NBCUniversal launches infant and toddler brand

NBCUniversal’s Brand Development division is celebrating all families and the happy chaos of parenthood with the launch of its infant and toddler brand, Welcome to the Universe Baby! – delivering modern, trend-driven collections inspired by fan-favourite NBCUniversal characters, stories and culture-defining moments.

“Welcome to the Universe Baby! embraces the joyful, light-hearted moments of parenthood and reflects the modern lifestyle and attitudes of today’s parents,” says Marc Low, senior vice president and general manager, global lifestyle, Universal Brand Development. “We’ve taken a fresh, uniquely Universal approach to the world of baby, offering style-driven designs that appeal to parents with irresistible character art and catchy editorial,  inspiring them to share their fandom and passion with their own kids.”

With a rich portfolio of beloved global brands under one NBCUniversal banner, Welcome to the Universe Baby! features collections inspired by Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment’s Jurassic World, E.T. the Extra – Terrestrial and JAWS; DreamWorks Animation’s Shrek, Madagascar, How to Train Your Dragon and Kung Fu Panda; classic properties including Curious George, Felix the Cat and Woody Woodpecker, and much more.

Welcome to the Universe Baby! is launching throughout the summer and autumn in key international territories. In North America, a dedicated Amazon brand store will offer outfit sets and accessories from Bentex and Happy Threads, along with cosy blankets from Crown Crafts and an assortment of soft toys and books. In Europe, collaborations include trend-setting social brands such as Sleep No More and Cribstar, alongside apparel collections launching at major fast fashion retailers such as Kiabi, C&A and Reserved. In Mexico, El Palacio de Hierro is the exclusive launch partner, and in Brazil partnerships include offerings from Riachuelo, Grendene and Capricho, among others.

Bespoke collections will roll out in key international territories beginning spring 2022, with a global expansion across categories, retailers and partnerships continuing throughout 2023.

Beanstalk Latin America whips up sweet deals for Diageo

Beanstalk Latin America is enjoying success with its first client, Diageo, and the development of the licensing programme for the world-famous Original Irish Cream liqueur brand, Baileys.

The brand has been extended across food and beverage categories throughout the region, with a robust strategy for further development of the Baileys licensing programme in LATAM. Over the past year, the brand has established a strong foundation of licensed products that is helping drive transformation for the brand in the region, repositioning Baileys from being your mother’s holiday drink to the indulgent adult treat to be enjoyed year-round.

Deals include:

Mexico

  • Confectionery: Baileys’ first and longest licensee in Latin America, Turin, has been in the market for nearly 15 years and continues to deliver impressive results. Turin offers premium Baileys filled chocolates at major retailers, travel retail and its own stores.
  • Gifting: One of Baileys’ newest partners, Marco Polo, will launch confectionery snacks and cocktail gift sets in August 2022.
  • Frozen desserts: A natural extension for Baileys in the world of treating, Iced Baileys ice cream by Helados Nestle launched in 2019 and is innovating with a novelty Iced Baileys Cookie concept – a chocolate-covered cookie sandwich filled with Baileys ice cream.
  • DIY cocktails: This revolutionary concept by Autentico Corajillo offers the perfect ready-to-shake Baileys Carajillo cocktail in a reusable, biodegradable shaker.
  • Baked goods: El Globo, Grupo Bimbo’s bakery chain, offers premium cakes for any moment of celebration. Rich’s, a bakery supply company, has developed a line of in-store Baileys bakery products that are available at Walmart and major chains around the country. Additionally, Walmart Mexico offers a variety of Baileys-flavoured cakes and desserts. Intercandy is developing a delicious individual cake imported from Italy, a soft sponge cake with a Baileys flavored filling that will launch at the end of 2022.
  • Licensing-In: In a first for the brand, Baileys licensed-in the Churreria El Moro brand, a churro store established in Mexico City in 1935, to develop a churro-flavored Baileys liqueur available exclusively in Mexico.

Brazil

  • Glassware: Offering fine glassware for the Tanqueray, Guinness, Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff and Gordon’s brands, Globimport creates quality products for cocktail enthusiasts. For each brand, consumers can find individual glassware or gift sets. Products have an extensive distribution and are available on e-commerce and the main chains in the Brazilian market, including Pão de Açúcar, Carrefour, Havan and others.
  • Coffee: Tres Corações, a leading coffee manufacturer in Brazil, has developed and launched the first Baileys cappuccino pods in the country, offering high quality and convenience. The pods feature a balanced recipe and flavour that match with local culture and climate, naturally aligning with Baileys’ indulgent positioning. The product can be found on e-commerce and at the top retailers in Brazil.

Colombia, Central America and Chile

  • Chocolate: In Colombia, leading chocolate brand Mont Blanc launched the first line of several Baileys chocolates varieties in February 2022.
  • Frozen desserts: For Holiday 2021, Dos Pinos, a leading dairy company in Central America based in Costa Rica, launched the first Baileys ice cream in the territory to great fanfare and with a pop-up Baileys Treat Bar celebration.
  • Baked Goods: In Chile, Quinta has developed a line of Baileys cakes for major supermarket chain Cencosud.

“The interest we have seen for the Baileys brand has been extraordinary and we look forward to introducing more indulgent, culturally relevant Baileys treats for adults across the region,” says Director of Brand Management Carolina Verdugo. “We are currently working with other Beanstalk clients to develop their brands via licensing in the region, in addition to discussing opportunities for local and global brands outside of Beanstalk’s client portfolio.”

If you are interested in discussing opportunities with Beanstalk LATAM, contact LATAM@beanstalk.com.

Sustainable fashion brand Supacult to debut at Licensing Expo

Supacult, a new sustainable fashion brand targeting the consumer-savvy and on-trend Gen Z consumer, will launch next week at Licensing Expo 2022 in Las Vegas. 

Lines from the Supacult range will be unveiled in the Products of Change Business Lounge over the course of the three-day show.

Supacult aspires to be a brand that is as sustainable as possible, focusing on the fashion conscious consumer who wants high-quality jersey-wear apparel that’s been ethically and responsibly produced. There will be six tees and sweats capsule ranges per year for men and women in a target age group of 15-35.  Supacult launches with its own DTC website and a select number of curated wholesale fashion accounts including Next and Zalando.

The designs are intended to be bold and bright, fusing the iconic artwork of pop culture with the world of on-trend fashion wear that is sustainably produced and easy to wear. Drawing upon the existing strong licensor partnerships already in place, Supacult designs will feature some of the world’s largest entertainment properties from Disney, Warner Bros. and global music artists in capsule collections that are both iconic and classic.

The product itself is at the heart of the Supacult brand. Blanks are sourced from a leading supplier which has been licensed under the Global Organic Standards (GOTS) since 2007 and manufactures organic, ethical and climate-neutral product produced exclusively from Indian cotton. With every item labelled as organic, the product blanks are produced in facilities powered by green renewable energy from low-impact raw materials, which adds to their sustainability manufacturing chain. Supacult’s exclusive product supplier has been the largest organic textile licensee of the Soil Association for the past five years, giving consumers the assurance and confidence that Supacult has sourced the best-in-class partner for its brand.

Once the blanks arrive at Supacult’s London production facility they are printed using water-based inks and printed as made-to-order garments.  Beyond this, all Supacult products are shipped using sustainable packaging, creating an entire process that is as sustainable as possible.

Commenting on the launch, Supacult managing director Rick Lowe says: “This is an exciting new move in the growth of our licensed fashion business; Supacult enables us to leverage our core business expertise and relationships, with a sustainable product offering for the discernible trend-led consumer. Our objective is to continually evolve our sustainability offering in line with market developments and consumer demand.”

WildBrain unveils sweet new Strawberry Shortcake deals

WildBrain, a global leader in kids’ and family entertainment, will be serving up Strawberry Shortcake at Vegas Licensing Expo, May 24-26, as the beloved kids’ brand continues to gain momentum around the world with new distribution, licensing and promotional partnerships.

Following the global success of Season 1 of its new Strawberry Shortcake series, Berry in the Big City, WildBrain is also set to drop Season 2 this summer on the official Strawberry Shortcake channel on WildBrain Spark, the Company’s leading AVOD network on YouTube and YouTube Kids.

Michael Riley, Chief Brands Officer at WildBrain, says: “Since launching this fresh version of our treasured Strawberry Shortcake brand and the new Berry in the Big City series, the response from kids, families and industry partners alike has been amazing. As we prepare to launch forty more episodes, we’re seeing the new brand gathering significant momentum, as demonstrated by another round of international partners, and we know this is only just the beginning for our all-new Strawberry Shortcake.”

Licensees attending Vegas Licensing Expo are invited to visit WildBrain’s dedicated licensing agency, WildBrain CPLG, at stand E154 to learn more about exciting licensing opportunities for Strawberry Shortcake.

The new Berry in the Big City 2D-animated series (80 x 4’), plus four brand-new premium CG-animated seasonal specials (4 x 44’), are produced by WildBrain’s Vancouver animation studio with renowned showrunner Michael Vogel (My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic). The series celebrates stories of diversity, creativity and friendship as Strawberry Shortcake heads to Big Apple City to find her big break and “bake the world a better place.” The series and specials are part of the global rollout of WildBrain’s new Strawberry Shortcake brand across animated content, gaming, music, toys, food, apparel, events and more.

A new wave of distribution partners for Berry in the Big City has been signed following the previously announced worldwide deal with Netflix, which saw the series launch on the platform April 15 and which will see four original CG specials follow in 2023.

Peacock (US) has signed on for seasons one and two of Berry in the Big City, as has Brazilian broadcaster globoplay. The Roku Channel (US) has launched a Strawberry Shortcake channel featuring new and classic content, including seasons one and two of Berry in the Big City. WildBrain’s Family Channel is currently airing the series and will be the exclusive home for the new specials in Canada. Tiny Pop (UK) has taken both seasons plus the specials – seasons one and two episodes will also be available on Tiny Pop’s VOD app, the POP Player. HOP! (Israel) has picked up season one and the four CG specials. Also, TelevisaUnivision’s Prende TV free streaming service has launched a Strawberry Shortcake channel featuring both new and classic content in Spanish for the US.

Other new distribution partners for season one include Amazon Prime Video (LatAm, France, Germany, Austria, UK, Ireland, Australia), Crave (Canada), FilmRise (US), Future Today (US, UK, Canada), Kartoon Channel! (US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore), Kids Street (US), Magenta-TV (Germany), Tubi (US), TVNZ (New Zealand) and XUMO (US).

Additionally, multiple new consumer products partnerships have been inked for the Strawberry Shortcake brand by WildBrain’s dedicated licensing agency, WildBrain CPLG. Several new deals for both New and Vintage Strawberry Shortcake highlight the evergreen appeal of the brand amongst girls and mothers, including Bentex, for girls’ apparel and swimwear in the US; Jay Franco, for home & bath in the US and Canada; Centric Brands, for ladies’, girls’ and toddler sleepwear, plus mommy-and-me sets for the US; and Cotton On, for ladies and girls’ sleepwear, home and stationery, and girls’ apparel, for global.

Also for Vintage Strawberry Shortcake, Boss Fight has signed on to make fully articulated and scented action figures of Strawberry Shortcake and her friends for the US, while Spirit Halloween is on board for costumes and dress-up for the US and Canada.

These deals add to the list of previously announced licensees for the new Strawberry Shortcake, including Moose Toys (Master Toy/global) and Penguin Random House (publishing/North America), plus a number of capsule fashion collections for Vintage Strawberry Shortcake that launched this winter/spring, including a Unique Vintage collection for Valentine’s Day 2022; a co-branded collection from By Samii Ryan (BSR) featuring matching sets, shorts, baby tees, chinos and a bucket hat; and a Dolls Kill collection of apparel, footwear, accessories and a strawberry shortcake picnic basket.

WildBrain’s Strawberry Shortcake kicks off “Fruitastic” produce promotion

Black Angus appoints Evolution USA for global licensing and brand management

Black Angus Steakhouse, the original American steakhouse since 1964, has appointed Evolution USA as its global licensing and brand management agency in key categories. Evolution is tapped with developing and managing a retail, direct to consumer and online licensed consumer products programme for the Black Angus Steakhouse brand.

Heritage is a key component of the Black Angus’ licensing initiative, which maps it and other core values including family, quality, value, consistency, loyalty, and trust as essential parts of the company’s brand messaging. The core brand DNA will carry forward into all licensed products. Natural category extensions that preserve the integrity and quality of the Black Angus brand will include: Home Delivery Box Services, Tableware, Cutlery, Skillets, Branding Irons, BBQ Grills and Smokers, Smoking Chips, Grilling Planks, Charcoal, BBQ Tools, Sets and Accessories, Timers and Meat Thermometers, Drinkware, Barware, Camping Products, Tail Gating Products, Aprons, Chefs Shirts and Accessories, Cookbooks, Headwear and Apparel.

Several of the new licensed categories will also be adopted and utilised in the 32 restaurant locations across California, Washington, Arizona, New Mexico, and Hawaii and sold via the company’s online e-commerce store, as well as being distributed via national big box, specialty and grocery retailers.

“As we come close to celebrating our 60th anniversary in 2024, we felt it was now time to take the brand into new product categories that can extend the core dining experience,” says VP of Growth, Deborah Shapiro. “Our signature steak sauce has already proven that the consumer is hungry for additional products to use and consume at home.

“We chose Evolution because of their shared passion for our brand’s DNA and their entrepreneurial team. They have a vast history of building brand extensions on both the retail and wholesale sides of the industry.”

“The Black Angus brand is the original American steakhouse and one of the most revered and trusted brands in the U.S food and beverage business,” says Travis J. Rutherford, founder and chief revenue officer of Evolution. “Serving over four million guests annually and having over 450,000 monthly website visits, we see incredible market opportunity for high-quality branded licensed products. The entire team at Evolution is excited to work with the Black Angus team to extend the brand across these new channels.”

 

Rocket Licensing to rep Miffy in the UK and Eire

Mercis, which manages the works of Dick Bruna, has appointed Rocket Licensing to represent global icon Miffy in the UK and Eire.

Mercis has been keen to secure a new home for Miffy after previous manager DRI Licensing’s decision to wind down the company.

Marja Kerkhof, MD of Mercis, says: “Our mission is to share Dick Bruna’s work, and Miffy, with as many people as possible, but always with respect for art and the world of a child. It is never easy to make this kind of decision when working with someone’s oeuvre, but it is my belief that Miffy will be in good hands with Rob, Charlie and the Rocket team. We look forward to this collaboration and the exciting possibilities it could bring. But first let’s focus on 2023, Ýear of the Rabbit!”

Rob Wijeratna, Joint MD of Rocket Licensing, adds: “We are so excited to welcome Miffy on board at Rocket Licensing. She is a classic design brand and is instantly recognisable across generations, cultures and languages. Her iconic status is largely down to the simple, impactful design and the key core values of fun, imagination and simplicity.

“Miffy’s licensing programme spans all ages and categories and has featured some exciting collaborations and experiential events, and as we approach the Year of the Rabbit in 2023, our team is really looking forward to building on that and taking the consumer products programme to the next level.”

Bulldog signs new licensees for Care Bears

Bulldog Licensing has added two new licensees to the consumer products programme for much-loved heritage property Care Bears, providing new categories for the brand’s many fans across the globe.

Character World is bringing its fashion-forward style on board to offer a range of bedding and soft furnishings for fans, allowing them to recreate their very own Care-a-Lot clouds in their bedrooms.

Meanwhile, Eat Glitter and Shine has partnered with the property to design a collection of homewares featuring the globally recognised bears. The range of FDA-approved kids’ and baby dinnerware will include melamine dishes, bowls, plates, and cups. The products will be dishwasher safe, and will bring the likes of Cheer Bear, Bedtime Bear, and Love-a-Lot Bear to mealtimes.

First created in 1982, Care Bears is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. The Care Bears have grown through various looks and styles, but the rainbow colours, main characters, and unique belly badges, along with the core messages of kindness and caring, remain the same.

Care Bears is loved by all generations, from children who watch the Care Bears: Unlock the Magic animated television series, to their parents and grandparents, who are able to relive the magic from their childhoods, and everyone in between.

Sophie Yates, Licensing Executive, Bulldog Licensing, says: “For a property to still be partnering with new licensees for fresh, modern collections in its 40th year is incredible. Care Bears continues to spread relatable and important messages of kindness, care and love, and as such, has a place in the hearts of so many. We are careful to select best-in-class licensees to really portray the core of the Care Bears, and we are certain that Character World and Eat Glitter and Shine will be fantastic new partners for Care Bears as it celebrates its milestone anniversary.”

Roubina Tchoboian, VP of International Licensing, Cloudco Entertainment, adds: “Our 40th anniversary year continues to offer Care Bears’ fans new, fun, and exciting collaborations with like-minded partners that share our core values. We look forward to seeing how our global audience will react to the Eat Glitter and Shine collections.”

Banijay Brands whips up new deals for MasterChef

Banijay Brands has announced further growth of its hugely successful brand licensing programme for MasterChef, the world’s most successful cookery television format. The company is building on its existing partnership with leading European housewares company Arovo, plus rolling out new deals across cookware and games.

Arovo’s MasterChef collection includes a broad selection of products such as ceramics, tableware, textiles, cookware, knives, utensils and small domestic appliances. The affordable kitchen and tabletop MasterChefrange will be launching in the U.S. in May alongside a brand-new US MasterChef Amazon store. And across Europe, interior design retail chain CASA have developed the Elite collection with Arovo, consisting of a series of high-quality, stylish kitchen must-haves and appliances, available exclusively in all 500+ CASA stores and at casashops.com.

In addition, Banijay’s Endemol Shine North America (ESNA) has partnered with leading retail product manufacturer Creative Concepts for a unique collection of MasterChef silver-ion and 18K gold coated cookware sets which are now available online.

ESNA has also furthered its partnership with Wilder Toys for a bite-sized edition of the successful MasterChef Family Cooking Game which is available at Walgreens.

Elsewhere, Endemol Shine Brasil has just announced the arrival of three Spanish MasterChef wines available in the region exclusively with local wine online retailer Grande Adega.

Alice Bernardi, Director of International Brand Licensing, Banijay Brands says: “MasterChef is an evergreen brand that resonates strongly with consumers all around the world, and by collaborating with teams across Banijay’s footprint we deliver a truly global licensing programme. We only work with the best partners in the business, who will uphold the integrity and quality associated with the brand, and it is wonderful to see these partnerships grow.”

 Created by Franc Roddam, MasterChef celebrated its 500th series globally in 2021, with 49 productions in 33 territories airing last year. An international ratings hit, the format has a number of successful iterations including Celebrity MasterChef, MasterChef: The Professionals, Junior MasterChef, MasterChef All Stars, and the recently announced Young MasterChef (w/t) with BBC Three in the UK, which will be dedicated to up-and-coming young food talent between the ages of 18 and 25.

With more than 90 licensees around the world, the MasterChef brand extends into a huge range of successful commercial activities. Millions of consumer products have sold globally, the extensive publishing range has proved lucrative, and audiences around the world can engage with MasterChef through live experiences from restaurants to cruises and tours.

The MasterChef format and finished programmes are represented internationally by Banijay Rights.

Matt Bailey teams with The Galactic Empire for Bone Head Coffee

Matt Bailey, the tattoo artist with a serious fanbase and social media following, is branching out into beverages with the imminent launch of Bone Head Coffee.

Like Matt’s artwork, this coffee is not for the faint hearted. The first roast, Rocket Fuel – a single origin from Guatemala with notes of milk chocolate, blueberry and digestive biscuit – will soon be available online direct to fans worldwide, along with a high-quality enamel tin mug that holds more than a pint of coffee. Each pack of Bone Head Coffee comes with a limited edition, high-end framable postcard of the artwork on the coffee label.

Licensee The Galactic Empire Ltd has great experience in selling high-quality coffee and accessories direct to fans, as they are they powerhouse behind Original Stormtrooper Coffee.

The license was negotiated by Reemsborko, worldwide agent for Bailey.

Rupert Carroll of The Galactic Empire commented: “Matt Bailey has a hardcore following and we will be selling directly to them, proving the concept and building the brand, and we will eventually take Bone Head Coffee into retail.”

For licensing and merchandise enquiries, email Max Arguile at max@reemsborko.com

MARKET introduces Guns N’ Roses x Smiley collaboration

LA-based brand MARKET has announced the release of a unisex capsule collection in collaboration with Guns N’ Roses, The Smiley Company and Bravado
As a Los Angeles-based brand, MARKET seized the opportunity to honour Guns N’ Roses nearly 40 years after the band had its debut performance at the storied Troubadour in Los Angeles.
In order to properly pay homage to the heritage of Guns N’ Roses, the MARKET team sourced vintage denim from the 1980s and 1990s for the hero pieces of the collection. The team upcycled denim jeans and jackets of the time with new custom patches and airbrushed-style graphics, referencing the bad boy aesthetic that defines Guns N’ Roses and their music.
In addition to the vintage denim pieces, the collection features five apparel styles and a trucker hat, which draw inspiration from the iconic ‘Appetite for Destruction’ album cover and the electricity that Guns N’ Roses brought to rock ’n’ roll.
“The way in which Guns N’ Roses relentlessly stood for freedom of expression and creativity – at all costs – has always been an inspiration to me and to people around the world,” says creative director and founder of MARKET, Mike Cherman.
“The no-holds-barred attitude of Guns N’ Roses resonates with our approach to collaborations and design, so we were extremely excited to have the opportunity to fuse the rebellious energy of Guns N’ Roses with the irreverent and wacky world of MARKET and the irresistible spirit of our longtime partner SMILEY.”
This limited-edition collection will be available worldwide through MARKET’s website, ranging in price from $45 – $200 USD, in sizing XS-XXL.