Keith Chapman, the creator of the global hit PAW Patrol, has partnered with Studio Liddell in the UK, and Alpha Group to develop and produce a new CGI animated pre-school TV series, Camp Furly. The new series aims to inspire children to venture outdoors and connect with the environment and nature.
Alpha Group has already secured the global master toy rights to the property, while Raydar Media will be managing all broadcast and consumer products rights and strategy outside of China and Asia.
The TV series is now in pre-production with an estimated launch in spring/summer 2022. Camp Furly welcomes viewers to join the eco-focused Furlies on their adventures outdoors, as they face challenges set by Camp Skippers who watch over the Furlies as they undertake zip-wiring, rock-climbing, treetop-trekking, and solar-biking.
The show has been described as a ‘seedbed aiming to raise more confident, considerate, and environmentally conscious kids.’
Executive producer, Isaac Lin, head of global content and brands, Alpha Group said: “Our aim is to engage pre-school kids worldwide through vivid animation; to spark their curiosity and imagination around nature; to nurture a playful connection to the amazing, natural world from a young age which may have a more serious, positive change-making impact for this generation’s future.”
Head writer and development consultant, Angela Salt at Salt Content, brings her own lifelong zeal for nature to the show saying, “Writing episodes is like creating a bucket list of the most fun a kid can have outdoors, especially right now, when children around the world have been confined due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Camp Furly is a joyous call to outward bounding. In kids TV, it’s a breath of fresh air.”
The international convenience store chain 7-Eleven has teamed up with Emoji to launch a new collectable premium loyalty programme to consumers across Malaysia. Called EmoBear TM, the collection features 27 different designs, each featuring a different emoji brand icon.
Customers of 7-Eleven Malaysia will be rewarded with loyalty stickers anytime they spend RM5 or over at a participating outlet from now until August 16 this year. They will receive a bonus sticker if the purchase includes an item from a selected partner, which includes brands such as Pepsi, Cadbury, and Marigold.
Once they have accrued a total of 24 stickers, they can exchange their collection for an EmoBear, choosing from a range featuring Luvly, Starry, Wannabey, Notty, and Ka-Chingy.
Alternatively, customers can purchase an EmoBear for the price of RM9.90 and 12 stickers.
But that’s not all. Customers can also download and sign up as a My7ETM loyalty app member to enjoy more benefits when they shop with 7-Eleven, including an annual birthday reward, exclusive in-app monthly product e-stamp cards that reward members based on repeat purchases, and more.
“The popularity of the emoji brand and its emoji icons has inspired us to integrate them into our loyalty programme. Emoji brand icons are not only changing the way we express ourselves through text, but also expanding the way we communicate,” said Ronan Lee, general manager of marketing at 7-Eleven Malaysia.
“The use of icons has become an usual feature in our daily communications on digital mediums, and we are certain that these adorable plush toys would definitely be a hit among fans. As a bonus, customers may also participate in our social media contest called ‘Take a picture with your #EMOJIBEAR’ from June 22nd until August 2nd, 2020.
“A total of 10 winner will stand a chance to take home three EmoBears of their choice. To participate in the contest, one just has to snap a photo with their redeemed 7-Eleven #EmoBear and upload the most creative photo on their Facebook or Instagram account with hashtags #PictureWithEMOBEAR, #EMOBEAR and #7ElevenMY in the caption.”
The Point. 1888 is partnering with the renowned children’s author and illustrator Nick Butterworth to bring the cast of literary properties from his portfolio to life in the consumer products arena.
Butterworth is the mind and talent behind popular children’s book creations such as Percy The Park Keeper series, My Dad is Brilliant, My Mum is Fantastic, My Grandma is Wonderful, My Grandpa is Amazing, and the Altogether Now series. He has sold over 20 million books in more than 35 languages.
The modern classic, Percy The Park Keeper has sold more than nine million copies in partnership with HarperCollins.
Signing the deal this week, Butterworth selected The Point. 1888 following a recommendation from a licensee who was impressed with the company’s retail-first approach and experience with literary brands such as The Gruffalo. The agency now prides itself on its work with brands with purpose, which include River Cottage, Battersea, Metropolitan Police Service and Mumsnet.
Butterworth said: “I am absolutely delighted to be working with The Point. 1888. Celebrating 30 years of dear old Percy The Park Keeper this year has shown me how much love there is for Percy and his animal chums. It is a privilege to know that children, parents, grandchildren and teachers get so much from the books.”
Hannah Stevens, head of retail at The Point.1888, added: “Children across the country have truly embraced these stories for 30 years. The books have a spirit of kindness and fun that resonates with children, parents, grandparents and teachers. We’re thrilled to be able to give families the opportunity to engage further with this ethos with the creation of branded products that can be played with and enjoyed time and time again.”
The Point.1888 aims to create new products based on the gaps it sees at retail, rather than what it thinks the brand’s target demographic might like. The strategy has been adopted in order to support a higher chance of retailer buy-in and a better sales performance.
The Point.1888 has already begun its brand immersion phase, which includes research and competitor analysis, and the team is now ready to engage with their vast network of retail and licensee contacts.
Rocket Licensing has been appointed as the international licensing agent (territories excluding China) for the popular CBeebies show, Yakka Dee! Currently in its third series, the animation and live action programme is now in production for series four and five, which are due to air in 2021.
Yakka Dee! is focused on English language learning for pre-schoolers learning to talk, children with speech difficulties, and those learning English as a second language.
The series has been developed by the writer and director, Katie Simmons (Go Jetters, Show Me Show Me, and Mr Bloom’s Nursery) and director and producer, Lotte Elwell (Peppa Pig cinema experience, Teletubbies, My World Kitchen and more) alongside Steve Smith at Beakus animation studio (Olobob Top).
Dee helps children learn language through play, visual representation and repetition. Each five-minute episode focuses on one word, with a mixture of live action and animated content and bright, bold colours. The branding is modern and vibrant, eye catching and idiosyncratic and hugely appealing to the young audience.
Yakka Dee! launched in 2017, with a peak audience of 474,000 viewers (8.9 per cent audience share) and is currently aired twice daily on CBeebies. BBC Studios has also signed for distribution in Ireland, Brazil, China, South Korea, Latin America and Turkey.
In 2019, a YouTube channel was launched, experiencing 5.3 million views in the first two months. The channel now has 161K subscribers and 46 million views, and is growing exponentially on a daily basis. ‘Aprende con Yakka Dee: Panza’, a Spanish episode via CBeebies Español, has had over 80 million views on the channel since launch, while ‘Yakka Dee: Banana’ has received 30 million views and ‘Can you Say Tummy?’ has reached 17 million in just three months.
Initially, Rocket’s core focus for the property will be on toy and publishing categories, as well as educational product and resources, followed by other preschool product categories including apparel, accessories, social stationery, and games. Consumer demand for licensed product is high, with weekly requests from parents via the brand’s social media pages for toys.
Rob Wijeratna, joint MD, Rocket Licensing, said: “Yakka Dee! is a real gem in CBeebies’ programming, and combines all of the must-have attributes of a successful preschool property – fun, education and great characters – with contemporary, bright and instantly recognisable production.
“We are also proud to be representing an ethnically inclusive brand, with Dee as a non-white lead character having become an inspiring role model for many. The loyal fan-base is ready and waiting for consumer products and we’re excited to start talking to licensees.”
Yakka Dee producers Steve Smith, Lotte Elwell and Katie Simmons comment: “We are thrilled to partner with Rocket for Yakka Dee! licensing. We are so proud of our character, Dee, and have seen first-hand how she empowers children to speak with confidence, energising them and connecting deeply with them. We are looking forward to working with Rocket to create more touchpoints for our audience, and in so doing help more children.”
Toy Aid, the charitable initiative set up by KidsKnowBest’s Joel Silverman and Wow! Stuff’s Richard North, has revealed the total money raised as part of Global’s Make Some Noise charity campaign to be an impressive £143,075.
The Toy Aid movement’s aim was to raise money for charities that support disadvantaged children, young people and their families – those most vulnerable during the recent pandemic.
Founders Silverman and North have seen ‘massive support from allies all over the toy and licensing industry’, with companies pledging support via monies from the sale of ‘Toy Aid-able’ toys, video games and entertainment products as well as licensing fees and business services.
“There are so many individual thank yous that myself and Richard wish to make (hopefully in person in the not too distant future), commented Silverman. “And special thanks must also go to Ian Downes, Tracey Richardson and Norton PR who all stepped up to show their support from the outset.
“Of course the biggest thank you goes to every single company that has donated money and products to this amazing cause, in no particular order: Smyths Toys Superstore, SEGA, Playmobil, TOMY, Spin Master, ViacomCBS, Ravensburger, Golden Bear, EPOCH, Rubies, Plum Products, Rubik’s, Interplay, KidKreations, Canal Toys, WickedVision, Topps, Winning Moves, Big Potato Games, Retail Monster, Dr Zigs and Products of Change.
“Now Toy Aid is complete, I really hope everyone has positive times ahead and the toy industry as a whole is remembered for the support they gave in a time of need for many families. I never in my wildest dreams thought this would reach £10,000 so to raise over £140,000 is just fantastic.”
Save the Children Patron Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, has marked the end of Save the Children’s successful Save With Stories initiative with a reading of Thomas and the Royal Engine.
The video has been shared on Save the Children UK’s Instagram page and is the final installment of the fundraising initiative which has seen over 70 well-known faces reading an array of bedtime stories. As well as keeping millions of families entertained during lockdown, the initiative has helped to raise funds for the charity’s Emergency Coronavirus Appeal.
The appeal has so far raised £1.4m to support families in the UK and around the world, those whose lives have been devastated by the pandemic.
The Princess Royal became the Patron of Save the Children in 2017 after serving as President since 1970. She chose to read Thomas and Friends: The Royal Engine, a story which sees Thomas overcoming various obstacles to get The Fat Controller to collect an award from the Queen.
The Princess Royal said in her video: “It has been my pleasure to read this book to you today, one I enjoyed when I was young.”
Having travelled to over 20 countries with Save the Children The Princess Royal goes on to note that “there are many more similarities than dissimilarities particularly amongst the things that children enjoy, and story-telling is very high on that list.”
Following the success of the US campaign led by actors Jennifer Garner and Amy Adams, Save the Children Ambassador Poppy Delevingne launched the UK version of Save With Stories in mid-April at the height of lockdown.
The Princess Royal joins niece-in-law Meghan Markle, who marked her son Archie’s first birthday with a reading of Duck! Rabbit!, and an array of other famous faces from the world of film, TV, theatre, music, fashion and beyond, who have all taken part. Amongst the names are actors Paul Mescal, Helen Mirren, Kate Winslet, Michael Ward and Benedict Cumberbatch, singers Rita Ora, Liam Payne and Jade Thirlwall, presenters Fearne Cotton and Jon Snow, activists Sinead Burke and George the Poet and Oscar winner Rachel Shenton, who signed a Peppa Pig story.
Save the Children UK ambassador Poppy Delevingne added: “It is an honour to have The Princess Royal reading the last book in our Save With Stories initiative. I was so delighted to launch the campaign here in the UK, not only to raise money for those so badly affected by the pandemic but because all these joyful readings have offered children and parents alike some respite and enjoyment during lockdown.”
Gemma Sherrington, executive director of fundraising and marketing at Save the Children said: “We are thrilled that Save With Stories has captured the imagination of families across the UK over these past 11 weeks. It feels right that after 50 years of support for Save the Children it is Her Royal Highness who read the last story. We are incredibly grateful for her unwavering support.
“We must also thank all of our famous friends who have brought these stories to life every day, along with all the publishers for providing the incredible array of books, and most importantly all those who have generously donated money to help us support the millions of vulnerable children here in the UK and across the world who are feeling the impact of Coronavirus.
“What started as a simple idea to entertain families across the country and raise money for children around the world has turned into an incredible shared experience and the money raised by Save with Stories will be vital for families in the UK who continue to face severe hardships including food poverty and a lack of essential items.”
In the UK, Save the Children is supporting families with a new emergency grants programme – providing household items and help with bills to families in crisis. And around the world Save the Children is working to keep essential programmes going – whether through strengthening infection prevention control in a child-friendly space, making sure health facilities have the right supplies or ensuring education programmes can continue remotely.
Save With Stories has been supported by the publishing community, with Scholastic, HarperCollins Children’s Books, Andersen Press, Walker Books, Egmont and inclusive children’s bookshop, Little Box of Books, supplying books from their libraries to be featured as part of the initiative.
The videos are currently available on Save the Children UK’s Instagram and Facebook pages. To donate visit savethechildren.org.uk/savewithstories or you can text STORIES to 70008 to give a one-off donation of £5*.
All money raised will support the most vulnerable families in the UK and around the world, helping to provide supermarket vouchers, essential household items, virus protection and early learning packs.
WildBrain Spark – the digital media division of WildBrain – has been appointed by Benesse Corporation to manage the English-language channel and content for its popular edu-tainment pre-school brand, Shimajiro on YouTube.
Shimajiro is an educational character and learning buddy famous across Asia. Under the new partnership, WildBrain Spark will look to grow the presence of the brand’s English-language content with a focus on the UK, US and the wider English-speaking global market.
Benesse Corporation has been creating educational and publishing content for the past 30 years, with the aim of making early childhood learning fun for kids and easier for their parents and guardians. The content explores Shimajiro’s life as a pre-schooler and the lessons he needs to learn on a daily basis.
As with any toddler, Shimajiro needs to acquire social skills such as empathy for others, playing in groups and helping around the house. However, the series also focuses on teaching physical skills such as brushing your teeth and washing your hands. There is a mixture of both live-action and animation in the show, creating a balance between learning with Shimajiro and also learning real life issues.
Rachel Taylor, commercial director at WildBrain Spark, said: “As we continue growing our connections with brand owners all around the world, we’re very much looking forward to working closely with the Japan-based Benesse Corporation to grow their Shimajiro brand in key international markets.
“Shimajiro’s success in educating young viewers in a fun and accessible way makes it a perfect fit for the WildBrain Spark network and we look forward to bringing the English-language content to new preschool audiences.”
Daisuke Tebayashi, director of global business development division at Benesse Corporation, said: “Shimajiro has delighted kids and parents in Asia for years. We are excited to be launching him to the global English market. The last few months have shown all parents around the world the importance of learning at home, and this is something we are experts at.
“With its history of brand building, WildBrain Spark is the ideal match for our digital-first strategy, and we are excited to be making this move into new markets.”
With the countdown to World Emoji Day well underway, The Emoji Company has launched a video series with Licensing.biz – highlighting just some of the key partners and collaborations that the firm has worked with over the course of the last 12 months and beyond.
Kicking off the July countdown to the big day – that’s right, World Emoji Day on July 17th (if your diary isn’t to hand, no sweat – we’ll be sure to remind you) – is Paulina Perez, The Emoji Company’s commercial director of business in the Americas, and her message of thanks to all the partners, licensees, and retailers over the past 12 months and as it looks to the coming years.
