a special kidsbook at train stations throughout the country. Furthermore the most recent major Popeye collaboration will be executed with Scotch & Soda. This Dutch trendsetting fashion designer company has with over 180 owned stores and over 8000 counters a global footprint where their products are being sold. Scotch & Soda are launching a full spring summer collection with over 50 items including jackets, denim, shirts, accessories, head-, swim and footwear for men, women, boys and girls during this 90th anniversary year of the fearless sailor.

...and with Olive celebrating her 100th birthday, here are a few Olive Oyl historical facts: ª

First appearance: Thimble Theatre comic strip December 19, 1919. She was the star of the strip along with Harold Hamgravy and Castor Oyl

• Entertainment: Olive Oyl has appeared in about 25,000 comic strips and over 750 animated cartoons • First romantic moment with Popeye was a case of mistaken identity!

•

In 1982, Olive Oyl achieved a “first” for women, by becoming the first female cartoon character to have a balloon in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade

• She is well-known globally, but not always by her given name. In Spain she is called Rosario, in Sweden and Italy, Olivia, and as Olga in Finland •

46

She has an established consumer products program including a decades-long relationship with Moschino. The Cheap & Chic fragrance launched in an Olive Oyl shaped bottle, won a FIFI Award for Best Women’s Packaging of the Year. It is still available today, having been re-released in multiple Olive Oyl-shaped designs over the years, most recently in 2017

TOTAL LICENSING

Popeye Program Builds in Japan into the male demographic further cements her status as a fashion icon.

“Popeye and Betty Boop continue to be an inspiration for fashion-forward brands around the world, but no country has embraced these iconic characters as strongly as Japan,” said Carla Silva, VP and GM, Global Head of Licensing for King Features. “As we head into 2019, we are excited to continue developing unique and trendy collaborations for these classic characters with more of Japan’s hottest brands.”

Japan has proven itself to be a hotbed for Popeye and Betty Boop inspired products and promotions and King Features Syndicate, a division of Hearst, will build on momentum from the past year to fuel expansion of both brands in 2019.

King Features launched an aggressive Popeye program in Japan in 2018, partnering with best-in-class brands such as Dickies, New Era, and A Bathing Ape for a robust and modern merchandising program that cast the Sailor Man as a fashion symbol. Tokyo based Magazine House continues to align the brand with the latest trends through their Popeye, Brutus and Casa Brutus publications, featuring new content and fresh narratives that target fashionable young men. The success of these popular magazines, available at bookstores and fashion and lifestyle retailers around the world, recently inspired the publisher to develop online content for each magazine and announce an upcoming Olive project in 2019.

Popeye’s 90th anniversary and Olive Oyl’s 100th anniversary celebrations next year will be leveraged to generate new excitement and interest around the brands as King Features seeks new partners across multiple categories.

Fleischer Studios-owned Betty Boop, long beloved by female fans of all ages, is experiencing a strong increase in demand from millennial men. In addition to successful collaborations with

A Bathing Ape, FILA and Castelbajac, many Betty Boop partners in Japan have developed male focused lines including Vanson Leathers, Dickies, Skullworks & Co., Low Blow Knuckle, Indian Motorcycle and Red Pepper Jeans. And for those tech-friendly fans, in October 2018, Tokimeki Rule began offering Betty fans a new way to personalize their images using the sassy fashionista with digital stickers available at photo booths across Japan.

Born during a time when cartoons starring selfreliant female characters were rare, Betty Boop continues to sing and sashay past rules and conventions and set trends as her expanding appeal

All Japanese license agreements were brokered by King Features’ agent, Copyrights Asia in Tokyo.

47

TOTAL LICENSING

POPEYE IS POP CULTURE

Noletta Chiu,VP of Licensing at MediaLink Animation tells Total Licensing about their Popeye licensing program

Can you tell us about MediaLink and your activities?

Established in September 2000, MediaLink Group has successfully evolved into two core businesses - Program Distribution which grows and values the power of creative content through media platforms, and Licensing which focuses on expanding brand equities through creative and strategic planning. With our network and structure, plus outstanding professionals with innovative ideas, indomitable passion and heart-felt dedication, MediaLink continues to be the top-of-mind choice by both licensors and licensees.

MediaLink’s hard work and persistent character and strategic business sense scores them great results. They continue to nurture and grow to expand many of their renowned licensed properties.

When did you first represent King Features and Popeye?

King Features/Popeye has been our partner since 2017 and we look forward to many more partnerships to come as we believe Popeye is an iconic brand.

To date, with 9 million Facebook followers, we see Popeye is one of the most recognisable brands in the world.

In celebration of the 90th Anniversary of Popeye, we see more potential for this brand, particularly in 2019 and beyond.

Noletta Chiu - VP Licensing MediaLink Animation International

What licenses have you signed for Popeye? Can you tell us about some of your more successful products?

Since the time of the partnership in 2017, we signed with different international brands covering merchandise and promotions.

We collaborated with leading fashion brands like Chocoolate, Adlib and Giordano, where they produced apparel, accessories and footwear for Popeye.

The launch was supported by strong digital and advertising campaigns throughout the whole territory. Our objective is to work continuously with top licensees and clients to create more products and experiences that can extend and reach all ages.

48

What future plans do you have, firstly to celebrate Popeye's birthday, and also moving forwards?

The Popeye 90th Anniversary celebration will not be limited by animation on YouTube but a relaunch of E.C. Segar’s Popeye Cartoon Club in print, digital and social media featuring some of the most notable talent in cartooning and illustration.

Since our partnership with King Features, we have worked to extend Popeye’s reach to new and younger demographics while enhancing engagement amongst his existing fans. As we head into his 90th Anniversary we are continuing towards this goal with a strong focus on growing Popeye’s brand.

“Our plan is to further strengthen our relationship and partnership with our existing Popeye licensees and clients.

For 2019 we will highlight the 90th Anniversary of Popeye through new merchandise and collaborations. Exciting events across global partners are planned creating activities and platforms that will give our customers and audiences a unique experience to showcase timeless art pieces with renowned artist and art exhibitions.” said Noletta Chiu,VP Licensing, MediaLink Animation International Limited.

TOTAL LICENSING Could you tell us something about the Feisty Pets toys? What makes this brand different from other toy brands?

Valentina: “Feisty Pets are interactive plush toys with a difference. They look cuddly and cute but transform from friendly to ferocious when squeezed.

This simple concept has been a massive hit. The brand was created by Mark Forti of William Mark Corporation (WMC) and launched at the New York Toy Fair in 2016, but it was online that it made its first major impact.

Feisty Pets has grown into a media and toy sensation partly thanks to millions of fans posting their films across social media. Fan-videos have gone viral leading to an inkling of an idea: Feisty Films, a “toys-to-life” series capturing the most popular memes, current events, pop-culture trends, TV shows and films!”

Why do you think the brand will be popular in Iberia and Italy?

Valentina: “The innovation and originality of Feisty Pets makes them really stand out in the plush category.

The line’s characters bring to life the contrast in their sweet and scary expressions.The brand is also supported by a very rich style guide. We expect to replicate the success that Feisty Pets is having in the US where it has become a digital phenomenon across films. And of course, with Jazwares as global master toy licensee we can rely on a strong retail presence, which will be supported by leading distributors in our key markets. Our toy partner for Italy is Giochi Preziosi, a major name in the production and distribution of licensed toys. For Iberia (Spain and Portugal) the toy partner is Go-

liath Games, a manufacturer and distributor of toys and game with a panEuropean reach.”

Which licensed categories are you looking at?

Valentina: “Jazwares is established as the global master toy partner and Scholastic as the master English language publisher for the brand. Mondo now plans to follow up and support the toy programme locally with lifestyle-based consumer products. The first category that we expect to close in Italy and Iberia is publishing.With Scholastic on board, a number of highquality products have already been developed. Food and promotions will follow. However, we’re also very keen to close an apparel deal; that is why we will be exhibiting Feisty Pets at Nice Licensing, the new area devoted to fashion and licensing at Pitti Immagine Bimbo.”

The appeal of the Feisty Pets toys goes well beyond the pre-school audience. What is the target market for this brand – and why?

Valentina: “This is an unusual brand with potential not only in areas you might expect of a plush-inspired brand but a definite opportunity to become a lifestyle brand. Iit is difficult to limit the target audience to one demographic.

We are enjoying interest both from the younger age group - 6-9-year-olds – and from a more mature audience even as far as young adults. As for gender, we have no doubt that Feisty Pets is loved by both females and males.”

Feisty Pets is both a retail and an

online phenomenon. How important is the online presence of this brand?

Valentina: “Fans quickly started discovering the dual personality plush characters on their own, and went on to film and post YouTube, Instagram and Facebook videos using the toys. In just a year, the Feisty Films YouTube series’ global viewership skyrocketed and surpassed 100,000,000 views. Within six months, twentysomethings, teens and tweens fully embraced the brand, buying over one million Feisty Pets toys. The online presence of the brand has played a major role in making this happen.”

Mondo TV is mainly known for the production, distribution and licensing of broadcast properties. Is this a new venture for you? Why did you choose this toy brand?

Valentina: “It’s certainly true that this collaboration with Surge Licensing on Feisty Pets is a completely new departure for the Group. It is, in fact, the first time we have worked with a third party brand that is not tied to a TV series with the aim of being developed as an iconic toy brand in the future.

However, we are always on the lookout for original ideas – and we strongly believe that the licensing market needs to diversify, regularly offering new concepts. When Surge presented the property, we were immediately impressed not just with the originality of the idea but with the way WMC together with Surge had tapped into a market no one had considered before – and built that market with extraordinary skill.”

Mondo TV has recently taken on Feisty Pets - the viral hit feature plush brand which Mondo will license in Italy and Iberia.

Total Licensing spoke to Valentina La Macchia, Head of Licensing at Mondo to find out more.

Valentina La Macchia, Mondo TV

49

TOTAL LICENSING

With a combined population of 26.7 million and an average percapita GDP of $54,020, Nordic territories - Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Iceland - are stable economies that, in terms of licensing, enjoy success stories both in terms of international brands and some home grown favorites.

On the following pages, we take a look at just a few of the companies involved in the Nordics licensing business.

50

Plus Licens is an independent licensing agency with HQ in Stockholm and offices in Central Eastern Europe and Russia. They have been in the licensing business for 40 years, having acquired top industry know-how by introducing and building some of the world´s leading brands to their markets. their brand portfolio includes Hello Kitty, Hasbro, Peanuts, Garfield, UCLA, Peppa Pig and more.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom had the second largest opening weekend in Universal’s history - with the Nordic box-office totalling over $16,5 million. (The Nordic box-office for all Jurassic World and Jurassic Park movies is $54,7M.) Universal and Plus Licens joined forces with toy retail for a pan-Nordic campaign promoting the Jurassic World LEGO range.

The campaign included POS, brand pages, competitions and social media posts. Certain of the LEGO Jurassic World products sold out.

My Little Pony is a

success at Nordic fashion mass – apparel ranges from licensee Skybrands visible at retailers such as KappAhl and Lindex. My Little Pony is considered almost a classic brand in the Nordic countries. (picture) Snoopy is the first licensed character to ever be featured on Baby Bag! From October 2017 to June 2019, over 150.000 new parents in Sweden will have received the Baby Bag featuring Snoopy and a Snoopy booklet.

For eOne’s Peppa Pig, 2018 has been a great year. Peppa is on the road to becoming a children’s classic in the Nordic countries. And she has virtually been on the road during the last 12 months – several meet & greets per month, participating in the Childrens’ Day tour in Sweden and appearing at various Nordic fairs.

Peppa has been a publishing success in all Nordic countries – Danish publisher Alvilda have sold +45.000 copies with some titles reprinted up to 7 times!

2019 will be an even more busy year for Peppa Pig with many new product ranges, events and meet & greets in the pipeline. New partners are soon to be announced.

For 2019, The new Transformers movie BumbleBee the Movie is a family movie and licensees include Skybrands, Euromic and Rubies.

The very first Uglydolls movie opens in May 2019. This uniquely weird toy brand started as a plush 16 years ago and now a wider audience will discover why ugly is the new awesome!

Hasbro is the master toy partner and the Nordic licensing program includes Skybrands for apparel and bedding. A TV-series is planned for Q4 2020.

Digital is becoming more important in several product categories. Swedish licensee Streamience launched the pre-school app Jaramba late 2017.

One of the most popular characters in Jaramba is Hello Kitty, teaching preschool children the alphabet, counting, colors and much more.

Digital books and audiobooks will be launched on My Little Pony, Peppa Pig and PJ Masks during 2019. More properties will follow.

Nordic Licensing Company A/S (NLC) looks forward to celebrating the legacies of some of the biggest heroes in entertainment.

Maria Fjordholt, NLC Retail Manager in the Nordic countries is excited for the upcoming year: “We have so many great things going at NLC this year. It is time to unlock the superhero within, when DC Comics release the long-awaited movie Shazam! in April. Shazam was one of

TOTAL LICENSING

the most popular superheroes in the 1940’s. Now he is coming back. We will aim for a social media campaign in connection with the release of the DC movie in April 2019,” Maria Fjordholt says.

“Batman is the superhero we all love and adore. Over the course of 80 years his character has been through a lot of fascinating variations. All year round we will celebrate the 80th anniversary of Batman with the campaign ‘Long Live the Bat’ through extended retail presence and campaigns in close cooperation with our licensing partners,” she continued.

In the Wizarding World, Fantastic Beast and Harry Potter are names to follow. “Throughout the year we will continue to celebrate the Wizarding World. We have three major wizarding touchpoints in 2019: The release of the Fantastic Beast: Crimes of Grindelwald on DVD in the first quarter of 2019; the release of a new and exciting real-world mobile game Harry Potter: Wizards Unite; and as a strong third the 20th anniversary of the first book edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in Norway and Sweden in the 2nd half of 2019,” Maria Fjordholt explains.

She also mentions that the characters Ross, Phoebe, Chandler, Monica and Joey aired for the first time 25 years ago in the successful TV show Friends.

The show has been revived by the new generations and is trending on Netflix.

Nordic Fashion retailers already have

Friends. apparel in-store, and the 25th anniversary will be a great opportunity.

In terms of other properties, Barbie will celebrate her 60th anniversary in 2019.

“With 60 years of legacy, Barbie is the brand that has the power to inspire the next generation.

In 2019, NLC will – together with Mattel and our partners – celebrate all that Barbie has inspired, and what is still to come. It will be themes like celebration, careers and ‘travel to’ experiences that highlight the campaigns,” said Maria.

“NLC is also delighted to have been chosen as partners for Tour de France in the Nordic countries. “Tour de France is a strong brand here as we have had many Swedish, Norwegian and Danish heroes on the French roads over time,” says Director of Business Development at NLC, Martin Wingreen Bang.

“As a means to stay fit and as a lifestyle bike racing has been boosted in the Nordics over the past years due to the Tour de France coverage on TV and in news media. Throughout the summer you will see kids racing bikes on the streets and adults adding fla-

vour to their daily workout with their favourite team jerseys and gear. They will be celebrating their heroes of the road,” he says adding that Tour de France fits NLC’s portfolio of sports brands nicely.

Bulls Licensing report that ongoing brand developments for the Moomins include television, animation, theme parks, shops, cafes and a state of the art children’s hospital.

Season 1 of Moomin Valley premiers in 2019 comprising 13 x 22 minute episodes and directed by Oscar winning Steve Box. The series will be created using a new combination of 2D and 3D CGI. The new series is a brand new adaptation of the original Moomin series with a production budget for the first two seasons of €21 million.

In collaboration with Moomin Characters and key publishers, the Moomin publishing business is blossoming, growing up to 30% year on year since 2010. With carefully developed ”new publishing”, based on the storylines and artwork created by Tove Jansson, Penguin Random House, Pan Macmillan, Egmont and Bonnier Books Finland have developed a number of books and series of publications including board books, story, activity and coffee table books, sold and re-printed worldwide, from the UK to Korea, Russia to the US, Finland to Japan, to mention a few.

For the first time in history, all original works by Tove Jansson as well as the new development is now represented

51

TOTAL LICENSING to do it.

This charity partnership is just one element of the anniversary celebrations. In addition, there will be new books, musicals, theatre productions and licensing products, from limitededition watches to talking Pippi dolls, all using the original artwork by Ingrid Vang Nyman. As well as celebrating Astrid’s much-loved character, The Astrid Lindgren Company hopes the 75th anniversary year will shine a light on the Pippis of today.

worldwide by one agency, Rights & Brands, based in Stockholm, Sweden, and jointly owned by Moomin Characters and Bulls Press.

The Moomins are also involved in a campaign to save the Baltic Sea. Together with the John Nurminen Foundation, they are beginning a one-year fund raising campaign which consumers can either donate directly to or indirectly by purchasing a specially marked Moomin product.

In all in 2017 around 700 licensees were signed to work on the Moomin global business generating an estimated consumer value of more than 700 million Euros.

The Astrid Lindgren Company are gearing up for 2020 which will mark Pippi Longstocking’s 75th birthday. To mark the anniversary, The Astrid Lindgren Company is entering into a partnership with leading children’s charity, Save the Children, in a global campaign to empower girl refugees. Of the 68.5 million people forcibly displaced, 52% are children, with girls disproportionately affected. Like Pippi, girl refugees show great strength and resilience beyond their years, and deserve the chance to take charge of their own stories. By joining forces with the strongest, most famous girl in the world, they can be empowered

52

Icelandic property Tulipop continues to grow and expand, with even more territories set to fall under the spell of the quirky Icelandic character-based lifestyle brand throughout 2019.

Drawn from an eclectic Icelandic heritage with ideas inspired by ancient fairytales, the multiple-award-winning design brand is both cuddly and gothic, with a stylish modern twist. Rapidly expanding internationally, its range of high-quality products is currently available in 350 stores in Europe and the US as well as the online Tulishop. And there is also a new Tulipop branded store at Amazon.co.uk/tulipop to better serve its growing EU fanbase, with a big selection of Tulipop merchandise for fans of all ages, provided with Amazon fulfilment and Prime shipping rates.

There was great interest from the Chinese market as Tulipop was premiered, in partnership with Milk Magazine, at the Beijing Toy Show in September.

Milk’s Tulipop booth at the show was a big hit among the kidult attendees of

the show. Milk sold Tulipop merchandise including the bestselling Tulipop LED lamps and the Tulipop blind box figurines, manufactured by Toynami under license from Tulipop – the latter selling out in the first few hours.

The eagerly awaited second series of Tulipop webisodes launched on its dedicated YouTube channel in December. The 10 x 3’ episodes were again written by Tobi Wilson, along with Brydie Lee-Kennedy (Gumball) and Tulipop co-creator Signy Kolbeinsdottir. The channel continues to be managed by Wildbrain. Series 2 is set to be dubbed in more languages in 2019 and RUV, the Icelandic National Broadcaster, has already acquired the series following its success with the first season, and will be dubbing in Icelandic for broadcast on TV and VOD. In other news, the colourful Tulipop booth proved a big hit at BLE 2018, earning great interest and a positive response from broadcasters and licensees alike resulting in several new partnerships in the pipeline. In November, Tulipop creator Signy Kolbeinsdottir was at the Toynami stand for DesignerCon in Los Angeles, where she produced a DesignerCon poster featuring Fred which was sold exclusively at the shows.

And back home in Iceland, Tulipop’s award-winning flagship store in Reykjavik continues to be a popular tourist destination; and an exclusive clothing collection from 66° North, Iceland’s award-winning outdoor clothing specialists, has sold extremely well.

TOTAL LICENSING

In the run-up to the Nuremberg Toy Fair, this issue Total Licensing takes a look at the German marketplace with a spotlight on different properties and brands as well as licensees in the marketplace.

We start with Axel Dammler from iconkids & youth international research GmbH with some findings on the German children’s market. a.dammler@iconkids.com Source: Kids License Monitor 2018

The German licensing market proves to be as slow-moving as ever: The data from the last Kids License Monitor shows that long-selling franchises such as Cars, Star Wars, and even Frozen are still considered hype themes by German children. And another typically German finding: Super heroes find it hard to win ground among boys, simply because many boys just don’t have access to the movie content! Most action movies are rated 12+ years, and German parents tend to take this age recommendation seriously. The same applies to Fortnite which most young boys are not allowed to play (it

Wave 2/2018 Wave 3/2018

54

nel BibisBeautyPalace makes her very popular in this age group). In addition, four other themes in the Top 10 are non-animation (Ostwind, The Voice, Bini & Tina, Rihanna). This does not mean, however, that German tweens are finally becoming ‘older younger’ now: All these themes manage to address pre-puberty issues in a soft and unthreatening way. When these girls think of Rihanna, for example, they don’t see in her the style icon or the young woman who plays with her sexuality quite provocatively as we adults see her. For these girls, she is just a beautiful girl and great singer!

Market Status of Licenses. Top 10 Licenses by ‘Hype’ Status.

Based on waves 1/2018, 11/2018 and 111/2018 BOYS AGED 4 - 6 YEARS Cars Minions Spider-Man Fireman Sam Paw Patrol Dragons Hot Wheels Yakari Tom & Jerry LEGO Ninjago

Wave 1/2018

is a shooter, after all!), so the brand is not relevant for boys under 10, either. The exception to this rule is Star Wars which is only accepted because of its heritage. But overall, this “age recommendation effect” still shapes the German licensing market for boys and makes it ‘younger’ than in other countries.

When looking at girls, the results for the older tweenagers aged 10-12 years show an interesting development that may seem to point in a completely different direction: Bibi is the first social media star to appear in these girls’ top 10 ‘hype’ licenses (Bibi’s YouTube chan-

BOYS AGED 7 - 9 YEARS 74 72 69 68 66 65 63 62 60 58

GIRLS AGED 4 - 6 YEARS Frozen Disney Princess My Little Pony Barbie Tangled: The Series Trolls Princess Lillifee Mia and Me Bibi und Tina Real Life Minnie Mouse

Star Wars Minions LEGO Ninjago Avengers UEFA Champions League Nexo Knights Spider-Man Dragons Transformers Teen. Mutant Ninja Turtles

BOYS AGED 10 - 12 YEARS 66 64 63 59 58 57 56 54 53 53

GIRLS AGED 4 - 6 YEARS 90 71 66 65 62 59 59 56 56 55

Frozen Bibi und Tina Real Life Trolls Disney Princess LEGO Friends Sternenschweif Mia and Me Tom & Jerry Barbie Tangled: The Series

Star Wars UEFA Champions League Spider-Man Minions Fortnite The Simpsons The Avengers Dragons Minecraft Batman

55 53 51 49 47 46 46 45 44 44

GIRLS AGED 4 - 6 YEARS 68 61 59 56 56 54 53 52 50 50

Emojis Ostwind The Voice Bibi und Tina Real Life Tom & Jerry Frozen Bibi (Bianca Heinicke) Minions Sternenschweif Rihanna

51 51 50 49 49 48 48 47 40 40

TOTAL LICENSING Studio 100/M4E report that Maya the bee has begun a project entitled Poppy Meadow, since blooming flowers are decreasing in fields and meadows, public areas and in gardens. Maya the Bee and her friends are strong ambassadors for insects, the preservation of biodiversity and the sustainable use of nature. Maya informs, shows and explains the often so simple possibilities of bee and insect protection and is specifically committed to the planting of bee and insect-friendly flowering areas.

Studio 100 has taken the first step as the rights owner of the brand and in 2018 Maya the Bee became the guardian of 50,000 square metres of flowering space, which will initially be planted bee-friendly over two years. The bee and insect pastures will be created

within the Blossoming Landscape network. The Become a Flower Sponsor project from the Blossoming Landscape Network initiated by Mellifera e.

V. was recognised in 2017 as an official project of the UN Decade of Biological Diversity. Together with farmers and other partners, the network creates flowering areas throughout Germany. These are financed by sponsors.

Commenting on the initiative, Studio 100 said, “Bees are not only important as honey suppliers, they are pollinators for about 80 percent of all cultivated plants cultivated in our country. Their protection and also the protection of their habitats and those of other insects is important for the preservation

of species diversity. Our Maya is probably the best known bee in the world and carries the strong message of nature conservation and bee protection. It stands for the discovery and exploration of a beautiful and speciesrich nature. The decision to use it as an ambassador for bees and insects is intended to attract attention and provide real help for bees. The family magazine familie&co is already supporting us as a media partner. We are starting the long-term initiative now and would like to win further flower sponsors and bee friends for support.”

Clementoni is an Italian manufacturer of toys with more than 50 years’ experience. The range includes games, puzzles, craft kits, robots, magic and experiment kits. The company is headquartered in Recanati/Italy, where a large part of the entire product range is produced.

Clementoni has subsidiaries and branch offices in France, Spain, Germany, Poland, Portugal, UK, Turkey and Benelux as well as an office in Hong Kong and is represented by agencies in many other countries worldwide.

Clementoni internationally distributes licenses such as Disney, Nickelodeon, Dreamworks and Universal. In Germany, Clementoni focuses on a broad range of licenses especially known from TV Series. Here the focus lies in developing experimental kits, board games as well as magic boxes.

Galileo is one of the most successful franchised themes from ProSieben-

Sat.1 Licensing, not only on TV but also within the licensing sector. ProSiebenSat.1 Group’s licensing company has been working with Clementoni for more than 15 years and the partnership has been extended until 2024.

The range of Galileo products will be continuously expanded. Clementoni is setting its own trends - for example with innovative robots and the Construction Challenge product range.

The portfolio also consists of classic experimental kits. Children can create beautiful fluorescent shapes and original crystals, bring to life Triops or look through a professional microscope to study the microcosm.

On the occasion of the new Genial Daneben season, Clementoni has developed a new edition of the question and answer game well known from the TV show with the same name. Players are asked questions, which they are then requested to answer in the best possible way. Those who mislead their fellow players successfully have a particularly good chance of winning the game.The three possible answers have to be embellished in such a way that the other players cannot guess which one is correct With 400 alternatives and 1200 completely unbelievable explanations, the game is suited for 2 to 6 players aged from 12 years.

Ehrlich Brothers are by far currently the most famous magicians in Germany. The charming nature of the two brothers, Andreas und Christ Ehrlich, is loved by both adults and children.

No matter if on stage or in the middle of the audience, their authentic attitude and their charm are effortlessly transferred to audiences from young to old, even in the biggest arenas.

No wonder that the success of the Ehrlich Brothers is reflected in their licensed products, even awarded at the LIMA Awards 2018 in the category Corporate/Lifestyle/Vip Brand of the Year.

Clementoni has already successfully launched three different magic boxes and an advent calendar.

Euro Lizenzen is pleased to announce that they have joined forces with John Sands Australia to represent the iconic brand Sarah Kay in several

55

TOTAL LICENSING European territories.

Created in the1970s by Australian artist Vivien Kubbos and resurrected from the archives in the late 90s, Sarah Kay resonates with mothers and young girls alike.

She is also a star in social media with growing popularity on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and Instagram.

Sarah Kay is lover of sunshine, springtime and floppy hats. A country girl at heart, she’ll choose gardening gloves over sparkly accessories any day of the week. Her favourite jeans are well wornin, and her ideal footwear is none at all. She is a friend of animals, a grower of flowers and fruits, and her place of preference is anywhere outdoors – but especially in the garden. Sarah Kay is a global brand represented in 4 continents, 30+ countries and over 10 languages.

There are nine style guides.

Another heart warming property in Euro Lizenzen’s portfolio is Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s masterwork The Little Prince. This iconic book, which brought to world a magical quest for love, friendship and respect; has sold more than 200 million copies worldwide. The book which bridges generations, enjoys worldwide popularity.

90% of the children and 92% adults read and loved the book.

The Little Prince was first published in 1943 is celebrating its 75th anniversary with several great new product launches, which also includes a highend pen collection from Montblanc.

A further classic property from Munich-based Euro Lizensen is best-selling comics series Lucky Luke.

The Lucky Luke comic book series, created by Belgian cartoonist Morris in 1946, takes place in the American

56

Old West and features Lucky Luke, a cowboy known as the “man who shoots faster than his shadow”. Helped by his faithful horse Jolly Jumper and hindered by Rantanplan, the stupidest dog in the universe, Lucky Luke´s objective of getting people out of trouble is full of laughs and adventures.

The Lucky Luke licensing programme is growing everyday and at BLE Euro Lizenzen are specifically covered the categories of apparel, accessories, home and living, stationary, toys & games, gifts and promotions.

Another high successful comic hero, represented by Euro Lizenzen, is Asterix, which will be celebrating its 60th Anniversary in 2019.

Hamburg-based V.I.P. Entertainment & Merchandising AG have been appointed to represent the legendary animal characters from Leo Lionni´s bestselling children books.

Back in 1959 Leo Lionni began his long and colourful parade of richly illustrated picture books featuring clever fables, original stories and charming characters like the poetic mouse; Frederick, the upright-walking crocodile Cornelius; the brave fish Swimmy and Alexander and the windup mouse.

Lionni´s signature style of bold colours and nature-inspired collages accompanied by toddler-friendly tales has won him a cherished spot in the hearts of children of all ages throughout the world. 12 million books sold over 50 years in 20 languages seems

to be a good proof.

The core-audience is children 3 to 7, their parents, grandparents and caregivers.

The publishing partner is Random House/Bertelsmann, who report over 500.000 books alone sold in German speaking markets over the past five years (Beltz-Verlag) - a number that easily competes with the leading international bestsellers for the adult readership.

V.I.P.´s CEO Michael A. Lou plans to license toys, baby and kid products, apparel, room décor and strollers in a first step, followed by houseware and tabletop products, maternity wear, keepsakes, collectible gifts and alike.

Among the first trade shows Lou will speak to prospects at upcoming Hometextil and Paperworld in Frankfurt and the Nuremberg Toy Fair.

Arlene Scanlan, head of supervising agent Moxi & Co. und Leo´s granddaughter Annie Lionni are confident that Lionni´s licensing program will become equally successful in Europe as it is elsewhere.

Gruner + Jahr (G+J) offers successful brands with attractive target groups and strong coverage such as Schooner Wohnen, Sterm, Brigitte, Geo and Beef. G+J Brand Business develops long-lasting collaborations and licensed products together with selected partners from various sectors.

These are tailored towards long term, joint success.

A wide range of high-quality products

TOTAL LICENSING

has been developed. Popular licensed products include Geo books and calendars, Brigitte bags, Eltern games and special travel offers by Stern. Among the most successful ones are products licensed by Schoner Wohnen, Europe’s largest monthly interior magazine.

Various products, including Schoner Wohnen paints, wall and textile products, have been launched. Since 2017, Schoner Wohnen has developed a wide range of furniture cooperating with seven licensing partners most of whom are from Germany.

In addition, Beef, the male gourmet lifestyle magazine, has been expanded over trecent years, with licensed products ranging from craft beer and steaks to food processors in association with partner WMF. In June 2018, a Beef Grill & Bar opened in Frankfurt.

Barbara, the magazine for bold, self-assured, authentic women aged 30 to 55, and suitcase manufacturer Titan have developed the Barbara luggage line.

The collection consists of eight pieces, including a trolley in three sizes, a weekender and a backpack.

Together with Moses publishing house, Brand Business has created a product world around the Geolino brand.

Geolino is the knowledge brand for children in Germany. Since 2014, Moses has been translating the Geolino brand into books and non-book products. The joint licensing portfolio now consists of around 35 specially developed articles.

G+J’s seal business is growing steadily.

Business magazine Capital, for example, awards the best realtors in Germany. These brand seals convey the

same editorial quality and independence as the media brands themselves.

Axel Korda, head of G+J Brand Business said, “Not only do we provide branding, but we also offer communicative support and know-how for product development from our competent editorial staff. Licensees work hand in hand with our specialized teams that possess a high level of industry know-how in the field involved.

Our strong brands immediately create added value for our license partner. In addition, we offer the media power of our international media company to all channels. And we build strong, sustainable partnerships.”

Party, balloons, and dress-up are the main categories for Amscan, the largest designer, manufacturer, and distributor of decorated party goods and party accessories in the world. With a product portfolio of over 45,000 SKUs worldwide, the company has an unmatched ability to respond quickly to the latest trends, as well as setting a few of their own.

Amscan has forged close relationships with top licensors such as Disney, Marvel, DC Comics, Hasbro, Nickelodeon, Mattel and Viacom, allowing us to offer a stunning selection of products featuring popular characters and properties with great brand recognition.

Over 75 licensed ranges are currently avalable for the German market including some brand new deals.

Inspired by the Enchantimals’ world, a beautiful place in the midst of nature, Amscan has created a magically appearing party range featuring the love-

ly characters and their animal friends.

After the huge success of Lego Movie in 2014, the world is looking forward to the predecessor. With Lego Movie 2 coming into cinemas in February 2019, there is a huge potential for the matching Amscan party range to become highly successful. Images became available in January.

Girls don’t have to be princesses, they can also be knights. Nella, the unconventional heroine is the new star of Amscan’s party ensemble for 2019.

With Amscan’s new party line, kids can not only celebrate their birthday in Nerf blue and orange, but they can also use the products to integrate them into a Nerf shooting parcours.

Germany’s number one pre-school license is still hot. Reason enough for Amscan to launch a new design featuring the cute little rescue dogs.

With the Pokémon Go launch, Pikachu and his friends have celebrated a big revival. As the game is still being constantly enhanced, the enthusiasm remains unbroken. For all Pokémon fans, Amscan is now offering a party range to celebrate the video game characters.

Airing on Nickelodeon, Rusty Rivets is a perfect pre-school series about Rusty’s trial and error inventions. The matching Amscan party products will be available in Q1 2019.

Finally, the action-adventure preschool series that follows a team of eager young birds training at the Top Wing academy has been launched on German TV in May 2018 and gained a huge fan base since then.

57

TOTAL LICENSING GERMANY PROFILE

By Philippe Guinaudeau Kidz Global For more information or to subscribe to the complete research, contact: philippe.guinaudeau @kidzglobal.com

GERMANY COUNTRY PROFILE Germany has a mix of strong national brands as well as international Entertainment brands that feature amongst the most popular with Germany children. In fact, 10% of the Top 30 favourite brands are national brands, the top one being toy brand Playmobil.

This figure has been stable over the last year. In addition, the market is concentrated even further on the top 20 favourite brands. The key brands gained 7 points over the year leaving less for the remaining brands.

Playmobil This is a popular brand amongst boys and girls aged three to six as well as 7 to 9. The brand is liked for its master category - toys. The potential for licensing seems unlimited at this time.

Baby Born The German brand makes its debut in the top 30 favourite brands amongst 0 to 14 year olds, benefiting from the decrease in popularity of Disney’s Frozen.

Another consequence of this is that another German brand, Bibi & Tina gained positive traction amongst younger girls.

Star Wars Although this appeals to boys aged 7 to 9 and 10 to 14 and over, the brand is less loved by girls of the same age groups.

However, ownership vs awareness of the brand shows some room for improvement. 51% of toys aged 10 - 14 know the brand and have a product featuring the brand.

Maya the Bee This brand continues to gain awareness in the country, especially amongst younger kids and infants. And since those aware of the brand tend to love it - 40% of infant girls - this results in its appearance in the top favourite brands within Germany.

Lego Kids aged 3 to 6 and 7 to 9 know the brand and love it. And although ownership is quite general, consumer demand for the brand remains very robust with even more kids willing to have products than children that already have Lego products.

Top 30 Favorite Entertainment Brands - Kids 0 - 14 Germany - October 2018 - Unaided Mensions

Boys

Girls

7 - 14 Years Old

0 - 6 Years Old

Population

2018

Screens

2017

Brands

Oct 18

Births (2017)

689,866

% Mobile (3-11)

31%

Nb Ent. brands Kids 0-14 know average

158

0 - 14 Population

10.324m

% Tablet (3-11

29%

Top 5 favorite

31%

0 - 14 in % Total Pop.

12.8%

Video Game weekly time

4h48m

Top 20 favorite

76%

Source: Eurostat

58

Source: Kids & Digital Research by Kidz Global

Source: Brand Trends Research by Kidz Global

TOTAL LICENSING

Anticipate Big Things from 2019 Movies...

Disney looks set to dominate once again this year, but there are several contenders for top licensing sales

60

2019 looks set to be a year of blockbusting sequels, franchises and remakes. Not that this is surprising, as we have noted here for several years, sequels are popular both with the movie studio and the audience.

Investment, from production dollars right down to retail, is far more likely to be ploughed into a known entity, and people are often more likely to go and see, invest time, and ultimately merchandising choices, in things that have been in their lives for a long time.

Star Wars Episode 9, out this year, is an example of one of the longest running and most successful film lines, and ultimately licensing programs, of all time. And speaking of Disney, the

powerhouse has three live-action remakes due for release this year, and Toy Story 4 – as well, of course, as the much-anticipated Frozen 2, capitalizing on the unexpected success of the first movie. How this will also translate for the licensing industry remains to be seen but if it anything like 2018, major retailers will again see domination from Disney product.

2019 also sees the release of further Disney-owned franchises – Avengers 4, and Captain Marvel.

Competing for the blockbuster status this year will also be How to Train Your Dragon 3, The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, as well as The Secret Life of Pets 2, and Angry Birds 2. The lat-

ter’s first iteration was the second most successful film of all time that had its roots in a video game.The Lego Movie, with its irreverent humour and subtle dig at similar blockbuster movies, was a massive financial and critical success for Lego.

Of course, we are looking at theatrical releases here – but what about the rise and rise of Netflix, Amazon and other streaming options? Netflix has ramped up its Netflix Originals in the last few years, and the way that the world is changing, and the viewership of content rapidly evolving, perhaps by this time in, say, 2029, some of the biggest licensing programs might be coming from a very different source.

TOTAL LICENSING

ZAFARI The Hit Show with a Moral Message Does the kids entertainment industry do enough to celebrate difference and diversity?

No, is the short answer to that. Just like any other sector of the media, stereotypes are a big part of shows and movies for children. And this means that children don’t see enough content with diverse characters in different cultural settings.

There are, of course, exceptions. Sesame Street has been showcasing the importance of diversity and cultural togetherness for nearly fifty years – and pulling in huge global audiences at the same time. Also, Dora the Explorer broke ground as a major kids show featuring a female Latino protagonist. And Nella the Princess Knight – with a biracial female knight taking the lead – is a welcome addition to the schedules.

Go further back – and delve into the world of books - and you find some classics of children’s literature that teach the lesson that being different can be a good thing. Pippi Longstocking, for example, lives happily free from social conventions - despite the best efforts of the authorities to make her conform. Yet she is still accepted and befriended by her peers. And Pippi also has super-human strength, not something many girl characters were, or are, known for.

However, mostly kids entertainment

does little to teach children that being different is good. Conformity rules, and there’s not enough out there that’s spreading the message that diversity should be welcomed and celebrated.

But at INK Group, we are addressing the matter through ZAFARI - the new show that aims to make the world a more inclusive place.

ZAFARI is the creation of animation visionary David Dozoretz and tells the story of a group of friends who inhabit a land where all the resident animals have been magically born with

an amalgamation of varying skins, patterns and characteristics, making each individual truly unique.

In our age of mixed races, modern families, bullying of children and more,

ZAFARI teaches that we need not only to tolerate - but to embrace what makes us different. The series follows the adventures of Zoomba - a little elephant with zebra stripes - as he explores and makes sense of the world. ZAFARI concentrates on the themes of inclusivity and friendship, showing kids that everybody is unique in some way and that even if they are different, that is not a bad thing.

Also, crucially for us at INK, the show tells a great story, as there’s no point in celebrating diversity in a show that nobody watches. But ZAFARI, in common with all the shows we represent, is a series of tales that really engage and entertain kids;it represents something new and fresh that is different to the formulaic and repetitive content that so often passes for kids entertainment.

Annalisa Woods, Commercial Director at INK Global, talks about the lack of positive messages on diversity in kids entertainment – and how new show Zafari is redressing the balance.

Of course the proof is in the pudding, but ZAFARI has been an instant success. It appears to be resonating really well, pulling in huge audiences across the globe through a raft of broadcasting deals. Partners include Tiny POP (UK and Eire), France TV and TIJI (France), Nat Geo Kids (Latin America), SRC (French-speaking Canada), Spacetoon (MENA), FTV (Czech Republic), YLE and TV2 (Finland), TV2 (Hungary), ANTV (Indonesia), RTL (Netherlands), E.TV (South Africa), English Gem (South Korea), E Junior (UAE), and Cartoon Kids Channel (Vietnam).

So, it seems that you can celebrate diversity and have a hit show!

61

TOTAL LICENSING

Licensed properties don’t get much

BIGGER

Godzilla, as just about everyone knows, is a gigantic prehistoric sea monster which does serious damage to cities.

Godzilla is also a major film star, familiar to many generations through 30 or more live-action feature films since its arrival in 1954.

This monster is also a major licensed property – but one that is about to get even bigger. A reboot of the Godzilla story began in 2014 with a half-billion-dollar-grossing hit film. The arrival in 2019 of the second instalment, Godzilla: King of the Monsters is, says Japanese licensor Toho, set to be even more successful.

In fact, Toho believes that not only will existing fans will be very enthusiastic about the next instalment but it will build a new fanbase. It certainly helps that not only Godzilla, but also Mothra, Rodan and King Ghidorah, the popular monsters who inhabit the Godzilla universe, will appear in the film.

In addition,Toho itself has produced an animated trilogy. The trilogy, released in 2017 and 2018, is being streamed in over 190 countries on Netflix.

The next challenge will be to develop a comprehensive strategy which encompasses audiovisual works, licensing and merchandise, promotions and other projects using the characters.

But Toho, a major force in motion picture, real estate and legitimate theatre sectors, is ready and able to maximize what it calls “the synergy effect”.

Of course, Godzilla is Japanese by origin. In that market, a recent hit Japanese-language film, produced by Toho, had an extraordinary effect, attracting many more fans – notably members of the younger generation and the female demographic – to the property.

Godzilla is also a massive merchandising success in Japan. The franchise has its very own store in Tokyo, along with

62

numerous licensed products.

Of course in its better-known guise as an exciting, scary and destructive sea monster Godzilla is popular with kids, teens and adults and the next two films are likely to consolidate that appeal.

Not surprisingly, Toho is expecting licensing success in all regions, including the Americas, Europe and Asia. It has nevertheless developed strategies tailored for each market and found what Takaaki Nakazawa, head of licensing, calls local “trustworthy partners which are eager to fulfil our vision”.

The UK partner is Rocket Licensing.

In Spain, it is Ypsilon Licensing. The Benelux countries are represented by License Connection. In Italy, Funwood Media Italia has been appointed as agent. Many more partners for other EMEA, LATAM and Asian countries will be announced shortly.

In fact, since the beginning of this year, when Toho started the global merchandising license programme with Legendary, it has been reintroducing the character in different ways. The Godzilla Exhibition held in Taiwan in the summer of 2018 is a good example: over 64,000 visitors came to see their monstrous hero in only 10 weeks.

It’s going to be a busy time for Toho and Godzilla. As well as maintaining a strong presence in business conventions such as Licensing Expo Las Vegas, Toho will be communicating closely with its agents and licensees in each territory, sending out press releases and offering more media

interviews in order to bring its messages directly to customers. “Additionally,” says Takaaki Nakazawa, head of licensing, “we are constantly updating the branding guide, style guides and other assets, which strongly support the brand message.”

The global Godzilla merchandising programme will grow and be enhanced. Products already vary from toys, stationery and home décor to video games, comics, events and theme park attractions. Daywear for men, women and children, accessories, homeware, gifts, novelties, publishing, stationery and games all have potential in the global market as the new films introduce new generations worldwide to one of the all-time great monsters.

And Godzilla’s fame will not be restricted to this planet. Thanks to NASA, Godzilla has become one of a set of modern constellations constructed from sources in the gammaray sky devised by scientists with NASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope to celebrate the mission’s 10th year of operations. Yes, that’s right.

Some screen characters are stars...

Godzilla is a whole constellation!

TOTAL LICENSING

The industry heads once again to Miami for one of the most important dates on the calendar In 2018, Kidscreen Summit conference welcomed more than 2,000 attendees from 50-plus countries. 2019’s conference looks to be equally actionpacked, when the industry will gather in Miami for an agenda including key networking sessions, screenings, dialogue on issues affecting the industry and more. More than 400 kid content buyers will be in attendance in 2019.

As with previous years, the Keynote Speakers, recently unveiled, include

64

top industry minds whose words will prove inspirational and fruitful to their audience.

Top Global Speakers The Keynotes this year are Neil Pasricha, Brittni Bowering and Scott McCloud.

Neil Pasricha, one of the most popular TED talk speakers of all time, describes himself as a ‘pied-piper of

happiness’. He was with Walmart for ten years as director of leadership development, and now is a speaker travelling the world, sharing his messages of happiness with Fortune 500 Companies, schools and non-profits.

At Kidscreen Summit, Neil will draw on the latest research on his favorite subject to present ideas and strategies for leaders interested in increasing personal performance and creating more positive and productive teams.

TOTAL LICENSING

Mentoring - Mentor Class: Tuesday February 12 (8:30-10:00) Demographic Targeting: How to find your sweet spot Featuring: Cheryl Gotthelf, Children’s Media Consultant

For the past few years, AJ&Smart’s Brittni Bowering has been using the Design Sprint model with teams at companies such as The Lego Company, Twitter, Lufthansa, HSBC and Adidas to quickly validate ideas for new products, organizational change, marketing campaigns and more. It’s also got lots of potential value for content development, which will be extremely relevant to her audience.

Author and comic artist Scott McCloud will share his thoughts on how to navigate the complex narrative and information landscapes we inhabit, as we rely on our eyes like never before.

He will share a new approach to stories and content, exploring the importance of visual decisions and why a revolution in visual communication might be just around the corner.

Awards Nickelodeon is the top nominee for this year’s Kidscreen Awards with 10 nods, followed by Netflix with six, and PBS KIDS and Sesame Workshop with five apiece. Every year, Kidscreen honors the best work in children’s television and digital media, and the 2019

Programming, Broadcasting and Digital category finalists will continue on to a final round of judging.

Winners will be announced at a special presentation event to be held during Kidscreen Summit in Miami on Tuesday, February 12. The host of this year’s ceremony is Craig Lauzon, a multiple Canadian Screen Award and Canadian Comedy Award nominee, as well as a cast member of CBC’s satirical sketch comedy show Royal Canadian Air Farce.

Who’s there?

- TV Programming, Acquisitions and Development Executives - Producers and Creators - Distributors - Retailers - Licensors & Licensees - Marketers - Digital Media Content Creators and Distributors - Over 2000 delegates - Attendees 50+ countries - Over 400 kids content buyers 900+ producers & distributors

- Master Class: Tuesday February 12 (8:30-10:00) Landscape of Digital: Navigating the hottest models Featuring: Ed Galton, CCO & Managing Director, CAKE Richard Goldsmith, President & CEO, Cyber Groups Studios USA - Mentor Class: Wednesday 13 February 3 (8:30-10:30) Next-Level Pitching: Getting buy-in every time Featuring: Tony Collingwood, Managing Director & Writer, Collingwood & Co. Jamie Piekarz, Principal, JamPie Media - Master Class: Wednesday 13 February (8:30-10:30) Pre-Development Jam: Nine steps to better creative collaboration Featuring: Heath Kenny, President,You and Eye Creative

Follow #kidscreen19 and @totallicensing who will be there bringing you all the latest news

65

TOTAL LICENSING

The Changing Times of

We live in changing times.

The retail industry has certainly suffered over the last few years – the closure of Toys R Us in the US and UK shook the market and, in turn, the licensing industry. Many bricksand-mortar retailers have seen problems and, at the very least, closures of stores. The growth of e-commerce has exploded, with companies such as Amazon taking an enormous part of the market share of purchases of toys.

There is also a difference in the customer – whereas the Boomer generation might prefer to physical go shopping and make purchases, many of the Millennial generation have embraced the ease of next-day, or even same-day delivery. But this being said, while we seem to live in times of instant gratification, there is equally another shift toward local shopping, ethical purchasing and cutting our carbon footprint. It also goes without saying that the rise of innovative technology could mean stores, in the future, with no employees. So, as it seems, we sit on the edge of very shifting times.

So what does this all mean for the toy industry?

The main players remain the same

– Lego, Mattel, Hasbro, Fisher-Price, Namco Bandai, Nerf and Jakks Pacific.

And of course, the fact remains that children still want to play with toys.

The demand is very much still strong – and growing. According the The NPD Group, global toy industry sales grew 4% from 2017 to 2018, with sales of over $18 billion in the first half of the year. NPD credits this to the strength of brands within the market, as well as trends and themes such as collectibles, and movie merchandise. In 2017, Mexico saw the largest growth, followed by the US and Brazil.

L.O.L. Surprise! led global sales, being

2018 saw the rise of millennial nostalgia, games, collectibles, and slime 66

the top toy sold in the 13 countries studied by The NPD Group. Collectibles, of course, were arguably one of the biggest, and fastest growing trends of the last couple of years.

‘...Global toy industry sales grew 4% from 2017 to 2018, with sales of over $18 billion in the first half of the year...’

NPD

At 2018 New York Toy Fair, key trends for the year were identified as Millennial Nostalgia, Collectibles/Unboxing, Slime/Gross and Games. The latter is an interesting one, as now, game and toy manufacturers are adding modern, and often electronic twists to traditional games.

Experiential seemed to be a key word over the last few years as well, with retailers adapting to meet the needs of new, young audiences who enjoy interactive experiences. Of course,

TOTAL LICENSING

children’s eyes have been lighting up at theme park visits for decades, as they can greet their favourite character in real life. Recently, the more innovative have been marrying the brand and the experience to create some unique ex-

‘...Bricks and mortar retail has suffered, but this has lead to the rise of innovative tech and experiental marketing...’ periential marketing offerings – such as Hot Wheels’ Epic Race, Transformers Road Show, Stay Puft Marshmallow Man from Ghostbusters wreaking havoc in a London station, and Doc McStuffin’s Big Ted Check-

Up Clinic.

In a nutshell, the desire from children to play with toys and enjoy their favourite brands has not changed, but the way they go about interacting with them is. Thus, the way that their parents or guardians purchase their toys is also changing.

Licensing continues to lead the way in toy sales. And whereas in previous years this was, more often than not, driven by the blockbuster hitting big screens, the increased amount of content – and the growing number of children who know how to access content through myriad technological devices – means that there is a wider pool of licensed toys to choose from.

This has also meant that brands with a long history have had to adapt to suit the new gen-

eration of children. For example, the concept behind Barbie is very much the same. However, today she enjoys a multitude of careers, comes in many different shapes and sizes, and seven different skin tones. Also of this has appealed to the movement towards openness, diversity and equality.

At the time of writing this, just days away from the 2018 holiday season, Amazon gave its predictions for the top toys that children will be gifted come December 25. Fingerlings, Lego Harry Potter Hogwarts Express, Monopoly Fortnite, as well as iterations of collectibles such as Pikme Pops and Shopkins all make the list.

And another trend has emerged in recent times – while traditional retailers may be taking a hit, the rise of shops such as dollar/pound stores, budget shops and mainstream supermarkets as being major players in the toy retail arena continues to grow.

67

TOTAL LICENSING

Toy Fair Season Brings

Toy Joy Toy Fair season arrives again in early 2019, where the movers and shakers from the vast international toy industry will gather across the continents to access the latest trends, expertise and – probably – have a bit of a play.

2018 saw the popularity of board games with a technological twist showing no wane; ‘gross’ play had us all disgusted and delighted in equal measure; nostalgia was – of course – at the top of the list; and collectibles continued to delight.

When various lists are complied to salute the ‘best’ toy, or most popular by sales figures, often these can neglect the age of the audience. Fidget spinners, for example, had vast coverage in the media and have been bought by, it seems, all ages, from kids to commuters. Nintendo Switch, however, is unlikely to be played with by an infant, and similarly, Poopsies Surprise Unicorn may not appeal to an older child. However, the global Toy Fairs that we will attend will look at all the trends, all the toys, and all the ages, and bring market leaders from around the globe to showcase the top products for the coming year.

New York...

Toy Fair New York February 16-19 2019 Jacob K. Javits Center, New York www.toyfairny.com 1,000 exhibitors, 150,000 toy and entertainment products Highlights: Toy of the Year Awards Rookies & Cookies - Freshman Exhibitor Orientation Inventor Day - Ask the Experts

68

TOTAL LICENSING

Nuremberg...

Spielwarenmesse,Nuremberg January 30 – February 3 2019 Nuremberg, Germany. www.spielwarenmesse.de

Highlights: 70th Anniversary Toy Festival Ready, Steady, Play Toy Business Forum

2902 exhibitors from 68 countries

Melbourne...

The Australian Toy, Hobby & Licensing Show March 3 - 6 2019 Melbourne Convention Centre, Melbourne www.austoy.com.au Around 200 exhibitors and 4000 buyers in attendance.

Highlights: Annual Gala Awards Dinner Licensing Breakfast

London...

The Toy Fair January 22-24 2019 Olympia, London www.toyfair.co.uk 260 exhibiting companies ranging from the large renowned brands right through to the new start-up companies and one-man bands Highlights: Content Creation Zone DesignStudent Seminar TFTV Demo Zone 69

TOTAL LICENSING UK

As we all know, children are growing up in a constantly changing world.The only way to truly understand their needs is to open a line of communication with children themselves, which is exactly what is done at Kids Insights.

They are the most comprehensive and dynamic market intelligence resource on all things kids, tweens and teens in the UK.They survey 400 kids aged four to 18 every single week, which is more than 20,000 every year.

How aware are you of the postChristmas the billion pound market?

Our latest data shows children between the age of 4 and 12 in the UK were expecting an average of over £70 each in cash for Christmas this year.

This would equate to £483m of cash being gifted to children, representing a significant opportunity for brands and retailers post-Christmas.

With this in mind, have you planned your marketing campaigns and media spend, and if so how confident are you

70

that your campaign is going to reach its target?

We have seen over the last 12 months how children’s time spent has become increasingly fragmented, with TV representing a shrinking proportion of how kids spend their time. Our latest data shows the number of youngest kids, aged 4-6, who are more likely to watch normal (linear) TV over streaming sites such as YouTube and Netflix has fallen by 40% since the equivalent period last year. Apps, video gaming, video-on-demand and OTT platforms, social media and YouTube are all now taking up a larger share.

One exciting element of our portal is how it enables our clients to get behind the data. For example, you can not only find out how many children favour a particular TV channel or social media platform, but you can obtain the data to build a profile of their audience.

One example of a growing platform we have been tracking is the streaming

website, Twitch, which focusses largely on live video game streaming and esports broadcasting.

Whilst teenagers are still the core market for Twitch, it’s increasing in popularity with children of all ages, including doubling in popularity with 7-9s between the last two quarters.

The platform is also important as a starting place for some of the biggest trends happening in the kid’s space, with most notably Fortnite first establishing itself on the video platform. Our data also shows Twitch is more than twice as popular with boys than girls, but using our portal we can drill-down to find additional insights into the service, aside from demographic information.

Cross-referencing Twitch users with the levels of technology, we can see how this differs significantly from the average. For instance, 76% of children who watch Twitch have a mobile phone, compared to an average of 56% for non-twitch viewers. 56% of Twitch users have a laptop (compared to 36%

TOTAL LICENSING 12%

TWITCH USERS Q3 2017

10%

Q4 2017 Q1 2018

8%

Q2 2018 Q3 2018

6%

4%

2%

0% average) and they are more than twice as likely to own either wearable tech or a smart speaker device.What might be surprising, is that Twitch users are less likely than the typical kid to own a tablet device.

This data shows that in a fragmented media world, it is more important than ever to understand your audience and where they spend their time, to maximise your advertising spend.

Kids Insight’s independent data, combined with the analysis work which their team of experts researchers and analysts undertake helps uncover new trends and provide powerful insights.

For example, one trend they have seen is the digital financial empowerment of younger children.

In the last 12 months they have seen some significant trends develop one

TECH OWNERSHIP (Twitch Users vs Average) 100% 80%

of which is how younger children are spending an increased amount of their money online, through payment mechanisms such as Go Henry.

The number of 4-12s spending with cash cards has more than doubled, from 4% to 9% since the beginning of the year, with goHenry’s popularity also doubling since the start of 2018.

This latest trend can only help strengthen Amazon’s dominant position within the market.

Throughout 2018, Amazon has been the dominant retailer of choice, with 39% of 7-12s, almost 4 times more popular than second place online shop, eBay. And in the last quarter has increasingly being cited by kids as one of their most popular ‘brands’.

So, do you have your post-Christmas advertising and marketing strategy planned? And how confident are you that your media mix and messaging will be the most effective in targeting and engaging your target market?

60% 40% 20%

Console

Desktop

eReader

Handheld

Laptop

Mobile

Smart Speaker

Tablet

TV

Wearable Tech

0%

As you can see the power of having access to this data and insights in real-time is extremely powerful and is helping our clients capitalise on these opportunities and improve their ROI.

For further information on how Kids Insights can help and to receive a complimentary copy of their Future Forecast report visit www.kidsinsights.co.uk/ totallicensing

71

TOTAL LICENSING

Top 30 Favorite Entertainment Brands - Canadian Children aged 0 - 14 October 2018 - Unaided mentions.

Philippe Guinaudeau from Kidz Global gives us a look at Canadian children’s tastes in entertainment

7-14 Years Old The Simpsons

Avengers Fortnite

Harry Potter

Minecraft

Star Roblox Wars

Mario Bros

Shopkins SpongeBob

Pokemon

Superman

Marvel Lego

Boys

Girls

Batman TMN Turtles

`Barbie Frozen

Disney

Minions

My Little Pony Dora the Explorer

Mickey Mouse

Paw Patrol Fisher Price

Cars the Movie PJ Masks

Peppa Pig

The Wiggles

0-6 Years Old Roblox Although not really a ‘brand’ by itself, but more like a platform, the name is very much appreciated by both boys and girls 10 - 14 years old. As a matter of fact, 2% of each demographic even place the name as their top favourite brand.

Shopkins and Barbie Thanks to very rich offerings in brands amongst girls, especially the 3 to 6 year olds, Shopkins and barbie lost in this demographic while keeping scores amongst the older girls. As a result,

72

their position in the market appears to be for older ages.

The Wiggles This brand has gained awareness in Canada among infants (+10 points in a year) and reaches 57% awareness.

And 47% of those aware of the brand love it. In addition, 20% of those aware of the brand place it among their top three favourites.

Fortnight This brand appeared straight in the top 30 most favourite brands amongst kids up to 14 years old.

However the brand really appeals to boys 10 to 14 years old.

A stuffing 21% of these boys place it as one of their top 3 favourite

brands; and 14% as their top favourite.

This makes it their No 1 choice over all other brands!

Star Wars The brand, No 5 among boys aged 10 to 14 and no 14 amongst girls of the same age, continuously increased over the past 18 months. That being stated, the brand tends to decrease among kids below ten years old.

About BrandTrends Several times a year, a total of 105,040 children and young adults are surveyed via an online questionnaire in 42 countries across the following five age groups: Infants 0 - 2 years, Preschoolers 3 - 6 years, Children 7 - 9 years, Tweens and young teens 10 - 14 years,Young Adults 15 - 25 years (10 countries only). Each age group comprises 50% boys and 50% girls.

For infants and preschoolers, parents are the respondents on behalf of a nominated child. Visual images of each brand are used to test awareness, ownership and purchase intentions, once all unaided questions have been submitted. Analysis and reporting are conducted in the week following fieldwork.

For more information, or to subscribe to the complete research, email philippe.guinaudeau@kidzglobal.com.

TOTAL LICENSING

Total Licensing takes a look at a few of the companies involved in Canadian licensing - both with home grown properties and international favorites.

Nelvana’s highly attractive library of approximately 4,000 children’s titles has received more than 70 major international program awards including Emmys and Geminis. Nelvana produces a stable of award-winning and globally renowned brands as well as ancillary consumer product programs.

The company’s world-class properties include Babar and Franklin as well as Little Charmers, Mike the Knight, Max & Ruby, and Beyblade.

With headquarters in Toronto and an office in Paris, France, Nelvana’s merchandising division operates as a full service agency in addition to licensing its own brands. As an agency, Nelvana offers strategic brand management, licensing services, and retail marketing for top consumer product brands around the world. In Canada, Nelvana represents many top-selling and recognizable brands such as Peppa Pig, PJ Masks, Sesame Street and most recently, Thomas & Friends. Nelvana’s in-house expertise and Corus assets help our clients build successful and profitable brand extension programs.

From a Canadian perspective, Nelvana is the only agency with the ability to optimize broadcast schedules to align with a consumer products program.

Recent activity includes Ranger Rob, Beyblade, Peppa Pig and PJ Masks.

Ranger Rob follows 10-year-old Ranger Rob as he ziplines, swing, and snowboards his way around Big Sky Park! The series airs on Treehouse and

licenses include toys (ID Toys), books (Chouette), DVDs (Elevation Pictures) and apparel (JCorp) in Canada.

In this third generation of Beyblade, Valt Aoi, an energetic and optimistic fifth-grader, and his best friend, Shu Kurenai, take on the challenge to become the ultimate blader!

Beyblade is a global toy phenomenon.

In Summer 2018, Hasbro ran The Road to the National Championships in Canada.

Peppa Pig and PJ Masks from Entertainment One are two top-selling brands with a robust group of licensees developing and selling products across Canada.

9 Story launched its dedicated consumer products division, 9 Story Brands, at Licensing Expo last year. 9 Story Brands represents a portfolio of top properties in kids entertainment, including Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Super Why!, Peg + Cat, Wild Kratts, Colorforms and more. Since its initial debut, the newly created group has been focused on expanding existing properties as well as securing new properties for distribution around the world.

Two new properties of note include Moon and Me and Dr. Panda. Moon and Me is Sutikki’s new preschool series from Andy Davenport, the creator of Teletubbies and In the Night

Garden. The series is set to launch on BBC in the UK and on NBC Universal in the U.S. in 2019, with news on Canadian broadcast partners to be announced in the coming months.

Moon and Me has a robust consumer products plan in the works including global partnerships with Hasbro and Scholastic, along with 35+ licensees in the UK. Once Canadian broadcast is locked, the 9 Story Brands team will be pursuing new partnership in the territory.

9 Story Brands is also excited to build a consumer products program around

Dr. Panda, a popular children’s app franchise (with over 95 million download!) which has been recently developed into a 3D television series. The show was unveiled by 9 Story Distribution at Mipcom in the fall, and there are now ongoing discussions with several potential broadcast partners expected to result in placement shortly, including in Canada. As an established brand, they expect to secure consumer products partnerships soon after broadcast partners are solidified.

Canada’s Boat Rocker Media has enjoyed incredible growth over the past few years, positioning it to centre stage as a significant new global player.

Born from Toronto-based independent Temple Street Productionskp, the company acquired several more Canadian production houses – including Radical Sheep, Proper Television, Jam Filled Entertainment, an investment in Industrial Brothers, and a majority stake in Insight Productions – as it began to embark on its ambitious expansion.

73

TOTAL LICENSING ers and Late Nite Eats.

Texpand its capabilities as a global studio with a focus on premium content production and brand building, its strong development pipeline has several exciting new titles due to be announced in the near future. As it continues to rock the boat industry wide, Boat Rocker Media is well on the way to achieving its aim of expansion.

Further recent acquisitions have substantially raised its international profile and status with a greatly expanded portfolio: Fremantle’s kids & family portfolio has provided over 800 hours of active programming and several new brands, including Bitz & Bob and Danger Mouse, while November’s deal with Matador Content ) has bolstered its increasing expansion into the US market.

Boat Rocker is also building a greater presence in Europe and Asia with the recent opening of offices in London and Hong Kong.

Along with the extra programming, the acquisitions have also enabled further vertical integration, bringing in additional expertise in global distribution, brand management, licensing, strategic global partnerships and creative development and production to complement Boat Rocker’s existing robust production and distribution capabilities. The company now has more than 650 employees across its nine offices worldwide and as well as now being able to fully fund its own content, it can also distribute and provide ancillary revenue for its burgeoning portfolio, which now comprises 750 hours of content produced annually by its scripted, unscripted and kids & family divisions alongside a distribution library totalling more than 7,000 half hours.

Boat Rocker’s current licensing program in Canada includes global hits The Next Step – also a hit in the UK where it is a huge ratings driver for CBBC – and Orphan Black, and it is currently looking at opportunities for new titles such as Vintage Tech Hunt-

74

Guru Studio, a leader in Canadian children’s entertainment, is taking its popular broads further afield with the recent announcement that Hengxin Shambala Kids (Guangzhou) Cultural Industry Development Co. Ltd will represent its flagship preschool property True and the Rainbow Kingdom in China.

HSK will look to secure opportunities for the brand in China across television, toys, publishing, non-toy merchandise, digital games and apps, theme parks, stage plays, educational centers, and carnivals.

True and the Rainbow Kingdom continues to grow in popularity worldwide on Netflix as well as on Canada’s national public broadcaster the CBC where it has emerged as one of the top preschool shows. With a fourth season of the show recently greenlit, interest in the merchandising program continues to grow in North America and key territories in Europe and Asia.

“There’s no question China has emerged as one of the most significant new markets for building a global children’s brand,” said Frank Falcone, President and Executive Creative Director of Guru Studio. “The

fresh energy and creative possibilities in the Middle Kingdom are frankly overwhelming and we’re thrilled to be working with such a talented and knowledgeable team to guide us as we bring our flagship preschool series to China.”

In recent months, Guru Studio announced a series of US based licensing deals including Aurora World (plush), Palamon (costumes); American Marketing Enterprises (sleepwear); GBG Socks (hosiery); Chouette (master publishing); and Bendon Inc. for coloring books and art sets.

True and the Rainbow Kingdom is a Netflix Original preschool series produced by Guru Studio in collaboration with Pharrell Williams’ i am Other artist collective, FriendsWithYou, and Home Plate Entertainment. The series follows compassionate hero True, and her hilarious best friend Bartleby the cat, as they come to the rescue of the Rainbow Kingdom’s whimsical citizens.

True is the only one that can unleash the power of the Magical Wishes from the Wishing Tree in order to set things right and keep all the residents safe.

True and Bartleby’s adventures empower both girls and boys to be mindful, courageous and respectful of all living things.

DHX Media has recently announced that it has struck ten new distribution deals for the hit family series, The Deep, bringing the total number of broadcasters and streaming platforms for the CGI-animated underwater adventure series up to 40 globally.

New deals for season three of The

TOTAL LICENSING to dominate the Canadian marketplace. Hatchimals, now in its fourth year, and Paw Patrol, currently the #1 Preschool property in the world, are proven success stories. Evergreens continue to perform best in the Boys category, and Spin Master just secured a licensing agreement with Warner Brothers for the DC portfolio.”

Total Licensing talked to Thom Chapman, Senior Director, Sales & Distribution, Spin Master Entertainment to find out more about the company’s activities.

Canada has long since been regarded as one of the top countries for entertainment output - how does this spill into the toy and licensing industries?

“Canada continues to be a hotbed for entertainment, especially for animation.

We have an incredible talent pool here with no better examples than, Guru Studios (with whom we work with on Paw Patrol), 9 Story and Boat Rocker Studios. It’s fascinating to see so many strong players like these now developing their own world class IP.”

What is 2019 looking like for Spin Master in terms of exciting news, releases?

“We are excited about the full global relaunch of Bakugan, our brand new preschool series, Abby Hatcher and the launch of our Monster Jam prod-

Do you have any predictions for the year ahead - both in terms of Spin Master hot properties, and for the licensing industry in general?

“Bakugan and Abby Hatcher are the Spin Master direct IP focus for us in 2018. On a macro licensing industry overall, we are looking forward to hot new gaming properties to follow in the footsteps of Fortnite and Overwatch.”

Finally, how is the retail environment in Canada - and how are retailers and companies adapting to the global changes to traditional consumer activities?

‘Resilient’ would be word we would use. Walmart Canada continues to take market share in many licensed categories and Mastermind Toys has been expanding across Canada.

Toys R Us Canada is a perfect example of the adaptation required to the new consumer landscape. The retailer has a number of new initiatives (example: Toys R Us Toy Box, a smaller location than traditional Toys R Us outlets).”

What are the top properties in the country at the moment, would you say?

“Preschool and collectibles continue Deep, which was commissioned by ABC Australia earlier this year, have been struck by DHX Media with CBBC (UK), Super RTL (Germany), VRT (Belgium), NRK (Norway), KidsZone(Baltics), S4C (UK and Wales), SVT (Sweden), and TVP (Poland), in addition to previously announced deals with Netflix (worldwide) and Family CHRGD (Canada).

DHX Media has also signed two new distribution deals for seasons one and two of The Deep, with France Televisions (France) and RTP (Portugal).

Seasons one and two of The Deep air in 190 countries.

The Deep follows the adventures of the Nekton family—a team of underwater explorers. With state-of-theart technology and an unquenchable

uct line. We have also just launched new short from content for Hatchimals. Spin Master also has How To Train Your Dragon Master Toy globally and this year should be BIG with the upcoming film.”

thirst for discovery, the Nektons explore the mysterious depths of the ocean, where most of our world lies unexplored and unexplained.

In season three, the Nektons are back and the Monumentials—huge creatures capable of changing the world— are waking from their long slumber!

To put the giants back to sleep, Ant, Fontaine, Will and Kaiko must find the ancient city of Lemuria and harness its secret. Dangerous pirates, fantastic creatures and tantalizing mysteries will confront them along the way. But even with unexpected help from Jeffrey the Fish, they’re running out of time.

The series is a co-production between Australia-based A Stark Production and DHX Media, with distribution also handled by DHX Media. Technicolor,

underlying rights holder to The Deep, has oversight of the brand’s licensing extensions, with CPLG serving as the multi-territory licensing agent for the brand, including North America, EMEA (excluding Germany) and Latin America.

75

Opportunities for Licensing at The London Book Fair: The Global Marketplace for Rights Negotiation Across Formats The London Book Fair (2019) is the global marketplace for rights negotiation and the sale and distribution of content across print, audio,TV, film and digital channels, and is one of the largest publishing events in the world.

Staged annually, and taking place from 12-14 March 2019, each year LBF sees more than 25,000 publishing professionals arrive in London for the week of the Fair to learn, network, and kick off their year of business.

In 2019 LBF will celebrate its 48-year anniversary.

But LBF is far more than just a book fair – it also reaches beyond the world of books to include all aligned creative industries, including TV & Film, Brand Licensing, and Games and Advertising, giving professionals from across the creative industries the opportunity to network, share ideas, discover new and future trends, and trade IP across formats.

Brand licensors – from global names to independent businesses and startups – are central to LBF, and there are a wealth of opportunities for those looking to connect with brand licensing professionals at the Fair.

From matchmaking to speed networking, LBF provides a forum for the creative industries to exchange ideas and establish new contacts, while exploring the myriad ways IP can be exploited and enhanced. And for those looking to meet with a select group of licensing experts, LBF runs speed networking sessions and advice clinics in partnership with Total Licensing magazine and LIMA. Those looking for further networking opportunities can also visit the Licensing Lounge, where delegates can drop by and meet with representatives from LIMA and Total Licensing.

Meanwhile, brand licensors won’t want to miss The London Book Fair’s various seminar streams, in particular The Business Forum which explores “Brands, Licensing and Beyond”. The seminar programme brings together industry experts from across the creative industries, while revealing the latest data reports and trends.

76

Finally, The CAMEO Awards, staged as part of London Book & Screen Week (The London Book Fair’s sister event), recognise the many ways in which the wider creative industries adapt book IP into film, TV, games, audio and plays.

The categories are: Book to Interactive Entertainment, Book to Film, Book to TV, Book to Stage and Book to Audio. Entries are open to any individual or organisation in the UK, who has successfully transformed a book IP into another format.

Previous CAMEOs winners include: Beast Quest, which has been enormously successful both in print and game format with over 8.3 million downloads to date, and which offers players rich gameplay, multiple levels and a depth beyond expectation for a book adaptation; Forge’s TV adaptation of The Miniaturist, by Jessie Burton; and Professor Astro Cat’s Solar System, adapted as a game by MiniLab Studios from the book by Dr Dominic Walliman and Ben Newman.

To book a ticket to The London Book Fair, or to learn more about brand licensing opportunities, please visit: http://www.londonbookfair.co.uk/ content-connected

TOTAL LICENSING

Opinion:

Kazachok Licensing Forum

By Virginie Lopez, Kazachok KLF – 3 and 4 April 2019 Paris Event Center - Paris Free entrance (except for non-exhibiting rights reps) Further information at forumlicence.kazachok.com Email: louis@kazachok.com

LICENSING IN FRANCE: A NEED FOR FRESH ENTHUSIASM! The French licensing market is divided and increasingly split up as it undergoes a thorough transformation. Licensing players are speculating about the situation, and are all aware that with large-scale distribution unwilling to take risks, the key will be to rethink licensing.

Far from stagnating, the market is following new behavior patterns.

Consumer expectations are changing and large-scale distributors need to adapt. The life span of a franchise has changed and become shorter; the market doesn’t allow the necessary time for a franchise to establish itself.

France however, remains a slow market where cycles last between 5 and 8 years whereas in Italy or Spain the life cycle of a property has dwindled to a year and a half or even a single year. The licensing market is more and more European so developing a property solely in France isn’t enough to guaranty success and you need to allow some time amidst this globalization.

An overly large offering Children know more and more brands. KidzGlobal’s BrandTrends survey showed that French children 7 to 9 y.o. are spontaneously able to cite over 160 different brands! They’re increasingly targeted by multiple brands and are becoming demanding. However, they want to be active consumers and have opinions. Brands are facing numerous challenges. The epoch is about mass customization. The offering is huge and franchises are releasing too many products.

Children’s screen time is also evolving and their exposure to brands alongside. A recent survey conducted by Junior City on 405 youngsters aged 11 to 14 revealed that while TV remains on top, kids also watch ATAWAD (anytime, anywhere, any device): 80% watch programs like that vs. 71% for

78

YouTube, 44% replay TV and 23% for Netflix. Large-scale distribution is finally starting to be aware of digital figures, which licensees and central buyers now need to take into account.

Retail is having a tough time getting involved.

In tems of logistics retail is undergoing a big transformation. There are numerous strategic partnerships being established in large-scale distribution. Large chain stores are focusing on food and retain the same logic: not taking too many risks and promoting only the top 3 properties on their shelf space. In specialized outlets the goal is to be as competitive as possible by offering trendy products with strong added value. The offering must constantly change so buyers have the feeling there is novelty. That kind of chain store’s startegy is to create more licensing events to avoid a stagnation of traffic in stores. That means there still are great development opportunities for those stores.

Online sales offer brands new alternatives. Amazon is developping On Demand, Ventes Privées is partnering up with brands to offer ephemeral and exclusive sales, and some manufacturers are creating their own online stores. All of these options represent new distribution channels for brands.

Direct to consumer will maybe be the next challenge that will allow everyone to find a suitable space.

The market is renewing itself With Entertainment franchises slumping, licensing pros are looking for new properties. Sports brands, e-sport, bloggers, online programs, food franchises: what will tomorrow’s franchises be? This important question is on every mind. The strength of the Internet networks is altering the system. Bloggers and online channels now have a considerable impact on establishing a brand.

While brands, licensees and retail face numerous challenges, Kazachok con-

tinues to believe that licensing still has a rosy future. It remains a must for children as well as adults who are keen on various franchises. The key will be to bring fresh enthusiasm as well as offering ever more efficient products and services.

To know more about this market, visit the Kazachok Licensing Forum – 3 and 4 April 2019, in Paris.

The Kazachok licensing Forum is the yearly trade fair of the licensing business in France. KLF is open to everyone and offers foreign visitors a real perspective on the 2019-20 trends that are driving the French market.

In a friendly and professional setting, discover the licenses trends, get an overview thanks to the conferences, develop your networking and your business thanks to privileged meetings with your business partners.

In this new version of the KLF we’ll be promoting a Brands Pavilion and a Gaming Corner. The aim is to introduce brands with ‘strong licensing potential’ to chosen and relevant manufacturers that can eventually provide growth engines and create value, notwithstanding respecting the values and DNA of the brands. They are also focusing on attracting large-scale distributors, and particularly chain stores that cater to young people as well as adults in the area of personal apparel and home equipment.

Exhibitors include Warner Bros. Consumer Products,TF1 Licences, francetv distribution, Ubisoft, Sanrio, Universal Consumer Products, Studiocanal, Corolle, Universal Music, Vulli, Smiley, Mediatoon Licensing, The Pokémon Company, etc.

Conferences will address issues such as: ‘Brands and Partnerships: What makes a happy relationship?’; ‘e-sports: how does this booming market unfold?’; ‘Novel brands - what about advertising strategy?’ and a round table on ‘Influencers - opportunities for brands?’.

TOTAL LICENSING

Esports market update 2018 Franchising and audience growth provides commercial confidence in the longevity of esports licensing programmes.

As a consumer phenomenon, esports has continued to rapidly grow its passionate fanbase on a global level Tom Power of PowerStation Studios explains.

As a consumer phenomenon, esports has continued to rapidly grow its passionate fanbase on a global level.

The heightened exposure of esports as a mainstream entertainment industry has resulted in a positive change in consumer perceptions in most global regions. Improvements in both IT infrastructure and urbanisation across the LATAM, APAC, Middle East and African regions have also aided its progression. This coupled with the next generation of fans having experienced esports as a natural phenomenon, means that global audiences are predicted to only keep on growing. In 2018, the total number of people who were aware of esports has reached 1.6 billion people, up from 1.3 billion in 2017.

As a business opportunity for brands, esports is now entering both an interesting and critical phase towards its maturity. There have been a few key accelerators in its transition, including expanded viewership through new formats and franchises; the change in perceptions surrounding mobile esports; and the increase in investment and sponsorships from brands. Not only is esports losing its outdated stereotypes, but its financial potential is now resonating well for both investors and brand owners alike.

So, what’s been key to changing the industry perceptions on the commerciality of esports? Simple - the proven method of Franchising.

Back in 2017, the introduction of franchised esport leagues marked a pivotal moment in the commercial evolution of esports. The change all began when major publishers Blizzard Entertainment and Riot Games both announced their intention to implement a franchised-based competitive league structure for both of their esport series (Overwatch League (OWL) and North American League of Legends Championship Series (NA LCS), respectively).

Previously, prospective teams had to qualify to earn a place in the competition and faced the risk of relegation and funding uncertainties.

80

In the franchised system, however, new teams were created who had their competition placement secured as a permanent fixture for multiple series to come. The aim of this was to help encourage the continued growth of each competitive series via stability and fan-support. For most instances, these new teams are linked to specific geographical locations which in turn, has helped them win over the hearts of local fans.

Within the realm of traditional sports, franchised leagues are nothing new.

Just a quick glance at either the NFL, MLB and NBA and it’s easy to see why commercially speaking, a franchised system offers a lot of benefits. The New England Patriots and New York Yankees are both permanent fixtures in their respective leagues. Regardless of how well they play, they’ll always remain within their leagues unless their owners decide to move them.

By removing the relegation stages, franchising provides a safety net for the teams; it ensured that if they don’t qualify, large fan bases are not left without a team to support. It also helps to entice broadcasters and streaming services (e.g. Twitch & YouTube Gaming) to broadcast live events via the position of readilyavailable exposure to passionate audiences and the opportunity to monetise via grudge matches between

TOTAL LICENSING rivals. It is now also possible for teams to safely invest up-and-coming talent without the risk of dropping out of leagues from inexperience. Most importantly, however, the franchise structure is already a familiar and well-known format for licensees, advertisers, content buyers, agents and sponsors alike, encouraging further commerciality through proven market confidence.

For the first time in esports history, investors and sponsors can buy themselves a permanent spot at the esports table, hopeful in the opportunities it provides. Sponsorship lets them ride out the long-term growth prospects of the industry and enables them to communicate effectively with the coveted millennial audience. Rob Moore, (CEO of the Phenix1 OWL team and the previous Vice Chairman of Paramount Pictures) highlighted that prior to franchising, “there was always this uncertainty in esports, because other than the top, top teams if you were a sponsor, you didn’t know if your relationship with a team was going to last three months or three years”. Championing progression in esports, he explained that the industry “has definitely evolved from a bunch of gamers organising tournaments to experienced business people with substantial investment, really looking to turn this into something for the long term.” Moore is not alone in this train of thought. In October 2018, car-giant Mercedes prolonged their commitment to esports by extending their global partnership with the Electronic Sports League (ESL) until December 2020. According to Britta Seeger (member of the Daimler board

of management, responsible for Mercedes-Benz cars marketing and sales), their motivator was simple; It gave Mercedes a brilliant opportunity “to open up a dialogue with young people; especially those with an affinity to technology.”

Brand opportunities aren’t just limited to sponsorship deals either. Just recently (Dec 2018), Activision Blizzard announced a new multi-year deal with Fanatics; the global leader in licensed sports merchandise. This deal makes Fanatics the official retail partner for the Overwatch League.

This contract includes the U.S. and international rights to produce OWL jerseys, fan gear, headwear, and hard goods being sold across all retail and wholesale channels. This is the first deal of its kind between a major retailer and an official esports league, signalling further confidence for the commercial potential in this relatively untapped audience. With the proven success of franchising and the knowledge that teams will be relevant to audiences long enough to work around manufacturers production times, it won’t be long until other licensing partners start queuing up to publishers for their slice of the action.

According to an industry survey performed by Newzoo late last year, most esport teams inter-

viewed expect the industry will fully mature as a business within the next five to 10 years. In the same study, agencies and brands were asked the same question and respondents believe that the industry will be fully professionalised within the next three to five years.

Whilst esport licensing programmes are still in a state of relative infancy compared to their traditional sport counterparts, the future opportunities that can be spotted on the horizon are definitely somewhat enticing for brands. Even considering that the OWL and NA LCS leagues are currently focused on the North American markets, their influence has helped to provide additional external investment, increase sponsorship budgets and sell international media rights on a global level. These three revenue streams alone are big enough to influence funds to be reinvested into the esports scene; helping fund the next generation of gamers, fans and stakeholders alike.

Should the franchised route prove to be just as successful in areas less familiar with the system, then the future commerciality and longevity of esports on a global level look very promising indeed.

The next couple of years will determine the pace at which esports becomes the global multi-billion-dollar business that we all envisage it to be.

If current perceptions are indeed correct, now’s the time get on board.

Tom Power – EMEA Account Manager, PowerStation Studios Notes about the author: After a much-enjoyed tenure at one of the top global interactive entertainment publishers, Tom made his transition into the licensing industry when he joined PowerStation Studios to help clients realise their full commercial potential. Since working at PowerStation,Tom has continued to devise and execute innovative solutions for some of the biggest entertainment brands across the globe; maximising their commercial return through unconstrained creative problem-solving.

81

TOTAL LICENSING

Marina Semenikhina, LIMA’s representative in Russia tells readers the best ways to approach entering the Russian licensing market.

For more information, contact Marina at msemenikhina@ licensing.org

A Guide to entering the Russian market Have you ever thought about the Russian Licensing Market?

I am asking because this summer I have started receiving requests about getting into Russian licensing market.

I know, it is not statistically accurate to assume that five calls make a trend, however the interest has been registered.

Moreover, the recent CPLG purchasing 49% of the Pullman Licensing made the first prominent case of getting into Russia using the acquisition of an existing company. So what is about Russia that make companies thinking of entering its licensing market?

Market overview According to the LIMA Annual Global Licensing Industry Survey, Russia takes the 14th place in the global rankings. Moreover, Maura Regan, LIMA president, said in her welcome video at Moscow Licensing Summit in September 2018, there is no doubt Russia has every opportunity to become a Top 10 licensing market.

The Russian licensing marketing is quite young. As a country, the Russian Federation has existed since 1991,

82

when the Soviet Union fell apart. It took industries almost a decade to adjust to this new reality, and by 2000 the first attempts were made to work officially with intellectual properties.

Part 4 of Russian Civil Code that regulates intellectual properties emerged in 2006, but the authors did not embrace licensing practices in full. Today there is still a gap between official law and common business.

Having that said it is important to mention that licensing practices have improved a lot as a result of the biggest companies (Disney, Mattel) entering the market and sharing their routines. The two major sporting events - Sochi 2014 Olympics and the FIFA WorldCup in 2018 - have greatly helped to structure licensing.

Oh those Russians!

Getting into Russia is not easy… and at the same time not that complicated if you have right partners. Yes, it is important to have local people working for you. The reasoning goes beyond language differences. Culture is also an issue (do not take this literally; we do not have bears walking the streets playing balalaikas). It is mostly about interpersonal relationships.

We have a saying: it takes a lot of time to gear up, but the ride will be fast. Russians may look open, spend money excessively, promise to get the stars and the moon (especially while drinking – business talks in restaurants are still common) but this is not a sign of trust or relationships being built.

Russians are very generous and it is in their genes to meet people with everything they can offer.

It might sound a bit strange and

contradicts all recent external affairs scandals. Firstly Russia has had a tough history over the last 100 years. World War II with a Civil War (4 years of battles in the territory), the rise and fall of Communism, the scary 90s with the first attempts at creating business (using guns and power). The upshot is that we have what we have now. I am not proud of either the political situation or the depression in the economy; but I understand where it comes from. Moreover, I do not have relevant education or experience to judge. I am a licensing professional, so back to the industry.

The industry As I mentioned, the Russian licensing market is young. This has been the opening line for all my presentations over the last five years. Yes, we are more civilized now than 7 or 8 years ago when I started working as a licensee and yet,at the same time, we are not quite mature yet.

One of the features of the industry’s infancy is that 90% of the deals are entertainment/preschool character ones. The percentage was even higher; however, the sport licensing’s share has increased because of the FIFA WorldCup. Sport club licensing is developing as well. Local clubs have opened their own stores (a great example is Zenit Football club with a chain of official stores opened first in their home region and then expanded into areas where the club has a prominent fan base). Foreign clubs are also interested in running licensing programs in Russia but the main challenge here is distribution.

Where local clubs can offer licensees

TOTAL LICENSING

sales during the events, the activity of foreign clubs here is limited.

Another sign of the industry becoming mature is a series of collaborations between entertainment and sports brands. It all started with Zenit and Smeshariki (the animation brand that was responsible for kicking off the licensing industry as we have it in Russia - way earlier than Masha and the Bear). One of the recent deals is a collaboration between Kontinental Hockey League and the Fixies, the second most popular animation brand in Russia.

Brand and corporate licensing is almost entirely undeveloped. Having this said, it is important to mention the rise of food licensing: Pepsi has had activities in Russia over the last 5 years; Coca-Cola has just appointed ELC to run their program; and Chupa Chups have also started a local program.

How to enter It seems there are three ways to enter the market. The majors prefer to open their own offices. Hiring a local sales person is also an option: it saves money and lower the risks. Another way is to buy an existing agency entirely or partly as per CPLG and Pullman, which was totally unexpected. The third option is to appoint an agent.

There is an agency dilemma in Russia.

The big and successful companies have a huge number of brands and potentially cannot guarantee to give each brand enough effort; and the small ones are eager to dedicate their entire time to the brand and still not successful enough. Unfortunately, the number of experienced licensing

84

specialists in the industry is small.

Main industry events There are two main industry events.

Licensing World Russia (12-14 February 2019) is a great way to kick off the Spring business. There are different ways to participate: having a booth (remember to hire an interpreter) or just visiting. Lectures and round tables are also available.

Here are some of this year topics: * Analytical session: results and trends (NPD Russia, Kids Global). * Entertainment parks (moderated

by Nadezhda Zhurina, one of the industry’s most experienced specialists) * The Basics of licensing * LIMA Russia: members’ special.

This is a great opportunity to get to know the market and dive into networking.

The Autumn season starts with the Moscow Licensing Summit, a one day event in September, where there are opportunities to meet industry’s participants, get updated information and again talk to all important people.

LICENSING IN RUSSIA In order to structure the industry, to get everyone involved in a modern business relationship the Licensing in Russia concept is being launched.

The entity is dedicated entirely to promoting LIMA values and practices into everyday life. Here are the main pillars: * Licensing In Russia Magazine. The only professional magazine distributed at more than 20 events in Russia.

Do you have a case study or story to share? This is the ideal way to let the licensing professionals know. The Spring issue is being created in order to let companies have a voice at the mail events in Spring. We also have a digital source where you can get access to the recent issue and read it (if you know Russian, of course – however we are thinking about adding English pages as well). * Licensing In Russia Academy: our aim is to get more professionals to the market by educating them. * Licensing In Russia Events: let us know if you want our help to get into events, even remotely. We do have ideas how to help plus we are running traditional LIMA Russia breakfasts * There is more. We will just keep it quiet till we are ready to announce!

We’ve also prepared a little gift for readers. Do you remember I said that Russians are generous people? If you haven’t had a chance to pick up a copy of the Licensing in Russia digest at BLE last October, here is a link to read it. http://licensing-in-russia.com/ Any questions? We’re always happy to help!

TOTAL LICENSING

China Licensing Expo boosts licensing industry in China

By Alice Yang Licensing Project Manager China Toy & Juvenile Products Assocation alice_yang@tjpa-china.org

86

The twelfth edition of the China Licensing Expo (CLE) was held from October 16th to 18th, 2018 in Shanghai, China. China Licensing Expo is the largest and most effective licensing event in Asia and is widely recognized as the most effective channel to understand the licensing market, promote brands, and expand licensing activities in China and Asia.

The Expo was organized by the China Toy & Juvenile Products Association (CTJPA) and sponsored by China Licensing Federation (CLF). For over a decade, China Licensing Expo has witnessed the developing in licensing industry in China.

“This year, the exhibition space at CLE expanded by 52 percent, reaching 35,000 sqm, with 304 exhibitors presenting over 1,200 brands of which

international brands occupy over 80 percent, ranging from top-notch global licensors to fresh properties. In addition, 47 percent of them are new exhibitors this year.” explained May Liang, president of CTJPA. Licensing Matters Global was one of new exhibitors this year. “Our focus at the China Licensing Expo was to connect with potential licensees that may want to use the Shell, Yale and Harvard Universities’ logos or brands to grow their businesses,” said Mark Matheny, founder of Licensing Matters Global.

China Licensing Expo was held concurrently with the China Toy Expo, China Kids Expo and China Preschool Expo. “According to the data from CTJPA, 68,787 professionals attended the 12th session of CLE 2018, which was a record again in its history.” Liang added.

“The Chinese market is full of opportunities and challenges. Turner pays high attention and efforts in China market. We have witnessed the change in Chinese young generations’ consuming habits. They are more willing to spend their money on what they like. Based on this background, fan economy has a bigger say than ever before in today’s business. “ remarked Lisa Li, General Manager of Turner China.

Turner joined China Licensing Expo for the first time two years ago and

Lisa Li continued, “the Expo gave us very good support to expand our licensing business in China.”

This year, more and more records were made at CLE and many new things happened in the expo that are worth highlighting.

International properties giants. After over a decade of development, more and more international companies recognize the potential of the Chinese licensing market. International giants choose the China Licensing Expo exclusively as their ideal option when exploring licensing business in China.

CLE 2018 hosted new international exhibitors, such as Warner Brothers, Blizzard, and Dark Horse Comics, meanwhile many famous international brand owners including Universal, Hasbro and Turner have been regular exhibitors for years.

NBC Universal established a licensing team for the China market in 2016, which was also the first time that Universal joined the China Licensing Expo. “Three years since they first exhibited, Universal now is a regular exhibitor at CLE, and now has over 100 licensee companies in China. The China Licensing Expo has offered us a perfect chance to meet potential licensing partners and establish a very positive image in the industry,“ said Allen Wang, Vice President, Greater China Consumer Products at NBC Universal.

TOTAL LICENSING Top and emerging domestic properties. As the licensing market in China grows, more and more Chinese companies realize the importance of brand licensing, and start to explore opportunities in the business. The China Licensing Expo serves as the most professional channel for domestic properties, from well-recognized properties to emerging ones. In 2018, Chinese domestic properties including Tencent, Alpha, Wanda, NetEase, Aqiyi and more popular and young properties from social media took part in the exhibition.

Art and museum properties. Alongside the regular tradition of animated characters, CLE covers the whole property spectrum, and art and museum properties were in the spotlight this year. The 12th edition of the China Licensing Expo featured a special museum pavilion for the second time, and more museums participated in the expo independently from home and abroad, including China National Museum, Summer Palace, the British Museum, Van Gogh Museum and Reunion des Musees Nationaux. The beautiful merchandise created by museums shows state-of-the-art and proves that art licensing is becoming trendy and fashionable in China, with more high-end consumers prefer to choose those products to identify with their life style.

More dynamic pavilions. There were nine pavilions at CLE last October, including the China Museum Pavilion, Japan Pavilion, Korean Pavilion, and Chinese Taipei Pavilion. They brought more fresh and new properties to the

88

“This year, the exhibition space at CLE expanded by 52 percent, reaching 35,000 sqm, with 304 exhibitors presenting over 1,200 brands of which international brands occupy over 80 percent, ranging from top-notch global licensors to fresh properties. In addition, 47 percent of them are new exhibitors this year.” market and expanded into much wider categories, including entertainment, arts, museums and fashion.

To better promote the licensing business in China, the China National Light Industry Council initiated and established the China Licensing

Federation in October 2017. It is the first ever unit for Chinese licensing industry, supported by 26 different industrial associations.

“To help more manufacturing companies to get a better understanding in licensing and properties, the China

Licensing Federation launched a professional searching website for the industry this June.” commented Du Tonghe, President of China Licensing Federation.

According to Du, the website “China Brand Licensing 365” serves as the online search and matchmaking platform, and over 400 properties from nearly 200 licensors and agents have registered for the website. Thanks to the internet, the platform simplifies network building and business exploration. Licensee companies can just go to visit the website and conduct match-making

online for 365 days of the year. Besides the convenience it brings, the network also helps the industry operation to develop in a healthy direction.

The brand licensing industry is developing rapidly in China. According to statistics from the China Licensing Industry Report issued by CTJPA, the total retail volume of licensed merchandise in China has surpassed USD 10 billion and has maintained a 20 percent year-on-year growth in the last five years. A LIMA report also refers to China now as the fifth largest licensing market in the world.

“I believe, with the support from both the China Licensing Federation and China Licensing Expo, the licensing industry in China will without doubt embrace significant potential in terms of development and a more promising future in the coming years.“ concluded Du.

Legally Speaking

TOTAL LICENSING

Thinking of Granting an Exclusive License?

Think Twice!

NEW BOOK PUBLISHED THE BUSINESS OF LICENSING - The Essential Guide for Intellectual Properties Licensing has has exploded into a $250+ billion worldwide industry at retail and generates more than $7 billion in royalty income for those property owners who are savvy enough to license their properties for a wide variety of consumer products.

About 8 years ago, lawyer Gregory J Battersby and licensing veteran Danny Simon introduced the first Basics of Licensing book .They did a revised version a couple of years later and followed it with a Licensee edition and then finally an International edition. Recognizing that there was a degree of commonality between these editions, Battersby and Simon concluded that it was time for the definitive work on licensing, hence, The Business of Licensing which combines the best of all three prior editions and takes the subject to the next level.

This book takes the reader through the nuts and bolts of how to conduct a licensing program and handle many of the problems that it might face There is a substantial amount of reference material. They have included an expanded history of merchandising, and an extensive collection of the forms that any licensing professional may need which they intend to provide to purchasers with electronic access to the forms via Dropbox.

The Complete Business of Licensing is available at a cost of $39.95 ($34.95 for LIMA members).

Visit www.businessoflicensing.com.

Gregory J. Battersby Battersby Law Group, LLC 25 Poplar Plains Rd. Westport, CT 06880 (203) 454-9646 • (866) 579-9591 (Fax) gjbattersby@gbiplaw.com • www.gbiplaw.com Jed Ferdinand, Senior Managing Member Ferdinand IP www.FerdinandIP.com NY Phone: (212) 220-0523 CT Phone: (203) 557-4224 90

By: Gregory J. Battersby and Jed Ferdinand Back in the “dark ages” of licensing, most merchandising agreements were exclusive which meant that the licensee was the only party that can use the licensed property on the licensed products in the licensed territory for sale in a specific channel of distribution.

Note that most license grants are generally restricted by these parameters: the particular licensed property; the specific licensed product; the licensed territory; and the channel(s) of distribution. This meant that the licensor could not grant the same rights to any other party during the life of the agreement. It might also mean that the licensor itself could not market identical products in competition with the licensee.

Fragmentation and Exclusive Licenses Property owners that grant exclusive licenses tend to be very specific with respect to the terms of the exclusivity so as to give them the flexibility in the future to fully exploit their rights. A property owner will typically not grant an exclusive license for a broad range of properties for a myriad of different types of licensed products. For example, a property owner might be hesitant to grant exclusive rights for the entire toy category unless the toy company is capable of manufacturing and selling a wide array of different toy products. Granting an exclusive license for all toy products to a company that has only sold wooden puzzles in the past can limit the property owner’s ability to fully exploit its rights for other types of toys. In such case, the exclusive license grant would logically be for just puzzles and, perhaps, even just wooden puzzles, not for toys. This has been called “fragmentation” of a licensing property.

The grant of an exclusive license does not, of course, prevent the property owner from granting licenses, either exclusive or non-ex-

clusive, to third parties for rights not otherwise covered by the exclusive grant, i.e., the specific property, product, territory or distribution channel.

Trend Toward Non-Exclusive Licenses As time went on and licensors became painfully aware of the bankruptcy laws and how they can prevent a property owner from terminating an exclusive licensee who went into bankruptcy, the trend moved quickly away from the grant of exclusive licenses to non-exclusive licenses where a bankrupt licensee could easily be replaced by other non-exclusive licenses. Simply stated, property owners wanted to protect themselves from an underperforming and potentially bankrupt exclusive licensee. Exclusive licenses can still work where the licensee is financially sound and willing to pay extensive advances and guarantees.

Backdoor Exclusivity There is a middle ground which some licensors have employed to protect their own interests while, at the same time, giving their licensee a modicum of protection against competition.

For example, some licensees may believe that exclusivity is critical to both protect themselves in the marketplace, and, possibly, because an investor or lender insists on exclusivity. Some licensors include a provision in the otherwise non-exclusive license grant which prohibits them from granting any competitive licenses for the same property for the same product in the same territory, provided that the licensee is not in breach of any provision of the agreement. This is often called “backdoor exclusivity,” since it protects both parties. Backdoor exclusivity gives the licensee exclusivity while it is performing under the agreement but allows the licensor to seek other licensees should the licensee cease performing.

TOTAL LICENSING

By Martin Brochstein SVP Industry Relations and Information International Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association www.licensing.org

NEWSFLASH: Licensing is a very dynamic and ever-changing business The not-so-easy part of being a successful brand owner, manufacturer, theme park operator, agent, consultant or anybody else involved in the business is stay ahead of the innovation or pop culture curve while tending to today’s opportunities.

Think of the opportunities that are springing from businesses that barely existed a half decade ago. Forbes magazine recently published its ranking of the top-earning YouTube stars of 2018; the existence of the list itself is testament to how quickly things. Those Top Ten earned an aggregate $180.5 Million last year, up 42% from members of the year-earlier list.

For people in the licensing business, though, the striking aspect is that “Merchandise has become an increasingly important revenue stream for these top digital stars…. Each of the 10 on our list now has a line of merchandise, whose blossoming sales help account for that 42% income increase from a year ago.”

Celebrities have always had a central place in licensing, and the business has continually adapted itself to new entertainment and communications platforms. Radio stars begat movie stars and TV stars, and now YouTube stars are the new Influencers. Ryan of Ryan Toysreview is estimated by Forbes to top its list of YouTube earners at $22 million (in the year to June 1, 2018); that’s before he rolled out a line of Ryan’s World toys and apparel at Walmart.

Consider also the exploding eSports category, and the potential licensing

92

business to go along with it. For now, most of the big eSports dollars (and euros, yuan, yen, rubles or any other currency) in eSports are in sponsorship and events. But lots of lots of major companies have been spending lots of time and money to crack the licensed merchandise code.

“Ryan of Ryan Toysreview is estimated by Forbes to top its list of YouTube earners at $22 million (in the year to June 1, 2018); that’s before he rolled out a line of Ryan’s World toys and apparel at Walmart.” ...Ryan is just seven years old!

A year ago I met with a major U.S. sporting goods retailer trying to figure out whether it was time to stick its toe in the eSports merchandise waters. Not sure that anyone really knows the answer, but it’s no doubt significant the dominant retailer in licensed sports goods – Fanatics – recently announced an agreement with Activision Blizzard to begin manufacturing and selling apparel and other goods tied to the Overwatch League, beginning in February.

Again, the eSports category barely existed as a commercial opportunity a few years ago. Now it’s a global business, with competitions, teams and players with well-developed following around the world. The business models are still being formulated, but there seems little doubt that it’s become a legitimate player in the licensing landscape.

Another important change to which everyone in licensing is adapting is the burgeoning importance of ecommerce. It’s time to discard the outmoded formulation of considering “brick-and-mortar versus ecommerce,” and get used to the fact that both of them are forms of retail which need to be serviced and supported in different ways.

Responding to a recent LIMA survey, one U.S.-based agent said that one of the most positive developments in the business in 2018 was “continued acceleration of sales to online channels and strong increase in online sales growth over the holiday season. The barriers to entry for online product placement are far lower and open up growth opportunities for new licensed products.

The problem is, getting more critical mass in terms of sales volumes is more difficult. Hit products still rely on mass market retailers, but a strong initial track record online creates an easier path to mass market retailer placement.” So, to his mind, the channels work in concert with each other.

These are just a couple of illustrations of how the licensing business repeatedly adapts and regenerates itself to changes in entertainment, sports, brands and every aspect of the popular culture.

LIMA itself is undergoing multiple changes – more about that as we move farther into 2019 – but it will continue to work toward helping the industry stay ahead of that ever-accelerating innovation and information curve.

TOTAL LICENSING

Pitti Bimbo British Toy & Hobby Fair Nuremberg Toy Fair Surtex National Stationery Show Spring Fair Magic Kidscreen Summit New York Toy Fair Licensing World Russia Australian Toy Fair London Book Fair Bologna Licensing Trade Fair Kazachok Licensing Japan MIP.TV Brand & Lifestyle Licensign Awards CEE Animation Forum Blueprint Licensing Expo

Jan 17 - 19 Jan 22 - 24 Jan 30 - Feb 3 Feb 3 - 6 Feb 3 - 6 Feb 3 - 7 Feb 5 - 7 Feb 11 - 14 Feb 16 - 19 Feb 27 - March 1 March 3 - 6 March 12 - 14 April 1 - 3 April 3 - 4 April 3 - 5 April 8 - 11 April 25 May 6 - 9 May 20 - 23 June 4 - 6

www.pittimmagine.com www.toyfair.co.uk www.spielwarenmesse.de/toys/trade-fair-2019 www.surtex.com www.nationalstationeryshow.com www.springfair.com www.ubmfashion.com www.summit.kidscreen.com/2019/ www.toyfairny.com/ www.licensingworld.ru www.toyfair.com.au www.londonbookfair.co.uk www.bolognalicensing.com www.kazachok.com www.licensing-japan.jp www.miptv.com www.brandlicensingawards.co.uk www.ceeanimation.eu www.blueprintshows.com www.licensingexpo.com

Next Issue alert...

The Spring issue of Total Licensing will be published in March.

Key features include: Publishing • Book Fair Previews • MIP-TV Preview • Licensed Animation • Live Events • Licensing in France and Italy • Total Licensing Australia (supplement).

Bonus distribution: Bologna Licensing Trade Fair, Kazachok, MIPTV, Melbourne Toy Fair (Total Licensing Australia).

Editorial Deadline: 22 February 2019 • Ad Material deadline: 25 February 2019

4K Media........................................................................9, 11 Allsorts Licensing.............................................................43 Australian Toy Hobby & Licensing Fair........................85 Beano Studios ..................................................................25 BN Licensing.....................................................................42 Bologna Licensing Trade Fair.........................................93 Brand & Lifestyle Licensing Awards.............................27 China Licensing Expo......................................................87 Copyrights Asia.................................................................39 Expo 2020 Dubai................................................................ 8 India Licensing Expo .......................................................53 Ink Brands............................................................................ 5 ITV......................................................................................... 7 Kidscreen Preview...........................................................64 King Features....................................................................45 Les Editions Albert Rene................................................19

94

Licensing World Russia...................................................83 LIMA....................................................................................79 London Book Fair............................................................77 MediaLink...........................................................................41 MIP TV................................................................................95 Mondo TV..........................................................................13 Pokemon............................................................................17 Pyramid...............................................................................20 RoiVisual.......................................................................... 2, 3 SEGA...................................................................................15 The Licensing Awards.....................................................12 The Wiggles.......................................................................23 Toei Animation..................................................................96 Toy Fair New York...........................................................91 Viacom Nickelodeon......................................................... 1 List correct at time of going to press.

Winter 2019

Autumn/Fall 2018

Summer 2018

To Subscribe, Free of Charge to Total Licensing’s digital edition, simply click here and complete the form!

Spring 2018

Winter 2018

Autumn/Fall 2017