Sanrio taps Bare Tree Media for digital content and experiences across its character portfolio

Sanrio has tapped Bare Tree Media as its digital licensing and marketing partner for Mr Men Little Miss globally, as well as Hello Kitty and Friends, Aggretsuko, and Gudetama brands in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.

Under the new partnership, Bare Tree Media will design and digitally distribute mobile messaging stickers, emojis, mobile themes, smart watch faces, GIFs, and AR experiences related to Sanrio’s line up of brands. The Mr. Men Little Miss digital content planned will feature the more than 90 diverse characters. T

The other Sanrio characters to be released will be Hello Kitty, Chococat, Kerokerokeroppi, Kuromi, My Melody, Bad Badtz-Maru, Little Twin Stars, Tuxedosam, Aggretsuko, and Gudetama.

With an expertise in digital design and marketing, the team at Bare Tree Media will customize the branded content for global and local markets in the form of iMessage stickers, Google Play stickers, LINE stickers and Emojis, Samsung themes, Facer watch faces, and GIFs featured on a branded Giphy channel.

“We are thrilled to partner with Sanrio, and offer an amazing range of branded digital experiences to fans eager to engage, share and customize their digital devices and messaging conversations around the world with family and friends,” said Robert Ferrari, president of Bare Tree Media.

“The Mr. Men Little Miss, Hello Kitty and Friends, Aggretsuko and Gudetama brands appeal to a multi-generational audience inspiring self-expression, love and humor that aligns perfectly with our content creation and network of global digital channel partnerships.”

Silvia Figini, COO of Sanrio- EMEA, India and Oceania, Mr. Men – Worldwide, said: “We are glad to partner with Bare Tree Media on this new project. The combination of the global appealing of Mr. Men Little Miss, Hello Kitty and Friends, Aggretsuko and Gudetama and the great experience of Bare Tree Media in creating high quality and engaging digital contents will generate the perfect formula to deliver a wonderful digital experience to our worldwide audience.”

York Maze celebrates Mr Men Little Miss 50th with world’s largest maize design

York Maze, believed to be the largest maze in Europe, is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the classic British character brand, Mr Men and Little Miss by paying tribute to its cast of personalities by carving out their likeness within its 15 acre expanse.

Covering the area of eight Wembley football pitches, the York Maze design, when viewed from the air, depicts images of the first Mr Men character to be created, Mr Tickle, together with Little Miss Sunshine, Mr Tall, Mr Bump, and the latest character to join the troupe, Little Miss Brave.

Each of the Mr Men characters in the maze are the size of a football pitch, making it a line up of the world’s biggest Mr Men characters on record. The maze features over 5km of pathways in which visitors can lose themselves.

The maze is the creation of farmer, Tom Pearcy who designed the maze to coincide with the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Mr Men and Little Miss brand.

“I grew up with the Mr.Men characters and loved watching the original TV series as a kid. I rediscovered the brand when my children were young and just love the images and storytelling which appeals to all ages,” he said. “We were not able to open last year at all because of Covid so we’re really looking forward to welcoming our visitors back for the first time in nearly two years.

“I’m delighted with how the design has turned out and the maize plants are nice and tall already so its a great year to get lost.”

The Mr. Men Little Miss 50th Anniversary Maze is open for visitors to explore from Saturday, July 17th to Monday, September 6th 2021 when the crop will be harvested.

Visitors will have to navigate the maze of pathways to find the six Mr. Men Little Miss characters hidden in the maze. Find all the characters and you could win a prize. For details of opening times visit www.yorkmaze.co.uk

York Maze celebrates Mr Men Little Miss 50th with world’s largest maize design

York Maze, believed to be the largest maze in Europe, is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the classic British character brand, Mr Men and Little Miss by paying tribute to its cast of personalities by carving out their likeness within its 15 acre expanse.

Covering the area of eight Wembley football pitches, the York Maze design, when viewed from the air, depicts images of the first Mr Men character to be created, Mr Tickle, together with Little Miss Sunshine, Mr Tall, Mr Bump, and the latest character to join the troupe, Little Miss Brave.

Each of the Mr Men characters in the maze are the size of a football pitch, making it a line up of the world’s biggest Mr Men characters on record. The maze features over 5km of pathways in which visitors can lose themselves.

The maze is the creation of farmer, Tom Pearcy who designed the maze to coincide with the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Mr Men and Little Miss brand.

“I grew up with the Mr.Men characters and loved watching the original TV series as a kid. I rediscovered the brand when my children were young and just love the images and storytelling which appeals to all ages,” he said. “We were not able to open last year at all because of Covid so we’re really looking forward to welcoming our visitors back for the first time in nearly two years.

“I’m delighted with how the design has turned out and the maize plants are nice and tall already so its a great year to get lost.”

The Mr. Men Little Miss 50th Anniversary Maze is open for visitors to explore from Saturday, July 17th to Monday, September 6th 2021 when the crop will be harvested.

Visitors will have to navigate the maze of pathways to find the six Mr. Men Little Miss characters hidden in the maze. Find all the characters and you could win a prize. For details of opening times visit www.yorkmaze.co.uk

Mr Men and Little Miss looks to EMEA licensing with industry newcomers Boutique Licensing Agency

The new, EMEA-focused licensing agency, Boutique Licensing Agency, has secured a partnership with Sanrio to represent the licensing rights for the iconic British brand, Mr Men and Little Miss across the region.

Established just this year, Boutique Licensing Agency – or BLA – is a new to the scene agency inspired by ‘a customer-centric approach and new thinking.’ The firm, however, is building on a base of experience and expertise, comprised of major names from across the global toy and entertainment space.

Heading up the BLA outfit is its founders and managing directors, Maria Maranesi and Marie-Noelle Lutte. Maranesi boasts more than 20 years of licensing experience in global organisations, including the role of EMEA regional leader across the full portfolio at Mattel and HIIT brands.

Meanwhile, also a Mattel alumni, Lutte was responsible for driving strategy, market growth, and product innovation in the publishing sector, before going on to lead publishing partnerships for The Walt Disney Company.

The other members of the BLA! team include former senior executives from the toys, publishing, entertainment and licensing sectors, all of whom bring decades of experience to the new venture – along with a network of world-class manufacturing, licensing and retail contacts.

BLA! offers across-the-board brand licensing representation services – from rights management to contract negotiation and retail activation. It also offers licensing and publishing consulting services. Its focus area covers every corner of EMEA – and beyond.

The outfit has also outlined its commitment to being a part of the transformation of licensing to become a more sustainable industry.

Now, as Mr Men and Little Miss celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, BLA will look to bring its experience in toys, publishing, and entertainment to bear on expanding the popular property into new areas beyond its key regional markets of the UK and France.

BLA! will be focusing on the markets of Iberia, GSA, Benelux, Nordic, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, the Baltics, Russia and the CIS for all product categories. The company will also manage Latin American markets for publishing rights only. 

Maranesi said: “Our aim with BLA! was to combine fresh thinking, recognised expertise and a strong network of contacts with a highly adaptable and personalized service – and we’re thrilled to be able to announce such a well-loved brand as our first representation. We’re looking forward enormously to working with Sanrio during a key year for the Mr. Men and Little Miss brand.”

Lutte added: “We are here to bring solutions that address the needs of all parties: brand owners, licensees, retailers and consumers. Building and nurturing strong relationships as a trusted and values-driven partner reinforces everything we do. In addition, the real magic happens when we transform our business opportunities into mutual win-wins.”

Silvia Figini, chief operating officer, Mr. Men – Worldwide, added: “Sanrio is happy to partner with such an innovative and flexible agency. Their attention to cultural diversity and sustainability will definitely be an important asset for our growth in Europe and is consistent with our corporate identity.

“BLA!’s expertise and strong network of contacts make them a great choice for a dynamic company like Sanrio/Mr. Men and we are sure they will support our business development significantly.”

The Royal Mint celebrates 50 years of Mr Men Little Miss with commemorative coin collection

The Royal Mint has launched a commemorative coin collection honouring 50 years of the Mr Men and Little Miss characters, as the half-century celebrations continue to roll out across the UK and worldwide.

The new Mr Men Little Miss commemorative coin collection features Mr Happy, Little Miss Sunshine, and Little Miss Giggles, with Mr Strong on a £5 crown. All three coin designs have been created exclusively by Adam Hargreaves, son of the kids’ books creator, Roger Hargreaves.

The Brilliant Uncirculated edition of the coin features the latest colour printing techniques showcasing the Mr. Men Little Miss characters in vivid colour. The Royal Mint will also be hiding 50 golden Mr Tickle tickets among all three of the colour brilliant uncirculated commemorative coins.

Every customer that finds a gold Mr Tickle ticket will be entitled to a Mr Men and Little Miss prize bundle. 

The partnership was put into place when Clare Maclennan, divisional director of commemorative coin at The Royal Mint spoke with Adam Hargreaves in a zoom call, during which the two discussed the designs and characters, the excitement around Mr. Men Little Miss turning 50, and what steps The Royal Mint takes to produce a coin that celebrates an occasion such as this.

Maclennan, said: “Each year we celebrate British icons, anniversaries and moments from history on commemorative coins, and this is a fun new addition to the collection. With this year marking the 50th anniversary since the Mr. Men Little Miss characters were introduced to the world, it felt right to celebrate the loveable characters on their own commemorative coins. 

“All three coin designs have been designed exclusively by Adam Hargreaves, son of Roger Hargreaves the original creator and illustrator of the Mr. Men Little Miss. I had the pleasure of chatting to Adam in a recent zoom call and it was brilliant to hear his positive feedback on the range.”

Adam Hargreaves, son of Roger Hargreaves, main author and illustrator of Mr. Men and Little Miss and designer of the Mr. Men Little Miss commemorative coin collection, said:It is an absolute honour to not only have the Mr. Men Little Miss characters’ feature on official UK commemorative coins but to have the opportunity to create the designs that feature on the coins too.

“Over the past 50 years Mr. Men Little Miss characters’ have grown to become a global favourite among many and I am delighted to be celebrating 50 years of fun with The Royal Mint and I hope fans of the Mr. Men Little Miss series will be just as thrilled with this commemorative coin collection as I am.”

Created by prolific illustrator Roger Hargreaves in 1971, the Mr. Men Little Miss books and their ever-growing world of ‘Happyland’ have become a global favourite among many. The inspiration came in the form of a simple question: what does a tickle look like? The answer was Mr. Tickle, who is now one of more than 90 characters in an ever-growing collection, read in multiple languages in more than 24 countries around the world.

Today, the Mr. Men Little Miss characters are illustrated by Roger’s son, Adam, captivating a new generation of fans with each passing decade.

The first coin in the series features Mr. Happy and is available as gold and silver Proof editions, as well as a Brilliant Uncirculated edition and a special colour printed Brilliant Uncirculated edition, exclusively available from The Royal Mint.

Visit www.royalmint.com/MrMen to view the full commemorative coin range.  The coin will not be going into general circulation. 

Sanrio and Marks & Spencer launch extensive Mr Men & Little Miss clothing, accessories and bedding range

Sanrio has launched a new collaborative collection of clothing, accessories, and bedding with Marks & Spencer for its iconic Mr Men and Little Miss brand with a range featuring an ensemble cast of Roger Hargreave’s best-loved characters.

The launch arrives as part of the ongoing celebrations of Mr Men and Little Miss’ 50th anniversary and has been designed to evoke nostalgia with parents and inspire imagination in children alike.

Launched on February 4th, the collection feature favourites such as Mr Happy, Little Miss Sunshine and more. With a wide choice of exclusive designs, the range includes daywear, sleepwear, accessories and bedding.

Featuring practical rompers for newborns, joggers and jeans for everyday comfort, printed hoodies, cosy pyjama sets and fun accessories, the collection boasts that ‘there’s something for every kid.’

Favourites from the new range include the Mr Happy ‘Smile Often’ Sweatshirt, Mr Strong ‘Strong and Fearless’ top, and the Mr Men ‘Better Together’ Pyjama Set.