Total Licensing Spring 2019 issue by Total Licensing

Spring 2019

Regular Features Comment........................................................................ 6 Global News.................................................................. 8 Legally Speaking........................................................... 94 The LIMA Column...................................................... 96 What’s On.................................................................... 98

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Global Children’s Publishing - feeding imaginations.......... 30 Property Profile: Black Panther................................ 84 Animated Licensing and MIP.TV............................... 88

Total Licensing Australia Starts on page 45

Europe The IP business beyond Brexit................................. 18 Italy Market overview................................................. 19 What’s happening at a glance............................ 20 Rainbow takes on the world............................. 23 The Italian children’s market............................. 26 Cover Story: Mondo TV..................................... 27 France State of the industry........................................... 32 Market news......................................................... 32 The French Chidren’s market........................... 36 Blue Print Show Update............................................ 86

Asia Licensing in Japan Entering the Japanese market.............................. 38 Industry news.......................................................... 39 Licensing Japan preview........................................ 40 Sony Creative at Content Tokyo........................ 42 Shamijiro - Educating Children............................ 44 Roi Visual - A Korean powerhouse......................... 82 The growth of the Chinese Film Industry............. 90

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Russia Melnitsa celebrates 20 years.................................... 92

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Australia News................................................................48 Introducing The Mik Maks...........................................51 Ryan’s World.....................................................................52 Merchantwise Ugly Dolls....................................................................54 Pikmi Pops...................................................................54 Fingerlings...................................................................56 Shaun the Sheep.......................................................56 The Gruffalo...............................................................56 Disenchantment........................................................58 Sony Pictures Entertainment..................................58 Lionsgate.....................................................................62 20th Century Fox......................................................62 Transport for London...............................................64 May Gibbs...................................................................65 Sonic.............................................................................67 emoji.............................................................................67 Music and Media ....................................................70 Asembl brands...........................................................71 Viacom Nickelodeon......................................................72 Peppa Pig celebrates!....................................................76 Action-packed movie slate from Disney...................78 BBC latest.........................................................................79 New products from Jasnor...........................................80 Treasure X from Moose...............................................81

Co-Publisher Francesca Ash francesca@totallicensing.com

Co-Publisher Jerry Wooldridge jerry@totallicensing.com

Editorial Director Rebecca Ash becky@totallicensing.com

Business Development Manager Jo Cassidy joanna@totallicensing.com

Office Manager Helen Bowerman helen@totallicensing.com

Japan Agent Roger Berman, ZenWorks rmb@zenworks.jp

TOTAL LICENSING LTD 4 Wadhurst Business Park Faircrouch Lane, Wadhurst, East Sussex TN5 6PT UK Tel: +44 (0) 1892 782220 Fax: +44 (0) 1892 782226 www.totallicensing.com enquiries@totallicensing.com

© 2019 Total Licensing Ltd All illustrations are reproduced by permission of their owners. No part of this magazine may be copied or quoted without permission from the Publishers first. Total Licensing Ltd does not warrant or assume any legal liability for the accuracy or legality of contents, images or advertisements submitted to the magazine. Opinions of the contributing writers are their own and do not reflect the opinion of Total Licensing Ltd. Printed in England

I was rather hoping that by the time I came to penning this editorial, the farce and fiasco that has been Brexit would be sorted out and all of us on either side of the English Channel can get on with life. Sadly, whilst Britain in theory leaves the EU at 11pm on 29th March, only 15 days before this, monumental date we seem no nearer an agreement than at any time since the ‘in/out’ referendum back in June 2016. The UK’s parliament and political parties on all sides continue to effectively implode clearly preferring to argue, regardless of whether or not they have anything to argue about. The one thing they all seem to agree on is that ‘no deal’ would not be a good thing, either for Britain or the EU. And in an attempt to persuade the public (who already realise no deal is not a good idea) they have launched ‘Project Fear’ with scenarios ranging from a lack of medicines and drugs to a shortage of basic foodstuffs, planes grounded and troops on the streets to quell the ensuing unrest. Imaginative? Certainly. Reality? Almost certainly not! However, and this is where it does impact on the licensing community, the uncertainly that has been created by our dithering politicians is not helping any industry. IP is, supposedly, protected. The UKIPO has confirmed that it will protect the rights of trademarks and design holders, even in the event of a ‘no deal’. Apparently existing marks will be cloned to become UK marks without any additional work or cost. Of course, pan European contracts will need to be looked at, as will the impact of export or import duties. But… and there’s a big but… as nobody knows what will happen on 29th March, at the moment it’s impossible to predict with any degree of certainty. It’s appropriate perhaps that through all this confusion and chaos, two of the key people in this sorry situation are women – Angela Merkel and Theresa May – particularly as International World Women’s Day also coincides with another famous lady – Barbie who celebrates her 60th birthday as this is being written. It is refreshing to see Barbie keeping up with the times through a new range of dolls coming out in her anniversary year that have her as an astronaut, a football player and a news anchor. In addition, a series of successful women have also had

dolls made in their image to mark her six decades including the world number one tennis player Naomi Osaka, American actress Yafa Shihadi and the first-ever Maori Barbie, modelled after New Zealand sports journalist Melodie Robinson. Since Barbie debuted on March 9 1959 at the New York Toy Fair, more than one billion Barbies have been sold. It’s a definite sign of the changing times that these days more than half of the Barbie dolls sold around the world have neither blonde hair nor blue eyes, according to Mattel. This March, there’s another birthday that will be celebrated – that of Batman who becomes an octogenarian at the end of the month. In common with Barbie, Batman has seen different incarnations over the years from initial stories that were highly violent to the semi-comedic TV series starring Adam West in the 1960s and back to darker undertones through Tim Burton’s film that starred Michael Keaton. Whichever version, there is no doubt that Batman is a multi-billion dollar icon who continues to reign as the most popular single Superhero ever created. On a different note, of course this issue of Total Licensing will be distributed at a number of shows including the Bologna Licensing Trade Fair. Attached to the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, the show puts a spotlight on Italian licensing and comes off the back of recent research that apparently 85% of children between the ages of 4 and 11 read for fun each week.What a heart-warming statistic to be able to publish. Hopefully the grown ups reading this issue will equally enjoy it. We cover licensing from Italy, France, Japan, Russia and Australia along with features on children’s publishing, animation and a whole lot more. Brexit or not, the magazine continues its European tour appearing, after Bologna, at MIP.TV and Kazachok before heading further afield to Licensing Japan and the Busan Contents Market. Enjoy!

Francesca Ash Co-Publisher Jerry Wooldridge Co-Publisher

With Thanks to this Issue’s Contributing Writers: Gregory Battersby Roger Berman Martin Brochstein

CharaBiz Asia Jed Ferdinand Philippe Guinaudeau

Roberta Nebbia Alice Yang

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EMOJI ON HEALTHY SNACKS IN CHILE emoji – The Iconic Brand has teamed up with Dole to create a fresh and expressive experience for their Apple Chips 24gm product which became available in March. The new product will be available in Chile at retailers, including Jumbo, Walmart, Unimarc & Tottus supermarkets. The Dole Apple Chips goal is to promote healthy living and wellness which is why Dole has chosen the emoji brand to promote their products. Six different designs with emoji brand icons are available to meet the taste of different consumers. “It’s been really exciting to see our brand related to friendly and healthy products, promoting a positive way of living,” said Marco Hüsges, CEO and Founder, the emoji company. “The power of communication is what the emoji brand stands for and this is yet another perfect symbiosis of two established brands,” Hüsges furthermore adds. “We are very proud to team up with Dole,” says Maria Paz Bastias, Licensing Manager at the Brands Club in Chile who is the agent for the emoji brand. “We now have 14 licensees in Chile and will further build the licensing program for the emoji brand which is one of the most expressive lifestyle brands globally.”

CAROLINE MICKLER TO LICENSE FEISTY PETS As the UK marketplace heats up for Feisty Pets Toy Line by Jazwares (master global toy licensee) with full retail support at Smyth’s,Tesco,ASDA, Sainsbury’s combined with the launch of the Scholastic’s Feisty Pets book publishing program, Surge Licensing, Inc., the global master licensing agency for WMC’s Feisty Pets has appointed Caroline Mickler Ltd. as its sub-agent to leverage the momentum and develop the merchandising program in the UK.

“2018 was a terrific launch year with Jazwares in the UK,” said Surge VP, Elan Freedman. “In 2019, with every retailer leaning in to the toy program and our book series launching, there’s no better time for Caroline to work her magic and scale the experience offering to our fans.” Caroline Mickler will initially be focusing on apparel, accessories, bedding, gifting and back to school. “With the retail success of Jazwares Feisty Pets range and with Scholastic and Rubies Costumes already in place, the UK market is well set to capitalize further on the growing appetite for Feisty Pets products,” commented Caroline Mickler.

UK’S MINISTRY OF DEFENCE ON NEW WATCH LINE The Ministry of Defence, the British government department responsible for implementing the defence policy, has partnered with Casio to launch a bespoke collection of GShock watches, in a deal brokered by IMG. The new G-Shock collection will consist of three exclusive watch designs, each inspired by The Ministry of Defence’s three single services: Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force. Set to launch in March 2020, the watches will be available from retail outlets worldwide. Jennifer Kelly, Senior Brand Manager, Casio, commented: “We are thrilled to be working as an official partner to HM Armed Forces. -Shock is an unbreakable timepiece built from a Never Give Up philosophy that makes us the perfectly equipped to support our servicemen both on and off-duty. We are already the watch of choice for many in the Armed Forces and look forward to strengthening our relationship further through this new partnership.” A spokesperson from the Ministry of Defence said, “The Ministry of Defence is pleased to be working with Casio to launch a range of Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force bespoke G-shock watches, which will reflect the individual qualities and personalities of each of the three services.” Tim Smith, Senior Licensing Director, IMG, added, “Known as the world’s toughest watch brand, Casio’s G-Shock watches are built to last and resist the elements, which are qualities that are strongly aligned with the Ministry of Defence.Working with them, we are confident that the unique identities and attributes of each of the three services will be perfectly captured in this new collection.This is a very exciting collaboration and we are looking forward to the watches launching next year.”

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FERLY AND KOKO ROSE MEDIA FORM PARTNERSHIP ON DEER LITTLE FOREST Koko Rose Media has teamed up with Global Entertainment company FERLY to develop its kids-oriented arts & lifestyle brand Deer Little Forest across publishing in Europe and licensing in the Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, and Iceland. The broad-based deal will see the companies work together to exploit current licensing and publishing assets across traditional category lines, as well as to create entirely new content across various platforms, starting with publishing at Bologna Book Fair. Ferly will work together with other DLF agents on the creation and representation of publishing content, such as board, activity and story books. The first new project to be presented at Bologna Book Fair will be a children’s board book entitle Who’s Tail Is It, illustrated by creator Jo Rose, and written by Ruriko Enya, a Japanese childrens writer engaged by Japanese Agent Honmoku Files. Heikki Laaninen, Head of Licensing of FERLY commented, “We’re excited to work with Koko Rose Media on their innovative brand, Deer Little Forest.

This is the kind of vibrant storytelling and artistic design that we believe will absolutely appeal to Nordic audiences.” “We are thrilled to be working with the out-of-the-box thinkers at FERLY. Ferly’s team has a rare combination of progressive strategy and traditional creativity, ideal for taking high-quality properties to the top of a competitive industry,” added Lisa Hryniewicz, Managing Director of Koko Rose Media. “Ferly also has a very flexible and responsive structure, able to respond and adapt quickly to a challenging and evolving market. We know that DLF is in the best hands possible!”

ANIMACCORD CLOSE DEAL WITH DOCOMO Animaccord has closed a deal with Docomo Digital to develop subscription-based licensed app that will be available for download on the App Store or Google Play starting this month. The app with Masha and the Bear series as well as Masha’s Tales and Masha’s Spooky Stories will be available in 17 countries. Docomo Digital will introduce this licensed app with a compelling new interactive design. This app has been developed as an immersive ads-free digital zone for kids with robust parental control. The mini-games, exclusively developed by Docomo Digital, include the classic Memo game, Colouring Book and Paint activity, enriched by an interactive “drag and drop” module to allow users to create their own Masha visuals using static backgrounds and dynamic stickers.

DISNEY AND THINKWAY UNVEIL TOY STORY PRODUCTS

Claire Terry and Darran Garnham with Toy Story 4 friends!

At the London Toy Fair back at the end of January, Disney unveiled an exclusive first look at the latest Disney•Pixar Toy Story 4 product offering from Thinkway. The reveal was ahead of the hotly anticipated release of Toy Story 4 which hits UK cinemas from 21st June 2019. The range by Thinkway includes favourites Woody and Buzz, but as never seen before. For the first time ever, the 12-inch Buzz and 16-inch Woody action figures host new and innovative capabilities allowing them to be voice activated and fall-down – bringing the film’s storytelling from screen to real life. The latest products also use the most advanced Voice Command technology on the franchise’s 12-inch toy figure category to date. Also revealed for the first time by Disney and Thinkway is a select

product line dedicated to new character, Forky, Bonnie’s reluctant new toy - with figures that feature interactive and dancing capabilities. Forky was first introduced in the Toy Story 4 teaser trailer released in November 2018, and will go on to play a memorable role in the upcoming movie. Product was unveiled by Claire Terry, Commercial Director Hardlines at the Walt Disney Company and Darran Garnham, CEO of MTW Toys who represent Thinkway. Commenting, Claire Terry said, “We were delighted to be able to showcase Thinkway’s new lines at London Toy Fair, from the drop-down Woody and Buzz products to the interactive toy featuring new character Forky. The innovation and storytelling that went into developing these toys is second-to-none, and we’re sure that consumers will have a fantastic experience with them.” Darran Garnham agreed, “Thinkway Toys are known for creating fun with technology and bringing toys to life. Our range for Toy Story 4 will include some ground-breaking new toys to delight children of all ages.”

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H&A TO LAUNCH AVENGERS KIDS BATHTIME RANGE

NEW SERIES FOR DINOSAUR TRAIN

H&A report that the brand-new Marvel Avengers product range is aimed at children aged 6-8, and adds fun and innovation to the washing and bathing category by playing on key market trends such as slime, re-usable packaging and hypoallergenic formulations. With little Avengers fans at the heart of product development, each item in the range focusses on the iconic features of each super hero; encouraging imaginative play. Emulating their favourite super heroes, kids will be able to make a splash at bathtime with exciting products with colour change and hidden surprises, such as the Thor Hammer Bath Sponge and giant Hulk Fist Wash Mitt. The range will also feature Captain Marvel in the mix as a strong female character to feature. Nicola McQuillan, Product Marketing Director at H&A commented, “We’re delighted to be entering 2019 with such a strong portfolio of Kids’ brands. With the release of Frozen II, Disney Pixar Toy Story 4, Aladdin, Captain Marvel and Avengers: Endgame, there’s a great movie slate for retailers to support. From our extensive research, we know that bathtime is a central part of family and sibling bonding time. The products will shake up what has become a very functional fixture, it’s time to bring the fun factor back to kids’ bathing”. The range complements H&A’s kids’ brand portfolio, which includes Spider-Man, NASA, LOL Surprise, Disney Princess, Frozen and Disney Pixar Toy Story. Products are set to launch this summer.

The Jim Henson Company will be presenting at MIP. TV an all-new fifth season of the six-time Emmynominated animated pre-school series Dinosaur Train. A hit with both U.S. and international audiences, the new season’s 11 colorful CG-animated half-hour episodes (or 22 x 11’ episodes) will air on PBS Kids in Summer 2019. Celebrating a momentous milestone of 100 half-hour episodes, the new season of Dinosaur Train continues the exploration of natural science with an emphasis on adventure, discovery, new inventions, social emotional learning and traveling outside our comfort zone. “In season five, kids and parents around the globe will find Buddy and his family exploring new time periods from the Ice Age to the Cretaceous, visiting different climates, going underground, under the sea, and even up in the air,” commented Claudia-Scott Hansen, SVP, Global Distribution, The Jim Henson Company.

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FEATURE FILM FOR HELLO KITTY For the first time in her 45 year history, New Line Cinema (a unit of Warner Bros), together with Sanrio and Flynn Picture Co are teaming up to develop an English language film based on Hello Kitty. The agreement follows five years of discussion. New Line said the partnership marks the only time Sanrio, the Japanese company behind the toy, has granted film rights to the silent Hello Kitty and friends, including the cracked egg character Gudetama, the rabbit character My Melody, and Little Twin Stars, to a major film studio. The announcement did not indicate whether the “Hello Kitty” feature film will be animated, live-action, or a hybrid. “I am extremely pleased that Hello Kitty and other popular Sanrio characters will be making their Hollywood debut,” Sanrio founder, President and CEO Shintaro Tsuji said.

“Hello Kitty has long been a symbol of friendship and we hope this film will only serve to grow that circle of friendship around the world.” Hello Kitty was initially designed in 1974 and introduced on a coin purse a year later. She can be found in 130 countries on more than 50,000 different branded products each year. The character has never talked. “Hello Kitty has been one of the most beloved characters around the world for the last fortyplus years,” Flynn said. “We’re incredibly honored that President Tsuji has entrusted us with the responsibility of bringing her story to the big screen globally for the first time ever, and it’s a dream that we get to do this with our long-term partners at New Line and Warner Bros. With the positive and familyoriented values that Hello Kitty and Sanrio embody, there has never been a better time than now to share her message with the world!”

POWERPUFF AND WOMEN’S DAY On International Women’s Day in March, Cartoon Network officially celebrated the birthday of The Powerpuff Girls in Asia with #Empowerpuff. The campaign is a movement that embraces empowerment and puts the spotlight on driven girls, young ladies and women who are Asia’s game changers. Over the next few months, Cartoon Network will premiere a series of short-form content on its social and digital platforms featuring trailblazers making a name for themselves. The series will include the likes of Singaporebased crochet artist @kllylmrck (Kelly Limerick) and Instagram baking sensation @Susanne.Decochiffon, in addition to other influencers in the

Philippines. Each woman will share their life-story and will partner with Cartoon Network to create bespoke experiences, content and products. These local and regional efforts come under the larger initiative which includes a global content-creation partnership with five female artists to create seven seconds of animation o f The Powerpuff Girls in their own unique style. The five included two from Asia: Dahee Jeong from South Korea and Xiya Lan from China. The campaign also featured the launch of the Empowerpuff Internship, created to attract an array of writers, video editors, illustrators and graphic designers to curate and create original content for social media channels.

IRONMAN Ironman has appointed CPLG as its licensing agent for the Ironman Triathlon Series and the Ironsport brand in Europe. CPLG will work closely with the Ironman Group to develop a range of strategic licensing alliances with best-in-class licensees across a range of categories, including loungewear, underwear, winter accessories, bags and luggage, fitness accessories, healthy snacks, meal kits, homewares and personal care. “Ironman is the No. 1 participation sports company in the world and we are thrilled to be representing the brand,” said Steve Manners, EVP of CPLG. “Ironman is a world-class brand with a highly engaged audience of both athletes and fans. We look forward to working closely with the team at Ironman to create innovate products that not only expand the brand throughout Europe, but also communicate the ethos behind the brand.” The Ironman Triathlon Series offers athletes the opportunity to push beyond their perceived limits by swimming 2.4 miles (3.8km), biking 112 miles (190km) and running 26.2 (42.2km) miles in route to completing one of the world’s most challenging single-day endurance races and earning the coveted title of Ironman. Since its inception in 1978, the Ironman triathlon has come to represent the ultimate test of body, mind and spirit for both professional and amateur athletes.

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TOY FAIR A RESOUNDING SUCCESS The global toy and play community came together in New York City for The Toy Association’s 116th North American International Toy Fair. In all, more than 26,000 professionals from 98 countries attended the largest toy trade show in the Western Hemisphere, where they got a sneak peek at hundreds of thousands of ground-

breaking and creative toys and games spread out across the exhibit space. “Buyers from around the world, and toy, play, and licensing professionals came to unleash their outer business executive and inner child at this year’s Toy Fair New York!” said Steve Pasierb, president & CEO of The Toy Association. “With a sold-out, energetic show, every square inch of the Javits Center was used for order-writing, networking, trend-spotting, professional development opportunities, in-booth demos and reveals, and much more. Toy Fair New York is the gateway to toy aisles this holiday season, and drives the $28 billion U.S. toy market and influences markets around the world.” From veteran brands to first-time exhibitors in the Launch Pad section of the show, Toy Fair’s 1,038 exhibiting

companies unveiled new product lines and showcased key drivers in front of 8,300+ mass and specialty buyers, including delegations from more than 3,000 unique retail outlets and 22 of the nation’s top 25 toy sellers, such as Amazon.com, Walmart, Target, Kohl’s, Costco, Best Buy, Walgreens, Disney Store, A.C. Moore, and Michaels Stores. In addition, licensing executives from NBCUniversal Brand Development, Netflix, Nickelodeon Consumer Products, Marvel Entertainment, Sesame Workshop, Sony Pictures, Warner Bros. Consumer Products, and others were also on-site to scout the hottest trends and forge licensing agreements with toymakers. Overall, more than 10,600 retailers, wholesalers, entertainment executives, importers, and buying groups attended Toy Fair. The top five countries represented at the show, not including the U.S. and Canada, were China, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Mexico, and Japan. In addition to deal making, participants enjoyed more than 30 educational sessions, covering global safety standards, new toy trends, licensing, global trade and market expansion, and more. In addition, thousands of Toy Fair registrants participated in roundtables, presentations, and workshops focused on helping the creative community succeed through an expanded Creative Factor educational series, guided by a Creative Factor Advisory Board. “More than ever, Toy Fair New York is a must-stop destination for global play professionals who consider it the place to find the most cutting-edge toys, games, and youth entertainment products coming to market,” added Marian Bossard, executive vice president of global market events at The Toy Association. “We are extremely proud of the platform we have built for buyers, sellers, and in fact, the entire toy industry ecosystem, to come together, forge new connections, and learn actionable insights on how they can grow their businesses, both here in the U.S. and across the world.”

ROCKPOOL TO LICENSE THE BABY CLUB Rockpool Licensing has been appointed to represent CBeebies’ commission The Baby Club. The series is made by Three Arrows Media in association with Tiny House Productions and CMP Productions. The ground-breaking show replicates the activities of a community parent and baby group on screen, encouraging viewers to join in at home. Grounded in academic research, the format and content of The Baby Club is designed to develop parentbaby attachment and model activities which stimulate early years literacy and language development. Presenters Giovanna Fletcher and Nigel Clarke lead the group through stories, songs, activity and play with everyday household objects. Both presenters have substantial fanbases and profiles both on screen and off. The Baby Club also features the characters Big Bear and Baby Bear who replicate the parent-baby relationship on screen in books which are read by the presenters. Baby Bear also joins Giovanna and Nigel as a cuddly toy – partaking in all the activities and songs that the group do in every episode. The show debuted in March on CBeebies and it will be available on the BBC’s iPlayer. It will be the first dual audience targeted show for CBeebies and has strong backing from the BBC evidenced by their commission of a second season prior to broadcast and two pilot parent-facing podcasts to accompany the brand. Vickie O’Malley, MD Rockpool Licensing said, “The Baby Club is a magnificent concept with a warm, friendly style, fine goals, BBC support, well-known and admired presenters. This fresh and unique opportunity for Consumer Products is substantial and two-fold; adult-targeted for parents and carers and, of course, the very many partnership opportunities for babies themselves. “

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PINKFONG APPOINT HAVEN FOR BABY SHARK Boasting over 2.4 billion YouTube views and growing a rate of 6 million a day and many weeks on the US Billboard and UK pop music charts, viral online sensation Baby Shark is taking Australia by storm with over 150,000 views daily, amassing over 3.5 million in just the last month. Engagement has spread way beyond the YouTube channel and Baby Shark has ingrained itself in popular culture with celebrities like Ellen DeGeneres, James Corden and Jimmy Fallon hitting their millions of followers with their take on the tune and accompanying dance. A pre-Christmas consumer products launch into the US and UK saw Baby Shark become the #2 best-selling toy on Amazon within 12 hours of launch, selling out in 2 days. Likewise, Walmart US, and The Entertainer UK, sold out within weeks, and already a further 100 products are in development for release this year. The slate of toy partners signed on already covers market leaders including WowWee, Cardinal/Spin Master and Hasbro. Haven Global is amped up to launch a raft of consumer products into Australia and New Zealand this July with blue-chip partners Caprice and Zak signed on for apparel, bags, footwear, home, dinnerware and more. “The pent up demand for Baby Shark product is going to see this product fly off the shelves in the lead up to Christmas. WowWee toys are already blowing out and based on the numbers, there are thousands upon thousands more retail sales opportunities just waiting to be filled!” said Yvonne King, Director of Haven Licensing. “The output from Pinkfong is going to take us well beyond Christmas with Baby Shark animated digital shorts in production to launch 2019 and a movie underway.”

NEW AGENCY SIGNS ZOMBIES Former Commercial Director Jenny Johnstone has left Cosgrove Hall to set up The Licensing Connection and is hitting the ground running having secured the company’s first representation with Ultra Zombies! Created by Pablo Henriquez, Peache Brands and represented globally by Argentina based Tonico, Ultra Zombies is already a hit in its South American domestic market with more than 25 licensees and over 160 licensed product lines to include

action figures, plush, back to school, collectibles, publishing, homewares, apps and confectionery, with licensees including Panini and Penguin Random House. “We are thrilled to be selected by Tonico to represent Ultra Zombies. It is such a graphically strong brand and, in a sector dominated by super heroes, what Tonico has achieved to date is clear testament to its quality.” The Licensing Connection will directly manage the UK rights and will work

ROCKET TAKE NEW MATT GROENING SERIES Rocket Licensing has been appointed by brand owner Bapper Entertainment Inc. to manage licensing in the UK and Ireland for Disenchantment, the new adult animated comedy series from Matt Groening, now streaming on Netflix. 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. This extended rollout will build strong viewer and consumer awareness as Rocket establishes the Disenchantment licensing programme in the UK and Ireland, giving fans a slice of Dreamland by developing apparel, accessories and collectibles targeted to adult consumers. Initial anchor licensees have already been signed in the US. Bioworld will launch the first Disenchantment curated t-shirt assortment for the US market online through Coalition Supply at www.amazon.com in March 2019, while Funko LLC and Kidrobot LLC have also been signed for collectibles and gift. with Tonico to coordinate the EMEA licensing activity where it intends to establish a network of agents. The Licensing Connection is available at www thelicensingconnection. co.uk or contact Jenny Johnstone directly on +44 (0) 7557 951 949.

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TURKISH DEAL FOR CLOUDBABIES Hoho Rights, the commercial arm of kids’ production company Hoho Entertainment, has announced an all-rights deal for Cloudbabies with Fauna, one of Turkey’s leading children’s entertainment company. The deal is the latest in the continual growth of the pre-school series (52 x 10’). The deal comes at a thriving time for VOD in the region, with subscriptions across the MENA region set to quadruple by 2023 – with about a third of these being in Turkey – earning a six-fold increase in revenues, according to forecasts by Digital TV Research. The deal with Fauna builds on recent international expansion for Cloudbabies, including in mainland China with Chinese media company Wow Dadi. Helen Howells, Joint Managing Director, Hoho Entertainment, said, “It’s really exciting to be working with enthusiastic and like-minded partners. Fauna has a fantastic track record with Kukuli and we are delighted to be working with Emre and his team to bring Cloudbabies to a new audience.”

NAT GEO COLLECTION Element has partnered with National Geographic to create a capsule collection aiming to help people better understand the world and push the boundaries of knowledge. In keeping with this, a portion of the revenue generated will support the National Geographic Society’s work. The collection takes inspiration from the animal realm and the physical universe. The first delivery in Fall 2019 celebrates the animal realm embodied by Element’s pro-rider spirit animal representation. The 2nd delivery for Holiday 2019 symbolizes the four natural substances that compose the physical universe: wind, water, fire, and earth. The result is a curated collection of apparel and accessories that bonds a unique selection from the National Geographic’s impressive library of photographic imagery with Element’s timeless skateboarding photography.

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IP BUSINESS BEYOND BREXIT... By Victor Caddy Director Trade Mark and Designs Attorney Wynne-Jones IP Email:Victor.Caddy@ wynne-jones.com

Brexit presents a daunting range of challenges to businesses of all kinds. Increasingly important to the value of any business, Intellectual Property (IP) rights will be impacted in a variety of ways and no more so than for corporates with IP portfolios that require ongoing management. For some time now we’ve been telling people that it’s not something to be ignored and you should take advice and look at your Trade Marks and Designs to ensure you’re properly protected, regardless of deal, no-deal, delay or a second referendum. We’ve also told you that WynneJones IP solved the Brexit issue long before we knew UK citizens would vote ‘leave’ and our new offering is already paying off for those who work with the Wynne-Jones team and our pan-European sister IP law firm, AIPEX. Here’s a recap as to how Wynne-Jones IP and AIPEX, working together, can help ensure you get your IP ducks in a row. If you’re an owner of IP rights operating globally and regularly work with multiple law firms in different markets to execute your portfolio requirements, the Brexit challenge is daunting as you will need to work in a different way by separating the EU and the UK work; furthermore, lack of solid Government guidance has not sufficiently helped you get your ‘house in order’. But, you will need to re-work the

protection of your trade marks and design strategies and we urge you to heed the word ‘strategy’ as management is key and far too frequently ignored. Victor Caddy, Leading Partner and head of our central London Office sums it up simply : “Anyone can file an EU trade mark application or a Community design application. After Brexit only a national of an EEA member state can represent you subsequently in processing your application and dealing with ongoing matters. “To overcome these difficulties UK

businesses may plan to divert their EUIPO work to firms located in the 27 remaining EU states. However, we realise that many of these practices are best suited to serving local clients which is, after all, why they were originally set up. The ultimate goal is to retain links between IP owners and their law firm contacts in the UK, whom they already know and trust, while minimising complications from working with multiple European law firms, differences in local national laws, languages and cultures. There’s also the question of who charges the client for the work done, all of which are part of the UK’s exit from the EU.” He concludes: “AIPEX solves all of these issues simply, smartly and cost effectively. AIPEX has offices in 16 of 27 EU states with a head office located in The Hague, Holland. As a Europe-wide IP law firm, we offer a tailor-made solution to managing the IP portfolios of pan regional and international businesses. The team of more than 500 professionals, with more than 200 qualified attorneys, means we can work across a company’s entire IP portfolio, including patents, trade marks and design, as well as key areas such as infringement, prosecution, renewals and strategy. We are a law firm, not an alliance.” Through AIPEX, Wynne-Jones represents its clients before the EUIPO. AIPEX is the address of service for all the Community designs and EU trade marks on the books of Wynne-Jones, so we retain complete control of all client affairs. Most importantly for UK-based IP businesses, there’s no difference day to day and the benefit of no double charging. A solution on your doorstep to being IP Brexit ready. Get in touch with Victor for a consulting meeting to see if Wynne-Jones and AIPEX can help you be ready for business beyond 29th March.

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Only twelve months after the last political election which took place on March 4th 2018, the situation in Italy seems to be more confused and worrisome than ever. Many decisions by the new Italian government don’t seem to go in the direction of growth and stability, as has been pointed out repeatedly by the European Commission, and after almost 10 years of economic crisis the country is once more facing economic instability.

This situation of uncertainty affects all sectors of the economy including of course the licensing industry where it has significant impact on the decisions of the licensees who tend to be very conservative when involved in the choice of a new property and very prudent when discussing the terms and the conditions of new licensing agreements. On the other hand, year after year, licensors are trying to defend their

positions through a strategy mostly based on ‘evergreen’ characters which can somehow reassure licensees at least in terms of the brand awareness of the characters. A further confirmation of the above trend can be seen in some of the main licensing programs which have been launched in Italy in 2018 : most of them have exploited an Anniversary event - first and foremost Mickey and Barbie. The list of the Anniversary events that licensors will be promoting during 2019 seems to be endless and it proves that the risk appetite of the market on both sides in terms of licensors and licensees, is really conservative. Last January the research institute, Change, presented the data of the multiclient quantitative analysis “Osservatorio Licensing” whose field questioning took place in November 2018 in Italy. The results confirm the consolidation of the main pre-school characters (PJ Masks, Masha and the Bear, Peppa Pig, Paw Patrol), the relevance of evergreen characters both for boys and girls 6-9 and the strong appeal of influencers on the target 10-13 and 14-17. The research also underlined the

strength of Fortnite (which is the only new entry with the survey) mainly towards boys 10-13 but also in the 6-9 age group though Apex Legends seems to growing fast. One vital sign from the licensing market in Italy comes from the theme parks which show an increasing interest towards the licensing opportunities in order to develop new attractions for kids and for families after the successful experiences of Peppa Pig and Masha and the Bear. Also Alpitour, a leading tour operator in Italy, has just launched an innovative licensing program supported by a strong communication campaign based on the Angry Birds property and aimed at families with kids.

Introduction by Roberta Nebbia, Licensing Italia https://www.licensingitalia.it

TOTAL LICENSING Viacom Nickelodeon Consumer Products (VNCP) delivered great results across the Italian market this winter, thanks to the popularity of already iconic properties like PAW Patrol and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the enthusiastic response to products tied to Blaze and the Monster Machines and Shimmer & Shine. In addition, Nickelodeon’s talented JoJo Siwa has been supporting various category rollouts, with more online and on-the-ground (OTG) activations planned through 2019.

In December 2018, Nickelodeon consolidated its position in Italy as the #3 licensor, with PAW Patrol proving its strength as the #3 property in Preschool Toys once again, according to NPD data. Adding to these results, Nickelodeon announced its partnership with magnetic toys brand Geomag – the first licensing deal ever for the company - with a variety of lines associated with the iconic puppies. Product will roll out internationally starting from spring 2019 and should be available in Italy in autumn. PAW Patrol continues to be one of the most relevant properties in the kids’ CP landscape in Italy, resulting in new deals for Nickelodeon on top of ongoing cooperation with the most relevant players in the market. In addition to the toys development, Italian snacks brand San Carlo will roll out in Spring 2019. Nickelodeon’s successes in the preschool sector saw Blaze and the Mon-

ster Machines becoming the #2 property in the Preschool Vehicles category and #4 in overall Preschool Toys. In addition, the first Viacom completely female-focused property, Shimmer & Shine, was #8 in the Licensed Dolls category (NPD data, December 2018 YTD). These properties, together with technology-oriented Rusty Rivets, were the focus of a cross-property retail activation in December in collaboration with Conad Hypermarket Channel that was focused on toys from PAW Patrol, Shimmer & Shine and Blaze and the Monster Machines. In addition to its popular animated properties, Nickelodeon joined forces with internet personality, dancer and singer JoJo Siwa, who has engaged with global audiences throughout 2018 on air, on the ground and online. In Italy, a program driven by Nickelodeon + Super! has been ongoing in the Italian market to build awareness of JoJo in preparation for multiple 2019 product roll outs. One of the promotional channels was a JoJo Siwa corner at the Pitti Immagine Bimbo 88, featuring launched and upcoming products, including books by De Agostini. The 2019 roll out will continue in March with magazines by Centauria and apparel distributed by OVS, with an in-store retail activation to support the program. These will be followed in April by an Easter Egg in collaboration with Walcor, offering the possibility to win a trip to Chicago to attend the Nickelodeon SlimeFest and a chance to see JoJo Siwa in person. A back to school collection by Giochi Preziosi will roll out in June, with accessories by MC Group following through 2019, with JoJo and other social influencers pushing the products with online and OTG activities. Beyond kid categories, Viacom Italy licensing is also meeting the needs of the Millennial consumer, relying on the youth-centric MTV brand in collaborations with major partners. These include sportswear by AW LAB, launched in 2018 supported by retail

and digital activations, a campaign that will continue through 2019. In April, Nestlè/Kit Kat will once again roll out MTV-branded Easter Eggs for the second consecutive year. Italy’s family entertainment and publishing company Atlantyca Entertainment believes the world is ready for a new team of dynamic 10-yearold female spies. The innovative Milan-based studio behind hits such as Geronimo Stilton and Bat Pat is joining forces with Australia’s SLR Productions, Ireland’s Telegael and India’s Cosmos-Maya to coproduce a new animated series titled Berry Bees. The 52 x 11’ cartoon follows the adventures of Bobby, Lola and Juliette, three seemingly ordinary school-age kids who have been selected by the B.I.A. (Bee Intelligence Agency) to carry out high-stakes spy missions. The new venture marks the first time

Atlantyca is developing a new property that is not based on an already successful existing publishing property, and features strong female characters, with an action-packed series full of modern spy stories. Berry Bees is slated to premiere in 2019 and Atlantyca is heading to MIPTV to screen initial trailers and art. The company will also attend Licensing Expo seeking new licensing partners for the highly anticipated girl-empowering series. Atlantyca Entertainment is the IP owner of the globally popular Geronimo Stilton and Bat Pat brands. Turner’s licensing effort in Italy continues to go from strength to strength with exciting new partnerships future proofing established franchises and brand new properties adding to the diversity of Turner’s unique entertainment portfolio.

TOTAL LICENSING Boy-hero Ben 10 is still doing the business in Italy and remains central to Turner’s local licensing programme. The all-new series has a firmly established fanbase on the free-to-air channel Boing and Playmates (distributed by Giochi Preziosi in Europe) continues to drive engagement through the addition of new toy lines spanning action figures, role play and playsets. Building on the popularity of the broadcast and toy line, Turner is now expanding the licensing programme into new categories with licensees that offer high exposure at retail. One such partnership is with Original Marines who has just launched a Spring/ Summer capsule collection of Ben 10 streetwear for children aged 3 to 12 years. The range includes sweatshirts and t-shirts, sweatpants and swimwear.

A green and black colour pallette is central to all designs which include cool graphics of Ben 10 and the aliens that feature within the show. Adventure Time continues to resonate with Italian fans as Turner delivers on its commitment to deliver brand appropriate partnerships that celebrate and protect the great legacy of the franchise following the series finale which was broadcast in September 2018. A great example is the debut apparel collection from Milan based pre-

mium streetwear brand IUTER that sold out in less than an hour when it was released in January. A new range that combines the quality of Italian tailoring with skate and hip hop subcultures is planned for late 2019 and will include T-shirts and sweaters. Cartoon Network’s multi award winning animated comedy The Amazing World of Gumball continues to find its licensing sweet spot in Italy. Food and drink is still a key strength of the licensing programme and this Easter a premium chocolate egg will be available from market leader Walcor. In 2019 the action will extend beyond the evergreens with licensing agent Boing SpA on-board to represent Bakugan in Italy. Originally launched in 2008, Bakugan captured the imagination of children around the world, becoming a global franchise. The new series, “Bakugan Battle Planet”, will air this year on Cartoon Network and Boing and will be supported by a new integrated toy line from Spinmaster. Boing SpA will also be supporting Turner’s move into preschool lead by the acquisitions of Russian show Kid e Cats and Simon, the French pre-school show inspired by the books of Stephanie Blake. Both shows are airing on CARTOONITO, the Turner pre-school channel, and are achieving strong audience ratings since they launched in 2018. Barbie celebrated her 60th anniversary by stylishly returning to Pitti Immagine Bimbo through a prestigious partnership with Patrizia Pepe, the brand who has paid homage to Barbies’ fab sixties with a fresh, colourful and glamourous capsule collection presented on the historical background of the Sala della Polveriera of Fortezza dal Basso. For Mattel, the collaboration with the Florentine brand is but the first chapter of a year full of celebrations and events, starring the world’s most famous fashion doll, born on 9 March 1959, as leading character. Thanks to the partnership with Patriza Pepe, a brand standing for excellence

in the Italian and international fashion world, Barbie will once again shine at Pitti Bimbo as one of its most glamorous stars! Barbie, undiscussed property leader in the toy industry and boasting countless licensing interpretations in the apparel, accessory, publishing and back to school segments, confirms her leadership once again and looks at 2019 as an extraordinary year. Among the many projects, the food sector is represented by Zàini and its ‘hand-made’ collection of refined chocolate bars, and Caffarel, with an exclusive confectioner line of impulsepurchase products. The cosmetics segment is confirmed and enriched through the partnership with Sephor. The beauty junkies will discover the very special collection created in partnership with Sephora composed of 8 lipsticks Lipstories, 1 set of make-up brushes and 4 visage, feet, hair and hands masks customized with Barbie’s signature. With Sergio Tacchini, sportswear becomes super glamourous thanks to a tennis technic capsule collection dedicated to girls e adults plus a celebrative 60th anniversary t-shirt. And last but not least, an outstanding project is on its way with GoldenPoint, the insignia representing the multi-brand stores of Golden Lady Company Group, leader for design, production and retail of hosiery and underwear.

TOTAL LICENSING Almost 30 years since Polly Pocket first launched, Mattel has recently announced the relaunch of Polly Pocket in the original one-inch micro-scale and compacts that made her a 90’s phenomenon! First launched in 1989, Polly Pocket was the first ever micro-doll and went on to sell over 10 million compacts. With many original Polly Pocket fans now parents, today they can introduce their children to Polly’s world. With the 90’s making a resurgence, what better time to bring back the beloved micro-playsets and define Polly Pocket for a new generation of kids. The new Polly Pocket launches a refreshed look that nods to the brand’s heritage and surprise factor, with new miniature worlds and a surprise in every compact for the 21st century girl. Along with new product, there is new content, and a new ethos – “Tiny is Mighty.”

Team Entertainment report that Spike Team, which is currently airing on RAI Gulp will soon start in the US where a major deal is being negotiated to be announced very soon. There is a very strong interest from broadcasters particularly in US, on girls and generally female products. The MEE TOO activities is prompting networks and potential licensing companies to reconsider programmes for girls In addition, the presence of the Pop duo High Diamond has given the series a total new look which is contemporary, fun and very versitile. Music and romance + sports are the ingredients of Spike Team 3! Team Entertainment are talking to

several new partners from around the world with a strong interest in developing products in product categories ranging from publishing to toys to food and accessories. Team Entertainment has recently signed to represent Catsline for licensing in Italy. Additional worldwide agents include Exim for Mexico, Chile, Argentina, MMI Marilyn Master International for the USA and Canada, Roireh for Korea and Japan, El Ocho for Spain and Portugal, Licensing International for Germany, Austria and Switzerland to name a few. The brand targets male and female audiences aged ten years and above with a vast choice of styles and and opportunities: Twenty-five Style Guides, 80 graphic lines and 300 visuals in HD as well as 2000 design samples on a variety of products around the world. Several products are being launched from different production companies. Team are also representing Pure Norway, an innovative brand inspired by the Norwegian nature and aimed at people with an active lifestyle. Team are positioning the brand in the market of eco and natural products. Sustainability is the name of the game today and Pure Norway is a perfect expression of such changes in society. The Style Guide has been very well professionally developed along three main themes: Highlander, Save the Trees and Kids Fresh where style, new looks and a natural fresh look create an interesting combination. The IP owner donates 1% of turnover to clean The North Sea from plastics. Finally, Team are representing Rats Collection. After the new art pieces from Sigis Vinylism, Team has created Rats Collection, a very colorful line of apparel, accessories and back to school for young girls and teens. The new line is very iconic with a pop approach which represents the new styles of streetwear devolved into tshirts, sweatshirts, caps, backpacks, scarves, sunglasses and shoes. Only five years since its founding, Italian licensing group Maurizio Distefano Licensing (MDL) now has an extraordinary number of established international and Italian hits on its

books. But founder Maurizio Distefano and his colleagues are still keeping an eye out for the next big things. MDL’s list of established properties includes Masha and the Bear, which remains one of the most sought-after licenses in the children’s market in Italy; at present there are about 30 Masha and the Bear licenses in the Italian market alone, along with retail promotions, a strong presence on social media and YouTube, Masha and the Bear’s own area in a popular theme park and, of course, the original TV show and two spin-off series. Another international brand that is very big in Italy is emoji – the iconic brand. The latest MDL emoji deal – with Tezenis, for underwear, homewear and pyjamas for men, women and children – again shows the adaptability of the brand to diverse categories, as do more than 600 other partnerships with major corporations around the globe. The continuing success of the Angry Birds mobile game series, and the Angry Birds Movie (Angry Birds Movie 2 is due in September 2019), has driven strong licensee engagement with the Angry Birds brand (and its popular spin-off brand The Hatchlings) in Italy. As well as a growing licensing portfolio Red and the gang have even taken part in a Haute Couture event at Milano Licensing Day and agreed a deal promoting seaside resorts with Alpitour. A more recent representation for MDL, in partnership with Acamar Films, has been managing the licensing rights for the award-winning preschool TV series Bing. A major success in Italy since its February 2018 launch, Bing has already inspired licensing agreements in educational games, blind

TOTAL LICENSING bag figurines, inflatables, homeware and much more. But MD Licensing is also focused on properties with the potential to be among the next major names. One of these, ZAFARI, is a TV series about a young elephant who has zebracoloured stripes, and some equally unusual animal friends in his home at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro. The show celebrates friendship and difference and is already rolling out through a number of broadcasters across Europe, including Italy’s Rai YoYo. Another property on the MDL roster with strong licensing potential is Monchhichi. This highly original animated stories about little monkeys that create children’s dreams, is already on

air both on Frisbee and DeA Junior. A toy distribution deal for Italy has been agreed with Rocco Giocattoli and much more is expected from this unique and delightful show in 2019. Then there’s Kit ‘n’Kate, a very special kind of educational cartoon for preschool kids, packed with fun, adventure and important educational messages that are incorporated into every episode. The series is currently on air in multiple territories and online. Alongside Ferly, which acts as master publisher

worldwide, MDL is expecting a strong retail performance from this charming and likeable show. One of MDL’s newest additions is Gigantosaurus, the story of four dinosaur friends on an adventure.Themes of fun and friendship, plus endearing characters, witty scripts, attention to historical detail in the animals and landscape, and, of course, a lot of dinosaurs, make this a potent player for licensing. Maurizio Distefano is delighted with the balance his company has struck in a big but highly competitive market like Italy. “Masha, emoji and Angry Birds are big international hits with a special appeal to Italian audiences,” he says, “but Italy is a big market for kids’ properties and it is essential that we continue to support and promote promising new ideas. And who knows? One of our new properties could be another hit the size of Masha and the Bear!” With the hotly anticipated new movie Pokemon Detective Pikachu rolling out in cinemas from May, 2019 promises to be another big year for Pokémon in the Italian market. Italian footwear and apparel company Geox followed the success of its first Pokémon kids’ sneaker collection in Autumn/Winter 2018 with a new Spring/Summer 2019 collection featuring fan-favourite Pokémon characters, launched throughout Europe this January. Milan Fashion Week saw luxury Italian streetwear brand GCDS collaborate with Pokémon on an adult capsule collection of exciting urban apparel and accessories in their Spring/Summer 2019 collection, which was extremely well received. GCDS are now looking to do a Human Diversity photoshoot including Pokémon licensed products. In addition to Pokémon’s continuing deals with leading global fashion retailers H&M and Zara Kids, an exciting new partnership has been forged with

Millennial favourite Bershka, whose Pokémon collections for men and women will be available in store and online from May. Movie-inspired collections have launched from Sicem, the Italian licensee for Pokémon kids and adult apparel and accessories, Difuzed – including a GameStop exclusive cap – and GB Eye mugs and posters. Giochi Preziosi was recently appointed distributor of Wicked Cool Toys (WCT) Pokemon toy range in Italy. Other exciting activity in the Italian market this year includes a 1000-piece puzzle from Ravensburger, innovative electronics from Teknofun and stylish storage and lunchware products from Stor. Worldwide famous for its sticker and card collections, Panini has a strong reputation the licensing universe. Over the past years Panini has established important collaborations with such brands as Adidas, 55DSL, Mattel, FIFA and Puma globally, at the same time enforcing a brand licensing program embracing apparel, back to school, confectionery, gifts and footballs. Panini created a rich style guide featuring a world of iconic marks and images as well as modern artworks. The target group is wide and deep, embracing kids as well as adults for a diversified and wide brand extension. Panini is today a brand with an appeal that crosses generations and genders and counts an enormous library of graphics. 2019 will see new licensees and partners joining the Panini Brand family of products, covering different categories such as apparel, fashion accessories, digital themes for Android and metal prints around Europe and Latin America. Established almost 60 years ago in Modena (Italy), Panini Group has subsidiaries throughout Europe, Latin America and the United States and is the world leader in the published collectable sector and a leading multinational publisher of comics, children magazines and manga in Europe and Latin America. The company has distribution channels in more than 150 countries and employs a staff of over 1200.

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STOP PRESS... Rainbow has just announced a partnership with Lisle Licensing. for the distribution of 44 Cats across the UK. After launching in November 2018 in Italy, 44 Cats debuted in UK on March 4th on Nick Jr.The all-cat property is already enjoying tremendous popularity throughout the world.The collaboration with Lisle Licensing adds to a number of agreements that put Rainbow’s brand in the spotlight, with excellent market response. “We are delighted to be working with Rainbow on 44 Cats. It is exciting to see so many first class licensees already on board with the license, and we can’t wait to get to work. It will be a fantastic addition to our portfolio” said Francesca Lisle Licensing Director Lisle licensing. Rainbow’s Head of CP Sales Matteo Olivetti also commented, “We are thrilled to be working with Lisle Licensing and look forward to bringing the enthralling energy of 44 Cats to the UK”.

RAINBOW TAKING ON THE WORLD 2019 marks a great turning point for Rainbow Group, celebrating a milestone for Winx Club and taking on the world stage with ambitious new projects and two brand new topquality properties. The licensing world is abuzz with Rainbow’s latest brand operations, and it’s no surprise: the content powerhouse is pushing ahead with outstanding initiatives, fully expressing the broad outlook and importance of an entertainment expert that has a lot to say.

44 Cats Spotlights are shining bright on 44 Cats, the already praised preschool property from Rainbow that is attracting a great deal of interest from the licensing industry, with major agreements already signed in a variety of product categories. The show is a Rainbow production in collaboration with Antoniano Bologna and Rai Ragazzi, and represents the company’s first venture into preschool. A synergy of excellence that is

making 44 Cats a resounding success, spreading around the world so fast that after the first season, comprising 52 x 13min episodes, Rainbow has already started production for the second one. 44 Cats is Rainbow’s first project

and altruism promoted. The daily adventures of Lampo, Milady, Pilou, and Meatball - four adorable kittens who are part of a music band named The Buffycats – are an enthralling mix of comedy, music and action with the four cats helping others and always finding creative solutions to everyday hitches. In Italy, the show launched on Rai Yoyo in November 2018 with recordbreaking TV ratings and after the great debut 44 Cats has been confirmed

to be jointly developed in the three production headquarters of the Group in Loreto, Rome’s Rainbow CGI and Canada’s Bardel Entertainment studios, with a top-notch animation quality and a dedicated soundtrack with songs and melodies that appeal directly to preschoolers’ love of dancing and singing. In 44 Cats, the title refers to a popular 1968 Italian children song and music is in fact a key part of the show’s charm. The powerful outreach of the show lies in the strong edutainment core basis, through a central message that teaches young kids positive values like the importance of helping others. This enhances the brand and really helps it stand out, as young children can easily relate to the themes of friendship

top show on the Italian channel for viewers and TV share in 2019. The success is confirmed also on YouTube, with more than 30 million views on 44 Cats official channel and 80K subscribers in just 2 months. The response from the international TV community has been huge: plenty of broadcasters across the world have snapped up 44 Cats and many are on the pipeline. First-level deals are already in place with Nickelodeon (multi-territorial), that has already launched the show in several countries, Discovery Kids, going to broadcast the show in Latin America starting from March, Germany’s No.1 commercial children’s channel Super RTL launching in April and in September on Carousel in Russia and on France 4 in France.

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Club 57:

The licensing programme In the licensing landscape, 44 Cats has also made an immediate impact, with major deals successfully signed before the show even hit TV screens. The master toy agreement with Toy Plus, which is developing a wide range of toys based on the key elements of the series - music, creative play patterns and collectability – resulted in a ‘cat-tastic’ collection presented at the Hong Kong Toy Fair in October 2018, that will be available worldwide from autumn 2019. As part of the deal, Simba Dickie Group - a global leader in the toy sector – is also on board as special partner and exclusive distributor for Europe and the Middle East. The first products from Simba Toys will hit Italian shelves in May. And this first deal has been just the start of a wonderful programme, since major deals have followed in a wide range of product categories along with prestigious partners with multiterritorial deals such as baby care leader Artsana, toy experts Ravensburger, Clementoni and John Toys. And it’s easy to see why 44 Cats is spreading so fast throughout the licensing world: the show offers plenty of potential and keeps growing, and partners can rely on the outstanding expertise of Rainbow Group, producing brands that wow the world since 1995.

2019 will also see the TV launch of Club 57, the new exceptional coproduction by Rainbow and Nickelodeon, a live action in perfect 50s style that promises to enchant young audiences with an overwhelming love story between past and present. The new TV series, which will hit screens around the world this year and is already attracting the licensing market, has been created by Nickelodeon Latin America along with Rainbow and shot between Miami and Apulia. An exciting plot full of twists and turns that will unfold for 60 episodes of 45’, in which the protagonist Eva, played by the famous singer and actress Evaluna Montaner, will find herself back in 1957 with her brother Ruben, where she will live an incredible series of adventures with her friends and JJ, played by the Italian Riccardo Frascari, the guy Eva will fall in love with. A romantic and sci-fi plot full of unexpected twists and jumps in time, whose leitmotif will be the exclusive Club 57, the TV show of music and dance that will be the background to the dreams and passions of the characters. Science, music, love, family and friendship are just some of the main themes of the series that, with an exceptional cast and an international fashion appeal, is ready to make everyone dream with all its energy thanks to the many songs in the series, composed by the famous singer-

songwriter Ricardo Montaner. Club 57’s Italian debut is scheduled for April on Rai Gulp to continue on all Nickeodeon networks. A high level style guide inspired by the series has already been designed and ready to rock the licensing world.

On the licensing side, an important agreement with the Italian company Pon Pon Edizioni has already been closed ahead of the launch of a rich publishing plan starting from Spring this year.

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ITALY COUNTRY PROFILE

Several times a year, a total of 105,040 children and young adults are surveyed via an online questionnaire on 42 countries across the following five age groups: Infants 0-2 years, Preschoolers 3-6 years, Children 7-9 years,Tweens & young teens 10-14 years,Young Adults 15-25 years (10 countries only). Each age group comprises 50% boys and 50% girls. For infants and preschoolers, parents are the respondents on behalf of a nominated child. Visual images of each brand are used to test awareness, ownership and purchase intentions, once all unaided questions have been submitted. Analysis and reporting are conducted in the week following fieldwork.

LOL Surprise In just a year, the brand takes the second spot as the No 1 favorite brand amongst girls aged 3 to 9. It is still not the most popular in its class, but very close!

ger than its direct competitors, the brand still has some growth potential amongst infants.

Fortnite

Very robust consumer demand for the brand but no strong gap vs prior ownership. However, there is very strong potential for licensed merchandise across multiple product categories.

Masha & The Bear In Italy, this brand continues to interest infants and pre-schoolers: about 70% of those just love the brand which is a major achievement. Stron-

Not as successful yet as in other European territories, the brand still takes the second rank as the No 1 favorite brand among boys aged 10 to 14, almost tying with Star Wars.

Lego The most popular brand among boys aged 3 to 6 and 7 to 9 driven by high attitudes to the brand (70% - 75% just love the brand). With the current level of ownership for the brand, some could expect a potential sign of weakness. However, this certainly is not the case.

Top 30 Favorite Entertainment Brands - Kids 0 - 14 Italy - October 2018 - unaided mentions 7 - 14 Year Olds

Boys

The BrandTrends report combines consumer research, in-depth industry analysis and international trends in a single, comprehensive information source.

It seems as if there is always something happening in the Italian market… a new property, some additional offerings in merchandise etc. As a result, the market is highly focused on the top properties – the top 20% concentrates 83% of the mentions. And the rest of the market is heavily fragmented into many players with lower, but vital, contributions. LOL Surprise is one of the key phenomena during recent months whilst Miraculous continues its penetration into the Italian market.

Girls

By Philipp Guinaudeau Kidz Global

More? Visit www. brandtrends.com

0 - 6 Year Olds

Population

2018

Screens

2016

Brands

Oct 18

Births (2017)

458,151

Mobile Users/Owners (3 - 14)

43%/24%

Nb Ent. brands Kids 0-14 know average

161

0 - 14 Population

8.463m

48%/17%

Top 5 favorite

32%

0 - 14 in % Total Pop.

13.6%

42%/14%

Top 20 favorite

83%

Tablet Users/Owners (3 - 14) Video Game Users/ Owners

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Mondo TV:

COVER STORY

New directions in television and licensing

Mondo TV has a strong presence in the Italian licensing market, thanks to an impressive portfolio of animated shows. But its work in licensing is expanding into new areas – within and beyond television. Mondo TV is one of the largest European producers and distributors of animated content, but its output and licensing representation extend its reach into other areas. Of course animation – especially for younger viewers – has been Mondo’s core market for many years and remains very successful. One of the biggest recent broadcast and licensing hits has been Robot Trains, an exciting animated series for children aged between four and seven years set in Train World, where all the citizens are trains – but some can transform into robots! Mondo is not only distributing and licensing the first season (32 x 11 minutes) and second season (52 x 11 minutes) of Robot Trains in a number of territories but has also partnered with CJ E&M, Asia’s leading content and media company to co-produce series two. It’s no surprise that a show with a strong storyline, distinctive characters and proven appeal to its target audience justifies a wide-ranging licensing campaign. The Italian launch has been well supported by licensing partners across the board. In fact, in the Italian market licenses have now been awarded across all product categories. Among the licensees on board are Grani & Partners (for 3D figurines in flowpack), Panini (sticker albums), Grabo (helium balloons), Admiranda (health and personal care), Clean Paper (paper tissue), Villa Giocattoli (bubble soap), Preziosi Food (for confectionery and snacks), La Feltrinelli (for publishing), Ravensburger (for puzzles and memory games), Modecor (for confectionery decorations), Kimbe (for live characters and events)

and Ciao (carnival costumes, party sets and summer toys). And let’s not forget toys. Silverlit Robot Train toy ranges have been distributed in Italy since March 2018 by Rocco Giocattoli, a leader in toy distribution in that country. With the recent launch of series two on Cartoonito, supported by a strong promotional campaign both on air and online (through the dedicated web page www.cartoonito.it/serie-tv/robot-trains), Rocco has further boosted its output, launching new toy lines inspired by the second series. There have also been promotions in Old Wild West restaurants alongside Grani, a designer and manufacturer of collectible products, and, in a more

recent and highly innovative exercise, the launch early this year of an innovative new game app. Thanks to a collaboration with Bitbuu, the company that has developed the Robot trains AR app, Mondo TV is able to pioneer new possibilities for imaginative play, giving fans a personalized experience with their favourite characters. Using augmented reality to create an immersive customer experience, the app allows game play and live interactions with favourite characters. It’s free but is accessed by scanning the packaging of products from licensees, making for a fun experience for kids and a useful promotional vehicle for licensed product. A much more recent addition to the Mondo TV portfolio is YooHoo to the Rescue, which arrived with a bang – as a Netflix Original Series – in March. YooHoo to the Rescue is a new 3D CGI 52 x 11’ children’s series based on the globally successful line of Aurora World plush toys, more than 80 million of which have been sold since the worldwide launch of the line in 2007. Co-produced by Aurora World Corporation and Mondo TV Suisse, YooHoo to the Rescue is a funny, exciting and beautifully designed animated series with strong environmental themes, in which YooHoo and his

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COVER STORY

friends, Pammee, Roodee, Chewoo and Lemmee, confront threats to nature and wildlife and meet many different endangered animal species. The global Netflix launch of this enchanting and exciting new show is to be followed in six territories with a free-to-air broadcast. In Italy Discovery will launch the show on kids’ channel Frisbee in April 2019. And the international licensing programme is ramping up accordingly. Nuvita, a leading name in care products for the very young – is offering baby care products across the Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and UK markets.

than it may seem, as a refresh of the popular line is planned based on the new series; there will also be a plastic toy line. The content of both lines will be guided by an important part of the show’s appeal: the addition of many new characters – diverse and sometimes endangered animals around the world. These animals, with different ages, nationalities and characteristics, will connect with many individuals – enhancing the diversity and collectability of the brand. In Italy YooHoo plush is distributed by Rocco Giocattoli, which is strongly committed to the brand. In fact, the

Panini, a global partner, is producing trading cards and photocards. Panini is also on board for 3D plastic figurines (arriving in spring 2020), magazines, books and surprise bags for Iberia and Italy. Dolfin, meanwhile, is offering a range of YooHoo chocolate and bakery products, starting with an Easter egg launch for Easter 2020. YooHoo to the Rescue is not only making waves internationally; it is also strong in Italy as a standalone market. Here, an agreement with Kimbe, a leading name in its field, for live characters and events, will take the YooHoo characters to a number of shopping areas and other public spaces around Italy. Edizioni Playpress, meanwhile, is producing one of its popular magic albums for launch in 2019, and Mondadori has been signed up to publish four story books and a special ‘YooHoopedia’ guide to the show and its characters. The master toy plush licensee is, of course, Aurora.This is more significant

plush launch will coincide with the TV launch, and a TV commercial is scheduled for the back to school period. We said earlier that Mondo TV is not just about animation. As many teen and tween viewers in Italy are now aware, it has moved very successfully into live action with Heidi Bienvenida, a modern version of the classic tale of

the happy, carefree girl who leaves her beloved mountain home to live in the big city. Heidi Bienvenida has been an especially big hit in the Italian market, where the show’s stars are now enjoying high levels of recognition and where excellent ratings and live appearances by members of the cast have underlined the popularity of the show. And it’s a licensing hit too. Mondadori in books, Edizioni Playpress in magazines, Panini in sticker albums, Wal-cor in food and confectionery, Admiranda in personal care and (inevitably for a very musicoriented property) Sony Music with a CD of 25 songs, also available on digital music platforms such as Spotify and iTunes – to name only a few – are the early licensing successes for a show that will soon launch not only a second series but a feature film. Nor is that the only new direction for Mondo TV. As a licensor, its latest partnership is certainly different. It’s with a plush toy brand, but these are not the sort of plush toys you might expect. Feisty Pets are interactive plush toys – with a difference. They look cuddly and cute but transform from friendly to ferocious when squeezed. In an instant the different characters lose their smiles and pleasant expressions and display fangs, sarcastic grins or weird faces. This simple but skilfully executed concept has been a massive hit online, in the media and at retail. There are now more than 80 characters in the Feisty Pets range. There’s even a fan-built YouTube channel called Feisty Films.

TOTAL LICENSING The brand has strong potential across a number of categories, not least because of its cross-gender appeal and a fanbase that ranges from six-year-olds to young adults. Obviously, the brand already has a global master toy partner (Jazwares) and a master English language publisher (Scholastic). Mondo will follow up and support the toy programme in Italy with lifestyle-based consumer products such as food and promotions, two categories that tend to be in demand in the wake of any toy phenomenon. With Jazwares as global master toy licensee, supported by distributors Giochi Preziosi for Italy, launching in the 2019 back-to-school period, a ro-

bust retail strategy is already well under way. An apparel deal is also being targeted and Mondo TV will be meeting key players in fashion, both Italian and international, to pursue this aim. It’s true that this collaboration with Surge Licensing on Feisty Pets is a completely new departure for Mondo TV. It is, in fact, the first time the company has worked with a third-party brand that is not tied to a TV series with the aim of being developed as an iconic toy brand in the future. But when brand owner Surge presented the property, Mondo was immediately impressed, not just with the originality of the idea but with the way it had tapped into a market no one had considered before and built that market with extraordinary skill. Speaking of new ideas, and looking much further forward, we return to animated adventure – with a difference. MeteoHeroes is an animated comedy about special kids who trans-

form into heroes with the power to control the weather. A Mondo TV co-production with MOPI (Meteo Operations Italia – better known to the public as the Epson Weather Centre), MeteoHeroes will consist of 52 episodes of seven minutes each. It is scheduled to launch in autumn 2020. The show addresses issues like climate change, ecology and respect for nature through the amazing adventures of six children who transform into superheroes with power over the weather. Building on strong interest in both the show and its themes, Mondo’s main objective for MeteoHeroes at the next MIP.TV will be onboarding a global partner that can guarantee

worldwide exposure. However, judging from the interest the show and its themes have inspired, this won’t be the only category. In fact a key partner already signed up for this exciting project is publishing house Giunti with an exclusive agreement covering press and digital master publishing for Italy. Another new launch, but a little sooner, will be Invention Story. This tale of a creative fox who, in each episode,

comes up with an amazing new invention, arrives later this year, and is expected to build a licensing programme in both learning and play-related items. Mondo TV is not neglecting its established hits, however. The success of Sissi the Young Empress, the animated tale of the free-spirited princess who resists etiquette and the duties of the court to follow her

COVER STORY

heart, is expected to continue with a new, 3D season (the show’s third) to be launched in autumn 2019 with a new format and new contents. This is likely to further boost a licensing programme that, in Italy, has brought to retail toys, books, magazines, puzzles and board games, confectionery, personal care products, carnival costumes and a Dress Up Your Sissi game app. It’s a diverse slate, but, of course, to stand out in the market, quality and diversity are useful attributes for any licensing portfolio. Mondo, meanwhile, is looking ahead: live action TV, coproductions, new animated launches and more all supported by its growing strength as a licensing partner – not just of its own properties but, thanks to Feisty Pets, as a potential partner with third-party brands.

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The phenomenal success of children’s publishing...

Capturing the imagination...

Evolving with the times

It is said a reader lives a thousand lives before he dies… yet he who never reads lives only once. While encouraging a child to read books can be a challenge, with so many digital distractions, inspiration for their imagination is in abundance. The books previous generations read in their youth are still as popular today – and they have evolved into complete worlds, including television and film offerings, product and apparel.

The reader lives a thousand years, yet he who never reads lives only once... Some of the most popular children’s books of all time are very much in the current consciousness. In the last few years, major motion pictures have been released on an international level – Peter Rabbit, Paddington, Alice in Wonderland. Would the respective authors of these books, Beatrix Potter, Micheal Bond, and CS Lewis, have envisioned, when they put pen to paper, that their characters would be seen by millions of children around the globe on the big screen? And that these children would be able to curl up at night with a stuffed iteration of their favourite character, after an afternoon at play with technology, downloading a game to their computer or an app to their parents’ phone, all encouraging interaction with the content and characters? At the time of going to press, World Book Day is around the corner. A

phenomenon in schools, World Book Day is a celebration of reading and imagination, keeping books relevant to the children of today and is marked in 100 countries around the globe. And, a phenomenon in the licensing industry too, as many children’s parents will be purchasing licensed costumes based on favourite characters. Many Harry Potters will be marching down the school halls, pointing their wands and exclaiming ‘expelliarmus!’ Numerous children will be donning Belle’s iconic yellow dress from Beauty and the Beast – for, although the enormous licensing program cultivated by Disney around the both the 1991 and 2017 films focuses very strongly in imagery from the screen, this too sprung from the written word. There will be Hungry Caterpillars, Peter Rabbits, Matildas, Cats in many Hats, Gruffalos galore, Angelina Ballerinas, Gangsta Grannies, Fantastic Mr Foxes, Mary Poppins, and perhaps quite a few Voldermorts. The point being, of course, that it can be hard to find a popular children’s

character that does not have its roots in publishing. And while older generations might decry the (perceived) lack of time children spend reading and increasing amount of time spent using technology, the fact is that books remain as popular as ever – but the way children interact with characters and use their imagination is certainly evolving and changing. There is a reason that characters and stories remain so enduring and popular. The minds behind them know that, today, they need to capture a child’s imagination through many different mediums – be that with plush at retail, digital content, refreshing looks, and interactive toys. JK Rowling’s Harry Potter series remains one of the biggest phenoma in recent years, both in publishing books that were devoured by eager readers both old and young, and in the vast licensing program that has come from the books and the Warner Bros. movies, And the deals keep on being signed.

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In fact, Lego recently announced that Harry Potter helped the whole company increase its revenue significantly. And on the subject of more recent published works that have turned into successful licensing, Magic Light Pictures is celebrating 20 years since Julia Donaldson published The Gruffalo. Now an evergreen brand,The Gruffalo product, as well as Zog, also by the same author, have seen myriad product across categories over the last few years, including a commemorative 50p piece collection issued by The Royal Mint, which sold out within 10 hours of launch. The way that children become immersed and interact with characters is cleverly evolving. Rocket Licensing reports that The Very Hungry Caterpillar is as popular as ever, with Bloom and Blossom launching a range of toiletries, and Licensed to Charm creating a line of jewellery and charms. Peter Rabbit, the movie, launched amid much media fanfare in 2018, and

in most recent news of the expanding program around the Rabbit’s adventures, theme park Alton Towers will launch an interactive, branded ride for families.

The Moomins, who have a theme park of their own in Finland, have been popular for years, and the latest offering

announced by Caroline Mickler Ltd, will be Rococo Chocolates, launching to coincide with the brand new animated series Moominvalley on Sky. David Walliams’ books have also made strong headway in the world of licensing. Last year, HarperCollins Children’s Book celebrated 10 years since the publication of his first book, and now CPLG hold the mantel in developing the licensing program. Bringing to life characters such as Mr Stink and Gangsta Granny, licensees across the raft include Smiffys, Coneen and Kinnerton. In such a busy, full market, however, the danger is that new publishing brands can be overlooked by those wishing to make a licensing deal with brands that enjoy longevity – such as Winnie the Pooh, who is well-known to children around the world as the book character and through the Disney animation and imagery. However, children’s imagination does not have a finite limit to the stories and characters that can exist. Laura Wall, an award-winning artist, illustrator and author is the creator of the highly successful children’s book series Goose and Friends, has seen a licensing program grow around the books. First published in 2012, there are 14 titles to date in the Goose book series by Award Publications (UK) and Harper Collins (USA). With 140,000+ copies sold, these picture storybooks have been sold to 40 countries in over 10 languages. Bill Oddie has narrated six audio books, released in 2017. And now Goose licensing, targeted at toddlers, has signed deals with Award Publishing/Harper Collins for storybooks/activity books/board books, Red Back Card for greeting cards and party invitations, Scarlett Entertainment for costumes and most recently, Spin Master launched a Goose title as part of their Moonlite storybook projector series in 2019. Even the idea of the storybook projector is an example of how children can interact in new ways with characters old and new, and shows just how much the children publishing industry is evolving and growing to suit modern needs.

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France market review State of the Industry By Virginie Lopez, Kazachok. vl@kazachok.com. www.kazachok.com The French licensing market is increasingly competitive and fragmented at the same time as it is undergoing deep changes. Buyers’ expectations are evolving and chain stores have to address these new demands. Brand partnerships are growing and at the same time children recognize more and more brands. The BrandTrends survey conducted by KidzGlobal reveals that French kids between 7 and 9 years old can spontaneously name over 160 different brands! Brands are increasingly developed for age and gender targets. Children are also able to identify brands more clearly and precisely. They are constantly targeted and are becoming more demanding. They also want to be more active buyers and comment on their own buying patterns. In terms of retail, large-scale distribution is refocusing on food with the same objectives: avoiding too much risk and showcasing only three top brands on shelves - predominantly Disney franchises. In specialty stores, the idea is to increase franchising events to avoid a slump in store traffic. Physical stores must be lively and remain close to buyers by offering good buying experiences and service. Online sales represent new opportunities for brands. Amazon is working on On Demand;Vente-Privee. com is partnering with brands to offer ephemeral and exclusive sales; some manufacturers are creating their own online stores - all options that make for novel distribution circuits. Because of the slump experienced by entertainment franchises, everyone is looking for new properties. What will future franchises be? Sports brands, e-sport, bloggers, web programs, and food brands? That essential question is on everyone’s mind. Today bloggers and Internet channels have considerable influence on establishing a brand’s strength.While brands, licensees and retail are facing numerous challenges, Kazachok firmly believes that licensing still has a rosy future. Licensing needs to be reenchanted by a real diversification strategy, by providing real meaning and meeting consumer expectations.

Viacom Nickelodeon Consumer Products delivered excellent results in the French market in 2018 - PAW Patrol maintained its position as the #1 preschool toy property (NPD data, 2018), SpongeBob SquarePants held a strong presence among teens and adults, and Loud House received an amazing on-air reception. Additionally, in 2018, Nickelodeon launched the Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (RTMNT) series in 2018 , with several RTMNT product categories rolling out in 2019 and 2020, and new preschool sensation Top Wing on TF1 in January 2019 PAW Patrol, now in its 6th year, continues to rank as the #1 toy pre-

TOTAL LICENSING school property, topping sales thanks to new themes pushed on-air and instores. Highlights include Spin Master Ultimate Rescue Fire Truck among the top 10 toy sales in December 2018, a new direct-to-retail line launched with Orchestra, and a videogame launched in October by Bandai Namco for the Nintendo Switch platform. PAW Patrol’s amazing on-air ratings on TF1, averaging more than 250K kids (4-10) per episode, and the property’s ongoing presence in the travelling Nickelodeon Tour to ski resorts and malls from February through November continue to fuel the franchise. In 2019, the pups will be the focus of several new launches, most notably the first ever cinema activation in France in partnership with CGR Events. The campaign launched February 9 and runs during all school holidays, with more than 20K tickets sold in the first week and more than 1500 screenings planned in total. A Mighty Pups themed cinema activation will follow in mid-August and September, when PAW Patrol’s sixth season will premiere on TF1. Additionally, the puppy-themed videogame will be available on new platforms such as Sony’s PS4. SpongeBob SquarePants also continues delivering strong results among teens and adults in France leveraging on its 1.5m fans on French social networks. SpongeBob is a regular at retail with Undiz clothing collections and a Freegun underwear collection launched in 2018. In 2019, SpongeBob SquarePants celebrates his 20th anniversary with the launch of a new toy range from Alpha Toys supported by an influencer marketing campaign and an exclusive launch at Joue Club from end of February, a year-long campaign that will lead to Paramount’s new SpongeBob movie in 2020. Loud House publishing partner Hachette launched a range of products in May 2018, including comics, activities and novelization under the Bibiliotheque Rose brand that placed the property in the top 20 kid novelization since its launch (GFK data). Additionally, Citel launched the 1st season on DVD in November. Following the strong on-air results on both Nickelodeon and Gulli, as well as spinoff

projects with Netflix, in 2019 VNCP will build a very comprehensive CP program around the property. Nickelodeon launched new preschool hit Top Wing on TF1 in January 2019. Master toy partner Hasbro is planning a pre-launch in June with a complete autumn rollout and category expansion in 2020. The evergreen franchise Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which reached the #1 in the action figure category from 2013-2015, is back with the all-new reimagined Rise of the Mutant Ninja Turtles. The series launched in November 2018 on the Nickelodeon channel with a planned FTA premiere on Gulli this autumn. At the same time, Giochi Preziosi will launch a toy collection with other categories to follow in 2020. Dragon Ball and One Piece are headlining Toei Animation Europe’s ambitious 2019 licensing campaign. It has been a huge year for both evergreen properties as their popularity continues to soar across the globe. Dragon Ball remains in top form following the successful theatrical release of Dragon Ball Super: Broly, the 20th animated feature film in the Dragon Ball series, and the first carrying on the story of Dragon Ball Super. Since its international release in January, the film has garnered $102 million worldwide. It also ranked third among Spain’s total theatrical box office and sold 47,000 tickets on its first day in the UK. Dragon Ball’s resonance among consumers is evident through Toei Animation Europe’s wide-ranging licensing initiatives. Bandai Namco Entertainment is currently hard-at-work on the highly-anticipated Dragon Ball – Project Z, an upcoming AAA action RPG for the PS4, Xbox One and PC. Bandai Namco Entertainment, of course, took the gaming world by storm in 2018 with Dragon Ball FighterZ – a fighting game that sold millions of copies around the world and has since been embraced by the professional e-sports community. Further, Toei Animation Europe is teaming with Overlook Events to produce a series of live concerts across Europe featuring the musical pieces of Dragon Ball. Dragon Ball’s longevity in the Euro-

pean marketplace has also allowed the brand to extend to unique merchandising categories – including fashion. Case in point, the Spain-based clothing retailer, Bershka, has designed an exclusive Spring collection composed of t-shirts, sweatshirts and hoodies that have been available in key locations across Europe since mid-February.The clothing-line has been embraced by both fashion aficionados and Dragon Ball¬ fans alike. One Piece is also off to a landmark 2019 – a perfect way to celebrate the brand’s 20-year anniversary. The longstanding anime is not only expanding on new TV channels networks throughout Europe, but licensees continue to embrace the series’ wide appeal. International apparel company, Uniqlo, is onboard for an adults and kids clothing collection that will release in Europe in June and July. The upcoming line is highly-anticipated by fans. At the same time, adult clothing designer, Elbenwald, has signed on as a licensee to create t-shirts, bathing clothes, night wear and socks. Their line will launch at select Elbenwald retailers in Germany, Austria and Swit-

TOTAL LICENSING zerland in Spring 2019. In the entertainment category, tabletop gaming fans are getting a special One Piece Monopoly from Winning Moves. One Piece is also looking forward to getting the Bandai Namco Entertainment treatment on March 15 when the long-awaited video game, One Piece World Seeker, makes its debut on the PS4, Xbox One and PC. With a deep storyline and an all-new original Island, World Seeker is one of the most talked-about upcoming games of the year. And that isn’t all – a new animated feature film – One Piece Stampede is also in production with a Japanese release confirmed for August 9 – and Europe to follow in Q4 2019. The year will also encompass a series of live symphonic concert tours organized by La Fée Sauvage in the vein of Dragon Ball – with the first show confirmed to debut in Marseille on May 17 Toei Animation Europe’s impressive campaigns continue to invigorate the licensing community while generating enthusiasm with fans from across the world. French studio Xilam Animation, will be journeying to MIPTV 2019 with its eagerly-anticipated comedy, Moka. The 78 x 7 minute 2D animated series is set to be fully delivered by spring 2020 and will target kids aged 6-11 years. The series was first successfully presented at Cartoon Forum in 2017, becoming one of the event’s most attended and well received pitches. The concept for the new show came from Xilam’s director and storyboard artist Andrès Fernandez and artist Maxence Sani.

Gulli is now on board as the show’s French commissioning partner and presales are off to a strong start as free-to-air German broadcaster, Super RTL, Discovery Italy kids’ channel K2 and DeA Kids have already picked up the show. Xilam will be looking to build upon this early sales success at MIPTV and will bring three episodes to the market. The new series follows the adventures of Moka, a naïve and reckless little crocodile and the King of the Savannah’s only son. One day Moka leaves to explore his vast kingdom accompanied by Cherry, a strong, brave rhinoceros from the Royal Guard who goes along to assure his protection. Much to Cherry’s despair, Moka’s insatiable curiosity and impulsive behaviour constantly get him into trouble and she has to spend most of her time getting him out of it! Throughout the pairs’ adventures, audiences will see the characters grow and evolve together; Cherry learns to accept the tenderness and friendship Moka is offering her, while Moka comes to the realization that being the child of royalty, does not immediately give him the rights to which he feels entitled to. National Geographic in France are developing a line of products with Barbie and Mattel to create a product line and content centered around exploration, science, conservation and research. The Barbie and National Geographic product line features career dolls and playsets highlighting occupations in which women are underrepresented including Wildlife Conservationist, Astrophysicist, Polar Marine Biologist, Wildlife Photographer and Entomologist. All dolls and playsets will come complete with relevant accessories authenticated by an advisory council comprised of female National Geographic Explorers, as well as National Geographic magazine editor in chief Susan Goldberg. In addition, National Geographic are working with a number of major licensees including Bandai, Steiff and Ravensburger and a recent partnership with LaPoste en Ligne.fr will result in a range of exclusive stamps that con-

sumers can print at home. In terms of publishing, Hachette will release a line of children’s books, Fleurus is National Geographic’s magazine partner and Prisma publish the core magazine, as well as Traveler, every three months. King Features Syndicate recently announced the appointment of a new international licensing agent in France. Continuing King Features’ momentum throughout the region, the new agent, M.J.A. Licensing, will expand the reach of products to fans across France and its territories. M.J.A. Licensing has proven its success in the territory with high-impact brands such as Candy Crush, Yu-GiOh, Pez and Outlander, as well as partnerships with McDonalds, Amazon, Carrefour and more. M.J.A. Licensing will look to build upon the success of the established U.S. licensing program for characters such as Popeye, Betty Boop, The Phantom and Flash Gordon. Representation will focus on categories including apparel & footwear, cosmetics/HBA, fashion bags, toys and collectibles for the original sass symbol, Betty Boop, and apparel & footwear, promotions and food & beverage for the iconic sailorman, Popeye. An affinity for Fleischer Studios owned Betty Boop has already swept across France and continues to thrive through recent partnerships for apparel for adults from Eleven Paris, a unique line of nightwear, swimwear, and underwear for women from Undiz, a collection of pajamas and bathrobes from Marketing Licensed Products and more. Recent collaborations for Popeye in the region include an exclusive apparel collection for boys and girls from Bellerose and the official Popeye costume from Expendo Organisation. Previous successes in the territory include a joint collaboration for Betty Boop and Popeye with Jean Paul Gaultier fragrances, and a

TOTAL LICENSING Lancôme promotional partnership featuring Betty Boop. “France continues to be an important region for our classic characters, and M.J.A.’s enthusiasm for our brands is inspiring,” said Carla Silva,VP and General Manager, Global Head of Licensing for King Features. “We are confident they will bring our properties to new heights with exciting products and collaborations in the region.” Françoise Bouvet, founder of M.J.A. Licensing explains, “We are honored to have been chosen and delighted to have the chance to develop the King Features’ brands in our market because we know how rich and powerful they are. We strongly believe in their potential and are very excited to bring fans more licensed products very soon.”

Vulli’s factory in France where Sophie is still made.

French toy property, Sophie la giraffe, continues her expansion throughout Europe and beyond and, today, over sixty countries have adoped Sophie with more than 35 licensees covering all areas of baby

phie la girafe collection of baby winter clothing for end of 2019. The famous wooden toy manufacturer Janod is finalizing a whole new Sophie la girafe collection for a very soon availability! Poree Havlik, is also designing a brand new home linen collection, to be available end of 2019. Novatex and Baby Love on their side launched their collection last September. With more than 55 million products sold since her creation, Sophie is still

products including publishing, layette, baby clothing, wooden toys, home linen, baby skincare, nursery products, diapers and more. Fourteen of Sophie’s licensees are from France where the program began seven years ago. Today licensees include Janod, Marabout, Renolux, Baby Love, Novatex and Degre 7. Degré 7 is preparing a whole So-

“traditionally” produced to this day. A process that involves more than 14 manual operations. She is made from 100% natural rubber derived from the latex of the Hevea tree. In France she is part of the establishment and is now sold in more than 87 countries. DeLiSo was founded in 2011 to further consumer’s demand for Sophie products. DeLiSo’s office is located in

Molang was born in 2011 as an emoticon and the character first became popular in Asia on instant messaging applications like Kakaotalk and WeChat. In 2016, the French independent animation studio and Emmy Nominee Millimages gave Molang its own TV show. Within 3 years only three TV seasons and 9 TV Specials, Molang’s TV exposure today extends to more than 190 countries worldwide with notable high ratings. In 2018, the series was awarded with the TVFI Prix Export, as the Best Exported French TV series. Molang has quickly become a booming brand with its own merchandise products and Worldwide licensees. Headed by two master toy licensees – Tomy and Jazwares – the property boasts more than 700 product SKUs and more than 45 licensees worldwide. Tomy products are widely available in France through retailers including Carrefour, Casino, Amazon France, E. Leclerc and Maxitoys. The best selling Molang plush will be joined in April by a new plush – Piu Piu the Unicorn. In terms of publishing, Flammarion has released a collection of twelve Molang books including albums and flap books. Product is available through Amazon, Fnac, Cultura and other independent book stores. In terms of apparel, Chausseurop will launch a collection of Molang shoes and slippers early this year and CTI will have Molang home textiles available for France and Benelux. In addition, Sun City has launched a range of children’s apparel in France. The Molang TV series is coproduced with Canal+ France has now comprises three seasons (156 episodes of 3’ 30 each) and nine TV Specials. A fourth season (52 x 5’) is in production. The series is aired in France everyday on Piwi+ and TF1.

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FRANCE COUNTRY PROFILE

More? Visit www. brandtrends.com

Playmobil The brand is extremely popular (almost No 1) among boys and girls aged 3 to 9.This popularity is driven by very high results in attitudes: 50% to 60%

of those that know the brand love it. However, the consumer base is concentrated leaving a weakness in terms of purchase intentions. Miraculous A very popular brand and growing amongst girls aged 3 to 9. When girls are aware of the brand, they really love it. So the biggest challenge for Miraculous is to gain awareness (still missing about 30% in potential; and consumer products in shelf-space. Peppa Pig The brand attracts a stronger base of fans (50% to 60% I love that brand), and still maintains a very high level of popularity amongst infants and preschoolers.As a result, purchase intentions of consumer products featuring the brand are still very robust.

Fortnite The brand attracts 22% of the spontaneous mentions among boys 10 to 14. Added that 69% of the boys 10 to 14 know the brand, these drive to very high poularity levels – only among boys aged 10 to 14. As a result consumer demand for licensed merchandise is very strong – an immediate gain of 14% of additional buying households. Lego Boys are just crazy about this brand. 72% of the toys aged 3 to 6 love the brand as well as 53% of the boys aged 7 to 9. The brand is also their No 1 favorite amongst 9% of them. Girls also appreciate the brand although to a lower extent. Hence the bubble on the graph skewing towards boys.

Top 30 Favorite Entertainment Brands - Kids 0 - 14 France - October 2018 - unaided mentions 7 - 14 Years Old Minecraft Mario Bros

Harry Potter Nintendo

Star Wars Avengers

Playmobil

Gulli

Nerf

Marvel Pokemon

Lego

Miraculous Barbie

Fortnite

FIFA

Boys

The BrandTrends report combines consumer research, in-depth industry analysis and international trends in a single, comprehensive information source. Several times a year, a total of 105,040 children and young adults are surveyed via an online questionnaire on 42 countries across the following five age groups: Infants 0-2 years, Preschoolers 3-6 years, Children 7-9 years,Tweens & young teens 10-14 years, Young Adults 15-25 years (10 countries only). Each age group comprises 50% boys and 50% girls. For infants and preschoolers, parents are the respondents on behalf of a nominated child. Visual images of each brand are used to test awareness, ownership and purchase intentions, once all unaided questions have been submitted. Analysis and reporting are conducted in the week following fieldwork.

France shows a very fragmented competitive landscape where all brands record a significant level of awareness and appreciation. As a result, top brands are not necessarily a large portion of the favorite brands. As a favorite brand, Barbie for girls and T’Choupi for infant boys and girls have continuously gained traction over the last three years (+4 points each). In that type of mention, Lego and Playmobil tie. Fortnite makes a shy entrance into the top favorite brands although it is far below its performance in other European countries.

Girls

By Philipp Guinaudeau Kidz Global

Disney Minions

Mickey Mouse

Spider-Man

Frozen Batman Peppa Pig

T’Choupi

Minnie Mouse

PJ Masks Masha and the Bear

Paw Patrol

Cars the Movie

Fireman Sam

0 - 6 Years Old

Population

2018

Screens

2016

Brands

Oct 18

Births (2017)

767,000

Mobile Users/Owners (3 - 14)

44%/22%

Nb Ent. brands Kids 0-14 know average

151

0 - 14 Population

12.450m

41%/18%

Top 5 favorite

28%

0 - 14 in % Total Pop.

18.5%

39%/13%

Top 20 favorite

69%

Tablet Users/Owners (3 - 14) Video Game Users/ Owners

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Entering the Japanese market By Roger Berman, President, ZenWorks Co Ltd

Roger Berman is president of ZenWorks Co., Ltd., a Tokyo-based company delivering specialized license consulting, agency and media services to Japanese and international clients entering Japan and other East Asian markets. www.zenworks.jp. Enquiries: info@zenworks.jp

Until the recent emergence of China’s retail sector, Japan was regarded as the world’s second largest retail economy behind the United States. But with ¥142.51 trillion (US$1.27 trillion) in retail sales in 2017 according to figures released by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, third place isn’t bad. With domestic retail spending sometimes an up-and-down affair depending on the consumer sentiment at the time, a large factor that keeps Japan’s retail sector active are the tourists. Japan is now the fastest growing major travel destination in the world. In 2017 a record 28.7 million foreign tourists visited Japan, about 20% up over the previous year. A key Japanese government strategy has set lofty goals of attracting 40 million foreign visitors by 2020 when Tokyo will host the Olympic and Paralympic games. This will be preceded this year with Japan hosting the Rugby World Cup. These sporting events have certainly put the focus not just on tourism but also on sports in general. Major European sports retailer, Decathlon will open its first store in Japan in April. However, Japan has a rather tainted history with large western retailers trying to crack the Japanese market. Boots the UK drug store chain, Sephora the LMVH-owned cosmetics chain, and Carrefour the supermarket giant have all tried and lost. Walmart

struggles but continues to battle on through its Seiyu subsidiary. On the licensing side, Japan is in good health. According the 2018 LIMA Annual Global Licensing Industry Survey, Japan placed third worldwide, behind the US and UK, with US$13.26 billion in retail sales of licensed products. Japan certainly dominates character licensing in the East Asian region over South Korea and China. Japan is culturally not as open a market as it could or should be, and in some instances it can be seen as being quite closed and inward looking. Doing business in Japan requires patience and persistence. Japanese companies might sign a contract on the spot but they prefer building trust and confidence first to create strong and lasting relationships. Hence, the Japanese value a strategic approach instead of an opportunistic one. For IP owners and licensors looking to work with Japan, here are some pointers to guide you along. Adapt - it is not uncommon to hear that a character isn’t attractive in Japanese eyes. Avoid the mistake of changing your IP too much to match consumer taste. The key is to not to adapt your property but to adapt your approach.. Age It Up - properties marketed to kids overseas are in Japan often positioned to an adult demographic, particularly with children’s publishing IP such as The World of Eric Carle or The Moomins. The key

Hello Kitty Haruka, Japanese hospitality News supplied by CharaBiz Asia https://charabizasia.com

West Japan Railway Company has been collaborating with Hello Kitty, operating the Kansai Airport express Haruka with Hello Kitty wrapping. The main theme is ‘Japanese hospitality.’ Haruka is one of the important connections between the West Japan gateway – Kansai Airport and Kyoto, the ancient capital which is always crowded with travellers. The new Haruka is providing a new travel experience to all the passengers with Japanese hospitality together with the Hello Kitty Shinkansen (bullet train) service which began last June.The theme of the new wrapping design is Japanese hospitality. Japanese has been creating decorations and arts based on natural flora and fauna since ancient times. By combining these traditional motifs and Hello Kitty, the new design is fashionable but lets people feel like they are in Japan at the same time. During the event, a Hello Kitty mascot will meet and greet with the passengers. Besides, Mr. Sasaoka from Misho-ryu Sasaoka (a Japanese school of flower art) and official from Kyoto will give a presentation on Japanese hospitality.

age groups in terms of disposable income are young adult females aged 20-34, and retirees. I also identify a potential third group in what I term as the “Generation X Silver Market.” This group is made up of consumers who were born in the 1960s. Collaborate - as elsewhere in the world, co-branding in Japan (locally called “collabo”) is a key trend here too. Entice - successful property traits include a strong storyline, good brand heritage, a track record of sales, authenticity, originality, culturally on-target and on-trend, and if a character-based IP, the all-essential “kawaii” (cuteness) factor. Expect - in approaching the Japanese market, managing your expectations and meeting your potential client’s is paramount. What you view as long-term in many cases is their short-term, so understand your partner’s objectives and set appropriate time goals. Also, what you might perceive as high quality may well be a Japanese consumer’s excuse not to buy. Consumer expectations in Japan for product quality and service are amongst the highest in the world. Protect - copyright is fine but also trademark. Applying for and registering trademarks in the key five or six licensing product classes is an investment, not a cost. Understand - first that Japan’s market characteristics are of low growth due to the maturity of the economy and a demographic time bomb defined by an aging population and low birthrate.

Baby-G and Kiki’s Delivery Service American casual wear brand ‘GBL’ has announced a collaboration with Ghibli characters, bringing anime service Kiki’s Delivery Service (the 30th anniversary) and Baby-G (the 25th anniversary) together with the special edition of Kiki’s Delivery Service Baby-G which will be released shortly. The designs of ‘Kiki’s Delivery Service’ can be found everywhere on this anniversary item. Kiki has the same design as the one on the movie poster. When the light is turned on, the logo featuring the hidden bread shop where Kiki works would also appear. The watch band is in black which is easy to match with clothes.

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Legoland Japan Opens new Ninjago Area Outdoor theme park Legoland Japan is schedule to have its first expansion in July this year since the park opened in April, 2017. Visitors will be able to enjoy the new world of Lego Ninjago in the new area Lego Ninjago World. Lego Ninjago World has proved to be a popular part of Legoland in each country and Japan is the eighth area to open. The new sector is using Lego Ninjago as the main theme. In addition to entering children, they can also learn the Ninjago skills. Visitors can also play the Flying Ninjago, the second ride in the world. They can also enjoy two new attractions which are the first ones anywhere. In addition, the park also provides interactive activities for visitors to train them as ninjas, and there are food stands which replicate the Ninjago world. Ninjago is a Lego theme and anime series related to ninjas. Under Master Wu, ninjas Kai, Jay, Cole, Llord, Zane and Nya use their special powers to fight against enemies to defend the Ninjago world.

Beyblade Burst leads Action Figures How does a boys’ action brand measure success? For Beyblade burst, the answer is a legion of avid fans, an expanding catalog of merchandise and a popular continuing animated series. Add a little recognition and you’ve got icing on the IP cake, served up by The NPD Group, which has named Beyblade the #1 Action Figures Property in Europe in 2018 , according to their Retail Tracking Service. “We have prided ourselves on aligning Beyblade Burst with licensees that truly understand the brand and know how to develop fantastic product extensions to the fan experience,” said Daizo Suzuki, President of Sunrights Inc., the New York City-based entertainment rights company that manages brand outside of Asia. Among the licensees with new merchandise are Peru’s Industria Denz, which will be rolling out Beyblade Burst Evolution-themed sandals and clogs; Italy’s Dolci Preziosi and Bauli, which each produced Beyblade Burst-branded chocolate eggs in time for Easter; French publishers, Panini and Grund, which are printing magazines and novels (respectively) this spring; and Goliath, which is releasing two board games – Bey Master and Pop N Race – this August. Additionally, Goliath is teaming up with Beyblade Burst mobile app licensee Epic Story Interactive on a cross-promotion in conjunction with the August release of the board game.The Beyblade Burst Rivals mobile app will feature an exclusive Goliath-themed re-deco Season 3 Bey, and the board game’s packaging will include leaflets with unique alpha-numeric codes providing access to the exclusive Bey. The robust licensing program now features some 33 active licensees that continue to expand the brand’s global reach with merchandise (across most major categories) hitting the shelves throughout the year.

Bufferin Signs with Sailor Moon

Lion report that they have signed for a collaboration campaign between their painkiller product ‘Bufferin’ and the popular anime character Sailor Moon. According to Lion’s research, many women are suffering from headaches and menstrual pain. Almost 80% of those questioned them say they would just tolerate the pain without taking any pain killers. However, the research also shows that 60% of them cannot do the housework due to pain and 55% cannot focus on work. The tolerance of pain can be said to be lowering their quality of life. During the campaign period, advertisements would also be posted on SMS and transportation which begin in late February.

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9TH LICENSING JAPAN The 9th edition of LICENSING JAPAN - the character and brand licensing trade show) will return this year from Wednesday April 3 to Friday April 5th.

show at this year’s LICENSING JAPAN. However, please visit the show website for full property details. (https://www.licensing-japan.jp/eguide_en/)

The show is held at Tokyo Big Sight and organised by Reed Exhibitions Japan.The show is Japan’s largest licensing event.

Conference

The scale of the next edition of LICENSING JAPAN will be even larger than in previous years. The show is expected to welcome over 1500 properties from 220 exhibitors. Exhibited brands cover a huge range - not only characters but also brands, sports and design. In all, LICENSING JAPAN will be the best platform for those who are seeking out new properties and are involved, or are planning to launch into the Japanese and Asian markets. On the following page are some examples of properties on

For more information Visitor Ticket Request (Free) https://www.licensing-japan.jp/inv_en/ VIP Registration (Free)* https://www.licensing-japan.jp/inv_en/ Group Visit (Free)** https://www.licensing-japan.jp/groupvisit_en/

At the concurrently-held conference, Sanrio, a leading licensing company in Japan will reveal their latest business strategy. Wednesday April 3rd. 12.30pm - 1.30pm A Look Ahead: Sanrio’s Character Business Outlook and Strategy Tomokuni Tsuji, Senior Managing Director, Sanrio Co., Ltd. (Bilingual English and Japanese *For those whose titles are above manager ** For groups with over 6 members LICENSING JAPAN Show Management c/o: Reed Exhibitions Japan Ltd. Attention:: Ms Ayumi Senoo, Ms Megumi Hatanaka Tel:: +81-3-3349-8507 E-mail: visitor-eng.licensing@reedexpo.co.jp Web: : https://www.licensing-japan.jp/en/

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Some of the Animation Characters (https://www.licensing-japan.jp/animation_en/)

The Simpsons

The Powerpuff Girls

Rabbids

(StylingLife Holdings)

(Green Camel)

(TV Tokyo Communications)

Girls und Panzer das Finale

City Hunter

Hanakappa

(Bandai Namco Arts)

(North Star Pictures

(Dentsu)

Some of the Brands (https://www.licensing-japan.jp/brand_en/)

(Dentsu)

Tetris

Habiya-Kadan Creative Design

(Sony Creative Products)

Joel Robuchon

Jean-Michel Basquiat

Kabuki Kumadori

ANAP Fashionista

(Itochu Fashion System)

(Shochiku)

(ANAP) 41

TOTAL LICENSING Content Tokyo is a mustattend for anyone involved in developing or monetising content in Asia. Not surprisingly, Sony Creative Products Inc will be there – with a very diverse offering for both Japanese and overseas markets.

SONY CREATIVE PRODUCTS AT CONTENT TOKYO Content Tokyo – Asia’s largest content creation, production and distribution event – is coming closer, and Sony Creative Products Inc. (SCP) is joining the many manufacturers, distributors, solution/technology providers, marketing companies, and licensing professionals that will be attending. Tokyo-based Sony Creative Products Inc. (SCP), which manages licensing in the Japanese market for Pingu,TAMA and FRIENDS, and many other national and international properties, will be exhibiting in the General Zone at the show, which takes place from 3-5 April at Tokyo Big Sight (the Tokyo International Exhibition Centre). A comprehensive exhibition consisting of seven specialised trade shows related to content, Content Tokyo is an important part of the trade show calendar and a great place for SCP to show off an impressive list of new and established properties to local, regional and international visitors. The continuing success in Japan of the brand-new Japanese-made Pingu animation series, Pingu in the City, has built a strong profile for the cheeky and loveable penguin, one that SCP intends to promote in markets both inside and outside Japan. Aligning with Madrid-based music publishing and distribution company Sony Music Entertainment España, S.L., the new animation Pingu in the City will be distributed in a number of European and Latin American territories. Tama is a property that has enormous appeal to many generations, ever since Tama, a curious, adventurous cat, first

appeared as an animated story in the early 1980s. In a brand-new movie she will share screen time with two other enormously popular cat-based franchises. Among newer properties on show will be B League and T League, the leading Japanese leagues in professional basketball and table tennis; the highly successful manga and anime anti-hero, Itachi; and Hey, Kitaro, an updated version of a classic tale of folk monsters and strange mythical beasts. However, one of the fastest-growing new SCP properties also reflects one of the newest and most exciting online trends. Kaguya Luna is a virtual YouTuber who sings dances, offers sharp and humorous observations and has even starred in what may be the world’s first virtual reality concert (in the virtual space called Zepp VR). The popular V-tuber will make her debut as an SCP-licensed property in Tokyo. There are already more than 7,000 V-tubers in the Japanese market, of which Kaguya Luna is one of the most popular on YouTube. Although Kaguya Luna is be a virtual model, she has already guested on a variety of TV shows in Japan. With her

music producer, PABLO a.k.a. WTF!?, she has even made her debut as a music artist in the past year. She has also started her own apparel brand called ‘Beyond the Moon’. These are all very different brands. All, however, have their own characters and definable target audiences. SCP’s aim for each, therefore, is to establish that connection, and expand the licensing share – first of all in Japan, using a business network developed over SCP’s long and successful history in licensing management. The popularity of Japanese IPs in other markets – particular in Asia – means that once these are established in Japan, SCP will start looking to represent such properties in territories outside Japan. Content Japan is a perfect showcase at which to start this process. For Takeshi Nakamura, Global Business Group Licensing Manager, Sony Creative Products Inc., this is a great opportunity to show off the strength and variety of the SCP offering. As he says: “From Pingu to basketball and from brand-new virtual stars to long-established and newly revived hits, our stand will emphasise a diverse portfolio with, we believe, something for everyone.”

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SHIMAJIRO - Educating Children around the World He first appeared in a series of animated shorts in 1993. Today Shimajiro is one of Japan’s most popular characters in children’s education. Benesse, the Japanese education services company, is known across Asia for Kodomo Challenge. This is a home education service that encourages children (or kodomo) to explore and grow with new activities every month. But the company is also the name behind a television and YouTube brand: the enormously successful animated preschool educational property Shimajiro: A World of WOW!. The series, which for nearly three decades has been a popular educational property in Japan, is officially based on the incredibly successful Kodomo Challenge Educational Learning Programme for preschoolers created by Benesse in 1988, for which Shimajiro serves as the main character. This programme consists of monthly subscription-based home-delivery packages for children aged 0-6. The packages, which are tailored to various stages of children’s development, include picture books, activity books, DVDs, educational toys, and parental guides. The Kodomo Challenge programme is available not only in Japan but in Taiwan, China, South Korea, Hong Kong and Indonesia. And main character Shimajiro is branching out too. He began by starring in animated shorts as long ago as 1993. Then, the shorts were incorporated into a popular Japanese educational TV show that was launched in 2012. More recently – in February, in fact – a 30-minute programme starring Shimajiro, aimed at children aged 2-6, and incorporating localized educational content, launched in Thailand through cable and satellite television operator

True Visions. A localized version of Shimajiro’s adventures has already been broadcasting in South Korea since 2016 and on EBS in Taiwan since 1999. Animated shorts have also been available on YouTube since 2011. And that’s not all. A new film is also due for release in Japan in March and a new series in April. Not only is the show popular with young viewers but the content, which has been designed to draw out the innate curiosity of young children, has gained broadcast industry acclaim too. Shimajiro: A World of WOW!, is a multiple award-winner, most recently in the preschool TV category in the 2018 Asian TV Awards. Shimajiro also inspires live events that attract more than half a million Japanese parents and children every year, and has his own play park. There’s even a Shimajiro airline, which came into service in 2018! So what has made a show whose main aim is to educate kids aged six and under so popular? Well, the premise of the series is simple but highly effective. In each episode, a little boy called Shimajiro learns skills that help him in his everyday life as a pre-school child. Shimajiro is curious and is willing to try anything once. He loves playing soccer. He can be mischievous and selfish, but he always learns his lesson and is always there when his friends

– and little sister, Hannah – need him. Shimajiro and his friends are likeable, charming and inquisitive. As a trusted brand that embodies both entertainment and educational qualities, Shimajiro makes for an attractive ambassador for a range of licensed children’s products – especially for parents who have grown to trust the brand over close to three decades. Today the product ranges include apparel, homeware, healthy food and beverages, toiletry, stationery and of course educational apps. All are aimed at children from 0-6 and all are designed to make it fun for them to build up important everyday skills. Daisuke Tebayashi, Benesse, says: “After nearly three decades, Shimajiro: A World of WOW! is as popular as ever, building new audiences and entertaining new markets across Asia. It’s also a strong player in licensing and merchandising, with a powerful presence in education and healthy-eatingrelated products. We’re delighted with Shimajiro’s arrival in the important Thai market and are looking forward to more breakthroughs and launches very soon.” It looks like one of Japan’s most popular character in children’s education is still making friends, more than 30 years after he first decided to explore the world around him!

March 2019

TOTAL LICENSING AUSTRALIA March 2019 For licensing opportunities contact: Naomi Sheahan at Haven Naomi@havenglobal.com

March 2019 Co-Publisher Editor-in-Chief Francesca Ash francesca@totallicensing.com Co-Publisher Jerry Wooldridge jerry@totallicensing.com Editorial Director/ Editor Rebecca Ash becky@totallicensing.com Business Development Joanna Cassidy joanna@totallicensing.com Office Manager Helen Bowerman helen@totallicensing.com Subscriptions and Circulation www.totallicensing.com/ subscribe.html Australia Contacts Aaron White Karina White totallicensingaustralia@gmail.com aaronandkarina@optusnet.com.au Total Licensing Australia is published as a special issue of Total Licensing magazine.

Total Licensing Ltd 4 Wadhurst Business Park Faircrouch Lane Wadhurst East Sussex TN5 6PT England Tel: +44 1892 782220 Fax: +44 1892 782226 www.totallicensing.com Japan Agent Roger Berman, ZenWorks rmb@zenworks.jp © 2019 Total Licensing Ltd

Australia News.....................................................................48 Introducing The Mik Maks................................................51 Ryan’s World..........................................................................52 Merchantwise Ugly Dolls.........................................................................54 Pikmi Pops........................................................................54 Fingerlings........................................................................56 Shaun the Sheep............................................................56 The Gruffalo....................................................................56 Disenchantment.............................................................58 Sony Pictures Entertainment.......................................58 Lionsgate..........................................................................62 20th Century Fox...........................................................62 Transport for London....................................................64 May Gibbs........................................................................65 Sonic..................................................................................67 emoji..................................................................................67 Music and Media .........................................................70 Asembl brands................................................................71

Viacom Nickelodeon...........................................................72 Peppa Pig celebrates!.........................................................76 Action-packed movie slate from Disney........................78 BBC latest..............................................................................79 New products from Jasnor................................................80 Treasure X from Moose....................................................82

NEWS

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WIGGLES NAME WOWWEE AS TOY PARTNER FOR NORTH AMERICA The Wiggles have announced they have named WowWee, a leading manufacturer of hi-tech consumer robotic and entertainment products, as their Master Toy Partner for North America. WowWee will assume immediate responsibility for the distribution of The Wiggles existing toy range, including musical instruments, feature plush, dolls and dance accessories. Ultimately, WowWee will bring a high level of proprietary interactivity to the brand, its colorful characters, and in all future product development, along with providing manufacturing oversight, licensing and retail placement for all toy categories in North America. “We are excited about the innovation and creativity that WowWee will bring to The Wiggles brand in North America,” said Paul Field, The Wiggles Managing Director. “Having a toy partner with the prominence and influence of WowWee will ensure that our consumer product presence in North America will be in line with the brand.” “We’re thrilled to begin this strategic partnership with The Wiggles and we look forward to our teams collaborating on this iconic brand,” said WowWee president and co-founder Richard Yanofsky. “The Wiggles are synonymous with providing entertainment that is both fun and educational for a legion of fans spanning nearly three decades. WowWee’s signature innovation and interactive play will naturally complement The Wiggles approach to their unique brand of preschool entertainment.” 2019 is promising to be the most visible year for The Wiggles in North America in recent years. The brand is enjoying a global resurgence with increased broadcast and streaming visibility, extensive live presence through tours, and of course, the rapidly growing popularity of the first-ever female Wiggle, Emma who has become a fully international sensation. 2019 will see the launch of Emma series 2 that is scheduled to dominate both broadcast and streaming platforms, as well as numerous Emma-centric consumer products. The Wiggles will tour North America for over three-months this year, including the biggest U.S. tour in six years that will visit more than 30 cities, coast to coast. The Wiggles are also continuing to grow their digital presence, uploading new content twice a week and collaborating with new partners such as Super Simple Songs, Mother Goose Club and Sesame Workshop.

Pick up your copy of Total Licensing Australia at the Australian Toy Hobby & Licensing Fair, Bologna Licensing Fair, Kazachok Forum, MIP.TV, Licensing Japan 48

JW BRAND TO LICENSE MGM PROPERTIES Metro Goldwyn Meyer has appointed new licensing representation for Australia and New Zealand. Evolution USA, along with its local Australian partner JW Brand Consulting, have been named licensing and brand management for Australia and New Zealand across MGM’s portfolio of properties. Under the new deal, JW Brand will sign local partners in all key categories for the movie studio’s brands, including apparel, accessories, footwear, stationery, publishing, gifts, novelty, home, auto accessories, toys and collectibles, as well as exploring other opportunities for MGM’s well known movie and TV brands. Amongst the key MGM titles included in the agreement are Pink Panther, Rocky including Creed I & II, Tomb Raider and television series such as Vikings, Get Shorty and Teen Wolf. The partnership will also pave the way for a full licensing and retail merchandising effort on the upcoming animated comedy The Addams Family, due for release in Australasia in 2020. “Having the opportunity to work with MGM on some of the most iconic intellectual properties in film and television history, as well as bringing a fresh point of view to two of the most well recognised animated character brands, is going to be a very fun and rewarding project for all involved,” commented Travis J. Rutherford, Chief Revenue Officer at Evolution USA. JW Brand Consulting will oversee all in-territory licensing sales and retail development efforts, with Evolution managing local client interface and providing back office support. “We are looking forward to working with the team at Evolution USA and JW Brand Consulting as we expand our theatrical and television portfolio and bring new licensing and retail initiatives to the Australasian market,” added Tricia Samuels Laudisa, Vice President Global Licensing at MGM.

NEWS

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GREENLIGHT APPOINTS BLUE CHIP BRANDS Greenlight has appointed Melbourne based licensing agency, Blue Chip Brands to represent icons Steve McQueen, Albert Einstein and Thomas Edison for licensing and marketing

opportunities in Australia and New Zealand. Style icon and Hollywood legend, Steve McQueen, enjoys existing partnerships with leading brands including TAGHeur, Persol and UK clothing brand Barbour. Albert Einstein was named Time Magazine’s ‘Person of the 20th Century’ in

1999 and has current licensing agreements with companies including Sales Force, Mont Blanc and Fourier Education in addition to featuring in past advertising campaigns with Harvey Nichols, Twitter and IPhone. Thomas Edison had over 1,000 patents granted for inventions including the light bulb and phonograph and founded 14 companies including General Electric. Current licensing agreements include a partnership with Intel and past advertising campaigns with automotive brands Chevrolet and Mazda. Blue Chip Brands CEO, Anthony Harvey commented, “we are really excited to be working with Greenlight to develop the merchandise program here in Australia and New Zealand for these great icons. The initial focus for Steve McQueen will be apparel, accessories and men’s grooming products to compliment the success of the ongoing partnership with Barbour internationally. We see a substantial opportunity for Albert Einstein in STEM learning products and services as well as scientific products such as telescopes and weather stations and for Thomas Edison we see a real opportunity in the areas of energy efficient lighting, solar powered products and the audio category based on the fact that he invented the phonograph.

KIDZ BOP IN AUSTRALIA Early February saw the launch of Kidz Bop in Australia and New Zealand for the first time under Universal Music Australia. The Kidz Bop’s debut album in the will include covers of pop hits including Girls Like You and One Kiss as well as songs by local artists. To support the launch, the Kidz Bop Kidz performed exclusively in Melbourne at the end of January at the Melbourne Cricket Ground before the Melbourne Stars and the Brisbane Heat KFC Big Bash League Match. The Kidz Bop Kids then moved to New South Wales to perform in Sydney on January 31 at Westfield Miranda where they performed songs from the album and hosted a meet and greet. Following their visit to Australia, the Kidz Bop Kids then began their Kidz Bop World Tour 2019.

FLAGSHOP LEGO STORE SET TO OPEN IN SYDNEY A Lego flagship store set to open in Westfield Bondi Junction, Sydney, in late March aims to provide a landmark immersive retail experience for fans of the iconic toy brand. The 302sqm store, situated over two levels, will offer the brand’s signature ‘pick-a-brick’ wall, which allows customers to choose from many combinations of Lego bricks, and provide engraving services and 3D models ‘inspired by iconic Sydney landmarks.’ “2019 is an exciting year for Lego (and) it’s exciting that we will have a place for Lego fans to come and experience our brand in Sydney as we continue to develop the builders of tomorrow,” The Lego Group Vice President and General Manager of Australia and New Zealand Claus Kristensen said. The flagship store is the product of a new partnership with Alceon Group, which acquired the rights to Lego certified stores in Australia and New Zealand. “As one of the world’s most powerful and most recognised brands, we are proud to partner with The Lego Group to bring this leading retail concept to Australia,” Alceon Group Executive Director Richard Facioni said. The opening of the Westfield Bondi Junction store coincides with the release of the second Lego movie, and is a result of Alceon Group entering a partnership with the 61-year-old Danish brand.

TOTAL LICENSING AUSTRALIA has over 60,000,000 views and INTRODUCING... THE MIK MAKS! nelhas over 130.000 channel subscribers. Kid’s entertainment dynamos, The Mik Maks, comprising of brothers Alan McInnes, Joel McInnes and Drums the Panda have recently been declared the ‘Best Kids Live Show’ in the nation at the ‘What’s On 4 Kids Awards.’ This award winning group bring the ‘rock’ to kid’s music. The idea for The Mik Maks was first born while in a caravan on a family summer holiday. They decided to write a quirky children’s song and 60 minutes later they shared it with the children in neighbouring caravans. The response was incredible and a spark was lit. That first song ‘Bruce the Hairy Crocodile’ is their most popular and highly requested song today. Six months later they had ten new songs and got the courage up to put on their first show. The Mik Maks were born! Playing with their own children (between them they have nine children aged between 3 and 11) has sparked many song ideas. In 2018, The Mik Maks sold out 85% of their shows during their Play tour. Their fan base has increased dramatically in a very

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short space of time due to their authenticity and fresh approach to children’s entertainment. The Mik Maks write and perform their own brand of kid’s rock music, taking inspiration from their experiences growing up on a farm. Messages of working together, caring for family, respecting their elders, healthy eating and exercise are sprinkled throughout their lyrics. These themes aren’t shoved down children’s throats, rather put out there to allow children the opportunity to grab them. To date they have sold 20,000 CD’s/ DVD’s independently. Add to this a range of t-shirts, hats, plush toys and musical instruments which are sold via their website and at their live shows. In 2018, The Mik Maks were declared ‘Best Kids Live Show’ at the Australian What’s On 4 Kids Awards. Joel McInnes, the front man of the group said, “Many families have seen our show over 20+ times. They keep coming back because we provide a genuine and personal entertainment experience the entire family can enjoy.” The entertainment experience also exists on YouTube.The Mik Maks chan-

These YouTube figures have been accumulated in just two years. The Mik Maks channel gains over 1000 subscribers and 600,000 channel views every day. Current trends will see The Mik Maks YouTube channel reach 1,000,000 subs and 500,000,000 channel view by January 2020. The band performs all across Australia and has been growing in popularity for six years. The Mik Maks are currently planning a new tour for September. The Mik Maks are currently recording a new album titled PLAY and due to be released in May, 2019. Their most recently released song debuted at number 2 on the Australian Children’s iTunes Singles Charts in late 2018. Looking ahead The Mik Maks are hoping to sign a licensing and distribution deal, secure a buyer for their visual online content, music and merchandise, as well as promote and ticket thirty of their shows across the country. In addition, they are looking to receive an ARIA nomination for Best Kids Album and are working on a YouTube strategy to be in the top 10 biggest YouTube channels in Australia.

Website; themikmaks.com.au Find us on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube

TOTAL LICENSING AUSTRALIA full range of collectible figures, plush, playsets and more including a vehicle range which will include a Combo Panda Airlines playset and Combo Panda Skateboard Stunt R/C. Head Start is also developing a range of Ryan product which will be distributed internationally. The Ryan’s World brand was created by digital media studio pocket.watch in partnership with YouTube influencer Ryan ToysReview, the most popular kids and family YouTube channel on the planet with 27+ billion

Centa IP, in partnership with pocket. watch, has brought the seven-year-old YouTube phenomenon, and the highest paid YouTuber, Ryan ToysReview to the Australian and New Zealand market with the consumer-facing lifestyle franchise Ryan’s World. According to Centa IP, 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 an increasing number of licensees such as Head Start for toys in Australia, Planet Fun for toys in New Zealand, Bensons for showbags and carnival plush, Caprice for apparel, bags and accessories (excluding Best & Less), Hot Springs for apparel, bags and accessories at Best & Less only, Funtastic which is a global deal for Chill Factor Slushy Maker, MJM Imports for games and puzzles, Zak/Hot Topic for lunchware and USM for arts and crafts, games, novelty, plush, stationery, snap and play, Gobsmax, Fizzlers, and Spinzles. Head Start has the hugely successful Mystery Egg in Australia and a

video views and 18+ million subscribers and counting. Launched in August 2018, the product range initially rolled out in Walmart in the USA and included blind bag collectibles, slime, vehicles and plush. Ryan began making YouTube videos in March 2015 after watching other toy review channels like EvanTubeHD and asking his mother “How come I’m not on YouTube when all the other kids are?” Ryan’s mother decided to quit her job as a high school chemistry teacher to work on the YouTube channel full-time. Centa IP is building its licensing program across a range of categories. Please contact Gail Mitchell on 02 9439 5511 or gail.mitchell@ centaip.com for further details.

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MERCHANTWISE LICENSING

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.

taking brands further

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).

Pikmi Pops – Global Plush Sensation

UglyDolls – Licensees Line Up 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

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.

TOTAL LICENSING AUSTRALIA 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.

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.

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

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

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. 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. 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

TOTAL LICENSING AUSTRALIA where it played to London’s West End and on Broadway. In April, The Gruffalo Spotters App will launch at Australia’s Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary – initially developed in-conjunction 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.

Disenchantment – Genius of Matt Groening on Netflix 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.

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 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 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. 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. 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.

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 direc-

TOTAL LICENSING AUSTRALIA tor 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. 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. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle generated over U.S. $962 million at the global box office making it the biggest Sony Pictures-owned release of all time at the worldwide box office and the studio’s highest grossing film at the North American box office. The sequel to Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle will hit Australian cinemas on December 26, 2019 and North American theaters on December 13, 2019.

Directed by Jake Kasdan, the film is written by Jake Kasdan & Jeff Pinker & Scott Rosenberg based on the book “Jumanji” by Chris Van 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 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 Award® nominated producer Laurence Mark (Dreamgirls, Julie and Julia) serves as executive producer, and Lisa Stewart (Almost Famous) produces. The film makes its way to cinemas in November 2020. Licensing opportunities for this animated musical geared for girls and boys are now available for discussion.

Ghostbusters Fans Abuzz for New Film 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 much-anticipated sequel. Acclaimed director Jason Reitman son of Ivan Reitman – the original Ghostbusters Director – is confirmed 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. 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 musthave download for fans of all ages.

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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.

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

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.

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. 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

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. 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. 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. TM & © 2019 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

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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.

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

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. When dark forces threaten her existence, it’s time 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.

The Simpsons – 30 Years of Creativity

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.

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

TOTAL LICENSING AUSTRALIA 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.” 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 OffWhite label.

A licensing success throughout the world, expect to see Bob’s Burgers branding across retail throughout the year.

Mayans MC - Rides into Season 2

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 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 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.

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.

Fox Vault 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.

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

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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. 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.

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. 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 also 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 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. 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.

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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. 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-he-

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.

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.

emoji® - The Iconic Brand

roes, 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.

XBOX – Bringing Consumer Products to Fans

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,

TOTAL LICENSING AUSTRALIA 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.

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.

KISS – End of the Road Tour (Epic Rights) 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’. 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-before-seen 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.

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. 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.

P!NK – Delights Downunder (Araca Group) 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. 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. For further information, visit www.merchantwise.com

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

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 super markets.

Diageo (Beanstalk)

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 tools, garden care and lifestyle categories for both adults and kids.

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.

Gardening Australia (ABC TV) 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.

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.

TOTAL LICENSING AUSTRALIA This year, Peppa Pig, Australia’s favourite preschool brand from eOne will be celebrating fifteen years since the first Peppa Pig television broadcast in Australia, on ABC Kids in 2004. The year-long celebrations will include multiple brand activities - including of course the national cinema release of Peppa Pig: Festival of Fun which debuts on 2nd May this year across both Australia and New Zealand. This hour-long cinema experience is tailored specifically for pre-schoolers, providing a unique family friendly experience. It gives preschool audiences 10 never-before-broadcast episodes featuring a two-part festival special, complete with new characters and locations. Little piggies can look forward to a whole hour of snorts and giggles with

songs to sing along to and dances and movements to join in with; making it the prefect cinema outing for pre-schoolers and all the family to enjoy. Each of the ten brand-new episodes will be connected with never-before-seen interactive entertainment featuring little ones singing and playing along with their favourite onscreen characters. The new release is part of eOne’s successful My First Cinema Experience format which offers young children a gentle introduction to the cinema for little ones and features the familiar voice talents of Harley Bird (Peppa Pig), Morwenna Banks (Mummy Pig), Richard Ridings (Daddy Pig), Sarah Ann Kennedy (Miss Rabbit) and John Sparkes (narrator). Episodes included in the theatrical release are: Children’s Festival, Muddy Festival, Strawberries, Grandpa Pig’s Birthday, Petting Farm, Pizza! Pizza!, TV Land, Roman Day, Bird Spotting, and Super Potato Movie. The Peppa Pig: Festival of Fun follows the very successful

Australian premiere release of Peppa Pig My First Cinema Experience: Peppa’s Australian Holiday in March 2017, where it premiered at No. 3 on the Australian box office charts, and grossed over $2.2m. In addition, brand new episodes of Peppa Pig (series 8) will also be launching on ABC KIDS early this year and will continue to be broadcast right through to 2023. Consumers won’t have to look very far to find Peppa Pig in-store and on shelf in 2019. eOne has partnered with Australia Post for a Collectible Peppa Pig ‘Lunar New Year of the Pig’ Stamp Pack and there’s a lot of new and fresh Peppa Pig product launching in Australia, from a personal care range to PEZ Dispensers and even a muddy puddles door mat. There are many new Lady Bird publishing titles and new Toys! All of our usual big partners will be celebrating with us too and you’ll continue to find your favourite Fashion, Accessories, Ice-Cream, Nappy-pants, Oral Care, Toys and more in-store! Of course, the celebrations have become a focus for new licensing agreements and new deals for 2019 include Polished Brands for health and beauty products, Bubba Blu for personal care, Pez for candy dispensers, Australia Post for a limited edition ‘Year of the Pig’ range of stamps and Impact Posters for Muddy Puddle door mats. In addition, Greens will debut a Peppa Pig Chocolate Muddy Puddle pancake shake this March!

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Commenting on Peppa’s continuing success, eOne said, ““We are both honoured and delighted that after 15 years of Peppa Pig broadcast in Australia, we continue to deliver strong ratings success down-under, and continue to win the hearts of preschoolers and parents nationwide. We are also thrilled to be adding even more new partners to Peppa’s consumer products program.” Award-winning Peppa Pig has, quite literally, conquered the world since

her debut in back in 2004.Today there are 18 million YouTube subscribers and 7.5 billion views on the platform worldwide. Peppa Apps have enjoyed 63 million downloads and Peppa will enjoy her big screen debut in China this year with Peppa Celebrates Chinese New Year - an apt year as this year, of course is the Year of the Pig in China. Officially introduced by state broadcaster CCTV in 2015, over 100 translated episodes have now aired on

the dedicated children’s channel with over 50 billion views since its debut. China also now has two Peppa Pig’s World of Play indoor attractions designed to take children on an interactive and immersive play environment and journey through Peppa’s world. As a truly global superstar, Peppa has stood the test of time with new content and new products in the pipeline as eOne look forward to the next 15 years!.

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2019 is going to be an unprecedented year for The Walt Disney Company Australia. Its action-packed theatrical slate across all four key franchises – Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars – will see new and exciting consumer products on-shelf for both the young and young at heart. From the reimagining of its classic stories Dumbo, The Lion King and Aladdin to live-action theatrical releases including Marvel Studios’ Captain Marvel and Avengers: Endgame, to the much-anticipated Toy Story 4, and the best Christmas presents one could ever ask for in Frozen 2 and Star Wars Episode IX, expect a whole new range of toys to be created this year, perfect for children and adults alike.

Another thrilling year of Marvel has arrived, with so much fan hype and theories around what the title of the sequel to Avengers: Infinity War (Avengers: Endgame) means for some our favourite superheroes. It’s anticipated the film will bring some sort of closure, as its expected that the remaining Avengers will regroup and take on Thanos in an effort to restore order and bring back half of the universe that turned to dust in the last film. An exciting new range of products will be released to coincide with Avengers: Endgame hitting the big screen in late April so young boys, girls and adults can recreate their favourite superhero moments. Excitement levels have continued to rise for fans around the upcoming release of Toy Story 4, a new epic adventure, which will see the return of iconic characters Woody and Buzz, as well as the introduction of new characters Duck, Bunny and Forky. The dynamic pair and new friends are expected to visit our retail shelves in new ways ahead of the film’s release in June. The long-awaited theatrical release of Frozen 2 will hit Australian cinemas six years after the remarkable first instalment this November, filling young girls’ imaginations with limitless excitement and adventure. Expect to

see a new range of enchanting costumes worn by little girls across the nation – from birthday parties, the park and everywhere in-between. The final film in the Star Wars trilogy, Star Wars Episode IX, is set to end 2019 with a bang. Fans have been fervently speculating on what the film will be called and what the ending could be. Fans young and old can expect to see a new range of toys created that is sure to excite. Meagan Sanders, Vice President and General Manager of Consumer Products Commercialisation for The Walt Disney Company Australia and New Zealand, said “Our thrilling theatrical slate combines an incredible selection of comic geek glory, live-action remake adventure with the power of nostalgia that is sure to delight our audiences in new and unexpected ways. “This winning combination will come to life on retail shelves throughout 2019 and beyond, and will help to further reinvigorate the idea of play with children, adults and families. “Looking ahead, possibilities in the toy space are only going to continue to evolve with technology advancements and changes in consumer needs, and we’re so excited to take Australians on the journey with us.”

TOTAL LICENSING AUSTRALIA BBC Studios is renowned for its portfolio of brands, including Doctor Who, BBC Earth and Top Gear. Building on the success of last year, 2019 is shaping up to be just as busy and exciting for the licensing team in Australia and New Zealand. The latest regeneration of Doctor Who heralded a new era for the much-loved series with a brand-new logo and cast. Bigger and bolder than ever, series 11 was a global hit, with rave reviews in both the UK and Australia. Its premiere was the second biggest drama of the year and one of the UK’s top ten programmes in 2018. Locally, the premiere doubled the timeslot average and the series continued to perform strongly, also seeing a rise in younger audiences. BBC Studios once again partnered with world-class licensees to produce a range of exciting products including Roadshow (DVDs), Penguin Random House (publishing), Winning Moves (games), Ikon Collectables (toys and gifts), Impact Posters (stationery and posters) and Caprice (apparel). A

partnership with Mattel saw the release of the first ever Doctor Who Limited Edition Barbie, sending fans and collectors into a frenzy. Pre-orders quickly sold out in Australia, through exclusive partner Zing Pop Culture. The women’s Christmas t-shirt had fantastic sales through retailer Big W, plus the new sonic screwdriver and Funko’s Thirteenth Doctor Pop! Vinyl Figure both proved to be very popular. After a stellar first series, The Doctor and her friends return in early 2020. Pre-school favourite, Hey Duggee, continues to go from strength to strength. The programme was top dog at the 2018 Children’s BAFTAs,

winning three awards, including best pre-school animation. Locally the Duggee costume character (through The Entertainment Store) was busy giving hugs to fans in a series of hugely popular mini-musicals throughout Australia. BBC Studios is delighted to work with its partners on a range of children’s products including Roadshow, Penguin Random House, Winning Moves, Jasnor (toys and infant feeding), Designworks (apparel) and Neetfeet (footwear). Look out for plush toys and figurines, including Dress Me Up Duggee and Musical Duggee, coming soon through Jasnor. Hey Duggee returns to CBeebies in 2019, along with favourites Sarah & Duck and Go Jetters. Another popular pooch is homegrown hit, Bluey. Created by the award-winning team at Ludo Studio in Brisbane, Bluey follows a blue-heeler pup who loves to play and turns everyday family life into adventures. Since premiering in October 2018 on ABC Kids and iview, it has become an instant family favourite, widely applauded for its humorous and honest portrayal of family life, making it the ultimate feel-good show for both kids and parents. In a few short months the series was named iview’s most watched series ever with over 21.3 million views. It was also the top Australian children’s programme on broadcast television in 2018. On iTunes, a collection of episodes jumped straight

into the overall top ten and peaked at number one in the children’s television chart. Fans can expect bigger and better things from Bluey in 2019 with new episodes coming soon on ABC Kids and iView. Plus, BBC Studios is working on the licensing program for merchandise. BBC Earth’s natural history titles continue to flourish, with landmark titles including Blue Planet II attracting new family audiences and prompting a return to must-see event television. Expect more ground-breaking family entertainment and exciting products from BBC Earth throughout 2019. Finally, two massive and much-loved brands are back in 2019. The world’s biggest motoring entertainment show Top Gear returns for its 26th series, whilst fans of the global hit Dancing with the Stars can expect plenty of glitter, fancy footwork and fun as the show triumphantly twirled onto Network 10 from February 18.

TOTAL LICENSING AUSTRALIA Jasnor is excited to share their fantastic product line-up for 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 to their ever-popular literary-based property, The World of Eric Carle, celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the release of iconic The Very Hungry Caterpillar book 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 muchloved characters are entraining 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 val-

ues, Jasnor has a strong line-up of 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. 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, Pusheen to name a few.

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MOOSE HANDLE TREASURE X LICENSING CAMPAIGN Based on the new toy sensation Treasure X, Moose Toys is managing the Treasure X licensing program directly for Australia and New Zealand. Treasure X is a hyper unboxing experience combining elements that children love including digging, treasure hunting, collecting and great story-telling. Treasure X is unique in that it contains 10 levels of adventure and the chance to find Real Gold! The product range is available at all retailers with the second season just launching in Australia and New Zealand. In all now, there are eight new Dragons and twenty-four new Treasure Hunters now available bringing the total to over 80 Treasure X figures to collect by the end of 2019. The toys are supported by a multifaceted marketing campaign including television and digital advertising, webisodes, social media and more. Six new webisodes will launch for Q1 2019 with further content in development for Q2 2019 and 2020. To date, there have been 27m+ views on the TX Youtube channel across the episodes and TVCs. The Treasure X showbag will feature at the Royal Easter Show and the

retail licensing program kicks off in June 2019 with apparel and sleepwear leading the way, followed closely by games and books. Commenting on the new line, Dianne Bellchambers, Global Head of Licensing, said, “Moose is thrilled to be managing directly the hot new boys sensation Treasure X in Australia and New Zealand. Since launching in August 2018, Treasure X has caused a stir in the boys’ space and we are ex-

cited to translate the hyper unboxing, adventure filled brand into a licensing program. We have strong local and international partners on board already and we’re excited to see Treasure X licensed product launch at retail from April 2019.” For information, contact Nicole Hardiman at Moose Toys for current opportunities nicole.hardiman@moosetoys.com.

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friends around the world with 1000 special new YouTube episodes.

Media News Robocar POLI, which is being broadcast in 141 countries around the world in 33 languages, has recently added Japanese, Cantonese and Greek, and Roi Visual, Robocar POLI’s owners have confirmed airing in Japan, Hong Kong and Greece. Robocar POLI, began airing in Japan through Disney Junior in 2018, and confirmed the Disney FTV airing in 2019, allowing the property to meet with more Japanese children. In addition, with the contract with VIU TV of Hong Kong’s PCCW Media Group, more active business is expected to develop. Robocar POLI, has entered the southern European market with a successful launch in Italy and is in the process of expanding its southern European

Robocar POLI today

market with a contract with Greek STAR TV. Over and above TV, Robocar POLI already has a subscriber base of over two million on the Robocar POLI YouTube English official channel. The Robocar POLI YouTube channel will extend into Japanese, French, Italian, Vietnamese, Cantonese and Chinese to meet more

Robocar POLI, which marks its 10th year anniversary in 2020, has held various events in Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia to celebrate the Christmas season and the New Year. From November 2018 to January 2019, Taiwan held a large Christmas

TOTAL LICENSING event with Robocar POLI in the square in front of City Hall of Taipei, and in the New Year they held a traffic safety education charity event at the historic Taoyuan Airport Railway Station. Marina Square, a famous shopping mall in Singapore, had a Robocar POLI year-end event for three months. The grandson of the King of Brunei came to see the Robocar POLI performance in person and the show received his very positive attention. He asked for a performance in the Kingdom of Brunei and Robocar POLI is also preparing to perform in Brunei. Malaysia also joined Robocar POLI at the Christmas UPIN IPIN KANIVAL 2018 event with Iflix, which is what Netflix is called in Southeast Asia. Further afield, Russia conducted a children’s traffic safety education campaign. Roi Visual together with global traffic safety partner Hyundai Motor launched the “Safe Road” project with the Ministry of Education in Russia. Up to now, more than 5000 kids have already been educated or are being educated in Moscow, St.Petersburg and other regions of Russia. This will

extend to other Russian cities moving forwards.

New projects for Robocar POLI Roi visual has developed the largest inland aquarium theme park under Robocar POLI Brand. In October 2018, Roi visual held a joint investment development ceremony with Aquarium developer Wizworks. Aquathema Park has the largest inland land area of 17,267sqm, and a surface area of 16,528sqm. Starting with South Korea, Aquathema Park is planning to expand to China and Southeast Asia.

The construction will begin in the first half of 2019, and it is expected that 100 million visitors will be gathered annually as it is scheduled to open in July 2021. Robocar POLI Culture Town will be built in Gongju City. With a total area of 16,500 square meters, the transportation park has been expanded and renovated to develop a transportation and safety experience space for local people. The Robocar POLI Culture Town consists of education, culture, play and rest areas and hopes to become a representative icon of safety and culture in the future. Robocar POLI Safe Culture Town is scheduled to open in the first half of 2021. Around the time of Robocar POLI’s 10th anniversary, Roi Visual is preparing a large number of special projects such as theatrical movies, a new Robocar POLI musical animation series and a new Baby POLI educational program with toys and books. Through all these new projects, Robocar POLI will meet and interact with more and more children around the world.

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PROPERTY SPOTLIGHT By Philipp Guinaudeau Kidz Global www.brandtrends.com

THE BLACK PANTHER You may have heard that the Marvel movie, Black Panther, has been achieving huge success at the box office. In fact, it has surpassed Frozen to become the 9th highest grossing worldwide movie release ever, according to Box Office Mojo. The movie so far earned over $1.347 billion worldwide, which is only slightly behind 2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron at $1.405 billion - and headed in the direction of 2009’s Avatar, which rocks the top spot at $2.79 billion globally. Not only that but Black Panther has enjoyed the largest opening weekend for a Marvel Studio movie - just before The Avengers - and is only the fourth film to have topped $100 million in each of its first two weekends.

Brand Awareness - Unaided and Tested Source: BrandTrends October 18, USA

76%

89%

82%

77% 75%

73% 79%

74%

Boys 7-9

72% 55%

Boys 10-14

Boys 15-25

Total

88%

55%

Girls 7-9 Unaided

Girls 10-14

Girls 15-25

aided

Pretty impressive stuff! In the USA, the movie enjoyed $700 million in the box office (source: Box Office Mojo). Are we talking about 70 million viewers here??? That’s quite a lot.

Almost everybody above 7 years old knows Black Panther De facto, according to the BrandTrends research, a very large proportion of American boys from 7 to 25 know the brand. This is less the case for the younger girls, 7 to 9-year-olds, with only 55% of them aware of the brand last October. It’s also fair to say that Black Panther has achieved a significant level of awareness in this short period of time. Just consider that in one year, the brand became known by 80% of American boys 7 to 25. Indeed, during its released period, 6 months before, the brand tended to attract mainly boys 10 to 25. Later, the gap closed faster among the older girls: 10-14 improved by 8 points while 15-25 improved by 5 points; as well as among the younger boys: + 6 points.

When they know the brand, they tend to love it! OK, let’s be honest, the brand skews more toward the boys than the girls:

TOTAL LICENSING product categories for the brand; when our usual benchmarks would reach 7-8 categories. So far, we are willing to put that down to the fact the brand is quite new and people did not see it much in terms of different product categories.

Attitudes Towards the Brand Source: BrandTrends October 18, USA 53% 63%

54%

41%

35%

31% 36%

Boys 7-9

24%

30%

24%

Boys 10-14

Boys 15-25

Girls 7-9

Girls 10-14

Like a Lot

Dislike a lot

Like a Little

as a matter of fact, when they know the brand 53% to 63% of the boys love the brand. However, girls range 31% to 41%. Not bad at all. Just keep in mind that, in this worldwide phenomenon, the brand records a better level in this KPI than in the USA; like in the Philippines for instance. And as expected, as more people became aware of the brand, more of the new guys were 100% fans of it. Therefore, the overall likability slightly decreased to the levels presented in the chart next.

Girls 15-25

Dislike a Little

mand, the potential new buyers for the brand, is one of the best in class among the boys of that age in the USA. Only Jurassic World does better among boys 7 to 14, and only by 1-point difference. Besides the ownership of the brand, understandably low due the recentness of the launch, the licensor should address one weak point for the brand. Indeed, when respondents consider the different product categories, they would purchase a licensed product with Black Panther, the diversity of choices is quite low: only 3 different

When they know, they also want to engage with the brand Now, the billion dollar question: do the persons loving the brand intend to purchase a product with the brand on it? Does the licensing program support the transfer from a strong brand to a full franchise? Honestly, the answer is expected to be yes, of course. Given all the above parameters, plus the fact we are dealing with the #1 licensor in the world, expecting less would be disappointing. Not only is the numeric proportion of those intending to purchase exceptionally high (66% to 72% of those aware of the brand, or 54% to 60% of all the boys); but also, a very significant proportion of those not necessarily loving the brand still intend to purchase a licensed product with it. Way to go! And guess what else: consumer de-

A bright future?

28%

24%

Brand popularity drives the level of purchase intentions. After a half-year in the market, the brand particularly succeeds in Asia. So, all the pillars of the brand engagement are set to green: Strong awareness: they all know it. Strong likability: they love it. Robust consumer demand: they want it. The licensing program can extend and bring this new super-hero to new highs. Therefore, the biggest challenge of this brand, beyond the simple fact of living in a very competitive environment, is to gain new consumers for their licensed products. No doubt this will happen. For more information, contact Philippe Guinaudeau, Kidz Global philippe.guinaudeau@kidzglobal.com Phone: +33 (0) 6 7786 6720

The Purchase Funnel Source: BrandTrends October 18, USA Top box is based on 100% sample, including respondents non-aware of the brand

Boys 7-9 Awareness

Boys 10-14 Like a Lot

Boys 15-25 Consider Purchasing

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Total Licensing talked to Paul Turk, organiser of Blue Print show in May to find out more about this year’s event, which will be held on May 20 to 23.

Blue Print 2019: Hudson Mercantile, 500 W 36th Street, New York, 10018 1st & 6th Floor. Shop Studio, 528 W 39th Street, New York, 10018 3rd & 4th Floor.

BLUEPRINT IN THE SUNNY MONTH OF MAY! “Blue Print is already into it’s fifth year, and the May show this year looks like being another exciting event. It will be one show, over four days, from the 20 – 23 May 2019, divided between two fantastic venues. There was quite a waiting list of studios and artists that wanted to be part of this year’s show, so to accommodate everyone, we not only booked the Hudson Mercantile again, but also Shop Studio just three short blocks away on W 39th. The May show in New York last year went very well, with the number of clients visiting well up on the previous year and many were returning for their 3rd or 4th visits to Blue Print. We had an overhead spotlighting system installed on both of the floors at the Hudson Mercantile so the booths with their exciting banners looked amazing. The quality of the trend driven art on display was very exciting. Blue Print includes exhibitors that outright sell, license, some that do both and some that work to commission briefs. The show is now attracting buyers from many different industries, all with different needs.

Our policy of drawing names out of the hat has worked really well for everyone at the show. It places new artists alongside more established ones, and also means buyers at the show get to go through the whole show so that everyone should get seen. We’ve managed to keep the costs down where they should be so it’s affordable for everyone. For a new artist to be at an event for the first

THE VENUES Hudson Mercantile 6th Floor

Hudson Mercantile 1st Floor

Shop Studio 3rd Floor

Shop Studio 4th Floor

time, it can be a daunting experience, but by taking the walls down, Blue Print has become a community, exhibitors talk to each other, become friends and generally help each other out. Buyers have told us they want to come to Blue Print not only to meet their regular studios, but they also want to discover new artists and designers that they can work with going forwards.

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Spring Time in New York! Blue Print is spring time in New York and it is usually warm and sunny when we arrive in the city. We know our buyers like May too, it’s a nice time to come to New York, not just for the show, but for all the attractions the city has to offer.

Competition Deborah Curiel, an artist with her own studio Debcu from the Yucatan in Mexico, won this year’s competition and she will be on the 3rd floor of Shop Studio. Here is her winning entry :

This year’s event is just one show but in two different venues, the Hudson Mercantile at 500 W 36th Street, NY 10018 and Shop Studio at 528 W 39th Street, NY 10018. They are a few short blocks apart, and both are ideal for restaurants.

Exhibitors In all, there will be around a 140 exhibitors at Blue Print in May 2019, an exciting mix of the studios and individual artists, from all over the world.

Nearby Very close to both venues are several café’s, deli’s and coffee bars, on both sides of 10th Avenue, all between W 36th and W 39th. A couple of blocks up from the Hudson Mercantile is the brand new Hudson Yards district. It includes its own station at 34th Street-Hudson Yards, shopping, restaurants, and some amazing inspirational architecture.You can see what they have to offer at www.hudsonyardsnewyork. com.

There were almost 100 entries to this years competition, and the standard was very high. It was a tough job for the judges, Janine VanGool, editor and publisher at Uppercase Magazine, Jennifer Nelson, Owner of Jennifer Nelson Artists, Este Macleod, an established professional painter and artist, and Ceci Butler, Owner and President of Design House Greetings. A big thanks to them for their consideration and time.

Party Time! On the evening of Tuesday the 21st of May we will be having a party on the roof of the Hudson Mercantile, with music and food and drinks. Last year the sky cleared at around 5.00pm and the sun came out. There was an orange sunset over the Hudson River and we had a lot of fun.

Blue Print San Francisco Following on from our first San Francisco show in 2018, the next one will be from the 1st – 3rd October 2019, again at Gallery 308, Fort Mason, 2 Marina Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94123. It’s an event we are all looking forward to, it’s in such a perfect setting and has great light too. The sun shone for all three days last year. Keep an eye on the Blue Print website for details - www.blueprintshows.com

To Attend the May Show To register to visit the May show go to www.blueprintshows.com/register

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mip.tv & animation Running on the 8-11 April 2019, MIP.TV provides a unique platform for discovering new content and stories that will travel the world by focusing not only on early-stage development by connecting rising producers and talents with commissioners and financiers, but also distributors and buyers for finished programme acquisitions and presales. There will be over 10,000 participants, 3,400 companies and from over 100 countries. 9 Story Media Group recently closed an agreement with King Bert Productions to develop and co-produce The World’s Worst Children, based on the popular children’s books written by bestselling author David Walliams. The new 2D animated series will be produced by King Bert Productions and 9 Story Media Group’s award-winning animation studio Brown Bag Films. 9 Story Distribution International will hold worldwide distribution rights, along with international merchandising and licensing rights to be run by 9 Story Brands. The World’s Worst Children has been called “a triumphant mix of wit and warmth” by Telegraph Books of the Year and “Ridiculously over-the-top and utterly delightful” by The Spectator. The first book in the series was published in 2016 with additional releases in 2017 and 2018, with each release becoming a numberone bestselling UK title. The World’s Worst Children series is a 52 x 11 minutes animated sketch show, aimed at 6-11-year- olds.

Tokyo-based Sony Creative Products Inc. (SCP), which manages licensing in the Japanese market for Tama and Friends, has announced the return of the hit show in movie form for the first time in 26 years. The new film, called Cats Tail’s Tales will be released 10 May 2019. To mark the occasion, limited-duration pop-up Tama and Friends shops will be opened in JR Akihabara station and Kurume City Plaza in the southern city of Fukuoka and in Tokyo Character Street in Tokyo Station. The three shops will stock existing and specially created new merchandise for the many fans, old and young, of Tama, who are expected to welcome his return in this new adventure. The new film follows the adventures of three cats, Tama, Dayan and Tobineko, in an omnibus presentation inspired by three successful franchises and shown in three segments. The success of all three shows on Tokyo MX Television and Hiroshima Home Television inspired the idea of bringing them together to make this film, which will be targeted at fans of all ages. Cat-themed content is booming in Japan, and Tama in particular is a strong brand with a long history and many generations of fans. The world of Tama and Friends was inspired in 1983 by a real-life missing cat poster on which was written the phrase ‘Have You Seen My Tama?’ Created by Sony Creative Products Inc, the character soon became a hit in Japan, first through plush and other mer-

chandised goods, and then through an animated series in which Tama and his cat and dog friends find out about the world and learn the enduring values of friendship and teamwork. To this day, Tama remains a widely popular character among Japanese children and adults. PGS Entertainment has secured a round of broadcast presales for The Jungle Bunch S3, produced by Toulouse-based TAT productions and Master Films and commissioned by France Television. New partners across 30 territories include Cartoon Network (France), Fox Latam (Latin America), TV Azteca (Mexico), Wekids (China), RAI (Italy), Nickelodeon (Italy), RTBF (Fr. Belgium), Telequebec (Fr. Canada), E.TV (South Africa), Dreamia Canal Panda (Portugal), TVNZ (New Zealand ERR (Estonia), LRT (Lithuania), and Lattelecom (Latvia). The Jungle Bunch, targeted to both kids & their families, features an enchanting and comedic array of animal characters, including Maurice the penguin, who thinks he’s a tiger; and Junior, the tiger fish. Season 3 will feature many new characters, the return of favorite characters, new romances, and more. “The Jungle Bunch has a proven track record with kids and families across the world and delivers massive ratings. We’re excited and extremely grateful that partners keep coming back for more adventures with the Jungle Bunch!” said Philippe Soutter, co-founder of PGS.

TOTAL LICENSING By Alice Yang, Licensing Project Manager of China Toy & Juvenile Products Association and Daisy Wang www.tjpa-china.org

A BIG STEP FOR CHINA’S FILM LICENSING The Wandering Earth film was launched on the first day of the Chinese New Year - February 5th. One month later, the film has earned 4.5 billion RMB at box office, and is the second biggest box office film in China. The Wandering Earth was adapted from the novel by Cixin Liu, telling a story of an escape plan when the solar system is heading for destruction.

This movie also created a new record earning 2 billion RMB at the box office in only six days, breaking the record of Wolf Worries 2 in Chinese film history. The Wandering Earth, which was a black horse at the box office was considered to be the first science fiction movie in China. It is not only a step from nothing to something in terms of Chinese science fiction movies, but also a big step in film licensing for Chinese film makers.

More mature Chinese film makers’ licensing business In terms of licensed products, the licensing program of The Wandering Earth has covered all the major licens-

ing merchandise fields, including toys, models, apparel, accessories, electronics, food and drink, housewares, baby products, etc. Many of these were warmly welcomed into the market. Among the outstanding licensed products are the engine model Sulawesi-03, van model CN114-03, the bucket truck model CN373 and Bluetooth speaker in the shape of a planet. Besides the licensed products you can buy now, others are scheduled to launch in the future. The producer, China Film Group Corporation initiated three co-funding programs on the Taobao platform, to raise money for licensed products. All the co-funding programs enjoyed huge success to the tune of RMB 92 million, and the licensed model vehicles reached 7819% of the target funding amount. Less than two years ago, the top movie at the Chinese box office history, Wolf Warriors 2 earned more than RMB 5.6 billion. However, only RMB 2 million sales were achieved in terms of retail licensing which cannot be compared with the box office. But even at that time, licensed products already included toys, models, accessories and housewares, and acted as a good trial run for film licensing in China. The good news is that not only The Wandering Earth is not only achiev-

ing in terms of licensing. The last Chinese New Year, in February 2018, the comedy Monster Hunt 2 achieved not a bad performance at the box office, creating a new record for one-day box office of RMB 0.5 billion. More importantly, the company launched a significant licensing program when the movie was released. The previous movie The Monster Hunt in 2015, achieved nothing from licensing - only RMB 2.4 billion at the box office. When it came to the second movie, things had changed. The film producers planned and prepared licensing a full year before the movie launched. According to the producers, they had agreements with more than 50 licensees and earned about RMB 10 million from licensed merchandise at retail. This was a major success in terms of film licensing in the Chinese market. Compared with Wolf Warriors 2 and Monster Hunt 2, The Wandering Earth made a big step in the way that Chinese film producers approach the licensing business. Not only did they realize the importance of a licensing business model, as well as launching the licensed products at the right time into the market, but they also paid much more attention and effort in terms of the design, creation, and qual-

Licensees by Industry Category in China 2018 Source: China Licensing Industry Report 2018

Toys 18% Apparel 13% Gifts 8% Home Textiles/Decor 7% Theme space 7% Accessories 6% Publishing 6% Food/Beverage 6% Infant 6% Stationery 5% Software/Video 5% Consumer Electronics 3% Sports 2% Music/Video 2% Others 6%

TOTAL LICENSING ity of the licensed products. According to the China Licensing Industry Report 2018, issued by the China Toy and Juvenile Products Association, when asked about the price which consumers are willing to pay for licensed merchandise compared with regular products, over 36 percent of questioned consumers accepted a price increase of over 50 percent, which is very good news for the industry. The willingness of consumers to pay for licensed products is the foundation of industry growth.

More popular themed space licensing Meanwhile, licensing involving themed space has become a new trend in the Chinese licensing market. With interest in the themed space growing through films, co-productions and retail shops, they are creating an ecosystem that brings consumers in and fosters a broader buzz and awareness of the licensed products together with retail sales. For example, The Wandering Earth this time also signed an agreement with Honeymoon Dessert and launched a themed set of desserts. In Spring 2018, the co-promotion

between the Monster Hunt 2 and McDonalds was also a huge success. They launched a series of new kinds of custom-made food and decorated McDonalds stores with characters from the movie when Monster Hunt 2 was in theatres. This turned out to be a win-win situation. According to the China Licensing Industry Report 2018, licensees involved in themed space took 7 percent of the whole Chinese licensee industry - a most impressive increase over last

year. Themed exhibitions in the shopping mall, themed coffee bars, themed restaurants, themed convenient stores, themed planes and metro… have all witnessed a boom in recent years. As China’s licensing industry is getting more mature and continuously growing, consumers who earn more money are more willing to spend money on what they want or want to experience, instead of what they need. That releases more potential for the themed space to grow as well.

Autumn/Fall 2018

March 2019 For licensing opportunities contact: Naomi Sheahan at Haven Naomi@havenglobal.com

Spring 2018

Autumn/Fall 2018

Summer 2018

Winter 2019

Spring 2019

www.totallicensing.com 91

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Celebrating 20 years of Top Level Animation Melnitsa, the largest animation studio in Russia, celebrates its 20th anniversary this year with fresh deals for its well-known projects and ambitious plans for the new ones. It all started with full-length films back in the 2000s. The first one, entitled Little Longnose was released in 2003 and became the first post-Soviet animation film. It gained quite a popular following at the time, picked up by Warner Bros. for distribution. The team has never lost its passion for high-quality art animation since. From the very start it has been guided by permanent art-director, Konstantin Bronzit – an award-winning animation film director, a two-times Oscar nominee and a member of American, French and Russian film academies. In 2016 the studio released Fantastic Journey to OZ, its most internationally acclaimed feature film. The story centers around a little girl, Ellie, lost in the Magic Land. Its envious and power-hungry ruler Urfin Jus brings wooden soldiers to life with a magic powder and goes to conquer the Emerald City... But Ellie, trying to get back home, with the help of her friends Strasheela, the Iron Woodman and the Cowardly Lion, defeat Urfin Jus and his army. The film has traveled across the globe – to date it has been licensed for France, Germany, UK, Hungary, Bulgaria, Australia, Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Bolivia, Peru and other countries), Middle East territories, China, South Korea and more. However, the company pays as much attention and effort to creating compelling series for television and online

platforms, with Moonzy and The Barkers being the most successful projects to date. Both shows are available on TV and VOD platforms across the world, including Amazon Prime in USA, UK and Canada, Pikaboo in former Yugoslavia. The Barkers are shown on Planet Sony in Turkey and Moonzy on Spacetoon in MENA countries, to list the latest deals.These were closed by Ink Global, Melnitsa’s partner for worldwide distribution (excluding Russia and China) since 2017. “The high caliber of shows such as Moonzy and The Barkers have won the hearts of audiences throughout Russia across generations, and are now set to do the same across borders as well”, said Claus Tømming, the Managing Partner of Ink. “The series are testament to the talent that runs in the veins of the team at Melnitsa, and in this spirit, we are certain that they will continue to entertain and delight fans all over the world for another 20 years and beyond.” Moonzy is a series, targeting 2-5 year olds, and tells about a little alien who shows up on Earth and explores local

life with his new friends, the inhabitants of a forest meadow. The show has generated over 7 billion views on YouTube and developed an extensive licensing line-up. Over 4000 items, including 200 performances and 662 book titles, were licensed by Egmont Russia who sold over 9.7 million copies. Moonzy products were released by Chupa-Chups, Kinder Surprise, Unilever and Procter & Gamble. The Barkers is aimed at 4-8 year olds and centers around a cheerful canine family who head to a country house to have a good time – and they do have fun and enjoy unstoppable adventures. The show is also extremely popular online with over 4.8 billion views on YouTube. The project has over 1500 licensed articles, including the most recent line of branded Kinder Surprise chocolate eggs by Ferrero, launched in summer 2018. Last year also saw The Barkers magazine sell 42,000 copies monthly which is an unprecedented success for the domestic animation market. In terms of new productions, the studio has produced the new series Little Tiaras, in partnership with CTB company and CTC Media.

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The story centers around five princesses, whose characters are based on traditional Russian folk tales, each having her own super-power. The girls go to a private school to study magic and learn how to use their powers, and that’s where adventures start. The show premiered in Russia in 2018 and has gained 20 million views on the official YouTube channel to date. It was also presented to the global industry at the last MIPJunior by CTC Media who are handling international sales. Aiming at girls aged 4-9, the show provides a wide range of licensing opportunities from branded school kits to kids’ jewelry. The studio has already signed agreements for the production of dolls (Simbat Company), prequels (Komsomolskaya Pravda Publishing

House) and publishing (Egmont Company), and is now looking at international deals. The three top-rated series have Sergey Selyanov among the producers. The head of CTB film company and the president of Russia’s Association of Motion Picture and Television Producers, Sergey Selyanov is a co-founder of Melnitsa. “Over the last twenty years the studio has confirmed its leading position in the Russian animation market. It has raised several generations of talented animators” explained Sergey Selyanov. “Yet it doesn’t mean we can rest on our laurels. We are planning to enhance the quality of production, and are currently looking for interna-

tional co-production partners to create animation that will appeal not only to Russian viewers, but to wider audiences worldwide”. These days Melnitsa aims to expand its international markets and gain wider audiences across the globe, not only through its well-known projects. Brand-new titles will be coming out – the studio currently has 4 animation series and 7 full-length films in development, so international co-productions seem a tangible possibility. Whatever the studio chooses as its strategy for the coming years, one thing is clear – it will always be based on, and powered by, talent, as that’s one of the core values of the studio since 1999. As Melnitsa director Alexander Boyarsky puts it, the formula today is talent plus technology. “Modern 3D technologies today provide unlimited possibilities for creation” he explained. “So, it is a priority for our studio to prepare specialists who will be able to work with 3D at the highest professional level. That will allow us not only to make high-quality products, but also significantly reduce prime costs for film production. And that will certainly enable Melnitsa to be a part of major international projects as a valuable partner.”

Legally Speaking

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Ethics in Licensing By: Gregory J. Battersby and Jed Ferdinand To cynics who refer to licensing as the “last bastion of hucksterism” the phrase “ethics in licensing” may appear to be an oxymoron. It’s not, and as the industry has grown, professionalism remains important and that means that licensing professionals need to deal with each other on an ethical basis. Webster defines “ethics” as, the “principles of conduct governing an individual or a group” and is typically considered to be: • Honesty and candor, instead of gamesmanship and overreaching; • Seeking enforceable, yet workable, business arrangements; and • Protecting and enhancing the profession’s reputation. LIMA’s Statement of Ethical Principles states: • LIMA supports and encourages its members to conduct themselves in an ethical manner in the course of their business dealing involving licensing properties and licensed products. • A member of LIMA should respect the rights of others and should comply with all applicable local, national and international laws and regulations governing his or her business dealings. • A member should make fair representations as to the nature, quality and extent of the property being offered for license or of the capabilities of the company seeking a license. Any statement not supported by fact should be identified as opinion. • A member should not engage in any misleading advertising or solicitation that could lead to false or exaggerated expectations as to the member’s skill, experience or ability. • A member should not represent conflicting interests in the same transaction without the knowledge and consent of all parties involved. • A member should hold inviolate all confidences, whether written or implied. In addition to the LIMA Statement, the American Bar Association observes a code called the Model Rules of Professional Conduct. While obviously many of these model rules have no applicability to licensing, some do, particularly Model Rule 4.1 which states: In the course of representing a client, a lawyer shall not knowingly:

(a) Make a false statement of material fact or law to a third person; or (b) Fail to disclose a material fact to a third person when disclosure is necessary to avoid assisting a criminal or fraudulent act by a client, unless disclosure is prohibited by Rule 1.6. What does that mean in a licensing context where everyone postures and puffs? Puffing is a statement of inference or intention while lying is a misstatement of an objectively, verifiable fact. Puffing in negotiations is not unethical but lying can be. For example, if a negotiator made the statement that his client “would not accept less than 4% royalty,” that would generally be considering puffing, even if he knew that he was authorized to accept a royalty rate as low as 2%. If, however, he provides a specific reason as to why he cannot accept lower than a 4% royalty, e.g., “our agreement with the producer prevents us from accepting any royalty lower than 4%,” and that reason is untrue, the line between puffing and lying has been crossed. Under Rule 4.1(b), it is also not ethical to remain silent in a negotiation on a material issue of fact when one knows that its opponent could be misled by such silence. For example, if a licensor was asked by a licensee whether its property is valid and whether anyone has ever challenged such validity, the licensor is obligated to answer truthfully. If, however, the licensee does not ask such a question, are they obligated to address the issue? The answer is, probably no.Yet, if the licensee has told them that the issue of trademark validity was very important, and the property owner knew of the existence of at least two claims by third parties charging that their trademark was invalid, silence might be considered unethical even if the licensee failed to ask that specific question.

Gregory J. Battersby Battersby Law Group, LLC 25 Poplar Plains Rd. Westport, CT 06880 (203) 454-9646 • (866) 579-9591 (Fax) gjbattersby@gbiplaw.com • www.gbiplaw.com Jed Ferdinand, Senior Managing Member, Ferdinand IP www.FerdinandIP.com NY Phone: (212) 220-0523 • CT Phone: (203) 557-4224

TOTAL LICENSING By Martin Brochstein SVP Industry Relations and Information International Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association www.licensing.org

If you’re standing still, you’re falling behind... I don’t know who the first person was who spouted that truism, but if he or she trademarked it, it has long fallen into the public domain, so there’s no need to pay a royalty. In any event, there’s little chance of LIMA losing ground, given the amount of resources and activity being expended toward the goal of creating a hub for information, education and resources that will help licensing professional succeed. As you read this, we’re in the midst of installing a new association management platform that, among other things, will allow us to more effectively communicate with our members, and to better develop and target our education programs, networking events and other offerings. At the same time, we’re overhauling the LIMA database with the goal of creating a better tool for anyone looking for an up-to-date business contact or potential partner. Later this spring, you’ll also see a totally new look to the LIMA website – up to date, more intuitive and easier to navigate – all designed to be the place a licensing professional goes for the latest news, a vital piece of information or an intriguing perspective on the business, and to promote the licensing industry to those who aren’t already in it. And keep your eye out for even more big news as Licensing Expo approaches. But even as these structural changes take place, the licensing business continues apace. (Some liken the process to changing the tires on a speeding

car.) LIMA chapters around the world are staging networking and educational events, but I’d like to call your attention to two. First, on May 14 in Paris, we’ll be staging our fourth annual LIMA MindMix – a day devoted to high-level thinking about business and societal trends that will affect the licensing business of the future. The theme of the day is “Embracing and Leveraging Change,” which will be explored in a combination of group presentations and small-

er interactive workshops. Please visit the LIMA website (www.licensing.org) for more information. Secondly, we’re well into the preparations for Licensing University – the schedule of more than 20 seminar, panels and presentations that will take place during Licensing Expo Las Vegas in June. There are some major changes to Licensing University, most significantly a move from its previous home on the ballroom level at Mandalay Bay to a specially constructed presentation area on the Expo floor. This will allow attendees to easily both roam the aisles as well as absorb the expertise of the stellar speakers and presenters

on a wide variety of business topics. They will include the always valuable “Basics” sessions – Basics of Licensing, Basics of Licensing Law, and Basics of International Licensing – as well as more trend-focused subjects such as: • What You Need to Know About Royalty Rates • A Manufacturer’s Perspective on Using Licenses to Grow the Business • Creating Effective Brand Collaborations • User-Generated Products: How Brand Loyalists Inform Product Development • Negotiating Strategies for Licensees and Licensors • The State of Cannabis and Hemp, the Emerging Brand Wars & the Global Licensing Opportunity • Licensing IP for Advertising the Benefits and Challenges • The Rise of eSports and its Potential in Consumer Products • Controlling the Brand Message: A Legal Roadmap for Licensors and Licensees • Creating (and Using) an Effective Brand Guide • Anticounterfeiting Resources, Strategies and Tactics • Evaluating Potential Partners Check the LIMA and Licensing Expo websites for the latest schedule information, and to register for Licensing University. LIMA is in constant motion; it’s the only way to stay ahead of the curve.

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Bologna Licensing Trade Fair Kazachok Licensing Japan MIP.TV Brand & Lifestyle Licensign Awards Busan Contents Market Blueprint Licensing Expo Children’s Media Conference India Licensing Expo Korea Character Licensing Fair Licensing Expo China The Licensing Awards Gwangju Ace Fair Brand Licensing Expo MIP Junior MIPCOM Frankfurt Book Fair China Licensing Expo

April 1 - 3 April 3 - 4 April 3 - 5 April 8 - 11 April 25 May 8 - 11 May 20 - 23 June 4 - 6 July 2 - 4 July 8 - 9 July 17 - 21 July 24 - 26 Sept 11 Sept 26 29 Oct 1 - 3 Oct 12 - 13 Oct 14 - 17 Oct 16 - 20 Oct 16 - 18

www.bolognalicensing.com www.kazachok.com www.licensing-japan.jp www.miptv.com www.brandlicensingawards.co.uk www.ibcm.tv www.blueprintshows.com www.licensingexpo.com www.thechildrensmediaconference.com/ www.licenseindia.com/expo www.characterfair.kr http://www.licensingexpochina.com/ www.thelicensingawards.co.uk www.acefair.net www.brandlicensing.eu www.mipcom.com/mipjunior www.mipcom.com www.buchmesse.de www.chinalicensingexpo.com/en/

Next Issue alert...

The Summer issue of Total Licensing will be published in late May. Key features include: Licensing Expo Preview • Celebrity Merchandise • Licensed Food and Drink • Licensing Roundtable Bonus distribution: Licensing Expo 2019 • Korea Character Fair • Autumn Fair • Children’s Media Conference • Licensing Expo LATAM Editorial Deadline: 18 April 2019 • Ad Material deadline: 4 May 2019

4K Media .......................................................................9, 11

Merchantwise ...................................................................53

Beano ................................................................................... 3

Mik Maks ...........................................................................51

Blueprint .....................................................................86, 87

MIP.TV/MIPCOM ............................................................17

Bologna Licensing Trade Fair .......................................... 2

Mondo TV ........................................................................... 1

Busan Contents Market ................................................37

Moose Toys/Merchantwise ............................................57

China Licensing Expo .....................................................89

Rainbow SpA ...................................................................... 5

Emoji/Merchantwise .................................................68, 69

Roi Visual ............................................................................. 7

eOne Entertainment ......................................................49

SEGA/Merchantwise ......................................................66

H&A ...................................................................................12

Sony Pictures/Merchantwise ........................................59

Korea Character Licensing Fair ...................................97

Ugly Dolls/Merchantwise ..............................................55

Licensing Awards .............................................................16

Viacom Nickelodeon Consumer Products ...... 45, 100

Licensing Expo India .......................................................95

Warner Bros Consumer Products .............................47

Licensing Japan .................................................................43

ZenWorks ........................................................................39

LIMA ..................................................................................99 May Gibbs/Merchantwise ..............................................63

List correct at time of going to press.

Winter 2019

Autumn/Fall 2018

March 2019

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Winter 2018

Autumn/Fall 2017