LTW

April 2016

FlYiNg hIgH The Powerpuff Girls global toy line from Spin Master

WE CREATED THE FIRST

GRAPHICAL SMILEYS In 1997, the world was in the midst of a technological revolution. People were using expressive emotions made from punctuation marks for text messaging and emails. Hundreds of these had been created as an art form but only :) and :( were really understandable and being used. It was then that Nicolas Loufrani (CEO of the Smiley Company) started experimenting with Smileys to create graphic faces that corresponded to the pre-existing emoticons.

Loufrani sat down with his designers in New York and created a dictionary of emotions that consisted of

thousands of different Smileys which he registered with the United States Copyright Office from 1997 and published on the internet in 1998, these would become the world’s first graphical emoticons. This allowed The Smiley Company to create a new brand (SmileyWorld) that expressed thousands of emotions and could also be applied to a variety of products.

In the 20 years since then, these Smileys have been featured on 10s of thousands of products created by more than 800 licensees, generating over $1 billion dollars in retail sales.

SMILEY’S UNIQUE PROPOSITION SMILEY IS THE ORIGINAL – AND THE BEST Over 45 years’ heritage and brand presence in the market 97% brand awareness globally Smiley doesn’t just sell icons. Smiley sells a brand and a lifestyle built around self-expression and emotional intelligence.

SMILEY IS A DESIGN & LICENSING STUDIO A directory of over 3,000 unique, exclusive and expressive Smileys.

A state-of-the-art design studio that adopts a unique strategy and approach to every product created, ensuring innovation, creativity and an unparalleled appeal.

Creation of seasonal collections, which ensures a constantly evolving product offering and long-lasting and successful partnerships.

SMILEY HAS PROVEN SUCCESS A long-established track record for supplying collections to hundreds of licensees that sell out through the world’s leading retailers 20 years in the market selling successful products in all key categories including apparel, home décor, food, BTS, publishing, gifts and toys.

Creating structured collections with best-selling products and on-trend designs allows the company to advise licensees and retailers on the best products for their markets.

SMILEY PROVIDES PROFESSIONAL & EXPERIENCED SUPPORT A dedicated global team of over 40 people to support licensees and retailers for all their needs.

A specialist brand teams coming from licensee-specific industries who understand the needs of each and every licensee.

Best-in-class marketing support from in-store activations through to social media promotion to the brand’s 4.3 million fans.

LEGAL NOTICE The Smiley Company is the original creator of internet graphic emoticons since 1997 and has licensed these globally to over 800 companies since then.

These emoticons are a protected trademark with copyrights and trademarks valid throughout the world. Not only does the Smiley company protect its original logo, but also its icons and characters. The Smiley Company has the rights to over 3,000 emoticons. In 2015 the business undertook 138 legal actions which resulted in the destruction of hundreds of thousands of products. The Smiley Company will seize infringement products at borders, in warehouses and from stores, in order to protect its properties through our global enforcement network.

If you believe that you are about to purchases products that might be infringing on The Smiley Company IP, do not hesitate to contact legal@smiley.com

For licensing enquiries contact margherita@smiley.com

Smiley, , names, characters and all related indicia are owned by The Smiley Company ©1971 - 2016. All rights reserved.

THOSE LICENSING PEOPLE “WHEN WE GO INTO A PROJECT WE BELIEVE IN IT ALL THE WAY”

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Regulars

APRIL 2016

7 The Leader

the team Director Mark Naish Mark@lemapublishing.co.uk

8 News 10 TV News 12 Movie News 13 Media News 14 People News

P24

16 NEW! Let’s Talk… Fashion 19 Coffee Break with IFLScience

Group Editor Mirella Anstey mirella@lemapublishing.co.uk

22 Licensing Talk 62 Five mins with INK Global

Features Editor

20 Cover Story

Mairead Wilmot mairead@lemapublishing.co.uk

Cartoon Network talk all things Powerpuff Girls

P58

26 Heritage LTW looks at the fascinating world of heritage licensing

Writer Rhys Thomas rhys@lemapublishing.co.uk

Group Advertising Manager Ryan Horwood ryan@lemapublishing.co.uk

p62 Media Solutions Manager Bradley Mason bradley@lemapublishing.co.uk

46 Pre-school Licensing One of the biggest and brightest licensing sectors is set for exciting things in 2016

Special Reports 15 Broadcast Insight

P60

Clive Crouch remembers the genius that was Sylvia Anderson 24 Focus on…

The National Portrait Gallery who talk us through their licensing programme 42 Property Spotlight

Production Director Paul Naish paul@lemapublishing.co.uk

Zou is one to watch. Those Licensing People are on board as UK & Ireland agent, we talk to them 58 Interview The Chewits brand is well-known and now owners Cloetta have brought Start Licensing on board to develop the licensing programme.

LTW finds out more

P63

60 Interview The Great British Bake Off star Paul Hollywood has teamed up with Kitchen Craft to develop a range of cookware. We explore the range 63 NEW! The Real Deal LTW has a new columnist. Industry stalwart Bettina Knockler has joined the writing team.

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P42

Official Harry Po er Jewellery by The Carat Shop www.thecaratshop.co.uk

info@thecaratshop.co.uk

HARRY POTTER characters, names and related indicia are ©& TM Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Harry Po er Publishing Rights © JKR. WB Shield : TM &© WBEI. (s16)

We look at Pre-school licensing on page 46

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Mirella Anstey

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for any cool little girl. Now attel’s Barbie was again, these girls are what we a staple of my once called alternative, but in childhood - not fact, they are actually more exactly news, I about equality, empowerment know. But the and assimilation. Can any recent news that she had been modern brand exist without ‘re-imagined’ or ‘re-modelled’ holding these values high? to be curvier caused a huge din Well, someone who can and garnered a great deal of surely answer that question positive global coverage. is our new columnist Bettina Now, I’m not surprised that Koeckler. Many of you will the new zaftig Barbie is a huge know Bettina from Sony, 20th hit – the social media storm Century Fox and Rainbow, she she caused was also one not has now branched out on her to be ignored – but it got me own and heads up The Deal thinking about how acceptance, Factory. Find out what her diversity and the globalisation views are on the changes in we all experience and enjoy has the licensing world and how no really made a massive impact doubt the world will keep on on brands. So along with ‘real changing still! Turn to page 63 Barbie’ is also ethnically diverse to find out more.

Barbie.

Actually, another terrific One of our key sponsors this The Powerpuff Girls are our cover stars! read in this month’s LTW is our month, Those Licensing People wonderful Heritage feature. This really is a beautiful talks to us about the fabulous pre-school brand and very interesting category and the licences are Zou. He is a very cute Zebra who lives with his being used in really broad and exciting ways which quirky but loving extended family. challenge the traditional views of this category.

We also get up close and personal to The Going full circle and returning to memories of Powerpuff Girls – those formidable superheroines days past (the 1980s to be precise), popping into the local sweetshop to pick up a packet of Chewits was another childhood pleasure to be savoured.

So, it was with glee that I learned more about Start Licensing’s roll out of Chewits as a brand. I honestly was not aware that I could shower with Chewits products and the delicious tangy fragrance would be with me the whole day – but now that I am, it has opened a whole new world for me. Please check out what Ian Downes has to be say about the wonderfully nostalgic and very British brand!

Well, all I must say to you now, is enjoy and I’ll see you in Vegas!

that are essential You’ll find our focus viewing on Heritage

Turn to page 16 to check out our new Let’s Talk... feature

brands on page 26

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LTW NEWS S

World famous author to get Bulldog treatment Bulldog Licensing has announced it now represents the estate of much-loved children’s author Enid Blyton.

Her work needs little introduction, as book series such as The Famous Five, Brer Rabbit and The Secret Seven have delighted successive generations of British children and have sold hundreds of millions of copies. Enid Blyton’s books sell in huge numbers and she regularly features in the top ten list of the best-selling authors in the UK. Her books also have global appeal - according to UNESCO, she is the most translated children’s author in the world.

The licensing programme will launch next year and initially concentrate on The Famous Five, which celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2017, using a style guide featuring the original illustrations by Eileen Soper. Bulldog will then look to expand across The Secret Seven and other titles in the estate.

“Enid Blyton occupies a very special place in British culture and her work is familiar to millions, across all age groups,” says Bulldog MD Rob Corney. “This gives us a very strong platform and we’re looking to develop ranges that appeal to adults who grew up with the books, as well as children discovering them for the first time.”

Commenting on the partnership, Katie Price, Licensing Director at The Hachette Children’s Group says: “Working with Bulldog, we intend to extend the charm, friendliness and magic of Enid Blyton beyond her classic books to other licenses. Next year’s 75th anniversary of The Famous Five provides the perfect moment for Bulldog to launch an initial range of nostalgia products for the adult gift market using Eileen Soper’s iconic artwork, which naturally lends itself to categories including vintage gifts, stationery, greeting cards, calendars and homeware.”

Hasbro Studios up for four Emmy awards Not one, not two, not three but four. The team at Hasbro Studios has picked up four Daytime Emmy Award nominations for its work across the TRANSFORMERS and MY LITTLE PONY franchises, marking one of its most successful years to date.

Transformers Robots in Disguise has been nominated for Outstanding Special Class Animated Program while Jeff Bennet has been nominated in the Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program for his portrayal of Mayor Luskey in Transformers Rescue Bots. Meanwhile, the writers of Transformers Rescue Bots have also been nominated in the Outstanding Writing in an Animated Program category.

And finally, The Magic Inside has been nominated for Outstanding Original Song in My Little Pony Friendship is Magic. The 43rd Daytime Emmy Awards will take place on 1 May in New York.

Hey! Looking good BBC Worldwide has announced a range of new soft line partnerships for the hit CBeebies show Hey Duggee!

Hey Duggee! first aired on the CBeebies channel in 2015. The show is based around a children’s after school club called The Squirrel Club, with lovable dog Duggee as its leader.

Using the striking animation as inspiration, a new deal with Aykroyd and TDP sees the launch of products including nightwear, underwear and swimwear and Blues Clothing will be creating outerwear and a range of clothing including t-shirts, knitwear, jeans and dresses.

Following changes within the licensing team at BBC Worldwide, these new deals, demonstrate the commitment of working with new and existing licensees to develop exciting ranges to extend our fans enjoyment of their favourite shows.

Tracey Stratton, Licensing Manager, BBC Worldwide says: “We’re so lucky to work with such fantastic and hugely popular shows such as Hey Duggee. Duggee’s hilarious comedy, brilliant characters and adventurous style is truly inspiring our new partners. We can’t wait to see the final designs.”

With a new series due to air in the spring, Hey Duggee has been a break out hit on the channel and regularly attracts more than 22 million views on BBC iPlayer. The brand has signed multiple license partnerships already with master toy partner Golden Bear, Penguin publishers under the Ladybird brand, and in 2015 BBC Worldwide and mobile games developer Scary Beasties launched the first Hey Duggee pre-school app, which rocketed to number one in the kids app chart. The official game Hey Duggee: The Big Badge and Hey Duggee: The Tinsel Badge has been downloaded over 150,000 times and a new app is in production for an Easter 2016 release.

Get ready for a spring fling!

LIMA will host its annual UK Licensing Essentials Course on 19 May at 54 Buckingham Gate in London.

Kelvyn Gardner, Managing Director of LIMA UK, will kick off the day with an Introduction to Licensing session and featured speakers will include Jamie Dunkley, ITV Studios – Managing Licensing Programs at Retail, John Burns, Gateley PLC – Essential Legal Know-How, Andrew Carley, eOne – The Role of the Licensor, Gary Pope, Kids Industries – How Children and Their Parents Respond to Retail Environments and Sam Ferguson, Jazwares – Making Licensing Work for Manufacturers.

Part two of this fast-paced day begins at 5pm with the annual licensing debate. Panellists will include senior licensing executives from BBC, Disney, NBC Universal, Cooneen, The DealFactory and MGA. Following the debate will be LIMA’s Spring Fling Networking Party.

For more information and to make a booking please visit: licensing.org/uk.

David Kremer, President Rubik’s Brand is pictured with Smiley’s Nicolas Loufrani

Rubik’s and Smiley enter partnership

Moleskin have a friend Sought-after stationery company Moleskin have teamed up with Disney to create a new Toy Story-inspired limited edition collection. Based on the works of Disney/Pixar, the cover of the new collection features original silkscreen illustrations inspired by the iconic film and the collection pays homage to the behind the scenes work carried out by illustrators and animators. Images on the cover are in fact silkscreen prints based on style guides designed by Disney/Pixar in new colours. This is the latest in a series of Moleskine Limited Editions dedicated to comics and cartoons such as Mickey Mouse, Batman and The Simpsons. The collection is available on the Moleskine Store online and at Moleskine stores and retailers worldwide.

Blaze of glory Nickelodeon and Viacom Consumer Products (NVCP) has unveiled 15 new UK licensing partners for the Nick Jr. pre-school series Blaze and the Monster Machines.

Joining Mattel, the master international toy partner for the property and the already announced LeapFrog and Centum Books Limited, these new partners cover a variety of categories with products launching at retail in the coming weeks.

The partners include Sambro for launch arts and crafts, stationery, games, puzzles and pocket-money toys later this year. Clementoni are set for puzzles and interactive learning toys. Character World has taken on the property for bedding, beds and bedroom accessories, while Kokomo takes the license for health and beauty. Ninja will produce Blaze play tents and inflatables while Delta is on board for beds, toy storage and chairs.

In the food category, Lightbody has been signed while Amscan has taken the party ware and balloons categories. In apparel, Drew Pearson International is on board for headwear, Roy Lowe & Sons signed on for socks and William Lamb Footwear Ltd. licensed for footwear. TVM Fashion Lab has been signed for children’s outerwear while Aykroyd & Sons and TDP Textiles have signed up for children’s nightwear and underwear. Alfred Franks & Bartlett Plc are confirmed as the UK partners for sunglasses and sunglass cases.

More category licenses will be announced later in the year.

April 2016

The Smiley Company has been appointed as the master licensee outside puzzles for the Rubik’s brand. The new venture will see the two companies work collaboratively to shape a licensing programme to expand the iconic Rubik’s Cube concept into a new world of product categories and to develop this business globally.

David Kremer, President of Rubik’s Brand Ltd said: “We are delighted to have found a passionate brand owner with a massive track record to help take the Rubik’s brand to the next level and widen the appeal across a number of sectors.”

Nicolas Loufrani, CEO of Smiley Company added: “This represents a huge deal for us as it will be the first time we are taking care of another major brand other than our own. There is a great synergy between Smiley and Rubik’s and I feel we are uniquely placed to exploit the brands values and real essence.

I’ve been hugely impressed by the team at Rubik’s and look forward to working closely with Professor Erno Rubik and the Rubik’s Brand in creating amazing new products and retail partnerships across the globe.”

The new partnership was showcased to trade at Bologna and Kazachok, with a major launch planned at Licensing Expo in Las Vegas this June 2016.

Sonic gets arty As part of SEGA Europe’s plans to mark Sonic’s 25th anniversary, they have entered into a partnership with Iron Gut Publishing.

Iron Gut Publishing have taken the UK license from SEGA and specialise in creating limited edition art collections for global brands.

The art collection will feature the iconic video game character Sonic the Hedgehog, as well as a host of other classic brands from the SEGA video game portfolio including Golden Axe, Streets of Rage and Revenge of Shinobi.

Framed products will be available from bricks and mortar stores and unframed for mail order and online sales. The range will be available from Q2 2016.

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LTW BROADCAST NEWS

Masha on Free To Air everywhere! where!

A raft of big broadcasting deals were recently announced for Masha and the Bear giving the show free to air coverage in Europe, Asia and North America.

The show - named best animation in the Creative Talent category at the 2015 Kidscreen Awards - is dominating the schedules through major free to air channels across the globe. This includes the whole of continental Europe, through stations such as Europe DR (Denmark), VRT (Benelux), France 5 (France), RAI (Italy), Nova TV (Croatia), and TVP (Poland). Elsewhere, broadcasters include EBS (South Korea), Tele Quebec (French Canada), MOMO TV (Taiwan), ABC (Australia), and Spacetoon (MENA). Ink Global represents Masha and the Bear in the broadcasting and licensing sectors.

“Millions of children know and love Masha thanks to a simple recipe – funny, original and engaging storylines combined with beautiful animation. This makes a show that works in any culture and language, so it’s no surprise that free to air coverage is expanding so quickly. The whole world wants Masha!” says Ink Global Director Claus Tømming.

Building Bob Mattel Creations chose MIPTV to announce brand new international deals for Bob the Builder. Now on board is Australia FTA TEN/ELEVEN (Australia), Dreamia-Panda (Portugal), NRK – Super (Norway), Karusel (Russia) and ATV-Minika (Turkey).

These deals come hot on the heels of European ratings success for Bob the Builder Series 1, which recently launched in several territories with broadcasters France 5 (France), Z@pplin (Netherlands), Turner (UK), Super RTL (Germany) and MiniMini (Poland), with high ratings achieved across the board. Bob the Builder is now the number one pre-school show in France as well as a top five pre-school show in other key European countries such as UK, Germany, Poland and Netherlands.

They also announced Bob the Builder: Mega Machines –The Movie, which is set for television and DVD release next year and will introduce brand new characters and an exciting storyline for Bob.

Sam’s the main man Fireman Sam is on fire! Not in the literal sense, of course. Mattel Creations recently announced that the iconic fireman is starring in a new 60’ feature-length 2017 special. Not only that, the CG-animated Fireman Sam will feature multi-award-winning Scottish actor David Tennant as its guest voice.

Tennant, who is most known for playing the Tenth Doctor in BBC series Dr Who and for his work on Harry Potter, will voice the character of humorous villain Buck Douglas in Fireman Sam: Alien Alert.

The special is being distributed worldwide by Canada-based DHX Media who earlier in the year struck an exclusive deal with Mattel to distribute Fireman Sam content worldwide. First broadcast in 1987 in the UK, Fireman Sam celebrates his 30th Anniversary next year.

Fireman Sam currently airs in over 18 countries including France (France 5), Italy (Rai/Cartoonito), Germany (Kika), Poland (MiniMini), Spain (TVE), Israel (Hop) and Belgium (VTM Kzoom). The Alien Alert special is expected to launch in May 2017.

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Teletubbies season two gets go-ahead After the much talked about relaunch of Teletubbies in 2015, DHX Media has announced a second season is in the pipeline. The show will be on CBeebies and UK production company, Darrall Macqueen, will return to make 60 more episodes of the iconic show for DHX and CBeebies.

Steven DeNure, President and COO of DHX Media, said: “The new Teletubbies has clearly struck a chord with UK audiences, and we look forward to sharing more wonderful Tubbyland adventures with viewers tuning in on CBeebies. We expect this to be an exciting year for the Teletubbies as we continue to rollout this iconic brand worldwide.”

Kay Benbow, Controller of CBeebies, said: “Since it launched, the new series of Teletubbies has been a huge hit with our very youngest viewers. I am delighted to commission more episodes of this much loved show, so that the CBeebies audience can continue to enjoy and discover a world of fun in Tubbyland.”

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Are we Home yet?

DreamWorks Animation is set to release a new original animation on Netflix that follows on from the adventures in last year’s cinema smash hit Home.

The galaxy’s dynamic duo are back in DreamWorks’ Home: Adventures with Tip & Oh, an all-new Netflix Original series. The first season will be available exclusively to Netflix members in the UK, US, Canada, Latin America, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, the Nordics, Benelux and France from 29 July 2016.

MGA celebrate Emmy nod MGA Entertainment is celebrating after Project Mc2 - the S.T.E.A.M aligned fashion doll brand and Netflix original show - has been nominated for the 43rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards for Best Children’s Programming.

Marian Davis, Marketing Manager at MGA Entertainment said: “We are thrilled to have been nominated for such a prestigious award in the United States. The Annual Daytime Emmy Awards are watched and recognised throughout the world so this is a really exciting development for the brand.”

The awards ceremony will be held in New York on Sunday 1 May 2016.

Coming to a screen near you LoliRock is on a roll Zodiak Kids girl’s property LoliRock is set to roll out across France and Italy this spring. France Televisions launched thirteen new episodes of LoliRock season 1 next month on France 4 and Disney France are also launching new episodes in May. DeAgostini Editore’s Super! DTT channel in Italy will also be launching next month.

Meanwhile, the LoliRock consumer website (www.lolirock. fr) is currently a success with more than 20,000 sessions per month on the France Televisions (FTV) digital platform Ludo.

DeAgostini Editore are on board as the consumer products agents in Italy for LoliRock and have planned a comprehensive marketing campaign to tie in with the launch of the series.

April 2016

Studio 100 Media used MIPTV as an opportunity to present its roster of live action shows. Aimed at children six to 12 years, they cover everything from fantasy to mystery and comedy.

They are offering up The Night Watch, a series focusing on a secret group that protects the people of a small town called Dusky Lake, Kosmoss – a tale about a bionic dog, The Adventures of Jolly Lolly, a comedy about Lolly who lives in a house full of crazy but useful inventions her father creates.

Meanwhile, the first two seasons of Ghost Rockers are already available while seasons three and four are already confirmed and in production and development.

11

LTW MOVIE NEWS

He’s back!

Swinging into action Hype levels surrounding the release of Captain America: Civil War went into overdrive following the surprise reveal of a fan favourite character in the latest trailer from Marvel.

As well as the continued feud between the titular hero and Iron Man, Spider-Man shocked fans by swinging into the fray, making his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut. It is the first time the web slinger has appeared alongside his fellow Marvel characters on the big screen, as rights holder Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios collaborate.

The conclusion to the Captain America movie trilogy opens in UK cinemas 29 April, 2016.

Harrison Ford is a busy man these days. Not only have we seen him in Star Wars, he is also reprising his iconic role as Indiana Jones.

Indiana Jones 5 – which we presume is not its real title, will hits screens in July 2019 – so a little bit to wait yet. As expected, fan favourite Steven Spielberg will direct the flick.

Disney Chairman Alan Horn told The Hollywood Reporter: “Indiana Jones is one of the greatest heroes in cinematic history, and we can’t wait to bring him back to the screen in 2019.

“It’s rare to have such a perfect combination of director, producers, actor and role, and we couldn’t be more excited to embark on this adventure with Harrison and Steven.”

On the fast track to film It is rumoured that Warner Bros. are developing a film based around the Looney Tunes character Speedy Gonzales. Mexican director and actor Eugino Derbez will voice the project.

It is rumoured that Hank Nelken is scriptwriter with the film being described as a heist caper and both an English and Spanish-language version are in the works. The project is tentatively titled Speedy.

LEGO Batman unmasked The first images from the LEGO Batman Movie were unveiled last month on USA Today. The colourful images show the blocky Batman with all the action and flashy technology we’ve come to expect from the Dark Knight.

But they also showcase the hilariously-humdrum side of everyday life as Gotham City’s vigilant protector - like warming up leftovers in the microwave.

Joining Will Arnett as the lead, stars Mariah Carey, Ralph Fiennes and Michael Cera also add their voices to the animation. The LEGO Batman Movie opens in UK cinemas in February 2017.

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Will it be a homecoming?

Movie buffs went into overdrive recently after Sony allegedly gave away the title for the new Spider-Man film.

The studio apparently registered the domain name ‘SpiderManHomecomingTheMovie.com’ with fans believing this could possible be the title for the new film. Apparently, way back in the 1980s, Spider-Man comic books featured a Homecoming storyline with featured appearances from Captain America and Iron Man. We shall just have to wait and see.

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LTW MEDIA NEWS

Build it now!

In a jam Wildworks has appointed Rockpool Licensing Ltd to represent Animal Jam for consumer products and promotion in the UK & Ireland.

Animal Jam has seen astronomical growth since its inception and is now the fastest growing gaming site in the USA with more than 50 million registered users worldwide. The game is expanding from online to offline with the appointment of Jazwares as Master Toy Partner who, along with a number of other key categories will be launching at retail this autumn in the US. Working directly with Peeko, who handle worldwide licensing rights for the brand, Rockpool is poised to help the licensing program achieve global success. Vickie O’Malley, MD Rockpool says: “Wildworks’ achievement with Animal Jam is hugely impressive and the potential for consumer products immense.

The metrics are astounding; already over 3M registered users in the UK and an astonishing 70 minute average engagement time.

Animal Jam is visually enchanting, immersive and very much fun.

The 8 year-old me would have been captivated.”

Disney has launched Disney Build It: Frozen, a new app for mobile devices, where kids can build their own version of Arendelle alongside the characters from the award-winning Walt Disney Animation Studios’ motion picture Frozen.

Players who have an iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s Plus can use 3D Touch to activate flythrough mode or Quick Actions to instantaneously jump into a specific snow globe.

Disney Build It: Frozen is available for download the Apple App Store, Google Play and on the Amazon Appstore. Additional packs with new buildings, characters and props can also be purchased.

Creating greatness Mattel recently announced the formation of a centralised content division called Mattel Creations.

The new division will drive the company’s premium content across multiple platforms including theatrical, television and digital. This new cross-portfolio content strategy will be headed by Mattel’s Chief Content Officer, Catherine Balsam-Schwaber, who joined Mattel in September 2015. In addition, Mattel announced two key content projects under the Mattel Creations banner. They have greenlit WellieWishers (26 x 11), a brand new 2D animated series for girls ages 5-7, from premium brand, American Girl and Barbie Dreamtopia, a CGI movie special which has been taken by several world-class broadcasters around the world including: Cartoon Network (Latin-America), Super RTL (Germany), Pop TV (UK), MiniMini (Poland) and Karusel (Russia).

Flippin’ great game A new mobile games based on Cartoon Network’s The Powerpuff Girls has launched.

Flipped Out launched exclusively on iOS on Thursday 31 March and across mobile platforms, Amazon and Google Play on Thursday 14 April. The downloadable game has been developed by Grumpyface Studios, the team behind the number one ranking Steven Universe RPG, Attack the Light.

April October 2016 2014

One for girls A+E Networks and Harlequin have formed a creative partnership to produce a slate of original scripted movies, web series, books and digital content that will extend around the world and across multiple platforms. The deal was announced by Rob Sharenow, EVP/GM, A&E, Lifetime and LMN, A+E Networks.

A+E Networks, home to powerful entertainment destinations for women, and Harlequin, a leading publisher of women’s fiction, will franchise several scripted dramatic movies based on original stories and bestselling novels that will include a narrative throughline of mystery, romance, thriller, suspense and more. Content will be made available across A+E Networks’ channels and content partners globally.

131

LTW PEOPLE NEWS

360 Audit strengthens team INTERNATIONAL royalty auditing business, 360 Audit has recruited Philia Riaz as Global Head of Audit.

360 Audit carries out royalty audit programmes across the UK, Europe, Australia, USA, Latin America and South East Asia. Philia joins the Daresbury headquartered business following senior auditing roles at PwC, Arup and Grant Thornton. She will be responsible for overseeing overseas audits.

360 Audit is headed up by Henna Riaz who recently bought out her co-partners to take full ownership of the business. The business has secured contracts with high-profile brands including Nickelodeon, WWE, Michelin Tyres and more recently, Jamie Oliver and Gary Barlow.

New Head of Sales at Bandai UK Amy Davolls has been promoted to the newly created position of Head of Sales at Bandai UK. Amy joined Bandai in 2000 and has had a number of roles in Operations and Sales over the last 16 years, most recently as Sales Manager.

Clive Smith, Bandai’s General Manager says: “This is a well deserved reward for Amy’s continued hard work, effort and enthusiasm in meeting our sales objectives. She is a loyal team member who always puts her customers first and we congratulate her on this appointment.”

Amy adds: “I am delighted to step up to the role of Head of Sales as Bandai begins a very exciting phase. We have some fantastic and innovative toy properties coming over the next 12-18 months and I am looking forward to driving our business and working closely with our customers, old and new.”

14

A genius move Genius Brands International has named former Kabillion executive Debra Pierson as general manager of its Kid Genius entertainment channel on Xfinity On Demand, delivering “Smart TV for Kids.”

Pierson brings over 25 years of kids entertainment experience to her new position to spearhead the continued growth of Kid Genius—a channel unlike any other entertainment offering for kids by virtue of its emphasis on content for children that is as enriching as it is entertaining— including almost six years as VP Sales and Marketing for multi-platform kids’ entertainment channel, Kabillion.

“I consider Deb Pierson joining us as a tipping point in major value creation at Genius Brands,” said Andy Heyward, Chairman and CEO, Genius Brands International. “Her experience and capability, in my opinion, is no less important for the Kid Genius channel as was Geraldine Laybourne to the creation of Nickelodeon, or Betty Cohen to Cartoon Network, or Margaret Loesch (our board member) to the creation of Fox Kids. As we enter into the next generation of kids content distribution systems, I believe Kid Genius is now positioned to become just as impactful and valuable.”

Mattel creates new content division Catherine Balsam-Schwaber is to head up Mattel’s new Creations content division.

Mattel has also promoted longtime creative executive and award-winning producer Christopher Keenan as Senior Vice President, Content Development & Production.

The new Creations division will leverage Mattel’s wellloved toy brands to produce TV, films and digital content.

She’s a rock!

Nicola Thompson has taken up a role at Rockpool Licensing. The former Senior Commercial Manager, CPLG Sport has joined Vickie O’Malley at the company.

Nicola’s licensing career began in 2006 as Head of Partnerships at West Ham Utd. She moved to CPLG in 2008, managing a prestigious portfolio of clients over the years including The FA, RFU, St Andrew’s Links, Fulham FC and, indeed, her former club, West Ham Utd. Vickie O’Malley, MD Rockpool Licensing, said: “Nic’s track record in managing multi million pound brand licensing and sponsorship programmes makes her a tremendous asset. It’s phenomenally helpful to have someone with her experience and network contributing to Rockpool’s growth.”

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Stay within the lines From the old genius of Sylvia Anderson to the new genius of Johanna Basford. Clive takes a look at it all…

The rapid

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development of this es M’Lady” - two words synonymous with the sector has picked recently deceased Sylvia up high profile Anderson. Many licensed products licenses like Game developed from the early Anderson productions. Back in 1957 there of Thrones and The was Twizzle, and in 1958 we had Classic Superhero Torchy the Battery Boy - both created by writer Roberta Leigh and developed Comic Colouring for TV by Sylvia and Gerry Anderson.

Book Eleven months ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Sylvia twice while working on a new animation project with Sylvia and her daughter Dee. The obituaries have been written so I am not here to write another. What I can put to paper is an insight into a creative mind who was also a successful business woman. Sitting in Sylvia’s riverside home just ten days before ITV launched their new CGI Thunderbirds last April, Sylvia elaborated on the 196566 original creation.

Gerry’s inspiration had come from watching a news item on a mine rescue in South Africa, from which he purchased the defunct surface rescue equipment to model for his own International Rescue.

Sylvia was responsible for character development, storylines, costume design, voices and for directing other voice actor’s dialogue. Forty-nine years later, her mind was just as sharp as she spoke excitedly about her latest project in collaboration with daughter Dee, code named The Last Station. Two weeks later we were at Cartoons on the Bay in Venice where I witnessed Sylvia’s on stage at a Q&A celebrating the past success of Thunderbirds. She was looking forward to the new series, and steered the questions towards The Last Station. This tour culminated with Sylvia receiving the prestigious Pulcinella Special Award for her contribution to the many iconic British animated series that she created with husband Gerry.

Together, their innovative style at the forefront of technology created the trademark “Supermarionation”, from which

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many a successful license grew.

Moving on to a current phenomenon created just three years ago by a Scottish illustrator, Johanna Basford. Johanna who?

You may ask. Well, from an initial print run of just 13,000 copies in 2013 of her book Secret Garden: An Inky Treasure Hunt and Colouring Book, three years on Johanna’s three books now have total worldwide sales of 16 million. Johanna has led the way in creating this huge colouring market.

In contrast to the fame and notoriety of Anderson, Basford has created a craze with a science.

According to experts colouring can be seen as a “species of mindfulness like meditation, which has been shown to reduce stress” and benefits of true mindfulness include everything from reduced blood pressure to increased immune strength according to scientists.

The rapid development of this sector has picked up high profile licenses like Game of Thrones and The Classic Superhero Comic Colouring Book. While adults no longer play with plastic super hero figures, they can now colour them

in. In December 2015, Nielsen market research found that 71 per cent of adult colourers are female; 36 per cent are aged between 18 and 29, while 19 per cent are over 55. Nigella Lawson being one of the most prominent female colourers.

On a recent long haul flight I found myself colouring in a comic superhero, next to me a colleague of my age watched Toy Story, another old friend - just in a different format.

Colouring inside the lines in books designed and marketed to adults has become a trend. While not wishing to bring another American practice into UK lifestyles, you may like to know that the US now has a National Colouring Book Day on 2 August.

A final re-assuring word, Johanna Basford is not American, she is Scottish.

Johanna previously made her living creating black and white images for brands like Nike and Absolut Vodka.

Whatever drove her to this expressive, creative process has, in turn, produced a new sector opportunity to license brands from Benedict Cumberbatch to your favourite super hero.

Clive Crouch is a TV expert with a career spanning more than 35 years in the medium.

He joined GMTV at its very inception – long before it began broadcasting - as Sales and Marketing Director during which time he was responsible for managing more than £1.5billion of commercial revenues. Clive rose through the ranks to be appointed Chief Operating Officer in 2007. Clive runs his own media insights company and you can get in touch with him by emailing; insight@clivecrouch.com or by going to his website, www.clivecrouch.com

Looking good!

Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War x Her Universe

Walk the talk Dr. Martens x Adventure Time Cartoon Network has teamed up with Dr. Martens for a third collaboration.

The spring/summer 2016 collection features boots for adults and children with favourites Princess Bubblegum, BMO and Marceline taking centre stage. The collection is available in Dr. Martens stores, selected partners globally and online. Go on, let your feet do the talking.

Let’s talk…

Fashion

This was always going to be a marvel-ous idea. Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media are making sure we get fit and look good while we are at it. They recently announced a new collaboration with fangirl fashion company, Her Universe. The stylish line for teens and millennial women is inspired by Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War and launched at Kohl’s stores and Kohls.com. The capsule collection featuring looks based on Black Widow, Iron Man and Captain America will be tagged “Be A Hero” and offer more than 30 pieces. The line is part of a major expansion into women’s fashion from Marvel.

Fashion collaborations are hot-to-trot. LTW highlights some of the most recent fashionfocused partnerships at retail now!

Superhero ch

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Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice x Primark

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Official licensed merchandise for Warner Bros.

Pictures Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice hit shelves just before the film premiered in March.

In the UK, there were plenty of fashion collaborations for consumers to get their hands on with Aykroyds, Blues and Cooneen all on board while there was a DTR partnerships with fastfashion leader Primark (pictured) who were on board for men’s t-shirts and ladies nightwear; and George at Asda, which launched a collection of men’s t-shirts and boys pyjamas.

s Get outdoor

The Original Muck Boot Company x RHS Spring has sprung and with that, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has announced a collaboration with The Original Muck Boot Company for a range of multi-purpose gardening boots and shoes. The range includes the Muckster II Ankle – which is ideal for any chore or task where there is mud, slush or rain – and the great-fitting, all-purpose light shoe, the Muckster II Low. www.ltwmag.com

Run with it GI Joe x BAIT x New Balance Hasbro’s GI Joe has just got all funky. A collaborative venture between Hasbro, BAIT and New Balance produced a collection of four sneakers featuring unique and stellar color ways of the classic New Balance’s 574, 710 and MT580 silhouettes. The NB 574 “Cobra Commander” sneaker represents the leader of the Cobra organisation, the antagonistic villain against Roadblock, and G.I. Joe. The NB 710, “Roadblock” sneaker is dedicated to the G.I. Joe team’s heavy artillery expert of the same name. And finally, the NB MT580 “Snake Eyes” and “Storm Shadow,” sneakers have the legendary rivals facing off in a yin-yang-esque release of two opposing colorways.

Style it out Anya Hindmarch x Smiley This is sure to put a smile on your face. Top designer Anya Hindmarch has continued her partnership with Smiley and the latest collection recently dazzled at this year’s London Fashion Week, as models streamed out in a series of oversized coats in cashmere, mink and shearling, accompanied by leather handbags, appliquéd with Smiley emblems.

You got it kid PUMA x Superman We can’t all be a super hero, so what’s the next best thing? Looking like one, surely!

Sports brand PUMA has teamed up with Warner Bros. Consumer Products to create a kids collection inspired by none other than Superman. The PUMA x Superman collaboration includes classic footwear styles in mini versions, all of which are available in Superman’s suit colourways and feature the iconic “S-Shield” on the reverse.

Magic moments Harry Potter x The Carat Shop

April A pril 2016 2016

The Carat Shop’s Harry Potter Cufflinks are perfect for fans of the iconic book and movie series.

Available in both silver-plated and sterling silver collections, the collection has been created using the official Harry Potter style guide.

Designs include the House Crests of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Platform 9 3/4 from which the Hogwarts Express Train departs for Hogwarts, and The Ministry of Magic Logo.

Perfect pose Betty Boop x Supreme You know, if something is good enough for a supermodel, it is generally good enough for the average consumer.

Model-of-the-moment Bella Hadid was photographed

by Terry Richardson for the launch of the Betty Boop x Supreme’s spring 2016 collection. Featuring six items in total, the collection will be made available at all Supreme retail locations around the world and through the company’s online web-store as well.

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BREXIT

ARE YOU IN OR OUT?

Should we make a Brexit?

The UK referendum on whether Britain should remain in the European Union will take place on 23 June 2016 - Gary Assim of national law firm Shoosmiths discusses the impacts of what has become known as “Brexit” with Elliot Bishop, of leading UK nursery industry distributors bébélephant

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his article considers two key impacts on Intellectual Property Rights should Britain exit the EU. It is impossible to say how exiting the EU would pan out for Britain as it is unprecedented for any Member State to exit under Article 50, but two important areas will be of concern to those who design nursery products in the UK. Under Article 50 of the Treaty on the European Union, any Member State may withdraw from the EU. If a Member State choses to exercise this right they will then be expected to negotiate a withdrawal agreement with the EU. The Member State will then exit the EU either on the date specified in their withdrawal agreement or two years after the notification of their intention to leave.

During this time, and as part of these arrangements, we would expect there to be transitional provisions agreed and, where necessary, supplementary national legislation passed.

What will the impact be on EU registered Intellectual Property Rights?

These rights include European Patents, Community Trade Marks and registered Community Designs.

It does not include Copyright which arises automatically and is governed in the UK by English law and international treaties.

The European Patent Office can grant European patents to countries not in the EU so a European Patent (which is effectively a collection of lots of national patents), per se, would not be affected. However, businesses may well have to apply for a UK patent and a separate European patent in the future, if Britain were to leave the EU. Community Trade Marks and the Registered Community Designs are

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Who is who...

G Gary Assim A i is i a partner in the national law firm Shoosmiths. He is best known for acting for Jimmy Choo, Chloe and Dr Martens, as well as setting up the business mentoring scheme for the British Fashion Council to help their NewGen and Fashion Forward designers.

A lawyer by trade, Elliot Bishop is also of leading nursery industry distributors bébélephant.

issued by the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM). Obtaining a registered trade mark or design through OHIM creates one right that gives the owner protection throughout all of the EU. If the UK leaves the EU, subject to any transitional provisions, owners would also need to register their rights in the UK. Some long standing brands may have let their UK registered trade marks lapse on the basis that they can rely on their community registered trade marks. Such brands would need to consider registering their rights in the UK again, although long standing brands would still be able to rely on the UK common law of “Passing Off”. In addition, section 56 of the Trade Mark Act 1994 may be useful as it provides protection, by being able to apply for an injunction, to foreign trade mark owners which are entitled to protection under the Paris Convention and whose trade marks are well known in the UK. Having to register trade marks locally in the UK upon an EU exit may present a more difficult challenge to newer brands, of which there are many in the UK nursery sector, that are less than five years old and may find it hard to show such confusion for the purposes of passing off, or are not so ‘well known’ for the purposes of section 56 of the Trade Mark Act 1994.

Upon an EU exit and going forward, businesses would need to bear in mind that they will have an additional expense to incur in paying fees to register both their EU and UK trade mark. For example, the typical cost for a straightforward community trade mark UK application is approximately £1,600 plus VAT, and the typical cost for a straightforward UK application is approximately £750 plus VAT. There will be similar cost implications and considerations for community

registered and UK registered designs. A further consideration for designers will be the effect on unregistered design rights. At the moment, unregistered design rights are protected for three years across the whole of the EU, after first being made available to the public.

Whilst there is longer protection under English law for UK unregistered designs, the protection will be limited to the UK and will not extend to the whole of Europe.

What will the impact be on UK involvement in the proposed Unified Patent Court?

The proposed unitary patent would create a single patent which would be valid in all EU member states. In addition there is also proposed to be a Unitary Patent court whose decision will have effect in all signatory countries.

If Britain were to exit the EU, Britain would not be one of the countries which the unitary patent would be effective in, and it would be highly likely that it would not be appropriate to have a Unitary Patent court in the UK. As is therefore apparent, the consequences of Brexit could be far reaching and in the event of a British exit from the European Union, businesses with EU registered design rights should seek professional advice on the best way to ensure their continued protection.

www.ltwmag.com

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IFLScience are on a bit of a roll – with 24 million Facebook fans, massive popularity with millennials and bringing Global Merchandising Services on board as their UK and Ireland agent, the brand is on the up. Michele Kuprewicz, IFLScience’s Merchandise Manager brings LTW up to speed on their continued rise IFL Science has made a foray into the world of licensing – but what sort of consumer is IFL Science aimed at? Our core audience are the millennials (18-34 years old), people who enjoy the lighter side of science and do not take themselves too serious, because this is what we are about; fun, entertaining, cheeky and, of course, science geeks!

You debuted at BLE 2015 – how did the industry responded to your brand and did it produce any leads?

We received an amazing reaction at BLE. People recognised the brand and instantly knew us as the social media phenomena that we are, we do have 24 million followers on our Facebook page alone and growing a million every couple months! There were also those who didn’t know us so it was great to able to introduce people to us. Off the back of BLE we have partnered with Global Merchandising Services as our UK and Ireland licensing agent, plus we are in the middle of finalising a partnership with an online gifting company and other potential collaborations with brands. So all in all it was a really successful show for us and we will be back this year with a bigger bang.

What sort of products do you envisage bearing the IFL Science name? The most obvious being apparel and gifting but also science gadgets for adults, confectionary (we did a periodic table chocolate over Valentines which was a massive hit with our customers), soft line accessories, glassware

April 2016

and probably the most unobvious choice, jewellery! Jewellery is the biggest seller on our online store – anything from galaxies and nebulas to meteorites and lunar dust and, not forgetting, dinosaur teeth pendants.

You’ve already got a global reputation and a lot of IFL Science product in your online store, so what can licensing do for you?

It will help us broaden our brand and reach beyond the online store.

Licensing will allow us to bring the brand to the masses and help us grow as a business. It’s the next natural progression for us.

Will we hear of any new collaborations or products hitting retail soon? We have our major territories locked down now and we are in the process of having meetings with potential licensees and retailers.

So watch this space!

What is your approach to retail, are you looking to supply larger outlets through DTR or indies through licensees – or otherwise?

It’s a mixed bag really, the agencies we are working with will be targeting more adult orientated retailers from traditional high street to indies and online retailers.

How can interested licensees and retailers get in touch with IFL Science? Drop me an email mkuprewicz@iflscience.com or call +44 (0)20 7395 1991.

Geek chic facts and figures • IFLScience launched in 2012 • It has 24 million Facebook fans • The Science of Heartbreak received 15 million views in 18 hours!

• IFL Science’s first ever event in Sydney Australia sold out in 45minutes • It has more millennial fans than BuzzFeed

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Cover Story

Power to the girls The Powerpuff Girls is making a glorious return to the small screen and it is fair to say that hopes are high and possibilities are endless for this iconic brand. LTW caught up with Johanne Broadfield, Vice President, Cartoon Network Enterprises EMEA, to find out more about how the girls will make an impact Johanne, The Powerpuff Girls is a pretty high profile relaunch – how long was Cartoon Network sitting on this idea and what makes now the right time?

It’s the perfect time for the girls to make their dazzling return. Behind the scenes we’ve been listening to retail partners and consumers who have been telling us they want properties that not only entertain but also empower young audiences. The market has been dominated by pink and princesses for such a long time and there’s a clear gap for girls properties that are current, cool and relevant.

audience for products is girls aged four to eight with a secondary appeal to girls aged nine to 11, teens and young adults so we want there to be something available for everyone.

You’ll be introducing a whole new audience to these characters, will you be hanging on to key elements of the show?

Absolutely! It’s been very important for us to preserve the show’s key elements which fans know and love, while also updating it for a new generation with contemporary references. We’ve still got the fantastic characters (goodies and baddies), funny situations, playful humour and a good chunk of action but the animation has been refreshed and we’ve got an all new voice cast and a catchy new theme tune.

Talk to us about The Powerpuff Girls x Jeremy Scott collaboration which is in Moschino stores now – how did that come about and is high fashion collaborations something you want to explore more of?

It was actually Jeremy Scott who approached our US team about working with the brand. He was drawn to the fun and upbeat nature of the show and its celebration of girl power – it was a perfect match for his vibrant and pop-cultured inspired designs. The range generated a huge buzz especially in the media when it debuted during Milan Fashion Week.

Now we’re keen to keep this momentum and maintain the brand’s desirability in the fashion space.

What makes the property so attractive to licensees?

The Powerpuff Girls has a distinct visual aesthetic which is iconic, ownable, bold and sets it apart from the competition. It offers the perfect opportunity for innovation and for licensees to push boundaries and create some stand-out merchandise.

Spin Master are your global master toy partner – but what about the broader CP programme – which categories are you targeting and why?

Alongside toys and digital products, key categories for us include fashion and accessories, arts and crafts, gifting, homewares and back-to-school. Our core

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Is the licensee programme full or is the door still open to more partners?

We’re working through our roll-out plan, which has been carefully designed to build and sustain the brand, not burn through it. We’ve pretty much locked up phase one in our key European markets but the discussions for phase two are ongoing.

Will you be supporting your licensees at retail on this brand?

The creative minds at Cartoon Network have a proven track record for supporting retail partners and pulling off some fantastic initiatives – and of course we’ll be giving The Powerpuff Girls our all! What’s more, we have an EMEA Franchise Management team responsible for developing our core franchises to the highest degree and across every multi-platform. They will be supporting licensees all the way and offering a wealth of resources for them to tap into.

The Powerpuff Girls x Jeremy Scott collaboration which is in Moschino stores Are there any notable retail initiatives planned in either Europe or the US at this stage?

There are and we’d love to share them, but they will have to stay under wraps for a just a little while longer.

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For The Powerpuff Girls, licensing deals like Moschino will undoubtedly inspire demand amongst adult fans of the original show and harness the aspirational appeal of the brand amongst the teens and tweens of today

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And what about general brand awareness in key territories – what efforts will be made to announce the return of The Powerpuff Girls?

The key difference now to the first time around is the level of global franchise focus on the launch, build and sustain plans for The Powerpuff Girls. We will not only be leveraging our owned linear and non-linear platforms, but have clear and coordinated plans for earned and bought media. If we just take our owned media, our creative team has had heaps of fun making some fantastic teaser content for both the network and our digital channels to entice fans and generate excitement.

From a mock news report, to using content from our other shows, character sizzles and off-channel advertising to target girls who don’t normally watch our channel, it will be hard to miss the crime-fighting trio’s spectacular return before its even launched.

Finally, who is your favourite Powerpuff Girl?!

That’s a tough one! It’s the friendship and sisterhood I love.

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What you can expect from series one...

The city of Townsville is a beautiful, bustling metropolis, but don’t be fooled! Evil is always afoot. Only Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup — three little girls with extraordinary super powers — can keep the bad guys at bay. Juggling school, homework and a regular parade of villains is daunting, but The Powerpuff Girls are up to the task. Together, they show the citizens of Townsville what it really means to save the world before bedtime.

Blossom Blossom is the leader of the Powerpuff Girls, and well deserved! She’s smart and positive with a strong moral compass, and even if she can be a bit too Type-A sometimes, she’ll never miss an opportunity to kick loose… and kick monster butt!

Meet the A-team

Blossom Buttercup is the muscle of the Powerpuff Girls, who marches to the beat of her own giant, rebel drum. A tough, tomboy renegade, she punches first and asks questions later, which occasionally gets her into trouble. Luckily, “trouble” is Buttercup’s favourite word!

April 2016

As seen on TV • Launching globally on Cartoon Network from April with all regions covered (US, EMEA, LATAM, APAC) • 40 x 11 minute episodes

Bubbles Bubbles is the heart of the Powerpuff Girls. Sensitive, artistic, and at times a bit naïve, she can find the good in anyone – even if they are a 50 foottall fire-breathing monster! But don’t underestimate her: she can take down the same monster with one adorable punch.

It’s play time!

Anchoring the toy licensing programme for The Powerpuff Girls is Spin Master as the global master toy partner with a full range of products debuting at US retailers in fall 2016 and rolling-out in EMEA from 2017.

Through the deal, which expands the two companies’ long-standing relationship, Spin Master will offer a line of plush, figures and playsets, dolls, role play items and more.

Highlights from the line include the Deluxe Flip to Action Playset, which is a 2-in-1 playset that transforms from the girls’ bedroom to their superhero lab, Aura Powerpods with 2” doll assortment and the Vectron Flying Powerpuff Girls Assortment, which features each girl flying with the power of her spinning light trails using Vectron Technology.

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licensing

TALK In this issue, we talk to some of the industry’s finest about their thoughts on Generation Z, top priorities for 2016 and more...

Vickie O’Malley, Managing Director, Rockpool Licensing What are your top priorities for 2016?

Rockpool is still a young agency, so growth is a top priority. It’s a thrill that Nicola Thompson has been able to join the team and work with Lisa Kew (PD) and I to develop our existing brands and launch new properties to the market. Most recent of these is Animal Jam, the hugely popular MMOPG. The buzz around Animal Jam following Jazwares’ launch at the Toy Fairs has generated a great deal of anticipation in the licensing community. For Tough Mudder, we’re taking a phenomenally successful live extreme challenge event into an all-round lifestyle brand. Nick Jnr broadcast is our catalyst to transition the incredible success of Tractor Ted into licensee partnerships and traditional retail distribution. We’ll shortly be announcing a beautiful cross category baby range for Brambly Hedge for launch AW 2016. We’re also expanding our relationship with the Wildlife Trusts and signing partners internationally such as Click! Licensing Asia and Asiana to tap into the appeal for classic British properties internationally. For our firstborn, Gogglebox, 2016 brings us the opportunity to translate the delight of our millions of loyal viewers into FMCG promotional partnerships.

We’ve got a big movie year ahead, what films do you think will really make an impact at retail?

It’s difficult to imagine Disney’s dominance of retail space being eroded to any great extent in 2016. While there’s not too much Zootopia product out there yet, the great box office results will surely mean there’s more to come and it’s their first release of many for 2016. Pets has been well-backed by the licensing community for Universal and may be the animal movie that gets out of the gate with more momentum, however. DreamWorks have KFP 3 of course and I’ve heard good things about Trolls.

Batman v Superman v Captain America v X-Men v Ghostbusters v TMNT should be fun to watch too!

The latest industry buzz word is Generation Z. A group driven by technology and pop culture, how does the industry sell to them?

There’s a vast opportunity surrounding technology-driven properties. Gen Z’s behavior, consumption of media and their pop culture heroes are a mystery to most adults. The challenge for the brands that have emerged from technology is how they can promote understanding and appreciation of their metrics. Multiple millions of views, subscriptions and the likes simply dwarf TV viewership but because we’re not fluent in this language, they still don’t have the persuasive power of a ‘big player’ broadcast rating. It gives great pause that we’re being left behind, our behavior and decision-making criteria unchanged, as our target consumers forge ahead. The prize for the rights owners who take the time to communicate the metrics and for those who make time to understand them, is immense.

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Anna May, Managing Director, The Carat Shop What are your top priorities for 2016?

We have just received access from Warner Bros to the style guide for the new Harry Potter film, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. This is filled with great graphics, logos and patterns and we are already working on some great ideas for charms, necklaces and watches. Our top priorities are to utilise this information and our in-house design teams skills to produce another great accessory line for eager Harry Potter fans.

We’ve got a big movie year ahead, what films do you think will really make an impact at retail?

Obviously we are really excited about the new Harry Potter film. As the main character Newt Salamander is believed to be a Hufflepuff, it will be good to see more product lines in this usually overlooked house group. I also believe DC Comics will be big on screen and in retail, appealing to a wide audience from child through to adult. I am excited to see new lines in apparel using the iconic logos mixed with modern fashion lines. I will also be watching out for Trolls by Dreamworks and merchandising lines in character figures and toys.

Were there any recent retail initiatives that really stood out for you? Most recently I would say Pop Vinyl’s have taken us all by storm.

Nikki Samuels, Licensing Director, SAMBRO What are your top priorities for 2016?

We are going through a tremendous growth period at the moment and will be looking to expand all our licensed ranges. To this end, we have even created a brand new Soft Lines department to ensure we can create products across even more categories.

We’ve got a big movie year ahead, what films do you think will really make an impact at retail?

Well, we have already seen a massive demand for our brand new Batman v Superman ranges and hype around the film has been ongoing since Christmas so we expect to see great sales on this licensed range. Of course, Finding Dory is also released very soon as fans (parents) of the original are making sure that the buzz around the film will reach fever pitch. Our Finding Dory collection really looks amazing and we can’t wait to see reaction.

Were there any recent retail initiatives that really stood out for you? I recently read about the Peppa Pig initiative Entertainment One ran with Asda. Not only is it across a large number of stores but the planned activity really reflects the character and will bring her to life for little ones.

The latest industry buzz word is Generation Z. A group driven by technology and pop culture, how does the industry sell to them?

Our target market is younger children however they are of course tech savvy. Its our job to bring licenses to life and many companies are using apps alongside their products so that children can experience more of the licensed in a safe, online place. Its another great way of extending play possibilities and we will continue to create more innovation to target this sophisticated audience.

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Lisa Reiner, Managing Director, Europe & Asia Pacific, Beanstalk What are your top priorities for 2016?

In 2016, we will continue to expand Beanstalk’s geographical reach by teaming up with specialist partner agencies in key territories across the globe. By collaborating with on-the-ground experts in various markets, we are able to unlock regional opportunities while also extending the reach of our current clients in these areas. We will also continue to grow Beanstalk’s service offer in the coming year, such as our Auditing division as well as our specialist consulting business: Blueprint – Powered by Beanstalk.

We’ve got a big movie year ahead, what films do you think will really make an impact at retail?

If 2015 was the year of Star Wars: The Force Awaken, I anticipate 2016 to be all about the all-female reboot of iconic 1980s comedy franchise, Ghostbusters. Set to debut worldwide in July, Sony Picture Entertainment has already secured several licensee partners for the film and if recent industry news is anything to go by, I think we can expect to see an array of products in the areas of publishing, gift, novelties, apparel and more.

Were there any recent retail initiatives that really stood out for you?

It is difficult to talk retail innovation without a mention of Disney and the innovative way in which the company turned the aforementioned Star Wars film’s consumer product launch into a comprehensive, interactive publicity machine. Complete with a YouTube “unboxing event” so engaging it ignited excitement in even the most skeptical of non- fans (like me), this retail activation campaign took the marketing and sale of licensed products to a whole new level.

The latest industry buzz word is Generation Z. A group driven by technology and pop culture, how does the industry sell to them?

I think the two words that best describe Generation Z consumers are ‘speed’ and ‘connectivity’ – these are people who have grown up with the internet and are used to getting whatever they want at the touch of a button. As such, I think retailers and marketers will have to continue to expand their digital presence as it relates to e-commerce and mobile shopping services. At the same time, this is a generation often described as idealistic. In a world of political instabilities and snowballing pollution levels, they are increasingly drawn to ethically sourced and sustainable products; something I think will have to be taken into account by companies when marketing their offers to this customer group going forward.

Chewits – a range of top performing kids chews* Over half a million fans on Facebook! *Source IRI 52 w/e 03/01/16 Top Kids Sugar single serve lines in GB

Start Licensing Ian Downes 02083377958 ian@startlicensing.co.uk

April 2016

/chewits

@chewits

@chewits @startlicensing

23

Did you know…

The Gallery is interested in using their Collection in ceramics, candles, perfume and more

Matthew Bailey, Rights & Images Manager

Portrait of a gallery

The National Portrait Gallery’s Collection of 330,000 images is wide open to global licensee’s interpretation – and they don’t shy away from the new or the different. Matthew Bailey tells us about how the Gallery is breathing new life into its Collection with its licensing programme We are huge fans of Blackpop’s National Portrait Gallery wallpaper collection. Tell us a little about that.

The range actually includes beautiful fabrics, used to re-upholster vintage furniture, alongside the wallpaper. We first met Maxine and Paula from Blackpop at the Decorex show in 2014, and loved their elegantly distressed wallpaper, so we arranged to meet, and discuss how we might be able to work together. The Gallery had recently completed the Making Art in Tudor Britain research project, looking in great detail at some of the portraits via hi-resolution, photomicroscopy, x-radiography and reflectography. These photographs were often quite abstract, and rather beautiful, and we suggested they might make an interesting starting point for a range of designs. Maxine and Paula were both very enthusiastic, and we were happy for them to be creative and add their own elements to come up with brand new designs. The results were stunning, and they created the Tudors Deconstructed range for use on luxury wallpapers and fabrics based on paintings of Henry VIII, Mary I and Elizabeth I. The Tudor paintings are consistently some of the most popular in the Gallery and a highlight for visitors.

The Blackpop range helps draw attention to the Making Art In Tudor Britain research project, showcasing some of the research

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techniques used by the Gallery, and the decorative aspect widens the reach of the Gallery in appealing to a range of consumers. We were delighted that the range was promoted via a window display at Liberty of London (where the wallpapers are currently on sale), and the Mary wallpaper is currently used in the Gallery cafe, so visitors are able to replicate the decor at home, should they wish to do so. Coming full circle to Decorex 2015, one year after we first met Maxine and Paula, the Elizabeth fabric won the Best New Product Award. Most recently, in March 2016, the range won the Best Licensed Product award at the annual Association for Cultural Enterprises convention. We have been incredibly pleased with the level of interest, and the range is a superb demonstration of how a creative approach can breathe new life into a well-established set of images and discover unseen aspects of our historic Collection.

What about some of your other collaborations – fill us in on those?

We have a lovely range of cushions with We Love Cushions. This started out with a selection of Tudor cushions, but has now expanded to include a selection of authors including Shakespeare and Virginia Woolf.

They can respond very quickly to demand, so have also produced some one-off

We are looking for partners to create beautiful, inspiring products that will sell in a wide range of markets

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designs to coincide with anniversaries, events and exhibitions here at the Gallery.

Cath Tate produces a large range of greetings cards under licence where she has taken some of our early 20th Century black and white Bassano photographs and added colour. Seeing these historic images in colour really helped bring them to life, and is another fantastic example of the creative expertise we look for in our licensing partners. Our partnerships are growing all the time, so we would encourage your readers to look at our licensing page (npgimages.com) to see who we currently work with.

There really is a vast body of work available to licensees. Tell us a little about it and how you envisage licensees utilising it.

The Collection is pretty extensive, and that is a blessing and a curse, as it can sometimes be difficult to facilitate access to everything we have. It can be daunting with partners faced with over 330,000 images to find what might work for them. What we try to do is break the Collection down into more manageable pieces, pulling together images based on certain themes, and then sharing these with potential licencees. These themes are sometimes suggested by us, and sometimes by our partners, based on initial discussions

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Did you know…

Blackpop’s National Portrait Gallery wallpaper collection is currently on sale in Liberty of London

We asked… what is it you are looking for in your licensees?

Enthusiasm, creativity, knowledge, expertise, sensitivity to the Gallery brand, the ability to create high quality products, and good retail contacts

about the type of images they might be able to work with. When we first started out on our strategic brand licensing programme, we worked with a designer to come up with some creative inspiration, based on the Collection and illustrating some of the ways it might be used on product. This helped us in initial discussions, especially with partners not already familiar with our Collections.

We sometimes come up with our own ideas about how images might work on certain product, but really, the product expertise and knowledge is held by our licensing partners, so we allow them to suggest what they think will work and trust them to know what works in their markets.

And how much access can a licensee get to your body of work? Is everything up for grabs?

All of the Gallery’s digitised images (currently circa 125,000) are available to view on the website at npg. org.uk, so this is a good place for potential licensees to start. There are certain images where we don’t hold the copyright (this will be clearly indicated), so for licensing purposes, we tend to stick to images with no third-party rights issues and where copyright is held by the Gallery. This works best for both parties, as we can be sure that there are no rights issues associated with the images we make available.

April 2016

What sort of categories are your prints and images being used in currently? We currently have images used on calendars, postcard packs, wallpapers, fabrics, greetings cards, cushions, gifts and prints. Our lists of licensing partners is available to view at npgimages.com.

And what sort of categories would you like to enter into? We are open to anything (within reason!) but would love to explore something with ceramics, and have recently looked at whether we could find a partner to create luxury candles and perfumes, inspired by historic characters from our Collections.

Are you eager to put the National Portrait Gallery name on products of all price-points? Absolutely. It is important that we help promote the Gallery, so as long as the product is a good fit with our brand, we look for items that will sell at any price-point.

How can potential licensees get in touch with you? We can be contacted via email or via our website npgimages. com, which is also a good place to browse our Collection. We are also exhibiting at Brand Licensing Europe for the third year running this October.

Photograph of Blackpop wallpapers, fabrics and furniture: © Blackpop All other images © National Portrait Gallery, London

The Gallery team on what piece they would love to see being used in licensed products…

We all have our favourites, and the Collection is so diverse, so there are a few images we think would be great on products. We have a wonderful etching by William Hogarth ‘Characters and Caricaturas’ which is a sea of faces from the 18th Century. The Gallery also holds a large Collection of cigarette cards from the 20th century, a large number by the artist Alick P. Ritchie. The cards are highly stylised, and very vibrant, and we thought they would make a lovely repeat pattern. More recently, we have also been looking at the fabric of the Gallery building. Some of the features are stunning, including some original Diespeker mosaic tiles, and original ironwork with old Gallery logos incorporated into the design. We always speak with potential partners to see what they are interested in, and what will work on their products and in their markets.

Although we know the Gallery Collection, and have our favourite images, our partners know their markets, so we will suggest images, but always listen to what they think will work best.

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Heritage

The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust

A slice of the heritage pie Did you know…

The WS seal device which can be seen on the Shakespeare Inspired packaging is derived from the signet ring in the Trust’s collections believed to have belonged to Shakespeare.

As a category, Heritage has never been so inventive, so fresh and so new. Taking snapshots from British history and culture, licensors and licensees have transformed this category into something exciting. LTW takes a closer look…

L

icensing has never been about the norm. It has always been about pushing boundaries, taking a concept and creatively putting a spin on it to give consumers something different, something new.

This is where the Heritage category steps into its own – it is a shining example of reinvention. And licensing loves reinvention.

Take the Imperial War Museum, its brand is perceived by consumers as a combination of social history, innovation and relevance to the modern age, says Licensing Consultant, Anne Buky. “The personal stories that we tell are of interest to all ages. In particular younger generations are at the heart of our brand licensing campaign.”

Anne explains that the museum currently works with licensees such as Realm and Empire who “have a very strong appeal to this age group.”

Similarly, The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust has taken its ‘Shakespeare Inspired’ concept and used it to turn The Bard into a very desirable brand.

“With ‘Shakespeare Inspired’ we set out to create a brand that was not only authentic and true to the Trust’s values but which also felt very contemporary with a broad commercial appeal.

Feedback from customers and licensees would suggest we’ve achieved this,” says The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust’s Retail Development Manager Adam Sherratt.

But how do you encourage a six-yearold to have an interest in Shakespeare?

Step forward licensing.

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“Shakespeare’s universal popularity means we can appeal to the broadest range of consumers, from the luxury goods market through to children’s books,” explains Adam.

In terms of who their licensed products are aimed at, Imperial War Museum also have a clear vision.

“Our licensees produce products that appeal to a wide range of consumers – male gifting, particularly at Christmas is very strong,” says Anne. “Our cutting edge male fashion range ‘Realm and Empire’ appeals to younger men whilst other products such as jigsaws, cushions and toys appeal to a family audience.”

The same is true for Historic Royal Palaces, Licensing Executive Jenny Smyth says they have “clear and distinct brand values which we believe tie into the perception our customers have of Historic Royal Palaces.”

Boasting a licensee roster which includes fashion retailer Hobbs, greetings cards publisher Distinkt Cards, jewellery partner Clogau and interior furnishing fabrics partner GP & J Baker – Historic Royal Palaces have a clear trajectory and they know who their consumer is.

“Our online shop customer is generally female, aged 45-55 and an ABC1 high earner with interest in museums, heritage, current affairs and travel,” says Jenny. “Outside of the UK we’ve found that customers from the USA, Australia and Canada regularly engage with our online shop.

Our online shop customer is generally female, aged 4555 and an ABC1 high earner with interest in museums, heritage, current affairs and travel

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Jenny Smyth, Historic Royal Palaces

“Our licensees are very aware of their own markets and audiences, Halcyon Days for example develop very successful ranges for the collectables market. They understand that their customers will come back time and time again to buy into their beautifully designed and enamelled trinket boxes.

“Hobbs also has a very clear idea of their elegant customer, where she works and lives, how she spends her time. We have been able to work with them to develop ranges which perfectly tie into her taste and requirements.”

Retail focused Working with retailers, of course, is a key component for any licensor and the Royal Horticultural Society not only boast of their own retail outlets but their licensed products are also sold elsewhere.

“Yes our products are not just available in RHS shops. They are available from numerous outlets — some in fact can be found in retailers in every corner of the globe,” says Licensing Manager Cathy Snow.

“The prints we use are based on imagery from the RHS Lindley Library, which many licensees use and which is a strong part of the appeal of our licensing programme. Many of our gift and homeware licensees in particular have made excellent use of the artwork.

“Our current and many of our newer licences are making a significant impact but, to date, scented candles and room fragrances from Wax Lyrical, Gifts for

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London Postal Districts, 2010 by John Dilnot / Bridgeman Studio

Did you know…

Bridgeman Images now represents over 1,000 artists for copyright licensing.

Fact!

Historic Royal Palaces

Gardeners from Burgon & Ball and stationery ranges from Frances Lincoln are among our best performing licenses,” reveals Cathy.

Another company using prints to their very best is Bridgeman Images.

“We have an unparalleled collection of fine art images from across all countries, periods and genres; from the classic masterpieces of national museums to the hidden gems of private collections. Clients trust us to provide high quality images and reliable advice on research and copyright issues,” says Marketing Manager EMEA, Annabel O’Connor Fenton.

“We have a long term partnership with the Postal Museum, in that that we license images from their collection but also work with Royal Mail to provide images for their commemorative stamps.”

Bridgeman also work with Laura Ashley, The Great British Card Company, Ahmed Tea and Marks & Spencer and license images across homeware, stationery, packaging, branding and much more.

In terms of Bridgeman’s licensing programme, Annabel explains: “Bridgeman Studio launched back in March 2014 as an online platform for emerging contemporary artists, including printmakers and illustrators. We are carefully curating the work we bring in from them so they are appealing for a wide range of products. John Dilnot is just one example of a successful contemporary illustrator we now represent exclusively for licensing. We are also continuing to work with high profile artists and artists’ estates

April 2016

Under license Historic Royal Palaces use the Crown icon with the Historic Royal Palaces mark. The icon is an allegorical device inspired by the outline shape of St. Edward’s crown and is the sum of many parts including the façades of our palace buildings. The ermine band of the crown is represented by the River Thames on which three of the palaces are sited.

to administer their entire copyright and sell reproduction licences of their work.

Our collection of 20th century British art is second to none and we are delighted to be welcoming internationally respected master printmaker and illustrator Richard Spare to Bridgeman Copyright at the end of April 2016. Regarding our historical material, our recent focus has been on increasing our Russian content in the run up to the centenary of the Russian Revolution.”

Of course, it is not just high-end homeware, fashion and gifting which benefits from heritage licensing. Toys do too. Licensed games specialists Jumbo Games is just one company who use classic scenes for their puzzles and jigsaws to great effect. MD Stewart Middleton told us: “Classic puzzle images and photographs of different British towns and villages are very popular with our fans and something we are capitalising on. Other puzzle images of nostalgia and transportation are high in demand and if it has a strong sense of British heritage, then it’s sure to do well in the current market.”

He adds: “Without being too biased, jigsaw puzzles work very well within this market. It’s the perfect fit for nostalgic images and allows the consumer to enjoy them for hours – they are also great for bringing in other family members to help out and become fans.”

And all this is merely the tip of the iceberg, Heritage offers endless opportunity to develop, create and imagine. Old has never been so new.

Canaries, 2012 (mixed media) by Sally Pring / Bridgeman Images

The personal stories that we tell are of interest to all ages. In particular younger generations are at the heart of our brand licensing campaign

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Anne Buky, Imperial War Museum

Fact!

The Imperial War Museum have an astonishing 10 million images including art, posters, photographs and objects.

Imperial War Museums

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Heritage

Making history Imperial War Museums 020 7091 3072 www.iwm.org.uk Imperial War Museums’ unique collections continue to inspire and expand year-on-year, and are brought to life by personal and powerful stories.

Posters, artworks, photos, textiles, and an extraordinary archive of personal items and documents are available to licensees, and IWM offers fascinating insights and discoveries, curatorial advice, design collaboration and dedicated research support.

The licensing programme has enjoyed continuous growth over the last three years. IWM currently works with over 20 licensees across a range of product categories, with brands including Realm & Empire, Flame Tree, Salmons, Pomegranate, Adam Matthew Digital, The Royal Mint, and The Royal Mail.

Recently signed as a new licensee, The Lagoon Group is developing a range of Spitfire-inspired toys, and the UK’s largest giftware supplier, Widdop & Co, will be launching a range of giftware in the summer.

Recently IWM commenced a new initiative to work with renowned contemporary designers to interpret its outstanding collections. The result of this is a partnership with Hemingway Design, which has created a portfolio of designs inspired by the iconic Spitfire. Launched at last year’s Brand Licensing Europe, these designs have transformed the programme and given IWM opportunities to reach contemporary and children’s markets.

IWM is in an ideal position to reach consumers. Its five branches welcome over two million visitors a year, with a further five million visiting online, and 90,000 customers subscribing to its e-News channel. Interest and recognition of IWM’s collections continue to grow, and it welcomes all kinds of licensee that is interested in creating high quality product with a powerful story.

Blooming marvellous Royal Horticultural Society 020 3176 5820 www.rhs.org.uk The Royal Horticultural Society was founded in 1804. More than 200 years on, its vision — “to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener, healthier, happier and more beautiful place” — is being expressed not just through the millions of gardeners it inspires and informs, or the major shows it holds at Chelsea and Hampton Court, or even its four fabulous gardens, but through its fast-growing licensing programme.

The RHS licensing programme has existed in one form or another for decades. This year, however, it received a major boost from the longestablished RHS archives and the heritage they reflect. With its first-ever licensing style guide, the RHS now offers a resource based on a collection of 500 botanical images, hand picked out of more than 25,000 held at the world famous RHS Lindley Library. These images can be used by licensees on products and packaging either individually or in patterns, and more images will be added over time.

With the January 2015 appointment of highly experienced Licensing Manager, Cathy Snow, the RHS is now fully committed to identifying new opportunities and new licensee relationships while fully supporting existing partners to develop new, fresh products.

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Be inspired by the past, design and create for the future…

H

istoric Royal Palaces is the independent charity that cares for the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, Banqueting House, Kensington Palace, Kew Palace and Hillsborough Castle.

Our palaces are famous across the world, they attract over 4 million visitors a year and includes a world heritage site.

Our licensees have access to Britain’s rich royal history with inspiration taken from the best designers, craftsmen and architects of the day; Peter Paul Rubens, Jean Tijou, Christopher Wren and William Kent to name but a few…

With a current licensing programme covering home, garden, tabletop, fashion, jewellery and gifts, we are looking for more partners to embrace our cause and enrich their product range.

Gardens

Collections

Fashion

Interiors

Architecture

For licensing queries please contact: Emma Saunders Retail Business Development Manager Licensing@hrp.org.uk Tel: 020 3166 6844

Clogau Gold Tudor Rose ring

Halcyon Days Chapel Royal china

Hobbs Feather brooch

Hobbs Verdure gloves

Distinkt Cards Rose Garden stationery

Heritage H eritage

Trust the Bard Shakespeare Birthplace Trust 01789 201819 shakespeare.org.uk A successful first outing at BLE last October and the forthcoming 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death on 23 April have seen the Shakespeare Inspired licensing programme really take off in 2016. The range of Shakespeare Inspired toiletries created with Brand Packaging Solutions is now in stock and the stunning packaging design has been taken up by a number of licensees. Iron Gut Publishing has produced a series of prints featuring quotations from Shakespeare, and the Roberto Group is reproducing the Shakespeare Inspired pattern on scarves, ties and silks - along with new designs based on the First Folio text of Romeo and Juliet and the knot garden at Shakespeare’s New Place (re-opening in Stratford-upon-Avon this summer).

A collaboration with Penguin Books will see the release of Shakespeare Inspired editions of four of Shakespeare’s most popular works - The Sonnets and Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Tempest to follow in June - while two new books published in association with the Trust, Shakespeare and the Stuff of Life (Bloomsbury) and Shakespeare’s Gardens (Frances Lincoln), showcase the unique collections and historical sites.

Continuing the gardens theme, Shakespeare’s Flowers (published with Walker Books) is an exquisite gift book celebrating the many flowers that appear in Shakespeare’s plays and poems.

To commemorate the 400th anniversary, the Trust has worked with the Royal Mint on three new Shakespeare £2 coins, and with Royal Crown Derby to produce a ‘Shakespeare Wren’ paperweight. Closer to home, Stratford-uponAvon jeweller George Pragnell is launching under license a re-edition of the 20ct gold ‘WS’ signet ring in the Trust’s collections, believed to have belonged to Shakespeare.

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Having a blast Square Enix 020 8636 3000 www.square-enix.com Space Invaders brand owners Square Enix and Taito have released a new style guide to allow licensees to develop fashion and trend product across different categories.

Space Invaders, one of the all-time classic video games dating back to 1978, is an instantly recognised global brand and an iconic symbol of the gaming industry. As one of the leading pop culture icons, the new guides will give consumers fresh and innovative product relevant for today’s trends.

The release follows the recent Anya Hindmarch X Space Invaders collaboration which highlighted the current trend for retro gaming inspiration in highend fashion.

The first three themes - Coin-Op Classics, Pixellism and Point & Shoot – offer three strong design directions that are recognisably Space Invaders, but with a twist to engage fans and broaden the appeal. In addition, the guides include packaging and brand guidelines to give a more cohesive presence at retail.

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Heritage

Crowning glory Historic Royal Palaces 020 3166 6000 www.hrp.org.uk Historic Royal Palaces’ licensing programme covers fashion, gifting, stationery, homewares, jewellery and gardening, and operates across the UK, Europe, Australia, America and Asia.

Fashion licensee Hobbs is about to launch its sixth collection with Historic Royal Palaces, inspired by the magnificent gardens of Hampton Court Palace. The gardens are also being celebrated throughout 2016 with a host of events. The Tulip Border design in this collection expertly reflects the displays of the baroque gardens in a colourful, bright tulip print. The Capability print is an overall floral design named after Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown, who in 1764 was appointed by George III as Chief Gardener at Hampton Court Palace. Hobbs has also utilised Capability Brown’s influence at Hampton Court Palace to create an intricate lace design that brings the leaves and grapes of the Great Vine firmly into the 21st century. Work is currently underway on the Hobbs A/W 16 collection.

Distinkt Cards, a UK based publisher and manufacturer of stylish greeting cards, gift wrap, notebooks and luxury stationery items, has worked in collaboration with Historic Royal Palaces on a new range launching in April. The collection is inspired by Historic

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Royal Palaces’ architecture, interiors and gardens, and will be showcased at the London Stationery Show, 26-27 April.

High-end jewellery partner Clogau has recently launched its Gold of Royalty campaign, which celebrates its partnership with Historic Royal Palaces. The jewellery brand conducted a photo shoot across the palaces for the first time, and the campaign has been well received in both trade and consumer press. It also features in the windows of Clogau’s new flagship store in Westfield.

Currently Historic Royal Palaces is working with interior furnishing fabrics partner GP & J Baker, which is launching an A/W 16 collection. Inspiration includes the menagerie at the Tower of London, architectural drawings of the palaces, and the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection, an archive of over 12,000 court dress items dating back to the 17th century.

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The Victoria and Albert Museum is the world’s leading Museum of art and design with over two million objects and designs providing almost infinite sources of inspiration from textiles, furniture, graphics, to photography, jewellery and fashion. The V&A’s collections appeal to a broad range of clients, including advertising agencies, publishers and broadcasters offering almost limitless opportunities for image licensing. The global brand licensing programme spans interiors, table top, stationery, apparel, jewellery and gifts.

Come and visit us at Surtex, New York. May 15 – 17 2016.

For further information contact: Lauren Sizeland Director: Business Development & Licensing +44 (0)20 7942 2981 licensing@vam.ac.uk

vandalicensing.com vandaimages.com

Heritage

Chinese Teapot, 1989 by Mary Fedden (1915-2012) /Bridgeman Images

The Flower Portrait of William Sh akespeare, c.182040 (oil on panel) Engl ish School/ Roy al Shakespe are Company Collection / Bridgeman Images

Delivery motorc ycle, 19 Photog 34 Eng rap lish Ltd 2016 her/ © Royal M ail Grou courtes p y of Th Museum e P / Bridg eman Im ostal ages

The bigger picture Bridgeman Images 020 7727 4065

canvas) by Balcony (oil on Washing on a eman Images idg Br / ) o (b.1942 Leon Morrocc

www.bridgemanimages.com Bridgeman Images is one of the leading resources in art licensing, trusted by thousands of collections and artists from all over the world to license artworks on their behalf.

The continual uploading of new images makes www. bridgemanimages.com a consistently fresh archive to explore – from museum masterpieces to vintage ephemera, heritage photography and accessible contemporary art.

There has been much emphasis in the last couple of years on growing a portfolio of illustration, printmaking and graphic artwork.

Bridgeman Studio offers clients the best resource for emerging contemporary artists, and all content is thematically curated and available for full image licensing and creative commissions. Tropical imagery has been created in the run up to the Rio Olympics and there has also been a focus on bringing in new seasonal imagery.

Another strength is a growing collection of 20th century copyrighted artists, featuring well-known names such as Mary Fedden and most recently Dame Elizabeth Blackadder (b.1931), 34

celebrated for her paintings, watercolours and drawings, particularly of plants and animals With the summer of sport approaching, Bridgeman is a rich resource for the great outdoors with collections including the National Football Museum, dynamic Cyril Power linocuts and Eliza Southwood’s modern, colourful cycling prints.

In 2016, the world is commemorating 400 years since the death of William Shakespeare and Bridgeman is privileged to be partnering with the Royal Shakespeare Company, with paintings bringing the plays to life as well as portraits of the playwright.

The 350th anniversary of the Great Fire of London is also commemorated by the Royal Mint licensing a woodcut from the Bridgeman archive for their £2 collectable coin. Bridgeman continues to work with them and other heritage brands to mark defining moments in British history. Simply send them a brief and they will help you find images to create distinctive, commercially successful products.

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In the frame Mary Evans Picture Library 020 8318 0034 www.maryevans.com Founded in 1964, Mary Evans Picture Library has been a leading source for historic and vintage imagery for over five decades. Drawing on a vast archive of prints, photographs, illustrations and ephemera, as well as the collections of over 300 contributors, the library can offer a dazzling variety of eclectic subjects.

These include everything from fairies, travel posters, silhouettes, fashion art and pin-ups to kitsch animal photography, cartoons, art deco patterns and classic children’s book illustration.

Recently licensed images from the library include the incredible range of pulp science fiction covers from the 1930s and 40s, which have found their way onto a range of cushions by We Love Cushions, beanbags by Wow Beanbags, and spectacular wallpaper by Milton and King.

Mary Evans is also the exclusive representative of the prestigious Medici Society archive, which contains thousands of images by some of the 20th century’s finest and best-loved artists and illustrators. Licensees include the Wooden Postcard Company, which has used delightful Christmas images by Margaret Tarrant, while Molly Brett and Racey Helps images have been licensed by various publishers for ranges of greetings cards and postcards. A colouring book of Tarrant’s fairy illustrations is due for publication by Arcturus this year, while craft company Joanna Sheen has produced card sticker pads using her charming pictures.

The library also represents the Illustrated London News archive featuring iconic titles such as The Tatler - recently licensed for a card range by Alternative Image Company - The Sketch and The Bystander. The library can also offer more contemporary illustration such as the 1980s fashion illustration of Anne Zielinski-Old, or Robert Gillmor’s linocuts of nature, recently licensed for a range of stationery by Museums & Galleries. With such a wealth of material at hand, the library has also been developing its own brand, History Repeats Itself, featuring quirky patterns utilising engravings, scraps, and artwork found in the archives.

15 million books, 4 million maps, 8 million stamps, miles and miles of newspapers, and Leonard da Vinci’s notebooks.

All this and more at the world’s largest library.

Be creative.

Contact rebecca.nuotio@bl.uk

April 2016

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Heritage

British design Hinchcliffe & Barber 01225 819030 www.jelc.co.uk Hinchcliffe & Barber is a design partnership founded by Wendy Barber and the late John Hinchcliffe. Royal College of Art trained John and Slade trained Wendy first started making ceramics in the 1980s from their studios in Dorset and Wiltshire, where the focus was initially on small batch production of studio ranges. Demand quickly outgrew their studio setup and the brand moved to licensing and larger scale production in Stoke-on-Trent.

Their distinct style was soon taken up by many department stores, including John Lewis, which stocked the Dorset Delft range until 1997 when Saville Pottery, which produced H&B at the time, ceased production. In 1985, George Davis of Next commissioned Hinchcliffe & Barber to design the retailer’s first tableware range. Hinchcliffe & Barber products were also sold through some of the world’s leading department stores including Isetan in Japan, David Jones in Australia, Printemps in France, and Lord & Taylor, Bloomingdales and Macys in the US. The brand has an extensive archive of designs from more than 30 years’ work by John and Wendy. The designs draw on traditional craft skills and lend themselves to a variety of homeware products.

Since appointing UK-based independent licensing company JELC, H&B currently produces designs in partnership with licensees My Gifts Trade and Paul Bristow in the UK, and Huayu in Japan. The brand’s designs are now stocked in over 150 department stores, gift shops and garden centres including John Lewis and the National Trust.

Hinchcliffe & Barber’s fresh, quintessentially British look has also featured in numerous lifestyle magazines including Homes & Gardens, Country Living and others over the years, and continues to do so to this day.

History of art National Gallery Company Ltd 01794 301239 (JELC) www.nationalgallery.co.uk As of March 2016 the National Gallery Company has 38 licensees and business partnerships with several others in negotiation.

Some exciting activity planned for 2016 is the further extension of the range by DMC, the first licensee signed by National Gallery Company’s agent JELC in 2014. There will also be an expansion into additional international markets through DMC local divisions including Australasia, China, Russia and USA. This year will also see a new range by Portfolio, which launched with 51 greetings cards at Spring Fair in February 2016. Many of the designs feature embossing and foil finishing which has received great response from multiple retailers and independents, with WHSmith already stocking the new range.

The National Gallery Company has also signed new licensee Diamond Roc, a fashion brand producing silk and leather jackets and high-end t-shirts. The company’s client base is mainly music and sports personalities such as Mario Balotelli and Madonna.

Other exciting ranges in development for 2016 include welcoming Fulton’s, the world’s leading umbrella manufacturer and long term supplier to the National Gallery shops, as a licensee. Fulton’s will be selling into mid to high-end multiple retailers, both in the UK and internationally.

Mellor Design Solutions is also developing a range of candles and home fragrances, and Andrew Martin has just launched a selection of bespoke digital wallpapers, upholstery fabrics and cushions for sale via the interior designer’s London store and select retailers.

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The next exciting step in the licensing programme at National Gallery Company is Licensing Japan at Tokyo’s Big Sight Convention Centre in June, where NGC will be exhibiting.

The National Gallery houses the national collection of paintings in the Western European tradition from the 13th to the 19th centuries. It contains over 2,300 works such as van Eyck’s Arnolfini Portrait and Van Gogh’s Sunflowers.

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Better than advertised!

Alice Scott www.alicescott.co.uk

FROM LEFT: Helen Wills Moody Š William Hustler and Georgina Hustler / National Portrait Gallery, London. Otherwise Š National Portrait Gallery, London

Alice Scott uses original art from the 1900s, often that which was created for commercial advertising or editorial use. Brand owner and designer Heather Flynn says the fun comes in reworking this into unique decorative art, creating beautiful new designs and pattern, or pairing art with contemporary words and sentiment for a surprising mix of old and new.

This approach has won the brand several awards since launch, with new licensees this year joining existing ranges from Pigment, Penny Kennedy, Galison, McLaggan Smith and most recently tin storage from Elite. Baby and Wedding have been very successful for the company over the past year, and the company would like to expand the style and sentiment of those into gifts, keepsakes and party accessories.

April 2016

Rights & Images +44 (0) 20 7312 2475 rightsandimages@npg.org.uk npgimages.com

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Heritage

In the good books British Library 020 7412 7704 www.bl.uk The British Library’s brand licensing programme has been building steadily since joining the ranks of the heritage licensing sector in 2012. The licensor’s partners include Moleskine, Museums and Galleries Ltd, Big Strawberry, Flametree, Pomegranate and Frances Lincoln, along with 30 others. The latest recruit, and first major textile partner, is Cotton World, which launched an Alice in Wonderland range of children’s pyjamas and bedding at BLE 2015.

So what makes the British Library special? As the national library of the UK, it has an unrivalled collection of approximately 150 million items (and growing all the time), encompassing 15 million books, four million maps, the world’s largest stamp collection, millions of newspapers, many priceless illuminated manuscripts. Standout, delightful treasures include the Lindisfarne Gospels, Beethoven’s tuning fork, Jane Austen’s writing desk and two original copies of the Magna Carta.

Much of this imagery is available for use on licensed products, and along with the global recognition it enjoys - it has over one million Twitter followers, for instance - British Library is an enticing proposition for potential licensees.

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As the custodians of Lewis Carroll’s original manuscript, Alice in Wonderland is very dear to the British Library. Last year was the 150th anniversary of the original publication, and this has driven Alice to the top of licensees’ wish lists. It now has rugs, cushions, a deck-chair, jigsaws, notebooks, greetings cards, an umbrella, wooden postcards, poster-wrap, calendars and more. But with its vast collection, the potential is enormous. Also very popular are maps, natural history, illuminated manuscripts, book covers and a collection of Victorian theatre posters.

The British Library will continue to look for visionary and innovative partners to join its expanding licensing programme, partners that are genuinely excited by the British Library’s brand potential and have the commitment and capability to bring the brand alive at retail. Homewares will be a particular area of focus for the brand in the year ahead, so do get in touch for further details.

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Big friendly brand The Roald Dahl Literary Estate 0203 7572171 www.drilicensing.com This year sees exciting licensing strategy developments by The Roald Dahl Literary Estate, in partnership with its licensing agency DRi. Coinciding with a year of celebrations marking 100 years since the birth of the world’s number one storyteller, Roald Dahl, the estate has developed a more focused, contemporary and creative licensing programme.

There will be a core focus on three popular Roald Dahl stories: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda and The BFG. New style guides have been developed for each of these three hero titles with the iconic imagery of Sir Quentin Blake at their heart. New colour palettes, placements, icons and other assets have been added to invigorate the licensing programme like never before.

Stephanie Griggs recently joined The Roald Dahl Literary Estate team as its first in-house Licensing Manager. She says: “The new look will be key to achieving a standout aesthetic and consistency on licensed products across the three hero titles. Building three programmes under the Roald Dahl umbrella will help licensees and retailers have a clearer sense of our licensing vision and deliver a bolder, more streamlined brand experience to consumers.”

The overarching Roald Dahl brand has itself been reworked creatively over the last year and this new branding has recently featured in high-profile consumer promotions with both Persil and McDonalds.

Roald Dahl’s centenary, called Roald Dahl 100, will deliver a year packed with treats and surprises for everyone, including a BBC season of programming, the release of Steven Spielberg’s big screen adaptation of The BFG, and re-jacketing of the full library of Roald Dahl’s children’s titles.

Brand Licensing Personal stories. Powerful experiences.

Our dedicated brand licensing team, design partnerships, curatorial expertise and superb collections will help you create inspiring, unique products with a story to tell.

Discover more at Imperial War Museums licensing@iwm.org.uk iwm.org.uk

April 2016

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Heritage

Facing the future National Portrait Gallery 020 7312 2475 www.npgimages.com At over 150 years old, the National Portrait Gallery, London holds the most extensive collection of portraits in the world, spanning over 600 years of history, with more than 330,000 portraits of fascinating and inspiring people. The collection celebrates those who have made Britain great: kings and queens, artists, authors, musicians, actors, scientists, politicians and more. But beyond the portraits on the gallery’s walls, is a vast offline archive of rare and unseen images.

The National Portrait Gallery Rights & Images team has been steadily growing the range of licensed products, and one of its most recent collaborations is with Blackpop, a design company that has produced a luxury fabric and wallpaper range based on the gallery’s internationally famous Tudor portraits.

Blackpop’s abstract designs use images created by the gallery during a recent research project, employing techniques such as photomicroscopy, x-radiography and infrared reflectography to capture the intricate details of the original paintings. The range launched at Liberty of London during London Design Week in September 2015, and has since won the Best New Product award at Decorex 2015, and the Best Licensed Product award from the Association of Cultural Enterprises.

The gallery’s collection is incredibly wide-ranging, and is constantly growing through new commissions, acquisitions, bequests and gifts. They are keen to collaborate with companies who are interested in exploring the Collection in a creative way to produce original and exciting products.

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MARY EVANS PICTURE LIBRARY

‘Unusual Friends’ by Paul Kaye www.maryevans.com

Cover stars Start Licensing Limited 0208 337 7958 www.startlicensing.co.uk Half Moon Bay, an award-winning licensed giftware wholesaler, has taken a license from D.C. Thomson in a deal brokered by Start Licensing to create a range of gift products using iconic comic covers.

The titles that will be featured in this collection include The Hotspur, The Wizard, and The Victor. These comics were the reading matter of choice for a generation of young boys stretching from the 1940s through to the 1980s. The comics had stories set in the worlds of cricket, football, motor sports, space exploration, and the military - all subjects which chimed with the readers.

The artwork associated with the comics is some of the most noteworthy British comic art and the covers in particular are striking. Half Moon Bay has used these images to create the Classic Comics Collection, encompassing products such as tins, wall art, notebooks, mugs and fridge magnets. It has chosen subjects such as football and cricket, which have an enduring appeal with the selected images holding a wide appeal. From a retail point of view, these products are well suited to gift shops, museum and galleries, garden centres, online retailers and department stores.

Ian Downes from Start Licensing says: “Comics like The Victor and The Hotspur represent some of the greatest moments in British comic history and the artwork from them is first class. We know there is an enduring appeal for the titles and the artwork. Half Moon Bay have really chosen well and their products are a great showcase for the comics and the artwork.”

April 2016

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Zou Editorial

If you credit dit Di Disney J Junior i with ith k knowing i something thi about b t anything, then you’ll know the International Emmy Award nominated series Zou is something to sit up and take notice of. Already a smash in Europe, and broadcast worldwide in 150 territories – Zou is about to make his big break into UK licensing, and Those Licensing People are helping him on his way.

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Meet Zou… Are you aware of who Zou is? Well, pretty soon everyone will be talking about it. Developed

by Cyber Group Studios and broadcast globally, Zou is paving his way towards UK licensing success. Those Licensing People are now on board as UK & Ireland agent and LTW caught up with MD Russell Dever and Cyber Group Studios’ Pierre Sissmann to find out more

Did you know...

Zou reaches over 100 million kids every day around the world in over 40 languages

H

ow many zebras do you know? Not many, probably.

That’s about to change. Step forward Zou and his clan – all zebras, all animated and all about to change the face of pre-school licensing.

Or at least, that is the plan. We all know the pre-school market is a competitive one, dare we say it, even crowded. It has been a long time since something new made a knock-out impact but that is what Zou will do, if Those Licensing People and Cyber Group Studios have anything to do with it.

Based on an internationally published book series by Michel Gay, Zou has been developed by the Frenchbased Cyber Group Studios and is broadcast internationally – notably

by Disney Junior in the UK. Series one and two have already hit screens with series three in production as we speak.

Cyber Group Studios was founded 11 years ago and boasts 14 awards, amongst them the 2014 Pulcinella Award for Best International Studio and today they are producing five series with ten other in development.

April 2016

“

Zou is continuously broadcasted on Disney Junior so we thought it was time to extend the licensing programme in the UK

”

Pierre Sissmann, Cyber Group Studios

“We felt it was important to create a series focused on the family which plays such a pivotal role in today’s society all around the world,” says Pierre Sissmann, Chairman and CEO of Cyber Group Studios. Pierre is referring to Zou’s extended family, because the series doesn’t just focus on one character, everyone is involved.

“The series focuses on the interpersonal relationships in the family,” adds Pierre.

“Zou has a big family of parents, grandparents, great grandparents, uncles and cousins… as well as many friends.”

And this makes the series easy to sell - it has a core set of values which resonate globally.

Aimed at pre-schoolers aged three to six, Zou focuses on the aforementioned family, friendship, imagination, discovery and naturally, it has the all-important learning factor too.

Pierre is open about Zou’s success so far: “It has really been a major hit for us. It has been broadcast in over 150 countries in 34 languages, reaching at times up to 100 million children simultaneously, and we just inked a major agreement with the PRC.

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Zou Editorial

Zou has been broadcast all over continental Europe, along with Russia, North America, Asia, including Japan, Korea, Thailand, and all over Latin America.”

This level of brand recognition makes licensing the property even easier, and Zou’s CP programme is already up and running with 50 licensees on board to date.

“We first launched our licensing programme in France with publishing and DVDs on Zou,” explains Pierre. “It’s been a huge success. We have developed all the key categories in France and extended that licensing programme to the rest of the world. Now, we have more

than 50 licensees worldwide on board.”

Cyber Group Studios has teamed up with the likes of Larousse for publishing in France, Ravensburger for puzzles in Germany, TF1 Games for plush in France, Chick ‘n’ Fill in the US for a food collaboration and many more.

Pierre reiterates that media partnerships such as DVDs and publishing and have worked particularly well for Zou. “At this stage we have sold more than 500,000 books and 300,000 DVDs for the French market. After this we launched in all of the other categories and this was also a success. It’s the same story for all the key territories such as

“

Zou has been broadcast all over continental Europe, along with Russia, North America, Asia, including Japan, Korea, Thailand and all over Latin America

”

Pierre Sissmann

Italy, Germany, US, South America.”

With consumers demonstrating a clear appetite for Zou, Pierre says now is the right time to launch a licensing programme in the UK. But that is not just the Cyber Group deciding this, UK fan have actually requested products!

“Zou is continuously broadcasted on Disney Junior so we thought it was time to extend the licensing programme in the UK. Moreover, on Facebook, a lot of UK kids have requested some products and as the third season has just been given the go-ahead we will have 52 new episodes for 2017. Our objective is to do in the UK what has been done in the others territories.”

Meet the man helping Zou Those Licensing People are now the UK & Ireland agent for Zou. Broadcast on Disney Junior in this territory and with international reach, the animated series is already a global hit. We find out what Russell Dever has planned for Zou in the UK…

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Russell, Those Licensing People has been brought on board as UK & Ireland agent for Zou. How did you come across the series?

Those Licensing People represents properties in production through our animation studio 1461 Productions.

1461 was introduced to Cyber Group and specifically to Pierre Sissmann at the launch of his Zoro property at MIPjnr in 2015. We agreed to meet in Paris and so in late November I found myself at the Cyber Group headquarters. The meeting was to discuss one of my properties but I ended up discussing Zou with Pierre. I loved Zou from the get-go.

version. However, following on from the TV series, Larousse have over 40 titles in print and have sold a staggering 400,000 books in the home markets and beyond.

As I originally come from a publishing background with Egmont and Readers Digest Children’s Books I really appreciate the value of a solid publishing foundation because therein you develop the emotional relationship between the consumer and the property. Zou is now almost as strong in Germany as it is in France and indeed beyond that into the Nordic countries, Spain and Italy. In fact, when I asked Cyber didn’t have an exact figure for the amount of licensed products as it’s grown so big.

We’re aware that the series already has a following in Europe – talk us through its popularity there.

Well, the core of the property is its publishing heritage. Zou has been in print for years as a much-loved children’s book and there are multiple editions of the trade

There is always a concern that properties sometimes don’t translate across the water well – do you have that concern with Zou? No. I don’t have a worry about that at all, because I happen to know that it is one of Disney Juniors most popular shows in the

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Did you know...

Zou is based on a series of book by author Michel Gay

Zou gets a kiss from grandma!

The whole clan

Did you know...

Zou’s UK fans have taken to Facebook asking to see product on shelves

Zou’s friend Elzee

UK. There are presently 104 episodes with another 52 coming. It’s not the consumer market that concerns me as much as the retail market who are the gatekeepers. But I understand the impetus for retail support of product that sells very easily. Our answer to this will be to reach out direct to the consumer through social media and through publishing. For me, the imperative is a UK publishing partner because with the TV that will underpin the property.

What makes Zou resonate so much with children and parents?

Zebras are just really cute. I mean they are probably one of the least offensive and most spectacularly attractive animals on the planet. They are incredibly social animals which is why Zou works conceptually as all the action takes place within a Zebra family network and of course, Zebras are vegetarian so they don’t have to hunt other animals. Again, safety and social systems are constant themes and that resonates within the family.

The UK pre-school market is already bustling, what ‘new and different’ is Zou bringing?

For starters Zou isn’t pink! The series is actually pretty much gender neutral and I think that being black and white at the

April 2016

same time is also pretty neat. There is nothing to offend.

And how do you plan to translate Zou’s huge success in Europe to the UK? We are beginning the roll out with publishing, plush and some magazine print.

That will form the foundation for the UK. After this we will be working on apparel, back to school for 2017, collectables and gift. It would be great if we could find a UK retail partner with whom we could work on an exclusive basis in toy and apparel. That would be the icing on the cake for us, but I do feel very passionately about continuing to exploit the published heritage of Zou. What are you looking for in a licensing partner for Zou? We are very keen to work with partners who are also developing their B2C business opportunities. We see developing a linear approach from inception of a creative concept through to direct supply to the consumer as being the way forward for licensed merchandise. Retail remains important of course and will do so for some time but as with broadcast where the future is VOD and SVOD, the future of licensing is linked to the development of relationships direct to the consumer.

“

I happen to know that it is one of Disney Juniors most popular shows in the UK. There are presently 104 episodes with another 52 coming in America

Are you opening the CP programme up to everyone or are you taking a softly, softly approach?

Softly, softly does not apply to Zou! He is a proven character with a track record. Our new Director of Sales who joined us on 1 April will have his work cut out!

Russell Dever

Are you looking forward to bringing Zou to the UK consumer?

We are genuinely thrilled. I have a plush Zou in front of me and he looks as happy to be coming to the UK as we are in helping him on his way!

”

When do you hope to see Zou products in store?

Realistically 2017. There is a whole new season being delivered at the end of ’16 and at this point Disney Junior will have 157 eps to broadcast. That’s a big body of work and it will be around for a long time.

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Pre-School Feature

Kids’ choice Pre-schoolers are perhaps the most loyal fans of all - especially when it comes to the characters and worlds in their favourite TV shows, books and digital content. LTW takes a look at this lucrative and competitive market to discover why relationship building is so important, and what parents look for in their licensed products

P

re-schoolers are a loyal bunch. As they begin to discover and explore the world around them, they forge strong relationships with the people, characters and stories they encounter along the way.

Acting as their window on the world, the TV shows, books and, for today’s toddlers, touchscreen experiences they engage with become hugely important parts of their lives.

Great content that forges these connections is key to licensing in this sector, and Julie Jones, joint MD of Redan Publishing, says the tighter the bond between child and brand, the more likely parents - the ones that hold the purse strings - are to put their hands in their pockets.

“I think consumers buy licensed products because children build a

“

This total belief in the reality of their favourite characters means that they are the ultimate super-fans and voracious consumers of licensed products

Julie Jones, Redan

”

We asked: What are the ones to watch in 2016?

Trudi Bishop, Head of Marketing and Licensing, Cartamundi: “Blaze is a nice new property from Nick Jnr which gives boys access to STEM content but with big, speedy cars, action-packed plots and pacey storylines. I’d also highlight YouTube sensation Little Baby Bum.”

Stewart Middleton, MD, Jumbo Games: “Finding Dory is gearing up to take the UK by storm this summer and demand from retail has been incredibly popular. We just can’t wait to get our range of puzzles and games to meet the consumer demand that will be there!”

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relationship with characters that they see on TV, in books or online and they are then naturally attracted to products that allow them to explore that relationship further, through imaginative play and interaction,” she explains.

One defining feature of this age group is their ability to truly immerse themselves in their favourite worlds.

“Unlike older children they don’t question whether animals can talk or magical creatures exist,” Julie says. “This total belief in the reality of their favourite characters means that they are the ultimate super-fans and voracious consumers of licensed products.”

This demand for licensed products make pre-school brands ripe for crosscategory licensing and merchandising programmes, and one that Head of Merchandising, Clare Piggot says BBC Worldwide is getting fully behind in 2016.

“Pre-school is a huge focus for us this year, and we’re incredibly lucky to work with a fantastic range of brands from the

CBeebies channel that are universally loved by children and parents alike.” she explains. “From brand new show Go Jetters, to Hey Duggee, and Sarah and Duck, we’re looking forward to working with world-class partners to develop fantastic products that enhance children’s experience of their favourite shows.”

Engaging parents With an ever increasing amount of content aiming to capture the attention of preschoolers, not every new release can hit the mark.

But those that do grab the hearts of little ones have just one hurdle left to overcome: mum and dad.

It’s the obstacle Peppa Pig successfully navigated on its way to becoming the pre-school phenomenon it is today. Trudi Bishop, Head of Marketing and Licensing, Cartamundi says its a true evergreen.

“Peppa Pig is a phenomenon.

It’s simply drawn but very funny with appealing characters and storylines that parents are happy to sit and watch with their toddlers.

More than a decade since its launch, the joy of jumping in muddy puddles is now firmly associated with Peppa Pig rather than just a fun thing

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“

The pre-school sector in general is in a strong position, with new products and innovation coming through all the time

Barry Hughes, Golden Bear

”

Toys play a key role

to do. That’s the sort of identification that makes a proven success of a powerful brand.”

Trudie also points to YouTube sensation Little Baby Bum. The channel’s content hits those same points that other evergreen successes did on TV, but through the online streaming site.

“It’s beautifully produced and has a good balance of humour, fun and friendship that appeals to care givers and kids alike, so maybe we shouldn’t be too surprised at its success. These characteristics are important in a preschool property as children and their primary care givers often play or watch them together.”

For dad and toy retailer Brian Simpson, General Manager of SMF Toys, as long as his children are happy, so is he. “As a parent myself I am not too worried about what character the kids are into as such, but that what you are getting is good quality, good value for money, and hopefully it re-enacts something the character does in the show as this is good for play value,” he explains.

In his capacity as an award-winning independent toy retailer, PAW Patrol and Blaze and the Monster Machines hits all those points. “Our current top selling preschool ranges are PAW Patrol & Blaze, but specifically the £12.99 Paw Patrol Vehicles Asst and £4.99 Blaze Vehicles Asst items within these ranges. My memory is pretty

April 2016

short, but don’t think it changes the fact that PAW Patrol is the biggest license I have been involved in selling. I know Peppa Pig was massive when it first gained traction, but this was before my time.”

Pretend to Bee’s Director of Sales and Marketing, Harrison Palmer says trust is key for parents when deciding to buy licensed pre-school products.

“Mums can see first-hand how their child engages with their favourite characters and so understand how their child can benefit from licensed products whatever they may be,” he says, adding: “Our Natural History Museum is supremely popular.

Children are fascinated by dinosaurs from a young age and our collection of dinosaur costumes allow them to dress up as their favourite.”

For mum of two Aoife, the content her sons love best - and the TV shows and books she prefers them enjoying are those that help them understand their place in the world. “Bob the Builder is a great character and always has a message the boys can take away at the end of an episode. I think that’s important. They also love In The Night Garden at bedtime, and of course PAW Patrol - our house is overrun with PAW Patrol towels, t-shirts and toys!”

Toys have always been key category for pre-school licensing programmes, and Barry Hughes, General Manager of licensed pre-school toys specialist Golden Bear, says the sector is going strong.

“The pre-school sector in general is in a strong position, with new products and innovation coming through all the time,” he says. “We’ve had a great year; the company is the number one manufacturer of plush in the UK as well as the number one manufacturer in licensed plush (NPD, FY 2015) and we’ve seen strong performances across all of our pre-school brands, particularly our Twirlywoos collection, which is currently being led by the Fun Sounds Run-along Twirlywoos.”

Jumbo Games MD, Stewart Middleton says a mix of evergreen and fresh properties are leading the way in 2016 with Bob the Builder, Teletubbies and PAW Patrol all popular.

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Pre-School Feature

Over the moon Coolabi 020 7004 0980 www.coolabi.com BAFTA-winning pre-school animation series Clangers has had a roaring start to 2016, proving to be a huge hit with mums and little ones alike. The series is currently in CBeebies’ Bedtime Hour slot at 6pm, where it is achieving some amazing, top of the chart ratings. Clangers was the number one show for kids by the end of January and achieved the top spot once again in February*.

This year is an exciting time for Clangers with product roll out building momentum throughout the year. Immediate Media is soon to launch the first Clangers stand-alone magazine, which will be distributed in all major stores from 27 April. The magazine is expected to make a big splash, following the success of the CBeebies’ Special magazine, which was one of the best-selling in that category for 2015.

Nightwear from Cooneen & Misirli has also gone on sale in Asda and Penguin has expanded its Clangers range with four new books launching this spring, following the success of The Brilliant Surprise. More Cooneen & Misirli apparel, Portico calendars, Apples to Pears crafting kits, Corsair toiletries and Gemma Cards are all part of the 2016 product roll-out.

In-store theatre has launched in Boots stores this spring, with Mother & Tiny standees and dedicated Character Options toy-ends. Small and Tiny Clanger will be at both the Geronimo Festivals in May, and at other family festivals over the summer.

Continuing its success on CBeebies, the series is preparing to launch the next set of 26 brand new episodes on the channel soon, where the launch will have a distinctly space-y theme. With the show’s recent BAFTA and Broadcast Award wins, the future is out of this world for the Clangers! * BARB - based on CBeebies viewers aged 4-15

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Page learners Redan Publishing 01743 364433 www.redan.co.uk Redan’s children’s magazines feature the hottest characters for pre-school children and primary girls.

Packed full of puzzles, competitions, activities and stories based on the national curriculum’s early years foundation stages, Redan’s titles are associated with superior content and production techniques. Unique value-added extras include pullout workbooks, colouring sections, posters, collectable wall murals, tall card pull-out activities, sticker reward systems and quality free gifts.

In the Fun to Learn portfolio, a core audience of three to five-year-olds are treated to a mix of stories, activities and more, with a range of publications featuring their favourite characters. Fun To Learn Peppa Pig, Fun To Learn Friends, Fun To Learn First Friends and Fun To Learn Bag-O-Fun are just some of the titles. Content features some of the most popular and best-loved pre-school licenses including Peppa Pig, Little Kingdom, PAW Patrol, Boj, Clangers, Elmer, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Spot, Wooly & Tig, Abney and Teal, Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom, and more.

Party people Amscan International 01908 288500 www.amscan.co.uk Party company Amscan International has a fantastic variety of partyware, balloons and costumes perfect for the pre-school market.

Its complete licensing portfolio spans over 70 brands, including the hot property for 2016, Blaze and the Monster Machines, plus popular existing pre-school themes Fireman Sam, PAW Patrol, Thomas and Friends and more.

The fully coordinated ranges offer everything to create a fabulous party theme featuring some of the pre-school market’s most loved characters. From disposable tableware including paper plates, cups, napkins and table covers, to eye-catching hanging decorations, vibrant foil balloons and fun favours for party guests to take home, the ranges are sure to keep little ones entertained for hours.

New for 2016, Amscan has expanded its popular collection of Peppa Pig foil balloons. There are two delightful new designs featuring a fun birthday theme and are available in a spherical Orbz and balloon bouquet format.

The fun doesn’t stop there. Amscan also has a licensed range of Barbie costumes, including a great variety of styles available for pre-schoolers aged three to five years (older sizes also available). The four new styles for 2016 include two Barbie Princess and Mini Me costumes, meaning kids can dress their doll to match their outfit, plus a Barbie Spy Squad outfit and Barbie Witch costume for Halloween.

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Pre-School Feature

Dream big...

DreamWorks Animation 0788 4650 603 www.dreamworksanimation.com DreamWorks Animation has two exciting new TV offerings for younger viewers, one for the lower end of pre-school and one for boys aged four to seven. Their focus on original television, online content and consumer products properties is part of the continuing transformation of DreamWorks Animation into a global branded entertainment company. Noddy is a much-loved classic whose books have sold over 250 million copies. His home of Toyland is known as a rich and diverse world of toys brought to life, and in the all-new television show DreamWorks Noddy, Toyland Detective, it has been completely reinvented as a world of modern toys that today’s pre-schoolers will love. The new series is produced by DreamWorks Animation and Gaumont Animation and premieres on British and French television this month. In support of Noddy, master toy partner SpinMaster has produced a compelling and exciting range, launching this summer and including action figures, plush, playsets and games. Publishing and additional product categories will roll out later this year.

Dinotrux is DreamWorks Animation’s other lead brand for younger viewers. It brings together the twin play patterns of dinosaurs and construction vehicles in a unique fusion that will excite and inspire young boys. The Dinotrux series is a mainstay of Netflix’s boys programming, having launched in August 2015 with new episodes being delivered in March 2016. The show features Ty the T-Trux, a tyrannosaurus rex crossed with a giant digger, who leads a crew of fellow dinotrux while building the first “mechazoic” community. Joined by his lizard-like ‘reptool’ companion Revvit, Ty and his friends battle the villainous D-Structs and use teamwork and humour to build their world.

As master toy, Mattel is the ideal partner for Dinotrux, having launched a terrific range of giant vehicles, die-cast, action toys and playsets. The toys are available now at Toys R Us and go trade-wide this summer. A wide range of additional licensees are bringing Dinotrux clothing, tableware, greetings cards, bedding, partyware and other lines to market in 2016/17.

TV treasures BBC Worldwide 020 7612 3000 www.bbcworldwide.com Pre-school is a huge focus for BBC Worldwide in 2016, as it works with world class partners to develop products for hit brands from the CBeebies channel, such as Go Jetters, Hey Duggee and Sarah and Duck.

Go Jetters was an instant hit for the channel when it aired on CBeebies in 2015, consistently winning its time slot among all multi-channel broadcasters in the UK with over five million views on BBC iPlayer. The first toys from global master toy licensee Fisher-Price will launch summer 2016, alongside publishing from Penguin, magazines from Immediate Media and puzzles and games from Ravensburger. New licensees for this year include Aykroyds and TDP for nightwear and underwear.

CBeebies show Hey Duggee! continues to do well on BBC iPlayer, with more than 24 million downloads to date. Master toy partner Golden Bear has developed a stunning toy and plush range with a publishing range from Penguin. The second app will be released at Easter after the huge success Hey Duggee: The Big Badge App. New licensees this year include nightwear and underwear with Aykroyds and TDP and outerwear with Blues Clothing.

For award-winning animated series Sarah & Duck, Posh Paws International’s range features beautifully designed plush. Also available is a 16-month planner from Carousel Calendars, bedding from Dreamtex, plus DVDs and books and the second Sarah and Duck app, The Big Sleepover.

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Caring!

American Greetings +1 216 252 7300 www.agpbrands.com For more than three decades, the Care Bears brand has provided engaging, fun storytelling with wholesome themes. Owned by American Greetings Entertainment (AGE), Care Bears first appeared on greeting cards in 1982, and has since become a strong evergreen brand loved by kids, parents and grandparents alike.

Supported through entertainment distributed to 450 plus million households and 50 languages worldwide, Care Bears has enjoyed significant success across multiple product lines with growth in new markets and new distribution platforms across pre-school, tween, teen and young adult demographics. Care Bears has more than 180 licensees worldwide with more than five billion in retail sales.

At the core of Care Bears’ CP programme is a line of toys from Just Play, including many styles of plush and other toys that are brightly coloured, huggable and collectible. The Care Bears blind bag programme has continually sold out in major retailers, and amassed more than 15.5 million YouTube views of Care Bears blind bag openings.

Care Bears has also seen significant success in the digital market, and has recently launched Netflix original series Care Bears & Cousins. There is also tremendous social growth with hundreds of thousands of new fans across various platforms. Care Bears are also pre-school leaders on the apps front with partners Ubisoft, Plumzi, Budge, Night & Day Studios, and more. The nine apps have more than 19 million downloads collectively, with six more releases planned for 2016.

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Pre-School Feature

Bright sparks

New adventures

Bright Group International

DRi Licensing

020 7326 9140 www.brightartlicensing.com

020 3757 2170 www.drilicensing.com

Bright Group International will take brands beyond their original remit within the illustrative agency world. Creating content across diverse platforms, it is pursuing the creation of new branded children’s content from its topselling authors and illustrators in the UK and the US. Working across its extensive contact base in the Bright Agency and Bright’s sister company, Bright Art Licensing, the company is deepening existing relationships with top publishers, brands, retailers, digital publishers, merchandisers and broadcasters.

Following the success of Sue Hendra’s first character Wanda, from her book Wanda and The Alien and the three titles that followed, her characters have been transformed into a fully animated, prime time children’s TV show on Channel 5’s Milkshake.

Nickelodeon global also has distribution rights.

Bright is now developing a host of new children’s properties with Media Agent Richard Scrivener, who is now part of the Bright team.

Much-loved pre-school brand Miffy looks set for yet another fantastic year. Now a top rated show on the Tinypop channel, it is currently airing in the popular Cuddle-Time slot, and a second series began in January.

Rainbow Designs’ brand new Miffy for Baby plush collection has been exceptionally well received. Rainbow has also launched a new, fun and educational interactive Miffy, designed to help children learn about the body. Later in the year, new play sets to complement the Miffy’s Adventures Big and Small TV show will be introduced.

Miffy also now features in Redan’s monthly children’s magazine First Friends, which includes educational games and puzzles for preschoolers.

Big brands DHX Brands 020 8563 6400 www.dhxmedia.com With some of the best-loved pre-school IP in its portfolio and breakout hits in wider demographics, DHX Brands is revving up for an even bigger and better year in 2016.

In the last 12 months, In the Night Garden has continued its upward trajectory as one of the most popular and fastest-selling pre-schools brands in the UK, boosted through new branding, a new website, an integrated social media and marketing plan, high-profile events, and brand new style guide.

The In the Night Garden Live stage show has now been running in the UK for six consecutive years, and enjoyed its best ever year in 2015. It has also proven successful outside its domestic market, notably in China, where the awareness is very strong. DHX has recently announced the launch of a dedicated In the Night Garden baby product range, hitting retail in spring 2017. The award-winning property is also about to enjoy its 10th anniversary in 2017.

Teletubbies is one of the most successful global children’s brands of all time. Launched in the UK in November 2015, the new series features the same well-loved characters and styling as the original, but has been visually enhanced, bringing a refreshed and contemporary look and feel to one of the world’s most popular pre-school properties. In the UK, the toys that launched in January have been hugely successful. With more than 35 top-tier licensees already on board, DHX continues to garner best-in-class partners on this pedigree brand.

DHX has also successfully launched the new Twirlywoos series, devised and executive produced by Anne Wood with lead creative and writer, Steve Roberts and producer, Chris Wood. DHX recently announced that a further 25 episodes of the hit pre-school series will be produced for UK broadcaster, CBeebies. The series is produced in association with DHX Media, which also handles global distribution, merchandising, brand management and marketing. From the outset, DHX attracted a host of top licensees across all key categories, including master toy partner Golden Bear. Its innovative toy line was one of the best-selling in 2016, despite having only launched mid-way through the year.

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Pre-School Feature

Fit for a princess Entertainment One

Llamas in pyjamas GBI

0207 3691 8509 www.eonefamily.co.uk Entertainment One’s Peppa Pig is a global pre-school entertainment property, broadcast in over 180 territories and in 40 languages. It has more than 700 licensees around the world, and generates over $1 billion in global retail sales each year. With 52 new episodes currently in production and set to launch on-air from 2016, there is a fresh pipeline of new content to inspire its growing licensee base and entertain its huge fan base.

In the UK there are 93 licensees, including new toy partners Trends UK, Bladez Toyz, Vivid, Flair, Access all Areas, and more. Master toy partner Character Options continues to bring innovation to its extensive toy line, with extensions including construction and arts and crafts products.

Other longstanding toy partners are also introducing new products to the market, offering consumers the best Peppa Pig toy line up yet and toys will be the key growth driver for the brand.

The main brand theme for 2016 is Princess Peppa, which will make up a quarter of the overall range, and will also span marketing activity in 2016.

Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom is a BAFTA and Emmy award-winning animated series from Astley Baker Davies, the creators of Peppa Pig. The UK licensing programme was boosted by the appointment of Character Options as global master toy partner in 2014. The key toy line launching in 2016 is Character Options’ new Elf Rocket, and eOne anticipates high demand. There will be deeper distribution for A/W 2016 as Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom continues to increase its retail footprint. Elsewhere in the toy category, HTI is on board for role-play toys, KDUK for ELAs, MV Sports for outdoor toys and Jumbo Games for puzzles and games. Internationally the brand is building momentum, launching recently on Carousel in Russia. Licensing agent Megalicense is managing the consumer products rollout in the country, with products launching A/W 2016. Greece, Poland, Germany and Benelux are also territories earmarked for merchandise launches in 2016.

310.273.4222 www.gnusbrands.com GBI partnered with Penguin Young Readers Group, and author and illustrator Anna Dewdney, earlier this year to lead the worldwide expansion of Llama Llama.

GBI is currently in development on animated content based on the award-winning children’s book franchise for multiplatform distribution. Most recently, NCircle Entertainment was appointed as the exclusive home video partner. A global licensing and merchandising programme for Llama Llama is in the works including games, apparel, accessories, bedding, and healthy snacks and meals, which reflect the core values of the brand.

The products are anticipated to launch at retail in the US in 2016.

With 9.4 million units in print, Anna Dewdney’s Llama Llama books have all been New York Times best sellers, with several titles claiming the number one spot. Her work has been translated into eight languages. Praised as a “geographer extraordinaire of the emotional terrain of preschoolers and their mothers” by the Chicago Tribune, Anna’s soothing tales are synonymous with calming early childhood anxiety. Llama Llama Red Pajama was chosen as Jumpstart’s Read for the Record book in 2011, setting the world’s record for the most readings of a particular book on one day. Anna is an outspoken advocate for literacy and many states and non-profits use her books for literacy campaigns and programmes, including the Library of Congress.

Golden touch Golden Bear 01952 608308 www.goldenbeartoys.com As the number one manufacturer in licensed plush in the UK (NPD, FY 2015), Golden Bear is well-known for its pre-school plush collection. Following on from the launch of the Run-along Twirlywoos earlier this year, the popular Twirlywoos range will expand further this autumn with Interactive Musical Chick and Chickedy plush toys which feature poseable arms, music, sounds and twinkling lights. Also joining the range is Dancing Peekaboo which spins and dances to music as well as playing the theme tune and sounds from the show.

The In the Night Garden line will also see introductions this autumn, led by the Explore and Learn Musical Pinky Ponk hero product. The product remains true to the iconic Pinky Ponk from the TV programme. My Best Friend Igglepiggle is also new, offering pre-schoolers the

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perfect companion day or night, and the Mini Soft Toys and Talking Soft Toys are refreshed for autumn 2016.

The Hey Duggee collection has expanded with a new Duggee Talking Soft Toy, along with Duggee and Enid the Cat joining the soft toy assortment. Later in the year, Super Duggee will fly into the collection along with the Squirrel Club Activity Set, featuring all five squirrel club members and accessories for lots of play value.

The Justin’s House playset launches later in the year, sitting alongside the Something Special toy collection under the overarching Mr Tumble brand.

The playset includes lots of interactive features, reflecting the fun pantomime theme of the TV programme.

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Set sail

Best bunnies

John Adams

Fremantle Media

01480 414361 www.johnadams.co.uk This year sees John Adams adding new introductions to its Pip Ahoy! pre-school portfolio. The popular show currently airing on Cartoonito and Milkshake! with a new prime time weekend slot continues to build momentum, with more series in production for later this year and 2017. As master toy partner, the toy range reflects the characters and key themes from the TV series: problem solving, looking out for others and taking care of their community.

New to the toy collection for SS16 is Pip’s Playground Playset.

Designed to encourage creative play in pre-schoolers, the playset comes complete with a host of features to engage fans, including stair ramp, slide, swing, crow’s next roundabout and rotating steering wheel. The Playground Playset also includes a special Alan figure which can be used with other items in the range.

Following on from the Tiny Tears 50th Anniversary Doll last year, John Adams is giving the doll a makeover for 2016. The refreshed Classic Tiny Tears doll models a new outfit, featuring a specially designed patterned fabric that is completely unique to Tiny Tears.

CP.licensing@fremantlemedia.com www.kateandmimmim.com Kate & Mim-Mim follows the adventures of Kate, an imaginative little girl who, together with her toy rabbit Mim-Mim, travels to the fantasy world of Mimiloo where Mim-Mim comes alive as a larger-than-life big bunny buddy. In each episode, Kate and Mim-Mim discover exciting new places and set off on adventures, all in the hope of solving a puzzling problem Kate has encountered in the real world.

Based on the life of a real girl, Kate & Mim-Mim has been delighting audiences since it first hopped onto screens in 2014. Kate’s inspirational and empowering adventures with Mim-Mim have since proved a huge hit around the world where the series now airs in 120 different territories.

With series two of Kate & Mim-Mim set to launch on CBeebies in the UK later this year, toy distributor Flair is set to distribute the first products from master toy partner Just Play’s innovative plush and figure-based toy range in the UK this summer. Meanwhile, Just Play has appointed The Giochi Preziosi Group (GP) as the toy distributor for the highly-rated pre-school series in key European countries.

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Pre-School Feature

Steaming ahead Trail Mattel blazers 01628 500 000 www.mattel.com

Thomas & Friends steams ahead in 2016 with a new brand campaign based on Thomas’s core values of friendship, determination and teamwork, and new theme of racing.

The brand will be calling Team Thomas through an exciting UGCbased initiative driven across the Thomas & Friends website and social channels. It will engage parents and pre-schoolers in fun weekly tasks to power Thomas on his journey to the Great Railway Show #TeamThomasUK. Content continues to be king with the new mini tentpole DVD Start Your Engines and the release of the 11th feature film The Great Race in cinemas across the UK in May and on DVD in September.

These latest adventures introduce an extensive range of tie-in products including from within the popular Fisher-Price TrackMaster Take-n-Play, and My First Thomas lines, publishing, and apparel with the launch of the new Thomas infant range and the extension of nightwear and underwear lines.

Building on the successful launch of the new-look Bob the Builder on Channel 5’s Milkshake, now also airing on Cartoonito, 2016 sees

Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products 020 3580 2474 www.nick.co.uk Numerous UK licensees have been added for Nick Jr.’s popular pre-school property, Blaze and The Monster Machines. Sambro are on board to produce arts and crafts, stationery, games and puzzles as well as pocket money toys while Character World has taken on bedding, beds and bedroom accessories for the series starring Blaze, the number one Monster Truck in Axle City and his driver, 8-year-old, thrill-seeking AJ. These licensees join master toy partner Fisher-Price as well as already announced Centum Books Limited and LeapFrog. Centum Books is also on board with the award-winning Lily’s Driftwood Bay with the license to produce story, annual, colouring and activity books based on the imaginative animated show that’s created completely from items that have been found washed up on the beach.

Abbey Home Media are on board for DVDs of the beguiling series with more license partners set to be announced soon.

Feeling plush Rainbow Designs 0132 922 7300 www.rainbowdesigns.co.uk

the introduction of the second series with a brand new season of 52 x 11 minute episodes featuring new story lines and STEM learning themes.

Fisher-Price will introduce its highly anticipated toy range bringing construction to life for pre-schoolers.

The strong line will create an engaging construction experience as fans interact with Bob’s world above and beyond the on-screen content. Smoby will also be launching a range of role-play toys, and further partners will be launching additional merchandise such as books and apparel.

Fireman Sam continues to ignite kids’ imaginations in 2016 with action and adventure as he saves the day, every day.

The launch of Series 10 with an Animal Rescue theme introduces new uniforms and a brand new vehicle to the programming, alongside 20 never before seen short safety clips for pre-schoolers to be shared across digital platforms.

Strong brand partners drive the consumer products programme forward with over 95 licensees, including Character Options, Ravensburger, Jumbo. Softlines feature categories ranging from apparel to home, footwear and, new for 2016, back to school.

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Pre-schoolers will love Rainbow Designs’ feature plush character line up for 2016. This year is the centenary of Roald Dahl’s birth, and to celebrate Rainbow Designs has launched a fabulous new collection featuring Dahl’s most famous characters. The fun-packed Whizzpopping BFG, that produces eight different hilarious whizzpopping sounds when his tummy is pressed, has already proved a hit scooping a Best New Toy Award at Toy Fair this year. Rainbow Designs has also launched a stunning new collection of Soft Toys including Matilda, the BFG and Willy Wonka.

Following on from the hit movie Paddington and the phenomenal success the first Talking Paddington, Rainbow are launching two new feature plush lines. My Name is Paddington is an adorable 21cm soft toy which talks and growls when his tummy is squeezed.

Talk To Me Paddington features five different phrases as well as a recording function which is activated by squeezing Paddington’s right paw allowing the child to record their very own phrase and hear Paddington repeat it back. Talk to me Paddington’s mouth moves along with his voice as he says each of his phrases.

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Long-standing success Sophie la Girafe +33 450 01 06 20 www.sophielagirafe.fr/en/ Sophie la girafe is the popular license from newborn babies to pre-school kids, and the character is celebrating its 55th birthday on 25 May 2016.

To celebrate, the first ever Sophie la girafe licensee convention will take place in Paris for a day full of announcement and surprises. All the 75 countries in which Sophie is now sold we be represented to mark the milestone and the brand’s global success.

Sophie la girafe will also celebrate this birthday with lots of new projects from new and existing licensees, including sunglasses, baby and kids home linens by Poree Havlik; music boxes and night lights by Trousselier; gift sets by its skincare licensee Alva Organics; baby clothes by Milli (Narumya) and Mayo parasol, and much more.

Launched in 2012, the Sophie la girafe license quickly met a tremendous success around the world and has since proven popular in many categories, growing in importance thanks to strong timeless, classical, natural, protective and tender values.

With over 30 licensees on board, Sophie la girafe is represented in most key categories, including: publishing (over two millions books sold), baby clothing, baby bedding and furniture or baby skincare products.

Baby clothing previously available only in Japan and France, will arrive in the USA and UK this spring/summer, thanks to Kissy Kissy and Jojo Maman bébé.

The brand is now searching for licensees in baby bedding, diaper bags, accessories and footwear, and remains open to any other project.

A star is born Zapf Creation 01908 268 480 www.mgae.com Zapf Creation’s Baby Annabell is the UK’s number one large doll brand that focuses on all the caring, nurturing and interactive aspects of the role-play between a parent and a baby. In 2016 the popular brand has plans to expand into a number of licensed categories, including bedroom and nursery items, home accessories and publishing.

Tina-Louise Foster, Senior Licensing Director at Zapf Creation, says: “Baby Annabell continues to be the most popular large doll brand in the UK and we’re excited by the potential for licensing for this brand.”

For young Baby Annabell fans, the my first Baby Annabell range includes products suitable for newborns to two-yearolds, such as the my first Baby Annabell Newborn Doll and Little Lamb with Lullaby.

The core range is three plus and features a number of lifelike baby dolls and accessories. Baby Annabell Interactive Doll and Brother have realistic weight of a newborn, with functions including drinking water, crying real tears, and burping. Fun accessories mean that children can carry out routine day-today activities when looking after a baby, such as dressing her in a range of outfits, and Potty training.

Making a splash Zodiak Kids 020 7013 4300 www.zodiakkids.com Zodiak Kids’ Mister Maker continues to go from strength to strength, and the company has now agreed a co-promotion deal with the Merlin Entertainments Group’s network of Sea Life centers.

Mister Maker arts and crafts activities will be featured across all 12 Sea Life Centres in the UK and Ireland for a four-week event centred around the UK’s May half-term holiday break in 2016. This promotional tie in with Sea Life brings together key values of the two brands to create a unique event experience for children visiting the centres across the UK, where they will be able to create unique sea themed makes to take home.

The popular CBeebies presenter has put together a series of six exclusive instruction videos to help children make marine animals ranging from a paper-plate stingray to a foil and tissue paper shark.

Jamie Turner, Head of Marketing UK Merlin Entertainments says: “Mister Maker is a naturally engaging character who just makes arts and crafts easy and fun for every child, whether they have a flair for art or not. The way he introduces each project will also help our younger visitors learn more about the particular sea creatures they will be making, which we hope will encourage many to go on and learn more.”

Now in its seventh season with Mister Maker’s Arty Party, the show remains one of the highest rated pre-school arts entertainment programmes. Zodiak Kids recently announced new licensees for 2016, including toucanBox and Add Trading, plus a major three year renewal with its Arts & Crafts licensee Creativity International. Zodiak Kids owns worldwide distribution and licensing rights to Mister Maker.

April 2016

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In focus: Chewits

Sweet deal

The Chewits brand is on a roll. Owners Cloetta have brought Start Licensing on board to extend the licensing programme and plans are afoot to bring Chewits to a home near you. LTW sat down with Start Licensing’s Ian Downes and Cloetta’s Caroline Hill

T

he chances are, at one time or another, you’ve had a chew on a Chewit. It is fair to say they are pretty moreish, so moreish in fact that the brand is over 50 years old and can boast 94 per cent brand awareness, with over half a million Facebook fans.

Owner Cloetta says the brand is on a journey and they have now brought Start Licensing on board to help drive the Chewits licensing programme forward.

“We have already launched some great licensed products and we can see the potential for the brand to branch out into new areas,”says Cloetta’s Caroline Hill. “We decided that now is the right time to bring on a helping hand and the expertise of a well-established brand licensing agency.”

Start Licensing’s Ian adds:“Working on an iconic brand like Chewits is a great opportunity for us. It is a brand with a lot of equity that is a good fit for licensing and Cloetta are very supportive of licensing. As an agent it is important to work with a brand owner that is licensing friendly and licensing ready.”

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What’s next…

Having already dipped their toes into licensing pool with a handful of products within the gifting, home fragrance and health & beauty sectors, Caroline says Cloetta are now ready to branch into different categories with an aim to connect with other consumers.

Ian picks up the point: “We are looking to focus our efforts in categories such as food that haven’t really been explored yet. Initial conversations are encouraging.

FMCG companies are aware of the brand history of Chewits and its presence in retail. This helps with sell-in and engagement. We are looking forward to exploring categories such as food gifting, bakery, desserts, ice cream, seasonal confectionery and biscuits. Manufacturers in these categories recognise the value of a well-known brand that brings a consumer audience with it.”

Ian points out that there is plenty of innovation in the food category at the moment, particularly in terms of product, pack formats and product delivery and Cloetta are looking for licensees to approach them with new, fresh ideas.

“

Licensed products will be aimed towards children, teens, families and lapsed consumers who perhaps now buy Chewits for their children and grandchildren

”

Caroline Hill, Cloetta

“Chewits is a brand that has a great eat history behind it and credibility that hat companies could leverage to their eir benefit – we’re thinking particularly rly about businesses that don’t own their own brands or start up companies,” says Ian. Opportunities everywhere And although there are huge opportunities within the food sector, Start Licensing see the Chewits brand reaching further afield too.

“We are also looking at opportunities in apparel, novelty gifting and gifting generally. Stationery is also a good category particularly thinking about scented formats and classic products like pencil cases,” says Ian. “The Chewits ‘stick’ packs are well known and recognised - this pack shape lends itself well to product and packaging formats. We hope to leverage this with licensees. Consumer recognition of Chewits is high and we hope to build on this with on-brand packaging formats.

“Brand licensing is very much about partnerships and building a rapport between licensee and brand owner.

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We asked…

In an ideal world, when can retailers expect to see Chewits products hitting shelves?

Caroline: We currently have some products available in retailers and should see more being launched from summer onwards!

Ian: And not to forget the great distribution coverage of the core Chewits confectionery range as well. It is a brand with a great retail presence already. An important plus point for licensing.

We are looking forward to cultivating good partnerships. We also think it is important to focus on good quality NPD with an emphasis on innovation and authenticity.”

Elaborating further, Caroline believes the Chewits brand “has the strength the stretch into a number of other categories – home baking, home décor, gifting, stationary, apparel…the list is endless!”

But not only that, there are plans to look into partnerships with designers as well.

“There has been a lot of creative work in the fashion sector recently using FMCG brands and packaging,” Ian points out. “There is also the chance for licensees to co-pack Chewits product with their products - for example imagine a pencil case with Chewits packs co-packed with it. This adds value and a point of difference.”

It is all about the consumer With brand awareness at 94 per cent, and a 50+ year history - there is a willing audience ready to consume

April 2016

the Chewits brand. But who will the products be aimed at?

“Due to the longevity of the brand we are able to stretch into a variety of categories and therefore reach different demographics,” Caroline tells us. “Licensed products will be aimed towards children, teens, families and lapsed consumers who perhaps now buy Chewits for their children and grandchildren. Retro is a growing trend and we have a great retro-style Chewits branding reminiscent of the original Chewits packaging from the 60s which we use on select products.”

A key focus for Cloetta and Start Licensing is collaborating with licensees who see the partnership as a team effort.

“We want to work with companies who can add value to the partnership as well,” says Ian. “Licensing has to be a team effort - we are looking for companies that we can work with to open and develop retail distribution, develop good creative ideas and maybe bring new thinking to the table.”

“

Brand nd licensing is very li much about partnerships and building a rapport between licensee and brand owner.

We are looking forward to cultivating good partnerships

”

Ian Downes, Start Licensing

To find out more about Chewits, get in touch with Ian by calling 0208 337 7958 or visit www.startlicensing.co.uk

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Interview

Hollywood, here we come!

Paul Hollywood is safely a household name thanks to his starturn on BBC’s The Great British Bake Off. So it was inevitable that the world of licensing would soon come calling. And it did just that. In January it was announced that the acclaimed baker had teamed up with Kitchen Craft to create a bakeware range.

LTW caught up with him to find out more…

Baking is having a bit of a renaissance.

Why do you think that is?

Baking has become a hobby again and now appeals to everyone; a lot of people work hard and gain great satisfaction from spending their downtime achieving something tangible. Food creates that feel-good factor and appeals to emotions and there’s nothing better than creating something that people openly appreciate and enjoy. There are so many good products and ingredients available that are specifically created to foster cooking at home that I believe artisanal baking is here to stay and will likely increase.

And has The Great British Bake Off contributed to its popularity?

I think it has undoubtedly had an impact.

However, don’t underestimate the pulling power of other baking or wider ranging cookery influences such as magazines, diets and media generally.

Did you know…

The range was designed to appeal to both men and women

“

I wanted to limit the number of partnership agreements I entered into to focus on making a unique product with several key partnerships and not diluting my expertise by opening up to more 60

”

You’ve created an exclusive range of baking products with Premier Foods under your name, due to launch 2016, and now you’ve collaborated with Kitchen Craft on bakeware. Why now?

I took some time before launching any product with my name on it, until I could find the right partner who could make what I thought would significantly improve baking results and address the frustrations bakers have with some of their existing kit. I also wanted to limit the number of partnership agreements I entered into to focus on making a unique product with several key partnerships and not diluting my expertise by opening up to more.

Why Kitchen Craft, in particular?

I have a number of their products at home and have always enjoyed using their bakeware, in particular, so it was a natural first port of call when I wanted to develop a housewares range that was baking, tools and gadgets focused. The right partner was essential. It felt like a comfortable working relationship from the start where

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Stainless Steel Pastry cutters

both parties wanted to create innovation within the baking category. I think Kitchen Craft’s latest bakeware developments are hugely innovative but extremely simple and this is exactly what I wanted to add to products – simple tweaks that really improve the functionality. I want people to pick up items in this range and think, “Oh, that’s great, but why on earth has this never been thought of before!” They seem to know what users want from their bakeware and have such a good reputation tation for making their products actually work rk and stand out.

Did you know…

Paul Hollywood’s Kitchen Craft range boasts 60 items

“

How does the collaboration work?

It was a meeting of minds. Kitchen Craft aft have been really easy to work with, listened ened to my frustrations with certain products, ts, lack of availability of what I consider good essential bakeware products, and d brought their experience of manufacturing uring capabilities, design trends and consumer mer insight, to ensure we have a range of products that people want to buy. Having ving knowledge of how the food should turn rn out means that I can suggest design elements ents which would make it so much easier for or novice and experienced bakers to have e an overall better experience and results. s.

Finally, tell us about the range.

It’s very comprehensive, appealing to male and female, focused on bakeware and nd baking prep tools and accessories that are both desirable and functional. There e are almost 60 items catering to the growing owing popularity in homemade baking beyond yond cakes, such as bread, pies and puddings. dings. I think many items will change the traditional aditional shape and form forever; like the pie dolly, traditional ones don’t have these holes oles and grooves, so as you form the pastry stry and try to remove it, it’s tricky and you risk breaking the pastry case. The holes and grooves break the vacuum, so it’s simple mple to remove. The gold colour on the bakeware keware is perfect as the quality non-stick is there here but it looks softer, is great to bake with, and I’m reliably informed is bang on trend.

April 2016

Add n Weigh Platform Scales

Stainless Steel Star Bread Stamp

Food cr creates that fe feel-good fa factor and a appeals to e emotions an there’s a and no nothing better th creating than so something th people that op openly ap appreciate an enjoy and

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Interview

5 mins with...

INK’s Annalisa Woods INK Global’s Commercial Director Annalisa Woods takes five minutes with LTW to talk hot properties, plans for Masha and the Bear and more...

Annalisa, INK Licensing merged with Arabian Licensing Company in 2015. Nearly one year down the line, how has that worked for the company?

The partnership is going from strength to strength.

With our combined knowledge, experience and resources, we are able to offer our clients a unique opportunity: access to one billion consumers in some of the world’s fastest-growing economies — all through one contact: INK ALC. Fill us in on some of the brands INK represents.

We consider which brands to take into our portfolio very carefully, and only work with brands we are passionate about. This goes for our third party representations through INK ALC, as well as the development projects we work with through INK Global. This leads to a varied portfolio of brands — brands that we believe offer something special to the market — from the DreamWorks Animation slate and classic brands like The Smurfs to independent animation projects like Mojicons, and from local legends like the Goodluck Trolls from Denmark to

global phenomena like Masha and the Bear. INK Global also has a number of stories in development and we are looking forward to sharing news of our growing roster with partners (and future partners) at upcoming trade shows.

Masha and the Bear is a success

DreamWork’s Trolls

Did you know…

In Masha and the Bear, all the books in the Bear’s house include the real names of the studio’s creative team such as the artists and animators.

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You’ve got five offices — in Denmark, Sweden, Poland, France and Russia. Do you treat properties differently in each of these territories?

With every brand, we have an overarching extension strategy.

However, every market is different, and we believe it’s important to take local market trends and variations into account when building a brand on a multi-regional level.

INK represents Masha and the Bear.

Talk to us about your plans with this property and how you are growing its success in different territories.

Masha and the Bear is now broadcast in nearly every country in the world.

Season 3 is currently in production, and will be ready for air in Spring 2017. With spin-off projects such as Masha’s Tales and Spooky Stories also available there is a long-term perspective on content to keep entertaining and charming the world.

We intend to continue working with best-in-class partners on the licensing programme for Masha, widening our

distribution channels and expanding our product offering.

Have you been surprised by the success of the property?

We knew Masha was special, from the very first moment we saw it seven years ago! We are thrilled to be able to share this story with the world and delighted that so many children (and adults) love Masha as much as we do!

Talk to us about ZAFARI. Is this one to watch in your books and what do you have planned for it?

ZAFARI is indeed one to watch for the future — and our plan is to encourage people, as the trailer says “to see the world in a whole new way…”.

In terms of hot properties coming out of the INK stable, what should licensees and retailers be looking out for?

At the moment, we are gearing up on our topical, yet unique, and even a bit educational, global project, Mojicons — the story of the zany group of emoticons that populate our emails and text messages — as well as planning a strong brand extension roll-out for the Good Luck Trolls in the Nordics from 2017. Also watch out for the upcoming DreamWorks Animation movie, Trolls, coming to cinemas in October this year. There is a very strong franchise in the works around this film and INK ALC is deeply involved on many levels prior to this AAA launch.

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Brand decisions

The real deal

Bettina Koeckler – there is not much she doesn’t know about B2B and consumer licensing.

The industry veteran is LTW’s new columnist and we’re thrilled to have her on-board. In her first column, Bettina – who has established her own company The Deal Factory - takes a look at changes in the industry over 20 years

I

t’s been a very long time since I started my career in this very special industry.

Licensing, what does that even mean?

In the early days there was a very simple answer.

First you had a property (yes, we called it property, not brand) and it didn’t matter if you were an agent or a licensor, the recipe was always the same.

You presented that property to your usual suspects, who were all licensees not a single retailer in sight! And then you closed the deal.

The biggest MG, the highest royalty and the most convincing marketing plan made the base of the decision.

After that you hoped that your licensee did what they did best and sold as many units of this product as possible.

My younger colleagues won’t understand what I am talking about because today it’s a very different story.

Long gone are the days when the buyers were an unknown entity, which only the licensee’s sales team had access to.

When we are looking at a property today we need for it to be a brand. If it’s not a brand just yet, we need to have a plan on how to turn what we have into a brand so we can prove longevity and relevance for multiple selling cycles to come.

Despite there being many competing manufacturers in the market, it is less and less the licensor or the agent who get to choose the partner for the brand; today we look at programmes consisting of multiple partners for the same product and each gets a license limited to a specified distribution channel, based on the individual buyer’s preferences.

This brings along a much higher administrative input, but also offers a guaranteed differentiation of the product design - and that’s what is most important.

It’s all about ‘owning’ your spot, the one specific thing that makes your brand, your product and your message different from everybody else’s.

Long gone are the days when the buyers were an unknown entity, which only the licensee’s sales team had access to

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Retailers think the exact same way. To catch a buyer’s interest, there has to be some level of exclusivity involved in the offer and there are different ways to achieve that.

While the products are very often the same (a T-shirt is a T-shirt), the design can be unique to the retail partner - ideally across multiple product categories - so they can ‘own’ this specific look.

If it’s a category with less design options (like a toy based on a given character design), the solution is an exclusive product, which is only available at the given retail partner’s points of sale.

Either option allows the retailer to distinguish their offer from the competition and therefore gives an incentive not only to decide to list the brand, but also to promote it. Whether it’s in-store, online, in the catalogue, the media or any other platform of communication that addresses the end consumer. And then there are DTRs. When a retail chain does not only sell, but also manufacture their own products, very often the traditional licensee becomes the ‘middleman’ who is being excluded from the process.

There usually is a commercial team screening the licensing market for appropriate brands which are attractive and suitable to the relevant target group.

And then there are the designers developing the licensed product range who are very focused on the retailer’s specific style and mostly not used to following any approval procedures given by a third party.

Both teams are involved in the decision process and both have to like the brand in order to sign it.

This means one travels to their headquarters not only with a convincing brand presentation and an attractive commercial proposition, but also with a suitcase filled with samples from all

Bettina Koeckler is a senior licensing executive with more than 20 years’ experience in the entertainment industry. Bettina’s impressive employment roster includes Sony Pictures Consumer Products where she founded their first ever EMEA office, Chorion, Rainbow Global, and 20th Century Fox Consumer Products. In early 2015, Bettina founded The Deal Factory, a one-stop shop for commercialising new and emerging IP. In recognition of her success in both the licensing and the TV industry, Bettina has been invited to join several boards (LIMA), juries (MIPCOM, BLE) and received a Licensing Excellence Award, three LIMA Awards and five LIMA Award nominations.

You can contact Bettina via email: Bettina@dealfactory.org

over the world, mood boards and tailormade design inspirations to convince both teams to get on board and give the brand a go.

And then the fun begins! Twenty-four hours for an approval turn around is no longer a dream but it has become a necessity if the DTR will work for both ends. New creative materials have to follow the timing of the retailer’s collections - one spring/summer and one autumn/winter collection are a thing of the past - we are looking at anything between every two weeks to every two months. Accordingly the number of submissions usually are enormous.

And so is the visibility for the brand and the positive impact of the brand’s relevance. As well as the revenue.

As much as it was a lot easier back in the old days, this is a time of opportunity and excitement. Of creativity and support.

Of creating your own footprint and even controlling your products’ distribution.

But you better have the workflow organised to support this because the one thing none of the partners will ever have enough of, is time.

catapulting into store now!

www.bulldog-licensing.com Tel: +44 (0) 20 8325 5455 Email: info@bulldog-licensing.com