LM May 2018 eng

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LICENSING | BRANDING | MEDIA&DIGITAL | PUBLISHING TRADE MAGAZINE

LAS VEGAS LICENSING EXPO NEW YORK RIGHTS FAIR DIGITAL & MEDIA TRENDS INTERVIEW WITH STEFANO ARALDI

Editorial

Dear reader Welcome to the summer issue of our magazine!

In May, Licensing Magazine will hit the Las Vegas Licensing Expo, and then are looking forward to attend the first edition of the New York Rights Fair. So, an all-American focus seems fitting and we have aimed to highlight what is happening overseas in this issue.

There is no lack of updates on the Digital & Media front, mainly thanks to our exclusive presence at MIFA, the European Animation Marketplace that is held annually in June against the fantastic backdrop of Annecy.

DIGITAL VERSION

This issue also sees a rich interview with Stefano Araldi, General Manager of BrandLoyalty Italia, with special insights into the group’s strategies.

In addition to the main industry news, we have focus on trends with Doxa by Simona Abriani, not to mention Kidz Global, together with Ivan Colecchia.

As we did last year, we will bring licensing back to the Pitti Bimbo event and we can’t wait to see you all in mid June in Florence for the last trade fair before the summer break!

Follow our daily news on: licensingmagazine.com brands-magazine.com SOCIAL

As always, happy reading!

@BM_BrandsNews @BMLicensingNews

PUBLISHER BM Srl EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Daniele Passanante GRAPHIC DESIGN Francesca Wolfler CONTRIBUTORS Cristina Angelucci, Chiara Pellegrini, Kay Bird, Nepal Campagna, Simona Abriani, Ivan Colecchia.

PUBLISHING, ADVERTISING AND ADMINISTRATION BM Srl Piazza Statuto, 3 - 10122 Torino, Italy Ph. +39 011 8131579 info@bm-eu.com www.bm-eu.com PRINTING Pixartprinting SpA, a Cimpress Company Via 1° Maggio, 8 - 30020 Quarto d’Altino VE, Italy The editorial staff has taken every care to obtain from copyright holders the authorization to publish the pictures in this issue. In any cases where this has not been possible, the editorial staff would like to make it known that they are available to eligible parties to settle any amounts that are owed.

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number 25906

Contents

6

Cover story Mondo TV

10

Interview

14 16

News

18 20 22 23 24 26

BrandLoyalty

CPLG Italy Maurizio Distefano Licensing

39

Special Focus

38 39 42 46

Endemol Shine North America Ink Group Rainbow ZAG

MIFA ForFun Media RAI Ragazzi TeamTO

Bulldog Licensing Surf Ohio

42

20 27 28 30 32 36

Digital & Media

Epic Rights ITV Studios Global Entertainment Koko Rose Media

48 50

Trends

52

Save the date

54

News

Doxa Kids

Kidz Global

What’s next

New York Rights Fair

Atlantyca Entertainment

4

Showlab

Cover story MONDO TV

Mondo TV brings even more variety to Vegas!

COMEDY AND DRAMA, MUSIC AND SCIENCE, ANIMATED AND LIVE SHOWS

Mondo TV, one of the largest European producers and distributors of animated content, is again looking forward to inviting customers, partners and visitors to its stand (C204) at the Las Vegas Licensing Expo (22-24 May). A fast-growing and diverse portfolio of properties promises something for a variety of audiences and licensing opportunities, with four titles in particular in the spotlight at this show: Heidi Bienvenida, Robot Trains, YooHoo to the Rescue and Invention Story.

Heidi Bienvenida, Mondo TV’s live-action comedy-drama for teens, is very much in the news with its recent arrival on Italian TV, the announcement that series two has already been filmed and will launch in 2019, and recently announced plans for a film version.

This co-production between Mondo TV Iberoamerica, and Alianzas Producciones – about the adventures of a happy, carefree girl who leaves her beloved mountain home to live in the big city –

6

has already sold strongly into many Latin American markets and extended its reach to Russia and Israel. In April it arrived in Italy, where it has been airing on Rai Gulp, a major name in teen programming.

The Italian launch has been supported by social media campaigns, competitions, cast interviews and appearances by the show’s star, Chiara Francia.

But that’s not all. A major press conference at MIPTV 2018 saw the announcement of a forthcoming film based on Heidi Bienvenida, The film – Mondo TV’s first ever – goes into production at the end of 2018. Like the TV series, the film will be co-produced by Mondo TV Iberoamerica and Alianzas Producciones and will be written by the legendary Argentinian author Marcela Citterio. It will also feature many of the enormously popular cast members from the TV show.

A Heidi Bienvenida licensing programme, for which a number of agents have been announced across the Americas, is already

Cover story

under way in Latin America and Italy.

Among the first global licensees was Panini, which signed a worldwide deal to produce a wide range of Heidi-inspired stickers and magazines. In the Italian market Panini is planning to launch a Heidi sticker album for the 2018 back-to-school season and Mondadori’s Heidi books will be available in Italy after the show’s first season has aired on Rai Gulp: the first two titles will be a fan book and an arts and crafts book, launching at the end of June. This summer, Play Press will launch a Heidi selection that includes a Magic Album, colouring and activity books, and crosswords for children, while, in the food and confectionery category, Walcor is planning an Epiphany stocking for 2019. A soundtrack CD in May from music and live show rights owner Sony is also on the way.

The partnership with Sony includes an original project involving Deborah Iurato, one of Italy’s most successful pop singers and a very popular star among teens, who will perform her very own version of the show’s theme song. Meanwhile, for the Latin American market, Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial plans a series of Spanish-language books, coming out in Colombia, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay.

animation for kids, produced by South Korea’s CJ E & M, one of the leading Asian names in the production and distribution of audio-visual content, now broadcasts on a number of leading free-to-air channels including Cartoonito in Italy and Gulli in France. The show will also be arriving soon on Dkids in the Middle East, Cartoonito UK, Clan TVE in Spain and Canal Panda in Portugal. More territory announcements are imminent. Mondo TV is the distributor of the first series in a number of major territories.

This thrilling 32 x 11’ series for four-toseven-year-old children is set in Train World. Train World is an extraordinary place, inhabited by talking trains. But some trains are even more amazing: they can turn into robots! A second season, consisting of 52 episodes of 11 minutes

Robot Trains, an exciting, inventive new

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each, all in 3D CGI, is already under way.

Mondo TV is not only distributing the new series but is also co-producer.

Of course the show lends itself strongly to licensing activity. Silverlit Robot Trains toy ranges will be distributed through partners worldwide. Rocco Giocattoli, toy distributor in Italy, has already planned a major marketing campaign, which includes a strong TV commercial offering in three different formats to support the Silverlit launch. And Rocco Giocattoli is far from the only toy distributor appointed for Robot Trains – nor is it the only one planning a huge marketing commitment to the property. Bisak in Spain and Concentra in Portugal are planning a very strong marketing push in the months to come in order to support the Christmas toy launch.

Cover story MONDO TV In the Italian market licences have now been awarded across all product categories. Among the licensees on board are Grani & Partners (for collectible Robot Trains products), Panini (sticker albums), Grabo (helium balloons), Admiranda (health and personal care), Clean Paper (paper tissue), Villa Giocattoli (bubble soap), Preziosi (confectionery and snacks), La Feltrinelli (publishing), Ravensburger (puzzles and memory games), Modecor (confectionery decorations), Kimbe (live characters and events) and Ciao (carnival costumes, party sets and summer toys).

In addition to Mondo’s own licensing agreements and marketing investment, the company is also planning to boost co-marketing activities in order to create synergies between partners. Rocco Giocattoli and Panini are good examples of this strategy; both companies are planning to collaborate with Mondo to enhance the visibility of Robot Trains in their own distribution channels through promotions and events.

The Iberian market (Portugal and Spain) is mirroring the success of the property in Italy. Among the many licensees now on board are Panini (books and sticker albums), Gedis (collectible Robot Trains products), Comansi (cake decorations),

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Cover story

Kstationery and United Labels (board games and apparel).

And that’s not all. Las Vegas will offer Mondo TV the opportunity to build and develop its network of agents across the many countries where free–to-air broadcast of Robot Trains is imminent or planned.

Proving the variety and versatility of the Mondo portfolio, Invention Story (104 x 11’), a co-production from Henan York Animation and Mondo TV that arrives

next year, takes a completely different approach. It’s the tale of an intelligent, thoughtful and creative fox who, in each episode, comes up with a new invention.

There are plots, conflicts and rivalries as well as funny, eccentric and engaging characters — but this show also offers something different. By following the little fox in his efforts to build each new invention, the show’s young audience will find out more about science and how it works.

Such is the enormous potential of Invention Story across both play and learning-related licensed product that Henan York Animation and Mondo TV have already committed to five series – for a total of 520 11-minute episodes.

This is an important development. A broadcast reach that will include many of the free-to-air and pay-TV broadcasters of all major countries, combined with a fiveseries commitment, will allow partners to develop a successful long-term licensing programme. In fact a number of categories are soon to be finalised, including master toy and master publisher, with others certain to be announced before the series’ launch in Easter 2019.

There has been a strong broadcast and licensing response to YooHoo to the Rescue, the brand-new 3D CGI animated series based on the line of plush toys

9

made by Aurora World. Now confirmed as a Netflix Original Series, the show is expected to launch in 2019, and is already attracting strong licensing interest – not too surprising given that more than 80 million YooHoo to the Rescue plush toys have been sold since the worldwide launch of the line in 2007. The licensing programme already has Panini on board for publishing with a worldwide agreement.

Dolfin has agreed a multi-territory deal for Easter eggs and confectionery. A new multi-territory agreement has also been recently announced with Nuvita, which will offer baby care products. Meanwhile, for the Italian market the licensees on board are Mondadori with books, Play Press with its popular Magic Albums, and Kimbe, which will focus on live characters and events. The master toy category licensee is close to being finalized. The master toy plush licensee is, of course, Aurora. Other categories have been agreed and will be announced soon.

Valentina La Macchia, Licensing Director, says: “With so much to announce and look forward to this is going to be an even busier year for Mondo than usual at Vegas. These properties are already attracting strong attention from licensees and broadcasters in a number of territories and we are keen to extend their reach even more.”

Interview BRANDLOYALTY

INTERVIEW WITH STEFANO ARALDI BrandLoyalty is one of the main realities on an international level in the market of Loyalty and promotion, with a leading role also in the licensing sector. Present in many countries, we interviewed Stefano Araldi, General Manager of BrandLoyalty Italia SpA. Europe. It is a strategic, medium and longterm agreement.

Relationship between international and territorial choices?

Given the nature of BrandLoyalty, the brands that work with us have the opportunity to enjoy international development, while the strictly territorial choices are made when these are strategic.

In particular, we give our suppliers and partners the unique opportunity in the loyalty scenario to export brands and products internationally. Our company is the ideal link between prestigious brands and major Italian retailers: when an agreement is promoted on a European scale, the appeal of BrandLoyalty increases exponentially, thanks to “sequential sales”, meaning the possibility to export sales made in a single country to other countries. Not all companies can do it, while we have an international presence that covers America, Europe and Asia.

Which are your main areas of business?

We have abandoned the world of catalogues and incentives by choice and

Stefano Araldi What is BrandLoyalty’s current strategy?

And what is the relationship like between the Italian and European offices?

I believe that we are increasingly a company that is focused on conveying important content and storytelling, in which it is central to be closer to the consumer and provide a more complete experience. We do not simply think of the product itself, but also of its experiential function. My background, in particular, allows me to face this goal in a deeper manner. Today, BrandLoyalty is one of the top players on the Italian

market in creating an experience for the consumer and therefore linking the story to the product. To make it work, we must combine narration with the values ​​of promotion and build this with relational methods.

BrandLoyalty, being both an European and international company, links the foreign success with that of the Italian market. From this perspective, the new and exclusive European agreement with Disney, which covers from 2018 to 2020, helps us a lot. In fact, we are the only company that can represent Disney in 10

Interview relationship with Disney and, thanks to this strong synergy, we can have a true impact on the market. Italy is absolutely the leading country in this process and allows you to take advantage of the Disney world indefinitely.

Based on your experience, how do you see the licensing market today, in Italy and Europe?

The licensing market is flocking, perhaps excessively. Many are trying their hand at a hit-and-run strategy, where they arrive and disappear just as quickly, stealing slices of the market. I believe that those who succeed are those who embark

we have decided to act as a leader both in special promotion (instant wins) and in short promotion (collection of tokens).

Licensing has its soul in the first world: with an immediate win situation, the license gives appeal to the prize and the family target is the main protagonist for this type of operation, where the parents, the grandparents and those who make the act of purchase make the child happy.

With these operations we change the behavior of the consumer and we pay attention to the product at different levels.

With Rollinz you replicated last year’s success!

With Rollinz we were able to replicate a promotion with Esselunga that normally never happens. This is the first time that such a great success has been repeated, where the second edition has obtained even higher numbers than the first: the same operation with the same brand and the same type of product, not only did it not tire the consumer, but it generated greater attention and appeal towards the property and the product than the previous year. We have created a virtuous circle with a large client, Esselunga, and an important partner, Disney, managing to capture not only the family target but the world, from children to adults to collectors. This transverse target is also the strength of a property like Star Wars, which can speak to multiple targets and at different levels: from parents, grandparents and relatives who collected Rollinz for the pleasure of the children, to collectors and fans of the brand who saw in us an exclusive limited edition product,

something unique to have any cost. With this project a Rollinz fan base community has been created.

Regarding the licensing market, with which licenses are you working and how heavy is the licensing world in your complex work?

Disney offers a world of brands so full that other licenses are not even a focus for us at the moment. The leader offers a range of important and transversal licenses and an important and solid relationship has been established with this partner.

In Italy, in particular, we have a fantastic

upon long-term journeys, producing and making beautiful and content-rich operations. Content is the real key to success, as it is capable of engaging and entertaining children and families in the long run.

How is the choice of properties derived from TV series’ rather than films?

In both cases it is important to always look for a common thread. In itself the serial strategy towards the movie industry is not wrong, they simply point in different directions. If we look at, for example, Star Wars, we see that it is not a film that is an end in itself, but a saga, where there is a story that, in every movie, is told from time to time and therefore takes on a wider and wider target. In loyalty, movies work very well because they takes advantage of the moment of attention generated by the releases, while it works little with tv series’ because they do not 11

Interview BRANDLOYALTY

generate attention spikes. Working in a short time scale, you need great visibility in a limited time and the choice falls on movies because they have great projects and content to propose.

With Disney you can use, on the one hand, the media of the moment such as in movies and on the other the great knowledge of the many worlds such as Mickey Mouse and Princesses. A great range of possibilities that ranges from movies to the evergreens. This is all content that is part of our DNA. How important is digital for you?

Today, the customer experience is increasingly central to retail and our focus is shifting from a centric company product to a data driven company dimension.

IceMobile, a company specialized in digital marketing, joined the group since 2011.

IceMobile offers a series of tools, such Apps as the Bright Stamps app, which allows the collection to be managed via smartphone, Bright Punch App, to boost sales through the provision of rewards and Storepal App, which improves the programme execution on store level.

Where the solutions of IceMobile are applied, it emerges that the use of data allows to have an exact reading of each promotion; to provide the retailer with a more powerful analytical tool

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and, finally, to make the customer feel part of an experience. As an involved consumer spends more, the next step is to consolidate the emotional bond that binds him to the sign and the point of sale.

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News CPLG ITALY

CONFIRMATIONS AND NOVELTIES AT THE 2018 LAS VEGAS LICENSING EXPO AFTER THE SUCCESS OF THE BOLOGNA LICENSING TRADE FAIR, THE LAS VEGAS LICENSING EXPO IS SET TO BE THE NEXT OPPORTUNITY FOR CPLG TO CONSOLIDATE THEIR ONGOING WORK AND TO UNVEIL NEWS FOR 2018/2019.

Maria Giovanna Gurrieri

CPLG, one of the main licensing companies in Europe, represents important intellectual properties in the world of entertainment, brands and lifestyle. Let’s look at their most successful projects and the news in the various industries.

In the ENTERTAINMENT properties, the following spring to mind: L.O.L. SURPRISE! by MGA Entertainment, which continues its unstoppable global success. Distributed on the Italian market since 2017 by Giochi Preziosi, the L.O.L Surprise! dolls have been confirmed as the most sold toy - Number 1 according to the NPD data in almost every country!

Many are the important releases for 2018 and the licensing programme, which is taking shape around the brand, is rich, with a product roll-out starting from Spring 2018.

Another property that was born in the world of toys is HATCHIMALS, the franchise that was born of the innovative interactive egg by Spin Master, hatching thanks to the child who takes care of it. From 2017, the launch of the mini figurines, or “CollEGGtibles”, which live in the fantastic world of Hatchtopia came to

©MGA.

HEY DUGGEE™ and character logos™ & © Studio AKA Ltd 2014. Licensed by BBC Worldwide Ltd. BBC logo ™ & © BBC 1996.

light. In May 2017, the first “Hatchimals Free App” was released, and in Christmas 2017, 12 web-episodes which saw the CollEGGtibles characters as protagonists hit the YouTube channel. Amongst the 2018 news, new assortments of CollEGGtibles are to hit shelves, along with the brand new Hatchimals egg that will be revealed to the public in October 2018 during the “Hatching Day” and Fabbri Editore is set to release the first books.

For smaller children, HEY DUGGEE, the preschool series by BBC WorldWide and winner of numerous awards and nominations, continues to broaden the licensee spectrum. The strong point of the series is the edutainment edge: the adventures of Duggee and his little cubs encourage children to resolve their problems with a positive approach, and it is thanks to these values that Chicco, Master Toy Partner for the plush line, chose Hey Duggee. The second season of the series, made up of 52 episodes, 14

is airing with both Cartoonito and DeAJunior, positioning the show at the TOP for both channels. The property’s social media channels are also enjoying a wide following. Amongst the 2018 news: the official Italian YouTube channel is upon us and Clementoni is set to launch a line of educational toys this summer.

Last but not least, it is important to note

TM & 2018 Sony Pictures Animation Inc. All Right Reserved.

News the theatrical news, such as the three upcoming films, HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3 by Sony Pictures, AMUSEMENT PARK

by Paramount Pictures and UGLYDOLLS

by STX Entertainment.

Following the success of the first two films, in August 2018 Sony Pictures Animation’s third movie “Hotel Transylvania 3 - A Monstrous Holiday” is set to add to the TV series that has been airing with Disney Channel since Autumn 2017. The new film will see Dracula, Mavis and the rest of the crew in a different light, no longer as guests of the famous family hotel, but on holiday on a cruise ship.

Parental Advisory that with Coach, Scotch & Soda, Fyodor Golan, Alessandro Enriquez and the recent Mango Kids. Felix the Cat is celebrating his 100th anniversary next year!

THE PINK PANTHER is also continuing on his success route in fashion! After the consensus of the first collection, Pinko decided to continue with a new SS’18 capsule collection for women. The collection, made up of accessories and clothing, was launched in January 2018 in Pinko stores across the world.

Grandi Giochi is set to distribute the Jazware toy line in Italy, which is made up of figurines, playsets and plush toys. The Hotel Transylvania videogame is set for launch in Summer 2018.

The Uglydolls by STX Entertainment were born 16 years ago of the imagination of a couple of illustrators. Uglydolls is a fan driven property, which was set on fire by word of mouth and important partnerships and is now set to become an animated film and television series.

Uglydolls holds an important message of universal acceptance and tolerance: “ugly is beautiful”! The film is set to hit cinemas in May 2019 with a soundtrack

by Pitbull, who also voices one of the main characters of the movie. Hasbro have acquired the rights to Master Toy Partner.

Moving over to the LIFESTYLE world, the iconic brand YALE -one of the most exclusive and famous universities in the world- became part of the CPLG portfolio.

Thanks to their elevated awareness, to the important historical and academic values and college style, the brand was recently protagonist of important partnerships with high street brands such as Urban

Outfitters, Forever 21 and Zara.

The licensing programme for PARENTAL ADVISORY is also continuing, another lifestyle brand that has inspired numerous collaborations in fashion such as with H&M, Primark, Asos and the trendsetter, Italian brands. Originally a label for CDs to alert parents of violent or explicit content, Parental Advisory is today a symbol of rebellion for the young generations and has been seen on stars, both national and international, such as J-Ax, Beyoncé and Rihanna. Its logo was also recently used on the Gucci invitation for their FW 18/19 fashion show.

Also confirmed is the continuation of CLASSIC BRANDS such as FELIX THE CAT and THE PINK PANTHER, real fashion icons and fountains of inspiration for HALO projects.

Created by a talented team of animators, with Otto Messmer and Joe Oriolo taking part, FELIX THE CAT was the first animated cartoon to hit cinemas, becoming a pop icon of international fame. The character was the protagonist of prestigious collaborations such as 15

Felix The Cat

News MAURIZIO DISTEFANO LICENSING

Brands protagonists of successful apparel lines and new creative opportunities THE APPAREL IS THE ULTIMATE EXPRESSION OF LICENSING AND THE BRANDS REPRESENTED BY MAURIZIO DISTEFANO OFFER THE OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE UNIQUE AND INNOVATIVE DESIGNS AIMED AT ALL AGE GROUPS. Fashion is among the product categories in which the brands are developed at their best, in the hands of skilled creative directors and fashion designers.

Children targeted brands mean that children can wear their favourite characters, while apparel market for millennial and adult targets is increasingly looking for new inspirations and creative developments in line with current trends.

Maurizio Distefano Licensing is the agency that carried out some very interesting projects, which proved to be the same even when looking at their success in sales points.

For the infant target, the Original Marines nightwear capsule branded Masha and the Bear is an example. Masha and the Bear has become an icon of a classic and unique style, thanks to the continuous production of new episodes, spin offs and new highly diversified style guides. The line includes a special series of pyjamas dedicated to girls with the image of the overwhelming Masha, available in the brand’s flagship stores in Italy and abroad since December 2017. Also in this series, Arnetta has developed a beautiful and extensive collection of clothing and shoes much loved by children.

For the adult target, Gilmar’s Ice play line with Angry Birds has been a huge success. Gilmar Group is a prestigious company in the creation and distribution of clothing brands with high positioning, both in-house, as Iceberg, and with license, as the Ice Play collection with Angry Birds. Launched in store and online at the end of 2016, it consists in a line of t-shirts, sweatshirts and other items,

Angry Birds Hatchling dedicated to a target of children and millennials, they are perfect for those who want to develop irresistible clothing creations, especially for girls, playing with unusual textures, pastel colours and glitters.

Another brand with enormous potential for the consumer product market is Tetris, which as it heads into its 35th anniversary in 2019 continues to be one of the bestselling video game brands of all time with

illustrated with the images of Red and the other protagonists of Angry Birds and has received a special award from the brand owner, Rovio Entertainment Corporation. The Angry Birds brand soars to new heights in September 2019 with the theatrical release of The Angry Birds Movie 2, the highly-anticipated sequel to 2016’s smash hit original which grossed $352 million at the global box office. Rovio is spearheading its biggest brand licensing initiative to date in support of the comedy blockbuster, and as part of the support, will create a multitude of new, beautiful style guides.

In Maurizio Distefano Licensing agency portfolio there are other brands that, with their very innovative graphics, have already intrigued leading names in the production and distribution of clothing.

Angry Birds Hatchlings, the cute baby birds that rose to fame with the Angry Birds Movie, have been secured as the protagonists in wonderful style guides 16

Angry Birds by Ice Play

News a universal awareness that continues to grow. The brand enables the development of product lines that offer iconic impact and a retro flavour, but at the same time are innovative and unique.

Monchhichi is the new animated series based on the Classic plush phenomenon from the 80’s with little cute creatures that take care of children’s dreams that, thanks to surprising settings, allows to create unique items that encourage purchase.

Other brands that could be an inspiration, resulting suitable for the fashion world for a more teen and adult target, are: emoji® - THE ICONIC BRAND, the exclusive rights owner to the registered emoji® trademark and the creator and owner of the world´s largest library of icons protected under applicable copyright laws and available for licensing, merchandising, promotions, events and marketing activities whether print, online or TV commercials. The emoji company offers legal security and safety to its partners and grants its official licensees access to more than 10.000 protected icons available for legal licensing. Each month the emoji company releases new style guides inspired by the most current themes, for fresh and contemporary collections; Asterix, the evergreen brand inspired by the famous hero of the Gaul that offers style guides with a classic and recognizable cut, ready to be revolutionized. The new film by Asterix will be released in January 2019; Chic & Love, a new brand that allows you to develop unique creations with high positioning thanks to the partnership with

Angry Birds by Ice Play Swarovski®. Glamorous and luxurious products, but at the same time accessible.

Simon’s Cat is the popular comic series on the web and with a distinctive trait, which excites and entertains pet lovers.

In addition, the agency sees in Hamsta World an opportunity for licensees to fully express their imagination. The possibility of working directly with the creative director who gave life to the cute

Simon’s Cat by Primark

hamsters offers a terrain of complete artistic freedom.

The collaborations that arise with these and other brands of the agency, already known and famous but who present themselves as novelties in the licensing world, could be expressed in soughtafter and absolutely new projects that are ready to be launched in a highly receptive market.

Hamsta World T-Shirt 17

Special Focus ENDEMOL SHINE NORTH AMERICA

AT LAS VEGAS LICENSING EXPO, UNVEILED FEATURED PROPERTIES INCLUDING AWARD-WINNING GANGSTER DRAMA PEAKY BLINDERS IN LAS VEGAS, CONTENT CREATOR, PRODUCER AND DISTRIBUTOR ENDEMOL SHINE NORTH AMERICA WILL FOCUS ON THE COMPANY’S KEY PROPERTIES, INCLUDING PEAKY BLINDERS, MASTERCHEF, DEAL OR NO DEAL, SIMON’S CAT, PAGE SIX TV AND MR. BEAN. of Peaky Blinders has been confirmed for 2019.

As Tamaya Petteway, Endemol Shine North America SVP, Brand and Licensing Partnerships, says: “Endemol Shine North America’s extensive and expanding global portfolio provides unlimited opportunities for our licensing partners.

Offering a wide range of properties from iconic scripted drama PEAKY BLINDERS to global hit game show DEAL OR NO DEAL and cooking competition franchise MASTERCHEF, gives our clients the

ability to create a licensing program that will appeal to their target audience.”

Below some highlights on Endemol Shine North America Key Properties.

PEAKY BLINDERS The award-winning, epic gangster drama PEAKY BLINDERS is produced in the UK for BBC Two and sold globally by Endemol Shine International across 182 countries, including airing on Netflix. A fifth series 18

MASTERCHEF and MASTERCHEF JUNIOR The hit cooking competition series MASTERCHEF (FOX) remains the #1 cooking franchise in America with 60 million unique viewers in 2017. Globally, MASTERCHEF is the #1 most-watched cooking competition show and in 2017 Guinness World Records recognized it as the “Most Successful Cookery Television Format.”

MASTERCHEF JUNIOR season 6 airs on FOX and consistently wins the night in the key demo 18-34.

MASTERCHEF season 9 premieres May 30. MASTERCHEF JUNIOR season 7 is currently in production, air date to be announced. Recently announced licensing partnerships include Camp MasterChef, Craftsy.com, Eat With and SCS/MC Small Electronics and Penguin Random House publishing.

DEAL OR NO DEAL One of America’s most popular and beloved game shows, DEAL OR NO DEAL returns to television with its iconic host Howie Mandel as part of CNBC’s primetime lineup in fourth quarter 2018.

The reimagined DEAL OR NO DEAL will feature all the high energy and risk-reward that captivated audiences, with some

Special Focus

© Simon’s Cat Ltd. 2018

exciting new twists. In its original run on NBC (2005-2009) DEAL OR NO DEAL was a nationwide phenomenon and at the height of its ratings success averaged 16M viewers weekly and was the second most traveled unscripted format in the world, reaching 78 territories.

SIMON’S CAT The animated comedy series featuring the antics of a charming cat and his longsuffering owner, Simon, celebrated its 10th anniversary in March 2018. Now in more than 100 countries, receiving billions of views around the world, SIMON’S CAT has over 200 licensed products around the world including mobile game success with the recently launched endless runner Simon’s Cat Dash, and last year’s release Simon’s Cat Crunch Time which has topped 5 million downloads globally.

Recently announced licensing deals include Caseable and Isaac Morris Ltd. PAGE SIX TV PAGE SIX TV is the daily syndicated show modeled after Page Six, the iconic New York Post gossip column and web site. True to the Page Six signature style, the show’s contributors and insiders

deliver in-the-know gossip and news from entertainment, culture, the media, real estate and politics. PAGE SIX TV is renewed for its second season in more than 90% of the U.S. ahead of its second season on station groups including Fox, Sinclair, Hearst, Tegna, Cox and the CW 100+. Page Six TV averages over 1M viewers daily on average and remains the #1 new first-run syndicated show of the season with core W25-54.

MR. BEAN Mr. Bean is a global sensation, broadcast in 195 territories with over 25 years in continual distribution. The brand has also seen phenomenal digital growth and with more than 78 million fans on Facebook, recently overtaking the likes of Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber. On YouTube the 19

4.5 billion Mr. Bean video views in 2017 added up to a total watch time of 38 thousand years!

Endemol Shine North America is seeking opportunities across all categories including consumer products, live events, fan experiences, gaming and digital initiatives.

© Simon’s Cat Ltd. 2018

Special Focus INK GROUP

INK Group Set To Make Big Impact At Vegas 2018 INK Group will have a huge presence at the forthcoming Las Vegas Licensing Expo, through a major stand partly branded with INK Group’s ZAFARI – the new animation that looks certain to be one of the biggest kids’ brands of recent years.

Expo: Masha and the Bear is the global heavy weight that is now broadcast in almost every country in the world – via both pay and free-to-air channels. The recently launched season three has already been snapped up by channels in the UK, Italy, Turkey, MENA, France, Germany, Nordics, Asia, Greece and elsewhere. The show has also spawned two hit spin-offs – Masha’s Tales and Masha’s Spooky Stories – and is a huge YouTube hit. In addition, Masha and the Bear has enjoyed a successful theatrical release across key European markets, making it successful across a wide range of release formats – having conquered the whole world through digital, TV and cinemas.

Zafari Claus Tømming, Managing Partner, INK Group, says: “This Vegas promises to be even busier than usual for INK. Masha is one of the biggest franchises at the moment and series three is already making waves, ZAFARI is already creating a massive buzz in the industry, so we have strong expectations for this unique and innovative show. And of course we have other very original and engaging shows to present from our impressive portfolio – all of them exemplifying INK’s vision of building major brands on the great storytelling that makes our shows stand out.”

ZAFARI is the creation of animation visionary David Dozoretz and tells the story of a group of friends who inhabit

a land where all the resident animals have been magically born with an amalgamation of varying skins, patterns and characteristics, making each individual truly unique. NBCUNI DREAMWORKS is the distributor for Media Rights and a large host of broadcasters are embracing INK’s vision for the series and have joined the ZAFARI franchise across Latin America, Asia and Europe. The series is also linked with World Wildlife Fund (WWF) – a unique collaboration and the first of its kind – with each episode of ZAFARI featuring a video aimed at educating viewers about wildlife and wild places on our planet.

In addition to ZAFARI, INK Group will present a range of other top brands at the 20

Masha and the Bear

Special Focus made famous by the Beatles, by artists such as Pink, James Corden, Eddie Vedder and The Shins. Ink Group represents the show throughout Europe (excluding the UK), Russia/CIS and MENA, with an initial focus on toys, publishing and apparel.

Moonzy is a beautiful new Russian animation that introduces young audiences to a little alien who falls to earth and finds a new home amongst the

lovable inhabitants of a forest meadow.

Their adventures are subtle, engaging and funny tales for the 21st Century. Already a massive success in Russia, where it is the top-rated show on the Karousel channel, Moonzy is produced by multi-award winning director Sergey Selyanov and promises to be the biggest Russian project since Masha and the Bear.

Media sales for Moonzy have already been achieved in the USA with Janson

Beat Bugs Ink Group also represents licensing for Beat Bugs – a Netflix original series for kids – thanks to the multi-territory partnership deal with Centa IP, which spans merchandising, publishing, promotions and events. Beat Bugs is an animated family television series inspired by the music made famous by the Beatles.

The show follows the adventures of five charming, funny and lovable young insects who band together to explore and learn in an overgrown suburban backyard, which to them is their entire universe.

Each episode features a cover of a song

Mojicons Media for Amazon Prime and HappyKids OTT channel, but also – amongst others – in Israel with HOP and in Turkey with Planet Sony. Both shows are available on TV and VoD across the world – except Russia and China.

Mojicons is an established show that’s being discovered by new audiences across the world. This lovely animation reveals the behind-the-scenes world of the internet, where the Mojicons live – the innumerable emoticons that populate our emails and text messages. Sadly, this zany bunch of condensed emotions is clueless about how the Web works! When a mysterious digital villain steals the @ symbol, all electronic correspondence grinds to a halt. The Mojicons must undertake an awe-inspiring and dangerous quest to restore their system. The show has been eagerly accepted by many digital platforms – and broadcasters across 100 countries have already snapped up the show. Also, a Mojicons movie has already been a success across France – and one more is now ready for release.

Moonzy 21

Special Focus RAINBOW

Ready To Light Up Las Vegas!

Rainbow is ready to sprinkle magic at the Vegas Licensing Expo by showcasing four of the hottest brands in licensing world.

44 Cats is a Rainbow production in collaboration with Antoniano Bologna that follows the daily adventures of Lampo, Milady, Pilou, and Polpetta – cats who are all part of a music band named The Buffycats. The four kittens are homeless and get shelter in a garage, transforming it in a ‘Clubhouse’. This big-hearted series promotes positive, can-do attitudes, and conveys a positive message in a funny environment. The cats in the show, just like kids, find creative solutions to everyday hitches by dealing naturally with important themes like tolerance, diversity and acceptance. The show is getting very positive feedback from broadcasters with leading channels in Germany, France, Russia, Latin America, Greece, Benelux and the UK already on board and many other partners to be announced shortly.

offer - with rich new content and a high quality of animation - that is currently wowing audiences across the globe.

brand new episodes - will premiere at the beginning of 2019 to celebrate 15 years since the launch of the brand.

Regal Academy is the hilarious, fresh and funny show that takes the familiar world of fairy tales and turns it on its head through the adventures of Rose Cinderella, a normal girl who suddenly finds herself in the world of Fairy Tales. A superb new season of the show is now on

Winx Club is the evergreen classic that follows the adventures of a group of young fairies as they combine school life with battling against the forces of evil.

The show mixes action/adventure with comedy and appeals to girls from 4 to 10 right up to tween/teen. The brand first debuted in 2004 and now boasts 182 produced episodes, 4 TV movies and 3 theatrical releases. Series 8 - featuring 26 22

Maggie & Bianca Fashion Friends is a huge success story, with millions of fans across the world. This live-action show has matched the success of the globe’s biggest kids brands through its utterly compelling mix of fashion, friendship and music. It tells the story of Maggie - an ordinary American girl with a dream of becoming the world’s greatest fashion designer - who wins a scholarship at the Milan Fashion Academy. There she meets Bianca, a self-proclaimed Italian ‘princess’, and together they make friends with other students, who all share a passion for fashion and music. The show has now reached series 3, where the young friends leave Italy to live in America and face difficult choices about their future friendship and relationships. The Moodboards – the band from the show – have also been entertaining crowds on a sell-out live tour. In addition, the show has also inspired two TV movies, two music CDs from Sony.

Special Focus ZAG

FOCUS ON MIRACULOUS Award-winning global independent animation studio ZAG will be at Licensing Expo under the leadership of André Lake Mayer, President-Global Brand Strategy and Consumer Products with four properties under their ZAG Heroez TM label - an umbrella brand franchise that brings together all the super heroes from the ZAG animated TV series.

Miraculous by Guess sandals, a live touring stage show, global promotions with Ferrero and Burger King and a Monopoly Jr. game from Winning Moves in time for Christmas 2018 in EMEA. ZAG is looking to expand in publishing and party goods, more tailored retailer programs, lifestyle products for young adults and more healthy food and packaged good promotions.

Miraculous is a digital planetary craze with over 17 billion watch-time minutes and 3.4 billion views in its lifetime (2016/17) on YouTube (authorized and impressive amount of user-generated content) and ranked #2 and #3 on Tumblr in the last two years. (Source: Fandometrics). Plus, the Miraculous theme song for season two, performed by Lou Jean and Lenni-Kim Lalande from The Voice France, racked-up 46 million views since its YouTube debut on November 21, 2017.

Miraculous by Guess ZAG HEROEZ ™ Miraculous™ - Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir airs in over 120 countries worldwide, regularly scoring #1 rankings and lifting overall network ratings with key broadcast partners such as Disney EMEA & Latin America, France’s TF1, UK’s POP, Italy’s Super!, Brazil’s Globo and NETFLIX in the USA and has now been green lighted all the way through season five - a total of 130 episodes! Plus, a new web series this year will feature the “chibi” style versions of all the funny and colorful heroes and villains from the series.

With over 300 licensees on board and

multiple industry awards, Miraculous passed the $100 million mark in retail sales in 2017. Miraculous was voted “Best Kids Brand” at the Italian Licensing Awards (2018), “Kid’s Brand of the Year”

by ABRAL (Brazilian Licensing Association, 2017), and won Spain’s Chupete de Oro 2017 Award for the “Best Kids Character” (2017). New far-reaching launches for 2018 include the first official global mobile game from Tab Tale, with almost 1 million registered users prior to launch, GUESS x “Be Miraculous” Ladybug Fashion kids capsule collection (EMEA), collectibles from “POP!”, stylized vinyl figures from Funko, PEZ candy dispensers, Ipanema 23

At the Licensing Expo, ZAG will also be presenting ZAG HEROEZ™ Zak Storm™ – Super Pirate, an original, multiplatform IP targeting Boys 6 – 11 years old and the only modern-day transforming “superhero” pirate brand for boys; ZAG HEROEZ™ - Power Players (title not final), a 3D CGI animated/live-action hybrid action-comedy TV series for boys 6–11 in which an inventive boy goes stealth as a 6-inch superhero and gains super skills as he experiences big missions alongside his favorite action figure friends; and ZAG HEROEZ™ - Ghostforce™, a creepy cool, adventure comedy where three school kids use “ghost” powers to become the “Ghost Force” super hero team that fights and captures the annoying ghosts that haunt their city!

Special Focus BULLDOG LICENSING

Bulldog Brings Big Brands to Vegas this year Bulldog Licensing is presenting an exciting mixture of brands at this year’s Licensing Expo in Las Vegas.

Shopkins is the hit collectable from Moose Toys that continues to boast massive figures, with over 1 billion characters sold. Now on series 9, there are over one thousand of the cute little characters to collect, including the special limited edition Shopkins. Shopkins finished 2017 as the No.1 girls’ brand in the UK (the third consecutive year!) and Shoppies dolls are the no.1 fashion doll in the UK. Its popularity is bolstered by a growing entertainment slate, with web-episodes on YouTube, content on demand platforms, music and apps. A long list of partners includes Smith & Brooks (apparel), Aykroyds TDP (nightwear and underwear), Spearmark (lunchware, tableware, drinkware and lighting), Topps (collectible and trading cards), VMC (headwear, scarves, sunglasses and more), Blueprint (stationery), Danilo (greetings cards, wrap and calendars), DJ Murphy (magazines), Winning Moves (games), and Whitehouse Leisure (amusement plush).

Pikmi Pops is a range of sweet-scented miniature plushies that come with surprises, packaged inside an iconic lollipop vessel! This new release from Moose Toys is set to be the next big playground craze. Each Pikmi Pop has a host of exciting surprises inside - including one of 45 scented mini-plushies, dangler strings, toys, messages and more! The brand is already the no.2 new brand in the UK after only two months on the market!

Angry Birds is the mobile game that has transcended its original medium to become a global phenomenon, with 3.7 billion downloads since launch. The franchise features a host of titles - including latest release Angry Birds Match - and is the most downloaded game series of all time.

Angry Birds is now a massive property with a reach across the generations and has nearly 25million Facebook followers, 24

whilst the Angry Birds cartoon series boasts three billion YouTube views. 2016’s Angry Birds movie – a major box office hit - boosted the brand’s profile even further and introduced the adorable Hatchlings, now the stars of their own YouTube show – Angry Birds Blues. The second movie launches in Autumn 2019, supported by an enormous marketing and promotional campaign.

Special Focus ZAG HEROEZ – Miraculous™ - Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir is the smashhit animated TV show from kid’s entertainment specialist ZAG. The series is dominating the kids’ TV scene in the UK, where it is the No. 1 girls’ show on both Disney Channel and Pop. Season 2 launched in November ’17 on Disney Channel and season one is now available on Netflix in UK, USA and other select countries. Over twenty-five licensees will be on the market by mid-2018 and initial reads are very strong with Miraculous nightwear the bestselling line for two major UK retailers.

Care Bears have been a staple of childhood for over a quarter of a century. The group of fun, lovable bears from cloud-filled Care-a-lot have one special mission - to teach caring and sharing to others and show them how to express their feelings.

With 98% awareness across kids and their mums, Care Bears has a very wide appeal.

Care Bears TV shows are available in UK on Tiny Pop, as well as through Lionsgate for home entertainment and VOD from Netflix. Bulldog is building on the brand’s immense popularity and is in talks with a range of licensees. A recent deal with alternative fashion brand Alice Vandy, to produce a range of adult clothing, demonstrates the property’s versatility.

to encourage sensory awareness and interactive play. That’s not my unicorn…

- published last year as the special 50th title – is the highest seller to date, and was the best-selling baby book of 2017.

Dennicci is already on board for baby apparel, which launched in Mothercare just before Christmas, and Bulldog is currently in talks with several potential partners across a range of categories.

Match Attax is the best-selling sport trading card game series the world has ever seen and the UK’s No.1 children’s football brand - with over one million collectors. Nearly half of all boys in the UK collect Match Attax and it is a massive playground craze, with live swapping events held across the country.

The brand also has a massive online presence - Toppsfootball.com – that boasts over 800,000 registered users and is the 9th most visited boys’ site in the UK. Licensees include Centum for publishing (including annuals), Sambro for bags, backpacks, stationery and table football, and Cooneen for nightwear and underwear.

ZAG HEROEZ – Zak Storm™ is another winner from ZAG. This boy’s action comedy adventure features the eponymous Zak, a fearless teen surfer who finds himself sucked into the Bermuda Triangle. The eagerly anticipated show saw a great reaction and excellent viewing figures after debuting on Pop in October 2017.

Published by Usborne, That’s not my… is the best-selling series of touchy-feely board books aimed at babies and preschoolers by author Fiona Watt. The series has sold over 5 million books in the UK, and over 20 million worldwide. Each page features a different texture, such as soft fur or crinkly skin, which is designed

As Rob Corney, Managing Director at Bulldog Licensing says: ”We’re bringing an impressive mix of brands to Vegas this year, which all offer considerable commercial opportunities and we are expecting a lot of interest from potential licensing partners.”

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Special Focus SURF OHIO

Surf Ohio dives into Summer of 2018 with 40th anniversary t-shirts and Pacifico Beer partnership Iconic surf brands pair up to celebrate fun in the sun with special merchandise and events three generations of sun and fun-loving fans. The Surf Ohio wave extends far beyond state lines, however, having been seen on stage, TV and the silver screen worn by the likes of the Black Keys and the Beach Boys to Arnold Schwarzenegger and James Cameron.

Pacifico Beer was first brewed in 1900 on the Baja Peninsula of Mexico. As the story goes, adventuresome California surfers discovered the pilsner style lager in the 1970s and became Pacifico’s first importers when they loaded up cases in their van to take back up north. Pacifico quickly gained a passionate following among surfers and became a symbol of discovery and the perfect way to celebrate.

Throughout the summer, Pacifico and Surf Ohio will collaborate on a wide array of exclusive co-branded premium, limitededition, and promotional merchandise and collectibles celebrating the two brands’ shared appreciation for the beach life.

Two iconic surf lifestyle brands, Surf Ohio and Pacifico Beer, announced a cobranding agreement in conjunction with the official launch of Surf Ohio’s 40th anniversary celebration.

Surf Ohio, founded by creator Ron Kaplan while at Ohio University after the Great Blizzard of 1978, has grown from spawning a t-shirt cult craze to establishing perennial popularity among 26

Surf Ohio also released the official 40th anniversary edition t-shirts at its www. surfohio.com website. Sporting the iconic Surf Ohio logo on the left front, the back of the shirt features newly created artwork touting the “2018 Olentangy Masters Surfing Classic/Columbus, Ohio,” with versions for Athens, Cleveland, Cincinnati and Dayton also available. Surf Ohio hats, beach towels, wall décor, and stickers are among other items available online and in soon-to-be-announced select retailers statewide.

Special Focus EPIC RIGHTS

GLOBAL POP ICON BRITNEY SPEARS PARTNERS WITH EPIC RIGHTS TO DEBUT A NEW LINE OF BRANDED MERCHANDISE Lifestyle Collection to Reflect the Many Facets of the Legendary Entertainer Generated by the momentum of Britney Spears’ award-winning and recordbreaking Las Vegas residency, “Britney: Piece of Me,” and in anticipation of her upcoming tour, the multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning pop icon is joining forces with global brand management and licensing company Epic Rights to develop and launch a line of high quality fashion and lifestyle branded products that reflect her personal sense of style, lifestyle, artistry, and creativity. “I am excited to collaborate with Epic Rights to create a new contemporary lifestyle collection,” said Britney Spears.

“We see this new lifestyle collection as Britney’s next step in connecting with her legions of loyal fans around the globe,” added Larry Rudolph, who manages Britney Spears. “Sharing her style and fashion sense through products she has developed is a testament to her authenticity as well as her commitment to and appreciation of the fans that have made it all possible.”

“Britney continues to be one of the biggest pop stars in the world with numerous multi-platinum records and awards over the past 20 years. As a passionate artist, successful business woman and devoted mother, her strive for excellence is unparalleled,” added Dell Furano, CEO of Epic Rights.

With one of the bestselling fragrance lines of all time, with Elizabeth Arden, available in over 85 countries and her recent campaign starring as the face of Kenzo, Spears and Epic Rights together will continue to expand her brand presence in

the marketplace, globally. Spears’ personal involvement in all aspects of the collection will ensure authenticity across a number of targeted categories including fashion apparel, hair care, accessories, exercise and electronics. The anticipated retail launch for the Britney Spears Lifestyle program is Spring 2019.

Epic Rights will also manage Spears’ e-commerce initiatives including Amazon.

Spears recently announced her tour across the U.S. and Europe, following her record-breaking, four-year headlining residency, “Britney: Piece of Me,” at 27

The AXIS at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, where Spears received rave reviews from both critics and fans alike since opening in December 2013. As the first contemporary superstar resident in the city, and with over 250 shows, the record-setting residency was sold out on a regular basis, generating over $140 million gross revenue and selling nearly 1 million tickets. Spears’ tour - which sold out in minutes prompting additional shows-kicks off on July 12 in National Harbor, MD and concludes on August 24 in London.

Special Focus ITV STUDIOS GLOBAL ENTERTAINMENT

SPOTLIGHT LICENSING APPOINTED FOR WATERSHIP DOWN ITV Studios Global Entertainment has appointed Spotlight Licensing and Brand Management, Inc. to manage the North American licensing programme for the upcoming Watership Down animated television mini-series. Visual and other assets will now be available for licensing in both the US and Canada.

and Gemma Arterton. The four part, CGI mini series, directed by Noam Murro, will premier A/W 2018 on the BBC in the UK and globally on Netflix, before being made available on Netflix in the UK S/S 2019.

Trudi Hayward, SVP Head of Global Merchandise, ITVS GE, says: “We are thrilled to appoint the team at Spotlight Licensing to manage Watership Down in the US and Canada. Having worked with them on series such as Victoria and Poldark, we know the success they can make of British brands in these markets.

The classic British heritage of Watership Down will resonate with North American audiences, and its global platform on Netflix will allow the reach to support and realise that appeal.”

Carole Postal, President of Spotlight Licensing says: “Modern CGI lets animators combine great character design with a sense of realism that is perfect for Watership Down as a classic adventure story.”

BAFTA nominated scriptwriter Tom Bidwell has beautifully reimagined author Richard Adam’s classic novel of adventure, courage and survival as an

animated television event drawing on the talents of an all-star cast including James McAvoy, John Boyega, Sir Ben Kingsley, Nicholas Hoult, Olivia Colman 28

Both ITVS GE (Stand L204) and Spotlight Licensing (Stand E128) will be showcasing opportunities for Watership Down at the Vegas Licensing Expo.

Bring your characters to life 7,500+ visitors, 2,500+ properties showcased, $17.5bn publishing licensing industry worth*

Join the publishing industry’s best and brightest to showcase your brands to the European licensing industry, meet the people you want to work with and secure new partnerships. Take your characters beyond the page at BLE this October.

Find out more about exhibiting at brandlicensing.eu Sponsored by

Organised by

*According to the 2017 LIMA licensing report

Special Focus KOKO ROSE MEDIA

Deer Little Forest expands its licensing plan DEER LITTLE FOREST’s first line of home accessories is hitting the UK market with specialist English licensee Smith & Taylor.

The brand new collection of premium quality home accessories targeting the high-end market includes clocks, peg hooks, chalkboards, wall hangers, door signs, and vinyl wall stickers. ​ “We are excited to be working with the new lifestyle brand Deer Little Forest and their UK licensing team This is Iris on a brand new range of products. Their gorgeous designs showcase an array of wonderful characters packed with personality for all to enjoy.” Hannah

Taylor, Account Manager at Smith Taylor.

Smith Taylor are a boutique designer and manufacturer of high-end home accessories, all proudly produced in the UK. Known for the beauty and excellent quality of their products, Smith Taylor work with iconic, high-concept brands such as ELMER, THE HUNGRY CATERPILLAR and PETER RABBIT. Created by UK illustrator Jo Rose, Deer Little Forest is an Arts & Lifestyle brand blooming with character featuring

adelightful, one-of-a-kind collection of animal characters and nature-inspired designs.

All Deer Little Forest rights are held by Koko Rose Media, a joint venture between Managing Director Lisa Hryniewicz and Creative Director Jo Rose. International rights are managed by: The Lantic Group (USA); This is Iris (UK & Ireland); Honmoku Files (Japan); Icon Company (Russia, CIS); and Empire Multimedia (China, South Korea, South East Asia).

ITALIAN GOLDEN BRANDS IS THE FIRST AND ONLY ANNUAL PUBLICATION ON THE BEST OF MADE IN ITALY BRANDS WELL KNOWN GLOBALLY. WITH AN EXTRAORDINARY INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION, ITALIAN GLOBAL BRANDS IS A SPECIAL INSERT OF LICENSING MAGAZINE.

For any further information: bm-eu.com/italiangoldenbrands office@bm-eu.com

www.bm-eu.com BM SRL - Piazza Statuto, 3 - 10122 Torino - +39 011 813 1579 - info@bm-eu.com

Special Focus NEW YORK RIGHTS FAIR

A brand new event that is dedicated to the development of publishing rights and more Not only publishing, but rather a professional event for both children’s and adult’s content.

BolognaFiere, Publishers Weekly and The Combined Book Exhibit joined forces to organize the first edition of the New York Rights Fair. The event, which takes place at the Metropolitan Pavilion in the heart of Manhattan, is held on the same dates as the Book Expo, with which the organizers have REACHED a strategic collaboration.

Fair, matured with a certain profitable experience in many countries, over the years. We can look at, for example, Cosmoprof, that other than being an Italian company, it works in Hong Kong and Las Vegas, not to mention organizing industry trade shows in four other countries.

This new initiative in the book world represents the natural continuation of the over-fifty-year history of one of our most successful fairs and of the dense network of relationships that have been created

over the decades with the publishing community worldwide. Our history shows that we are specialists in the copyright area and this currently includes various media, which will all be protagonists in both New York and Bologna, from books to digital, from licensing to cinema and television. We have been working with the two American partners of this company for a long time. Publishers Weekly, the international platform on the latest novelties about the publishing sector, and The Combined Book Exhibit, American

Marco Momoli To find out more, LM interviewed Marco Momoli, Commercial Director of BolognaFiere.

The Bologna Children’s Book Fair is the global leading professional trade fair in children’s publishing and content. How did the idea to create a publishing event in New York come about and which partners are involved?

The BolognaFiere group, owner and organizer of the Bologna Children’s Book

IS AN EVENT PRESENTED BY

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Special Focus leader for promotion and publishing marketing. With these companies, thanks to the daily dialogue with international publishers, we have noted the possibility for development and we felt that this was to be taken on immediately. So we launched the New York Rights Fair (NYRF) and now we are in the first edition.

You announced the strategic collaboration with the Book Expo. Could you explain what this consists of in a little more detail?

The agreement that has come about with Reed Exhibition, organizer of the Book Expo, ensures that NYRF and the exhibitors of the Book Expo are able to exchange rights. The Rights Center of the BookExpo is to be moved to the NYRF and the exhibitors of the Book Expo that are mainly aiming at the rights market have the possibility to participate in the NYRF under agreed conditions. Visitors of the NYRF and professional visitors of the Book Expo can freely access both of the manifestations without registering twice and there will be free shuttles to and from each event. Â What can you tell us about the location and the exhibitors of the NEW YORK RIGHTS FAIR?

The NYRF will be held at the Metropolitan Pavilion, which is an exhibition space of great quality that is situated in midtown Manhattan, in the heart of Chelsea, close to two subway stations. The exhibitors are international and American publishers, scouts and all of the professional figures that operate in the copyright market and in the distribution of content for children, teens and adults in the various channels.

What content and news can be expected for professional visitors?

NYRF is set to offer the unique chance to

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discover the latest news and publishing trends on the American market. At the same time, it will be a fundamental moment for American publishers who would like to have a wider and more detailed view of international titles that may be interesting for their readers. Not only this, but it is held in the global capital of content, where publishing giants, independent publishing houses, agents and literary scouts can meet with the movie and digital industries.

All of the players in the world of content and licensing can find a vibrant and unmissable copyright market, where they

Special Focus NEW YORK RIGHTS FAIR can offer their news. Moreover, according to the happy traditions of the Bologna Fair, NYRF is not only set to be an event with strong commercial connotations, but also a theatre of debate and analysis of the hottest themes of the industry. The program is really intense and it touches on various different aspects. Just to name a few: the secrets of international blockbusters; the enormous market constituted by China; the relationship between European and American comics (with Ivanka Hahnenberger, General Manager of VIP Brands); an analysis of how Netflix, Amazon and the other giants in streaming are changing the rules; a view of what Hollywood and the booksto-screen industry are asking for.

Regarding the licensing sector, what could be the reason to come and visit the new publishing event in New York?

We know that publishing is a substantial aspect in the development of licenses of virtually any property. The link between these two worlds is undeniable and this is demonstrated in the success of the Bologna event that is dedicated to licensing, the Bologna Licensing Trade Fair. For this reason, just like for the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, NYRF is a fine occasion to get to know about the most interesting publishing rights and on which to aim at for further development.

It is a good occasion to meet future partners in a unique setting.

Other than Bologna and New York, the Bologna Children’s Book Fair is set

to hit Shanghai as the China Shanghai International Children’s Book Fair, creating a real global network. Which strategy are you developing here?

Our strategy is to create a network of events between colleagues and connections and, taking advantage of the know-how and the experience of BolognaFiere as the organizer of the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, they represent, sometimes for a specific market, the professional not-tobe-missed appointments, in the same way that Bologna is now the reference point for Children’s content.

Last but not least, this year the Bologna Children’s Book Fair has closed with a record once again. Can you tell us about the results, of the international presence and what to expect in the future?

I must say that this year the results have

once again exceeded our expectations. On the exhibitors side, we registered 110 new entries, touching on 1400 entries from 77 countries. In visitors, we registered 27.600 attendances, with a 6% increase in foreign guests. I am convinced that the increase of contacts from the international network of our fairs will definitely benefit Bologna even more. Regarding the content of the manifestation itself, we have the intention of deepening some themes that we have touched upon this year and that we maintain are important to complete our offer. I am particularly referring to audiobooks, that are exploding on a global scale, even in the children’s sector, not to mention the technology of augmented and virtual reality in children’s publishing and the very interesting relationship between publishing and toys that promises optimum development.

NEW YORK RIGHTS FAIR When: May 30th - June 1st 2018 Where: Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011 Who will attend the event: Agents, Rights Managers, Scouts, Publishers, Licensees, Licensors, Audiovisual Producers, IP Companies and every professional in charge of contents for adults and kids A rich Events Programme based on the following topics: The Global Landscape; Page to Screen; The Pillars of Rights; TALKING PICTURES and The Visual Book Now To register as visitor, to check the full programme and the list of exhibitors: https://www.newyorkrightsfair.com For any further info or request: internationalsales@bolognafiere.it; krista@newyorkrightsfair.com

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Special Focus NEW YORK RIGHTS FAIR

ATLANTYCA AT THE NEW YORK RIGHTS FAIR Major content factory producing children’s content, often linked to publishing, as well as a long-standing exhibitor at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, has this year decided to take part in the first New York Rights Fair. Lm interviewed Atlantyca CEO Claudia Mazzucco, to find out more about the strategy behind its international development.

Atlantyca is an example of Italian excellence that has solid bases throughout the world. Could you explain the strategy regarding international development of your content factory?

When we started in 2007, the international development of our most important Property, Geronimo Stilton, which was already published in 15 languages by that point (now in 50), was the prerequisite for the real start up goal: both the transmedia development for the property and that of other IPs under our creation.

Atlantyca was born, not to follow a model of international development itself, but rather to follow a transmedia one, with particular attention paid to audiovisuals, where international distribution of the product content is the condition to be met. Without it, the transmedia project can’t be financed and therefore doesn’t exist. On the other hand, the transmedia development, in order to stay behind the international diffusion of the brands which we also invested in, “constricted” us to strengthen our organization, pushing us to open branches on site, like what happened in China in 2010.

Regarding the international development that is underway, in particular looking at the Chinese and American markets, what more can you tell us?

We worked intensely for years in China: on one side with the sales of publishing licenses of book series’, children’s literature and art, fashion and design that represent other European publishers as an agent; on the other side, the 360 degree development of the IP’s, which we

Claudia Mazzucco 36

Special Focus

Atlantyca Dream Team own, where publishing is a starting point.

Finally, after a lot of hard work, both for 21 century - the Chinese Geronimo Stilton publisher - and for us and the Beijing office towards the end of 2017 a “momentum” was created. Other than the victory in the China Awards of the “Creators of Value” award, which was given to Atlantyca in December 2017, a few months before, the publisher of Geronimo Stilton announced at the Beijing Book Fair that 10 million books had been sold in China. Our “distribution” sector in Milan organized an appointment with an aspiring distributor of television and licensing rights for Geronimo Stilton and Bat Pat, which ensured us that we could increase the embargo that protects the internal production for foreign animated tv series’. This distributor was represented by a group of women under 35, who were digitized and well connected on social media, not to mention well aware that the large scale replication of the Netflix model by the colossal Tencent, gave foreign content a chance that has never been seen before. In January 2018, in the great ceremony of the 10 million books sold that was organized in Beijing by the Geronimo publisher, we presented not only the publisher, but the owner of PumpPush, with whom we had signed an agreement at that time. From that point to a few weeks later, the sale of the first season of Geronimo to Tencent was announced.

Compared to the American market, what is the positioning of your properties from a publishing point of view?

In the USA we have sold over 150 titles of Geronimo, 80 more than other published series’ that were made by Atlantyca that

were dedicated to ages 6-9 year old children to major American publishers.

This year we are on the front line of the newborn New York Rights Fair that we greeted with great pleasure. Carmen Castillo is the Foreign Rights Manager of the Group.

Compared to other environments, such as licensing, what international licensing development are you following?

The Atlantyca licensing is taken care of

by Marco Piccinini. The international agreement with Netflix for the sale of the Geronimo Stilton and Bat Pat animated series’ is active in 19 countries. Amongst these is America, who have given great impulse to licensing. In fact, the network of agents for Geronimo Stilton is growing.

We are consolidating key territories such as The USA, and we are opening up to new markets such as South Asia and the Pacific, thanks to a new agreement that comes from an agent in this important area of the world. Brand Monk, an agent based in Mumbai, has signed an agreement with Bioworld for the development of a line

of t-shirts for girls and boys, to release during 2018. Also in India, we should mention that the Scholastic publisher has been set in stone as licensee and a line of non publishing products - from gifts to back to school items to stationery and tableware - has been released.

The international deal with Netflix found fertile ground thanks to the good job done by Scholastic. In China, the exclusive licensing agent - PumPush, distributor of the animated series’ of Geronimo Stilton and Bat Pat - is developing an important strategy of promotions and toys. Also in the Pacific area, the Atlantyca Live division that is directed

by Rachele Geraci has made a new stop with the Geronimo Stilton Musical, which will hit Australia in July. In the USA a new agency have hopped on board Firefly Brand Management - who have started work in 2018 with an important worldwide deal for plush toys that are created by Craftstone and distributed

by New Dimension Toys. Even being a pure licensing agreement, the Geronimo Stilton DNA shines through: in the line of plush toys of various dimensions, in fact, Craftstone have developed the Plush Book: a real book with an official tale of Geronimo Stilton, printed on soft pages in the shape of a cushion.

Firefly is developing the other key categories of Geronimo Stilton, starting with stationery and paper goods: during the last Las Vegas Licensing Expo, Atlantyca and Firefly announced their partnership with PrimeParty, a party company that chose Geronimo Stilton to personalize the line of products that are available online. Lastly, on the Firefly radar there are many negotiations underway in the Games environment, Promotions and Apparel.

Geronimo Stilton’s 10 Million Books Sold Ceremony in Beijing 37

Digital & Media MIFA

DreamWorks and Walt Disney protagonists at Annecy International Animation Film Festival As every year Animation industry meet in Annecy to attend the Annecy Festival, the place of reference for animation in the world with the Mifa, the professional appointment for the industry.

Annecy is the ideal venue to check out the latest animated gems and find out about current and future trends. Mifa, at its 33rd edition, is the animation industry’s foremost showcase, held in over 4,300 m² of exhibition space, and welcomes over 660 international exhibiting companies from over 70 countries.

DreamWorks Animation will be among the major protagonists of this year’s edition of the festival. In fact, attendees to the 42nd Annecy Film Festival will be given a sneak-peek into the making of the studio’s 2019 release, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, the highlyanticipated culmination of the Academy Award® nominated trilogy, directed by Dean DeBlois and produced by Brad Lewis and Bonnie Arnold.

From DreamWorks Animation comes the highly anticipated culmination of one of the most popular animated franchises in film history, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World. What began as an unlikely friendship between an adolescent

Viking and a fearsome Night Fury dragon has become an epic trilogy, and in its thrilling end, Hiccup and Toothless discover their true destinies. As both man and dragon ascend to be leaders of their own kind, beloved characters will have their bonds tested as mythic mysteries and ultimate fates are revealed. Writer/ director Dean DeBlois returns to bring the culmination of this beloved trilogy to the screen alongside the all-star cast led

by Jay Baruchel and America Ferrera.

On the other hand, Walt Disney Animation Studios will give Annecy

38

Writer and Director Dean DeBlois attendees a sneak peek at Ralph Breaks The Internet: Wreck It Ralph 2. The film is a sequel to Academy Award®-nominated and multiple award-winner WRECKIT RALPH. The film is directed by Rich Moore (ZOOTOPIA, WRECK-IT RALPH) and Phil Johnston (co-writer, WRECKIT RALPH, ZOOTOPIA; writer, CEDAR RAPIDS), and produced by Clark Spencer (ZOOTOPIA, WRECK-IT RALPH, BOLT).

Ralph Breaks The Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2 leaves Litwak’s video arcade behind, venturing into the uncharted, expansive and thrilling world of the internet — which may or may not survive Ralph’s wrecking.

Video-game-bad-guy Ralph (voice of John C. Reilly) and fellow misfit Vanellope von Schweetz (voice of Sarah Silverman) must risk it all by traveling to the world wide web in search of a replacement part to save Vanellope’s video game, Sugar Rush.

In way over their heads, Ralph and Vanellope rely on the citizens of the internet — the netizens — to help navigate their way, including a website entrepreneur named Yesss (voice of Taraji P. Henson), who is the head algorithm and the heart and soul of trend-making site “BuzzzTube”.

Digital FORFUN MEDIA

ForFun is born, the network of the Italian animation companies Amongst the main goals of the new network: union of libraries, sharing of intellectual properties and human resources, and a renewed production capacity to guarantee quality and solidity.

The Italian animation market continues to show signs of great vitality and to demonstrate a sophisticated ability to evolve in the research of new perspectives and markets: the operation that initiated ForFun Media is proof of this. It is the first business network that was thought up and created by Italian animators.

The ForFun brand (www.forfunmedia. com) unites four Italian animation businesses that decided to share their know-how and planning skills to create something larger that is able to guarantee more and more stability in their projects and to compete on an international level: with headquarters in Milan,

39

ForFun unites the study of animation, executive production ability, capacity in the development of new properties, the building of budgets, and experience in financial management.

Creating the new business are: Studio Bozzetto, the historical studio founded by Bruno Bozzetto; Movimenti Production, a young company with international productions and prestigious collaborations; Dadomani Studio, the Italian stop-motion animation boutique; the new MoBo Srl, a 3D service-company for the international production of series’, films, video games. An ideal space for the training and growth of young talent.

Massimo Comuzio, Head of CG e R&D Manager di MoBo Digital Factory, says: “We believe that ForFun is set to be a highly innovative project for Italian animation and beyond. Our challenge is to develop a compact network that allows us to unite technology with the experience that has been consolidated by our team, maintaining real competitive standards of quality on the international market.�

A union that, today, represents a qualified

Digital & Media FORFUN MEDIA group of Italian businesses in animation, that is focussed on the international market and that specializes in the development of intellectual properties, high quality tv series’ and multimedia products.

Companies that promote international creativity, support and emerging talent scouting along with winning business models, thanks to the shared talents. As the protagonists tell us: “I find this project very stimulating - says Andrea Bozzetto, Co-founder and Creative Director of Studio Bozzetto - because I am convinced that the aggregation of more artists inside one reality is the correct way to wider creative success that will in turn allow ForFun to compete with the larger international productions”. Pietro Pinetti, CEO of Studio Bozzetto and Executive Director of ForFun continues, “We are investing in a business model that is inspired by the visions of various international companies. A model with few examples on a national scale, with which we share for growth and that is often considered the same as rebranding.

We are convinced that this is of incredible potential, if the challenge of quality and research is accepted”.

What are the objectives?

First of all, for ForFun to represent for the broadcaster a solid interlocutor that is certified on the markets, who is trustworthy and positioned with high quality standards and - just as importantly - to attract investors from abroad to produce in Italy.

Moreover, that of putting properties into play and, in addition, that of putting properties and projects in process into play by creating a permanent factory that

enhances the offer of style and creativity that is made in Italy, by offering the full range of production in animation: from 2D to Stopmotion through to CGI and AR. Giorgio Scorza, CEO and Art Director of Movimenti Production and Executive Director of ForFun gives us his point of view. “We believe that the real push, the real distinctive factor, is the quality and strength of the ideas. Working together united offers us the possibility to have an ‘industrial’ productive capacity and to invest in projects that create the conditions for continuity, which are fundamental to compete today”. Lastly, Francesco De Meo, Co-founder of Dadomani, explains “The creation of this network is the occasion to put ourselves on the international market, an opportunity that puts creativity back in the centre and to do it “the Italian way”. In a market that is always moving and searching for new

40

ideas, it is necessary to have more points of view under our belts, with which we can be original and effective. The sharing of visions can not but guarantee quality and a future for our ideas.”

Italy is amidst a crucial phase to definitively take on the role that is expected of the European and international panorama, thanks to young businessmen, who are prepared and creative; a renewed spirit of mutual support and promotion of a local product by Rai, a public broadcaster responsible for the re-birth of Italian animation; and lastly, thanks to the legislative measures and incentives that aim to support the native audiovisual sector.

A potential and very favorable conjuncture that can turn into a wave of opportunities and a system of potential capable of creating critical mass.

Digital & Media RAI RAGAZZI

THE NEW RAI RAGAZZI PRODUCTIONS At the recent Cartoons on the Bay event, Luca Milano, Director of Rai Ragazzi, presented the broadcaster’s latest Italian news in the animation industry. replicas. Topo Gigio will be back on screens with 52 adventures set in every corner of the world, aiming to save endangered animals. The first Italian animated series about the famous mouse has been coproduced with the young Milanese studio Movimenti Production.

Luca Milano The articulated offer from Rai Ragazzi moves forth on a land without boundaries between innovative products and the development of brands of great popularity, adding just a pinch of nostalgia in the titles but not in graphic style and narratives, to capture even the children of today.

Mumfie, on the other hand, is a lovely elephant and protagonist of the series of books of international success that go by the same name. The show is set to land on TV in a 3D animation production with Zodiak Kids and the Turin based studio Animoka, after landing on a magical island called Flutterstone inhabited by friendly and unusual characters.

Also in collaboration with Animoka, Rai Ragazzi presented an absolute novelty in Turin in April: an 8-minute short based on the hit TV series by Rai Gulp Paf The Dog, created in Virtual Reality. A production that is part of Rai Ragazzi’s experimentation with a new style,

RAI YOYO AND GULP NEWS The 44 Cats animated series was inspired by the homonymous song, which was winner of the 10th edition of Zecchino d’Oro 50 years ago. The song has since become almost the soundtrack of the famous contest, and is the inspiration for a new and overwhelming animated series. Destined for a pre-school audience and made entirely in 3D, it is the latest production made with the Marche-based Rainbow content company. Set to air at the end of 2018 on Rai YoYo. Sixty years since the debut, an Italian TV cult property returns in Topo Gigio, the famous creature by Maria Perego that boasts over a million TV appearances around the world, not to mention endless

Trulli Tales 42

Mumfie

ensuring that its offerings keep pace with changes that are not only technological but also following taste.

CARTOONS THAT ARE READY TO AIR For the children, the second season of Tip The Mouse is on air, the cute Italian mouse that has become an international publishing and television success. A production by Rai Ragazzi with Studio Bozzetto & Co, Giunti Editore, Studio Campedelli.

Making its debut in June on Rai YoYo is Trulli Tales. The Adventures of Trullalleri, a hero born of an Italian idea, set in Alberobello and flown all over the globe. A series of magic and cuisine, co-produced

by Rai with Fandango TV and Congedo Cultararte.

On Rai Gulp from May is the new TV series Spike Team - Olimpically Spike: the third season of the volleyball cartoon that was created by champion Andrea

Digital & Media RAI RAGAZZI Lucchetta and co-produced with Lucky Dreams, with the participation from the fencer, Bebe Vio. The animated show is on air in May with a new tournament that will take place in seven Italian cities.

May is ready for the debut for the animated series Max & Maestro, which sees the creative involvement and extraordinary participation of Daniel Barenboim, internationally renowned conductor and pianist. A project of excellence, able to combine entertainment, adventure and musical education that grasps the public televisions of Italy, France and Germany, co-produced with MP1 and Monello Productions. The show tells the story of a suburban boy who grew up with rap and video games but who actually dreams of becoming a conductor, also part of the competition at the Annecy Animation Film Festival.

In June, Rai Gulp presents a brand new allItalian series of 52 episodes of 11 minutes co-produced with Studio Campedelli and Cartobaleno. Atchoo!, protagonist Teo, a 9 year old boy with a special characteristic that distinguishes him from all other children: when he feels a strong emotion, he sneezes and turns into an animal.

Failing to control his sneezing and not even predict which animal he will turn into each time, Teo often ends up in trouble but with the help of his friends will always manage to get by.

THE RAI GULP LIVE ACTION SHOWS Alongside the cartoons, there are numerous new fiction series’ for young people on Rai Gulp.

Max & Maestro Sara and Marti #LaNostraStoria is the new all-Italian series produced with Stand by Me in collaboration with The Walt Disney Company Italia, with young actresses Aurora Moroni and Chiara del Francia who play two teen sisters who move from London to Bevagna, a small medieval village in the heart of Umbria, where the production was entirely filmed.

A new fiction show for youngsters, airing at the end of 2018, directed by Maria Sorrentino.

There are also four Alex & Co TV specials,

in view of the new fiction Penny on M.A.R.S., a spin-off of the successful sitcom on the five friends on a music campus. In the special we will see Alex (Leonardo Cecchi), Nicole (Eleonora Gaggero), Emma (Beatrice Vendramin) and Penny - Pentachord Mendez (Olivia Mai Barret), who will transport the story into the world of M.A.R.S. (Musical Arts Reiner School), a prestigious musical high school where 14-year-old Penny and her best friend Camilla (Shannon Gaskin) will be attending. A new all-Italian series shot in English in and around Milan, produced in collaboration with The Disney channel and 3zero2, directed by Claudio Norza.

Finally, Heidi Bienvenida is broadcast with Rai Gulp, the new series produced

by Mondo TV Iberoamerica and Alianzas Producciones by Javier Francia. The protagonist is the 14-year-old Argentinian actress Chiara Francia, daughter of the author of the series: Marcela Citterio, one of the most prolific children’s series authors with works such as “The World of Patty” and “Chica Vampiro”, which has revisited the novel by Johanna Spyri giving it a modern literature edge.

Atchoo!

44

Digital & Media TEAMTO

TeamTO to Produce VR Welcome Video for Annecy Animation Film Festival

Top European CGI studio TeamTO has been invited to create the official welcome video for the 2018 Annecy International Animation Film Festival. In an historic first, the promotional video will also feature the star of their international hit series ANGELO RULES taking a virtual reality skateboarding romp around Annecy!

Patrick Eveno, Director of Citia commented, “Annecy 2018 will be making an even bigger space for VR this year. For this reason we are particularly thrilled that TeamTO, to whom we are very grateful, have allowed us to share this VR experience with our Festival goers!”

used to promote the Animation Festival itself across the animation world, as well as introduce the screenings of officially selected Festival entries from around the world.

In TeamTO’s maverick version, the star of their hit animated comedy ANGELO RULES embarks on a dramatic supercharged whirlwind tour around Annecy propelled into the festival on his signature skateboard – after launching himself off a ski slope! With the help of VR glasses (provided to all attendees by TeamTO and co-producer Super RTL) viewers can join Angelo’s high-octane virtual adventure as he skateboards across town while also introducingeveryone to the highlights of the festival.

Angelo’s charm and skateboarding capers gained international fame and a firm fanbase thanks to four seasons of ANGELO RULES which aired in 100+ markets, and four digital games (ANGELO SKATE AWAY, A BUSY DAY, SUPER RUN and FUNNY FACES) which together have

“It is an honor to be awarded producer of this year’s trailer,” added Guillaume Hellouin, President of TeamTO. “Angelo is an icon for the studio, so it was really fun to make him ride all over Annecy. And once we joined him on that ride, we just couldn’t resist developing it into a full 360 version! We hope everyone will enjoy flying through Annecy like they never have before!”

The high-profile 1’30” welcome video is 46

been downloaded over 6 million times.

ANGELO RULES (104 x 26) is a TeamTO/ CAKE co-production with TeleTOON+ in collaboration with France Télévisions and Super RTL. Based on the French series of books Comment Faire Enrager, written by Sylvie de Mathuisieulx and illustrated by Sébastien Diologent, the series has earned global critical acclaim, winning Awards and Nominations at: Cartoons on the Bay Festival (Pulcinella); Emmy® Kids Awards; International Chicago Television Awards; Athens Animfest; Trickfilm Festival; Anima Mundi; and BANFF World Media Festival.

Trends DOXA KIDS

LICENSING AS THE KEY TO SUCCESS FOR PUBLISHING AND TOYS Contribution by Simona Abriani, Kids Publishing Expert

Simona Abriani are most popular with little consumers, demonstrates the indisputable commercial strength.

On the Toys side, the data is quite stable compared to last year with a value of around 1.8 million euro and the purchases were strongly concentrated to the Christmas period (the Christmas week alone is responsible for 11%). Also here, licensing is the absolute protagonist: 93% of children between the ages of 3 and 5 received 4 toys and one of these was a character. In the 6-7 age range, the percentage of toys under brand names grows to 31% and declines to 25% in 8-9 year olds.

Doxa Kids, the business unit of Doxa that is dedicated to companies that, with their products and services aim at the children’s target, presented a study of the children’s market and relative family consumer trends.

Covering various sectors, the data undoubtedly confirms that the Italian family has changes and is continuing to do so in consumer habits: the consumer is becoming more demanding; is paying attention to quality of service; is more informed than ever and is more active in making choices to suit their needs.

Amongst the news, the family has modified the way in which they pass free time with their children, appreciating more and more the sharing of stimulating experiences in educational environments that are well organized and equipped such as theme parks, adventure playgrounds and aquariums. In fact, compared to last year, this sector has seen a growth of 7.5%, which is equal to 430 million euro. The top three operators in Italy saw a growth in visitors of 50%.

Even the publishing sector is growing (+7.9% compared to last year) and the use of licenses, which are well interpreted and set out in the displaying of characters that 48

Trends KIDZ GLOBAL

HOW KIDS ARE SPENDING THEIR TIME A conversation with Ivan Colecchia, Director of Kidz Global, about how children are spending their precious free time, between multiple stimuli that they receive from devices at their fingertips.

A warning and an invitation for traditional TV to renew itself in order to follow the dialogue of the new generation of Millennials.

Ivan Colecchia Children of today spend their free time more and more on the use of digital devices. It has to be noted that free time is on average 37 hours a week (39% of their active hours, without considering time spent asleep). This time is divided between digital entertainment, spending time with friends and creative activities.

Of the total time, not only free time, the traditional toy takes up 6% while digital devices take up 20%. If, on the other hand, we look at only the hours of free time, the weight of the digital device is over 50% (Graphic 1)! As Ivan Colecchia explains, “If we look at age groups, this trend is spread across all groups, with the traditional toy that is prevailing only for the littlest children. The time dedicated to schooling also: as children grow, this time increases. Digital devices occupy more or less the same percentage of time and, with the older children, it takes over the traditional toy completely. This is a European and Global trend.�

Older children multitask in general. The majority undertake many activities at the same time. Particularly with the

Graphic 1 television and the digital device that best demonstrates the multitasking: while children are watching tv, 37% eat, 23% use tablets and 22% use a smartphone.

All of this at the same time (Graphic 2). “Time is the only fixed variable and all

Graphic 2 50

of the activities are battling with each other. Time cannot be added and all of the activities that come into play take time away from the pre-existing ones.

So, while once upon a time there was only the tv as the element that occupied

Trends free time, now there are infinite devices”.

Ivan continues, “As far as I can see, from the entertainment point of view, these multitasking trends are down to the notable variety of offerings that ensure children satisfaction from passing continuously from activity to activity.”

It is true that extreme multitasking is not with television, but rather other devices, that have the ability to attract attention and capture the concentration of the child more than the TV (Graphic 3). As Ivan Colecchia explains, “it is surely affected by the element of passiveness vs. the will to choose what to look at and which content to dedicate certain time to. The passing

Graphic 3

Graphic 4 between passive vision and active vision is stronger and stronger”. In fact, already from 7-9 years of age, we are starting to speak of Generation C, C being for content: the same children are generating content, from their rooms, and then they post it online in the hope of being the creators of content and therefore

protagonists.

The motivations behind the strong multitasking is linked to the fruition of the television as they move from “passing time” or being bored (the things on tv are boring), to playing a video game. 20% speak with other friends and 17% listen to music (Graphic 4). This emphasizes the

Graphic 5 51

element of the “TV babysitter” even more as children can never play the same role as they do with a tablet. This raises alarm bells about what the tv is offering today.

It is also true that much of this is linked to the explosion of alternative offerings in entertainment, and at the end of the day it is still the case that time stands still.

“While an innovative broadcaster such as Netflix doesn’t resolve the problem for children as it does for adults, YouTube impersonates the media excellently for children, with a 65% user base, because it is possible to create content, upload, watch and share all in one place.”

Returning to the use of the television, the dominating genres are animation and fantasy, which justifies the main users being the littlest children. The TV remains the preferred device for some ages (the littlest children), but there is a series of trends that move towards a great increase in choice with other devices, tablets for the smallest children and Smartphone for older ones, deterring from the TV (Graphic 5). This is a global trend, which started from the USA, where it has been a long time since the tv was the favorite device for all ages, Ivan Colecchia concludes, “the TV has the challenge of finding out how to supply captivating content that can be interesting for children. If the tv puts interesting content on air, it also has to be able to supply this in a varying manner alongside other devices to keep the continued experience with franchises and to make sure that the relationship of trust is also growing, all while increasing exposure.

The best bet for the broadcaster is on the multiplatform idea that pays more attention to one or more franchises.”

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THE NEXT EVENTS TO FOLLOW! EVENT

PLACE

DATE

CATEGORY

WEBSITE

MIFA

ANNECY

12-15/06/2018

entertainment

www.annecy.org/mifa

PITTI UOMO

FLORENCE

12-15/06/2018

fashion

www.pittimmagine.com

WHITE SHOW

MILAN

16-18/06/2018

fashion

www.whiteshow.it

PITTI BIMBO

FLORENCE

21-23/06/2018

childrenswear

www.pittimmagine.com/corporate/fairs/bimbo.html

CONFERENCE

SHEFFIELD

03-05/07/2018

entertainment

www.thechildrensmediaconference.com

PANORAMA/B&B

BERLIN

03-05/07/2018

fashion

www.panorama-berlin.com

PLAYTIME BERLIN

BERLIN

04-05/07/2018

childrenswear

www.iloveplaytime.com/berlin

LICENSING EXPO CHINA

SHANGAI

25-27/07/2018

licensing

www.licensemag.com

GAMES.COM

COLOGNE

22-25/08/2018

game

www.gamescom-cologne.com/gamescom

EXPO LICENSING BRASIL

SAO PAULO

28-29/08/2018

licensing

expolb.com.br/

AUTUMN FAIR

BIRMINGHAM

2-5/09/2018

homeware

www.autumnfair.com/#/

MAISON&OBJET

PARIS

07-11/09/2018

homeware

www.maison-objet.com

CARTOON FORUM

TOULOUSE

10-13/09/2018

entertainment

www.cartoon-media.eu/cartoon-forum

HOMI

MILAN

14-17/09/2018

homeware

www.homimilano.com

MICAM/MIPEL

MILAN

16-19/09/2018

fashion

www.themicam.com - mipel.com

KID+JUGEND

COLOGNE

20-23/09/2018

childrenswear

www.kindundjugend.com/kindundjugend

SUPER

MILAN

22-24/09/2018

fashion

www.pittimmagine.com/corporate/fairs/super.html

WHITE SHOW

MILAN

21-24/09/2018

fashion

www.whiteshow.it

THE CHILDREN’S MEDIA

52

News SHOWLAB

The Miracle Tunes warrior idols protagonists with another important announcement for Italy Following the amazing launch of Miracle Tunes at the last Bologna Licensing Trade Fair, the franchise is ready to become Italy and Europe’s next girls’ phenomenon.

With the definition of the last remaining licenses, such as clothing, publishing and food, we have almost completed our ambitious licensing development plan.

We are thrilled to see the evolution of this new project.”

We spoke with Boing’s Content Director, Alice Fedele: “The publishing structure is simple yet enveloping, the music is catchy, the choreography is incredible and the special attention to detail was what made us choose Miracle Tunes as the next big girls’ project for 2018/2019. Moreover, we were left with no doubts when a partner

such as Giochi Preziosi hopped on boards as Master Toy Licensee”.

The President of Giochi Preziosi Group, Enrico Preziosi, concludes: “The series captured our attention from the very beginning, presenting itself as a possible success for the next few years. The focused use of toys within the show encouraged us to become Master Toy Licensee. We strongly believe in Miracle Tunes. It is one of our main Master Toy projects for the next three years and we hope that great satisfaction comes from this.”

The 52 episodes of 26 minutes long series is set to air in Italy exclusively with Boing!

(DTT’s Channel 40) in the 2018 Back to School. Miracle Tunes, having a target of 4-9 year old girls, could never have found a more fitting broadcaster.

The enthusiasm of licensees that are already on board is at a high. The General Manager of Consumer Products for the Prodea Group, Guido Bertè, tells us: “We are pleased to announce the forthcoming airing of Miracle Tunes, which, after the show’s great success in Japan, is predicted to become a European phenomenon.

STAY TUNED! 54

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SHOWLAB LATEST NEWS YOYO SUCCESS CONTINUES MIRACLE TUNES: BROADCASTER ANNOUNCED!