Tag Archives: lead

Rockpool Licensing helps bring Brambly Hedge book series to screen in Lupus Films deal

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Lupus Films, the animation company behind The Snowman & The Snowdog, has optioned the rights to adapt the classic countryside stories of Brambly Hedge for the screen.

The deal between Lupus Films and the estate of Jill Braklem, the author and illustrator of Brambly Hedge, was brokered by Rockpool Licensing.

The Brambly Hedge series is published by HarperCollins Children’s Books and has sold over seven million copies since the first release in 1980. Focusing on the adventures of a hidden community of mice in the English countryside, the series’ characters have featured on products ranging from china to chocolate, and stationery to figurines.

Now, on the 40th anniversary of its original publication, Lupus Films is set to bring the world of Brambly Hedge to audiences old and new, alongside a refreshed licensing campaign run by Rockpool, which represents the brand globally.

HarperCollins will launch a celebratory publishing programme to commemorate the 40th anniversary in October 2020. Meanwhile, Lupus is initially developing the property as a Christmas special, with further episodes to follow shortly after.

Vickie O’Malley, managing director, Rockpool Licensing, said: “We are really looking forward to bringing a beautiful new version of this classic British brand to life and are actively seeking partners across a variety of categories including gifting, homeware, collectibles, puzzles and paper product.”

Ruth Fielding, joint MD, Lupus Films, added: “The Brambly Hedge characters stand tail to tail with the most classic British literary characters and we cannot wait to delve into the hedgerows and fields of the British countryside to reveal the secrets and folklore of this hidden little community of animals.”

Lizzie Barklem, Brambly Hedge estate, concluded: “We’re delighted to have teamed up with Lupus who have a fantastic track record of translating beautifully illustrated books on to the screen. 2020 is the 40th anniversary of Brambly Hedge so the timing is perfect for introducing the mice to a brand new generation.”

MyProtein partnerships and print on demand furniture: The Hut Group is building on a record year in licensing

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There’s certainly been a shift of gear surrounding recent licensing developments for the British e-commerce specialist, The Hut Group, who not only quadrupled its licensing team in 2019, but has since expanded its facilities in preparation for further growth in the space this year.

Across health and beauty, lifestyle, and the pop culture entertainment sectors, the firm has just come out of ‘a record year’ in terms of its licensing operations where the company achieved record sales for its print on demand portfolio for both Zavvi and IWOOT.

Now, The Hut Group is preparing for a successful 2020 as it continues to push new collaborations and product launches across some of the hottest trending licensing sectors of the moment – whether that is a MyProtein deal with Warner Bros, or a boundary-pushing print on demand furniture operation.

Licensing.biz catches up with Rick Kay, licensing manager at The Hut Group to find out more.

Hi Rick, can you tell us how business has been for you guys over the past 12 months?

 Excellent. 2019 was a record year for the group and the licensing team especially. Print on demand was a primary focus for us as a licensing team and we saw record sales in that regard. Our capsule launches have been our biggest win.

A particular highlight was the Original Hero range we did with Nintendo on Zavvi.com which turned over £140k gross sales in just seven days.

And what increase in licensing activity from you guys would we have seen over that time?

On Zavvi we launched at least two clothing collections every month in 2019 which is a massive step up from where we were in 2018. In January 2020 alone we have launched a Harley Quinn range to tie-in with the Birds of Prey movie release, a Star Trek and a NASA collection.

We have also increased our product capabilities and have expanded hugely into the accessories and homeware space. We have launched a Ramen range on IWOOT.com this month which covers multiple products including apparel, phone cases, mugs, prints, cushions, coasters and travel mugs.

We can also print a host of other products on demand including wall vinyl, tote bags, blankets, greeting cards, glassware, doormats, chopping boards and with a dedicated NPD team the list is constantly growing.

Could you talk us through some of the biggest developments The Hut Group has seen in the licensing space over the last few months?

 We consider Zavvi to be the home of pop culture and with this in mind video game licensed products have become impossible to ignore and is a big growth area for us.

Nintendo has been a big partner for a few years now but over the last few months we’ve partnered with Sega (Sonic, Football Manager, Streets of Rage etc), Rare (Sea of Thieves, Banjo Kazooie, Battletoads etc) and Borderlands with many more discussions ongoing.

So that’s pop culture, but what are you guys bringing to the lifestyle, luxury, wellness, and beauty space in terms of licensing?

Our focus on our lifestyle division will remain throughout 2020. Our print on demand model allows us to be quick to market and also allows us to develop product for more niche licenses as we don’t have to commit to minimum orders.

On wellness, our biggest brand MyProtein is about to launch a collaboration with Warner Bros. Phase One is a limited edition Justice League collection including protein powder and accessories.

Further phases and licenses will be rolled out throughout the year. This is an exciting and unique licensing opportunity for us which represents the potential for huge growth

We are also looking into opportunities in the luxury and beauty space and this will be a key driver for growth in the future.

We notice that there’s been quite an expansion of the licensing team at The Hut Group – can you talk us through the team and the new additions?

 The core licensing team has grown from one person to four in 2019.

Natalie Kumeta is the head of licensing and really got the ball rolling with regards to licensing at The Hut Group. I was then brought in towards the back end of 2018 having had experience on both the licensor and licensee side at Viacom and Sambro.

Ben Smith was then added to the team, with seven years’ experience in print on demand his production knowledge has proven invaluable. Finally, Chris Beck joined in July having previously worked at Mattel and eOne.

Beyond the core licensing team we have grown our dedicated design team from four to eight over the last year with their focus almost exclusively being on print on demand product for Zavvi and IWOOT.

We are also expanding our NPD team which will see us bring in much more product beyond print on demand. Expect to see a lot more exclusive and limited edition collectible product and apparel on Zavvi and IWOOT in 2020.

Our multi-million pound print facility in Warrington will also see further investment as we look to expand the volume we’re able to print as well as the quality and variety of product. Expect print on demand furniture to launch in 2020.

We have also started a new initiative called M-A-N-A which will leverage The Hut Group’s tech platform to allow us to create end-to-end brand led e-commerce sites in a matter of hours. This will be a massive area of growth for us as we look to expand relationships with our existing partners as well as new.

How has this set you guys up for further growth in the licensing space for 2020 and beyond?

 The growth of our team will allow us to increase both the frequency and quality of our apparel, homeware and accessory launches on Zavvi and IWOOT in 2020.

Beyond that it will allow us to expand our focus beyond those sites and increase our licensed offering in the wellness, beauty and luxury areas of the business.

I’d like to ask what the next big step for The Hut Group will be now – but I fear we’ll run out of room…

There’s almost too many to list!

For Zavvi and IWOOT the next step will be about expanding our current offering. We have a lot of space to grow our portfolio in the gaming, music, anime and lifestyle sectors.

Growing the two above sites in other territories is also important for us, we’ll be opening a dedicated Zavvi office in the USA and so securing more deals in that territory will be vital.

Then of course we will be rolling out M-A-N-A, and continuing to expand the licensing offering in other sectors of the business.

Flossy and Jim: “The digital revolution is lifting barriers and letting in a lot of new ideas”

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Living by the sea in Devon’s picturesque Brixham, it’s little wonder why Lynette and James Dare, otherwise known as Flossy and Jim, the artistic duo behind the popular design brand of the same name, are awash with creative energy.

It’s a deep portfolio of design-driven, illustrative IP that the pair has to its name, spanning not only the world of Flossy and Jim itself, but an anthropomorphic universe of Horace (the Hamster) & Co, both of which have been developed to help support young people today.

Together, their’s is a mission to help today’s youth feel positive, a statement not only issued thought their use of bright and bold on-trend designs and the innate humour of both Flossy and Jim, and Horace & Co, but also through the way in which Lynette and James embody the brands themselves. 

Together, they both regularly present workshops n schools, talk to pupils about their personal journeys, and encourage them to believe in themselves. It’s good news, then, that the message of Flossy and Jim is beginning to travel far and wide thanks to a licensing programme that is gathering momentum under the watch of Edutainment Licensing.

Licensing.biz has a chat with Lynette and James Dare about Flossy and Jim, Horace & Co, and the latest developments for the portfolio.

It’s been a busy past few months for you guys – what do you think has fuelled or help drive the success of the brand on an international scale? How has this set you up for 2020… what are your expectations for the year ahead?

Working with young people in schools has really helped as we have been able to identify upcoming trends, find out more about our target audience and to develop our style guide. We have been able to create designs that are relatable to young people and help them feel more positive. Working with our agent at Edutainment licensing has been crucial to develop strategies and to secure deals, and attending BLE has really helped us to launch our brand in the UK and internationally.

Our expectations for 2020 is to keep working with young people, keep creating and to build our brand awareness even further.

Can you tell us a bit about Flossy and Jim and what you guys are bringing to the licensing space? How did it all begin for you, and did you foresee the kind of international recognition you have been picking up?

When we began creating the ‘Flossy and Jim’ designs in 2013, we were working part time in schools to deliver workshops to build confidence and self-esteem, by doing this we were meeting with our target audience and learning about what matters to them which helped us really understand our audience.

It became clear that a lot of these children and young adults were suffering with mental health issues and it was then that we realised that we wanted to create designs that would help, and shift the balance of negative content on social media. We never imagined that the brand would grow internationally, it has been amazing.

You guys seem to be coming from a unique angle with the more design led Flossy and Jim, combined with your approach to the publishing space through Horace & Co. How did this approach come about?

How will you now build on the recent success – what developments in licensing will you be looking towards for the year ahead?

At Flossy and Jim we create bold and bright designs that are relatable and help young people feel good. Kids love the ‘on-trend’ art style and can engage with the brands look and humour. Flossy and Jim is design led so we are able to provide new illustrations quickly and efficiently in an ever-evolving trend driven world.

The Horace and Co books were a personal project for about ten years. My son was diagnosed with autism at the age of three and we found daily activities like going to the doctor or going to the shop incredibly difficult. We discovered that drawing little stories really helped to prepare him for the next activity of the day. I looked for social stories like this to buy but could not find any so I decided to create my own.

The Horace & Co. books have been created to help children to relate to every day scenarios and understand how the world around them works. They’ll find out that everyone has qualities that are different, but those unique traits make them who they are, and loved. The titles have now been published with Signature Gifts as personalised books so the child is placed as the centre of the story.

We are currently in discussions for a really exciting publishing project that we hope to be able to share in the coming months.

It’s great to see you guys tap into the AR/XR sector. What inspired this move? How important will new and emerging technology be for the licensing space in driving innovation?

We LOVE augmented reality and we are inspired by how far technology is developing. When we got the opportunity to bring Horace the Hamster and his friends to life, how could we say no? We are very excited to work more in the AR sector and bring more designs to life.

We recently joined the government coalition ‘Future.Now’ headed by the Lord Mayor of London and we pledged that we would do what we could to ensure no young person is left behind in the digital revolution. We feel that alongside our work in schools, AR is a fantastic way to inspire children into the world of technology while they are learning and having fun.

One of the biggest changes we have seen is the challenge of being able to work with the high street retailers – this has resulted in us partnering with online retailers which has been great.

What is the health of the design space at the moment? is enough being done to encourage creativity here in the UK,

The creative sector remains one of the UK’s leading industries and from our experience of working in schools, we feel the arts should become a greater priority in the national curriculum, especially in the midst of the digital revolution.

Aside from this, it has recently been discovered that young people are on the brink of the worst ever mental health crisis. The importance of children’s self-expression as a means to a healthy and happy mind, is an essential part of their education.

A common fear amongst young people we teach is that ‘robots will take away all of their future jobs’. We always say ‘they cannot take away your imagination and creativity!’

Do you think the licensing sector is encouraging enough for creativity?

The licensing sector for us has been very encouraging. We love watching our designs go from an idea, into a product and then to market…it’s addictive actually!

What role does creativity have to play in rejuvenating the UK’s retail landscape?

Retailers are going to have to get more creative and innovative in their ideas to capture their audience in a highly saturated market. It’s going to be interesting to see how the development of technology alongside the efforts to be more ethical and sustainable will drive creativity to a whole new level.

As illustrators watching the digital revolution unfold, we can see barriers being lifted and with that comes new ideas. It’s a very exciting time.

The Emoji Company: “Yes, we are looking at making a move on the toy category”

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The globally renowned and literally iconic Emoji brand is formulating a move into the children’s sector through toys and a variety of animated content concepts that are still in discussion.

Until now, Emoji has carved out a hugely successful licensing portfolio across the teenage and young adult market through lifestyle licensing partnerships that span the globe, and last year, took home a Licensing Award in the Best Teen or Adult Licensed Property category.

The win seemed to top off a year that The Emoji Company founder, Marco Huesges, marks as “another great success story for the Emoji brand,” throughout what was considered by many as a ‘Disney year.’

And as that success story goes, Emoji is now looking at a new chapter for its licensing efforts, laying out its plans to move in on the children’s market over the coming months, be that through toys, publishing, animated content, or – in fact – a culmination of all three.

“The answer here is yes. While Emoji is established globally and targets primarily teenagers and young adults, we believe that there is an angle to address the kids’ market which is mostly connected to the toy space, in particular to collectable toys and plush,” Huesges told ToyNews.

“We are carefully analysing this market to ensure we make the right move, we are discussing several animation concepts with development studios and potential partners from the toy and the publishing space. It is a time-consuming process but we hope to have clarity within the next eight to 12 months on which direction to go.”

For Huesges, diversifying the portfolio in such a way is nothing out of the ordinary. It’s fair to say that the CEO has successfully managed to juggle, and maintain prominence within, an ever-widening number of categories for the Emoji brand, and interestingly, it is through the company’s burgeoning loyalty programme category that much of its success has been born.

“We launched a variety of campaigns with partners such as Aldi, Penny or Co-Op,” continued Huesges, “and we have been very successful with Emoji collectable toys within loyalty programmes, which opened up discussions with other partners about Emoji collectable toys in general.”

It kicked off with Burger King when the company ran a global programme that offered 30 different Emoji brand plush collectables. This, in turn, led to multiple discussions with other potential partners in the space, all of which proved “to be successful above the average.”

Not only this, but it was a planned move into the Chinese market that cemented the success of the brand over the course of 2019, when Emoji managed to open three Emoji branded stores across its mainland.

Huesges is now thrashing out plans to open another ten over the course of this year, and only recently successfully launched the official Emoji brand store on TMall.

“This development in China is a great way to demonstrate the variety and the depth of our brand and how to bring new designs and messages to life,” said Huesges. “We want the consumer to permanently engage with our brand and we will launch a variety of new projects such as Emoji tea shops to offer exactly that possibility to the customer.”

The potential for the Emoji brand in the collectables space can’t be denied. A category that wholly depends on the introduction of new characters or themes within each wave of launches, Emoji is pretty much tailor made for the market. Emoji is after all a compendium of thousands of character icons, that are not only recognised globally, but used by millions each day.

That said, simply because the brand enjoys a universality in its translation, doesn’t mean Emoji will be in the habit of using a broad brush approach for all of its territories.

“We know that markets have different demands and tastes,” said Huesges. “China for example is a very specific market, but one of our key territories. We analyse what is needed and give the brand a local look and feel, making it adaptable and suitable for the Chinese market.

“In fact, the demand for customisation of the Emoji brand is constantly growing and gives partnerships a personal taste. In a fast-moving consumer goods market you cannot stand still and need to permanently reinvent yourself and invest. We take this approach with all of our key markets across Europe, the US, China, Brazil, and Mexico.”

For Emoji, 2020 will start with some big noise and some ‘highly recognisable partnerships’ across Europe including a large scale direct to retail programme, multiple loyalty programmes, and some high level brand collaborations in the fashion space.

“In the US, we have built an incredible licensee roster and look forward to launching great programmes at retail. We have successfully added lots of different new categories, from shaped vitamins, entertainment services to exciting new food and beverage deals,” said Huesges.

“We have already had some great results and are perfectly prepared for the year ahead to come. We do expect another great year ahead of us, and have already secured noteworthy partnerships all around the globe, which will be launched in 2020,” he concluded.

Opinion: Will Harry and Meghan receive a right royal welcome to licensing?

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He’s not quite the artist formerly known as Prince, just yet but when Harry and Meghan first made clear their intentions to step away from their Royal Duties, it was quickly reported on soon after that the pair had registered their SussexRoyal trademark.

Since then, the licensing industry has been awash with speculation over what, indeed if any, plans were soon to be revealed for the celebrity pair’s entry into licensing, who would take on the task of representing it, and would this increase the chances of bumping into Prince Harry in Las Vegas this year… 

Answers are still to be sought. However, the musings have certainly stirred up plenty by way of industry opinion. Here, Spreadshirt CEO, Philip Rooke voices his own take on SussexRoyal and what Harry, Meghan, and their potential merchandising plans will have to consider in order to be successful.

Are Harry and Meghan going in to merchandising? They have certainly taken the first steps to register their SussexRoyal trademark. Their combined royalty and celebrity will generate a lot of interest, but what do they need to consider to get it right?

As we know, behind every successful merch campaign sits a brilliant brand. SussexRoyal could help to make Harry and Meghan financially independent, but they’ll have to do some serious work on what the brand truly is. They’ll need to think about what they have to say, finding their space (between vanity-wear and Harry’s father’s Duchy brands), and sustainability.

As Europe’s biggest merch firm, we have three top tips for the SussexRoyals.

Beware: Follower count doesn’t always equal sales

Trademarking your logo and being popular doesn’t automatically drive sales. @Arii, an Instagram star with 2.6m followers, recently failed to sell 36 t-shirts. Successful social media influencers can be brands with a niche offering, not just a huge follower count.  Brands that understand their fans and offer them something specific and relevant are the most successful.  Our highest commission earners can generate as much as €½m to €1m a year, but this takes a relevant idea and hard work.

Have something relevant to say

If you want to merchandise your fame, like a band or a social media influencer, you have to have something to say. The SussexRoyals have already championed key causes and created an authentic message which resonates. Merch can be an incredible way promote a worthy cause. It connects the online and offline worlds, spreading the word about your cause in real life. Our small, but highly vocal, influencers sell because their merchandising is something the consumer wants to wear.

Know where you sit in the market

SussexRoyal will need to find its own space. Vanity-wear hoodies in the style of college or university sweatshirts will sell, but is unlikely to reflect their brand image. Are they really going down the route of monogrammed socks and Harry & Meghan t-shirts? They really need to find some merch and designs which reflect their personalities and positions.

Perhaps they can emulate the Duchy? At the other end of the brand scale, Harry’s father has already carved out a space in the organic food sector with his Duchy of Cornwall brands. SussexRoyal probably needs to avoid duplicating this, if only to preserve family relations!

Will they be mimicking Victoria Beckham? She opted for a high-fashion position over merch. This can be time-consuming though. Despite fame as a Spice Girl, VB took a decade to build her fashion brand and needed significant investment.

And one last thing…  Harry and Meghan are campaigners for sustainability, but merchandising has complex supply chains. It can be a challenge to deliver successful merch and they’ll need to be alive to the potential pitfalls. Harry and Meghan will need to consider the sustainability of the SussexRoyal brand; from the provenance of the cotton to the delivery vehicles and packaging of the merch. Production and delivery are the corner stones of successful merchandising.

A new life awaits Harry and Meghan in Canada. They have a world-recognised brand and something to say. Perhaps merch could merch be the making of them?

Atari gets in on the hotel game with eight themed locations planned for the US

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Atari is getting in on the hotel business as its owner Atari Interactive details its plans to develop eight Atari-themed hotels across the US.

The first site is expected to lay down its foundations in Phoenix, Arizona later this year, with a further seven planned for Las Vegas, Denver, Chicago, Austin, Seattle, San Francisco, and San Jose.

The new hotels will be video game themed and will feature ‘fully immersive’ virtual reality and augmented reality experiences, as well as venues at select locations designed to accommodate esports events.

The project will employ the combined efforts of Atari Interactive, the GSD Group, the Phoenix-based real estate developer True North Studio, and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak’s Innovation Foundation.

“When creating this brand-new hotel concept, we knew that Atari would be the perfect way to give guests the nostalgic and retro meets modern look and feel we were going for,” said Napoleon Smith III of GSD Group.

“Let’s face it, how cool will it be to stay inside an Atari?”

Atari CEO, Fred Chesnais, said: “We are thrilled to partner with GSD Group and True North Studio to build the first-ever Atari branded hotels across the United States. Together we’ll build a space that will be much more than just a place to stay.

“Atari is an iconic global brand that resonates with people of all ages, countries, cultures and ethnic backgrounds and we cannot wait for our fans and their families to enjoy this new hotel concept.”

Walt Disney Studios to launch global immersive experiences with Secret Cinema

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Walt Disney Studios has signed an exclusive agreement with the popular thematic experience, Secret Cinema, to bring to life some of the company’s most iconic films.

The immersive cinema specialists will work alongside Walt Disney Studios’ StudioLAB to create live shows across the globe. The partnership will kick off in the UK and US.

The first show will premiere in London this year. This will be followed by events in Los Angeles and New York.

Matt Duel, head of business partnerships at StudioLAB, said: “We are excited to bring his innovative and immersive new cinema-going format to the Walt Disney Studios family, and to be a part of introducing it to new audiences in the US.

“Working with Secret Cinema, we’re able to create a whole new way for fans to engage with some of our most loved films.”

It hasn’t yet been revealed what films from the Disney portfolio are to be adapted for the experience, however, past Secret Cinema experiences have included a 2015 production of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.

 

The deal was brokered by Secret Cinema’s chief executive Max Alexander and director of slate, Kate Davidson.

Mad Beauty to break US market and secures new Warner Bros partnership

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The London-based Mad Beauty is taking on the US market, thanks to a new partnership with Diverse Marketing and Total Business Fulfilment, through which the licensed health and beauty products specialist will be provided with all it needs to break the American market.

This will include the provision of back office services, warehousing, and distribution support, providing the company with the infrastructure needed for country-wide distribution of its product line.

Established for over 20 years, Mad Beauty has seen major recent growth here in the UK and across Europe. The team also recently had its Disney license extended to the US market, as well as Canada, Brazil, and Mexico.

Wes Hardin, president of Diverse Marketing, said: “Diverse Marketing Nation could not be more excited to partner with such a dynamic organisation. Mad Beauty has entered the US market by storm, and we foresee a long and successful partnership.”

Further boosting its licensing business, Mad Beauty has recently signed with Warner Bros to bring some of the studio’s best-loved properties, including the Friends license, to the health and beauty range.

Mad Beauty CEO, Trevor Cash, said: “It is a great honour to be able to bring our products to the US marketplace, especially as this includes some of America’s most iconic brand names.

“We hope US customers will enjoy our unique mix of fun and creative packaging in combination with the high-quality ingredients all at a great price.”

The collection will make its US debut at Atalanta Gifts, as well as at Las Vegas, Minneapolis, and Seattle gift fairs.

Netflix acquires streaming rights for Studio Ghibli catalogue in landmark deal for the Japanese animation studio

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Netflix has picked up the exclusive streaming rights to the full film library from the popular Japanese animation house, Studio Ghibli for everywhere in the world outside of the US and Japan.

The deal is a landmark partnership for the distribution of Japanese animation and animé to the world’s audiences, marking the first time that all 21 Ghibli films will be made available via streaming on a global scale.

The deal was detailed by the French distribution partner Wild Bunch International this week. 

Netflix will now roll out the Ghibli catalogue across its service in monthly segments, beginning with an initial launch on February 1st. The catalogue includes modern classics such as Hayao Miyazaki’s Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, and Howl’s Moving Castle.

“This is a dream come true for Netflix and millions of our members,” said Aram Yacoubian, Netflix’s director of original animation. “Studio Ghibli’s animated films are legendary and have enthralled fans around the world for over 35 years.

“We’re excited to make them available in more languages across Latin America, Europe, Africa, and Asia – so that more people can enjoy this whimsical and wonderful world of animation.”

Launched in 1985 by animation directors Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, Studio Ghibli’s films have received six Oscar nominations in the animated feature category, winning one in 2003 for Spirited Away.

Until now, Ghibli has guarded its tiles from digital platforms.

“In this day and age, there are various great ways a film can reach audiences,” said Studio Ghibli producer, Toshio Suzuki. “We have listened to our fans and have made the definitive decision to stream our film catalogue. 

“We hope people around the world will discover the world of Studio Ghibli through this experience.”

Rachel Lowe talks a passion for bringing IP to the board gaming sector

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Rachel Lowe is the creative mind behind some of the most popular titles in the licensed board game space at the moment and a revered name when it comes to key licenses looking to expand into this ever-growing category.

2019 culminated, for Lowe, with a run of successes, whether it was receiving a joint award from the Toy Retailer’s Association for her work on the hugely popular Jumanji board game, or the launch of her newest compendium of board games and card games developed in partnership with the global entertainment platform, WWE.

But that was so last decade. This year, and with London Toy Fair, Nuremberg’s Spielwarenmesse, and London Toy Fair just around the corner, Lowe will be using the toy fair season to showcase some of the latest brands she has to her ever-growing portfolio. This includes brands, by the way, like Elf on the Shelf and the British comic classic, Beano.

Licensing.biz takes the chance to talk to Lowe about her creativity, her career path into board game design (she started out as a taxi driver), and her passion for developing IP into games.

Hello Rachel… You had another busy and successful year last year, how did your career in board games start, where did it all begin for you?

My career in board games started when I was working as a part time taxi driver to pay my way through university back in 2002. I was out on a shift one night when I stopped at some traffic lights and a thought popped into my head; “Red light – Miss a turn.” 

That thought is where it all began. 

I imagined my taxi being a miniature playing piece on a board and all the destinations I was travelling to being part of the game play and the aim of the game would be to collect as many fares as possible.If you landed on traffic lights you would pick up a card and this would either be a help or hindrance to your journey and you would have to try not to run out of fuel or lose your licence along the way.The player with the most money at the end of the shift wins.

This game became known as Destination and I started with Destination London and Destination Portsmouth which I launched in 2004 and went on to create over 30 editions including licensed games for Harry Potter, Disney Pixar, London 2012 Olympic Games and Downton Abbey. 

My career has taken me on a rollercoaster journey and through this I found the licensing is what I love the most.  So I now have a company specialising in licensed board games, puzzles and playing cards.

You have a portfolio of successful games, from the Destination portfolio to all the licensed titles you have worked on. What’s your secret – how do you tap into your creativity?

Well, I love watching TV so that helps! So a good TV series or movie that can translate into a board game is a good place to start. I have to admit to binge watching to get familiar with story lines. Then I sketch out ideas and board layouts. I have certain elements that I will always try and include to make a game work. I then work with designers to take it through the next stage of the creative process.  Sometimes I also bring in other talent to help with concept development if we have tight deadlines to work with.

Secondly, what is more rewarding, the development of licensed titles, or cooking up your own?

Having your own IP is definitely rewarding but working with huge corporations such as Sony Consumer Products and WWE to develop products for them is massively exciting. 

We work with their style guides to create product in keeping with their branding and it is exciting to see the finished product with my company logo on it for such big brands. 

You’ve found yourself being the go to name for licensing and developing licensed titles. Has this been a conscious move on your part? What was the allure? What do you bring to this space, and what do you think this space brings out in your creativity?

I have been very fortunate to work with very established brands early on in my career such as Harry Potter and Disney Pixar properties. I find it easy to come up with ideas for game-play based on the content of the licensed property. I enjoy it and I especially love going behind the scenes for movies and TV series to get ideas for the content for the games. It is an exciting part of what I do and the style guides provide the assets which our designers use to bring our ideas to life. It is a creative process and something I will always enjoy doing.

Growing up, was there a moment that you think put you on course for this life in the toy and games industry?

I don’t know if it was destiny but I do remember a few of significant things from my childhood which evoked a love a board games.

The first was when McDonalds was running a competition. I was with some school friends, I was about 13 years old and we had popped into McDonalds after school. I bought some fries and was given a ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire’ Scratch card. I got the answer right and I won a Trivial Pursuit Board Game! 

I posted my winning card to claim my prize and a few weeks later this huge parcel was delivered to my house. My dad brought it up to my room which I shared with my sister and I remember opening it and everyone being gobsmacked that I had one such an amazing game.

My second memory was working in a fish shop when I was 14 years old earning £1.20 per hour and saving up all of my wages (which back then was cash in a small square brown envelope). Each week I would take my wage to Woolworths and buy one board game, so one week was Cluedo, the next was Scrabble etc. We already had Monopoly (and of course Trivial Pursuit) but I really wanted my own collection of games.

My third memory was in my art class at school when I was 15 years old. Our teacher Mr Wylie gave us a board game project to do and I remember creating a board game about gardening which I loved working on. 

Mr Wylie told me a story about someone who created a game and it got manufactured. I think it had a castle in it. I thought it was the coolest thing ever but never imagined I would one day be creating and retailing my own board games.

I still have all of the games I bought when I was a teenager, including the Trivial Pursuit Game that I won from McDonalds!

What has been the proudest moment of your career so far?

My proudest moment will always be achieving the number one position in Hamley’s of London with my first board game Destination London. It was my first big achievement in the Toy Industry and will always be a magical memory.

What piece of professional or design-related advice would you give to those looking to break into the career you have been so successful?

I would say the best bit of advice I can give is to surround yourself with good people. Focus on the things you are good at and out-source the things that others may do better. You don’t have to be good at everything to succeed. You just need to prioritise and delegate when needed.

Being where you are now, what piece of advice would you give to your younger self?

Oh my, there are so many things I would tell my younger self. But hindsight is something that doesn’t actually change anything and I am proud of everything I have achieved, even my mistakes because I learned so much from all of it.  Everything I do now is based on all of my years of experience which is priceless.

What’s the next big project for you?

I have several big projects coming, some are still embargoed. WWE is obviously an exciting one that we have just launched but I also have signed with Elf on the Shelf for 2020 and also Beano.   

Rachel Lowe will be exhibiting at London Toy Fair (Stand GH16), Spring Fair Birmingham (Hall 5, Stand 5J60) and Nuremberg, Germany (Hall 10.0 Stand D-20).