Category Archives: Entertainment

Mad Beauty details full Warner Bros. Friends range as it readies for retail launch

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The health and beauty specialist, Mad Beauty has witnessed the arrival of its Warner Bros. Friends collection, and could the company be any more excited? Going by the press release, it would appear the team has reached maximum excitement capacity, because for the first time, the iconic ’90s sitcom is making its way to the beauty aisles.

Announced at Spring Fair 2020, Mad Beauty is now ready to reveal its full Warner Bros Friends collection – the first collaboration with Warner Bros. since signing agreements earlier this year.

The launch collection features 15 pieces of beauty, bath, and body essentials, as well as a line up of lifestyle accessories. From pampering Turkey Sheet Face Masks, Advent Calendars, Eyeshadow Palettes, to Clip and Clean Hand Cleansing Gels, the new collection includes everything to bring the hilarity of Friends this autumn.

The full range includes a Central Perk Lip Balm Trio, Turkey Face Mask, 12 Days of Bath Fizzers, Iconic Yellow Frame Eyeshadow Palette, Pizza Box Bath Salts Selection , Silicone Coffee & Frame Hand Gel, Turkey Tangle Brush, Lobster Hand Cream Set, Quotes Clip & Clean Hand Gel, Regina Phalange Wearable Lip Balm, You’re My Lobster Bath Fizzers, Turkey Shower Cap, Central Perk Pamper Trio, Rescue Mask Set, and a Coffee Cup Lip Balm Duo.

“The level of interest and pre-orders in this range at shows and through sneak previews has been huge, and we are confident that this will be one of the best collections to date,” said a representative of Mad Beauty. “Could it be any more exciting?”

Universal Music Group strikes partnership with Soundtrack Your Brand

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Universal Music Group has signed up another global licensing deal, this time with a pioneering business-to-business cloud-based music streaming service called Soundtrack Your Brand. The new deal will allow the music platform offer tracks from the library of music produced by Universal Music Group’s own artists.

The aim of Soundtrack Your Brand is to deliver flexibility of music-streaming technology to brands and businesses for an ‘improved user and consumer experience.’ The model is based on full song trackability, and the deal will offer UMG’s artists and songwriters compensation and credit when their music is played in business and public environments.

Insight fro Soundtrack Your Brand has shown how playing music that reflects their brand’s value positively impacts a business, from noticeably moving sales to directly affecting customer satisfaction.

Ola Sars, founder and CEO of Soundtrack Your Brand, said: “Together with partners like UMG, we have re-imagined the licensing and business-to-business model. We hold the conviction that music has intrinsic value as an art-form and that creators must be compensated for their contribution to a business.

“Brands can benefit artists in accessing new fans, if their in-store music is matched to their customer and brand values. It is my belief that through Soundtrack, there is substantial value to be unlocked for artists, rights owners and brands.”

In 2019 Soundtrack commissioned Nielsen to carry out the biggest study on background music to date, engaging with 5000 small businesses across two continents and seven countries. Nielsen reports that 21.3 million businesses are using illicit consumer services, leaving potential revenue untapped for the global music industry. With 88 per cent of businesses playing music four or five days a week and 86 per cent prepared to pay for an improved service, the opportunity is substantial.

James Healy, SVP digital strategy and business development, Universal Music Group, said: “In Soundtrack, we have a partner whose technological and strategic re-imagining of an evolving business-to-business model will support us in ensuring creators are valued and fairly compensated.”

Paul Stuart, head of licensing and business affairs, Soundtrack, added: “Whether you run a bar in Brooklyn, a café in Sydney or a multinational brand, customer experience is everything. I couldn’t be happier for our customers who can now access UMG’s incredible artists and their music through their unrivaled catalogue and new frontline releases.”

Hasbro, Pokemon and Penguin Ventures among first exhibitors taking part in Festival of Licensing

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Hasbro, The Pokemon Company, Penguin Ventures, and the Natural History Museum are among just some of the biggest names to be taking part in the new virtual Festival of Licensing running this October and taking the place of Brand Licensing Europe this year.

Brands from across the entertainment, publishing, gaming, sport, lifestyle, and heritage licensing fields have now confirmed their attendance and taken up their exhibition slots at the digital gathering which this year will run all online from October 6th to 29th. The event is to be hosted by Global Licensing Group in partnership with Licensing International.

Acamar Films, Chupa Chups, NBA Properties, Sega Europe, Start Licensing, and Yale are among those to have already registered to exhibit.

“Many great business opportunities have stemmed from the connections we have made at Brand Licensing Europe,” said Maxine Lister, head of licensing, Natural History Museum. “This year, especially, it is important for us to continue expanding our partnerships and develop new ways for the public to connect with the natural world through our 80 million specimens.

“We are thrilled to be taking part in Festival of Licensing and look forward to new business opportunities to evolve our licensing strategy.”

Registration for the four-week long celebration of global licensing also opens today at www.festivaloflicensing.com where attendees can opt to attend any or all of the Festival’s three regionally tailored events for Europe, Asia and the Americas, as well as the Licensing Leadership Summit:

  • Week 1: 6-8 October – Europe, powered by Brand Licensing Europe
  • Week 2: 14-15 October – Asia, powered by Licensing Expo China and Licensing Expo Japan
  • Week 3: 20-22 October – North America and Latin America, powered by Licensing Expo
  • Week 4: 28-29 October – Global C-suite virtual conference – Licensing Leadership Summit

“The feedback we have received about Festival of Licensing since announcing it just four weeks ago has been incredible and we are thrilled to be able to announce such an amazing first roster of exhibitors,” said Anna Knight, vice president, Global Licensing Group, Informa Markets. “This is only the beginning – we have another seven weeks till ‘doors open’ – so there will be a lot more news, and surprises, coming down the line.”

 

Exhibitors confirmed to date Include:

 

  • Acamar Films
  • Asgard Media
  • Bioworld
  • Brainbase
  • Brandgenuity
  • CAA-GBG
  • Chupa Chups, S.A Unipersonal
  • CPLG/Wildbrain
  • Crunchyroll Europe
  • Cyber Group Studios
  • Dependable Solutions
  • Design Plus
  • Edutainment
  • Hasbro
  • Herschend Entertainment Studios
  • J Patton
  • KOCCA
  • Licensing Works
  • LoCoco Licensing
  • Natural History Museum
  • NBA Properties Inc
  • Octane5
  • Opsec
  • Penguin Ventures
  • Pokemon
  • Sega Europe
  • Start Licensing
  • Tesa Scribos
  • UCLA
  • Xilam
  • Yale
  • Zolan Licensing Agency

Brands who are interested in exhibiting or sponsorship opportunities can visit www.festivaloflicensing.com for more information.

UCLA debuts new collection with French retailer Don’t Call Me Jennyfer

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With the yearlong festival celebrating its centenary year now in the rear view mirror, UCLA is looking to kick start its next 100 years with a touch of French class via a new partnership with the French retailer, Don’t Call Me Jennyfer.

UCLA has launched its latest collection of women’s apparel throughout the retailer’s store location across France, Southern Europe, the Middle East and Northern Africa, as well as online.

“We are thrilled to have this upbeat and fresh UCLA collection launch in France,” said Cynthia Holmes, director of UCLA trademarks and licensing. 

“With fantastic support from our European licensing agent, Plus Licens AB, and licensing partner, Stone Kids, this new UCLA collection, presented by Don’t Call Me Jennyfer, captures the energy and confidence of young women who are passionately and perpetually engaged with the world around them.”

The collection is a fresh take on classic campus silhouettes including crew sweatshirts and hoodies, tees, and joggers, that ‘all go well with a confident attitude and your favorite pair of jeans or casual skirt.’

Through a physical network of 330 stores in France, Don’t Call Me Jennyfer has – over just two years – become a leading name in the clothing industry. Its new strategy brings with it the motto ‘No stereotypes’, developed as an embodiment of inclusion, tolerance, and diversity to appeal to Gen Z.

Don’t Call Me Jennyfer is one of the most influential and active brands on Instagram in France, with a community of 1.2 million members.

Unanico Group to bolster content development, production and licensing under new CEO Leanne Preston

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The international independent media company, Unanico Group is looking to bolster its content development, production and global partnership and licensing strategies with the appointment of a new Producer and CEO in the form of Leanne Preston.

The former Nickelodeon executive is set to head up the award-winning team and bring her over 14 years of animation experience to the role as Unanico continues on its mission to expand across the US.

During her time at Nickelodeon, Preston worked on the BAFTA-nominated House of Anubis, before moving into her role as head of development at Red Kits Animation. It was there that she spearheaded the development of the award-winning DreamWorks Classics property George of the Jungle, now airing in over 125 countries, and Ella Bella Bingo, recently sold to over 25 countries.

Prior to joining Unanico, Preston has served as head of production development, animation for Citizen Skull Productions, working on Nickelodeon’s LEGO City Adventures, Youku and international pre-school series Emmy & GooRoo, and Tencent hit Mini Mind Warriors.

Preston also had a stint as director of animation development for production at Gaumont Animation US.

Founded in 2009 by producer Paul Laikin and creative director Jason Jameson, Unanico Group is dedicated to the creation of original 2D, 3D and CGI animation, with a focus on developing and producing in-house IPs, as well as co-developing and co-producing animated IPs from selected partners.

Unanico Group creates long-form series, films, shorts, illustrated books, casual games, apps, interactive experiences, AR, VR, MR and licensed merchandise. Previous projects include: One Night In Hell, an award-winning animated short film in collaboration with Queen’s guitarist Brian May, the All Dead, All Dead Queen music video (3M+ views on YouTube), and the animation of all three seasons of CBeebies four-time BAFTA-nominated series, Apple Tree House.

Preston is joining Unanico Group following the release of its pre-school series Buddi in March of 2020. Buddi is streaming worldwide as a Netflix Original Series, with executive producer Keith Chapman. Unanico Group is currently in development of multiple other original series and feature films and has industry partnerships in Japan and in China, where the company has successfully distributed Apple Tree House and Koala Brothers to platforms such as Tencent Video, Mango TV and Jetson Huashi and produced Buddi with Motion Magic of Shanghai Media Group.

“Unanico Group is thrilled to welcome Preston to the team, and excited for her collaboration and leadership on their upcoming development slate and productions, including exciting new IPs and music partnerships,” read a statement from the firm.

“Unanico is dedicated to creating quality animation and forming strategic partnerships, with several new projects underway with major companies leading the IP. We’re excited for the upcoming developments from Preston and her team.”

Panini launches its re-branded Official Premier League Adrenalyn XL Trading Card collection

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The trading card and collectable stickers specialist, Panini has launched a completely re-branded and refreshed Adrenalyn XL trading card collection featuring all of the Premier League’s top talent. The new-look Official Premier League Adrenalyn XL Trading Card range follows the recent success of Panini’s first Premier League sticker collection, Football 2020.

Premier League Adrenalyn XL 2020/21 is the only trading card collection to include all 20 Premier League clubs, and is billed as the ‘must-have collection for football fans and collectors alike.’ It features 468 trading cards, as well as 30 limited edition cards across a new-look range of SKUs including multipacks, pocket and classic tins, and a Countdown Calendar.

The collection will hit shelves in the UK and Republic of Ireland from Thursday, August 20th.

Fans can kickstart their collection with a Starter Pack, which includes a high-quality collector’s binder, two-player gameboard and poster, 18 trading cards, an exhaustive magazine game guide plus two guaranteed Limited Edition cards. Starter Packs are priced at £5.99 and packets, which include six trading cards and one QR code leaflet, are £1.00 each.

A multi-channel marketing campaign is lined up, including extending cross-promotional activations with fellow Premier
League partners and delivering a heavyweight TV, radio, VOD and digital campaign. The launch will be supported by the best
football influencers in the category and a new sampling mechanic in place with the UK’s top-selling newspaper.

Panini has also forged new football magazine cover mount partnerships which, alongside Panini’s own football magazine Strike-It!, will facilitate the sampling of millions of packets to football-loving kids across the British Isles.

Mike Riddell, managing director of Panini UK, said: “Panini is taking Premier League trading cards to a new level for the 2020/21 season. Premier League Adrenalyn XL™ 2020/21 is a dynamic new collection which will be refreshed as new players transfer into the world’s most exciting league.”

Will Brass, commercial director, Premier League, added: “We’re excited to kick off our second season with Panini. The new-look Adrenalyn XL™ trading cards are a great way to get the Premier League into the hands of fans across the UK and Republic of Ireland.”

Chris Clover, head of marketing, Sport at Panini UK, concluded: “I cannot wait for collectors to get their hands on these new cards. The design team at Panini UK have created something really special for all Premier League fans to enjoy, switching up and improving every element from last season. There really will be no mistaking which trading card collection for the 2020/21 season is officially Premier League.”

Warner Music Group signs deal with Lickd to give online content creators access to millions of pop tracks

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The global service that provides video creators with access to chart music, Lickd, has detailed its new partnership with Warner Music Group that will witness the roll out of commercial tracks to online content creators, removing the risk of copyright infringement.

Warner Music’s deal with Lickd now enables millions of popular tracks to be legally made available to the 50 million YouTubers who upload videos to the platform.

With five billion videos watched every day, it is hoped that having pre-cleared music from some of the biggest artists on the planet and some the most exciting developing acts, will drive greater fan engagement and commercial value for both content creators and musicians.

Paul Sampson, CEO of Lickd, said: “We are thrilled that Warner Music has come on board with Lickd at a time when people are consuming more content than ever, when the music industry is actively looking for new income streams and when creators are more active than ever before.

“Over the last 12 months we have seen more and more creators flock to the Lickd platform which underscores just how important using licenced popular music is in video. We are very much looking forward to continuing to provide value by working hand in hand with both the majors and with our creators as we continue to grow.”

Charlie White, director of business development at Warner Music, added: “We’re delighted to partner with Lickd and offer fans the chance to creatively use our artists’ music in a licensed environment. We’re keen to embrace models where fans can become content creators too, but rights holders can be paid fairly for the use of their music. Deals such as this are expanding the horizons of the digital music market.”

The Elf on the Shelf team channels the spirit of Christmas in new corporate branding The Lumistella Company

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CCA and B, LLC, the outfit best known for its perennial best-seller, The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition and Elf Pets has undergone a corporate rebrand to The Lumistella Company to better reflect the firm’s status as a global children’s brand in line with the company’s vision and mission.

Sticking closely to the lore of the North Pole that has to date provided much success for the group, Lumistella is the name given to an ancient and magical Christmas comet. The comet is recognised as the origin source of Christmas magic and all of the characters who make Santa’s North Pole their home, including The Elf on the Shelf.

The name Lumistella is also now a symbol of the essence of the company’s ethos, to remind fans and employees to ‘constantly look for the spirit of Christmas.’

“Many incorrectly believe that The Elf on the Shelf is our official company name, so updating our corporate identity to The Lumistella Company reflects a bigger world of brands and characters,” said founder and co-CEO Chanda Bell. “The North Pole is a magical universe with endless stories and enchanted characters, all centred around the virtues of faith, hope and love. Our new corporate name effectively captures the true essence of our brand identity and accurately portrays our vision as we head into the future.”

The rebrand also reflects the company’s strategic reorganization from that of a consumer products company into a global intellectual property company with three distinct areas of focus, encompassing immersive experiences, entertainment-based content and consumer products.

Each business unit is actively engaged in building strategic partnerships with best-in-class studios, publishers, music firms, product companies, agencies and live entertainment production companies.

“As we celebrate our 15-year anniversary of The Elf on the Shelf, we are well poised to grow beyond consumer products, giving children of all ages a behind-the-scenes glimpse into Santa’s full world,” added founder and co-CEO Christa Pitts. “The Lumistella Company is a name which reflects our evolution as a corporation and better positions us as the go-to authority on all things Santa Claus at Christmastime and beyond.”

Capitalizing on the new direction, the company recently unveiled a whole new immersive kid’s website: santasnorthpole.com.  On the site, kids can explore and play more than 20 interactive games and activities.

“It’s the virtual world of Santa Claus that kids have been waiting for,” noted president Mike Champion. “There is plenty more to come, and we hope our fans will stay tuned for a number of exciting announcements related to our brands this year.”

For more information please visit http://www.lumistella.com.

Loot Crate to launch 60th anniversary Sanrio crate as the subscription box specialist details raft of partnerships

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The pop culture subscription box service, Loot Crate, is celebrating the 60th anniversary of the world-famous Sanrio with the launch of a special October Anniversary themed Sanrio Crate. The limited edition crate will feature new and exclusive Hello Kitty and Friends collectables and gear.

To celebrate a successful six decades of the company and its portfolio of globally revered characters, including the likes of Hello Kitty, Mr Men, and more, the October Anniversary crate includes a Loot Crate exclusive Hello Kitty Cake Figure, a Loot Crate exclusive Jewellery Pouch and a host of other items each showcasing 60 years of Hello Kitty and Friends.

Sanrio Crates start at $39.99 plus shipping and handling.

The partnership with Sanrio is the latest in a surge of new and classic properties to extend their relationship with the subscription box specialist. This November will see the firm launch its Elder Scrolls crate, featuring officially licensed collectables, gear, apparel, and more all based on the hit gaming franchise Elder Scrolls.

Meanwhile, earlier this month, Loot Crate detailed its latest partnership with Disney to launch a limited edition Pixar crate, featuring wares from the likes of Toy Story, The Incredibles, Up and more. The run of three limited edition crates will enable fans to unbox the new Disney and Pixar goods while celebrating the magic of Pixar’s films and characters.

WildBrain CPLG and Star Trek warp into digital wall art with BeArty

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The entertainment, sport, and brand licensing agency, WildBrain CPLG has secured a deal with the tech company BeArty to launch a new digital wall art range inspired by the iconic sci-fi franchise, Star Trek. The deal was brokered by WildBrain CPLG on behalf of ViacomCBS Consumer Products.

The new partnership will witness the launch of a collection of digital wall art that fans can display on their Smart TVs. Through BeArty’s Vizzio Art software, consumers can navigate thousands of artwork options through its mobile app. The new Star Trek offering will feature hundreds of images from the franchise. It will be available to subscribers from this month.

John Taylor, VP Northern Europe and MD UK, Eire and France at WildBrain CPLG, said: “Star Trek has a hugely loyal and wide fan-base and this innovative new partnership with BeArty gives those fans an exciting opportunity to access their favourite artwork in an affordable and accessible way.

“We look forward to seeing fans around the world replacing their blank TV screens with eye-catching Star Trek ships in their homes and offices.”

Patrick Ashworth, founder and CEO of BeArty Ltd, added: “BeArty is excited to launch this new platform, which will allow fans to experience Star Trek all day long. With the large and growing wall decoration market, and the widespread use of smart phones and Smart TVs, it is finally time to make a real impact in the market and make art available to everyone and empower them to change their wall décor in just a couple of clicks.”