Tag Archives: Food And Drink

Metrostar to launch Kraft Heinz into the licensing arena at Festival of Licensing

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Metrostar will be joining the line-up of virtual exhibitors at this year’s Festival of Licensing, where it will take to the screens to showcase its newest client, Kraft Heinz and make use of the platform for a hard launch of its brands into the world of licensing.

The two companies, along with the company’s global licensing agent, Brand Central, have been working with Kraft Heinz brand teams on strategies for each of the brands in the UK. As such, together they have identified their key priorities for the show.

Metrostar now reports that early conversations are going well, citing ‘high levels of interest’ amongst both retailer and licensees, and that the Festival of Licensing will ‘provide the ideal platform to introduce Kraft Heinz brands to the broader licensing industry.’

A variety of Heinz sub-brands are to be on show, including Tomato Ketchup, Baked Beans, Salad Cream, Cream of Tomato Soup, Spaghetti Hoops, as well as other brands in the company’s portfolio such as HP Sauce, Lea & Perrins, Amoy and Bull’s Eye.

Metrostar MD, Claire Potter, said: “Our workshops have generated some great new product ideas for these iconic brands. The opportunity to extend is significant and we’re looking forward to talking with potential partners in food and non-food about our thoughts. The Festival of Licensing couldn’t have come at a better time for us.”

Kraft Heinz marketing director, Northern Europe, Olivia Hibbert, added: “With unmatched strength in brands spanning across categories with over £800M in UK and Ireland sales, we are excited to take these iconic and much loved brands into new and exciting directions for the future.”

Jakks Pacific lands sweet global toy deal with Haribo

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The US toymaker, Jakks Pacific, has entered into a multi-year global toy licensing deal with the Haribo Group to create a new toy line based on its popular, continent-spanning gummy confectionery products. Jakks has secured the North American and EMEA rights to manufacture, market, and distribute the range of collectables and activity sets.

The first wave of products to be developed under the partnership is scheduled to land at retailers from August next year and will mark the first partnership of its kind for the Haribo sweet brand.

Haribo was founded by Hans Riegel in the early 1920s when he established a small confectionery factory and produced the world’s first gummy bears. These would go on to become the iconic Haribo Goldbears, now popular around the world.

“We are thrilled to partner with Haribo in bringing to life a truly sweet line of toys and collectables that will appeal to collectors and Haribo fans of all ages,” said Jill Nordquist, SVP marketing, Jakks Pacific.

“The line features consumers’ favourite product pieces from the signature Goldbears to Twinsnakes, Happy-Cola and more. Just as the tagline says, Kids and grown-ups love it so, the happy world of Haribo.”

Haribo is recognised as the world market leader in the segment of gummy candies, distributing the brand name to over 100 countries. The confectioner is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, celebrating its cross-generational appeal that boasts an impressive 97 per cent awareness in its key markets.

“This is our first-ever launch of Haribo licensing in the US and we’re proud to delight our consumers with collectables that inspire the childlike happiness that our brand is all about,” said Rick LaBerge, EVP and COO, Haribo of America. “We’re looking forward to our strategic partnership with JAKKS Pacific and continued collaboration in the future.”

Additional product extensions are already planned for 2022.

Emoji renews its partnership with Argentina’s Felfort to roll out more licensed chocolates across the region

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The Emoji Company has renewed its partnership for the fourth year running with the Argentinian manufacturer, Felfort, the South American business that will continue to produce licensed chocolates, candies, cereals, and more for the global licensor.

Felfort and Emoji struck up their partnership in 2016 when the Argentina-based firm was tapped to develop and produce Emoji themed chocolate coins. Such was the success of the range across the region that the pair extended the line to include the more recent launch, Chocolate Jack.

“We could not choose a better association to continue building our brand in Argentina,” said Marco Heusges, CEO of The Emoji Company. “Emoji and Felfort provide excellent moments to all young people who love chocolate.”

The move comes as Argentina continues to battle through both the ongoing global Covid-19 emergency as well as its own current economic slow down. Despite this, Felfort continues to manufacture a wide variety of successful products, competing on equal footing with industries and imports from some of the world’s largest economies.

Finsbury Food Group brings new Xbox Controller cake to supermarket shelves

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Finsbury Food Group has teamed up with global tech giant Microsoft in its newest partnership, bringing the new Xbox Controller cake to supermarket shelves this September.

A leading UK cake manufacturer, Finsbury Food Group introduces the greatly anticipated Xbox Controller cake, blending celebration cakes with the world of gaming. The cake is available in Tesco now and Asda from September 26, retailing at £12.

The Xbox Controller cake is a fluffy, traditional Victoria sponge cake base with a buttercream and tasty strawberry jam filling, wrapped in classic icing, shaped to look just like a giant Xbox controller.

Reflective of recent investments by Finsbury, the Xbox Controller cake is officially nut-free; baked and decorated in a 100 per cent nut-free environment, the winning centrepiece for any occasion – whether it’s a children’s birthday celebration or just an evening of gaming, this cake is not only a showstopper but can also cater to nut-free dietary requirements.

Jordan McCann, brand manager at Finsbury Food Group, said: “This is a project we’ve been really excited about at Finsbury. Highly anticipated by consumers the Xbox Controller cake is fresh, new and completely different to anything we’ve done before. Gaming is a new sector for us at Finsbury and we’re constantly looking to innovate with new products and ranges and explore new industries too. Collaborating with Microsoft is the perfect opportunity for us create a product so unique to gaming.

“The Xbox Controller cake arrives as the baking industry continues to trend on social media and in the press. Cakes have been hitting the headlines recently, with people mistaking them for well-known objects such as, trainers, toilet roll and even a full chicken. It’s great to deliver this viral trend for our customers to enjoy at home, with an almost replica cake.”

Global soy sauce brand Kikkoman looks to tantalise tastebuds in lifestyle licensing

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The popular soy sauce brand, Kikkoman is looking to tantalise tastebuds across the apparel, accessories, kitchenware, and food gifting markets, thanks to a new partnership between the brand’s master global agent Tact Communications and WildBrain CPLG. Under the deal, WildBrain CPLG will build the Kikkoman name as a lifestyle brand.

The partnership has been facilitated by ZenWorks, the Tokyo-based firm now acting as on-board consultant.

Victoria Whellans, group brands director at WildBrain CPLG Lifestyle, said: “Soy sauce is a staple condiment in households and restaurants across Europe, with Kikkoman’s iconic brand being instantly recognisable and celebrated for its quality. We look forward to working closely with Kikkoman Corporation and Tact Communications to assemble an engaging lifestyle consumer products programme which captures the rich heritage of Kikkoman.”

Shunsuke Tamura, president of Tact Communications, commented: “We are pleased to partner with WildBrain CPLG Lifestyle and look forward to building a strong licensing programme for Kikkoman in Europe with them.”

As a global soy sauce brand, Kikkoman has been supporting the development of Japanese food culture since the 1600s. Since its establishment in 1917, Kikkoman has held a management policy to blend its deep-seated traditions with a sense of innovation that is both responsive and perceptive.

Kikkoman’s motto is to promote the international exchange of food culture. Whether introducing Japanese food culture to the world, or bringing Japan in contact with the food cultures of other countries, Kikkoman is committed to the ongoing fulfillment of this goal.

Kikkoman Soy Sauce is shipped to over 100 countries from its seven overseas factories, located in the US, Asia and Europe. Kikkoman also distributes Asian foods through its global wholesale network, serving up Japanese and other Asian foods worldwide to enrich eating styles and satisfy any taste.

Finsbury Food Group and Diageo launch new Baileys Marbled Celebration Cake with more to come for 2021

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Cake manufacturer Finsbury Food Group and Diageo are strengthening their successful partnership by introducing the Baileys Marbled Celebration Cake to its growing Baileys range. Featuring traditional Baileys-infused frosting, the cake is on sale from September in Morrisons, Asda, Sainsbury and Tesco.

Since 2018, Finsbury Food Group has been working closely with Diageo on its Baileys and Guinness brands to introduce the first range of adults-only cakes to supermarket shelves.

Successfully launching the Baileys Freakshake Cake, Baileys Chocolate Yule Log, Bailey’s Salted Caramel Cupcakes and most recently, the Wimbledon inspired Baileys Strawberries and Cream Cake, Finsbury has now created a cutting edge product that celebrates the signature flavourings of Baileys, teamed with the new, trending, marble technique.

Jack Cook-Broussine, brand manager for Finsbury Food Group, said: “As our Baileys range continues to do so well, demonstrated by the retailers’ response, we’re keen to continue working hard, creating delicious cutting-edge cakes that deliver something different to the cake fixture.

“As the autumn months approach, we want to give consumers a product that echoes current trends in the baking industry, at ease. Think, sat by the fire on a drizzly day with a piping hot cup of tea and slice of Baileys Marbled Cake. We see huge opportunities to build on the momentum of the range and continue to add more exciting SKUs in the future.”

Declan Hassett, senior licensing manager at Diageo, added: “We continue to work with Finsbury developing the ongoing success of the range. The marble effect is something we’ve wanted to put our Baileys stamp on for a while, we’ve been working hard to stay ahead of the curve and achieve the most beautiful design that still has that delicious, mouth-watering, signature Baileys taste, well loved by many.

“We have already enjoyed great success with Finsbury and our range of Baileys-infused cakes, and we have no doubt this is going to be one to be enjoyed throughout the rest of the year and beyond.”

The full range of Baileys cakes includes: Baileys Hot Chocolate Freakshake Cake, Baileys Chocolate Yule Log, Baileys Salted Caramel Cupcakes and Bailey Strawberries and Cream cake. New additions to the range are planned for 2021.

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.

In the (food and) drink with Richard Pink – Pink Key Licensing and the moveable feast of F&B licensing

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Richard Pink and his Pink Key Licensing business has become almost synonymous with the food and beverage licensing market, with a portfolio ranging from Kellogg’s, Colman’s, and PG Tips through to the likes of Pringles, SLUSH PUPPiE, and who can forget The Laughing Cow?

But it’s by Pink’s own admission that this was never a deliberate move, but moreover a natural gravitation of the firm towards the kind of brands that have a story to tell. There’s a rich history of cultural affinity with brands like Kellogg’s, Colman’s, and PG Tips that is shared the world over that arguably places this particular trio in the bracket of heritage licensing, while Pringles, SLUSH PUPPiE, and The Laughing Cow (La Vache Qui Rit for our French speaking friends) certainly tap into today’s demand for brands of pop culture status.

No, it may not have been a deliberate move in Pink’s part to find the common thread that ties all of these brands – and the extended Pink Key Licensing portfolio of those outside of Food and Beverage licensing – together, but it was certainly a very smart one, curating a central hub for some of the most iconic brands to have dominated the supermarket aisles and homestead across the decades.

Here, Licensing.biz catches up with Richard Pink, MD or Pink Key Licensing to talk about the latest trends in the Food and Beverage licensing space, the strength of the Pink Key Licensing portfolio within it, and what the future holds for the market.

It’s always enjoyable looking at the Pink Key portfolio for its Food & Beverage brands and those iconic names with real history. How would you summarise the Pink Key approach to F&B licensing?

Our focus on F&B licensing is a strategy which has evolved organically rather than deliberately. I think people have seen what we have done with Kellogg’s and SLUSH PUPPiE and begun to associate us with these types of brands. Having said that, we have developed a bit of a mantra as we’ve grown: we have to love the brand – genuinely; if we don’t love it, I don’t think we can make anyone else love it and we have to want to keep it in our portfolio forever.

Kellogg’s, Colman’s, and PG Tips arguably straddle both F&B and heritage/vintage thanks to their history and cultural role across the decades, while Laughing Cow, Pringles, and SLUSH PUPPiE are iconic in their own right. Is there a common theme for all of these brands? What do you look for in a brand?

That’s probably the third part of our mantra and something all our brands have in common: they all have a story to tell. Sometimes, as you say, this comes from the heritage of the brand but with a brand like SLUSH PUPPiE, although it plays on people’s memories, it’s still very much a contemporary brand and its story is all about what the brand is going to do in the future, where we can go and how it can develop. This is exactly the same as Babybel, The Laughing Cow and Pringles.

What are some of the key trends in F&B licensing at the moment, and how is the Pink Key portfolio tapping into these right now?

The trends for food and beverage licensing tend to be around particular eras, and luckily, we have access to a broad bank of artwork for each of our brands. As a result, we are able to allow licensees access to artwork by particular decades, for example.

Additionally, with SLUSH PUPPiE, we are very fortunate to work with the licensing agency in America, Design Plus, run by Carol Janet who has managed the brand globally and developed the style guide and assets for many years. As a result, we can be really proactive in developing artwork very quickly to reflect any trend that comes to the market.

What is the strength of the F&B licensing market like right now? Have you seen it evolve and grow over the last year, and how have events of recent months affected or influenced this market in particular?

The Food & Drink licensing market has been very strong now for a number of years. I think this is principally down to the depth and breadth of available assets. Retailers and licensees have become more aware of the amount of amazing artwork that is available because of the rich heritage of many of these brands. I think this is why the trend towards brands with strong logos and a large body of available art has been sustained over the last few years. The fact that interest in these brands has maintained has been extremely exciting for us and, although the lockdown has ‘paused’ things for everyone, I don’t see this changing.

What do you think the future looks like for the F&B licensing market coming out of this peculiar period? How responsive to this sector is retail at the moment, and how will this look going forward?

It’s very hard to say how the market will be affected by Covid and the lockdown, in the same way that it is difficult to predict this for any market sector. However, because of the rich heritage, I believe that consumers are likely to gravitate towards things they find familiar, and I believe inevitably this will have a positive effect for the food and drink licensing sector.

Can you talk us through some of the latest updates for the F&B portfolio, what have been some of the key partnerships you’ve lined up this year? Anything that’s taken you by surprise this year?

We’ve had an extremely strong year with all of our brands. I don’t think we are alone in looking into the possibilities of getting closer to the consumer through Direct to Consumer Print on Demand websites, to try and give ourselves an all year round presence as an additional distribution channel that will support our main business through licensees.

I always say that the brand in our portfolio that completely took me by surprise is SLUSH PUPPiE: we have been amazed by the consumer response and it seems to go from strength to strength driven primarily by the amazing work done by Fizz Creations and their ubiquitous SLUSH PUPPiE machine (available at all good retailers!) along with a range of accessories.

We have also been really pleased by the sales of Manchester Drinks frozen pouches, and we have some very exciting new licensees lined up for the brand who will be bringing product to market later this year.

There seems to have been plenty of activity surrounding The Laughing Cow over the course of 2019/2020 – why is this brand resonating the way it is, and what is the UK strategy for this one?

It’s still early days but the initial response we’ve had has been very positive, particularly in apparel. I believe it resonates because of the heritage and people’s positive associations with it, and the graphics are incredibly strong, but principally because the brand is so positive – it’s all about laughing, and we all need a laugh these days.

Also, we are delighted that our partners for SLUSH PUPPiE and ICEE in the US, Design Plus, have also been appointed as the US agent for the Laughing Cow – we work so well together and I think it’s going to be hugely positive for the brand and its programme.

What further developments in the F&B space can we expect from Pink Key this year and next?   

We are always looking at ways to strengthen our portfolio, but it has to meet the criteria that I outlined at the start. We do have a couple of ongoing conversations which are proving to be very positive indeed and hope to be able to make an announcement nearer to BLE about an addition to our portfolio.

 

Shane the Chef backs Too Good To Go’s #EasyRecipeeasy Children’s Challenge this summer

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HoHo Entertainment’s animated series Shane the Chef has thrown its support behind the world’s largest food waste fighting app, Too Good To Go and its launch of a new children’s recipe competition ahead of the summer holidays.

The #EasyRecipeasy Children’s Challenge will encourage children to learn about the topic of food waste in a fun, creative and interactive way. It follows the app’s first children’s poetry competition, which received over 1,000 entries from school kids across the UK, and Too Good To Go’s #EasyRecipeasy chef collaboration in April 2020.

Open for UK children aged 12 and under, the #EasyRecipeasy Children’s Challenge invites children to write and design their own recipe cards, utilising one or more of the country’s most wasted foods: bread, potatoes, milk, eggs, and bananas. From terrific toasties to mouthwatering milkshakes, over-the-top omelettes to banging banana pancakes, anything goes. Recipe cards will be judged on recipe resourcefulness, creativity of the design, food waste fighting flair.

The #EasyRecipeasy Children’s Challenge has the support of the popular children’s animated character, Shane the Chef, whose series airs on Channel 5’s preschool strand Milkshake. Each of the five most wasted foods has been matched with an episode of Shane The Chef to provide recipe inspiration for children taking part in the challenge.

Shane the Chef is the first British animation series to focus on healthy eating for kids and aims to enthuse young children and families with a passion for fresh, healthy food and cooking.

Too Good To Go will serve up even more recipe inspiration over the course of the summer months on its social media channels from notable chefs and influencers.

Jamie Crummie, co-founder of Too Good To Go, said: “At Too Good To go we are passionate about getting young minds engaged in the food waste movement. The number of children who took part in our poetry competition the last few months showed just how powerful creating fun initiatives can be.

“With the summer holidays approaching, we wanted to give children an interactive way to learn about food waste and there’s no better place than in the kitchen! I can’t wait to see the recipes that they come up with.”

Helen Howells, joint managing director, Hoho Entertainment, the producers of Shane the Chef, added: “Shane the Chef is thrilled to support this hugely important waste food initiative. And encouraging kids to come up with their own recipes is just the sort of thing Shane likes to do in his own kitchen. Let’s get cooking.”

To enter, children with the help of their parents or guardians should send a photo or PDF of the designed recipe card to easyrecipeasy@toogoodtogo.co.uk. Entries are open from 29 June 2020 and will close at midnight on 18 September 2020.

Entries will be split into two age categories (0 to six years and seven to 12 years) and the winning recipe card from each category will win a special food waste fighting cooking kit that includes an apron, children’s cooking utensils and a Shane The Chef recipe book.

For full details, visit www.toogoodtogo.co.uk/en-gb/blog/childrens-challenge.

Chefclub teams with DoohYouLike to create the Culinary Advertising Agency in France

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Foodie brand, Chefclub has teamed up with DoohYouLike to offer customers a new omnichannel experience that mixes videos of creative recipes with synchronised multi-broadcasting on social media as well as on screen in store. The partnership is to roll out across France under the name the Culinary Advertising Agency.

This new joint venture combines the talent of the Chefclub unit and its expertise in culinary videos, and the might of DoohYouLike, a team that has a media presence in more than 550 grocery stores in France.

The new culinary advertising service offers food and beverage brands an ‘innovative, turnkey solution’ that includes the creation, production, and broadcast of cooking videos by Chefclub on social media featuring the advertiser’s product, as well as simultaneous broadcast in small-size grocery stores via DoohYouLike screens.

Chefclub is the world’s leading producer of cooking videos broadcasted on social media with over one billion views and 80 million followers worldwide. In France, Chefclub has a community of 8.6 million people and generates more than 200 million views per month.

Meanwhile, DoohYouLike offers a network of more than 550 DOOH screens displayed in more than 350 small size grocery stores located mostly in city centres in France.

This new offering comes at the right time to provide advertisers an authentic voice during the customer’s shopping journey, in line with consumers’ new lifestyles.

Marie-Laure Marchand, director of licensing and business development, Chefclub, said: “Conviviality, fun, and creativity are at the origin of Chefclub, it seemed natural for us to join forces with DoohYouLike to create an original and ad-hoc media proposal for brands looking for closeness and authenticity.

“We are excited about this partnership that will allow advertisers to explore new ways to reach out to consumers directly in-store and on social media.”

Fabrice Guez, co-founder, DoohYouLike, added: “We are very proud of this alliance because our respective media shares common values, to bring useful and entertaining content to everyday life, always in a complicit and authentic approach to cultivate a close relationship.

“The recipe video format takes on its full meaning in the world of grocery stores, allowing food brands to become part of consumers’ daily lives in a native and entertaining way.

“The synergy of our universes provides an all-inclusive strategic lever, designed for both the branding and the performance of food brands, because in addition to the highly qualitative and viral dimension provided by the Chefclub expertise, the DoohYouLike solution allows brands to maximize sales and optimize in-store referencing. We are very excited to support the new habits of the French people, for whom cooking has become second nature.”