‘The Adventures of Paddington’ scores a host of Italian licensing deals

The Adventures of Paddington has secured its first Italian deals since launching on kids’ TV channel Rai YoYo earlier this year, helping Paddington firmly establish his presence in the Italian market. The deals were secured through The Copyrights Group’s agent in Italy, Rai Com, the wholly owned commercial subsidiary of Rai.

Edizioni Play Press will be publishing a range of magazines across a variety of formats, to be available in kiosk channels early next year.

Puzzles and games will be launching in Italy with Clementoni, in a deal that spans multiple territories across Europe from Q1 2022.

Rai Com has also renewed the agreement with Hopplà for character costume events in the Italian market. Paddington and Hopplà have had several years of successful partnership, with Paddington hosting English language workshops alongside meet and greet events and rides on Paddington’s train.

These partnerships follow the successful launch of the series on Rai YoYo, where The Adventures of Paddington airs three times daily, with audience peaks exceeding 200,000.

UNICEF will also be launching Paddington’s Postcards in Italy this October. Paddington’s Postcards offers children and families the chance to learn about other children around the world with Paddington, whilst also contributing to raising life-saving funds for UNICEF. Paddington’s Postcards is already available in the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, and Italy will be the first non-English-speaking country in which UNICEF will pilot the successful initiative.

The Copyrights Group is a full-service international IP development agency offering strategic worldwide brand development, licensing and retail expertise. Vivendi is The Copyrights Group’s parent organisation, which operates in Italy and around the world.

WarnerMedia to donate more than $400,000 in branded face mask proceeds to UNICEF’s Global Education Fund

WarnerMedia has announced it will donate more than $400,000 in proceeds generated from sales of branded face masks featuring DC, Wizarding World, Looney Tunes and other iconic WarnerMedia properties, to UNICEF’s Global Education Fund. The donation will support UNICEF education programmes to help ensure every child has equitable access to learning opportunities and could help 86,000 children continue their education during times of emergency through the distribution of 2,000 School-in-a-Box kits.

During 2020, as the world grappled with the pandemic, Warner Bros. Consumer Products EMEA joined forces with its licensees to create face masks featuring logos and characters from the DC Universe, the Wizarding World, Looney Tunes and other iconic WarnerMedia properties. The donation from the proceeds of these mask sales will now help UNICEF address the far-reaching impacts of COVID-19 on learning. Last year, more than 1 billion students were affected by school closures. Vulnerable and hard-to-reach children continue to be in danger of dropping out of the education system altogether because of significant inequities in access to remote learning widening the education gap.

“We thank our partners for joining with us to create face masks that provided a bit of inspiration – and added safety – during a very challenging time,” says Julian Moon, Senior Vice President, Warner Bros. Consumer Products EMEA.  “We are humbled by the response to the masks, and are thrilled to fund a donation to UNICEF’s Global Education Fund that will help children whose learning was impacted.”

As part of UNICEF’s Global Education program, the School-in-a-Box kits have become a part of the standard response in emergencies and used in many back-to-school operations around the world. Containing supplies and materials for a teacher and up to 40 students, the kits help ensure the continuation of children’s education by the first 72 hours of an emergency. WarnerMedia’s donation can also enable UNICEF to collect and transfer online and remote learning resources onto a digital learning platform, which allows out-of-school children to access quality learning opportunities.

Warner Bros. Consumer Products, part of WarnerMedia Global Brands and Experiences, extends the Studio’s portfolio of entertainment brands and franchises into the lives of fans around the world. WBCP partners with licensees globally on an award-winning range of toys, fashion, home décor, and publishing inspired by franchises and properties such as DC, Wizarding World, Looney Tunes, Hanna-Barbera, HBO, Cartoon Network and Adult Swim. The division’s successful global themed entertainment business includes experiences such as The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi.

UNICEF does not endorse any company, brand, product or service.

The LEGO Foundation and KIRKBI offer $15.7m of support to children in Haiti and Afghanistan

The LEGO Foundation and the LEGO Group’s owners, KIRKBI have offered up 100 million Danish Kroner – the equivalent to $15.7m – to support vulnerable children in Haiti and Afghanistan with partners Unicef, the UN Refugee Agency, and Education Cannot Wait.

Through the pledge, 30 million DKK will go to UNHCR, 20 million DKK to Unicef, and 35 million DKK to Education Cannot Wait. The remaining 15 million DKK will be distributed in due course as the needs of the emergencies unfold.

“The humanitarian crises that are happening in Haiti and Afghanistan are unimaginable and only intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic. Both require a response that focuses attention on the immediate and long-term impacts,” said Thomas Kirk Kristiansen, chair of the governing board, The LEGO Foundation, and fourth generation representative of the LEGO owner family.

“KIRKBI and the LEGO Foundation, as the owners of the LEGO Group, have an immense opportunity to respond to the crises. With the grant, we hope to take a targeted approach to support the needs of the people of Haiti and Afghanistan – not least the children who are in a urgent need of protection assistance.”

Before the current political crisis, almost half the population of Afghanistan – 18.4 million people (8.2 million children) – were in need of humanitarian and protection assistance. Since May 2021, over 500,000 people have been displaced, and the rights of women, families and children are gravely endangered.

According to the National Statistics and Information Authority (NSIA), Afghanistan has one of the youngest and fastest growing populations in the world, with 46 per cent of the population (11.7 million children) under 15 years old.

Those who have fled the crisis require immediate and ongoing support, especially families and young children.

John Goodwin, CEO of The LEGO Foundation, said: “These grants are an important part of our ongoing commitment to supporting children affected by crises. We know that by giving attention to young children and their continued access to learning in crisis settings, especially their early stimulation needs, we can make a big positive difference to them immediately and in the long-term.

“Together, we hope to provide more children with access to early childhood and education services needed to develop skills such as critical thinking, creativity, and problem solving. Social and emotional skills are vital for children to overcome the stressors caused by crisis situations, and to build resilience and adapt to the needs of the rapidly changing world.”

The 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck Haiti on August 14th, followed by Tropical Storm Grace, has left half-a-million Haitian children with limited or no access to shelter, safe water, healthcare, and nutrition.

With COVID-19 still an imminent threat to the health and safety of Haiti’s population, the loss and damage associated with these most recent natural disasters only further compounds the dire situation so many children and families are experiencing.

“As a global fund dedicated to education in emergencies, our First Emergency Response is one of impatience. Education cannot wait until the emergency is over. Thanks to the rapid support by the LEGO Foundation we can now establish safe learning spaces for children, and provide mental health and psychological social support without delay,” said Yasmine Sherif, director, Education Cannot Wait.

“Early Childhood Education needs are central to our response, alongside other components of quality education. In Afghanistan, this additional funding will enable us to continue implementing community-based education to target the most vulnerable children, with an emphasis on girls.”

To learn more about how LEGO Foundation supports children around the world, visit www.LEGOfoundation.com.

In addition to the 100M DKK grant from the LEGO Foundation and KIRKBI, Ole Kirk’s Fond has supported the people of Afghanistan with a 50M DKK grant to Red Cross in Denmark. Visit www.olekirksfond.dk for more information.