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Iron Maiden and Marvel join forces for merchandise collection

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Iconic British rock band Iron Maiden and entertainment powerhouse Marvel have collaborated to create a unique collection of merchandise. Fans of both will be dealt a wide assortment of apparel and accessories that highlight iconic Marvel characters and the notorious otherworldly Iron Maiden character Eddie.

The collaboration interweaves the universes of both brands, with designs that pay tribute to Wolverine, Venom, Thanos and Deadpool in unique variations of iconic album and single artwork such as Fear of the Dark, The Trooper and Killers.

Iron Maiden manager Rod Smallwood says: “Eddie has long stood shoulder to shoulder with the greatest superheroes and we’re also pretty proud of the Worlds we created for his many incarnations  – from battlefields to Egyptian tombs to frozen ice-scapes or futuristic cities. Juxtaposing some of the most recognisable characters in pop art and comic-book culture into planet Maiden has been an ambition of ours for years, and working with Marvel and their unparalleled character-based IP is the perfect fit in this day and age.

“To see such iconic characters alongside Eddie is something our fans have discussed for years and we think that the twist of placing Venom, Thanos, Thor or Deadpool in our Maiden worlds will excite fans of both cultures.”

Iron Maiden is recognised as having one of the most iconic figures in music in the shape of Eddie, whose image appeared on the band’s debut single “Running Free” and has evolved to adorn every piece of artwork, including albums, tour posters, beer labels, graphic novels and merchandise, even featuring in computer games and award-winning mobile RPG game, Legacy of the Beast.

“Marvel is cool and aspirational, and has inspired the greatest artists, musicians and creators for more than 80 years,” says Paul Gitter, SVP, Marvel Licensing. “This collaboration offers another exciting example of how the Marvel brand continues to push into lifestyle areas, with music being a top priority, and the collection allows fans to pay tribute to our iconic characters while celebrating the legendary Iron Maiden.”

The collection launches in time for the holidays and is available through Iron Maiden’s online store, speciality retailer Hot Topic and German e-tailer, EMP.

Ryan’s World game ‘Ryan’s Rescue Squad’ coming to PC and consoles next year

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Outright Games and pocket.watch have teamed up for new video game Ryan’s Rescue Squad, coming to consoles and PC in 2022. The game is based on global kids’ phenomenon ‘Ryan’s World’, whose YouTube channels receive over 1 billion views per month from over 48 million subscribers..

The side-scrolling platform adventure features two-player local co-op travel across slime-filled planets to rescue Ryan’s friends, who have been captured by the evil Dark Titan and his wicked allies Robo Combo and Packrat.

This announcement follows the first ever Ryan’s World FanFest real-time live streaming event that took place on Saturday 27 November. The stream was free to view globally for all of Ryan’s 30M+ fans and was an interactive event featuring puzzles and challenges, photo booths, downloadable content and Voice-Activated Emojis.

Ryan’s Rescue Squad will be released next year on Nintendo Switch, Playstation 4, Playstation 5, XBox Series X, XBox One and PC.

 

SODA Makeup teams with Disney for Frozen II and The Little Mermaid cosmetic collections

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Cruelty-free cosmetics brand SODA MAKEUP has announced its latest collaborations with Disney’s Frozen II and The Little Mermaid.
The Frozen II collection is inspired by “the golden, autumn leaf-speckled forests of Arendelle and the white-capped mountains of Elsa’s Winter Castle”, and features cool-toned snowflake-inspired shades fit for an ice queen. The range comprises a selection of pressed and liquid highlighters; a highly-pigmented eyeshadow palette, featuring both warm and cool tones; pressed shimmers and volumising mascara, among other products.
The Little Mermaid collection, inspired by Ariel’s underwater kingdom, features a rosy liquid cheek stain, long-wearing eye pencils, glittery lip gloss and a face palette.
Makeup fans are encouraged to show off their looks using the hashtags #showyourself and #exploretheocean.

KIDZ BOP and Carter’s get together for the Ultimate Holiday Party

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KIDZ BOP, the #1 music brand for kids, and children’s clothing company Carter’s are teaming up for the Ultimate Holiday Party.

The content is available to view on KIDZ BOP’s YouTube channel, where kids can sing and dance along to KIDZ BOP holiday hits and join the KIDZ BOP Kids as they show off their favourite festive outfits from Carter’s, share their holiday traditions, make holiday cards, decorate cookies, and more.

The KIDZ BOP & Carter’s Ultimate Holiday Party is available to watch here.

Since its inception in 2001, KIDZ BOP has sold more than 22.5 million albums and generated over 6.5 billion streams, and has had 24 Top 10 debuts on the Billboard 200 Chart. The music franchise is expanding internationally and currently records in five different languages.

Carter’s, Inc. is the largest branded marketer in North America of apparel and related products exclusively for babies and young children. The Company owns the Carter’s and OshKosh B’gosh brands, two of the most recognised brands in the marketplace. These brands are sold in leading department stores, national chains, and specialty retailers domestically and internationally, and through more than 1,000 Company-operated stores in the United States, Canada, and Mexico and on-line at www.carters.com, www.oshkosh.com, and www.cartersoshkosh.ca.

Brands In teams with Next/Lipsy for Christmas jumpers

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Brands In is once again supporting Christmas Jumper Day (Friday 10 December 2021), and has created a range of festive Disney Mickey and Minnie sweats to celebrate the popular seasonal event.

The newly launched official Disney lines are available exclusively at Next/Lipsy and are available in a variety of sizes for all the family. As part of Brands In’s new partnership with Next/Lipsy, the Christmas Jumper range can be personalised with the wearer’s name, with an RRP starting at £25. Printed in the UK, all personalised orders will be delivered within seven days of ordering.

Sue Stanley, Licensing Director at Brands In, says: “The popularity of Christmas jumpers continues to grow and the fact that we can now provide a locally sourced personalisation licensed Disney Mickey and Minnie range for customers within a week to UK addresses demonstrates our ongoing ability to be nimble and offer a best-in-class service.  The 2021 festive personalised Disney lines are high in quality with superior print technology, and we’re thrilled to have secured the range exclusively online with Next/Lipsy.”

Fanattik wins best Family Business at the Business Masters Awards

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Fanattik, the pop culture specialist, is ending 2021 on a high, winning a Business Masters award at a ceremony held in Manchester earlier this month.

The gift and collectibles company, a licensee for Hasbro, Universal Studios, Microsoft, ViacomCBS and others, supplies all levels of European gift retail. The award crowns what has been a hugely successful year for the boutique gift supplier, which is also in the running for a Gift of the Year award with its SpongeBob SquarePants premium bottle opener.

“At the start of this year we moved into Fanattik HQ, launched our Dungeons & Dragons and Magic the Gathering collections as well as doubling our office team,” says Anthony Marks, M.D Fanattik. “Next year is going to be equally a whirlwind year as we pick up the keys to our second warehouse in February and have plenty of anniversaries to get our teeth into, such as 40 years of E.T. and Knight Rider as well the blockbuster that will be Jurassic World Dominion, which we are a also a gift licensee for.”

The Fanattik team was out in force to pick up the business award, and it was the first time many of them had been out together since winning Northwest Business Of The Year, organised by the Federation of Small Business, just prior to the pandemic.

Fanattik will be visiting London, Nuremberg and New York Toy Fair as well as the Las Vegas Licensing show. Retailers wishing to join the Fanattik family on their fan-focused journey are invited to email hello@fanattik.co.uk

 

Poetic scores with NFL at Missguided

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In its latest collaboration with leading online ladies wear retailer Missguided, Poetic Brands has created a range of NFL apparel targeted at young women.

The new range encompasses a wide offering of products based around some of the key teams in the NFL, including the New England Patriots and the Green Bay Packers, combined with Missguided branding. Products include varsity jackets, sweatshirts, shorts, leggings, mini dresses, crop tops, T-shirts, co-ord sets, jumper dresses and cardigans.

The new collection follows on from Poetic’s recent NFL collection of menswear for high street retailer Primark, and builds on the apparel specialist’s partnership with the brand.

Over the past 100 years, NFL has become a key part of US culture and has established itself as the most popular spectator sport in the United States. The popularity of American Football has spread worldwide, providing a huge fanbase throughout the UK, so much so that international games are now played each year in leading London venues.

Elliot Matthews, managing director at Poetic Brands, commented: “We’re really thrilled with the NFL x Missguided collection as it’s perfect for the target audience, with relaxed yet stylish options to suit all tastes. NFL is a great brand to work with as its diverse branding and individual team graphics mean it can be applied to designs for a wide variety of consumers and work brilliantly across each one.”

Rock legends Queen partner with Johnny Hoxton for bespoke jewellery range

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Legendary rock band Queen have partnered with Hatton Garden-based jewellery designer Johnny Hoxton to create two limited-edition, bespoke pieces. A 9-carat gold ring and a solid sterling silver chain and ‘Q’ pendant will be available to purchase exclusive to pop-up store Queen – The Greatest on Carnaby Street, which celebrates the band’s historic five decades of music.

Renowned jeweller Johnny Hoxton is known for his cool, fresh and disruptive designs. Drawing inspiration from underground pop culture iconography, his jewellery blends genuine craftsmanship and nods to street culture, so partnering with one of the world’s most visually iconic bands seemed a perfect fit.

This limited-edition Johnny Hoxton collaboration is the latest ‘Queen – The Greatest’ drop, as part of November’s Art & Design Month in store. Merging well recognised Queen iconography with Hoxton’s craftsmanship and aesthetic, each of the made to order pieces in the collection are true statement pieces. Made up of a solid sterling silver chain and ‘Q’ pendant of the Queen The Greatest emblem and a solid 9 carat gold ring engraved with the word ‘QUEEN’- the pieces retail at £145 and £245 respectively and are available now.

“I’m very privileged to have had the opportunity to be involved as a creative contributor to the celebration of one of the most influential bands of my generation,” says Johnny Hoxton. “I can only hope that my humble input does some justice to this beautiful legacy.”

Queen – The Greatest was launched to celebrate the band’s historic five decades of music. Created in partnership with Bravado, Universal Music Group’s merchandise and brand management company, the pop-up store is designed to take you on a visual journey through one of the world’s most iconic bands’ contributions to music, culture and fashion. The shop features limited-edition music releases, new product drops and exciting fashion collaborations, with each month of its three-month stint having a different theme: Music, Art & Design and Magic.

Queen The Greatest’  is at 57 Carnaby Street, London, W1 until January 2022.

Hoppy Days: new Peter Rabbit attraction is coming to Blackpool

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Beloved characters from the award-winning PETER RABBIT animated TV series, produced by Silvergate Media, are set to make a new home on Blackpool’s famous seafront next year, in a partnership that marks the first stand-alone Merlin visitor attraction to be based on the series.

Developed by location-based entertainment company Merlin in partnership with Silvergate Media, Penguin Ventures (on behalf of PETER RABBIT™ brand owners Frederick Warne & Co.) and Blackpool Council, the £1 million investment has been 18 months in the making. The attraction is set to open next door to the famous Madame Tussauds Blackpool as part of a new standalone experience. The addition will join Merlin’s six other attractions in Blackpool including The Blackpool Tower and SEA LIFE Blackpool.

The new experience will provide visitors with the opportunity to hop into the world of Peter and his friends to embark on an adventure across five themed zones. Guests will need to think like a rabbit, move like a rabbit and deploy rabbit-like senses with a whole burrow-full of creativity in order to complete the challenges and earn badges – seeing if they have the skills to join the secret treehouse club. Guests will also be able to meet, greet and ‘high-paw’ with Peter himself.

“Working with Merlin on creating this attraction over the past year, pulling together ideas and new themes from the show and seeing them come to life has been such a thrill,” says Thomas Merrington, Creative Director Live & Experiential at Penguin Ventures. “This really will deliver a brand new experience and I am so excited to see how our young fans will engage with the multiple aspects of this highly interactive play attraction.”

 

 

First Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022 retail store launches in city’s New Street

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The first Official Retail Store for Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games has opened on the city’s New Street. The 3,200ft² store is stocked full of official Birmingham 2022 merchandise, including clothing, hats, caps, water bottles and soft toys. Sports fans can also get their hands on Team England T-shirts, vests and hoodies.

Midlands-based company Cube International was appointed earlier this year as the Master Licensee responsible for designing, sourcing, delivering and retailing official licensed products at all the official Birmingham 2022 retail stores they deliver.

Open seven days a week, the store will employ 25 people and overall more than 400 jobs will be created as part of the official merchandise programme. Where possible, staff will be recruited with the support of the Commonwealth Jobs and Skills Academy, launched by the West Midlands Combined Authority to generate job opportunities for and improve the skills of local people.

Alongside the Birmingham city centre Official Retail Store, around 40 official retail stores will be set up at a number of other city centre locations, transport hubs and Games venues in the run up to and during the Games.