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The Point. 1888 secures 12 EMEA sub-agents for Moonbug Entertainment’s preschool portfolio

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Moonbug Entertainment has set a course for global expansion, having signed with 12 sub-agents across the EMEA region for a number of its popular preschool properties. The string of sub-agent partnerships was secured by the firm’s master licensing agency, The Point. 1888.

The sweep of new licensing agents is just the latest move for Moonbug Entertainment who continues to bolster its presence on the international licensing scene. The firm has already secured a number of licensee partners for its brands Blippi, CoComelon, and My Magic Pet Morphle, courtesy of The Point. 1888.

The brand extension specialist was appointed last summer as the master licensing agency across EMEA for Moonbug. Since coming on board, The Point.1888 has sought to leverage the shows’ popularity with children by bringing the brand closer to its audience across a broad range of categories, including clothing, puzzles, arts & crafts, games, outdoor to name just a few.

The Point.1888 has also now secured a wealth of sub-agents to  help it deliver its licensing plans across EMEA. These include the German brand licensing expert, The Brand Residence, in Germany, Austria and Sweden; the award winning Spanish agent, El Ocho, in Iberia; the leading agent for the Italian market, The Evolution of Licensing, and Spacetoons, one of the largest and most successful kids entertainment conglomerates in the Middle East.

Further partners include LDI in Israel LDI in Turkey and Cyprus, ELC to cover Eastern Europe, Brand4rent in Russia, CLM in South Africa, License Connection for the Benelux region, Ferly in the Nordics, and Brand Energy – headed up by Benoir Roque and Alex Ardant – will be covering France.

So far, all sub-agents are in discussion with prospective licensees in their territories and a number of agreements are now in place. Jazwares and Bandai are working with the sub agents and The Point.1888 on the master toy launch of CoComelon and Blippi across EMEA this year, following a strong 2020 launch in the UK.

Character Options is planning for the launch of its master toy range for My Magic Pet Morphle this Autumn.

Bethan Garton, commercial director at The Point.1888, said: “Every agent we’ve signed really understands the new digital world that kids live in and that properties on YouTube, Netflix, Amazon and others can have just as successful a launch at retail as those on a traditional broadcaster, if not more so.

“Our agents will all act as ambassadors of Moonbug and The Point.1888 in their region and so a retail approach is key. They will be working with and educating retailers across EMEA on the strength of digital content brands.”

Jo Galpin, international licensing manager at Moonbug, added: “The success that we’ve seen so far has been phenomenal and allows families across the globe to connect with their favourite Moonbug characters. The Point.1888 have been excellent partners and we look forward to what each sub-agent will bring to their region.”

Coolabi’s Clangers lands on ten VOD channels across China in Fantawild partnership

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Coolabi’s award-winning preschool series, Clangers, is building its international presence having secured a major new broadcast partnership with the Chinese animation leader, Fantawild. Under the deal, the series will now be made available across all of China’s major VOD channels, including iQiyi, Tencent Video, and Youku.

The series will also be accessible on platforms such as the mobile video service NewTV, and the world’s largest IPTV operator, BEstTV. Other Chinese VOD platforms include GITV, Sino Media, and Prosee.

A total of 78 episodes from series one and two of the award-winning stop motion animation are being uploaded across 19 days, following the launch on May 15th. New episodes will air daily leading up to Children’s Day on June 1st this year. With an estimated potential audience of 700 million people across China, the show will be promoted across all of the platforms, with a supporting promotional push on social media platforms WeChat, Weibo and TikTok.

Coolabi began its partnership with Fantawild back in 2019, since which Fantawild has also engaged with a number of key licensees to introduce Clangers products to the Chinese market throughout the year.

Coolabi Group CEO, Jeremy Banks said: “We are delighted that Fantawild has been successful in placing Clangers across all of the major VOD channels in China, and look forward to introducing our lovable ‘space mice family’ to children across China following the launch on 15th May.”

Fantawild Animation Inc. is recognised as the most influential animation studio in China, specialising in the whole industrial chain from creation and production to global marketing, it has created China’s most popular cartoon Boonie Bears, and its merchandise sales reach over $467 million.

Daisy Shang, executive president of Fantawild Holdings Inc, said: “After Clangers’ long-running success in the UK and wide distribution in other parts of the world, we are very excited to share this beloved brand with Chinese audiences. Welcome to the Fantawild family and welcome to China.”

Ben Li, Deputy General Manager of Fantawild Animation Inc, said: “We are so grateful to now officially have Clangers as part of our team. The launch day on the 15th May was such an exciting moment for us. We can’t wait to see more and more of our audience grow to love Clangers as much as we do here at Fantawild.”

Coolabi Group is an independent international media group and rights owner specialising in the creation, development and brand management of high quality children’s and family intellectual property rights. The company owns the rights to over 200 book series and 20 TV series. Its shows have aired in more than 140 territories on channels including ABC, Cartoon Network, CBeebies, CBBC, Disney, Netflix, and Nickelodeon.

Brand Alliance welcomes LIFE to portfolio of global brands in Bulldog partnership

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Brand Alliance is to launch a range of adult apparel based on the LIFE brand thanks to a new partnership with the European agency, Bulldog Licensing.

A creative fashion-focused designer and manufacturer, Brand Alliance boasts more than 20 years’ experience in apparel. The deal will see the team launch a range of day wear and night wear based in the LIFE brand, tapping into its network of key retailers.

The LIFE brand combines the iconic LIFE logo – made famous by the eponymous magazine – with pictures from the brand’s extensive photographic library. LIFE magazine photojournalists captured some of the 20th century’s most defining events, historic figures, and nature, making up an enormous 10 million images. 

With such a vast resource available for licensing, the LIFE collection has enjoyed a key presence across UK fashion retailers with strong sales in the categories of greetings cards, calendars and wall art, as well.

It now joins a roster of major brand names to have partnered with Brand Alliance, who portfolio includes the likes of Coca Cola, VW, Polaroid, UFC, Jeep, and more. 

Rob Corney, MD, Bulldog Licensing, said: “Brand Alliance is a perfect fit for LIFE, its fashion forward, high quality ranges have a great synergy with the brand, and we’re looking forward to seeing the first designs.

“The LIFE brand offers a wealth of material for licensing partners, giving them a free rein with creative direction, while also offering immediate recognition with consumers throughout Europe.”

The Gruffalo returns to England’s forests with launch of second AR Gruffalo Spotter app

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The Gruffalo is returning to the deep, dark wood thanks to the latest partnership between Forestry England, Magic Light Pictures, and Nexus Studios and the launch of The Gruffalo Spotter 2 app.

Building on the BAFTA nominated original, the new app brings the characters of The Gruffalo to life in the forest, as families will be able to follow a trail and learn about each one in turn. The augmented reality app mixes the animated characters with the real world environment and is developed to encourage kids to explore their surroundings.

Responding to instructions such as waving, stomping, flying, dancing and roaring, visitors will trigger the AR characters to come to life and interact with them. Through cutting-edge face and body recognition technology, the characters now look at the children directly, encouraging them to play along. These moments can even be recorded and saved to mobile devices for families to revisit and share later via the #GruffaloSpotters hashtag.

Gruffalo Spotter 2 has been designed for exclusive use at up to 24 of the nation’s forests across England where visitors of all ages can join the adventure and spot favourite characters along the way. The self-led trail features facts about forest animals with fun activities to complete including rubbings and interactive activities on some of the panels.

Bridgette Hall, recreation manager for Forestry England, said: “This is such an exciting development and will deliver a completely different forest experience for our visitors. The Gruffalo is a much-loved story and to be able to once again bring the characters to life in their natural setting is fantastic. We’re thrilled to be bringing the two worlds of technology and nature together again with this new app.”

Barney Goodland, producer at Magic Light Pictures, added: “Following the runaway success of the first Spotter app we’re delighted to be bringing The Gruffalo back to the forest for 2021. We’re always looking to further children’s enjoyment of The Gruffalo and this is an innovative way to incorporate new technology with a real-world experience.

“Working with Forestry England and Nexus Studios has been a real joy and it’s exciting to now be sharing Gruffalo Spotters 2 with families. Most importantly for us the app is completely free, which means that it’s there for everyone to enjoy.”

The Gruffalo Spotter 2 app, which has been developed and animated by Nexus Studios, is available for free with no in-app purchases from the App Store and Google Play and requires downloading before your visit. A Gruffalo Spotters trail pack will be available to buy on site which includes an activity leaflet full of fun facts and activities, Gruffalo Mask and paws, a nature spotters game, stickers as well as a crayon and pencil.

Colin Davis, executive producer, interactive arts, at Nexus Studios, said: “The team at Nexus Studios are massive fans of The Gruffalo and were really excited to be able to bring the iconic characters to life in the forest through the magic of Augmented Reality.

“Working with Magic Light Pictures and the Forestry England has been a fantastic collaboration on many levels, from new technical innovation in AR and real time 3D characters, to creating an experience that works outside in all weathers and for all ages. The creative challenges have always been enjoyable and we can’t wait to see children (and their grown-ups!) playing it.”

The Gruffalo Spotters trail and Gruffalo Spotter 2 app will be live until winter 2021.

Games Workshop to give all staff £5000 share bonus amid another strong year of sales

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A boost in the hobby and hobby gaming sector over the past year and throughout the pandemic has led to another set of record results for the UK’s miniatures and tabletop gaming specialist, Games Workshop, who is set to hand £12 million worth of share bonuses to staff following the success of its current financial year.

The share bonuses will be paid on an equal basis to each member of staff, handing each around £5,000. It’s a significant increase on the bonus received by staff members in the previous year, when the UK firm paid profit share bonuses amounting to £2 million.

Games Workshop has detailed particularly strong sales in its current financial year, one that it expects will end at no less than £350 million in the year to May 30th 2021. This marks a leap of some £80 million on the year prior, fueled in large by increase demand and engagement with the hobby scene over the course of the pandemic, as well as an evolving and growing licensing arm now spanning some of the biggest entertainment franchises globally.

The hobby specialist is also expecting its full year pre-tax profit to come in at not less than £150 million, up from £89 million in the prior 12-month period. This will includes royalties receivable from licensing which are estimated to be around £15 million.

The Retail Bulletin reports that, when announcing the company’s half year results back in January, Games Workshop chief executive Kevin Rountree said the business had put in a “cracking” performance with sales rising to £186.8 million in the six months 29 November compared to £148.4 million in the corresponding period in the previous year.

In addition to its Games Workshop  website, the company operates the Warhammer chain of stores across the UK.

Macmillan Children’s Books lands LEGO City publishing partnership with Ameet

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Macmillan Children’s Books has landed a new publishing partnership with AMEET Publishing and the global toy brand, LEGO, to launch a series of LEGO illustrated novelty board books for preschoolers.

The global deal will span all languages and was completed by Nicole Pearson, publishing director, brand and media, at Macmillan Children’s Books alongside Dan Shepherd, international sales and marketing director at AMEET.

The books will be based on the popular LEGO City brand and will tap into preschool topics such as Fire Station and Building Site, and will feature specially commissioned artwork. The series will launch in August this year with two titles in Macmillan Children’s Books’ Busy Book format. These will be followed by a seasonal Christmas title.

Macmillan’s best-selling Busy Book format sells all around the world and its popular push, pull and slide mechanisms allow young children to interact with the book in a fun and rewarding way. The books will promote the LEGO themes and values, encouraging imagination and creativity among children.

Pearson commented: “The LEGO Group is known and loved by children and parents the world over and we are delighted to be  working in partnership with AMEET on this series of LEGO novelty board books for pre-schoolers which  are sure to captivate young children.”

Stephanie Barton, publisher, preschool, brands and media at Macmillan Children’s Books said: “The LEGO Group’s values of imagination, creativity and quality are closely aligned to those of Macmillan and we are thrilled to be working with this world-class brand as part of our developing media strategy.”

AMEET’ s Shepherd, concluded: “AMEET is LEGO Publishing’s strategic partner for the LEGO Books imprint. We are delighted to partner with Macmillan  Children’s Books to publish LEGO Books in the Busy Books format with novelty elements and stories that encourage young readers to interact with the book, these titles fit perfectly into our Playful Reading  programme that promotes creativity, imagination, and play.”

Space Jam: A New Legacy unveils gigantic licensing plans and ‘largest Looney Tunes merch line-up in decades’

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Hasbro, Mattel, and Upper Deck have joined am all-star line up of licensing partners for Warner Bros. upcoming theatrical release of Space Jam: A New Legacy, with plans for toys, collectables, and games to roll out all year long.

The global toy and entertainment companies join master toy partner Moose Toys who earlier this month released its full line up of toys, play-sets, plush, and figures based on the Space Jam title, a reboot of the hit 90s film this time starring LeBron James.

A full line-up of licensing partners around this year’s blockbuster film was unveiled late last week, spanning the toys, collectables, and games aisles, as well as fashion, food and drink, accessories, sporting goods, publishing, pet products and more. The licensing portfolio for this year’s release has taken on a global scale.

In the toy space, master toy partner Moose Toys us joined by Funko, who will be releasing its Space Jam: A New Legacy assortment including nine Pop! figures, five Pop! key chains, 12 Mystery minis and a Space Jam: A New Legacy Funkoverse board game.

Collectors will be able to get their hands on three exclusives – a ten-inch LeBron James Jumbo Pop! and flocked Tasmanian Devil, a LeBron James variant Funko Pop! available via Amazon, and a Porky Pig landing on Funko.com soon.

This year’s licensing line-up marks the largest Looney Tunes merchandise collection to be rolled out by Warner Bros Consumer Products ‘in decades.’ Further collaborations include partnerships with brands such as Nike, Vilebrequin, Spalding, the Cotton On Group, and LeBron James’ own athlete empowerment brand, Uninterrupted.

It all lands ahead of the film’s release on July 16th this year.

“The original ‘Space Jam’ was a cultural phenomenon when it debuted in 1996, so it’s no surprise that premier partners around the world are inspired by ‘Space Jam: A New Legacy’ and excited to bring a new collection to a new generation of fans,” said Robert Oberschelp, senior vice president of franchise management and marketing for Warner Bros. Consumer Products.

“We are excited to collaborate with such elite brands to deliver a robust lineup of merchandise that unites the singular style of LeBron James with the iconic fun of the Looney Tunes characters.”

Nike Inc. will release a “Space Jam: A New Legacy” collection globally featuring LeBron James and favorite Tune Squad characters including Bugs Bunny, Lola Bunny and the Goons, Vilebrequin will launch “Space Jam: A New Legacy” swimwear and leisurewear, while the Cotton On Group is releasing new products globally including men’s and children’s apparel, along with stationery, mugs and phone accessories.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg for the licensing plans for this year.

The latest iteration of The Carousel @ Bloomingdale’s, the retailer’s rotating pop-up shop, will celebrate “Space Jam: A New Legacy” with a unique curation for the family, offering court-inspired fashion to playful outdoor entertaining finds to gifts that enhance the at-home streaming experience.

It will open next month at Bloomingdale’s 59th Street flagship in New York City, select stores nationwide and Bloomingdales.com.

 Space Jam in fashion

 Warner Bros Consumer Product’s “Space Jam: A New Legacy”-inspired fashion collections offer something for everyone with global collections from Nike Inc. and Vilebrequin; stylish plus-size apparel at Torrid; streetwear fashions from Tommy Hilfiger, Bait, Madhappy, Diamond Supply, and NTWRK x UNKNWN; and additional fashion forward lines from Members Only, Forever 21, MeUndies, PSD, Bleacher Report, Rue21 from Hybrid, and Freeze and Pac Sun from Bioworld in the mix.

Capsule collections will also launch from Junk Food Clothing, Pottery Barn Teen and Cakeworthy. Playing with style will be a slam dunk when wearing “Space Jam: A New Legacy” Gamer Jersey, hat, hoodie and t-shirt,all available on Uninterrupted.

There’s  something for every child from infant to tween with cool kids’ fashions from the Gap, Haus of JR, and Outerstuff.

In EMEA, fashion partners include H&M (Worldwide), Primark (US and Europe), Fanatics, Snipes (Europe), LPP (Europe, Middle East), with more to be announced.

In the Asia Pacific region, A Bathing Ape, Carnival, and Freak’s Store are just a few of the partners providing “Space Jam: A New Legacy”-inspired fashions and footwear, plus a limited edition footwear and hat collection are available only in Japan from Converse Japan.

In Australia and New Zealand, EB Games will offer adult tees, headwear, accessories and stationery – everything from drink bottles and backpacks to keychains and totes. Best & Less will welcome “Space Jam: A New Legacy” to Australia with a new range that includes sleepwear and outerwear for the whole family.

In Latin America, designs will launch from Cuidado con el Perro, Paris, Ruz, Centauro, Colecao and more. In Mexico, there will be Cuidado con el Perro t-shirts, Ruz plush and costumes, and novelty board games. In Chile, Colombia and Peru, Paris, Stilotex and Ripley will give fans access to incredible “Space Jam: A New Legacy” inspired products.

In Brazil, fashion and toys will be available from partners such as Grendene, BandUp!, Piticas, Renner, Marisa, Cartel 011, Acuo, Iron Studios, Riachuelo, Grow, and Jandaia, among others, and Rasip will offer new “Space Jam: A New Legacy”-inspired food. An exclusive “Space Jam: A New Legacy” fashion collection with designer Alexandre Herchcovitch under his brand ÁLG will be revealed soon.

On your feet

Come on and slam with Nike Inc.’s Space Jam collections. Fans can buy and wear the same basketball shoes “King James” wears in the film. With youth and adult styles featuring Wile. E. Coyote, Lola Bunny, Bugs Bunny and the rest of the squad, the whole family can “Jam” out and dress up in Nike’s Space Jam collection, which also includes jerseys, tanks, hoodies, jackets, socks and backpacks.

Converse will launch new graphic Looney Tunes sneakers in adult and youth sizes, featuring classic Looney Tunes designs and animation themes, while Crocs will unveil “Space Jam: A New Legacy” slide-ons.

In the accessories space, partners such as Sprayground, Danielle Nicole, Loungefly, Accessory Innovations and Fast Forwardwill capture the on-court action of favorite Tunes on backpacks, court bags and more.

Fossil will release its exclusive Space Jam by Fossil capsule collection, featuring collectible accessories and a limited-edition box set jam-packed with beloved Tune Squad characters on July 7. Starring characters such as Bugs and Lola, the collaboration includes three collections with limited-edition watches, backpacks, small leather goods and more.

Check out digital watch faces and bands Mobyfox, a limited edition collection of watches by Undone, and more styles for the entire squad from Accutime. Whimsical bracelets from Alex and Ani put the Tune Squad on your wrist.

Caps, beanies, and other headwear will arrive courtesy of Junk Brands, Love Your Melon, Mitchell & Ness and New Era, while socks and hosiery will launch courtesy of Stance, Hypnotic Hats, Highpoint, Berkshire, and Rock Em’ Socks.

Sporting the Goods

Spalding, the largest basketball equipment supplier in the world, will continue its legacy of playing an integral role in growing basketball and culture by releasing a new merchandise line inspired by the family film. Spalding will release exclusive hoops and balls and other limited-edition merchandise, hitting U.S. and international retailers, Spalding.com and the Spalding App this June.

Meanwhile, in Home Goods, Franco will introduce movie-themed bedding with blankets, throws, comforters and more, while Hallmark, GeekiTikis and more will bring the Looney Tunes Squad to the kitchen and beyond.

General Mills, Kraft Heinz, McDonald’s, Ferrara Candy Company and more premier food and beverage partners will also join the roster, while in per products, BarkBox will will provide themed chew toys and plush squeak toys for animals.

The licensing roster is complete with more than 20 published titles, spanning movie tie-ins, readers, books and activity books from Penguin Random House, as well as colouring and activity books from Bendon, and fun novelty book formats from Phidal.

Finally, DC Publishing will launch a graphic novel adaptation of the animated/live action movie, written by Ivan Cohen (The Batman and Scooby-Doo Mysteries) alongside an all-star line up of artists. On sale 6/29 for $12.99. Available at major book retailers and participating comic book stores. Also available on Apple books and Amazon.

ARTiSTORY teams with Brand Licensing Studios to build retail and partner base across Italy

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Brand Licensing Studio is the latest sales agent to join ARTiSTORY’s growing European team in a partnership that will see the European outfit focus on securing retail and brand partners in Italy.

Brand Licensing Studio will look for partnerships to feature designs from ARTiSTORYs’ biannually refreshed creative themes across its growing portfolio of art and cultural IP.

Italy is home to the largest number of luxury brands in the world, many of which are looking to expand their presence internationally and appeal to new audiences.  ARTiSTORY is creating designs to appeal to these consumers and content to engage them.

Established in 2018, Brand licensing Studio is a boutique licensing agency specialising in creating brand extensions and merchandising programmes for artists, design brands and iconic retro characters (like Astro Boy). 

Natasha Dyson, co-founder and licensing director, at ARTiSTORY, said: “Having spent 13 years working as a brand and licensing consultant, working for well know companies in Italy, Ambra is well connected and experienced in the key categories we will be developing in Italy across both retail and brands. We’re very happy to have Ambra join the team and excited to work togther to develop long-term partnerships in Italy.” 

Ambra Farioli, managing director at Brand Licensing Studio, said: “When Natasha invited me to join the amazing team of ARTiSTORY, I really felt honored.

“I have been working with several art IPs and I can say it is a growing trend, especially for the luxury industry. However, there are some difficulties in working with art pieces which ARTiSTORY overcomes as they have been able to perfectly translate artefacts for licensing. I am really looking forward to starting work with these IPs across multiple categories.”

Bulldog Licensing secures Roy Lowe & Sons socks deal for Care Bears

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The European agency, Bulldog Licensing has signed a new deal with the licensed socks expert, Roy Lowe & Sons for the launch of a new line of Care Bears socks based on the loveable characters from Care-A-Lot, for both adults and children.

Spanning the generations, the range will tap into not only the older audience who grew up watching the much-loved property, but children who are now being introduced to the brand through its new toys line, TV series, and popular Care Bears: Unlock the Mysteries music videos.

Launched in 1982, the Care Bears are now nearing their 40th anniversary. The  theme of the property has remained popular and the Care Bears: Unlock the Magic television series currently airs weekly in the UK on Pop and Tiny Pop. 

Roy Lowe & Sons has been creating licensed and unlicensed quality socks since 1996. The company boasts an array of licences, including blockbuster movies, children’s entertainment brands, lifestyle properties, sports licences, and more. 

“Care bears offers the adult side of our customer base a fresh, nostalgic feel with a real throwback brand, whilst also appealing to kids. It fits in perfectly from the fashion end, to the more novelty side of socks. Working with the Bulldog and Care Bears’ teams has been a pleasure and we can’t wait to bring these new concepts to people’s feet,” said Ben Lowe, account manager at Roy Lowe. 

Rob Corney, MD, Bulldog Licensing, added: “We are really excited to be working with the team at Roy Lowe who are developing lovely designs to appeal to Care Bears fans of all ages. Care Bears continues to be a much-loved brand and consumer appetite for heritage properties is at an all-time high at the moment, so it’s great to get some new Care Bears’ products into their hands.”

Roy Lowe & Sons are also set to include Care Bears in their Roy’s Boys cosys and matching adult and kids cosy socks launching late 2021.

TOMY puts new Ricky Zoom toys into gear as kids’ series makes second season debut in the UK

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TOMY is preparing to launch its follow up master range of Ricky Zoom toys this year, as the popular preschool series revs itself up for its second season debut here in the UK.

First launched in July 2020 during what has been a challenging period for retail, Ricky Zoom toys have made a solid start and are set to launch more new lines throughout 2021. These include TOMY’s unique Wind & Launch assortment, a wheel launcher that will send Ricky’s red bike racing.

The launch will follow on from the top selling success of last year’s Speed & Stunt Ricky Zoom play-set, the third best-selling Ricky Zoom item overall at retail, and is already tipped to ‘be equally as popular.’

Fresh hype around the TOMY master toy line is expected to coincide with the second season debut in the UK of the CGI animation, as Hasbro and its global entertainment studio, Entertainment One, rev up for its launch on Nick Jr and Channel 5’s multi-platform preschool brand, Milkshake!

The CGI animated series follows Ricky, a speed loving little red rescue bike who enjoys to zoom around Wheelford. The show has already enjoyed a ‘strong success in the UK’ among its preschool audiences, while the brand has picked up a number of licensing partners lead by TOMY master toy range.

“We are thrilled to bring Ricky Zoom back to the number one channel for preschoolers in the UK with Milkshake! and Nick Jr.” said eOne’s Monica Candiani, EVP, content sales, family and brands.

“The show has had such strong success in the UK among young viewers, allowing us to secure a number of licensing partners across a variety of categories. We can’t wait for audiences to watch season two, which I am sure will deliver even more exciting all-bike adventures in the colourful world of Wheelford.”

Louise Bucknole, VP programming kids, ViacomCBS Network UK and Ireland, added: “We’re delighted to be welcoming back Ricky Zoom and his two-wheeled friends on Nick Jr. in June and and Milkshake! later in the year in the UK.

“It’s a fun and playful show which is a favourite among preschoolers, and we look forward to sharing their new adventures with our young viewers.”

Joining master toy partner TOMY on the growing licensee list is the likes of Penguin (story, activity, novelty books); Redan (magazines); Character World (bedding); MV Sports (wheeled toys); Ravensburger (puzzles and games); Cooneen (nightwear & socks); Blues (daywear); and Drew Pearson (accessories).

The supermarket giants have added Ricky Zoom into their preschool aisle following strong performance of the FSDU programme last Autumn/Winter. Other forthcoming toy highlights include the new interactive Maxwell’s Transforming Trailer Playset, which can be renovated into a mobile repair station and comes complete with both Maxwell and Ricky bikes.

Further product ranges from other licensees will roll out gradually throughout the year, bringing broader distribution.

Marketing activity has also been buoyant, with Ricky proving popular among parent influencers. A Dadsnet campaign to support Smyth’s Toys launch of the Speed & Stunt Play-set reached almost 408,000 via influencers and 558,000 via paid media, while a Ricky takeover on UKMums.TV hit almost 622,000 impressions, with a blogger reach of almost 296,000 and the site’s associated Twitter Frenzy reaching almost 392,000 unique accounts.