Tag Archives: news

Hasbro partners with the World Taekwondo Federation for Get Active with the PJ Masks campaign

Posted on by

Hasbro has struck a multi-territory partnership that will see its popular animated property, PJ Masks, join forces with the World Taekwondo Federation for a partnership designed to engage children around the world in the Korean martial art.

The campaign, called Get Active with the PJ Masks, will span multiple markets and feature 12 World Taekwondo top athletes.

The campaign aims to combine the global appeal of the popular animated series with the fun and accessibility of taekwondo to encourage children to take part in the sport. A unique digital tutorial series and interactive website have been created to help young fans of World Taekwondo and PJ Masks get active, have fun and master their own taekwondo inspired superpowers.

“There couldn’t be a better time to get kids active and excited about sport and movement,” said eOne’s Rebecca Harvey, EVP global marketing, Family & Brands. “Action, heroism and integrity are central to the PJ Masks brand and these values are perfectly aligned with the World Taekwondo Federation’s mission to teach taekwondo to kids around the world and channel their youthful energy into skills that will build strength and resilience.”

Taekwondo heroes from 12 countries have been selected as hero ‘Get Active’ hero ambassadors to create 12 Let’s Get Active taekwondo movements that will  encourage children to try and recreate them at home. They are Bianca Walkden (Great Britain), Dae-hoon Lee (Korea), Hatice Kubra Ilgun (Turkey), Jingyu Wu (China), Joel Gonzalez (Spain), Magda Wiet Henin (France), Maria Espinoza (Mexico), Milena Titoneli (Brazil), Panipak Wongpattanakit (Thailand), Pauline Lopez (Philippines), Tahir Guelec (Germany) and Vito Dell’Aquilla (Italy).

The partnership aims to amplify the reach of both brands and increase participation of the sport in the three to eight year age group through a reward focussed syllabus that teaches co-ordination and discipline skills.

World Taekwondo President Dr. Chungwon Choue, commented: “We are delighted to partner with Hasbro to bring together our shared values and the skills of our world and Olympic stars. World Taekwondo is committed to connecting with young people around the world and getting them to practice taekwondo and live healthy lifestyles.

“Partnering with the most loved and internationally recognised children’s shows in the world, is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate how fun and rewarding taekwondo can be. I want to thank each of these World Taekwondo Heroes for bringing smiles to the faces of children and families everywhere.”

Pokémon partners with The Wand Company to launch the first Poké Ball Replica Series

Posted on by

The Pokémon Company International has teamed up with The Wand Company to release the first die-cast Poké Ball Replica Series, giving fans the chance to collect premium replicas of the iconic Poké Ball, Great Ball, Ultra Ball, and Premier Ball.

Equipped with proximity-sensing technology, each of the die-cast replica’s buttons glows when it senses motion. Pressing the button changes the light colour or starts a Pokémon-catching illumination sequence. Each Poké Ball also comes with a presentation case and a polished stainless steel ring.

Fan can also enjoy the multi-coloured lights when opening the lid of the case, which can be controlled through a touch-sensitive metal plaque on the front of the case.

“The Poké Ball is an iconic part of the Pokémon franchise, and we are thrilled to work with The Wand Company to re-create the Poké Ball as a high-quality collectible for our fans,” said Amy Sachtleben, director of licensing at The Pokémon Company International.

“The Wand Company is known for its innovative designs and world-class manufacturing, making them the perfect partner to bring this vision to life.”

Chris Barnardo, CEO of The Wand Company, added: “Working on such an iconic property as Pokémon is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream for The Wand Company team. It’s been such an exciting development and we look forward to sharing our gorgeous Poké Ball series with fans everywhere.”

To highlight the launch, the classic Poké Ball version was prominently featured in Pokémon’s appearance in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Flanked by a troupe of dancing Pikachu, a Pokémon Trainer triumphantly held up the Poké Ball for millions of fans around the world to see.

As the first to launch in the series, the Poké Ball replica is available for preorder starting today via Amazon and other participating retailers around the world, and products will ship to preorder customers to arrive on Pokémon Day, February 27, 2021.

Products will be available at Sideshow.com, Zavvi, Forbidden Planet, and Yellow Octopus, among other retailers.

Pocket.watch extends its toys licensing partnership with Flair for newest YouTube star Kids Diana Show

Posted on by

Flair Just Play has extended its licensing partnership with pocket.watch, the studio behind the Ryan’s World franchise, to launch a range of role-play items inspired by the YouTube sensation, Kids Diana Show. The new range will launch across the UK and Ireland from spring next year.

According to Tubefilter, the Kids Diana Show channel totals five billion global views a month, making Diana the number three YouTuber in the world.

To support the global launch of the Kids Diana Show merchandise, pocket.watch has produced 40 episodes of Love, Diana. In this series, where live-action meets animation, the episodes are designed to help children learn positive lessons about friendship, family, creativity, and the power of play.

“We are absolutely thrilled to be partnering with pocket.watch once again,” said Charlotte Rodgers, marketing manager for the Just Play brands portfolio, Flair.

“Kids Diana Show is an international smash hit on YouTube, with billions of kids across the globe tuning in to view the channel each month, and this is just the beginning! We can’t wait to bring our fantastic Love, Diana role-play collection to the toy aisle.

“When kids play, their world expands, and our Love, Diana toys are designed with that in mind. Our Love, Diana role-play collection is directly inspired by key products featured in the show, which means that the toys are not only easily recognisable on the shelf, but it also means that girls will be able to go on their very own Love, Diana adventures – just like she does in the show.”

Stone Newman, chief revenue officer of pocket.watch, added: “We are delighted to be continuing our relationship with partners like Flair Just Play to expand the reach of the Love, Diana franchise to entertain and inspire young girls around the world.”

The Flair Just Play role-play collection includes Love, Diana’s Adventure Set – a backpack that looks like the one Diana wears in the show. It comes with a transforming wand hairbrush, an interactive phone, a map to help navigate the Land of Play, and more.

The Surprise Deluxe Trunk, meanwhile, has plenty of surprises, with many compartments for girls to discover. This music box promises the ultimate unboxing experience. Plus, there’s the Light-Up Bubble Wand, which produces bubbles like Diana’s wand does before she travels into the Land of Play. There is also an unlockable collection of Love, Diana Mini Mystery Trunks for fans to discover.

Classic greetings brand Holly Hobbie secures Truffle Shuffle deal through Bulldog Licensing

Posted on by

Truffle Shuffle has been confirmed as the latest retail partner for the vintage Holly Hobbie brand and a recently launched collection that spans limited edition t-shirts, mugs, and tote bags all based on the classic greetings card characters of the 1960s.

Illustrated by the artist of the same name, the Holly Hobbie property was originaly introduced in 1967 when the American author sold artwork of the rag dress-wearing little girl to American Greetings. The distinctive characters become popular and the first licensed product came to market in 1975, in the form of rag dolls from Knickerbocker Toys.

The property quickly moved in crafts, apparel, lifestyle, publishing, stationery, dinnerware, home goods and more. As a brand, Holly Hobbie has since generated over $1bn in retail sales.

Bulldog Licensing is now managing the rights for the brand in the UK and Eire and is building a programme around the classic artwork targeting adults, as well as a live-action, music-driven children’s programme, based on the hugely popular new show on CBBC soon to be in production on its third season. 

As well as adding Holly Hobbie to its roster, Truffle Shuffle has also renewed its deal for another of Cloudco Entertainment’s generation-spanning brands, the Care Bears.

Rob Corney, MD, Bulldog Licensing, said: “We’re thrilled to have Truffle Shuffle on board for Holly Hobbie as we build a licensing programme for this much-loved brand. They have already done a fabulous job with the Care Bears collection, and we are delighted with the new lines for Holly Hobbie. The brand has beautiful artwork, an instantly recognisable design, and huge vintage appeal for today’s audience.”

Peaky Blinders masterminds wine deal with French vineyard Vignobles Bardet

Posted on by

The renowned French vineyard, Vignobles Bardet, has partnered with Banijay Brands and Caryn Mandabach Productions to launch the first, official, Peaky Blinders wine.

Inspired by the multi-award winning drama, Vignobles Bardet has created two red wines – a Saint-Emilion and a Saint-Emilion Grand Cru – which will initially be available in France before being made available for export via local distributors in key markets across Europe and Asia.

Born from the highly-regarded Bordeaux region following research in 1920s wine in partnership with the win historian Jean-Michel Chevet, the offerings are set to give the buyers the opportunity to ‘immerse themselves in the world of the international hit drama.’

Jane Smith, group director, brand licensing of Banijay Brands, said: “In Vignobles Bardet we have found an established and creative partner to create an authentic product, which is perfectly suited to the Peaky Blinders brand.

“This collaboration has created two fine reds that will give fans an authentic taste of the 1920s in the very style that would be shared at the Shelby table.”

Thibault Bardet, Vignobles Bardet, added: “It’s easy to imagine a character like Thomas Shelby importing his own wine from our great-great-grandfather Jean Roy on the prestigious Saint-Emilion region of Bordeaux and we believe these reds are exactly what he would have chosen. We are extremely proud to produce a product that captures the true essence of Peaky Blinders.”

Jamie Glazebrook, executive producer of Peaky Blinders for Caryn Mandabach Productions, said: “Peaky Blinders continues to be a journey into the unexpected. In series five, Churchill outlines Tommy Shelby’s progress as ‘a tent, then a boat, then a house, now a mansion.’ To which we can now add a vineyard. We could not be more delighted with this collaboration, the results of which are truly delicious.”

This year Banijay Brands has developed an extensive licensing programme for the global hit in partnership with official Peaky Blinders brand owner, brand curator and producer Caryn Mandabach Productions. This includes a collaboration with Curve Digital for Peaky Blinders: Mastermind,  Hodder for The Official Peaky Blinders Quiz Book,  a card game with Steamforged, the first stationery products in Brazil with Tilibra, Thornbridge Brewery for the first endorsed “Shelby” beer, and various product ranges spanning apparel, gifting, men’s grooming and more. 

Peaky Blinders is distributed by Banijay Rights and has sold in more than 183 countries and is widely available internationally on Netflix i including the USA.

The Banijay Brands portfolio includes MasterChef, Temptation Island, Peaky Blinders, Survivor, Deal or No Deal, The Inbetweeners, Big Brother, Mister Maker, Operation Triunfo, Eat Well for Less, Simon’s Cat, Mr Bean, Don’t, Sunday Brunch, Tipping Point, The Biggest Loser, Ready Steady Cook, Black Mirror, Miss France, Maddie’s Do You Know?, Wipeout and Crystal Maze.

Rocket Licensing receives ten Licensing Awards 2020 nominations for Hungry Caterpillar, Rebel Girls and more

Posted on by

Rocket Licensing is enjoying a run of industry success this year, having found itself with no fewer than ten inclusions in the shortlist for the upcoming Licensing Awards. Nominations in the 2020 awards span its work across licensed product ranges and experiential collaborations for a range of its licensors and licensees.

The slew of nominations follows the company’s recent win at the Licensing International Excellence Awards, where The Very Hungry Caterpillar campaign at the Royal Horticultural Society was named the Best Experiential or Location-based initiative.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar has now been shortlisted for seven awards, including the overall Best Preschool Licensed Property in the Licensing Awards. It has also been recognised for its RHS Summer Partnership in the Best Licensed Promotions Campaign category, its Butterfly Dress-up for George@Asda from Christys By Design is nominated in the Best Licensed Dress-up or Partyware award, and its clothing range from Denicci for Tu at Sainsbury’s is shortlisted in the Best Licensed Preschool Apparel Range category.

Rounding out the property’s nominations, its Gardening Range for the RHS from Robert Frederick is in the Best Licensed Giftware Range, Home Décor, Tableware or Housewares Range.

Meanwhile, Rebel Girls has been named a finalist in the Best Sustainable Licensed Product category, a new slot for the 2020 Licensing Awards. It’s the UK games and puzzles specialist, Gibsons and its Rebel Girls jigsaw range that has caught much of the industry attention and secured its place in the shortlist.

The puzzles, which carry Rebel sirls’ mission to highlight female role models, are printed on 100 per cent recycled puzzle board and FSC paper.

Christmas favourite, The Elf on the Shelf, has landed two spots on the finalist list, as contender for the overall Best Children’s or Tween Licensed Property (Age Group five to 12), and also in the Best Licensed Giftware Range, Home Décor, Tableware or Housewares Range category, for its Food Gifting Range from Kimm & Miller.

The Beano brand has been recognised in the Best Licensed Promotions Campaign category for the Beano Time Travellers! exhibition at Mottisfont, which explored the history of the longest running children’s comic in Britain. Meanwhile, the Horrible Science Kits and Board Game from James Galt & Co are in the running for the Best Licensed Toys or Games Range.

 Rob Wijeratna, joint MD, Rocket Licensing, said: “We’re so pleased that these awards have all been able to go ahead virtually despite all of the current restrictions, so that our industries can come together to support one another during a difficult time, and celebrate excellence in the sector.

“We’re thrilled for our licensors and licensees to have been recognised across such a wide range of categories, and would like to congratulate all the other finalists. Fingers crossed for virtual Rocket Licensing corks popping on the 16th December.”

Panini makes a move on the confectionery aisle with Easter Egg and Christmas treats

Posted on by

The collectables brand, Panini is making its first move into the confectionery space via a new partnership with Icam S.p.A. a new licensing partner who will take the IP into celebration-themed chocolate items.

Based in Modena, in Italy, Panini is a worldwide leader in collectable stickers and trading cards, while Icam is an outfit known for its production of high quality chocolate. The deal will see the development of a range of Panini branded sweets for Easter and Christmas holidays. The line will first land in stores from Easter 2021.

The first Panini product manufactured by Icam under the Panini license will be the Calciatori Panini Easter 2021 egg, which will launch next March. It will be followed by the launch of Panini Christmas socks featuring branded cholocates.

The Calciatori Panini Easter 2021 egg will feature a surprise set of 20 stickers from the current football 2020/21 collections, plus and exclusive Panini sticker celebrating the company’s 60th anniversary in 2021.

This is the latest development for the Panini who detailed its intentions to commence licensing out the brand name this October, timing its announcement to coincide with the industry’s Festival of Licensing.

Silvergate Media lines up partners in Spin Master, Hot Topic and Forbidden Planet as Hilda returns to Netflix

Posted on by

Silvergate Media has detailed a tranche of new partners for its popular animated series, Hilda, that includes not only a direct to retail partnership with the pop culture specialist, Forbidden Planet, but the series’ first board game courtesy of Spin Master and an extension of its successful plush line with GUND.

Details of an extending licensing slate for the Scandinavian-inspired animated series have been releases in anticipation of the launch of Hilda’s second season on Netflix this December 14th. Silvergate has secured exclusive retail partnerships with Hot Topic and Forbidden Planet, as well as a slate of new toys.

Co-produced by Silvergate Media and Mercury Films, the 13 x 22-minute episodes in season two of Hilda bring fresh adventures for the blue-haired heroine as she delves deeper into the vast wilderness of Trolberg. The animated series is based on Luke Pearson’s acclaimed graphic novels.

The upcoming second season follows on the success of the multi award-winning first season, which debuted on Netflix in September 2018 and went on to scoop multiple awards including a BAFTA, Kidscreen, International Emmy award and three Annie awards. Silvergate’s licensing programme has been developed to tap into the series’ growing international fanbase.

“The first season of Hilda set the bar high in terms of what a children’s animated series could achieve and it was so rewarding for our creative team that it received the widespread recognition that it did,” said Waheed Alli, CEO at Silvergate Media.

“It’s now a genuine pleasure to bring audiences new adventures in season two that will expand the universe of Trolberg in unexpected ways.”

The US-based pop culture retailer, Hot Topic, is launching an exclusive line of Hilda inspired t-shirts for the North American market. While here in the UK, science fiction and fantasy retail specialist, Forbidden Planet, has an exclusive direct to retail agreement with Silvergate that will see the retailer launch its own line of apparel in 2020 before expanding into homewares and gifting from 2021.

“We’re really excited to be developing our own range of Hilda merchandise,” said Anthony Garnon at Forbidden Planet. “The show’s fantastical storylines and imaginative visuals speak directly to our consumer base and give us plenty of inspiration for products that will stand out on shelf and become must-have items for Hilda fans.”

The growth of the apparel category will be boosted by additional product lines launching to coincide with season two. This includes global toy partner, GUND, which is adding further plush accessory lines targeting girls and teen fans to the main lines which launched earlier this year, and lead publisher Flying Eye Books, who has released three new novelisations tying in with season two.

Additionally, Spin Master is readying the first-ever Hilda board game, scheduled to hit retail from next summer.

Penguin Random House owner Bertelsmann sets out to acquire Simon & Schuster for $2.2bn

Posted on by

Bertelsmann, owner of publishers Penguin Random House, has set out to acquire Simon & Schuster from ViacomCBS for $2.2bn, in a move that would ‘strengthen the company’s global footprint,’ particularly in the US.

Simon & Schuster employs around 1,500 people worldwide and generated revenues of $814 million in 2019.

The acquisition is subject to regulatory approvals and is expected to close sometime next year. Bertelsmann has stated that it is ‘confident’ the acquisition would be approved.

The Bookseller reports that Simon & Schuster will continue to be managed as a separate publishing entity under the Penguin Random House umbrella.

Thomas Rabe, chairman and CEO of Bertelsmann said that the deal to acquire Simon & Schuster will enable the company to expand its global content business, strengthen its digital offering and build dominance in the US.

“Following the full acquisition of Penguin Random House in April this year, this purchase marks another strategic milestone in strengthening our global content businesses, which includes Penguin Random House, the Fremantle TV production business, and the BMG music division,” said Rabe.

“The book business has been part of Bertelsmann’s identity since the founding of C Bertelsmann Verlag more than 185 years ago and has lost none of its appeal to this day. Bertelsmann continues to be one of the world’s leading creative companies with annual investments in content of around €6bn.

“Bertelsmann will finance the acquisition of Simon & Schuster from existing cash resources. External borrowing is not necessary, thanks partly to the overall positive business development since the summer and the already completed sale of various businesses, investments and real-estate properties.”

Markus Dohle, CEO of Penguin Random House, added: “Simon & Schuster is an extremely well-managed and extraordinarily attractive company with world-renowned authors, 2,000 new publications annually, and a catalog of 35,000 titles. We are very proud to welcome this esteemed company, founded in 1924, to our global publishing community.

“We share the same passion for books and reading and will work together to give our authors the greatest possible access to readers worldwide. Penguin Random House empowers its 320 publishers around the world with maximum creative and entrepreneurial freedom and will, of course, extend this to our new colleagues at Simon & Schuster.”

Ian Chapman, UK and international publisher and CEO for Simon & Schuster, said: “The news today comes at the end of a long year for us all and we welcome it with open arms. To become part of the outstanding global company that is Penguin Random House is a truly significant moment for us all. I would like to take the opportunity to thank the staff in the UK, India and Australia for their fortitude and resilience during this uncertain time and our authors and their literary agents who have shown abiding loyalty and trust in us. We look forward to thriving even more vibrantly under new ownership.”

Spin Master magics up new Wizarding World partnership with Warner Bros. Consumer Products

Posted on by

Spin Master has entered into a global licensing agreement with Warner Bros. Consumer Products to become its new toy licensee for the Wizarding World franchise. Under the partnership, the Toronto-based toy maker will develop Wizarding World products based on the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts franchises.

The range will span dolls, figurines and accessories, play-sets, select vehicles, games, feature plush and role play and dress up categories. The first products are expected to launch next autumn.

“Spin Master is all about creating magical experiences for kids through innovative toys, entertainment and digital platforms,” said John Blaney, Spin Master’s senior vice president, licensing.

“We are thrilled to expand on our existing relationship with Warner Bros. Consumer Products and can’t wait to unveil our innovative toys, inspired by the stories and characters from the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts movies, for kids and fans of all ages around the world.”

Robert Oberschelp, SVP, global brand product, WBCP, added: “The Wizarding World is a fan favorite and we are excited to be growing our relationship with Spin Master who will bring innovation to the merchandise within the franchise for the constantly growing, worldwide fan community.”

Spin Master continues to build a strong and diversified portfolio of evergreen licensee brands, receiving recognition for its leadership by Kidscreen, who named Spin Master number one in licensing on the 2019 Hot 50 Companies ranking, repeating the company’s first place finish for licensing in 2018. Spin Master is also nominated in the same category for 2020.