Licensed giftware

Brand

and Deliver

Licensed giftware was a big trend at the recent Autumn shows across all sectors, with dedicated licensing show Brand Licensing Europe (BLE) getting ready to welcome visitors from November 17-19 at London’s ExCeL.

With Christmas gifting in mind, PG&H spoke to some of the leading licensed giftware companies about their latest launches.

Enesco

Game of Thrones; Manga-style Harry Potter

Following on from the whimsical Harry Potter charm figurines inspired by the characters from the Wizarding World, Enesco, in partnership with Warner Bros. Consumer Products, has introduced new Japanese Manga-style characters - Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Draco Malfoy and Professor Snape - into its growing Harry Potter charm figurine collection.

In addition, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of HBO’s smash hit TV series Game of Thrones, Enesco has unveiled a brand new collection of decorative figurines from Department 56.

“It’s set to be a firm favourite with Game of Thrones fans, with the collection featuring seven pieces, including characters from the show such as Jon Snow and the Night King,” highlights Enesco’s marketing and product director Helen Cottrill. “The village pieces have been designed to scale, along with the original set pieces, and are mains operated, so the windows light up when they are plugged in, helping to bring the scene to life.”

Above: Enesco’s Japanese Manga-style Harry Potter figurine features an enlarged head, over-exaggerated eyes and dainty features across the nose and mouth.

Puckator

Pusheen The Cat

Puckator recently announced a collaboration with Pusheen the Cat, with an exclusive Christmas Pusheen range due to launch in late 2021.

“Building on a collection that already contains more than 20 individual products, this collaboration will continue to grow long into the future,” comments designer Olivia Homar.

“Throughout 2020/2021, the world has seen an influx of cat-related content on many social media platforms. Whether it's giftware, home accessories or clothing, cats were - and still are - everywhere! By incorporating a mix of super-cute cat illustrations, doughnuts, hearts and stars, we have managed to capture the true essence of the cheeky food-loving cartoon tabby cat that everybody adores.”

Puckator’s Pusheen range includes homeware, lunch accessories, fashion and beauty as well as LED digital watches.

Above: Part of the Pusheen giftware collection from Puckator.

Mad Beauty

Star Wars; Star Wars The Mandelorian

“The newest licence in our portfolio is Star Wars, as well as Star Wars The Mandalorian - two very different ranges, both with their own distinct design features,” explains Mad Beauty’s creative director Julia Cash. “The Mandalorian unisex range focuses on Mandolorian the Child, Grogu, with his oversized ears and iconic green skin-tone. Almost all of our products are shaped in some way to be a true reflection of baby Yoda himself.”

Continues Julia: “For our Star Wars range, again, we have moulded products to really capture the characteristics of the iconic characters, with this licence enabling us to widen our offering within men’s gifting. The face masks sachets are shaped like the helmets for each character, while the printed masks are infused with indulgent ingredients.”

Half Moon Bay

Jurassic Park; Agatha Christie

Half Moon Bay has introduced two evergreen licences into its portfolio - Jurassic Park and Agatha Christie. The company’s Jurassic Park range celebrates the best of the films, and features quotes and imagery, ahead of its 30th anniversary in 2023, and the release of Jurassic World: Dominion in 2022. The range features a selection of mugs - including a life-like shaped mug of a T-Rex - as well as stationery and travel accessories, to include a rucksack and lunch bag, inspired by Jurassic Park’s ranger uniform.

The company has also introduced a new Agatha Christie collection to sit alongside its already popular giftware range.

“The designs are inspired by the books themselves and make wonderful gifts all year round, while also playing on seasonal holidays,” says Half Moon’s head of trade sales, Ben Craddock.

Above: Some of the giftware in Half Moon Bay’s new Agatha Christie collection.

Fizz Creations

Peter Rabbit Collection

Fizz Creations has collaborated with Penguin Ventures, (part of Penguin Random House), to launch a brand new collection of licensed gifts featuring Peter Rabbit. In addition to keepsake gifting, the range includes lighting and children’s games.

“We have taken a traditional brand and put a ‘Fizz twist’ on the collection,” says the company’s marketing manager Zoe Ryan. “Peter Rabbit is an iconic character that has enchanted families for nearly 120 years, so we wanted to create a collection of gifts that was sympathetic to the brand and used the traditional Peter Rabbit style, but with a modern twist. For example, the mood light represents a fusion of traditional Beatrix Potter with a contemporary lighting product.”

Above: Fizz Creations’ licensed Peter Rabbit collection.

Nemesis Now

Harry Potter Lord Voldemort Bust; Halo Master Chief Bust Box; Original Stormtrooper Bust

Nemesis Now’s Harry Potter collection is the latest addition to the company’s bestselling selection of movie merchandise, with the Harry Potter Lord Voldermont bust the most recent addition. Also new is the company’s Halo collection, ahead of the December release of Halo Infinite, with the Master Chief bust box spearheading the collection.

A third launch for the company is the Original Stormtrooper bust, with original moulds created by Andrew Ainsworth of Shepperton Design Studios, which were used to create the helmet and armour in the 1997 blockbuster film. “Our range of products are as close as you can get to the original film props,” confirms Nemesis Now’s managing director Andrew Norman-Smith.

Above: Nemesis Now’s Lord Voldermont bust.

Mclaggan Smith Mugs

Dandelion Stationery

Mclaggan recently introduced a new licensed range of mugs from award winning greeting card brand Dandelion Stationery. Featuring designs that appeal to both men and women, the range features eight screen-printed bone china mugs reflecting a playful sense of humour along with colourful illustrations.

“Dandelion’s fun, quirky greeting cards first caught our eye at Harrogate Home & Gift in July and we instantly knew that we had to work with the company on a range of mugs,” comments Stuart Williams, Mclaggan’s marketing manager.

Above: One of Mclaggan’s eight new licensed Dandelion mugs.

Blueprint Collections

Frida Khalo

Stationery company Blueprint Collections is launching a licensed Frida Kahlo range of gift and stationery products in the UK and ROI, which will be available from December.

“This powerful brand, coupled with the bright, vivid designs will give it a unique position in the market,” says Blueprint Collections’ managing director Lisa Shand.

The range includes over 20 different skus with gold foil detail and tassels. including a handbag notebook, recipe journal, travel mugs.

Above: Some of the colourful Frida Kahlo stationery items

Brand Licensing Europe (BLE)

DATES: November 17-19 VENUE: ExCeL, London WEB: www.brandlicensing/eu This year, BLE is partnering with Products of Change to spotlight sustainability in a new activation at this year’s event. The show will be followed by an online event from November 20-December 1.