Total Licensing Spring 2023

Co-Publisher Francesca Ash francesca@totallicensing.com

Co-Publisher Jerry Wooldridge jerry@totallicensing.com

Editorial Director Rebecca Ash becky@totallicensing.com

Welcome to the Spring 2023 edition of Total Licensing.This March marks three years since many countries around the world went into lockdown as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and whilst restrictions were lifted in most by last year, it really has taken it’s toll on the economy and, on a more specific basis, the world of events that so many of us in licensing look forward to attending. This Spring alone has seen a plethora of different events, over and above the trade shows. Two major events have been held in Paris for the French licensing community. France Licensing Day 2023 was held on 9th March at the Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris, organised by Informa and Licensing International.

Ten or fifteen years ago, an influencer was a parent, caregiver or teacher. Today’s world is very very different and many parents find this stressful. Jelena

Office Manager Helen Bowerman helen@totallicensing.com

At the end of March, the latest Cobrandz was held at La Grande Crypte in Paris comprising a two day exhibition, conferences and networking. Further afield, in mid March, a major conference was held in Dubai, organised by BrandTrends and Markettcom as the first of its kind conference offering insights and strategies for doing business in the Middle East and Africa regions.

Japan Agent Roger Berman, ZenWorks rmb@zenworks.jp

In London, Kids Industries’ Global Family Conference took place, attended by over 200 delegates and unveiled the launch of KI’s Global Family Study, carried out across 5,000 families in 10 countries spanning six continents. The conference threw up a series of fascinating soundbites. 40% of UK parents wish they had more advice on how to be a good parent – a figure that rises to 73% for Mexican parents.

A fifth of UK children want to change the world for the better – in Nigeria more than 36 percent of children feel the same way. A surprising fact, perhaps, but 56% of 4 to 6 year olds use YouTube and an astonishing 9% use TikTok. And in case anybody was in any doubt, influencers have more ‘influence’ on children than their friends or family (18% against 15%). A significant 24% of British children discover new streaming shows through influencers – and they discover new brands and products via the same method. Of course, this means children are discovering brands and products at a much earlier age than, say, their parents did.

Stosic, Strategy

Director at KI, explained, “The multiple challenges parents face are giving rise to stress and exhaustion. This is a concern because the increased demands create a pressurised environment for all family members, making balance more difficult. From the children’s perspective, this compounds school pressures,

and goes to show why all of us (including children and parents) are craving relaxation/ease, support and community, which are currently inspiring policy makers, lobby groups and product development teams.”

Away from parental stress and the industry is getting ready for MIPTV in Cannes this April and beginning to prepare for Licensing Expo in June –less than three months away!

Ahead of Expo, in mid-May, Surtex – the show for the art and design licensing industry – is back in New York after a break of a few years. And Toy Fair which has moved from its traditional February slot (who doesn’t remember the snow!) to a much more equitable September date, just ahead of BLE.

The industry is, without doubt, on the move again. Zoom carried us all through the pandemic lockdowns but there’s nothing quite like being able to meet in person. That said, we look forward to seeing many of you at one or more of the upcoming events. If you spot us in the aisles, do stop and say hello. We’d love to catch up!

Francesca Ash Jerry Wooldridge Co-Publisher Co-Publisher

ABG SIGNS G-111 APPAREL AS PARTNER FOR NAUTICA

Authentic Brands Group recently announced the signing of a strategic and longterm license with G-III Apparel Group (G-III), a global expert in design, sourcing, manufacturing, distribution and marketing, for Nautica women’s apparel.Through the partnership, G-III will design, manufacture and distribute Nautica women’s sportswear, jeans, tailored clothing and dresses for the U.S. and Canada.The new license begins in January 2024 with a phased approach to category launches, starting with jeanswear apparel, which includes jeans and a full range of corresponding lifestyle products. The product will be distributed in better department stores, digital channels and Nautica stores, websites in North America, and franchised stores globally. Significant opportunity exists in the better women’s apparel space in categories where G-III has strong expertise.

“We are proud to partner with G-III as our new Nautica women’s partner,” said Jarrod Weber, Group President Lifestyle, Chief Brand Officer, Authentic.

“G-III has a proven track record of unparalleled expertise in product development across a range of categories with a well-established network of prominent retailers. We look forward to enhancing Nautica’s core offerings for women, an important consumer segment for the brand, in partnership with G-III, an industry leader.”

On a different note, Macy’s, one of the largest retailers in America, is expanding its partnership with Reebok through an enhanced range of sportswear and activewear for men, women and children - exclusive products and collections, including the award-winning Lux franchise, online and in 300 stores nationwide.

NEW WIG LINE FROM SMIFFYS

Following the success of the debut wig line launched in 2020, Smiffys and Manic Panic have come together once again to create a second collection of colorful wigs.

The new line adds 14 fancy dress wigs to existing styles with new exciting colorways found in Manic Panic’s iconic hair dye selection including impactful vibrant colors and their iconic Creamtones pastels. Some of the new stylish wigs include Super Lizard, Vivid Rainbow, Pink Passion, Cleo Rose, Creamtone Dreams, Lavender Mist, Fairy Queen and Misty Rainbow.

New styles have also been added to the range including Ombre Curl Girl, a full, tightly curled wig, and Ultra Vamp, a poker straight, extra-long look.

These fashion forward wigs allow everybody the chance to try out new styles and color without commitment. The range is vegan, heatstylable and hand washable; they can be restyled again and again to create new looks to suit every mood.

Smiffys x Manic Panic wigs are suitable for any event, including Halloween, cosplay, festivals or a night out with friends.

The licensing agreement between Smiffys and Manic Panic was brokered and is managed by Manic Panic’s exclusive licensing agency, Pacific Swell Brands.

HASBRO LICENSED PRODUCTS FROM WOWWEE

All-new from WowWee, this spin on Hasbro’s Hungry Hungry Hippos SPLASH is billed as loads of outdoor fun. Just like the classic Hungry Hungry Hippos game, players choose a hippo to feed and race against friends to feed their hippo the fastest… but now, the hippo’s spray water! Fun for 1-2 players ages 4+, kids will tap into their coordination skills by tossing snacks into their hippo’s mouth while it spins AND sprays for added difficulty! In addition, WowWee have Hasbro Pie Face SPLASH game! All new from WowWee, Hasbro’s classic Pie Face game is now a no-mess water sprinkler game, fun for players ages 6+. Finally, everyone’s favorite board game,

Hasbro’s Monopoly, is making the biggest splash ever! Introducing Hasbro Mega Monopoly SPLASH Game all new from WowWee. All the fun of the classic Monopoly game, now in a backyard! There are two brand-new ways to play: Obstacle Course or Mega Monopoly. During the Obstacle Course game, it’s a fast dash to collect Monopoly Cash! Players will conquer a series of Monopolythemed obstacles and roll dice to advance through the course. During the Mega Monopoly game, players can experience their favorite Monopoly moments, but now everything is mega-sized!

9 STORY AND KARMA’S WORLD

9 Story Media Group and Karma’s World Entertainment announced the launch of a new licensing-based initiative for their groundbreaking global entertainment property, “Karma’s World.” It is designed to support Black-owned businesses and increase representation on-shelf for meaningful change within the licensing industry. The first licensees to participate in the program are hair care companies CurlyKids Mixed Texture HairCare and Firstline Brands. Secured by 9 Story Brands, 9 Story’s dedicated consumer products and brand management division, the new partners join over 40 on the brand’s roster across multiple categories, including global partnerships with Mattel, Scholastic, and Universal Music Group.

“Creating a program that supports Black-owned businesses speaks to the themes of representation and community that live throughout Karma’s World. This unique opportunity supports the power of entrepreneurship in inclusive spaces and puts Black excellence on display,” said Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges, executive producer, Karma’s World.

The Karma’s World Black-owned business initiative provides CurlyKids Mixed Texture HairCare and Firstline Brands with special marketing support and networking opportunities at the 2023 Licensing Expo, the world’s largest licensing trade show. As part of the program, 9 Story has partnered with The Gathering Spot, which specializes in developing Black businesses and offers tools for entrepreneurs to scale and grow. The Gathering Spot is a private membership club that serves as a hub for collaboration, connections, and experiences with locations in Atlanta, Washington D.C., and Los Angeles.

“Diversity and inclusion are in the DNA of the Karma’s World brand,” said Kyra Halperin, Co-Vice President, 9 Story Brands.

“Black-owned businesses have been historically underrepresented within the licensing industry and it’s critical that we work with partners that align with the DNA of the brand and work towards better representation on-shelf. We are thrilled to partner with CurlyKids Mixed Texture HairCare and Firstline Brands – each a first-time licensee – to develop exciting and innovative extensions of the Karma’s World universe.”

NELVANA AND BRYAN BAEUMLER

Corus Entertainment’s Nelvana, and Baeumler Productions are teaming up to launch a new merchandise line, 43°N By Bryan Baeumler, for fans globally. The first wave of products featuring branded apparel and accessories is now available exclusively online at 43northbybryan.com

“Through his passion for renovations, collection of popular TV series, and witty humor, Bryan Baeumler has built a loyal and dedicated community of fans across Canada and the world.” said Carly Slack, Director of Licensing, Retail & Marketing at Nelvana. “His new line 43°N By Bryan Baeumler is inspired by Bryan’s hometown and lifestyle and is the first step in expanding the Baeumler brand into a popular consumer products program, including impactful collaborations and exclusive retail partnerships.”

The brand 43˚N is about where Bryan Baeumler comes from and where he is headed. The line of products is created to reflect Bryan’s personality, values, and passions. The brand is about living out dreams, working hard, and looking good while doing it. It’s about improving, evolving, and achieving—all with a sense of style.

Bryan Baeumler is a contractor, entrepreneur and host of hit HGTV Canada shows like Island of Bryan, Renovation Resort, House of Bryan, Leave it to Bryan, Bryan Inc. and Disaster DIY.

MOONBUG PARTNERS WITH FASHION UK

Moonbug Entertainment has partnered with Fashion UK to develop products across a wide range of categories and territories in EMEA. Fashion UK now joins the strong and growing portfolio of Moonbug’s licensing partners further cementing its consumer products offering.

Fashion UK, leaders in licensed apparel footwear and accessories, will be developing an extensive selection of products, including apparel, backpacks, luggage and hats, featuring Moonbug’s popular IPs such as the world-renowned CoComelon and Blippi. Products will be available in a variety of territories across the EMEA region (including France, Germany, Italy and the UK).

Adam Steel, Director, Global Agents, Consumer Products at Moonbug Entertainment comments; “As we develop our licensing and merchandise programme at Moonbug, this partnership is a natural extension to our existing line up of licensees. Fashion UK will be supporting us in soft lines categories and across multiple territories as we look to service the growing demand for our much-loved IPs. We are delighted to be working together with the team Fashion UK and look forward to a successful partnership.”

Mickey Mattu, Fashion UK comments, “We are so proud and excited to be partnering with Moonbug, one of the most exciting children’s entertainment companies. We can’t wait to share our exciting new collection of CoComelon, Blippi and Morphle clothing and accessories including backpacks, luggage, hats, sleepwear and more.”

SIMON PHILIPS AT FALCON’S BEYOND

Falcon’s Beyond recently named Simon Philips as President, a newly created position for the company. Philips, whose approach to brand building has helped shape the strategic direction of some of the world’s most iconic franchises – including Disney, Pixar, Star Wars, Marvel, CoComelon, Pokémon, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Yu-Gi-Oh – previously served as Senior Advisor to the Falcon’s Beyond Board.

Most recently, Philips was Managing Director, Global Consumer Products at Moonbug Entertainment, the company behind properties including CoComelon, Blippi and Little Angel. He brings significant experience that will help drive the substantial entertainment and consumer product synergies at Falcon’s. Philips has relocated to Falcon’s headquarters in Orlando.

As President, Philips will oversee the future growth and expansion of entertainment-based business and development of the company’s IPs. This will include developing and implementing comprehensive corporate strategies for future growth across all commercial operations of the company and its wholly owned subsidiaries. Leveraging his deep industry expertise and relationships, Philips will also focus on strategically building the infrastructure of new consumer products and entertainment content.

Details of Philips joining the company follows other recent transformative news from Falcon’s Beyond, including the grand opening of Falcon’s Resorts by Meliá | All Suites Punta Cana, along with the opening of the adjacent Katmandu Park | Punta Cana on March 15, 2023, the Caribbean’s first world-class theme park, together offering a unique “resortainment” hospitality experience.

Last year, Falcon’s Beyond announced plans to become a publicly listed company through a definitive merger agreement with FAST Acquisition Corp. II, a special purpose acquisition company founded by Doug Jacob and headed by Sandy Beall.

PARAMOUNTSHOP.COM

Paramount Global recently unveiled Paramount Shop – paramountshop.com - its first global direct-to-consumer e-commerce site with products spanning the company’s portfolio of current hits to beloved classics from the company’s free-to-air, cable, theatrical films and streaming platforms. The platform will feature a broad array of products representing more than 125 brands and characters totaling over 7,000 items and more than 50,000 unique products from Paramount brands including BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Network, Paramount Pictures, Showtime and more.

“Paramount Shop plays a key role in Paramount’s multi-platform ecosystem as a new touchpoint for consumers to discover products reflecting the company’s popular content and culture-defining brands,” said Pam Kaufman, President and CEO International Markets, Global Consumer Products & Experiences, Paramount. “It is so exciting to have a site that provides a seamless and engaging consumer experience that allows fans to shop across our portfolio of brands.”

SESAME STREET HELPING KIDS IN UKRAINE

Sesame Workshop recently announced that Elmo, Cookie Monster, and friends are coming to televisions across Ukraine through a new partnership with 1+1 media group and its  broadcaster Plusplus, the country’s leading animation channel for children and families. The 140 animated 5-minute  video segments are designed to bring playful early learning to children, with particular attention to the unique needs and experiences of those affected by crises. The videos promote math, science, and social-emotional skills, as well as health and safety lessons—all tailored for children ages 3-8. In addition to being broadcast on Plusplus, the new content will also be available for streaming on demand on the Kyivstar TV platform.

The announcement adds to Sesame Workshop  efforts to help Ukrainian children cope with the devastating effects of conflict and displacement.  Exposure to prolonged stress during these critical early years can inhibit brain development and have lasting effects on learning, health, and behavior. However, research shows that access to high-quality early childhood development (ECD) can mitigate the effects and help children build a brighter future. Grounded in rigorous research with a curriculum developed by a team of global experts, this series helps children learn to identify and label their emotions through relatable storylines and characters. Developing these socialemotional skills builds resilience in the face of adversity and helps to bridge the gaps in education caused by the ongoing crisis.

Licensing and brand trends in France in 2023

The French market is experiencing the same international trends in licensing as most big markets, yet there are a few areas where local brands and trends are likely to have an impact this year, as Laurent Taieb, co-president of Licensing International France, explains.

In many ways, France is similar to other big markets. Covid brought challenges – including increased costs, manufacturing and delivery delays (of both products and content) – but licensing is now enjoying a strong revival in a market eager to be re-enchanted by brands that embody values and tell

Of course some media did well during Covid: streaming platforms for example, are still multiplying and are driving a lot of popular content output, though a slightly less predictable side-effect of the pandemic has been a growth in licensed board games. However, with no need to stay at home,

blockbuster movies and megabrands are very much back, with much more to come in 2023. These include French star Asterix but, realistically, the big international names still dominate.Thus the French market, like most others, will be celebrating 100 years of Disney and Warner in 2023, as well as responding to the ongoing appeal of animé and manga names like Naruto and Dragon Ball, video games such as Pokémon, Ma rio and Minecraft, international music brands like AC/DC, Nirvana and KPop, or corporate brands, like Ch upa-Chups and Mc Donalds.

But France has some local al ternatives to offer too,

not least in sport via Le Mans 24 Hours and, its own hosting of a major event in the form of the Rugby World Cup. In fact, a number of local brands are performing very well. The Little Prince, celebrating its 80th anniversa-

ry in 2023, and still selling five million copies a year, is an obvious example, but the interest in institutional brands such as winter sports brand (and skiing town) Chamonix or Air Force aerobatic team Patrouille de France is also high.

One interesting trend that seems likely to continue is collaborations, involving both luxury brands (like Balmain or Gucci) and high street favourites like Tealer, Project X Paris, Maje and Sandro. But digital opportunities may loom largest in the future. Tik Tok and Instagram are popular tools for engagement, while Web 3, the metaverse and NFTs are driving what is increasingly known as ‘phygital’ products like

talgia phenomenon based on iconic childhood characters, supported by fashion collaborations and the still growing Kidult category: items for

There’s also a CSR element to consider. Expect much more emphasis in the coming years on reusable products, limited packaging, recycled materials and positive brand campaigns supported by dedicated initiatives like French company Back Market that promotes refurbishment as a way to manage e-waste.

Lumibowl, a French phenomenon involving branded digital collectables. Supporting such trends is the explosion of social networks and the emergence of new communication modes and licensing opportunities involving content creators like France’s very own YouTubers Michou, Innoxtag and Yannisa.

adults inspired by children’s products like Lego. What about brand immersion? This too has a lot to offer via amusement parks and playgrounds for brands like kids TV channel Gulli, or kids’ programming block TFOU. There are even campsites like Camping Paradis based on the comedy show of the same name and a Petit Prince hotel. At the same time exhibitions, pop-up stores and shopping centre events will continue to be influenced by international brands like Batman, Friends, Harry Potter and Stranger Things.

The rise of Made in France is also likely to continue via brands like Label Chaussette (socks) and My Fabulous Storyteller, the interactive audio storyteller (Lunii in France) in a market that is offering a lot of diverse opportunities – for those able to manage that diversity.

As for demographics, children’s brands still lead the licensing market, but the adult market is enjoying something of a boom in France. There’s a clear nos-

Inside the robust, structured and dynamic French Licensing Market

BrandTrends shares the Most favorite Entertainment brands in Autumn 2022

BrandTrends Group unveils some major findings from its most recent research, and some key facts can be extracted when compared to the previous three years.

France is a country that never ceases to amaze the world with its beauty, culture, and cuisine. It is home to over 66 million people, and its capital city, Paris, is often called the “City of Love.” However, France is also known for its unusual traditions, such as the yearly cheese-rolling competition in the Alps and the fact that it is illegal to name a pig “Napoleon” in the town of Lorraine.

But did you know that France has a thriving licensing market?

A vast exposure market

The vast exposure and fierce competition in the entertainment market is evident in the fact that 12.5 million children up to the age of 14 are familiar with over 257 different brands. Each demographic shows awareness of approximately 129 brands when seg-

mented by age and gender.

The market is well-structured with a distinct age divide, catering for younger and older children.

Interestingly, now almost half of all brands (around 43%) are well-known to both boys and girls, making the market very much “cross-gendered.” This is good news for brands since it allows them to serve both genders in retail settings while still taking advantage of the market’s structure.

Where comic book superheroes rise

According to the research from The BrandTrends Group, Marvel is currently the second most popular brand across all age groups and genders, right behind Disney. In France, Marvel’s popularity has been steadily increasing

over the past few years, with the umbrella brand gaining 3 points in 4 years and now sitting at 10.1%. However, this growth has come at the expense of its lower-level sub-brands such as Thor and the Avengers.

DC Comics has also experienced a similar phenomenon, albeit to a lesser extent, with the top franchise gaining only 1 point in 4 years. Both Marvel and DC Comics have a strong presence in the film and television industry, with their superheroes featured in various productions. These characters are often part of an interwoven universe, which further strengthens the umbrella brands at the expense of the individual characters.

The table shows the top licensed properties in France, based on their share of mentions of the top favorite brands among children aged up to 14 years old. Four brands tend to group as the top ones, led by the overall mention of

Most Favorite Entertainment Brands in France. 0 - 14 years old - October/November 2022

For more information, please contact Philippe Guinaudeau - BrandTrends at philippe.guinaudeau@ brandtrends.com.

% Respondents - Multi-choice question

ABOUT THE REPORT

The current report provides a detailed analysis of brand awareness, popularity, and purchase intent of the most important Entertainment brands within a country. The most crucial aspect is that it predicts product category purchasing intentions. The service reports on 11,500+ different Entertainment, Fashion, or Sports brands four times a year, and interviews 200,000+ people ranging in age from infants to seniors in 42 countries. To learn more, visit www.brandtrends.com.

Disney, immediately followed by Marvel and Paw Patrol; then LEGO ends the top 4. Due to the fact that those four brands appeal to both genders,

this is the demonstration of the market’s “cross-gender” orientation. In addition to the superheroes matter, one of the interesting facts from this top 15 is the strong presence of young children’s brands, such as Paw Patrol and Peppa Pig, among the most favorite brands of the large children’s group of 0 to 14 years old. This could be attributed to the popularity of the characters and their appeal to young children. It also suggests that parents and guardians are likely to buy products associated with these brands for their children.

Another interesting fact is the presence of three toy brands (LEGO, Playmobil, and Barbie) in the top 15. These brands have consistently been popular

Last but not least, the presence of corporate brands with some distance from the field of entertainment, such as Netflix and Nike, is intriguing. This suggests that children are not only interested in brands associated with entertainment but also those associated with other aspects of their lives, such as sports and streaming services. Overall, the top licensed properties in France reflect the changing tastes and preferences of children in the digital age. It also highlights the importance of brand recognition and how it affects consumer behavior, even at a young age.

Ownership and Licensing Opportunities

popular among children aged 7 and above, while preschool brands like Paw Patrol and Peppa Pig dominate among younger children, suggests that manufacturers need to consider the age range of their target audience when developing licensed products. By understanding the preferences of different age groups and tailoring their products accordingly, manufacturers can better meet the needs and expectations of consumers, which in turn can drive higher purchase intentions.

Inside the robust, structured and dynamic French Licensing market

Even though there may be some weakening in consumption towards the end of 2022, the demand for consumer products with entertainment licenses remains strong. And manufacturers should know that a 1-point increase in the Brand Popularity index would result in a 1.5% increase in purchase intentions!

The French licensing market is highly competitive and structured, with a distinct age divide catering to younger and older children. However, many of the most favorite brands of the children aged up to 14 years old appeal to the both gender; this explains the general trends towards a more “cross-gender” market.

among children for years and have established themselves as reliable brands in the toy industry. This could be because they offer a wide range of products that cater to different age groups, genders, and interests.

Even more interestingly, the strong presence of video game brands such as Mario Bros, Fortnite, or Minecraft indicates a growing trend among children to engage with digital media. This could be attributed to the rise of smartphones and tablets, which have made it easier for children to access and play video games.

It is worth noting that there is an age segmentation of the most demanded brands. The fact that video game brands like Mario Bros, Super Mario, and Sonic the Hedgehog are the most

Videogame brands indicate also a growing trend of children engaging with digital media, and even corporate brands like Netflix and Nike have a presence in the market. Therefore, manufacturers should think about incorporating digital elements into their licensing offerings while pushing the promotion of cross-gender brands (great news as this helps build a massive recognizable shelf space), in order to remain relevant and appeal to younger audiences; the result of the presence of the videogame brands in the most favorite brand lists!

CHEFCLUB SETS UP BRAND CONTENT DIVISION

Leading food content studio and entertainment brand Chefclub has announced the creation of its Brand Content division with three newly appointed executives, Douglas Stoppa, Carl de Vivo and Astrid Cousi. Stoppa and de Vivo will take on the roles of Business Development Managers while Cousi will support operations as Account Manager.

The executive trio joined the company in March with the goal of structuring and developing Chefclub’s brand content offer to - and beyond - its French fan base of 21 million followers.

Douglas Stoppa previously headed up Reworld Media’s Sport & Entertainment Business Unit, after having worked as Client Director of Sponsorship & OPS at Canal Plus. Prior to joining Chefclub, Carl de Vivo held the positions of Client Director at Canal Brand Factory, and Sales Manager OPS at Vice Media Group. Astrid Cousi will use her prior experience in account management and social media marketing in France to support the activities of Chefclub’s new Brand Content division.

Thomas Lang, CEO, Chefclub said, “We are very excited about the arrival of Douglas, Carl and Astrid, to bring our brand, the strength of our studio, and the media power we have been able to develop over the last few years, to advertisers and agencies. Chefclub speaks to more than 21 million French viewers every month, and our goal is to work hand in hand with the advertising market, creating ad hoc offers that are promising for partner brands.”

Chefclub was founded in 2016 by brothers Thomas, Jonathan and Axel Lang, with a mission to transform the kitchen into a space for sharing and having fun through the creation of inspirational and accessible content, products, and services. Its unique positioning has made the brand a success that resonates far beyond the sphere of food enthusiasts.

ONCE UPON A TIME.... THE OBJECTS

Procidis is an independent French production company created by Albert Barillé. After the international success of the preschool series The Adventures of Colargol, between 1978 and 2009 Procidis created the seven-series saga

Once Upon a Time…: Man, Space, Life, the Americas, the Discoverers, the Explorers and Planet Earth, today all restored and encompassed with the licensed products under the umbrella brand Hello Maestro!

In 2024, Maestro returns in Once upon a time…the Objects (78 x 7’ ) a new series. Co-produced with French Samka Productions, France Télévisions, HOT in Israel, RTS and TV5 Monde are already on board. Dealing with historical and scientific topics carefully researched, the 7 first series are evergreens and have been a reference in educational programs for the past 40 years. Translated into 40 languages, they are well known in more than 100 countries. In France, more than 3 out of 4 children know Maestro, and 92% of them like him. 88% of parents consider the series as part of their childhood. 90% of parents trust the programs to deliver accurate information to their kids.

To date, more than 20 licensees are on board with games, publishing, DVD & music, audio stories and digital games. In addition, various promotional deals have been signed with others under discussion.

BEL AND THE LAUGHING COW

Bel Licensing develops the food & non-food licensing program of Bel SA trademarks. Bel is a +150 years old and family-owned company active in cheese, dairy, fruit and plantbased food products with worldwide iconic brands such as The Laughing Cow, Babybel, Kiri or GoGo squeeZ. Additional brands that Bel Licensing works on include Apéricube, Boursin, Nurishh, Pom’Potes and Mont Blanc.

Bel celebrated La vache qui rit 100th year anniversary in 2021 with major deals such as H&M in Asia or La Chaise Longue in France. Today, they continue to move forward with new licensed products - Freegun x La vache qui rit boxers in retail from June 2023, Label Chaussette x Babybel socks from May 2023, new categories such as Apéricube and La vache qui rit outdoor cushions and, first DTR projects. Beyond food licenses, the company majors on four key categories in terms of licensing. These are apparel, home décor and homewares, tableware and games. Bel products are sold in 120 countries around the world with more than 5 billion portions of The Laughing Cow sold a year on five continents. Bel Licensing has agents around the world including Design Plus, Pink Key Licensing, Markettcom, Copyrights Asia and Infiniss. In total, the programme has more than 45 licensees.

THE WORLD OF TARA DUNCAN

The Tara Duncan animated series is making a real impact in France – one that will soon extend into licensing. The first episodes of this new series arrived on the Disney Channel France in early 2022. The first run of 26 episodes will appear later this year on both Disney Channel France and Gulli. In other territories broadcasts of series one are under way or soon to take place, with plans for broadcasting in APAC, Canada, the Middle East and Africa well advanced and a strategy soon to be announced for Latam.

First published in 2003, the Tara Duncan books tell the tale of an ordinary girl from Earth with extraordinary powers.

Since 2003, the magical adventures of Tara Duncan, written by Sophie Audouin-Mamikonian, have amazed millions of young readers around the world – a series that comprises 15 novels published in 27 countries. The books were a hit from the early 2000s regularly topping French bestseller lists.

The animated series uses state-of-theart, 3D CGI motion capture technology, more than 170 artists and advanced innovations to deliver an experience like no other.

Tara Duncan boasts a large, diverse and engaging cast of characters, led by very Tara, along with her friends. In 2015 Sophie Audouin-Mamikonian decided she wanted to bring her characters to life in a new 3D animated se-

ries. She created the Princess Sam Entertainment Group with the purpose of exploiting the intellectual properties of her literary saga and, through film-making division Princess Sam Pictures, using state-of-the-art technology to take the tale to another level.

As Tara Duncan transitions from publishing phenomenon to screen success the next step is to develop a licensing campaign.

As a result, Laurent Taieb has been bought in to manage this phase of the brand strategy as the property evolves from books and TV in the coming months to the development of licensed consumer products.

Already multiple attractive design elements have been developed for the Tara Duncan campaign to offer opportunities across such categories as toys and games – including fashion dolls, plush, action figures and roleplay.

In addition, a video game is being developed to take advantage of the show’s strong visual appeal. Playsets will be another important category. However, stationery, home textiles, apparel, fashion accessories, beauty & personal care, food & beverages, gifts and more are also being lined up.

In 2022, the first season of Tara Duncan arrived on the Disney Channel and Gulli in France, marking the debut of Princess Sam Pictures in the world of major animation companies. Sophie is now working on the second season of Tara Duncan.

FRANCE LICENSING DAY... ...AND COBRANDZ

March saw two major events for the French licensing community – The France Licensing Day and Awards on March 9 and, later in the month on March 30 and 31, the latest edition of Cobrandz.

The inaugural France Licensing Day and Licensing International Awards took place in paris on March 9, providing an opportunity to bring together licensing players in France for a day of meetings and networking and an evening of celebrations. The event program included an evening drinks reception and the announcement of the 2022 Licensing International France Awards.

A major part of the day was given over to a keynote address and B2B meetings with over 40 exhibitors and participants including Asterix, Dreamcatcher Licensing, Le Petit Prince, Paramount, Netflix, Millimages, Hasbro, Mattel and TF1 amongst others.

The event was organised by BLE/Licensing Expo organisers Informa, together with Licensing International’s French office and took place at the Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris. The day concluded with an Awards ceremony celebrating the best of French licensing.

The keynote address which opened the event was Primark’s France’s Lugdivine Mambert – celebrating Primark’s 10 years in France, and Disney’s Ali Sana – celebrating Disney’s centenary - who discussed how leveraging wellknown and loved brands can drive in-store footfall and experiences.

The French Awards comprised thirteen categories including a number of licensee awards as well as promotional and experiential awards.

In terms of properties, La Patrouille de France won the Lifestyle, Corporate or Celebrity brand; Naruto from Mediatoon won the Entertainment Brand of the year; and Warner Bros Consumer Products won the Licensor/ Agent of the Year against stiff competition from Le Petit Prince Licensing, The Pokemon Company and Universal Products and Experiences.

The Cobrandz show takes place on March 30 & 31, 2023 at the Grande Crypte in Paris.

The format of the event remains unchanged from last year: a panel of exhibitors (rights holders and agents) representing more than 1000 brands can meet qualified visitors (licensees, retailers, manufacturers, agencies), alongside a programme of conferences and seminars.

The Cobrandz show is an opportunity for visitors to meet brands and rights holders over 2 days via appointments, and discover the best marketing activation content. The event is focused on content & brands : brand content, partnership, collab, cobranding, copyright & licensing. All of tyhese will be highlighted in different sectors - entertainment, celebrities, music, publishing, cinema, lifestyle, arts, sport, heritage and more.

TF1 LICENSING SHARES HAPPY NEWS!

Spring is coming, along with a new season of licensing fairs all over the world! As many actors are getting ready for this new year, TF1 Licensing has a lot coming up, happy to share with us some of their latest news! With over 30 brands in their portfolio, TF1 Licensing is representing many great programs, which manage to actively attract a wide target.

For over 50 years the Barbapapa have conquered the hearts of children, which are now parents! And today, they’re still very successful among a preschool target as well. In France, the new show launched in 2019 has been number one among the 4-10 audience on TFOU (TF1’s broadcast cell for children every morning) with 53% audience share in 2022*. It’s also a global success with a multiterritory broadcast on Nick Jr. Bologna Licensing Trade Fair confirmed the success of the show in Italy as well, with a broadcast on Rai Yoyo, where it is the most seen show on all the time slots it is broadcast on. With season 2 in progress, we can expect a lot more adventures for this famous family. In the meantime, children can still (re)discover the Barbapapa in books in France with Les Livres du Dragon d’Or, his-

torical partner of the brand. In terms of licensing, Barbapapa is a very successful brand as well. In toys and games development, new licensees have completed the ranges launched by Giochi Preziosi such as Mekk/Label Label, along with licensees in other categories such as Petit Jour on homewear, Bayard for the magazine, or hygienebeauty with Take Care and a wonderful range of products (toothbrush, cleaning cream, etc.), and Madhouse for the meet and greet events. The most hyped brand, Manucurist, beloved by all beauty influencers, has also joined the Barbateam and will launch a range of green nail polish for children later on this year. Many other great developments are to come during the year so stay tuned! But the strength of Barbapapa is in its dual targeting, which is made both of preschoolers and young adults, as the recent events have helped us see. Indeed, the most recent partnership with the Parisien concept store Merci is a confirmation of this. This strongly pop-inspired place is welcoming brands or designers selected by Merci. They are inspired by the esthetic of the characters, which are a huge part of our modern culture, just like the Barbapapa, who are invading the red carpet. Merci and Barbapapa are joining forces to create an exclusive, limited-edition capsule collection: t-shirts for the whole family and colourful, cheerful tote bags created exclusively by Barbapapa and Merci. Conducted in collaboration with Merci, TF1 Licensing and the creative partnership of Annette Tison and Talus Taylor, this operation is in keeping with the DNA of Barbapapa, a greatly loved brand in our shared history that has been a part of our lives for 50 years. The concept store also

selected the products from the collaboration with the Louvre Museum – BarbaLouvre – to complete this wonderful and premium offer. This confirms that Barbapapa is today more than ever in the air and it’s becoming a Lifestyle brand. Last November, the TF1 Licensing Team took part of Trendsfluence, an event for parental and lifestyle influencers, with a 100% Barbapapa area. No need to tell you the success they had among the audience of this event, the booth was never empty, and influencers confirmed what we already knew: Barbapapa is an evergreen brand!

As a leader in kids’ programs in France with a 36% audience share in 2022*, TFOU is the host of many blockbusters! Back in 2021, The Smurfs were unstoppable! After a great start for the new CGI show, season 2 was launched in the Fall 22 and is already strong with 34% audience share amongst kids 4-10*. Some great toy developments are expected next year, and in the meantime, they keep on their wonderful and historical publishing track. Every year, 3 publishing novelties are released to touch all targets: the main line of the Smurfs’ story, the Girls’ Village, and a line of books for preschoolers to learn while having fun. Just like

*Source: MédiamétrieMédiamat

Barbapapa, the Smurfs are targeting both children and adults, with a nostalgia ring to it. And IMPS, the Smurfs’ rightsholder has understood this well! Their creative team has been working on fashion styleguides, positioning the brand as a lifestyle one!

2023 is a special year for our blue friends, since they will celebrate their 65th anniversary in October. Some great collaborations are to be announced soon, including in fashion. In addition to all this, a new book retracing the Smurfs’ story will also be released during the year. 2023 is going to be a blue year, are you ready?

From blue to red!

2023 is also a huge year for the French Blockbuster Miraculous by Zagtoon. After the success of season 4, which gathered over 1 million TV viewers

for the finale episode*, season 5, launched in the Fall, is already proving up to the task! A 37% audience share in 2022* for the first batch of new episodes, and new episodes coming to TFOU in the Spring. And of course, the most anticipated Miraculous movie will be in French theaters on July 5th. New adventures await Ladybug and CatNoir, and we’re expecting it to be one of this year’s blockbusters! As one of the most faithful licensees of the brand, Hachette will be releasing some items dedicated to the movie, along with its traditional range of products. Launched more than 7 years ago, the Miraculous range of books by Hachette has been a great success with 1.3 million of books sold and 43 volumes published. Recently, some new publishing licensees have joined the brand such as Nobi Nobi, Bubbly Doo or Blue Ocean. Miraculous has over 400 licensees all around

the world, including over 50 in France covering all major categories, such as Bandai, Lexibook, Arguydal, La Plume Dorée, Panini, Rubies, Jumbo, Take Care, Ferrero, Sun City, and more. The franchise is still growing, with more than 10 new partners including Laboratoires Gilbert in beauty care, Tonies in electronics, Playmobil and Lisciani Giochi in toys, and Swatch in accessories.

TF1 Licensing strength in its brands resides in the fact that they reach many targets. A show does not have to be intended for children to be able to reach them.

And that’s what Koh-Lanta (Survivor) is proving every season.This Entertainment show has been able a younger target in the past years to conquer. In 2022, the season attracted children and teens and made a 47% audience share of the 4-14 target age*. A success that’s confirmed by the products developed under license. Les Livres du Dragon d’Or have been releasing escape books, escape boxes, novels and adventures in which you are the hero

for 2 years now and they are a great success. Just like Playbac’s vacations exercises books for children and La Plume Dorée range of agendas, proving the success of the show to many different targets.

With strong brands on both children and adults, TF1 Licensing proves its major role and expertise in accompanying under licensed publishing and toys developments. And they’re always looking for new partners to write new stories!

*Médiamétrie – Médiamat

From plush powerhouse to global lifestyle phenomenon, Squishmallows has emerged beyond the toy aisle into an industry-leading lifestyle franchise.

Since Squishmallows’ debut in 2017, the brand has become known for its ultra-soft feel and adorable designs, delighting fans of all ages with the Squishmallows’ unique and lovable personalities. In 2022 Squishmallows became the #1 top-selling toy in the

UK, US and Canada, according to NPD - winning an unprecedented seven Toy Of The Year Awards from the US Toy Association and the UK Toy Industry Award for Toy of the Year 2022! Now sold in over 55 countries, Squishmallows’ vast audience and multi-generational appeal have fuelled a milestone of over 200+ million plush sold YTD.

On social media Squishmallows content has officially squished through the

roof, generating over 11 billion impressions on TikTok and @squishmallows (and related hashtags) tagged in more than one million Instagram posts.

Additionally, the Squishmallows social media channels have ballooned to more than 1.3m followers and over 110 global and local Facebook groups have been created by fans. In the metaverse, recently launched Squishmallows on Roblox continues to surprise and delight fans of all ages ascending to the #1 toy game by concurrent players with a massive 11.5m registered unique users.

Reflecting the brand’s vast global audience and multi-generational appeal, Jazwares’ premiere Squishmallows global licensing programme is growing from strength to strength. Following tremendous success in the US, an extensive global programme is now in place, supported by some of the biggest names in consumer and lifestyle products.

The brand has signed an impressive 50+ licensing partners in 2022 across beauty, games, apparel, home decor, and more. Jazwares will be introducing more plush product refreshes than ever to meet the demand of collectors and fans. Incredible results at retail are further fuelled by out-of-aisle activations across all major retailers supported by a robust marketing campaign.

Getting Animated!

As the industry gears up for MIPTV (April 17-19), there are new and existing excitements in the world of animation. From new shows, new formats, and licensing programs that are seeing the courser, we bring you some highlights from the important world of animation.

Toon2Tango GmbH & Co. KG, the kids and family entertainment venture headed by television and movie industry experts Ulli Stoef and Jo Daris, will be promoting a number of significant properties at MIPTV. They include Hey Fuzzy Yellow!, which has been awarded with EU funding and is co-produced by US Curiosity Ink Media, led by Nickelodeon Studios veteran Russell Hicks. A unique show for the very young, Hey Fuzzy Yellow! is a spirited new spin on childhood edutainment with a focus on independent thinking and self-expression through exploration in the company of Fuzzy Yellow and friends. Production on Hey Fuzzy

Yellow! begins at the end of April. Lily of Fawonia is a new 26-episode series for kids aged 6+ which has already attracted a major French company as co-producer. It’s a hybrid series, modelled on a blend of live-action and animation – like the massive international hit series

to develop, produce, finance and distribute a TV series based on a European hit kids’ franchise which already produced two very successful feature films, that together have earned nearly US$50 million at the box office. “Niko & the Way to the Stars” (2008), and “Niko 2 – Little

Mia and Me, whose production team included Toon2Tango’s Ulli Stoef and Jo Daris. The show is about Lily, who on her 15th birthday finds out that she is a princess and holds the fate of the world in her hands.

Toon2Tango has also agreed with Finnish production house Animaker

Brother, Big Trouble” (2012) have inspired a third feature, due in 2024. The films are about Niko, a young reindeer who discovers that his father is one of Santa Claus’s reindeer. APC Kids is bringing TeamTO’s new action-adventure comedy series Jade Armor to MIPTV. APC Kids holds

worldwide distribution rights for the series, excluding the Americas and China.

Produced with France Télévisions and Super RTL, the 26 x 26’ series stars a strong, kung-fu-loving female central character aimed at a 6- to 10-year-

creator, Chloé Miller; head writer, MJ Offen; French story editor, Ghyslaine Pujol, and co-developer, Mary Bredin. Jade Armor is entirely produced in TeamTO’s state of the art animation studios in France.

Xilam is excited about its latest offering - Lupin’s Tales – Season Two. A preschool show co-produced by Xilam Animation and Youku (the online video and streaming platform of Alibaba Group) for France Télévisions, Alibaba holds rights in mainland China, Xilam Animation handles rest of the world.

perfect, and it is not always easy for him to get to his “happily ever after” – luckily, he can count on help from the narrator and on his good heart to guide him and learn from his mistakes. The second season will see the introduction of a new environment as Lupin journeys into space.

Also at MIPTV, WildBrain will bring Brave Bunnies – the brainchild of Ukraine’s Olga Cherepanova, cofounder of Glowberry and Creative Producer; Tim Fehrenbach, Series Director and John van Bruggen, Executive Story Editor. Aimed at the 2-5 range, Brave Bunnies is the inspiring story of two curious and adventurous bunny siblings, Boo and her big brother Bop.The bunny duo and their family (Ma, Pa, and the Bunny Babies) travel around the world in their Bunny Bus. Each day, they camp and explore a new landscape, creating joy and excitement in the everyday adventure of meeting new friends. They play new games, learn about new locations, and learn that new friends (and their families) sometimes do things a little differently. Each step along the way, and every day, these bunnies are brave in BIG little ways.

old audience. The series has also been picked up by Cartoon Network (EMEA), ABC (Australia) and SRC (French Canada).

The legendary Jade Armor is a mythical superhero, and now it is Lan Jun’s turn to be Jade Armor. Even she can’t quite believe her destiny is to be this epic hero! With the help of her friends, Theo and Alisha and the mystical Beasticons that accompany the Armor, Lan Jun is thrust into a series of action-packed adventures. Every day, she must contend with both an evil array of super villains and the very real trials of teenage life.

Jade Armor’s talented all-female creative team is led by multi-awardwinning executive producer Corinne Kouper, supported by director and co-

Lupin’s Tales follows a wolf-cub who dreams of being like the storybook heroes he admires and goes from one tale to another to live out their adventures through all continents and ages. But the impetuous Lupin is far from

Mondo TV, one of the largest European producers and distributors of animated content, has numerous programming highlights planned for MIPTV. Co-productions include comedy adventure Monster Loving Maniacs (52 x 11’ / 2D full HD) –which has made the top 10 linear

airing on CBBC on several occasions since its initial broadcasting – about three siblings training to become Monster Hunters – but who would rather get to know the monsters than hunt them! Then there’s the spy-fi adventure comedy Agent 203 (26 x 22’ / 3D CGI), about Zoe, who is on a quest to save the universe while also trying to be a regular teenager.

Grisù (52 x 11’ / 3D CGI full HD) is back! The delightful story of the little dragon who wants to be a firefighter rather than a fire-breather is returning in a brand-new series due for launch this autumn.

With Rai Kids and Clan already on board and looking for pre-sales, the comedy adventure Annie & Carola (52 x 11’ / 2D full HD) is about nerdy Carola, who builds Annie – a robot clone – as a friend. Something goes wrong

dling emotions, kindness, courage, and friendship.

Among the series in distribution, iQIYI’s The Tales of Wonder Keepers (52

share the daily adventures of little Leo as Leo’s World (10 x 12’ / 2D full HD) welcomes children on the autism spectrum as well as neurotypical preschool children.

And of course the ongoing success of environmentally themed comedy adventure and edutainment show MeteoHeroes (2 Seasons and 4 TV Movies / 2D full HD) will be another highlight of a busy show for Mondo TV – especially with series two just finishing production in time for the April 22 Earth Day premieres this year.

Emmanuèle Pétry Sirvin, Producer & Head of International, Dandelooo comments on the company’s latest offerings:

and the uninhibited Annie drags Carola into any kind of crazy situations! Let’s colour-switch! is the catchphrase of One Love (26 x 7’ / 2D Full HD), where children can spend time on the planet One Love, and learn about han-

x 11’ / 3D CGI full HD with further seasons in production) is a fantasy series about three brave friends from an icy realm facing challenges in the unfamiliar surroundings of our own world. Switching to edutainment, kids can

“Dandelooo is dedicated to the development, production, and distribution of original and ambitious animated programs and I have to admit that we are a fan of preschool programs above all genres. And, that we are naturally climate change aware and feel the need to share that concern with kids.

“It has always been very important for us as animation producers to bring productions that are respectful of the environment. Our animation studio Ooolala, launched in 2018, was designed from its inception to develop a sustainable approach to guarantee a very low carbon footprint for any producer willing to reduce its impact on the planet. With this in mind, Ooolala developed internally a new technology “ecooo”, which based on experience is able to monitor and

adapt its carbon consumption measured in real time.

“We believe in creative visions, with lots of fun and our strategy continues to be “follow our heart”, educating and empowering kids around the world whilst they immerse themselves in fun filled adventures.

“In a show for youngsters’ life remains comforting, constructive, positive, fair, heartwarming… like a “normal”, aka ideal life - “simple is nice.” Moreover, these values remain strong over the years which means the show doesn’t age as much as trendy kids’ series potentially can. Furthermore, humor, situations and feelings for preschoolers are the same from Taiwan to Vancouver, from Paris to Reyjkjavik. Physical humor, imagination, caring, and emotions meet children’s daily lives from north to south. AND young kids love to learn!

“Therefore, we are proud to bring to MIPTV the following series:Billy the Cowboy Hamster (52 X 13’); Pompon Little Bear (111 x7’); Jasmine and

Jambo (52 X 7’); Ernest and Celestine (52 X 13’); The Hungry Bear tales (26 X 7’); Taina and the Amazon’s Guardians (44 X 11’); The Treehouse Stories (103 X 7’) and Petit (65 X 7’).”

Dandelooo will also introduce The Super Heroes of Nature.

Using playful metaphors and references to popular culture, the hybrid series takes a poetic and often humorous look at biodiversity. It offers a playful introduction to biology and each episode is built around an animal or an organism and its environment.

The phenomenon that is Bluey has seen some more launches recently, including Bluey: Easter book, based on the wildly successful animated series

Bluey, as seen on Disney+. It’s Easter! Bluey and Bingo are worried that the Easter Bunny has forgotten them, until they find a clue that takes them on an egg hunt. Gemmy Bluey Easter greeters and Bluey Bunny Baskets are two further launches timely for spring. Moonbug Entertainment, a subsidiary of Candle Media, recently announced a streaming partnership agreement with Vidio, the largest OTT service in Indonesia, marking the global entertainment company’s further expansion into the Southeast Asian market. Vidio, a division of the Emtek Group, began offering Moonbug programming on its platform on 6

February 2023. The agreement is the first major OTT streaming deal in Indonesia and comes as Moonbug looks to expand its reach in the Indonesian market. The deal will not follow a linear format, but rather deliver an entire package of SVOD content. It will also include select hours of programming on Emtek’s pay-TV channel, Horee, plus a block on FTA channel, Mentari TV. The Moonbug content will be available for all viewers across Indonesia and will be made available in English and Bahasa Indonesia. It will also be accessible anytime anywhere to Vidio subscribers.

“At Moonbug, we are committed to bringing the best entertainment and storytelling to families across the globe, and we are thrilled to partner with Vidio to bring our best programmes to this new audience,” said Kelly Cooke, Director Distribution APAC, Moonbug Entertainment.

“Vidio’s large library of original content proves how well they understand the Indonesian audience, providing viewers with high quality and relevant programming.This partnership will enhance their offering and bring some fun and entertainment to many families across the region.”

Produced by TeamTO and 22D Media Group, Behind the Beats is made in association with YouTube Kids & Family Originals and France Télévisions.

Behind the Beats is an animated documentary series for families that tells the stories of how talented musicians with incredibly different styles came together, revealing the often-unexpected origins of new musical genres. Who knew the beats of these original tunes still reverberate in today’s pop music?!

Using funky, dynamic animated story-

All Moonbug IPs will be featured on the services including global hits CoComelon and Blippi along with

other established series such as ARPO, Go Buster, Lellobee City Farm, Morphle, Little Angel and Oddbods.

telling with lively narrators, the series explores the stories behind movements such as New Wave, Rock’n’Roll, G-Funk, Reggae, Electro Pop and Trap. Episode examples, which feature three songs each, include Punk Meets Disco (how Blondie paved the way to the New Wave) and Gangsta Rap Meets PFunk (how Snoop Dogg paved the way to G-Funk). Available for sale worldwide excluding France.

Get ready to GEAR UP and GET IT DONE! as new Treehouse original series Builder Brothers Dream Factory (40x11min) nails down its world premiere on Sunday, March 26 at 9:40 a.m. ET on Treehouse, and streaming live and on demand on STACKTV. Inspired by the acclaimed Property Brothers, Drew and Jonathan Scott, the cutting-edge animated series will

be distributed by Corus Entertainment’s Nelvana and is co-produced by Sinking Ship Entertainment and Scott Brothers Entertainment. In the series, the brothers are a pair of regular kids who use their extraordinary imagination, creativity, grit and heart – coupled with a big dose of TWINSPIRATION to help friends and solve problems in the neighborhood by dreaming big, really big, sometimes too big! Along with best friends Mel and Ayana, the brothers navigate the highs and lows of trying to make their world a better place, one big dream at a time.

Builder Brothers Dream Factory is inspired by the real-life, Canadian Screen Awards nominated hosts of Property Brothers, Drew and Jonathan Scott. Drew and Jonathan’s shows on HGTV

Canada are beloved by families across the country who connect with the brothers’ can-do and always fun-loving approach.

Another very popular show, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, has seen several product launches recently, including Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood 3-in-1 Ride-On (Skip Hop).

An interactive ride-on for little ones, featuring five cheerful Daniel Tiger phrases, sounds and the theme song from the show. This special edition ride-on grows with toddlers in three stages of fun—from beginner to advanced walkers.

The interactive ride-on plays 5 Daniel Tiger phrases & songs: Let’s go for a ride!, Hi neighbor!, Wasn’t that Grriffic?,Trolley ding & Daniel Tiger theme song as it encourages motor skills development, balance and coordination. Stage 1 is used as a walker/wagon when toddlers are learning to walk and also allows them to push and pull favorite toys along.

It then moves to Stage 2 when the wagon converts to a seat for ride-on mode, helping toddlers learn foot-tofloor motion.

In Stage 3, it easily converts from a ride-on to a scooter. The 3-in-1 also features an adjustable handle and headlight activated with a push of a button.

LAUREL & HARDY LICENSING EXPANDS

Since their launch in December 1927, the original Laurel & Hardy films have graced our screens for almost 100 years and are still available to watch today on Prime Video, Sky, Now TV and many other streaming and video-on-demand platforms including Roku, Pluto TV, and YouTube where they have clocked up millions of views.

Laurel and Hardy’s combination of physical comedy, slapstick humour, imploring looks to cam-era, and general all-round, good-natured silliness has, and continues to entertain audiences of all ages. Before teaming up, both actors were successful in their own right with well-established film careers. Laurel had acted in over 50 films, and worked as a writer and director, while Hardy was in more than 250 productions.

Although first appearing together in 1921 in the comedy ‘Lucky Dog’, it would be another six years before they officially became a team in 1926, releasing their first Laurel and Hardy’s, si-lent short ‘Putting Pants on Philip’ in 1927.

Over the next 3 decades, the duo would go on to release 106 films, 34 silent shorts, 45 sound shorts and 27 full-length sound feature films. Furthermore, in 1966, Larry Harmon Pictures Corporation and Hanna-Barbera produced a dedicated series of 156 x 5-minute animated shorts which was distributed throughout the world.

LMI are now set to build on the existing Laurel and Hardy licensing programme which boast a line-up of fantastic UK and global partners including, Big Chief Studios for figurines and collect-ibles,The Heart of London Alliance for a life size statue commissioned in honor of this best loved pair and Wandering Planet Toys who will be launching Laurel and Hardy figurines later this year.

HARRY POTTER ADVENT CALENDARS

2023 will see The Carat Shop’s most exciting Advent Calendar to date based on Harry Potter. Created based on a potion’s cabinet, the calendar can be locked via a golden padlock with a flying key necklace, which can be found within the calendar. There are 24 individually designed boxes, vials, and test tubes to explore; each with a hidden Wizarding World product inside. Product is available to pre-order now.

THE LIKEABALLS

Jim Quick, created The Likeaballs in 1998 and set up Animated Adventures and Pictures Ltd to produce the 26 part series. The Likeaballs were produced by Cosgrove Hall Films (of DangerMouse and Count Duckula fame) in Manchester. The series was commissioned by CBBC

TV in 2005 and transmitted from 2006 - 2009 over CBBC, BBC1 and BBC2. The Likeaballs concept embodies strong educational ethics, which come through in the series. Issues important to kids are woven into the fabric of all episodes of the series. The series DVD was sold in Tesco. And interestingly, The LIkeaballs gained - and still hold - a Real Guinness World Record (for the most kids playing keep-uppy, across the UK).

The Likeaballs series deals with personal and societal issues that kids encounter as they grow - issues like adopting a healthy lifestyle - and prejudices like racism.

When the series was broadcast on the CBBC (on its first outing) The Likeaballs beat 36 out of the 40 shows broadcast in the same timeslot on all kids’ channels throughout the UK. The Likeaballs ultimately played on UK mainstream channel BBC1. The series was Number One of over 50 shows broadcast at the same time on all UK channels. Out of all 9 animation/cartoon/CGI titles aired on CBBC in 2008,  Likeaballs was Number One for all Kids 4-15.  Since then there have been very few animated series about football and Jim Quick is looking to relaunch the brand, believing that the time is now right.

By Paolo Lucci Lucci & partners Paolo.lucci@luccitm.com www.luccitm.com

The Italian Licensing Market in a shapshot... ...reading between the lines

To understand the current Italian licensing business, we can of course lean on the global market data, but reading facts and figures between the lines will certainly allow to make sense of weak signals and have a more focused picture.

In fact, as far as global franchises go, Italian highlights are pretty the same as in all Europe. Barbie, Marvel and Pokémon are fighting for the top position in toys sales; Avatar has been the top grossing movie of 2022 Italian box office, even if during the last 2 weeks of the year only, with Minions, Marvel and DC Comics following suit. Anime and Manga IPs are on trend as everywhere, with One Piece 100 Celebration volume

topping the general publishing Italian chart during its launch; the 4th season of Stranger Things (with a pop-up store in Milan recently opened, as a local feature) and the third season of Emily in Paris were the Italian champions on digital platform as well. The only Italian difference in 2022 compared to the European mainstream seems to lie in the deafening silence towards the FIFA World Cup – but that is another story…

For any non-domestic observer, though, those highlights do not wholly explain the market and the variety and diversity of other opportunities emerging in the Italian peculiar market. Some examples? According to GFK, the Top10 chart Kids Publishing 2022, (a segment growing by 5,6% on previous year), capped by Harry Potter at No.1, features local youtuber Lyon at No. 2, and local creator and influencer PeraToons at No. 3, 4, 5 and

6 with each title. Both have successful licensing programs in place covering other categories, and speaking about creators, it is interesting to see “Me Contro Te Lost in Time” in the top 20 movies for family, the second Warner Bros. Italian production for the top licensed couple of local youtubers. Another sign of local dynamicity which should not pass unseen is that among the TV series hypes creating strong interest in the retail and licensing community, the all-Italian Rai Fiction and Picomedia “Mare Fuori” is, as of today, one of the most seen series on Netflix and RayPlay.

The Easter eggs market – another local peculiarity – is our standard market test, useful to observe what’s hot on the licensing market. This season’s offering demonstrates again a dilemma between safe bets and innovation. The leader Kinder Ferrero, along with

the classics Bing, Barbie, DC Comics, Disney (Avatar included), Jurassic World, is trying Stranger Things on a target age upgrading, while Dolci Preziosi, famous for having brought the globally recognized fashion influencer Chiara Ferragni to the mass Easter eggs arena 2 years ago, innovates this year with local beauty influencer Clio MakeUp, gaming youtuber Gabby 16Bit, and maître chocolatier Knam. This mix of local specificities and global trends is similarly true when observed through the lenses of the Italian most dynamic apparel retailers – OVS and Calzedonia Group, the first safely betting on evergreens, while the latter mixing Harry Potter with unobvious alternatives like Lupin 3rd or Pac – Man. Licensed collaborations are still seen as an efficient communication tool, especially on the fashion and accessories scene, and once again the crave for storytelling IPs, mainly brands, create interesting mixes among local champions and global icons.

The round-up of what’s hot in Italy should surely deserve more space, that’s why we generally recommend all the non-domestic professionals to follow the news section –English version available - at MLD Entertainment, or better yet come and visit on September 14 - Milano Licensing Day.

MILANO LICENSING DAY

Last year, 800 professionals gathered at Milano Licensing Day for one full day of networking, meetings, sales pitching and insights. This year, on September 14, the event is coming back for its 17th edition, packed with new features and a program of brand presentations, trends showcase and business meetings which can give visitors all the necessary information to navigate their way through the particular Italian licensing market, while giving everybody the key to the next years’ strategies.

“The Pitch sessions are the most appreciated by both licensors and licensees” said Vanessa Stillitano, who with Gisella Barabino manages the event. “And we have basically every space booked months ahead of the event.” That’s why the program has thrived and grown in recent years, giving space to special showcase events, like the Opening Party, the Breakfast Specials, the Cake Party, and the Cocktail which ends a full day of networking. “Curated content is our strength” echoes Gisella Barabino “and this year we will add new features in this sense, like “Meet the Unexpected” a special section of dedicated brand showcases, while our Business Matching service, specially tailored to save time for retailer and licensee delegations, will continue to serve all the exhibitors in their new business goals.”

So, save the date, and ask for more details: evento@milanolicensingday.it

The Italian Licensing Market is fiercely competitive

BrandTrends Group unveils some major findings from its most recent research, and some key facts can be extracted when compared to the previous three years.

Italy is a country known for its rich history, culture, and delicious cuisine. It is home to over 60 million people and is the birthplace of many famous artists, writers, and scientists. However, Italy is also known for its unusual traditions, such as the annual Battle of the Oranges in Ivrea, where people throw oranges at each other, and the fact that it is illegal to die in the town of Falciano del Massico without a valid reason.

But did you know that Italy has a thriving licensing market?

A highly segmented and competitive market

The licensing market in Italy is one of the largest and most competitive in Europe. The highly competitive nature of the entertainment industry is evident from the fact that 7.5 million Italian children, aged 14 and below, are familiar with over 274 different brands. Compared to France, there are a lot more different brands that are wellknown to a lot less people! Segmented by age and gender, young children below the age of 7 exhibit awareness of approximately 153 brands, while their older counterparts show awareness of about 133 brands. This clear age divide indicates a well-structured market catering to both younger and older children. Surprisingly, nearly half of all brands (about 43%) are now widely recognized by both boys and girls, creating a highly “cross-gendered” market. This demonstrates how difficult it is for brands to pique the interest of multiple target demographics, and lowers their likelihood of making sales.. But who said it should be easy. At the end of the day, this presents a positive opportunity for brands to cater to both genders in retail settings while still taking advantage of the market’s structure.

Entertainment Brands in Italy.

To learn more, visit brandtrends.com.

If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Philippe GuinaudeauBrandTrends at philippe.guinaudeau @brandtrends.com.

Where comic book superheroes quickly gain popularity, as in many other countries

The table shows the top licensed properties in Italy, based on their market share. Marvel is the most popular licensed property in Italy, with a market share of 15.8%.

This is followed by Disney and LEGO, which have market shares of 11.2% and 10.8%, respectively.

Over the last four years, Marvel has witnessed a remarkable increase in its share of favorite mentions, rising from 12.1% to 15.8%, while also establishing itself as the main brand in the franchise, surpassing lower sub-brands such as Thor or the Avengers.

However, Spider-Man (6.5%) remains a prominent exception within the Marvel universe, as its brand has experienced strong growth among Canadian children up to the age of 14, ranking ninth among the most popular brands.

A similar trend has also been noticed with DC Comics, but more slowly, as the leading franchise experienced an increase of +1.4 points over the course of four years.

Videogame brands achieve great success

As in many other territories at the end of 2022, Italy experiences a significant push of the videogame brand. The prevalent existence of video game brands like Minecraft, Fortnite, and Super Mario suggests a growing inclination among children to more engage with digital media, thanks to the widespread use of smartphones and tablets, which have made video games more easily accessible and playable. A changing world!

The Italian licensing market is fiercely competitive

To develop in the highly competitive licensing market in Italy, manufacturers should focus on understanding the dis-

research to understand the distinct age and gender segments of the Italian licensing market (use BrandTrends Entertainment as a source for this research), and then adjust their product offerings and marketing strategies accordingly.

Therefore, in the fiercely competitive Italian licensing market, companies can anticipate seeing big sales and popularity outcomes for their trademarks. Conclusion: it is a symbol of significant achievement to perform in Italy!

ABOUT THE REPORT

The current report provides a detailed analysis of brand awareness, popularity, and purchase intent of the most important Entertainment brands within a country. The most crucial aspect is that it predicts product category purchasing intentions. The service reports on 11,500+ different Entertainment, Fashion, or Sports brands four times a year, and interviews 200,000+ people ranging in age from infants to seniors in 42 countries, including Italy.

ABOUT BRANDTRENDS GROUP

tinct age and gender segments of the market, as evidenced by the recognition of over 274 different brands by 7.5 million Italian children under the age of 14.

With a clear age divide of brand awareness among young and older children, manufacturers should target their marketing strategies accordingly. Additionally, with almost half of all brands now widely recognized by both genders, manufacturers should aim to create products that cater to both genders while leveraging the market’s structure to maximize sales.

It is crucial that the licensing industry players in Italy conduct market

The BrandTrends Group is a premier provider of market research and consulting services, focusing on brand, lifestyle, and attitudinal trends, with a particular emphasis on children, youth, and families. Their team of experienced researchers and analysts is dedicated to helping businesses, organizations, and individuals stay ahead of the curve in the constantly changing market landscape. They conduct extensive monitoring in up to 53 markets annually, providing their clients with in-depth knowledge, expertise, and unique, proprietary analytics to identify the best opportunities in retail activation, consumer attitudes & behavior, competitive environment, and brand line design.

The BrandTrends Group works with renowned global companies across a variety of industries, including consumer package goods corporations, entertainment studios, retailers, and industry bodies.

MARIA

ROMANELLI AT TOONZ

Toonz Entertainment has announced the appointments of Bernhard Stephan as Director, Commercial Distribution and Maria Romanelli as Senior Sales Manager for Italy. These newly created roles in the sales arm are part of Toonz Entertainment restructuring with the aim to become a leading distribution partner across different geographies.

At Toonz Entertainment, he will lead the distribution business in French speaking, German speaking territories in CEE, as well as Russia, CIS, and MENA.

Maria Romanelli, an industry veteran having over four decades of experience in developing international business, and Licensing & Merchandising industry has been appointed as the Senior Sales Manager for Italy. Starting her career in mid-80s in the UK at CPLG as Head of International, Maria was instrumental in setting up the Italian division of Consumer Products for Warner Bros and restructuring the UK one. Further on joined Saban and was involved along the years in Fox Kids and Jetix She was involved in TV Coproduction, TV and Video Distribution (+6000 of programmes) beyond the Licensing & Merchandising.

“With years of experience in developing international business, I am confident to build the business for Toonz in Italy. With quality content for kids and families in Toonz slate, I am sure that exciting years are ahead for Toonz in the distribution slate,” she added.

Mr. Bruno Zarka, President – TV Co-production, Distribution & Syndication Division said that the appointment of these two veterans who will be based out of Russia and Italy is a strategic move by Toonz and will add more muscle to Toonz Entertainment division. “We are adding 258 hours of additional content to our distribution catalogue this year and together with our partners we are optimistic about acquiring new business.”

RAINBOW - ACQUIRING NEW BRANDS AND EXPANDING EXISTING ONES

Acquiring new brands and expanding owned ones, Rainbow’s unique talent to grasp trends confirms the group at the forefront of licensing innovation.

Launched in 2004, Winx Club has capitalized on the adventures starring the most stylish fairies ever created. Almost 20 years on, Winx Club keeps developing new style guides that captivate both long-time and new partners.

As the exclusive worldwide licensor for Consumer Product of FATE: The Winx Saga, Rainbow has deployed a multitarget strategy, launching striking collections that contributed to the rebirth of the brand also in the YA target. The Netflix original live action series for YA audiences available in 190 countries has captivated millions, following the licensing expansion agenda of Winx Club and resulting in new partnerships that revive the interest in the endless resources of the saga.

2023 is once more a year of progress full of news on every front. LA based ColourPop Cosmetics has just released the Limited-Edition Winx Club X ColourPop Collection and fashion and apparel multi-territory collabs have Rainbow team up with Spain-based Lefties and teen-specialized Don’t Call Me Jennyfer to boast outfits in the latest Winx anime style. In addition, leading fashion retailer in Turkey Defacto is on board to drop the YA Winx Club FW ’23 collection after a solid long-time partnership for the kids target, and Amscan is coming up with a women’s collection of costumes and accessories inspired by the first season of Winx Club.

On the publishing front, Italy’s giant Mondadori will reissue the Winx original comics, and Mad Cave Studios just unveiled the 2024 upcoming Graphic Novel of Winx for YA and middle grade readers through Maverick & Papercutz.

The brand fan community keeps growing following engaging projects such as 2022’s cosplay contest, sparking for huge web engagement. On a different note, Pinocchio and

Friends has grown quickly, with season one peaking rating charts in Italy, UK, and Latin America. Rainbow is already producing a second season in collaboration with Toonz Media Group and Rai, with the BBC airing the show on its preschool hub CBeebies and premiering season two together with Rai Yoyo next fall. Already covering the main CP categories, the brand is touring shopping malls with live events from Soluna and ZooMarine renewed the hit collaboration started in ’22 for the upcoming seasonal events; master toy partner Giochi Preziosi is adding releases to the toy collection on shelves. A full range of inflatable beach toys will be out for summer ’23.

In publishing, Rainbow’s house Tridimensional keeps growing with the monthly magazine, original gadgets and stickers for the kiosk channel. The property enjoys excellent marketing and brand strategies, and news are on the way – Pinocchio and Friends will start touring kids museums in spring, debuting in Naples and Rome.

Finally on the children’s side, Rainbow’s preschool show Summer & Todd Happy Farmers keeps growing on a core strategy focused on fun education. The marketing partnership with Italy’s Coldiretti - Campagna

Amica – continues with themed initiatives raising awareness about nature and agriculture, while licensing plays a big role also this year with partners such as Ravensburger for puzzles, Salani publishing books, long-time partner Walcor ready to launch Easter eggs and Play by Play, to release the full multisize plush collection with all main characters in spring in Poland, Spain, and Italy. Kiosk publishing looks great too, with gadget magazines, activity, and sticker books published by Tridimensional.

GORJUSS IN ITALY

In 2023, Italy remains a stronghold for Santoro’s iconic brand Gorjuss, the territory spearheading a host of new signings and developments for the brand within the past year. Gorjuss’ agents Mondo TV S.p.a. continue to industriously garner new deals whilst longstanding partnerships deliver a diverse offering across Italy.

A raft of new Gorjuss licenses have been signed in Italy this year, including Coriex S.r.l., who will launch a rainwear collection this March, followed by beachwear and winter accessories over the course of 2023. Likewise, new licensee Cromo N.B have produced a broad range of greetings cards and wrapping paper to comprise a rich gifting offer, whilst other new signings Multiprint, Emecci and Sbabam S.r.l have commenced development for 2023/2024 releases.

Gorjuss’ existing licensees continue to demonstrate their staunch commitment, developing a far-reaching variety of products over the course of 2022/2023. The past 12 months saw publishing licensee Pon Pon Edizioni produce a variety of titles including the Little Book of Answers series and Gorjuss calendar, alongside a plethora of Zodiac themed booklets, bookmarks and magnets. Likewise, Edizioni Play Press show no signs of slowing, with over 60 Gorjuss editions published so far, and the very exciting new signing of Santoro’s revival brand Tutti Cuti for crosswords, puzzle books and activity books. Apparel continues to be a strong category for Gorjuss, with longstanding licensee Benetton enjoying a fantastic sell-through of the Wild collection for women and girls’ loungewear, underwear and socks. J Brand International delivered excellent numbers on the OVS Halloween range of girls’ tops, with another series in development for Halloween 2023. Spanish licensee Aznar Innova also continues to present a rich offering of loungewear and pyjamas via their Italian distributor ADMAS and Santoro Italia continues to straddle both distribution and licensing to much success for Gorjuss.

Gorjuss remains a major presence in Italy’s kiosk channels with DeAgostini launching their second collectable tins and scented clays campaign in February featuring a travel theme, whilst their 4th mini figure campaign enjoyed success, DeAgostini’s flowpack campaigns having sold in excess of 2.5million pieces to date. Panini S.p.a also continue to remain active in this channel. In confectionery, Balocco’s Easter Egg momentum continues with a new design set for Easter 2023, and Witor’s will launch their first Mirabelle designs for Easter 2023.

RUBIES AND CIAO SIGN CARNIVAL

COSTUMES

FOR MATTEL BRANDS

Rubies, manufacturer and distributor of fancy dresses in the world, for carnival has created a line of costumes dedicated to He-Man and The Masters of The Universe, icons of the 80s.The property turned 40 in 2022 and returned to the limelight thanks to new Netflix content, designed both to bring the younger generations closer to this timeless cultural phenomenon, and to make the kidults relive the emotions of the struggle between He-Man and Skeletor and all the characters that dot the planet Eternia, those same emotions experienced in the years of the saga’s debut, first thanks to the toy line and then through the TV series.The He-Man and The Masters of The Universe line in fact includes a fancy dress that reproduces the features of the fearsome Skeletor, for both children and adults, who can experience the thrill of feeling one of the most powerful villains in history.

CIAO, a leading company and one of the best known in Italy in the disguise costume sector, is also offering a series of fancy dresses dedicated to the brands in the Mattel portfolio. CIAO has recently presented the new Barbie Fairy Princess costume consisting of a printed long dress with long sleeves, satin effect skirt and glitter bodice with print and Barbie logo. To complete the look, the costume also comes with a Barbie branded tiara and wings sprinkled with glitter. Among the many careers covered by Barbie over time, the Barbie Modern Princess remains undoubtedly one of the most fascinating! This costume features an asymmetrical skirt decorated with Barbie metallic print tulle. The costume is embellished with some sewn gems, which simulate the Barbie necklace from which the fancy dress is inspired. To enrich the outfit, a jacket in glittery fabric with a soft plush edge and branded glasses with applied gems.

For the first time, Mattel have a carnival costume for the most daring spirits. This fancy dress consists of a pilot suit printed with the brand’s colors and its logo, a two-tone baseball style cap and belt printed with logos. Included in the package, a foam steering wheel with fabric insert and logo.

Becoming the bravest firefighter in Ponty Pandy is also possible! The set consists of a tunic with reflective inserts, printed logos and on/off transceiver, trousers, belt with print and eva mask depicting Fireman Sam!

WILDBRAIN CPLG SIGN PLAYMOBIL MONDO TV

Following WildBrain CPLG’s appointment to handle worldwide rights for Playmobil, the Italian team is now identifying opportunities to grow the local licensing programme for the iconic IP across a range of categories, including

Transformers will mark its 40th Peppa Pig will commemorate its 20th and Dungeons & Dragons will be 50. As part of these celebrations, a wave of new content will debut, such as new exclusive series and specials for My Little Pony on Netflix and YouTube. The seventh Transformers film, Rise of the Beasts, will be released in June, followed by an animated feature in 2024. Across the wider Hasbro/eOne portfolio, PJ Masks is back this year in the new series, Power Heroes, airing on Disney+ and Disney Jr.

Mondo TV has attracted interest for many of its brands including The Gruffalo.

apparel, accessories, publishing and digital gaming. The partnership, which formally starts this April, spans across both the core and franchise Playmobil brands from the Horst Brandstätter Group, including Wiltopia, Novelmore, Adventures of Ayuma and more.

WildBrain CPLG has also recently announced that it has expanded its multi-territory representation of Hasbro/eOne properties to include Italy. With the Italian team now focused on building the local licensing programme for the Hasbro/eOne portfolio, there are multiple brand anniversaries in the pipeline, including My Little Pony celebrating 40 years this year. In 2024

For Peanuts, 2024 will mark the 50th anniversary of Snoopy’s first appearance as his Beagle Scout character in Charles M. Schulz’s iconic comic strips. To celebrate this milestone, the Italian team plan to develop new lines centred around “Snoopy’s Outdoor Adventure,” with key themes including camping, being outdoors and scouting. The new Wednesday series from MGM and Netflix is a global success and social media phenomenon. A spinoff from the original The Addams Family, the new series charts Wednesday Addams’ years as a student at Nevermore Academy. In the consumer products sector, the demand for Wednesday merchandise has already started, with the first products hitting shelves now and many partnerships also in the pipeline.

MDL APPOINTED FOR APE BRAND

Maurizio Distefano Licensing has been appointed as licensing agent for Army of Apes, a brand based on the NFTs that make up Bored Ape Yacht Club. The Bored Ape Yacht Club is a collection of 10,000 NFTs made up of diverse illustrations of cartoon monkeys that are distinguishable from each other by a number of features, making each illustration unique. Each Bored Ape is generated by a program that mixes 170 different possible features including facial expressions, clothing, headgear. Some combinations are rarer than others. These NFTs have been valued at more than $1 billion so far, making The Bored Ape Yacht Club one of the most valuable NFT collections in the world.

The Army of Apes brand, now available for licensing, consists of a selection of the most famous ape illustrations. Many categories are now being targeted by Maurizio Distefano Licensing for this unique brand, taking advantage of a comprehensive style guide featuring on-trend images, personalities and graphics. They include apparel, homeware, accessories, food, beverages, publishing, toys and stationery.

Mondo has managed a Gruffalo licensing campaign on behalf of global licensor Magic Light Pictures, that now boasts an apparel line by Illustrabimbi, a carnival costume from Ciao, stamps/colouring sets from Multiprint, puzzles and games from Ravensburger, epiphany socks from Emmeci and educational games from Ludattica. RCS launched an album of Gruffalo stickers supported by a major TV campaign. The storytelling from FABA, meanwhile, were so successful that the company extended its license to include Room on the Broom and Stick Man. With over 10 years as a licensed property, Gorjuss maintains a host of important partners in Italy; Mondo have therefore strategically procured a series of new licensees which will prove instrumental in widening the brand’s current distribution channels. The successive signings of Coriex for rainwear, footwear and summer accessories, Cromo for greetings cards and gift wrap, and Multiprint for a range of colouring products and travel art kits will see Gorjuss break out into these new channels this year. 20232024 will also see Emmeci release Gorjuss epiphany stockings, and Sbabam develop collections of small toys for Italy.

Among Mondo TV’s own co-productions, much is expected for Grisù who was first seen on Italian TV in 1976 and is returning in 2024 in a brand-new show for 4-7-yearolds co-produced by Mondo TV, ZDF Enterprises and Toon2Tango. Mondo TV holds exclusive rights for the global Grisù licensing programme, which, in Italy, has already attracted a number of major names, including Giunti for storybooks, Pon Pon Edizioni for colouring and activity books and magazines, Europublishing for a newsstand range, including watercolour sets and stationery sets, and Ravensburger for puzzle and memory games.

Raising Gen Alpha:

How Millennial Parenting is Impacting the Next Generation

What is abundantly clear from the research is that Millennials are stepping into the role of parents with the planning, purpose and professionalism that they might apply to their next career move.

69% of Millennials waited until they were married or living with their partner before having children and 34% of Millennial parents actively planned and researched when would be best to have children, compared to only a quarter of Gen X parents.

by Helenor Gilmour, Director of Insight and Strategy at kids and family insight consultancy Beano Brain

The Millennials – that oft-derided generation - are now mums and dads and have ripped up the parenting rulebook. Over the last year we have conducted a research study which found that Millennial parents, now aged from 27 – 40, are raising their Gen Alpha kids (born since 2010) very differently from the style of their own Generation X parents.

This has major implications for brands looking to earn trusted status – and longevity – within the lives of families and young people.

Insights into what the new parenting style means for brands can be found in our landmark white paper Raising Gen Alpha: How Millennial Parenting is Impacting the Next Generation based on more than 200-hours of face-toface interviews and a survey of 2,000 parents using our proprietary Beano Brain insight tools.

There is a generational shift in parenting ethos from “do as I do” to “fix what we did”. And there is also an overarching desire to be omnipresent in their children’s lives – there for the small stuff as well as the life events. This means that Millennial mums are choosing to step away or de-prioritise careers in favour of full-time parenthood. Not for them the juggling, “you can have it all” narrative of the Gen X mum. And we use “mum” advisedly here because although Millennial dads are more emotionally present than previous generations they are still as physically absent.

Encouraged to participate in family life as stakeholders and opinion formers, Gen Alpha have huge influence on not just family purchases but also on the entire family ethos. Not only are parents today much more open to what their kids say when it comes to toys, tech and content but a large majority are being influenced by them to make better decisions for the planet.

However, this laser focus and determination to be the best parent is bringing with it unique pressures. Millennials are really the first generation to raise their children in the full glare and judgement of social media. And there is an overwhelming feeling of parenting under pressure, subject to the scrutiny of others in real life or by comparison on social media.

Diving into the data, we found that Millennial parents are professionally parenting like no other generation before them. From planning the route to parenthood to actively selecting the parenting style they want to adopt.

47% of Millennial parents have read up and selected a parenting style vs 37% of Gen X - this is especially important for Millennial Dads (54%).

The Goldfish Bowl:

Millennials are more likely to seek out advice online than Gen X parents, but this brings new levels of pressure, with 42% of Millennial parents feeling under pressure to keep up with their peers while only 26% of Gen X parents state the same.

Millennial parents feel the effects of influencers, with 45% stating that celebrity influencers “make them feel bad”. Having grown up in a social media goldfish bowl, these digital natives are more digitally nervous for their own children with 75% of Millennial parents trying to keep their children off social media for as long as possible. And 35% of Millennial parents believe that a child’s digital footprint should be erased once they turn 18 – rising to 45% of Millennial Dads.

Being Present:

As Millennial parents reflect on missed moments and conversations that took place in their own childhood homes, they are eager to ensure they are present in all areas of their child’s life at any given moment - 77% of parents are prioritising time with the children over careers.

Millennial mums, rather than dads (59% vs 49%), are more likely to be putting their career on hold or giving less attention to work to focus on raising children. 62% of Millennial dads say they share parenting duties equally

with their partner but only 43% of Millennial mums say the same.

The Millennial dad is more emotionally present than ever but is yet to improve physical presence. In fact, Millennial dads are no more likely than Gen X dads to actually prioritise time with their children over their careers.

School’s Out:

Millennial parents are increasingly pushing back against formalised education and there’s a growing belief that traditional routes into careers and, indeed, life are no longer the only way to raise modern adults.

57% of Millennial parents believe that schools are not preparing children to be citizens of the future compared to 47% Gen X. Some 8% of Millennial parents are home schooling and 36% would consider it. Only 12% of Millennial parents say they want their child to attend university (38% of the 18-year-old UK population is currently at university).

Freedom Lost:

65% of Millennial parents feel that their children don’t have the freedom to roam as they did as a child and 55% fear the negative influences of social media.

Happiness as a Career Goal:

81% of Millennials think it’s more important to be happy than to be “successful”.

45% of Millennial mums believe that being mentally healthy is important versus just 31% of dads.

Raising Saviours:

Parents are acknowledging that theirs, and previous generations, have contributed to the global problems and so they give their full support to their Gen Alpha children who are standing up and speaking out for what they believe in.

53% of Millennial parents believe that this generation will help solve the problems caused by previous generations. This theme is rooted firmly in parents’ fears for the planet and the world their children are inheriting.

What this means for brands:

This desire to be present and their democratic approach to parenting means that Millennials are enjoying a super close relationship with their Gen Alpha offspring. Their individuality is celebrated by their parents, meaning that Millennial parents are more likely to encourage their children to stand up for their beliefs.

Frustrated by authority, they are pushing against the traditional symbols of success and authority and prioritising happiness and fulfilment for themselves and their children. And they will abandon systems, structures, and authorities they don’t agree with or respect, and simply find their own way. The challenge for brands and authorities is how to respond to this focus on individuality. How do you cater for mass individualism and how do you respond to a generation that may see you as part of the problem?

The shift in what parents want most for their kids is undeniable and continuing to change.

Notes:

Raising Gen Alpha has revealed a new era of parenting rituals which will determine which brands Millennial parents will engage with and turn to for help. This affects everything from workplace parental policies to parents seeking out products with mental health benefits.

For brands there is a huge opportunity space linked to Millennial parents’ emphasis on their children’s happiness and mental health and the strong desire for their kids to spend more time outdoors playing and exploring independently.

This is potentially a huge innovation area for creative and experiential designers and for products that lend themselves to cross-family enjoyment. Parents want brands to help them help their children be citizens of the future but shouldn’t forget to be playful and fun with a renewed focus on happiness as an end goal.

The report is on sale now, a mini version of the report can be downloaded for free at beanobrain.com

Raising Gen Alpha: How Millennial Parenting Is Impacting The Next Generation is the latest in-depth study by kids and family insight company Beano Brain and follows the Getting to Know Gen Alpha Report of 2019.

Research Methodology:

· Face-to-face in-depth interviews with 30 parents and expectant parents of Gen Alpha (kids aged 0–12) from across the UK and US

· Longitudinal research with over 200 hours of face-to-face interviews throughout 2022 with our Trendspotter panels (kids aged 7 – 16) in the UK and US

· Quantitative research surveying 2,000 parents of Gen A in the UK and US

About Beano Brain

Beano Brain is the insights consultancy from Beano Studios which understands the tastes, demands and growing purchase power of kids and teens. It uses its unparalleled knowledge, born from decades of engaging kids and families, to help companies build their own connections with Gen Alpha, Gen Z and their Millennial parents.

About Beano Studios

Beano Studios is a rebellious multi-media publishing and creative entertainment business powered by data and insight.The Studio produces diverse content across TV and the award-winning Beano.com - as well as theatrical and live experiences, licensed products and of course the legendary Beano comic and annual.

Bringing Creative Content Worldwide

Maizen is a creative, fun-loving multimedia brand, looking to bring its characters and stories to all reaches of the world!

Total Licensing talked to Maizen owners, Laser FZCO and asked them to tell us more.

“To provide you and your loved ones opportunities to create long-lasting, joyous memories; This is our mission statement at Maizen. Maizen is a multi-media entertainment brand, led by Laser FZCO.

At its core, our brand is about telling stories. Typically told through the medium of the popular games Minecraft

or Roblox, our stories are crafted to entertain and intrigue, promoting creative problem solving, and critical thinking.

For the past several years, we have worked to build up a large and ded icated following, primarily through YouTube, but also on social media sites such as Instagram and TikTok. We were able to connect with our grow ing fanbase as a result of hard work, passion, and our continuous pursuit of what would make people laugh.

Our stories revolve around the play ful and colorful cast of the naive and playful cake-loving turtle Mikey, the smart and careful rabbit JJ, and last but not least, the sweet and curious kit ten Carrie. This lovable trio was born

out of our imagination, out of the idea that if I could spend my childhood with friends like them, that I would

surely have a pleasant childhood. Our quirky group of characters have been developed over time, through their stories and adventures, delving deeper into who they are, their strengths and weaknesses, and what they hold dear.

Fundamentally, the adventures they

chance for personal growth and creative solutions with a little bit of out-ofthe-box thinking.

As a brand, Maizen has been fortunate to cultivate an active and passionate fan community in English and Japanese-speaking countries, a community in which we strive to grow and show our deep gratitude at every opportunity. One aspect of our brand that we believe is integral to maintaining a healthy and flourishing community is fostering and actively promoting creativity amongst fans.

thought. In this way, our characters are able to overcome the challenges they face in a humorous way with funny, novel and original ideas and problem solving. Each adventure in life is different from the last, each with their own adversities to overcome and struggles

As a principle, we allow and even encourage those who enjoy watching the adventures of Mikey, JJ, and Carrie to create and share fan works using our characters and world, going so far as to provide fans with materials such as 3-D models to aid them in the creative process. As such, several fanmade videos are uploaded every hour if not more. It truly has flourished into a varied and welcoming community unlike any other, and has allowed us to reach so many different people over the years. For all of this, we are incredibly grateful.

Maizen has grown at an unprecedented rate on YouTube, reaching over 3 billion views in one year, and is expected to be in high demand for licensing in English-speaking countries. As of Q1 of 2023, our English channel has surpassed 4 million subscribers, with our Japanese channel reaching 2.8 million subscribers. Additionally, within the past several years, several videos from both channels have reached YouTube’s trending tab shortly after release, further boosting certain videos beyond the 50 million view count, with our average upload view count still surpassing the several million mark. We have taken note of this demand, and have begun our licensing campaign to meet this demand. As we continue into the upcoming years, we hope to establish parentships in order to expand globally.

Our licensing campaign has been ongoing for the past three years. Over

During which, we have been fortunate to see great interest in our brand, to which we have our loyal fans and hardworking team to thank. Brand diversity is an important focus for us, to both allow for those who wish to support us a wide variety of means to do so, but also as a means to increase our brand awareness overall and reach new potential fans. Some of the prod-

ucts we have released include plush toys, picture books, educational books on subjects such as programing, comic books, calendars, key chains, clothing, fashion accessories, school supplies,

snacks, and sundries. These items have been made available in select physical stores, on online retailers such as Amazon, and at our own webstore.

In addition to our variety of prod-

ucts, we have also collaborated with several companies over the past few years. Some of which include collaborations with Tokyo Tower in May of 2022, Collaboration Café, and multiple comic collaborations with CoroCoro Comic throughout 2022-2023. Each of these collaborations have provided us an excellent opportunity to reach out to new fans, and provide existing fans a fun opportunity to show their support! We are always looking for new opportunities for Maizen to collaborate with fun and unique companies! As we look towards the future, the question naturally becomes; What happens next? What does the future have in store for Mikey, JJ and Carrie?

Currently, we are hard at work preparing to expand the demographic of our YouTube adventures through dubbing our videos into various languages, with hopes to expand globally. Some of the languages we are hoping to support include Japanese, Spanish, Russian, German, French, Portuguese, Turkish, Indonesian, Mandarin, Italian, Thai, Polish, Vietnamese, Korean, Hebrew, and Hindi.

We are looking forward to reaching out to fans all across the world!

Additionally, we are also considering the possibility of expanding into entertainment mediums beyond just YouTube, such as TV broadcasts and possibly even movies! We also plan to

various existing products and collab orations, with hopes to partner with plenty more companies in the near future.

We have high hopes for Maizen going forward, and feel that the future looks bright.

With such lofty goals and aspirations moving forward, the question may arise of who first saw that Maizen had potential outside of just YouTube?

The answer is simple, our fans! Maizen has become beloved by so many over the years and has been fortunate to reach such an active and creative fan community.

It is thanks to the gracious feedback and support of our growing community that we have the opportunity to expand out into different forms of media and merchandise with confidence.

We are hoping to expand awareness of our brand to all corners of the globe, and are working diligently to make this dream a reality.

Maizen in Las Vegas!

We are excited to announce that Maizen will be showcased at the 2023 Licensing Expo in Las Vegas! We are greatly looking forward to the opportunity to introduce ourselves to so many new people, and to spread awareness of both our brand, and our plans moving forward.

You may be asking; how do you plan to present Maizen at Licensing Expo? Well, we plan to create not just a space to meet us as a company, but also to showcase everything we strive to be as a brand by immersing visitors in an interactive adventure alongside our characters Mikey, JJ, and Carrie. We hope our booth will be able to accurately represent the world of Maizen and its characters. We hope to see you there!

Baby Shark Creators Gear Up To Expand with their Newest Hit Bebefinn

When ‘Baby Shark Dance’ was released in 2016, no one would expect to see this 2-min animated music video become a cultural phenomenon, sweeping global music charts and streaming platforms and making the most-viewed video on YouTube of all time.

The Pinkfong Company is a global entertainment company that creates and distributes some of the most iconic IPs like Pinkfong and Baby Shark. Available in 25 languages, more than 6,000 Pinkfong contents are serviced on a variety of channels spanning Pinkfong apps, music and video streaming platforms, and linear TV across the globe. With its awardwinning IPs, the company has built a strong presence in digital spaces, achieving over 120 million subscribers and 70 billion lifetime views across its YouTube channels.

The Pinkfong Company specializes in turning original IPs into globally beloved franchises in the changing media landscape by quickly mobilizing in-house resources to release direct-to-consumer apps, consumer products, and live shows while securing key licensees to amplify brand touchpoints. Through the international success of Baby Shark, the company has proven as a content powerhouse where it continues to discover fresh

developing original IPs to extend its content portfolio.

The International Success of Baby Shark

Pinkfong’s Baby Shark is more than just a catchy song for kids; This digital-native IP became one of the most notable cultural phenomena, spawning a viral dance challenge and generating over 1 million cover videos online. Thanks to its popularity on

The combination of strong brand recognition across the globe, multigenerational family appeal, and continued growth potential led Pinkfong and Baby Shark to become one of the most powerful franchises. The Pinkfong Company has brought more than 3,000 licensed products to fans through partnerships with over 500+ industry-leading brands and companies across multiple categories including WowWee, Hasbro, Pampers, Nestlé, Crocs, Johnson & Johnson, and much more.

Pinkfong is Set To Fuel Growth with Its New IP

Perfectly positioned in the fast-paced media environment, The Pinkfong Company has ambitious growth plans with Bebefinn, the company’s newest hit 3D animated series about three lovable siblings and their parents. Launched in April 2022, Bebefinn built a strong global viewership on YouTube, surpassing over 5 million subscribers and 1.2 billion views within a year of its launch.

social media, Baby Shark swept the global music chart, including Billboard Hot 100 and the Official Charts, while performing in over 200 cities worldwide and engaging with more than 150 million global fans. In early 2022, Pinkfong’s ‘Baby Shark Dance’ marked a historic milestone for the company by becoming the world’s first video to hit 10 billion views on YouTube, cementing its status as the platform’s most-viewed video of all time. Today, Baby Shark connects kids and families across 244 countries through its songs and stories, TV animated series, movies, interactive apps, worldwide live tours, merchandise, and much more. BABY SHARK’S BIG MOVIE!, Baby Shark’s first feature-length original animated film co-produced by Nickelodeon Animation, is set to premiere holiday 2023 in

In addition, the hit series has expanded beyond YouTube, making the Top 10 Kids on Netflix in 11 countries. On the business side of Bebefinn, new ranges in categories, including books, toys, live shows and more will be rolling out internationally throughout 2023. Stay tuned for more exciting news about Pinkfong, Baby Shark and Bebefinn.

HAIRY MACLARY CELEBRATES 40 YEARS

Hairy Maclary celebrates his 40th birthday throughout 2023, with an anniversary campaign, including a raft of new licensing partners.

Since its first publication in 1983, Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s has sold millions of copies worldwide, and has gone on to become a timeless classic with children and parents alike.

In celebration of Hairy Maclary’s 40th anniversary, Penguin Random House ANZ has partnered both with new licensees, as well as expanded ranges with current partners in Australia and New Zealand. New Hairy Maclary and Friends partners include New Zealand Post, who will be launching a limited-edition range of stamps and products. In addition, New Zealand Post, in partnership with the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, will release a limited-edition coin. Additional anniversary partners include Designworks, Macewen (NZ), Designer Bums, Basford Brands, Blue Island Press and Your Decal Shop (NZ).

Penguin Random House ANZ’s Senior Brands and Licensing Manager said ‘it’s an exciting year for our mischievous dog, Hairy Maclary. We have a great range of anniversary plans, including new publishing, and a national promotion with our independent book stores.’

FUNKO EXPAND INTO AUSTRALIA AND NZ THROUGH BIG WHEEL TOYS AND LET’S PLAY GAMES

Funko Games, recently announced its expansion in Australia and New Zealand with distribution partners Big Wheel Toys and Let’s Play Games. These partnerships are the latest moves for Funko Games as it continues to grow its worldwide presence and connect more families and fans through immersive board game experiences.

“Regional partners like Big Wheel Toys and Let’s Play Games will be an essential component to our growth in the coming years,” said Deirdre Cross, General Manager of Funko Games.

“Both companies have a track record of strategic, sustainable growth across the Oceanic region and we’re confident that they’ll be able to help us bring the best quality game experiences to fans and families in Australia and New Zealand.”

The toy and games industry is on the rise in both countries. According to market  research firm Statista, the toy market in Oceania is currently worth $1.39 billion dollars (USD), and is expected to increase 5.68% annually through 2026.

“Over the past decade, board games sales in our region have grown extensively and I’m confident that Funko Games products will be a key component in the next stage of growth,” elaborated Nicholas Rappo, General Manager of Let’s Play Games. “Funko Games is a powerhouse creator of tabletop games experiences, and their products align perfectly with Let’s Play Games’ deep connection with hobby retailers.”

“Big Wheel Toys shares Funko Games’ passion for pop culture, entertainment, and all things fun,” said Cameron Stewart, the owner of Big Wheel Toys. “This is not only a fantastic opportunity for us but also for Australian retailers to support one of the fastest growing game companies in the world.”

ROYAL SELANGOR AND DISNEY 100

Royal Selangor are introducing a new Disney100-themed collection inspired by classic stories and characters with strong emotive musical moments.

As The Walt Disney Company cele-

TERRY RUNYAN’S QUIRKY CATS

Creatif Licensing Corp has announced the debut of Quirky Cats, and other animal collections by designer Terry Runyan. Paul Cohen, president of Creatif Licensing Corp, says that Terry’s success is built upon her creativity and her 361k followers on Instagram. In Australia and New Zealand Ladelle Pty Ltd, Victoria, is producing tea ware including mugs, cup & saucer, tea for one, travel mugs, melamine trays, placemats, coasters, kitchen napery such as tea towels, aprons, oven mitts and potholders. Melbourne-based accessories label Erstwilder is bringing Terry’s designs to life as wearable art for the first time, with a range of limited-run and collectable accessories bursting with character. Marc Abrahams, Owner and Creative Director at  Erstwilder said  “The Erstwilder community love it when we shine a spotlight on talented artists who share a similar approach to the art of sparking joy. And this collaboration, both stylistically and philosophically, is a match made in heaven. The only challenge this partnership presented, given the breadth of Terry’s cute and quirky concepts, was deciding where to stop creating happy, wearable art!”

brates its 100th anniversary in 2023, the collection includes Limited Edition pewter-casted figures of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck from the nostalgic period of 1935 and 1937, re-

spectively.

Conductor Mickey takes his orchestra through their paces in 1935’s The Band Concert, Mickey’s first cartoon in colour.

Mickey is cast in pewter on a pedestal of composite resin.

Merchantwise is a leading gaming, digital and entertainment licensing agency in Australia and New Zealand, representing some of the world’s best loved brands and developing compelling brand extensions and retail programs for consumers of all ages.

Merchantwise is part of the Merchantwise Group, a full-service brand agency headquartered in Melbourne, with offices in Sydney, Paris and Israel.

Merchantwise shares a sneak peek at the latest news and upcoming gaming and entertainment properties for this year.

keep the Minecraft game fresh to fans old and new.

2022’s Minecraft Live event was the best yet, showing fans everything to come from main game updates, to allowing the community to vote for new mobs to be added in the next game update!

Minecraft is a cultural phenomenon and the best-selling vid eo game of all time, with Microsoft having sold over 238 million copies across all platforms. Appealing to a multi-generational player base, the game has seen highs of over 141 million monthly active users, has reached over 1 trillion views on YouTube and is played in every country in the world!

The newest Minecraft title, Minecraft Legends is scheduled for release on April 18th, 2023. It will be a new action strategy game, where players lead their allies in heroic battles to defend the Overworld from the destructive piglins. Minecraft is experiencing incredible success at a retail level across AUS/NZ with products now cemented in all major retailers. BIG W, Target and EB Games are leading the charge across mass and specialty channels.

Two of the biggest 2022 launches across ANZ were in the sleep and stationery spaces, thanks to partners Smiggle and The Oodie.

Smiggle was blown away with the success of their Minecraft range. Products included stationery kits, pencil cases, backpacks and luggage, drinkware & lunchware, keyrings, alarm clocks and safes for fans to store their treasures in. Sales have exceeded expectations so much so that Smiggle will be launching a new range for 2023, so keep an eye out!

What started as a game is evolving into a true evergreen entertainment franchise, comprising of an education edition, consumer products as well as entertainment. With new worlds, biomes and characters to play and constant game updates, there is an infinite number of things to

The Oodie team were overwhelmed with the response to their Minecraft release of teen and adult Oodies and sleep sets. Minecraft shot to the #1 spot in adults and kids Oodies in the first launch week. In 2023 BIG W has become home to a number of world firsts for the Minecraft brand. Building off the incredible success of their first Minecraft digital experience, BIG W launched their newest experience, Minecraft Quest, for customers in January/February 2023.

Minecraft sticker pack instore - perfect for back-toschool fun!

When fans visited a BIG W store, there was a scannable Creeper display to start the Quest. Fans simply used their phones to scan the Mobs across the store, open portals and find the hidden gemstones inside. Find all 5 gemstones and collect a

Released on November 8th 2022, the game sold 2.5 million copies just one month after release.

Paramount have announced that a third Sonic movie is in the works already and scheduled for 2024, as well as a 2023 Paramount+ series starring Knuckles, voiced again by Idris Elba.

Sonic’s retail presence has expanded considerably in mass and specialty, with more and more retailers showing support. And with so much in the

The range features product from an array of local partners including LEGO (construction toys); Mattel (action figures, playsets and roleplay); Plan B (gaming accessories); Hunter Leisure (stationery); Harper Collins (publishing); and Caprice (apparel, bags, accessories).

The blue blur is back, hotter than ever before and taking over the entertainment space!

With a mind-blowingly successful movie sequel launch in 2022, catapulting it to the most successful video game movie of all time – Sonic the Hedgehog has cemented himself as a standout license for consumer products. Sonic is a $1B franchise and continues to be one of the most popular video game characters of all time.

Sonic The Hedgehog 2’s US $403 million box office success (and top 10 at the Australian box office for 2022), catapulted the brand into the spotlight.

Netflix’s new Sonic series, Sonic Prime, released on December 15th 2022 and launched the brand to new heights in the 3D-animation space. The series surged to #1 in Australia in the Kids category within 1 week of release, and was the #1 animated show on Netflix worldwide.

Sonic Frontiers is the latest Sonic video game to hit shelves.

pipeline, there is a lot of content to drive excitement for the Sonic space in the next few years!

Zuru Toys launched a Sonic-themed blaster in September 2022, with unprecedented success. It outsold their next-highest performing product, and was the #1 SKU of all licensed and non-licensed designs! They have four more Sonic-themed blasters coming in 2023.

Cotton On have released both kids and adult specialty apparel, along with their fantastic online and in-store ‘Game On’ campaign.

In the specialty apparel space, Threadheads have continued to bring style and flare for fans across their adult and kids apparel line.

In showbag news, Sonic continues to place in Bensons’ top 10 in sales Australia-wide.

New categories for Sonic in 2023 include Plan B for gaming accessories, Hunter Leisure for outdoor & sport, and Impact for puzzles and stationery.

Activision Blizzard® is one of the world’s most successful interactive entertainment companies. Its mission, to connect and engage the world through epic entertainment, has never been more important. Through communities rooted in its video games, the company enables hundreds of millions of people to experience joy, thrill and achievement. Activision Blizzard’s enduring franchises are some of the world’s most popular, including Call of Duty®, Crash Bandicoot™, Warcraft®, Overwatch®, Diablo®, StarCraft®, Candy Crush™, Bubble Witch™, Pet Rescue™ and Farm Heroes™. The company’s sustained success has enabled it to support corporate social responsibility initiatives that are directly tied to its franchises. As an example, its Call of Duty Endowment has helped find employment for over 100,000 veterans.

Learn more information about Activision Blizzard at www. activisionblizzard.com.

2023 brings an exciting event for the license, celebrating Call of Duty’s 20 year anniversary. With incredibly popular launches for both game launches in 2022, this is an amazing opportunity for potential licensees to jump onboard with this huge brand.

Over the past 2 decades, Call of Duty® has cemented itself as one of the biggest games of all time. Since launching in 2003, the Call of Duty franchise has sold more than 400 million copies and is played in over 170 countries across the globe.

‘Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II®’ launched on October 28th 2022, and has been the biggest title launch ever for the franchise. In just 10 days, Activision made more than US $1 billion in game sales, making it the quickest CoD title to do so. This newest launch also boasts more than 1 billion games played since launch, the most successful beta campaign they’ve ever had and was the highest grossing entertainment opening of 2022.

In November 2022, less than one month after Modern Warfare II’s staggering launch, Activision continued the hype with the release of Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0®. This is the franchise’s second instalment of their Free-to-Play title, with a lot of jam-packed content for fans to enjoy. In just 5 days, over 25 million players jumped in to play the game!

Ooga-Booga!

One of the most popular and iconic mascots to ever grace our screens is a small eastern barred bandicoot named Crash. With over 25 years of heritage, Crash Bandicoot® is as big as ever, and back like never before.

With its multi-generational appeal, Crash is enjoyed by over 14.5 million unique players and is loved by the Gen Z and millennial audiences, ranging from 18 to 40 years old. The resurgence of everyone’s’ favourite bandicoot is proving to drive the excitement of the next game instalment, Crash Team Rumble®, which was recently announced at the 2022 Game Awards in December. The team-based four-versus-four pits the beloved franchise’s cast of characters against each other as they compete to gather more Wumpa Fruit than the opposing team.

Global Master Toy partner, Headstart International, is delivering collectable figures, plush, radio control vehicles and diorama sets to key markets across the globe such as North America, Central and South America, Europe, pockets of Oceania. Streetwear specialist, ThreadHeads, is a Melbourne based print-on-demand

business who have taken on Crash, Spyro® and the Activision Classics brands, and launched an incredible range in 2022, with more in development for 2023.

Cotton On also had great reception to their Crash and Spyro ranges, with products ranging across kids and adult apparel and accessories.

rite amongst the gaming community, having received over 100+ game of the year (GOTY) awards by 2022, with millions of monthly players.

From October 2022, the universe’s second instalment, Overwatch 2® replaced its predecessor. With a diverse cast of old and new characters, with cross-play and cross-progression between PC and console, this release resulted in a whopping 25 million players joining the game in the first 10 days!

Fans will remember this adorable 90’s gaming icon, Spyro! He is one of the most top ranking video gaming franchises there is.

Gliding to popularity in the 90’s, this mischievous little dragon made his fiery return back in November 2018 with the compilation game: Spyro Reignited Trilogy®

Spyro is available across all platforms and with a surge in popularity, Spyro provides unique opportunities across mass and specialty retailers.

Activision Publishing has a long and storied history of creating some of the industry’s best video game franchises, including three of Atari’s top 10 bestselling games of all time. Merchantwise have the pleasure of representing iconic titles such as Pitfall!, Kaboom, Grand Prix and River Raid in Australian and New Zealand.

With the game releasing constant seasonal updates roughly every nine weeks and events to entertain throughout the year (such as Lunar New Year, Halloween and Winter Wonderland events featuring exclusive cosmetic items players can purchase or earn), there is a wealth of content to be consumed by fans and players alike yearround.

Blizzard have successfully launched a range of consumer products partnerships in the retail space. Designworks is currently developing an apparel range for the brand which is due to release in 2023.

Overwatch 2®, World of Warcraft, and Diablo are the perfect titles to round out a diverse Activision Blizzard offering under the Merchantwise Group portfolio.

Since its initial launch in 2016, Overwatch quickly became a player-favou-

World of Warcraft® is a massive online multiplayer role-playing game (MMORPG) in which players around the globe assume the roles of heroic fantasy characters and explore Azeroth, a world full of magic and endless adventure. The game is often revered for revolutionising online social play, and the franchise has spawned multiple spin-offs and experiences, including a blockbuster movie, best-selling novels, board games, and remains an enduring pop culture phenomenon amongst millions of players worldwide.

In November 2022, WoW released their latest expansion, Dragonflight. This return to fantasy and adventure has been an absolute hit with everyone who has

played so far! With a vault of assets and 2024 celebrating the game’s 20th anniversary, there is a lot of opportunity coming up for WoW!

Diablo® is an action role-playing game series of angels versus demons, and takes place in the dark fantasy world of Sanctuary. As heroes, players traverse Sanctuary on a quest to slay the hordes of The Burning Hells in epic, fast-paced combat.

The Diablo franchise is considered one of the most influential of all time, with its unique, dark lore and action-packed gameplay centred around customisable character classes and gear.

Adopt Me! Is the #1 most played experience on Roblox and has been played over 31 billion times. Developed by Uplift Games, it focuses on adopting and caring for a variety of different virtual pets, which can be traded with other players in the game.

Players adopt and care for a multitude of pets which hatch from eggs, which they do in their virtual home. In the game, pets are grouped into 5 classes based on rarity, and there are hundreds that can be adopted, or purchased with the in-game currency, Bucks.

The game is family-friendly and per-

In June 2022, Diablo Immortal® launched the franchise’s first free-to-play mobile MMORPG and was met with great reception from players worldwide.

Diablo IV is scheduled to launch June 6th 2023. A brand new trailer was released last December to whet players’ appetites. With more than 10 years since the release of Diablo III, there is a lot of excitement for the next era of Diablo, so keep an eye out in the coming months for more announcements and release news!

© 2023 Activision Publishing, Inc. Activision, Call of Duty, Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, Guitar Hero and Skylanders are trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc. © 2023 Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. Blizzard Entertainment, Overwatch, World of Warcraft, StarCraft, Diablo, Hearthstone, and Heroes of the Storm are trademarks of Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. All other trademarks and trade names are property of their respective owners.

fect for children aged 7+ to get together with their friends online in a safe, fun community, and learn about the responsibilities of pet ownership.

The developers release content updates every week including new pets, new outfits and furniture packs to decorate your home, to keep content fresh for players. With its approachability, cute visuals and fun ways to interact with friends safely online, it’s no wonder that Adopt Me continues to be an incredible success in the gaming space.

Jazwares is the master toy licensee, and has developed a range of toys featuring plush, interactive plush, and collectibles. Banter Toys will be distributing the line into retail from April 2023. Merchantwise currently is in the process of securing some of Australia’s leading category partners across apparel, accessories, footwear, homewares and bags with the aim to launch product at retail from July 2023.

Originally released in 2020, Fall Guys is a cross-platform, massively multiplayer, party royale game where players compete through escalating rounds of absurd obstacle course chaos until one lucky victor remains!

Communication via digital emojis is the ultimate universal expressive language – over 10 billion icons are sent daily through messaging and social media platforms.

In June 2022, the game became ‘Free for All’ across all platforms, and quickly passed the 20 million player mark within 48 hours, and 50 million within 2 weeks! With enormous growth for the game and the brand in just two short years, Fall Guys is the online gaming community’s hottest property in the licensing space.

Inspired by this phenomenon, the emoji company was founded in 2013 and by making huge investments into IP rights and content creation the emoji company built a global brand business and established emoji® as an iconic lifestyle brand worldwide. Today, the emoji® brand is registered in over 150 territories in up to 45 classes for goods and services. There are now more than 25,000 vectorized emoji® brand icons, designs, patterns and customized content pieces available for licensing and merchandising of any kind. In Australia and New Zealand, the brand continues to be popular with partners across a wide range of categories, from fashion from Caprice Australia and automotive accessories with Who-Rae.

In a Valentine’s Day 2022 special, The Oodie released a playful his/hers Oodie design, adopting the peach and eggplant emoji® brand icons. The wearable blankets were complimented with matching underwear and socks.

With regular updates including collaboration costumes, there’s plenty of opportunity to work with this incredibly vibrant, cute brand.

Big W is the key retail partner stocking our very own Moose Toy’s Fall Guys plush.

Looking ahead to early 2023 we are eagerly awaiting the release of emoji® brand´s latest partner, Sydney based bubble tea company, Gong Cha Tea. The emoji® brand will come to life in their 100+ stores, featuring in-store emoji® brandthemed activations, window and floor decals and a whole new range of exciting emoji® brand-themed drinks to enjoy.

Nappy Box Co launched a range of baby products in 2022 that include modern cloth nappies, swim nappies, smocks, wet bags, change mats and more!

2023 will be an exciting year for the brand with global activations as well as new artwork and assets specifically designed to highlight the brand.

Based on the true story of Jann Mardenborough, the film is the ultimate wish fulfillment tale of a teenage Gran Turismo player whose gaming skills won a series of Nissan competitions to become an actual professional racecar driver Based on the PlayStation Studios video game and with an all-star cast, this action-packed film is set to release in cinemas globally in August 2023.

In 2022, we saw new products from Hasbro, including a new Ghostbusters Clue, the Plasma Series Neutrona Wand, Plasma Series 2 pack figures as well as the Plasma Series Mini-Pufts. The new Ghostbusters video game – Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed from IllFonic, is where you can immerse yourself in the Ghostbusters universe as you protect or haunt multiple unique locations throughout. Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed is fun, family friendly, and allows for all levels of player ability.

Sony Pictures

Entertainment will expand on an incredibly exciting chapter of Ghostbusters history, with forthcoming theatrical and animated content in development, including a sequel to the smash-hit, Ghostbusters: Afterlife and two new offerings from Sony Pictures Animation – the first-ever Ghostbusters animated movie and a Ghostbusters animated series – both currently in development.

The iconic Ghostbusters franchise is supported with a broad, year-round program including an impressive roster of global licensees spanning apparel, sleepwear, bags, accessories, homewares, gifts, and more.

Australian Ghostbusters licensees include Designworks International (apparel, accessories, footwear and homewares), Park Avenue Foods (novelty confectionery), Thread Heads –print on demand and Cotton On.

In 2023, one of the most anticipated films from Sony Pictures Entertainment is Gran Turismo.

Buckle up for a theatrical ride

I Ain’t Afraid of No Ghost

The Karate Kid movie in 1984 was a huge theatrical success for Sony Pictures and the TV series Cobra Kai has become one of the most popular streaming series .

The first season consists of nine episodes and premiered on January 15, 2023. It received acclaim from critics, who praised the performances, writing, production design, and score; several called it the best live-action adaptation of a video game. In January 2023, the series was renewed for a second season. Merchantwise will be seeking new opportunities across a wide array of consumer products, including apparel, accessories, gift and novelty.

Cobra Kai and The Karate Kid have both now become true pop culture icons. In January 2023, it was announced that Cobra Kai has been renewed for a sixth and final season. The final run promises to be “the biggest and baddest” season of all.,

Cobra Kai Australian licensees include Empire Apparel, Designworks International and Thread Heads with successful launches of apparel in 2022 and further releases in 2023.

In 2024, the legend lives on, as we celebrate 40 years of Karate Kid and a new feature film, which will be released in Summer 2024. Merchantwise will be seeking new opportunities across a wide array of consumer products, including apparel, accessories, home, collectibles and gift and novelty.

The Last of Us The new hit series is inspired by the post-apocalyptic award-winning game franchise. Following a global pandemic that has destroyed civilization, a hardened survivor takes charge of a 14-year old girl who may be humanity’s last hope.

Legendary Entertainment is a leading media company with film (Legendary Pictures), television and digital (Legendary Television and Digital Media) and comics (Legendary Comics) divisions dedicated to owning, producing and delivering content to worldwide audiences.

Legendary has built a library of marquee media properties and has established itself as a trusted brand which consistently delivers high-quality, commercial entertainment including some of the world’s most popular intellectual property, including the Monsterverse (Godzilla vs Kong) franchise, Dune, Enola Homes, Pacific Rim and cult classic film Trick R Treat.

The Monsterverse Expands

The epic new film will delve further into the histories of these Titans, their origins and the mysteries of Skull Island and beyond, while uncovering the mythic battle that helped forge these extra ordinary beings and tied them to humankind forever.

As a mature franchise, the Monsterverse continues its expansion with new content releasing in 2023 and 2024, with a new TV series and Monsterverse 5 in cinemas 15th March 2024.

The Monsterverse has a broad licensing program across a wide range of categories including toys, collectibles and apparel.

An Astounding Spectacle

Dune is an epic science fiction film that released in cinemas in 2021 to critical acclaim and achieving over $400M+ at the box office. The film received six Academy Awards, including best cinematography, best production design and best original score. Dune: Part Two is planned for global release in cinemas on 3rd November 2023, with new cast members arriving on the most dangerous planet in the universe, including Christopher Walker, Florence Pugh, Austin Butler, Lea Seydoux and Sheila Yacoub, The franchise will continue its expansion through television and videogames, including the Dune Awakening game which is releasing in Q4 2023.

Dune has a robust licensing program across all tiers of distribution and Merchantwise is seeking new licensing partners for this amazing franchise.

A creepy, darkly comic celebration of the scariest night of the year from writer-director Michael Dougherty Trick ‘R Treat takes the Creepshow/Tales from the Crypt approach to nefarious new depths with four interwoven tales set on Halloween night. The film introduces the fan-favourite character of Sam – a seemingly innocent masked trick-or-treater at first sight who is, in fact, a demonic pumpkin-like creature who enforces the rules and traditions of Halloween. Sam has become an icon of the Halloween season in a variety of licensing products, including dress-ups, collectibles, apparel, accessories and cosmetics. Trick ‘R Treat is a new Halloween licensing opportunity down under and Merchantwise is seeking new partners to join this pop-culture classic.

The epic battle between Kaijus and Jaegers captivated fans worldwide in the Pacific Rim live action movie franchise from creators Travis Beacham and Guillermo del Toro. Two of pop culture’s most perennial tropes, monsters and robots, collided on-screen like never before. The worldwide box office for the films raked in US$700M.

Pacific Rim continues in an anime series written by Craig Kyle (Thor: Ragnarok) and Greg Johnson (X-Men: Evolution).

Lost, alone and hunted by Kaiju, teenage siblings Taylor and Haley are forced to pilot an abandoned jaeger across a hostile Australian landscape in a desperate attempt to find their missing parents. Season one and two are now available on Netflix.

May Gibbs – Inspired by Nature

Iconic Australian author and illustrator May Gibbs continues to capture the hearts and imaginations of generations of Australians with her lovable bush characters, which hold a special place in the Australian consciousness.

Today, May Gibbs is a heritage fashion and lifestyle brand inspired by the Australian bush. With a unique licensing program of over 30 partners across publishing, apparel, bedding, homewares, fabric, toys, stationery, partyware and collectables, May Gibbs is proud to partner with leading Australian brands to bring the stories and characters to life for fans of all ages. Publishing is at the heart of the May Gibbs brand with

May Gibbs’ original books, Gumnut Babies and Snugglepot and Cuddlepie never out of print for over 100 years. Publishing partner Scholastic Australia continues to expand their catalogue of licensed May Gibbs storybooks for children, with May Gibbs becoming their third best-selling licensed property. Scholastic Australia have also begun publishing a newly reimagined range of May Gibbs’s classic stories and never-before published works, ensuring that every Australian child has the opportunity to experience these classic tales.

For the third year running, May Gibbs continued to grow at Big W, with apparel exclusive to Big W at mass, supported by other categories including publishing and hardlines. Regular apparel collections from Caprice Australia released across 2022, with further ranges scheduled for Easter and Winter 2023.

May Gibbs at Big W started in 2022 with a February Baby Week range. Launching with 10 SKUs across toddler girls, toddler boys and footwear, this was a successful start to the third consecutive year of May Gibbs apparel exclusive to Big W at mass. Further apparel ranges launched in time for Mother’s Day, with an adorable mini-me range for women, toddler girls and infant. The consistent print story allowed the whole family to match and celebrate the special mother figure in your life. May Gibbs featured once again in July Baby Week, across 10 SKUs for toddler girls, toddler boys, ladies, men’s and a minime sleep range.

Big W was the place to be for Christmas with May Gibbs. With a wide range of apparel, publishing, Christmas gifting, tabletop, Christmas

décor and social stationery.The apparel range featured a fun festive theme in a fam-jam matching set across ladies, toddler girls and infant. The Christmas hardlines range included 33 SKUs across décor, tabletop, gifting and wrapping. Plans for Christmas 2023 are already underway for an expanded range.

The May Gibbs and Spotlight Australia partnership continues to grow since its inception in 2021. In 2023 Spotlight will continue to be the exclusive home to May Gibbs sew and furnishing fabrics. The growing range of fabric designs have been eagerly embraced by Australian makers and crafters nation-wide, with home decorators loving the coordinating range of bedding, home décor and napery items. Spotlight will also be stocking compostable May Gibbs partyware in 2023. The program is supported with a strong marketing program across catalogue, digital and instore. May Gibbs Christmas also featured at Spotlight, with their own range of Christmas wrapping including gift tags, wrapping paper, gift bags, cards and baubles, and Christmas fabrics.

In exciting news, May Gibbs launched into two new categories with new partners in 2022. Journey of Something joined as a May Gibbs partner and shortly revealed a fantastic collection of jigsaw puzzles, cards, paint by numbers and sparkle art, targeted at both adults and kids. The range is widely available online as well as through independent gift stockists, and is May Gibbs’ first foray into the puzzle and game category. 2023 is already shaping up to be an exciting year with new products in development to further grow this collection. Urban Products released an everyday range of garden and home products. The garden range is the first of May Gibbs gardening products, with a range of planters and garden accessories perfect for any lovers of native flora. The everyday range also includes some home products, including mugs, bamboo serveware, travel mugs, glasses and more. A Christmas range was also available across 100 stores nationally, featur-

ing baubles, ornaments, Christmas tabletop and more. The updated everyday and Christmas ranges for 2023 are currently in development.

Fans of the brand are spoilt for choice with several speciality partners releasing beautiful new product ranges. The partnership with Walnut Melbourne continued in 2022 with brand new Winter and Summer children’s apparel and footwear collections released, including the popular swimwear line. The collection is now ranged in Myer stores nationally. The partnership will continue in 2023 with a Winter and Summer collection in development, and a family sleep collection to launch. Creative high-end Australian fashion brand Romance Was Born continues to release exciting new capsule collections for women and men, uniquely showcasing the art of May Gibbs. The beautiful range of personalised knit blankets from Namely Co combine heirloom quality pieces with May Gibbs original illustrations. The May Gibbs x Kip & Co collection will return in 2023 with a new range of bedding, apparel and homewares. Further brand-new ranges in development for 2023 include a baby personal care range, showbags, fashion accessories, reusable nappies, and more.

The much-anticipated new outdoor stage show of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, developed by Eaton Gorge Theatre Company, premiered at Centennial Park in September 2022. The weeklong show was then followed by performances in Wollongong and Bowral’s Retford Park, followed by an encore at Centennial Park.

We’re Going on a Bear Hunt – We’re Going to Catch a Big One!

Originally released in 1989, We’re Going on a Bear Hunt is the beloved storybook of a family traipsing through the stunning English countryside to find a bear. The brand is now available for licensing in the Australia and New Zealand territory for the first time!

With rhythmical story-telling by Michael Rosen, and timeless watercolour illustrations by Helen Oxenbury, We’re Going on a Bear Hunt has enchanted children and parents alike with its story of perseverance, optimism and a love of nature.

Since it’s 1989 release, We’re Going on a Bear Hunt has sold over 14 million books worldwide, with 1.4 million of those copies having been sold in Australia alone.

Michael Rosen’s retelling of this iconic story has exceeded over 17 million views on YouTube. Due to the success of the book a 30-minute animated TV special was created.

Produced by Lupus Films (The Snowman and The Snowdog) & Walker Productions (Tilly and Friends), the special was enjoyed by over 8 million viewers at launch in the UK and has aired every year thereafter.

Available on Amazon Prime in the US since January 2017. Global sales secured on ABC (Australia), Canal + (France), France TV, SVT (Sweden), NRK (Norway), YLE (Finland), Japan (NHK) and Belgium (VRT)

For over 34 years, readers young and old have been swishy-swashing and splash-sploshing through the award-winning and much-beloved picture book. In 2024, Bear Hunt will be celebrating its 35th anniversary, making it the perfect time to launch a licensing program.

Caprice Australia will be leading the launch of the program, with Bear Hunt infant and toddler apparel program from July 2023. The licensing program for Bear Hunt has been

exceptionally popular in the UK, and is expected to follow suit in the Australia and New Zealand market.

Blinky Bill – The Original Aussie Larrikin

Created by Dorothy Wall in 1933, Blinky Bill is the original Aussie larrikin, and an instantly recognisable character across Australia. The 1990s saw Blinky Bill revived in a feature film and TV series that so many of us grew up with.

2023 celebrates some fantastic Blinky Bill anniversaries. It will be 90 years since the original publication of Dorothy Wall’s stories of the mischievous koala in the bush, and 30 years since the TV series graced our screens and a whole new generation fell in love with Blinky Bill.

2022 saw Blinky Bill collaborate with La La Land for a Christmas program at Australia Post. This fantastic range included Christmas décor, gift boxes, gift cards, melamine mugs, bowls, plates and trays. Calendars, storybooks and jigsaw puzzles also featured, along with Headstart’s adorable Blinky and Nutsy resoftable plush.

The plush is made out of 100% recycled plastic bottles and launched at Australia Post for the Christmas program.

Blinky Bill has partnered with Scholastic Australia for a publishing program, which also launched at Australia Post with a pack of four Blinky Bill storybooks and a Colouring Kit. Scholastic will continue with further releases into 2023, with a deluxe storybook and an Ultimate Colouring Book. Two further titles are in development including an adult colouring book and a storybook with jigsaw set.

Blinky Bill and Smiffy’s will continue to supply retailers with dressups. Blinky Bill costumes are available for August Book Week via Big W. Park Avenue Foods will launch new chocolate and confectionery this Easter.

In an exciting new venture, Blinky Bill will be featured at Christmas in Big W in 2023. The range of Christmas décor items will be available in-store.

In 2023, Blinky Bill continues to work with the Bob Brown Founda-

tion as the face for Koala conservation for the protection of native forests and koala habitats, after koalas were labelled as an endangered species.

Who Will You Magically Create?

Introducing Magic Mixies Mixlings from Moose Toys! Kids will love this incredibly cute breed of Mixie created, with a truly magical unboxing experience! Each Mixling belongs to a team with different magical powers which are unlocked using the included magic wand.

The range features four products including: Collector’s Cauldron, Tap and Reveal Cauldron, Shimmer Magic Mega Pack and a Magic Castle Playset. In addition to the five teams of Magic Mixies Mixlings figurines to collect.

The Magic Mixies Mixlings toy line performance has been strong at retail to date. Series 3 is in the works and Series 4 will launch at retail in 2024.

Moose has an extensive franchise strategy planned for Magic Mixies encompassing a true “Magic” play experience with toys, animated content, digital gaming, and publishing. There will also be an extensive consumer products program developed in partnership with Merchantwise.

Merchantwise has partnered with Caprice Australia Pty Ltd to launch a range of Softline’s products at retail from February 2023. This range includes the first apparel range in Big W. Merchantwise has also partnered with publishers, Hinkler Books and Scholastic Australia with a range of publishing formats including launching from June 2023.

Miraculous™ is an inspiring, high-quality CGI-animated superhero franchise set in modern-day Paris. The show follows Marionette & Adrien, constantly juggling their perilous missions as superheroes –Ladybug & Cat Noir - and the daily challenges of their teenage lives.

Elf On The Shelf – A Christmas Tradition

The Elf on the Shelf®:A Christmas Tradition is a fun-filled Christmas tradition that has captured the hearts of children everywhere who welcome home one of Santa’s Scout Elves each holiday season. When a family adopts a Scout Elf™ they receive the Scout Elf™, an artfully illustrated hardbound storybook and a keepsake box. For Christmas 2022, The Elf on the Shelf® core range has been extremely popular at Myer Giftorium, Kmart and a range of independents, distributed by PMG Australia and Merchantwise partnered with Vicinity Centres with Elf On The Shelf activations.

The television show rapidly gained momentum, turning Miraculous into a worldwide phenomenon and a global entertainment franchise. It’s vast community of viewers and fans can now engage with the brand on all major media platforms. The 5th season has just launched on ABC Me and Seasons 1-3 are available on Netflix. Miraculous has exceptional digital platforms – engaging with fans around the globe and ZAG continues to build the gaming content for Miraculous, including the Miraculous RP game on Roblox, achieving over 500M plays and fast becoming the #1 downloaded game on the platform.

The licensing program in Australia consists of Headstart (distribution for master toy), Caprice Australia (apparel, accessories, home), Bensons Trading (showbags), MJM Australia (puzzles and games), Rubies Deerfield (dress-ups and accessories), Wisdom Brands (oral care), and Happy Hair Brush (personal care). A new summer apparel collection launched in Big W featuring dresses and t-shirts, each with their own accessory.

The Australian licensing program managed by Merchantwise Licensing has been a huge success, with an array of products at retail including outerwear and sleepwear by Mitch Dowd, publishing from Hinkler Books, confectionery by Park Avenue and dress-ups from Rubies.

Christmas décor, drinkware and dinnerware, puzzles and games from Licensing Essentials continue to be popular over the Christmas season with ranges available at BIG W, Target and Kmart, along with an exclusive range of products at Coles.

Cotton On launched their first kids sleepwear range in November and Australia Post launched their second collectible stamp pack and postal numeric cover.

Released in 1993, The Wrong Trousers was the first film starring the beloved duo to win an Oscar and introduced fan favourite Feathers McGraw, a villainous penguin with ambitions to put Wallace’s inventions to criminal use. The 30th anniversary celebrations coincide with the production of a brand-new Wallace & Gromit film – the first

since 2008’s A Matter of Loaf and Death, which was the UK’s most-viewed TV programme of the 2000s with over 16.2 million viewers tuning in to watch. This brand-new, asyet untitled adventure will premiere exclusively on Netflix around the world. It is set for release in 2024. Also currently in production is an interactive, narrative-led, single player VR experience for the Meta Quest all-in-one VR headset. ‘The Grand Getaway’ will enable users to walk around, explore and get hands-on (or paws-on) within the world of Wallace & Gromit and truly be a part of the pair’s adventures for the first time.

Chicken Run –Dawn of the Nugget is the eagerly anticipated sequel to the highest-grossing stop-motion animated film of all time and will be exclusively on Netflix in 2023. Like its predecessor, Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget is a comedy action-adventure, and will have an extensive PR and marketing campaign for the launch. A new style guide is available and Merchantwise is seeking new licensing opportunities for this successful film franchise.

Shaun The Sheep has made the long overdue journey to visit his woolly cousins in Aotearoa (New Zealand) in December 2022.

With the rest of the Flock, and The Farmer in tow, Shaun and his pals have moved into Agrodome to spread some mischief and fun on the farm!

Agrodome and Aardman, the multi-award-winning creators of Shaun the Sheep and Wallace & Gromit have joined forces to give Shaun the Sheep the holiday he deserves!

There’s no better place than Agrodome, 350 acres of lush New Zealand farmland for Shaun and the Flock to enjoy. With Shaun the Sheep themed activities, dedicated Shaun the Sheep screening sessions, character appearances and more, there is something for everyone to enjoy at Agrodome.

In 2022, Merchantwise was appointed as the Australian and New Zealand sub-agent for WildBrain’s beloved portfolio of brands, which includes Strawberry Shortcake,Teletubbies, In the Night Garden and Inspector Gadget. Merchantwise is working closely with WildBrain’s leading licensing agency, WildBrain CPLG, to further build each brand’s presence in Australia.

A Berry-Sweet Brand With A Rich History

WildBrain’s Strawberry Shortcake is one of the world’s most adored and recognised brands. Since her creation in 1973, with the release of a simple Valentine’s Day greeting card, Strawberry Shortcake has grown and evolved with new content, toys and experiences for every new generation.

Parents who loved her when they were young can now share a fresh new Strawberry Shortcake with their children through the all-new original WildBrain series Berry in the Big City, as well as through new toys, books, games, apparel and events. With an international pres-

ence that has generated over USD $4 billion in retail sales since its first launch, Strawberry Shortcake is a true character-brand phenomenon that is celebrated by kids and kidsat-heart worldwide.

The growing international consumer products programme features softlines and hardlines across mass, mid-tier and specialty retailers, including Walmart, Target, Hot Topic, Urban Outfitters and Forever 21. In 2022, following deals brokered by WildBrain CPLG, a range of adult fashion collaborations launched in the U.S., including with PACSUN, Unique Vintage, Dolls Kill and By Samii Ryan, alongside cosmetics ranges from Glamlite Cosmetics.

Expanding on the success in the U.S, in Australia, Big W, Jay Jays and Peter Alexander are already home to Strawberry Shortcake apparel and sleepwear. In the forthcoming year, Merchantwise aims to grow the brand in key lifestyle categories including fashion accessories, apparel and homeware, including products that bring the iconic sweet Strawberry scent to every room.

Cultural icons and fan favourites for 25 years!

Extensive social media touchpoints have also seen the Teletubbies become beloved icons for older fans, adored by celebrities and culture-setters around the world. As a lifestyle brand, Teletubbies continues to captivate audiences, and is a key player in global conversations on pop culture. Merchantwise expect to continue to build out anchor categories for fans of the series of all ages, focusing on apparel, accessories and collectibles.

The perennial bedtime favourite

WildBrain’s Teletubbies have been engaging and entertaining audiences across multiple generations for over 25 years. Seen and heard on broadcasters and streaming platforms around the world – including 29 highly popular YouTube channels on the WildBrain Spark network – Teletubbies offer hours of video and music content for fans of all ages.

In the Night Garden is an enchanting and captivating world full of fascinating stories, nursery rhymes, music and humour, which takes preschoolers on an imaginative journey of discovery and understanding. Igglepiggle, Upsy Daisy and Makka Pakka have become a part of bedtime routines for many young fans across the globe. In consumer products, In the Night Garden is a top preschool toy property, offering a creative and playful world to draw inspiration.

Go Go Gadget!

The iconic detective, who has an impressive array of gadgets and gizmos, has gained a loyal fan base across the decades by defeating villains around the world with the help of his fearless niece, Penny. The beloved brand is celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2023, for which Merchantwise is assembling a raft of limited-edition products across apparel and collectibles.

Representing many of the world’s biggest names in music for Australia and New Zealand, Merchantwise Licensing is the go-to for band merchandising and licensing.

ROMWE X ACDC – Back In Black, again

AC/DC is one of the world’s greatest pioneers of rock ‘n’ roll who were inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall Of Fame in 2003.

Producing 36 albums and selling over 200M albums globally,

AC/DC continues to be one of the most sought after music licenses in the world. Merchantwise brokered a deal with Singapore fast fashion retailer, SHEIN, for a special Back In Black collection of products which launched in November 2022. The range featured apparel, accessories, tech accessories and homewares.

Featuring Iconic Music Artists

In June 2022, Blackmilk Clothing released a second music apparel collection featuring an array of artists including Blondie, Billy Idol, Garbage, and Smashing Pumpkins, for their 90s music artists collection, with a variety of styles selling out in two days.

Easy Partners – Call Me

I’m Alive

New York based Easy Partners represents some of the world’s favourites including Blondie, Deborah Harry, Cheech and Chong, James Brown, Mazzy Star, Tori Amos and many more. In 2022, apparel partner Caprice Australia launched Blondie apparel in a range of mass retailers and will con-

tinue to launch additional styles in 2023. Austico Apparel, launched an exclusive merchandise range at Giftbox, featuring cult creators, Cheech & Chong. The products included, apparel, accessories and smoking paraphernalia.

Australian Licensing Committee (AOC) - Paris 2024 Licensing Opportunities

Australian’s love their sport and there is no bigger sporting event than the Olympic Games.

Australians have watched more than 4.6 billion minutes of Olympics coverage on 7plus, making it the biggest digital event in Australian TV history.

Ahead of the Paris Olympics in 2024 The AOC licensing program will see a wide-ranging and recognisable asset base become available for license, including official Olympic logos as well as the iconic Team mascot, the Boxing Kangaroo. The program will also incorporate specially created assets of Indigenous art commissioned for the Australian Olympic Team.

With a focus on building out a year-round offering for the program, Merchantwise will work with the AOC to develop and enhance the merchandise program for its annual Have a Go campaign, a national grass roots program designed to inspire Australians of all ages to participate in Olympic sports.

Licensing partnership opportunities are now open for discussion across a variety of categories including apparel, fashion accessories, sporting goods, toys & food as well as in ecommerce, location-based entertainment, and consumer promotions.

To discuss opportunities to be involved with the program please contact : Alexandra Warmoll at alexandra@merchantwise.com

Be sure to visit Jasnor at the Australian Toy, Hobby and Licensing Fair to see their collection of iconic brands and characters as they celebrate their 35th Anniversary in 2023!

Contact details: 1300 881 940 sales@jasnor.com www.jasnor.com.au

Claris and Bluey from Jasnor

Jasnor is a leading distributor and manufacturer of popular licensed toys and gifts, offering an extensive line-up of highly sought-after brands across multiple product categories which include pre-school toys, gifts for baby, infant feeding and mealtime, plush and seasonal collections. Their distribution and manufacturing portfolio includes Bluey, Pusheen, Play School, Disney Baby, The Wiggles, Beatrix Potter, Paddington Bear, Sesame Street and Pusheen to name a few.

lion copies sold worldwide).The series follows the rhyming tales of Claris, the chicest mouse in Paris, and her friends as they embark on adventures around the globe!

Partnering with exclusive Australian retailers, Claris came to life in selected stores from February 2023 and will be shared with the wider market at the Melbourne Toy Fair. The launch collection includes premium plush in two sizes, stationery essentials, accessories including a backpack and book bag, and feeding items including a gold cutlery set, 3-piece dinner set, drink bottle and lunch box, all featuring beautiful illustrations of the charming character.

This is just the beginning for the global merchandise campaign for Claris (which will also see Jasnor’s Claris plush, stationery and feeding items on the shelves of FAO Schwarz in New York in February for New York Fashion Week) – with a further line-up of new formats set to launch for second half 2023.

and includes seventeen wooden items covering role play, indoor play and outdoor play categories.

Retailers can select from an array of food playsets; traditional family favourite games such as dominoes, skittles and charades; and also promote outdoor sports play with a skipping rope, crazy golf game and even a cricket set in the launch collection.

Featuring familiar character art and fun references to favourite Bluey episodes,

Already famous for beloved book characters, in 2023 Jasnor is excited to partner with acclaimed author and illustrator, Megan Hess, to welcome another famous character – in the form of a pint-sized Parisian mouse called Claris - into their stable of iconic brands and characters.

In addition to a range of premium plush toys, Jasnor also holds the global rights to design and manufacture a collection of stationery items, accessories, nursery and feeding products, to bring the brave and bold mouse to life across a number of key gifting categories. The fashion-designer mouse has featured in five best-selling children’s books (published by Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing, with half a mil-

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to have been appointed as a master manufacturing and distribution partner to bring the beloved Claris to life!” said Jasnor’s CEO James Thurlow.

“Each item is adorned with some extra special glamour – from pom poms to gold leaf detail to a gold Claris sew-in label and luxe fabrics. We are certain the range will be adored and treasured by Claris and fashion-obsessed fans across the world. We can’t wait to see what adventures Claris will take us all on next!”

On a different note, in partnership with BBC Studios, Jasnor is thrilled to launch a collection of wooden toys and games in Australia, featuring Bluey, her Heeler family, and crew of friends.

The new range became available in late January 2023,

the vibrant range is suitable for ages 3+, and the collection comes presented in easily recognisable Bluey-branded packaging.

The range - created by UK-based leading toy manufacturer 8th Wonder - is made from responsibly-sourced materials, with the wooden products certified by the FSC.

With further new product releases already planned for Christmas 2023, Jasnor is thrilled to finally have Bluey join its already stellar line up of popular merchandise for top-rating preschool programs.

Brand Collaborators. Category Disruptors. Product Innovators.

Asembl is the premier design, food & lifestyle brand extension agency in the Asia Pacific.

Headquartered in Melbourne, Australia and led by Co-Founder and Managing Director, Justin Watson, Asembl brings new licensed product and service innovation to market, and brand stories to life.

Asembl attributes its success to its trusted relationships with brand owners, retailers and manufacturers, building long term strategic partnerships. Working with global brands, retailers and licensees, the passionate team helps to create millions of new touch points and occasions for consumers to be surprised and delighted by loved brands.

Offering an end-to-end approach, Asembl’s capabilities extend across strategy, brand management, retail engagement, product development, creative, contract administration, marketing, and digital media.

Asembl’s impressive portfolio of clients includes Coca-Cola, Diageo, Fleur Harris, Perfetti Van Melle, Ellie Whittaker and Unilever (Streets).

2022 brought yet another exciting year for Asembl - challenging, extending and innovating key brands and categories across food, soft lines and hard goods.

2022 Highlights: Chupa Chups in the Freezer

Chupa Chups’ first licensed food product in Australia made its debut in the freezer with Australia’s oldest family-owned and operated dairy companies, Bulla Dairy Foods in March 2022. Chupa Chups’ global best-selling flavour, Strawberry & Cream was brought to its creamiest and dreamiest life in ice-cream form for the first time featuring strawberry and vanilla ice-cream flavours with crushed candy and strawberry sauce drizzle. Launching into major grocery across Australia, it quickly became the number one licensed multi-pack in the freezer and gained extensive media attention with 78 million reach and Chupa Chups search word up +270%.

Chupa Chups’ adventure in the freezer was extended in October 2022 with the launch of the new Mixed Minis with three new forever fun flavours – Strawberry & Cream, Watermelon and Cola. The launch brought new innovation to the category, offering an alternative to full sized frozen products. The launch gained extensive media coverage reaching over 50 million.

Ellie Whittaker at Best&Less

In 2022, Australia’s next generation pioneer of iconic Aussie prints and designs, Ellie Whittaker secured a direct to retail partnership with Australian family fashion retailer, Best&Less with licensing agency, Asembl. Available in store and online, the Gold Coast textile

designer unveiled an exclusive suite of fashion and accessories featuring iconic Australian animals, landmarks, and fauna in Best&Less. Her first range featured six key prints across 65 pieces – Native Birds, Animal Instinct, Seascape, Beach Share, Weekend Palms and Gumdrops, each connected with a personal memory from Ellie’s childhood.

The promotional campaign received significant support from both Ellie Whittaker and Best&Less across socials, paid ads, edms, and in store windows and point of sale. In October, Ellie embarked on a road trip down the East Coast of New South Wales in her ‘Caravan of Colour’ – a caravan decaled with artwork from the collection, and the Best&Less x Ellie Whittaker logo lock up to celebrate the launch.

Fleur Harris

In 2022, Asembl began steering the global development of Australian artist, Fleur Harris. Driven by a passion for producing whimsical creations, Fleur Harris is a celebrated artist, illustrator and mother.

Fleur’s ‘Garden Party’ came to life through children’s apparel. Launching into David Jones, and online at the newly launched fleurharris.com in September, the 62 piece debut collection embodied Fleur’s values of quality, attention to detail, practicality and whimsy across dresses, skirts, tees, rompers and accessories. Charming hearts both big and small, the collection was perfect for twirling (or crawling) the day away, from playground the party.

The launch of the range was supported through paid and organic social media campaigns across @fleurharris_thelabel Instagram account, strategic edms, give aways, influencer gifting and a children’s styling suite event at David Jones.

Crafted from the heart to surprise, delight and ignite the imagination, Fleur Harris’ debut collection was one of many to come throughout 2023 and beyond.

range included candles, mood mist fragrant oils, tealights and melts – the very first time these childhood favourites were reimagined through fragrance. The launch received significant support through socials, edms, influencers, PR and amazing in store point of sale. The range didn’t last long, selling out their first drop in just 2 weeks!

Baileys x Sara Lee

Part cake, part booze, Baileys is the most pleasurable indulgence there is, and has been since 1974 and is the world’s no.1 liqueur brand. Sara Lee is a brand rich in history, holding the no.1 market position in frozen desserts in ANZ.

In November 2022, the delicious flavour of Baileys Irish Cream and Sara Lee’s decadent frozen desserts

Streets x dusk

Asembl partnered Streets’ childhood favourites – Bubble O’ Bill, Golden Gaytime, Rainbow Paddle Pop and Splice – together with Australia’s favourite home fragrance specialist, dusk for a dreamy creamy fragrance range.

Launching in August, the dusk Streets

came together to create two indulgent treats – Sara Lee Baileys Inspired Chocolate Pudding and Baked Cheesecake. Both desserts included a rich and indulgent sauce with the taste of Baileys. Launching exclusively into Coles in the three weeks leading up to Christmas the collaboration was the perfect grown-up indulgence!

If you would like to collaborate with bestin-class global brands, please get in touch:

justin@asembl-brands.com

www.asembl-brands.com

Get ready to party with Amscan!

2022 was incredibly exciting for the Amscan team and the product portfolio launched, and 2023 is shaping up to be even bigger!

2022 saw the launch of the amazing new party ensembles for Jurassic World, Disney’s Lightyear and Gabby’s Dollhouse, with the only thing more exciting than the incredible products that included everything from shaped character plates to innovative decorating kits being the evolution to sustainable product formats and sustainable packaging.

Sustainability is at focus front and centre for the team at Amscan, whether that means adjusting finer details such as ensuring their cake decorating picks are made from FSC paper, to adjusting all product that has been previously packaged in plastic polybags to FSC cardboard envelopes and boxes! These changes span across Amscan’s entire portfolio, including all new ranges and the transition of current ranges!

These achievements along with their future plans have led the Amscan Team to receive one of the highest honours from one of their key party partners, as they were awarded Big W’s Sustainability Supplier of the Year accolade! This is a brand-new award issued by the Woolworths Group for the first time in 2022, and the team were initially humbled to be nominated and then beyond proud to be the very first supplier to accept this incredibly important award.

Amscan will continue the next phase of their sustainability Journey in 2023, after signing up to a partnership with Terracycle in 2022 to deliver a balloon recycling program for all of the amazing latex and foil balloons in their range. These balloons are given

a second life after being returned to a Terracy cle x Amscan bin and transformed and reused for amaz ing solutions such as flooring in kids’ outdoor playgrounds! https:// www.terracycle. com/en-AU

2022 also saw the launch for Amscan of their BRAND-NEW animatronics range! Launching for Halloween, the team bought to life the dark creatures of Harry Potter with a 1.65m hanging Dementor, featuring light and sound. Along with Hagrid’s furry friend Aragog who can sit away quietly in the corner and spring to action jumping forward with sound, just from the simple action of getting a little too close!

Hidden in a castle deep in the woods, “Magic mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest one of all?” The Evil Queen was bought to life in two amazing Animatronics, firstly in the form of everyone’s favourite mirror with an illuminated face and talking animation, and secondly a 1.5m tall stand ing Evil Queen as an old hag, featuring light, animation and sound repeating custom recorded dark phrases for Amscan direct from Disney’s studios!

Tim Burton’s Jack Skellington also joined the party in animated door knock er form and also a 1.8m life-size character! Last ly accompanied by truly dark favourites in sitting doll form, Chucky and An nabelle. They may be small in scale but these two pint sized dolls may be the scariest of the lot.

After such an excit ing 2022, the team at Amscan are even more

2023! And speeding his way to the front of the pack for 2023 is Sonic the Hedgehog! Go. Fast. and that is exactly what Sonic is doing, as he joins the club of gaming licenses such as Super Mario and boy are they both zooming out the door.

Get ready to Wiggle because the new Wiggles range is getting ready to launch, as we welcome not only Tsehay the newest yellow wiggle but also Shirley Shawn the Unicorn! There is plenty of fruit salad to be shared on this new amazing range which has almost doubled in size from our previous range, Toot toot the Big Red Car is ready to make some deliveries.

Life is bubbles under the sea, and swimming into the Amscan warehouse middle of the year is our new Little Mermaid Range! Featuring beautiful watercolour pastels and gold accents, this nostalgic range in an Instagram dream. You will never have seen anything more wonderful in your entire life!

The nostalgia continues with a new May Gibbs offering coming later in the year. This wonderfully colourful offering provides great contrast to the current traditional May Gibbs range available, providing options for every lover of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie!

You can never have too much pink and the team at Amscan agree! Barbie is due to hit the big screen in July, and Amscan is excited to launch their brand-new Barbie range later this year. Taking a tradi tional approach to this exciting new range, it will be perfect for not only younger Barbie fans but who doesn’t love a Barbie Hens party. It’s time to live your dream with the ultimate Barbie party in 2023!

For those that prefer trains over dolls, our favourite trains are rolling into the

vourites are sure to be book week favourites for 2023, and not only do you receive a costume but also amazing book week accessories such as library cards and bookmarks! With multiple formats for characters including our sustainable costumes that come in out colour-me-in cardboard packaging, even the packaging is fun for the kids!

station later this year with the new Thomas and Friends: All Engines Go ensemble! This new range features the whole gang including Henry, Toby, Bruno, Edward, Salty, Kana, Gordon and everyone’s favourite little blue engine Thomas!

As we head into book week and Halloween the excitement continues. Roald Dahl costumes are now available including the beloved characters such as Matilda, Charlie and Chocolate Factory and BFG, these storybook fa-

Halloween will be here before we know it, and Amscan is excited to announce they will be launching their Adams Family costumes for this frightful event. Morticia, Gomez, Pugsley and Uncle Fester will all be there to dance dance dance the night away with none other than Wednesday! Available in an array of sizes, the Amscan team is beyond excited to include the Adams Family into their licensed costume portfolio that currently includes the pawsome pups from Paw Patrol, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Rugrats, Spongebob Square Pants, Blue’s Clues, Shimmer and Shine, Dr Seuss, Sesame Street, Trolls, South Park, Cobra Kai, Squid Game, Grease, and the iconic characters from Anchorman, Forrest Gump, Flashdance and Clueless!

Stupefy! What happens when you get a team of Potterheads around the table at Amscan? Coming for Halloween

2023 is a brand-new Harry Potter range. There is a buzz behind this new range that will take Potter Parties to the next level. Including decorations that allow you to transform your space into the halls of Hogwarts, a Marauder’s Map table cover, potion themed cups, goblets and even dark mark tattoos! The owls are dropping the invitations off in your letter box as we speak, so grab your Portkey and head to a Potter Party today.

With so much instore, is there really room for much more? Well, the team at Amscan say there is and still to come is the anticipated extension of the current Bluey range, so grab your chippies and sprinkles because Bluey, Bingo and the gang are ready to party some more in 2023! Trolls 3 is also hitting the big

screen November and Amscan are currently working on not only their best singing voices, but also bringing to life party and costumes for Poppy and her friends. And finally, to wrap up their year of Disney 100, Disney will bring more magic to the screens with Wish, plans are currently under secret lock and key because even miracles take a little time but watch for when the stars align and make a wish as you blow out those birthday candles at the end of the year!

PAW PATROL - A PAW-some 10 years!

Pre-schoolers around the globe have been ‘on a roll’ with PAW Patrol for the last decade as the heroic pups have continued to capture the hearts of kids, parents, licensees, retailers and key partners around the world.

The overall theme of PAW Patrol’s 10th anniversary is ‘One big celebration’ and that’s exactly what we intend to do. Being one of only a handful of pre-school franchises that have managed this incredible milestone, we’re immensely proud of PAW Patrol’s success to date and we’ll continue to build momentum with a full calendar of exciting activity to celebrate. From the franchise’s biggest year of content yet, to huge social media campaigns, retail partnerships and more, we’re ready to put our adorable rescue pups on centre stage this year.

It’s been a true collaboration with Spin Master, the creators of PAW Patrol, Nickelodeon and Paramount resulting in the success of building a global preschool phenomenon. Together, we’ve strategically managed PAW Patrol’s growth across all aspects of the franchise including fresh content, relevant themes, creative assets and innovative marketing, as well as a proactive licensing program and collaborative planning at retail.

PAW Patrol remains the #1 pre-school franchise globally and Down Under, PAW Patrol continues to dominate retail as the #1 pre-school toy property, bolstered by the support of over 40 Australian and New Zealand licensees.

PAW Patrol has a solid fan base with a staggering 90% awareness with Australian children aged two to five (Kidz Global, 2022). It regularly notches up three million monthly YouTube views, is the #1 pay TV kids show with an enormous 48.9% share in kids under five, and coupled with episodes on Nick Jr. and 10 Shake, reached more than two million Australians last year.

In 2023, we’ll see further growth opportunities as the brand enters its second decade and evergreen status. It will be a huge year for the hit pre-school property which includes a second feature film PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie, all-new episodes with more action-packed rescue missions, plus the first-ever spinoff series, Rubble & Crew, centring on fan-favourite pup Rubble. We’re also diving into the year with a new content theme, Aqua Pups, which will premiere with four special episodes around Easter and welcomes Skye’s cousin and new pup, Coral, as well as ‘merpups’.

This commitment to fresh content for PAW Patrol combined with a coordinated and considered growth strategy, proactive marketing, and an exciting calendar of activity hitting key beats throughout the year, will ensure the franchise remains top dog in the eyes of kids and parents as we roll out ‘One big celebration’ for the 10th anniversary.

PAW PATROL: THE MIGHTY MOVIE IN CINEMAS SEPTEMBER 2023

A major moment for the franchise in 2021 that further deepened the engagement and connection with fans, was the launch of PAW Patrol: The Movie, a Spin Master Entertainment production in association with Nickelodeon Movies and Paramount Pictures.

The first theatrical release for the franchise, PAW Patrol: The Movie debuted at #1 across 25 markets and took over $145 million USD worldwide at the box office ($205 million AUD). The pups are set to continue their adventures on the big screen, with a second movie looking to make another mighty impact at the box office.

PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie will see a magical meteor crash land in Adventure City giving the pups superpowers, transforming them into ‘The Mighty Pups’. It’s an action-packed superhero film with animation, characters and a storyline more powerful and enticing than ever before. This sequel is a female-led story centred on the brave and beloved girl pup, Skye. Bringing Skye to the forefront will help fuel the growth of our girls’ consumer products business.

The first PAW Patrol movie was the biggest Nickelodeon synergy campaign in our studio’s history, and we plan to top that for the sequel. Breakthrough creative will be everywhere, including exclusive content, broadcast integrations, and a media campaign that will be mightier than ever!

From a retail perspective, we have some huge movie campaigns launching later this year so watch this space for PAW Patrol to takeover the September school holidays!

Paramount, Nickelodeon and Spin Master are also gearing up for the release of the first ever spin-off series Rubble & Crew, an extension of the core PAW Patrol show focussing on fan-favourite Rubble, with new content scheduled for Australia in late 2023. The new series will focus on a construction theme that is set to engage our younger fans.

LEADER OF THE PACK

The retail strategy in 2023 for PAW Patrol will not only include celebrations around the 10th anniversary and movie sequel, but also maximise seasonal and retail event opportunities, closing gaps and keeping things fresh in market.

When it comes to Australia, PAW Patrol continues to dominate with strong growth across all categories in both boys and girls, including toys, apparel, accessories, publishing, homeware and back to school. And we continue to expand our collaborations with new and innovative partners with the likes of Oodie (sleepwear), Play Pouch (play mats), SMD (consumer electronics), Toy Monster (tablet holder) and Cool Pods (cooler Bags) – all of which have been instrumental in fuelling further awareness, growth and closing retail gaps.

It’s no surprise with its evergreen status that PAW Patrol is also seeing a huge appetite for CPG. Recently, we launched a new cheese snack selection with PRIMO, a range of healthier sausages and meatballs for kids with Flinders + Co and kids’ gummies with BH Fine Foods. Look out for more exciting and new partnerships as we gear up for the movie release in 2023. This year will also see a big focus on seasonal, stationery, health and beauty with expansion planned right across key retailers. Expect to see bold statements in-stores as we take our pups to new heights. Collaborating with our incredible partners has helped build the success of PAW Patrol over the last decade. And there’s still so much more to come in 2023 as we build on this momentum with a year-long celebration of ‘pup culture’ that will continue the currency and cement the longevity of this much-loved brand.

Their signature blend of high-stakes action, humour and brotherhood keeps consumers coming back for life - making it a truly multi-generational franchise with fans of all ages.

In 2023, the Turtles are heading to the big screen to debut a brand-new animated feature film, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, and introduce this franchise to yet another generation. Produced by Nickelodeon Animation and Point Grey Pictures’ Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, the man who brought us Superbad is a superfan of the Ninja Turtles and he has a black belt in telling coming-of-age stories in ways that resonate across generations.

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: MUTANT MAYHEM IN CINEMAS SEPTEMBER 2023.

Fans are already excited. Through a massive global theatrical marketing campaign, partnerships and promotions, this fearless foursome is back and better than ever!

We’re taking this lean, green, mean franchise to incredible new heights at retail. Playmates return as our master toy partner with an extensive range targeting adult collectors and kids aged 6+. Additionally, the ANZ licensing program for the movie will consist of best-in-class partners in over a dozen categories.

And fans of our heroes in a half shell can look forward to an actionpacked year full of surprises in 2024, as we celebrate 40 years of this iconic franchise. Cue some major global fashion collaborations, brand partnerships and activations. It’s going to be a total turtle takeover in 2024 as we boost our retail presence across every age, every aisle, everywhere.

SPONGEBOB BRINGS FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY.

“Smart enough for adults, weird enough for kids: SpongeBob is TV perfection” – The Guardian.

SpongeBob SquarePants is synonymous with eternal optimism and wide-eyed innocence and that’s why this beloved franchise translates into diverse and fun products across the globe for all age-groups, including the young and young at heart.

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES. TOTAL TURTLE MAY-HEM.

For nearly 40 years, kids have been captivated by the butt-kicking, pizza-loving top-secret superdudes known as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

In 2023, we’re ramping up our activity as we prepare for the 25th anniversary of SpongeBob SquarePants next year in 2024. As part of our year-long celebration, we’ll be rolling out a slate of fresh content, including a series of feature-length films, new TV seasons and so much more!

Locally, SpongeBob SquarePants is a fan-favourite animated show available to watch on demand on 10 Play, continues to air weekly on Nickelodeon and 10 Shake, and is of course an anchor franchise on Paramount+. On the ground, expect to see scaled marketing and PR activations as we hit key beats and pulse points throughout the year, giving fans the ultimate Bikini Bottom experience.

We’ll also be celebrating SpongeBob SquarePants’ anniversary across multi-tiered retail partnerships and campaigns, aligned to key moments in the consumer products calendar with a focus on the ‘whole family’. With over 250 style guides, from core branding to seasonal opportunities, there’s something to appeal to every fan as we focus on expanding our product offering in-store across apparel, accessories, home, health and beauty.

And fans just can’t get enough of everyone’s favourite sea sponge.

A SEA CHANGE TO TACKLE OCEAN PLASTIC POLLUTION

Ocean conservation and education has always been at the heart of SpongeBob SquarePants. In our bid to reduce ocean plastic pollution, we recently launched SpongeBob SquarePants: Operation Sea Change . This multi-year global initiative will help turn the tide by funding global clean-up work, promoting sustainable products and educating millions of fans on how they can help protect the undersea home of all creatures – whether they’re a silly sea star or an optimistic yellow sponge. In Australia, we’ll continue to align with ocean conservation efforts with our Junior Citizens of the Reef program. Initially launched on World Oceans Day in 2019, the program promotes reef and ocean awareness to kids around the world through a series of marketing and influencer activity. Kids are encouraged to pledge their support by becoming a ‘junior citizen’ and taught simple everyday actions they can do to help protect the reef.

Aligning with our goal to make a difference, we’ll make a commocean in the retail space with new products that feature reduced single-use plastic and partnerships, across multiple categories including plush, secondary toys, fashion and accessories.

There’ll be a wumbo of marketing, activations and brand partnerships and it starts with a splash, but we need your help to turn the tide!

GARFIELD HAPPY 45TH PURR-THDAY!

The global awareness and popularity of Garfield continues to unlock fresh opportunities and propel this loveable, funny and unapologetic cat

to new heights and popularity.

This year, the most iconic cat in the business is celebrating its 45th anniversary. His unique ‘cattitude’ and ‘stress-less’ lifestyle has made him a beloved character for fans of all ages. Paramount is planning a huge celebration to kick off anniversary celebrations including a social media campaign, exciting new global fashion collaborations, and new limited-edition collectibles and products.

The cheeky and irreverent humour of Garfield, combined with his cute and cuddly nature makes him the purr-fect IP to deliver carefree, comfortable and body positive fashion style that spans genders and generations. In Australia, Garfield’s appeal has hugely resonated in categories across apparel, sleep, accessories and seasonal, with the successful launch of multiple retail programs across diverse demographics. In 2023, we will continue to grow our footprint into new categories like stationery, gifting and CPG to help fans around the world embrace their favourite feline.

Beyond 2023, is an all-new adventure for Garfield with all new content, same beloved cat – it’s time to settle into the couch beside our ginger feline friend and immerse yourself in the world of Garfield

EMILY IN PARIS

From the moment it debuted, Emily has taken not only Paris, but the world by storm. Produced by MTV Entertainment Studios, this romantic comedy has become a global smash hit on Netflix and a fashionable brand. Season 3 of Emily In Paris launched December 2022 and quickly became the most popular show on Netflix in Australia and was the #2 Netflix TV show (English) globally. Season 3 was up 60% in viewership compared to the prior season. And it doesn’t stop there… season 4 has been greenlit! We know Emily is a viral sensation and an instant fashion icon. When the season first launched, her wardrobe and accessories drove massive online search traffic making an Emily In Paris consumer products program a sure bet.

Globally we’ve already launched several successful programs with high-profile brand and retail partners including global collaborations with Starbucks, My Beachy Side and Malone Souliers, to name just a few with more in the pipeline.

It’s going to be another big year in 2023 with retail activations, influencer partnerships and new product launches confirmed. So, let’s raise a toast to more glam and talk with us about an Emily In Paris consumer products opportunity!

YELLOWSTONE

Yellowstone is a Paramount series that has stampeded its way into one of the top global entertainment favourites. Unless you’ve been sleeping under a cowboy hat, you will have no doubt heard of the global smash hit series Yellowstone . In the US, it’s our fastest growing CP franchise and is also one of the most in-demand series in Australia since the Season 4 release!

Following its success, the franchise has expanded with spin-off origin stories 1883 and 1923 that has continued to secure new fans and deepen the audience engagement with this captivating retelling of America’s Western expansion. Both titles have consistently been in the top 10 most streamed shows since their release on Paramount+. Our consumer products program translates the appeal of Yellowstone’s rugged western aesthetic into a lifestyle brand for its growing legion of fans. Locally in Australia, there is high affinity and product interest for Yellowstone . In 2023, we’re planning to launch a raft of partnerships that bring Yellowstone to life across multiple retail channels.

PARAMOUNT PICTURES

With over 100 years of iconic movie making, Paramount Pictures has produced some of the most popular and beloved films of all time.

Top Gun: Maverick earned over $1.4 billion USD at the box office globally and locally soared close to $93 million AUD making it the highest grossing movie of 2022 in Australia. It has also just passed Titanic to become the highest grossing film domestically in the studio’s history. To fuel the

franchise and take it to new heights, we’ll be focusing on activations at key seasonal moments such as Father’s Day and Christmas gifting. This year Grease is the word as we celebrate its 45th anniversary. Expect to see beauty inspired takeovers and scaled global influencer campaigns as well gifting partnerships. And in April 2023, Paramount+ will be launching a brand-new original series called Grease: Rise Of The Pink Ladies. This series takes place before the original movie and follows four outcasts who dare to have fun on their own terms, sparking a moral dilemma that will change Rydell High forever.

With a library of thousands of titles at Paramount Pictures, including current favourites like Mission Impossible and classics such as Mean Girls and The Godfather, to name just a few, our nostalgia business is booming with iconic content from the 80s, 90s and early 2000s. So reach out to us and find your next retail opportunity.

STAR TREK UNIVERSE AND PRODIGY

Star TrekTM now has a dedicated home in Australia on Paramount+ with all the iconic original content in one place for fans as well as five brand new series Star TrekTM is an extremely well-established title with Australian audiences aged 13 to 64 and the show consistently features in the top 10 shows on Paramount+. Each new series will be supported by heavyweight marketing ensuring existing fans and new audiences are ready to board the starship Enterprise and travel into space, the final frontier on Paramount+.

But Star TrekTM is not just for adults and in 2022, we launched our first ever kids’ spin-off show, Star Trek: ProdigyTM which provides the perfect entry point into the Star TrekTM universe. Season 2 of Star Trek: ProdigyTM will be coming to Paramount+ and Nickelodeon offering new consumer products opportunities for youth target markets.

We can’t wait to expand the global powerhouse brand of Star TrekTM into all ages and leverage exciting new consumer products opportunities with our partners.

Miffy ’s Global Explorations

Miffy’s creator Dick Bruna was born on the 23rd of August in 1927 ‘Year of the Rabbit’ which, in hindsight, was a curious coincidence. From humble beginnings dating back to 1955 his bookbased bunny miffy has evolved into the icon we know today.

Friendship, curiosity, uncomplicated fun and focus on essence are the cornerstones of Miffy’s world and continue to resonate with people from all ages and walks of life.

Colour your world with Miffy does not only refer to the colour palette used in Miffy’s original books but is a much more inclusive call to embrace the colour of the world in a broader sense.

Miffy’s world is about the uniqueness of each and every individual and leaving room for the imagination. The element of surprise and differences are embraced without compromising on quality whilst still making it accessible to all.

Australia and New Zealand have embraced Dick Bruna’s work since the 70s and continue to support the program through long-term media, publishing and licensing partnerships.

form. Bringing these ideas to audiences and to instil a love of art, as Bruna did over his lifetime, was done in collaboration with seven contemporary Australian artists.

Both long-term partners The Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Children’s publisher Hardy Grant continue to broadcast the television series and re-issue new book formats in combination with Dick Bruna’s original square book titles respectively.

Categories like plush, gifting and lifestyle are firmly established through collaborations with Jasnor and Rhino Rhino with extensions into other categories like gifting and flowers with Interflora Australia.

The recent partnership with Erstwilder has seen the creation of a collection of wearable art for anyone with a leaning towards nostalgia, adventure, and the innocence of their youth which nicely compliments the Miffy X Sarsparilly collection. This retro style collection is an expression and call to “Wear Your True Colours” which aligns with Miffy’s overarching colour your world theme.

Cotton On has launched a special Year of the Rabbit capsule collection available in multiple territories and supported by a dedicated social media campaign.

The global brand collaborations with Tommy Hilfiger and Mulberry are also leaving a big footprint through their physical and online stores where the Miffy limited edition collections have been made available.

Miffy was ‘born’ on 21 June 1955, when Dutch artist Dick Bruna first drew the character to entertain his young son whilst on a rainy seaside holiday in Holland.The series of picture books which followed used simple illustrations and rhyming text to explore the universal experiences of childhood, immediately

With some delay due to COVID, the first major Miffy exhibition recently visited Brisbane’s QUT Art Museum and Melbourne’s Bunjil Place Gallery. It evolved around concepts that Bruna and other artists have grappled with over the ages, including colour, line and

DTR partnerships are an indispensable part of Mericis’ efforts to share Miffy with as many people as possible and their collaborations with Peter Alexander and Cotton On have over the last few years seen multiple launches of well-coordinated male, female, baby, toddler, kids and adult Miffy collections. Not only do these collections perform well in their home territory but they also resonate greatly in Asia and Southern-Africa.

earning Bruna international critical acclaim as an author and artist.

68 years later, the Miffy books have sold more than 85 million copies, and are currently published in more than 50 languages. Merchandise is available across five continents and highly integrated business units in the fields of publishing, media and licensing support Miffy’s global explorations.

For more information about Dick Bruna’s life and work, visit www.miffy.com or contact info@mercis.nl

For the Australian and New Zealand Miffy licensing program please contact vincent.Jones@centaip.com

SPOTLIGHT ON CENTA IP

Florence Broadhurst is being brought back to life by Signature Design Archive.

Risk-taker par excellence, style maven extraordinaire, Florence Broadhurst’s most exhilarating legacy is a design archive making waves around the world today. Born in 1899 in Australia’s Queensland, the light went out on Florence Broadhurst designs in 1977 when she was tragically murdered in her studio. But this is where her legend begins.

Charismatically fearless from the word go, Florence Broadhurst (pictured) spent the roaring Twenties singing across the Far East’s colonial reaches and ran The Broadhurst Academy, a school of performing arts in Shanghai from 1926–27. In London in the 1930’s she became “Madame Pellier” a French couturier proud to dress the rich and famous. She moved back to Australia in 1959 as an aristocratic English lady; an entrepreneur, society figurehead and landscape painter. With every incarnation Florence became somebody new – new hair color, new accent, new history... even, on occasion, a new name. At the age of 60 she did it again, launching in Sydney her defining venture – an internationally-successful, luxury, hand-print wallpaper business. She announced she would “colour Australia” and in so doing she re-drew the world.

Years ahead of her time, Florence Broadhurst created hundreds of hand screen printed wallpapers and textiles.

Her archive grew to over 530 images ranging from tapestries to geometrics, florals, psychedelic and eccentric chinoiserie.

After her untimely death in 1977 and the decline in popularity of wallpaper in the 1980s, Florence Broadhurst prints had all but disappeared. Today, however, they are experiencing a resurgence in popularity thanks to the passion of Signature Design Archive, and she is stepping back on to the international stage with designs that speak to innovators in every field. Designs are licensed across a range of categories including wallpaper, homewares, limited edition art, soft furnishings, Manchester, toiletries, gifts, stationery, luggage, apparel and accessories, key collaborations include Kate Spade NY, Qantas and David Jones department stores.

Gail Mitchell, CEO of Signature Design Archive says “Behind each image is the woman herself, an endlessly restless spirit. Her eye was exquisite, her appeal fascinating, and her approach at times very naughty indeed. A revolutionary in design and business in her own lifetime and beyond, Florence is a role model for women whose inimitable work continues to inspire the world today. She is a life, an enigma, a legend and a legacy, but the story is not over yet.”

Based on characters derived from the Chinese hit series GG BOND, the 104 x 11-minute series of Kung Fu Pork Choppers introduces the team of interstellar super-swines of the Universal Hero League.

“This is a very PIG deal”, says Al Kahn, Founder and CEO of Crane Kahn. “We completely redid the series to build a show and a universal brand with global appeal aimed at boys 4-8. The mix of martial arts and out-of-the-world gimmicks and gadgets mirror a proven play pattern to create a world that kids will

relish and have lucky licensees laughing all the way to the piggy bank”.

Kung Fu Pork Choppers is building an extensive licensing and merchandising programme with all rights being handled by Centa IP.

Gail Mitchell, CEO at Centa IP said “Everyone we show this to just gets it! This is the ultimate comedy adventure and we’re sure kids will love it!”

Jetpack Distribution, has acquired the rights for two seasons of the CGI

animated comedy-action-adventure series (104 x 11-minute episodes) targeted at four to eight year olds. Jetpack began presenting the property at the recent Kidscreen and have already had interest in the series from TV partners worldwide.

The first three seasons of Kung Fu Pork Choppers, produced by Chinabased Winsing in collaboration with CraneKahn LLC, is currently airing on more than 100 channels in China, including CCTV and Kaku, where it’s the number one kids show with an audience of 700 million views across all online platforms. Winsing, the Chinese commissioning platform, has committed to at least 300 episodes, which will see multiple seasons of the hit series produced.

Centa IP are currently in negotiations for global licenses including master toy and publishing.

For more information on Florence Broadhurst or Kung Fu Pork Choppers, please contact Gail Mitchell at Centa IP, gail.mitchell@centaip.com

Photographs courtesy of Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales

Florence Broadhurst and the ‘Rectangular Lockup Logo’ are trademarks or registered trademarks of Signature Design Archive Pty Ltd.

© 2022 Florence Broadhurst. All rights reserved.

Victoria Bitter partners with Tradie to bring VB to the work site

Introducing a 13-piece workwear range to reward hard working Aussies!

Victoria Bitter in partnership with Tradie has launched a new workwear line designed to celebrate the return to the worksite in 2023 and reward those getting the job done.  The collaboration between two brands beloved by Aussies has delivered a 13-piece tradie range including t-shirts, hoodies, jocks and the unmissable Ripstop pants and shorts. No longer restricted to tools down, hardworking Australians can now show off their love for VB onsite from sunrise right through to knock-off. The range launched in January in Big W and Mitre 10 stores, marking the first-time the hardware store has teamed up with a national beer brand.  VB Marketing Manager, Marc Lord said, “VB’s foray into workwear is a natural fit for the brand which, for generations, has been intrinsically linked to rewarding hard-working tradies in Australia.

“The partnership has been seamless from conception through to production, and we can’t wait to catch-up with our mates at Tradie and toast the new workwear partnership with a hard-earned beer.”

Tradie Chief Executive Officer, Ben Goodfellow said, “It’s been exciting working on one of the ‘Aussiest’ collabs ever to bring Tradie tough workwear to VB’s famed consumer base.  “Light weight and made with Ripstop technology, the workwear pants can handle anything you throw at it making it certain to be a favourite onsite for years to come.”

The VB x TRADIE workwear range is available in-store, starting at just $17.00, and includes the perfect fit for any tradie looking to freshen up their wardrobe for the return to work this summer.

This latest collaboration from Victoria Bitter  follows successful pairings with Volley, Rolla’s, Mr Simple, Budgy Smuggler and Culture Kings in recent years. However, VB’s resurgence through brand extensions has not been limited to youth fashion. ‘VB Thirst’ launched via Chemist Warehouse in 2020 was the fastest selling fragrance in Australian history and led to the release of ‘VB For Men’ last year, a comprehensive men’s grooming

range perfect for the hard-working Aussie male.

Carlton & United Breweries is a proud part of the Asahi Beverages family. Carlton & United Breweries brews Australia’s most iconic and loved beers, including Victoria Bitter, Carl-

ton Draught, Great Northern, Pure Blonde, Carlton Dry, Melbourne Bitter, Crown Lager, Cascade Premium Light and Matilda Bay.

The stable of brands includes global premium brands such as Corona, Budweiser, and Hoegaarden along with their most recent additions: leading craft brands 4 Pines, Pirate Life and Balter. They are also leaders in innovation, with their diverse range including the non-alcoholic Carlton Zero, aluminium-only wine company Riot Wine Co. and Lexington Hill Cocktail Club. The company can trace their origins to the mid-nineteenth century when they first brewed Victoria Bitter and even earlier to the Cascade Brewery, which was established in 1824 and commenced brewing in Tasmania in 1832.

They employ more than 1,700 people at their six Australian breweries and various offices around Australia.

FIVE YEARS OF BLUEY A Preschool Prodigy

Pre-schoolers achieve some pretty major milestones in their first five years; they taste their first food, say their first word, learn to crawl, walk, swim, dance, ride a bike - all before their first day of school. Australia’s most beloved preschool show, meanwhile, has achieved some impressive milestones of its own…

pre-schooler — is a phenomenon that Australians can be immensely proud of. With so many achievements already in the bag, 2023 is set to be another year of success and celebration.”

And it may only be March but already BBC Studios Kids and Family, Bluey’s co-commissioner and global distributor, has announced a number of new activities.

Following on from the insane success of the first Bluey album – which landed at number 1 in both the Australian ARIA chart and the Billboard’s US Kid Albums chart – the Bluey: Dance Mode album will be released on April 21 on CD, orange vinyl and streaming services. The first single from the new album, also titled ‘Dance Mode’, is out now with more highlights on the upcoming album to include The BeeeeeOOP Walk, Rain (Boldly in the Pretend) and Cat Squad

Crazy Golf and even a Cricket set in the launch collection. And there’s more to come from Moose this year, including new playsets, figurines and more inspired by the world of Bluey, including episodes such as ‘The Beach’, ‘Hammerbarn’ and ‘Escape’. New playsets will be released in the second half of the year.

In the five short years since launching on ABC Kids in 2018, Bluey has won an International Emmy, two Logies, an ARIA and a BAFTA, spawned over 1000 different products and a live stage show, was the USA’s 8th most streamed show overall in 2022, and even appeared as a 16-metre high balloon in New York’s annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade - watched by over 50 million.

Kate O’Connor is Australia’s Head of Licensing and Brands at BBC Studios, which heads up Bluey’s commercial activities, and says: “There’s no doubt that Bluey — just like a plucky little

Due to significant demand, Arnott’s once again partnered with BBC Studios to bring new larger share packs to snack aisles throughout Austral-

Meanwhile, overseas, Bluey has recently inked deals with TOMY and 8th Wonder, and Bluey’s Big Play The Stage Show’s 150+ venue US tour is now in full swing, following its debut at Madison Square Garden in November. With more episodes of Series 3 coming this year, plus multiple exciting collaborations with iconic Australian and global brands to be announced soon, Bluey’s fifth year is sure to be one to celebrate!

ia– so there are even more Bluey biscuits to go around. The new share packs are a larger 150g pack, perfect for sharing, and join the current individual multipack range (consisting of eight individual packets), that were so popular, they almost sold out when they launched in 2022. Jasnor recently launched a collection of 17 Bluey wooden toys and games in Australia, including an array of food playsets; traditional games such as Dominoes, Skittles and Charades; and outdoor toys like a Skipping Rope,

FRED AND GRAZZA GO BANANAS!

The Fred & Grazza Go Bananas Live Show launching at the Australian Toy, Hobby and Licensing Fair is a 45 minute performance featuring Fred Gaffney, Australia’s legendary Licensing Agent and Grahame Grassby, the ABC’s former Head of International Licensing, recounting a collection of stories that happened along their way selling one of Australia’s most loved

and iconic TV shows, Bananas in Pyjamas.

Which American president has a Bananas in Pyjamas tie? Did B1 & B2 really get held hostage and put up for ransom in Moscow? Why were the Bananas told to move on by the police in London? These questions and a lot more will be answered as Fred and Grazza go bananas!

BIG YEAR FOR UNIVERSAL

Universal Products & Experiences is gearing up for a big year with massive film releases on the horizon. Illumination’s highly anticipated The Super Mario Bros. Movie will kick off the year on 6 April, the next chapter in the Fast & Furious saga – Fast X – will race into theatres 18 May and finally, DreamWorks Animation’s Trolls 3 will wrap up the year with a glitter-filled musical celebration on 30 November. Key toy partners will bring each release to life, including Jakks Pacific for The Super Mario Bros Movie; Mattel, JADA and LEGO for Fast; and Mattel and Moose for Trolls 3.

IMOGEN JOY’S DREAM JOB!

Artist Imogen Joy represented by UK agency Creative Sparrow has enjoyed some wonderful collaborations with top Australian brands in 2022. Imogen, originally from the UK, is based in Sydney, has a style which is imaginative, with a strong sense of story-telling. Imogen collaborated with top Australian Author Louise Park on her Grace series published by Berbay Publishing, a best-selling middle grade fiction series. Imogen has illustrated for Grace’s Escape and Grace’s Secrets to date and looks forward to an ongoing relationship with Louise and Berbay.

Imogen has also created a collection of greetings cards for quirky Australian brand La La Land, a home-grown greetings, stationery and gift brand whose colourful collaborations with artists have taken the market by storm.

The dream job came from Australia Post with a Christmas collectible stamp set collaboration designed exclusively for Christmas Island and sold throughout the territory. The collection shows Santa’s arrival at Christmas Island airport, a chief point of arrival for those entering the Indian Ocean locale.

Commenting on the collaboration Imogen said: ‘I couldn’t believe it earlier when I was approached by the wonderful design team at Australia Post to illustrate a special edition of Christmas stamps based on the beautiful flora and fauna of Christmas Island. It was a dream job and such a treat to see my illustrations on the shelves of outlets across the territory. This illustration journey is so diverse and rich and I’m glad that I’ve never given up on my dream along the way.’

Imogen and Creative Sparrow are excited to announce some further license collaborations in the coming months and look forward to growing Imogen’s profile across the region.

Powerhouse franchises will continue to deliver exciting new content. DreamWorks’ Gabby’s Dollhouse, which has consistently achieved a #1 kids TV show ranking for past seasons, will have three new season drops on Netflix. Master toy partner, Spin Master, will deliver three new major SKUs including Gabby Girl’s Purr-ific Pool Playset, Gabby Cat Friend Ship and an Advent Calendar. Caprice will continue to release new trend driven lifestyle ranges, Scholastic has expanded their publishing range, and new categories launch this year.

Universal will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the iconic film, Jurassic Park – from Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment – with major toy partners, Mattel, LEGO and Toy Monster releasing anniversary SKUs. 2024 shows no signs of stopping for Universal. Following the success of The Dragon King series on Netflix, everyone’s favourite panda Po will head back to the big screen with DreamWorks’ Kung Fu Panda 4. Fans will also be excited to welcome another addition to the highest-grossing animated film franchise with Illumination’s Despicable Me 4. Universal Pictures will also release Wicked during the Christmas season.

Boat Rocker’s Dino Ranch roars around the world

‘Dino Ranch’, the smash hit preschool animation from independent, integrated global entertainment company Boat Rocker, continues to broaden its global footprint with a growing herd of international licensing partnerships. A fresh and unique mix of sure-fire kids’ favourites – cowboys and dinosaurs – which follows the thrilling adventures of the Cassidy family down on the ranch, ‘Dino Ranch’ became an instant ratings hit upon launch in January 2021 on Disney Junior and CBC Canada.

It has since roared around the world and has been sold to over 170 countries and in 15+ languages. The show was recently renewed for a third season, launching in 2024.

Continuing to create exciting new ways for young Rancheroos around the world to saddle up and engage with the ‘Dino Ranch’ brand, Boat Rocker has signed a global gaming deal with Microids for the first ever ‘Dino Ranch’ video game. Now bud-

ding young ranchers can explore the colourful and thrilling world of ‘Dino Ranch’ both digitally and on consoles as they extend their love of the show by experiencing life on the ranch and interacting with the characters.

The new global partnership with Microids, a leading French video game developer and publisher based in Paris, was agreed by Boat Rocker in collaboration with Gulli/Super RTL. It will see a new action-packed video game roll out worldwide from Q4 2023. ‘Dino Ranch’ console video games will be accessible physically across multiple retail accounts, in addition to being available to download for Nintendo Switch, Sony Playstation and Microsoft Xbox platforms.

The latest deals for the rapidly growing franchise see it reach further into EMEA & ANZ, where Boat Rocker is working with best-in-class licensing agents including Super RTL, Plus License and Haven. A cluster of new licensees have been secured in the ter-

ritories which expand the number of categories and products available for the brand.

New products to engage young Dino Ranchers include stuffed toys for amusement parks and attractions (EMEA, Australia); apparel and home textiles (Nordics, Germany); publishing (Nordics, Poland); and lunchware (Germany).

Leading Plush supplier PMS will be launching a range of amusement plush products in EMEA in 2023, while Hunter will launch carnival show bags in Australia. In the Nordics, rancheroos can kit themselves out with an apparel and home textile line from Danish licensee Skybrands and immerse themselves in stories from leading publishers Egmont

Rancheroos in Germany can look forward to wearing branded apparel from Tex-Ass, getting tucked up to sleep in bedding from Klaus Herding and dining from p:os lunchware.

Location-based entertainment, or LBE, is a growing industry, and it is easy to see why. After all, who doesn’t want to trade reality for immersion in a world vastly more exciting than dayto-day life? Advances in technology, in particular, 5G networks and VR/AR, are expected to make these experiences even more mind-blowing in the coming years. To be sure, COVID-19 slowed this trend, since safety restrictions forced many LBE venues to close or limit their capacity. However, some businesses have risen like a phoenix from the ashes by adapting so as to offer virtual experiences or outdoor attractions that can be enjoyed safely. A Research and Markets report valued the global location-based entertainment market at a whopping $46.8 billion in 2020 and projected that this market will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.6% from 2021 to 2028. The Middle Eastern region has embraced the LBE trend enthusiastically, attracting significant

OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES

investments from various companies seeking to capitalize on its vast potential. Industry experts predict that the Middle Eastern and African market will expand from US$ 44.40 million in 2022 to US$ 68.95 million by 2028 for a CAGR of 7.6% during the 2022-2028 period.Various factors account for the increasing popularity of LBE, including rising levels of disposable income levels among consumers in the region and a growing number of tech-savvy young people eager for novel and exciting experiences. Tourists to the region tend to visit Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates and Riyadh in Saudi

Arabia. Accordingly, in February 2020, Saudi Entertainment Ventures (SEVEN) decided to contribute to Saudi Vision 2030, a public investment fund involved in the development of several entertainment destinations in Riyadh. In the UAE, several world-class LBEs testify to the thriving business landscape. Dubai’s IMG Worlds of Adventure, a state-of-the-art indoor amusement park, features four exquisitely themed zones, including Marvel, Cartoon Network, IMG Boulevard, and the Lost Valley. Dubai Resorts and Parks, another noteworthy entertainment complex, features a plethora of themed attractions, such as Motion-

In his latest column, Amer Bitar, head of Markettcom in Dubai gives our readers an overview of the Middle East and North Africam LBE market.

gate, Bollywood, Legoland, Legoland Water Park, and Riverland Parks, in addition to luxurious hotels and resorts such as Lapita Hotel and Legoland Hotel, which offers Lego-themed rooms and activities for children. Likewise, Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi offers an exciting array of rides and attractions based on iconic DC Comics characters, such as Cartoon Junction, Gotham City, and Metropolis; Ferrari World Abu Dhabi boasts the world’s fastest roller coaster; and Yas Waterworld features the largest surfable sheet wave anywhere, which attracts thrill-seekers from all over the world. The increasing LBE development in Saudi Arabia includes several remarkable projects in progress.

Qiddiya Entertainment City, near Riyadh, is an ambitious venture designed as a premier entertainment and leisure destination complete with theme parks, sports facilities, and cultural at-

tractions. Additionally, Six Flags Theme Park has committed to the development of a theme park within the city.

NEOM, the cutting-edge city being built in northwestern Saudi Arabia, boasts modern infrastructure and a broad range of LBE facilities, including a giant artificial moon and a Jurassic Park-style attraction.

The Red Sea Project, a luxurious tourism development on that coast, features high-end resorts, hotels, and a plethora of entertainment and leisure facilities, such as golf courses, spas, and water parks.

The entertainment industry in Qatar has also undergone tremendous growth in recent years thanks to the country’s position as another top tourist destination and its burgeoning population.

The surge in demand for both indoor and outdoor entertainment venues has inspired numerous world-class

attractions, including the highly acclaimed Angry Birds World theme park in the iconic Doha Festival City. Furthermore, for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which attracted millions of visitors, Qatar invested significantly in cutting-edge entertainment experiences that cater to the diverse tastes and preferences of locals and tourists alike.

This trend is expected to continue as entrepreneurs and investors looking to tap into the booming entertainment market in Qatar create exciting business opportunities.

Furthermore, Egypt is also embarking on exciting LBE projects that blend ancient history with modern amenities to deliver a unique experience to visitors. Noteworthy examples include the Mall of Egypt and the Grand Egyptian Museum, which is expected to be the largest archaeological museum in the world.

The LBE industry in the Middle East, then, is experiencing significant growth driven by favorable economic and demographic factors.

As a new generation of digital natives seeks fun and interactive experiences, the market is becoming increasingly attractive to operators in the LBE sector.

At the same time, challenges remain, including a limited market, cultural sensitivities, insufficient infrastructure, and high operating costs. Countries such as the UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia have invested heavily in infrastructure, but operators still need to consider carefully the costs and potential barriers to entry into this emerging market. Overall, though, for those committed to careful planning and investment, the Middle East has the potential to become a major player in this sector of the global entertainment industry.

In sum, this is an exciting moment in the development of the LBE industry in the Middle East.

With growing demand and ever more players entering the market, the region has the potential to become a major global destination. Going forward, by facing the challenges described here, the industry can realize its full potential.

About the Author Markettcom was cocreated in 2021, by Amer Bitar, prior to which he headed up the licensing business at WWE Middle East for 6 years and Ammar Jabri, an entrepreneur who created a successful premium and promotion business called Jabs Trading that becomes a leader in the promotions industry in the region. Markettcom is a Dubai-based licensing agency with offices and partners in the entire MENA region, specializing in representing intellectual property’s rights in the Middle East North Africa. For information, contact: amer.bitar@markettcom. com

Dubai: The Licensing Horizons Conference, co-organized by the BrandTrends Group and Markettcom, made history as the first event of its kind in the Middle East and Africa region on March 17th, 2023, in Dubai. The conference offered valuable insights and strategies to succeed in the rapidly growing licensing industry in the region.

The conference was opened by Maura Regan, President of Licensing International, via a recorded video, who expressed her strong belief in the development of licensing in MENA and wished the conference success.

Top industry experts led engaging discussions and informative presentations, providing attendees with unique and valuable insights.

A diverse range of professionals from the licensing industry attended the conference, with strong engagement from each attendee. This event pro-

vided a rare opportunity for professionals to network with peers, share knowledge, and learn from industry experts.

Rani Rikabi Sukkari, Director of Marketing at MBC Group, was a panelist at the event and emphasized the importance of collaboration and networking in the industry. He also highlighted the opportunity to connect with fellow professionals at the conference and exchange valuable insights.

Rami Selo, COO of Sedar Global, was among the attendees and shared his excitement about the stimulating discussions and inspiring presentations. He spoke about the conference’s ability to motivate him to explore new opportunities for growth and success for the company. The conference provided an excellent platform for industry leaders to exchange ideas and drive innovation.

Philippe Guinaudeau, CEO of the

BrandTrends Group, commented, “Licensing Horizons was a groundbreaking event for the region, and we are thrilled with its success. The Middle East and Africa region is a rapidly growing market for licensing, and the knowledge and strategies shared at this conference will undoubtedly help attendees succeed in this dynamic market.”

Amer Bitar, CEO of Markettcom, added, “Events like Licensing Horizons are critical for professionals to stay up-todate with the latest trends and strategies in the constantly evolving licensing industry. We are proud to have coorganized this event and look forward to hosting more events in the future.”

The Licensing Horizons conference marked a significant milestone in the licensing industry in the Middle East and Africa region, and the organizers are excited to continue hosting events that will drive innovation and success in the industry.

Industry experts share valuable insights and strategies for success, paving the way for success in MENA’s rapidly growing industry

Spacetoon celebrating its 23rd Anniversary with a mountain of achievements

Along with millions of fans, partners, and its team of course, Spacetoon celebrated 23 years of broadcasting in MENA on the 15th of March.

Spacetoon, which has enjoyed a mountain of achievements in 2022, continues to expand its reach in the region by planting seeds in new industries and launching new projects, covering a variety of entertainment areas and fulfilling new market needs.

Spacetoon experienced a remarkable growth rate in 2022. Having operated in MENA since 2000, Spacetoon was the first choice for kids, adults and families alike in 2022, who had access to the most-watched animation and anime content, from top international

Spacetoon understands that “Content is King”, but also that its audience has different watching habits, especially those who enjoy binge-watching their content on their Smart TV anytime they want. Spacetoon Go, which won the Seamless Awards as the best innovative solution in MENA, provides its users and subscribers with the option to rent or buy certain content using its well-designed TVOD feature. This combination of features and carefully selected content helped Spacetoon

Go to have a spike in viewership last year.

Despite the popularity of licensed content on Spacetoon Go and Spacetoon TV, the original content produced by Spacetoon is gaining more popularity in the region. Spacetoon fulfilled the market’s need for local content by creating animated and live production content.

In the last two years Spacetoon has produced Moshaya Family Animation,

studios and companies such as Moonbug Entertainment, STUDIOCANAL, IMPS, Toei Animation, Silvergate Media, Guru Studio, and many more, all is delivered in Arabic dubbing through its online streaming service and TV channel.

an animation based on Mohammed Moshaya’s and his kids’ stories, who are the top content creators in Saudi Arabia, with more than 22 million subscribers on YouTube alone. The animation show, which was nominated for three awards in MENA, got two seasons, and accumulated over 650 million impressions in its first season, paving the way for a second season.

In addition to Moshaya Family Animation, Spacetoon has produced many valuable short films and commercialbased animation shows in collaboration with international and regional NGOs and organizations such as World Health Organization, and local industry-leaders in Saudi Arabia.

Besides animation production, Spacetoon reached a new niche audience through its TV channel and VoD streaming service by producing a new gaming show. Game On is, a 20-minute, live production show featuring top gamers in the region with exclu-

sive coverage and reviews. The show made a significant success and received an endorsement from top news gaming websites.

Likewise, Spacetoon offered moviegoers a variety of experiences by bringing in top anime and animation films, with different subtitle and dubbing options, matching all preferences and successfully climbing the box office.

On the other hand, Spacetoon successfully launched 30 themed events and three big festivals in several cities in the region in 2022, bringing entirely new concepts of edutainment to the area. Through these festivals and events, Spacetoon delivered a level of work that exceeded all expectations and imaginations, leaving both visitors and partners stunned.

It was also a successful year for Spacetoon Licensing team as they signed many deals with international licensors and regional clients and distributors, building a strong bridge to ultimately bring benefits to customers in the region.

This resulted in Spacetoon Licensing adding Blippi, CoComelon, Dragon Ball Super, and Bluey to its portfolio. With its long expertise in licensing industry

in MENA and strong network, Spacetoon were able to provide creative solutions to boost the popularity of these brands and increase their visibility in stores and top entertainment festivals in the region.

Mattel to Launch Owned Publishing Imprint in 2024

Mattel, Inc. plans to launch a Mattel publishing imprint, the company’s own publishing platform centered on its extensive catalog of children’s and family entertainment franchises. Mattel’s imprint is expected to launch in the United States and Canada in 2024 and will complement content, support brand initiatives, and create new stories based on iconic Mattel franchises including Barbie, Hot Wheels, Fisher-Price, Thomas & Friends, Monster High, Polly Pocket, Barney, and more. Releases will include print books, audio books, eBooks, as well as digital content on Caribu, Mattel’s direct-to-consumer entertainment platform with a video calling feature that allows users to

read books, watch videos, draw, and play games or engage in an interactive video call with friends and loved ones. Titles from Mattel’s imprint will complement programs from its best-in-class licensing partners with formats to include board books, storybooks, leveled readers, middlegrade titles, activity titles, guidebooks, and more.

Publishing is core to Mattel’s strategy and a key component of the company’s franchise flywheel ecosystem. American Girl, for example, encourages fans to delve into the backstories of their favorite characters through novels and journals by American Girl Publishing. With its new imprint, Mattel will expand this success across its catalog

of globally beloved IP. Several American Girl titles have been penned by New York Times bestselling authors, including Varsha Bajaj (It’s Showtime, Kavi) and Brit Bennett (Meet Claudie). More than 160 million American Girl books have been sold to date.

“We have seen firsthand the immense value in providing fans of our franchises with multiple avenues to further engage with their favorite Mattel brands, characters, storylines

and worlds,” said Josh Silverman, Chief Franchise Officer and Global Head of Consumer Products and at Mattel. “In launching our own publishing imprint, we simultaneously unlock limitless exploration for kids while continuing to realize the full value of our IP.” With Mattel print publications set to begin releasing in 2024, new Mattel and American Girl content has already launched on Caribu. In February, digital versions of the illustrated

character journals for Isabel and Nicki, the latest American Girl historical characters, were launched on the platform.

Fascinating Insights from Kids Industries’ Global Family Conference

Brands, retailers and content producers have been urged to come to terms with the significant changes in the way that children play and learn and to support struggling parents, during Kids Industries’ (KI) Global Family Conference, which took place in London on 21 March.

The one-day event, attended by 200+ delegates from the licensing, toy, gaming, edtech and sustainability sectors, saw the launch of KI’s Global Family Study – carried out across 5,000 families across 10 countries, spanning six continents.

Jelena Stosic, Strategy Director at KI, kicked off the day by drawing attention to the different parenting styles and values held by families across the world today and highlighted how parents are struggling.

She said: “The multiple challenges parents face are giving rise to stress and exhaustion. This is a concern because the increased demands create a pressurised environment for all family members, making balance more difficult. From the children’s perspective, this compounds school pressures, and goes to show why all of us (including children and parents) are craving relaxation/ease, support and community, which are currently inspiring policy makers, lobby groups and product development teams.” More support is needed 40% of UK parents wish they had more advice on how to be a good parent – this rises to 73% of Mexican parents.

Confidence in their ability to parent is highest in Brazil where 81% feel they’re good at it, compared with 47% in the UK and just 28% in South Korea. UK parents are the most stressed out – spending 2% of time more stressed consistently (an average of 28 minutes per day) versus the rest of world, and South Korean parents are the most tired – reporting 5% more time consistently.

Parenting styles differ across the globe

When comparing full inclusivity (“everyone should be able to participate regardless of ability”) to

a more selective approach (“those who are more gifted should be prioritised”), parents in the UK and Saudi Arabia were the only ones likely to lean towards an inclusive approach. In India 60% of parents lean towards selective, compared to 21% choosing inclusivity.

Parents believe the most desired skills for the future are soft skills, which have taken priority over hard or more traditionally academic skills. In the UK, confidence tops the list at 47%, whilst harder skills such as critical thinking (17%), academic skills (15%) and different languages (9%) have been deprioritised.

Children’s hopes, dreams and fears

UK children today are goal driven –8% aspire to fame, but just over a fifth (21%) want to change the world for the better – rising to 36% amongst kids from Nigeria. Being happy is a goal for 50% of UK children with a well-paid job coming in second place (47%). Having a good education comes in third place – with 32%.

The environment and climate (i.e. forests being cut down and climate change) are UK children’s biggest concerns about the future (33%) followed by financial problems i.e. not having the money to afford things they need (32%).

Raj Pathmanathan, Creative Director at KI, led the session on building affinity with brands. He revealed: “Children’s love for a brand is dictated by their age and developmental stages and whilst the influence of parents on children’s decision making is clear, increased access to digital products and services means that children today have increased control over their decision making. Kids have a new found independence.”

Move over helicopter parenting – collaboration now key

The parent may be buying, but UK children now have a huge influence on family purchases: 60% influence family leisure activities / days out, 44% propose which TV/film streaming

platforms parents to subscribe to and 42% have their say on holiday destinations. Brands are talking to children sooner

Much of the content UK children aged 4-6 engage with is chosen independently by them – a seismic shift. Children are also accessing services, which though not necessarily designed for them, allow for the rapid dissemination of high volumes of content. 56% use the perpetually popular YouTube, 9% use TikTok and 8% use WhatsApp. In total 12% use messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram and Snapchat. A quarter of UK children discover new streaming shows or films through influencers they follow talking about it. 24% discover new brands and products through the same method. Influencers now rival friends and family in decision-making for the family – with toy influencers actually being more important than friends and relatives (18% versus 15%). The split is also now equal (16%) for apparel. Influencers lag behind friends and family but only approximately 4% for groceries and technology. Peer influence is also growing in scale as children connect and share with one another on messaging apps, social media platforms and gaming platforms. They can proudly display their fandom not just on their t-shirt but on their avatar. Over a third (34%) of UK children (aged 4-13) use social media and 46% of this group play Roblox –a game focused on connecting with friends.

Captivating generations of children around the world, The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter has sold over 46 million copies since it was first published over 120 years ago

Peter Rabbit Hops into Interactive Experience in London and Celebrates the Year of the Rabbit in Asia

Penguin Ventures together with Histrionic Productions are thrilled to announce The Peter Rabbit Easter Adventure in the heart of London’s iconic Covent Garden Piazza this Easter. Through a captivating mix of live performance and puppetry, visitors will be transported back to a Covent Garden of old, teeming with fresh flowers, fruit and vegetables as Beatrix Potter heads out on a mission to rescue Jemima Puddle-Duck from the clutches of Mr. McGregor. David Sprei, Commercial Director, Penguin Ventures “We’re delighted to be working with Histrionics again. The Peter Rabbit Easter Adventure is a perfect example of the calibre of off the page experiences we seek to create with licensees. At Penguin Ventures we’re privileged to manage the licensing programme for some of the world’s best-known children’s literary characters, including Peter Rabbit, The Snowman and Spot. These stories have been shared and passed down through generations and our live programme enables us to continue our storytelling legacy, offering families the chance to create new memories together by stepping inside these magical and familiar worlds.”

Adam McKenzie Wylie, Founder, Histrionic Productions said: “After

a hugely successful inaugural outing at Blenheim Palace last summer for The Peter Rabbit Garden Adventure, Histrionic Productions is delighted to be staging The Peter Rabbit Easter Adventure at Covent Garden this Easter holiday.

“The combination of Peter Rabbit, the inspirational surroundings of London’s original fruit & veg market and Eastertime is perfect theatricalalchemy for an all-new, urban, family, immersive experience for 2023 and we are delighted to once again be working with our friends at Penguin Ventures to bring this family-favourite to life in the heart of old London.”

Thomas Merrington, Creative Director, Penguin Ventures said: “Experiential is an important part of our licensing business at Penguin Ventures, enabling us to bring our classic brands to family audiences in fresh and exciting new ways. So I’m thrilled that our partnership with Histrionic Productions has evolved to bring The World of Peter Rabbit to central London this Easter. Covent Garden is the perfect location for this all-new Easter Adventure, providing a stunning backdrop to the incredible, immersive experience that Histrionic has created. I cannot wait to see how audiences will respond to stepping back in time with Peter Rabbit and his friends, brought to life for a new generation this Spring.”

The show will be adapted by Calum Finlay, directed by Barney McElholm and designed by Tina Torbey. Between them, the creative team bring the experience of working at the National Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company, National Theatre of Scotland, Shakespeare’s Globe, The Almeida, Theatre Royal Bath, Manchester Royal Exchange and Birmingham REP amongst others. Alongside the experience, The Easter Adventure Shop has recently opened in Covent Garden’s iconic Market Building.

Included in the ticket will be an ‘Activity Burrow’ for creative crafting for all ages including letter writing to Beatrix Potter and a Peter Rabbit reading corner. Additional activities available on site include Mr. McGregor’s Obstacle Course. Captivating generations of children around the world, The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter has sold over 46 million copies since it was first published over 120 years ago by Frederick Warne. Developed in association with Penguin Ventures on behalf of Frederick Warne & Co. (now a part of Penguin Random House Children’s UK) this all-new experience has been created especially for Covent Garden, following Histrionic Productions’ acclaimed Peter Rabbit™ Garden Adventure at Blenheim Palace in the summer of 2022.

Pictures: 2022 Peter Rabbit Garden Adventure at Blenheim Palace

CAA Brand Management, Penguin Ventures’ appointed brand licensing agent for China and parts of Asia, has launched a successful programme of activity for The World of Peter Rabbit across the region during the Lunar New Year celebrations to welcome the Year of the Rabbit. This follows an incredibly strong year for Penguin Ventures (the licensing and consumer products team at Penguin Random House Children’s UK) who celebrated 120 years of Peter Rabbit in 2022, delivering +70% year on year net revenue across key global markets including China.

The World of Peter Rabbit has a strong and engaged fanbase across Asia with an audience that differs slightly to the UK market. The licensing programme caters to young adults as well as children and is led by fashion and accessories, food and beverage and health & beauty categories. Peter Rabbit has been the star attraction at major festivals and events this year including the Taiwan Balloon Parade and the Skymall event in Shanghai and will feature in a recently announced partnership with global hotel group The Peninsula.

Romel Maranon, VP Brand Management at CAA said: “As the Year of the Rabbit happens only once every twelve years, we wanted to make 2023 very special for Peter Rabbit. With the support of Penguin Ventures, we’ve launched an extensive programme of charming products and exciting activations with our diverse licensees and brand partners. This year, our collaborations include collectible stamps from China Post, beautiful tea gifting ranges by Twinings, sumptuous jewellery from

Hefang and 3D-Gold and new accessories for Fujifilm Instax. Events, such as our World of Peter Rabbit display at Skymall Shanghai, have attracted significant attention, whilst our high-profile partners, including Broadcast, Broadcute and NEIWAI, have brough the joy of Peter Rabbit to their customers via a number of new and creative offerings. These include a first-of-its-kind men’s collection with Peacebird Men and even a pampering LED Light Therapy Mask by Currentbody Skin. This is just the beginning, and we have a compelling pipeline of partnerships launching this year as we want to mark the Year of the Rabbit, not just during the Lunar new year, but to make it a true year-round affair!”

David Sprei, Commercial Director at Penguin Ventures said: “We have worked closely with CAA on an incredible series of high-profile brand collaborations and partnerships which launched during the Lunar New Year celebrations. Our creative director Thomas Merrington has overseen the production of a bespoke Year of the Rabbit style guide, which has been utilised by CAA and Penguin Random House China across all Peter Rabbit marketing and retail activations and has been executed so brilliantly this year by the CAA team. There is still so much more to come including an exclusive global partnership with The Peninsula, which will offer families themed stays, gifting and a twist on their world-renowned afternoon teas. More exciting new experiences will be announced later this year and will continue to bring Peter Rabbit to families across China and Asia.”

The World of Peter Rabbit publishing

programme continues to grow across Asia following the publication of the Frederick Warne & Co. Complete Collection of Original Tales by Penguin Random House China at the end of 2022. The publisher will continue to promote this official and authorised Peter Rabbit series throughout the year as a key priority and together with CAA have launched a new campaign “My Reading Time with Peter Rabbit” to promote the Chinese language versions of the classic stories.

Throughout the Year of the Rabbit, Penguin Ventures and CAA will elevate The World of Peter Rabbit on a global scale, reaching children, families and consumers with innovative products, experiential activations and educational resources to drive further growth and engagement with the world’s first licensed literary character during a celebratory year.

The World of Peter Rabbit has a strong and engaged fanbase across Asia with an audience that differs slightly to the UK market.

HANNA-BARBERA CHARACTERS ON FUNKO RANGE

and Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products are releasing a new nostalgia-inducing wave of Digital Pop! collectibles featuring classic Hanna-Barbera characters, including Huckleberry Hound, Mr. Jinks, Mighty Mightor and more. The newest Funko Digital Pop! collab will be available on March 28 via the Droppp.io platform.

Funko Digital Pop! integrates non-fungible tokens into digital trading cards that feature Funko’s uniquely stylized Pop! figures. Cards can be purchased in both standard and premium collectible packs. Each pack’s offering will be limited to 18,250 packs. Every pack purchase offers fans the opportunity to reveal a rare Funko Digital Pop! Collectible, which can be redeemed for one of five corresponding limited-edition physical collectibles. Redeemable Digital Pop! in Hanna-Barbera Series 1 include Mighty Mightor (Mighty Mightor), Birdman (Birdman and the Galaxy Trio), Mr. Jinks with Pixie and Dixie (The Huckleberry Hound Show), Huckleberry Hound (The Huckleberry Hound Show) and Freddy Funko as himself. Funko Digital Pop! x Hanna-Barbera Series 1 will be available through the Droppp.io platform, and fans can purchase the collection using a credit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay.

MOONBUG SIGN WITH VIDIO

Moonbug Entertainment, has announced a streaming partnership agreement with Vidio, the largest OTT service in Indonesia, marking the global entertainment company’s further expansion into the Southeast Asian market. Vidio, a division of the Emtek Group, began offering Moonbug programming on its platform in February. The agreement is the first major OTT streaming deal in Indonesia and comes as Moonbug looks to expand its reach in the Indonesian market.

All Moonbug IPs will be featured on the services including global hits CoComelon and Blippi along with other established series such as ARPO, Go Buster, Lellobee City Farm, Morphle, Little Angel and Oddbods.

TOIKODO BUILDS PINATA SMASHLINGS PROGRAM

Toikido is building the licensing programme for Piñata Smashlings and has recently signed a new partnership with Cooneen who will create nightwear, swimwear and underwear featuring the brand. Pinata Smashlings comprises a Roblox game, together with a series of animated shorts, music, toys, collectables, trading cards, books, plush and play-sets all due for release in summer.

On a different note, Ladybird has announced it has acquired a license from Toikido to publish the first Piñata Smashlings books.

The new Piñata Smashlings Collector’s Guide will publish in November 2023, with the three-year license covering World rights and all languages.

The first IP created solely inhouse by Toikido, Piñata Smashlings is set to take the gaming and toy sector by storm, with a unique and exciting Roblox game in production, and a series of animated shorts, music, suite of toys, collectables, trading cards, plush and playsets all scheduled for release this summer.

Underpinned by a deep character driven story which will be integrated into the first Piñata Smashlings book, the ‘Piñataverse’ is home to hun-

dreds of playful characters, including Smashlings - cheeky little creatures and playful Piñatas - who love to have fun and are always on the lookout for new Smashling arrivals.

Leanne Gill, Publishing Director, Ladybird said: “It’s rare we see a brand that so instantly captures the imaginations of everyone across the business, so we couldn’t be more excited to be joining Toikido on this smashing new adventure into the Piñataverse, starting with our Collector’s Guide to the Piñata Smashlings just in time for Christmas this year.”

Jouda Fahari-Edine, Head of International Rights, Penguin Random House Children’s added: “We are proud and excited to unveil the Piñataverse to our international partners at the upcoming Bologna Bookfair. Piñata Smashlings has all the makings of an international success: playful and engaging collectible characters rooted in a colourful and carefully crafted universe, all roaming with endless combinations and possibilities.”

Discussing this latest licensing agreement, Darran said, “Piñata Smashlings is an exciting and immersive IP that will provide children with the opportunity to truly connect the online

play with the offline toy.

“The new Piñata Smashlings Collector’s Guide is an excellent example of this and will play a fundamental role in encouraging children to continue to engage with Smashlings off screen. As such, we are delighted to be working with such a reputable brand as Ladybird and look forward to delivering the first Smashlings book to children across the globe this autumn.”

CHESTER ZOO WELCOMES BING

Acamar Films, the independent production and distribution company responsible for the animated series, Bing, have formed an exciting new collaboration with Chester Zoo, the UK’s most popular charity zoo, to launch a brand-new Bing experience for families with young children.

Between the 17th April and 26th May 2023, visitors to Chester Zoo will enjoy a range of activities inspired by

TOURETTES

join zoo conservationists for the storytime sessions which will run at intervals throughout the day in the zoo’s Madagascar Basecamp, offering young visitors a chance to learn more about some of the 27,000 animals Chester Zoo is home to.

Kirsty Southgate, Director of Experiential & Promotions at Acamar Films said: “Bing is a curious explorer, keen to discover all that he can about the world around him. Bringing young children and their families an entertaining and educational experience such as this, will not only serve the conservation aims of Chester Zoo but also enthrall and inspire visitors.”

the award-winning pre-school series, including a self-led activity trail and interactive storytime sessions.

Along the Bing trail, little ones will meet the adorable and rare Sumatran tiger cubs born at the zoo in January, discover what warty pigs eat, learn how endangered tree kangaroos climb, practice flapping their arms like a hornbill, and make noises like a critically endangered orangutan.

Bing and Flop costume characters will

Dominic Strange, Commercial Director, at Chester Zoo said: “As a world leading conservation and education charity, we’re always finding new ways to connect young children with nature. Bing, with his enthusiastic approach to the natural world, is a great way to highlight some of the incredible species we share our planet with, inspiring a whole new generation of conservationists.”

The collaboration with Chester Zoo follows Acamar Films’ successful partnership with ZSL London Zoo in 2021 and complements the ongoing Bing experiences at Alton Towers Resort and Gulliver’s Theme Park Resorts, creating truly special days out for Bingsters and their families.

POETIC BRANDS COLLABORATION

Poetic Brands and Brand Collective have announced they will be forming a collaboration to extend the potential leverage of both businesses. Being part of the PDS Multinational Group and already hugely successful as separate enterprises, the coming together of Poetic Brands and Brand Collective will see these two sister businesses making the most of each other’s skills and experience. With exciting plans to widen the licensing reach of both agencies, Brand Collective brings product development and its award-winning tech, toys, gifts and gadgets to the table. It is known for its strong background in innovative design development and sourcing in the Far East with years of experience in creating distinctive and bespoke products for worldwide retailers and licensors. Between the two businesses, they will now be covering categories such as luggage, footwear, gaming, tech accessories, beauty, toys and gifts. Poetic Brands, known for its expertise in developing, designing and delivering all ages of apparel, will be able to add a plethora of new products to its clothing ranges. Elliott Matthews, Managing Director of Poetic Brands, commented, “As likeminded businesses we are aiming to plug the gaps not already covered by our own individual reach.”

Tourettes Action, the support and research charity working to improve the lives of people living with Tourette Syndrome (TS), has appointed Story.1888 as its exclusive marketing partner for this year’s Tourettes Awareness Month, which runs from 15 May to 15 June. Designed to raise awareness of TS and help the 300,000 Brits who have the condition, the awareness month relies on the support of a wealth of charities and organisations. This year, Tourettes Action wants to destigmatise TS, showing the general public what the reality of it looks like and dispelling some of the myths that surround it.

To meet this goal, it will be working with Story.1888, the sister company to retail-first brand licensing agency The Point.1888, to launch the world’s first TikTok docuseries in which real people will tell their own story of living with Tourettes. This will be part of a multi-channel campaign called It’s What Makes Me Tic, which will also include outdoor /social media activity.

TS is an inherited, neurological condition, the key features of which are tics, involuntary and uncontrollable sounds and movements. It is a complex condition and a large number of people with it will also experience co-occurring features and conditions.

Emma McNally, CEO of Tourettes Action, said, “Tourette’s is quite possibly one of the most misunderstood conditions out there. Whilst most have heard of Tourette’s there still remains huge misconceptions about the condition. The majority of people think Tourettes is rare and comedic and that everyone with the condition shouts out obscenities, all of which are untrue! We want to show what TS really looks like. Together with Story.1888 we can deliver an important campaign designed to challenge the misconceptions surrounding the condition and educate people across all areas of society.”

A Q&A ON DEBUNKING WEB3 AND THEIR INNOVATIVE NEW MODEL OF LIMITED FASHION

When Hybrid Meta contacted Total Licensing, we were again intrigued by their innovative business model that has found a way to bridge the gap between traditional licensed apparel and the rise of Web3 that has both captivated and confused in equal measure for most of us.

Hybrid Meta is an eco-system for creating digitally-connected fashion and merchandise for officially licensed brands and IP. Hybrid Meta work exclusively with Big Picture Licensing to sign the global IP for their business model and have now launched with Bloomingdales as their inaugural retail partner with further limited-edition drops planned for their wave #1 brand partners in Q2, followed by strategic new license partners in Sports and Entertainment in the pipeline for Q3 onwards.

To find out more, we organised a Q&A with Dan Frugtniet, MD & Founder of Big Picture Licensing & Ben Nolan, CEO & Co-Founder of Hybrid Meta to find out more about debunking Web3.

Total Licensing (TL); How does Web3 differ from Web2?

Ben: “In simple terms, Web2.0 refers to the 2nd generation of the World Wide Web. Web2.0 websites allow users to interact, share and collaborate with each other, as well as to create and publish their own content online. Examples of Web 2.0 include social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn. Web3.0 on the other hand, represents the next stage of the evolution and is often referred to as the decentralized web.Web3.0 is designed to be more secure, private, and transparent compared to Web2.0. It leverages the power of decentralized technologies like blockchain and peer-to-peer networks to create a more equitable and secure internet. In Web3.0, users have complete control over their personal data and information, and they

can interact directly with each other without the need for intermediaries.”

TL; How can Web3 benefit consumer products?

Dan: “Across fashion and merchandise,Web3 has the potential to revolutionize the way products are created,

marketed, and sold. Here are a few key use cases of Web3 in the fashion and merchandise sectors:

Web3 enables the creation of decentralized marketplaces where users can buy and sell products directly, without the need for intermediaries. This not only reduces costs, but also provides a more secure and private buying experience for users. It allows for the creation of tokenized ownership of products. This means that a product’s ownership and provenance can be recorded on blockchain, providing a secure and transparent history of the product. It provides the ability to authenticate products with the use of smart contracts and provenance technology. This reduces the risk of counterfeit products in the market and increases consumer trust in the brands they purchase.

Web3 enables the creation of ethical and sustainable fashion brands that can be transparent across their production processes and materials sourcing. Consumers will have more confidence

in the products they purchase and their environmental impact..”

TL; How can NFTs be used in the Fashion and apparel sector?

Dan: “In recent times, NFTs have been misused, such as exploitation of their scarcity to manipulate prices and their excessive energy consumption. For consumers to trust NFTs, it’s important to establish clear standards, increase transparency, and educate on the benefits and limitations. NFTs have a lot of potential in providing a new way for consumers to prove the authenticity of their purchase, and for companies to track their supply chain. The utility for apparel is mainly related to their ability to provide verifiable proof of ownership and authenticity, to enable new business models and revenue streams.

One use case for the fashion sector is the creation of digital fashion collections. Designers can create virtual collections and consumers can purchase and own these items for their avatars in digital environments such as video games or a metaverse platform. They can also authenticate physical fashion items and create a digital certificate of provenance for products. This certificate can be transferred and traded, just like the physical item, and provides a secure way for consumers to verify the authenticity of their purchase. They can also help create a transparent supply chain, providing consumers with the ability to track the materials and production methods used in their

production to prove sustainability credentials. This increased transparency will enable consumers to make informed decisions based on the environmental and social impact of their purchase. This is key to the Hybrid Meta DTC & retail models.”

TL; How does this fit into Hybrid Meta’s model?

Ben: “A significant use case for NFTs is as a digital authentication system within the fashion and merchandise industry, specifically with regards to the ability to create limited fashion and one-of-a-kind products. This technology creates a sense of exclusivity, increasing the value of the item because it is unequivocally provable as to its origin, authenticity and rarity, thus driving consumer demand. This is at the core of Hybrid Meta’s business model.”

TL; What is a Direct-to-Avatar model?

Ben: “Imagine a world with no physical goods, shipping, and storage. Instead, you sell direct-to-avatar, the digital representations of us that roam the metaverse! With no need to worry about stock, shipping, or the challenges of traditional retail listings, one can simply open their virtual retail channel and sell direct-to-avatar. This opens a whole new world, like virtual ‘try-ons’, AR experiences, and gamifying the retail experience and isn’t just about people walking aimlessly around a metaverse environment.”

TL; Can Hybrid Meta react to real-time events with merchandise?

Dan: “In short, absolutely we can. This approach can work well with the Entertainment and Sport sectors by providing a way to react, create and sell products related to a specific event and moment in-time. For example, if a music artist releases a surprise hit, a smart factory could quickly produce and sell merchandise DTC in real-time, capitalizing on the hype and buzz. In Sports, it can be produced in response to an

athlete or team’s victory. By leveraging the speed and efficiency of smart factories on a DTC model, Hybrid Meta can create unique and relevant merchandise items that engage fans and drive incremental revenue for brand owners. All of which is why I love Hybrid Meta and its innovative approach to consumer products!”

Hybrid Meta is the world’s first ecosystem for licensed brands and talent to enter Web3 for Fashion and merchandise. The company comprises three core divisions; a smart factory that produces physical apparel and art; a Web3 blockchain-authentication platform for consumers to verify their product and access a digital collectible version; a phygital-design studio to create stunning limited-edition fashion and merchandise for the real world and for the virtual world including metaverse platforms. The company uses NFC chip technology that is embedded into each product in its smart factory to offer unrivalled proof of provenance, authenticity and rarity for every single product created. Hybrid Meta aims to the market leader in officially licensed digitally-connect merchandise.

For more information: www.hybrid-meta.com or contact Dan Frugtniet, SVP

Global Licensing,

dan@hybrid-meta.com

New Product Launches at Spring Fair for Emma Lawrence Designs

It was a busy Spring Fair for Emma Lawrence Designs with several new licensed ranges and her eye-catching designs being featured in the Gift of the Year shortlist.

Art on Scarves were shortlisted in the Fashion Accessories and Jewellery category of the Gift of the Year awards with their beautifully printed Eco Scarves. Several in the range feature Emma’s licensed surface pattern designs with pretty butterflies, a soft

The best-selling trac tors and 4x4 vehicles feature in the every day range as well as the new Christmas range with gift sets and coordinating gift bags on recycled kraft paper. Perfect for lov ers of the countryside and a great range for male gifting. The Welly Wearers range also features popular themes from Dog Walkers and Gardeners to Farmers. Stubbs Mugs have extended their Field & Farm range to include more designs. As well as the practical and fun enamel mugs, there are tote bags, glass chopping boards, tin signs and bar blades. “Here at Stubbs Mugs we are really excited to work with Emma and bring her

seashore print and the very popular animals wearing wellies. The silky scarves are made from recycled PET Plastic Bottles and are fully sustainable, making an elegant and unique gift. There were more from the animals in the Field & Farm range licensed by Joe Davies Ltd. with great gifts including mugs and coasters. New for this year are the co-ordinating range of greetings cards, making a great offering for retailers. Farm animals, working dogs and cats all in Emma’s unique, fun style.

beautiful designs to life on our enamel mugs, chopping boards and tote bags. We love the charming Field & Farm collection and are sure it will become a firm favourite with our customers.”

Jardinopia Ltd launched a new range featuring Emma’s brand, Little Nature Explorers®, with gardening gifts for children including coordinating tools, apron, tool bag, hat, kneeler and gloves. They feature the cheeky and appealing bug characters and are a fantastic way of introducing children to gardening and playing outside. Perfect for boys and girls, they are unique with Emma’s

fresh and clean style. Look out for more products with Jardinopia soon. Mel Humberstone-Garley, who represents Emma has been thrilled to see her designs brought to life at Spring Fair, “it has been a very busy year with an expanding licensing portfolio and building strong relationships with our licensees. We are excited to be developing further collaborations with a great response to Emma’s huge portfolio of assets and flexible approach. Emma’s designs can’t fail to make you smile and licensees are so happy to have found something different and refreshing.”

For further information about licensing Emma Lawrence Designs contact Mel Humberstone-Garley at MHG Licensing: melanie@humberstone-garley.co.uk Tel: 07825 577500.

www.emmalawrence.com

Licensing gets Fabulous

If you were attending BLE last year at precisely the right time you may have seen someone that looked a lot like Soula Zavacopoulos, founder and director of art licensing and design company The London Studio, being interviewed alongside one of London’s best-known drag queens, Tania LeCoq. This wasn’t a hallucination. Tania and another major name in drag, Cybil Grimm, have been working with Soula to support the new and highly innovative London Studio brand called Art of Drag – which was launched at the show.

As you might expect, the brand received extensive coverage through

drag performances that are now part of the entertainment scene in many UK cities.

That’s not all. Major brands such as MAC, Ikea, Lush, Magnum, Method and Absolut feature drag artists in their advertising. Drag is clearly no longer a niche interest.

Art of Drag taps into this growing trend with a wide range of famous artworks that translate across multiple product categories. Soula says: “These beautifully illustrated reimaginings stretch from street art to the Renaissance, with everything in between, and are created by an award-winning independent art house

So who is the target audience? Soula says: “Our primary audience is still young adults, but we are seeing a lot of interest from teens as well, many of whom attended DragCon in Janu ary with their parents to watch drag queen fashion shows and drag queen meet and greets.” Which brings us to licensing. This is a very visual brand, with an evident appeal for visual licensing categories. In fact independent publisher Flame Tree Publishing has already signed up to produce a calendar, jigsaw and notebook inspired by Art of Drag, to be distributed globally by Flame Tree and its distributors, including Simon & Schuster for the USA.

BLE’s official channels and a lot of interest from people wanting to be snapped with Tania. In fact, says Soula, “it rivalled the huge brands for exposure, even though we are a relatively small studio. Then again, who wouldn’t line up to have their photo taken with a fabulous drag queen?”

The Art of Drag is a brand that takes famous artworks and cultural female icons and replaces them with a drag artist. It’s playful, funny and ever-soslightly-subversive. It also captures a mood in both culture and licensing that is keen to embrace what was once an underground art form.

Drag culture exploded into the mainstream in the USA in 2017 and has since translated to the UK with the creation of TV hit RuPaul’s UK Drag Race. Drag Bingo and Drag Story

Time for kids are just two examples of

of LGBTQ+ artists and allies.”

Of course, changing the principal characters in famous artworks or subverting celebrities isn’t a new idea. Pets Rock and Cats Galore have already proved to be very successful brands. But Art of Drag is a new take on the idea that stands out for originality and wit. However, there is a serious side to this.

Soula explains: “In Art of Drag the woman as a vehicle for the male gaze, rendered as a passive object of beauty, is now a drag artist. Conventions of traditional art are challenged and with them, societal norms around beauty, gender politics and sexual orientation.”

As Soula Zavacopoulos explains: “This is our first global licensee for Art of Drag – but there’s much more to come from this brand. The London studio is responding to fast-growing interest by building an expanding library of images ready to be deployed across different product categories.”

And as the brand grows, she has a promise: “Expect an even more fabulous BLE in 2023!”

How innovative brand Art of Drag captures a mood in both culture and licensing that is keen to embrace what was once an underground art form

Your children’s favourites –in store and in person!

While the High Street isn’t the only place you can buy licensed merchandise these days, its promotional potential as a place to directly address a live audience is hard to beat – if you have the right strategy. And a real-life children’s character in your local store can play a major role in making that strategy work –as Rainbow Productions knows only too well.

Start with appearances from favourite characters from shows such as Bluey, PAW Patrol and the Octonauts at an in-store event. Add quality marketing and tactical sales points. Properly managed, these ingredients will generate large increases in public attendance, as well as a spike in sales of licensed merchandise wherever the live events take place.

For consumers it’s a feelgood event with a touch of wonder that enchants the kids. For retailers, of course, it’s a major opportunity to create in-store theatre and boost footfall. Which is why Rainbow Productions, the UK’s official supplier of licensed children’s characters for appearances, is in such high demand.

But Rainbow Productions doesn’t just bring John & Blitz to a shopping mall with good-looking PoS material and assume Dino Ranch product sales will skyrocket. Events are planned with key dates and product launches in mind:

school or public holidays, new series, new ranges of plush or playsets all need to be factored in. Some appearances will be part of a tour rather than a standalone event, adding to consumer anticipation.

And not only are the costumes made to the highest possible standard, but Rainbow also employs some of the best trained actors in the unique medium of costume character portrayal, so that personalities and signature movements for the chosen characters are delivered.

When everything comes together in this way, retail appearances really do have a positive impact on brand awareness and consumer spending.

If you’re looking for estimates of that impact, Georgina Huckle, Creative Marketing Manager at Rainbow Productions, points out: “As well as generating brand visibility, retail tours in recent years have directly boosted average sales of character-related merchandise, in some cases by as much as 200%.”

“Never underestimate the importance of in-person promotion,” says Simon Foulkes, Managing Director, Rainbow Productions. “Character appearances deliver high-quality experiential brand interactions with families, allowing children to see their on-screen heroes in person.”

A good example of this is Elfie and Elvie of hit brand Elves Behavin’ Badly whose Christmas EBB Tour of UK

shopping centres was managed by Rainbow on behalf of owner and creator PMS International for the second year running in 2022.

“Not only did children have the chance to see their heroes in action – playing tricks and festive games and spreading Christmas cheer in true Pranksmas spirit – but the tour also helped to raise the festive brand’s profile and support retailers stocking Elves Behavin’ Badly merchandise.” comments John Costi-Mouyia, International Sales Manager at PMS International.

After a major boost from the return of consumers to the High Street in 2022, there’s also been stronger recent demand for such experiences from the public. And with high streets promising to be even busier in 2023, Rainbow Productions recently announced plans to ramp up character appearances at retail venues, as well as many other locations, throughout 2023.

It’s no surprise then that Rainbow Productions recently made two new appointments to support growing demand for its services and to help the company pursue new business opportunities: Magdalena Foulkes, who joined as Licensing Director, and James Barlow, who was promoted to Sales and Marketing Director.

Magdalena is responsible for the li-

From left: James Barlow, Simon Foulkes, Magdalena Foulkes

Master Moley at Bulgari Hotel

censing side of the business, working to strengthen the company’s relationships with licensors and build its portfolio with new and exciting brands.

James will be overseeing the company’s sales and marketing teams and will be responsible for helping to grow the business in terms of events and mascot manufactures, both in the UK and internationally.

Magdalena has almost 20 years of experience in marketing and event management, but it was in 2011, as Managing Director of advertising agency X5 Productions in Poland, that she began working with the licensing industry, managing licensing events and promotions, including using costume characters. She is now bringing these skills to the post of Licensing Director at Rainbow Productions. Coincidentally, it was through liaising with the licensing legend and previous Managing Di-

rector of Rainbow Productions, David Scott, that Magdalena specifically had her first introduction to UK licensing.

James began working with Rainbow as a freelance road manager in 2007, joining the company as Exports Sales Executive in 2015. He was soon promoted to Export Manager, working on a number of projects for Rainbow, including the production of a mascot for every football club in the Saudi Professional League, the Mr P rebrand for Kellogg’s Worldwide, the supply of costume figures for LEGOLAND® Theme Parks and LEGO Discovery Centres, movie promotions, and, of course, licensed character promotions within retail and leisure attractions. James was nominated for the Licensing International Rising Star Award in 2021.

Of course Dino Ranch, Bluey, PAW Patrol, the Octonauts and Elves Behavin’

Badly are far from the only characters Rainbow Productions is licensed to manage the live appearances of. The company manages the personal appearances of over 140 famous children’s characters and is welcoming a number of new characters to its fastgrowing portfolio. They include True, the intelligent, fearless eight-year-old heroine of True and the Rainbow Kingdom who helps the whimsical citizens of the Rainbow Kingdom with their problems, and Gabby from Gabby’s Dollhouse, a live-action/animated/ interactive preschool series with an audience participation element that has already inspired a strong merchandising campaign.

Then there is Master Moley, the charming, optimistic young mole who lives deep in a burrow in the bustling city of MoleTown and Mia & Twinkle from the enormous hit CGI-animated web series Little Baby Bum, which supports the development of language in children through song and repetition.

Furthermore, the ever-popular Original Stormtroopers are on the way to thrill young fans too, while the continuing appeal of classic characters is underlined by the arrival of Elmo & the Cookie Monster from Sesame Street. Finally of course, Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler books are always a winner, and, joining Rainbow Productions favourites the Gruffalo, Zog, and Stick Man are now Janet & Bill from The Smeds and The Smoos.

All will be available to book for personal appearances. Simon Foulkes concludes:

“From established hits like Peppa Pig and the Teletubbies to modern classics like Bing and CoComelon, the demand for children’s characters appearing in person is stronger than ever – from kids, parents and retailers.”

Bluey at The Entertainer

Elves at Southfields

Valuable Insights from Vast Streaming Study

A huge study undertaken recently by Parent Tested Parent Approved revealed extremely interesting results on streaming trends – for both children and their families – and holds key findings for the future.

Engaging select members of its community, the survey resulted in more than 2,000 respondents with children under age 15, revealing valuable insights into how children and families consume media on streaming platforms.

The survey found that more than 60% of children use paid streaming services daily, with 85% of those children preferring streaming services over cable TV (6%).The survey also revealed that 41% of families watch under 10 hours weekly, 37% watch 11-20 hours and 22% use streaming services more than 20 hours per week.

Netflix was the most popular among all streaming platforms, with 81% of households watching its programming.

Parent Tested Parent Approved, a brand-testing platform with a dedicated community of more than 250,000 North American families, recently announced results of its survey on children’s and family streaming service preferences and habits.

Amazon Prime Video was second at 78% followed by Disney+ at 69%. Hulu (46%) and Paramount+ (38%) rounded out the top five.

A majority of survey respondents felt that Disney+ had the best programming content for children, with 65% expressing this sentiment. Netflix

came in second with 18%.When asked about the services children used most often, Disney+ was the top choice with 38%, followed closely by Netflix with 33%, and Amazon Prime Video at 5%. Disney+ had the most loyal customers, with 55% of respondents committed to keeping the service long-term, followed by Netflix at 24%. Additionally, 30% of those surveyed felt that Netflix offered the best value for their money, followed by Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video, both at 19%. Most parents were unwilling to pay more than they already spend on streaming services, with 69% saying they would not increase their monthly subscription fees. However, 70% of respondents supported annual or adsupported subscriptions if it resulted in savings.

We caught up with Sharon Vinderine CEO of Parent Tested Parent Approved to analyse some of the findings.

You’ve just undertaken a huge study – can you tell us more about it?

As trend experts in the kids and family space, we are consistently conducting surveys and testing that are relevant today. It is important for the marketplace to understand how children and families are consuming content on paid streaming platforms and how pricing affects what streaming services they choose.

In these challenging economic times, parents have limited budgets and are looking to get the most of their entertainment dollar. We surveyed 2,000 members of our community of more than 250,000 parents. The results gave us a comprehensive look at how families are consuming streaming media, and which services offer the most bang for their buck.

What were some key findings of the study?

One of our key findings was that the demand for quality content at an affordable price is more in demand than ever before.

The numbers are actually quite astounding. The survey showed that 75% of respondents use a streaming platform each day, and 60% said their children watch streaming daily. Kids are influencing family purchasing decisions more than ever before, and we know how incredibly loyal kids are. As marketing teams understand how content consumption is changing, they can establish brand affinity by tapping into the influence children have. In an effort to keep costs manageable,

“The numbers are actually quite astounding. The survey showed that 75% of respondents use a streaming platform each day, and 60% said their children watch streaming daily.”

parents are looking at streaming platforms that deliver content that appeals not only to their children, but for the multi-generational household. It comes down to affordability: 69% of respondents said they would not pay more for their current monthly subscription fees, although 70% would support ad-supported or annual subscriptions if it saved them money.

How did content change for key and different platforms per different age groups?

Not surprisingly, 65% said that Disney+ was the best service for children’s content, making them the runaway top choice.

But when we asked which service their children used most often, it was much closer, with 38% saying Disney

to make it harder for specific properties to be standout hits that will then translate well to product. However, there is a growing appetite amongst parents for ad supported options to keep their monthly streaming bills down and that could be a way to ensure that more kids get access to content from platforms that currently have smaller audiences.

We are continuing to regularly survey our families, so it will be interesting to see how their perceptions change over the next year.

“...a growing appetite amongst parents for ad supported options to keep monthly bills down - that could be a way to ensure that more kids get access to content from platforms that currently have smaller audiences.”

compared to 34% for Netflix. When surveyed about non-kids programming, it is significantly different, with 37% answering Netflix, followed by HBO Max at 13% and Amazon Prime at 12%.

Concentrating on licensing and merchandising, were there any key trends identified in the study?

Our community of families were excited to share their experiences with streaming content. It is clear that they are still experimenting with the right mix of platforms that works for the whole family.

From a licensing perspective, the fragmented streaming landscape is going

“The survey found that more than 60% of children use paid streaming services daily, with 85% of those children preferring streaming services over cable TV (6%). “

Founded in 2007, the Parent Tested Parent Approved Seal of Approval is one of North America’s most recognized and respected consumer product awards. Driven by consumer trust and extensive media coverage for more than 15 years, the Parent Tested Parent Approved Seal of Approval has empowered millions of parents to make informed, smart purchasing decisions for their families. Parent Tested Parent Approved has partnered with some of the world’s most iconic brands to enhance product visibility and increase sales with an invaluable thirdparty endorsement from a highly influential community of parents.

PARENT POWER!

tries, 70% of our work is focused on understanding and creating for the parent. And that’s because it is the parent that puts their hand in their pocket. And to get them to do that, you need to make very sure that both parent and child love what it is you’ve got to offer. And you’ll already know that this is a lot easier said than done. So often there’s this battle for power between parent and child - sometimes you win, sometimes your mum wins. And sometimes, just sometimes it’s a win win.

Here’s some good news for you: our data tells us something in the realm of parenting has changed and win wins just got a whole lot easier. And that something is co-viewing. Or better still co-experiencing.

In the latest of his regular columns for Total Licensing, Gary Pope, CEO and Co-Founder of Kids Industries and Children’s Commissioner for Products of Change talks about the changing world of Parent Power.

When a family chose to engage in a coviewing experience together - defined as sitting down and watching actively - that family were 10% more likely to buy into the fandom of a licensed brand.

You’re three years old and quite little. You’re surrounded by BIG people that tell you what to do all the time (and little people that might get on your nerves a bit) and yet with each day that passes you become more and more aware of yourself and the influence you can potentially have on the world around you. It’s A LOT (as Gen Z like to say). This innate desire to exert your personal power and control over aspects of your life simply grows and grows and grows. It is one of the developmental drivers that makes our species human.

You see, when children are born they have no control over what happensthe carer or parent has all the power but, as time passes this begins to change and by around the age of seven the power flips and you start to have more of a say on what happens in your world.

And that’s because one of the four core emotional needstates children have is Power and Control.

Parents have always been important and despite being called Kids Indus-

The importance of the shared experience in the development of effective and profitable franchises is so often overlooked. Which is bonkers. We know that families doubled down on their co-viewing during Covid and we also know now that the thirst for physical shared experience grew exponentially coming out the other side - the rise and rise of the LBE is now unstoppable.

It’s definitely a thing. And it’s a thing because the parents of young children today value memories over goods. Joe Pine, the Godfather of experience said in his very good book “The Experience Economy” that “Companies must realise that they make memories not goods.” Totally prophetic in 1999 and totally meaningful today. And shared experiences can absolutely be delivered on the small screen.

In our recent Global Family Study, where we harnessed the views of 20,147 children and parents from 10 countries, we discovered that when a family chose to engage in a co-viewing experience together - defined as sitting down and watching actively - that family were 10% more likely to buy into the fandom of a licensed brand. In today’s market that’s the kind of number that gets you a second season’s listing.

You see, the opportunity to co-view is

second only to the inclusion of positive role models in a hierarchy of parents’ needs from children’s media. 47% of global parents have this in the top three qualities they desired.

The current cohort of parents are the first that have grown up truly digitally native - they know the ups and the downs of the digital content space and they are protective of their children’s engagement in it. 74% of parents coview with their children at least half the time that their children are consuming content. And that means a shared experience that is building those all important memories. And if they’re having a nice time together it isn’t much of a leap to see how that parent will react if the consumer products that support the show are requested by their child.

So let me make this concrete. Everyone loves Bluey. Don’t pretend you dont. You love it. If you don’t, you’ve not watched it. I’ve got a theory that the reason that Bluey is so successful isn’t because it is the perfect children’s show - in many ways it is not, there are a few things that could be better. But it is the perfect family animation because it holds a mirror up to the viewing family that reflects how that family experiences life. It somehow feels personal to your lived experience. And because that affinity is baked into each and every narrative, the whole family love it.

It doesn’t need vehicles to sell the toy line, it’s got characters and narrative. Characters the whole family can identify with and narratives we’ve all experienced but not been quite able to articulate.. It ain’t so complicated. The writers were allowed to write what they needed to write to do the job they had to do. That doesn’t happen very often in the world of licensing. It’s really easy to say what I am about to say, and it is really hard to do. But if you do it will make a significant difference to your chances of doing a Bluey. All you have to to do is engage parents in your content, reflect their lifestyles and lean firmly into the world of the shared experience.

Do a Tom Hanks in “BIG” and put yourself in the shoes of a nipper just for a moment…

Connect with licensing partners to explore business opportunities

Furnishings Fair, Fashion InStyle, Hong Kong International Printing & Packaging Fair) to expand business opportunities in lifestyle licensing. There will be an international exhibitor line-up

The HKTDC Hong Kong International Licensing Show (HKILS) is the flagship licensing event in Asia which offers an unrivalled platform for the industry to expand business opportunities. Running from 19-21 April this year, the Show will be organised in a hybrid format, with a physical exhibition supplemented with online business matching platform, for connecting global licensors and brands with licensees, licensing agents and traders from around the world.

For the first time, HKILS will be concurrently held with a series of HKTDC lifestyle fairs (Hong Kong Gifts & Premier Fair, Home InStyle, Hong Kong International Home Textiles and

with participation of more than 200 exhibitors from Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Macau, Mainland China, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, USA in addition to Hong Kong.

Running alongside the HKILS is the Asian Licensing Conference (ALC), which brings together global influential licensing leaders to share the latest market intelligence and trending insights. The conference will cover contemporary topics including latest developments in global licensing, the balance of sustainable business, market-driven morality with focus on sports licensing, and more.

They’re calling it our ‘secret ally’. The natural systems around us; our friend in the continued fight against climate change. Why? Well, it’s quite simple really. It’s carbon, isn’t it? Carbon is both a building block for everything we can touch and ironically, a root ingredient of our current recipe for climate disaster.

Fortunately for us, nature is fantastic at handling it. Unfortunately, nature is an infrastructure that has been the subject of some woeful resource mismanagement.

Natural systems have absorbed 54% of human-related carbon dioxide emissions over the past decade and have slowed global warming and helped protect us all from some pretty severe climate risks… so far. The problem is, we’re not treating nature like the ally she is. In fact, we’ve been treating her as a commodity. And now we’re facing the stark reality of where that has led us.

Among the many contributing factors the authors of the sixth – and likely final –Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report called out last month, our relationship with over-

consumption is probably the most pertinent to everyone in industry. It is, after all, the area driving our mistreatment of nature the hardest.

Issued on Monday, 20 March 2023, the report made for some rather startling reading. Taking swift and drastic action has become our last hope of limiting global warming to 1.5ºC above preindustrial levels and averting irrevocable damage to the planet. This is, in essence, our ‘final warning’ over the climate crisis before it’s all too late.

“Our world needs climate action on all fronts: everything, everywhere, all at once,” said the UN secretary general, Antonio Guterres upon the release of the report.

And what that means is every step made by business counts. There are a series of rapid emission reductions we need to make to meet intermediate climate targets: reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 43% by 2030 and by 60% by 2035 to reach net zero by mid-century and avoid global temperatures exceeding the tipping point.

To achieve what needs to be done, we need collaboration now more

than ever before. This has always been at the heart of Products of Change’s mission statement, to bring businesses and sectors together to help the $300bn global brand and licensing industry transition to a positive and sustainable future. How do we begin to reduce our emissions and regenerate the natural resources we depend upon day-to-day? Through collaboration and community, we are beginning to etch out some of our own answers. For the past year or so, we have been working on a major cross-sector project to develop an Industry Framework to help businesses across the consumer products space, from brand owners and manufacturing partners to retailers and all those along the value chain, build sustainable development into their operations and create the foundations of an industry standard, from concept and design all the way

Rob

Hutchins, Editor and Community Manager, Products of Change, discusses in POC’s regular column for Total Licensing how every single step businesses make now counts towards fighting impending disaster.

“Everything, everywhere, all at once...”

“They’re calling it our secret ally...”

“Industry wields such power of influence to steer the direction and set the pace of this change...”

Helena Mansell-Stopher CEO and Rob Hutchins, Editor and Community Manager, POC

through to end-of-life systems for products and packaging. A Framework for industry sustainable development – pored over by many contributing companies and individuals – this soonto-launch resource will help us all build incremental steps towards more sustainable operations into the fabric of our operations. This is how radical change is best mobilised. It’s like eating the metaphorical elephant. We could never recommend eating an elephant, of course, but we could recommend that we attempt this seismic shift to sustainable operation bit by bit, step-by-step. Yes, we need bold ambition and swift action, but we also need to make our changes stick. This is why the Framework is about leading the industry on that journey of sustainable development, with short-term, mid-term, and longterm targets forming is structure.

Transitioning an entire global industry without applying the brakes to business is going to be an interesting endeavour. This is, after all, about changing the entire systemic design of our business model. Overconsumption and the destruction of our ally nature is fuelled by our ‘take, make, break, and throwaway’ system. And the world can no longer accommodate it.

In the same week the IPCC issued its report, the European Commission was busy making a succession of proposals as a part of its European Green Deal legislation. Among them was a set of new rules designed to make the ‘right to repair’ products rather than replace them easier and more accessible for European customers. Discarded products are often viable goods that can be repaired but are too often thrown away prematurely. This has resulted in 35 million tonnes of waste, 30 million tonnes of resources, and 261 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions in the EU every year. Better enabling the 77% of Europeans who feel a personal responsibility to act to limit climate change to reduce their impact in this way seems a pretty reasonable place to start. Furthermore, it’s estimated that the ‘right to

repair’ initiative will unlock €4.8 billion in growth and investment in the EU.

Directives such as this and rules around Extended Producer Responsibility that will commence with packaging but eventually translate to products placed on the market, too will continue to nudge businesses towards a circular economy. Legislation will begin to set new parameters within which we must all operate as we look to cut emissions, reduce our impact on the planet and strike a better balance with nature and the environment. But the rest of the work has to come from us. Industry wields such power of influence to steer the direction and set the pace of this change. Let’s use our allyship, with nature and with each other, to rewrite the future we’re facing. It’s not yet too late.

Driving sustainable change together.

“Our world needs climate action on all fronts: everything, everywhere, all at once.”

- UN secretary general, Antonio Guterres

“Transitioning an entire global industry without applying the brakes to business is going to be an interesting endeavour...”

Sweet Success at Sugar Studios

Can you tell us more abound the background of Sugar Studios?

Sugar Studios is located in Greenwich in the old Tate and Lyle sugar factory. It came about from the idea and implementation from the directors of sister company MDM Props, once of the largest Art, Prop and Model fabricators in the UK where I used to work as the finance manager for over a decade until being asked to head up the studios in 2020. MDM Props used to be the contractors in charge of building the fantastic gallery space in Regents park for Frieze Art Fair, when we decided not to continue with this we had a huge amount of white flats which were simply stored in the building only making their appearance for a couple of months in the year to be restored transformed into gallery spaces and then returned to storage, at the same time MDM Props was working with various theatre companies including The National Theatre, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Lion King, War Horse, Shrek, Les Miserables the list goes on. The suggestion was made by our clients that it would be fantastic to have rehearsal space to use whilst sets/props were being made, and that it what we did. We originally created The Big Space, which is still frequented by a wonderful array of theatre productions, acrobatic performances, and stunt rehearsals, it has incredibly high ceilings and various break-out spaces including a mezzanine with lounge and kitchenette, production office/wardrobe and its own private WC and shower, so it is a great selfsufficient space for a large theatre company.

Following this the other three spaces followed suite, and to date, we now have a large Infinity Stage, a Green

Screen studio and The White / Blackbox Studio and are proud to be able to offer these studios to a vast array of clients across the industries to anyone who requires shoot, rehearsal and even entertainment or networking space.

And what recent productions have taken place?

The spaces we offer are diverse and therefore attract right across the board in what we are able to accommodate. Recent productions include an acoustic music video for The Brits ‘Rising Stars’ 2023 winners ‘Flo’ with Sony Music, a Netty Hurley’s short film called ‘Walking Women’ for Dazed Digital which was a project about liberating women of all body types from the stifling gaze of the media, Locate Productions and creative team at AKQA partnered to shoot a project for Nike, Usian Bolt filmed a TV ad for Brave Spark and AvaTrade, Dior took over Harrods to celebrate ‘Fabulous World Of Dior’, Cheryl Cole visited the studios to shoot rehearse 2:22 A Ghost Story, The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe also used the space for rehearsals. Due to the spaces and flexibility in our offerings we are lucky enough to work with a vast range of clients, brands, talent and industries. We can accommodate anything from a full-scale theatre rehearsal, stunt rehearsals, or an acrobatic flying rig set ups in The Big Space, to advertising campaigns: be it from Dunelm furniture shoot, Elvie’s latest breast pumps, to a Sainsbury’s food range, Nike v Cortiez, Levono, or Dazed editorial with fashion designer Chet Lo. The Infinity Stage really is the perfect blank canvas for any type of project. The Green Screen as it says on the tin (so to speak) is perfect for CGI, VR, and gaming. Some clients include Channel 4, Kurupt FM, Pias, Pulse Films, JM Films & Fashion brands Christopher Kane & Adidas. Or if a little less space and a smaller crews is what the shoot calls for then The White / Blackbox Studio is great and has accommodated many more intimate shoots, Jose Cuervo shot an AD for the world’s first washing

machine designed to mix margarita’s for International Margarita Day –produced by This Is Cow. Video here. Or Rina Sawayama editorial shoot for Nylon Mag with DMB Represents –photographed by Alex De Mora. Each space and the clients vision of how to use is impressive and astounding each day that the studios take a different shape.

How do you utilise the space for its heritage and a modern audience?

The heritage of the building: as an old sugar refinery is one that I will continue to tell stories about for years to come no doubt, I mean some of the structural beams remain in place from the drops at the wharf, the actual mill is still on top of the building, and gives a great 360 degree view over London! when it rains many have noted the ‘sweet’ smell which I can only assume is the sugar that is quite literally in the foundations of the building! I feel that we are a good contender for many projects of all scale, as a newish offering in the market we are in many ways still seen a ‘best kept secret’. Now, tell us about your female led-team!

We are indeed a female-led team, and this gives me a lot of pride as we still find ourselves in a largely male-dominated industry. I think everyone has a part to play in making and growing a business and having a team who also have very active roles creatively, means that we are further able to think outside the box, and increase our offering. Over the past year we started hosting music events, networking events, and I am looking to start up workshops, talks, and further events - anything that will not only include the great many talents that we have in-house, but also to further support and positively impact the local community.

To find out more about the team, visit: Instagram:

@sugarstudiosgreenwich

Twitter: @sugarstudiosldn

TikTok: @sugarstudiosgreenwich

We chatted to Jo Wallace, Studio Director, Sugar Studios, about some of the recent diverse productions that have taken place at the old Tate and Lyle factory in London, as well as her pride at having a femaleled team.

BOOK AVAILABLE!

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 published 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 LI members). https://www. totallicensingworld.com/site/business_ of_licensing

Gregory J. Battersby Battersby Law Group, LLC

The Impact of Data Privacy Legislation on Licensing

By: Gregory J. Battersby

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is an EU regulation on data protection and privacy for all individuals within the European Union and the European Economic Area.

It was approved by the EU Parliament in 2016 and enforced on May 25, 2018. Organizations that are not compliant with its terms can face heavy fines of up to €10 million, or, in the case of an undertaking, up to 2% of its entire global turnover of the preceding fiscal year.

The primary aim of the GDPR is to give individuals control over their personal data. It contains provisions and requirements pertaining to the processing of personal data of individuals (“data subjects”) such as names and surnames; home address; e-mail address; identification card number; location data (i.e., the location data from a mobile phone); cookie ID; IP address; data held by a hospital or doctor; advertising identifiers.

Other countries and states have adopted similar legislation. While the United States has not yet adopted a national law, many states, most notably, California, have enacted their own data privacy laws, e.g., the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). Violators of the CCPA are subject to civil penalties of $2,500 for each violation or $7,500 for each intentional violation after notice and a 30-day opportunity to cure have been provided. Other states, such as Connecticut, Colorado, Utah, and Virginia, have adopted their own versions of data privacy legislation.

A bipartisan draft bill (the “American Data Privacy and Protection Act”) is currently pending in Congress in 2022.

What impact does this legislation have on licensing?

Such direct to consumer licensees should protect themselves by ensuring that they are in full compliance with such legislation. Additionally, they should strongly consider obtaining and maintaining cyber liability insurance to protect themselves in the event of a breach.

Most of the major insurance carriers now offer cyber liability insurance, typically as part of a company’s commercial liability insurance package. It is intended to protect a company’s business from risks associated with its e-business, the Internet, networks, and other similar assets.

Risks that are typically covered include privacy violations, intellectual property infringement, or the transmission of a virus passed to other parties via the Web. Cyber liability coverage also offers protection for Internet communications exposures. It can also cover a) both online and offline services; b) security breaches, mistakes, and unauthorized employee acts, including virus attacks, hacking, identity theft or private information loss, and infringing or disparaging content; c) network information enterprise-wide, not just information on websites; and d) theft of others’ trade secrets and proprietary or confidential information from the insured.

Licensors who grant licensees these types of direct to consumer licenses similarly need to protect themselves in the same manner as they protect themselves from product liability actions.

Unfortunately, liability can arguably also extend to their licensors under the same theory that applies to product liability cases—the requirement that the licensee is subject to a quality control provision of the license agreement.

25

Poplar Plains Rd. Westport, CT 06880

(203) 454-9646 gjbattersby@gbiplaw.com

www.gbiplaw.com

The answer is little or none for those manufacturers/licensees who sell to retailers and distributors. That’s not the case, however, for those licensees (and their licensors) who engage in direct sales, particularly on-line sales because they actively obtain and maintain the type of personal information that falls under the above-described privacy legislation.

Such liability has not, as of yet, been established, but nevertheless, prudent licensors have taken steps to protect themselves from potential claims by: a) broadening the indemnity obligation of the such licensees to include claims based on violations of the data privacy laws; and b) requiring the licensee to maintain cyber liability insurance and adding the licensor (and agent, if applicable) as a named insured under the policy.