The winner of each category – Brand & Design, Character & Animation, and Product Design – was decided by a panel of expert judges from across all sectors of the licensing industry.
Crispin Lowrey receives his award from Start Licensing’s Ian Downes
The winners of the 2022 Kelvyn Gardner License This! competition were announced at Brand Licensing Europe last week after eight finalists battled it out in three pitches full of creativity, inspiration, laughter and emotion.
The winners are:
- Brand & Design: The Spookysaurus
- Character & Animation: Frobelles
- Product Design: Penny Kyriacou
The Spookysaurus started as a character in a children’s picture book and is soon to be expanded into the children’s fantasy book: The Spookysaurus and the Boy with No Fear.
Creator Crispin Lowrey said: “After coming to BLE for the last 20 years and seeing the likes of Keith Chapman with Roary the Racing Car, I always thought it would be nice to be there one day, so this is amazing. The Spookysaurus was this silly idea I came up with in the middle of the Natural History Museum with my nephew which then spiralled out of control. To be on the License This! stage and to have the opportunity to grow it as a brand is amazing.”
Yvonne Ottley won for her inspirational property Frobelles
Frobelles is a character and digital toys brand based on sisters Coco, Kelli and Krista. Through a gaming app, digital content, a fan club and activity magazine, the brand provides much-needed positive representation for girls with afro hair, it encourages self-confidence and fosters sisterhood.
Frobelles’ creator Yvonne Ottley said: “I’m so excited and so pleased to be able to share this with my daughter, who wanted to be here today and couldn’t. Winning this will give me so many fresh opportunities and just having the expertise of the judges is going to really help our brand to shine.”
The Product Design category was introduced by Mojo Nation’s Billy Langsworthy, who reminded the Kelvyn Gardner License This! audience: “For the first time ever, students are taking part in this category. Lorcan and Phoebe attend Brunel University and Penny starts at Central St Martins on Monday.”
L-R: Mojo Nation co-founder Billy Langsworthy, Penny Kyriacou, winner of the Product Design category, and Adam Vincent-Garland, business development manager at Aardman
Winner Penny Kyriacou presented her unique ‘Invent-A-Cards’, a card game inspired by Aardman’s Wallace & Gromit that encourages STEM skills among players.
When commenting on the final presentations, Ian Downes, chair of the judges and director of Start Licensing, said: “Thank you to the finalists for your presentations, efforts and dedication today – it’s a difficult ask at any time, but even more difficult in an environment like this, in front of a live audience and panel of judges.”
The judges were:
- Ian Downes, director, Start Licensing, Chairman of the Judging Panel
- Phil King, managing director, Trademark Products Ltd
- Sabrina Segalov, senior licensing manager, Sanrio Global Limited
- Emily Fawcett, head of Global Licensing, Abysse Corp
- Dan Grant, licensing director, Danilo
- Teri Niadna, managing director, Brandgenuity
- Sarah Ward, chief executive, The Giftware Association
- Clare Piggott, director of Licensing and Merchandising, Larkshead Licensing Ltd
- Billy Langsworthy, co-founder, Mojo Nation & Brands Untapped
- Sarah Lawrence, director, This Is Iris
- Dale Boreham, senior design Manager, Moonpig
- Maxine Lister, head of Licensing, Natural History Museum
- Adam Vincent-Garland, business development manager, Aardman
- Charlie Langhorne, director, Wild in Art
The other five finalists in this year’s Kelvyn Gardner License This! competition were:
Brand & Design:
- Animo: designs based on the watercolour paintings of animals by the Swedish artist and stage designer Anna Gisle.
- Klara Hawkins: distinctive, colourful and charming surface design that appeals to all ages.
Character & Animation:
- Let’s Go See: Based on the Pilot Ollie and Pilot Polly books written by Captain Rob Johnson, Let’s Go See uses animations, an augmented reality app, picture books and schools’ packs to entertain, educate and inspire children.
Product Design, in partnership with Mojo Nation and Aardman:
- Lorcan O’Shea and his Contraption Creator
- Phoebe Bamford and her Stop Motion Bonanza Boz Set
