Category Archives: Festival of Licensing

Space mission: How Moonbug Entertainment’s rocketing success is disrupting the pre-school space

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It may be highly competitive, it may even be getting a little bit crowded at times, but there’s one thing that the pre-school sector hasn’t become in recent years – particularly now, as audiences shift their viewing habits and the means in which they engage with it – and that is, a done deal.

Compared to the work that has been going on behind the scenes of some of the most powerful digital brands in the pre-school space today, it’s relatively early days for the licensing world. It’s not been until recently that licensing has paid close attention to the kind of pre-school IP grown from the ground upwards on platforms like YouTube, and only in the last year or two that it has recognised the power that such brands can wield.

Moonbug prides itself as being one of the pioneers of this space. Just take a look at the portfolio it boasts today: CoComelon, Blippi, Little Baby Bum, and more waiting in the wings, all of which have managed to strike a particular chord with children and families on a global scale, and all of which have been the subject of some world-spanning master toy and consumer products partnerships, all driven by worldwide demand.

The world’s recent lockdown at the hands of the coronavirus pandemic, suggests Moonbug Entertainment’s senior in-house advisor, Simon Philips, simply helped to drive that engagement further. Suddenly, co-viewing between parents and children increased, and families the world over began to better see the value in the digital medium as both a means of entertainment and education for children.

 Licensing.biz catches up with Moonbug Entertainment’s Philips to talk about the rocketing popularity of the company’s portfolio, it’s ongoing mission to disrupt the pre-school sector, and what kind of plans it has in place for 2021 and beyond.

 Can we kick off with an overview of what Moonbug incorporates, you guys create, produce and publish much of the content yourselves, before handling the licensing and merchandising opportunities?

Today, Moonbug is the largest digital kids media company in the world. We have done this primarily by identifying and acquiring the most exciting kids shows with untapped potential and investing in them to create more episodes, develop new storylines and expand their reach across multiple platforms. This approach then allows us to make those brands more accessible through licensing and merchandising opportunities – deepening our connection with the audience and growing the brand identity. 

There’s been a lot of activity from Moonbug this past year, and a lot of demand for the IP portfolio, including CoComelon, Blippi and Little Baby Bum, what is it that Moonbug is bringing to the licensing space and the children’s entertainment space?

The licensing world is now turning their attention to something we are proud to have been pioneers in – the potential and power of digital brands. Early on, we focused almost exclusively on tapping into the undiscovered pool of talented creators on digital platforms who not only had significant viewership, but also a very loyal audience. 

Our thesis, which now has been proven, was simple: empower our creative team to build on these huge hits, increase the speed of production, and then distribute it across our vast distribution network. This seemed like an obvious opportunity to offer kids and families new and engaging content while growing these brands into global franchises. Over time, our creative, data and distribution teams are always looking at what works, what doesn’t, and how to deliver more of what kids and families want.

Moonbug has demonstrated that there is room in the pre-school space to disrupt and break the traditional, how has the past year or so been for you guys in terms of growth, engagement, audience reach? Why is now the right time for Moonbug to be doing what it is doing?

Historically, there was a focus on exclusive content on individual streaming platforms. Our strategy from the beginning has been more content on more platforms. It has been validating to see that the viewing patterns of the modern family reflect our approach – with increasing co-viewing across streaming platforms and connected TVs. 

The democratization of content and the freedom for families to decide what, when, and where they watch their favorite programs has been a huge driver in the growth of our portfolio, which culminated with two of our largest acquisitions and raising an additional $120 million in funding.

We believe we are well positioned to keep growing as we continue to see the immense value ‘content-everywhere’ has to our audience as pre-schoolers are platform agnostic, caring only about watching their favorite characters on screen.

We think this means meeting your audience where they are. This is why we are incredibly excited that today, Moonbug’s shows are on over 100 platforms globally and at the top of the Netflix rankings. Our portfolio currently has more than 7 billion average monthly views on YouTube alone. 

Is there an overall mission or goal for Moonbug in terms of its licensing and consumer product partnerships?

 We are making educational, family-oriented shows more accessible. By acquiring new shows and expanding them to new platforms, we’re bringing our programs into even more homes around the world. The trust of families is especially important to us and we provide the programming parents can trust will keep their children entertained while also learning along the way. We are very deliberative and thoughtful to make sure that the licensing product fits the value of the content and reflects a fun learning experience for children everywhere. 

It’s been a bit of an odd year – how have you guys seen consumer and viewer habits change over the course of 2020 and how are you placed to tap into these changes? What of these changes do you think will stay with us going forward?

 The co-viewing between parents and children was one trend we saw increase during the lockdowns, leading to a greater appreciation of how content can be used as a learning tool. As parents are taking a more active role in their children’s learning, our shows have become both a resource to parents and a moment of joy for the child. 

We began to see this shift before the lockdowns and it has since accelerated — we expect the trend to continue as an expression of consumer behavior. 

Can you talk us through the strength of the Moonbug Music arm of the business – how big a market has the children’s music/audio space become and what are your plans for developing and innovating in this space?

 We view music as an essential part of how kids and families engage with our content. A show’s soundtrack not only draws people in, but helps with their retention of the content. Our team is always working to understand the interplay between the music and narrative. We’re continuing to experiment with new ways to use music as a critical component to developing compelling, educational and family-friendly content.

What’s the next big step for Moonbug?

While this has been a very big year for us, it is only the beginning and there are many new things to come in 2021. Next year, there will be more of the engaging shows that kids know and love, along with many more original products. On the licensing side, we will be building on the incredible success of Little Baby Bum, Blippi, and CoComelon toys by introducing complementary products from apparel to games, bedding, and everything in between.

MasterChef and MasterChef Junior cook up new toys, games, cookware and experiential deals in the US

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Endemol Shine North America has secured a new slate of partnerships for the hit culinary competition series, MasterChef and MasterChef Junior, taking the brand into interactive toys, board games, cookware, and live experiences.

Kicking off the new slate of licensing partners, Abacus Brands, a leader in educational virtual reality toys, will be developing a unique interactive cooking experience with a MasterChef Junior cooking kit. The STEM focused kit features AR and VR technology, allowing kids to learn about cooking techniques, where food comes from, as well as tips and tricks from former MasterChef Junior contestants.

Meanwhile, Wilder Games will be creating the first MasterChef-themed board game for the US market. The board game puts families to the test and will give them the chance to experience the cooking series on game nights with real cooking-themed competition and culinary know-how.

Innovation driven home and lifestyle product makers, Creative Concepts Manufacturing Group will be designing a new line of Masterchef branded cookware featuring its signature 18 Karat Gold and Silver Ion plated finishes. The cookware line will include a full array of saucepans, fry pans, grill pans and casseroles that aim to solve multiple concerns faced by food-loving home chefs.

“We are thrilled to offer the number one food competition franchise to licensees and enter new deals for the US market,” said Amber Sheppo, SVP, licensing, Endemol Shine North America.

“Cooking has always brought families together, and that seems to be true now more than ever. With these latest partners onboard, we are able to provide new experiences for our fans through an array of fresh and unique products in 2021.”

Endemol Shine North America recently announced a range of other partnerships including the opening of the first MasterChef restaurant concept in the US with VC Capital. Meanwhile, Gander Group has signed up for a series of branded kitchen products for the casino industry.

Additionally, the company has extended its partnership with TCG Entertainment, producers of MasterChef Junior Live! with the return of the highly popular live stage show in Spring 2021, visiting over 20 cities across the US.

MasterChef has been renewed for an 11th season on FOX and MasterChef Junior season eight is set to return in the 2020-2021 season on FOX.

MasterChef is part of the global offering from Banijay Brands, the newly-launched division within Banijay which encompasses brand licensing, merchandising, gaming, gambling and music and represents brands from the world’s largest content catalogue, comprising of 88,000+ hours of original programming.

Rising Up: MGM Studios on how 45 years later the Rocky franchise is still packing a punch

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The trumpets, the grey tracksuit, the run up the stairs and the timeless story of David vs Goliath, the underdog with the eye of the tiger; there’s very little about the Rocky franchise that isn’t iconic. It’s difficult to believe that it’s been… [checks notes]… 45 years since Sylvester Stallone first stepped into the ring as Rocky, and not so difficult to believe that over the course of four and a half decades, he has emerged as a staple image of popular culture.

The sentimental affinity that the world shares with the message and storyline of Rocky aside for a moment, the statistics alone for the franchise are as impressive as Rocky’s boxing career. This is a franchise that has accrued $1.3Billion at the box office; three academy awards and 10 nominations, two golden globes across six films, and has given rise to two spin offs in the form of the more recent Creed films. 

If ever there was a case of life imitating art, suggests Robert Marick, executive vice president of global consumer products and experiences at MGM, the rights holders and studio behind the franchise, Rocky is surely it.

News of MGM’s partnership with TCG Entertainment to bring live Rocky concerts to the global stage as part of the 45th anniversary celebrations of the Rocky franchise has already fired up the engines of its core audience base across the world; so word that this is just a part of the wider plans to celebrate the global cinematic, pop culture, and even sporting culture icon that is Rocky Balboa is certain to send it into fever pitch.

Here, Licensing.biz talks with MGM’s Robert Marick to discuss a cultural icon, learn more about those 45th anniversary plans, and discover what kind of potential a brand that spans not only cinema, but pop culture, sport culture, lifestyle and more, has within the ever evolving licensing space.

People talk about iconic brands a lot in licensing, but Rocky without doubt is a true icon – of cinema, pop culture, and beyond – from the soundtrack, style, iconic film scenes, the script its story, and even the acting. Handling the licensing programme for something embedded in culture must be an exciting prospect?

To be honest, it’s a privilege. While everything you’ve mentioned is accurate, Rocky is so much more. From underdog to champion, there is so much depth to the franchise that appeals to its core audience. Because of the multi-dimensional nature of the franchise, it allows us to re-interpret the licensing program in so many ways.   

How do you begin to look at the licensing strategy for something so well revered the world over?

The Rocky franchise provides a multi-dimensional view and therefore a complimentary licensing strategy. In 2021, we’ve rallied around the theme “Champion”. As we developed the Rocky 45th licensing plan, we provided three opportunities. Train like a champion; Look like a champion; and Feel like a champion.

Each opportunity allows for unique product segmentation of licensed product. If you want to “look like a champion”, apparel and accessories is a natural fit. For those that want to “train like a champion”, gym equipment and interactive games such as VR games, workout systems allow fans to train like Rocky; If fans want to “feel like a champion” and show their fandom, publishing, collectibles and replicas will deliver on that aspiration.

In support of this strategy, we developed a bespoke style guide celebrating the 45th anniversary. Our licensing program is focused to rally the “everyday Rocky” to tap into their inner champion, celebrate champions in his or her community, and give fans new ways to show their love for the Rocky franchise all year long.

 You recently detailed the TCG Entertainment partnership, which seems to have fans really excited for the 45th celebrations. What other plans have you got for the anniversary? What aspects of licensing will the plans span? 

While the full roll out plans are still being finalized, I can tell you that we are planning a year-long celebration which will include new and exciting merchandise, interactive games, licensed advertising and location-based entertainment activations.  One example is the Rocky Run. In its seventh year, the Rocky Run unites fans from all over the world to Philadelphia, with like-minded fans, and for a day, step into Rocky’s footsteps where they are able to train, look and feel like a champion leading all the way up those famous stairs.

How much will the current global situation influence the plans and licensing roll out? How do you think it has shaped innovation within licensing, and will you guys be tapping into any of the trends here?

We don’t want to capitalize on this global situation and proactively push the point. Instead we want to focus on the future and getting through it by having Rocky fans express their own Rocky moment and using Rocky to motivate and inspire them to persevere and go the distance. It needs to be and should be organic. 

Can you talk us through the new partners you’ve got lined up for the brand, what categories will you be spanning? What of the current partnerships will you be expanding upon?

Boxing/Athleisure has been identified as a new Fashion Trend. Boxing remains mainstream, trendy and relevant for men and women and Rocky’s signature grey hoodie has made a major comeback. We are looking for key collaborations that can bring together two powerful brands. As for new categories to explore, we are looking at pet, jewelry accessories and location based and live entertainment.

Rocky and Creed are in a unique position that they cover both pop culture and sporting markets, you’ve mentioned the Rocky themed running events in the works – how far will you be taking the sports and entertainment crossover? What potential does this offer?

A great example of this cross over is the Rocky / Creed Rise to Glory VR game by Survios. It’s become an evergreen title, that – similar to the Rocky Run – gives fans a chance to step in the ring and train and feel like a champion. I am excited to share that the hit, Creed: Rise to Glory VR game will be available on console platforms in time for the 45th anniversary. Other opportunities in this area are vast and we are currently exploring our gym and fitness equipment.

Why do you think Rocky continues to resonate with fans across the globe? 

The Rocky franchise is a global phenomenon! The story has so many themes such as ambition, determination, courage, being the underdog and rising to the top etc., and that all translates across generations, demographics and cultures around the world. Everyday people can relate to Rocky in some shape, way or form. Today, more than ever, Rocky is beacon of hope and inspiration around the world. 

It’s hard to believe that it’s been 45 years since fans saw Rocky hit enter the ring for the first time. Looking back over the years, it’s amazing what Sylvester Stallone accomplished. Just like the Rocky character, the franchise and Sylvester Stallone, beat all the odds at the time as an up-and-coming writer, director and actor. 

The statistics are staggering. $1.3Billion at the box office; three academy awards and 10 nominations; two golden globes across six films and two spin offs with the Creed films. In this case, life–imitates–art. What a champion!

Products of Change’s Helena Mansell Stopher on the new consumer mindset, toys, and sustainability

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From a staple of the licensing and merchandising industry to becoming the face for the sweeping change rumbling through it and the minds of consumers across the UK, Helena Mansell Stopher is the director of Products of Change, a platform on a mission to bring sustainability into the heart of the consumer products space.

Licensing.biz catches up with the sustainability specialist to talk about shifting consumer mindsets, the impact of the movement on the toy industry specifically, and the next moves for the Products of Change platform.

Hi Helena, thanks for chatting with us. To start off, can you talk us through Products of Change? What is the concept, and what is it setting out to achieve in the consumer products space?

Of course, I would love to. Products of Change is currently transitioning from a local group discussing sustainable practices, to a global sustainable networking group driven through an online digital hub. The hub will enable members to be sustainably educated through research and educational content, to learn through our webinars and podcast for quick on the go learning, as well as connect through our members hub on site directly to share best practice and gain knowledge.

How did the move all come about for you? What drives you and the mission statement of Products of Change?

It was during my time as licensing director of National Geographic Partners that the devastating effect of climate change and the impact that the consumer goods industry was having on the environment really hit home, we worked extremely closely with the National Geographic Society and once I knew what we were doing, I couldn’t ignore it.

I got a small group of leaders within the industry together to discuss how we can start to make change through sharing best practice. Our mission statement is really ‘educating to inform change’ through bite size pieces of content, we really want to drive peer to peer learning as the only way we can have a positive impact is if we come together collectively to do this.

What has reception been like from across the industries to Products of Change and the movement that you guys are championing? Why is now the right time for everyone to be joining the ‘movement’?

It’s been a phenomenal response, what is encouraging to see is that people truly want to make sustainable change but they just don’t know where to start. Covid has made 2020 the toughest year for business and though many companies are focusing on keeping their head above water, what has become more apparent is the relationship between human activity/business and the natural world, they are all interlinked and have dramatic effects on each other.

If we are to future proof our business we must first look at how we extract materials, our transportation, our carbon footprint, the list goes on to reviewing the full lifecycle and impact of actually creating product, we can then start to build better systems that don’t harm the environment and enable us to look after the planet and its wildlife, and in-turn look after ourselves…. To me this is the reason why the movement is so important now, we have to be the first generation that creates this new path forward for the next generation to follow and excel.

If we look at the toy space specifically – we are seeing a lot more attention being paid to the topic of sustainability from retail and toy brand perspectives, but there’s still a long way to go. Can you talk us through some of the activity Products of Change is starting to see in this department? How do we start to get businesses to think about the significance of the issue today?

For me the toy industry has some of the most imaginative inventors, there are so many elements to play with and because of this I really do feel the industry can start to take a lead in this area, though the flip side of this is the mix of material input in the toy process as it does pose large challenges for the end of life of a product.

There are some amazing initiatives out there, new materials that will enable the market to move forward and circular business models which will change how we look at product design, there is monumental movement happening here.

The European parliament and most recently the UK government have issued new legislation for plastics and packaging, that for the UK will come in to effect in the next 17 months, this has woken up many retailers and manufacturers as if you don’t have 30 per cent of recycled plastic in your packaging you will be taxed, the infrastructure is not yet in place to supply such a large demand so you can imagine what’s happening in the background to supply this material in time for the April 2022 start date.

Because of this, Products of Change is working closely with the leading children’s UK educator Wastebusters who deliver in class environmental education to all UK schools. Wastebusters have built a market wide recycling infrastructure for hard to recycle plastic toys and plush. We are working with them to drive a national campaign called Recycle to Read (R2R), working with the Children’s Literacy Trust to deliver the programme across schools and retail, children will bring in toys/plush/clothing/waste electronic to be swapped in school and at retail for eco points, the eco point will buy schools books and equipment to aid education.

The R2R programme launches for Waste Week in March 2021 and is currently looking for all producers and brand owners to become part of the programme, you can find out more here https://toytakeback.org. For the Wastebuster campaign we are also working with EPPIC (the extended plastic partnership for innovation within circularity) for their flexible infrastructure which has just launched with the Co-Op and will roll out across retail in the coming months, as well as building a plastics group within Products of Change that is lobbying for parity with plastic signposting, we are working with WRAP, OPRL and a handful of leaders to achieve this.

When we focus on toys, the design stage seems the most fundamental to promote sustainability with, design sustainability into a product from the outset. How integral do you think this is to the idea of sustainability in the children’s space?

The design stage is one of the most important stages of creating sustainable product, It’s so much harder and more costly to add sustainability in at the end of producing something. Designing sustainably is more than just using a recycled material, it’s also asking questions like what happens at the end of life of a product and how do you design so that it can be easily recycled, how do you keep a product in circulation (are there bits that can be reused?) etc. We are designing products for the future generation, a generation who is more aware of climate change than we were and is leading their purchasing decisions.

We also have to work together to educate consumers, currently big box means big value, we have created that, so we can reverse that rule and build new value in. The packaging can becomes an integrated part of the toy (not to be thrown away) the opening of a product a positive experience, I’m looking forward to seeing some creative packaging solutions coming through over the next few months.

Do you think the toy industry is being reactive enough to the issue of sustainability? Big question – is it right to be reactive, or should businesses be setting the standard for the consumer?

I think that the full consumer goods industry is being reactive, there’s a few standout leaders like Unilever, Ikea, LEGO that have been building sustainable practices into their business for the last ten years, but they still have their challenges. Even the fashion industry who is ahead of the toy industry started the conversation with launching small collections of ‘eco’ product, priced higher as an alternative for the consumer, not necessarily looking at delivering every day sustainable product at a fair price, however there are a few leaders two being Asda and H&M, delivering their everyday sustainable clothing at the same price.

The needle is moving with many companies now stating their intentions of what they want to achieve over the next ten years to become a more sustainable business, we need to have the faith that this will all be delivered.

Can you talk us through the Sustainability in Licensing Conference – what have you got planned for the big event this year… and however it may look this year?

Yes of course, the event has been pushed back to November the 25th due to Covid, we would absolutely love to still run the event physical but with guidelines changing daily we are tracking them to see what our options are for the November date.

Covid related issues aside the conference was created to be the starting point for the industry to learn more and build sustainable practices in their business. We have an amazing line up of presenters talking about the importance of design, new ways of thinking such as the circular economy, new technologies such as break down plastic and new tech within manufacturing, through to marketing, insights and finance, our aim is to touch on all the core pillars of creating a more sustainable business for the industry.

Thanks Helena, anything you’d like to shout about?

I’m just really pleased that the conversation has started, we have a long way to go but I do believe that together we can do this, we can no longer use sustainability as a competitive advantage, we must share the knowledge we have to accelerate change and start to re-imagining what a sustainable future will look like across the full supply chain and end of product life.

My ambition is that through Products of Change we can cooperatively achieve this change together.

Acamar Films lands major multi-year deal with Italian theme park Leolandia for hit pre-school IP Bing

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Acamar Films has secured a major new partnership with Italy’s leading theme park destination, Leolandia, for its hit pre-school property Bing as the kids’ IP continues to go from strength to strength in the region. The new deal marks the first multi-year theme park agreement for Bing.

The new agreement will enable the theme park, which is located close to Milan, to become the first park in the world to host a dedicated Bing themed attraction. It grants exclusive rights in Italy to Leolandia for the development of a fully themed 9,500 sqm area, with the first phase due to open in 2023.

The attraction will feature interactive play areas, live show venue, restaurants and shops, and aims to create a fully immersive environment that brings the world of Bing to life.

The deal between Leolandia and Acamar Films was brokered in close collaboration with Maurizio Distefano Licensing, who represents the Bing brand in Italy and manages a highly successful licensing programme of over 40 licensees.

The plans for the theme park attraction follow the overwhelming success of a test Meet and Greet activity and an exclusive show with Bing and Flop at Leolandia in April 2019. Proving hugely popular thanks to Leolandia’s storytelling abilities, with a guest-rated experience of 9.5/10, the partnership was extended for a full year in 2020 as discussions began on a permanent area within the park.

Giuseppe Ira, president at Leolandia, said: “The partnership between Leolandia and Acamar Films, both well-renowned in the kids’ entertainment industry, has produced great feedback and results from the 2019 season. The park has set many precedents with the most beloved characters, exclusive areas and dedicated shows, attracting millions of visitors over recent years.

“Innovation and vision are our driving forces; therefore, we are very pleased to have signed this agreement extending our collaboration with Acamar Films and Bing and strengthening the popularity of Leolandia among our core pre-school audience. We look forward to enriching our offer with the exciting development of a dedicated Bing area at Leolandia.”

Kirsty Southgate, director of promotions and partnerships at Acamar Films, added: “We are thrilled to be partnering with Leolandia on such an exciting new development for Bing and their family focused and world-renowned theme park. It’s testimony to the growing success of Bing in Italy and a real step-change for Bing both there and globally, paving the way for the expansion of Bing’s international experiential entertainment footprint.”

Maurizio Distefano, president, MDL added: “The popularity of Bing in Italy has allowed us to secure deals in product categories that can only be activated with one-of-a-kind properties.

“Leolandia is proof of this and we strongly believe that this new theme park area will connect “Bingsters” with their favourite characters in an even deeper way, creating a world that existed only in their dreams.”

Since its launch on TV in February 2018, Bing has rapidly become a top pre-school property in Italy. A firm favourite on Rai Yoyo – and the number one show on its app – Bing is also available on pay TV channels DeA Junior (where it’s the number one show), TIMVision and soon Amazon Prime Video.

Bing’s Italian YouTube channel has amassed over 438 million channel views and more than 32.6 million watch time hours in just two years. A hit at retail, Bing was named Property of the Year 2019 at the Bologna Licensing Fair Awards.

Tracey Colliston’s Owls’ Nest and George Mackay’s Eejits win Festival of Licensing’s License This! competition

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The winners of this year’s all virtual License This! competition have been declared, with the grand prizes being handed to the Lancashire-based Tracey Colliston in the Brand & Design category, and George Mackay from Caithness in Scotland in Character & Animation.

It was Colliston’s sentimental Owls’ Nest illustrations of British woodland creatures that won over the judges of the Brand & Design category, celebrating the designs that can currently be found on a line of gifts and greetings cards. Mackay’s Eejits brand took the win in Character & Animation for turning heads with its menagerie of misfortunate misfits born in the Highlands of Scotland.

Tracey Colliston’s Owl’s Nest greetings cards and handmade gifts are currently stocked in over 80 independent retailers across the UK and she would love to see her illustrations licensed across many more categories. 

Tracey Colliston’s Owls’ Nest took home the Brand & Design win

“Winning License This! feels fantastic!,” said Colliston. “I absolutely love what I do, and it means so much to me that the hard work developing Owl’s Nest into a brand has been recognised. I’m very excited about the opportunities this may bring, and I’m keen to develop Owl’s Nest into lots of other products; stationery, ceramics and homeware, baby and nursery and more gift products. The versatility of Owl’s Nest and its collectability will hopefully open up many avenues. It’s so exciting!”

Mackay’s Eejits also currently feature on greetings cards and the creator has equally big ambitions for reaching a much bigger audience. 

“An eejit is an idiot, a fool, a gormless ignoramus,” he explained. “Born in the Highlands of Scotland, these weird and wonderful creatures are even rarer than the famous haggis. Due to their incredibly stupid nature and natural curiosity, they have now been collected together for their own safety. A curious collection of creatures gathered together for the world to see.

“The eejits are primarily aimed at seven to 12 year olds, as well as big kids (like me). Their quirky nature, the charming art style and sometimes slightly self-deprecating humour is a draw to kids, and I think they would be ideal for a wide range of products such as soft plush or vinyl toys, but the ultimate dream would be to see the brand feature in hilariously humorous animated shorts. That’s the BIG goal of mine. Seeing the eejits brand on screen would be simply awesome.”

This year’s two License This! winners will receive a free exhibition stand at Brand Licensing Europe 2021, one year’s membership of industry trade association Licensing International, PR support, and invaluable advice from the panel of industry experts.

In addition, all finalists will receive legal consultation from competition sponsor Wynne-Jones. 

This year’s judges were: 

  • Kelvyn Gardner, Managing Director, Asgard Media (Chair Of The Judging Panel)
  • Sarah Ward, CEO, The Giftware Association 
  • Kirsty Barr, Grapevine PR
  • Sonia Amrar, Trademark Attorney, Wynne-Jones

Character & Animation award

    • Dan Grant, Licensing Director, Danilo Promotions
    • Clare Piggott, Managing Director, Larkshead Media
    • Ben Woodman, Commercial Manager, GB Eye Ltd            
    • Ian Downes, Director, Start Licensing
    • Nico Franks, Editor, C21 Kids 

Brand & Design award

  • Stuart Cox, owner, I Like Birds
  • Vicki Thomas, owner, Vicki Thomas Associates  
  • Sarah Lawrence, director, This is Iris  
  • Jehane Boden Spiers, founder, JEHANE Ltd
  • Will Stewart, founder and managing director, The Point.1888

Character & Animation judge, Ben Woodman said: “I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of this year’s judging panel. It’s always exciting to see new properties and brands. I would like to wish George the very best of luck and I certainly hope that we can see him make that transition into the mainstream consumer market.”

 Brand & Design judge, Will Stewart added: “I thoroughly enjoyed being invited to judge the License This! competition again this year. Despite all the challenges of lockdown, the quality of the entries was outstanding once again. This competition provides a huge opportunity for anyone to pivot their career to focus on something they are passionate about: imagine making a living out of something you love!”

 Last year’s winners – Rosie Brooks and Drew Bristow (Carrot & Toast) – are both exhibitors at BLE 2020 and can be found online at www.festivaloflicensing.com.  

Asmodee’s Aconyte Books details publishing plans for hit board game IP Zombicide and Terraforming Mars

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Aconyte Books, the fiction imprint and publishing arm of Asmodee Entertainment, has detailed a raft of new partnerships with some of the leading names in tabletop gaming to develop a series of novels set within the worlds of a selection of the most critically acclaimed board games.

Kicking off the latest signings, the publishing arm has secured a multi-year agreement with CMON – otherwise known as Cool Mini Or Not – to create a new series of novels set in the worlds of its popular Zombicide range of games.

Having made its debut back in 2012, Zombicide became the first of a wildly popular series of tabletop games that pit players against the walking dead. Featuring detailed miniatures and fast-action gameplay, the games have since picked up legions of players around the globe.

As well as the modern day original, CMON has also developed versions set in medieval times (Zombicide: Black Plague) and far out in the depths of space (Zombicide: Invader). Aconyte now plans to publish novels based on all three settings with the first title expected to hit shops in time for Halloween 2021.

Aconyte publisher Marc Gascoigne, commented: “We love Zombicide, for the all-out mayhem of the game, the passion of its dedicated following – and the lovingly detailed (and incredibly deadly) worlds that its designers have created. There are a whole bunch of stories we want to create, to explore their secrets further.”

CMON’s COO David Preti, added: “We designed the Zombicide games to tell exciting stories populated with iconic characters who had unique personalities that came through in the gameplay.

“We wanted each play session to feel like its own pulp novel. We’re so happy to have a great partner in Aconyte, who understands the world and tone of the game, and is going to put these stories in prose for the first time.”

Continuing its ambitious mission to set up new content platforms for its own and third-party properties, Aconyte has also detailed a multi-year agreement with FryxGames to create new novels set in the world of its own Terraforming Mars games.

Since its launch in 2016, the original Terraforming Mars has been a firm favourite with gamers, and currently sits at number four in the all-time best games list on Boardgamegeek.com.

Designed by Jacob Fryxelius and published by the Swedish games company set up by him and his brothers, the game has grown in scope with several expansions, and is now available in more than 25 languages. Set in the early 2400s, Terraforming Mars explores the many challenges facing mankind as rival corporations attempt to open up the inhospitable surface of the Red Planet to make it fit for human settlers.

The underlying spirit of the game is one of optimism and scientific progress, qualities the novels will embody.

Aconyte’s Gascoigne, said: “We’re big fans of the Terraforming Mars games, and we’re looking forward to telling epic tales of science fiction exploration and adventure in this exciting setting. We may have our problems down here on Earth, but these novels will provide a much needed escape to a different world.”

FryxGames’s CEO, Enoch Fryxelius, added: “Terraforming Marsis a game of bold and innovative ideas to take on the hostile environment of an alien planet, and turn it into a living, breathing biosphere and a vibrant human civilization.

“We are excited to see some of these ideas come to life and become the backdrop of inspiring stories. Through these novels we hope that more people will be dreaming about Mars and the future of human exploration.”

The first Terraforming Mars novel is expected to hit shops in summer 2021, with several further volumes being planned.

The Pokémon Company grows European apparel portfolio with Erve Europe and Van Der Erve

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The Pokémon Company International is expanding its European reach once more, having tapped Erve Europe/Van Der Erve, Europe’s licensed apparel and brands specialist, to develop kids and adult apparel for the German, Austrian and Swiss markets.

The new deal will see fashion powerhouse Erve Europe / Van Der Erve collaborate with Pokémon for a collection of kids’ and adult daywear, nightwear, and accessories, all of which is planned to launch at retail in 2021 across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

Specialists in fashion-forward licensed apparel, Erve Europe / Van Der Erve are front runners in design, sourcing, and distribution of branded apparel and accessories in Europe. A preferred supplier of sustainable fashion to leading retailers, they work with department stores, fashion retailers, supermarkets, hypermarkets, discount chains, and resellers, creating bespoke items and collections on demand.

Mathieu Galante, licensing director EMEA for The Pokémon Company International, said: “We are delighted to be working with Erve Europe / Van Der Erve. Its vast experience from 35 years in the industry, exceptional quality, and sustainable practices make it the perfect partner to further grow Pokémon’s fashion presence in Germany, where – as across the whole of Europe – demand for Pokémon apparel and accessories continues to expand.”

Pokémon’s partnership with Erve Europe / Van Der Erve further strengthens its increasing status as a fashion icon and high-street staple. Its growing apparel offering now includes successful ranges at global giants such as Zara, H&M, Bershka, Pull&Bear, and Undiz, innovative collaborations with the likes of Adidas, UNIQLO, and Original Stich, plus capsule collections from leading fashion brands and designers including GCDS, Jeremy Scott, and Bobby Abley.

Spin Master and Nelvana sign Hachette Publishing for Bakugan book series in France

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The global children’s entertainment company Spin Master and the children’s animated content distributor, Nelvana have struck up a partnership with Hachette Publishing to launch a new Bakugan book series in France.

The partnership will kick off this autumn with the release of two new titles: Le Bakugan Dore, which lands on bookshelves this month, and a second release to land in December this year.

“Building on the strong foundation our team has secured with prime broadcast placement on Gulli and Canal J and along with the support of Spin Master’s international roll-out of toys, we are excited to launch a new publishing programme for Bakugan in France with Hachette,” said Mellany Masterson, head of Nelvana Enterprises.

“Hachette’s leadership and expertise in publishing make them the perfect partner to bring the world of Bakugan to more fans in new ways.”

Season One, Bakugan: Battle Planets (100 x 11 min) and Season 2, Bakugan: Armored Alliance (104 x 11 min) currently air on Gulli weekdays at 4:35PM in France and on Canal J at 6:45PM.

Both seasons air on Cartoon Network in the US, and TELETOON in Canada, as well as on Cartoon Network in Spain, Italy, Middle East, Gulli, Canal J and M6 in Africa, Sony Pop in the UK, Super RTL in Germany, RTL in the Netherlands, Hungary, and Croatia, Nine GO! In Australia, TVNZ in New Zealand, Star in Greece, 1+1 in the Ukraine, PopTV in Slovenia, VMMa in Belgium, and SIA in Lithuania.

Spin Master launched Bakugan: Armored Alliance toys internationally this autumn after a successful launch in North America this past spring 2020. An additional wave of products will also launch internationally this coming Spring. Nelvana, who co-produces the series with Spin Master and TMS Entertainment, manages the franchise’s licensing programs in both France and Canada.

Bakugan: Armored Alliance (104 x 11 min) follows the adventures of Dan Kouzo and his best friends: the first kids on Earth to bond with the mysterious alien creatures known as Bakugan. The fate of not one but two planets rests in the hands of this new breed of Bakugan Brawlers.

ARTiSTORY’s Natasha Dyson on the future of the art and culture licensing space

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ARTiSTORY, a licensing super group (The Crosby, Stills, and Nash or the Emerson, Lake, and Palmer of the industry perhaps?) comprised of Natasha Dyson, Dave Collins, and Tamara Dixon, couldn’t have arrived at a better time for the art and culture sector.

Alongside the arts and the hospitality industries, the cultural sector has been one of the hardest hit by the events of the past nine months, with venues and organisations forced to close or cope under the financial pressures drawn out of large decreases in footfall and visitor numbers all at the hands of the Covid-19 pandemic.

As a result, licensing has become the beacon of light and a means for the sector to continue to reach its audiences across the globe in the meaningful ways that resonate with the public, while developing the much-needed incremental resources for themselves. And, made up of a team of ‘pioneers in the art and cultural IP licensing sector,’ this is just what ARTiSTORY is setting out to achieve.

The question is: just how big an impact is the coronavirus pandemic likely to have on the future of the art and cultural sector, how has it shaped new means of consumer and fan engagement within it, and what will licensing now have to achieve or adapt to in order to ensure those meaningful experiences are maintained?

Licensing.biz catches up with Natasha Dyson, co-founder and licensing director of ARTiSTORY to talk all this and more.

Hello Natasha, it’s nice to catch up. Just to kick us off, and to recap, what is ARTiSTORY, what is it bringing to the licensing space and what is your role in the new venture?

A new venture specialising in working in the art and culture sector, ARTiSTORY acts as a master licensee to IP by helping them to launch design led licensing programmes across Europe and North America.

ARTiSTORY merges art and culture with our daily lives through exceptional consumer goods, engaging storytelling and interactive shopping experiences.

My main focus is on developing the licensing programme on behalf of our clients. Though as you can imagine, as a new company we all wear many hats at the moment in order to get everything done.

Why is now the right time to be launching ARTiSTORY? How is this reflective of the way the licensing industry or consumer tastes have changed? 

The founding members of ARTiSTORY have been working in licensing for many years. As a team we are pioneers in the art and cultural IP licensing sector, and in the past have developed and launched numerous award-winning licensing programmes. As an example, the founding members have worked with the MET, Natural History Museum, V&A and British Museum, just to name a few, and we’ve worked with global top consumer brands and retailers, such as LVMH, P&G, Nestle, Miss Sixty, Amazon and Uniqlo.

COVID-19 has forced closures across various art and cultural organisations which has led to more demand within the art and cultural sector to continue to reach their audience in meaningful way while still developing incremental revenue sources. We see this is the perfect moment for us to bring our expertise and resources under one roof by setting up ARTiSTORY, so from a start, ARTiSTORY is an industry leader in driving the global development of art and cultural IP licensing.

ARTiSTORY is very much tapping into the heritage and cultural space – why is this such a strong sector for licensing?

The world of art, cultural and science IP is very unique in many ways. Firstly, it has literally countless precious artifacts and objects, ranging from Pottery of ancient Greece, to master paintings from Renaissance, from Kimono collection from Japan, to contemporary artists such as Andy Warhol. Each piece of these artifacts and objects offer ARTiSTORY wonderful sources of design inspiration and elements for storytelling which we then license as a package to our licensees.

Secondly, art and culture are universally cherished by consumers worldwide, regardless of their age, language and professions. Many consumer brands and retailers with whom the founding members have worked are all impressed by the scale of the impact, the effectiveness of new user acquisitions that art and culture IP has delivered. As an example, a recent market report released by Alibaba Group in 2019 indicates that art and cultural IP licensees reported an average rate of 70% customers are first time customers to them, thanks to the art and cultural IP. In a world where the costs of user acquisitions are so high, licensing has proven to be a great and cost-effective marketing tool.

How will you approach this space, and what will be at the heart of the partnership’s you guys forge here?

With a track record of success in the art and culture sector we are confident that we can convert our strong existing relationships into new partnerships. ARTiSTORY is an appealing proposition to IP, retailers and brands alike as there is no other company that come close to what we have achieved in our former roles in this sector.

ARTiSTORY offers consumer brands and retailers the possibility to elevate their product designs, acquire more customers and charge a premium price.

How are you guys looking to push the envelope of innovation in this space? What sort of partnerships will be top of your list?

Past success and research tell us that we need to look beyond the traditional audience for this sector and reach out to a younger audience. As well as looking to work with brands and retailers that already appeal to this age group, we will be targeting those that don’t as this is where we can really add value to their businesses and drive customers to their stores.

To appeal to the younger audience ARTiSTORY will invest in content development including social media postings, videos, documentaries, live streaming, talk shows, workshops and more. Equipped with high quality content, we will launch various marketing campaigns to promote our licensed products and our IP partners.

How do you think the current situation will evolve the heritage and cultural space overall – i.e virtual tours – will they be a part of the future of the space? – and how can licensing tap into this evolution?

In the era of pandemics, cultural institutions remain closed or are expecting lower levels of visitors – which result inevitably greater revenue shortfalls. How to stay financially sustainable is a key question that cultural organisations need to solve in order to keep their missions alive.

Licensing, as proven in many world’s leading museums such as British Museum, The MET and V&A, is an effective practice that not only allows cultural organisations to enjoy incremental revenue but also enable them to extend their reach to tens of millions of audiences globally.

We see digital tools such as virtual tours and live streaming to be an integral component of future licensing programmes. This is something we plan to implement for our clients having seen first-hand how successful it has been in other markets. We hope to build loyal fans of art and culture products through interacting with audiences around the world.

What are the key trends you guys are seeing in licensing at the moment, and how will ARTiSTORY be tapping into these?

Obviously the last few months have been very strange for everyone and there has been huge shift in the way consumers buy products, and also the products they are buying.

Online has become such an important channel over the last few months and now many people have switched to online purchasing they will continue to shop in this way. Brands and retailers that have an online presence are appealing to us due to their accessibility and the fact that our target consumer primarily shops online.

Whether online or in-store we are seeing an increase in customer experience spending. ARTiSTORY can help retailers and brands bring customers back into their stores through developing innovative store experiences.

A trend that is becoming increasingly important to consumers is the desire to purchase sustainable products and buy from brands and retailers that they know are sustainable. ARTiSTORY will be working with IP that has preserved history for thousands of years. It’s now our responsibility as an industry to preserve the planet for future generations. Material, packaging and reusability will make up part of the selection criteria determining our partners.