Category Archives: Highlight

Endemol Shine taps Sagoo for Simon’s Cat. MasterChef, and Peaky Blinders in France

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The independent licensing agency, Sagoo has struck up a partnership with Endemol Shine Group to represent the popular Simon’s Cat, MasterChef, and Peaky Blinders brands across select categories in France.

The brands join Sagoo’s impressive portfolio, which includes Rilakkuma, Care Bears, Miffy, Emily the Strange and a number of music brands, including The Beatles, David Bowie, Jimi Hendrix, The Police, Led Zeppelin and more.

The popular animation, Simon’s Cat, made its debut ten years ago in viral video Cat Man Do, by illustrator and animator, Simon Tofield. The charming yet mischievous cat now stars in 100 short black and white shorts, which are watched worldwide in over 100 countries, with 7 million fans on Facebook, 2 million followers on Instagram, and more than 1 billion views on YouTube.

MasterChef, meanwhile, aired for five successful series on TF1 in France and the show has been produced in 63 countries worldwide, broadcasting in more than 200 territories. MasterChef has become a number one rated show from the UK to Australia, Italy to Israel, U to Brazil and beyond. Created by Franc Roddam, the culinary talent show is watched globally by over 250 million viewers, transforming over 100 amateur chefs into professionals. 

Peaky Blinders is an award-winning series for BBC One and Netflix produced by official brand owner Caryn Mandabach Productions and by Endemol Shine Group’s Tiger Aspect Productions. Distributed by Endemol Shine International, five series have aired on the BBC and Netflix with a stellar cast of actors including Cillian Murphy, Helen McCrory and Paul Anderson.

Endemol Shine Group represent a range of global ancillary rights for Peaky Blinders and already has an emerging licensing programme in France, attracting a loyal fan base on Arte where it airs alongside Netflix. Endemol Shine already partner with Larousse in France with retail book and gifting ranges. 

Sagoo will now be working across select categories for the three brands and the team will first focus on apparel, accessories, homewares, gifting, promotions and publishing.

Veronique Pichon, president of Sagoo, said: “We are thrilled to be working with Endemol Shine Group on such prestigious brands across a wide audience and we’re looking forward to presenting them to potential licensees to get the consumer products programme up and running in France.”

Jane Smith, director, brand licensing and strategy at Endemol Shine Group, added: “Sagoo has a fantastic reputation of extending brands with consumer products in France and we are thrilled they will represent the three premium titles of Peaky Blinders, MasterChef and Simon’s Cat. France is a key market to strengthen the growth of our brand licensing business and this partnership proves our ambitions for the territory.”

In July 2020, Endemol Shine Group was acquired by Banijay, creating the world’s largest international content producer and distributor spanning 22 territories with over 120 production companies and a multi-genre catalogue boasting over 88,000 hours of original programming.

Channel 5’s NFL broadcasting partnership will ‘bring excitement of NFL season in the US to British homes’

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National Football League will be touching down on UK television thanks to a new partnership struck between the NFL and ViacomCBS Networks International’s Channel 5. The three-year partnership will bring Monday Night Football to the channel, as well as a Sunday morning NFL magazine show.

The partnership aims to ‘take all the excitement of the NFL season in the US into British homes.’ It also covers ‘new and unique NFL content across MTV International’s digital platforms in the UK.’

“We are very proud to have agreed a new partnership with ViacomCBS and Channel 5,” said Sameer Pabari, NFL managing director, international media. “The range of content available across different time slots and platforms means there is something for everyone – from established fans to those new to the sport.”

James Tatam, VP portfolio operations, ViacomCBS Networks UK, added: “We’re looking forward to bringing high-quality entertainment from the NFL to a free-to-air audience in the U.K. The content has a broad, cross-generational appeal that will not only serve an existing NFL fanbase in the UK, but will also attract new viewers to the sport.”

Monday Night Football, one of America’s most iconic TV sports series, will be broadcast from a studio in Los Angeles, with host Kirsten Watson joined by former All-Pro Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew and other special guests.

The Sunday morning show, called NFL End Zone, will be presented by actress and singer Cory Yarckin and “will delve deeper into the culture behind America’s greatest sport,” ViacomCBS said. It will air at 11:30 a.m. U.K. time on Channel 5, which was previously an NFL broadcaster from 1998 to 2009.

As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, season coverage kicks off on Sunday, with Monday Night Football launching in the UK on Monday from MetLife Stadium as the New York Giants host the Pittsburgh Steelers on the opening weekend of the season.

WildBrain CPLG signs raft of UK and European partners for Line Friends’ Brown & Friends

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WildBrain CPLG has secured a raft of new European deals on behalf of the Line Friends brand’s Brown & Friends, an off-shoot IP that features the brand’s signature characters Brown, Choco, Cony, Sally, and others.

Blueprint Collections has signed up with the IP for a stationery range, Gund will develop new plush lines, Kokomo is working on a health and beauty collection, Misirli is developing its signature socks, and Poetic Brands is readying a collection of daywear and nightwear.

WildBrain CPLG – which represents Line Friends across Europe and in the UK – has also struck up partnerships with Portico Design for calendars, and Zak Designs for melamine. For France, WildBrain CPLG has secured a deal with Undiz for an underwear and nightwear range, and in Switzerland with Confiland for confectionery.

The new products have already started to roll out at retail and will continue to launch throughout the year, joining Line Friends’ existing global deals with Funko and Uniqlo.

Additionally, Atomic10 has been appointed as the PR agency for Line Friends in the UK. The agency will work with influencers and media partners to support licensees’ product launches and expand Line Friends’ fan base in the market.

John Taylor, VP Northern Europe and managing director UK and France at WildBrain CPLG, said: “Instantly recognisable, the Line Friends and Brown & Friends characters have quickly become part of Gen Z and Millennials’ daily lives internationally.

“We’re excited to be expanding the brand’s European licensee base with bold new products which are ideal for fashion conscious fans, and having Atomic10 on board in the UK will provide invaluable support as we get the word out to tweens, teens and young adults in the market.”

These new partnerships follow Line Friends’ recent win at the Licensing International Excellence Awards 2020, where Brown & Friends was named the Best Digital / App / Video Game Brand.

Emoji Company partners with Redbubble to allow fans to curate their own licensed merchandise

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The Emoji Company has partnered with the world’s largest fan-driven artist marketplace Redbubble in a partnership that will allow fans to develop their own Emoji products by selecting the artwork and the product options they want to see it on.

The official Emoji marketplace and Fan Art Partner programme includes a variety of artwork and product options for fans to choose from. The partnership is the latest move in the customisation movement, bringing fans of the brand exclusive product that can only be found on the Redbubble marketplace.

The deal was brokered by Retail Monster LLC, the emoji company’s North American licensing agent. 

In response to the current recommendations from the CDC and other health organizations regarding face masks, Redbubble has also added the new essential accessory to the Emoji brand merchandise store.

“We know that the creativity of the Emoji branded masks – both the ones in their official store and those designed by independent artists – can help brighten people’s day in these challenging times,” said Redbubble SVP of content partnership and general manager of global licensing, Eric Morse.

“Redbubble is committed to helping make the transition to widespread mask use a bit easier.” 

“Our companies are both rooted in creative expression, building the perfect synergy,” said Marco Hüsges, CEO and founder, The Emoji Company. “We are so excited to see the designs our fans will create. This is the perfect place for people to be able to express themselves and their individuality through high-quality, everyday products they love.” 

The Emoji face masks are now available worldwide on the marketplace. 

Video games market to exceed $200 billion by 2023, says latest Juniper Research

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The video games industry is on track to exceed $200 billion in value by 2023, according to the latest report from the global hi-tech communications analyst Juniper Research, growing from an expected $155 billion in 2020. The research company suggests that the growth will be lead over the next three years, by mobile and cloud gaming.

In its new report, Video Games: Industry Trends, Monetisation Strategies and Market Size 2020 – 2025, Juniper notes that the popularity of free-to-play games like Fortnite and Call of Duty Mobile is intensifying the move to in-game monetisation, and that cloud gaming and other video game subscriptions will grow at an average rate of nine per cent per year.

The industry is to see the projected growth despite the expected five per cent decline in purchase revenues over the next three year.

“At current gaming subscription prices, it will take an average of ten month of a subscription p[ayment to cover the retail cost of a single AAA game,” said co-author on the research paper, James Moar. “The value of these platforms lies in keeping players within an ecosystem, ensuring that revenue across multiple games is captured by a single platform.”

The research goes on to note that, thanks to the increase in gamers signing up to subscription services such as EA Access, Google Stadia, and Xbox Gamepass, as well as buying fewer standalone games, only mobile games will see a net increase in game installs between 2020 and 2023. It also suggests that 99 per cent of mobile game downloads in the next three years will be free-to-play.

Juniper anticipates that less than 50 per cent of PC game installs over the period will be paid for. However, these games will be the most lucrative segment for in-game purchases, approaching $32 billion in 2023. Mobile games will have more purchases, but higher value game expansion purchases will keep PC in-game revenue growth strong. Smartphone in-app revenue will grow at an average of eight per cent over the forecast period, as smartphone gaming in emerging markets grows.

Acamar Films sees ‘huge growth for Bing toy sales’ as MV Sports and 8th Wonder join the roster

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Acamar Films’ hit pre-school series Bing has seen toy sales achieve huge growth at UK retail over the past year, with the NPD Group listing it within the top ten fastest growing toy licenses for the period of January to June 2020. The surge follows the launch the Golden Bear master toy line in 2019.

Acamar Films is confident that the trend for toys will continue to prove the property as popular at retail as it is on the screen, as two new toy licensees in 8th WOnder and MV Sports launch their ranges this year.

Golden Bear’s initial toy line for Autumn/Winter 2019 was an instant success with pre-schoolers with the award-winning soft toys, figurines and wooden puzzle proving to be the company’s fastest-selling range in years. Last year’s success has resulted in Golden Bear doubling their number of lines, while key retailers have doubled their listings going into Autumn/Winter 2020.

With innovative new lines including a Bing Lights and Sounds Train, new mini play-sets, new plush, figurines and role play items, Golden Bear and Bing look well set for further growth in the second half of 2020.

Acamar Films continues to build out its toy programme with the addition of two new licensees: 8th Wonder for wooden toys and MV Sports for wheeled toys. These new categories further strengthen Bing’s offering at retail.

8th Wonder’s first range launched in Spring/Summer 2020 with 11 lines including games, puzzles, shape sorters and pull-along stacking toys. A soft launch with Very and Next proved very positive, while all three lines included in Aldi’s special buy toy event in March sold out. Expanding again for Autumn/Winter, lines will be available from Amazon, Asda, Argos, Very, Aldi and B&M.

MV Sports, the UK’s leading designer and supplier of wheeled and outdoor toys, are set to launch with three lines in Autumn/Winter 2020. Their colourful Bing Balance Bike, Tri Scooter and 12’ Bike will be available from B&M, Very and Aldi.

Louise Simmonds, head of UK licensing and merchandising at Acamar Films, said: “We are thrilled with the success of Golden Bear’s fabulous toy range, which reflects the ever-growing demand for all things Bing, and are very excited about their new range which we are sure will be another huge hit.

“We are also delighted to welcome our new partners 8th Wonder and MV Sports, allowing us to offer an ever-expanding variety of toys which capture the essence and values of Bing and give Bingsters fun new ways to engage.”

Louise Tyrer, sales director at 8th Wonder, added: “We are greatly encouraged by the initial success of our new range of innovative wooden Bing toys and the overwhelming response from retailers and customers alike. We are set to welcome additional key retailers on board throughout Autumn/Winter 2020 and early indications for next year are showing even further growth.”

Phil Ratcliffe, sales and marketing director at MV Sports, said: “Were excited to include Bing in our preschool portfolio. As the UK’s leading supplier of wheeled and outdoor toys we recognise that Bing’s affinity with play, the outdoors and nature is a great fit for our product.

“MV Sports see Bing going from strength to strength in the UK and are delighted to be on this journey with Acamar Films.”

Industry trio forge new art, culture, and science focused business ARTiSTORY

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Licensing industry specialists Dave Collins, Tamara Dixon, and Natasha Dyson have united their expertise and combined experience to launch the new licensing business venture ARTiSTORY, a new unit focused on developing content in the art, culture, and science sectors.

ARTiSTORY will aim to translate objects or artistic, cultural and scientific significance into usable assets for the consumers of today, doing so through its three key areas of business: IP asset development, IP licensing, and content development.

The founder trio are each experts in their respective fields and the new venture will see Collins take on the role of co-founder and commercial director, Dixon as co-founder and creative director, and Dyson as co-founder and licensing director.

By tapping into treasured collections at world’s top museums and heritage institutions, ARTiSTORY creates annually refreshed trends, themes and original design assets including illustrations, prints & patterns, which in turn, can be applied onto product and packaging design.  

ARTiSTORY licenses these design assets to consumer brands and retailers and assist them to introduce compelling products, engage shoppers via digital marketing and offer immersive shopping experiences. Each product comes with a unique story that consumer brands and retailers can attract more shoppers by leveraging the power of storytelling.  

“Storytelling is central to human existence. That it’s common to every known culture and research shows that messages delivered as stories can be up to 22 times more memorable than just facts. Storytelling is the future of marketing and there are no better ingredients than art and culture which transcend time and geographic barriers,” read a statement from the new business.    

“By working with ARTiSTORY, consumer brands, manufacturers and retailers will acquire new customers more effectively, both through their online and offline stores, turning shoppers into your loyal fans while providing them with unique shopping experience.”

The team at ARTiSTORY are pioneers in art and culture IP licensing with track records working with the Natural History Museum, British Museum, the MET, V&A and many world’s top retailers and consumer brands such as Uniqlo, Amazon, Max Factors and Nestle etc.  

“We are constantly looking to partner with new IP in the art, culture and science sector. We serve as a creative design studio, act as a joint licensor and roll out design led licensing programmes across Europe and North America,” said ARTiSTORY.  

ARTiSTORY will work from a design led studio in London and a sales office in Barcelona.

Contact: Natasha Dyson on natasha@artistorybrands.net +44 7855 858711.

www.artistroybrands.net

Pocket.watch taps Vivid to bring YouTube sensation Love, Diana toys and more to the UK

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Vivid has partnered with the licensing and merchandising specialist, pocket.watch for the launch of a new toy line inspired by the latest YouTube sensation, Kids Diana Show. According to Tubefilter, the channel totals 5bn views a month across the globe.

To support the global launch of the Kids Diana Show merchandise, pocket.watch has produced 40 episodes of Love, Diana – a live-action and animated hybrid series with stories focusing on positive lessons about friendship, family, creativity, and the power of play.

“We are delighted to be partnering with pocket.watch again and start such an exciting journey to entertain and inspire girls with Love, Diana,” said Nick Thomas, general manager of Vivid. “Ryan’s world proved that you can disrupt the traditional toy sector because children relate to and admire their YouTube superstars and want to play with their toys.

“Ryan remains in the UK NPD charts in the top ten fastest growing new properties. We are all looking forward to replicating this success with exciting and innovative Diana products.”

Working with lead partners Far Out Toys (collectables), Jerry Leigh (dress-up), Taste Beauty (bath and beauty), Headstart (dolls, doll accessories and styling heads), and HiJinx (plush), Vivid will be distributing a wide range across different product categories, price points and play experiences to allow young girls to interact, role play.

Stone Newman, CRO, pocket.watch, added: “Pocket.watch is thrilled to continue our relationship with partners like Vivid to bring Love, Diana to expand the reach of the Love, Diana franchise and to deliver fun and inspiration to young girls on a global scale.”

WildBrain Spark teams with Funrise Toys to develop online content for its collectable doll brand BFF Bright Fairy Friends

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WildBrain Spark has inked a deal with Funrise Toys to support the launch of its collectable doll brand BFF Bright Fairy Friends with a digital-first content strategy. UNder the partnership, WildBrain Spark will produce over 100 minutes of short-form animated and live action digital content for the brand on YouTube.

The digital specialist is also executing a paid media campaign and handling channel management across the global English-language channel, which has already received over 1.4M views and 1.6M minutes of watch time. On top of this, it will utilise its AI tools to inform the Bright Fairy Friends content, distribution, and paid media targeting.

Online unboxing videos of Funrise Toys’ BFF Bright Fairy Friends collectables have already gained early traction on YouTube since launching in early August 2020. BFF Bright Fairy Friends existing videos have been viewed over 1M times.

Jon Gisby, EVP and managing director at WildBrain Spark, said: “We are proud to partner with innovative toy companies as they develop bold digital-first strategies to launch and create demand for their IP, so we’re very excited to be teaming up with Funrise Toys to support their magical new BFF Bright Fairy Friends brand.

“The content we are creating showcases the brand’s strengths as a fun, dynamic and aspirational property, and we’re sure it will capture the imaginations of kids and families internationally.”

Stephanie Simpson Bughi, vice president global brand marketing at Funrise, added: “We are thrilled to bring the magical world of BFF Bright Fairy Friends to life with engaging and inspiring animated content. We know kids and parents are looking for quality content, and the magical BFF fairies will spark imaginations as they teach kids to shine together as friends.”

The new digital-first content includes 2D animated episodes, character introductions and toy play videos which also feature a bespoke theme tune created by WildBrain Spark. The animated series has begun rolling out on the BFF Bright Fairy Friends YouTube channel this month and will be followed by toy play content in Autumn 2020.

The new line of products features 12 stylish characters, each with their own four surprise accessories perfect for trading and collecting. Each come housed in their own fairy home with motion activated twinkle lights as well as light up fairy wings. The BFF dolls are available now in the US online and in stores at Walmart, Target and Amazon.

The range will launch in the United Kingdom and globally with various retail partners beginning this month.

ViacomCBS Consumer Products brings yoga and an MTV workout to Festival of Licensing’s Community & Wellbeing programme

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If you thought that the all-virtual nature of this year’s Festival of Licensing meant simply sitting in front of a computer screen, you’d better think again, because ViacomCBS  – sponsors of the event’s Community and Wellbeing programme – is challenging you to don the yoga pants, dig-out the neon headbands, and take a break from the serious stuff with its most iconic brands.

This October will see ViacomCBS Consumer Products swap the usual networking session for a perhaps more cathartic programme of three complementary sessions when Festival of Licensing kicks off its four-week run, delivering a Family Friendly Dance and Yoga session that will draw from its library of Nick Jr. exercise videos, encouraging festival goers to take a break from business and have fun and exercise with the kids.

If you’re in need of something a little more high-energy however, the firm is also hosting a Retro Workout Class, featuring iconic MTV products in a workout class complete with an MTV soundtrack taken straight from the ’80s and ’90s. ViacomCBS will round it all off with a special self care session directly from the ViacomCBS Wellness studio itself.

On top of all of this, the programme will also feature Business mentoring and advice clinics in which festival goers can take advantage of the advice clinics offering legal, financial, and career advice, as well as speed networking sessions for those looking for new job opportunities.

The programme will be concluded with the Global charity fundraiser in support of The Light Fund, Magic Wheelchair, and Licensing International Small Business Global Grants Fund.

“We’re delighted to be working alongside ViacomCBS to bring valuable – and much needed – community and wellbeing content to Festival of Licensing attendees from all the over the world,” said Anna Knight, VP Global Licensing Group, Informa Markets. 

“Surviving through Covid has been incredibly challenging for many – whether financially, physically or emotionally – and it’s important that Festival both acknowledges this and provides meaningful support where we can.”

Festival of Licensing runs online from 6-29 October 2020. Brands who are interested in exhibiting or sponsorship opportunities should visit www.festivaloflicensing.com. Free visitor registration is also open at www.festivaloflicensing.com.