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).
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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.