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Toy maker TOMY bolsters licensed portfolio with Sing 2 and Plants vs Zombies ranges

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Last month witnessed the international toy maker, TOMY bolster its licensing portfolio with new toy, plush, and play-sets plans for both Illumination’s upcoming animated motion picture, Sing 2, and the popular Electronic Arts mobile game, Plants vs Zombies.

Scheduled for launch on December 22, 2021, TOMY’s Sing 2 toy line will comprise innovative products including collectable figurines, feature plush, and a role play game.

The range will be launched in partnership with Illumination and Universal Brand Development, the studios behind the popular animated feature film Sing and its upcoming sequel, Sing 2.

“Audiences everywhere have already fallen in love with the relatable characters of Sing, and we’re looking forward to bringing them to life and into playrooms,” said TOMY’s director of global toys, Morgan Weyl.

“The Sing films are about overcoming obstacles and pursuing dreams, so we created a musically-infused toy line that will help inspire the next generation to shoot for the stars – no matter what challenges they may face along the way.”

Joe Lawandus, senior vice president and general manager, global toys and hardlines, Universal Brand Development, added:  “Our filmmaking partners at Illumination continue to deliver dynamic characters and storylines that bring joy and smiles to audiences across the globe, and we’re excited for the worldwide debut of Sing 2.

“We look forward to collaborating with TOMY on an all-new toy line that will bring the franchise’s signature comedy and hit music into the hearts and homes of fans worldwide.”

In addition, the toy maker has also secured a new partnership with Electronic Arts to bring the Plants vs Zombies video game characters to life in plush form.

In a deal brokered by the licensing agent Retail Monster, TOMY’s Club Mocchi-Mocchi brand will deliver a variety of soft, squeezable plush.

Plants vs. Zombies is a tower defense classic in which players pit their loyal plant squad against the zombie peril, fending off boss invasions and banding together with friends to help save their small town. With over 1.2 billion installs to date, the popular franchise is looking at granting its fans new adventures with future content releases.

“Plants vs. Zombies is a wildly popular video game franchise and we’re thrilled to be the licensed partner that gets to bring its characters to life in plush,” said TOMY’s Weyl. “Many of Club Mocchi- Mocchi-‘s most popular plush toys are characters and accessories from beloved video games, so we’re excited to bring a little piece of Plants vs. Zombies into gamers’ homes around the world.”

Retail Monster’s founder and CEO, Michael Connolly, added: “TOMY’s Club Mocchi- Mocchi- brand is renowned for its bespoke plush format, and we’re thrilled to delight Plants vs. Zombies fans with what will surely be an in-demand range of iconic plush characters.”

Baby Shark Dance beats Despacito to become most-viewed YouTube video in history

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The perennial ear worm and children’s music video sensation, Baby Shark Dance, has become the most-viewed YouTube video in history, surpassing Despacito by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee. The Pinkfong IP breaks the record just as the Baby Shark single receives the RIAA Diamond certification for selling over 11 million records.

Baby Shark is now one of the only 41 Diamond singles in history, alongside best-selling artists such as Ed Sheeran and Lady Gaga. The song has also been recognised as Brit certified two-times Platinum in September this year.

Baby Shark became a breakout sensation when it launched on YouTube in November 2015. With its catchy music, iconic characters, and playful dance, all combined together, Baby Shark took the world by storm, recording a 20-week-streak on the Billboard Hot 100 and number six on the Official Singles Chart, the highest position ever achieved by a children’s song in history.

The hit song spawned a viral dance challenge named #BabySharkChallenge, generating over one million cover videos around the world.

“We are very proud at Relentless Records/Sony Music to have built a great global partnership with the Pinkfong/SmartStudy team. It has been very inspiring to watch something that brings so much fun to so many people become such a worldwide record,” said Shabs Jobanputra, managing director, Relentless Records.

“Without the love and support of fans around the world, Baby Shark’s new record would have been impossible,” said Min Seok Kim, CEO, SmartStudy. “We’re very honored by this record and will continue to focus on delivering high-quality entertainment beyond the digital platforms.”

Baileys enters the snacking sector with the indulgent Baileys Chocolate Treat Blondie Bars

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Baileys is stepping into the snacking category with the launch of its new Baileys Chocolate Treat Blondie Bars, courtesy of the food and beverage specialist, Finsbury Food Group. The move has been devised to tap into the fast-growing snacking sector, one that 94 per cent of consumers in the UK say they subscribe to.

Recent research from Finsbury has found that 55 per cent of UK ‘snackers’ have moved towards eating healthier at mealtime, making way for more indulgent treats. Enter the new Baileys Chocolate Treat Blondie Bar, arriving in time to meet snackers as they make yet another trip to the fridge while working from home this year.

Baileys Chocolate Treat Blondie Bars offer a blondie sponge filling, topped with traditional Baileys tasting frosting, wrapped in a layer of milk chocolate.

Jack Cook-Broussine, brand manager at Finsbury Food Group, said: “Snacking was a no-brainer for us, we’re a nation of ‘snackers’ and the at-home snacking category has seen a rise due to lockdown.

“We’ve always wanted to delve into snacking with Diageo and Baileys Chocolate Treat Blondie Bars are the perfect hybrid product to be enjoyed at home, or when the world returns to normal, on the go. We’re really excited to launch this to consumers, especially with the glowing track record of previous products in our growing Baileys range.”

Declan Hassett, senior licensing manager at Diageo, added: “We continue to work with Finsbury developing the ongoing success of the range. Snacking products are something we’ve wanted to put our Baileys stamp on for a while, we’ve been working hard to stay ahead of the curve and to deliver that delicious, indulgent, signature Baileys experience for consumers to enjoy wherever they are.

“We have already seen great success with Finsbury and our range of Baileys-infused cakes, and we have no doubt that Baileys Chocolate Treat Blondie Bars will be enjoyed all-year-round.”

Miffy celebrates 65th anniversary with a year of licensing and collaborations success

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It’s been a 65th anniversary celebrated in style for Dick Bruna’s iconic white bunny character, Miffy, whose fans have been ‘spoiled by an array of new products’ released throughout 2020.

A highlight of the milestone year – and not one to be forgotten anytime soon – has been the Miffy Design Challenge, in which brand owner Mercis invited design and fashion students from across the world to re-imagine the character by designing a new outfit for a 3D Miffy.

No fewer than 82 highly creative entries have been whittled down to 10 winners, each of which has been produced as an exclusive, limited-edition plush collection by Dutch licensee, Bon Ton Toys. Launched in the UK with a competition via the Miffy Shop. fans were given the chance to win one of the exclusive winning plush toys before it is launched to retailers across the world.

This summer saw the launch of a high-end collection of Miffy bags and purses from Strathberry, as well as a new range of craft kits from Stitch and Story that brought Miffy and friends, including Poppy Pig and Boris Bear brought to market. Licensed to Charm launched a range of silver and gold Miffy-inspired jewellery for the teen and adult market, while still to come is a new Miffy Christmas charm from the gift partner Magpie, and bamboo plates will follow recent tinware lines.

In publishing, Dick Bruna became the star of the latest edition of Thames & Hudson’s series The Illustrators which celebrates our greatest illustrators and acts as an introduction to the art and techniques of Bruna including his creation of Miffy. A new treasury of four Miffy classic stories was also published by Simon & Schuster in October. 

Translating well into fashion across the ages, Tobias and the Bear launched a new baby and toddler collection with a new distinctive and stylish unisex handwriting. A partnership with Next in girlswear has been rewarded with a Licensing Awards nomination, while another success story for this year was the Miffy NHS Heroes T-Shirts initiative.

Alicia Davenport, licensing director at DRi Licensing, said: “In spite of this year’s many challenges we were happy to be able to celebrate Miffy’s milestone birthday with so many genuinely beautiful and innovative new collections. And as we come to the end of this celebratory year, it has been a wonderful pinnacle for Miffy to be selected as a Finalist in the prestigious Licensing Awards, Classic Licensed Property category.”

WWE partners with My Custom Sport Chair to launch wrestling heroes line-up

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WWE and chairs usually only collide when one is being smashed over the head of a muscle-clad monster, prancing about ringside in his leather underwear to the cheers of a blood-thirsty crowd. That was until the sport and entertainment franchise met My Custom Sports Chair, of course.

The result? A range of chairs you’re not going to want to smash up. That’s right, WWE and My Custom Sports Chair have partnered to create a series of custom, folding Adirondack Chairs featuring the imagery and logos of some of the greatest WWE Superstars to walk the ring. Triple H, Roman Reigns, John Cena, The Rock, and Undertaker all feature, alongside WWE Hall of Famers Stone Cold Steve Austin, Ric Flair, The Ultimate Warrior, and Macho Man Randy Savage.

This is the latest in sporting franchises to have signed with My Custom Sports Chair, who already enjoys partnerships with the likes of the NFL, MLB, NCAA, NHL, and Nascar. Its collection makes up the only officially licensed, fully customisable Adirondack sports chair on the market.

Weather tested for all year round use, each chair is made with HDPE recycled resin which prevents warping, fading and splintering, making them ideal for use in the back garden, on the patio, in the recreation room, or any other setting in which a chair could be of use.

 All products are manufactured and assembled in Stoney Creek, ON, Canada with over 60,000 units in market since 2015.

Pre-school hit Sunny Bunnies celebrates UK retailer and broadcast commitment for 2021

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The popular pre-school IP Sunny Bunnies has secured further commitment to its feature plush range with major UK supermarket chains, department stores, and online retailers through 2021, including the likes of Argos, Tesco, Amazon, and other independent toy retailers.

The range, developed by the plush toy specialist, Posh Paws, launched only last year to a warm reception from retailers across the UK. Media IM Incorporated, the London content distribution company behind the pre-school series, is confident in the repeat success of the toy range for 2020 and 2021.

The commitment from the UK retail space follows news that Media IM has also signed three new UK broadcast deals for the hit series. Ketchup TV, the UK’s leading AVOD children’s channel has licensed seasons one and two for the UK and Eire, Channel 5’s Milkshake has secured a pre-sale agreement for season five, while Sky has signed for season three across its Sky Kids and Now TV channels, as well as the Sky Kids App.

Irina Nazarenko, co-founder of Media I.M. Incorporated, said: “Even in happier times, the UK kids’ market is one of the toughest in the world, which makes closing any UK deal cause for celebration.

“To have closed three broadcast deals and to have had our merchandise relationship renewed by two of the country’s leading retailers is a serious result. We’d love to take all the credit – but the real heroes are those unstoppable, irrepressible Bunnies…”

This latest round of UK sales follows on the heels of two landmark deals in late July, which launched Sunny Bunnies into several new Asian territories, as well as on to one of China’s biggest VOD platform.

A deal with Kidzone saw the first four seasons of Sunny Bunnies debut this summer on Pakistan’s leading children’s entertainment channel. The show is set to be extended to Kidzone’s pay-TV channels in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Nepal.

In addition, Media I.M. Incorporated signed a non-exclusive two-year agreement with Chinese VOD giant Tencent for seasons one to three of Sunny Bunnies. The show is also on air on Youku, Mango TV and Huawei via a string of previous deals with major Chinese platforms.

Sunny Bunnies brand diversification also continues apace branching into gifs and stickers through giphy.com with 130 million views in one year with 20 million views in two days on the launch of the ‘bye!’ gif.

Produced by Digital Light Studio, the Sunny Bunnies are five beaming balls that can appear anywhere there is a source of light, from sunshine to moonlight.

In each episode, the cheeky creatures bring their fun and games to a different location – a circus, a sports stadium, a park – embarking on mischievous adventures and spreading laughter and happiness. And at the end of every episode, the fun continues with a collection of bloopers.

Acamar Films taps IP protection experts Incopro as global demand for Bing products continues to surge

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Acamar Films has partnered with the brand protection experts Incopro to ensure the safety of its Bing products and live events as well as safeguard the trust of its consumers as the global demand for the pre-school property continues to surge.

The London-based animation studio has seen a ‘significant acceleration’ of the Bing licensing programme over the last 18 months, and has taken the action to support its licensees and their own growth with the IP with the safeguarding of the sale of Bing products and associated activities.

Incopro will be expediently tackling counterfeit product and activity across marketplaces and platforms globally, using takedown and enforcement measures, including tracking the marketplace, identifying counterfeit goods being sold and then issuing take down notices to the respective sellers.

Sparked by the launch of a brand-new toy line by Bing’s Master Toy partner Golden Bear – whose award-winning AW19 Bing range was its fastest-selling in years – along with a rapid international growth strategy, the number of Bing licensees and available products has hugely increased in the last couple of years.

Currently there are some 5,500 Bing products available across more than 60,000 points of sale.

Meanwhile, established in 2012, Incopro and its Talisman platform uses what it calls ‘highly sophisticated techniques’ to stay one step ahead of brand and e-commerce abuse. Its mission is to discover and act on infringing content and products.

Sandra Vauthier-Cellier, chief commercial officer, Acamar Films, said: “At Acamar we are committed to protecting our brand and we take counterfeit and online threats very seriously. We want to support our licensees against copycats and infringers and ensure that our consumers can trust every online interaction with Bing.

“Teaming up with Incopro, with its vast global expertise and leading technology, enables us to give a much stronger guarantee of that.”

Piers Barclay, chief strategy officer, Incopro, added: “We’re delighted to be partnering with Acamar Films to protect Bingsters from the risk of poor quality, unsafe counterfeits and the sadly growing number of threats to consumer trust online. We’re excited about the partnership ahead and that such a rapidly growing brand has joined our global community.”

Cosmopolitan partners with LUXE to launch its own licensed fragrance Eau de Juice

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Cosmopolitan, the UK media brand for young women, has partnered with Luxe Brands – the beauty company behind Ariana Grande’s fragrance franchise – to launch its Eau de Juice fragrance to the UK. It follows the fragrance’s successful launch to the US market last year.

The four-scent fragrance collection recently won the prestigious Packaging of the Year award in the 2020 Fragrance Foundation Awards, noted as a tribute to the launch’s ‘unique pop art-inspired juice box packaging.’ Eau de Juice will debut in the UK in time for Christmas.

“We’re so excited to bring Eau de Juice to the UK market,” said Claire Hodgson, editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan UK. “With four bespoke scents, the fragrance offers our highly engaged audience a new opportunity to experience the Cosmopolitan brand.”

In a deal brokered by IMG and available exclusively at The Fragrance Shop, the collection is crafted by renowned perfumers at Firmenich. Each scent within the collection is titled to match a mood: Extra Concentrated, 100% Chilled, Love, Unfiltered and Pure Sugar.

“As an entrepreneurial company, Luxe Brands prides itself on engaging in strategic and innovative partnerships to connect with consumers around the world in the beauty category,” said Luxe Brands CEO, Tony Bajaj. “Our latest venture in business with Hearst Magazines expands our footprint within the industry; we couldn’t be more excited to have the legacy and heritage of Cosmopolitan behind us.”

“Our vision was to create a brand narrative that is aspirational yet relatable, with a wink of humorous sensibility,” notes chief marketing officer of Luxe Brands, Noreen Dodge. “The concept, fragrances and packaging bring this collection to life for our consumer.”

Toho International reveals slew of licensing partners ahead of Godzilla Day this week

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Toho International has revealed a slew of new Godzilla brand and licensing partnerships as it prepares to celebrate this year’s upcoming Godzilla Day the only way it knows how, with new products spanning gaming, apparel, collectables and more.

The licensing slate arrives just as the firm also begins to drop new weekly episodes of its popular Godzilla Tales, a series that has garnered more than 325,000 views to date.

“Fans of Godzilla roar louder than any community I know, and we still want to make sure they are able to commemorate their favorite character in exciting new ways,” said Lora Cohn, managing director, Toho International, Inc.

“With more people online than ever, now is the perfect opportunity to treat fans to the hilarious ‘Godzilla Tales’ series, while also filling the gap between our major theatrical release next year with ‘Godzilla vs. Kong.’ We are thrilled with the seamless collaboration of our licensees to deliver even more meaningful experiences and products to fans.”

Godzilla Tales dropped as a recent surprise for fans, bringing Godzilla classic monsters to screens in bite-sized formats. The series uses iconic footage from Godzilla films in the archive, all of which is reformatted into a series of episodes designed to ‘capture the fun and adventure Godzilla is known for’. With nearly 20 episodes ranging from spoofs to original themes, these lighthearted shorts are for fans from all walks of life.

New episodes of Godzilla Tales will be dropping weekly on the Nerdist YouTube Channel through to the end of the year.

On top of this, Toho is furthering the Godzilla Day celebrations with the following licensee collaborations:

Mediatonic recently teased its Godzilla crossover to the world, bringing the fan-favorite kaiju to its hit multiplayer game Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout. Beginning November 3, through a limited time only, fans will have the opportunity to wear the all-new Godzilla skin in the game.

Meawnile, the famous American artist Shag (aka Josh Agle) is combining retro cool with reptile cool through a special limited edition, hand-pulled silkscreen serigraph print in two colorways. This sleekly designed artwork calls back to the classic Showa Era of titles in the Godzilla filmography, with Godzilla in the ‘60s look and style.

Mondo continues its lineup of Godzilla products with new collectibles. Capturing the world of Godzilla in its unique style, Mondo once again delivers one of its most popular collaborations with all new tiki mugs, apparel, and for the first time with the Godzilla brand, a line of vinyl figures and statues portraying Godzilla.

On November 3, 1954, Godzilla made its first appearance in Toho’s “Godzilla,” a classic monster movie widely regarded as a masterpiece. The date is officially Godzilla’s birthday, with a Godzilla Festival held in Japan each year to celebrate. In 2019, the festival gathered over 20,000 visitors, and this year’s event will be held virtually where even more fans are expected to tune-in.

The New York Botanical Garden partners with BloomsyBox to launch official subscription box collections

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The New York Botanical Garden has partnered with the US subscription box for flower lovers, BloomsyBox to introduce hand-crafted bouquets inspired by the organisation’s living collections, as well as its rare botanical works found in its LuEsther T. Mertz Library.

The New York Botanical Garden Collection is a monthly flower subscription box featuring one of a kind, custom designed and hand tied bouquets. The collection features flowers sourced from Fair Trade flower farms that are Rainforest Alliance certified. The subscription box has been billed as the ‘perfect occassions gift.’

“Now more than ever, consumers are looking for ways to liven up their homes and easily send  joyful gifts to friends and family,” said Meredith Counts, business development and creative director for NYBG. “With the NYBG Collection by BloomsyBox, we are able to bring the  wonder of The New York Botanical Garden into people’s homes.” 

The collection is now available through BloomsyBox.com. A percentage of the proceeds from sales of the collection support The New York Botanical Garden’s work in plant research and conservation, horticulture, and education.  

The partnership was brokered by NYBG’s licensing agency, Jewel Branding & Licensing.