Category Archives: Highlight

Opinion I Beyond the metaverse: how brands are transforming the Out-of-Home entertainment landscape

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The hype that has surrounded Web 3.0 and the co-opting of the term ‘metaverse’ to describe the digital opportunities on offer has set the investment market and business world abuzz. But many of the strategies and initiatives ascribed to the metaverse are already at work today in the Out-of-Home (OOH) entertainment landscape, contends industry expert Kevin Williams of Spider Entertainment.

Location-based entertainment (LBE) and the OOH entertainment industry are the best representations of creating a physical business from digital IP and content. These physical representations of digital brands are achieved not just with characters and themed settings, but increasingly now with immersive technology that allows guests to be placed within the virtual universe of these properties.

This approach is not a new one, and is perhaps best illustrated with the move by the media content empire Walt Disney Corporation into the theme park and resort business way back in 1955. Along with the use of its film library to theme its attractions, the Corporation also undertook licensing agreements with big brands to incorporate them into the ‘story’ of its venues.

However, it’s the crossover of toys, movies and videogames into physical experiences that has seen the most far-reaching developments.

Video-game giant Nintendo has invested considerably in being one of the major multidisciplinary license platform providers in the global market, seeing its properties traverse the bounds of toys, games, licensed material and even movies.

A physical presence with venues of its own was a logical move, and Nintendo signed an agreement with Universal Studios in 2015 to develop a concept that would offer an interactive theme park extension in Universal resorts, based on Nintendo video-game characters and IPs. This would result in ‘Super Nintendo World’, which opened in Universal Studios Japan in 2020 and offered numerous attractions based on the Super Mario universe.

The latest immersive technology was applied to create compelling experiences such as ‘Mario Kart: Koopa’s Challenge’, which deployed Augmented Reality (AR) and Interactive Dark Ride (IDR) technology that placed the guest in the videogame. Hugely popular since opening, the theme park extension is due to be incorporated into other Universal park properties globally, with the Californian and Florida versions currently under construction.

Nintendo is now looking at its Out-of-Home entertainment landscape afresh. The company announced in its Second Quarter Financial Reports and Corporate Management Policy Briefing in November 2021 that it intended to spend some $2.7b on establishing a new stream of revenue through its investment into theme parks and new Nintendo entertainment stores – not just retail stores, but entertainment venues that will comprise immersive entertainment and scaled-down interactive attractions. The company has dabbled with retail stores in the US and Japan, but this will mark a major investment towards creating immersive entertainment spaces and has started a land-grab by other major properties keen to carve out a place in the ‘Retailtainment’ sector.

Throwing open the floodgates for others to follow, European videogame developer and publisher Ubisoft has also looked to broaden the penetration of its videogame properties. Having already seen motion pictures based on its Assassin’s Creed and Prince of Persia brands, as well as countless merchandised products and branded toys, the company’s expansion to a physical facility business seems logical.

Its first move was to establish a Location-based Entertainment Manager role within the corporation, looking at Out-of-Home entertainment opportunities. Fast forward to today, and Ubisoft is well known for its work on the successful VR amusement attraction Virtual Rabbids: The Big Ride, which has seen several hundred units placed in amusement sites globally. The company also has a division (Ubisoft Escape Games) licensing unique VR escape game team-based experiences to facilities.

What’s more, the company announced in November that it would be partnering with leading theme park and attraction developers to launch its first ‘Ubisoft Entertainment Center’. Scheduled for 2025, the venue will be situated on France’s Mediterranean coast as part of the Studios Occitanie entertainment hub. Ubisoft is not stopping there; with partners Storyland Studios, it is working on its own design for a large-scale Ubisoft theme park, having looked at Nintendo’s progress in this area and wanting to share some of the opportunity. Other video-game publishers are eagerly watching the fortunes of these two companies and their massive investments in the physical space.

Movies and TV – and zombies

Movie and television/streaming entities now looking at a wider penetration for their brands and licenses have also caught the bug and are looking to dive into the crowded waters of the “metamorphosis of the digital into physical”.

The use of Out-of-Home entertainment to turn digital content and properties into physical attractions has not been lost on the big players, including streaming giant Netflix, which has an estimated audience worldwide of some 215m paid memberships.

For a company streaming TV and movie content and investing vast sums in production, having a physical vehicle that can promote its properties seems obvious. Many industry insiders had speculated that Netflix was looking for its own chain of cinemas, but the implosion that has struck the theatre business seems to have lessened this interest. There is, however, one area of facility investment that has interested the corporation.

With the successful launch of the Netflix movie property Army of the Dead, a new marketing and promotional concept was rolled out by the company – marking an investment in a physical presence for its properties and employing the latest immersive technology. ‘Army of the Dead: Viva Vengeance’, an immersive pop-up attraction, was launched at selected Westfield mall locations, most recently (until the end of December 2021, after a run in Los Angeles) at the space vacated by Debenham’s department store in London’s Westfield Shepherd’s Bush mall. Not just dependent on live actors, the whole experience represented an interactive virtual reality (VR) attraction, which had guests blasting hordes of the undead as they traversed through the infested badlands.

This is not the only example of streamed or movie properties turned into VR experiences and deployed in location-based entertainment (LBE) venues. Movie production houses such as Lionsgate and Sony Pictures have ongoing projects that will see specialist attractions and venues based on their properties. Likewise, IP licenses are being acquired by entertainment venues to be incorporated into the mix of existing spaces. The food and entertainment chain Dave & Buster’s, for example, has had a strong affiliation with licensed IP to attract its target audience, having commissioned virtual reality attractions based on blockbuster film properties such as Jurassic World, Star Trek, Men In Black, among others, from location-based entertainment company VRstudios.

The ability to create an entertainment offering that can be injected into the available retail space has led to an explosion in Retailtainment. The ‘Retail Apocalypse’ that had hit the shopping mall landscape was obviously exacerbated by the global lockdown, but in re-emerging, the owners of these retail spaces have turned to entertainment to fill the gaps left by closed department store chains.

New operator Spider Entertainment has been created to provide landlords, developers and investors with a turnkey solution to run profitable pop-up and permanent attractions for their retail destinations, employing the latest brands, along with the latest immersive entertainment attractions, to help reinvent the retail experience. Physical spaces that include this level of brand immersion offer a unique new revenue stream beyond the original video-game and movie properties, and a level of customer engagement that is new and compelling.

What’s clear is that marketing and licensing executives keen to connect with their customer base will now have to include Out-of-Home entertainment as a new weapon in their armoury – a weapon that offers great opportunities and could in fact change the whole landscape of consumption.

Entertainment and technology specialist Kevin Williams is a regular presenter at international conferences, speaking at the Foundations Entertainment University (FEU) and Amusement360 events, as well as at bootcamps for LBE and FEC investors. He is one of the senior judges of the VR Awards.

Kevin’s consultancy KWP Ltd specialises in helping international clients develop immersive and interactive entertainment. Kevin has recently become Co-Owner and Technology Director for OOH entertainment specialist Spider Entertainment and is the publisher of the Stinger Report, a-must-read for those working or investing in the amusement, attractions and entertainment industry.

Kevin can be reached at kwp@thestingerreport.com.

 

Character World names new CEO

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James Walker has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer of Character World.

James combines 25 years’ experience in retail, licensing, brands and digital commerce and has held global senior management positions at Disney, Hasbro and McArthurGlen.

Danny and Mark Schweiger will continue in their roles as Joint Managing Directors and will work alongside James in delivering the Company’s business plan.

Danny and Mark in a joint statement said:

“Over the last 17 years many of the team have worked closely with James both at Disney and Hasbro. More recently, James has been working with Character World to develop a growth strategy with plans to take the company to new levels.

“We enter 2022 looking forward to unlocking this exciting new chapter of our business with our brand and retail partners with James’ experience and leadership.”

James said: “I am delighted to be joining Character World at such an exciting time for the business. Both the industry and sectors Character World work in are in a strong position and we see exciting growth opportunities across multiple areas.”

The company will be targeting growth in its core business as well as accelerating the evolution of e-commerce and digital, distribution opportunities and expanding its success in Health and Wellness.

Character World dreams big with £14.5m Secure Trust Bank finance deal

 

 

Licensing International launches global mentoring programme

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In honour of National Mentoring Month, the leading trade organisation for the global licensing industry, Licensing International, and its sponsor Octane5, have announced today the licensing industry’s first ever global mentoring programme, aimed at bringing the expertise of global industry veterans to young professionals.

With an initial focus on regions including the United States, UK, France, Germany, Japan and China, industry professionals and Licensing International members can sign up to join the programme directly at LicensingInternational.org beginning today. Following sign-up, participants will be matched up by Licensing International with their mentor or mentee through the programme.

Licensing International’s new programme will allow mentees to build skills and knowledge while working toward attaining career goals. At the same time, it will provide an opportunity for mentors to further enhance skills and knowledge areas through exposure to fresh perspectives.

Most importantly, the Licensing International Mentoring Program aims to bring value and career growth to licensing experts of all levels across a multitude of businesses and categories. Participating mentees will have an opportunity to gain wisdom from an experienced professional, while mentors have the chance to invest in an up-and-coming professional who can benefit from their skilled guidance.

“Knowledge sharing and mentoring are such powerful tools that have the potential to transform lives, and so we knew as industry leaders we wanted to create a platform to encourage just that,” says Maura Regan, President of Licensing International. “Our mentorship programme will not only build meaningful connections between longstanding professionals and young newcomers, but also offer important opportunities for growth and development.”

“When we connected with Licensing International to sponsor the upcoming mentorship programme, we were delighted to be able to facilitate connections between professionals in our industry,” says Mike Dunn, Co-Founder and President of Octane5. “Partnering with Licensing International allows us to offer a space where professionals new and old can form working relationships that otherwise wouldn’t be possible.”

For more information, visit LicensingInternational.org or contact Licensing International SVP, Global Partnerships, Gisela Abrams at gabrams@licensing.org.

Spotify seals exclusive deal for CoComelon Storytime podcast

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Spotify has announced an exclusive multi-year agreement featuring some of the most beloved voices within the kids’ entertainment space. Through this initiative, Spotify will partner with CoComelon, the number-one kids channel on YouTube, for a new podcast, CoComelon Storytime.

The show will be followed by a mix of other original and exclusive ‘homegrown’ shows, including Gardenkeeper Gus, 100 Cinderellas, and Deep Blue Sea. The new content will be available to parents on the main Spotify app within the Family and Kids Hub, as well as on the Spotify Kids app, exclusive to Spotify Premium Family subscribers.

Produced by Moonbug Entertainment, CoComelon has an impressive reach and dedicated following, garnering over 4.2 billion views per month.

“We are so thrilled to be entering into this partnership with CoComelon to produce a series of original and exclusive content tailored to families,” says Max Cutler, Head of New Content Initiatives at Spotify. “This is a major win for us as we continue to expand the scope of our podcast ambitions and help to drive the exponential growth of the audio industry.

“Spotify is the only platform with the scale and infrastructure necessary to enable a partner like CoComelon to grow beyond their millions of highly loyal, passionate and engaged fans and transcend into podcasting. With their popularity and Spotify’s ability to distribute and amplify it in the audio space, the potential for the show’s reach is limitless.”

CoComelon Story Time, which is launching on January 24, includes beloved storybook classics with a CoComelon twist. The stories impart positive life lessons, providing families with playful and educational content that they can enjoy together. The new podcast series will be available globally in four languages including English (American and British vocabulary), Spanish, German and Brazilian Portuguese.

Gardenkeeper Gus, launching on January 31 and designed for families with younger children, is a quiet and contemplative preschool podcast that follows the adventures of 6-year-old Gus and his squirrel best friend Rel as they explore and understand the endless and larger-than-life garden behind his family home.

100 Cinderellas, launching on February 14 and designed for families with younger children, is an anthology series of Cinderella stories from around the world, suitable for bedtime.

Deep Blue Sea, launching on February 28, consists of episodes where listeners will visit an underwater oceanic laboratory, Sea Lab Alpha, with an impeccable view of sea life.

“We are excited to be partnering with Moonbug to bring one of their iconic brands, CoComelon, to our millions of listeners around the world,” says Verdell Walker, Head of Kids Audio Content at Spotify. “As one of today’s most popular family brands, CoComelon’s interactive storytelling is a perfect fit for audio. We’re thrilled that we can expand the world of CoComelon, with its dynamic characters that educate and entertain millions of families, into audio.”

King Features Syndicate scores slate of new partnerships for Popeye and Olive Oyl

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King Features Syndicate, a unit of Hearst, has announced that it is growing its global licensing programs for Popeye and Olive Oyl with a slate of new partnerships.

The expansion extends across the promotions, food and beverage categories and includes new territories, partners and product lines that honour the legacy of King Features’ classic characters from the extensive Popeye universe, including Olive Oyl and Wimpy.

In Asia, Popeye and Olive Oyl have starring roles in several key promotions, including a renewal of their deal with Manga Coordinate Co and JOYL to produce an advertising campaign starring the pair, played by local celebrities, to promote the popular Ajinomoto Olive Oil in the Japanese market for the second year in a row. In 2020, Popeye was played by pop star Satoshi Ohno, and in the 2021 campaign, the role of Olive Oyl was played by actress Ayami Nakajo. Each campaign included print ads as well as TV commercials.

Also in the territory, Japanese video producer AOI Pro Inc and its AI technology client Laboro.AI Inc are tapping into the classic tale of Popeye and Olive’s love story to emphasise the innovation of AI technology by creating state-of-the-art clips for a Valentine’s Day commercial, set to run through summer 2022.

Additionally, Japanese soft drink manufacturer Ito En is featuring Popeye in a promotional campaign for its Aojiru vegetable drinks, while Runival Sdn Bhd is reaching audiences in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia via a promotional Popeye Virtual Run campaign.

In China, the salty sailor will take part in a promotional campaign featuring glass cups, recycling bags, brooches, face masks, T-shirts and stickers, which will be sold across the territory by Guangzhou Circleplus Culture Co, while South Korea-based Sunwoo & Company began a worldwide launch of limited-edition Popeye theme packs for Android, version 9.0 and higher, via the Samsung Galaxy store in 2021. Additional theme packs will be released in 2022.

The new partnerships in Japan were brokered by King Features’ agent in the territory, Copyrights Asia, while Medialink Animation Ltd brokered the deals in China, Singapore and Indonesia.

Popeye is also expanding globally into the food and beverage category, with several new deals this past year for the sailorman and his friends debuting around the globe.

Popeye continues to be a favorite in Japan, with multiple new deals debuting throughout the year, including Shogakukan Shueisha Productions for various Popeye-inspired housewares, apparel and accessories, spinach from Rainbowworks and custom Popeye desserts and houseware products from Baobab Inc.

In North America, Popeye is also making his mark in promotions by starring in Accenture’s global ad campaign advertising the transformational power of its intelligent ops services, and his burger-loving friend Wimpy was featured in an advertisement for Google Pay. Most recently, artist Jeff Koons released “Popeye Skateboard,” a reinterpretation of his 2008 oil painting “Triple Popeye” as part of The Skateroom collection. Proceeds from the charitable launch, in collaboration with Qatar Museums, aid children in need.

In the food category, Popeye has expanded his long-term partnership with Taylor Farms by introducing new product lines. And in a deal negotiated by King Features’ Canadian agent, Segal Licensing, Jade City Foods has launched an online Popeye Foods shop offering a variety of new consumables including coffee, hot cocoa, hot sauces and more inspired by Popeye, Olive Oyl, Bluto, Wimpy and Swee’Pea.

“The characters from the Popeye universe deeply resonate with fans around the world, and it’s thrilling to see one of our fan favorites experiencing continued growth,” says Carla Silva, vice president and general manager, global head of licensing at King Features. “And fans should stay tuned because we’re kicking off the new year with even more exciting promotions and products!”

For the latest brand news on Popeye and his friends, please visit Popeye.com.

King Features and Jade City Foods introduce Popeye foods line

King Features Syndicate scores slate of new partnerships for Popeye and Olive Oyl

Posted on by

King Features Syndicate, a unit of Hearst, has announced that it is growing its global licensing programs for Popeye and Olive Oyl with a slate of new partnerships.

The expansion extends across the promotions, food and beverage categories and includes new territories, partners and product lines that honour the legacy of King Features’ classic characters from the extensive Popeye universe, including Olive Oyl and Wimpy.

In Asia, Popeye and Olive Oyl have starring roles in several key promotions, including a renewal of their deal with Manga Coordinate Co and JOYL to produce an advertising campaign starring the pair, played by local celebrities, to promote the popular Ajinomoto Olive Oil in the Japanese market for the second year in a row. In 2020, Popeye was played by pop star Satoshi Ohno, and in the 2021 campaign, the role of Olive Oyl was played by actress Ayami Nakajo. Each campaign included print ads as well as TV commercials.

Also in the territory, Japanese video producer AOI Pro Inc and its AI technology client Laboro.AI Inc are tapping into the classic tale of Popeye and Olive’s love story to emphasise the innovation of AI technology by creating state-of-the-art clips for a Valentine’s Day commercial, set to run through summer 2022.

Additionally, Japanese soft drink manufacturer Ito En is featuring Popeye in a promotional campaign for its Aojiru vegetable drinks, while Runival Sdn Bhd is reaching audiences in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia via a promotional Popeye Virtual Run campaign.

In China, the salty sailor will take part in a promotional campaign featuring glass cups, recycling bags, brooches, face masks, T-shirts and stickers, which will be sold across the territory by Guangzhou Circleplus Culture Co, while South Korea-based Sunwoo & Company began a worldwide launch of limited-edition Popeye theme packs for Android, version 9.0 and higher, via the Samsung Galaxy store in 2021. Additional theme packs will be released in 2022.

The new partnerships in Japan were brokered by King Features’ agent in the territory, Copyrights Asia, while Medialink Animation Ltd brokered the deals in China, Singapore and Indonesia.

Popeye is also expanding globally into the food and beverage category, with several new deals this past year for the sailorman and his friends debuting around the globe.

Popeye continues to be a favorite in Japan, with multiple new deals debuting throughout the year, including Shogakukan Shueisha Productions for various Popeye-inspired housewares, apparel and accessories, spinach from Rainbowworks and custom Popeye desserts and houseware products from Baobab Inc.

In North America, Popeye is also making his mark in promotions by starring in Accenture’s global ad campaign advertising the transformational power of its intelligent ops services, and his burger-loving friend Wimpy was featured in an advertisement for Google Pay. Most recently, artist Jeff Koons released “Popeye Skateboard,” a reinterpretation of his 2008 oil painting “Triple Popeye” as part of The Skateroom collection. Proceeds from the charitable launch, in collaboration with Qatar Museums, aid children in need.

In the food category, Popeye has expanded his long-term partnership with Taylor Farms by introducing new product lines. And in a deal negotiated by King Features’ Canadian agent, Segal Licensing, Jade City Foods has launched an online Popeye Foods shop offering a variety of new consumables including coffee, hot cocoa, hot sauces and more inspired by Popeye, Olive Oyl, Bluto, Wimpy and Swee’Pea.

“The characters from the Popeye universe deeply resonate with fans around the world, and it’s thrilling to see one of our fan favorites experiencing continued growth,” says Carla Silva, vice president and general manager, global head of licensing at King Features. “And fans should stay tuned because we’re kicking off the new year with even more exciting promotions and products!”

For the latest brand news on Popeye and his friends, please visit Popeye.com.

King Features and Jade City Foods introduce Popeye foods line

Opinion I Can brand merch have the best of both worlds – in-store and online?

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In-real-life and online shopping are both important retail strategies, but for brands in particular, they throw up different problems. Is embracing a ‘clicks and mortar’ approach the way forward, wonders Spread Group’s Head of Licensing Sven Burscher

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The last two years have seen a huge shift in consumer behaviour. Some colleagues in the industry argue that the move to online shopping is complete. Those consumers who were reluctant to buy online made the move during 2020-21. According to Salesforce’s Shopping Index, European e-commerce grew by 47% in 2020. That said, other colleagues see that the hunger for an in-real-life shopping experience remains strong.

There’s nothing like the brand store of course. The excitement of having merchandise in one place, all the on-trend products, the brand ambassadors, maybe a pop-up experience too. The consumer-interest can be countered by risk for the brand however. There’s the investment risk of having a wide range of sizes and colours, which might not sell. Whilst for the fan there’s a lack of customisation options. An opportunity to engender further loyalty is lost.

Personal human contact in store is key to the engaged customer experience, and often missing online. One industry trend is the idea that pure-play online retailers will need to embrace ‘clicks and mortar’ to truly engage with the consumer.

So how can brands have the best of both worlds? Can brands integrate online licensing sales with an in-store offering, or are they separate strategies? The way forward is to take the choice, control, and sustainability of online and use it to support the experience of in-real-life.

Choice

Online the customer has access to the full range of styles, sizes, products, accessories. There’s no risk for the brand in over-ordering XXS and the XXS customer has a greater choice of styles and colours than in-store.

This level of style customisation can be particularly important for women. Too often the styles in-store don’t include a variety of flattering necklines and different fits but are just a smaller version of a men’s t-shirt. Giving consumers this choice of fit can make the difference between a loved and a worn-once piece of clothing.

Control

Online brands can maintain some control by offering limited customisation. This doesn’t have to be completely free reign, or brand inappropriate. A grown-up TV series can still keep its mysterious look and feel with dark colours. A children’s brand can make sure they only allow products that are relevant to young people and offer them in colours to match the age-range. Within these limitations, there is still scope for fans to choose a t-shirt style, fit or colour that suits them.

This usually works through our Spreadshop or Spreadshirt brand. It allows brands and entrepreneurs to run their own online shop or offer merchandise on our marketplace. Partners can focus on their brands while we handle the technology, inventory, production and customer service.

With an online offering supplementing the in-store range, brands retain control of their image, but customers get something they want too. Even small brands can now offer their followers a little personalisation, giving their devotees something special and receiving valuable feedback on what they like.

Sustainability

A print-on-demand online service can help brands with their sustainability goals. Nothing is printed until it’s ordered which means there is no over-ordering and very little waste. This helps to manage the brand’s exposure to the difficult-to-manage sizes.

It also means products can also be tested without incurring high costs. A design can be added to new products, launched online and the data analysed to see what actually sells. There won’t be a warehouse full of unwanted sizes or images, gathering dust and not earning revenue.

In the 20 years since the rise of ecommerce, we haven’t shaken off the in-store experience. Two years of more intense online shopping may only have increased the desire for shopping as entertainment. For brands, a clever combination of both elements of commerce can build loyalty with fans, offer a wider range, build their sustainability credentials and test new ideas. It’s time for clicks and mortar 2.0!

This article appears in the Jan/Feb issue of ToyNews. Read it here.

www.spreadgroup.com

Spread Group launches Game of Thrones print-on-demand collection

 

 

 

Signature Publishing partners with BBC Studios for Swashbuckle magazine

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Specialist independent children’s publisher Signature Publishing has partnered with BBC Studios to launch Swashbuckle magazine.

The magazine will feature original stories, games, puzzles, colouring, craft, cookery and more, based on the BAFTA-winning and highly popular children’s pirate-themed gameshow on the CBeebies channel and BBC iPlayer starring Gem and her pirate friends.

While including all the slapstick humour and fun of the show, every page of the magazine focuses on developing key early learning skills including understanding the world, maths, language and literacy, physical development, wellbeing and creativity. All the activities are designed to engage with pre-school children, while prompts for grown-ups encourage parents and carers to share the content and join in the fun. Every issue is complemented by an interactive sticker sheet and exclusive Swashbuckle role-play toys.

“It’s brilliant to be partnering with BBC Studios again and publishing a stand-alone, monthly Swashbuckle magazine,” says Amanda Clifford, Signature Publishing’s Editorial Director. “Pirates are always mega popular with children, never go out of fashion and working with a TV programme that’s as fun and unique as Swashbuckle means that this is one magazine adventure that is bound to be sailing the high seas for a long time to come!”

On sale from today, Swashbuckle magazine will be stocked by retailers nationwide and will be supported by promotional activity at launch, including in Tesco, Sainsburys, Asda, Morrisons and WHS High Street.

Swashbuckle joins Signature Publishing’s strong line-up of magazines, including: Go Jetters, published under licence from BBC Studios, Polly Pocket, published under licence from Mattel, Transformers Rescue Bots Academy under license from Hasbro, Gigantosaurus under license from Cyber Group Studios, Spirit Riding Free under licence from NBC Universal, plus original magazines Dino Fun!, Pets2Collect, Dinosaur Action!, We Love, Colour It!, Fantastic Funworld!, So Magical! and Adventures With. For more information visit www.signaturepl.co.uk.

Signature Publishing partners with BBC Studios for Swashbuckle magazine

Posted on by

Specialist independent children’s publisher Signature Publishing has partnered with BBC Studios to launch Swashbuckle magazine.

The magazine will feature original stories, games, puzzles, colouring, craft, cookery and more, based on the BAFTA-winning and highly popular children’s pirate-themed gameshow on the CBeebies channel and BBC iPlayer starring Gem and her pirate friends.

While including all the slapstick humour and fun of the show, every page of the magazine focuses on developing key early learning skills including understanding the world, maths, language and literacy, physical development, wellbeing and creativity. All the activities are designed to engage with pre-school children, while prompts for grown-ups encourage parents and carers to share the content and join in the fun. Every issue is complemented by an interactive sticker sheet and exclusive Swashbuckle role-play toys.

“It’s brilliant to be partnering with BBC Studios again and publishing a stand-alone, monthly Swashbuckle magazine,” says Amanda Clifford, Signature Publishing’s Editorial Director. “Pirates are always mega popular with children, never go out of fashion and working with a TV programme that’s as fun and unique as Swashbuckle means that this is one magazine adventure that is bound to be sailing the high seas for a long time to come!”

On sale from today, Swashbuckle magazine will be stocked by retailers nationwide and will be supported by promotional activity at launch, including in Tesco, Sainsburys, Asda, Morrisons and WHS High Street.

Swashbuckle joins Signature Publishing’s strong line-up of magazines, including: Go Jetters, published under licence from BBC Studios, Polly Pocket, published under licence from Mattel, Transformers Rescue Bots Academy under license from Hasbro, Gigantosaurus under license from Cyber Group Studios, Spirit Riding Free under licence from NBC Universal, plus original magazines Dino Fun!, Pets2Collect, Dinosaur Action!, We Love, Colour It!, Fantastic Funworld!, So Magical! and Adventures With. For more information visit www.signaturepl.co.uk.

Poetic Brands signs deal with Walkers for adult apparel

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Apparel specialist Poetic Brands has partnered with Walkers to launch a range of adult clothing in the UK and Ireland, through a deal brokered by Walkers’ licensing agency IMG.

The new collection will include sweatshirts, T-shirts, joggers, shorts and more, all taking inspiration from the iconic brand which originated in 1948 and quickly became the most popular crisp brand in the UK.

Utilising the instantly recognisable branding and graphics synonymous with Walkers, the collection is set to tap into the nation’s demand for heritage brands.

Elliott Matthews, Managing Director of Poetic Brands, commented: “Walkers is a dream property to work with as it holds a place in the hearts of many. We’re having fun with the iconic logo and branding for this collection and creating some on-trend pieces which are sure to be a hit.”

Sam Barker, Senior Licensing Director at IMG, added: “The Walkers brand is instantly recognisable and has a timeless appeal that is loved by consumers of all ages, which will be highlighted throughout this apparel collection with Poetic Brands.”