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Baby Shark swims into your breakfast cereal thanks to latest Kellogg’s partnership

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Not content with getting stuck firmly in your head, Baby Shark could be swimming in your breakfast bowl thanks to a new partnership between ViacomCBS Consumer Products UK and Kellogg’s for the launch of the Baby Shark Multigrain Cereal.

The partnership marks the first deal between the two in the UK and Irish markets for the popular pre-school property, Baby Shark’s Big Show. The multigrain breakfast cereal – with no artificial flavours or colours, and presumably no real sharks – is now available across Tesco, Sainsburys, Asda, and Aldi.

Pinkfong’s Baby Shark, now an established brand, has experienced instant success across multiple touch points, including UK retail aisles. Through a partnership with SmartStudy, the global entertainment company behind the beloved children’s brand, Pinkfong, ViacomCBS Consumer Products has been managing licensing globally outside of Asia since October 2019.

“Baby Shark has proven itself to be both a YouTube phenomenon and an IP that translates into award winning toys and consumer products programs. We’re thrilled to be entering into this new deal with Kellogg’s which is the first of many in the food and beverages category,” said Venetia Davie, vice president, ViacomCBS Consumer Products UK & Ireland.

Olga Kondratyeva, brand manager at Kellogg’s, added: “We are delighted to be working with ViacomCBS on the exciting launch of Baby Shark Multigrain Cereal. We know Baby Shark is a catchy tune that has captured the hearts of many families and we hope our new cereal will do the same.”

Baby Shark launched on YouTube in November 2015 and took the world by storm, amassing 7.7 billion views and becoming the most-watched video in the platform’s history. With music, characters, story and dance all combined, the song  has been recognised as the only diamond awarded children’s single in the Recording Industry Association of America(RIAA) Gold & Platinum Program history and spawned a viral phenomenon #BabySharkChallenge, generating over one million cover videos around the globe.

In the UK, its TV animated series ‘Baby Shark’s Big Show!’ will be released on Nick Jr. later this year.

Mattel moves into Berlin’s Potsdamer Platz with family entertainment venue Mission: Play

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Mattel has moved into Berlin’s Potsdamer Platz to open its first European entertainment experience, Mission: Play, a 4,000 square meter family entertainment centre in the middle of the capital’s tourist sector.

The toy brand’s latest enterprise will arrive as part of the redevelopment plans of the Arkaden shopping centre as it looks to bring in around 90 new shops, restaurants, and major names in sport and entertainment.

The new Mattel venue will house themed areas for Barbie, Hot Wheels, and Mega Bloks, and will boast an array of physical and digital play experiences, as well as edutainment, events, and experiential retail.

The site will be developed by iP2Development and operated by Planet Leisure Germany.

Roger Houben, CEO at the Amsterdam-based iP2Development, said: “Lifestyle malls such as Potsdamer Platz have a need for a diversified offering of entertainment where we aim at the high end of the offering. Our partnership with Mattel reimagines the indoor entertainment centre experience and the gamification system will be delivering all the fun challenging elements found in games to drive customer engagement and repeat visitation.

“We are creating a meaningful community for the children where they will learn by having fun, all the playful activities heighten creativity, boost critical thinking and improve collaborative and communicative skills.”

Mattel and Nickelodeon partner for Monster High TV series and TV movie musical

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Mattel and Nickelodeon have drawn up plans to produce a new animated series and live-action television movie musical based on the popular toy franchise, Monster High – a brand centered on the children of some of pop culture’s most notorious monsters.

The new series will follow the story of Clawdeen Wolf, Draculaura, and Frankie Stein as they navigate high school in the hallowed halls of Monster High. The series will be available globally across Nickelodeon platforms with a scheduled premiere date of 2022.

Similarly, the movie musical event, which marks the first time Monster High will be brought to life in live action, will be available on Nickelodeon platforms globally next year.

“Monster High’s strong message of inclusivity is more relevant than ever,” said Fred Soulie, general manager, Mattel Television. “Nickelodeon shares our passion for the brand and its purpose having worked on the franchise when it first launched more than a decade ago. They are the ideal partners to bring these beloved characters and their stories to life through episodic television and the live-action television movie.”

Ramsey Naito, president of Nickelodeon Animation, added: “These classic monsters have always captured kids’ imaginations and we are so excited and proud to welcome Monster High to our brand for a new generation of kids.

“We have terrific partners on board at Mattel to create original content in different formats, and, with the expertise of the Nick creative team helmed by Claudia Spinelli on the animation development side, and Zack Olin and Shauna Phelan on the live-action side, we can’t wait to showcase the comedy and adventure of these characters as they defy expectations and take on the world.”

Adam Bonnet, executive producer, Mattel Television, said: “We could not be more excited to work with Ramsey, Claudia, Zack, Shauna, our writers and the entire Nickelodeon animation and live-action teams to introduce Monster High to a new audience.

“This property has always resonated deeply with fans and our reimagination of the franchise will focus on addressing important themes of identity and empowerment for kids today.”

The Monster High series and movie musical event join other Mattel Television content in production, including series and specials based on Barbie, Masters of the Universe, Thomas & Friends, Polly Pocket and Fireman Sam, to name a few.

The forthcoming Monster High series and movie underscore a key element of Nickelodeon’s content strategy, to build and expand the worlds of enormously popular franchises such as Star Trek, SpongeBob SquarePants, Henry Danger, Big Nate and Real Pigeons Fight Crime among others, to give audiences more of what they love.

Production on the Monster High animated TV series is overseen for Nickelodeon by Claudia Spinelli, senior vice president, Animation Development. Shea Fontana (Polly Pocket, DC Super Hero Girls) is serving as the showrunner. Jenny Jaffe (Big Hero 6: The Series, Rugrats) and the writing team of Greg Erb and Jason Oremland (Princess and the Frog, Playmobil: The Movie) have been tapped to write the Monster High live-action television movie.

Monster High was first introduced in 2010 with a global fan base embracing its message of inclusivity. Beginning in 2022, Mattel will be refueling the franchise and introducing Monster High to a whole new generation of kids.

Opinion | Toon-age day stream: How Disney+ is about to change toy licensing for good

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It almost seemed by design that Disney’s subscription based streaming platform, Disney+ launched just as the Coronavirus pandemic began to tighten its grip on the UK and force the world’s population inside and away from the entertainment venues of yesteryear. And in just a short space of time, its impact on the wider world around has begun to be recognised.

Kids Brands Insights’ Steve Reece takes a closer look at the Disney+ platform and the moves already being made that will overhaul the nature of toy licensing, indefinitely.

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Netflix has vastly changed the world of what was once simply called ‘television’. The content proliferation process which has been ongoing for the last decade or more is accelerating, as lockdowns around the world have vastly increased viewing. In response Netflix is producing more and more entertainment content. But aside from the occasional freak occurrence like The Queens Gambit which saw Chess set sales soar, we haven’t seen that great an impact on toy merchandising.

Disney+ of course changes all of that, because whereas Netflix is full of content for adults with adult themes and is not focused purely on a family entertainment audience, Disney+ is all about family entertainment.

“Even coming out of lockdown, viewing is likely to remain high versus historical levels because human behaviour is habitual.”

Those who questioned whether this type of video on demand could drive merchandise sales soon got their question answered by the success of The Mandalorian. Logically though, if tens of millions of people subscribe to a service, then each piece of content must be averaging millions of views. When you compare that with cable/satellite TV which back in the old days were just about enough to drive some degree of licensed product sales, then it becomes clear that Disney+ heralds a bright new era for licensed toys.

The other effect that has been underestimated is the degree of immersion/obsession which an entertainment franchise creates. There are brands which lots of people like, and there are brands which some people become deeply obsessed with. The depth of content on offer via VOD platforms, the drip feed of the next instalment/series and the binge-watching habits of locked down people lead to a deeper immersion and bond with content brands, which in turn should drive toy sales.

Even coming out of lockdown, viewing is likely to remain high versus historical levels because human behaviour is habitual and the habits of binge-watching huge amounts of content has become deeply ingrained.

The other effect of VOD platforms is to smooth out the long tail after the content first releases. For sure, major headline content releases will drive big initial viewing, but many people don’t buy in, either because they are still too busy watching other series or because they don’t believe the hype yet. This long tail offers a longer-term payback than the traditional blockbuster movie with two sales spikes around cinematic release, and secondary release to DVD or previously to less content abundant VOD platforms.

The other key factor here is scale. At the time of writing, Disney+ reportedly has more than 95m subscribers around the world. Disney forecast more than 200m within the next year or two, but the potential could be much higher, so the effect of this platform is only going to increase.

Every so often something comes along with marks a fundamental shift in the toy business, Disney+ heralds a new age of toy licensing, it’s that big a thing.

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Steve Reece is the founder of the toy expert consultancy, Kids Brand Insight, leaders in supplying services to the toys and kids entertainment industries.

Terra Virtua lands digital collectables deal with Warner Bros for Godzilla vs Kong

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A pioneer of the immersive collectables platform, Terra Virtua, has landed a new licensing agreement with Legendary Entertainment to create a line of digital collectables based on Warner Bros Pictures and Pegendary’s upcoming Godzilla vs Kong.

The new partnership will allow fans across the world to bring the titans to life in full 3D virtual reality through a platform that will allow them to experience the brute strength of Kong and the behemoth Godzilla. The Titans and other characters from the franchise will being rolling out on to the Terra Virtua marketplace in time for the film’s release this March 31st.

The collaboration between Terra Virtua and Legendary first began in 2019 with the launch of digital collectables based on Legendary Television and Netflix’s reboot of the science fiction classic Lost in Space and continued with a collection based on the blockbuster film Pacific Rim Uprising.

Terra Virtua’s marketplace includes a number of digital collectibles, featuring characters from both Season One and Season Two of Lost in Space, along with full-size and fully animated versions of Pacific Rim Uprising’s Jaegers, including Gypsy Avenger. One such Jaeger sold on New Year’s Day for $5000 and now resides in a superfan’s TerraDome, which is accessible via Terra Virtua’s app on a PC.

“Digital collectibles allow fans to interact with their favorite characters in a way never experienced before, and to be working with the pioneers in the industry is truly exciting,” said Sam Rappaport, director of Interactive Media at Legendary Entertainment.

Directed by Adam Wingard, Godzilla vs. Kong is the long-awaited face-off between these two mighty titans, and the fate of the world hangs in the balance. With spectacular fight scenes and an unforeseen force drawing them together, it’s the ultimate showdown and therefore the ideal opportunity to be  bringing these Legendary monsters into the Terra Virtua ecosystem.

“This franchise is one of the most recognizable brands in the world; these characters have been on our screens for over 88 years; so to say we’re excited about bringing this film pairing on board would be an understatement,” said Gary Bracey, co-founder of Terra Virtua.

“And, what’s more exciting is that we’re also releasing a full VR experience on Oculus Quest, so when we say we’re fully immersive, we really mean it.”

Terra Virtua (www.terravirtua.io), with global headquarters in London, England, has evolved the digital collectibles market from simply collecting virtual items to completing and showcasing collections through new, interactive and immersive experiences.

Asmodee’s fiction book division Aconyte partners with Ubisoft for Assassin’s Creed novel trilogy

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Aconyte, the fiction imprint of the global games group, Asmodee, has partnered with the international video games company Ubisoft to publish a new Assassin’s Creed trilogy of novels, beginning this summer.

Set in 16th Century China, the new series will kick off with the title The Ming Storm and will follow the central character Shao Jun, a young assassin and already a fan-favourite from the franchise as the protagonist of the Assassin’s Creed: China video game.

Following the elimination of the Chinese Brotherhood by the rival Templars, Shao Jun must travel to Europe to train with the legendary Ezio Auditore, before she returns to exact revenge.

Written by bestselling Chinese author Yan Leisheng, the novel has recently been published in his homeland as well as France, with a Russian edition imminent. The Ming Storm will be published in the US and Canada on June 1st 2021 and on July 8th in the UK. The book will be available in paperback and ebook formats, with an audiobook version expected to follow shortly after.

“When we started out on this project for the Chinese fans of Assassin’s Creed, we wanted to create something that would feel meaningful and engaging to them. We worked hard finding the author who would understand both our franchise and how to tell a compelling story that would resonate with the audience,” said Aymar Azaizia, transmedia and business development director at Ubisoft.

“We are really proud to be able to bring this original trilogy to English readers worldwide through Aconyte. Although the content is not set in the continuity of the main storyline, you will find a great authentic Assassin’s Creed story. Enjoy the ride.”

At the end of 2020, Aconyte was announced as Ubisoft’s go-to fiction partner for novels for adult readers, to create new adventures from unexplored corners of the worlds of popular games like Watch Dogs, Tom Clancy’s The Division, Beyond Good & Evil and more.

More announcements are expected as Aconyte’s range of compelling tie-in fiction expands further.

Historic Environment Scotland taps Kirkwall jewellers Ortak for handmade trinkets and gifts

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Historic Environment Scotland has signed a new licensing agreement with the Kirkwall-based jewellery manufacturer Ortak ltd to produce a range of handmade, branded jewellery and giftware.

As part of its portfolio, HES manages the licensing programme for a portfolio including Edinburgh Castle, Stirling Castle and Historic Scotland. Each programme reflects HES’ brand values – with revenue from products sold helping to directly support the work HES does to investigate, care for, and promote Scotland’s historic environment.

Ortak Ltd owner, Michael Gardens, said: “The Ortak team is looking forward to working with HES on this exciting new venture.  This amazing opportunity to offer HES branded jewellery and giftware to our customers all over the world has come at an opportune time when online sales have soared.”

The new deal will see Ortak sell HES branded items across its Orkney and Cairness stores, while for the first time it will be able to sell HES products directly to trade.

Gardens added: “Building on our green credentials and protecting the environment are basically ingrained into the Orcadian DNA, with Orkney being at the forefront of renewable technology. We also use Fair trade silver and gold and ethically sourced stones and packaging. 

“For six decades Ortak’s designers have used inspiration from the historic and natural world and now this agreement will enable us to put something back and allow us to help further celebrate Scotland’s history.”

Natasha Troitino, head of retail at HES, said: “We are delighted to have signed this license with one of Scotland’s best known jewellery brands. It is a great addition to our portfolio, and we look forward to working together with Ortak to develop these beautiful ranges.”

HES currently cares for more than 300 properties ranging from the Edinburgh and Stirling Castles, with their ancient royal histories, to prehistoric sites such as Skara Brae in Orkney. HES’s iconic sites are the setting for many films and TV programmes including Outlander, Monty Python and Mary Queen of Scots. 

As Scotland’s lead body for the historic environment, HES supports the wider historic environment in several important ways, from championing traditional skills to supporting learning and outreach. It also cares for thousands of objects and photographs and is at the forefront of activity to help mitigate the impact of climate change on the historic environment. 

Boris Johnson’s roadmap out of lockdown lays out non-essential retail’s spring time reopening

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Boris Johnson’s roadmap for lifting lockdown restrictions across England have offered the light at the end of a long tunnel for non-essential retailers, and the suggestion that doors will be reopening from no sooner than April 12th this year.

The plans were detailed amid a roadmap out of lockdown delivered by the Prime Minister to MPs this afternoon. Johnson is expected to give a televised broadcast to the public at 7pm this evening.

It follows what has been many weeks of a third national lockdown with the earmarked date signifying the end of what will have been at least 14 weeks of closed doors amid the non-essential retail landscape, longer than the closures of the country’s first lockdown in March last year.

Taking priority, however, as talk turns to the country’s easing out of lockdown restrictions, is the return of all pupils to classrooms, followed by relaxed rules around socialising and the eventual reopening of non-essential shops and businesses.

During the course of the third national lockdown, food shops, supermarkets, off-licences, pharmacies, and garden centres have all been categorised as essential retailers.

Market stalls selling essential goods, petrol stations, medial providers, vets, launderettes, banks, post offices and building societies have also been permitted to remain open throughout the lockdown.

Non-essential shops include everything from clothing, books, department stores and technology stores, and of course, toy shops.

Mr Johnson said that from 12 April, under step two of lockdown easing, non-essential retail will reopen. This is along with hairdressers and nail salons.

The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) has said that retail has a low impact on the transmission of the virus.

Prior to the last lockdown, Sage recommended that “opening non-essential retail safely would require a significant effort to ensure that environments are appropriate to minimise transmission (for example social distancing and hygiene measures, ventilation)”.

This means that rules relating to social distancing, the wearing of face masks and a limit on the number of people allowed inside a shop are likely to continue when shops do eventually reopen.

Helen Dickinson OBE, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: “We welcome the additional clarity provided by the Prime Minister. While we are encouraged by a plan for non-essential stores to reopen, the heavy impact of the pandemic means some may never be able to.

“The cost of lost sales to non-food stores during lockdown is now over £22bn and counting. Every day that a shop remains closed increases the chances that it will never open again – costing jobs and damaging local communities.

“Non-essential shops are ready to reopen and have been investing hundreds of millions on making themselves Covid-secure. Government should remain flexible and allow non-essential retail to reopen as soon as the data suggests it is safe to do so. Until it is permitted, retailers will need continued support from Government.

“We welcome the PM’s call ‘not to pull the rug out’ from under businesses. To this end, the Government must act on three vital issues – rents, rates and grants.

“To avoid further job losses and permanent job closures, the Chancellor must announce a targeted business rates relief from April and extend the moratorium on debt enforcement, as well as removing state aid caps on Covid business grants. This would relieve struggling businesses of bills they cannot currently pay and allow them to trade their way to recovery.”

Bullseye scores Nintendo and PlayStation games deal with digital developer Sabec

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The video games developer, Sabec, has signed a new partnership with Bulldog Licensing to create a series of digital games for download across the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation, based in the British gameshow, Bullseye.

Sabec is considered a leader in its field of developing games for licensed brands and its own IP, having worked with leading global entertainment brands like Hasbro, MTV, and Wiley Publishing as an approved Nintendo, PlayStation, Microsoft XBox, Apple, Roku, Samsung, Oculus, and Google developer.

Bullseye, meanwhile, is a much-loved British gameshow that first made its appearance in 1981 to reach is peak audience figures of 19.8 million on Boxing Day 1989. Now celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, the brand continues to hold a place in the hearts of the British public. In fact, when Sky Challenge relaunched the gameshow in 2006, it quickly became the channel’s top rating show.

Bulldog Licensing’s consumer products programme for the brand features an internet scratch card game from Camelot, and a spot on Cosmic Concept’s pub quizzes. The agency has been working closely with licensees to create strong collections of apparel and leisurewear, toys and games, and housewares.

“Bullseye is the perfect fit for digital gaming,” said Rob Corney, MD, Bulldog Licensing. “The show’s format is loved nationwide and is a firm family favourite, so we’re thrilled to have Sabec on board to bring the experience into people’s homes with innovative gaming concepts.”

Trudi Hayward, co-founder of BRAND-WARD Services Ltd, who brokered the deal, speaking on behalf of Sabec, said that Bullseye is a perfect fit for Sabec and console games, because darts is becoming increasingly more popular.

“Bullseye has such heritage in the UK, we know the game will be a sure fire hit, not just the fans that remember Bullseye but the younger generation who enjoy darts too,” she said.

Rubies lands official partnership with World Book Day to promote the benefits of reading

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Rubies has secured an official partnership with the World Book Day charity and its annual event developed to change lives through a love of books and shared reading.

The new collaboration is founded on Rubies’ own global experience of delivering best-in-class costumes and accessories as a trusted manufacturer of licensed dress-up products. The partnership will work to strengthen World Book Day’s ongoing mission to promote reading for pleasure and offer every child the chance to have a book of their own.

World Book Day is a key date in the diary for the costume industry and the exclusive partnership signifies a huge step forward to ensure that World Book Day’s charitable purpose is represented within the industry, along with their cores aims and messages. 

 Tracey Devine-Tyley, head of licensing and portfolio EMEA, Rubies, said: “Rubies’ has always been instrumental in bringing world book day to life for children and teachers. Allowing children to relate to characters through dressing up and reading equips them for all obstacles and adversities they may face and we could not be more thrilled to be working with World Book Day on their mission to ensure we are actively encouraging every child and young person to read and also have the opportunity to own a book.

“This year has been a particularly challenging time for children and parents and this partnership will be instrumental in allowing children to start a new chapter.”

Cassie Chadderton, chief executive of World Book Day, added: “It’s wonderful that children and families engage with reading creatively, including bringing their favourite book characters to life through dressing up.

“We’re excited to be teaming up with Rubies to bring more of the joy and fun of World Book Day to children, whether they are at home or at school, this year.”

Whether you’re celebrating at home or at school, head to www.worldbookday.com for loads of ways to take part, including events, resource packs, videos, activities and lots of book-filled fun.

Reading for pleasure has been highlighted as ‘the single biggest indicator of a child’s future success’ by researches behind the World Book Day initiative, placing it above factors such as family circumstances, parents’ educational background, or income.

“We want to see more children, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, with a life-long habit of reading for pleasure and the improved life chances this brings them,” said the charity.