Tag Archives: pre-school

Glue Creative Thinking: “There’s always been room for a design-led brand in the pre-school space”

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Glue Creative Thinking refers to itself as a ‘David sized team working with a portfolio of Goliaths’ in its role as brand extension and licensing agency that has seen it not only carve out projects for the likes of BBC Studios’ own London Fashion Week activity, and managing MTV’s Music Meets Fashion competition, but help bring the likes of The Natural History Museum or Tatty Devine into the homeware, fashion, stationery, and accessories sectors in just a few short years.

The outfit, which started out under the guidance of its founder and director Carla Bowden six years ago, recently made the industry headlines for its latest partnership with the fledgling children’s brand Lemon Ribbon and its plans to build out the branding and consumer product programme across the UK’s children’s sector.

Licensing.biz catches up with the team at Glue Creative Thinking to explore the potential for the lifestyle brand, the company’s successes in the licensing business, and what the future holds for the space from here on out.

Hello team! To start, can you tell us about Glue Creative Thinking? Who’s in the team, how long have you guys been in the licensing business, and what does Glue Creative bring to the licensing space?

Glue Creative Thinking is a brand collaborations and licensing agency built of a team of creative yet commercially aware individuals. Carla Bowden, founder and director, started the go-to agency six years ago after 20 years of experience of licensing, fashion and retail with Blu-chip names such as Disney, Boots and Habitat. She sourced; Jess Brown, account director, due to her experience and knowledge within the licensing and buying arenas from her time at Nickelodeon, Warner Bros and Disney, Saskia Anderson Harper, project and account manager, for her fashion knowledge, and Martin Williamson, designer and office manager to ensure the team is well equipped to deliver above expectations.

With a clear understanding of entertainment, fashion and licensing industries, the team can bring them all together momentously with ease.

Can you talk us through the Glue Creative Thinking portfolio? Who are you guys working with and what makes a brand/client a perfect fit for you?

We’ve worked on some incredible projects with globally influential entertainment names that we’re really proud of, including; launching BBC Studio’s #SustainableMe Halo activity at London Fashion Week and mapping out the brand collaborations and licensing strategy to follow. Most recently we’re managing MTV’s ‘Music Meets Fashion Competition’ with ViacomCBS; a global student competition in collaboration with the British Fashion Council, River Island and designer, ICEBERG.

Through our licensing arm, we’ve brought iconic names such as The Natural History Museum, Tatty Devine and Barbara Hulanicki (the founder of Biba) into the world of Homeware, Fashion, Stationery and Accessories.

We are a David sized team that works as an extension to these Goliath names, helping them weave the market and innovatively adapt to propel their message forward.

 Focusing on the recent announcement around your plans for the Lemon Ribbon brand, what attracted you guys to the children’s lifestyle space? What are your plans for the brand? 

We first discovered the Lemon Ribbon brand about three years ago and have been actively talking to the team for about two years. As soon as we saw the brand the whole team fell in love with it. We were instantly drawn to the design aesthetic with its playfully bright and bold colour palette and the fun and engaging characters.

We have worked with the team at Lemon Ribbon Studio to build a three-year strategy to kick start the licensing journey for the brand here in the UK. Initially we are planning to launch with brands collaborations across lifestyle categories including Apparel, Homewares, Stationery and Gifting, and we will look to complement this with a master toy licensee. From there we will be building a core licensing programme across all categories as we move into years two and three.

As the brand continues to evolve there will also be animation by Cloth Cat Animation coming through as part of the new content pipeline and as this develops, we will incorporate this into the brand’s consumer product strategy.

Why is now the right time to be developing the Lemon Ribbon licensing programme? Do you think ‘lockdown life’ has underscored the value in the children’s market/lifestyle space?

Even before the Covid-19 pandemic we felt there was room for a new design-led brand in the pre-school market, one like Lemon Ribbon, which could resonate with children and parents alike and the lockdown has definitely amplified this.

Lemon Ribbon has the great ability to engage and inspire families. Now more than ever we appreciate how important it is to enrich pre-schoolers minds and this is supported by the science which tells us 90 per cent of a child’s brain development happens before the age of five. Through their refreshing, inclusive and joyous characters Lemon Ribbon will captivate children’s imaginations and ultimately, we want to bring these characters to life through the range of consumer products we are aspiring to create through a program of brand collaborations and licensees.

The team at Lemon Ribbon have already embraced the principle of play led educational content in their current partnership with ‘Imagine That Publishing’ who have produced 10 books utilising their characters and unique design aesthetic. However, we are now actively looking to build on this, and we are starting the process of talking with new publishing partners.

How has business been for Glue Creative Thinking over the past few months? How has the current situation influenced or impacted upon the licensing strategies you look at?

Fortunately for Glue, we’ve always been a remote, global team so there wasn’t much of an adjustment period when lockdowns occurred and due to our knowledge and size, we were able to act fast on the changing needs of our clients and their consumers.

We’ve been keeping an eye on the market; on which industries and brands are leaving this period stronger than before as well as which trends and innovations are working in this elevation of digital importance.

What do you think the future of licensing will look like as we emerge from this pandemic?

We’re incredibly optimistic for the future of the licensing industry and how we, as an industry, can provide consumers with what they’re looking for.

Working with influential brands we look to bring nostalgia to the public with innovative and engaging experiences, both physical and digital, especially now when igniting memorable connection is more important than ever.

The landscape is changing, and we’re excited for the new opportunities that digital provides.  We’re especially supportive of the growing desire for sustainability to be at the forefront of the conversation and how the two can support one another’s growth.

 What’s the next big step for you guys?

We’re here to support our clients through this next phase, helping them meet targets and reach consumers authentically, whatever the future may bring.

We’re excited to bring Lemon Ribbon to the wider UK market and are actively looking for partners. The third instalment of the ‘Music Meets Fashion Competition’ launches at London Fashion Week this September, we’ll be releasing some exciting updates, so keep your eyes peeled for that! We’ve also been actively looking ahead to 2021, working on a few different proposals for the gaming and TV worlds; we’ve been, gratefully, very busy!

 

Macmillan Children’s Books celebrates Dear Zoo in new F&F at Tesco range

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Macmillan Children’s Books has struck up a new deal with Tesco’s clothing brand F&F to launch a range of baby clothing based on the classic pre-school storybook Dear Zoo created by Rod Campbell.

Developed by Paul Dennicci for F&F at Tesco, the range launched last week across 165 stores nationwide, tying in with a special Tesco Baby Event. The initial collection features six garments, including vests, bibs, and a sleeping bag, all designed for babies aged 0 to 24 months.

The launch reflects the renewed interest in Dear Zoo and builds on the success of the core licensing partners, including Hacche Retail (puzzles and games for Marks & Spencer), Milly & Flynn (games and wooden toys), Neviti (party paperware) and Paul Lamond Games (puzzles and dominoes).

The launch will be supported by a campaign with ComeRound (www.comeround.com), the word-of-mouth marketing agency that is dedicated to harnessing the power of real people recommending products they genuinely love from inside the home. Over 100 families will receive a pack of Dear Zoo books and merchandise and will celebrate at the end of July with at-home Dear Zoo Read and Play Days. Alongside, there is also strong online influencer activity, focusing on the new apparel.

Stephanie Barton, publisher at Macmillan Children’s Books, said: “We brought the licensing of Dear Zoo in-house to take full advantage of the popularity of this evergreen and well-loved book. We are targeting a small number of core product categories to build on the success of our current, long-standing licensing partners. We’ve had such a wonderful response to Dear Zoo, in part due to the wonderful new assets that Rod Campbell himself and the team at Macmillan have created.

“We are delighted with Tesco’s commitment and enthusiasm and I know that Dear Zoo readers and their parents will be very excited by these lovely new products.”

The Dear Zoo classic storybook continues to be at the heart of families throughout the UK. Following on from its place as the number one Picture book in 2018, sales last year were up 19 per cent. The classic board book version appeared in the Nielsen Preschool Top 20 every single week of 2019.

The Dear Zoo Live on Stage play launched in 2018 and already nearly 85,000 children and families throughout the UK have enjoyed the performances. It also successfully toured in the UAE, Hong Kong and Singapore in 2019. With World Book Day 2021 already in mind, Macmillan Children’s Books is intending to add to the list of Dear Zoo licensees across the core dressing up, soft toy, nursery, gifting and stationery sectors shortly.

 

Sensory baby lifestyle brand Etta Loves launches new Peanuts collection

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The entertainment, sport and brand licensing agency, WildBrain CPLG has secured a new partnership with the sensory baby lifestyle brand, Etta Loves, for a new collection of products inspired by the iconic Peanuts brand.

The deal has been brokered by WildBrain CPLG on behalf of Peanuts Worldwide and will see the launch of a new, unique, science-based collection to the UK from today (July 9th). The range includes a reversible playmat, comforter, teether and muslins, along with Etta Love’s latest addition, the Sensory Strip.

Tara Botwick, senior director, territory management EMEA at Peanuts Worldwide, said: “Building the Peanuts infant consumer products programme has been key to our strategy over the last few years and this new collaboration with Etta Loves offers an innovative new avenue in this sector.

“By combining beautiful patterns which encourage early sensory development, with high-quality and versatile products, we’re confident this new range will be hugely popular with parents and their little ones across the UK.”

Using the knowledge of what a baby can and can’t see during their first year, Etta Loves designs precise sensory prints, in partnership with a Consultant Orthoptist, to support eye and brain development.

This new Peanuts collection will introduce two brand new prints to the portfolio: ‘Hide & Seek’ features the Peanuts gang hidden amongst a black and white chequerboard design, supporting visual development from birth to four months; and ‘Love & Hugs’ is a colourful XO design with the much-loved Peanuts characters Snoopy, Woodstock and Charlie Brown, supporting babies from five months onwards.

The Etta Loves x Peanuts collection is available in the UK at www.ettaloves.com and selected retailers.

Rocket Licensing picks up CBeebies’ English language learning series Yakka Dee!

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Rocket Licensing has been appointed as the international licensing agent (territories excluding China) for the popular CBeebies show, Yakka Dee! Currently in its third series, the animation and live action programme is now in production for series four and five, which are due to air in 2021.

Yakka Dee! is focused on English language learning for pre-schoolers learning to talk, children with speech difficulties, and those learning English as a second language.

The series has been developed by the writer and director, Katie Simmons (Go Jetters, Show Me Show Me, and Mr Bloom’s Nursery) and director and producer, Lotte Elwell (Peppa Pig cinema experience, Teletubbies, My World Kitchen and more) alongside Steve Smith at Beakus animation studio (Olobob Top).

Dee helps children learn language through play, visual representation and repetition. Each five-minute episode focuses on one word, with a mixture of live action and animated content and bright, bold colours. The branding is modern and vibrant, eye catching and idiosyncratic and hugely appealing to the young audience.

Yakka Dee! launched in 2017, with a peak audience of 474,000 viewers (8.9 per cent audience share) and is currently aired twice daily on CBeebies. BBC Studios has also signed for distribution in Ireland, Brazil, China, South Korea, Latin America and Turkey.

In 2019, a YouTube channel was launched, experiencing 5.3 million views in the first two months. The channel now has 161K subscribers and 46 million views, and is growing exponentially on a daily basis. ‘Aprende con Yakka Dee: Panza’, a Spanish episode via CBeebies Español, has had over 80 million views on the channel since launch, while ‘Yakka Dee: Banana’ has received 30 million views and ‘Can you Say Tummy?’ has reached 17 million in just three months.

Initially, Rocket’s core focus for the property will be on toy and publishing categories, as well as educational product and resources, followed by other preschool product categories including apparel, accessories, social stationery, and games. Consumer demand for licensed product is high, with weekly requests from parents via the brand’s social media pages for toys.

Rob Wijeratna, joint MD, Rocket Licensing, said: “Yakka Dee! is a real gem in CBeebies’ programming, and combines all of the must-have attributes of a successful preschool property – fun, education and great characters – with contemporary, bright and instantly recognisable production.

“We are also proud to be representing an ethnically inclusive brand, with Dee as a non-white lead character having become an inspiring role model for many. The loyal fan-base is ready and waiting for consumer products and we’re excited to start talking to licensees.”

Yakka Dee producers Steve Smith, Lotte Elwell and Katie Simmons comment: “We are thrilled to partner with Rocket for Yakka Dee! licensing. We are so proud of our character, Dee, and have seen first-hand how she empowers children to speak with confidence, energising them and connecting deeply with them. We are looking forward to working with Rocket to create more touchpoints for our audience, and in so doing help more children.”

WildBrain Spark to manage growth of pre-school brand Shimajiro for English-speaking market

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WildBrain Spark – the digital media division of WildBrain – has been appointed by Benesse Corporation to manage the English-language channel and content for its popular edu-tainment pre-school brand, Shimajiro on YouTube.

Shimajiro is an educational character and learning buddy famous across Asia. Under the new partnership, WildBrain Spark will look to grow the presence of the brand’s English-language content with a focus on the UK, US and the wider English-speaking global market.

Benesse Corporation has been creating educational and publishing content for the past 30 years, with the aim of making early childhood learning fun for kids and easier for their parents and guardians. The content explores Shimajiro’s life as a pre-schooler and the lessons he needs to learn on a daily basis.

As with any toddler, Shimajiro needs to acquire social skills such as empathy for others, playing in groups and helping around the house. However, the series also focuses on teaching physical skills such as brushing your teeth and washing your hands. There is a mixture of both live-action and animation in the show, creating a balance between learning with Shimajiro and also learning real life issues.

Rachel Taylor, commercial director at WildBrain Spark, said: “As we continue growing our connections with brand owners all around the world, we’re very much looking forward to working closely with the Japan-based Benesse Corporation to grow their Shimajiro brand in key international markets.

“Shimajiro’s success in educating young viewers in a fun and accessible way makes it a perfect fit for the WildBrain Spark network and we look forward to bringing the English-language content to new preschool audiences.”

Daisuke Tebayashi, director of global business development division at Benesse Corporation, said: “Shimajiro has delighted kids and parents in Asia for years. We are excited to be launching him to the global English market. The last few months have shown all parents around the world the importance of learning at home, and this is something we are experts at.

“With its history of brand building, WildBrain Spark is the ideal match for our digital-first strategy, and we are excited to be making this move into new markets.”

Baby Shark lands new animated TV series on Nickelodeon

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Perpetual earworm, Baby Shark – the global property that began life as a viral YouTube music video – has landed its own animated pre-school series to broadcast on Nickelodeon this December.

With a working title of Baby Shark’s Big Show, the series will make its debut with a half-hour Christmas special this December. This will be followed up with a 26 episode series that will run across Nickelodeon platforms in 2021.

The new series will be the work of Nickelodeon Animation Studio and SmartStudy, and will follow the adventures of Baby Shark and his best friend as they explore their community of Carnivore Cove. Launched five years ago to YouTube, Baby Shark has amassed some 5.7 billion views worldwide and has become the second most watched video in YouTube history.

Baby Shark’s Big Show is executive produced by Gary DiRafflaele and Tommy Sica, both of Breadwinners, with Whitney Ralls (My Little Pony: Equestria Girls) serving as co-executive producer. The series is produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studio in Burbank, with production overseen by Eryk Casemiro, SVP at Nickelodeon Preschool.

It joins a roster of popular pre-school series on Nickelodeon, including Ryan’s Mystery PLaydat, Bubble Guppies, and Blaze and the Monster Machines.

True and the Rainbow Kingdom to grow UK licensing roll-out with bRAND-WARD

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The children’s entertainment unit, Guru Studio, has tapped bRAND-WARD as its exclusive licensing agent for the hit pre-school series, True and the Rainbow Kingdom.

Under the new deal, bRAND-WARD will represent the property across the UK and Ireland as it looks to build a licensing programme spanning toys and games, apparel, publishing, housewares, accessories, food and drink, and live events.

“We’re seeing tremendous demand for True and the Rainbow Kingdom products from boys and girls all over the world,” said Jonathan Abraham, VP of sales and business development at Guru Studio. “We’re excited to have the experienced team at bRAND-WARD lead the charge for our consumer products program in the UK & Ireland, and continue to build upon the love people have for the show.”

Trudi Hayward, co-founder of bRAND-WARD, added: “True and The Rainbow Kingdom is a brand with great appeal, which has inspired award winning and top-rated content, widely available on many platforms, including pay TV, FTA, SVOD and digital media. Securing multiple platforms is a prerequisite nowadays if you want to achieve the necessary exposure. We are delighted to be working with Guru on this stunning property.”

True and the Rainbow Kingdom’s message aims to empower children to be mindful, compassionate and respectful of all living things. The series first launched on Netflix in 2017, and is now launching on linear TV around the world. Following the successful launch on Tiny Pop in the UK earlier this year, the demand for the hit preschool series continues to grow.

On AVOD platforms such as YouTube and YouTube Kids, the series has amassed a sizeable audience with over 300 million views. The show’s GIPHY page now boasts over 2 billion shares. The series recently received a Daytime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Directing for a Preschool Animated Program.

Consumer products for True and the Rainbow Kingdom already include a line of plush, Halloween costumes, activity books and storybooks across North America. New True and the Rainbow Kingdom content is continuing to roll out on Netflix throughout 2020.

Magic Light, ViacomCBS, and Sky in production on new pre-school series Pip and Posy

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The multiple Oscar-nominated Magic Light Pictures is to produce a new CG animated series called Pip and Posy, based on the Nosy Crow story book series from author Camilla Reid and illustrator, Axel Scheffler.

The series will have the added weight of a first time co-production partnership between ViacomCBS and Sky behind it and will premiere exclusively on Channel 5’s Milkshake and Sky’s on-demand service Sky Kids. Animation services on the series will be provided by Blue Zoo.

Pip and Posy follows a mouse and a rabbit whose lives revolve around a world of play. Packed with warmth and humour, the series is a celebration of friendship, laughter and games, as well as life’s ups and downs. The series deals with emotions, resilience and feelings in a relatable way for pre-schoolers to learn about themselves.

Currently in production, the series is based on characters from Nosy Crow’s popular collection of story books by Axel Scheffler and author Camilla Reid. Pip and Posy is Magic Light’s first pre-school series and sees the continuation of the production company’s 13 year association with Scheffler, which has produced seven high-profile animated specials based on his successful book collaborations with author Julia Donaldson.

“Pip and Posy is a delightful series that captures the essence of how young children play, think and feel and fits perfectly with our portfolio of educational and fun programming, teaching pre-schoolers the importance of friendship and understanding their emotional and social wellbeing through imaginative storytelling and creative play,” said Louise Bucknole, VP programming kids, ViacomCBS Networks UK.

“We have a long-running and close relationship with Sky, so it’s very exciting to have commissioned our first co-production together, enabling us to bring the very best of British animation to Milkshake! from world class producers Magic Light Pictures.”

 Lucy Murphy, director of kids at Sky UK & Ireland, added:”Pip and Posy is a playful series that will be loved by young children and their families.  This addition to Sky Kids, plus our recent raft of original commissions, demonstrates our ambition to feature a range of premium British programming for under 12s.

“We bring our customers the very best kids TV alongside our partner channels and this co-production with Milkshake! evolves our close relationship with ViacomCBS.”

 Michael Rose, co-founder of Magic Light, said: “We’re really excited to be producing our first-ever pre-school series and proud to be working with Milkshake! and Sky. Axel Scheffler creates truly enchanting worlds and we can’t wait for viewers to join  Pip and Posy for their fun and adventures.”

Magic Light Pictures holds the global distribution and merchandising rights to Pip and Posy (excluding publishing) and is developing a full licensing programme to complement the new series.

Last year Milkshake! pledged to double its content investment, which will lead to 50 new UK originated hours per year from 2021.

Keith Chapman’s new Netflix pre-school series Buddi brings in licensing big guns

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Keith Chapman – the much-loved name behind the likes of PAW Patrol and Bob the Builder, has turned his attention to the early pre-school audience, having joined forces with Unanico Studios and creator, Jason Jameson to develop a new animated pre-school series for Netflix.

Called Buddi, the show is aimed at the early pre-school audience. It will launch on Netflix worldwide on March 20 this year, delivering youngsters a sensory world of imagination and exploration.

Raydar Media, led by managing director Alison Rayson, is managing all rights to Buddi in collaboration with Unanico, Keith Chapman, GCI Film, FroG-Land Productions, Shanghai Motion Magic, and Spider Eye Studios. 

Raydar believes the show’s stunning visual style, coupled with it being non-verbal and early pre-school sets it completely apart from other pre-school series.

A consumer products programme – managed by broadcast licensing expert Valerie Fry – is already in the early stages of development and will be introduced to potential licensees over the coming months; the expectation is that it will deliver a vibrant range of lines where there is currently a gap in the younger preschool market.

Buddi features five friends or Buddis, called Iso, Cini, Vihi, Puna, and Kelta, each distinctively bright and colourful in their own way. The Buddis rejoice in their differences as friends, and explore the nuances of their natural world, caring for their environment as they go along. Together, they discover the wonder of snow, sand, rainbows and mud-fights, and meet many fascinating creatures that test their senses and inhabit the landscape of their home, Buddi Kotti.

Buddi aims to emphasise emotional intelligence and feelings through the imaginative use of music and sound. The melodies of Buddi showcase homemade instruments, so kids can play along to their favourite song. The Buddis express themselves with giggles, squeaks, and coos, which transcend nationalities and cultures, allowing the characters to connect instantly with everyone.

Sophie la Girafe makes US licensing move with Anjar Co and Becker Associates

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Sophie la Girafe, the now famous baby teething toy, is making a move for the wider lifestyle licensing space, beginning with new property expansion efforts across the US.

DeLiSo (Development Licensing Sophie la Girafe) has appointed Anjar Co. and Becker Associates as its US licensing agent, with the remit of developing, licensing, and distributing Sophie la Girafe branded products across a multitude of categories.

The natural rubber teether has built up a global recognition over the decades since its launch back in 1961, and had accrued sales at more than 50 million units by the time it hit its 55th anniversary.

Anjar and Becker are now looking for new licensing and distribution partners and direct to retail programmes in all categories for the brand, including infant furniture, bedding, accessories, stationery, toiletries and more.

“Sophie la Girafe has a special place in the hearts of all infants throughout the world, so the new partnership is a great addition to our licensing and consumer products portfolio,” said Jonathan Becker, president of Anjar co.

“Sophie la Girafe is ubiquitous in France, where it’s part of the nation’s fabric, and immensely popular in the US and Canada, where it can be found on many baby registries. We aim to have one Sophie la Girafe product in every house, car, and grandparents’ home before Sophie’s 60th birthday celebration in 2021.”

Patti Becker, CEO of Becker Associates, added: “Sophie is a luxury lifestyle brand sold in more than 85 countries. One reason for Sophie’s immense popularity is that she’s all natural, and appeals to all five senses.”

Anjar Co and Becker Associates will present the Sophie la Girafe licensing programme in booth 2118 at Toy Fair New York, running from February 22nd to 25th.