R&B Magazine - Issue 1 by Rights & Brands

R&B magazine WORLDWIDE STORIES BY RIGHTS & BRANDS – ISSUE NO 1

NEWS

PARTNERSHIP WITH FISKARS AND MOOMIN CHARACTERS INTERVIEW

ILON WIKLAND'S DAUGHTERS: “WE WANT ILON'S ART TO LIVE ON FOR F UTURE GENERATIONS” WORLDWIDE

THE NEW PRESIDENT OF R&B JAPAN

L IC E NSI NG // C OL L A B S // R IGH TS // BR A N DI NG // S TOR I E S // AU T HOR S

CONTENT

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ABOUT US Formed in 2016 by Moomin Characters and Bulls, building on a collaboration going back over 70 years.

INTERIOR & HOME From pencils to pillows – and the stories of Skultuna and Bricmate + Note Design Studio.

INTERVIEW ILON WIKLAND Ilon Wikland's four daugthers talk about their childhood and future.

SUSTAINABILITY Over one million Euros raised to save the Baltic Sea and its unique heritage.

ACCESSORIES & APPAREL From bracelets to umbrellas – and the knitted story of Marius by Ulvang.

BOOKS & AUTHORS Mauri Kunnas and Linda Liukas – two of many famous authors represented by R&B.

NEWS CORPORATE New partnerships and expansive strands of business development.

NEWS TV & FILM Peter Jackson's new six-hour documentary with The Beatles. The Smurfs are back on TV.

PARKS & EXHIBITIONS Moomin in Sweden and Japan, Rights & Brands at Expo 2020 in Dubai.

NEWS GAMES & APPS Dress your avatar in Moomin apparel.

KIDS & TOYS From cutlery in silver to knitted gloves – and the story of Teddykompaniet's Lollo & Bernie collection.

NEWS RETAIL & SHOPS Shop Marius on Amazon and Sarah Sheppard's dinosaurs at Polarn O. Pyret.

INITIATIVE Reading, Writing and the Moomins.

AWARDS LICENSEES & NOMINEES Two finalists in the prestigious Licensing International Excellence Awards.

ABOUT US BRANDS The world is our arena. Here are the brands that we represent today.

ABOUT US CONTACT Headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden and local branches in Helsinki, Oslo and Tokyo.

FOOD & BEVERAGES From ice cream to premium truffles – and the story of the Mamma Moo and Crow milk.

R&B magazine Produced by: Rights & Brands, Rosenlundsgatan 31, 118 63 Stockholm, Sweden www.rightsandbrands.com linkedin.com/company/rights-&-brands/ facebook.com/rightsandbrands/ instagram.com/rightsandbrandslic/ instagram.com/rightsandbrands/ Editorial Board: Shatilla Holm, Elin Larsson, Nicolina Bagge Editor: Sonja Björk Ebert Art Director: Maria Seefried © Moomin Characters™ Cover photo: Helen Pe Styling: Josefin Tolstoy Images: Licensees and proprietors Printed in Sweden by: Göteborgstryckeriet AB, Sweden

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ABOUT US // Patrick Ullman

Creating new opportunities and striving for change RIGHTS & BRANDS was started based on the mission to bring Nordic rights and brands to a global arena. Building on the experiences, network and success we have enjoyed together with the M oomins, we have a lot to offer that many other agencies cannot. Both in regards of competence and business experience, but mainly from combining storytelling and art and making it commercial yet sticking to the core values of the brand. We are striving to create new opportunities for the brands we represent and we are dead set to change the way licensing agencies work. Some may call us progressive, brash, even bold. We believe we are onto something! And we are having great fun doing it! Having made it through the pandemic, we are humble and thankful for the fact that R&B and the brands we represent did very well and are growing, thanks to the creative and clever licensees, sub-agents and partners we work with. Being nominated in two categories in the Licensing International Excellence Awards (Best Licensed brand for Moomin and Home Décor for the collaboration Design House S tockholm x Carl and Karin Larsson, Carl Larsson-gården Sundborn), is one e xample that we are doing things right.

THIS YEAR, R&B and Moomin Characters both invested in Gutsy Animations, the award-wining animation studio and creators of Moominvalley. Just weeks later, we made an agreement to c ollaborate with Rovio Entertainment Ltd, the Angry Birds game and franchise creators in order to further establish a clear digital agenda. In the beginning of September of 2021, together with our C hinese licensing agency PPW, Moomin Characters and the Japanese corporation Itochu, we jointly set up the licensing agency Rights & Brands Asia (R&B Asia), based in Hong Kong, to make a clear statement that we want to be part of the massive licensing business opportunities Greater China has to offer. We have also welcomed new management to R&B Japan, where we will continue to build our fanbase in our largest Moomin market yet. Japan is still the largest and most important market aside with the Nordics. The opening of R&B Asia happened only days after Fiskars Group invested in Right & Brands, as a minority shareholder, where the Finnish porcelain and home appliance company (in our business perhaps most well-known for the Moomin mugs) and R&B has decided to join forces in building a proactive and progressive position in retail, product and business development. Happy reading!

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ABOUT US

Rights & Brands is ranked number 14 in the world on the list of Top 25 Global Licensing Agents. License Global Magazine's Top 25 Global Licensing Agents, 2020

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ABOUT US

R&B REPRESENTING ICONIC BRANDS Rights & Brands represents iconic Nordic brands, artists and authors and is the worldwide master agent on behalf of Moomin Characters.

How did it all start? R&B was founded on the principle that the values and brands born out of the cultural tradition of the Nordics have global p otential. The company was formed in 2016 by Moomin Characters and Bulls, building on a collaboration going back over 70 years, with the Moomin stories and artwork licensed to products and homes all over the world. Continuing the Moomin legacy and licensing tradition, R&B now works with other iconic brands like Astrid Lindgren and Ilon Wikland, Mauri Kunnas, Stig Lindberg and Carl Larsson to bring Nordic rights to a global arena. How many clients and network of sub-agents do you have? R&B has a network of over 40 sub-agents and 800 clients worldwide. What is R&B's main goal going forward? The main goal is to bring Nordic rights to a global arena and share the unique values, stories and artwork that our iconic brands bring to any category and product, from digital games to publishing or home decoration. R&B strives to develop and nurture both proprietors and licensees to successful partnerships and collaborations in all areas. The importance of Nordic art and literature? We believe that Nordic art and literature have distinct values – equality, tolerance, family, education and respect for nature.

+800 +30 +40 +900 +70 worldwide licensees

brands

agents

million euro, total retail value

language translations

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ABOUT US // Licensing

COLLAB IS THE NEW LICENSING R&B is an international brand development agency with unique licensing experience and business capacity. We use all aspects of character representation and branding, from publishing and PR to licensing, merchandising and digital development.

How licensing works A product licence grants you the right to use generally recognised trademarks, images, films or comic strip characters in your products, publications or campaigns. The licensor retains ownership of the copyright while the licensee (the client) purchases the right to use the trademark in products and campaigns for an agreed period.

PRE

LICENSING STRATEGY

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SALES STRATEGY

AGREEMENT

DESIGN & ARTWORK

PRODUCT APPROVAL

License from R&B

Brands and creators

Starting from a strategic base in literature, art and design, R&B’s platform is built on knowledge, passion and people. Using all aspects of character representation and branding, from publishing and PR to licensing, merchandising and digital development, with a worldwide network of sub-agents and over 800 clients, R&B’s international insight and business capacity is unique.

Using a well-known character will generate immediate market recognition for your product. This will increase product sales and profit. Your product will reach new t arget groups and have a strong competitive edge over similar products on the market. The chance to co-operate with other license holders is a further advantage that will open up new marketing channels.

GO TO MARKET

OWN CHANNELS COMMUNICATION & SALES

POST

EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION CHANNELS

RETAIL & COLLABORATIONS

ROYALTY REPORT

EVALUATION/ ANALYSIS

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NEWS // Corporate

New strategic partnership when R&B goes Greater China RIGHTS & BRANDS ASIA is now open for business. The company is a joint venture between Rights & Brands, Moomin Characters, the current Moomin Chinese sub. agent PPW and ITOCHU, one of the largest Japanese general trading companies (“sogo shosha”). The agency will be spearheaded by Bianca Lee, who has extensive experience in brand management and licensing. Bianca has managed world- renowned entertainment franchises during her tenure with Warner Bros., including Batman, Harry Potter and Looney Tunes, as well as global FMCG brands like Coca-Cola and Heineken. “It’s with great pleasure M oomin Characters has set up Rights & Brands Asia together with such strong representatives within merchandising, literature, content development and digital expertise”, says Roleff Kråkström, CEO of Moomin Characters. “The Asian market, in particular Japan, has been very important for the development and success of the Moomins globally, and now, with R&B Asia, we will be able

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to develop the brand even further by uilding awareness in Greater China.” b Patrick Ullman, CEO of Rights & Brands says: “We are super thrilled about this strong, strategic partnership. We have been working with Ivan Chan and his team at PPW on the Moomins for several years. PPW has proved over and over again that the sky is the limit. Tatsushi Shingu, President of ICT & Financial Business Company says “The Chinese licensing market is growing rapidly every year, and is expected to grow even further. It’s a great pleasure to enter fast growing business domains with such strong partners.” “We are very excited to be able to strengthen the collaborative efforts with our important partners, to expand the footprint of Moomin and other IPs in the fast-expanding Greater China m arket,” says Ivan Chan, CEO of PPW. “The core Moomin values of family, friendship and harmony have a strong resonance in the Chinese market. With the establishment of R&B Asia, I believe we can bring the franchise to new heights.”

Meet R&B Japan's new President Dr. Kumiko Ito JAPAN In April 2021 Dr. Kumiko Ito joined Rights & Brands Japan as President. Dr. Ito brings an international outlook to the position, boosted by her successful career in marketing and supply chain management from global companies and organizations such as Coca-Cola and World Bank. Japan is the number one market for the Moomin business, alongside the Nordics. Sales have been growing steadily thanks to product development capturing local trends and demands. Despite the impact of Covid-19 and the general drop in business overall, Moomin has still done very well in Japan during the pandemic, particularly in the casual fashion and home products segments. Moving forward, Rights & Brands Japan is focusing on future growth and Dr. Ito comments: “Starting in 2021, R&B Japan has shifted its focus to actively implementing marketing activities using digital tools to support licensee sales. First up, the new official Moomin online Store will appear for a limited time in early December, followed by a full-scale launch in March 2022. This is a clear change in strategy from previous years, when R&B Japan has been more of a license management agency.” Working closely with Moomin characters and master agent Rights & Brands in Stockholm, R&B Japan is continuously striving to share the world of Moomin as one team, one Moomin. “For me and the team it is a dream come true to work with the Moomin brand. Our passion is clearly shared by the licensees and consumers, with new, creative products constantly added to the many ranges of Moomin categories in the territory”, says Dr. Ito and continues; “The art and storytelling makes the brand very special and gives the Moomin a distinct and unique advantage compared to other brand businesses, We look forward to an exciting and moominous 2022!”

Exclusive mobile games deal

Rights & Brands in partnership with Fiskars Group and Moomin Characters MOOMIN The new arrangement with Fiskars Group as a minority shareholder in Rights & Brands, the long-time Moomin master agent, solidifies the unique partnership and grants Fiskars Group access to a wide portfolio of R&B’s beloved brands, including the Moomins. ”The Moomin stories are e ssentially about the most important things in life, to anyone anywhere, anytime”, tells Sophia Jansson, Owner and Creative Director of Moomin Characters. “Respect for one another, family, love, compassion, tolerance, freedom and a ppreciating the nature are key to the the Moomins and to us as a company. Throughout our long, joint history, Fiskars Group has done an extraordinary job of transforming stories and artwork into enchanting and beautiful products. I am utterly excited about this new joint step towards a wider, international collaboration,” tells

Sophia Jansson, Owner and Creative Director of Moomin Characters. THE PARTNERSHIP WITH Fiskars Group adds yet another expansive strand of business development to Rights & Brands’ previous investments and b usiness alliances with Rovio Entertainment Corporation (Angry Birds) and Gutsy Animations (Moominvalley animation) earlier this year. “This is an outstanding moment for us. Two iconic Finnish design powerhouses join forces to tap into new geographies beyond existing markets, thanks notably to the international network and licensing expertise of R&B. Our shared global ambition, values and love for Nordic lifestyle and design provide an excellent starting point for deepening our collaboration,” says Nathalie Ahlström, CEO of Fiskars Group.

ROVIO ENTERTAINMENT Rights & Brands is the worldwide master agent of the Moomins and Rovio Entertainment the most successful Finnish mobile gaming company globally and the creator of the Angry Birds franchise. The partnership will see Rovio’s development of Moomin based games for any platform and exclusive rights to Moomin based games for all mobile platforms. Rovio’s first Moomin game, based on the original story and world created by Tove Jansson and inspired by the animation series “Moominvalley” visuals, is already being developed and expected to soft launch later in 2021. “Moomin Characters looks to expand their digital footprint and offering, it’s fantastic to join forces with Rovio Enter tainment, who bring a wealth of e xpertise and success in this space. We’re confident this partnership will open up new opportunities not only to the Moomin trademark, but also to the additional Nordic story. This partnership marks an important milestone in our strategy to take local Nordic creations to the international marketplace’’ says Roleff Kråkström, Managing Director of Moomin Characters. Alex Pelletier-Normand, CEO of Rovio: “We are honored and excited to enter this partnership that will give us the opportunity to present this iconic brand to new audiences across the globe as well as delighting our existing fans.” Rights & Brands and Moomin Characters have invested in the Emmy® Award- nominated studio Gutsy Animations, creator of the internationally celebrated Moominvalley 3D animation series. Multi award-winning Moominvalley is the company’s flagship production, with a record-high of 16 million starts on Yle’s streaming platform in Finland and distribution sold to over 50 countries.

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NEWS // TV & Films

Mamma Moo finds her way home

Since the first book about Mamma Moo was published in 1993 as many as 17 books have been published and translated into 36 languages.

MAMMA MOO A new Mamma Moo movie is here. Mamma Moo finds her way home, set to premiere in February 2022, and as a brand-new character the Stork shows up! Mamma Moo wants to see the world but the Crow has of course already seen it all. But when the Stork appears on the farm and wants to build a nest, the Crow is challenged by someone who has actually seen the world. The story about Mamma Moo and the Crow started on a radio show by Jujja and Tomas Wislander in 1984 and the quick minded, sarcastic but yet warm characters became an immediate success. In the 1990’s we finally got to see see how the odd couple looked, as they were drawn by the popular illustrator Sven Nordqvist, and they conquered the bookshelves of children all over the world.

Get Back, directed by Peter Jackson, premieres in November 2021 THE BEATLES Get Back will be presented as three separate episodes. Because of the wealth of tremendous footage Jackson has reviewed, he has spent the past three years restoring and editing. Each episode is approximately two hours in length, rolling out over three days, November 25, 26 and 27, 2021, exclusively on Disney Plus. The film, snippets of which were previewed during a Universal Music Group presentation last year as well as a “montage” debuted online, is taken from more than 50 hours of footage taped in January of 1969 as the Beatles worked on

The Smurfs on Nickelodeon SMURFS Blue and small, and standing only three apples tall, The Smurfs are set to make their Nickelodeon debut in an all-new series premiering 2021. The news was announced by Nickelodeon, the number-one network for kids, and LAFIG Belgium and IMPS, the world10 | R&B MAGAZINE ISSUE NO 1

wide licensors for The Smurfs. All-new episodes will continue to rollout F riday nights on Nickelodeon and debut internationally in the fall. The original series marks the return of the globally renowned characters to television for the first time in nearly 40 years.

material that ultimately became the Let It Be album and feature-length film. Based on the previewed footage, Get Back will present a counter-narrative to Let It Be, which effectively documented the Beatles breaking up; the group would record their last song together just eight months later. Where Let It Be tends to be a bit morose — the film is currently out of circulation cCartney and living members Paul M and Ringo Starr and the estates of John Lennon and George Harrison have seemed reluctant to revisit it — Get Back appears to be classic moptops, with lots of humor, affection and camaraderie.

Critically acclaimed biopic Tove travels widely THE TOVE JANSSON ESTATE Tove, directed by Zaida B ergroth, is a captivating drama about the creative energy of an iconic talent and her turbulent search for identity, desire and freedom. The film focuses on the decade after the Second World War when Tove Jansson struggled to make it as a painter, fell in love with the theatre director Vivica Bandler and found success in the creation of the beloved Moomintrolls. Starring Alma Pöysti as Tove Jansson, produced by Helsinki-filmi and co-produced by Anagram Sweden, the feature debuted in the Toronto Film Festival ́s Industry Selects section in September 2020 to rave reviews. In its native country Finland, it became the most seen and talked about Finnish film during the fall of 2020, gathering more than 160.000 viewers in the theatres before the theatres had to close due to the pandemic. It was then chosen as Finland’s contribution to The Academy Awards and won 7 Jussi awards (the Finnish national film award) in 2021, including Best Film, Best Director and Best Actress for Alma Pöysti. In 2021, Tove opened the prestigious Göteborg Film Festival, where it won the Sven Nykvist Cinematography Award for cinema photographer Linda Wassberg ́s work, and will continue being distributed all over the world. It has so far been sold to more than 50 countries, amongst them the UK, the US, Germany, Japan and South Korea. For more i nformation on local p remieres, keep an eye on the Moomin official social media channels. If you want to get in contact with the local distributors of the film, you can contact the sales company LevelK at admin@levelk.dk and visit the website www.levelk.dk.

“You can’t but admire Alma Pöysti’s performance…” JV / KARJALAINEN

“Tove Jansson got the biopic she deserves” JT / HS

“Best film of the year” KF / VASABBLADET

“…a film about a Finnish artist that’s full of the joy of life”

RB / DEMOKRAATTI

“…a beautiful love story and depiction of an artist’s life” SW / EEVA

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NEWS // TV & Films

SARAH SHEPPARD On May 1st the animated series Dino Deluxe premiered on the streaming service C More. Dino Deluxe is a captivating and entertaining factbased show for children in the age of 3 to 7 years old. The show consists of 10 episodes that is each 7 minutes long and it’s based on Sarah Sheppard’s popular dinosaur books Dino Deluxe, Massor av dinosaurier and Varning för Köttgänget. “It’s surreal that my dinosaurs are now in motion on tv!” says Sarah Sheppard.

MOOMIN The Moominvalley series is a whimsical coming of age story of family and friendship and the third season will revolve around themes of community. New for this season will be Snorkmaiden’s brother Snork, a logical and clever youngster known for his curious inventions, alongside the small and irate prankster creature Stinky, whose debut in the series has been e agerly anticipated by fans. Marika Makaroff, Gutsy Animations Creative Director and Executive Producer of the Moominvalley series, said: “We are proud to be honoring Tove’s legacy of creating stories that reinforce positivity and togetherness in trying times. We’re grateful to our fantastic partners Yle and Sky which have allowed us to continue to explore and celebrate the community of Moominvalley.” The third series of Moominvalley will air on Sky One, streaming service NOW TV, the Sky Kids app and on demand in the UK and Ireland in 2021/2022. Moominvalley has been sold to over 40 countries to date and won the Best

The young detectives are back

Children’s Series Award at the renowned British Animation Awards, in addition to taking prizes at both the TBI Content Innovation Awards 2019 and Golden Venla 2019. It has also recently been nominated for an International Emmy® Kids Award, shortlisted for the Broadcast Digital Awards 2020 and nominated for a Rockie Award by Banff World Media Festival.

LASSEMAJAS DETEKTIVBYRÅ (The Whodunit Detective Agency) Premiere 2022 with The Mystery of Scorpio. It is the seventh film about the p opular detectives Lasse and Maja, written by Martin Widmark, and this time with film debutant director Tina Mackic. In the main roles as Lasse and Maja, we see Nils Kendle and Polly Stjärne who played in the latest success The Train Robber’s Secret. In the movie actress Alma Pöysti who played Tove in the movie about Tove Jansson also has a part. The film is produced by Jonathan Ridings at SF Studios in co-production with Film i Väst, SVT and with support from the Swedish Film Institute. In Lassemajas Detektivbyrå – Skorpionens gåta (The Whodunit Detective Agency – The Scorpio Mystery), Lasse and Maja are faced with their most difficult case. To solve the mystery, they team up with the retired, and grumpy, master thief Lillie Ragnarsson.

Moominvalley season 3 with two new characters

New animated Dino Deluxe

Bamse and the Volcano Island

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Nils Kendle, Suzanne Reuter and Polly Stjärne.

BAMSE In the brand new movie, the self-glorifying little thief Kattja makes an entrance into Bamse’s world. Just as everything seems to be calm and quiet at the home of Bamse and his friends, an emergency call comes from Skalman’s old research colleague, the biologist Beanka, who mysteriously seems to have disappeared on a research trip.

Bamse and the Volcano Island is the largest single investment in an animated film in Sweden, and the first film in a new trilogy based on Bamse’s fantastic world. The film is directed by Christian Ryltenius and features the voices of several big names like Rolf Lassgård, Johan Glans, Sissela Kyle and Johan Ulveson. Bamse and the Volcano Island premieres on December 22, 2021.

NEWS // Games & Apps

Rovio: Moomin games for all platforms MOOMIN Rovio Entertainment, which is the most successful Finnish mobile g aming company and the creator of the Angry Birds franschise, and Rights & Brands’ partnership will see Rovio’s development of Moomin based games for any platform and exclusive rights to Moomin based games for all mobile platforms. Rovio’s first Moomin game, based on the original story and world created by Tove Jansson and inspired by the animation series “Moominvalley” visuals.

Dress your avatar in Moomin clothes with the Frever app MOOMIN Moomin, Rights & Brands and Frever have joined forces to develop in-app Moomin content in a new app, giving fans the opportunity to style their avatar in Moomin apparel and accessories and brand owners an opportunity to showcase their designs before launch. Together they created five digital

looks based on the new Moomin ABC artwork, resulting in virtual clothes and objects. The looks include sportswear, streetwear and a rain collection and fans were given the chance to vote for their favourite style. Together with Skandibrand.com, the styles have been recreated as physical print on demand apparel that fans are able to purchase. This model gives brands a way of showcasing early designs and bridging the online and physical space in licensing. With online services such as Tiktok and Instagram gaining ever more popularity, the demand for unique and original content has grown tremendously. The new app Frever lets anyone create vibrant 3D animated videos using nothing more than your mobile phone, content that can then be shared on any online platform. Frever aims to release the first version of the app in the fall of 2021 and Moomin fans may register for early access on Frever.com. The Moomin collection created in collaboration with Frever is available at Skandibrand.com and features worldwide distribution. frever.com. R&B MAGAZINE ISSUE NO 1 | 13

NEWS // Retail & Shops

Polarn O. Pyret in a unique collaboration with Sarah Sheppard

Sweden’s first Moomin shop-in-shop MOOMIN The adventure centre Funnys Äventyr focuses on familiar stories and characters from Nordic children’s literature and has now opened a new shop that is filled with products. Not only from different characters like Pettson & Findus and Mamma Moo and the Crow – but also Sweden’s first Moomin shop-in-shop. The Moomins play a significant role in the shop and the best part is that you can do your Moominous shopping w ithout having to pay an admittance fee!

Moomin makes Christmas MOOMIN Cervera continues their successful Christmas collection with the Moomins. This collection is even greater as the glass mugs come in a special golden edition, a matching glass jug, ginger bread and the Moomin mulled wine. 14 | R&B MAGAZINE ISSUE NO 1

SARA SHEPPARD Polarn & Pyret is launcing their first collaboration with the swedish author and illustrator Sarah Sheppard during the autumn of 2021. Together, Polarn O. Pyret and Sarah Sheppard has created a unique and colorful collection, inspired by the authors popular dinosaur book Dino Deluxe. – Sarah’s aesthetic is fantastic, and this limited collection is an homage to her playful and colorful illustrations. Together, we have created a collection of high quality that lasts a long time and can be inherited further. We hope that these garments will become favorites in children’s closets, says Martina Wernemar, assortment and production manager at Polarn O. Pyret. Sarah Sheppard is a Swedish writer and illustrator who, since her debut in 2008, has been praised for her fun, colorful and exciting books filled with interesting facts about animals and nature. Thanks to Sarah, both adults and children have become experts on

dinosaurs, sharks and the animals of the forest. Polarn O. Pyret wants to promote reading and the time you spend together reading, that’s why they have let the dinosaurs from Sarah’s books take on life in Polarn O. Pyret’s clothes – and children can in their way create new stories with their favorite dinosaurs. Sarah’s dinosaurs can also be seen in a brand-new TV show called Dino Deluxe that premiered on C More in the spring of 2021. – My first thought was honestly that this is too great, it won’t happen. But it did! I already had a great trust in Polarn O. Pyret, both in terms of quality and design. I’ve felt assured through the whole process and that my dear dinosaurs is in very good hands, and it’s been incredibly fun to work with the team at P.O.P, Sarah says. The limited collection will be for children of all ages and will be available in Polarn O. Pyret’s physical and online stores starting October 2021.

Marius licensees together on Amazon MARIUS The Marius brand now have its very own store at Amazon. The Amazon store has an assortment from several Marius licensees. This makes it easy for customers all over the world to see all the different products that Marius has to offer.

Stig Lindberg’s legacy lives on STIG LINDBERG Known for the omnipresent porcelain, glass and textiles that decorated Swedish homes for decades and went on to spark great international interest and popularity, Stig Lindberg is inarguably one of Sweden’s and the worlds most influential designers. His whimsical and tasteful work is still as popular as ever, almost 40 years after he passed away in 1982. As the licensing agent, Rights & Brands works together with the Lindberg family to ensure that everything that bears Stig Lindberg’s name is done in line with his original vision. Many of his most famous works were created during his time as the Art Director for Gustavs berg’s porcelain factory, but he also p ainted, illustrated books and taught ceramics at Sweden’s University College of Arts, Crafts and Design. During a career spanning almost five decades, he adapted with time, capturing the current zeitgeist of anything from cubism, in the 1930’s to flower power, in the 1970’s. “He wasn’t just sensitive to trends”, comments Lars Dueholm-Lindberg, Lindberg’s son, with a note of pride. “He was a trendsetter.” Some of Lindberg’s most iconic designs are currently exhibited at Millesgården museum in Stockholm. The exhibition includes day-to day items as well as paintings and public art installations. “My father had a motto: ‘why not do the exact opposite?’ He didn’t want to follow rules, he went in new directions all the time. Why should a coffee cup look like that? Let’s do it the other way round,” Dueholm-Lindberg says. For almost two decades, he has been carefully curating his father’s creations through two family- owned companies. The idea is to keep Lindberg’s work relevant and commercial, while ensuring that all products remain true to his vision. RIGHTS & BRANDS takes part in securing Lindberg’s legacy by working closely with collaborative partners, product development, negotiation and settling agreements, such as art queries on behalf of the Stig Lindberg brand. The Rights & Brands team also handles the approval of products, marketing, and communication proposals from the collaboration partners together with Dueholm-Lindberg. “We have a very good cooperation. Rights & Brands bring in proposals, and we evaluate before proceeding to next steps,” Dueholm-Lindberg says, adding that there is no shortage of interest in his father’s designs for commercial use. “Textiles are very popular – Lindberg made over 40 textile designs, and we have around ten of them back in production. We have three w allpaper collections, still selling 15 years on. New projects are in the pipeline. The designs are still in demand and it’s wonderful to see the heritage live on.” text PHILIP O’CONNER

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INTERIOR & HOME

The book Lotta of Troublemaker Street illustrated by Ilon Wikland is translated into 35 languages.

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6 8

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1. Stig Lindberg desk pen set, Ballograf. 2. Lotta on Troublemaker Street tray, Opto Design. 3. Carl & Karin Larsson lampshade, PR Home. 4. Moomin hot plate, BRUNO. 5. Carl & Karin Larsson “Color Accent” greenhouse, Design House Stockholm. 6. Stig Lindberg porcelain stoneware tiles, Bricmate + Note Design Studio. 7. Moomin To Go Click mug, Stelton. 8. Marius mug, Porsgrund Porselen. 9. Moomin figurines, Mitt & Ditt. 10. Santa Claus by Mauri Kunnas cutting board, Muurla. 11. Moomin pillowcase, Finlayson.

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The story BRAND

Stig Lindberg PARTNER

Bricmate + Note Design Studio TERRITORY:

Europe BACKGROUND

For Stig Lindberg, accessibility and usability were of outmost importance. He was never finished with a pattern but would always add, update and develop color schemes and present new versions that would fit the aesthetic ideals of the time. Stig Lindberg’s art treasure is today managed by his family, and the collaboration with Bricmate and Note was created in the spirit of Lindberg. DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLABORATION

Note is a Stockholm based design studio founded in 2008, working in architecture, interior, products, graphic design and design strategy. In this series of Porcelain Stoneware, Bricmate has selected and updated four of Stig Lindberg’s patterns: Dot, Filigran, Railing and Lattice. Theselection, color scheme and design has been done by Bricmate in collaboration with Note which, like Lindberg, work across categories and genres. CATEGORY

Home/Interior RESULTS

The tile collection was launched with a press event at Bricmate’s flagship store. TIMELINE

Launched in September, 2021

One of Sweden’s most important postwar designers, Lindberg created beautiful studio ceramics and graceful tableware lines during a long career with the Gustavsberg pottery factory.

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INTERIOR & HOME // Skultuna

The success story of Skultuna x Moomin Skultuna’s first Moomin collection, launched in April 2021, sold out in less than an hour. The gold-covered Moomin figurines stole the hearts of Moomin fans all over the world. SKULTUNA LAUNCHED their first Moomin collection, eight lovely Moomin figurines, in the spring of 2021. The series contained some of the most beloved characters from Tove Jansson’s Moomin stories: the entire Moomin family as well as Snorkmaiden, Sniff, Snufkin, Little My and Stinky. The timeless and long-lasting figurines, made of plated steel, are a beautiful continuation of the long history of Moomin figurines. “We’ve been fans of Tove Jansson and the Moomins for a long time here at Skultuna. It almost feels as if the brass foundry was a part of Moominvalley, as we’re located on the same latitude, in the middle of the forests of the Västmanland county”, Skultuna CEO Viktor Blomqvist comments. “We like how the Moomin stories are both harsh and clever at the same time – one always finds a parallel to oneself and one’s own choices in them.”

The Moomin figurines were an instant success, and the team at Skultuna could not have hoped for a better response from the customers. Selling out in less than one hour showed that the gold- coloured figurines filled a void in the category of Moomin products. According to Blomqvist, what played a big part in the success of the launch was the beautiful marketing imagery. “Great content pictures shot by the best stylist/photographer team in Stockholm, the Moomins look so great in their setting”, Blomqvists says. In addition, journalist and author Mark Levengood posted the series on his Instagram prior to the launch and built anticipation for the figurines among Moomin fans. The first eight figurines were only the beginning of the Skultuna x Moomin collaboration, the plans for more releases are already in the works.

The Story BRAND

Moomin PARTNER/LICENSEE

Skultuna BACKGROUND

Skultuna was founded in 1607 by King Karl IX as a royal brass producer. Still active today, Skultuna is a leading premium brand in interior design and in fashion accessories. Skultuna is now an official Moomin partner, and this series has been developed in close contact with Moomin Characters Ltd. DESCRIPTION OF COLLABORATION

The first series consisted of eight gold plated figurines of some of the most loved characters that Tove Jansson created; Moomintroll, Snorkmaiden, Little My, Moomin pappa, Moominmamma, Sniff, Snufkin & Stinky. The figurines are made of plated steel, making them timeless and long-lasting. CATEGORY

Home TIMELINE

The SKULTUNA x MOOMIN series was released in April 2021, more additions will follow accordingly. RESULTS

The first batch of the collection sold out in a matter of hours after launching.

“The timeless and long-lasting figurines, made of plated steel, were a beautiful continuation of the long history of Moomin figurines.” R&B MAGAZINE ISSUE NO 1 | 19

INTERVIEW // Ilon Wikland

Ilon Wikland Born 1930 in Tartu, Estonia. DAUGHTERS

Helene born 1953, Birgitta 1955, Fredrika 1959, Anna 1967. AWARDS

Elsa Beskow Plaque, Expressen’s Heffaklump, Illis Quorum, St: Eriksmedaljen, Nacka kommuns kulturpris, Swedish publishers’ association honorary award. CHARACTERS BASED ON BOOKS BY ASTRID LINDGREN

Lotta On Troublemaker Street, The Brothers Lionheart, Karlssonon-the-Roof, Ronja The Robber’s Daughter, Madicken, Mio, My Son and many more. BOOKS WRITTEN AND ILLUSTRATED BY ILON WIKLAND

The Long, Long Journey, Where is Sammeli, Sammeli, Epp and I, and Sam, Eli, come! MUSEUM

Ilon’s Wonderland in Haapsalu, Estonia, featuring around 800 book illustrations that Ilon donated to the Estonian state in 2004.

Ilon Wiklands escape story turned into children’s opera “The Long, Long Journey. Here at the show, dressed in her favorite silkblouse.

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AN ARTIST WITH AN INSTINCT FOR DETAIL She is perhaps best known for drawing beloved characters such as Karlsson-on-the-Roof, Madicken and The Brothers Lionheart, but Ilon Wikland’s art covers so much more. It spans seventy years, and not even her daughters know how much Ilon has produced in that time. text SONJA BJÖRK EBERT

ikland is one of Sweden’s most beloved children’s book illustrators and an icon in Swedish children’s book literature. She has received several awards and prizes over the years in recognition of her work. Despite all this success and a career adorned with praise and appreciation from people of all ages around the world, she has remained humble. Now 91 years old, Ilon has handed over control of the company Design Ilon Wikland AB to her daughters Hélene, Birgitta, Fredrika and Anna, something that was not a matter of course. “Mum has always managed her company herself and has probably never taken it for granted that we would manage her inheritance,” says Fredrika Wikland. “But of course, we want to continue to ensure that her art lives on, and that people around the world can see and enjoy her work. Our whole upbringing has been characterised by her work and her strong commitment to it. When our mother decided to let go, she did it completely and gave us full confidence to continue the work.” Inspired by family life When Fredrika and her sisters talk about their mother and their childhood, it is easy to see snapshots of their everyday life – Ilon working at home in her light-filled studio in the house, while

the children run in and out and shout with happy voices, closely f ollowed by a nanny desperately trying to keep them in order. Although not a traditional mum herself, in her art Ilon liked to depict mothers who rolled their own meatballs and baked buns in a fog of flour, dressed in slippers and aprons. She also drew inspiration for many of her legendary environments and characters from her own home – the children’s playroom became Karlsson’s room in Karlsson- on-the-Roof, and everyone who knows the family can quickly recognise the similarities. “Lotta on Troublemaker Street is based on our little sister Anna, while little Kerstin in The Children of Noisy Village is our sister Birgitta. In Lotta’s Bike, Lotta has a crocheted hat on her head that our Turkish nanny made for Anna and that all of us sisters used, as did our children. Today, that hat is at Anna’s home as a fond memory,” says Fredrika. A child-like sense of wonder Ilon’s own childhood and upbringing is an enthralling story, which she wrote about in the autobiographical book Den långa, långa resan (The Long, Long Journey) published in 1995. What it was like to come to Sweden as an unaccompanied refugee child from Estonia is not something Ilon talks about very often. She has previously said in an interview that she wanted to draw a book about what it really was like in Estonia during the Russian and German occupations, but that it would never happen because it was such a difficult time in her life. R&B MAGAZINE ISSUE NO 1 | 21

INTERVIEW // Ilon Wikland

To the right: Ilon with her four daughters, 1967. Anna in Ilons arms, Fredrika to the left, Birgitta in the middle and Hélène to the right. Below: The sisters together in Nice 2019, from the left: Anna, Birgitta, Hélène and Fredrika. Below to the right: Ilon waiting at the station in Haapsalu, 2006. A place that meant a lot to her.

Perhaps it is Ilon’s childhood that gives her images their shadows and melancholic streak, a balance between light and darkness that helps to make her characters multidimensional and complex. “Mum has never been afraid to show her feelings or be childish. She has a great sense of humour and loves animals,” says Fredrika. She also tells of how Ilon often carried spiders out of the house in her hands, urging others to do the same with her musical E stonian accent. Another strong memory is when Ilon had received the manuscript for the Brothers Lionheart by Astrid Lindgren. “I remember how we sat and had dinner and asked her what the book was about. My mother began to cry violently because she was so touched by the story of the brothers Jonathan and Crusty,” she explains. The sisters also tell the story of when Ilon was heavily pregnant with Birgitta and their father had gotten a job as an attaché in Paris, 1955. Astrid had previously given Ilon the script to Karlsson-on-theRoof but did not like the sketches she received, and Ilon needed to find inspiration for a new proposal. One day, when Ilon was on her way into the market halls, she met a little man in a checked shirt pulling on a cart with vegetables. Ilon followed the man, scribbling furiously on her drawing pad with her pencil and shouting ”there he is!”. That was how she found her Karlsson. Humility and success What is the secret behind Ilon’s success and what was it like having a famous artist as a mother? “We have always had a great admiration for her and understood that she is skilled at painting and illustrating emotions. Combined 22 | R&B MAGAZINE ISSUE NO 1

“For us, it is extremely important to highlight Ilon’s art, bring her work out into the world and thinking in new ways”

In 1953, Ilon applied for a job as an illustrator at Rabén & Sjögren, where she met Astrid Lindgren. The rest is history.

with her eye for detail, this allows her to be authentic and accurate in her illustrations – for example, how she was able to describe how angry Lotta is and how painful it is to scratch a knee in such a recognisable way.” Fredrika tells about an exhibition in Berlin in February 2015 when the sisters saw many of Ilon’s illustrations and prints and books of her creative work, and they realised how enormously productive their mother had been during their upbringing. “In the book Ilon Wikland – ett konstnärsliv (Ilon Wikland – An Artistic Life), which was published in Swedish in 2020, just in time for her 90th birthday, our mother describes how hard it was to have a deadline and not be happy with what she had done, how stressful it was and how she could sit up all night to get the details right.” Sister Anna says that they usually only saw Ilon’s drawings when the books were ready and printed: “Sometimes we would get sketches that she was not happy with to use as drawing paper. Mum kept a very low profile; she never made a fuss about herself and was a real hidden gem. It was not until later in life that she began to appear on TV shows and in the newspapers. Our friends did not even believe us when we told them what mother worked with, but when she was noticed in the media for illustrating Astrid Lindgren’s books, we were all very proud.” Fruitful collaborations and clear visions For three years, Design Ilon Wikland AB has been collaborating with the agency Rights & Brands to develop the brand and spread Ilon’s work in several different forms, from books to branded products, around the world. The collaboration was started in part thanks to

Ilon’s good friend, author Mark Levengood. Ilon had illustrated several of Mark’s books, and he told her that Rights & Brands could help her company with the ongoing work of being responsible for rights, licenses and collaborations. Mark was already familiar with the company through his ambassadorship for Moomin, which also collaborates with Rights & Brands. “We always look at mum’s wishes and make decisions accordingly. Together, we sisters discuss which direction we should go – for example, which colours and which design we think feels right. Rights & Brands collect all the requests that are constantly coming in and they select what is in line with our values and vision. They are so committed and make sure that things happen all the time – right now, we have a fantastic collaboration with Astrid Lindgren AB, which we are very happy about,” says Fredrika Wikland. On the question of where Design Ilon Wikland AB is going and what the dream scenario would be for the future, the sisters are all in agreement. People all over the world should be able to enjoy their mother’s work, but without it being over-exploited as Ilon has always cared about quality, exclusivity and authenticity. In the Estonian city of Haapsalu and at the museum Iloni Imedemaa (Ilon’s Wonderland), over 800 of her original i llustrations are collected, but a dream of the family is to create a permanent place in Stockholm for works from Ilon’s 70-year career. “For us, it is extremely important to highlight Ilon’s art, bring her work out into the world and thinking in new ways, and at the same time maintaining its integrity and authenticity. It would also be exciting for us as her daughters, as we have only seen a fraction of everything she has produced.” R&B MAGAZINE ISSUE NO 1 | 23

ACCESSORIES & APPAREL

5 6

7 The Beatles has +1000 million sold albums worldwide and and has 40 million Facebook followers.

1. Marius retro backpack, PURENorway. 2. The Beatles Collector Box Set, Happy Socks. 3. Moomin reading glasses, Haga Optik. 4. The Beatles hoodie, H&M. 5. Moomin cufflinks, Skultuna. 6. Popeye t-shirt, Billebeino. 7. Stig Lindberg umbrella, Makita. 8. The Beatles jewellery, Efva Attling. 9. Moomin sweatshirt & mittens, Nordicbuddies.

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The story BRAND

Marius of Norway PARTNER/LICENSEE

Ulvang BACKGROUND

The Marius pattern is the most well-known and used hand knitting pattern in Norway, with over 7 million patterns sold. The first Marius sweater was designed in 1953 and today the Marius pattern is considered a Norwegian icon that illustrates the Norwegian’s love for nature and outdoor life. DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLABORATION

Ulvang specializes in wool and says their inspiration comes from the Norwegian nature, which is reflected in everything they create. Ulvang describes their new collection with Marius as a modern take on Norwegian heritage and that together they represent the best of both worlds – modern quality and traditional design. CATEGORY

Accessories & Apparel RESULTS

The Marius by Ulvang collection sold out immediately after launching.

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STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN

Moomin is back at Junibacken JUNIBACKEN IS A children’s cultural centre with books at its heart, situated on the beautiful island of Djurgården in Stockholm. It’s a place where authors of children’s books and illustrators are showcased to awaken the desire to read, in the spirit of the famous Swedish children’s book author Astrid Lindgren. This year, the Moomins have returned to Junibacken with a playful experience, inspired by four Moomin books: The Book about Moomin, Mymble and Little My, Moomin summer Madness, Moominpappa at Sea and The Memoirs of Moominpappa. The exhibition invites both those very knowledgeable in the world of the Moomins as those who still have more to discover, to an adventure that awakens the curiosity to turn to the books to find out more. In the exhibition, children may pick up apples in the forest where Hemulen is hiding, or they can crawl into the giant vacuum cleaner or ride down the slide from Moominpappa’s writing room and lots of other fun activities.. The new Moomin exhibition was also a part of the #OURSEA campaign and through different activities aimed at children, Junibacken helped them learn more about the Baltic Sea. The exhibition is executed in partnership with Moomin Characters and Rights & Brands, who are also involved as sponsors of the exhibition.

PARKS & EXHIBITIONS

MALMÖ, SWEDEN

The magical adventure centre Funnys Äventyr THE MOOMINS PLAY a very important role at Funnys Äventyr, tells Staffan Götestam, initiator of the cultural children's centre in Malmö, south of Sweden. – The Moomins are loved and hugely popular. There has been two Moomin worlds at Junibacken, made by the artist and scenographer Tor Svae. Now he’s doing it once more, this time at Funnys äventyr, with high recognisability. Moomin fans won’t be disappointed, Götestam promises. Funnys Äventyr (äventyr is Swedish for adventure) is a culture center for c hildren and a world full of fairy tales. It was founded by six Malmö-based companies in cooperation with the city of Malmö, property manager Atrium Ljungberg, Stiftelsen Kulturhuset för barn i Malmö and Rights & Brands. The cultural center is also host to a

fairytale themed store, available to the public without admission, where the Moomins play a prominent role in the shape of a shop-in-shop. The fairytale world is also host to numerous other characters famous from children’s literature such as Pettson and Findus, Alfie Atkins, Meia & Halvdan Viking, Alice in Wonderland, Aladdin and the Little Mermaid. – There aren’t that many destinations designated to families and tourists in the Malmö region. By working intensely together with the city of Malmö we’re hoping to fill that gap and spread our message, Staffan Götestam says. GÖTESTAM’S JOURNEY INTO the world of Nordic fairy tales started when he landed the role of Jonatan in The Brothers Lionheart, a movie based on one of AstridLindgren’s

most cherished books. Over the years he’s been active in the roles of actor, director, producer and dramatist. Besides Junibacken, which Götestam also was an initiator of, and Funnys Äventyr, Götestam is also the driving force behind many famous theatre and musical plays. Roleff Kråkström, CEO of Moomin Characters, says that Funnys Äventyr was a natural project for the syndicate to take part in. – It was a natural choice for us to participate in this project to spread ideas we believe in – like reading, storytelling; not to mention humanism and equality – locally but also to attract visitors from the neighboring continent. Reading and respecting other people is something we all must cherish and encourage, today more than ever. R&B MAGAZINE ISSUE NO 1 | 27

PARKS & EXHIBITIONS

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN

Unique Stig Lindberg e xhibition at Millesgården SWEDISH DESIGN LEGEND Stig L indberg is featured in a big exhibition at Millesgården in Stockholm, Sweden. The multi-artist Lindberg (1916-1982) has provided Sweden with his designs and illustrations since the end of the 1930s. With enormous productivity, a desire to e xperiment and an ability to be a functionalist without sacrificing his imagination, Lindberg’s designs

has filled thousands of homes over the past 80 years. The showcase includes more than 400 objects – from porcelain and wallpaper to textiles, illustrations and more. Many of the works have never been previously exhibited. The exhibtion is open from May 29, 2021 until January 30, 2022. Tickets to the exhibition can be booked on M illesgården’s website.

HANNO, JAPAN

SUNDBORN, SWEDEN

The first Moomin theme park outside Finland

Experience the home of Carl and Karin Larsson

THE MOOMINVALLEY PARK opened in March 2019. Located in Hanno, Japan, around 50 km from the Tokyo city center, it is the first Moomin theme park outside of Tove Jansson’s native Finland. Moominvalley Park includes the Moominhouse, several attractions based on the original books, live shows and greeting events with the characters, replicas of the bathing house and the lighthouse and an exhibition facility where one can learn about the thoughts of the Moomin creator Tove Jansson. The Park is filled with the charm of the original stories and art where Moomin fans can make new experiences and discoveries. With one of the largest selections of Moomin related merchandise, the Moomin gift shop has many original products that cannot be purchased anywhere else.

THIS COLOURFUL ARTIST couple’s house is one of the world’s best-known artist’s residences. Carl and Karin Larsson decorated their home Lilla Hyttnäs with a personal take on arts and crafts. Immortalized in the paintings by Carl Larsson, the artistic power couple’s light, colorful style has had an iconic impact on Swedish interior design and family life since the late 19th century. Lilla Hyttnäs, located in the idyllic village Sundborn, is open all year and is managed by the Carl and Karin Larsson family association. More information at www.carllarsson.se.

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DUBAI

Expo 2020 with Swedish and Finnish pavilion THE THEME FOR Expo 2020 is ”Connecting Minds – Creating the Future” that will explore possibilities in spheres of opportunity, mobility, and sustainability. The aim is to create technology that is unique, pioneering and sustainable for the future 190 countries participates, 70% of which will be from countries from outside of the UAE. With an estimate of over 25 million visitors, at least one million is expected to see the Swedish pavillion. Rights & Brands will be present in the pavillion, representing and presenting Nordic brands to a global arena. As part of the exhibition, Nordic brands will be given the opportunity of exposure to potential new clients and decision- makers from around the world.

The Swedish pavilion The purpose of the Swedish pavillion at the Expo is to increase Sweden's exports, attract business investments, improve Swedens image and promote the interest in Swedish and Nordic culture. The pavilion is set up by the Swedish government and will also collaborate with sponsors, partners and organisations like KTH, IKEA, Volvo Cars, Stora Enso, Visit Sweden and many more. Rights & Brands will exhibit an assortment of products from the brands Carl Larsson-gården, Moomin and Astrid Lindgren & Ilon Wikland. The Finnish pavilion The Finnish pavillion will feature a shop to further advertise Finnish brands and products. Available to by on site or online, Rights & Brands has invited a selection of Moomin licensees to sell their products in the shop. At the point of putting this magazine together, participating companies are Fiskars, Lamberth, Opto Design, Svanefors, Adexi, Skultuna, Rätt Start, Ekelunds Linneväveri, Nordic Buddies and Stelton. New products may be added, licensees are encouraged to contact Rights & Brands to participate.

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KIDS & TOYS

1 3 2

4 7

The Whodunit Detective Agency books have been translated into 35 languages

10 11

1. Marius wool mittens, Marius Kids. 2. Pettson & Findus melamine set, Dacapo Silver. 3. The Brothers Lionheart bib, Rätt Start. 4. Moomin ABC book, Förlaget/Bonnier Carlsen. 5. Mamma Moo and Crow reflective hat, Smart in the dark. 6. Mamma Moo and Crow stuffed animal, Martinex. 7. Mr Clutterbuck soft cubes, Martinex. 8. Moomin merino wool bodysuit, Lillelam. 9. Little Ghost Laban cutlery, Dacapo Silver. 10. Lollo & Bernie bracelet, pfgSTOCKHOLM. 11. The Whodunit Detective Agency board game, Egmont Kärnan.

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The story BRAND

Lollo & Bernie PARTNER/LICENSEE

Teddykompaniet TERRITORY

Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Iceland, Germany, UK/Ireland, Poland, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Hungary, Czeck, Slovakia, Switzerland, Italy, Portugal, New Zeeland, Korea and Chile. BACKGROUND

Rights & Brands’ first choice when becoming the licensing agent for Lollo & Bernie was Teddykompaniet. Teddykompaniet are experts on plush toys, but they also have a big assortment of other products suitable for the Lollo & Bernie brand. Their wide distribution was also essential when launching Lollo & Bernie in the Nordics. DESCRIPTION OF COLLABORATION

Rights & Brands has worked closely with Teddykompaniet in developing and evolving the range of products. The first collection included 10 different products, from puzzles and memory games to plush toys and key rings. CATEGORY

Toys & games RESULTS

Big launch and campaign at ICA in Sweden during spring 2021.

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INITIATIVE // Reading, writing and the Moomins

THE TRUE POWER OF STORYTELLING The world famous writer and artist Tove Jansson read non-stop from a very young age. As she grew up, books were always being exchanged and discussed both in the Jansson family home and within Tove’s circle of friends.

o it’s little wonder that Tove became a storyteller, writing and illustrating the Moomin books that are still loved by millions of readers around the world today. In 1969 in Sculptor's Daughter Tove Jansson wrote: “We turn out the lights in the studio and sit in front of the fire and she says: Once upon a time there was a little girl who was terribly pretty and her mother was terribly fond of her ... Each story must begin the same way, but after that it doesn’t really matter. A slow, gentle voice in the warm darkness, one gazes into the fire and there are no dangers at all ... Everything else is outside and can’t come in. Not now and not ever.” But it all started with a pen and some paper. Moomin C haracters Ltd want to help spark that same Tove-like curiosity in the next generation, and to spread the joy of reading and writing, because these things help us live better and more fulfilling lives – and make us happier people! Being able to express yourself is one of the most important things

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in the world: it allows you to communicate your hopes and dreams, relate to others, engage with the big issues of our time, and create change. To express yourself, you first need to learn to read and write. That’s why Moomin Characters Ltd are on a mission to spark a love of reading and writing. The theme of reading and writing as a roadmap to happiness will be at the heart of everything we do the following years – and we would love for you to join us. We’re delighted that organizations including Unicef, the Red Cross, Oxfam and The Children and Youth Foundation’s Read Hour have all already agreed to join us on our mission. We will be supporting their ongoing work towards our shared goal in various ways, including fundraising through product sales of our #MoominABC Collection. Tove Jansson’s unique hand-drawn alphabets form the key visuals for the #MoominABC products – read more about those and our inspiring projects and partners on the following pages. Please indulge and help us spread Moominous joy of reading and writing! Go to moom.in/abc for inspiration, news and free downloadable resources.

#ReadHour - a celebration of reading READ HOUR is celebrated on September 8, coinciding with UN’s International Literacy Day. The campaign goal is to inspire everyone and particularly young people to read and to establish a celebration of reading. It’s also a way to initiate a public debate about reading. The Read Hour is a Finnish initiative started by the The Children and Youth Foundation in 2019, following the PISA surveys and continued decline in young people’s reading and writing skills. In Finland, as many as one in eight young people graduate from p rimary school with out adequate reading skills and over 60 per cent of boys said they only read if forced. Research shows that reading and

writing is a fundamental tool to reach global goals with regards to sustainability, according to UN. Based on these insights, Read Hour was celebrated in Finland for the first time in 2019. Anna Lawrence, Nordic Rights Director at Rights & Brands, the Moomin master agent comments: “Moomin Characters is a sponsor of the Read Hour and also runs the project “Reading, writing and the Moomins”, a project based on Tove Janssons’s legacy, ABC and how reading and writing is essential to finding your own voice and your place in the world. At Rights & Brands and particularly in my work as a literary agent, I feel p assionately about this. We have s uccessfully engaged

several of our partners and connected to new networks through the mission of Read Hour and I look forward to continue the work for many years to come. Bonnier Carlsen and the team at Läsrörelsen have been key to driving this forward in Sweden, and through social media we see the joy and the passion that anyone can bring to this project, anywhere.” Read Hour was celebrating on September 8, officially at 2–3 pm CET, but it’s all about reading at anytime, anywhere and however you prefer. Read to someone, read on your own, listen to an audio book, sit down in a café or a crowd or in your own home. Spread the word by posting #ReadHour in social media.

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FOOD & BEVERAGE

2 1

5 6

Mr. Clutterbuck is blissfully unaware of his reputation as the busiest sleepwalker in town.

10 9

1. Lollo & Bernie dried fruit snacks, ScandChoco. 2. Moomin passion fruit and white chocolate ice cream, Ingman. 3. PURENorway sparkling watermelon water. 4. Moomin apple cider, Cervera. 5. Moomin milk chocolate, Fazer. 6. Moomin Espresso & Brew coffee, Bergstrands Kaffe. 7. Moomin chocolate pralines, BVLGARI. 8. Carl & Karin Larsson sea salt truffles, ScandChoco. 9. Mauri Kunnas xylitol pastilles, Cloetta. 10. The Smurfs soda, Sinebrychoff.

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The story BRAND

Mamma Moo and Crow PARTNER/LICENSEE

BPI in collaboration with other Swedish producers of dairy products. BACKGROUND

BPI saw the need for a healthy dairy product made in Sweden suitable for children. DESCRIPTION OF COLLABORATION

The Mamma Moo & Crow milk is a flavored milk. Milk is naturally rich on vitamins, it contains 18 out the 22 daily nutrients. The entire packaging can be recycled as paper, including the straw. The plan is to continue to develop more dairy products within the same framework for families with small children. Other than providing the license for Mamma Moo & Crow, Rights & Brands created the design for packaging, display and marketing materials in-house. CATEGORY

Food/Dairy products RESULTS

The Mamma Moo & Crow Milk was launched nation-wide in Swedish grocery stores ICA and Coop in spring 2021.

SUSTAINABILITY // #OURSEA

1 MILLION EURO TO THE BALTIC SEA After seeing concretely in July 2018 how eutrophication made it impossible to swim in the blue-green algae-filled sea, I suggested to Annamari Arrakoski-Engardt from the John Nurminen Foundation that we should do something together to make it better. The Baltic Sea was, after all, the inspiration behind the Moomin stories for Tove Jansson, who lived by it her whole life, says Roleff Kråkström

“This year we will continue with the first three projects and are preparing new initiatives for stopping n utrient tons from reaching the Baltic Sea.”

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he #OURSEA campaign, launched in January 2020, reached its goal of raising 1 million euros in early spring 2021. The campaign was set to mark the 75th anniversary of the Moomin s tories and to help the John Nurminen Foundation to save the Baltic Sea and its unique heritage. In July 2021, the campaign had raised 1 million euros – and this is all due to the campaign participants and fans of the beloved Moomin stories. “Our sea has been more than a celebration of the genuine art by Tove Jansson; it has been more than a fundraising campaign; it has touched and taught individuals to understand the ecosystem of the Baltic Sea and the needs of a sea area in danger. #OURSEA has also given hope that we humans hold the solution in our hands: we can do it, we can save a sea, and we can save parts of a nearly lost culture that was bound with ancient ways of living of the sea. With the help of the #OURSEA campaign, we at John Nurminen Foundation were able to start four new projects last year: Fertilizer Shipping project, which tackles one of the largest point sources of nutrients to the Baltic Sea; Manure Recycling project, which aims at impacting one of the root causes of phosphorus loads from agricultural fields; Coastal Reed project, in which nutrients recycled on land by creating sustainable commercial usages are for reed biomass; and Sea of Memories, in which memories of the Baltic Sea were collected and compiled into a visual exhibition and gave for c ultural heritage research of Åbo Akademi.”, says Annamari Arrakoski-Engardt, PhD CEO, John Nurminen Foundation.

Tove Jansson loved the sea in every way. She was always full of love and respect for the huge, often unpredictable, beautiful sea.

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BOOKS & AUTHORS

THE IMPORTANCE OF BOOKS In a hectic world filled with various distractions it is important to remind ourselves of the value of reading books. Reading literature and enjoying art can benefit one in many ways.

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eading provides a high level of value added through improved vocabulary, which is of essence when understanding the world around you. So why does a licensing agency value books? Foremost because books convey stories that carry characters intrinsic worlds within them and show their choices, and the worlds they inhabit. It is through reading stories that we relate to the characters. By reading about them we also learn about ourselves. Moreover, literature is not an island on its own. Authors and illustrators perform a generous and kind act by providing us with their thoughts, stories and insights in beautiful ways. Literature and artwork can inspire us, make us think and see differently and it has a value in itself.

Moomin Comics are as timely, witty and sharp today, as they were when first published in 1954.

The timeless magic of Moomin comics THE ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS of Tove Jansson’s first Moomin books were a massive success and opened a new chapter in Jansson’s rising career as she was offered a chance to create a Moomin comic strip for the London Evening News. The first of May celebrations in 1952 was a turning point for Tove Jansson as she signed a seven-year contract with Charles Sutton, s yndication director of Associated Newspapers. The first Moomin comic strip was released two years later on September 20, 1954. As a woman with numerous talents, Tove Jansson also made history as a female cartoonist with her own daily strip. Tove’s brother Lars Jansson helped Tove with the translations and texts from the beginning. He started to assist her with the scrips in 1957 as Tove struggled to allocate time for the numerous ongoing projects she had at the time. Lars Jansson who was an author with no drawing experience soon took the role of a Moomin cartoonist and by practice, he found his place. By the guidance of Tove, and after two years of sibling collaboration, Lars continued the comic book legacy independently. The first Moomin comic by Lars Jansson was published in 1960 and he continued the comic book legacy until 1975.

By the end of its run in 1975, Moomin was syndicated in more than forty newspapers worldwide, reaching more than 20 million readers daily, and charming both adults and children. The comics were revived in 2005 by Drawn & Quarterly, Canada, the master publisher of the Moomin Comics in English. The comics have been translated into 20 languages to date. Jansson’s ability to address various difficult topics and uncomfortable feelings with compassion and warmth while shedding light make her comics timeless and demonstrate her endless creativity and innovation. Especially in these somewhat strange times, readers can relate to them and the magical touch of the comics remain. This has also been acknowledged by Drawn & Quarterly, who reported that Moomin sales increased by an astonishing 30 % last year for the comics. Peggy Burns, Publisher at Drawn & Quarterly says: “COVID silver lining of people needing Moomin magic and perhaps due in part to our marketing department starting #MoominMondays on our IG that has 90,000 followers. We have sold over 400,000 units of all of our editions to date.”

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BOOKS & AUTHORS

The whimsical world of Hello Ruby THE STORY OF Hello Ruby that began with one book has become an entire world of its own, and it continues its adventures in China and elsewhere. Leading brand facilitator PPW Sports and Entertainment will be representing Hello Ruby in mainland China. They have acquired print and digital publishing rights to Hello Ruby series and will also create new online educational content evolving around the fascinating coding world of Hello Ruby. PPW highlights: “We look forward to the magical experience to be publishing partner of Linda Liukas.” Hello Ruby is the world’s most whimsical way to learn about technology, computing and coding as it is all about curiosity, playfulness and logic. Its aim is to offer children, parents and educators a delightful and creative way to understand programming. The series is created by Finnish programmer, author and illustrator Linda Liukas who is also known as a global coding ambassador. “I’m very excited about the opportunity to intro duce the gentle and playful world of t echnology for Chinese parents and teachers. Computer Science is so often seen as something machinelike and boring. I think it’s time to introduce some Scandinavian storytelling to it!”, declares Linda. Linda has long had a fascination with Chinese technology culture and believes that there is much the rest of the world can learn. In 2017 she won the biggest Chinese design award DIA in Hangzhou and her workshops have been organised in Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu, Xii’an, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Wuhan and Hong Kong. Most recently, Linda Liukas has collaborated with the city of Helsinki and Landscape Architects Näkymä to create a computer-themed playground that will be built in Finland’s capital Helsinki.

nderstand and c so that they ame effortless tructures with

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ADVENTURES IN CODING

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ADVENTURES IN CODING

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Linda Liukas

Hello Ruby also continues travels to new places as the book series has recently been sold to the Faroe Islands and Greece. Originally the books have been published in English and Finnish. All in all the books have been translated into 33 languages.

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Finland’s bestselling author Mauri Kunnas THERE IS SOMETHING magical about the dark and cold winter nights in the Nordics. Especially in 2021 when the original classic “Santa Claus” (Joulupukki) by Mauri Kunnas, celebrates its 40th anniversary. Author Mauri Kunnas, who is playfully thought to be the unofficial ambassador of Christmas, is the best-selling living author in Finland. Mauri Kunnas published his picture book “The Book of Finnish Elves” back in 1979. Over his career, the remarkable storyteller has published over 50 titles, his books have been translated into 43 languages and sold 10 million copies worldwide. The classic book Santa Claus has reached readers around the globe, translated into 28 languages, and remains a perennial best-seller in Germany and Japan. The fourth book in his Christmas series, Santa’s Christmas Holiday, is to be launched in ten languages around the world this Christmas. And Santa Claus will soon be transferred into the TV screens again as Norwegian Qvisten Animation will create a new animated Christmas tv show featuring beloved Nordic fairy tales and characters, including Kunnas’s jolly character. His previous Christmas animation “Santa Claus and the Magic Drum” based on the book of the same name published in 1995 has been one of the most successful television exports for the Finnish broadcaster YLE. Kunnas offers readers of all ages the delight of never-ending discovery with brilliantly c oloured illustrations, filled with rich and humorous details.

He has an eye for casting history in a new playful manner and conveying old stories and legends in his signature style. Other beloved characters and stories created by Kunnas include the fittest and busiest sleepwalker in town Mr Clutterbuck and the fun and full of life tales about the dogs in Doghill. MAURI KUNNAS’S HOMETOWN and childhood memories have a significant role in his books. As a Christmas person, Mauri’s Christmas books echo his own childhood holiday season memories. According to the author: “My most important hobby is my drawings and making up stories to go with them – and that’s also my work. I must be a lucky dog to be able to mix the two.”

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AWARDS // LICENSEES & NOMINEES

2021 LICENSING INTERNATIONAL EXCELLENCE AWARDS

Design House Stockholm’s collaboration with Carl & Karin Larsson FOR 36 YEARS, the Licensing International Excellence Awards has served as the pinnacle of achievement in the global brand licensing industry. This year, Design House Stockholm has been selected as a finalist in the category Home Décor for their creative furniture c ollaboration with Carl & Karin Larsson, Carl Larsson- gården Sundborn, represented and licensed by R&B. More than 180 judges from 21 countries were assigned to narrowing down the record-setting entries to the 150+ finalists across 22 categories. Design House Stockholm is one of six finalists in the Home Décor category with the following nomination: “Design House Stockholm decided to reach across the centuries and dress up 9 objects selected from their contemporary collection of accessory furniture pieces with four of the bold colors of Karin Larsson, a legend of Swedish art and design. The collection is a part of the heritage licensing program for Carl and Karin Larsson’s Family Association that works to keep Carl and Karin’s cultural heritage alive for future generations. The collection was launched at Stockholm Furniture Fair 2020. The pre-launch took place at the distinguished National Museum in Stockholm, with over 150 renowned design guests, influencers, journalists and buyers.”

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2021 LICENSING INTERNATIONAL EXCELLENCE AWARDS

Moomin nominated for “Best Licensed Brand” THE MOOMIN BRAND is competing for the brand licensing industry’s most prestigious honor, being a finalist for “Best Licensed Brand – Entertainment, Character, Toy Brand, Animated”, with the nomination: “With over 700 licensees and more than 750 million EUR in sales a nnually the Moomins celebrated 75 years in 2020. The sea is a vital part of the Moomin universe and Moomin launched the #OURSEA campaign to help save the Baltic Sea. The program proved to be a success with over 130 licensees on board and over 990 000 EUR donated.”

atrick Ullman, CEO of Rights & Brands, P comments on the nomination: “Now we see a huge increase in demand for new alliances and collaborations with Moomin worldwide. Rovio Entertainment’s (Angry Birds) new upcoming game, to name one. Looking forward, we are focusing on how to grow with our partners in China amongst other markets, scaling our digital footprint and continue our journey to bring happiness for everyone, based on the amazing work, literature and art from Tove Jansson and her fantastic Moomin stories.”

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ABOUT US // Brands

THE BEATLES

CARL & KARIN LARSSON, CARL LARSSON-GÅRDEN SUNDBORN

PHOTO: SCANPIX/ TT

BAMSE

HIPPU BY OILI TANNINEN

HÄLGE © Egmont

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ILON WIKLAND & ASTRID LINDGREN

THE BROTHERS LIONHEART

MADICKEN

RONJA, THE ROBBER'S DAUGHTER

KARLSSON ON THE ROOF

LOTTA ON TROUBLEMAKER STREET

LASSEMAJAS DETEKTIVBYRÅ (THE WHODUNIT DETECTIVE AGENCY)

LITTLE ANNA

LITTLE GHOST LABAN

MAMMA MOO AND CROW

MARIUS OF NORWAY

MOOMIN

PETTSON & FINDUS

THE PHANTOM

POPEYE

PURENORWAY

PURENorway®

SANTA CLAUS BY M AURI KUNNAS

SARAH SHEPPARD

THE SMURFS

STIG LINDBERG

TOVE JANSSON

TUMMEN

2021 – Licensed through I.M.P.S. (Brussels) www.smurf.com

Interested in a licensing collab? Hit us with your idea by sending an e-mail to licensing@rightsandbrands.com

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ABOUT US // Contact

Rights & Brands Global Agent Rights & Brands Global Agent RIGHTS & BRANDS STOCKHOLM Postal and visiting address: Rosenlundsgatan 31, 118 63 Stockholm, Sweden Contact: info@rightsandbrands.com

RIGHTS & BRANDS HELSINKI Postal and visiting address: Otava building, Uudenmaankatu 8, 00120 Helsinki, Finland Contact: info@rightsandbrands.com Japan Rights & Brands Japan Co, Ltd 3-1-1 Kamiosaki Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 141-0021, Japan Tel: +81 364 564 677 Contact: Kumiko Ito, kumiko.ito@rightsandbrands.co.jp China, Hong Kong & Taiwan Rights & Brands Asia Limited 21/F Cornell Center, 50Wing Tai Road, Chai Wan, Hong Kong Contact: Bianca Lee, bianca.lee@rightsandbrands.asia

SUB-AGENTS

Cyprus, Greece and Romania Partner Plus Cyprus Limited 11 Bouboulinas Street, Nicosia, Cyprus Contact: Tina Stathopoulou, tina@partnerplus.gr Germany, France, Austria & Switzerland Bavaria Media GMBH Bavariafilmplatz 7, 82031 Geiselgasteig, Germany Contact: Ivica Maracic, Ivica.Maracic@bavaria-media.de South-East Asia & Australia (Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, The Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Vietnam) Medialink Animation International Ltd Suite 1001B, Tower I, South Seas Centre 75 Mody Road, Tsim Sha Tsui East Kowloon, Hong Kong Tel: +852 2503 4980 Contact: Noletta Chiu, noletta@medialink.com.hk Korea SMC, Seoul Merchandising Co, Ltd 5th Fl., Young Bldg. 19, Nambusunhwan-ro 351-gil Gangnam-gu, Seoul 06266 KOREA Contact: Jusung Lee, jusunglee@smckorea.com

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Rights & Brands Sub-agents territories Rights & Brands Sub-agents territories Italy (Italy San Marino, Vatican City & Malta) Rai Com. S.P.A Via Umberto Novaro n. 18 00195 – Rome (Italy) Contact: isabella.andreani@rai.it cristina.perna@rai.it UK and Ireland The Point 1888 The Fungalow, 32 Arnolds Avenue, Hutton, Brentwood, CM13 1EU, Great Britain. Contact: Katie Wilkinson: katie.wilkinson@thepoint1888.com Carrie Sharland, carrie.sharland@thepoint1888.com Spain and Portugal Monday2friday Marketing Sl Mallorca 286 2-2 Barcelona Tel: +34 661410711 Contact: Begoña Diaz-Aguado info@monday2friday.net

Eastern Europe & Russia (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine) Brand4Rent Gorbunova street 2/3, office A826, Setun Plaza Moscow, Russia, 121596 Tel: +7 (495) 269 00 07 Contact: Denis Kulakov dk@brand4rent.ru and info@brand4rent.ru The United States of America and Canada King Features, a unit of Hearst 300 West 57th Street, New York, New York 10019, USA 001 212.969.7583 Contact: Christina Nix Lynch, Christina.NixLynch@hearst.com Israel, Gaza and the West Bank LDI Ltd 2 Raoul Wallenberg St., Tel Aviv, 6971901, Israel Contact: Keren Aloni-Carmeli, Keren@ldi.co.il

AWe license are ais360 an agency agreement using for all aspects theof right character to use representation someone else’s and name, branding, brandfrom and publishing right basedand on conditions PR to licensing set in an agreement.

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