The Bugg Report Magazine - Edition 29

TOY HOBBY & LICENSING FAIR - EDITION 29

INSIDE THIS EDITION Meet Bluey, Australia’s Favourite Pup Showtime Attractions Centrefold Latest News from The Wiggles www.buggreport.com.au

Make way for Bluey Australian children’s series Bluey is an instant family hit and the number one series on ABC iview ever!

As seen on

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LIMA 2018 AUSTRALIA & NZ’S PRE-SCHOOL LICENSE OF THE YEAR

For licensing, marketing or promotional opportunities please contact: Alex Ishchenko: aishchenko@thewiggles.com.au - 0407 822 627 2019 The Wiggles Pty Ltd

Over 400,000 live show tickets sold in 2018 +30% growth on last year.. Even bigger tours in 2019!

New Emma Series 2 coming soon to ABC Kids…

New ‘The Wiggles Big Ballet Day’ with the Australian Ballet now available!

YEARS

New Master Toy Partner – Headstart has many products coming soon.

Over 3 million views on Youtube in 2 weeks

YouTube sensation with 1.2 Billion minutes of watch time.

New The Little Wiggles products targeting babies & toddlers now available.

“The Best of The Wiggles” went platinum!

100 million streams on Spotify!

For licensing, marketing or promotional opportunities please contact: Alex Ishchenko: aishchenko@thewiggles.com.au - 0407 822 627 2019 The Wiggles Pty Ltd

From the Editor

Edition 29 | March 2019

Melbourne Toy Hobby & Licensing Fair Welcome to our 2019 Toy Hobby & Licensing Fair magazine.

Since we were here in Melbourne at the same time last year, we have seen many changes in the business such as the opening of Amazon in Australia and the always changing landscape of retail, both online and in stores.

This edition sees the welcoming of Bluey to screens all over Australia as well as some great news from The Wiggles and key insights into the world of Showtime Attractions. Look out for an in-depth look into what has been happening at Merchantwise Licensing & Asembl. Brands, as well as the latest from Jasnor and a feature interview with Rosanna Cilmi from Just Play. You will also read about Centa IP partnering with Ryan’s World, check out some exciting updates from Cartoon Network and take a look at the 2019 Hong Kong International Licensing Show. We also have our regular Wide Eyes News from the Tube feature article, a look at Amazon in Australia and an overview of the state of retail.

I think it is worth mentioning and congratulating Sesame Workshop on their 50th Anniversary this year as well. Throughout 2019, Sesame Workshop will bring people together around the timeless lessons that Sesame Street has always taught: everyone, no matter who they are or where they are from, is equally deserving of respect, opportunity - and joy. Please see a full release on our website here: buggreport.com.au/sesame-street-celebrates-50-years-and-counting/ I hope that you will enjoy reading this edition of The Bugg Report magazine and that you have a great 2019 Toy Hobby & Licensing Fair here in Melbourne. We hope to see you again at Licensing Expo in Las Vegas or at Brand Licensing Europe.

As much as things change they stay the same and we are seeing that with the constant evolution of brands in the industry. As time is moving on and the world is becoming a more connected and fast moving environment, it must be difficult for businesses to keep up with all the latest trends and developments. From developing a brand, to making product, to selling them online and/or in stores, it seems like the pace is just getting more rapid with the customer always looking for what is next. We are still seeing evergreen brands in the market, however I wonder if we will be seeing “evergreen” brands that were developed today in another 20 years time? Time will tell I guess.

THE BUGG REPORT NEWS ON RETAIL, SPORTS, LIFESTYLE, TOYS & LICENSING www.buggreport.com.au Managing Director

Editor & Designer

Tony Bugg

Matthew Bugg

tony@buggsolutions.com.au

matt@buggsolutions.com.au

Published by Bugg Marketing Solutions

Advertising: bookings@buggreport.com.au

info@buggsolutions.com.au

Feedback: editor@buggreport.com.au

PO BOX 491, Berwick VIC 3806

Media: media@buggreport.com.au

The Bugg Report has been compiled as a guide to retail, sports, lifestyle, toys, licensing and/or other related matters. The views and opinions provided are based upon the views and opinions of our writers. In no way is The Bugg Report a factual guide to retail, sports, lifestyle, toys, licensing and/or other related matters and does not take responsibility for how the information provided is used by its consumers.

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Toy Hobby & Licensing Fair - Edition 29

Inside this Edition 05. Meet Bluey, Australia’s Favourite Pup 07. Latest News from The Wiggles 10. Where to for Amazon in Australia?

13. Merchantwise Licensing - Taking Brands Further 26. Asembl. Bringing Brand Stories to Life 38. Jasnor Australia - Market Leader in Toys & Gifts 44. Cartoon Network & Adult Swim 46. Centa IP Partners with Ryan’s World 50. Wide Eyes News from the Tube 53. We Interview Rosanna Cilmi from Just Play 54. The State of Licensing & Retail 57. Hong Kong International Licensing Show

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Bluey Š Ludo Studio 2019. Bluey is a Ludo Studio production for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Principal production investment from BBC Studios, Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Screen Australia. Developed and produced with the assistance of Screen Queensland.

A little blue heeler pup from the hilly suburbs of Brisbane has won the hearts of families across the country. In just a few short months, animated series Bluey has become one of the top children’s programs in Australia and is set for more exciting developments in 2019.

The series follows six yearold Bluey, an adorable and inexhaustible pup who loves to turn everyday life into playful adventures, developing her imagination as well as her mental, physical and emotional resilience.

Each episode unfolds in unpredictable and hilarious ways with her dad, Bandit, mum, Chilli, her little sister, Bingo, and her neighbourhood all brought into the fun.

Since premiering on ABC KIDS and ABC iview in October 2018, the show has become an instant family favourite, dominating both iview and broadcast. To date, it is the most watched series ever on iview with over 21.3 million views and last year it was the top Australian children’s series on broadcast television in the country[1]. On iTunes, a collection of episodes jumped straight into the overall top ten and peaked at number one in the children’s television chart. There is plenty of buzz around the series, with parents jumping on to social media to share their appreciation for the series.

Bluey stands out in the children’s television landscape for a number of reasons. The show takes an authentic and very funny view on family life with young children, making it a feel-good show that parents and children can enjoy together.

Creator Joe Brumm based the series on his experience of raising two daughters, showing both the joys and frustration of parenthood which makes the series very relatable. It’s honest and refreshing portrayal of modern parenting has been widely praised. Bluey’s parents work together to juggle work, raising kids and finding time for themselves. Both are dedicated parents who, tired as they might be at times, appreciate the value of playing with their kids.

Bluey is a home-grown hit, made entirely in Brisbane by the award-winning production team at Ludo Studio, including creator and writer Joe Brumm (Charlie and Lola), Emmy award-winning producer/executive producer Charlie Aspinwall (Doodles, #7DaysLater), Emmy award-winning executive producer Daley Pearson (#7DaysLater, The Strange Calls), and animation director Richard Jeffery (Tinga Tales).

The show has a unique Australian setting, beautifully depicting the lush and hilly Brisbane suburbs and landmarks. For local viewers the Australian accent adds to its appeal and authenticity. David McCormack (frontman of Australian band, Custard) and Australian actress Melanie Zanetti voice Bluey’s parents, with a number of famous Australians lending their voices throughout the series, including former world surf champion Layne Beachley, TV and radio presenter Myf Warhurst and singer Megan Washington.

While uniquely and beautifully Australian, the messages behind Bluey are universal. At its core, it is a celebration of the role imaginative play has in children’s development and is a timely reminder of the importance of family time for parents and children, especially in an age of multiple screens and devices. Each sevenminute episode tells a wonderful story, highlighting the joys and frustrations of parenthood, the importance of imaginative play and the magic of childhood.

Bluey is a Ludo Studio production for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) with principal production investment from the BBC Studios, ABC and Screen Australia and was developed and produced with the assistance of Screen Queensland.

With global merchandising and licensing rights for the series, BBC Studios is thrilled to work with Ludo Studio to bring Bluey onto the world stage, and there is already plenty of interest globally. When Bluey launched at last year’s MIPCOM festival in France, it was the third-most watched show from the 1400 presented by BBC Studios. There are also exciting developments on the merchandising side, BBC Studios ANZ Licensing Manager, Nicole Chungue says: “Bluey has taken Australia by storm and we’re delighted to be working on the licensing program for merchandise for this fantastic kid’s series - watch this space!”

New episodes of Bluey are coming soon to ABC KIDS and iview, much to the delight of its fans across Australia. The series will also screen on kid’s channel CBeebies in the future.

For licensing enquiries contact: Nicole Chungue Licensing Manager BBC Studios nicole.chungue@bbc.com T +61 2 9744 4570 [1] Source: Oz Tam/ Regional TAM, Consolidated 28 Data, Bluey, 1.10.201826.11.2018, 5 City Metro, ABC KIDS. Combined AGG Markets exc WA

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FOR LICENSING ENQUIRIES CONTACT

Nicole Chungue, Licensing Manager, BBC Studios | nicole.chungue@bbc.com | T +61 2 9744 4570

The Wiggles Awarded Preschool License of the Year at the 2018 LIMA Australian & New Zealand Licensing Awards

Consumer Products The Wiggles signature products are created for entertainment, education and play. In 2018, The Wiggles had a year of enormous growth in consumer products - introducing new product, categories and retail partners. This was all complemented by an innovative approach to sharing such excitement with The Wiggles social communities, through Facebook and Instagram - increasing product reach and overall engagement of the consumer product program.

For nearly three decades, The Wiggles, the world’s most popular children’s entertainment group have educated, entertained and enriched the lives of millions of children (and their parents) all over the globe. With over 230 episodes of bespoke preschool content, The Wiggles success can be attributed to the confluence of their foundations in early childhood learning principles and their infectious songs written by The Wiggles themselves.

The Wiggles have also introduced The Little Wiggles, a new brand under The Wiggles umbrella specifically catering for the ‘edutainment’ needs of babies & toddlers (aged 0-2 years). “Even after 28 years, The Wiggles brand continues to evolve! Babies and toddlers have always been a part of our audience so it’s great we are finally catering specifically for our tiniest fans with these products” says Paul Field, Managing Director, The Wiggles.

Children who once saw The Wiggles perform are now bringing their children to see the fab 4 of fun! The Wiggles have sold over 8 million books, 30 million CDs & DVDs including the most recent Gold and Platinum Album Awards given to Emma, Lachy, Simon and Anthony.

All of this was topped off by being awarded 2018 Preschool License of the Year by LIMA Australia & New Zealand.

2019, also sees a new era of growth for The Wiggles with the addition of Headstart as a new Master Toy partner in Australia and New Zealand and WowWee as a Master Toy Partner in North America. It is anticipated that these highly innovative, world class Toy companies can work cooperatively to expand The Wiggles footprint globally!

It really is becoming a Wiggles World!

The Wiggles Live The Wiggles are one of the hardest working and most successful musical groups in the world, touring Australia, Canada & USA, over the last year. In 2018 The Wiggles played a total of 348 shows, selling over 405,000 tickets. Parents can not wait to get Wiggles tickets for their children. The Wiggles end-of-year arena tour saw ticket presales of 101,112 tickets within 24 hours, a 31% growth in one year! In 2019, ‘The Wiggle Fun Tour’ will be a full production featuring all of The Wiggles hits from ‘Hot Potato’ to ‘Do the Propeller!’. The Australian leg of the tour will see The Wiggles touring all major community venues across Australia, as well as visiting Canada & USA.

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For licensing, marketing or promotional opportunities contact Alex Ishchenko aishchenko@thewiggles.com.au

YouTube & Social Media The Wiggles YouTube channel has had explosive growth in the past few years, with increased subscribers, views and watch time spanning across 227 territories. The channel has accumulated over 350,000 subscribers, over 543 million views and over 1.2 billion minutes of watch time! During the last year, The Wiggles have had a 97% increase in subscribers, 120% increase in views and 140% increase in watch time (Feb 1st 2018 - Jan 31st 2019).

The Wiggles Content The first release of the year is The Wiggles Big Ballet day! A stunning collaboration with The Australian Ballet. The Wiggles are joined by the star dancers from The Australian Ballet who bring the music to life. You’ll even meet a brand-new character named Shirley Shawn the Unicorn! The fun continues with our mid-year release Party Time! A collection of fun and festive party tunes that are perfect for any Wiggly celebration.

Emma Wiggle has a brand-new second season to her hit show Emma! Season 2 (26 x 11 mins) that opens up a whole new exciting, interactive and inclusive world to the pre-school viewer. There are 100 new songs, new sets and even a bowtiful plane and Bowmobile car to transport her to visit her friends in the town! Production has just begun for The Wiggles brand new TV series The Wiggles’ World (26 x 11 mins). The viewer gets to adventure through unexplored parts of The Wiggles’ wide world and the wonderful people that inhabit it! You will discover Lachy’s Curly World, Wiggly restaurants, Emma’s Weather Report and so much more. With 100 new songs as well as Wiggly classics.

Join The Wiggles on social media by searching @thewiggles or visit one of the URLs below: www.facebook.com/thewiggles www.instagram.com/thewiggles www.twitter.com/thewiggles www.youtube.com/user/TheWigglesPtyLtd

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Toy Hobby & Licensing Fair - Edition 29

The channel features over 15 hours of Wiggles content, including four feature-length specials: • • • •

The Wiggles Nursery Rhymes The Wiggles Nursery Rhymes 2 (filmed in the YouTube Space in New York) Emma’s Bowtiful Ballet Studio The Wiggles House in New Zealand, the UK and Ireland

Nursery Rhymes is The Wiggles biggest success on the platform to date, with over 48 million views since it was uploaded in late December 2016. On top of The Wiggles regular themed and playlisted children’s content, The Wiggles have worked with popular children’s YouTube channels such as Super Simple Songs, Sesame Street and Mother Goose Club on collaborative playlists of content and hosting competitions for the shared audiences of the channels.

Most recently The Wiggles collaborated with Super Simple Songs on a Wiggles Week campaign with video appearances on both channels, a competition, a collaborative playlist and the creation of the animated video for the brand new potty-training song The Toilet Song. This song exploded online, and had a combined reach of over four million views just two weeks after it was uploaded. Due to the collaboration with The Wiggles, subscribers to the Super Simple Songs YouTube channel went up by 20%.

The Wiggles have a thriving social media community, spanning over 45 countries! Australia, the USA and Canada currently hold The Wiggles three largest fanbases. The core audience are the 25-44 year olds and is made up of 85% women and 15% men. The social platforms are the #1 go-to for Wiggles tour announcements, celebrations, product updates, exciting competitions, launches and new release information!

PJ Masks © Frog Box / Entertainment One UK Limited / Walt Disney EMEA Productions Limited 2014.

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Peppa Pig © Astley Baker Davies Ltd/Entertainment One UK Ltd 2003.

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P EP PA P I G: FESTIVAL OF FUN CIN EMA RELEASE

MAY 2019

Where to for Amazon in Australia?

Article by Tony Bugg

Twelve months ago there was a lot of noise around Amazon’s launch here in Australia. It is widely reported that this was a soft launch at best. Historically they have been known to play the long game. It is reported that their first year’s sales, although they were only trading for a short time, was 17.4 million dollars.

They took the unusual move to prevent Australians from buying from their US website, siting government regulations as the reason.

This was reversed a short time later. It is widely acknowledged that the product selection from the US site is far broader than here in Australia. In terms of their plans for this market it is unclear as to what their end game will be, however to under-estimate them would be naïve. Amazon recently tipped the trillion-dollar mark with supposedly 50% of all online sales being placed via Amazon in the US! They have launched in many other international markets, where we have seen a slow build. Looking toward the future, they could be a five billion dollar retailer in Australia within 7 years. They recently opened their second distribution centre in Sydney which is 43,000 square metres; twice the size of their Melbourne facility.

Amazon Prime has been an important pillar in the markets where they are dominating. It will be interesting to see if the Australian consumer embraces this format above Netflix, Stan, Foxtel Now and others. They already have some 100 million subscribers globally and deals for the screening of The Premier League and the men’s ATP tennis tour. They also have Jeremy Clarkson’s Grand Tour.

Traditionally lower penetration of online selling in Australia is another reason they will be encouraged that there is significant upside.

Equally many of the larger retailers here in Australia including Harvey Norman are well down the track with their click and collect service, which happens in store. There is no doubt that Amazon’s arrival has caused retailers of all persuasions to look more carefully at their own online platforms and how they interact with the consumer.

Bezos is all about investing in the future and he clearly gets that spending money on the customer first is his priority. He has invested heavily in technology and in turn is using this technology to broaden his own business. It has been said that Amazon becomes a way of life and with so many touch points you can see why. Their new Amazon Dash button for example is a small minimalist button, which sits by key products in the home. It allows you to instantly order these everyday products such as detergent instantly on Amazon.

Below: An Amazon Dash button for ordering Doritos

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Toy Hobby & Licensing Fair - Edition 29

Then for the brand owners there is Merch Collab. This is a licensing program where brands collaborate with qualified designers and manufacturers to create the worlds largest selection of branded merchandise for fans. It makes licensing as easy as buy now with one-click, brands simply approve and promote products. Amazon tracks sales and pays out royalties. Brands such as Cartoon Network are already using this service.

Interestingly, Amazon is also now making an increasing array of private - label product, everything from shoes to jewellery, batteries and clothing. It also manufactures a speaker called Echo that links to Alexa, Amazon’s voice activated assistant.

Also keep an eye on how Amazon evolves into the advertising business. One of the world’s top media buyers, Australian Henry Tajer, recently returned home to take up a position as Managing Director of Amazon Media Group…

So at present we are really no closer to knowing what Amazon’s next moves will be in this market outside of steadily increasing their offer.

One thing is for sure the focus on ecommerce will increase the size of the market as all players look at gaining market share.

Contact us to discuss your licensing opportunities in Australia and New Zealand. e. info@merchantwise.com

t. +61 (0)3 9520 1000

w. merchantwise.com

IT’S GONNA GET UGLY!

Marking its 20-year milestone this year, Merchantwise Licensing is a leading entertainment brand licensing and merchandising agency in Australia and New Zealand, representing some of the world’s best loved brands in kids’ entertainment, film and television, classic and legends, digital & gaming and music. Merchantwise Licensing is part of the Merchantwise Group, a full-service brand agency headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, with offices in Sydney and Paris. Merchantwise Licensing shares a sneak peek at the latest news and upcoming entertainment properties for the next year.

UglyDolls – Licensees Line Up

Pikmi Pops – Global Plush Sensation

Fingerlings – Untamed Success WowWee and Striker Entertainment’s Fingerlings are the world’s first ever line of animatronic collectible toys. These affordable mini pet robots curl around your finger and come to life by responding to touch, motion and sound and feature over 40 different sounds and animations – they even sing!

In Australia, Hunter Products first launched Fingerlings toys in 2016 and these mini pets continue to skyrocket in popularity and land on best-seller lists all over the world. This year, three new much-anticipated Fingerlings styles are set to launch along with five Untamed collections.

To date, over 35 licensed partners are on board including Cardinal for puzzles and games distributed by MJM along with DK Publishing and Park Avenue confectionery.

This year, cinemas are set to get ugly with the release of STXfilms’ UglyDolls, inspired by the original collectible toy craze launched in 2001.

The film will release in the USA on 3 May and in Australia and New Zealand in September.

The hotly anticipated animated musical adventure stars a host of big names including music stars Kelly Clarkson (Moxy), Pitbull (Ugly Dog), Blake Shelton (Ox), Nick Jonas (Lou) and Janelle Monáe (Mandy) – all confirmed to perform original songs for the film. The film is set in the adorably different town of Uglyville, where weird is celebrated, strange is special and beauty is embraced as more than simply meets the eye. A 52-episode TV series is also in development.

UglyDolls is already a global licensing and merchandising phenomenon with over 100 partners, including a major toy program from Hasbro. Local partners include Caprice Australia (apparel, accessories, footwear, bedding), Scholastic Australia (publishing), Zak! (lunching & melamine), Zinc (theatrical premiums), Amscan (partyware), Village Roadshow (Home entertainment), The Entertainment Store (non-ticketed live events).

The outrageously cute global plush sensation from Moose Toys, Pikmi Pops is fast becoming hot property with a spot as Australia’s #2 plush in 2018 – growing by an impressive 200% in 2018.

With 46 licensing partners on board around the world and hundreds of Pikmi Pops to collect (with surprises in each package). Moose Toys continues to innovate with three new Pikmi segments scheduled to release this year, starting with Bubble Drops which is available now and Dough Mi, available in March.

The launch will be backed by a strong advertising campaign and comprehensive marketing support, maximising exposure on its You Tube channel and via its social media following. Furthering its brand reach, a new Pikmi Pops game app recently launched which is available on both iOS and Android devices.

In Australia, Pikmi Pops apparel by Caprice Australia, showbags by Bensons Trading, collectible trading cards by Banter Toys, confectionery by Park Avenue released products late 2018, with further rollouts scheduled in 2019. Scholastic Australia will launch a range of publishing formats from April 2019 and The Entertainment Store will premiere the Pikmi Pops interactive zone and character appearances from July.

Shaun The Sheep - ‘Baack’ in Cinemas A worldwide brand success loved across the globe, Shaun The Sheep will be ‘baack’ in cinemas next year with his second movie adventure, Shaun The Sheep 2, Farmageddon.

A ‘close encounters of the herd kind’, the film will hit cinemas on 9 January 2020, from Aardman Animations and StudioCanal. If the success of his first film outing is anything to go by – over $106M at the global box office and a rating of 99% on Rotten Tomatoes - Shaun The Sheep 2 is destined to be an out-of-thisworld movie adventure phenomenon.

In late 2018, Shaun The Sheep called Village Roadshow Theme Parks’ Paradise Country home. As the first major themed entertainment partnership in Australia for the brand, the Shaun The Sheep brand destination at Paradise Country includes specially created sculptures

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and interactive attractions such as Shaun’s Tractor Ride, Shaun’s Adventure Camp, Pig’s Playground and Shaun’s Scraps & Taps.

Disenchantment Genius of Matt Groening on Netflix

Entertainment includes a twice daily Shaun’s Aussie Adventures live show and photo opportunities with Shaun and Bitzer.

The destination also includes a themed retail outlet, Mossy Bottom Memories, offering bespoke branded merchandise specifically created for Paradise Country – making it the must-visit for Shaun The Sheep fans of all ages.

The Gruffalo – Celebrating 20 Years

Following the successful 2018 debut of its animated series DISENCHANTMENT, Bapper Entertainment has signed Merchantwise Licensing for licensing and merchandising representation in Australia and New Zealand.

DISENCHANTMENT is an adult animated comedy series from the mind of Matt Groening. The series takes place in the crumbling medieval kingdom of Dreamland. It follows the adventures of a hard-drinking princess named Bean, her diminutive companion Elfo, and her personal demon Luci. Along the way, the oddball trio encounter ogres, sprites, harpies, imps, trolls, walruses, and lots of human fools.

The series currently streams on Netflix worldwide in 27 languages. The series launched August 2018, with 20 episodes.

Netflix has ordered a second full season.

To date, 17.5 million copies of the book have sold across the globe, it has been translated into 75 languages and the film was screened in over 180 countries.

In 2019, Sony Pictures is offering a host of licensing opportunities covering some of the most exciting and anticipated motion picture and television events of the year!

The Men in Black Are Back

In April, The Gruffalo Spotters App will launch at Australia’s Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary – initially developed inconjunction with Forestry UK and nominated for a BAFTA Award, it has been downloaded over 450K times and enjoyed 2M visitors over the partnership term of 10 months. The anniversary will include new branded merchandise ranges for this treasured childhood classic.

Men in Black: International is directed by F. Gary Gray and written by Art Marcum & Matt Holloway based on the Malibu Comic by Lowell Cunningham. The film is produced by Walter F. Parkes and Laurie McDonald. Steven Spielberg, E. Bennett Walsh and Barry Sonnenfeld serve as executive producers.

The global film franchise has been an expansive brand for the last 20 years and promises the next instalment will be full of new twists, global locations, aliens, vehicles and gadgetry – and to date, already 42 licensees around the world are on-board including video games, toys and collectibles, publishing and action figures.

Men in Black: International makes its way to Australian cinemas on June 13, 2019 and in North American theatres on June 14, 2019.

Charlie’s Angels – The Angels are back Good morning, Angels! Elizabeth Banks directs the next generation of Angels – Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott, and Ella Balinska – working for the mysterious Charlie. In the new film, the Townsend Agency has gone global, providing security and intelligence services to a wide variety of private clients with highly-trained teams worldwide – that is, multiple teams of Angels, guided by multiple Bosleys.

2019 marks two special milestones for The Gruffalo, 20 years of the much-loved book and 10 years since it made its big screen premiere.

Throughout this year, The Gruffalo Live on Stage and The Gruffalo’s Child Live on Stage shows, presented by CDP, will return to Australia after a sell-out season across the world where it played to London’s West End and on Broadway.

The Men in Black have always protected the Earth from the scum of the universe. In this new adventure, they tackle their biggest, most global threat to date: a mole in the Men in Black organization.

The Men in Black are headed back to the big screen June 2019 in Men in Black™: International. A continuation of the popular franchise, this instalment stars Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson, Rebecca Ferguson, Kumail Nanjiani, Rafe Spall, introducing Laurent Bourgeois & Larry Bourgeois with Emma Thompson and Liam Neeson.

The screenplay is by Elizabeth Banks and Craig Mazin and the story by David Auburn and Elizabeth Banks. The film is produced

by Elizabeth Banks, Max Handelman, Elizabeth Cantillon and Doug Belgrad.

Matthew Hirsch, Leonard Goldberg, Drew Barrymore and Nancy Juvonen serve as executive producers. In addition to the new angels, the film also stars Elizabeth Banks, Djimon Hounsou, Noah Centineo, Sam Claflin and Patrick Stewart.

Charlie’s Angels makes its way to Australian cinemas on October 24, 2019 and North American theatres on November 1, 2019.

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Zombieland 2 – Cult Classic Returns A decade after Zombieland became a hit film and a cult classic, the lead cast (Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Abigail Breslin, and Emma Stone) have reunited with director Ruben Fleischer (Venom) and writers Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick (Deadpool) for Zombieland 2. In the sequel, through comic mayhem that stretches from the White House and through the heartland, these four slayers must face off against the many new kinds of zombies that have evolved since the first movie, as well as some new human survivors. But most of all, they have to face the growing pains of their own snarky, makeshift family.

Allsburg. The film is produced by Matt Tolmach, Jake Kasdan, Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia. Executive Producers are David Householter, Melvin Mar, Scott Rosenberg, Jeff Pinkner, William Teitler, Ted Field, Mike Weber and Chris Van Allsburg.

One of the studio’s most highly anticipated movies, the sequel has already secured significant licensee partners. Lanard Toys has been named the sequel’s global toy licensee and is developing a range of action figures, vehicles and role play.

Vivo - Animated Musical Odyssey

In 2018, Ghostbusters World, a state-of-the art Google Maps API integration augmented reality game, launched on both iOS and Android devices. As players got hooked capturing ghosts all over the world, the game became a must-have download for fans of all ages.

Written by Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick and Dave Callaham, the film is produced by Gavin Polone. Paul Wernick, Rhett Reese, Rebecca Rivo, Ruben Fleischer and David Bernad serve as executive producers. The film also stars Zoey Deutch and Rosario Dawson.

The sequel makes its way to Australian cinemas on October 10, 2019 and to North American theatres on October 11, 2019.

Jumanji - Jungle Juggernaut Returns

Boxing Day this year, brings the sequel to the worldwide box office hit Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, and Nick Jonas all return, and new to the franchise as are Awkwafina, Danny Glover, and Danny DeVito.

With all-new original songs written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, the award-winning (Emmy®, Tony, Grammy, Olivier and Pulitzer Prize) creative force behind the groundbreaking Broadway musical Hamilton, VIVO, an animated musical adventure from Sony Pictures Animation, tells the story of a capuchin with a thirst for adventure – and a passion for music – as he makes an exciting passage from Havana to Miami to fulfill his destiny.

This charming and uplifting story is being directed by Academy Award® nominated Kirk DeMicco (The Croods), with a script by Pulitzer Prize winner Quiara Alegría Hudes (In the Heights). Academy AwardÆ nominated producer Laurence Mark (Dreamgirls, Julie and Julia) serves as executive producer, and Lisa Stewart (Almost Famous) produces.

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle generated over U.S. $962 million at the global box office making it the biggest Sony Picturesowned release of all time at the worldwide box office and the studio’s highest grossing film at the North American box office.

The film makes its way to cinemas in November 2020.

The sequel to Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle will hit Australian cinemas on December 26, 2019 and North American theaters on December 13, 2019.

Ghostbusters - Fans Abuzz for New Film

Directed by Jake Kasdan, the film is written by Jake Kasdan & Jeff Pinker & Scott Rosenberg based on the book “Jumanji” by Chris Van

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to direct the long-awaited movie continuing the storyline of the original film. As a passionate and loyal fanbase continues to grow each year, 2019 marks the 35-year milestone of the film.

Licensing opportunities for this animated musical geared for girls and boys are now available for discussion.

It’s the 80s brand that has stood the test of time and in Summer 2020, fans new and old of Ghostbusters™ will get their muchanticipated sequel. Acclaimed director Jason Reitman son of Ivan Reitman - the original Ghostbusters Director - is confirmed

Toy Hobby & Licensing Fair - Edition 29

Cobra Kai Continuing the Karate Kid Legend The Karate Kid became a pop culture phenomenon on its release. Now 35 years later, the arch-rivals from the legendary film reunite after the 1984 Valley Karate Tournament via YouTube Premium in Sony Pictures Television’s Cobra Kai. In its first week alone of season one, Cobra Kai reached 20M globally and its second season premieres from May this year.

Outlander Brave the New World With seasons 1-3 airing on Netflix, SBS and FOXTEL and the acclaimed fourth now airing on FOXTEL, Outlander is Sony Pictures Television’s award-winning television series.

Licensed in over 214 territories, Outlander is enjoying fashion collaborations with Hot Topic and Torrid. com and in time for Mother’s Day this year, Impact Posters will release a range of gifting homewares and stationery items.

t s e b e h t u o g y n i g s n i n Bring m & T V lice in Fil

DEC 2019 JUNE 2019

New musical animated feature with songs written by the award-winning Lin-Manuel Miranda.

NOV 2020 Celebrate the anniversary and a new film coming in 2020.

SUMMER 2020

After 35 years the feud continues.

Global fan favourite, acclaimed Season 4 on Foxtel now.

SEASON 2, MAY 2019

For licensing opportunities, please contact: Kerryn McCormack, Licensing Director P: +61 3 9520 1000 E: kerryn@merchantwise.com W: merchantwise.com

The trademarks and copyrights are the exclusive property of Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc., Sony Pictures Animation Inc., Sony Pictures Television Inc. and/or their affiliates. All Rights Reserved.

Sequel to Sony Pictures’ US Box Office Hit!

SONY Pictures Entertainment: Films and TV Shows Including over 35,000 films and 270 television series, the Sony Pictures library boasts movie classics such as Boyz n the Hood, Easy Rider, The Karate Kid and Taxi Driver, while Married with Children, Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie plus much more make up the classic tv show range.

About Paramount Pictures Corporation Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. Paramount controls a collection of some of the most powerful brands in filmed entertainment, including Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, Paramount Television, and Paramount Players. PPC operations also include Paramount Home Media Distribution, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., and Paramount Studio Group.

Wonder Park - Powered by Imagination Set to wow audiences worldwide, Wonder Park is the exciting new film from Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Movies. Slated for an Australian premiere in April, to coincide with school holidays, the dazzling star-studded voice-cast includes Jennifer Garner, Matthew Broderick, John Oliver, Mila Kunis, Kenan Thompson, Ken Jeong, Norbert Leo Butz, Brianna Denski and Ken Hudson Campbell.

Additionally, popular Australian radio duo Fitzy and Wippa from Radio Nova are making their big screen vocal debut as the voices of Cooper and Gus.

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With over 40 licensees on board across all categories and an animated TV series already in the works for Nickelodeon, Wonder Park tells the story of a magnificent amusement park where the imagination of a wildly creative girl named June comes alive. One magical day, June is running through the woods to find her way home where she discovers an old rollercoaster car and climbs inside. She suddenly finds herself in Wonderland, an amusement park she had created in her mind and put aside. All of her rides and characters are brought to life but are falling into disarray without her. Now, with the help of her fun and lovable park characters, June will have to put the wonder back in Wonderland before it is lost forever.

Funrise has signed on as the global master toy partner with a range of endearing plush to launch alongside the film release that includes Wonder Chimps collections as well as playsets, already secured for placement in many retail giants. Other partnerships include live entertainment, carnival plush, novelty confectionery and much more.

Paramount Classics In 2018, Australian lifestyle brand Peter Alexander launched its fifth Breakfast at Tiffany’s collection, developing a beautiful classic sleepwear range featuring iconic Audrey Hepburn imagery.

Cotton On continues to release exclusive branded kids, men’s and women’s apparel and accessories from a variety of Paramount Classics’ impressive movie library including Clueless, Top Gun, Grease and the iconic Paramount Pictures logo.

Hellboy - Set to Ignite Hellboy is heading back to the big screen this year. The upcoming film starring David Harbour is based on the acclaimed ‘Hellboy’ comic book series and graphic novels created

by Mike Mignola.

Hellboy, caught between the worlds of the supernatural and human, battles an ancient sorceress bent on revenge. The film scheduled for release in cinemas on April 11th in Australia with a star-studded cast including, Milla Jovovich, Ian McShane, Sasha Lane, Daniel Dae Kim, and Thomas Haden Church.

John Wick The World’s Favourite Assassin Returns

In this third installment of the adrenaline-fueled action franchise, super-assassin John Wick (Keanu Reeves) returns with a $14 million price tag on his head and an army of bounty-hunting killers on his trail. After killing a member of the shadowy international assassin’s guild, the High Table, John Wick is excommunicado as the world’s most ruthless hit men and women await his every turn.

The John Wick franchise appeals to collectors and action fans everywhere.

Licensing opportunities include apparel, accessories, and gifting.

TM & © 2019 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

LIONSGATE is a global content platform whose films, TV shows, digital and other products reach next generation audiences around the world. Lionsgate’s content initiatives are backed by a nearly 17,000-title film and television library and delivered through a global licensing infrastructure.

The brand is synonymous with original, daring and ground-breaking content created with special emphasis on the evolving patterns and diverse composition of the Company’s worldwide consumer base.

Toy Hobby & Licensing Fair - Edition 29

Alita: Battle Angel Epic Adventure Hits Theatres From visionary filmmakers James Cameron (AVATAR) and Robert Rodriguez (SIN CITY), comes ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL, an epic adventure of hope and empowerment.

Set in a post-apocalyptic future, ALITA is a cyborg who wakes up with no memory of who she is. Slowly she discovers that she contains powerful ancient technologies that were thought to have been lost.

Fox Vault

When dark forces threaten her existence, it’s time to wield her power in the ultimate battle of good vs evil.

ALITA launched at cinemas worldwide in February, wowing audiences worldwide and achieving strong global box office sales. Licensing and merchandising opportunities now available.

on FOX8 and weekly on 7Mate where it is the #2 scripted series. To date, it has been nominated for 12 Primetime Emmy Awards and 11 Annie Awards, winning three of each. It was the first animated series to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series since The Flintstones in 1961.

To celebrate the 20-year milestone, exciting new retail programs are in development to satisfy the legion of Family Guy fans.

Bob’s Burgers - Coming to the Big Screen

Transport for London – responsible for the Tube and London’s red buses

The Simpsons – 30 Years of Creativity

Fans of Bob’s Burgers are celebrating that the break-out TV franchise will be making its big screen debut as a musical comedy slated for release in mid-year 2020. Bob’s Burgers, created by Loren Bouchard, follows a hapless restauranteur who runs his dubious burger business with the help of his wife and three kids.

Nominated for a number of awards, including the Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program seven consecutive times, Bob’s Burgers has won twice in 2014 and 2017. A licensing success throughout the world, expect to see Bob’s Burgers branding across retail throughout the year.

Merchantwise Licensing has been appointed by the TSBA Group as Australian and New Zealand licensing agent for Transport for London. The London transport system, with its famous Tube and red buses, is the most iconic in the world. Australians have a deep and affectionate connection with the UK and TfL captures the spirit of travel in one of the world’s greatest cities.

The longest-running primetime scripted show in television history, THE SIMPSONS exploded into a cultural phenomenon in 1990 and has remained one of the most ground-breaking and innovative entertainment franchises, recognizable throughout the world.

Currently in its 30th season, THE SIMPSONS has won 33 Emmy Awards, 34 Annie Awards, a 2017 People’s Choice Award, was the first animated series to win a Peabody Award, and was nominated for an Academy Award in 2012 for the theatrical short “The Longest Daycare.”

Mayans MC - Rides into Season 2

Major brand partnerships include Australia’s Krispy Kreme D’ohnut, fast-fashion retail powerhouse The Cotton On Group, collectible coins from the Perth Mint, ASOS and the Inditex Group. Most recently, launching at the Paris Fashion Week show, Louis Vuitton’s artistic director of men’s wear, Virgil Abloh unveiled a Simpsons collaboration for his Off-White label.

Family Guy Two Decades of Outrageous Comedy 2019 marks 20 years for FOX’s Family Guy, a main-stay with its razor-sharp humour, spot-on parodies and orchestra-backed original music entertaining global fans.

With a 50M strong global Facebook fanbase, locally, the animated sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane airs daily

A host of popular classic Fox properties are now available for licensing from the Fox Vault including Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Romeo + Juliet, The Devil Wears Prada, Titanic, Alien, Predator, Firefly and many more.

TfL has a deep and rich design heritage, with instantly recognisable logos, maps and vehicles, as well as rich photographic and graphic design archives dating back over a century.

In Europe, the thriving licensing program boasts over 50 licensees across several product categories. Opportunities are now available for discussion in Australia and New Zealand.

The sequel to the hugely popular Sons of Anarchy franchise rode onto TV screens in September last year and Mayans MC didn’t disappoint, with strong and consistent ratings for its first 10-episode season. The Fox 21 Television Studios and FX Productions produced series co-created by Kurt Sutter and Elgin James has already been green-lit for a second season and a dedicated licensing campaign is in development to support the franchise at a retail level.

Set in a post-Jax Teller world, Mayans M.C. follows Ezekiel “EZ” Reyes (JD Pardo) is fresh out of prison and a prospect in the Mayans M.C. charter on the Cali/Mexi border. Now, EZ must carve out his new identity in a town where he was once the golden boy with the American Dream in his grasp.

May Gibbs – Inspired by Nature Recently celebrating 100 years of her beloved books, Gumnut Babies and Tales of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, May Gibbs continues to delight fans old and new.

With over 20 licensing partners in Australia, May Gibbs has become a premium lifestyle brand with design inspired by the Australian bush, showcasing her timeless characters and artwork. The brand has strong online presence and over 18,000 followers on Facebook and Instagram.

May Gibbs recently marked its fourth collaboration with Kip&Co. The first three were sell-out successes and already this new range is proving to be a crowd pleaser.

www.buggreport.com.au

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Next up for May Gibbs is another collaboration with fashion brand, Erstwilder, on a range of nostalgic and classic jewellery pieces.

Following on from a successful release in 2018, May Gibbs will once again partner with Walnut Melbourne on a Winter 19 collection that will launch in March this year and a new SS19 collection that will release in Spring.

May Gibbs will again reunite with Ecology Homewares for a SS19-20 collection that will launch in Spring this year.

More partnerships are in development for the brand to retain and support May Gibbs’ long-lasting legacy - on her passing in 1969 she bequeathed 50% of the copyright of all her works to The Northcott Society and 50% to Cerebral Palsy Alliance. Through her foresight and generosity proceeds from the sale of May Gibbs products have supported thousands of Australian children with disability and their families.

Enid Blyton - Children’s Literary Legend With her books never out of print since 1922, Enid Blyton remains one of the world’s most deeply loved children’s authors with over 500 million books sold around the world.

Australia is no exception - Enid Blyton remains the country’s third bestselling children’s author. 2018 saw a 25% growth in Australian sales across the core Enid Blyton series supported by a partnership with News Corp resulting in over 2 million copies being collected across 15 titles over the promotional period.

In 2019, we celebrate the 80-year anniversary of The Enchanted Wood, the first story from The Magic Faraway Tree series. The Magic Faraway Tree is one of Enid Blyton’s most enduringly popular series, first published in 1939. To date, an impressive 30 million copies have sold, with over 500,000 copies sold each year globally. Enid’s much-loved Faraway Tree stories will soon make their way to the big screen with a live-action feature film which is in development with Studio Canal and Neal Street Productions.

A new The Magic Faraway Tree style guide has been developed featuring extensive assets showcasing the magical treetop world of Moonface, Silky, Saucepan Man, Dame Washalot and more.

Boasting a large and diverse library of characters including Archie, Betty, Veronica, Jughead, Sabrina as well as Josie and the Pussycats, the Dark Circle super-heroes, Jinx and many more.

Just in time for Christmas last year, Empire Apparel launched Sabrina branded clothing in JayJays and this year, to celebrate Valentine’s Day Peter Alexander released their first ever Archie’s Comics range featuring Archie, Betty and Veronica as a sleepwear capsule collection.

emoji® - The Iconic Brand

Licensing opportunities for The Magic Faraway Tree, The Famous Five and other titles are now available across various categories, targeting both a children’s and nostalgic adult audience.

Popeye - 90 Years Young Celebrating his 90th birthday in 2019, comic legend Popeye is still going strong!

Leading retailer Cotton On continues to release Popeye apparel and accessories, with a special collection marked for release later this year.

Throughout this year, other fashion collaborations will roll-out, including H3, Bathing Ape, Scotch & Soda, HUF, Iceberg and Zara.

Other global product lines include the recently released collectibles and toys from Funko (distributed through Ikon Collectibles), a Spring footwear collaboration with Sperry as well as a limited-edition figurine from Mezco Toys which will be available worldwide later this year.

Archie Comics The Stars of Riverdale High Since it was first published in 1942, Archie Comics has become one of the most successful brands in comic history - and today, continues its reign with sales well into the billions.

The emoji company is the owner of the registered emoji® trademark in more than 130 countries around the globe. Altogether the emoji company owns more than 800 trademarks and has created more than 17,000 icons protected under copyright laws and available for licensing and merchandising, promotions and marketing activities.

The emoji company works with over 700 renowned global partners including Sony Pictures Animation, Walmart, Fuji, Nestle, Tesco and Burger King. More than 20 licensees in Australia and New Zealand, demonstrating strong global consumer demand for this fun lifestyle brand.

Globally, Cotton On is a major retail partner and in March this year, PPQ will be launching personalised branded number plates across Queensland in Australia.

Additionally, the brand is appearing as part of a Wrigley’s Eclipse Mints advertising campaign in Australia and parts of Asia.

Ranked by the Licensing.biz Powerlist as the 3rd most influential brand in 2017 behind Lego and Coca-Cola.

www.buggreport.com.au

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emojiŽ is a registered trademark of the emoji company GmbH. Š 2015-2019 emoji company GmbH.

e motional. m ulticultural. o fficial. j oyful. i conic.

Welcome to the emoji company. We are the creator of one of the most expressive and influential lifestyle brands in the world. We are the exclusive rights owner of the registered emoji® trademark in up to 30 classes and in more than 100 countries around the globe.

Our company developed and owns the world’s largest library of icons protected under applicable copyright laws and available for licensing, merchandising, for promotions, events, for marketing and advertisement campaigns.

You can learn more about us on our Corporate Site or get in touch with us or one of our representing regional agents.

• emoji® is a globally protected and registered trademark (100+ countries) • Successful established campaigns with over 700 noteworthy licensees • 17.000+ copyrighted emoji® brand icons available for worldwide licensing • emoji company is amongst the Top 150 Licensors worldwide (Pos. 71 in 2017) • Individual emoji® brand icon design upon customer inquiry For licensing please contact: emoji®: licensing@emoji.com Merchantwise: Stephanie Bates, Stephanie@merchantwise.com For more information visit: www.emoji.com

KISS – End of the Road Tour (Epic Rights)

Xbox – Bringing Consumer Products to Fans For the first time ever, Xbox is now expanding into consumer products across the globe. Xbox launched the first products with a Meta Threads collaboration in 2018 and is now broadening into a worldwide specialty retail program in 2019. New licensing and retail partnerships are currently in development for the brand in Australia and New Zealand.

Sonic - Zooming into Cinemas One of the most popular gaming brands of all time, SEGA’s Sonic the Hedgehog will soon make his big screen debut.

The forthcoming live action and CGI animated film from Paramount will star Jim Carrey and James Marsden. It is being produced by Neal Moritz (the Fast of the Furious) and Executive Produced by Tim Miller (Deadpool).

The film will be backed by a large-scale global marketing campaign. Jakks Pacific has signed on as the global toy partner - with a full line of Sonic the Hedgehog action figures, playsets, plush, collectibles and novelty items. In Australia, Headstart will distribute the full line of toys. IDW has been appointed as the global comics and games partner.

2018 marked the 45th anniversary of the Australian rock legends, and this musical milestone was celebrated by Australia Post and the Royal Australian Mint with commemorative stamps and coins. In 2020, another milestone to celebrate is the 40th anniversary of iconic album Back in Black.

P!NK – Delights Downunder (Araca Group)

With over $1B in global sales, KISS is without a doubt the most merchandisable rock band ever. In the last decade, ticket sales have hit the $500M mark with 2019 marking the start of their final world tour, ‘End of the Road’.

Since her debut in 2000, P!NK has released seven albums and sold over 40 million albums, 65 million singles, over 1 million DVDS and has enjoyed 14 singles in the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart – with four at #1.

Kickstarted earlier this year in the US, the KISS ‘End of the Road’ will play to eight shows in Australia from November 16 and reach New Zealand on December 3.

The Beatles - Abbey Road turns 50 2019 celebrates the 50th anniversary of seminal albums Abbey Road and Yellow Submarine from the greatest band of all time.

Director Peter Jackson is now working on a new Beatles Let It Be documentary, accessing 55 hours of never-beforeseen footage and 140 hours of audio made available from their 1969 recording sessions. The recent global brand collaboration with Happy Socks has been a major success. New product ranges including apparel, accessories, homewares and stationery will be released in Australia throughout 2019.

In 2018, P!NK performed in 42 shows across Australia and New Zealand as part of her Beautiful Trauma world tour, selling over half a million tickets. She is now the second all-time highest grossing act in Australia & New Zealand, behind the Rolling Stones.

P!NK apparel and giftware are now available at local retail via Licensing Essentials.

Other Bands and Artists Other great bands and artists available for licensing include Britney Spears, David Bowie, Def Leppard, Aerosmith, Wu Tang, Nirvana, the Foo Fighters and many more.

AC/DC – Aussie Rock Royalty (Perryscope & Epic Rights) AC/DC, one of the world’s greatest pioneers of Rock N Roll, has produced 36 albums, selling millions of units and generating record breaking sales, globally.

Representing many of the world’s biggest names in music for Australia and New Zealand, Merchantwise Licensing is the go-to for band merchandising and licensing.

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Toy Hobby & Licensing Fair - Edition 29

For further information, visit merchantwise.com

Bringing Brand Stories to Life Spearheaded by Managing Director & Co-Founder Justin Watson, Asembl has been aggressively expanding its licensed brand extension services, with an immediate focus on Australia and New Zealand and future stakes across the Asia Pacific region.

Asembl is a specialist licensing agency and part of the Merchantwise Group. The company offers a dedicated brand extension service for brand owners in the corporate, FMCG, lifestyle and fashion segments, offering a highly targeted approach and working strategically with local and global brand teams. The Merchantwise Group’s creative and digital marketing personnel provide strong support with significant experience in food packaging, branding and marketing. Asembl’s network of relationships spans the globe. Brands represented include Bailey’s, Bundaberg Rum, Guinness, Energizer, Gardening Australia, Finlayson, Men’s Health & Women’s Health.

Diageo (Beanstalk)

Gardening Australia (ABC TV)

In 2018, several new, world first product innovations were launched in market.

Asembl’s client Diageo in collaboration with Beanstalk and Australia’s Podpac scooped up a 2019 Product of the Year award for their world first and world only Australian innovation licensing partnership, Baileys™ Nespresso® compatible Premium Coffee Pods, delighting customers outside the liquor aisle. Brokered by Asembl, the Baileys™ Nespresso® compatible Premium Coffee Pods in Original Irish Cream and Mocha varieties launched in Coles, Woolworths and IGA supermarkets. Ahead of Christmas feasting last year, Asembl brought together two Aussie legends, Bundaberg Rum and Pauls for a release of three decadent Christmas classics with a twist - Pauls Bundaberg Rum Premium Rumball Custard 600g, Pauls Bundaberg Rum Premium Vanilla Rum Custard 600g and Pauls Bundaberg Rum Flavoured Egg Nog 1L.

Asembl is home to the #1 gardening television show brand in Australia, ABC TV’s Gardening Australia, which is 30 years young in 2019. With gardening a $3B industry and growing (IBIS World), more Australians are turning to Gardening Australia for expert, practical and trusted green thumb advice. Hosted by Costa Georgiadis, Gardening Australia enjoys an average weekly audience of over 1M Australians. Asembl is now gearing up for licensing opportunities across garden tool, garden care and lifestyle categories for both adults and kids.

Finlayson With Australian design heavily influenced

by Scandinavian and Nordic style, the Finnish textile house, Finlayson has launched locally with Albi Imports. With an impressive 80 SKU collection which is sold through Minimax and many other home specialty stores, Australians are falling in love all over again with the brand that was the biggest selling table cloth in Myer in the 1970’s. Founded by an entrepreneurial industrialist in 1822, the establishment of a design studio in 1950 saw Finlayson champion Scandinavian design, and be the trailblazer for other brands, including Marimekko, to do the same. The brand is once again leading Nordic design through 30 stand-alone stores in Finland plus stores in Hong Kong, China and successful programs in Japan, Korea, US and Australia. Asembl are exploring licensing opportunities with a stationery, apparel, lifestyle and interiors focus.

The range expanded the iconic Bundaberg Rum brand’s presence in the domestic food category and was a sell-out success across Coles, Woolworths and independent supermarkets.

To discuss opportunities please reach out to hello@asembl-brands.com or visit asembl-brands.com 26

Toy Hobby & Licensing Fair - Edition 29

Contact an Account Manager today! sales@vrdistribution.com.au +61 (0)8 8234 1355 22 Butler Boulevard, Adelaide Airport 5950, South Australia

www.vrdistribution.com.au

ONE OF AUSTRALIA’S LEADING ENTERTAINMENT PROVIDERS Showtime Attractions award winning team is a full service entertainment provider. Creating memorable events from concept development, production and logistics, through to event organization and implementation, Showtime Attractions has delivered world-class entertainment to hundreds of thousands of satisfied visitors.

Showtime Attractions always seeks to offer the latest brands and popular entertainment, coupled with the added benefit of tailored programmes to suit any centre requirements. We are industry leaders in supplying national programmes that have proven beneficial to centre budgets, requirements, increased customer traffic, and ultimately overall satisfaction.

Check out our world at: www.showtimeattractions.com.au or call +61 412 526 909

Live Shows Meet & Greets ACTIVITY ZONES NEW MOVIE RELEASE COMING IN 2019! . All Rights

s™ Angry Bird

& © 2019

mation Ltd d Rovio Ani an n o ti ra o ent Corp

Reser ved.

ainm

rt Rovio Ente

LARGE EXHIBITIONS MEET & GREETS ACTIVITY VILLAGE CELEBRATING 60 YEARS 2019

AVAILABLE FOR MEET & GREETS ACTIVITY ZONES LIVE SHOWS LARGE ACTIVATIONS © 2019 Spin Master PAW Productions Inc. © 2019 Spin Master Riveting Productions Inc. © 2019 Viacom International Inc. © 2019 Viacom Overseas Holdings C.V. All Rights Reserved.

NEW MOVIE SHOWING IN CINEMAS JUNE 2019

THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS 2 ACTIVITY CENTRE

COMING JUNE 2019

CHRISTMAS | EASTER | MOTHERS DAY | FATHERS DAY | ANY-DAY!!

Premiums & Promotions Add Your Logo!

We’ll help you get the perfect gift solution, whatever the season.

The options are endless.

Add Your Design!

Customisable options available. Contact Keith at: Keith@showtimeattractions.com.au or 0412 526 909 for more info.

ACTIVITY WORKSHOPS, MEET & GREETS DVD LAUNCH COMING APRIL 2019 How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World © 2019 DreamWorks Animation LLC. All Rights Reserved.

SHOWS • ACTIVITY ZONES • MEET & GREETS © 2019 Sesame Workshop. All Rights Reserved.

E N O Z Y PLA

MEET & GREETS ALSO AVAILABLE HENRY THE OCTOPUS • DOROTHY THE DINOSAUR • WAGS THE DOG Disclaimer: The Wiggles Play Zone activations are operated by Showtime Attractions, under license by The Wiggles P/L. The Wiggles and/or their friends, are not appearing at this activation.

JURASSIC WORLD INTERACTIVE EVENT BRINGS TO LIFE THE GREATEST CREATURES EVER TO WALK THE EARTH IN A THRILLING, INTERACTIVE POP-UP JURASSIC THEMED ACTIVATION. THIS OFFERS GUESTS THE CHANCE TO HEAR, SEE AND FEEL THE JURASSIC CREATURES IN AN AMAZING FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT AND IMMERSIVE EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE.

NOW AVAILABLE FOR:

JURASSIC WORLD FALLEN KINGDOM MEDIUM & LARGE ACTIVATIONS

Jurassic World is a trademark and copyright of Universal Studios and Amblin Entertainment, Inc. Licensed by Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.

VISIT JASNOR AT TOY FAIR STAND C40 Be sure to visit Jasnor at the Australian Toy Hobby & Licensing Fair to see their comprehensive collection of iconic characters and exciting new line-up for 2019 Jasnor is a leading distributor and manufacturer of popular licensed toys and gifts, offering an extensive line-up of highly sought after brands across multiple product categories which include; pre-school toys, gifts for baby, infant feeding and mealtime, plush and seasonal collections. Their distribution portfolio includes GUND, The Wiggles, Peter Rabbit, PJ Masks, Hey Duggee, Paddington Bear, Sesame Street and Pusheen to name a few.

In 2019, leading the charge are new ranges from pre-schooler favourites, PJ Masks and Hey Duggee, an exciting new nursery range The Little Wiggles, combined with new additions from The Very Hungry Caterpillar which celebrates 50 years this year.

Jasnor is thrilled to partner with The Wiggles to launch a range of Nursery items under ‘The Little Wiggles’ brand, specifically catering for the ‘edutainment’ needs of babies & toddlers aged 0-2 years. These nursery toys, including Little Emma and Little Lachy animated plush, comforters, activity toys and rattles have been constructed in super soft fabrics to cater for sensitive skin.

Hey Duggee and his Squirrel Club members - have proven to be a popular choice with children and parents alike.

Jasnor is excited to bring updated plush characters, interactive soft toys and plastic play sets in 2019. With a strong focus on team building, friendship and problem-solving, these much-loved characters are entertaining and delightful.

The World of Eric Carle nurture’s a child’s love of literature and learning, encouraging imaginative play and exploration. To compliment these values, Jasnor has a strong line-up of The Very Hungry Caterpillar products which capture these values and celebrate the 50th anniversary milestone.

The PJ Masks is a show about heroism. Super-heroism. Only the superheroes are kids! At night young friends Connor, Amaya and Greg put on their pyjamas and activate their animal amulets and turn into their alter egos - Catboy, Owlette and Gekko - before embarking on action packed adventures, solving mysteries and learning valuable lessons.

Jasnor has updated their popular range of diecast vehicles and playsets for 2019 and are gearing up to launch several new formats which offer hours of endless fun for fans of the popular brand.

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The Brand Licensing & Market Specialists As the leading independent Brand Licensing Specialists & Market Intelligence Agency in the business, we pride ourselves on being connected to Brands, Agencies, Retail and emerging trends and we are the go-to organisation to provide you with balanced, researched and up-to-date market intelligence.

We are the perfect conduit to the market for small to medium businesses that are not in a position to hire a full-time marketing or licensing manager.

Let us seamlessly connect YOU to brands & distribution channels at a fraction of the cost of a full-time employee!

CALL OR EMAIL TONY BUGG

WWW.BUGGSOLUTIONS.COM.AU

0418 321 837

TONY@BUGGSOLUTIONS.COM.AU

BATMAN and all related characters and elements © & ™ DC Comics. WB SHIELD: © & ™ WBEI. (s19)

Cost Effective Design Services logos / business cards / corporate brochures / print advertisements digital advertisements / magazine layouts / general design services Bugg Marketing Solutions can produce simple, fast, easy and cost effective design work.

Get in touch to start the conversation and find out more about what we can offer...

CALL OR EMAIL MATTHEW BUGG

WWW.BUGGSOLUTIONS.COM.AU

0407 700 267

MATT@BUGGSOLUTIONS.COM.AU

YOUR FAVOURITE TOYS ARE BACK IN 2019!

For Toy Story 4 and other amazing product opportunities in 2019, please reach out to your Disney Consumer Products representative

©Disney/Pixar

CARTOON NETWORK & ADULT SWIM Home of the cutest, the fiercest, the most algebraic and the schwiftiest franchises around Want to partner with brands that reach kids, young adults and fan-boys and girls?

Cartoon Network Enterprises builds world-class licensing programmes across its franchises including The Powerpuff Girls, Ben 10, Adventure Time, We Bare Bears, and Rick and Morty, as well as other Cartoon Network and Adult Swim brands

WE BARE BEARS Unless you’ve been hanging out in a cave recently, you’ll know that We Bare Bears is one of the biggest franchises in Asia Pacific right now. With wide appeal – from young kids to youngsters and parents – this loveable and relatable brand has struck a chord across the region.

In 2018, these loveable Bears have engaged fans in Asia Pacific through more than 200 million touchpoints, and new initiatives and projects are launching every month.

In recent months, all around Asia, bear merch has been flying off the shelves - from SPAO stores in Korea and Malaysia, to Penshoppe in the Philippines.

Other partners who have collaborated with We Bare Bears include: Cache Cache, China Everbright Bank credit cards, Baskin Robbins, Avon face masks and Miranda soft drinks, as well as instant messenger apps KakaoTalk, Line, WeChat and Sogou. But there have been many others!

The global We Bare Bears-Miniso collaboration throughout 2018 was one of the retailer’s most successful in its history, and resulted in a new Christmas range hitting stores across Australia and New Zealand. The launch event in December at Westfield Hurstville was paws-itively awesome! With even more product on shelves during 2019, the full range now boasts more than 500 SKUs across gifting, homeware, cosmetics, stationery and other categories.

Throughout 2019, Cartoon Network is on a mission to get We Bare Bears fans feeling the love.

The show’s biggest ever regional publicity drive includes mall activations, social media influencer tie-ups, pop-up cafés, competitions and plenty of free hugs with mascots of Grizzly, Panda and Ice Bear.

KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR… • Bakugan toys by Spin Master, launching in market from April. The awesome new anime series launches on Cartoon Network in April.

• Cartoon Network and Headstart have inked a content partnership for the Best Furry Friends IP.

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Toy Hobby & Licensing Fair - Edition 29

THE POWERPUFF GIRLS Currently celebrating its 20th anniversary, Cartoon Network’s Emmy-nominated The Powerpuff Girls continues to pack a punch.

The show has always been known to embrace and champion empowerment – something we call #EMPOWERPUFF. Over the past few months, official franchise ambassadors have become advocates for empowerment, positivity and sisterhood across Cartoon Network’s social platforms. Five female artists from around the world were chosen to create seven seconds of animation of The Powerpuff Girls in their own unique style.

From the biggest names in fashion and apparel, this super-cute/ super-fierce trio continue to perform superhero feats across the world. In recent months, check out the nifty collaborations with Peter Alexander, Supre, Katie Eary, Lingua Franca, LEGO and Havaianas. Another new tie-up was with Champion in the US, and there are plenty more on the horizon.

IT’S ADVENTURE TIME Time and time again, the Land of Ooo has called upon one heroic duo to save its bacon. For years, this pop-culture brand has been a true fan-favourite.

In 2018, 1,000 superfans were the first in Australia to view the Adventure Time series finale at Hoyts Entertainment Quarter in Sydney.

The series may have drawn to a close, but the fun never ends with Adventure Time. It continues to be a powerhouse fashion brand, and build fandom through many collaborations globally.

Not least a global collaboration with Miniso, launching in Australia in April 2019. The range is set to bring to life the show’s amazing colour pallet and characters through a number of categories.

And in the US, a partnership between the Council of Fashion Designers of America and Cartoon Network led to a SpringSummer 2019 capsule collection courtesy of Ryohei Kawanishi of Landlord, inspired by Adventure Time.

RICK AND MORTY Hold onto your assless chaps, because this bronco is gonna buck!

No TV show reaches audiences like Rick and Morty. It may be whacky, it may be crude and quirky, but hard-to-engage demos and audiences who like a particular brand of humour, simply can’t get enough. Know your Pickle Rick from your Schwifty? Well, these fans do – and they are a truly active fanbase.

It has become a global, multi-platform sensation across television, digital, gaming, live-streaming, retail and live fan experiences.

Rick and Morty is the critically acclaimed, half-hour animated hit comedy series from Adult Swim that follows a sociopathic genius scientist who drags his inherently timid grandson on insanely dangerous adventures across the universe on intergalactic escapades.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS: • 2018 Emmy award winner for outstanding animated program • 70 new episodes have been greenlit, bringing the overall episode count to over 100 • Hotly-anticipated Season 4 set to launch on Netflix in Australia • 9.3/10 star rating on IMDB

COLLABORATIONS & LAUNCHES: • Primitive Skateboards • Sprayground • BlackMilk Australia • New 2019 product launches in apparel, accessories, Food & Beverage and home décor. More to be announced • Growing cross-category placement across all retail channels in 2019

For more details and licensing enquiries, contact Christie.Scandura@turner.com or info@havenglobal.com.

www.buggreport.com.au

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Ryan’s World Ryan’s World is the perfect combination of everything that Ryan loves and is inspired by...

If you’ve been following the news reports recently you would have seen a raft of articles that have focussed on the move by children from traditional linear TV viewing to YouTube as a medium. With average daily kid’s TV audiences having declined by 50% since 2011, 72% of respondents in a recent survey said that YouTube is “the most influential social media platform in their life” and out of 350 choices, they ranked YouTube as their favourite brand.

To meet the demand from this audience, Centa IP has partnered with the new digital-first kids and family studio pocket.watch to bring the seven year old YouTube phenomenon Ryan of Ryan ToysReview and his friends to the Australian and New Zealand market with the consumer products lifestyle brand Ryan’s World.

Ryan’s World is the perfect combination of everything that Ryan loves and is inspired by. The brand launched with toys, distributed by Headstart, in Big W and Kmart in December 2018 where stock sold out in days. Since then the ANZ licensing program has expanded to include: • Headstart - Toys (Australia) • Planet Fun - Toys (New Zealand) • Bensons - Showbags and Carnival plush • Caprice - Apparel, Bags and Accessories (excluding Best & Less) • Hot Springs - Apparel, Bags and Accessories at Best & Less only • Funtastic - a global deal for Chill Factor Slushy Maker • MJM Imports - Games and Puzzles • Zak/Hot Topic - lunchware and HBA • Ultimate Source - Arts & Crafts, Games, Novelty, Plush, Stationery, Snap & Play, Gobsmax, Fizzlers, Spinzles

Headstart launched the hugely successful Mystery Egg in Australia for Christmas 2018 and will be launching a full range of collectable figures, plush, playsets and more including a vehicle range which will include a Combo Panda Airlines playset (pictured) and Combo Panda Skateboard Stunt R/C through 2019. Headstart are also developing a range of Ryan product which will be distributed internationally, including Ryan Ooshies and advent calendars, and will focus on products that Ryan loves and wants to play with.

Other exciting news for 2019 includes a Tag with Ryan mobile, free-toplay game whose aesthetic is inspired by the current toy program. Then, Racing with Ryan, a kart racer console game inspired by the 2019 vehicle program, will launch on PC and console later in 2019.

Ryan’s World was developed by the new kids and family digital-first studio, pocket.watch in partnership with Ryan and his parents who operate THE most popular kids and family YouTube channels on the planet with 27+ Billion video views and 18+ million subscribers and counting. The suite of channels not only includes Ryan ToysReview but channels dedicated to an amazing set of popular characters created by Ryan and his family including the puppet Gus the Gummy Gator and the animated character Combo Panda.

In Australia, Ryan ToysReview gets over 17 million views a month and has two million unique users per quarter, making him Australia’s LARGEST YouTube creator! And, since his channel’s launch three years ago, his videos have been viewed for more than 25 million hours!

The Ryan’s World product range initially rolled out in Walmart in the USA in August 2018 and included blind bag collectibles, slime, vehicles and plush. Now, kids are able to experience the entire Ryan’s World collection as Ryan and his family share the products with their fans on a series of YouTube videos on their network of channels.

Watch this space as Centa IP builds its licensing program across a range of categories to make it THE BIGGEST license for 2019 and beyond. Please contact Gail Mitchell on 02 9439 5511 or email gail.mitchell@centaip.com for further information.

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Discover our range on qantasstore.com.au/merchandise

Founded in regional Queensland in 1920, Qantas is one of Australia’s most iconic and recognisable brands, playing a central role in the development of the Australian and international aviation industry.

Ranked the world’s safest airline by AirlineRatings.com and recently named Australia’s strongest brand by Brand Finance, Qantas continues to push the boundaries of aviation and holds major awards for service, food and wine, technology and innovation.

The brand has more than 12 million customers enrolled in its Frequent Flyer program and over 2 million followers across Facebook and Instagram, offering an extensive cross platform reach.

Qantas has an established brand merchandising program in place, which drives significant royalty revenue to the Group. The product range includes luggage, model planes, kids pilot costumes, lifestyle products and more!

In particular, Qantas model planes with special livery are very sought after by the market, and the airline anticipates a rush in demand upon the release of the Qantas Dreamliner Emily Kame Kngwarreye replica model from the Flying Art Series collection later in the year. Looking ahead, Qantas is committed to developing new categories and promoting them across different touchpoints of a customer’s journey.

new products and create unique celebratory merchandise. Collaborations during Qantas’ centenary transforms a once in a century event into something tangible that customers can collect and enjoy for years to come.

The brand’s highly engaged audience is made up of a diverse mix of travellers, particularly aviation enthusiasts who crave unique or limited Qantas products and experiences.

A recent Boeing 747 fundraising charter flight to the Australian International Air Show sold out in less than 7 hours.

Qantas licensed merchandise are sold through the Qantas Shopping Rewards Store, David Jones, Myer and selected retailers. The airline has also recently launched its first ever pop-up shop at Melbourne Domestic Airport, The Qantas Frequent Flyer Rewards Room, giving customers the opportunity to learn more about the QFF program and earn and use Qantas Points on a range of products available for purchase instore.

With centenary planning in full swing and new innovations in development, now is the perfect time to begin collaborating on the next generation of Qantas products.

Excitement is also brewing as Qantas approaches its 100th birthday in November 2020. This milestone is an organic opportunity to seamlessly integrate the Qantas brand with

For all merchandising queries, please contact Rachel Lui, Qantas Brand Merchandise Manager Rachel.lui@qantas.com.au | 0429 540 738

WIDE EYES NEWS FROM THE TUBE This article is written by a leading industry expert and is focused on providing a quick snapshot of the best opportunities in the television & animation market.

The Subscription Video on Demand (SVOD) business in Australia has been growing exponentially and in 2019 and 2020 there will be a whole new array of SVOD services coming on line.

With monthly subscription fees of around $5 - $15 per month, Australians are quite happy to take subscriptions to multiple SVOD services.

There are now over 10 million SVOD subscriptions in Australia including 4 million Netflix subscribers, 1.25 million Stan subscribers and 750k Fetch subscribers and subscriptions are growing year on year at a rate of over 30%.

Apple will also be launching their own SVOD service for Apple customers as soon as April 2019 and they are investing billions of dollars into producing their own original content that will be exclusive to the Apple SVOD service.

Investment into producing original content by the US SVOD providers – Netflix, Apple, Disney, NBC Universal and Warners – for their own SVOD services has been extraordinary.

New SVOD services launched recently in Australia include Foxtel Now (ex-Presto), Amazon Prime Video, YouTube Premium, 10 All Access, Hayu (reality TV) and Kayo (sports).

Additionally, all the major Australian sporting codes – AFL, Rugby League, Rugby Union and Cricket Australia – have launched their own direct to consumer streaming services alongside their FTA and Pay TV deals they have with broadcasters.

Netflix spent US $6 billion on original programming in 2017, $8 billion in 2018 and is intending to spend US$13 billion on original programming in 2019. Apple is also spending billions on originals and the other SVOD services will be obliged to follow suit to remain competitive with their original content offerings.

Disney have announced they will be launching a direct to consumer SVOD service called Disney+ in the US in late 2019 which will feature all Disney, Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars content and the 21st Century Fox content recently acquired from Rupert Murdoch. Disney+ will arrive in Australia in late 2019 or early 2020.

Similarly, AT&T, the owners of Warners, HBO, CNN, Turner, Cartoon Network and DC Comics, has announced plans to launch an SVOD service in 2019 as have Comcast, the owners of NBC Universal, who announced their SVOD service is launching in 2020.

Optus has acquired exclusive rights to the UK Premier League and Telstra has a sub-licence from Foxtel to stream the Australian A-League soccer and both telcos are likely to expand their on-demand video content offers in the coming year.

With the rollout of the National Broadband Network (NBN) and 5G networks by Telstra & Optus in 2019 and Vodafone in 2020 streaming video content into the home or on mobile devices will become ever more faster and cheaper.

All this will result in massive marketing campaign spends for these competing SVOD services for both the services themselves and the original movies and original TV series on each of the services and all this advertising will continue to drive subscription growth in the Australian market.

Pay TV in Australia peaked at reaching just over a third of Australian households in 2016 which by world standards is a very low penetration rate and this level has been in slight decline since the 2016 peak.

In contrast Subscription Video on Demand is now in over 40% of Australia households and by the end of 2020 this is forecast to be more than 70% of households along with being accessible on mobile phones, tablets and PCs. SVOD is now the new norm in viewing content either in-home or outside the home and will lead to everyone having their own personalised suite of movies, TV shows and games able to be viewed on demand whenever wherever.

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Come Visit us at Melbourne Toy Fair - Stand C22 © 2019 Just Play, LLC. Hairdorables and Big Hair Donʼt Care are trademarks of Just Play in the US and other countries.

Just Play

We Interview Rosanna Cilmi

Director Sales & Marketing APAC Just Play is a leader in the children’s consumer goods industry making an impressive mix of promotional and everyday items for the whole family. They arrived here in Australia way back in 2012. With an impressive portfolio of global brands, which they partner with their family product range, Just Play has moved into developing product under their own IP in 2018. We caught up with Ros Cilmi - Director Sales & Marketing APAC, just prior to the Melbourne Toy Hobby & Licensing Fair to understand more about their plans for 2019 and beyond.

Ros, I notice that Just Play are moving into developing product under their own IP. In a competitive market this seems a smart move. Can you tell us a little about these new products?

It was an exciting year for us in 2018 as Just Play took the first step into our own developed IP introducing Hairdorables to our portfolio.

A collectible range of fashion dolls, we introduced Noah (our central character) and her squad of BFF’s with “Big Hair Don’t Care” attitudes alongside a strong marketing campaign driven by social media. The Hairdorables range has taken on many trends in the marketplace that we’ve identified – fabulous dolls with amazing hair – a key play pattern in the doll space, unboxing and the elements of surprise and also You Tube as a driver of content. In 2019 the Hairdorables range will extend into new dolls and new themes with the introduction of Hairdorables Pets into the range in the first half of the year. Alongside the product we have also appointed Wild Brain to create new original content for the brand that is being distributed on You Tube. In addition, we also have 2 other new brands launching in the first half of this year – Smash Crashers – our first foray into the boys’ collectible space and Flutter Friends - our stunning hummingbirds that interact with kids and each other through touch and sound.

What are your major licensed products for the coming year ahead? What would you describe as your primary play pattern?

We have really evolved as a company in regard to play patterns.

If you had asked me this question 3 years ago – I would’ve told you our core range was role play and plush focused however this has changed significantly in the last 3 years and I would now actually say we are a full-service toy company across all major play patterns. This year will see us take established brands to new levels in regard to product alongside new upcoming brands in the licensed space, which we are excited to launch such as our Ryan’s World range. For some of our established brands – such as Disney’s Mickey and Minnie – we’re exploring new play patterns in figures and vehicles and how to bring some of the novelty trends we see in market through our licensed ranges. For Nickelodeon’s Jo Jo Siwa – we’re adding vehicles and new stylized dolls into the range. We’re also launching some really amazing items through our Dreamwork’s Spirit range of horses – with interactive play patterns such as an actual walking horse! And not to forget some of our other key brands such as Mattel’s Barbie which is growing considerably year on year and PJ Masks, which sees our line extend into new content arcs for Season 2.

Are you finding that PJ Mask is continuing to show growth in this market? I believe you will launch season 2 products this year?

PJ Masks has had an incredible year in 2018 and we’re so excited to continue the momentum into 2019. As I mentioned we will launch the Season 2 range this year with a big focus on the Supermoon theme and the new character extensions into the product line. It has been amazing to work with E-One on such a collaborative brand and some of the key drivers we have coming this year are really exciting.

Being able to follow the US with our product launches has really strengthened the positioning of the brand in Australia and has allowed us to tailor the line for our market so we’re really excited about what is coming up in this brand for 2019 and beyond.

Where do your priorities lie in terms of broadening your distribution footprint in Australia and NZ over the coming year?

Obviously, we have all had a challenging year with Toys R Us leaving our shores in 2018 so we are looking at different outlets and channels to broaden our footprint in Australia and NZ. In 2018 we moved our NZ business in house which has allowed us to bring domestic stock into our warehouse and service our NZ customers directly which has been fun and challenging to set up. For both markets we are currently exploring if there are further opportunities through our independent channel, online, and with non-traditional toy retailers as we try to broaden our business and offer our full product range to customers in ANZ. How are you finding online channels performing in terms of the selling of your key products? Who are your major partners here?

I feel at the moment that the online space in Australia - especially for Toys - is really in its infancy. I say this with respect to the US online business we have and also because I believe our bricks and mortar retailers are actually winning in online toy sales across the country (as an avid online shopper myself). I also think some of our independent online partners are doing an amazing job of managing this space with a customer centric focus which is really refreshing to see. That being said I think there is obviously so much potential moving forward – with Amazon gearing up and looking at what the Catch Group has been able to do – especially across the Christmas season last year. I think online will become a much larger focus for Just Play in ANZ moving forward.

In terms of addressing the global market, what are your 3 priority markets for expansion plans in 2019?

As I mainly look after the APAC markets my focus is on this region and our strategy moving forward is to solidify our partnerships in Japan, South Korea, South East Asia and the Greater China area.

We are now present across every region in the world and our focus as a global company is really on our consumers - we want kids in every country playing with our toys and making sure we can put more smiles on kids’ faces everywhere!

www.buggreport.com.au

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The State of Licensing & Retail Article by Tony Bugg

Now that the annual post Christmas travel regime, which lasts until late February, has come to a close, it is time to take a look at where our market sits in terms of Brand Licensing and the associated retail architecture.

There is no doubt that we are now deep into a complete transformation of both how brand licensing will be applied and how the retail market will engage with brands into the future. It is clear that the mug, cap and t-shirt approach to developing a licensing program is showing serious signs of distress. As the sheer number of brands available continues to proliferate, it is becoming much more difficult to find clear-air to engage with the consumer. We are seeing moves toward the market engaging with lifestyle, sport, music, corporate and art brands. Experiential has become the word of the moment. A brand must deliver an emotional experience for the consumer, which adds value to the product or service.

The relatively new category of clip licensing is also another way of engaging with brands by placing characters and clips in licensing.

David Born of Born Licensing has been the pioneer here and has already made a significant impact in the business. eSports is the other emerging opportunity. Fanatics, who are the world’s largest seller of licensed sports apparel, signed the very first retail partnership for an eSports League. Fanatics will manufacture and sell Overwatch Products around the world. It was also interesting to read that Disney have partnered with the Putt Putt Mini Golf Ranges around the country to bring their Pixar characters to life. Another way to commercialise a brand portfolio and create an experience for the consumer.

There are many schools of thought in relation to where we find ourselves with brands and retail, however there are some market mechanics which cannot be escaped. Australia has the 3rd highest density of retail behind the US and Canada. For our population they have too much inventory, therefore a market correction was inevitable. In the past 12 months we have seen Maggie T, Diana Ferrari, Mountain Designs, Gap, Avon, Max Brenner, Meticulous, Doughnut Time, Zumbo Patisserie, Toys R’ Us, Shoes of Prey and Roger David all disappear. As this market realignment continues to evolve, I believe there is opportunity for smart innovative specialist independent retailers to take market share. A good example of this is the emerging Toymate Group and retailers like The Store of Requirement (exclusive Harry Potter store). They position themselves on wowing the consumer. In addition we see personalization and customization programs continuing to appear.

Mitch Dowd recently launched a program with Myer to personalize t-shirts.

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Consumers are buying less and expecting more from what they purchase. The brand must engage them and the retail experience must be meaningful and something to be remembered. The emerging online marketplace has also been called out as a major disruptor of bricks & mortar retail. Whilst this is a factor, online sales accounted for only 8% or around $24 billion last year. Retail sales in Australia are said to be $300 billion. Temple and Webster who are in the online homewares business, floated in 2015. The business struggled initially, however their revenues were up 40% last year on the back of millennial shoppers growing up and looking to furnish their homes with affordable home wares. CEO Mark Coulter is optimistic on the basis that online sales are set to grow in our market off a relatively low base.

We are seeing some amazing results from the likes of Catch of the Day taking two million dollars per week on their new marketplace site and Kogan now with one million customers turning over $300 million dollars. Both are innovators and disruptors. Good retailers invest in great customer insights; they build the right emotional different offer then support this with great fulfillment. Peter Alexander is a good example of this. Our research also points to big retailers working toward reducing the footprints of their stores over time. They are looking for better performance out of less space.

In the battle for the mass-market space Kmart, Target and Big W continue to seek dominance. Target has now moved into its new home closer to Melbourne, which has already attracted a number of new senior appointments to their management team. Their re-brand continues to unfold with new store layouts and refocused marketing initiatives. Kmart seem to be looking for their next growth opportunity and Big W is also part way through a reorganisation of their business.

The $100 billion dollar supermarket segment is also active with Coles and Woolworths keeping their eye on Aldi’s growth and Kaufland who will enter the market within the next couple of years.

The conversation cannot just be about price either as price is only one component. The consumer is becoming much more savvy and they demand value for money. The product or service that they invest in must deliver value and not disappoint. From a licensing standpoint there is now a requirement to look more carefully at how a deal is structured and provide a win-win outcome. Minimum guarantees and royalties are up for discussion. A good outcome will encourage a partner to reinvest.

FRESH DIFFERENT INFORMATIVE

THE BUGG REPORT

ASIA’S LARGEST LICENSING SHOW ATTRACTS 23,000 VISITORS Record Attendance as Hong Kong Creativity Goes on Show Organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the 17th edition of the HKTDC Hong Kong International Licensing Show, the world’s second-largest and Asia’s largest event of its kind, drew to a successful close on January 9th. The three-day fair (7-9 Jan) attracted a record attendance of more than 23,000 visitors from 100 countries and regions. The event ran concurrently with the eighth Asian Licensing Conference (7-8 Jan), featuring some 30 speakers from renowned brands and global licensing experts.

Rapid Market Growth Drives Industry Forward Speaking at the opening ceremony on Monday the 7th of January, HKTDC Executive Director Margaret Fong said the shifting economics of global manufacturing have created challenges for industry players, with issues such as increasing protectionism and the transition to e-tailing leading many businesses to begin exploring licensing opportunities in a bid to move up the value chain. Ms Fong noted that the licensing industry has been showing an upward trend, with global sales of licensed products reaching US$271 billion in 2017, an increase of 3.3% on the previous year. The regional story was even more impressive, with sales growing by 5.8% to US$31.6 billion and accounting for 11.6% of the world total. She added that the Mainland China market showed an increase of 10.3%, topping the world growth chart and continuing to be a significant driver of the global licensing industry.

Direct-to-Retail Talk Connects Exhibitors to Retailers The DTR (Direct-to-Retail) Talk sessions, where successful retailers in Asia shared their IP sourcing needs and requirements for licensing cooperation, debuted at this year’s conference. Amanda Yuen, Senior Manager Marketing Department Hanshin Department Store Co. Ltd, said: “Online shopping is growing fast, and in order to bring online consumers back to offline, we run activities every festive season, and cooperation with licensed characters is an effective strategy. In the past, licensing cooperation was usually led by brand owners and retailers had little say. By joining the Hong Kong International Licensing Show, we can assume a proactive role in finding partners and we have identified an interesting Hong Kong character brand for further discussion.”

Conference Unveils New eSports and Content Licensing Opportunities Nancy Jiang, General Manager, Licensing, iQIYI, said: “iQIYI started business running an online video platform. We widened our business scope to develop our own content properties and build our own licensing business out of them. Our flagship competition show - The Rap of China features the street culture of Mainland China. It has become a cultural icon of the country and the IP is generating licensing revenue for iQIYI.” Jai Wu, Head of LPL Merchandise & Licensing, Riot Games China, explained that Mainland China is now the largest esports market globally - and still rising. The mainland had 250 million esports users in 2018, after esports revenue totalled US$760 million in 2017. “We have launched a wide variety of licensing programmes, including comics, novels and a reality TV show. We are developing our esports business through cross-platform and cross-sector cooperation,” said Mr Wu.

www.buggreport.com.au

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The Asian Licensing Conference ran concurrently with the Licensing Show, giving insights into the latest industry trends, including the fast-growing Asia and Mainland China markets, content licensing, esports, and legal and operational tactics. The event attracted more than 1,300 attendees from around the world.

Asian Licensing Conference Gathers Global Experts Addressing the opening ceremony of the conference were Margaret Fong, HKTDC Executive Director; Matthew Cheung, Chief Secretary for Administration of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government, and Cai Jiacheng, Associate Inspector of the Department of Cultural and Tourism Industries, Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China. Ms Fong said the shifting economics of global manufacturing have created challenges for industry players, with issues such as increasing protectionism and the transition to e-tailing leading many businesses to begin exploring licensing opportunities in a bid to move up the value chain.

“The licensing industry has been showing an upward trend,” said Ms Fong, adding that global sales of licensed products reached US$271 billion in 2017, an increase of 3.3% on the previous year. “The regional story was impressive, with sales growing by 5.8% to US$31.6 billion and accounting for 11.6% of the world total,” she noted. The Mainland China market showed an increase of 10.3%, topping the world growth chart and continuing to be a significant driver of the global licensing industry.

Exploring New Opportunities through Partnerships “It is very important to work with licensors in different markets who understand your needs and have long-term strategies. We have created numerous Smiley style guides for different markets where we have a network of agents promoting our brand,” said Nicolas Loufrani, CEO, Smiley World Ltd, speaking at the first plenary session of the Asian Licensing Conference.

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The Asian Licensing Conference was held concurrently with the Hong Kong International Licensing Show, Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair, Hong Kong Baby Products Fairhktdc.com/fair/alc-en and Hong Kong International ALC website: Stationery Fair hktdc.com/fair/hklicensingshow-en at the HKCEC in January.

HKILS website:

Toy Hobby & Licensing Fair - Edition 29

New Market Trends in Asian Licensing Industry At the first plenary session at the ALC – “Asia: Gold Mine in Licensing” – speakers uncovered the latest market trends in Asia, analysing the key issues and sharing their successful formulas for tapping into the Asian market.

Toy Hobby & Licensing Fair

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SAVE THE DATE・AUSTRALIAN & NEW ZEALAND LICENSING AWARDS OCTOBER 31・LEONDA BY THE YARRA・2019 www.licensingaustralia.org

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