Rocket Licensing has been appointed as the UK and Ireland’s licensing agent for the ’80s TV sensation Bob Ross, on behalf of the US agent, Firefly Brand Management LLC.

The TV painter and personality Bob Ross was the face of popular The Joy of Painting TV show, which originally ran from 1983 to 1994, and is now available on Netflix and Twitch. The series also recently launched on Vice in the UK and has a successful YouTube channel boasting 4 million subscribers.

The recent resurgence of The Joy of Painting programme has sparked a huge interest among millennials and students for its calming, meditative, mindful qualities. A consumer products programme has already been well-established in the US, with products from over 60 licensees over a range of categories including games and puzzles, collectables, partyware, homewares, apparel and more, along with direct to retail deals and major retail placement.

In the US, the brand has been shown in the inflight entertainment on Delta Airlines, and other airlines. Bob Ross enjoys a growing following on social media and has over 1.5 million followers on both Facebook and Twitch.

Rocket Licensing will be working with partners to build on the brand’s success in the US market for the UK market. The agency will be discussing with potential partners across categories including apparel, dress-up, gifting and homewares, arts and crafts, stationery and social stationery, accessories and publishing.

Charlie Donaldson, joint MD, Rocket Licensing, said: “Bob Ross is a real heritage brand with unique charm, which brings the relaxed, slower pace of the ’80s to busy modern lives and as such, has gained a pop culture status among millennials and students.

“There is an enormous asset bank for licensees to tap into in order to capture the essence of the iconic heritage of the property, and a wealth of opportunities for partners to leverage the popularity in the UK market.”