Tag Archives: Warner Bros

State Bicycle Co goes inter-dimensional with Rick and Morty in new bike and accessories collection

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Cycling specialists, State Bicycle Co has detailed a new partnership with Warner Bros. for the launch of a range of its Adult Swim animated comedy Rick and Morty styled bicycles and accessories.

Under the partnership, State Bicycle Co has launched a line of limited edition Rick and Morty themed premium bikes, parts, and clothing all featuring the iconic characters from the animated series. The officially licensed collaboration brings in elements of the hit show on Adult Swim.

The primary graphic design of the State Bicycle Co. x Rick and Morty series pays homage to the inter-dimensional Portals of the show, with an all-over graphic on the Core Line bike, and a Portal Graphic treatment for logos on the high-performance 6061 Black Label bike and frameset.

Handlebar tape, foot straps and a cycling kit (jersey and bib shorts) also feature the Portal Graphic, while the other jersey in the collection showcases a collection of the strange beings Rick and Morty encounter on their travels through space-time.

“We could not be more excited to partner with Rick and Morty. The TV show has been one of the most exciting and daring of the last decade and we feel the opportunity to mix cycling and their favorite pop culture characters will be an awesome opportunity for self-expression for our customers,” said State Bicycle’s co-founder, Mehdi Farsi.

This limited-edition collection is available starting September 1, exclusively through Statebicycle.com

Moose Toys named toy partner for Warner Bros.’ Space Jam: A New Legacy and Tom & Jerry live action movie

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The global toy maker, Moose Toys, has partnered with the entertainment powerhouse Warner Bros. Consumer Products to develop a range of toys to based on both its upcoming Space Jam: A New Legacy and Tom & Jerry feature films.

Space Jam: A New Legacy is the hotly anticipated re-imagining of the original beloved 1996 film Space Jam and stars NBA Superstar LeBron James alongside Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and other Looney Tunes characters. Tom & Jerry, meanwhile, is a live-action animated comedy inspired by the classic cartoon duo.

“We couldn’t be prouder to collaborate with Warner Bros., a recognized leader in entertainment around the globe,” said Paul Solomon, co-owner, Moose Toys. “With this partnership we are pushing innovation and design boundaries to create toys that are truly remarkable and worthy of the films and characters themselves.”

The partnership cements Moose Toys’ position as a key player in licensing. The toy maker continues to thoughtfully expand its collaborations, with the Warner Bros. deal joining an impressive list of recent licensing wins including, the master toy of Australian mega-hit animated series, Bluey and the activity line with leading YouTube creators Collins Key.

As part of its agreement, Moose will create a range of toys including figures, collectibles, plush characters and more. Additional details about the various lines will be shared closer to launch and will hit shelves slightly ahead of the movie release dates.

Both films are slated for release in 2021, with Tom & Jerry slated for March 5 and Space Jam: A New Legacy out July 16.

Mad Beauty details full Warner Bros. Friends range as it readies for retail launch

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The health and beauty specialist, Mad Beauty has witnessed the arrival of its Warner Bros. Friends collection, and could the company be any more excited? Going by the press release, it would appear the team has reached maximum excitement capacity, because for the first time, the iconic ’90s sitcom is making its way to the beauty aisles.

Announced at Spring Fair 2020, Mad Beauty is now ready to reveal its full Warner Bros Friends collection – the first collaboration with Warner Bros. since signing agreements earlier this year.

The launch collection features 15 pieces of beauty, bath, and body essentials, as well as a line up of lifestyle accessories. From pampering Turkey Sheet Face Masks, Advent Calendars, Eyeshadow Palettes, to Clip and Clean Hand Cleansing Gels, the new collection includes everything to bring the hilarity of Friends this autumn.

The full range includes a Central Perk Lip Balm Trio, Turkey Face Mask, 12 Days of Bath Fizzers, Iconic Yellow Frame Eyeshadow Palette, Pizza Box Bath Salts Selection , Silicone Coffee & Frame Hand Gel, Turkey Tangle Brush, Lobster Hand Cream Set, Quotes Clip & Clean Hand Gel, Regina Phalange Wearable Lip Balm, You’re My Lobster Bath Fizzers, Turkey Shower Cap, Central Perk Pamper Trio, Rescue Mask Set, and a Coffee Cup Lip Balm Duo.

“The level of interest and pre-orders in this range at shows and through sneak previews has been huge, and we are confident that this will be one of the best collections to date,” said a representative of Mad Beauty. “Could it be any more exciting?”

Myprotein teams with Warner Bros for special Justice League Hero Protein

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The worlds of comic book heroes and fitness fanatics have collided, thanks to a new collaboration between Warner Bros and the global fitness brand, Myprotein, for the launch of a limited edition Justice League Hero Protein.

Launched on February 24th, the Myprotein Justice League Hero Protein is a specially formulated tropical flavoured protein powder available in a 250g pouch, with an RRP of £6.99, a 1kg tub RRP £19.99 and a Myprotein Justice League shaker for £8.99.

A special bundle launched including the 250g pouch, shaker and t-shirt, all created exclusively for the Myprotein brand – a sports and lifestyle division of The Hut Group – for a retail price of £24.99. This has already sold out in the UK and across Europe.

Matt Moulding, founder and CEO of The Hut Group, told Licensing.biz “This is a strategic partnership between two heavy-weight, global brands which has allowed us both to develop a value partnership and target new audiences.

“Myprotein is a leader in innovation in its field, so what better timing to put this to the test with Warner Bros. The offering has had very positive interest from customers already, even ahead of the launch, so we are looking forward to seeing the results.”

“They are sure to fly out of stock, but don’t fear, this is just one of three big launches planned for the new dream team of Myprotein and Warner Brothers this year….so watch this space,” concluded The Hut Group.

MyProtein partnerships and print on demand furniture: The Hut Group is building on a record year in licensing

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There’s certainly been a shift of gear surrounding recent licensing developments for the British e-commerce specialist, The Hut Group, who not only quadrupled its licensing team in 2019, but has since expanded its facilities in preparation for further growth in the space this year.

Across health and beauty, lifestyle, and the pop culture entertainment sectors, the firm has just come out of ‘a record year’ in terms of its licensing operations where the company achieved record sales for its print on demand portfolio for both Zavvi and IWOOT.

Now, The Hut Group is preparing for a successful 2020 as it continues to push new collaborations and product launches across some of the hottest trending licensing sectors of the moment – whether that is a MyProtein deal with Warner Bros, or a boundary-pushing print on demand furniture operation.

Licensing.biz catches up with Rick Kay, licensing manager at The Hut Group to find out more.

Hi Rick, can you tell us how business has been for you guys over the past 12 months?

 Excellent. 2019 was a record year for the group and the licensing team especially. Print on demand was a primary focus for us as a licensing team and we saw record sales in that regard. Our capsule launches have been our biggest win.

A particular highlight was the Original Hero range we did with Nintendo on Zavvi.com which turned over £140k gross sales in just seven days.

And what increase in licensing activity from you guys would we have seen over that time?

On Zavvi we launched at least two clothing collections every month in 2019 which is a massive step up from where we were in 2018. In January 2020 alone we have launched a Harley Quinn range to tie-in with the Birds of Prey movie release, a Star Trek and a NASA collection.

We have also increased our product capabilities and have expanded hugely into the accessories and homeware space. We have launched a Ramen range on IWOOT.com this month which covers multiple products including apparel, phone cases, mugs, prints, cushions, coasters and travel mugs.

We can also print a host of other products on demand including wall vinyl, tote bags, blankets, greeting cards, glassware, doormats, chopping boards and with a dedicated NPD team the list is constantly growing.

Could you talk us through some of the biggest developments The Hut Group has seen in the licensing space over the last few months?

 We consider Zavvi to be the home of pop culture and with this in mind video game licensed products have become impossible to ignore and is a big growth area for us.

Nintendo has been a big partner for a few years now but over the last few months we’ve partnered with Sega (Sonic, Football Manager, Streets of Rage etc), Rare (Sea of Thieves, Banjo Kazooie, Battletoads etc) and Borderlands with many more discussions ongoing.

So that’s pop culture, but what are you guys bringing to the lifestyle, luxury, wellness, and beauty space in terms of licensing?

Our focus on our lifestyle division will remain throughout 2020. Our print on demand model allows us to be quick to market and also allows us to develop product for more niche licenses as we don’t have to commit to minimum orders.

On wellness, our biggest brand MyProtein is about to launch a collaboration with Warner Bros. Phase One is a limited edition Justice League collection including protein powder and accessories.

Further phases and licenses will be rolled out throughout the year. This is an exciting and unique licensing opportunity for us which represents the potential for huge growth

We are also looking into opportunities in the luxury and beauty space and this will be a key driver for growth in the future.

We notice that there’s been quite an expansion of the licensing team at The Hut Group – can you talk us through the team and the new additions?

 The core licensing team has grown from one person to four in 2019.

Natalie Kumeta is the head of licensing and really got the ball rolling with regards to licensing at The Hut Group. I was then brought in towards the back end of 2018 having had experience on both the licensor and licensee side at Viacom and Sambro.

Ben Smith was then added to the team, with seven years’ experience in print on demand his production knowledge has proven invaluable. Finally, Chris Beck joined in July having previously worked at Mattel and eOne.

Beyond the core licensing team we have grown our dedicated design team from four to eight over the last year with their focus almost exclusively being on print on demand product for Zavvi and IWOOT.

We are also expanding our NPD team which will see us bring in much more product beyond print on demand. Expect to see a lot more exclusive and limited edition collectible product and apparel on Zavvi and IWOOT in 2020.

Our multi-million pound print facility in Warrington will also see further investment as we look to expand the volume we’re able to print as well as the quality and variety of product. Expect print on demand furniture to launch in 2020.

We have also started a new initiative called M-A-N-A which will leverage The Hut Group’s tech platform to allow us to create end-to-end brand led e-commerce sites in a matter of hours. This will be a massive area of growth for us as we look to expand relationships with our existing partners as well as new.

How has this set you guys up for further growth in the licensing space for 2020 and beyond?

 The growth of our team will allow us to increase both the frequency and quality of our apparel, homeware and accessory launches on Zavvi and IWOOT in 2020.

Beyond that it will allow us to expand our focus beyond those sites and increase our licensed offering in the wellness, beauty and luxury areas of the business.

I’d like to ask what the next big step for The Hut Group will be now – but I fear we’ll run out of room…

There’s almost too many to list!

For Zavvi and IWOOT the next step will be about expanding our current offering. We have a lot of space to grow our portfolio in the gaming, music, anime and lifestyle sectors.

Growing the two above sites in other territories is also important for us, we’ll be opening a dedicated Zavvi office in the USA and so securing more deals in that territory will be vital.

Then of course we will be rolling out M-A-N-A, and continuing to expand the licensing offering in other sectors of the business.

Mad Beauty to break US market and secures new Warner Bros partnership

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The London-based Mad Beauty is taking on the US market, thanks to a new partnership with Diverse Marketing and Total Business Fulfilment, through which the licensed health and beauty products specialist will be provided with all it needs to break the American market.

This will include the provision of back office services, warehousing, and distribution support, providing the company with the infrastructure needed for country-wide distribution of its product line.

Established for over 20 years, Mad Beauty has seen major recent growth here in the UK and across Europe. The team also recently had its Disney license extended to the US market, as well as Canada, Brazil, and Mexico.

Wes Hardin, president of Diverse Marketing, said: “Diverse Marketing Nation could not be more excited to partner with such a dynamic organisation. Mad Beauty has entered the US market by storm, and we foresee a long and successful partnership.”

Further boosting its licensing business, Mad Beauty has recently signed with Warner Bros to bring some of the studio’s best-loved properties, including the Friends license, to the health and beauty range.

Mad Beauty CEO, Trevor Cash, said: “It is a great honour to be able to bring our products to the US marketplace, especially as this includes some of America’s most iconic brand names.

“We hope US customers will enjoy our unique mix of fun and creative packaging in combination with the high-quality ingredients all at a great price.”

The collection will make its US debut at Atalanta Gifts, as well as at Las Vegas, Minneapolis, and Seattle gift fairs.

Warner Bros’ Pam Lifford and WWE’s Stephanie McMahon to receive WIT’s Wonder Women Awards Honours

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Warner Bros Global Brands and Experiences president, Pam Lifford will join WWE chief brand officer, Stephanie McMahon in becoming the 2020 Honourees of Women in Toys, Licensing, and Entertainment’s 16th Annual Wonder Women Awards.

This year’s ceremony will see Lifford take the WIT’s Mentor of the Year Award, while McMahon will receive the WIT Changemaker Award.

Lifford is responsible for strengthening consumer engagement across Warner’s iconic characters and Global Franchise businesses, including, Warner Bros. Consumer Products, Themed Entertainment and fan-focused brands, DC, HBO and Cartoon Network properties.

Her oversight includes domestic and international licensing, worldwide marketing, business and legal affairs, finance, and retail business development related to some of the most highly regarded entertainment franchises in the world.

In Lifford’s first year at WBCP, she increased overall business by 47 per cent and has continued a consistent growth trajectory ever since. She spent 12 years at Disney, rising through the ranks to become a member of the consumer products executive leadership team as Executive Vice President.

With more than 25 years of experience, Lifford is a widely respected industry veteran, who embraces the power of collaboration and mentorship and was recently installed in the LIMA Hall of Fame.

Meanwhile, as WWE Chief Brand Officer, McMahon is responsible for the company’s Brand, Community Relations and Pop Culture strategies, and represents WWE as its global brand ambassador.

Among her many contributions, she has been the driving force behind WWE’s women’s evolution, which has given female performers an equal share of the spotlight both in and out of the ring. Adweek has included McMahon in their list of the Most Powerful Women in Sports for the past four years and recently recognised her as a 2019 Brand Genius.

She was also recently named to Forbes’ Most Influential CMOs report. In 2014, McMahon and her husband, Paul “Triple H” Levesque, established Connor’s Cure, a fund dedicated to fighting pediatric cancer, which has raised $3 million to date and has helped more than 400 families.

“Pam Lifford and Stephanie McMahon are two extraordinary and exemplary women business leaders, and we are thrilled to honour them for their commitment and overall impact on advancing women both within and beyond their own organisations,” said Genna Rosenberg from GennComm and Jennifer Caveza, from ViacomCBS, Wonder Women Awards Co-Chairs.

The 16th Annual Wonder Women Awards, held on Sunday, February 23 at Pier Sixty, Chelsea Piers, coinciding with Toy Fair New York, honours top female executives, thought leaders, entrepreneurs and other change makers for their extraordinary accomplishments and impact within the toy, licensing and the entertainment industries.