Category Archives: Highlight

ARTiSTORY partners with the Benaki Museum, Greece

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ARTiSTORY has signed global licensing rights with the Benaki Museum in Greece, adding to its growing portfolio of international cultural partners.

The Benaki Museum opened its doors in 1931 in Athens and is among the most extensive and innovative museums in Europe. Arranged across ten buildings, it welcomes over 450,000 visitors a year to its galleries and exhibitions, performing arts hub, manufacturing and research facilities and pioneering shop.

ARTiSTORY will be creating designs inspired by the Museum’s extensive collections, which include over 120,000 works of art, 200,000 books, 1 million photographs, and thousands of rare documents covering Greek and Roman Archaeology, Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Art, Early Modern Greek Material Culture, Modern and Contemporary Greek Photography, Architecture and Design, Music and Performing Arts but also Islamic, Chinese, Pre-Columbian American, African and Korean Art, as well as an extensive collection of toys and games from around the world.

The Benaki Museum joins ARTiSTORY’s prestigious group of other cultural partners: the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; the National Gallery, London; Brooklyn Museum, New York; the National Palace Museum, Taipei; Dunhuang Culture & Tourism Group, China; and the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum, Madrid.

With offices in London, Barcelona, Boston, Singapore, Beijing and Shanghai, ARTiSTORY, with support from its investment partner Sinofaith IP Investment Company (SIPIC), is well placed to bring this world-class museum brand to the global marketplace.

“I am excited about the Benaki Museum joining ARTiSTORY’s growing art and cultural IP portfolio.  This is a significant milestone for ARTiSTORY as we expand our portfolio to include more world’s leading cultural organisations from various countries” comments Yizan He, founder & CEO of ARTiSTORY.

“The Benaki Museum, a depository of trust for the Greek and world cultural heritage, enters with enthusiasm into this partnership with ARTiSTORY”, comments Haris Siampanis, CEO of the Benaki Museum in Athens. “For over 90 years now, the Benaki has been safeguarding and disseminating culture, heritage and education while acting as a leading agent of innovation and sustainability endeavours”.

ARTiSTORY secures global licensing rights for the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum, Spain

 

 

ARTiSTORY partners with the Benaki Museum, Greece

Posted on by

ARTiSTORY has signed global licensing rights with the Benaki Museum in Greece, adding to its growing portfolio of international cultural partners.

The Benaki Museum opened its doors in 1931 in Athens and is among the most extensive and innovative museums in Europe. Arranged across ten buildings, it welcomes over 450,000 visitors a year to its galleries and exhibitions, performing arts hub, manufacturing and research facilities and pioneering shop.

ARTiSTORY will be creating designs inspired by the Museum’s extensive collections, which include over 120,000 works of art, 200,000 books, 1 million photographs, and thousands of rare documents covering Greek and Roman Archaeology, Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Art, Early Modern Greek Material Culture, Modern and Contemporary Greek Photography, Architecture and Design, Music and Performing Arts but also Islamic, Chinese, Pre-Columbian American, African and Korean Art, as well as an extensive collection of toys and games from around the world.

The Benaki Museum joins ARTiSTORY’s prestigious group of other cultural partners: the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; the National Gallery, London; Brooklyn Museum, New York; the National Palace Museum, Taipei; Dunhuang Culture & Tourism Group, China; and the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum, Madrid.

With offices in London, Barcelona, Boston, Singapore, Beijing and Shanghai, ARTiSTORY, with support from its investment partner Sinofaith IP Investment Company (SIPIC), is well placed to bring this world-class museum brand to the global marketplace.

“I am excited about the Benaki Museum joining ARTiSTORY’s growing art and cultural IP portfolio.  This is a significant milestone for ARTiSTORY as we expand our portfolio to include more world’s leading cultural organisations from various countries” comments Yizan He, founder & CEO of ARTiSTORY.

“The Benaki Museum, a depository of trust for the Greek and world cultural heritage, enters with enthusiasm into this partnership with ARTiSTORY”, comments Haris Siampanis, CEO of the Benaki Museum in Athens. “For over 90 years now, the Benaki has been safeguarding and disseminating culture, heritage and education while acting as a leading agent of innovation and sustainability endeavours”.

ARTiSTORY secures global licensing rights for the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum, Spain

 

 

Reality Gaming Group and Mana Partners unlock the blockchain for APAC brands

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Mana Partners has selected Reality Gaming Group to provide best-in-class blockchain and NFT content solutions to its brand clients in the games and entertainment space, as demand for Web3.0 services booms in Asia Pacific.

Singapore-based Mana Partners is the leading consultancy in the region for Web3.0 marketing strategy and solutions, helping brands, startups, and rights owners unlock new communities and opportunities through partnerships and programmes.

UK-based Reality Gaming Group develops innovative content and marketplaces that combine the best of traditional entertainment with new technology based on the blockchain and Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs).

Ground-breaking games and blockchain collectibles created by publishing arm Reality Studios include Doctor Who: Worlds Apart, Reality Clash and Smighties Universe, plus non-game NFT content with the likes of Toikido toys and boxing legend Floyd Mayweather.

Crucially, all of Reality Gaming Group’s projects are created and managed by its Digital Asset Trading (DAT) Platform, which builds NFTs, online stores and marketplaces connected to its own “side-chain” of the Ethereum mainnet. This enables the creation of environmentally friendly NFTs that offer substantial reductions to the amount of energy used to produce and trade digital collectibles.

Matthew Zatto, Managing Partner at Mana Partners, said: “Brands are only starting to discover the potential value that can be unlocked through blockchain technology. It’s important to us at Mana Partners that we provide our brand clients with nothing less than the best-in-class solution and that is exactly why we chose Reality Gaming Group. No one compares to them in terms of experience, blockchain capabilities and offering a true full-service solution. We’re proud to be partnering with them in the APAC region.”

Reality Gaming Group Co-Founder Tony Pearce said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to be working with Mana Partners to offer its clients the most innovative blockchain and web3.0 content solutions. This partnership is a ringing endorsement of the DAT platform, further expands our presence in Asia Pacific and highlights the growing importance of NFTs to brands. We can’t wait to get started on what promises to be some tremendously exciting projects.”

Reality Gaming Group and Mana Partners unlock the blockchain for APAC brands

Posted on by

Mana Partners has selected Reality Gaming Group to provide best-in-class blockchain and NFT content solutions to its brand clients in the games and entertainment space, as demand for Web3.0 services booms in Asia Pacific.

Singapore-based Mana Partners is the leading consultancy in the region for Web3.0 marketing strategy and solutions, helping brands, startups, and rights owners unlock new communities and opportunities through partnerships and programmes.

UK-based Reality Gaming Group develops innovative content and marketplaces that combine the best of traditional entertainment with new technology based on the blockchain and Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs).

Ground-breaking games and blockchain collectibles created by publishing arm Reality Studios include Doctor Who: Worlds Apart, Reality Clash and Smighties Universe, plus non-game NFT content with the likes of Toikido toys and boxing legend Floyd Mayweather.

Crucially, all of Reality Gaming Group’s projects are created and managed by its Digital Asset Trading (DAT) Platform, which builds NFTs, online stores and marketplaces connected to its own “side-chain” of the Ethereum mainnet. This enables the creation of environmentally friendly NFTs that offer substantial reductions to the amount of energy used to produce and trade digital collectibles.

Matthew Zatto, Managing Partner at Mana Partners, said: “Brands are only starting to discover the potential value that can be unlocked through blockchain technology. It’s important to us at Mana Partners that we provide our brand clients with nothing less than the best-in-class solution and that is exactly why we chose Reality Gaming Group. No one compares to them in terms of experience, blockchain capabilities and offering a true full-service solution. We’re proud to be partnering with them in the APAC region.”

Reality Gaming Group Co-Founder Tony Pearce said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to be working with Mana Partners to offer its clients the most innovative blockchain and web3.0 content solutions. This partnership is a ringing endorsement of the DAT platform, further expands our presence in Asia Pacific and highlights the growing importance of NFTs to brands. We can’t wait to get started on what promises to be some tremendously exciting projects.”

Activision and Alpha Industries team for Call of Duty real-world/in-game jacket

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Activision and contemporary fashion leader Alpha Industries have announced the launch of a unique physical and in-game product collaboration with Call of Duty – the new limited-edition Call of Duty x Alpha Industries B-15 Flight Jacket.

Revealed during last autumn’s Call of Duty: Vanguard launch event, the limited-edition Call of Duty x Alpha Industries B-15 Flight Jacket is now officially available to purchase for fans in celebration of Call of Duty: Vanguard and Call of Duty: Warzone’s Season 2.5 mid-season update and Free Trial for players.

The jacket is available in limited quantities via the Alpha Industries website at a $300 price point, while a digital jacket version can be found within Call of Duty: Vanguard’s in-game Flyboy Bundle at 1100 COD Points.

The in-game operator skin is an exact replica of the physical jacket, making this collaboration unique in its accessibility to a wide range of fans wanting to don the jacket either physically or virtually. The in-game Flyboy Bundle includes the jacket as a new Operator Skin (that will also unlock the Operator), a Killcam Vanity, and an MVP Highlight, which are only usable in Vanguard.

 

Activision and Alpha Industries team for Call of Duty real-world/in-game jacket

Posted on by

Activision and contemporary fashion leader Alpha Industries have announced the launch of a unique physical and in-game product collaboration with Call of Duty – the new limited-edition Call of Duty x Alpha Industries B-15 Flight Jacket.

Revealed during last autumn’s Call of Duty: Vanguard launch event, the limited-edition Call of Duty x Alpha Industries B-15 Flight Jacket is now officially available to purchase for fans in celebration of Call of Duty: Vanguard and Call of Duty: Warzone’s Season 2.5 mid-season update and Free Trial for players.

The jacket is available in limited quantities via the Alpha Industries website at a $300 price point, while a digital jacket version can be found within Call of Duty: Vanguard’s in-game Flyboy Bundle at 1100 COD Points.

The in-game operator skin is an exact replica of the physical jacket, making this collaboration unique in its accessibility to a wide range of fans wanting to don the jacket either physically or virtually. The in-game Flyboy Bundle includes the jacket as a new Operator Skin (that will also unlock the Operator), a Killcam Vanity, and an MVP Highlight, which are only usable in Vanguard.

 

Bandai celebrates 40 years in business

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With its 40th anniversary coming up on 29 April, Bandai UK is celebrating four decades of bringing some of the world’s most iconic brands to the UK market.

Having successfully set up as a UK arm in 1982 for its Japanese parent company, Bandai UK launched trading with its foundations steeped firmly in the boys’ action figure market, gaining significant success with the likes of big-name properties such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Power Rangers.  Over recent years, however, the business has undertaken a period of realignment to establish itself as a top multi-category player within the toy industry.

Forty years on and Bandai UK possesses an enviable portfolio of leading brands and ranges within its key divisions – Toy, Collector, Own IP, and Third-Party Distribution – all equally fundamental to the company’s early and ongoing success. Primary IPs include the best-selling Tamagotchi, Pac-Man and hit anime series Dragon Ball, while distribution lines such as CoComelon, Miraculous, McFarlane, and National Geographic are proving to be hugely successful inclusively within their associated categories and the overall toy market.

“It’s a massively exciting time to be at Bandai UK,” says Nic Aldridge, Bandai UK’s Managing Director. “Our approach is to continually challenge and evolve to remain relevant, and innovative, especially as the market becomes increasingly competitive. We are now well-established as a multi-category toy company and our recent positioning as the No.15 toy company (February 2022 NPD) assures us that this is the right approach for growth and driving forward the business. We’re looking forward to celebrating with our partners, retailers, and consumers, and planning ahead to thrive for years to come.”

 

Bandai celebrates 40 years in business

Posted on by

With its 40th anniversary coming up on 29 April, Bandai UK is celebrating four decades of bringing some of the world’s most iconic brands to the UK market.

Having successfully set up as a UK arm in 1982 for its Japanese parent company, Bandai UK launched trading with its foundations steeped firmly in the boys’ action figure market, gaining significant success with the likes of big-name properties such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Power Rangers.  Over recent years, however, the business has undertaken a period of realignment to establish itself as a top multi-category player within the toy industry.

Forty years on and Bandai UK possesses an enviable portfolio of leading brands and ranges within its key divisions – Toy, Collector, Own IP, and Third-Party Distribution – all equally fundamental to the company’s early and ongoing success. Primary IPs include the best-selling Tamagotchi, Pac-Man and hit anime series Dragon Ball, while distribution lines such as CoComelon, Miraculous, McFarlane, and National Geographic are proving to be hugely successful inclusively within their associated categories and the overall toy market.

“It’s a massively exciting time to be at Bandai UK,” says Nic Aldridge, Bandai UK’s Managing Director. “Our approach is to continually challenge and evolve to remain relevant, and innovative, especially as the market becomes increasingly competitive. We are now well-established as a multi-category toy company and our recent positioning as the No.15 toy company (February 2022 NPD) assures us that this is the right approach for growth and driving forward the business. We’re looking forward to celebrating with our partners, retailers, and consumers, and planning ahead to thrive for years to come.”

 

San Diego Comic Convention appoints IMG as first-ever licensing agency

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San Diego Comic Convention (SDCC), organisers of the annual Comic-Con event, the iconic brand known for celebrating all things comics and related aspects of popular arts and culture, has announced that it has appointed global licensing leader IMG as its first ever exclusive licensing representative. Through this affiliation, IMG will work in partnership with SDCC to extend the reach of the non-profit’s mission of promoting comics and related popular art forms and engaging with their respective fan communities.

Bruno Maglione, President of Licensing at IMG, says: “Over 50 years ago, the Comic-Con founders simply wanted to draw attention and recognition to the comics and other art forms they loved. In doing so, they discovered a shared interest in this and related Sci-Fi, fantasy, and genre content wider than they could have possibly imagined. Today, that comic culture is mainstream entertainment culture thanks in large part to Comic-Con’s championing of this art form and its brilliant creators, and Comic-Con is the leading curator brand and guide in this space, allowing it to secure consumer attention and deliver consumer value in more ways.”

While originally focused primarily on comic books, film, and science fiction, Comic-Con has since come to encompass and celebrate related art and fantasy content, as well as anime, interactive multimedia, costuming and so much more in all its formats, with an ever-increasing menu of forums, screenings, exhibits, and workshops at the San Diego Convention Center. More than 135,000 people attend its annual convention, along with countless thousands who trek to San Diego each summer to take part in the many outside activations and activities.

IMG will be working with SDCC to identify partners who can develop products, retail destinations and experiences for the millions of fans not able to partake in the annual Comic-Con convention experience.

David Glanzer, Chief Communications and Strategy Officer for SDCC, says: “We began talking to IMG around six months ago and in the course of those discussions, it hit home to us that we could use our expertise to serve the ever-growing fan community in more ways, places and times than ever before. In 2021, we embarked on the new Comic-Con Museum and now, with IMG’s expertise working with specialist partners to deliver authentic brand experiences, we can pursue an exciting new phase for the Comic-Con brand.” 

Ricardo Yoselevitz, Senior Vice President of Licensing, IMG, adds: “Through its annual conventions, it’s clear that Comic-Con has become a powerful consumer brand without even trying. We are honoured to now be working with them to identify products and destinations that create new ways and avenues to engage this passionate community, while further reinforcing Comic-Con’s position as the leading curator of this form of popular art and culture.”

Comic-Con returns this year to the San Diego Convention Center July 21 – 24.

Moonbug Entertainment names Danny Spronz as Head of Global Loyalty & Promotions and EMEA Retail Development

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Moonbug Entertainment has announced the appointment of Danny Spronz as Head of Global Loyalty & Promotions and EMEA Retail Development. In this role Spronz will be responsible for driving the Loyalty & Promotions programmes at Moonbug as well as developing the EMEA retail strategy across Moonbug’s portfolio of properties, including Blippi, CoComelon and Little Baby Bum.

Spronz’s newly created role will include setting the strategy for Moonbug’s loyalty, rewards, QSR (quick service restaurants) and third-party promotional programmes. Within the role Spronz will be building global programmes with key international partners to both expand brand awareness and affinity with the Moonbug target audiences. For the retail element of the role, he will be overseeing all EMEA retail activity. Spronz is based in the UK head offices, working closely with the Moonbug team in the USA.

Prior to Moonbug, Spronz was Managing Director EMEA at PocketWatch, where he was responsible for all business operations, advertising sales, consumer products licensing and content sales across EMEA. Before this, he was Vice President Digital Partnerships & Influencer Marketing EMEA at The Walt Disney Company, where he managed overall talent strategy, partnerships and management for the company’s on-screen and digital influencer talent. Spronz joined Disney from Maker Studios, where he developed the strategic partnerships and network business across EMEA, LATAM and SEA.

Spronz says: “I couldn’t be happier to be joining such a thriving and growing business as Moonbug, which has paved its way in the digital IP space. Our brands are currently experiencing fast-paced growth and I am looking forward to speaking to agencies or companies about how our IP can help generate affinity for their brands and develop customer loyalty.”

“Danny’s appointment reflects our expanding consumer product business at Moonbug,” says Ryan Gorman, Head of Global Retail & Consumer Product Marketing at Moonbug Entertainment. “Danny’s extensive experience combined with our rapid growth provides a perfect time for this new role and the opportunities it will bring for our brands. We’re excited to have Danny on board.”

For more information on Moonbug, visit www.moonbug.com.