Tag Archives: pre-school

Bing goes big in the Benelux as Acamar Films extends broadcast and licensing partnerships

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Bing is becoming rather big in the Benelux region thanks to a raft of new licensing partnerships that follow the news that Acamar Films has landed a live stage production of the popular pre-school IP in the Netherlands and Belgium for the first time.

Detailed just this week, the hit pre-school series will now air on the region’s major broadcaster Ketnet, where the newest series of Bing – series four – will premiere in the coming months. The 26 episode will be in Flemish for local audiences. In the Netherlands, all 104 episodes of Bing series one to four are already available on NPO Zappelin.

Meanwhile, thanks to Acamar Films and its Benelux agent, License Connections, Bing is currently enjoying rapid growth and momentum in the region. Following the success of the core toy launch in AW 2019, Bing’s homeware, publishing, and toy and games ancillary categories have expanded with new and extended licensing deals.

New partners for the property include, John, Big Balloon and Mepal, with John’s toy range including Bing playing balls due to launch SS 2021 and Big Balloon launching Bing magazines in Q4 2020. Mepal is the number one brand and market leader in Benelux for melamine lunchboxes and drinking cups and will launch the Bing collection in AW 2020.

 Meanwhile, existing partner TM Essentials, with its number one brand Totum, has extended its current Bing range with new wooden toys, puzzles and car accessories launching AW 2020.

These deals are in addition to current partners Vadobag for bags and Aymax for bedding who have been on board since the beginning of the Bing licensing programme in the Benelux region.

Spectron, the local distributor for Golden Bear, has increased its listings to include Belgium following the success of the AW 2019 and SS 2020 launches in the Netherlands, where all toy products sold out within a few weeks. Spectron will be TV advertising to support the AW 2020 range.

John Boeyen, owner and managing director, Spectron, said: “For us, Bing is the fastest growing pre-school brand in the Benelux region. Our toy range was a huge hit in the Netherlands and we are excited to be bringing them to Bingsters in Belgium this autumn, where we are sure they will prove just as popular.”

Daphne Kellerman, founder of License Connection, added: “We are thrilled with the growing success of Bing in Benelux. Bing has really established itself in our local market and has been embraced by both retailers and consumers. We look forward to working very closely with the Acamar team and our local licensees over the coming months, with a particular interest to develop Health & Beauty, Electronic Learning and Wheeled products.”

Acamar Films will be exhibiting, with a virtual Bing booth, at the Festival of Licensing during the European-focused week, 6-8 October 2020. Search for “Acamar Films” or “Bing” in the exhibitor directory.

Spin Master Entertainment’s The Mighty Express makes Netflix debut globally

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Spin Master Entertainment has made company history with the launch of its first straight-to-Netflix series, Mighty Express, a new CG animated pre-school series that is rolling onto Netflix globally from today. The launch of the new show marks the 11th children’s franchise to be developed by the children’s entertainment company.

“Spin Master Entertainment excels at developing evergreen global properties through compelling story telling and engaging characters that resonate with audiences,” said Spin Master Entertainment’s executive vice president, Jennifer Dodge.

“From the importance of friendship and teamwork, to boosting kids’ confidence in their own attributes and abilities, the Mighty Express series is a fun place for children to laugh and learn alongside the characters in the show. We are so excited for families to discover our first Netflix original series and we look forward to developing more content for the platform in the future.”

Animated by the Vancouver-based toon house, Atomic Cartoons, Mighty Express is created and executive produced by Keith Chapman, the name behind the global franchises PAW Patrol and Bob the Builder. The series is also executive produced by Dodge and Spin Master’s co-founder and co-CEO, Ronnen Harary.

Highlighting Spin Master’s latest commitment to its multi-platform content strategy, Mighty Express marks Spin Master Entertainment’s first series launching straight to a streaming platform. The Mighty Express franchise is wholly-owned by Spin Master and the company will retain the rights to distribution of the series, including the licensing of consumer products.

A toy line is expected to bow in 2021.

The Mighty Express is set in a vast, playful, and quirky world crisscrossed by railway tracks, a team of trains and their kid best-buddies keep things moving and get the delivery done no matter what the trouble. Each of the trains has a specialty which they use when going on Mega Missions or hauling cargo, be it animals, equipment, or giant dinosaur bones. They always rise to the occasion when trouble strikes.

Hasbro’s VP consumer products Marianne James on becoming a pre-school powerhouse

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When Hasbro first made clear its plans to take over the Entertainment One entity at the end of 2019, the writing was pretty much on the wall that 2020 was going to be an atypical year for the world of children’s entertainment, licensing, and toys.

No one quite knew exactly how different things would turn out, and yet the licensing and toy industries have persisted and here we stand, on the edge of the first virtual Festival of Licensing in place of our usual Brand Licensing Europe, where Hasbro is about to unveil a whole new slate of content for Peppa Pig, new toy lines for PJ Masks, and its latest plans for Ricky Zoom.

Alongside all of which, we hasten to add, the global powerhouse of children’s entertainment and now one of the world’s biggest players in the pre-school space, will also be rolling out the latest franchising, licensing, and merchandising plans for that staple portfolio of brands such as NERF, Power Rangers, Transformers, Monopoly, My Little Pony… the list goes on.

It should come as little shock that Hasbro is now not only looking to put its stake in the ground in the global pre-school market with Peppa Pig and PJ Masks leading the charge, but developing way beyond the current flagship IP to turn the pre-school space into its own veritable playground.

Here, Licensing.biz catches up with Marianne James, VP of consumer products at Hasbro to discuss the integration of the Entertainment One property over the course of the year, how 2020 has forced the global entertainment house to evolve to the next level, and just what else Hasbro has cooking now that it spans the entertainment spectrum.

Well, Marianne, it’s been one eventful year, and one that all kicked off with the acquisition of eOne. How has Hasbro’s licensing division adapted to and moved with the changes of the past year?

The biggest major change we made from an organizational perspective is that we’re now one fully integrated Licensing team following the acquisition of eOne last year. At the beginning of the year, we devised a new organisational structure to support our expanded portfolio across EMEA.

It has been a real benefit, allowing us to leverage the vast talent pool from the eOne team while combining it with the Hasbro team. Together it is a true powerhouse that has strengths in so many different areas and a portfolio that is second to none.

In terms of adapting to the vast changes that have occurred externally in the past year, we were quick to pivot and pause our licensing activations during lockdown and create a suite of digital assets for families to enjoy at home. Going forward we recognise the need to be flexible and offer a diverse category mix that can evolve with the changing needs of the world. Our retail approach will focus more closely on e-commerce and the value channel in reflection of what we’re seeing in the marketplace and we’re ready to embrace those opportunities with our product and promotional offering.

2020 has seen Hasbro take on the position of powerhouse in the pre-school space, and you’ve already given us a taste of what’s to come for Peppa Pig, PJ Masks, and Ricky Zoom. How much has the acquisition informed Hasbro’s approach to the licensing space this year and going forward? Can you talk us through plans here?

The acquisition of eOne dramatically enhances our storytelling capabilities and franchise strategies through TV, film, digital and other mediums. The new content creates greater opportunity to deliver amazing stories for all screens and audiences. Anytime you acquire a stable of IP as notable as eOne’s, your approach to the business must reflect that; such is the case here. With a strong foothold in the preschool space, we are now particularly excited to dive deeper in that area and explore themes and play patterns complementary to our existing brands.

You mentioned Ricky Zoom, PJ Masks and, of course, Peppa Pig, as the standouts and I can only say that we have more pre-school brands in development now and these will be given the opportunity to leverage the success of those brands.

What is the vision for Hasbro now it spans all entertainment markets, from pre-school to adult? That must be a very exciting dominion for you to be looking after, too…

It is quite exciting. Right now, we are working towards a smooth and compelling integration of our combined portfolio into the retail market. With a repertoire of brands that span every age, demographic and category, organization and careful planning become paramount.

We are always striving to find new ways to work with our retail partners to maximize the breadth and depth of our portfolio. Our goal is to bring a high level of expertise, of knowledge, to every demographic and play pattern. In today’s market there is no substitute for expertise, it is crucial that we stay on top of all areas in order to be the best partner for retail that we can be.

We know that our brand portfolio is our strength. It will set us up for success in 2021 as we work to activate in every imaginable retail channel from the traditional and beyond. Our goal is to lead the market in a 360 approach from CP, digital, experiential, content and brand marketing.

Away from the eOne brands, Hasbro has a portfolio of massive IP like Transformers, Power Rangers, My Little Pony, Hasbro Gaming, NERF… can you talk through some of the biggest developments for these brands? How will Hasbro continue to push the envelope of innovation in the licensing space through the development of this IP roster?

There is a great deal going on! We always like to mark milestone anniversaries, and next year we have the 35th anniversary of Transformers. We also have the 85th anniversary of Monopoly commencing later this year. Both events give cause for timely celebration and will be leveraged with exciting collaborations, consumer promotions and retail activations.

Owing to our growing understanding of the changes in consumer behaviour, Nerf is also a property that we believe will enjoy a rapid expansion across multiple categories next year. Its growth will continue to cement our position as a leader in the active lifestyle and sports category. The Nerf franchise will benefit from significant above the line investment in 2021 with soon to be revealed experiential marketing initiatives set to bring the brand to life like never before.

The way we approach our CP program is guided by what we call the ‘Brand Blueprint’. This refers to our strategic framework for bringing our brands to life in exciting new ways to create immersive, 360-degree experiences for our audiences. Right now, we’re focused on deeper consumer engagement, innovative brand and product experiences and increasingly expansive opportunities for our portfolio.

It’s really all about leveraging these great story driven properties like Power Rangers, My Little Pony and Transformers by giving fans new and exciting experiences both at retail and online.

What are some of the key emerging trends within the licensing/consumer product space, and how is Hasbro aligning itself with them and maintaining its position of strength in the field?

Following lockdown, the importance of digital content and e-commerce platforms really came to the fore and that’s a key strategic focus for us. In a very short space of time, access to entertainment and retail via digital platforms really accelerated at an unprecedented rate and given the uncertainty surrounding the next year that’s something we need to be mindful of in every aspect of the business.

We are always monitoring and evaluating all the information we can gather regarding widespread changes in consumer behaviour. There is real value in being able to not only react but anticipate consumer behaviour.

There are fundamental changes that occur that will have reverberations for the industry, so we strive to keep on top of it. Currently, growth is evident in Food, Health &Wellness, Personal Care, Puzzles &; Games, Home Goods, and Classic Play. As always, we will work to service the growing demand and find good fits within our brand portfolio.

 

Acamar Films signs slate of new UK partners for its hit pre-school series Bing

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Acamar Films has signed up a slate of new UK partners for its hit pre-school show, Bing, including the likes of Beautiful Game and Kennedy Publishing, as well as further line extensions with Moonpig and a renewed partnership with CBeebies Land at Alton Towers Resort.

Beautiful Game launched Bing wall stickers in late August this year, which are now available direct to customers from its web shop (www.beautifulgame.co.uk) and on Amazon Prime. Founded in 2014, the platform is recognised as a leading official and exclusive home of sports and entertainment wall art.

Sebastian Mather, managing director of Beautiful Game, said: “We are delighted to partner with Acamar for these brand-new wall stickers. Bing is a visual treat, colourful and fun, and will make wonderful wall art for nurseries or play areas. We are sure that Bingsters will love the chance to be surrounded by their favourite character and his friends.”

Meanwhile, Kennedy Publishing launched its Box of … Bing! on 13 August. The deal is for an innovative branded carry box containing a 16-page craft magazine, a 16-page colouring magazine, two fold-out sticker sheets, a fold-out poster, giant sticker story and lots of creative gifts, from paint pots and crayons to cookie cutters and craft supplies.

Priced at £3.99, the newly themed box will go on sale across news-stands every six weeks. Bing will also feature in Kennedy Publishing’s compilation titles, Busy Time and Get Busy.

Moonpig launched first with personalised Bing cards in January 2020 and then expanded the collection to the addition of e-cards from April 2020. The Bing launch has been a great success and Acamar Films is developing more product with Moonpig.

Bing has been resident in CBeebies Land at Alton Towers Resort since 2017 and due to the ongoing popularity of the brand the partnership is confirmed to continue into 2021 with 2 mini shows and Bing and Flop meet and greets. The popularity of Bing is also reflected in merchandise sales with Bing continuing to be the top-selling brand in the retail stores within the CBeebies Land and CBeebies Land Hotel.

Louise Simmonds, head of UK licensing and merchandising at Acamar Films, said: “We are thrilled to announce we are teaming up with these respected partners to offer Bing fans a selection of wonderful new quality products. We are excited to be expanding our Bing licensing programme thanks to our dedicated focus and carefully considered strategy, which has seen strong growth over the past year.”

These deals follow hot on the heels of new toy partnerships with 8th Wonder and MV Sports, with recent NPD data listing Bing among the top 10 fastest growing toy licenses from January to June 2020 in the UK. Acamar Films will be exhibiting at the Festival of Licensing 6-8 October.

Raydar Media teases new partners for pre-school hit Buddi as season two lands on Netflix

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Raydar Media, the rights holder and licensing management business for the early pre-school property, Buddi, is poised to reveal a slate of new consumer product partners throughout this year’s Festival of Licensing, as the series prepares to return to Netflix for season two this month.

Season two of Buddi sees PAW Patrol creator, Keith Chapman return to the early pre-school scene and join forces with Unanico Studios and series creator, Jason Jameson, as the trio continue to develop the series and its focus on emotional intelligence in younger years children. As well as exploring feelings throughout each episode, the second season will also feature special night-time episodes, as well as explore new lands.

Buddi is a non-dialogue show in which the characters express themselves with giggles and coos, giving the show universal appeal, and allowing its pre-school audience to apply their own versions of the character’s conversations to the show by using their imaginations.

It’s billed as an inclusive show with diverse character shapes and vibrant colours that uses teamwork and positivity to help the Buddis overcome problems as they interact with one another. Season two of the show will launch worldwide on Netflix from September 11th, bringing eight new episodes to Buddi fans.

The look and style of Buddi takes inspiration from the landscapes and nature of Scandinavia, taken from creator Jason Jameson’s own time spent in Finland. As a result, the Buddis all have secret Finnish names.

Raydar Media is currently managing the rights to Buddi in collaboration with Unanico, Keith Chapman, GCI Film, FroG-Land Productions, Shanghai Motion Magic, and Spider Eye Studios. Raydar has stated that it is Buddi’s ownership of its early pre-school credentials, ‘combined with its stunning and unique visual style,’ that has triggered the strong reaction from broadcasters and consumer products partners.

Raydar is now preparing to announce a sweep of partnerships for the pre-school property in the follow up to MIP Junior and this year’s Festival of Licensing.

Jazwares met with ‘incredible demand’ for CoComelon debut toy line

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Jazwares has been met with ‘incredible demand’ for its CoComelon toy line, range of plush, vehicles, figurines, and role play toys that made its debut at retail this year and marks the first toy launch for the popular pre-school 3D animated series. The toy firm has stated that it is already working with retailers to replenish stock.

Developed in partnership with Moonbug, the debut toy line features characters and items from the CoComelon series. Now available on Netflix and YouTube, CoComelon is the number one most watched channel on YouTube with over 3.5 billion monthly views.

The debut toy range from Jazwares includes the Musical Yellow School Bus, the Musical Bedtime JJ Doll, the Musical doctor Checkup Set, the Family & Friends Six Packs, and an array of Mini Vehicles.

“CoComelon has captivated millions of families around the world with its relatable, entertaining and educational programming. We’re excited to bring families new ways to play and learn together with their favorite characters this holiday season,” said Andy Yeatman, head of the Americas, Moonbug.

In addition to helping pre-schoolers learn letters, numbers, animal sounds, colors, and more, the upbeat videos gently impart positive, prosocial life lessons, providing parents with an opportunity to teach and play with their children as they watch together.

“CoComelon has quickly become one of the most parent / child co-viewed brands in the world, and joyful preschoolers will be thrilled to celebrate this beloved content in toy form,” said Jeremy Padawer, EVP at Jazwares. “As a result of this significant viewership, combined with quality, musical content focused on little JJ, his family and friends, we are already seeing incredible demand for CoComelon.”

Acamar Films launches its Bing: Watch, Play, Learn app to Italy and Poland

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Acamar Films has now successfully launched its all-in-one freemium app, Bing: Watch, Play, Learn to the Italian and Polish markets. It follows the initial launch of the app to the UK last year and highlights the growing might of the IP across the European region.

The app offers child-friendly on-demand viewing of Bing episodes alongside a suite of learning games and activities all designed to help Bingsters develop their creativity, imagination and motor skills. Bing: Watch, Play, Learn has – to date – been downloaded over 400,000 times in the UK.

At its launch in September 2019, the UK app exclusively premiered the latest Bing series, ahead of its BBC broadcast – helping to drive over 100,000 downloads in the first eight weeks alone. Every single episode of Bing (104 in total) is now available to paid subscribers of the app – with a handful of episodes and games offered to free users.

In Italy, Bing: Guarda, Gioca, Impara launched on June 24, while Bing: Oglądaj, baw się i ucz’s official reveal is today. Ad-free, safe and secure for little ones, these localised apps each feature a free version including the top episodes chosen by fans in their country via Bing Facebook, plus complimentary learning games.

Over 80 videos including full episodes and 20 games are available for an annual fee (€4.99 pa / PL21.99 pa), with more content set to be added post-launch. Both free-to-download apps are available from Apple and Google Play app stores, plus the Amazon app store for Italy.

Claire Brossard, Acamar’s director of digital product, said: “We have been thrilled with the exceptional response to Bing: Watch, Play, Learn since it launched in the UK, and are delighted to kick-start our international roll-out with launches in Italy and Poland.

“These territories are incredibly successful for us, with strong broadcast ratings, high levels of affinity for Bing, rapidly growing social and digital communities, and hugely popular YouTube channels. Now, with the app – which sits at the centre of our multi-platform approach to building audiences – Bingsters and their families can take Bing with them wherever they go.”

Mothercare signs off franchise partnership with UK high street retailer Boots

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The baby products specialist brand Mothercare has signed off a franchise deal with the high street retailer Boots that will see the pharmacy chain sell Mothercare products within its branches and online. Mothercare wnet into administration last year and was forced to close all of its UK shops in January this year.

The deal with Boots was first detailed in December 2019, but has suffered repeated delays drawn out by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The franchising agreement will now run in the UK and Ireland for an initial period of 10 years. Mothercare has stated that the deal will take effect as of this autumn.

“Boots is at the heart of one of the largest healthcare businesses in the world and Mothercare will dovetail well as the specialist brand for parents and young children in both Boots stores and online,” Mothercare said in an update on its restructuring plan.

Mothercare’s UK business went into administration in November last year and all its 79 UK outlets were subsequently closed. There are still 800 stores in 40 other territories, all operated by franchise partners.

Mothercare said it had signed a new 20-year deal with its biggest franchise partner, the Alshaya Group, which operates Mothercare stores in Russia and 10 Middle Eastern countries.

It said that the restructuring of its UK business had substantially reduced its debts, but estimated that it still had outstanding obligations worth about £10m.

Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing named master publishing partner for Fred Rogers’ new pre-school series Donkey Hodie

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Fred Rogers Productions, the entertainment company behind Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Odd Squad, and Peg + Cat, has tapped Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing as its master publishing partner for Donkey Hodie, its multi-platform puppet series for pre-schoolers.

The new series will launch early next year on PBS Kids, it will be supplemented with a wide range of books from Simon & Schuster, all inspired by the new show and the work of Fred Rogers to begin rolling out at retail in the first quarter of 2022.

“We’re very excited to build on our successful relationship with Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing for our newest brand, Donkey Hodie,” said Paul Siefken, president and CEO, Fred Rogers Productions. “Donkey Hodie shows children that they can accomplish great things with a can-do attitude, perseverance, and a little help from their friends.”

Valerie Garfield, VP, publisher, novelty and licensed publishing, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, added: “We’re delighted to develop books for this stunning new series and build on its timely messages about creative problem-solving and goal-setting for pre-schoolers beyond the screen.

“We’re thrilled to expand our relationship with Fred Rogers Productions with another standout brand that will inspire kids and families to learn and play together.”

Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing’s broad assortment of titles for Donkey Hodie will encompass storybooks; Ready-to-Read beginning readers; board books; novelty titles, including pop-up and lift-the-flap titles; early chapter books; and e-book formats. As master publishing partner for Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, the company has produced more than 10 million books in print across a range of formats for that license.

Donkey Hodie is an imaginative puppet series that follows the adventures of Donkey Hodie, a sweet, yellow donkey with a magenta mohawk, and her pals – Purple Panda, Duck Duck, and Bob Dog – who live in the land of Someplace Else. Donkey Hodie is the granddaughter of the original Donkey Hodie character (now known as Grampy Hodie) from Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, who appeared in 59 episodes of the beloved classic children’s series.

The new Donkey Hodie series, produced by Fred Rogers Productions and Spiffy Pictures (Nature Cat), is designed to empower children ages three to five to dream big and overcome obstacles in their own lives, to work hard and persevere in the face of failure, to be resourceful and discover they can solve problems on their own—and to laugh themselves silly along the way.

The series is currently in production on 40 half-hour episodes and will feature new music along with re-imagined versions of Fred Rogers’ original songs to reinforce and underscore each story’s positive message.

Marshmello makes Mellodees pre-school YouTube series debut as Lil Mello

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One month on from its initial launch to the pre-school stage, Mellodees – a new kids’ YouTube channel featuring weekly videos and upbeat music produced by Marshmello and Moe Shalizi – has offered audiences a special guest appearance from the global DJ superstar Marshmello himself.

The episode, titled Wheels on the Bus, sees Dee receive a surprise visit from Marshmello in miniature form as Lil Mello, who makes his first appearance in the series, driving the bus and seated on a phone book.

Mellodees’ music videos have surpassed three million views on YouTube. The channel includes a fresh remix of classic nursery rhymes including ABC’s Song, Rock-A-Bye Baby, Itsy Bitsy Spider, and Twinkle Twinkle, as well as compilations.  With Dee’s imagination, he and his friends go on adventures providing families with music, special dance moves and more.

By Following the Beets, kids can easily read and sing along with the lyrics.

Additionally, Dee and Mellodees will be featured in the first-ever iHeartMedia Saturday Morning Dance Party, a family-friendly music event for children and parents across the US. Families can tune in to the two-week dance series to enjoy songs, new videos and Dee’s signature dance moves, taking place on Saturday, August 22 and August 29, with streaming available on iHeartRadio’s Facebook Page.

Mellodees promises to deliver relevant messages and energetic music for the preschool set and their millennial parents to enjoy. New music and videos release each week on the Mellodees YouTube Channel as well as all streaming platforms.