Category Archives: Lifestyle

The Last Kingdom fans can now own a replica of Uhtred Ragnarsson’s iconic sword thanks to Jalic Blades

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Spotlight Licensing is calling its The Last Kingdom kinsmen to arms with the news that fans will now be able to wield an exacting replica of the sword of Uhtred Ragnarsson himself, thanks to a new partnership with Jalic Blades.

The officially licensed display replica comes with the sword’s fullered blade and distinctive amber pommel, marking itself as the trusted weapon carried by Uhtred, the hero of The Last Kingdom series on Netflix, and focus of pop culture iconography in recent months.

It’s now thanks to a collaboration brokered by Spotlight Licensing on behalf of Carnival Films with Jalic Blades that fans will be able to re-live the adventures of the hero from the comfort of their armchairs.

“During filming of The Last Kingdom’s most recent season, Jalic was able to pull dimensions from the actual screen used prop and get detailed, high-resolution photos to be used for reference,” said Spotlight Licensing president, Carole Postal. “The result – drawing upon Jalic’s years of expertise and experience in creating movie and television replica weapons – is a truly beautiful and amazing replica.”

“Knowing how important this unique sword is to Uhtred as a character and to the overall story, we wanted to make sure we got the look and feel of this replica right for our fellow fans,” said Jalic Blades owner Chris Beasley.

Jalic’s 1:1 scale replica of Uhtred’s Sword is over three feet long with a stainless steel blade, antiqued nickel-plated cast handle, faux leather wrap and a custom molded acrylic pommel gem with faux inclusions. Uhtred’s sword will be available online and through specialty retailers.

Each sword will be serial numbered and come with a special display plaque featuring a silkscreened design based on Uhtred’s armor.

US metal band Deftones celebrates 20 years of White Pony album with Belching Beaver IPA

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The American alternative metal band, Deftones has extended its partnership with the Belching Beaver Brewery for another collaborative launch, this time celebrating the 20th anniversary of the band’s third studio album, White Pony.

Available in the US only and for a limited time, the launch – a Double Dry Hopped IPA – arrives with artwork styled upon the platinum-selling 2000 album. According to Belching Beaver, the 7 per cent ABV beer features ‘an upfront flavor of pineapple but finishes with a soft grapefruit note with a mild bitterness and medium mouthfeel.’

The anniversary launch marks the third collaboration between the US metal band and the Belching Beaver Brewery in the past four years. The relationship was kickstarted in 2016 when the two aligned to release the Phantom Bride IPA. The two reunited in 2018, when, after attending a Deftones concert in San Diego, the Belching Beaver team were inspired by the band’s Dia de los Muertos artwork and later went on to develop the Mexican-style lager, Dia de los Deftones.

At the time of the launch, Deftones’ lead vocalist, Chino Moreno, said: “[Belching Beaver’s] commitment to quality and excellence aligns perfectly with our ethos; from our music to our aesthetics, and now to our collaborative beer, we want our fans and consumers to experience only the best. We want it all to reflect the time and attention that was put into it.”

The band unveiled the latest Belching Beaver collaboration, the White Pony IPA, via its social media platforms this week. It arrives as the band prepare for the release of its latest album Ohms this September, and the anticipated release of a White Pony album 20th anniversary remix called Black Stallion.

Australian sleepwear brand Peter Alexander celebrates Father’s Day with Sonic the Hedgehog

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The Australian sleepwear brand, Peter Alexander has launched its first Sonic the Hedgehog branded men’s and boys’ collection, thanks to a new partnership with the home of the iconic video game, comic book, and TV series character, SEGA.

In a partnership brokered by SEGA Brands’ Australian and New Zealand licensing agent, Merchantwise Licensing, the new on-trend sleepwear collection features Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles across a range of men’s t-shirts, trunk pants, baby onesies, boys and junior boys pyjamas, men’s waffle PJ pants, scuffs, and 3D Sonic slippers.

“Sonic the Hedgehog continues to be a truly global franchise spanning games, film, TV, animation, merchandising, mobile and major brand partnerships so following its recent big screen action-adventure comedy release this year, it was perfect timing for the dads and sons range to launch in Peter Alexander – ahead of Father’s Day in Australia and New Zealand,” said Merchantwise Licensing’s general manager of licensing, Kerryn McCormack.

“We look forward to continuing to expand Sonic’s presence in both countries and rolling out further great licensing campaigns for the brand.”

Bit Fry Game Studios scores NFL Players Association partnership for its latest video game push

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Bit Fry Game Studios has struck up an agreement with OneTeam Partners and the NFL Players Association to bring an officially-licensed football game to the studios’ growing line-up of sports videogames.

The games developer already incorporates select NFL players into its existing arcade action NHL-licensed hockey game Ultimate Rivals: The Rink, and its upcoming NBA-licensed basketball game, Ultimate Rivals: The Court. With the NFLPA license, Bit Fry will enable users to play on the virtual gridiron with superstar athletes from across hockey, basketball, baseball, and soccer, alongside a select roster of NFL players.

The agreement grants Bit Fry the right to feature the names, numbers, images, and likenesses of nearly 2,000 current NFL players in an arcade action football game. OneTeam, the NFLPA’s group licensing representative, facilitated the deal.

“Bit Fry is the leading studio in the arcade-action sports segment and is thrilled to be bringing the NFL players into the Ultimate Rivals universe with another play-book shredding, category defining title that gives football a video-game treatment unlike any seen before it,” said Ben Freidlin, CEO and founder of Bit Fry Game Studios and the creator of the Ultimate Rivals franchise.

“Fans of the franchise can expect the studio to remain dedicated to an exceptionally high quality experience, including all of the standard baseline ingredients of a Bit Fry game, such as 60fps framerates minimum, an unprecedented balance of approachable gameplay and high skill-cap depth, and industry standard-setting visuals and auditory aesthetics.”

Steve Scebelo, interim president, NFL Players Inc, added: “Bit Fry’s games continue to impress, providing opportunities for fans to create virtual team mashups while including the likes of Alex Morgan, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Mike Trout and Skylar Diggins-Smith.

“As we look for new ways to connect with sports gamers, especially in today’s climate, this is an exciting development for fans and the future of gaming.”

“We are constantly exploring ways to innovate how athletes interact with fans across the ever-evolving games landscape, and this partnership with the NFLPA and Bit Fry Game Studios illustrates the creative potential that exists,” said Ahmad Nassar, CEO, OneTeam Partners.

Ultimate Rivals™: The Rink is available now exclusively on Apple Arcade and will be followed by Ultimate Rivals: The Court. Bit Fry’s football game is scheduled for release in 2021, with platforms to be announced at a later date.

The Gruffalo readies new Australian adventure with exclusive The Gruffalo Spotter 2 app launch

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The Gruffalo is taking further strides down under thanks to a new deal that will see Queensland’s The Ginger Factory, Illawarra Fly and Wildlife Sydney Zoo in New South Wales, and Rippon Lea Estate in Victoria come on board as the brand’s exclusive The Gruffalo Trail partners.

Under a new deal brokered by Magic Light Pictures’ Australian licensing agent, Merchantwise Licensing, the three sites will be the first in the world to activate The Gruffalo Spotter 2 app when it launches at the locations across the country next month.

The Gruffalo Spotter 2 app follows the runaway success of the original, ground-breaking Gruffalo Spotter app launched with Forestry England in 2017, when it was the first development of its kind. Using the very latest Augmented Reality technology, the free app brings to life the characters from the much-loved Gruffalo. This second app was produced by Magic Light Pictures, in partnership with Forestry England, developed and animated by Nexus Studios.

Families can learn about the characters from the picture book, written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler, and interact with the 3D characters from the film on the self-led trails, which are lined with facts about forest animals, and fun activities. Through face and body recognition technology, the characters now look at the children directly, encouraging them to play along.

Mixing animated characters with the real-world environment, the app encourages children to get exploring, firing their imaginations and enabling them to have an all-new forest experience. The Gruffalo Spotter 2 app is available for free with no in-app purchases from the App Store and Google Play and requires downloading before visiting.

Meanwhile, a further deal executed by Merchantwise Licensing will see a Smiffys range of The Gruffalo dress-up costumes launch next month ahead of October’s Book Week in Australia.  The ‘onesie’ costume available for sizes three to five years, will launch across a number of Australian retail destinations including Spotlight and Costumebox.

“We are thrilled to be announcing the partnership with The Ginger Factory as an exclusive Australian The Gruffalo Trail location in time for the global first launch of The Gruffalo Spotter 2 here in Australia. The trail continues to be as popular as when it first launched at Illawarra Fly, Wildlife Sydney Zoo and Rippon Lea Estate last year, so we anticipate it to be a must-do experience for those in and visiting The Ginger Factory on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast,” said Merchantwise Licensing’s general manager, Kerryn McCormack.

“For the first time, The Gruffalo dress-up costumes will be available here in Australia and we are pleased to be launching this range with Smiffys ahead of Book Week in October across a number of our key retail partners.”

Mayflower 400 cultural anniversary programme gets underway with extension into 2021

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Arts Council England and the Mayflower 400 team are hitting the play button on a programme of activity surrounding the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower. The programme started in Southampton earlier this month with the launch of Wampum: Stories from the Shells of Native America, a national touring exhibition curated by The Box, Plymouth.

This will be followed with an online documentary presented by the TV historian Dan Snow on September 16, marking exactly 400 years to the day since the Mayflower ship set sail. The documentary will reflect the story of the Pilgrim’s journey, its impact on the Native American people who helped them when they first arrived and the wider colonial context of this journey.

It will also include a look at some of the cultural projects involved in the programme.

The Mayflower 400 programme will then run through to 2021 culminating with a Four Nations Commemoration Ceremony involving the USA, Netherlands, UK and Wampanoag nations on July 11 next year.

Deputy leader of Plymouth City Council, Pete Smith, said: “It’s been an extraordinarily challenging year, but we’re delighted to be able to carry so much of the Mayflower 400 commemorative programme into 2021. A huge amount of work has already gone into all of these events, so it’s fantastic that locals and visitors will still be able to enjoy what is an impressively varied and creative programme throughout the next year. 

“The finale will be the spectacular Mayflower Four Nations Public Ceremony on the Hoe; it’s going to be an unmissable event which brings together all four nations involved to reflect on the Mayflower story.” 

Adrian Vinken OBE, Chair of Mayflower 400, added: “After all the recent uncertainty I’m delighted that we’re finally in a position to confirm the key elements of the Mayflower 400 programme starting now and taking us through to next July. We look forward to people across the country engaging with these remarkably diverse activities and the raft of other smaller Mayflower community projects based on the voyage and its many impacts.”

The Mayflower 400 programme is supported by national supporters and sponsors; Womble Bond Dickinson, National Lottery Heritage Fund, Arts Council England, Department for Culture, Media & Sport, Visit England, Visit Britain, Plymouth City Council, Royal Navy and Babcock. 

For all Licensing enquires please contact enquiries@lmiuk.com 00 44 (0) 1425403430

US brand Owens Corning celebrates its 40 year partnership with MGM’s The Pink Panther

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The US construction company Owens Corning is celebrating a 40 year relationship with MGM’s iconic The Pink Panther, the recognised mascot for the business having kicked off its partnership back in August 1980. Over the course of four decades, The Pink Panther has starred in countless TV, print, and digital media promotions for the firm.

The Pink Panther also adorns the vehicles and hundreds of select contractors, distributors, and builders working with the company’s roofing and insulation business. The partnership first got off the ground to promote sales of Pink Fiberglas insulation on August 15, 1980.

“The relationship between Owens Corning and The Pink Panther is nothing short of remarkable,” said Suzanne Harnett, Owens Corning’s vice president of corporate affairs. “For 40 years, The Pink Panther has been a smart and stylish ambassador for our company speaking persuasively to our brand promise despite never uttering a word.”

Robert Marick, MGM’s executive vice president, global consumer products and experiences, said: “Marking 40 years of The Pink Panther as spokesperson for Owens Corning is a true moment to celebrate. It’s rare that you see a promotional relationship like this continue for decades.

“It speaks to both the timelessness and universal appeal of The Pink Panther, as well as Owens Corning’s ability to make him an integral part of their marketing and platforms.”

The company’s enduring relationship with The Pink Panther began the same year that saw the introduction of CNN, Pac-Man, and Post-it Notes, and it has since coincided with the terms of seven US presidents.

The concept for pairing The Pink Panther with Owens Corning was first suggested by Roger Butler, an executive at the New York-based advertising agency Ogilvy & Mather.

The association was made given the colour of the company’s insulation, which has brandished its distinctive pink hue for more than 60 years. The color was added in 1956 when the company was testing a new form of the product. After demonstrating decades of widespread use of the colour PINK®, Owens Corning became the first company to receive a trademark for a color, on May 12, 1987.

The Rolling Stones to open world-first flagship store on London’s Carnaby Street

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Rock ‘n’ roll legends, the Rolling Stones are to open a world-first flagship store on London’s Carnaby Street, featuring exclusive new fashion and merchandise under the RS No. 9 Carnaby brand from this September. The new store has been created in partnership with Bravado, Universal Music Group’s merchandise and brand management company.

Situated at number 9, Carnaby Street in London’s Soho, the store will launch under the RS No. 9 Carnaby banner and will feature all the hallmarks of the iconic band.

The collections will include exclusive and contemporary collaboration pieces for fans of all ages, including men’s, women’s and children’s fashion and accessories. A special glassware has been developed with Baccarat, engraved with the Rolling Stones tongue. The store will also feature chairs and scarves from The Soloist, and raincoats and hats from the Swedish raincoat brand, Stutterheim.

The Rolling Stones said: “Soho has always encapsulated Rock ’n’ Roll so Carnaby Street was the perfect spot for our own store. We are confident this exciting project that our friends at Bravado have created will be an unrivaled experience for everyone to come to London and enjoy.”

The store will also introduce ‘Stones Red,’ the official colour from Pantone which is established from the first use of the band’s iconic logo. A collection celebrating the Rolling Stones official Pantone colour will also launch with the store.

The band’s continuing album and single releases will be at the heart of the shop’s pulse and Bowers & Wilkins speakers will play tracks from the rock ‘n’ roll band, including the upcoming release of the remastered Goats Head Soup album and Scarlet single.

Jointly curated by the Rolling Stones and Bravado, the shop fit follows the brand colours of red and black and the glass floor features lyrics, while the fitting rooms are adorned with iconic album artwork.

Mat Vlasic, CEO, Bravado said: “With this innovative partnership, the Rolling Stones add yet another cultural touch point to their rich legacy. RS No. 9 Carnaby is the result of years of planning and decades of building one of the world’s most recognized brands.

“It creates a destination where fans can connect and immerse themselves in the music, style and spirit of one of the world’s most iconic and beloved bands.”

For those in the know, the store’s window features a world first soundwave installation – taken from the opening to the 1966 hit track ‘Paint It Black’.

Hasbro, Pokemon and Penguin Ventures among first exhibitors taking part in Festival of Licensing

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Hasbro, The Pokemon Company, Penguin Ventures, and the Natural History Museum are among just some of the biggest names to be taking part in the new virtual Festival of Licensing running this October and taking the place of Brand Licensing Europe this year.

Brands from across the entertainment, publishing, gaming, sport, lifestyle, and heritage licensing fields have now confirmed their attendance and taken up their exhibition slots at the digital gathering which this year will run all online from October 6th to 29th. The event is to be hosted by Global Licensing Group in partnership with Licensing International.

Acamar Films, Chupa Chups, NBA Properties, Sega Europe, Start Licensing, and Yale are among those to have already registered to exhibit.

“Many great business opportunities have stemmed from the connections we have made at Brand Licensing Europe,” said Maxine Lister, head of licensing, Natural History Museum. “This year, especially, it is important for us to continue expanding our partnerships and develop new ways for the public to connect with the natural world through our 80 million specimens.

“We are thrilled to be taking part in Festival of Licensing and look forward to new business opportunities to evolve our licensing strategy.”

Registration for the four-week long celebration of global licensing also opens today at www.festivaloflicensing.com where attendees can opt to attend any or all of the Festival’s three regionally tailored events for Europe, Asia and the Americas, as well as the Licensing Leadership Summit:

  • Week 1: 6-8 October – Europe, powered by Brand Licensing Europe
  • Week 2: 14-15 October – Asia, powered by Licensing Expo China and Licensing Expo Japan
  • Week 3: 20-22 October – North America and Latin America, powered by Licensing Expo
  • Week 4: 28-29 October – Global C-suite virtual conference – Licensing Leadership Summit

“The feedback we have received about Festival of Licensing since announcing it just four weeks ago has been incredible and we are thrilled to be able to announce such an amazing first roster of exhibitors,” said Anna Knight, vice president, Global Licensing Group, Informa Markets. “This is only the beginning – we have another seven weeks till ‘doors open’ – so there will be a lot more news, and surprises, coming down the line.”

 

Exhibitors confirmed to date Include:

 

  • Acamar Films
  • Asgard Media
  • Bioworld
  • Brainbase
  • Brandgenuity
  • CAA-GBG
  • Chupa Chups, S.A Unipersonal
  • CPLG/Wildbrain
  • Crunchyroll Europe
  • Cyber Group Studios
  • Dependable Solutions
  • Design Plus
  • Edutainment
  • Hasbro
  • Herschend Entertainment Studios
  • J Patton
  • KOCCA
  • Licensing Works
  • LoCoco Licensing
  • Natural History Museum
  • NBA Properties Inc
  • Octane5
  • Opsec
  • Penguin Ventures
  • Pokemon
  • Sega Europe
  • Start Licensing
  • Tesa Scribos
  • UCLA
  • Xilam
  • Yale
  • Zolan Licensing Agency

Brands who are interested in exhibiting or sponsorship opportunities can visit www.festivaloflicensing.com for more information.

Loot Crate to launch 60th anniversary Sanrio crate as the subscription box specialist details raft of partnerships

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The pop culture subscription box service, Loot Crate, is celebrating the 60th anniversary of the world-famous Sanrio with the launch of a special October Anniversary themed Sanrio Crate. The limited edition crate will feature new and exclusive Hello Kitty and Friends collectables and gear.

To celebrate a successful six decades of the company and its portfolio of globally revered characters, including the likes of Hello Kitty, Mr Men, and more, the October Anniversary crate includes a Loot Crate exclusive Hello Kitty Cake Figure, a Loot Crate exclusive Jewellery Pouch and a host of other items each showcasing 60 years of Hello Kitty and Friends.

Sanrio Crates start at $39.99 plus shipping and handling.

The partnership with Sanrio is the latest in a surge of new and classic properties to extend their relationship with the subscription box specialist. This November will see the firm launch its Elder Scrolls crate, featuring officially licensed collectables, gear, apparel, and more all based on the hit gaming franchise Elder Scrolls.

Meanwhile, earlier this month, Loot Crate detailed its latest partnership with Disney to launch a limited edition Pixar crate, featuring wares from the likes of Toy Story, The Incredibles, Up and more. The run of three limited edition crates will enable fans to unbox the new Disney and Pixar goods while celebrating the magic of Pixar’s films and characters.