News from the market

FightMND is excited to announce a new partnership with Ty through the upcoming release of a Ty Beanie Boo – Tony the Penguin. Set to be released globally this year, 100 per cent of the profits from original sales of the popular and collectable Ty Beanie Boo will go towards FightMND in the fight against Motor Neurone Disease (MND) (also known as Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)) worldwide. The special FightMND Tony the Penguin Beanie Boo will hit Australian shelves from March 2022. Money raised through the global sale of Tony the Penguin will help fund vital and urgent MND/ALS research to find effective treatments and ultimately a cure for the disease. The average life expectancy of a person diagnosed with MND/ALS is only 27 months. There is currently no effective treatment or cure. Ty Inc is the largest manufacturer of plush in the world, and its Chairman, CEO and founder Ty Warner, is honoured to be joining the fight. “Hopefully this special Beanie Boo, named after my great friend and Australian distributor Tony, will bring awareness around the world to this horrible disease, and bring us closer to beating the beast that is MND/ ALS”. A philanthropist, Mr Warner has donated more than $300 million to a variety of charities worldwide including the American Red Cross, UNICEF, United Way Worldwide, Ronald McDonald House, WIRES, and more. FightMND CEO Fiona McIntosh thanked Ty for joining the global fight against MND and helping raise awareness of the disease which has no effective treatment or cure. “Anyone with children knows how popular Beanie Boos are, which is why we are very excited to partner with Ty and have our own special FightMND Tony the Penguin join the Beanie Boo family,” Dr McIntosh said. “The money raised through this new partnership will go towards cutting-edge research to teach us even more about the disease and how to fight it.” “Every dollar raised for the fight against MND takes us another step closer to finding effective treatments and a cure,” Dr McIntosh added. Tony the Penguin is the newest fundraising item for FightMND, which will be offered in addition to the famous blue Big Freeze Beanies, which go on sale in Australia at Coles, Bunnings and online in May 2022.

COTTON ON CELEBRATES EASTER WITH MIFFY

Mercis in the Netherlands are very delighted to showcase the latest Miffy collection from their long-time Australian licensee Cotton On. For more than ten years Cotton On has been developing beautiful Miffy collections, that are sold outside Australia as well. For Easter 2022 they launched an extensive collection for the whole family. It consists of a wide range of cozy loungewear and cute accessories for babies, kids and adults. In addition they developed a fashionable adults sports line as well. Again another collaboration with Cotton On to be proud of.

The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2019 was a defining moment. Having garnered over one billion viewers and inspired thousands of new footballers around the world - Women’s football has become an unstoppable, global cultural movement. With FIFA continuously propelling the women’s game higher, further, faster, the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ will no doubt be an unforgettable experience - the defining event in women’s football, a global women’s sporting event that brings a true sense of excitement and enjoyment to the millions of fans who will experience the world-class event. In July 2023, the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ is heading to Australia and New Zealand and will be the spark of inspiration that inspires a new era of women’s football. Taking place in the heart of two countries that champion equality, community and diversity, this tournament will unleash the power of football on a global scale. Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) has appointed Australian based sport licensing specialist Velocity Brand Management (VBM), as their exclusive licensing agent in the Australian and New Zealand market across all FIFA properties including the upcoming FIFA Women’s World Cup to be played across Australian and New Zealand and VBM are currently seeking to hear from experienced and responsible companies and individuals who are interested in becoming an Official Licensees for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ Tournament across categories including (but not limited to) apparel, accessories, stationery, publishing, toys and games, homeware, gift and novelties, tourist/ souvenir and luggage. The mission of the FIFA Women’s World Cup is to showcase the world’s best female players, engage audiences with a world class event, exceptional storytelling and blaze a trail for women’s empowerment and in conjunction with the FIFA team, VBM aim to build a licensing program that speaks to the football fan through fashionable, well designed products that represent the bold & colourful, inspirational, inclusiveness and authentic feel of the FIFA Women’s World Cup program. All licensed products included in the program will be designed and produced in accordance with the Tournament Style Guide, which provides clear guidelines for the use and application of all FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 emblem and assets, including the FIFA sustainable sourcing code.

NEW WEBSITE FROM ELIZABETH STIRLING DESIGNS

Elizabeth Stirling Designs is excited to announce the launch of their new website. With over 25 years’ experience selling and licensing surface designs worldwide, they have created an easy-to-use site that provides a platform for their collection of seasonal art. Those interested will find a wide variety of themes and styles suited to all surface products, from gift packaging, stationery, to textiles and ceramics. With over 1,000 designs to browse through, all themes are covered, including Christmas, Easter, Valentines and Everyday, with art available for both outright purchase and limited license. Working in a wide range of styles - from hand painted to digital art- the studio has forged close links with major customers throughout the world, including Dollar Tree, Walmart, Lindy Bowman and International Greetings, providing them with innovative, trend-driven designs that help their products stand out. Following the cancellation of in-person shows again this year, the website gives trade customers the opportunity to view the Elizabeth Stirling Designs collection whenever they need great art. With new designs being added each week, it will provide a great, updated resource to new as well as existing customers. To become a trade partner login to www.estirlingdesign.com.