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Fanattik partners with Hasbro to launch Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons gifts and collectables

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The pop culture gifting specialist, Fanattik, has signed a new partnership with Hasbro for its popular Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons franchises.

The team will work with the brands to develop pop culture focused gifts and collectables including money boxes, clocks, gifts, and more.

Both Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons have seen sales surge this past year, operating under the Wizards of the Coast and Digital Gaming segment within Hasbro. The two franchises helped the global entertainment company to robust first quarter sales, contributing to a gaming category that totaled $365.3 million for Q1 2021.

Anthony Marks, MD or Fanattik, said: “Retailers have enjoyed strong sales with TCG related product created by Fanattik over the past two years, and they were asking us to replicate this success with other brands and we listened to them.

“You can’t get much bigger than Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons.”

The two tabletop gaming properties enjoy a fanbase of millions around the globe, with numbers growing and set to continue growing as Hasbro rolls out further product and brand extensions. With an upcoming Magic: The Gathering Netflix series, a live action Dungeons & Dragons film, and a raft of video games featuring both on the horizon, demand for product is tipped to swell.

“With sales related to both of these brands exploding in Europe, we would like to invite gift and toy retailers who are not already talking to Fanattik to contact myself to book a video appointment to learn more about both of these ranges,” said Luiz Ferreira, head of sales, Fanattik.

Ferriera can be contacted via luiz@fanattik.co.uk

Character Group reports “very strong first half year performance” as turnover grows 44 per cent

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The Character Group has reported a “very strong performance” for the half-year ending February, 28 2021 with a turnover increase of 44 per cent to £74.5 million, and underlying pre-tax profit of £6.1m.

The toy firm has attributed the successful first half year trading to the strength of its portfolio of brands, with expectations for growth to continue through the second half of the financial year, and beyond Christmas 2021. The group has seen success in building sales growth momentum across both the international and domestic markets.

Goo Jit Zu is penetrating all major international markets, with distribution already achieved in more than 40 countries. The Character Group’s other major brands (Peppa Pig, Pokémon, Little Live Pets, Shimmer ‘n Sparkle InstaGlam, Stretch Armstrong, Fireman Sam, Scooby Doo) are also exceeding expectations.

In addition, there has been a focus on developing a sustainable, eco-friendly range of products over numerous brands with the new “World of Licensed Wood” range. This now includes a comprehensive selection of figures, vehicles and playsets. Licences within the range currently include Peppa Pig, Disney Princess and Fireman Sam.

There is also an Eco-Plush multi-licensed collection, which is being enthusiastically embraced by the industry and consumers alike.

Meanwhile, a partnership with Moonbug Entertainment has seen the creation of a master toy line for the new pre-school property, My Magic Pet Morphle – a range that will launch later this year.

The statement issued by The Group today ended with an outlook for the second-half of the financial year: “In the shorter term there are challenges, with the underlying delays at ports, shipping shortages and opportunistic pricing on freight rates (all principally fall-out resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic) and mounting pressure on the costs of production in China.

“However, with the substantial increase in Group sales in the first half, we have continued to see a strong performance from sales of our product portfolio in all our territories from the commencement of the second half of the year. This growth is forecast to continue through to and beyond Christmas 2021 and we are on target to deliver the best performance in a calendar year in the Group’s history.

“By working tirelessly and in close partnership with our customers, suppliers and brand owners, our personnel have delivered a seamless, efficient and safe transition from the old to the new “normal”.  Every one of our team members has played a significant role in this achievement and, on behalf of the Board and all the Group’s stakeholders, the Group wishes to express their gratitude to them.”

Non-fiction publisher DK partners with Mrs Wordsmith for series of kids’ learning books

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The illustrated non-fiction global publisher, DK has embarked on a new partnership with the learning company, Mrs Wordsmith with a new series of curriculum-based titles, featuring captivating illustrations and learning materials.

The new collection will launch this August with the aim of making learning fun, engaging, and accessible for kids, with materials based on scientific research and proven teaching methods.

The collection has been designed to improve the reading and writing outcomes of children aged four to 11 by building vocabulary, strengthening reading comprehension and helping with every aspect of the English curriculum, from phonics for early learners to spelling and grammar for years one to six. 

Mark Searle, publishing director, DK Licensing, said: “I am incredibly proud to be partnering with Mrs Wordsmith, the global pioneers of educational vocabulary content; their combination of loveable characters and highly credentialed pedagogy makes this publishing programme truly unique.

“As a parent of school-age children, I know how hard it can be to capture their attention and inspire a love of learning. Working together with Mrs Wordsmith, we can strengthen our mission to make learning fun; this new range of educational books and games is perfect for curious learners of any age.” 

Nick Perrett, CEO, Mrs Wordsmith, added: “Everyone at Mrs Wordsmith is absolutely thrilled to begin this partnership with DK, one of the world’s largest and most respected publishers. I can’t think of anyone better placed to help us inspire kids everywhere to read, write, and create, and to help spread our love of literacy around the world.

“We’re still a young, eager company with lots to learn – and with DK by our side, I’m confident that we’ll be learning from the best.” 

DK will publish all of Mrs Wordsmith’s printed products worldwide and in all languages, with six titles first publishing in the UK in August 2021, including workbooks and original formats, plus a family card game and more to follow in 2022. This new programme will provide a complete offering for English learning.

Adidas and LEGO build on creative partnership to introduce a new ZX 8000 ‘Bricks’ Collection

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Adidas and The LEGO Group have extended their partnership to launch a new ZX 8000 ‘Bricks’ collection of footwear, building on the pairing that previously introduced the landmark A-ZX series.

Bringing the globally renowned Danish toy brand’s signature aesthetics to one of Adidas’ most iconic styles, the collection marks the next stage in a partnership inspired by the two companies’ shared passion for creativity.

The footwear collection plays host to six sneakers, each made up in one of the primary LEGO colors: Red, Green, Yellow, Blue, Black, and Grey. Boasting a classic construction based on the original ZX 8000 material composition, each pair in the collaborative ‘Bricks’ offering features a mesh upper matched with synthetic suede overlays, a ghillie lacing system, and a TPU heel counter which playfully emulates the texture of LEGO bricks.

Accompanying the launch of the collection is a playful campaign which follows the journey of the ZX 8000 silhouette as it is constructed piece by piece by LEGO minifigure engineers.

The Adidas Originals and the LEGO Group ZX 8000 ‘Bricks’ collection arrives on May 7th and is available in adult and junior sizing through adidas.com/LEGO and select retailers.

Nintendo, Sonic, and Disney Princess help Jakks Pacific to “an excellent” Q1 2021

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An “excellent beginning” to 2021 has seen net sales at the international toy maker, Jakks Pacific increase 26 per cent for the first quarter of the year, to $83.8 million compared to the $66.6 million of the same period last year.

The results, the company has been quick to point out, mark the highest year over year first quarter sales growth since Q1 2015, with “significant improvement in sales, gross margin, adjusted net income, and adjusted EBITDA.”

The results, stated Jakks Pacific’s chairman and CEO, Stephen Berman, are reflective of the efforts that the company has made to “broaden its product line, reduce its operating costs, and cut interest expense.”

“During the quarter, we drove double-digit sales increases in all of our toy divisions: Boys, Girls and Seasonal. We saw strong sales of products tied to video games, including Nintendo, Sonic the Hedgehog and Apex: Legends, a near doubling of sales in Disney Princess, solid initial sales of Raya and the Last Dragon, and continued strength in Black & Decker,” said Berman.

“We also registered strong sales of our own brands such as Perfectly Cute and Redo Skateboards. These sales gains easily offset the expected sales decreases we saw in Frozen, Frozen 2, and Fly Wheels.

“We are especially pleased by our continued success in reducing our operating costs, as reflected by our strong increase in gross margin and lower SG&A costs. Looking toward the balance of the year, we expect to continue to benefit from lean retail inventories and lower operating costs.

“Our retail POS trends remain positive, and we have a well-balanced line of new and continuing products planned for the holiday season. As we have for our 27-year history, we will focus on proven play patterns and our partnerships with world-class license partners and highly recognizable brands.

“As 2021 unfolds, we expect to see a return to more normal patterns of shopping, gift-giving and celebrating Halloween. We believe we are set up very well for a year of increased sales, improved EBITDA and a strengthened financial position, which we expect to generate strong momentum and can position us well for 2022 and beyond.”

Net sales for the first quarter 2021 were $83.8 million, up 26 per cent versus $66.6 million last year. The increase was driven primarily by higher sales of products across the firm’s Toys/Consumer Products segment which were up 28 per cent globally.

Net sales of Disguise costumes were essentially flat compared to last year.

Jakks Pacific recently detailed an extension of its partnership with SEGA of America to expand on its already popular toy line based on the hit video game franchise, Sonic the Hedgehog. The firm also recently picked up the North America toy and dress-up rights to the upcoming PAW Patrol: The Movie, across both Jakks Pacific and its costume division, Disguise.

Inspire Me! Home Decor lands long term partnership with MENA retailer Home Centre

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Inspire Me! Home Décor has secured a long-term deal with leading MENA home retailer Home Centre for an extensive line of home décor and home furnishings.

Me! Home Décor, the lifestyle brand founded by the designer, author, entrepreneur, Farah Merhi currently has over 6.2 million global followers, making it the most-followed home décor inspiration page on Instagram. The deal with Home Centre was brokered by Inspire Me! Home Décor’s sub-agent for the MENA region, WildBrain CPLG, in partnership with the brand’s global licensing agent, Thrive Brand Licensing.

Inspire Me! Home Décor’s new collection for Home Centre spans every room of the house and includes bedding, curtains, rugs, dinnerware, serveware, drinkware, decorative accessories, lighting, towels and bath accessories. This introductory collection is now available at Home Centre stores across the MENA region and online, and is part of the retailer’s ‘Ramadan is Better Together’ region-wide campaign, aimed at offering customers finely curated collections that invoke the spirit of celebration.

Farah Merhi said: “I’m very excited to launch my Inspire Me! Home Décor collection with Home Centre in the Middle East, and given my roots, this project is very close to my heart. We share the same vision, which is a gold standard of quality, reliability and honesty.

“Every piece in the collection is timeless, classic and intended to make a statement, whether on its own or styled with other items. I look forward to seeing how consumers and designers incorporate the range into their beautiful homes.”

Neesha Law, commercial director at WildBrain CPLG Middle East, added: “Inspire Me! Home Décor’s latest collection perfectly encapsulates Farah’s comfortable yet glamorous style, with its neutral colours, soft fabrics and exquisite design detail.

“Home Centre holds values that are perfectly aligned with Farah’s philosophy of bringing timeless designs to consumers at an affordable price point, so we knew they would make the ideal partner to bring this incredible range to the MENA market.”

Erin Dippold, president of Thrive Brand Licensing, concluded: “Inspire Me! Home Décor has been an astounding consumer products success in North America. As a Lebanese American, making her products available to the Middle Eastern region has been a priority to Farah since day one.

“Home Centre was the ideal partner for this collaboration given their position as a leading home retailer and their vision as to what Inspire Me! Home Décor for Home Centre could become. We’re thrilled to see that vision realised and look forward to working closely with the Home Centre team to expand the partnership for years to come.”

Spin Master is launching USA Skateboarding licensed Tech Decks as part of new sponsorship campaign

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Spin Master has underscored its ‘commitment to growing and celebrating the skateboarding culture’ on an international scale through its latest Tech Deck partnership, taking up official sponsorship of USA Skateboarding, the country’s national governing body for the sport.

The Tech Deck brand is recognised as a global leader in the fingerboard market, creating working replicas of skateboards that fans of the hobby ‘ride’ by mastering tricks and skills with their fingers. The brand has built a loyal following of skilled fingerboarders and collectors in the US.

Tech Deck has now joined forces with USA Skateboarding as the sport prepares to make its debut at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Games this summer. Tech Deck previously threw its weight behind the National Skateboard Championships here in the UK, where the sport has grown “substantial audience and participant numbers” since the on-set of the pandemic and the inclusion of the sport in the Olympics.

“Tech Deck and USA Skateboarding share a passion for and commitment to growing and celebrating the sport and culture of skateboarding,” said Chris Beardall, Spin Master’s president of toys and chief commercial officer.

“We are thrilled to be starting our sponsorship during such an exciting year as skateboarding debuts at the Olympics and reaches a whole new generation of fans.”

Josh Friedberg, CEO of USA Skateboarding, added: “The heart of skateboarding is fun, and no company embodies that better than Tech Deck. From the day we started our initial discussions, Tech Deck’s commitment to skateboarding culture and their natural fit into our existing initiatives made it clear that we had a great opportunity – we’re incredibly excited to have them as a partner in this historic year for skateboarding.”

Spin Master will be launching official USA Skateboarding Tech Deck fingerboards. With only 10,000 of these exclusive Tech Deck boards being made across three designs, the boards will be given to the USA Skateboarding Team to take to Tokyo in addition to limited quantities that will be available on the USA Skateboarding website and given away on Tech Deck social channels.

The Tech Deck brand will also be celebrating the inaugural year for the sport, activating on the ground in Kasama City, Japan where the US athletes will be stationed just prior to the games.

Later this year, the Tech Deck brand will also be a supporting partner of a skateboarding-focused STEAM curriculum for kids offered through Innoskate – a joint venture between the Smithsonian’s Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation and USA Skateboarding.

Clothing brand and webcomic Zombie Makeout Club taps Reemsborko for global licensing expansion

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The clothing brand and webcomic series, Zombie Makeout Club has tapped Max Arguile and Reemsborko to represent the brand globally across all product categories for merchandising.

The move has been made as Zombie Makeout Club looks to strengthen its licensing presence and build on the success of a portfolio of products that have already been selling well for the company via its online website over the past three years. The appointment of Reemsborko will see the brand cross-over into the bricks and mortar retail space.

In the US, Goodie Two Sleeves is already enjoying strong sales having recently launched at Hot Topic.

Max Arguile of Reemsborko, said: “I am very pleased to secure the rights to Zombie Makeout Club. Horror and animé are experiencing big surges in popularity right now. This style is bang on-trend, as we have seen with licenses like Junji Itô, (the apparel for which is currently on fire in the both the US and Australia and is now coming soon to Europe) so there is definitely scope for ZMC in the market.

“Peter Richardson is an amazing artist with an eye for edgy but commercial designs. This is going to be great.”

Peter Richardson, owner of Zombie Makeout Club, added: “Reemsborko has great in-roads into retail in all territories and solid relationships with key licensees that can deliver. We look forward to the growth and expansion of our brand and are particularly keen for this to be republished as a manga.”

Anderson Entertainment hails first Gerry Anderson Day and international success

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Anderson Entertainment has expressed confidence in the growing interest around its portfolio of sci-fi and adventure themed properties and partnerships, having launched the first ever Gerry Anderson Day to much success across the UK and international space.

With more and more of Gerry Anderson’s classic shows  – including the likes of Thunderbirds and Space: 1999 – appearing on TV and streaming platforms, as well as consistently strong sales across DVD and Blu-Ray and new series launches and audiobooks on the way, the appeal of the Anderson Entertainment line-up “remains as strong as ever.”

The firm is currently celebrating the launch and international success of the first Gerry Anderson Day, an event held on April 14th – the same date as the sci-fi world creator’s birthday – that saw streaming and linear TV services, as well as stars, fans, and media platforms line up to support the man and his creations.

Appropriately enough, it was the classic shows that took centre stage on the day. BritBox, the subscription-based streaming service for great British telly and iconic films, offered its selection of the ten greatest episodes from Gerry Anderson’s 60-year career, along with bespoke introductory content featuring exclusive previously unheard audio from Anderson himself, produced by Anderson Entertainment.

Craig Morris, head of editorial, BritBox UK, said: “It was brilliant to be part of such a special day. I felt that it all fitted together perfectly. We have had a fantastic response to the introductions – and a huge spike in viewing to Gerry Anderson content. We look forward to future collaborations.”

Shout! Factory TV offered a 24-hour feast of some of Gerry Anderson’s masterworks broadcasting to fans across North America, and the Network Distributing streaming service offered a five-hour watch party, while Forces TV offered fans multiple platforms on which to vote for their favourite episode of UFO, which was broadcast on the day.

Adam Hardwick, deputy director TV & Cinemas, BFBS, said: “Forces TV really enjoyed being a part of Gerry Anderson Day and the fan engagement on all platforms was tremendous.”

There was also a Terrahawks listen-along organised by audiobooks producer Big Finish Productions, a long-standing partner of Anderson Entertainment.

Steve Berry, head of marketing and publicity, said: “Big Finish celebrated the excitement and enduring legacy of the worlds of Gerry Anderson and this day was the perfect opportunity for us to reach audiences worldwide with the stories they love.”

Online celebrations were led by a special edition 90-minute livestream edition of FAB Live – the Gerry Anderson video podcast hosted by Richard James and Gerry’s son Jamie Anderson – which welcomed to the 90-minute event writers, designers and fans, plus the two stars of the new Thunderbirds audiobook Thunderbirds: Terror from the Stars, voice actor and impressionist Jon Culshaw, star of Dead Ringers and Spitting Image, and actress Genevieve Gaunt, also known as Pansy Parkinson in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and Wilhelmina ‘Willow’ Moreno Henstridge in the popular soap opera The Royals.

As Jamie Anderson, himself a celebrated writer and producer and MD of Anderson Entertainment, said: “We trended on Twitter – for #GerryAndersonDay and Thunderbirds throughout the day, we had our most concurrent live viewers ever – and we saw quadruple the usual traffic to our sites.”

Radio coverage on both local and national stations, as well as magazine features and newspaper articles complemented online coverage in the run-up to the big day.

Plans are already being made for the 2022 event when broadcasting initiatives can be safely accompanied by live events, special appearances, retail support and new product launches.

Jamie Anderson added: “Dad’s optimism, vision and love of exciting, innovative entertainment have always been at the heart of his appeal and, judging from the response to the first-ever Gerry Anderson Day, that appeal remains as strong as ever. Our aim next year is to build on this success and to make full use of the opportunities for live events and get-togethers we didn’t have first time round. So we’re now raising a glass to the first-ever Gerry Anderson Day – and looking forward to an even bigger event in 2022.”

Crayola partners with Native Shoes to launch bold new range of designs

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Crayola has launched a new collaboration with the footwear brand, Native Shoes, to celebrate a shared creativity through the launch of a range of new designs featuring the bold colours of the arts and crafts brand.

The Jefferson, Jefferson Child, Spencer LX, and Charley sandals have each been reimagined with a bright, abstract scribble print, mimicking the effect of classic Crayola markers. An additional four-scribble print sees the Jefferson Child sandal emblazoned with different colour scribbles on each side.

A range has also been launched for those looking to make a bolder statement, with a vivid ombre block print available in nostalgic shades of Sunny Side Up Yellow, and Navy Niblet Blue applied to the sandals collection.

As with all Native Shoes, the 11 styles in the Crayola collaboration are designed to tread lightly on the planet. Fully recyclable through the Native Shoes Remix Project, the shoes can be shipped back free-of-charge once outgrown, to be transformed into colorful playgrounds for local communities in Native Shoes’ hometown of Vancouver, Canada.

Kyle Housman, CEO of Native Shoes, said: “As a brand, Native Shoes is all about making it easy for all to Live Lightly. We celebrate the happy moments, bold colors and light footprints which make our world a better place. With its bright colors and boundless inspiration, Crayola is a natural partner, and we’re so excited to work with them on this collaboration.”

Warren Schorr, vice president of business development and global licensing, Crayola, added: “Crayola strives to help parents and educators raise creatively-alive kids. We are thrilled to partner with Native Shoes, another mission-driven brand, to inspire kids and adults to step up each day with eye-catching, bold footwear.”