The LEGO Group is taking a nostalgic walk through Hundred Acre Wood with the launch of its latest LEGO Ideas project, LEGO Winnie the Pooh, a set based on the original designs from LEGO builder Ben Adler.
Taking inspiration from the tales of A.A. Milne’s adventures of Christopher Robin that have transported readers for almost a century, the new LEGO Winnie the Pooh launch will take fans on a journey to beneath a large oak tree, where Pooh’s house takes centre stage.
The house can be opened up to unveil a host of furniture and unique items such as the Pooh-coo Clock, a box of Pooh sticks, Tigger’s locket, and plenty of honey pots.
LEGO superfan Ben Alder originally submitted the concept to LEGO Ideas; a LEGO initiative that takes new ideas that have been imagined and voted for by fans and turns them into reality.
Discussing the design, Alder said: “I love Winnie the Pooh and remember my parents reading it to me as a child. I now read the same Winnie the Pooh stories to my children, so it is certainly something dear to my heart. I decided to make the set so that my children could bring to life our bedtime stories but never quite expected the positive reaction it has received.”
The new set includes five new moulded characters, each with their own accessories. Pooh himself has his red balloon to collect honey from the bees in the branches above, Piglet is wrapped up in his scarf, and Tigger has just moved to the woods with his sack on a stick. Meanwhile, Rabbit has carrots ready for snacking, and Eeyore comes complete with his tail and a removable ribbon.
Other notable inclusions to the set include a campfire and log for Pooh to think about the things that he discovers, his front door complete with “Mr. Sanders” sign above it, his adorable blue bell to ring the front door, and finally, a signpost to the Hundred Acre Wood to make sure Pooh finds his way home.
Federico Begher, VP of global marketing at The LEGO Group, said: “Winnie the Pooh is a 95-year-old story that is loved globally, so seeing Ben’s design sparked a lot of nostalgia for us all. Plus, his personal story about how he created the set for his family to play out the lovely Winnie the Pooh stories using LEGO bricks felt like a beautiful combination of family, LEGO bricks, and Winnie the Pooh that we wanted to share with others.
“We also had the rare treat of being able to create all new characters for this LEGO Ideas set. We simply had to see how the line-up of Pooh, Tigger, Rabbit and Piglet would look like in mini figure shape. As well as creating a brand-new Eeyore figure.
“The stories of the Hundred Acre Wood come to life with this set and there are plenty of intricate details for fans of both Disney and LEGO to discover.”
The LEGO Ideas Winnie the Pooh set is available directly from LEGO Stores and LEGO.com from 18th March, 2021 for LEGO VIP members, and 1st April 2021 for all.
Dr. Seuss Enterprises has ceased the publication of six titles from the author’s catalogue of children’s books following audience feedback for a review over the insensitive and racist imagery within.
The organisation confirmed that it would ceasing the sales of And to Think That I saw It on Mulberry street, If I Ran the Zoo, McElligot’s Pool, On Beyond Zebra, Scrambled Eggs Super!, and The Cat’s Quizzer for illustrations found within that “portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong.”
The decision to cease publication and sales of the books was made last year after months of discussion, but announced this week in conjunction with the author’s birthday.
“Today, on Dr. Seuss’s Birthday, Dr. Seuss Enterprises celebrates reading and also our mission of supporting all children and families with messages of hope, inspiration, inclusion, and friendship,” said the company in a statement issued on its website and to the Associated Press.
“We are committed to action. To that end, Dr. Seuss Enterprises, working with a panel of experts, including educators, reviewed our catalog of titles and made the decision last year to cease publication and licensing of the following titles: And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, If I Ran the Zoo, McElligot’s Pool, On Beyond Zebra!, Scrambled Eggs Super!, and The Cat’s Quizzer. These books portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong.
“Ceasing sales of these books is only part of our commitment and our broader plan to ensure Dr. Seuss Enterprises’s catalog represents and supports all communities and families.”
Books by Dr Seuss – who was born Theodor Seuss Geisel in Massachusetts on March 2nd 1904 – have been translated into dozens of languages as well as in braille and are sold in more than 100 countries.
The impact of the decision has not been without its reverberations and Universal Studios is reportedly re-evaluating its If I Ran the Zoo play area, as well as its And to Think I Saw It on Mulberry Street inspired shop that makes up a part of the destination.
‘Seuss Landing continues to be very popular with our guests and we value our relationship with Seuss Enterprises,’ a Universal spokesperson told Spectrum News.
‘We’ve removed the books from our shelves as they have asked, and we’ll be evaluating our in-park experience too. But our guests can plan on continuing to be able to enjoy their favorite experiences at Seuss Landing.’
It didn’t take a global pandemic to facilitate the manner of changes to have taken place at the dress-up and costumes specialist, Rubie’s, over the course of the last 12 months – but it certainly did help.
Having ended 2020 – the year of the great halt – considerably stronger than how it started it, there’s an electricity of excitement running through the Rubies business right now that is almost palpable, even if you are chatting through email.
It was only last month that Rubie’s witnessed the momentous point in its modern day history, as co-owner and managing partner (and also the founder of NECA – what a side project!) Joel Weinshanker take direct oversight of the company’s global business, and since then there’s been a bigger buzz about the costume company than ever before. Then again, this time of year always does seem to get the blood racing for many within the business, because with the dawn of March comes the favourite season of all for so many in the Rubie’s team.
We’re talking, of course, about World Book Day.
It’s by no accident that Rubie’s has become a name somewhat synonymous with the annual charity event developed to encourage reading among children across the UK. Over the years, the firm has carefully aligned itself with the core values that World Book Day promotes; the importance of literacy among children and the rallying of the industry – across its breadth – to do what it can to encourage an enjoyment of reading.
This year, Rubie’s has taken that alignment one step further, through an official partnership with the World Book Day Charity and its mission to change to the lives of the youngsters and families that it acts to serve.
ToyNews catches up with Fran Hales, head of content and marketing at Rubie’s to learn more about the partnership, talk the finer points of developing book character dress-up, and cover the facts of why encouraging children to be active readers is one of the best things the toy industry could for the next generation.
Fran Hales, head of content and marketing, Rubie’s
Hi Fran, thanks for taking the time to talk with us. Just to get us started in a nice orderly fashion, can you tell us how things have been for you guys over the course of 2020?
It’s a very exciting time for Rubies! We welcomed Joel Weinshanker, our co-owner and managing partner, who will have direct oversight over the entire worldwide Rubie’s business (Rubie’s One World).
Rubies ended 2020 in a much stronger position than it was in at the beginning of the year. We are very confident moving forward into 2021 that we will see our industry rise as a result of the hard work that has been put in by the team over the past months, as we continue to support our retailers who are the core focus of our business.
It’s important to note that the changes we have made this year were always scheduled to happen and were not a result of Covid-19. If anything, the pandemic has hastened the progress, ensuring that we bought a consolidated Rubies UK operation quicker than it was perhaps originally planned.
How resilient has dress-up been throughout the pandemic? How important has book character licensing been in the wake of big movie releases at cinema etc?
License ranges have certainly held their own throughout the pandemic, with our new ranges such as The Mandalorian proving to be massive success and sold out of stock within weeks. While licensed product remains desirable, the industry has seen a significant fall in general costume sales because of the hospitality and events industry being hit with severe restrictions throughout 2020 and continuing into 2021.
On the flip side of this, we found lockdowns inspired the nation by providing more focus on dress-up, with parents keen to keep the children entertained at home. We also made sure we were proactively prominent in the national media, which really helped keep the dress-up industry at the forefront during key seasons.
As we haven’t seen as many theatrical releases this year it has had a knock-on impact with product releases also being delayed. There are plenty of new ranges in the pipeline though, not just for movie theatres but from streaming site productions with Disney+ leading the way with epic original series such as WondaVision and Falcon and The Winter Soldier – the next big release on the hugely popular platform.
It’s March, which means we’re coming up to the big day in the Rubie’s calendar… Can we talk about your relationship with World Book Day? Why has the annual event become such an important one for you guys?
We are very excited about our new collaboration. It brings together Rubie’s global experience of delivering best in class costumes and accessories as a trusted manufacturer of licensed and generic dress-up products and the World Book Day Charity who is actively changing lives through a love of books and shared reading.
World Book Day is personally one of my favourite times of year. The event encourages children across the globe to get creative through reading, which can benefit lives an immeasurable amount through such a simple activity. Over the years the day has grown to be a remarkable success. It’s due to the hard work by the charity and the backing they’ve received from publishers and booksellers along with the help of schools to reach out and engage with pupils of all ages.
Our approach when it comes to costumes is for them to be utilised more so as a tool to encourage creativity and nurture the joy experienced from reading or reading to others. It is important that we also recognise the core principle of World Book Day which is to celebrate reading and to share books together this year.
Reading for pleasure is in decline with only 29 per cent of 0-13s reading for pleasure daily (down from 30 per cent in 2017). Fewer than 19 per cent of eight to ten-year-olds are read to daily.
What does the Rubie’s offering bring to the World Book Day event, how does it help heighten children’s engagement with the event and reading in general?
It’s easy to lose sight of what World Book Day is actually about. Here at Rubies, we fully believe that reading knows no bounds, if you can encourage engagement with reading a book through say the use of a costume, as it can only be beneficial to aide enjoying the experience.
It’s proven that wearing costumes motivates children when learning to read, which is the reason schools encourage dressing up as part of the event. We fully endorse any resource to support the education of a child and open their eyes to the joys and endless possibilities of creativity through reading.
There are many children that are compromised by reading and some have parents who may not feel confident reading themselves or have the time to do so. A costume can open those doors by bringing the story to life, help to visualise the characters, and inspire the imagination. Some children need the visual stimulation to get started and once they start, what could be more fun than recreating some scenes dressed as their favourite character to show parents, grandparents, or even friends across video calls helping with much-needed social interaction.
Kids love dressing up, especially in clothes that make them feel grown-up or looking like one of their favourite characters. Adults like dressing up because it reminds them of that feeling of being a child again and getting excited about dressing like a grownup. In a time when we may need to have a break from reality, a costume offers escapism from the world, along with newfound confidence or just making someone else smile and who could argue with putting a smile on someone’s face in these testing times?
Why is children’s literacy such an important issue for you guys, particularly this year and following the events of 2020?
Every hero starts with a story! That’s our saying and the power of literature spreads far and wide through storytelling, it’s fundamental to shaping and forming a child’s imagination. The core reasoning behind WBD is that reading for pleasure is the single biggest indicator of a child’s future success – more than their family circumstances, their parents’ educational background, or their income.
Every child should have the opportunity to own their own book and we feel very strongly about this core message from World Book Day, it’s one reason why we fully support the day in our own way by bringing the stories to life through dress-up.
“We as an industry can work together to help utilise the power of dress-up to help the cause when it comes to inspiring children to develop key skills from reading.”
What is the process like in bringing children’s book characters to life through dress-up? How closely do you guys work with source material and publishers throughout the process?
We work closely with our licensors to ensure we capture the true spirit of the character and their story, from concept to final costume approval.
To start a project, the Design Team hold creative brainstorm meetings discussing all elements of the characters personalities, colour pallets, fabrications and environments. They use this information to design a range of costumes capturing the characters essence.
It gives the team such pleasure to be able to lift a character from the page and bring it to life in a 3D form, enabling children to become their most treasured characters from literature.
What sort of growth have you guys seen in engagement with World Book Day over the last few years? How important is the event to Rubies’ UK business?
World Book Day plays a significant part on any costume calendar, it’s up there with Halloween as the second largest dress-up season of the calendar year. It’s a celebration of the characters and narratives that we’ve all grown up with and can share with younger generations.
The event has been seen to shift in recent years, in the way it has adapted to reflect the way children now engage and interact with stories, whether on the page or screen. The potential that World Book Day offers has grown exponentially over the years, by providing vast opportunities for collaborations between retailers, publishers and licensees.
Last year the charity encouraged at least 25,000,000 minutes of shared reading and made an impact with 64 per cent of early years settings and 66 per cent primary schools confirming World Book Day changed reading habits. However, there is still work to be done, as reading for pleasure is in decline with only 29 per cent of 0-13s reading for pleasure daily (down from 30 per cent in 2017). Fewer than 19 per cent of eight to ten-year-olds are read to daily or nearly every day and 383,755 children and young people in the UK don’t have a book of their own.
We as an industry can work together to help utilise the power of dress-up to help the cause when it comes to inspiring children to develop key skills from reading, encourage autonomy, enthusiasm, achievement and a sense of enjoyment.
What kind of growth have you seen in the children’s book IP licensing space? Are more and more publishers engaging with it?
Yes indeed, more and more publishers have absolutely seen the benefit of working in the licensing space and engaging with our category. Bringing stories to life is a mutual objective. At a time when encouraging children to read has never been more important it is great to work together with this aim.
Why should retailers be keen to work with Rubies for the coming year?
Well, not only do we have Joel’s arrival, but we have also been working very hard behind the scenes to provide our customers with an improved 365 wholesale experience from Rubie’s.
It’s a giant step forward in the industry with our innovative systems now in place to support our expansive range of the best licensed and generic dress-up product in the world.
Over the past year, we have moved to address the diverse challenges of a changing global market, to provide retailers with the opportunity to grow on today’s marketplaces and ecommerce platforms.
The services we offer have also had to adapt to the changing digital landscape, one example of this would be our live virtual shows from our dedicated showroom in Nuremberg – in addition to our new Rubie’s showroom, complete with a media studio, in our Bristol site.
It all signifies part of our continuing promise to offer innovative and sophisticated solutions to elevate customer’s experience throughout the seasons.
What’s the next step for you guys in terms of the World Book Day partnership? How will you guys look to continue to build in this relationship?
Of course, we have the long term in mind for this partnership as we work closely together to understand each other’s requirements, objective and to ultimately benefit one another for the foreseeable future. The partnership provides reassurance for World Book Day by ensuring they are represented in the correct manner within our industry.
Mr Benn is celebrating its 50th anniversary not only this year, but this very day, with a raft of new deals and licensing partnerships secured by the Altrincham-based animation studio, Factory.
Among the swathe of new licensees for the property now marking its half a century is the leading distributor of collectable coins and stamps, The Westminster Collection, while Coach House Partners Ltd has got the Mr Benn DVD gift set covered. Tartan Squirrel will launch a selection of Mr Benn pins, badges, and keyrings.
Other licensing partnerships include Signature Entertainment for the original Mr Benn television series, which is now available to stream now on Amazon Prime Video in the UK, Ireland and is available to download on digital platforms including iTunes, Google and Xbox. The programme is also available to download in Australia, New Zealand, US and Canada on digital platforms.
Renowned publishers Andersen Press will be releasing four new Mr Benn books including ‘Red Knight’ and ‘Big Game’ in March 2021, and ‘Big Top’ and ‘123456789’ in July 2021. Plus a renewed deal has also been signed with The Insurance Emporium for the fifth year in a row, which will showcase the brand across its website, social, events and advertising.
Originally created by award-winning writer and illustrator David McKee, Mr Benn began life as a children’s picture book in 1967 which followed an ordinary man who had extraordinary adventures when he visited a magical costume shop.
The book went on to be transformed into an animated television series transmitted by the BBC in 1971. The TV series became incredibly popular and was repeated regularly on the BBC for almost 30 years until Nickelodeon UK aired the series for a further nine years until 2010.
On the 50th anniversary of Mr Benn, creator and illustrator, David McKee, said: “Mr Benn endures, I think, because people like the idea of being able to escape to another life, and at their heart they’re old fashioned stories which last – the elements that make up the films, the voice, the music, the story, all simple elements that endure – good old fashioned stories, with a good rhythm.
“I’m really pleased that the books are coming back in print, I’ve always liked the mix of colour and black and white in them, and I made them long enough ago now to be as if someone else did them – so it feels like a new book to me.
“I often say your characters are like your children, you potty train them and look after them and point them in a good direction, but they go off do things you don’t expect – Mr Benn is living his own life and I’m excited to see what people make of the new products that are coming – and hope a new generation of children enjoy them as much as me.”
One of the most exciting deals for Mr Benn is with the leading distributors of collectable coins and stamps, The Westminster Collection, who will be creating a range of Mr Benn 50p coins issued by Guernsey.
Launching in April, the 50p coins will be available as a variety of bespoke Mr Benn Coin Collections. Starting with a single Mr Benn Anniversary logo designed 50p, up to a collection of 5 Silver coins with stunning colour print, in a presentation case.
Anya Hollis, head of brand licensing at Factory, said: “We’re really looking forward to a year long celebration for Mr Benn’s 50th Anniversary, with a wide and diverse range of products and collaborations. Mr Benn is an all time favourite for so many people and we are delighted to be launching some new and exciting products which will, as if by magic, bring a smile to everyone’s faces.”
As well as Mr Benn, Factory Rights manages the rights to a number of other properties and art created by David McKee including King Rollo, Victor & Maria, and Watt The Devil; also Towser and Dr Xargle with Tony Ross and the particularly strong Rupert Fawcett cartoons, including Off The Leash, On The Prowl, Fred and Daddy.
Factory acquired the long-established Rollo Rights catalogue in a move that further underpins its ambition to develop a rights ownership arm that supports its studio production business and with an experienced Factory Rights team is managing and building this new division.
Aconyte, the fiction imprint of the global games group, Asmodee, has partnered with the international video games company Ubisoft to publish a new Assassin’s Creed trilogy of novels, beginning this summer.
Set in 16th Century China, the new series will kick off with the title The Ming Storm and will follow the central character Shao Jun, a young assassin and already a fan-favourite from the franchise as the protagonist of the Assassin’s Creed: China video game.
Following the elimination of the Chinese Brotherhood by the rival Templars, Shao Jun must travel to Europe to train with the legendary Ezio Auditore, before she returns to exact revenge.
Written by bestselling Chinese author Yan Leisheng, the novel has recently been published in his homeland as well as France, with a Russian edition imminent. The Ming Storm will be published in the US and Canada on June 1st 2021 and on July 8th in the UK. The book will be available in paperback and ebook formats, with an audiobook version expected to follow shortly after.
“When we started out on this project for the Chinese fans of Assassin’s Creed, we wanted to create something that would feel meaningful and engaging to them. We worked hard finding the author who would understand both our franchise and how to tell a compelling story that would resonate with the audience,” said Aymar Azaizia, transmedia and business development director at Ubisoft.
“We are really proud to be able to bring this original trilogy to English readers worldwide through Aconyte. Although the content is not set in the continuity of the main storyline, you will find a great authentic Assassin’s Creed story. Enjoy the ride.”
At the end of 2020, Aconyte was announced as Ubisoft’s go-to fiction partner for novels for adult readers, to create new adventures from unexplored corners of the worlds of popular games like Watch Dogs, Tom Clancy’s The Division, Beyond Good & Evil and more.
More announcements are expected as Aconyte’s range of compelling tie-in fiction expands further.
Rubies has secured an official partnership with the World Book Day charity and its annual event developed to change lives through a love of books and shared reading.
The new collaboration is founded on Rubies’ own global experience of delivering best-in-class costumes and accessories as a trusted manufacturer of licensed dress-up products. The partnership will work to strengthen World Book Day’s ongoing mission to promote reading for pleasure and offer every child the chance to have a book of their own.
World Book Day is a key date in the diary for the costume industry and the exclusive partnership signifies a huge step forward to ensure that World Book Day’s charitable purpose is represented within the industry, along with their cores aims and messages.
Tracey Devine-Tyley, head of licensing and portfolio EMEA, Rubies, said: “Rubies’ has always been instrumental in bringing world book day to life for children and teachers. Allowing children to relate to characters through dressing up and reading equips them for all obstacles and adversities they may face and we could not be more thrilled to be working with World Book Day on their mission to ensure we are actively encouraging every child and young person to read and also have the opportunity to own a book.
“This year has been a particularly challenging time for children and parents and this partnership will be instrumental in allowing children to start a new chapter.”
Cassie Chadderton, chief executive of World Book Day, added: “It’s wonderful that children and families engage with reading creatively, including bringing their favourite book characters to life through dressing up.
“We’re excited to be teaming up with Rubies to bring more of the joy and fun of World Book Day to children, whether they are at home or at school, this year.”
Whether you’re celebrating at home or at school, head to www.worldbookday.com for loads of ways to take part, including events, resource packs, videos, activities and lots of book-filled fun.
Reading for pleasure has been highlighted as ‘the single biggest indicator of a child’s future success’ by researches behind the World Book Day initiative, placing it above factors such as family circumstances, parents’ educational background, or income.
“We want to see more children, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, with a life-long habit of reading for pleasure and the improved life chances this brings them,” said the charity.
The Royal Mint has launched a commemorative coin collection honouring 50 years of the Mr Men and Little Miss characters, as the half-century celebrations continue to roll out across the UK and worldwide.
The new Mr Men Little Miss commemorative coin collection features Mr Happy, Little Miss Sunshine, and Little Miss Giggles, with Mr Strong on a £5 crown. All three coin designs have been created exclusively by Adam Hargreaves, son of the kids’ books creator, Roger Hargreaves.
The Brilliant Uncirculated edition of the coin features the latest colour printing techniques showcasing the Mr. Men Little Miss characters in vivid colour. The Royal Mint will also be hiding 50 golden Mr Tickle tickets among all three of the colour brilliant uncirculated commemorative coins.
Every customer that finds a gold Mr Tickle ticket will be entitled to a Mr Men and Little Miss prize bundle.
The partnership was put into place when Clare Maclennan, divisional director of commemorative coin at The Royal Mint spoke with Adam Hargreaves in a zoom call, during which the two discussed the designs and characters, the excitement around Mr. Men Little Miss turning 50, and what steps The Royal Mint takes to produce a coin that celebrates an occasion such as this.
Maclennan, said: “Each year we celebrate British icons, anniversaries and moments from history on commemorative coins, and this is a fun new addition to the collection. With this year marking the 50th anniversary since the Mr. Men Little Miss characters were introduced to the world, it felt right to celebrate the loveable characters on their own commemorative coins.
“All three coin designs have been designed exclusively by Adam Hargreaves, son of Roger Hargreaves the original creator and illustrator of the Mr. Men Little Miss. I had the pleasure of chatting to Adam in a recent zoom call and it was brilliant to hear his positive feedback on the range.”
Adam Hargreaves, son of Roger Hargreaves, main author and illustrator of Mr. Men and Little Miss and designer of the Mr. Men Little Miss commemorative coin collection, said: “It is an absolute honour to not only have the Mr. Men Little Miss characters’ feature on official UK commemorative coins but to have the opportunity to create the designs that feature on the coins too.
“Over the past 50 years Mr. Men Little Miss characters’ have grown to become a global favourite among many and I am delighted to be celebrating 50 years of fun with The Royal Mint and I hope fans of the Mr. Men Little Miss series will be just as thrilled with this commemorative coin collection as I am.”
Created by prolific illustrator Roger Hargreaves in 1971, the Mr. Men Little Miss books and their ever-growing world of ‘Happyland’ have become a global favourite among many. The inspiration came in the form of a simple question: what does a tickle look like? The answer was Mr. Tickle, who is now one of more than 90 characters in an ever-growing collection, read in multiple languages in more than 24 countries around the world.
Today, the Mr. Men Little Miss characters are illustrated by Roger’s son, Adam, captivating a new generation of fans with each passing decade.
The first coin in the series features Mr. Happy and is available as gold and silver Proof editions, as well as a Brilliant Uncirculated edition and a special colour printed Brilliant Uncirculated edition, exclusively available from The Royal Mint.
Visit www.royalmint.com/MrMen to view the full commemorative coin range. The coin will not be going into general circulation.
Lisle Licensing has signed a new deal with Planeta Junior to promote and represent the pre-school property, Milo across the UK and Ireland. The deal will see Lisle’s initial focus land on toys, publishing, apparel, and dress up ranges.
A co-production between Planeta Junior and the indie family producer, Fourth Wall Animation, Milo will launch to UK screens this spring via Channel 5’s Milkshake.
Through this new partnership Milo now joins Lisle Licensing’s exclusive portfolio, which includes major kids brands like Gormiti, 44 Cats, Masha and the Bear, and Superzings.
Milo is described as a warm, funny pre-school series made up of 52 11 minute episodes about an adventurous five-year old cat who, together with his best friends Lofty and Lark, uses role-play to explore the world of vocations, introducing little ones to a variety of professions.
Milo’s world celebrates vocations such as Delivery Workers, Explorers; Nurses as well as Astronauts – every vocation is shown in a positive light so kids feel they can grow up to be anything they want to be.
The licensing agency and consultancy firm, Brand-Ward has been brought on board to develop a strategy to launch the German children’s brand, Bibi & Tina to a global audience.
Owned by Kiddinx Media GmbH, a leading name in distribution and marketing for children’s audio plays and books, kids’ music, animated features, and apps, Bibi & Tina began life in Germany as a radio play spin-off of the Bibi Blocksberg brand. It was quickly developed into a TV series for ZDF as well as a range of audiovisual productions.
It follows the adventures of Bibi, a girl with special powers, her best friend Tina, and their horses Sabrina and Amadeus. Over its 30 year history, Bibi & Tina has become a major brand in the German market with over 20 million storytellers sold to date, 5.6 million videos sold, a number one soundtrack album, and 1.7 million books shifted.
The IP has been on air with 54 episodes on TV for the last 13 years, a live action series on Amazon Prime, and four feature films. Bibi & Tina has embraced the digital age with 105 million streams per month across all major platforms.
The brand is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2021, and Kiddinx has launched the 100th episode of the radio play in January.
Holger Küchler, managing director at Kiddinx, said: “Internationalization has become a priority for our brands. We are pleased that we have found a committed and professional partner in Brand-Ward who will be accompanying us on this journey to bring a smile to every child’s face.”
Karl Blatz, head of international business development at Kiddinx, added: “Bibi & Tina always stood for equality and sustainability. These core values have been with the brand for thirty years and are now more important than ever before. We truly believe that Bibi & Tina provide captivating entertainment that children won’t be able to get enough of.”
Jean-Philippe Randisi, co-founder of Brand-Ward, said: “Quietly and discreetly, Kiddinx has created over the last decades, a number of gems for children with an incredibly enduring success. Bibi & Tina is a favourite brand for kids there, and we are delighted to help Kiddinx fulfil their ambition of making it part of kids’ lives not just in Germany but around the world.”
DC Thomson has partnered with Discovery Inc to launch a new educational children’s magazine called Animal Planet. The new title will build on Animal Planet’s goal of creating content with global appeal and to keep alive the childhood joy and wonder of animals.
Animal Planet is a brand already known for combining content that explores the bonds forged between animals and humans, and is currently available on screens around the world in more than 205 countries. Through the new Animal Planet magazine, young animal lovers will be able to find information on exotic animals and natural beauty.
Exclusive to Animal Planet magazine, kids can join the #PlanetWarriors club which offers the chance to review books, complete challenges and send in their content to feature in future issues.
Animal Planet also has an exclusive panel of experts who will answer questions from inquisitive readers. Dr Jess French, Michaela Strachan, Ben Fogle and Ellie Harrison will feature every issue, tackling questions submitted by Animal Planet’s #PlanetWarriors. These experts feature alongside Animal Planet’s beloved family, The Irwins, from the channel’s ‘Crikey! It’s The Irwins’.
The launch coincides with children and young people becoming increasingly more engaged in planet earth, its inhabitants and environmental issues. Aimed at seven to 12 year-olds, the monthly magazine will encourage kids to discover a world of big ideas, get involved and be inspired and informed.
DC Thomson Media is one of the UK’s leading media creators, with a number of diverse and successful children’s brands already part of its stable, such as Beano, Animals and You and The Official Jacqueline Wilson magazine.
Maria Welch, head of magazine publishing at DC Thomson Media, said: “We’re delighted to launch Animal Planet in partnership with Discovery. The content is perfect for kids who have a keen interest in the wonders of our planet and Animal Planet promises to be an educational and fun addition to the kids’ magazine market.
“DC Thomson Media has a long and successful history in children’s magazine publishing and the team behind this brand-new launch have brought all of this passion and expertise to Animal Planet.”
Joshua Hearn, licensing and marketing coordinator at Discovery, Inc., added: “In what has been over a year of collaboration, I am truly excited for the launch of our new Animal Planet Magazine. I look forward to developing the inspiring content you will find inside every issue and for our readers to engage with the visually diverse and factual information included.”
Charlotte Payne, international marketing and strategy director at Discovery, Inc., said: “For me, the collaboration with DC Thomson is going to enable us to bring the Animal Planet brand to life beyond the screen, inspiring children of all ages to experience the wonder and joy of the animal kingdom, all while maintaining sustainability through the magazine’s printing and packaging.”
