Winter 2012 by The Licensing Book

Winter 2012

Cover by M Style Marketing

D ep ar tm en ts 6 Publisher’s Point 8 News Lionsgate acquires Summit Entertainment for $412.5 million 10 Stat Shot See how the toy industry fared in 2011, category by category 11 LIMA: Good Practices Tips for complying with licensors’ codes of conduct 14 Social Media: Make Your Blog a Destination How businesses can use blogs to their advantage 18 Trends The NPD Group’s stats showcase 2011’s most popular properties, products, and brands for kids 54 The Big Brands in Britain and Beyond Peppa Pig and Toy Story gain popularity with kids in the UK 55 Streamlining the Administration of a Licensing Business The administration of license agreements can be critical to the success of all client-facing operations. Amos Biegun, CEO of Counterpoint Systems, looks at managing agreements between licensors and licensees

Winter 2012 VOLUME 29, NUMBER 1

Feature

20 Toy Fair

Our annual look at the U.S. toy industry’s biggest event, with coverage of licensed products across all toy categories. Check out the latest kids’ properties, as well as the evergreen classics, and what’s on deck to keep kids’ interests up across the board.

Winter 2012

56 Of Counsel James Kipling discusses spending and advertising requirements in a licensing agreement 58 Directory “THE LICENSING BOOK” (ISSN-0741-0107) is published quarterly, by Adventure Publishing Group, Inc.®, 307 Seventh Ave., Room 1601, New York, New York, 10001. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY 10001 and additional mailing offices. © 2012 Adventure Publishing Group, Inc ®. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Printed in U.S.A. Subscription rates: $48 per year. THE LICENSING BOOK, THE LICENSING BOOK INTERNATIONAL, WORLDWIDE LICENSING and the “WLE” design, are trademarks and service marks of Adventure Publishing Group, Inc.® registered in the United States Patent & Trademark Office Postmaster: Send address changes to THE LICENSING BOOK, c/o Adventure Publishing Group, PO Box 47703 Plymouth, MN 55447.

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“Play Happens” is the theme for this year’s American International Toy Fair—it’s so simple, yet so meaningful. In school, at home, for kids around the globe, play happens. And for adults, too, play happens. Has there ever been a time when so many adults had so many toys? I think not! And here’s what’s really amazing: kids and adults are playing with the same tools. How many of you have iPads that your kids are playing on? Are you a mom with an iPhone or a Droid? If so, when you are at the supermarket with your child in the seat of the shopping cart, isn’t that just how you’re keeping them busy (and hopefully avoiding all the junk food they usually cry for)? What an amazing time we are living in. But what, you ask, does that have to do with licensing? Apparently, everything! Angry Birds, Talking Friends, The Annoying Orange, Moshi Monsters, and on and on and on, begin on a screen and turn into physical toys that play out in ways that mimic what kids are doing in the virtual world. Favorite TV and movie characters are the new apps of today and tomorrow, and physical toys are working in conjunction with branded virtual worlds. When connecting the physical toy and virtual world, the game play is brought to life. And this new business extension for the toy industry— which was a blossoming trend this past year— will become huge this year. All of this technology is really cool, and I’m like a kid myself learning all of it (with the help of

Winter 2012

my own kids), but that is not the whole picture. The toy industry generates over $21 billion annually, with licensed toys capturing approximately 25 percent of the total revenue (and those numbers vary depending on the product category and age group). The toy industry was down 4 percent overall in 2011, and in a bad year for our economy overall, that’s not so bad. Let’s face it, we want to keep our kids happy, and we don’t cut back on making them smile—especially during the holidays. In this economy (where housing, jobs, and the level of unemployment is horrific), manufacturers, licensors, and retailers have worked hard to ensure that they can deliver kids’ favorite properties. They have worked together to keep prices easy on the wallet and that has been a huge element of success. Of course, not every license will succeed, and not every great license will become “the next Disney Princess.” Figuring out how to get something to resonate with kids is not always easy. With more ways to reach that young (but ever so powerful) consumer, luck is a contributing factor. Of course a strategic plan to talk to the trade, manufacturers, retailers, bloggers, and consumers (we do all of that!) will put you on the right path to getting your products into kids’ hands. Toy Fair is my favorite show, where partners come together and are excited about the year ahead. It’s a place to do business and a place to play, because, after all, play happens! ••••

ADVENTURE PUBLISHING GROUP INC.® Vol. 29, No. 1, Winter 2012 President/Co-Publisher Laurie Schacht laurieschacht@aol.com

Co-Publisher Jonathan Samet jsamet@adventurepub.com

Editorial Director Jackie Breyer jbreyer@toybook.com

Associate Editor Elizabeth A. Reid ereid@toybook.com

Assistant Editors Melissa Tinklepaugh mtinklepaugh@licensingbook.com

Ericka Johnson ejohnson@toybook.com

Production Director Anthony K. Guardiola aguardiola@adventurepub.com

Office Assistant Jazmin Idakaar jidakaar@adventurepub.com

Controller/Office Manager Robert Forde rforde@adventurepub.com ADVENTURE PUBLISHING GROUP, INC.® 307 SEVENTH AVE., ROOM 1601 NEW YORK, NY 10001 TELEPHONE: (212) 575-4510 FAX: (212) 575-4521

Licensing News GAMES

Activision Launches Skylanders Sequel, Hires Licensing Executives Activision is launching the sequel to last year’s Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure at American International Toy Fair. In Skylanders Giants, the sequel, the Portal Masters embark on an allnew adventure to save the Skylands. The video game features a new lineup of heroes, including giant-sized toys that use their massive scale and super strength to battle evil forces. Activision will showcase Skylanders Giants at Toy Fair. Additionally, entertainment licensing veteran Ashley Maidy has joined Activision to head the newly formed licensing division. Maidy has more than 16 years of experience, building licensing and merchandising programs for Sony Pictures and Saban Entertainment. In her new role, Maidy will extend Activision’s properties into complementary product categories, as well as co-marketing and promotional programs. Maidy has also brought entertainment industry veteran Alicia Mandeville on board, who will leverage her licensing and merchandising experience to build programs for Activision’s brands.

Skylanders Giants

ACQUISITION

Lionsgate Acquires Summit Entertainment for $412.5 Million Lionsgate has completed a transaction to acquire Summit Entertainment for a combination of cash and stock valued at $412.5 million. The transaction unites two studios with powerful brands and complementary assets. By acquiring Summit, Lionsgate enhances its feature film and home entertainment offerings, and further broadens its 13,000-title filmed entertainment library to include such titles as The Twilight Saga, The Hurt Locker, and Red. The integration of both Summit’s domestic and international theatrical film operations is expected to significantly enhance Lionsgate’s production and distribution capacity, while also extending its worldwide reach and creating a dominant international sales organization. Get the latest licensing industry news delivered straight to your inbox each week for free! Subscribe to The Licensing Book’s The Total Licensing Report. Just send a request to subscribe@adventurepub.com, and add that address to your address book to ensure delivery. For up-to-the-minute news, follow The Licensing Book on Twitter: twitter.com/LicensingBook, and “like” us on Facebook: facebook.com/Licensing.Book. Visit our blog at licensingbook.com.

ENTERTAINMENT

Cardinal and Rubie’s Named Licensees for Snow White and the Huntsman Universal Partnerships & Licensing has announced an initial list of licensees for Snow White and the Huntsman, the upcoming action-adventure movie starring Kristen Stewart (Twilight), Charlize Theron (Monster), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), and Sam Caflin (Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides). Committed licensees for Snow White and the Huntsman include Cardinal for triviabased games and puzzles in the U.S., Canada, and Latin America; Rubie’s Costume Co. for costumes in the U.S. and Canada; High IntenCity for costume jewelry, novelty, and hair accessories in the U.S.; Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for a young adult novelization, distributed worldwide; and Pacific Solutions for prop replicas in the U.S. Other deals include HBA, accessories, decorative calendars, and apparel. The movie releases June 1. Products will launch at a range of retail outlets up to six weeks prior to the film’s release.

Winter 2012

Licensing News GAMES

TCG Debuts New Collectible, Competitive Game with Super Licenses TCG (formerly known as The Canadian Group) is introducing a new collectible, tradable, and competitive game of skill called Roxx. In an exclusive arrangement, TCG has partnered with Imperial Toy to launch the Roxx brand in the U.S. market. Roxx are collectible game pieces that feature art in diverse themes, targeted to boys ages 7 and up. To reinforce collectibility and game play, Roxx will feature uniquely numbered proprietary and licensed designs per series. Licensed assortments will include Marvel Super Heroes, SpiderMan, Marvel’s The Avengers, and more, distributed worldwide. TCG will also launch NHL assortments in Canada this year. An online component will enhance Roxx game play on the web, on an iPhone, or on an iPad. Roxx and related accessories are expected to hit retail shelves this summer.

TOYS

K’nex and Rovio Partner for Angry Birds Toys Rovio, the creator of the Angry Birds franchise, and K’nex, a U.S. construction toy company, have partnered for a line of building toys inspired by Angry Birds. The relationship combines the K’nex building system with Angry Birds characters, bringing them from smartphones and tablets to construction aisles for the first time. With more than 600 million downloads, Angry Birds is the No. 1 mobile game worldwide and appeals to male and female audiences across multiple age ranges. K’nex will provide a sneak peek of the products at Toy Fair, and the Angry Birds product line will be available this fall. Designed for children ages 5 and up, building sets will include Angry Birds characters, buildable launchers, and other recognizable elements from the game.

ENTERTAINMENT

ThinkGeek Releases Licensed Star Trek Products ThinkGeek and CBS Consumer Products have partnered to release two exclusive, officially licensed Star Trek products. The Star Trek Plush Enterprise and the Star Trek Door Chime represent iconic Star Trek symbols. The U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701 turns cuddly in ThinkGeek’s version. The Star Trek Plush Enterprise features detailed embroidery and realistic photon torpedo sounds. On the original U.S.S. Enterprise, wall and desk communication panels were used to communicate inside the ship. Fans can now have their own panel in the form of the Star Trek Door Chime. The door chime lights up and makes signature Star Trek sounds, including a motion-sensitive door “whoosh,” red alert klaxon, and the boatswain whistle.

PEOPLE

Paul Southern Named Head of Lucas Licensing Howard Roffman is passing the baton to Paul Southern as head of Lucas Licensing. Roffman will remain with the company as a senior advisor. Both Roffman and Southern will report to Micheline Chau, Lucasfilm president and COO. “Twenty-five years is a long time to stay in one job, even one as exciting as the job I’ve had. I am thrilled that Paul Southern will succeed me in this role,” said Roffman. “Paul and I have worked together for more than 15 years, and I cannot think of anyone better qualified to take the business forward. He is an enormously talented executive, and I have every confidence in him.”

Send licensing news to Jackie Breyer, jbreyer@toybook.com, for inclusion in the weekly Total Licensing Report.

Winter 2012

Statâ&#x20AC;¢Shot Dollar Sales in Billions, U.S. Toy Industry Supercategories Categories

Annual 2009

Annual 2010

Change

Annual 2011

Change

Action Figures/Acc/Role-play

$1.6

$1.4

-13%

$1.3

-7%

Arts & Crafts

$2.8

$2.7

-4%

Building Sets

$1.1

$1.2

$1.6

33%

Dolls

$2.6

$2.8

$2.7

-4%

Games/Puzzles

$2.4

$2.2

-8%

$2.1

-5%

Infant/Preschool

$3.0

$3.2

Outdoor & Sports Toys

$2.6

$2.8

Plush

$1.5

$1.7

13%

$1.3

-24%

Vehicles

$1.8

$1.6

-11%

Youth Electronics

$0.8

$0.6

-25%

$0.5

-17%

All Other Toys

$1.4

$1.5

$1.3

-13%

Total Toy Industry

$21.6

$22.0

$21.1

-4%

Source: The NPD Group / Consumer Tracking Service

What categories are consumers purchasing for kids?

Source: The NPD Group/Kids Industry Data Service, January-November 2011

Winter 2012

Good Practices

LIMA’s Good Practices for Complying with Licensors’ Codes of Conduct

by Martin Brochstein, senior vice president of industry relations and information, Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association (LIMA) uring the past decade, corporate social responsibility (CSR)—which encompasses the conditions under which products are made, as well as the environmental impact of the manufacturing and transportation process—has gained an increasingly prominent seat at the toy product development, manufacturing, and marketing table. The importance of having products made in a socially responsible way is a particularly acute issue for those in the licensing business, where there’s at least one extra element in the path from brand and concept to product on the retail shelf. Coming down on the wrong side of factory labor issues or environmental practices can damage the businesses of not just the brand owner and a specific licensee, but also of other licensees of that same brand. But it’s not an easy road to follow for any product marketer that doesn’t do its own manufacturing. No two licensors’ or retailers’ sets of requirements match up precisely, which can lead to a costly and time-consuming collection of paperwork and audits. LIMA and BSR, a leader in corporate responsibility for nearly 20 years, released a new guide in November to help the licensing industry promote social and environmental standards among licensors, licensees, agents, suppliers, factories, and retailers. The publication was developed with the help of the Licensing Working Group, consisting of Hasbro, NBC Universal, Time Warner, and The Walt Disney Company, among others. Good Practices for Complying with Licensors’ Social and Environmental Requirements: A Practical Guide for Licensees is designed to help licensee executives and professionals understand how they might work toward

meeting licensors’ requirements related to social and environmental compliance. Even for those not in the licensing community, the same thought process can help guide a supplier through the requirements of major retail customers. Here we’ve adapted the section of the guide that deals with the licensor’s perspective.

Summary of Licensors’ S t a n da r d s a n d E x p e c t a tions for Licensees

Licensors’ brand reputation is linked to the working conditions in factories where licensed goods are manufactured. As a result, licensors have an interest in requiring licensees to uphold social and environmental standards. Many licensors have established codes of conduct, which define principles and requirements that licensees must uphold. These codes of conduct typically also apply to licensees’ subcontractors. In addition, many retailers have established similar requirements.

Overview of Codes of Conduct

Codes of conduct are descriptions of expectations of business conduct related to human rights, labor standards, working conditions, occupational health and safety, environmental management, business integrity, and anti-corruption. These codes are generally based on the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Dec-

Winter 2012

laration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, and related conventions on core labor standards. Codes of conduct also typically reference local labor laws. Codes of conduct describe the standards that manufacturers are expected to uphold within their facilities. In many cases, licensors also require oversight of compliance by suppliers, subcontractors, and agents. In addition, some codes of conduct specify management systems requirements and continuous improvement principles for achieving responsible social and environmental support, or endorse global standards and/or industry specific codes.

Main Issues and Concerns

Widespread instances of substandard working conditions continue to be a challenge for the licensing industry, particularly in the developing world, but also in developed countries. The following issues are known to occur—some more frequently than others. Note that this is not an exhaustive list: Human Rights and Labor Standards • Child labor and forced labor • Incorrect payment of wages and benefits • Excessive overtime and insufficient rest days • Harassment by supervisors

Occupational Health and Safety • Lack of machine guarding (risk of injury) • Substandard chemical management practices (risk of injury and illness) • Fire safety (risk of injury)

Environmental Compliance • Missing required permits • Air and water pollution in excess of local legal requirements Business Integrity and Anti-Corruption • Falsification of records • Bribery of factory inspectors

These conditions continue to persist in some cases,

Winter 2012

despite the existence of labor laws banning them; adoption by sourcing countries of ILO conventions; inspection by government labor inspectors; more than a decade of factory monitoring by major global brands, retailers, and licensees; and activist attention and media coverage. There are many potential causes for these persistent challenges, including lack of licensor, licensee, and factory knowledge and capabilities; intense pressure on pricing; and systemic issues within each sourcing location. This guide attempts to address the first issue, knowledge and capabilities, by providing guidance to licensees. Licensees who can demonstrate that they meet licensors’ social and environmental compliance requirements may benefit from less frequent or less resource-intensive compliance audits, and from maintaining and growing business relationships with licensors. In addition, they may avoid negative consequences, such as a reduction or termination of business.

Summary of Expectations for Licensees

Licensors expect licensees to have a process by which they assess whether conditions in their manufacturing facilities comply with all applicable laws, regulations, and relevant standards, including licensors’ codes of conduct. In addition, licensees are responsible for ensuring that their suppliers, agents, and subcon-

tractors involved in the production of licensed goods comply as well. In practice, licensees are expected to take actions to monitor and promote compliance in their supply chain. These actions are described in detail in the following sections:

Guidance on Adopting a Code of Conduct

A code of conduct provides clarity to potential and current suppliers, subcontractors, and agents about a licensee’s expectations for social and environmental compliance. Licensees should adopt an industry standard code of conduct, if relevant, or seek to adopt a licensor’s or retailer’s code of conduct. If a review of existing codes of conduct determines that none are suitable for the licensee company, the licensee could create its own code of conduct aligned with the needs of its customers, the standards of its peers, and internationally accepted good practices.

Practical Tips for Licensees

• If possible, ask the licensor which standards or industry codes it will accept, and adopt the most relevant one to avoid creating a new code. • Ask the licensors what a licensee can do to proactively demonstrate compliance. • Review licensors’ and retailers’ programs to identify key themes. For example, some licensors emphasize specific issues, such as environmental permits, more than others. • Review licensors’ and retailers’ implementation requirements to make sure all relevant policies and procedures have been implemented. • Seek clarification if there are differences in the licensors’ or retailers’ codes of conduct. • Assign people, systems, and resources to implement policies and to track compliance with them. • Collaborate with other companies in the licensing industry to avoid recreating the wheel. For example, join a future training or workshop run by the Licensing Working Group.

The full Good Practices guide is available as a free download from LIMA at www.licensing.org/wp/wpcontent/uploads/2010/09/LIMA-licensee-guide.pdf.

The guide also includes a partial list of resources and references to help you get started, including example industry codes of conduct, such as the LIMA Code of Business Practices, ICTI CARE Code of Business Practice, the Global Social Compliance Programme Reference Code, the Ethical Trade Initiative Base Code, and the Social Accountability International SA800 Standard. The guide also includes example licensor codes of conduct from The Walt Disney Company, Hasbro, Mattel, and Time Warner. •••• Marty Brochstein joined Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association (LIMA) in 2008. Brochstein was a business journalist for more than 20 years, primarily covering the consumer products and retail industries. He spent five years as senior editor of Television Digest and was the founding editor of Consumer Multimedia Report. He was also editor of two monthly magazines, Consumer Electronics Monthly and Electronics Merchandising, and early in his career spent time with Discount Store News, Chain Store Age, and HFD/Home Furnishings Daily.

Winter 2012

Social Media

Make Your Blog a Destination, Not a Bump in the Road

Part 1 of a Series on Social Media

by Andy Marken, Marken Communications

ocial media, the Internet, mobile phones, and e-commerce have permanently changed the way we see our place in the world of licensed products and services. As we’ve seen around the globe, the democratization of media and social power is at the root of social media. It has brought down bad governments, bad companies, and bad products. On the other hand, it has helped good companies and good products tell their story. Social media has also made it harder to tell people what they want and must buy through repetition and psychological manipulation. Each social medium has its strengths and weaknesses, and if there was one “best solution” for every company, every executive’s life would be much simpler. Unfortunately, there isn’t! But as an executive in one or more segments of licensed products or services, your blog is a tool that can benefit your company and yourself. A blog can be a place where you express and translate your organization’s thoughts, ideas, and goals to customers, prospects, and people around the globe. Not only can a blog get your brand more exposure and humanize a company or product but, and maybe even more importantly, a blog can provide value to your customers and partners. It enables them to share information and ideas with you. If done properly, you can get more than you give. So maybe you’ve decided it’s time to move your thoughts into the blogosphere, but now (like any good professional) you want to know the guidelines and the rules of engagement. There aren’t any! Just know that you can use social media to share

Winter 2012

information not just about your products and your company, but about the industry and trends. It will allow people to learn about your product and what you stand for. Once you begin there’s no turning back. Posting because you think it’s cool and then quitting makes your company, your brand, and you seem stale to other people. Also, keep in mind that a quiet blog without new information gives the impression that you’ve run out of gas and there’s nothing left. Start by remembering one humbling fact: your brand is not yours. You can’t control it, protect it, or even own it—your community owns your brand. Remember, it’s called social media for a reason; the most important part of any social exchange is listening.

Stop, Collaborate, and Listen

Don’t spend so much time deciding what you’re going to post that you forget you’re their audience, too. You can’t force your ideas or products onto folks anymore, so don’t even try. Instead, if you listen and

acknowledge, people will help you be successful. The key to getting people to come to your blog is to provide timely, quality content. Although your blog should be a quick stop for anyone to check up on the latest company and product happenings, people won’t sift through boring press releases. Keep your discussion relevant, wellwritten, and insightful. Provide your readers with content that they desire, and they will show up. It’s also okay to express an opinion or idea, or ask a question. Then, like a good brand steward, respond in a professional, personalized manner.

No Trash Talk

Trash talk and negative discussions on your blog aren’t appreciated by anyone, least of all your supportive followers. If you must address issues, explore them in a positive manner from the company’s view or your perspective. Taking the high ground and keeping a positive focus builds a world of goodwill. Occasionally, a review will receive less than four stars. Good or bad, reviews are out there and they will stay out there forever. But don’t be afraid to link to the review—good, bad, or mediocre—and use the opportunity to reinforce strong points and discuss the weak ones. Acknowledge the negatives, provide reasons for why they were an inappropriate conclusion from your perspective (if they were), and acknowledge the criticisms as possible shortcomings. Then ask your readers if they had similar experiences or what they think you should do to correct the situation. Showing that you’re listening and are willing to listen wins more loyalty points than berating a review. Ask questions in every blog post, and give answers promptly, accurately, and clearly (not in corporate or legal speak).

Ask and They’ll Talk

Smart customers can be the least expensive market/product research you can do. If they feel heard, see feedback, or are part of a discussion, it’s surprising how they’ll support and bond with a company. Great ideas deserve to be recognized publicly, perhaps even rewarded with cash, a product, or a service. Contests and giveaways are another way to give back to your readers. Your efforts will vary but blogs can include tips, tricks of the trade, news, how-tos, interviews, business activities, industry activities, and analyses of activities and trends. You can also invite your best readers to write guest posts. If you focus on getting people involved, it shows that there’s a human on the other side of the screen, not an automated system. Do something unexpected once in a while to keep readers excited about your blog so they’ll keep coming back and recommend it to their friends. Before jumping into your blog with both feet, figure out what your strategy will be, establish a tactical timetable (how often will you post), and stick to it. Be a part of the community—a prominent part. •••• This is Part 1 of a series on social media. Andy Marken is a marketing and communications consultant with more than 30 years of experience. He has written more than 400 articles. In addition to consulting with and being a spokesman for major clients, he also speaks on industry subjects, including management, marketing, and consumer relations. He can be reached at andy@markencom.com.

Winter 2012

Kids’ Trends in 2011

Kids’ Trends

The NPD Group releases stats on licensed product sales trends for kids during the 12 months ending August 2011

s we head into Toy Fair, revved up to see what the toy industry has in store for the next 12 months, the final tallies of 2011 and the holiday selling season’s sales are rolling in, giving us insight into which properties and categories of licensed products were successful in grabbing a share of parents’ spending money. These products flew off shelves, into carts, and went home to kids who cherish their favorite properties. A major source of these year-in-review and quarterly stats is market research company The NPD Group’s Kids Industry Data Service (KIDS), a monthly, syndicated tracking service that provides users with a holistic view of purchases made for kids—from birth through age 14—across categories and retailers, with a focus on licensing and brands. In November, KIDS named the top five children’s licenses across product categories for the 12 months that ended August 2011 (September 2010 – August 2011). For that period, the top licenses, in alphabetical order, were Disney•Pixar’s Cars, Disney Princess, Dora the Explorer, Star Wars, and Toy Story, each generating anywhere from 3-7 percent of total licensed product sales. In the U.S. alone, licensed toy sales account for an average of 25 percent of total toy industry annual revenue, according to NPD’s KIDS. Apparel and accessories captured the greatest share of spending on behalf of kids overall, including licensed and non-licensed products. The franchises with the greatest share of spending within the licensed portion of the apparel and accessories category were Disney Princess, Dora the Explorer, and Disney•Pixar’s Cars. Among age groups, 3- to 5-year-olds commanded the most dollars spent on licensed products (27 percent), followed by 6- to 8-year-olds at 21 percent. The remaining age groups ranged from 16 percent to 18 percent. In terms of licensed products sales by gender, more money was spent on boys (58 percent) than girls (43 percent) during that 12-month period. ••••

Disney•Pixar’s Cars’ Secret Agent Finn McMissile

Methodology The NPD Group’s Kids Industry Data Service is an online survey of adults ages 18 and older. A weekly survey that is aggregated into monthly increments, KIDS captures past seven-day purchases made for children from birth through age 14.The sample is selected such that responses are balanced on gender, age, income, education, region, household size, and composition. Respondents are weighted and projected to total U.S. population.

Top Kids’ Properties Across Product Categories September 2010–August 2011 (alphabetical order)

Cars the Movie Disney Princess Dora the Explorer Star Wars Toy Story

NPD

Winter 2012

Top 10 Family Entertainment & Casual Games Titles Ranked by Total U.S. Units, December 2011

Rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Title

Just Dance 3 Dance Central 2 Wipeout 2 Just Dance Kids 2 Michael Jackson:The Experience The Black Eyed Peas Experience Wipeout:The Game Rocksmith Plants Vs. Zombies Just Dance 2

A Breakdown of Licensing Opportunities for Kids, January–November 2011 How do licensing opportunities differ by age?

How do licensing opportunities differ by gender?

Ages 0-8

Ages 9-14

Boys

Girls

Dollar Share

26.4%

25.9%

18.2%

81.8%

73.6%

20.5%

79.5%

74.1%

A look at toys, board games, and arts & crafts purchased for kids Toys, board games, and arts & crafts comprised 12 percent of dollars spent on kids 0-14 from September 2010 to August 2011.

Top 5 Licenses

Top 5 Brands

Barbie

Crayola

Toy Story

Mattel

Disney Princess

Fisher-Price

Disney•Pixar’s Cars

Disney

Star Wars

Hasbro

Source: The NPD Group/Kids Industry Data Service (KIDS)

Winter 2012

Outer circle, clockwise from top left: Zinkia Entertainment’s Pocoyo; Domo Pink Nerd Plush, from License 2 Play, Inc.; Classic Media’s Where’s Waldo?; Paws, Inc.’s Garfield; Spider-Man multi-bin organizer, from Delta Children’s Products; Large Scale Thomas’ Christmas Delivery, from Bachmann Trains; Pretty Ugly, LLC’s UglyBuddies Ox & Ice-Bat; Diablo Moshi Monsters key chain, from Basic Fun. Inner circle, clockwise from top left: Talking Tom plush, from Dragon-i Toys; Guess Who? Star Wars, from Hasbro Games; Cody Simpson doll, from The Wish Factory, TMNT Shellraiser, from Playmates Toys, Justin Bieber Talking Doll, from The Bridge Direct.

Winter 2011

Licensors

SMC Entertainment Takes a Walk on the Wild Side with The Jungle Book

SMC Entertainment (SMC), the recently launched entertainment and brand management division of global consumer products manufacturer Sun-Mate Corporation, attends American International Toy Fair with its latest property, The Jungle Book. SMC Entertainment has acquired all North American television, home entertainment, licensing, and merchandising rights, as well as all promotional rights, to the 52 x 11-episode CGI-animated The Jungle Book television series and a one-hour feature from DQ Entertainment International. In addition, the company has acquired the master toy rights for The Jungle Book in Australia and New Zealand, and licensing and merchandising rights for South Africa. SMC Entertainment, headed by Lisa Streff, senior vice president of licensing, is developing a comprehensive consumer products program for The Jungle Book in North America. The company is currently in the process of securing new partnerships for the brand, targeted to children 3-8 years old, across all key toy categories. This new, high-definition version of The Jungle Book is the first and only CGI-animated series and the first animated series to be produced in almost 25 years, based on British author Rudyard Kipling’s classic stories, first published in 1893. Prior adaptations have included several live-action and animated feature films, and an anime series produced in 1988. These series retained many of Kipling’s stories, but combined and changed many other elements to suit more modern sensibilities. Produced by DQ Entertainment, and co-produced with ZDF Group Germany, Moonscoop, and TF1 France, the first season of The Jungle Book has proven to be a global success, airing on toptier channels worldwide, including ZDF in Germany, BBC in the UK, TF1 in France, RAI 2 in Italy, TV3 in Spain, Noga TV in Israel, ABC in Australia, Channel B in Indonesia, EBS in Korea, TVO in Canada, Televisa in Mexico, and Disney channels across Asia and Latin America. Broadcast of the series extends to more than 160 countries worldwide.

Global home entertainment partners include NBC Universal for the UK, France, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan; and Sony Pictures Entertainment. There are more than 160 partners for The Jungle Book across the globe, including ZDF, TF1, CPLG, Empire Multimedia, Wild Pumpkin, and Kenny & Co Entertainment. Licensees include Universal Music Group for worldwide music publishing rights; Hachette for publishing in the French language; Blue Ocean for magazine and publishing/stickers for German-speaking Europe; Bruno in Spain for publishing; and Quick for Magic Box (kids’ meals) across major European markets. In France (and, in most cases, the Benelux region), outdoor sporting goods are licensed to Darpege; back-to-school rights are licensed to School Pack; footwear is licensed to Off Road; and apparel and kids’ accessories are licensed to TV Mania. In Germany, rights for figurines, puzzles, and board games are licensed to Universal Trends GmbH; party goods are licensed to Reithmuller GMBH; and DuMont Kalenderverlag GmbH & Co has the rights for wall calendars. In the UK, Mookie holds toy rights, and C&M Licensing holds the rights for nightwear and underwear. In Israel, Spark Toys has the rights for toys and games.

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Licensors

Sony Seeks Deals for Its Film Properties

In The Pirates! Band of Misfits (3D), Hugh Grant stars in his first animated role as the bearded Pirate Captain who has one dream: to beat his bitter rivals The Pirates! Band of Misfits Black Bellamy (Jeremy Piven) and Cutlass Liz (Salma Hayek) to the much coveted Pirate Of The Year Award. Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) offers worldwide licensing and promotions opportunities, excluding UK licensing, for this stop-motion/claymation family film that releases April 27 in the U.S. and between March and August internationally. Rated PG-13, Men In Black 3 (3D) releases worldwide May 25, and stars Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, and Josh Brolin. It’s available for worldwide licensing and promotions opportunities. A CGI-animated family film, Hotel Transylvania (3D) takes place at Dracula’s (Adam Sandler) lavish five-stake resort, where monsters and their families can live it up, free to be the monsters they are without humans to bother them. Dracula’s world could come crashing down when one ordinary guy stumbles into the

hotel and takes a liking to his daughter, Mavis. The film releases September 21 in the U.S. and between September and December internationally. Worldwide licensing and promotions opportunities are available. In The Smurfs 2 (3D), a sequel to the hybrid live-action/animated family blockbuster comedy The Smurfs, the evil wizard Gargamel creates a group of mischievous Smurf-like creatures, called the Naughties, and kidnaps Smurfette and imprisons her in the city of Paris. The Smurfs 2 is scheduled to be released August 2, 2013, in U.S. theaters and between August and September 2013 internationally. SPE offers worldwide promotions and North American licensing opportunities. International licensing is by IMPS. Cloudy 2: Revenge of the Leftovers (3D) is directed by Kris Pearn and Cody Cameron, and produced by Kirk Bodyfelt. In the wake of the disastrous food storm at the end of the first movie, Flint Lockwood and friends are forced to leave their town of Swallow Falls. But when it is discovered that sentient food beasts have overrun the island, they are asked to return to save the world, again. This CGI-animated, family film has worldwide promotions and licensing opportunities available. SPE has a licensing program targeting the Ghostbusters’ core fan base. The program continues to add partners that recognize the strength and longevity of the brand, and worldwide licensing opportunities are available.

The Annoying Orange Makes New Friends

The Annoying Orange and master toy partner The Bridge Direct are refreshing the line of products that debuted in time for last holiday season. The Bridge Direct deal was brokered on behalf of The Collective by The Joester Loria Group (TJLG), the licensing agent for The Annoying Orange brand. A line of talking collectibles will see new sound chips and two new characters, Grandpa Lemon and Grapefruit. These talking collectibles are textured with detail and include a “try me” feature to hear the classic jokes and puns from each kitchen crew member. Talking Fresh Squeezed Plush Clip-Ons will now include Grapefruit. Orange and Pear will have new facial expressions.

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The entire crew will have new sound chips, and will include a “try me” feature. The Talking Fresh Squeezed Plush line has been updated with a new Orange, Pear, and Marshmallow. New character phrases and sounds will also be included. Each fresh talker is a soft plush with photo-realistic features to reflect the characters. They also include a “try me” feature. Other new product introductions this year include Annoying Orange Talking Playface Plush, Pen Toppers, Talking Fruit Launching Playsets, Fresh Squeezed Foam Balls, and more. The Annoying Orange is also embarking on a new fruitful adventure with the debut of a new television series later this year.

Licensors

Suzy’s Zoo Unleashes Plans for 2012

Aspiring artist Suzy Spafford created a world of animals in San Diego, Calif., more than 40 years ago. The initial strategy was to create a greeting card line for the U.S. market, featuring the wide cast of characters (572 at last count) for all occasions. From this evolved a complete line of social expressions, including party goods, photos albums, diaries, wrapping paper, wedding and baby shower décor, and more. That led to a complete line of teaching aids for the classroom. The “classic” Suzy’s Zoo (aka Duckport) brand was born and off to a lucrative start as a top-selling greeting card line. In the late ‘90s, Walmart and Target approached Suzy to create a younger version of the character set to appeal to expectant and

new moms. A complete array of baby layette, accessories, and apparel was designed featuring the newly created Little Suzy’s Zoo cast of characters. In the midst of these various activities, more than 30 books were published and translated into several languages worldwide. In 2005, Sony Plaza, a retail chain from Japan that has since been sold and renamed Plazastyle, proposed licensing the brand for its 150-plus department stores throughout Japan, and said it would represent Suzy’s Zoo as the master agent in the territory. Now, Suzy’s Zoo boasts the distinction of being the top-selling brand in all Plazastyle stores in Japan, with sales topping $160 million per year at the height of the brand’s popularity. Most recently, two-minute animated episodes were created, based on the Little Suzy’s Zoo characters, and are currently airing on Sundays on Tokyo Broadcasting System. Suzy’s Zoo officially launched its first publishing program in the UK last fall, and will debut games, puzzles, and baby layette and apparel later this year. Suzy’s Zoo has also created a fully interactive web environment, will launch its first eBook soon, and plans to start production on an animated television series based on the classic Suzy’s Zoo character set.

Redasign Studio to Represent Kimmidoll, Kimmi Junior

The Aird Group, creator of Kimmidoll and Kimmi Junior, has appointed Redasign Studio as the North American licensing agent for both brands. Redasign Studio has inked a deal with Kids Preferred to distribute Kimmi Junior resin dolls, key chains, and additional merchandise for the specialty market. Kids Preferred is launching products at Toy Fair, and will continue to show the line throughout the year at gift shows across the country. Kimmidoll is a modern version of the ancient Kokeshi dolls that were exchanged throughout Japan many centuries ago. Kokeshi dolls were given away as tokens of love and friendship, and were also given as gifts to newborn children as a lucky charm to bestow good wishes for

a healthy child. The creation of the Kimmidoll brand is based on the philosophy of bestowing luck and good fortune upon friends and family. Kimmi Junior is the younger sister of Kimmidoll, and primarily targets girls ages 4-10. The Kimmidoll brand has established success in the international arena, and is well-known in more than 50 countries worldwide, including Australia, the UK, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Ireland, South Africa, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, and the United Arab Emirates. Millions of collectible resin dolls have already been sold around the globe, and the licensing program is growing exponentially, territory after territory.

Kimmi Junior dolls

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Licensors

Kidz Bop Pops Into 2012 with New Products and Partners

Kidz Bop kicks off the new year with new promotional partnerships, consumer products, and licensing agreements. The latest volume in its audio series, Kidz Bop 21, was released in January, and includes 16 chart-topping hits sung by kids for kids. Kidz Bop is supporting the release with a major national TV campaign airing on Nickelodeon and Disney XD. Imperial Toy will debut a new line of Kidz Bop Pop Star roleplay toys this summer. The line will feature musical instruments and fashion accessories with on-trend styles and technological elements. Products are expected to launch timed to coincide with the release of Kidz Bop 22 in July. Kidz Bop recently partnered with LeapFrog to distribute downloadable content through LeapFrog’s new digital App Center. Initial content offered includes select Kidz Bop music and videos. Additional content will roll out throughout this year.

This January, Kidz Bop launched its first-ever radio show, Kidz Bop Block Party on Sirius XM. It’s a radio show where kids help determine weekly playlists and segments, chat with celebrities, and get a chance to have their voices heard by participating online at KidzBop.com. Kidz Bop Block Party features Kidz Bop and other age-appropriate pop hits, on-air “shout outs” from fans, and regular weekly segments like the “Kidz Bop High 5” and “Artists 2 Know.” Kidz Bop is further expanding functionality for its safe social network and video-sharing site for kids and tweens, KidzBop.com, which has launched a new homepage. To complement the member-created fan pages, brands and celebrities can launch their own “Official Fan Pages,” offering exclusive content and video Q&As. Kelly Clarkson, Hot Chelle Rae, and HarperCollins are among the celebrities and brands that will participate. Kidz Bop will kick off its annual Kidz Star USA Talent Search this summer. Kidz Star USA is America’s biggest national talent competition for kids ages 15 and under. Last year, nearly 50,000 kids from across the country entered the competition, and more than two million fan votes helped determine the winner, Kiana Brown. Brown received a recording contract with RCA Records and a starring role in a Kidz Bop TV commercial and music video.

Summertime Has Big Plans for Dorothy of Oz

Summertime Entertainment plans a robust licensing program for the upcoming animated Dorothy of Oz. Dorothy of Oz is on track for a theatrical release this summer, and will be geared specifically toward girls ages 4-8 years old. The property has secured national deals with Bandai America as master toy partner, Just Play Products as the role-play partner, and Rubie’s Costume Co. for costumes. Major retailers, including Walmart, Target, Toys “R” Us, FAO Schwarz, Kmart, Claire’s, and Barnes & Noble, and more than 30 licensing partners have agreed to support the brand with a myriad of licensed products. Summertime has signed KidDesigns, Inc. for musical and non-musical role-play and novelty, Innovative Designs for back-to-school supplies, Alexander Doll Company for col-

lectible dolls, and Game Mill Entertainment for Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS video games. Products are expected to hit shelves in July, in advance of the worldwide theatrical release of Dorothy of Oz, which is being produced as a 3-D CG-animated family musical starring the voice talents of Lea Michele, Martin Short, Jim Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Kelsey Grammer, Megan Hilty, Hugh Dancy, and Patrick Stewart. In the realm of apps and video games, Summertime Entertainment is developing a Toto iPad/iPhone app where the player can play with Dorothy’s beloved dog, while licensee iStorytime will produce an immersive app for Dorothy of Oz that includes a movie storybook and activity experience.

The Cowardly Lion and The Scarecrow dolls from Alexander Doll Company

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Priddy Books to Publish Line of Schoolies Books

New preschool brand Schoolies, by Ellen Crimi-Trent, expands its presence with a comprehensive line of books to be published worldwide by Priddy Books, a division of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group. Spencer the Owl and his friends, initially launched through a mobile app last year, will come to life with a broad range of books, including activity books, 8x8 readers, Let’s Go learning books, flash cards, and e-books. The initial line is planned to include four Schoolies book titles plus flash cards, set to launch July 2013 in time for back-to-school. Schoolies is beginning to explore brand expansion into toys, interactive games, school supplies, apparel, bags, accessories, and more.

Atlantyca Entertainment Renews Le Petit Prince Licensing Agreement

Trans-media entertainment company Atlantyca Entertainment has renewed its licensing agreement for Antoine De Saint-Exupéry’s internationally famous Le Petit Prince with Magazzini Salani. The new agreement with Magazzini Salani extends the company’s rights to produce and distribute highend stationery gift items, including shoppers, calendars, notebooks, and infant books through 2012 and 2013. Le Petit Prince, the animated series, commenced broadcast in December on Rai2. The book series Le Petit Prince has been translated into more than 220 languages, and has sold more than 130 million copies, making it one of the best-selling books internationally. Recognized for its touching stories and strong moral characters, Le Petit Prince is the story of a man who meets an extraordinary boy and relearns what it means to be a child.

The Licensing Group Seeks Licensees for America’s Legacy and LAPD

America’s Legacy is the licensing program created for the United States Secret Service Uniform Division Benefit Fund, the charitable arm of the United States Secret Service. The program includes the use of various protected government emblems, marks, and insignias. Kryptolite has been named the exclusive licensee for watches, sunglasses, and small leather goods. The Licensing Group, Ltd., which represents America’s Legacy for licensing, is seeking partners in the categories of toys, hobbies, crafts, and games. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) is also represented for licensing by The Licensing Group, Ltd. Key images of the LAPD program include the LAPD Badge, the term LAPD, and the many images of vehicles and uniforms used by the LAPD. The Licensing Group is seeking licensees in the toys, hobbies, crafts, and games categories. For information, contact Danny Simon by email (danny@tlgla.com) or phone (323-653-2700 x20).

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Licensors

Scholastic Media Celebrates Clifford the Big Red Dog

Scholastic Media has a robust lineup of kids’ products being released this year, and its licensing partners will showcase many of these products at Toy Fair. In conjunction with the 50th anniversary of Clifford the Big Red Dog, numerous partners will have new Clifford products on shelves next year. Douglas will offer new plush products, as well as new fashion bags, available for specialty. TCG will offer new Clifford games and puzzles. Patch Products will launch a Tales to Play 3-D board game, card games, floor puzzles, and a Design ’n Doodle release. Zoobies will release a new Clifford plush book and duffel bag with blanket. The Foland Group will offer nine new Clifford products including a rocker, a playground ball, and a rocket balloon. Brand X-Pand will offer new print-ondemand apparel and accessories, party supplies, and holiday items. Trevco will offer new Clifford T-shirts. Buy Seasons will release new Clifford party goods designs. Cranston Consumer Products will offer new Clifford fabric designs, and Derma Sciences will offer new Clifford adhesive bandages. The Magic School Bus will see new science kits from The Young Scientists Club: Attracted to Magnificent Magnets

for ages 5 and up, Slime and Polymer Lab for ages 5 and up, Grow Amazing Polymers Group Pack for 30 participants ages 5 and up, and 12 separate monthly mail-away kits. The family-friendly brand Goosebumps celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, and extends its reach with new products from Fundex, including Goosebumps: Welcome to Horrorland Board Game, Scrabble: Goosebumps Edition, Monopoly: Goosebumps Edition, Goosebumps Rubik’s Cube, and Uno: Goosebumps Edition. The I Spy seek-and-find franchise will see several new games and puzzles released by long-time partner Briarpatch, including I Spy Hocus Pocus game, I Spy Ready to Count game, and two I Spy lenticular puzzles. Boom Comics will release two new WordGirl comic books. Danara will release new Little Scholastic-branded infant/baby developmental toys, and Kids Station will release four new Scholastic-branded products to add to its existing portfolio: Scholastic Explore and Learn Cell Phone, Scholastic Learn ’n Go, Scholastic Electronic Bug Viewer, and Scholastic Apple Learner. Clifford the Big Red Dog blanket

Licensees Bring Pinkalicious Products to Toy Fair

Since Pinkalicious, the first book in a series by Victoria Kann, was published in 2006, more than eight million copies have sold, and the book spent 46 weeks on The New York Times Bestsellers list. The book series, published by HarperCollins, includes Pinkalicious, as well as Purplicious, Goldilicious, Silverlicious, and five early readers. With The Joester Loria Group, Pinkalicious and her Pinkatastic world leap off the pages and into the lives of young girls with a full collection of Pinkalicious consumer products, including dolls, dress-up, and activities that celebrate all things pink while showing that being yourself is best of all. The following licensees are exhibiting Pinkalicious products at Toy Fair: Alexander Doll Company, Inc. with Kidz World Pinkalicious Recliner

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Pinkalicious dolls, Basic Fun, Inc. with Pinkalicious 3-D key chains, and Ceaco with Pinkalicious 24-piece and 60-piece puzzles. Also exhibiting, Fundex Games, Ltd. has the Pinkalicious Cupcake Party Game, Pinkalicious Scrabble Junior, Pinklalicious Uno, Pinkalicious 3-in-1 Card Game, Silverlicious Sweet Tooth Board Game, and Sweet Search Card Game. Kent International, Inc. has Pinkalicious 12- to 16-inch bikes, tricycles, skateboards, and helmets. Kidz World Furniture offers a Pinkalicious kids’ recliner, sleep sofa, a skirted bench, and a skirted rocker. Kent Pinkalicious Bike

Licensors

WSLicensing Brings Yammy Yammy Japan: Sushi to Toy Fair

WSLicensing brings Yammy Yammy Japan: Sushi character products to Toy Fair. Products include nine-inch large plush toys, six-inch medium plush toys, five-inch window suction cup plush toys, and four-inch cell phone-holder plush toys, all in six styles each. Other products include six large and six small slippers, six key ring plush toys, Yammy Yammy Lanyard with two-inch plush toys, and Yammy Yammy women’s T-shirts.

Domo Dominates Toy Fair with Big Tent

Big Tent Entertainment has three of its brands represented at Toy Fair. Discovery Kids, from Discovery Communications, Inc., will be represented by licensees NKOK, Inc., MasterPieces Puzzle Company, and Cosrich. Discovery Kids-branded products from NKOK include Splatter Painter, a battery-operated art machine that comes with five bottles of paint, two glitter tubes, and 20 paint cards. The Discovery Sewing Machine is a chain-stitch sewing machine that comes with one spool of thread, a measuring tape, and a needle threader. Space Ship Laser Tag is a dual-player, battery-operated infrared laser tag game come to life. It provides light and sound when firing while vibrating when hit by an opponent. Slide one of 10 discs with 70 images into the Trace ’n Draw Projector, turn it on, and project the traceable image onto canvas paper. The Magic Wand comes with a button that creates a static charge to make the provided Domo Superhero Plush shapes float in mid-air. Create images using six vibrant dry-erase markers with Discovery Neon Trace ’n Draw. Slide the provided pre-drawn animation sheet into the desktop, trace the image, press the light button, and watch the image come to life. The Discovery Kids Rope Draw has a Velcro-style

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surface with which to create artwork by feeding the rope through the pen and onto the canvas. The brightly colored rope can be cut into any length to create a masterpiece. The Robo Warrior is a classic radio-controlled robot that has 360degree rotation and movement while shooting foam discs at targets. Other products include the Radio-Controlled Stunt Rover and the Radio-Controlled Domo Pink Nerd Plush Stunt Rocket. Masterpieces Puzzle Company has new Discovery Kids puzzles, centered on the solar system and the pyramids of Egypt. Cosrich Group, Inc. is showcasing a new assortment of Discovery Kids-branded bath activity sets. Science, a division of Discovery Communications, Inc., is represented through a new line of branded products from Nano Magnetics, which distributes to both mass and specialty retailers. Nano Magnetics introduces the SCI Nanodots and accessories at the show. Dark Horse offers a new line of products, including the Domo Fun Time Magnet Set, Domo-sculpted coffee mug, Domo 4 Black Light Vinyl figure set, and Series 4 of the Domo Qee “mystery box” assortment. License 2 Play, Inc. is showcasing a number of new Domo plush items at Toy Fair, including Domo Sock Monkey, Domo Dino, Domo Pink Nerd Plush, Domo Superhero Plush, Domo Panda Plush, and Domo Teddy Plush.

Disney Consumer Products Has New Toys for Everyone

Disney Consumer Products introduces its new preschool toy line on DVD and Blu-ray, DCP will introduce an with a collection of products based on four Disney Junior assortment of merchandise this fall. The toy shows. Inspired by the farm theme featured in an line features role-play dresses and accessories upcoming Mickey Mouse Clubhouse movie event, from CDI; styled fashion dolls, small dolls, Fisher-Price has developed a new line featuring and a transforming carriage play set from a farm play set, figures, and vehicles. Mattel; and a large feature toddler doll from Based on an episode of Mickey Mouse ClubTollytots. house, the new Minnie Mouse Bow-Tique series Opening in June, Disney•Pixar’s Brave finds Minnie and her friend Daisy Duck runfollows the impetuous Merida through a ning Minnie’s Bow-Tique, a specialty shop that tale, set in the mysterious Highlands of Minnie Mouse Travel Bow-Tique stocks bows and bowties. DCP will introduce Scotland, where she must discover the meaning fashion-themed role-play from Just Play, and figures and acces- of true bravery. Girls can bring home the adventure with detailed sories from Fisher-Price. fashion dolls, small dolls, and play sets from Mattel; role-play and This year, DCP will intro- accessories from Creative Designs International, a division of Jake’s Pirate Ship duce its first line of toys Jakks Pacific; and a large toddler doll and fashions from Tollytots. inspired by the series Jake and Showcasing Tinker Bell and her friends, the Disney Fairies toy the Never Land Pirates, which line includes small dolls, play sets, and fashion dolls with accesfollows a crew of kid pirates sories from Jakks Pacific, as well as dress-up and role-play items and their Never Land adven- from CDI, including new products inspired by the full-length tures as they work to outwit animated Disney Fairies film, Secret of the Wings, releasing this fall. Captain Hook and Mr. Smee A boys’ franchise with year-round opportunity at retail, Cars from Disney’s classic Peter continues to rev up playtime for kids. Anchoring the Cars toy line Pan. Anchoring the line is an will be a refreshed assortment of die-cast vehicles, accessories, and assortment of play sets and track sets from Mattel. New characters will be introduced in Spin figures from Fisher-Price, Master’s line of R/C vehicles, and Lego will release vehicle and including Jake’s Pirate Ship construction play sets that feature new characters and film scenes. and Hook’s Rock play set. Just In the fall, Cars will take flight with an assortment of character diePlay is releasing plush, role-play, and accessories. cast vehicles, R/C racers, and play sets inspired by two new Cars The new series Doc McStuffins, debuting in March, features 6- Toon shorts. year-old Dottie “Doc” McStuffins, who communicates with and Bring home Woody, Buzz, and the rest of the Toy Story gang heals stuffed animals and toys out of her backyard clinic. Little girls with a continuing line of buddy packs, basic figures, play sets, and can nurture their own toys with new products from Just Play role-play from Mattel; vehicles, figure packs, and play sets from including large and small Doc dolls, classic plush, and role-play Fisher-Price; and talking figures from Thinkway Toys. Mattel will and accessories, including a doctor’s bag with a full set of instru- release a new R/C vehicle and play set this spring. In the fall, an ments, a check-up center, and a dress-up set complete with lab coat. assortment of figures inspired by new Toy Story Toon shorts will Furthering the Disney Princess brand, Tangled Ever After picks include dinosaur Rex. Hitting theaters in November is a CGI-animated comedy feaup where Tangled left off in a short film that debuted in January and celebrates the royal wedding of Rapunzel and Flynn. This turing title character Wreck-It Ralph as he navigates the video spring, fans can enjoy a new wedding-themed assortment, includ- game world in pursuit of becoming the game’s “good guy.” This ing fashion dolls and small dolls from Mattel, a toddler doll from fall, DCP will introduce a cross-category toy line appealing to both boys and girls, including figures, vehicles, classic plush, feature Tollytots, and a role-play wedding dress from CDI. To celebrate the release of Disney’s Cinderella: Diamond Edition plush, fashion dolls, and role-play.

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Licensors

Nelvana Searches for Beyblade Champion, Celebrates Babar’s 80th Anniversary

Nelvana promotions this year for its Beyblade property include the World Beyblade Championship, which will take place at Corus Quay in Toronto on March 25, uniting the top “bladers” from more than 30 countries in a tournament to find the No. 1 Beyblade champion. Extensive marketing and retail campaigns will promote this unique global event. Now through September 2, Babar is featured in the Toy Gallery at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, honoring the property’s 80th anniversary. Babar’s 80th anniversary celebrations continue in the U.S. this year with new licensing partners to be announced soon. Abrams Books for Young Readers released the latest book from Laurent de Brunhoff, Babar’s Celesteville Games, in 2011. Throughout the year, Abrams reissued de Brunhoff’s classic Babar books in a new format, in celebration of the 80th anniversary. In France, Hachette Jeunesse plans to publish 50-60 titles during the next three years, with the first debuting this spring.

Where’s Waldo? Is Spotted with New Partners

Classic Media has signed new consumer products partners for Where’s Waldo? in the U.S., including games, puzzles, and novelty items from Techno Source, a division of LF Products; accessories from Concept One Accessories; apparel from Jem Sportswear and Awake; cloth and collectible dolls from Alexander Doll Company; virtual goods from Virtual Greats; and electronic skins and adhesive wall decals from Skinit. The new Where’s Waldo? program will hit retail this fall, timed to Waldo’s 25th anniversary. These new licensees join existing Where’s Waldo? partners, which include Candlewick Press (publishing), Ludia (Apple mobile games), Gameloft (mobile games, excluding Apple platforms), and Elope (costumes). Techno Source, a division of LF Products and part of Li & Fung Limited, will develop Where’s Waldo? board games, puzzles, card games, and novelty items, including the original Where’s Waldo? search-and-find

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glitter wands. Concept One Accessories will develop a line of Where’s Waldo? fashion accessories for a wide variety of consumers. The company will launch Where’s Waldo? bags, headwear, belts, wallets, and slippers that appeal to juniors, young men, and tweens. Jem Sportswear and Awake will develop a line of Where’s Waldo? fashion tops across all their divisions, including for men, juniors, boys, and girls. Alexander Doll Company, Inc. will commemorate Where’s Waldo?’s 25th anniversary with a line of limited-edition dolls. The company will develop a collectible version of Where’s Waldo? soft dolls, vinyl dolls, and dolls with coordinating accessories. Virtual Greats will launch Where’s Waldo? virtual items online to reach a growing global virtual goods market. They can be purchased as virtual gifts or collectibles, or as elements used to enhance or accessorize user avatars or digital worlds. In November, Skinit, Inc. launched Where’s Waldo? electronic skins that are affordable, designed to fit perfectly and not interfere with other accessories, and are easy to apply and remove with no residue. The covers, referred to as “skins,” can be applied to a broad range of devices, including smartphones, laptops, MP3 players, gaming consoles, and everything in between. Created by Martin Handford and first published in 1987, Where’s Waldo? has sold more than 55 million books in more than 38 countries, and has sold more than five million apps to date.

Licensors

Zenescope Offers Grimm Fairy Tales

Zenescope Entertainment is showing products based on its comic book properties at Toy Fair. Grimm Fairy Tales, the flagship comic book series from Zenescope Entertainment, has created strong female heroines, and now Alice and Sela will be available for all fans of the series to collect. These action figures will capture the beauty and brilliance of the comic book style, while presenting these characters in a new way. With Wonderland Board Game, based on one of the comic book series from Zenescope Entertainment, win epic battles against Cheshire, Jabberwocky, and a host of other deadly foes, all the while keeping from diving right over the brink of insanity. Other products include MX Collectibles’ Collegiate Football Busts, which stand nearly five-inches tall; Monster Hunter’s Survival Guide Figurines, based on the pocket guide; and Jurassic Strike Force 5 Action Figures, which stand six-inches tall and are based on the newly launched Jurassic Strike Force 5 comic book series.

Nickelodeon Launches New Lines

Nickelodeon Consumer Products (NCP) heads to Toy Fair with entertainment brands for preschoolers, kids, tweens, and teens. Nickelodeon is unveiling products for new and established properties, including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Winx Club, Team Umizoomi, Dora the Explorer, SquarePants SpongeBob, and Victorious. At Toy Fair, Playmates Toys launches a new line of action figures, play sets, vehicles, and role-play, inspired by Nickelodeon’s new CGI-animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The show will premiere this fall. Winx Club is an animated modern fantasy adventure series that follows six best friends enrolled in Alfea College, the finest fairy school in all the realms. Jakks Pacific and Creative Designs International (a division of Jakks), are debuting a line of dolls, play sets, accessories, dress-up, costumes, and role-play items based on the series. Nickelodeon and Fisher-Price introduce new toy lines for preschool properties Team Umizoomi and Dora the Explorer. The first toy line for the show, Team Umizoomi products from Fisher-Price include figures, basic and learning plush, bath toys, Jakks Pacific and vehicles. Building on the past success of Fisher-Price’s DoraWinx Club doll inspired toys, new products will include a new dollhouse, play sets, dolls, and role-play toys. SpongeBob SquarePants, who has entertained fans of all ages for more than a decade, is the inspiration for new toys from Fisher-Price’s Imaginext brand. The new line includes play sets, vehicles, and figures where SpongeBob is featured in the iconic Imaginext look. SpongeBob is also the inspiration for new toys from The Lego Group, and Lego is debuting two new SpongeBob-themed building sets at Toy Fair. Additionally, Victorious master toy licensee Spin Master, Ltd., will announce new products for this year that expand upon the success of its Victorious toy launch in October. The new line will include fashion dolls, play sets, and role-play.

Peepsqueak!

HarperCollins recently released Peepsqueak!, a children’s book written and illustrated by artist and author Leslie Ann Clark. Peepsqueak! has 30 pages of text and illustration, measures nine by nine inches in a colorful hardcover, and comes with a plush chick. The second story in the series, Peepsqueak! Finds A Friend, is scheduled for an early 2013 release.

Winter 2012

Pretty Ugly’s Uglyverse Grows in 2012

Pretty Ugly, LLC is pretty busy at Toy Fair with new Uglydoll products and partnerships. The Uglydoll family began with a drawing of an orange character called Wage, and this spring, Pretty Ugly will release a nine-inch 10th anniversary Wage plush doll. Uglydoll plush characters are available in a variety of sizes and styles, with new characters planned for release throughout this year in four plush sizes. Uglybuddies will launch this spring in six styles. This line consists of a nine-inch plush with a four-inch plush buddy. Other 2012 Uglydoll products include the Uglydog Uglyhat, Uglybag Assortment in four styles, and Uglypillow Double-Sided Assortment in four styles, all for release in June. A collection of Uglydoll ceramic items, available for release this spring, includes 11-ounce Ceramic Mugs in four styles; 18-ounce Ceramic Jumbo Mugs in four styles; Ceramic Plates in two styles; Ceramic TwoPack Salt & Pepper Shakers in three styles; Trunko Ceramic Coin Banks in pink and blue; Ceramic Picture Frames that hold fourby-six-inch photos, in seven styles; and Ceramic Uglydoll Spreaders in five styles.

Schylling has released an Uglydoll Rocket Ride Wind-Up Tin Toy that has a lever mechanism instead of a key, stands eightinches tall, and is suitable for ages 3 and up. Schylling has also released new youth umbrellas in three styles, Ice-bat, Ox, and Uglydoll Rainy Day, suitable for ages 3 and up. Both products were released in January. Funko launched new Uglydoll Pop! Vinyl Figures in January. For ages 3 and up, the Uglydoll Pop! Vinyl figures stand 3.75inches tall, and include Babo, Ice-Bat, Ninja Batty Shogun, Ox, and Wage. Each figure features Funko’s unique design, a rotating head, and articulation. Universal Studio’s Illumination Entertainment acquired the rights last year to turn the Uglydoll characters into an animated feature film. Uglybuddies Ox with Ice-Bat

Discovery Communications Features Animal Planet and Discovery Channel at Toy Fair

Viewed in more than 97 million U.S. households, Animal Planet also attracts millions of fans online and through social media. Discovery Communications and its licensing agent, The Joester Loria Group (TJLG), plan to broaden the already existing pet and lifestyle programs, and develop new merchandising programs that enable individuals to integrate their love of animals into their everyday lives. The Animal Planet licensing program continues to give back with a portion of the proceeds from licensed products benefiting the principal partners of R.O.A.R (Reach Out. Act. Respond), Animal Planet’s national campaign that, together with animal organizations, leads the way in taking action and making the world a better place for animals. At Toy Fair, Bendon Publishing is featuring Animal Planet coloring and activity books. H.I.S. Juveniles, Inc. showcases Animal Planet infant/toddler safety and travel accessories, as well as stroller toys. Ravensburger has Animal Planet puzzles on display, and Techno Source features Animal Planet 3-D games and puzzles.

Discovery Channel’s longest-running regular series, Emmy-nominated MythBusters uses science to determine the truth behind urban legends. Hosted by Jamie Hyneman, Adam Savage, Tory Belleci, Grant Imahara, and Kari Byron, MythBusters is inspiring a generation to inquire, interact, and get involved with science by proving or disproving popular myths, misconceptions, or legends. Wonder Forge is featuring MythBusters: The Game at its booth. Load Buster into his cannon, and take a shot at one of the 400 myth-busting trivia questions. Can a penny dropped from the Empire State Building kill someone? Do sharks really go for blood? If a player answers correctly, place a Animal Planet landing target or re-aim the cannon. Launch Buster, stroller toy hit the target, and score.

Winter 2012

Licensors

Superheroes, Hobbits, Wizards, Oh My! Warner Bros. Brings Properties to Toy Fair Man of Steel

Warner Bros. Consumer Products’ (WBCP) toy business will be driven by tent-pole films including The Dark Knight Rises (July), Man of Steel (June 2013), The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (December), and The Hobbit: There and Back Again (December 2013). The company’s licensees and retailers will take advantage of the new animation fare. As global master toy partner for the entire DC Comics portfolio, Mattel will continue to develop products based on the legendary DC Comics Super Heroes and Super Villains, inspired by films, animation, and video games. Mattel supports the universe of DC Comics characters across its portfolio of core brands, including Hot Wheels, Matchbox, Barbie, Mattel Games, and Fisher-Price, where the DC Super Friends products from the Imaginext, Shake ’n Go, GeoTrax, and HeroWorld lines feature the DC Comics characters. The addition of the new Little People product line that features DC Comics characters will expand consumer appeal even further. Mattel partners with Diamond Comic Distributors this year to help extend its presence globally with exclusive European distribution rights for the DC Comics sixinch action figure line. WBCP continues to build on its success with Lego, its official partner in the construction category, with a myriad of new prod-

Winter 2012

uct offerings for the DC Universe. WBCP and its other partners are gearing up with a host of product lines based on the DC Comics portfolio, including Rubie’s Costume Co. with costume/dressup products. Cartoon Network’s DC Nation block, a multi-platform franchise, arrives this year in the U.S., featuring programming produced by Warner Bros. Animation (WBA), including Green Lantern: The Animated Series and an all-new season of Young Justice, featuring new heroes and villains. DC Nation offers additional content catalysts for all DC Comics licensees, led by Mattel, which will unveil products supporting this exclusive animation block. Batman: The Brave and The Bold continues on Cartoon Network in the U.S., and internationally. WBCP is set to support The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: There and Back Again film releases with top licensees, including master toy partners Vivid Group and The Bridge Direct. As WBCP looks to expand its toy partner base for the franchise, it continues to align with longtime collaborators including Games Workshop to continue as lead partner in the hobby gaming category. Last year, WBCP brought Bandai America, Inc. onboard as global master toy licensee for ThunderCats, the 21st century reimagining of the iconic 1980s action classic. Bandai is poised this year with a global rollout of its sigRetro-Action DC Superheroes nature product lines. from Mattel With global appeal that crosses all age and gender boundaries, the Looney Tunes brand is poised to unveil a host of new and ongoing partners in time for Toy Fair. With last year’s release of the series finale, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows–Part 2, and the current international tour of Harry Potter: The Exhibition, the boy wizard continues to cast a spell around the world. The Noble Collection, WBCP’s lead partner in the collectibles category, continues to showcase a range of film replicas and collectibles. The Harry Potter brand continues to be supported by Rubie’s Costume Co. with costumes and accessories, and by Lego with an assortment of construction sets.

Licensors

American Greetings Celebrates the Care Bears’ Return

American Greetings Properties has dubbed 2012 as “A Year of Caring” in honor of the return of Care Bears, and kicks off the relaunch and 30th anniversary of the property at Toy Fair. Care Bears were first introduced in 1982 and quickly became a global phenomenon, spawning television shows, movies, and toys. During the past decade, the Care Bears have continued to connect with kids, tweens, and parents with licensed products generating more than $2.6 billion in global sales since 2002. A new Care Bears CGI TV series will debut this summer, starring old friends and new ones, set high above earth in the cloudscape of Care-a-Lot. Current partners include Bendon for publishing; Bioworld, Briefly Stated, Changes, and Freeze for apparel and accessories; and AD Sutton for infant products. Hasbro is launching a line of huggable toys in spring 2013.

Paws, Inc. Licenses Garfield for International Merchandise

Paws, Inc. is focusing on building an international toy and plush program for its Garfield property. In China, Shenzhen Shun Jia Toys Co., Ltd. manufactures an array of kids’ pull toys, wind-up dolls, and plastic dolls for the Chinese market. Fen Oyuncak Ve Mutf. Esy Pas. Tic. Ltd. Sti. of Turkey produces sand toys and basketball hoops, among other outdoor toys. Sound and Light Animatronics, based in Hong Kong, has taken Garfield and Odie into the animatronics market with seasonal plush toys that include voice chips and music with worldwide distribution rights. Goldlok Toys Holdings, also based in Hong Kong, has created magnetic drawing boards, magnetic chalkboards, toy ATM machines, five-in-one preschool learning toys, toy telephones, toy trains, toy trucks, toy planes, and other plastic toys featuring Garfield and the gang, with wide distribution in Europe, Eastern Europe, South America, the Middle East, parts of Asia, and the U.S. Plush manufacturers Green Horse Toys and Fine Toys enjoy wide distribution throughout the world. They are both based in Hong Kong. The CGI-animated program The Garfield Show finishes its third season of production this year, and continues to grow its audience via Cartoon Network International, France 3, Cartoon Network USA, and China’s CCTV. The show currently airs in 130 countries, and is the product of collaboration between Garfield’s Paws, Inc., Dargaud’s (France) Ellipseanime, and France 3. Garfield has found a home in direct-to-retail stores in Europe, Eastern Europe, and the Balkans. Retailers work with Paws, Inc. to create unique apparel and accessories for sale in their stores and boutiques. Garfield’s DTR family includes Jumbo DTR in Greece, Bulgaria, and Cypress, specializing in kids apparel and accessories; and LPP Dtr in Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Ukraine, with a wide array of apparel for the entire family. Barcelona, Spain-based Oysho Inditex focuses on women’s apparel with stores in Austria, Bulgaria, Turkey, and Poland, as well as Central America and Mexico. Garfield plush from Sound and Light Animatronics

Winter 2012

Zinkia Entertainment Expands Pocoyo Brand at Retail

The animated series Pocoyo, created by Zinkia Entertainment and broadcast in more than 150 territories worldwide, returns to Toy Fair with a new line of merchandise available at retail this year. Bandai America, master toy partner, will unveil a new toy line, and home-entertainment partner NCircle Entertainment will release new DVDs. Bandai’s new Pocoyo toy line, for ages 1-3, features characters from the series, and will be available this fall at retailers, including Toys “R” Us, Toysrus.com, select Walmart stores, and Amazon.com. Pocoyo SwiggleTraks will continue to be available at retail, as well as new SKUs currently in development for fall. Pocoyo SwiggleTraks is a flexible track system with multiple, easy configurations that encourage imagination and creativity for preschoolers. NCircle Entertainment will release a slate of DVDs this year, including Fun & Games, as well as themed content. Random House,

the recently announced publishing partner in the U.S. and Canada, will release a Pocoyo storybook, coloring book, and board/novelty book this summer. Puzzles, board games, and magnetic creations from TCG will be available at retail this year. Zinkia’s U.S. licensing agent, Evolution Management Group, is seeking new licensing partners for Pocoyo in categories including apparel, home furnishings, party goods, electronics, novelty, and costumes. Following the success of the first Pocoyize app, which allows users, either online or via iPhone, to create and personalize their own Pocoyo-style avatar, a series of new apps, including an updated version of Pocoyize, are being developed for this year. Co-produced by Zinkia and ITV Studios Global Entertainment, the international series Pocoyo has gained a large following of young fans in the U.S. with episodes airing on Nick Jr., PBS, Univision, and Discovery Familia.

U.S. Army Goes Digital with Branded Products

CTA Digital has several U.S. Army-branded products, including U.S. Army Bluetooth Throat Mic Headset for PlayStation 3 & PC, designed by CTA Digital. It features a wireless bluetooth technology, covert design, and multi-function buttons with volume control and mic mute. The package includes U.S. Army Throat Mic Headset for PlayStation 3 and a USB charging cable. The U.S. Army Commando Assault Rifle and U.S. Army Elite Force Assault Rifle, both designed by CTA Digital for PlayStation 3 & Move-compatible games, are rifle controllers, modeled after actual military equipment, with every button featured on a standard PS3 Dualshock controller. Both controllers include a rumble effect similar to the PS3 Dualshock. The packages include an assault rifle controller, a Bluetooth USB adapter, an attachable dot sight, an attachable stock, and an attachable muzzle. CTA Digital’s U.S.Army Elite Force Assault Rifle

The U.S. Army Sniper Action Rifle, designed by CTA Digital, includes a sniper rifle body, an attachable stock, an attachable scope, an attachable muzzle, and an attachable navigation controller cradle. Other U.S. Army products by CTA Digital include a U.S. Army Throat Mic Headset for Xbox 360, a U.S. Army Universal Gaming Backpack for WII/PS3/Xbox/Kinect, and a U.S. Army Universal Gaming Headset with 3D Effect for PS3/Xbox/PC. U.S. Army-branded products from other licensees include the dual-mode Hydro Terra R/C. It has a waterproof body, LED headlights, and stability wings built for vertical tricks. Underwraps is introducing U.S. Army Halloween costumes designed with official U.S. Army camouflage in men’s, women’s, children’s, and baby sizes.

Winter 2012

Licensees

Guess Who? It’s Hasbro’s Star Wars-Licensed Games

Two new Star Wars-licensed games step onto the scene from Hasbro. In Operation: Star Wars, players must fix R2D2 before its too late. He’ll whistle and beep if players make a mistake. A Guess Who? Star Wars Edition is also on the way. Players ages 6 and up use the force to guess the mystery face. Who has caused a disturbance in the force? Is it a man? Is it a droid? Spider-Man versions of Operation and Guess Who? are also on tap. Hasbro brings a Spider-Man Wrist Shooter to the market. Appropriate for ages 6 and up, kids use the wrist shooter to fling stretchy webs and knock over the targets to score points. The player with the highest score at the end of the game wins.

Delta Decorates Kids’ Furniture

Delta offers a variety of kids’ properties on its bedroom sets for little ones. Disney Princess covers a twin bed, nightstand, and dresser. Dora the Explorer dresses up a toddler bed. Spider-Man enhances a toddler bed and multi-bin organizer. Delta also offers a Sesame Street Table & Ottoman, Cars Twin Bed, Cars Night Stand, and Cars Dresser.

Spider-Man multi-bin organizer

Winter 2012

Aurora Releases New Garfield Plush

Aurora World, Inc. will release a variety of plush products based on Garfield and his friends, including classic and seasonal styles, in October. Garfield plush will be distributed to specialty shops, gift stores, and retailers in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Australia, and New Zealand through December 31, 2015. Aurora has also signed a license for Air Penguin, the kids’ adventure game for iPhone, iPad, and Android. In January, Aurora released three five-inch plush Air Penguins in pink, blue, and brown.

Pressman Toy Has Tinga Tinga Tales

Pressman Toy will develop a line of games this year based on the new preschool series Tinga Tinga Tales. Tinga Tinga Tales Swinging Monkey Race Game allows players to put their strategy skills to the test as they try to swing their monkey mover onto as many trees as they can. In Tinga Tinga Tales Tell Me a Story Memory Game, kids get a chance to creatively tell their own story of why an object or animal is placed where it is within the gameboard and then apply their memory skills to reveal it at the end. Additional games for Tinga Tinga Tales, including dominoes, a Go Fish Card Game, a Pop ’n Race game, and a Make a Match game, will be released. Another new license for Pressman is Power Rangers Samurai, the Nickelodeon and Nicktoons series. In the Power Rangers Samurai Samuraizer Switch Game, players move around the board collecting Zord tokens and battling Nighloks. Power Rangers Samurai Make a Match and Pop ’n Race games will also be released.

Licensees

Innovation First

Innovation First International is expanding in the U.S., the UK, and Canada with the debut of Bobble Bots Moshi Monsters. These bobble-head mini robotic pets and customizable play sets leverage the company’s patented Hexbug Nano vibration technology. The company’s new licensing partnership with Mind Candy will see Monstro City brought to life in the physical world with collectible Moshlings that buzz around exploring their customizable environment. The initial assortment of Bobble Bots Moshi Monsters products available at launch will include 24 battery-powered collectible Moshlings and a variety of configurable 3-D “dollhouse” replicas of the streets, yards, buildings, and houses found online in Monstro City. Every Bobble Bots Moshi Monsters product will include secret codes to unlock digital assets in the online world. The Bobble Bots Moshi House Playset includes a rare Oddie Moshling and pieces to assemble a house and garden. The Bobble Bots Moshi Store Assortment includes the Bobble Bots Moshi Ice Scream Store, Moshi Gross-ery, Moshi Bizarre Bazaar Store, and Moshi Yukea Store. Bobble Bots Moshi House Playset

Winter 2012

The Bridge Direct Chats with The Bieb

After singing along with the Justin Bieber Singing Dolls, fans now have the chance to have a chat with the pop idol. The Justin Bieber Talking Doll, from The Bridge Direct, speaks 10 different phrases in his own world-famous voice. With new phrases and facial expressions, the fall collection of Annoying Orange Talking Fresh Squeezed Plush, from The Bridge Direct, debuts. The web series comes to life with these talking 3.5-inch plush kitchen crew characters, including Orange, Pear, Midget Apple, and Marshmallow. The Bridge also announces a toy line inspired by the upcoming films The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: There and Back Again. The line will feature basic action figures, adventure packs, beast packs, and detailed collector’s figures. Role-play items include a Basic Sting Sword, a Basic Orcrist Sword, a Dwarven Battle Axe, and a Deluxe Sting Sword that features a blue glow just like in the film.

Justin Bieber Talking Doll

Dragon-i Toys Introduces Talking Friends Line

Dragon-i Toys, makers of the Chatimals animated toy line, has recently acquired the global license for Talking Friends app-associated toys. Dragon-i will launch Talking Tom and Talking Ben globally in late April. Talking Tom and Talking Ben have talk-back functionality in the same recognizable voices of the characters. Additionally, there are sensors spread over the body of each toy to allow for playback of the sounds that appear in the free apps. Dragon-i will also feature a range of 12-inch and 10inch Talking Tom and Talking Ben beanies in basic plush and press-and-talk functionality versions. The first wave of the Dragon-i Toys Talking Friends line rounds out with an entry-level price point key ring of Talking Tom and Talking Ben, with and without the sounds from the app. Talking Tom and Talking Ben apps can be downloaded for free from the Apple App Store or through the Android Marketplace.

Briarpatch

Briarpatch expands its collectibles line with Avengers Wonder Tubes and special-edition 3-D mini clip-ons. Tilt and tip the Marvel Avengers Wonder Tubes to find all of the Avengers floating inside. Collect all six colors. See SpiderMan, Iron Man, Hulk, and Captain America as they are ready to head out on any special mission with Avengers Sculpted 3D Collectibles. They can be clipped onto backpacks, belt loops, and other strategic locations.

Colorbök

Colorbök’s Dr. Seuss Stoo-pendous Clock Kit comes with everything children need to build their own clock. Dr. Seuss Wipe Erase Fun offers educational activities, from learning ABCs to how to draw. Six Dr. Seuss Activity Pads offer a variety of activities ranging from a scissor (cutting) activity and journaling, to art and doodling and an on-the-go dry-erase activity.

The Wish Factory Is Poppin’

The Wish Factory has created a new line of Cody Simpson 11.5-inch dolls and accessories, figures, and plush koalas. The Fashion Doll Collection features bendable joints, and each doll includes a pair of shoes, sunglasses, a microphone, a guitar pick, and a lanyard. The dolls have Cody’s signature side-swept surfer ’do. With a push of a button, the Singing Doll Collection sings the song, “On My Mind.” The doll comes complete with Codystyle clothing and also includes shoes, stickers, a microphone, a guitar pick, and a lanyard. Pop Grrl is a new collection of fashion accessories for tween girls. The first line in the Pop Grrl collection from The Wish Factory is Nail Charms, 3-D stick-on nails. Licensed Nail Charms include Blow Pop, in strawberry-, grape-, watermelon-, and apple-scented varieties; Tootsie Roll (chocolate scented); and Gummy Bears. Squinkies and Monster High Nail Charms will be available as well. Cody Simpson Fashion Doll

CJ Products Releases Nickelodeon, Disney Character Pillow Pets

CJ Products’ newest line of Pillow Pets foldable plush features Hit Entertainment’s Thomas the Tank Engine, Dora the Explorer and SpongeBob SquarePants from Nickelodeon, and Shrek and Donkey from DreamWorks Animation. CJ Products is also releasing a line of 18-inch Disney character Pillow Pets, including Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Lightning McQueen, and Tow Mater. CJ Products offers Pillow Pets plush in a premium line for specialty retailers and a standard line for the mass marketplace. The Pillow Pets Premium plush line features softer, more luxurious fabrics and special “collector-level” branding, including an exclusive tag. The Premium styles are exclusive to specialty retailers for a limited time and then will be introduced to the mass market as new Premium styles are created. Minnie Mouse Pillow Pet

Winter 2012

Licensees

Spin Master Takes a Ride with NASCAR

The Air Hogs 1:24th R/C NASCAR, from Spin Master, features a elodeon show, Victorious, which is entering its third season. The race-inspired design, and has a range of up to 30 feet. Choose from premise of the show circles around Tori Vega, one of the most talDale Earnhardt Jr.’s (Amp Energy or National Guard), Tony Stew- ented students at Hollywood Arts High School. The Freak the art’s (Office Depot), and Jimmy Johnson’s (Lowe’s) cars, and create Freak Out doll sings her hit song, “Freak the Freak Out.” Lift Tori’s left arm and microphone to her mouth to hear her sing your own starting grid. These cars have multiple R/C frequencies. and lift her right arm to hear the crowd go wild. The NASCAR Crash line features cars and haulers that burst The Tori Doll wears her signature red dress, which open, like an actual NASCAR race car, when they crash. With mulcomes straight from the show. She also wears boots tiple dramatic crash transformations, there are countless ways to and other accessories so girls can play out key scenes wreck. Once you’ve crashed, it’s time to rebuild your car and head from the show. back out onto the track. The Victorious Friends Dolls assortment includes The NASCAR Crash Car with launcher and ramp has multiTrina, Cat, and Jade. Each doll looks just like the real ple settings to blast NASCAR character, and their fashions come straight from crash cars straight for Air Hogs 1:24th R/C NASCAR the show. speed or into spins The Victorious Microphone gives any girl and drifts, or aim the chance to express her inner Tori Vega. for the included Girls can sing the hit theme song “Make It jump for high-flying Shine” along with Tori, or try it all on their crash action. own with just the instrumental as back up. Spin Master’s Victorious A Victorious Locker Decorator is also available. fashion doll line is based on the Nick-

Playmates on the Half Shell

Playmates Toys introduces a new line of action figures, play sets, vehicles, and role-play items inspired by Nickelodeon’s new CGIanimated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series. The Retro Turtles (Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo), their sensei Splinter, and friend April O’Neil are joined by the evil characters, Shredder, The Krang, and Foot Soldiers. Battle Shell figures come with their core ninja weapons stored on their belt or back holster. Secondary weapons can be found inside each Turtle’s shell. New vehicle sets include Sewer Spinnin’ Skateboards, Rippin’ Rider motorcycle, Ninja Stealth Cycle, Dragon’s Cycle, and the Shellraiser Deluxe. The Secret Sewer Lair Playset stands almost four feet tall, and includes more than 20 features, such as periscopes, a rope swing, and an elevator.

Winter 2012

Furbulous Fashion Friends, inspired by the Build-A-Bear Workshop collection, are available in bear, kitty, puppy, and bunny varieties. They are four inches tall and dressed in mix and match fashions, including shoes and earrings. The new Pawsitively Peppy play set comes with a cheerleader bear, a locker, a team pennant, two clothes hangers, and a pretend laptop computer. Beary Cool Ride lets girls hit the open road with a three-wheeled bike that includes a bike path, a messenger bag, a helmet, and a water bottle. Deluxe play set Ice Cream Café comes with a bistro table, an umbrella, two chairs, a menu stand, a treat tray, and two sundaes. With Playmates’ Furry Friends Corral, a cowgirl bear can brush, feed, and ride the included pony figure. The Home Sweet Home play set is a cottage-style loft for bear and friends. The front façade opens to reveal a playroom with a kitchen-themed space and a loft bed. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Shellraiser Deluxe

Thinkway Rides into Action

Thinkway Toys is gearing up for the May release of Marvel’s The Avengers with the introduction of two new themed vehicles. The Avengers Quinjet is an 11-inch electronic vehicle that lights up and features battle and voice sound effects. By using the joystick on the wireless infrared remote control, kids can move the Quinjet forward or spin it. By pushing the special action button on the remote, the vehicle runs through one of its preprogrammed maneuvers. Once a button on the new Avengers Transforming Vehicles is pushed, the vehicles spring into action, revealing hidden weapons and an Avengers figure inside. Iron Man and Hulk styles are also available. Avengers Quinjet

Tonner Doll Has Miss-Matched Style

Tonner Doll introduces its new line of dolls, sculpted by Robert Tonner. The LittleMissMatched Dolls are full of personality. The Rock ’n Roll, Uptown, Sporty, and Artsy Girls come fully dressed with a coordinating fashion bag, non-matching socks, and a headband, plus a pair of glasses for the Rock ’n Roll and Artsy dolls. The LittleMissMatched dolls are 15.25 inches tall, with 10 points of articulation for poseability.

Basic Fun Charms with Moshi Monsters

Basic Fun introduces new products for Moshi Monsters. Moshi Monsters accessories include key chains, zippsters, and charmlings. Zippsters are 3-D mini figures that come blind-boxed and attach to a backpack or jacket. There are 11 in the set. Charmlings are enameled charms that come in a variety of 12 Moshling characters and attach to a specially designed Moshi gel bracelet. Packaged in a blind foil bag, each includes two Charmling charms and a bracelet. Diablo Moshi Monster key chain

Uncle Milton Lights Up

Uncle Milton Industries explores new licensed toy territory this year with the introduction of new lines from evergreen brands. The National Geographic Outdoor Explorer Series will add new products in the fall, including an authentic Explorer’s Torch with a realistic flickering flame. Fall also marks the launch of the Nat Geo Wild line of animal-based toys, with an Anteater Bug Vac and Laughing Hyena Cub leading the pack. The John Deere brand inspires a line of farm-themed toys, insect habitats, and Rooty’s Root Farm grow environment. Become a powerful Sith as you construct your own Darth Maul-edition, double-bladed Lightsaber Room Light. Mount the double-bladed lightsaber to your wall, rotate it for a horizontal or vertical display, and activate its red glowing blades. It makes authentic Lightsaber sound effects, and is more than 50 inches long.

Anteater Bug Vac

Winter 2012

Licensees

Tomy Gets Characters Moving

Tomy further expands its Chuggington product lines based on Ludorum’s animated series. The Chuggington Die-Cast Railway will offer new die-cast engines and play sets, and will debut a new track system that enables fans to build track layouts vertically by providing the stability required to achieve tall, spiraling layouts. One Chuggington die-cast set will soar to more than three feet tall. The Chuggington Wooden Railway system adds more characters to its lineup of engines, as well as featurepacked starter train sets, buildings, and tunnels. All of the products are made with highquality wood construction, and are compatible with other major wooden railway toys. Tomy expands its line of Dinosaur Train toys, based on The Jim Henson Company’s animated PBS series. Extreme InterAction Figures will incorporate all the features of the original InterAction Figures, including the ability to respond to other characters in the line with more than 50 dino sounds and phrases. These Extreme InterAction Figures actually launch into action: Mr. Quetzalcoatlus’ wings flap, Mayor Kosmoceratops sits back on his haunches, and

Alvin lunges forward. Arnie Argentinosaurus is bigger than all of his other friends and his movements are kid-inspired. By wearing a wristband, kids signal Arnie’s movements as he walks, rears up on his legs, and even stomps forward, all while interacting with more than 80 dino sounds and phrases. Tomy introduces a new line of toys that offers remote-control play featuring characters from Nintendo’s Mario Kart Wii video game. Key items include Mario Kart Wii Pullback Racers; Mario Kart Wii Q-Steer remote-control vehicles, which are single cars with spin-out tires and full-function remote-control racing action; and the Mario Kart Wii Battle Set, which allows fans to re-create the Mario Kart Wii video game in real life with interactive battle play. Tomy also debuts a range of John Deere items, including educational preschool products, R/C vehicles, and die-cast farm and construction replicas. Key new items include the Monster Treads Roar ’n Rumble Tractor, an off-road vehicle that includes monster truck sounds and “shaking engine” action; and a John Deere foot-tofloor vehicle, where the child provides the foot power.

Dinosaur Train Arnie Argentinosaurus

Bachmann Trains Rides the Rails

Bachmann Trains’ new Large Scale Thomas’ Christmas Delivery ready-to-run electric train set comes complete with Thomas the Tank Engine (with hat, snowplow, and moving eyes), cargo car, coach, track, speed controller, power pack, and DVD-format video instructions. Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus has partnered with Bachmann Trains to offer the excitement of “The Greatest Show On Earth” as it travels by rail with two vintage, ready-torun electric train sets. The G-Scale train set comes complete with a 4-6-0 steam locomotive (with operating

headlight, smoke, and speed-synchronized sound), a coal tender, a performers’ car, an elephant stock car, a flat car with a lion in cage wagon and a tiger in cage wagon, more than eight feet by four feet of track, and DVD-format video instructions. Bachmann’s HO-scale Ringmaster train set includes a 0-6-0 steam locomotive and tender with operating headlight, three cars, body-mounted E-Z Mate couplers, and 47 inches by 38 inches oval of snap-fit E-Z Track. Both sets include a power pack and a speed controller, plus an illustrated instruction manual.

Large Scale Thomas’ Christmas Delivery

Winter 2012

The Voice Reaching Both Trade and Consumers

CONTACT: JONATHAN SAMET OR LAURIE SCHACHT ADVENTURE PUBLISHING GROUP 307 7TH AVENUE, SUITE 1601 NEW YORK, NY 10001 TEL: 212-575-4510 FAX: 212-575-4521 WWW.ADVENTUREPUB.COM

Licensees

Something New in the Cards from Nukotoys

Nukotoys is a toy industry start-up, offering products that combine both digital and physical play. This spring, Nukotoys will launch its Animal Planet and Monsterology Nuko collectible trading cards. The cards contain characters and items that spring into action when touched to the screen of an iPad, iPod touch, or iPhone in conjunction with the free Animal Planet and Monsterology game apps being released in the iTunes App store. Virtual Nuko cards are also available within the free Nuko application. Players receive one free pack of virtual cards when they download the Nuko app, and can purchase more of the digital version by paying for them via their iTunes account. Physical Nuko cards are more powerful than the virtual ones. The Animal Planet Nuko game is an iPad/iPod+ trading card game that lets kids collect, trade, learn about, and interact with 50 exotic animals in wild lands. Animal Planet Nuko cards were designed with realistic 3-D animals, plus videos and photos from Animal Planet’s extensive library.

TCG Has Little Tikes and Lalaloopsy

TCG offers licensed games for kids. With Little Tikes Games for Growing, even the youngest of players can have fun while learning the alphabet, numbers, colors, and shapes. Each game features eight learning card games and three levels of learning, as well as a parent teaching guide. Little Tikes Zoo Find ’n Seek is a 3-D matching game. To start, kids lay out the 12 Match-It cards face down, then pull the lever to spin the dial. When the dial stops on a zoo animal, players select a Match-It card. If the card matches the animal, players keep the card. In Lalaloopsy Tea Party, players must collect as many sweet treats as they can. On each turn, players turn the Lalaloopsy teapot toward them and ask, “My little teapot, may I have a delicious sweet?,” then press the spout for the teapot to twirl. If yes, the teapot twinkles; if no, it whistles. The first player to collect one of each sweet treat and the pretty teapot wins. Lalaloopsy Find ’n Seek and Pocoyo Find ’n Seek games are also available. With Bouncin’ Bingo Max & Ruby, players bounce the ball into the game box to tell what character to cover on their card. The player to match and cover five characters in a row calls “Bingo!” by sounding the noise of his or her card’s character.

Marvel and Disney Decorate Monogram Merchandise

Monogram International has signed licenses for Marvel Super Heroes and Disney brands for many of its products. Products include a Spider-Man bust bank made from plastic, a Spider-Man lanyard keyring with a soft touch PVC Spider-Man head dangle charm and ID holder, a SpiderMan 2.75-inch PVC posed figurine, and a Spider-Man laser-cut soft touch PVC keyholder keyring. Other superheroes and villains on products include Captain America, the Hulk, Iron Man, Venom, and Wolverine. Tinkerbell, Disney Princess, The Muppets, Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Jack Skellington, The Seven Dwarves, and Alice and the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland decorate lanyard key rings and keyholder key rings. Captain America Bust Bank

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Imperial Toy Gets Glam with Kidz Bop

Imperial Toy introduces a new product line of pop star role-play toys and playthings based on kids’ music brand Kidz Bop. The Kidz Bop Glammerati Party Like a Pop Star product line includes blinging microphones, instruments, fashion accessories, glam kits, and more, with on-trend styles and color palettes, and technological features. The items include LumeFX light-up features, VIP allaccess backstage badges, concert tickets, and Kidz Bop songs built into several of the items. Imperial expects to launch the Kidz Bop line timed to coincide with the release of Kidz Bop 22 this summer. Imperial’s new line of Disney Super Miracle Bubbles are based on characters from Disney Princess, Disney Fairies, Toy Story, Cars, Minnie Mouse, and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. The product line includes Minnie Mouse and Disney Princess Bubble Tea Party Sets; Mickey Mouse and Disney Fairies 3-D Bubble Sets; and Mickey Mouse, Disney Princess, and Cars Bubble Bellies. Also new to the Super Miracle Bubble line is a licensed Go Bubbles assortment. The Go Bubbles product line includes kid-sized bubble push toys fashioned after the Little Tikes Cozy Coupe, Disney Princess Carriage, and Hit Entertainment’s Thomas the Tank Engine. Each Go Bubbles push toy stands over 18 inches high, produces a continuous stream of bubbles when pushed, and includes a full bottle of Super Miracle Bubbles Premium Plus bubble solution. Imperial Toy introduces a new product line based on MGA Entertainment’s Lalaloopsy property. Lalaloopsy dolls are a col-

Kidz Bop Glammerati Party Like a Pop Star line

lection of rag dolls that magically came to life when their last stitch was sewn. Imperial plans to produce novelty toys that will be available beginning this fall, and Lalaloopsy bubble, sand, and beach toys premiering in spring 2013. Imperial will introduce a comprehensive line of bubbles, bubble accessories, and novelty products based on superhero characters from Marvel’s The Avengers and Spider-Man. Marvel’s The Avengers is slated to release theatrically in May, and The Amazing Spider-Man is scheduled to be released in 3-D in July. Imperial Toy has extended its partnership with Marvel through 2013. Imperial’s novelty toy line for fall is expected to include play cell phones and watch projectors.

Adora Celebrates Snow White

Adora, a California-based designer, developer, and marketer of dolls, launches hand-painted Toddler Time dolls with hand-sewn costumes. The line of licensed and unlicensed dolls includes a 20-inch Classic Snow White, celebrating the 200th anniversary of Snow White. The doll is costumed in a storybook-inspired satin dress in Snow White’s traditional dress colors of white, yellow, red, and blue. Adora offers a line of dolls based on the Girl Scouts of the USA, the world’s premier leadership development organization for girls. Founded in 1912, the Girl Scouts’ mission is to build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. The Wizard of Oz Dorothy Amazing Singing and Talking Doll is 22 inches, and features dark brown hair and brown eyes. The doll is officially licensed and completely interactive, responding to a child’s voice prompts. There are 35 interactive phrases complete with facial and head movements. Dorothy is dressed in the classic Wizard of Oz blue and white checked gingham dress and ruby red slippers.

Toddler Time Classic Snow White doll

Winter 2012

Licensees

Cardinal Soars with Angry Birds

Angry Birds is the newest addition to Cardinal’s growing line of puzzles, and includes super 3-D boxed sets, as well as foil, lenticular, and wood puzzles. Monster High puzzles, licensed from Mattel, come in two varieties, a Super 3D Puzzle and a Foil Holographic Puzzle in a coffin-shaped package, featuring 150 pieces. Cardinal is also introducing a Minnie Mouse bow-shaped tin with three puzzles inside.

Tech 4 Kids Has Marvel, Moshi Licenses

Tech 4 Kids launches the wrist-shooting action game Amazing Spider-Man Splat Strike, based on the upcoming The Amazing Spider-Man movie. Amazing Spider-Man Splat Strike features both main characters and game play. Begin by throwing the sticky wall crawlers against any wall. Then load the launcher with the Sticky Spider Shots, and fire away to knock the wall crawlers off before they reach the ground. With Angry Birds Splat Strike, launch the sticky red bird to splat and stick to any hard surface, or shoot the pigs onto the target to collect points and win. For ages 6 and up, the game comes with a slingshot, three Sticky Red Bird shots, and a hanging target. Mash’Ems, new collectibles featuring Marvel Universe and Angry Birds characters, is a squish, squeeze, and launch toy. Mash’Ems Series 1 features 12 Marvel Universe characters made of dual-layer TPR rubber, which allows for removable layers on special characters, and six Angry Birds characters. Series 1 characters are Venom, Iron Man, Black Spider-Man, Silver Surfer, Hulk, War Machine, Thing, Green Goblin, Captain America, Thor, Spider-Man, and Wolverine. Series 2 will be released later this year.

Techno Source Raises Waldo’s Visibility

The Big Bang Theory Fact or Fiction trivia game challenges players to “get your geek on.” The 400-plus questions will test players’ knowledge of the show, while they compete in rounds of “Rock Paper, Scissor, Lizard, Spock.” Pretty Little Liars, the teen girls’ television show, is now a game with trivia and conversation-provoking questions for girls and their friends. Cardinal’s line of games will feature a new line of wooden tabletop games for Nickelodeon, Marvel, Hello Kitty, Sesame Street, and more.

Winter 2012

This fall, Where’s Waldo?, the character that’s always difficult to locate, can be found at Techno Source (a division of LF Products) with a new line of product offerings in celebration of the brand’s 25th anniversary. The Where’s Waldo? Join the Search Board Game has players racing to find Waldo and hidden objects on the beach, in the Wild West, or in outer space. The Where’s Waldo? Amazing Picture Hunt Board Game lets players create their own complex Waldo scene with the included 100 object chips for others to sift through. The Where’s Waldo? Assorted 2-in-1 Search and Find Puzzles need to be assembled before budding detectives can look for the man in the striped shirt. Where’s Waldo? Passport Covers feature a classic Waldo scene on the outside, and come with six search-and-find activity cards on the inside. Where’s Waldo? Explorer Wands re-introduce the original search-and-find glitter wand play pattern. Tilt and turn the liquid-filled wands to search for Waldo and hidden items floating inside. The assortment includes an 11-inch wand and a four-inch wand with carabiner clip. They are available in three styles: Waldo & Friends, Deep Sea Divers, and Wild, Wild West.

Jakks Pacific Launches Monsuno Toys

Jakks Pacific’s new line of toys based on Monsuno introduces the Monsuno Transforming Action Figures, which include a collectible Monsuno core and three game cards. Monsuno Core Combat Two-Packs include two cores, two figures, and six collector’s cards. Additional Monsuno products include the Strike Launcher, Auto Strike Multi-Launcher, Launch Zone Combat Set, and the Strike Sector Combat Set. Following last year’s The Smurfs film release, Jakks expands its themed toy line to include a Movie Grab Ems Figure Pack in more characters, poses, and outfits. A collectible 7.5-inch Bean Bag Plush and 11-inch Smurf Basic Plush both feature 12 new characters this year. For Men In Black 3, Jakks introduces four-inch figures with a small accessory. Agent J comes with a Neuralizer, while Agent K rides in on a Noisy Cricket, and six-inch Frank the Pug comes with his signature suit and tie. Plug It In and Play gaming systems incorporate touch-screen technology for gamers. The SpongeBob SquarePants TV Games Touch features puzzle games. The Star Wars TV Games Touch features classic Jedi lightsaber battles, and the Spider-Man TV Games Touch lets kids sling webs and bash the bad guys.

Jada Toys

Experience the Halo universe with Jada Toys’ new line of licensed Halo die-cast vehicles and figures. For the first time, vehicles featured in the Halo video game will be offered as authentic die-cast vehicles. The entire line is offered in a “unified approach” by developing all the vehicles in scale to one another, just like in the game. The line will feature vehicles and characters from the entire Halo universe, including the upcoming Halo 4 video game launching for the holiday season.

Douglas Gets a Big Red Dog

Douglas Company has signed a licensing agreement with Scholastic Media to introduce the Clifford the Big Red Dog’s Fun Fashion Assortment. The products include a Clifford Tote, Clifford Sillo, Clifford Sillo-ette, Clifford Head shoulder bag, and Clifford hand bag.

Clifford Tote

Disguise Yourself

Get ready for Jake and the Neverland Pirates this Halloween as Disguise introduces a Jake Deluxe Costume, along with swashbuckling accessories. Kids can transform into Jake with the included jumpsuit, bandana, and boot covers. The Jake and the Neverland Pirates Folding Pail is a handheld treasure chest ready to be filled with treats, and the Soft Sword brings the adventure of a pirate swordfight to trick-or-treating, minus the danger. Disguise is set to complement two Disney re-releases with new costume sets. A 3-D plush Finding Nemo Deluxe pullover, inspired by the September release of Finding Nemo 3D, comes with a detachable tail and a fabFinding Nemo ric headpiece. For the Cinderella Diamond Edition DVD, the Deluxe Cinderella Light-Up Deluxe costume adds brightness Costume and sparkle to the princess’ signature look. Disguise’s line of costumes inspired by Marvel’s The Avengers includes the Thor Classic Muscle Costume, the Iron Man Mark VII Classic Muscle Costume, the Hulk Classic Muscle Costume, and the Captain America Classic Muscle Costume. For non-Avenger heroes, the Spider-Man Movie Classic Muscle Costume is an updated look for web-slinging wannabes.

Winter 2012

International

The Big Brands in Britain and Beyond

Peppa Pig and Toy Story are very popular among British children. Source: Kidz Global

Toy Story

isney and Lego could be seen as the grandparents of all entertainment brands. Created in 1923 and 1932, respectively, Disney and Lego are among the most popular brands and characters for UK children ages 6 to 9. But, according to the recent marketing report BrandTrends, which ranks brands against one another, boys and girls have very distinct heroes. BrandTrends covers more than 160 popular entertainment brands in the UK, ranking them in popularity by age group (0 to 14) and gender. Updates are delivered every quarter to monitor brand appeal over time. “Brand licensing is very big business in the UK; the industry has grown at a rapid pace. Retail giants are now heavily dependent on sales of licensed consumer products,” says Philippe Guinaudeau, CEO of Kidz Global. “This is the prime reason why a reliable guide to brands was necessary. This is a tool for companies that want to know the facts about entertainment brands in the UK.” According to BrandTrends, for girls, Disney Princess came first. However, despite its very good BPI (Brand Popularity Index, which measures awareness, popularity, and product attractiveness), the brand shares the spot with Peppa Pig, a local character, which gets the best BPI at 61 versus Disney Princess’s 59 rating. Since 2004, British girls have been learning to speak with the adventures of the little pink pig on television. Additionally, a lot of them also want to follow Peppa Pig’s family on DVD (77 percent) and in books (71 percent). On the other hand, boys prefer to play with Lego bricks and Toy Story characters: 86 percent of 3- to 6-

Winter 2012

year-old boys already have a product from one of these brands. One out of four British boys declares that Lego and Toy Story are in his top three favorite brands or characters. Toys or DVDs always have great success; respectively, 85 percent and 80 percent of boys plan to buy Lego or Toy Story products in the near future. Disney and Lego have nothing to prove as entertainment brands; in the UK, they have great days ahead. However, more recent brands and characters, such as Peppa Pig and Toy Story, are becoming more popular every day among British children.

BrandTrends combines consumer research, in-depth industry analysis, and international trends in a single, comprehensive information source. Every quarter, a total of 17,000 kids around the world are surveyed via an online questionnaire across the following four age groups: infants (0-2 years), preschoolers (3-6 years), children (7-9 years), and tweens and young teens (10-14 years). Analysis and reporting are conducted the next month. Each age group comprises 50 percent boys and 50 percent girls. For infants and preschoolers, the parent is the respondent on behalf of a nominated child. Visual images of each brand are used to test awareness. For more information, visit www.brandtrends.com.

About Kidz Global Kidz Global offers a full-service quantitative market research and consulting services, specializing in children-, teen-, and family-orientated consumer markets around the world. The company provides intelligence and analyzed data on these markets, and supports clients in having the right information and processes to make the best business decisions. The company does market research, syndicated (multiclients) and custom (single client, fully adjusted to client’s needs and briefing), as well as consulting on marketing strategies and product range building/commercialization. For more information, visit www.kidzglobal.com. ••••

Licensing Administration

Streamlining the Administration of a Licensing Business, Part 1 by Amos Biegun

icensing has evolved into a cross-industry medium with compelling new brands popping up every day in every conceivable format. Gone are the days of “cocktail napkin” agreements and handshakes, as the practice of “branding” becomes more commonplace. Companies that didn’t originally set out to be in the licensing business have now become brand owners, and have entire teams dedicated to administering what was once easily tracked on paper. It’s an exciting time to be in this business, but a difficult one to be sure, especially on the administrative end. While years ago it was generally straightforward for licensors to run their businesses, creative innovation and complicated legal definitions have made it challenging to efficiently track and manage the agreements being pushed through an organization. For both the licensor and the licensee, tracking revenue against royalty terms and generating and validating royalty results have become daunting legal tasks; this is even more so for those still using manual systems and spreadsheets. Suddenly, everyone is chasing down disparate data, and accountants are being used to augment poor systems. For licensors, the added effort to widely market their brands while protecting them creates yet another layer of complexity to track. The administration of license agreements, while principally a “back office” effort, is critical to the success of all client-facing operations, or what is referred to as the “front office.” Today, brand owners spend millions of dollars producing new, innovative products and concepts within decreasing time-to-market windows and with fiercer brand competition. The only way to keep on top of this, without increasing headcount, is through automation. The ability to have licensing activity information readily available is absolutely necessary and expected in today’s technology-driven landscape. The good news is that nowadays deals and relationships between the parties are much more structured, though still not standardized. Licensors are

Amos Biegun is the CEO of Counterpoint Systems, a provider of rights and royalties software for the media and entertainment, brand licensing, and music industries.

looking to produce consistent license agreements, instead of one-off written agreements for each licensee. Likewise, licensees are seeking a common approach to satisfy the reporting and compliance requirements from their licensors. Progress is definitely being made on all fronts to provide a systematic approach to drafting consistent agreements, tracking details of those agreements, and analyzing performance and exposure metrics across licensing operations, but there is still a long way to go. As licensing business requirements change rapidly, any technical solution can be costly to maintain and update as opportunities for new distribution channels, formats, and partners increase. Even the best IT developers cannot predict what the future has in store, and companies that develop their own licensing management systems may find themselves at an even greater disadvantage. These companies essentially are developing in a vacuum, without the insight from others in the industry. While there are basic similarities that run through all licensing operations, enough differences exist to necessitate flexible systems that can grow and change as the business does. More important than the technology platform, however, is the functionality provided in a software solution and the fit within a given organizational culture. While technology can provide the support growing companies need, it is imperative to get buy-in from the user community. Reducing overhead costs by automating manual tasks can be threatening, but the right system can empower users by streamlining the royalty accounting process, analyzing product and channel performance, identifying new opportunities to exploit brands and properties, managing the risk of revenue or expense leakage, and improving overall communication with transparent reporting. It is impossible to underestimate the value of good information and automation. Streamlining the administration of that information is what will produce the greatest potential for profit in the long run. ••••

Winter 2012

Of Counsel

Advertising Obligations: An Expensive Proposition Licensing 101, Part 63 by James Kipling This article is the 63rd in a series devoted to the documentation of the licensing relationship and elements of a typical license agreement.

any license agreements include a requirement that the licensee must advertise its licensed articles. Frequently, such requirements are coupled with obligatory participation in a Common Marketing Fund (CMF) controlled by the licensor. Each of these obligations can represent substantial incremental spending obligations and must be understood and carefully considered at the time of entering the agreement.

Minimum Advertising Requirement

The first important consideration is whether the advertising obligation is defined as a stated minimum dollar amount, as a percentage of sales (the A/S %), or in some combination. The licensor may require minimum annual spending of “the greater of $500,000 or 5 percent of total sales of licensed articles,” for example. The minimum dollar amount assures the licensor that significant spending must occur in any event, while the A/S percentage can cause escalation if the products are a success. Obviously, the minimum dollar figure increases the licensee’s risk in the event of “less” success.

How to Measure Spending?

Assuming that agreement is reached upon the amount of spending required, the parties might next focus on how the spending is to be measured. If tel-

Winter 2012

evision or print ads are selected (or required), is the cost of preparing the advertising content (e.g., commercial production) counted, or is only the purchased media in which the advertising runs applied toward the minimum? Obviously, the latter puts a greater burden upon the licensee. Are specific forms of advertising and specific media required? Are any of the required media affiliated with the licensor? If, for example, a comic book publisher or television network is the licensor and requires advertising in its respective media or on its own website, the licensee must be careful not to undertake the obligation without some contractual assurance that pricing for the media will be fair. Having committed to a spending amount without a predetermined price structure, the licensee may find that it pays top dollar (or more) for media for which it should instead receive preferred pricing as a licensee of the property. One might seek a “most favored nations” provision requiring that it receive the best price available to any advertiser in the licensor’s

Exceptional Situations

media. Resistance by the licensor to this concept may signal that the licensor intends to take advantage of the licensee in its position as “captive audience.”

Spending Shortfall

What happens if the licensee underspends the agreed upon amount? In many license agreements, licensors require, as a defined remedy, that the licensee must pay to it the spending deficiency on a dollar-for-dollar basis. If the agreement provides a multiyear term, the licensee ought to be given the option to carry forward any spending deficiency, and cover it by increased spending during the following year. If the term of the agreement ends with an unspent obligation, only then should any accumulated deficiency be payable to the licensor. In these instances, the licensee would also be wise to insist that the deficiency payment should be the licensor’s exclusive remedy, to prevent an additional claim for “damages” caused by the diminished support provided. If no such repercussions of spending deficiencies are defined in the agreement, the licensee might feel the provision has no teeth. The licensee must remember, however, that it could be declared in breach of the agreement, and a dispute could ensue regarding the impact of the breach on both parties, potentially resulting in termination of the relationship and/or claims of financial damages.

In the event that the property becomes extremely popular, licensees who have minimum spending requirements may find themselves advertising against empty retail shelves, and wish that they had negotiated for suspension of the advertising obligation in the event that their products sell out or exceed the marketing plan. Any further spending might be wasteful of the licensee’s resources, and create friction with retailers who must turn away irritated consumers searching for scarce licensed articles still being advertised. Relief from this situation should be a consideration at the time of negotiating the license agreement, even though it may seem like “pie in the sky” at that point.

Whose Products Are We Advertising?

A secondary benefit to licensors of mandatory spending by certain licensees is that such advertising will create rub-off benefits to other licensees of the same property whose products are not traditionally advertised. In the event that the advertisers’ products sell out, fairness would indicate that the suspension of the obligation suggested above would be appropriate even if not stated in the license agreement. Some licensors, however, may insist upon continued spending even in the sold-out situation in order to drive additional sales of peripheral non-advertised licensed articles. Since such further spending can be harmful to the licensee, both financially and through adverse trade and consumer reactions, addressing the situation during initial negotiation is certainly worth the effort. •••• James Kipling has represented licensors and licensees for more than 20 years in negotiating entertainment, sports, artwork, brand, invention, and technology agreements. He is Of Counsel with Wood, Herron & Evans LLP in Cincinnati, Ohio, and can be reached at (513) 2412324, jkipling@whepatent.com. Copyright: ©2012 James M. Kipling. All rights reserved.

Winter 2012

Directory of Properties, Products and Services

Adventure Publishing Group ................................................................................................................................49 Delta Children’s Products................................................................................................................................26, 27 FremantleMedia Enterprises ...............................................................................................................................5, 7 Gateway Licensing ..............................................................................................................................................58 GM Licensing......................................................................................................................................................58 Harris-Sachs .......................................................................................................................................................58 KidzBop .............................................................................................................................................................23 Nickelodeon .....................................................................................................................................................1, 2 NPD...................................................................................................................................................................59 Rubies ................................................................................................................................................................43 Sakar .................................................................................................................................................................39 Skechers.......................................................................................................................................................15, 17 Sony ..................................................................................................................................................................25 Sun-Mate Corporation .........................................................................................................................................35 Suzy’s Zoo ..........................................................................................................................................................31 Trau & Loevner....................................................................................................................................................58 Warner Bros. Consumer Products .........................................................................................................................60

Winter 2012