Total Licensing Summer 2018 by Total Licensing

Summer 2018

Regular Features

Russia/Ukraine

Comment...................................................................... 12 Global news.................................................................. 14 Legally Speaking.........................................................158 The LIMA Page..........................................................160 What’s On..................................................................162

First ever licensing event in Ukraine...................... 40 Animaccord - a decade of storytelling................... 62

Europe

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SEGA’s Expo Line-up.................................................. 28 Benjamin the Elephant............................................... 34 Interview: Naz Amarchi-Cuevas, SYBO.................. 38 Super Wings set for take-off!................................... 41 Atlantyca grows portfolio......................................... 43 The World of Cyber Group Studios....................... 44 Interivew: Marie-Laure Marchant, Xilam................ 64 Santoro grow Gorjuss program.............................. 75 Pat the Dog in Benelux.............................................. 77 Rainbow’s world of magical brands......................... 78 INK Group set for impact........................................ 80 New series from Mondo........................................... 82 Research: Kids’ reading habits in the UK............... 83 Spain - market overview and news.......................111 Anima Group update........................................112 El Ocho Licencias & Promociones................113 Smiley’s Nicolas Lourani is a happy man!.............126 Do You Promise?.......................................................128 TF1 Licences - a 360 degree strategy..................129 Maya the Bee in the spotlight.................................130 Animal Jam magazine launches...............................131

Global Gross Play - a distasteful trend................................ 26 Born celebrates latest campaigns............................ 42 Girl Power - a roundtable......................................... 70 Women are making a mark in Gaming.................. 73 Who do Millennials live in the past?....................... 84 Charles Riotto: LIMA’s President bows out A profile on his retirement............................... 90 Navigating around shopping centres.....................124 Research: Changing face of sports........................153

North America Licensing Expo Las Vegas Preview........................... 46 Zag at Expo.................................................................. 66 Nickelodeon unveil their latest................................ 86

Asia Miffy goes to South Korea........................................ 24 Record visitors to Licensing Japan.......................... 30 Beyblade in fresh promotions.................................. 68 Oddbods accelerate global reach............................ 76 Character Licensing in Korea.................................104 Thriving theme parks in China...............................155

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Latin America Brazil - Market overview.........................................132 Chile - Doce celebrates 40 years..........................136 Brazil - Understanding Children............................138 Argentina - IMC leads the market........................142 Argentina - El Reino Infantil....................................142 Colombia - Market roundup..................................144 Mexico - Licensing sells emotions!.......................148 Mexico - It takes a true network..........................150

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NEW ISSUES NOW AVAILABLE! Visit www.totallicensing.com or pick up a copy at Licensing Expo!

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

Japanese 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

Welcome to the Summer issue of Total Licensing - the issue that will be enjoy bonus distribution at Licensing Expo in Las Vegas, The Korean Character Fair in Seoul and Expo Licensing Latam in Sao Paulo, Brazil. I have to say I have always thought of Las Vegas as a slightly odd choice of a place to hold a show that, let’s face it, is predominantly character and children’s properties-driven. However, in Marty Brochstein’s regular LIMA column, he makes a point that, somehow, makes Vegas a little more logical. The city is, without doubt, a mirage, but one that mimic’s globalisation in an extraordinary way.Walk down the Strip and you will find Paris, Venice, New York, Monte Carlo and more. And this internationalism is key to the global licensing community. We don’t blow our own trumpets very often but we are delighted with the worldwide reach of the content of this issue. Our advertisers alone come from 17 different countries. And editorially, we cover news and views from, literally, right across the globe. We have in-depth sections on Spain, Latin America and Korea. We have a review of the first-ever Ukrainian licensing event which attracted 200 people, research about children and sports, a look at the rather bizarre trend towards gross play, an article about the growing theme park culture in China, and much, much more. Of course, somebody who has probably done more for the internationalism of licensing than anyone else is Charles Riotto who retires in July after twenty-one years as LIMA’s President. When Charles joined the organisation, it was UScentric to say the least. A very high proportion of the membership was North American. Move on twenty odd years and LIMA is now fully global. There are LIMA offices as far apart as Australia, Germany, China and Japan and today, apparently only 36% of the membership is USbased. Within these pages you will find a tribute to Charles and his efforts at LIMA - efforts that his successor, Maura Regan, will be continuing and adding to in the coming years. An interesting feature in this issue is that of Millennial nostalgia. The psychology of this is fascinating. Research seems to show that the Millennials have grown up in the fastest-moving world

of technology than any other generation. Centennials (those born since 2000) have always had technology around them and are fully tech-savvy. Baby Boomers had no real technology during their formative years. Millennials fall into the middle - a generation that has witnessed the fastest evolving decades of technology in human history. And this seems to be the key. The fierce grasp on the past comes from childhoods that advanced more rapidly than any other generation. Millennials have grown up in one of the fastest evolving decades of technology in human history. Their formative years were spent in parallel with the rise of the Internet and with the technology that developed with it. And that seems to be the crux of it. The fierce grasp on the past comes from childhoods that advanced more rapidly than any other generation. Millennials fall into the middle. Again, according to research, Millennials tend to suffer from anxiety and depression more than other generations and, as a result, want to hold onto things that remind them of easier times when they were children. Now that these Millennials are economicallyaware consumers, they are keen to replicate their childhood for their own children. Take a look around. No product sector escapes this trend. Even early tech products, such as the classic Nintendo NES are in demand. Food doesn’t escape either - look at the upsurge in popularity of the avocado or the ubiquitous prawn cocktail. In terms of licensing, entertainment from the 80s and 90s is also back. X-Files and Powerpuff Girls are enjoying a reboot whilst ad campaigns on TV are using characters such as Skeletor and HeMan - iconic brands from Millennials’ childhood. We are all very much looking forward to seeing many of our readers in Las Vegas this year. If you see any of us in the aisles, do stop and say hello. And don’t forget to keep sending us your news and information. Francesca Ash Co-Publisher Jerry Wooldridge Co-Publisher

With Thanks to this Issue’s Contributing Writers: © 2018 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

Gregory Battersby Dalia Benbassat Martin Brochstein Carlos Carvajal Ana Amelia de Castro Jed Ferdinand

Joao Fernandes Marici Ferreira Rosinda Garcia Debra Joester Hyonkyang Kim Aurelia Picoli

Roberto Pumar Lisa Reiner Nick Richardson Jonathan Watson Alice Yang

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SCOOBY DOO TOO GOOD CAMPAIGN Today’s parents are more aware than ever that inspiring the next generation to engage in social good programs at an early age is critical to developing a life-long commitment to social responsibility. Warner Bros. Consumer Products (WBCP) and generationOn, the youth division of Points of Light, have partnered to create the ScoobyDoo Too Good campaign, a pro-social initiative infused with creativity to mobilize kids and their parents to band together and create change in their local communities. By channeling the spirit of Scooby-Doo, the crime-stopping multigenerational favorite, the ‘Doo Good’ campaign demystifies the world of social good to kids in a relatable, youthful way. To kick off the campaign, ‘Doo Good’ will focus on three key initiatives throughout the year: Save the Environment, Fight Hunger and Animal Welfare. WBCP and generationOn have also teamed up to launch 35 new Kids Care

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Clubs across the nation, funding startup grants to support kids and adult mentors to participate in exciting and enriching service opportunities. $500 grants will be given to clubs that participate in at least two of the key project themes for the year. Grantees will be provided additional resources to implement hands-on service. Launching alongside the campaign will be the dedicated platform, ScoobyDooGood.com, which will serve as home base for parents and their own meddling kids to learn about ‘Doo Good.’ Fun and easy-

to-understand toolkit guides inspired by this year’s themes are available to download, providing motivational materials such as: Velma’s Reading List, easy ways to ‘Doo Good,’ DIY projects with step-by-step instructions, and reflection questions for kids to cement what they learned along the way. Also provided is an official ‘Doo Good’ Badge Book and badges for young philanthropists to track their achievements based on the toolkit. The microsite will also provide opportunities to share ‘Doo Good’ stories and spotlight participating kids at #DooGood through social media. ‘Doo Good kicked off the campaign nationwide with the initiative, Save the Environment, in mid April, leading into Earth Day on April 22. In tandem, Warner Bros., generationOn, and local community wellness non-profit organization Enrich LA, also executed a Los Angeles-based social service act at a local underserved school.

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ALC & INK ALC SIGN DEALS ALC & Ink ALC have facilitated various licensing deals for the Middle East and North Africa region. The latest ones are in the back to school category for Sonic & SuperWings characters with product launching during the 2018 back to school season. The Sonic Events deal and Super Wings has been also signed covering the events category for the MENA region. In addition, for Super Wings. ALC secured a Cocotama toy deal with Toypro, bedding with ZAT and events with ST Events. InkALC also has collaborated in the successful movie launch of Masha & the Bear in the MENA region, published and distributed by Spacetoon Pictures. In addition, multiple confectionary deals have been signed for Candy Crush, Power Rangers, Yo Kai Watch, Alvinnn and Masha & the Bear.

REDBUBBLE AND EMOJIONE SIGN AGREEMENT Redbubble, the global online marketplace, and EmojiOne, Inc., creators of authentic digital emoji icons and the JoyPixels brand,recently announced a new licensing agreement which gives Redbubble’s 600,000+ artists a library of thousands of emoji icons to use in consumer products and customization. Known for having the best digital graphics in the industry, EmojiOne’s digital emojis have been used by major communications carriers, websites, advertising agencies, worldwide charities, and in television, music and literature since 2013. Licensing partners include Sony, Intel, Virgin EMI, Verizon, Photoshop, Dropbox, Buzzfeed, FreeConferenceCall, Saatchi & Saatchi, Weidner & Kennedy, BBC, and many more. In 2017, EmojiOne launched their consumer brand JoyPixels by EmojiOne and with partners such as Kelloggs, Bioworld, Innovative NYC, Tzeng Shyng, Beatrice Home, Exxel, Flex Beauty, and others, have placed consumer products at nationwide retailers like Walmart, Target, Kohls, FYE, and more.

THE GIANT WIGGLE RAISES MONEY FOR KIDS’ CHARITY Joester Loria report that the latest in the fundraising partnership between Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar and charity Action for Children will take place in early May. The annual fundraising event, The Giant Wiggle, targets thousands of schools, nurseries and children’s centres throughout the UK to wiggle along in a sponsored giant caterpillar-style conga line.The campaign, which coincides with The Very Hungry Caterpillar Day aims to encourage active and vibrant lifestyles as well as imaginative creativity and storytelling. Over the last four years more than 4,000 Giant Wiggle events have taken place across the UK with the funds raised helping vulnerable children, young people and families in the heart of communities. Now in its fifth year, and to date over 170,000 children have transformed themselves into little caterpillars, learning new skills through creative storytelling, arts and crafts, baking and giant fundraising caterpillar conga lines along the way! The 2018 Giant Wiggle takes place between May 7 - 13. The annual fundraising event, The Giant Wiggle, targets thousands of nurseries and children’s centers throughout the UK. May’s Giant Wiggle brings children in schools, nurseries and children’s centers together to wiggle along in sponsored giant caterpillar-style conga lines. The campaign, which coincides with Very Hungry Caterpillar Day, aims to encourage active and vibrant lifestyles as well as imaginative creativity and storytelling. Established in 1869, Action for Children have been working to make sure every child who needs help, gets help for almost 150 years. They are helped through fostering or adoption and intervening early to stop neglect and abuse. The charity makes life better for disabled children as well as influencing policy and advocate for change. Their 7,000 staff and volunteers operate over 600 services, improving the lives of 370,000 children, teenagers, parents and carers every year. In 2019 Action for Children will be celebrating 150 years and The Very Hungry Caterpillar will celebrate 50 years.

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COUNTDOWN TO NEXT JURASSIC PARK MOVIE Universal Brand Development (UBD) is celebrating the launch of the consumer products programme for Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom which made its highly-anticipated UK retail debut recently. Official merchandise is finding a way across all key categories in what Hannah Mungo, Country Director for UK and Ireland, calls the company’s “most ambitious licensing push yet”. The campaign got off to a roaring start yesterday as Smyths Toys Superstores delivered the first of many consumer engagement initiatives that reflect the scale and theatre of this epic movie release. For one night only, a central London Smyth’s store was turned into a giant double cinema screen that showed exclusive Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom trailer content and a specially created consumer call to action message. UBD hired the services of an amazing team of projectionists using state of the art equipment to deliver the content in crystal clear high definition sound.

HELLO KITTY WINE Born from a partnership between Torti Winery, L’Eleganza del Vino, the historic winery of Montecalvo Versiggia and Sanrio, Hello Kitty Sparkling Rosé and accompanying wines which were launched in 2007 continues to win the hearts of consumers around the world, including the Italian and British markets. During Vinitaly, which ran in mid-April,Torti Winery and L’Eleganza del Vino introduced the five-wine range with new packaging. Along with the Pinot Nero and Pinot Noir is the fan’s favourite, Hello Kitty Sparkling Rosé, crafted from a blend of Pinot Nero and Chardonnay grapes.

NEON BRANDS LAUNCHES

Sinead Byrne, joint Head of Marketing at Smyths Toys Superstores said, “We are excited to be working with Universal to bring the Jurassic World toy range, led by Mattel and Lego, to life in-store and online. The projection experience at our Staples Corner site was ground breaking for us and is just one great example of how we are working with the Universal team to fully immerse our customers in the Jurassic brand this Summer, it’s going to be massive!” A clear demonstration that UBD is leading the way at retail, further initiatives will be rolled out across key accounts in support of the theatrical launch of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, which makes its big screen debut in the UK in June, in addition to the key back to school period and the home entertainment window in October. Hannah Mungo said, “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom has huge cross generational family appeal. By exploring universal themes of dinosaurs, survival, action and adventure and combining products with retail executions that push the bar, we’re on a mission to prove that the blockbuster movie licensing campaign is by no means extinct!”

Neon Brands, headed up by Polly Beel and Gabrielle Gauthier, is a new boutique licensing and marketing agency that provides bespoke brand strategies, including: digital, content and merchandising for client’s IP as well as its own proprietary brands across all categories. Polly and Gabrielle are veterans of the licensing world with 15+ years experience working for juggernauts such as Disney, Dreamworks, DHX Media and eOne. A primary focus for Neon is representing brands that elevate and celebrate female voices. Their new brands include Ponysitters Club and New Humanz, two properties that do just that. Ponysitters Club is a new live-action series from Brain Power Studio, that is created, written and produced by women for young girls, and celebrates friendship, empathy and compassion for all living things. New Humanz, from Titan1 Studio, is a comic book series that follows Riley, a former CIA agent, and her daughter Sadie as they are ripped from present day and stranded in the year 2226. Neon is currently working on securing other strong female lifestyle and self expression brands to add to their roster.

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MOOSE UNVEILS NEW LICENSES Moose Toys has announced new licensed products are now available at retail including Shopkins iconic PEZ Candy dispensers and a line of Shopkins by Skechers footwear at Skechers stores this Spring, followed by a special limited edition collection for Back-to-School 2018. Additionally, Hybrid Apparel’s Shopkins Unicorn themed fashion collection is experiencing success with double-digit sell-through percentages. Due to its success, Moose is planning to extend the Shopkins Unicorn fashion theme with refreshed assets for licensees in time for back-to-school. Another partnership due to launch this Summer, Pink Apron Group LLC will debut a touring Shopkins Treat Truck where fans can delight in sweet treats and exclusive merchandise. Finally, Moose ihas announced partnering with Punchbowl - the gold standard in online invitations. Together, they will launch a vibrant collection of Shopkins digital invitations for birthdays, holidays and special occasions later this year. Dianne Bellchambers, Head of Licensing at Moose Toys said, “We are thrilled to launch the Pikmi Pops Surprise! licensed merchandise program on the heels of the toy success this year.The addition of Pikmi Pops bolsters our already market leading girls portfolio driven by the phenomenal success of Shopkins. We have incredible partners on board in key categories and look forward to signing more at the upcoming Licensing Expo in Vegas.” Following the success of the Pikmi Pops Surprise! toy launch in August 2017, Moose Toys reports the signing of fourteen (14) Pikmi Pops licensees in key categories with some readying for launch as soon as this Summer. Pikmi Pops is the hit new range of sweet scented miniature plushies that come with elements of surprises, packaged inside an iconic lollipop vessel! The Pikmi plushies come in a variety of sweet scents including chocolate, bubblegum, watermelon and more! Currently season 2 is in stores and Pikmi Pops was named a top new growth property¹ in early 2018. Season 3 launches this August and by year’s end, there will be over 150 Pikmi Pops characters to collect! In the US, the licensing agreements were brokered by The Licensing Shop Inc. and include Scholastic for publishing, Goliath Games for boardgames and puzzles, Hybrid Apparel for a fashion collection, Bentex for T-shirts, outerwear, swimwear and a fashion collection, Fast Forward for bags, NTD Apparel for fashion, outerwear and sleepwear, AME for sleepwear, GBG Beauty for personal care, Jay Franco for bedding and towels, Innovative Designs for stationery, Frankford Candy for confectionery, High Point for hosiery, Trends for posters and Radz Candy for novelty candy dispensers.

NEW ALICE IN WONDERLAND ILLUSTRATIONS Gapchinska is one of the most successful art licenses that works with a unique number of product categories for the art-brand. In all, there are more than 1300 SKUs of licensed products. Its geographic reach is constantly growing and today covers nine countries. Recently the well-known Ukrainian artist Eugenia Gapchinska drew illustrations for the stories of Alice’s adventures by Lewis Carroll. The original characters seem to illuminate tenderness and coziness and they inspired the creative team of Art Nation to create the collections of the same name. The history of Lewis Carroll is universal, it is read with equal interest by both children and adults. The collections of licensed goods based on the Gapchinska Alice in Wonderland and Alice Through the Looking Glass targets different age categories. For hundreds of thousands of years people believe that talismans with their zodiac signs will bring good luck. And even inveterate materialists are not averse to joining this symbolism. Therefore, zodiacal collections are very popular in absolutely different product categories. There are many styles of images of the signs of the zodiac and Gapchinska offers its original version.

Pick up your copies of Total Licensing, Total Brand Licensing and Total Art Licensing at Licensing Expo in Las Vegas! 20

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ZORRO TAKES ON THE SUPERNATURAL In advance of next year’s landmark 100-year anniversary of the character, American Mythology is proud to announce that Zorro – the swashbuckling adventurer of literature and film – will return to comics in August 2018 with a new twist:, the Zorro tales will have a supernatural bent, pitting the famed hero against demons, vampires, and all forms of paranormal evil. Zorro: Swords of Hell, the first miniseries of the Maryland-based publisher’s thrilling new western horror direction, will be written by David Avallone (Bettie Page, Twilight Zone: The Shadow). John Gertz, President of Zorro Productions, Inc. said, “For decades we have utilized a fresh, innovative approach with top talent to enhance the Zorro’s universe of characters, the Zorro brand and franchise. Our relationship with American Mythology is yet another example of our commitment to our fans and Zorro!”. In Swords of Hell #1, wealthy playboy Don Diego de la Vega celebrates the

defeat of his nemesis, the villainous Alcalde Quintero, by his secret alter-ego Zorro with a joyous celebration at his hacienda… but unknown to de la Vega and his beloved Lolita, his actions have set a terrible vengeance in motion. A dark power has risen in Alta California, an unstoppable horde of demonic horsemen intent on bringing Hell to Earth, and Zorro – the defender of the people – must use every skill and resolve to bring the incursion to heel. Writer David Avallone, an expert in pulp storytelling, having worked with such icons as Doc Savage, Vampirella, The Shadow, and Bettie Page, relished at the prospect of exploring a western horror direction for the hero. “I’m excited to confront Zorro with supernatural foes. We’ve all seen him swashbuckling his way through armies of Spanish Empire troops, but the ‘Swords of Hell’ are the greatest challenge he’s ever faced,” says Avallone. “Zorro will have to dig deep into his bag of tricks, and ride down some

THE SWAN PRINCESS Lawless Entertainment has announced the release of The Swan Princess: A Royal MyZtery, the eighth full-length feature in the Swan Princess franchise. The film was released on various digital platforms by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment in the US in late March, and will be released over the coming months throughout the world. The film is currently available in iTunes, Google Play and Amazon video. A limited quantity of 1,000 copies of the DVD were re-

unfamiliar roads to free Los Angeles from their demonic yoke of oppression.” Zorro, was created in 1919 by Johnston McCulley for his serialized novel The Curse of Capistrano. This story was the first of 65 immensely popular prose tales in which the romantic hero fought injustice in Spanish California’s Pueblo de Los Angeles. In the century since, Zorro has been an omnipresent figure in pop culture, the star of novels, comic books, cartoons, television, and feature films.

leased April 18 on the Swan Princess website. The Swan Princess started as a 1994 animated, musical, fantasy film based on the ballet Swan Lake The adventures of Princess Odette and Prince Derek have continued with seven fully animated sequels. Lawless Entertainment represents worldwide The Swan Princess brand for licensing, merchandising and publishing (except for India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Indonesia, Thailand, SEAsia, Philippines, Greater China and North China).

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Miffy in South Korea Always room to improve! The dawn of 2018 felt like early spring and therefore time to evaluate, tidy up and let Miffy do what she does best ‘explore the world around her’.

reach into the South-Korean market by launching on several VOD platforms including the reputable online video subscription platform ‘ Tving’.

Despite seeing Miffy excel in Japan, China and large parts of South-East Asia, not her popularity but certainly her presence was somewhat underwhelming in South-Korea. Nothing that cannot be fixed so her participation at the PyeongChang

The original Dick Bruna books will also be published and relaunched through a multitude of on- and offline channels and complimented with an even greater offering of book-related formats. It is clearly important to keep reinforcing her proud physical book heritage which is experiencing a renewed interests by caretakers, industry professionals and educational specialists as an indispensable positive contributor to a child’s development. All these initiatives have already rein-

Winter Olympics initiated a new year with the promises of positive change in the air. Finding her a new home at Tooninverse, the No. 1 kids animation channel over the past 20 years, will ensure the daily airing on prime time of ‘Miffy’s adventures big and small’ starting from July 2018. Miffy will further extend her

vigorated the pool of licensees, translating in a strong push back into the apparel, plush, toys, gift and lifestyle categories. Sharing and communicating Miffy’s distinguishing art heritage will also be underlined through expositions and other interactive events. New South-Korean agent SMC will organize a stakeholders meeting in May for all existing and prospective partners to not only communicate and share Miffys’ rejuvenation program but also share the passion for Dick Bruna’s work and better coordinate the entire brand program with all partners involved. The Seoul Character Licensing fair 2018 in July, organised by Korea Creative Content Agency, will be the next touchpoint to further engage industry professionals and general visitors into Miffy’s exciting and fun filled colourful world. It is probably safe to say that Miffy can start opening her eyes again and look with renewed optimism towards her South-Korean future. For more information: info@mercis.nl

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THE WORLD OF KIDULT SPENDING ‘Kidults in the UK spent £383 million on toys in 2017 accounting for 11% of the total toy sector. In fact, £1 in every £9 spent on toys is adults buying toys for themselves.” The trend for adults buying games and puzzles, building sets, action figures and other collectibles for themselves is continuing to grow. Last year The NPD Group revealed that British adults (aged 18+) were powering growth in the toy sector by buying toys for themselves. The latest figures show that in 2017 even more money was spent on toys by ‘kidults’ – a staggering £1 of every £9, or 11% of the overall sector. That’s an increase of 8% year-on-year, and a rise of £30 million in value terms since 2016. And It’s not just Millennials that are buying toys for themselves. “Millennials” (18-36 years old) account for almost half (48%) of the spend among grown-ups buying toys for themselves, while “Generation X-ers” (36-54 years old) account for 28% and “Boomers”

(55 years+) account for 24%. Children keep you young they say, and among Millennials, 62% of the money spent on toys for adults is by young parents. Another four in 10 (38%) are not yet into parenthood. Many of this group are fans of pop culture, expressing their fandom by buying toys. Men are more likely than women to buy toys for themselves especially as they grow older. They represent 55% of Millennials spend on toys, but it rises to two thirds (66%) of Gen X and 70% of Boomers. Whatever the gender, adults clearly favour online when buying toys for themselves. The internet claims 56% of the spend compared to 39% for overall toys and games. But even if Amazon and Tesco have the lion’s share of these sales, kidults tend to buy toys outside the traditional channels, preferring to shop from dedicated specialist websites. The categories where the ‘kidult’ trend is most prominent are games and puzzles (19% of sales), building

ANIMATION INCUBATOR IN CHINA Corus Entertainment’s Nelvana, WeKids, and Toon Boom Animation have announced that their joint talent initiative, China Tales Incubator, has officially opened its online portal for submissions. The partners are committed to discovering new talent and developing, producing, and distributing original, cutting-edge kids’ animation from China to global audiences. China-based creatives – animators, writers, illustrators, storytellers, and artists – are now invited to submit their comedic, character-driven concepts for kids aged 2-5 and 6-11, via the China Tales Incubator website (http://www.chinatales.com.cn). Accepted in either Mandarin or English, submissions must include a working title, target demo, proposed format, summary, and a maximum of five illustrations. The first-round deadline is July 6, 2018. Submissions will be evaluated by September 30, 2018.

The winning concept will be put into development through the partnering companies with the goal of creating a pitch bible and an animation test or trailer to then take the concept to the international market for distribution, licensing, and merchandising. To kick-off the initiative, Nelvana, WeKids, and Toon Boom Animation will host six China Tales Incubator Workshops in Hangzhou, Suzhou, Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen from April 26 – May 11. Specialists in writing, developing, and producing animation from the three companies will be introducing the incubator program to attendees. Chinese animation studios, broadcasters, streaming platforms, animation academies, and independent animators, writers, and artists are all invited to attend these workshops. The first workshop in Hangzhou will be held as a panel of CICAF/iABC.

sets (15% of sales), action figures (12% of sales) and dolls (11% of sales). Frederique Tutt, Global Industry Analyst, Toys, NPD, commented, “The wide variety in the toys adults are buying for themselves reveals the many reasons older people buy toys: from playing board games with adult friends to building sophisticated models, drones and robots. And the collectible market has expanded beyond the timeless classics of dolls, plush and action figures to include pop culture models. Rather than a nostalgic trend, I’d say much of this is providing an escape from the stresses and strains of modern day living, fulfilling our need to find down-time. The growing ‘kidult’ trend shows that where manufacturers and retailers can understand and meet the evolving needs of their audiences, they can grow sales in a very competitive and fast-paced sector. That is equally true whether your brand enjoys a strong heritage or features the very latest cool pop culture figure.”

DR. SEUSS Some of Dr. Seuss’ most famous characters will be on full display at the DSE booth at Licensing Expo, including larger-than-life displays of The Grinch and The Cat in the Hat. 2018 highlights include the 60th anniversary of The Cat in the Hat Comes Back book, new episodes of the PBS series The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!, and the stage show The Lorax debuting at the Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis and The Old Globe in San Diego. DSE will also launch a new reading program, Dr. Seuss’s Word Challenge, which will challenge children across the U.S. to collectively read over 20 million words over the summer, supported by products, sweepstakes and social media. DSE will cap off the year with the release of The Grinch - a full-length 3D CGI animated film by Illumination featuring the voice of Benedict Cumberbatch, hitting theaters November 9, 2018.

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SEGA’S LICENSING EXPO LINE-UP SEGA’s Licensing Expo 2018 Line-up is more diverse than ever. 2018 is set to be one of SEGA’s most exciting years in the world of Brand Licensing with many projects set to launch over the next few months. Those visiting the stand at the Las Vegas Licensing Expo 2018 will be treated to a smorgasbord of Sonic and retro themed products and platforms. Leading the way and off the back of the recent SXSW reveal at ‘Gotta Go Fast: The Official Sonic The Hedgehog Panel” is the upcoming release of

Sonic Mania Plus, the definitive retail enhanced version of 2017’s hit, Sonic Mania – described as the ‘best Sonic game ever’ by GameSpot. Sonic Mania Plus will feature new playable characters, a brand-new encore mode for additional challenge all wrapped up in gorgeous pixel graphics featuring iconic favourites and new Zones inspired by the Sonic back catalogue. Sonic Mania Plus will be hitting retailers in 2018. For more info, visit www.sonicthehedgehog.com. Also announced at the ‘Gotta Go Fast’ SXSW panel was an exciting new collaboration with global sports brand, PUMA, pairing video-game icon Sonic the Hedgehog with PUMA’s reboot of their classic 80’s Running System (RS) line. Kicking off the line’s relaunch will be the Sonic the Hedgehog themed PUMA x SEGA RS. Sticking with the Retro theme, SEGA also recently announced that an updated version of the SEGA Mega Drive/ Genesis Classics collection is coming to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on May 28th in a limited edition

boxed version previously unavailable in stores. The physical edition will be available to pre-order from US and EMEA retailers very soon and comes complete with a double sided Golden Axe and Streets of Rage poster, identical to the ones you will see in the game’s 90s inspired retro gamer’s bedroom, the hub through which players can access the entire collection. Details of digital pre-order will be available very soon. For more information visit www.megadriveclassics.com. If that wasn’t enough, SEGA are very pleased to reveal the all new customisable merchandise platform, www.SEGAbyme.com. The website is packed full of Sonic and retro game themed merchandise from homeware, to tech cases, to luggage in a variety of different styles. Using the site is simple, Consumers choose their favourite character and preferred merchandise, customise it in a way that makes it unique to them, and then sit back and wait for it to be delivered.

For more information about any of the above projects, come and visit the SEGA Brand Licensing team at the Las Vegas Licensing Expo 2018 at stand Q236. For more information about SEGA, log on to www.sega.co.uk.

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Show Report

Japan’s Largest

8th LICENSING

JAPAN

From April 4 to 6, 2018, LICENSING JAPAN 2018 was held at Tokyo Big Sight, Japan. It gathered around 300 exhibitors, 42,594 trade visitors, 11,267 conference attendees and 449 press visitors (including concurrent fairs). The numbers of trade visitors increased by 10% this year compared with last year - again including concurrent fairs. Japan is the world’s third largest market for licensed products and LICENSING JAPAN is Japan’s largest trade show for the character and brand licensing business. The key feature of this show was the huge range of properties and positive business discussions.

Major Characters (Selection)

Pocket Monsters Shogakukan Productions

Dragonball Z Toei Animation

Rilakkuma Green Camel

Yo-Kai Watch Dentsu/Bigface

Pac Man Bandai Namco

Gaspard et Lisa Sony Creative Products

Monster Hunter Capcom

Sonic the Hedgehog SEGA Holdings

Where’s Wally StylingLife Holdings

LINE FRIENDS LINE Friends Japan

ANAP Anap

Hanshin Tigers Hanshin Tigers

Bushoan Shinso Ohashi

Brands and Art (Selection)

Keith Haring Itochu Fashion System

Kumadori Makeup Shoshiku

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Show Report

(NEW) BIZMATCHING-SYSTEM SUPPORTED THEMEETINGS ON SITE Bizmatching- System is the online support service, where exhibitors/visitors can search what they are looking for and set up appointments with one another. About 500 appointments were set through it and the participants conducted very productive and lively meetings on site.

JAPAN CHARACTER AWARD HELD DURING THE FAIR Within Licensing Japan 2018, the Japan Character Award, which awarded the best character and brand of 2018 in Japan was held by the Character Brand Licensing Association (CBLA). The Despicable Me franchise was awarded the Best Character of 2018 and Lisa Larson was award the Best brand of 2018.

(NEW) CHARACTER PHOTO SESSION A GREAT SUCCESS! The Character Photo Session with characters from the show exhibitors gathered together, was held for the first time after Japan Character Awards for the first time. The event was a great success and the atmosphere was lively and gathered a great number of press and trade visitors.

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Dates: Wednesday 3 April to Friday 5 April 2019 Venue: Tokyo Big Sight, Japan. Organised by: Reed Exhibitions Japan Ltd Interested in Exhibiting? http://www.licensing-japan.jp/en/ Contact: Reed Exhibitions Japan Ltd, 18F Shinjuku Nomura Building, 1-26-2 Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 163-0570, Japan

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BENJAMIN THE ELEPHANT AND WORRY-EATERS FROM KIDDINX IN GERMANY Benjamin the Elephant (original German name Benjamin Blümchen is an animated children’s television show produced by Kiddinx Studios in Berlin. The show is based on audio stories by Elfie Donnelly and the audio series has been running since 1977 with 135 stories as of 2017. Within the show, the eponymous main character resides at the Newtown Zoo, with friends Otto and Stella. The adventures Benjamin gets involved in often require slipping into various roles, learning new jobs, or discovering new and distant places. To date, the 40 year old Benjamin comprises 52 television episodes in more than 20 languages. 65 million audio books have been sold with over 10 million videos and DVDs. On the licensed product side, there have been more than 500 licensed products across all categories including over 11.5 million books sold and over 26 million Benjamin magazines sold over the last twenty years. In exciting news for Benjamin, he will star in a live-action movie aimed at the whole family and due to debut in Summer next year. The high-tempo and humorous family adventure, directed by

Tim Trachte and written by Bettina Börgerding, opens up the gates to the (Newtown) Neustadt Zoo in 2019, where all the stories of Benjamin and

his friends are set. Benjamin Blümchen (Benjamin the Elephant) is produced by Westside Filmproduktion in co-production with Rat Pack Film, Kiddinx and STUDIOCANAL Film. STUDIOCANAL is also responsible for worldwide distribution. Besides Heike Makatsch, Friedrich von Thun, Dieter Hallervorden, Uwe Ochsenknecht and Tim Oliver Schultz there are a number of prominent actors taking part in the film. The title hero himself is completely 3D animated and brought to life as a virtual character thanks to special effects from the Blanx Studios in Cologne. Among the main partners for the famous German property are companies such as Schmidt Spiele and toy company Jazwares, who have worked with Kiddinx since 2016. For the movie release, Jazwares will release plush, accessories, playsets, key chains, headphones and more. A further major property from Kiddinx is Sorgenfresser (Worry Eater). All children have worries or fears. Some are big, some are small, but all of them are very real to the child. Parents do their best to try and help their little ones, but they can’t if they don’t know what the problem is. This is where the Sorgenfresser comes in. Children can write or draw their problems on a piece of paper, secretly if they prefer, and feed it into the mouth of their favorite Sorgenfresser. The next step, if needed, involves a parent. With the problem in the mouth of a worry eater, parents have the opportunity to discover the root of the problem. The Sorgenfresser’s motto is ‘We eat your worries’, and sometimes with just a bit of help, this is exactly what they do! Now children can enjoy the Sorgenfresser on television. Nickelodeon secured exclusive broadcast rights to the series which began airing last December. The series is a co-production between Nickelodeon and Hahn Film. Gerhard Hahn, who invented the little

plush friends and made them famous, now brings his creation to the children’s screens for Nick. The animated series is being co-produced by Nickelodeon and Hahn Film. The pedagogical concept of the ‘worry-eater’ is more than just a gimmick. Even the little ones can sometimes carry big worries - whether it’s the conflict with their big brother, the fear of the next math test or the stage fright before the big school performance. When the children confide in their worry-eater, they take their human friends with them into their world - the weird, colourful, and fantastic Dada country, where children are allowed to forget their worries for a moment as they plunge into the next adventure with their favourite characters. And there are plenty of them in Dada land. However, even the worrieeaters sometimes have problems and fears. The stories of Saggo, Pomm, Flint & Co. show children that it is quite normal sometimes to worry or even to be afraid. Lovingly and playfully, their worries and need to get to the bottom of things, as well as suggestions for a solution are found. For more information, contact Thomas Puchert, International Head of Licensing KIDDINX Media GmbH, Berlin +49 (0) 30 68 972 329 puchert@kiddinx.de

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MARKET TRENDS:

airing on YouTube. The series is based in Kerplopolis - the capital of toilet humor Whenever you flush a toilet, a portal leads to the bustling city of Kerplopplis where everything about

functions but generally that was the line. But this year, in particular, that has all changed. According to some reports, the inspiration has come from the smiling poop emoji which featured heavily in The Emoji Movie. Alternatively, today’s young parents grew up watching South Park which revelled in toilet humour. The current crop of toys is the antithesis of the much-loved educational

poop is celebrated. All the inhabitants are colorful characters made from Poops, Pees, and Farts. Everything is toilet themed. The high rises are giant porta-potties. The series, in fact, is sub headed ‘Let’s get the potty started.’ And Poopeez has toys. There is a toilet launcher play set which comes with a toilet and two characters that you flush. In addition there is a series of blind capsules. Each capsule is a toilet paper roll and you unroll it to find one hidden Poopeez character. Finally there is a multi pack including six characters (two exclusive) as well as a porta potty collector case. Hasbro also have a further game entitled Toilet Trouble where players turn the spinning toilet paper roll and the number that turns up dictates how many times each player must flush the toilet. If they hear a flushing sound, they are safe, If not, it will be the one roll that sprays water. Interestingly up until relatively recently, toilet-humour toys tended to be things like whoopee cushions and the like. You had dolls with realistic diaper

toys which have brightened most households in recent years. And others from the crop include Poo Dough from Skyrocket, Despicable Me Fart Blaster from Thinkway and Gas Out Game from Mattel. In 2010 Goliath Games introduced Doggie Too in which players feed a dog that makes ever-louder farting noises as it works up to shoo the food from its rear. The gross game has since apparently run up $3 million in sales and this past year has been its best yet. Fuelled by success, Goliath has other toilet-related titles set to launch this year to capitalise on this very bizarre trend. And just when you thought it couldn’t get any grosser, The Emoji Super Cool Poop Slime is out from Kangaroo as is Hog Wild Sticky The Poo - a foldable pile of crap that kids can throw at a wall. So how long will this unsavoury trend last? Hard to tell at the moment as poop continues to be all the rage. Let’s hope something else, a little less offensive, comes through soon and this all becomes a blip in the history of the toy industry.

GROSS PLAY! It’s nothing particular new to have toys that are somewhat on the gross side for children. But this year, that seems to have been taken to new levels. Toys are out that seem to be geared to bodily functions in general and, yes, poop in particular. Hasbro’s Don’t Step In It game is a case in point. The game has each player walk down a mat, blindfolded, trying hard not to step in simulated poop. Jakks Pacific’s Pull My Finger is equally gross. Every time you pull the monkey’s finger, his butt fills with air. At a certain point, the butt deflates making a classic farting noise that kids find so funny. And it doesn’t end there. Mattel has Flushin’ Frenzy which comes with a toilet and plunger and Spin Master has Flush Force in which children can ‘discover’ characters in a toilet using ‘flush and reveal’ technology. The toys are part of what Spin Master calls a ‘gross category’ that has caught on in the toy and gaming world.To add to the grossness, Spin Master also has a Dr Pimple Popper which asks players to help Pimple Pete pop his zits without disturbing the huge pimple on his nose. Actually, at Toy Fair this year, the Spin Master reps filled the larger pimple with liquids such as water or milk to make it all the more authentic! Without doubt, toys that capitalise on bodily functions are on the rise. And it’s not just toys. A new animated series entitled Poopeez recently began

TOTAL LICENSING Total Licensing caught up with Naz Amarchi-Cuevas of Copenhagen-based Sybo to find out more about their plans for Subway Surfers.

Interview: Naz Amarchi-Cuevas, SYBO Can you give us a bit of background about Subway Surfers? Subway Surfers first debuted as an animated short film on YouTube eight years ago; it was the project of Bodie Jahn-Mulliner and Sylvester Rishøj, two animation students who created a short about a rebellious character that graffitis a metro railway escaping a grumpy inspector and his dog. Soon thereafter, the two founded SYBO Games which brought Subway Surfers to the mobile game arena. The game was a chart-topping success out of the gate, with over three million downloads one week after its launch. In 2017, five years later, it ranked as

the most downloaded game around the world. Earlier this year, Subway Surfers became the first game to pass one billion downloads in Google Play’s store. In Subway Surfers, SYBO Games introduced the world tour concept. Every month, Subway Surfers lands in a new city or country. Its key characters have travelled to more than 43 destinations. Players take on the role of the graffiti-tagging main protagonist Jake or one of his many friends. They run from the grumpy inspector and his dog through the subway systems of famous cities around the world while collecting coins and dodging oncoming trains. Can you tell us bit more about the animation that is being launched this Summer?

We’re so excited about the new Subway Surfers animated series (10 x 4 minute episodes)! We have two coveted animation story-tellers to bring fans closer to the world they love! Brent Friedman (Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars: The Clone Wars) is scripting the series, along with Daytime Emmy award-winning producer Sander Schwartz (The Batman, Justice League, Scooby Doo, Teen Titans). Beginning June 1, fans will be able to tune in for episodes on the SYBO’s YouTube channel. There they’ll catch the latest adventures of Jake, Tricky and Fresh and the Subway Surfers Universe, where nothing is quite as it seems. Or is it? We anticipate that a short will be released every two weeks. In addition a longform series is in development, currently slated for a late 2019 release. What are you planning on doing on the licensing side? Since launching the SubSurf entertainment brand franchise last fall, we are methodically integrating and expanding the skate, music, street art and hip hop attributes that Subway Surfers echos. We know fans want rich content, cool consumer products and ways to extend the experience that feel organic. Therefore, whether it’s the mobile game, the new animated series, or the overall brand itself our goal is to democratize street culture. Subway Surfers resonates as the original Street Art brand, and this style of art - whether it be graffiti, stencils, prints and murals, large-scale paintings and projects of artistic collaboration, among others - is very much part of the brand and represented in all aspects.

What type of partners are you looking for in order to bring SubSurf merchandise to fans? We are strategically engaging with partners that are connected and dedicated to Gen-Y & Gen-Z fans. As the brand expands into lifestyle, it’s incredibly important todeliver the street smart, edgy youth culture, skate music and dance influence that Subway Surfers is about. Our partners must bring funk and fashion to the brand. We are also looking for Direct-to-Retail opportunities for specific categories, as well as Licensing Agents who have interest in the digital to physical space. How broad is the international appeal of Subway Surfers? Given Subway Surfers was the most downloaded game around the world in 2017 indicates its popularity. That being said, our top 10 strongest territories are the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, Latin America, France, Brazil, Russia, India and Italy. How useful has YouTube been on developing the brand? As a testament to YouTube’s influence and reach, SYBO’s channel just crossed two million subscribers and will serve as the platform to launch the animated shorts this summer. Our fans are truly valued, and we love to share previews and snippets on our channel. In addition, there is an incredible fanbase who creates their own Subway Surfers-themed videos. All together, the brand has gotten tremendous exposure via YouTube. Finally, tell us bit about Sybo, are you developing anything else? We’re really excited about the future! The SubSurf program and the new animated series are just two examples illustrating we’re much more than a mobile games company. At the same time, we love making games! Combined, it’s a perfect storm!

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First Brand Licensing Day held in The Ukraine The 22nd of March was a remarkable day for the Ukrainian business market with an unique event - Brand Licensing Day - held in Kyiv. Ukraine is a very promising market in the worldwide sphere of brand licensing as it is situated in the geographic center of Europe and has population of 45 million people. The Ukrainian FMCG market is huge and growing fast which makes it really interesting

and adds a perspective for the whole licensing world. Retail sales of licensed merchandise show a positive dynamic, especially in terms of products with characters/entertainment properties. Nevertheless, brand licensing is a relatively new marketing tool for the Ukrainian market and most business professionals are still not aware of it. In order to inform the Ukrainian business about brand licensing as a business tool, UDC Licensing Agency created a specialized business forum. UDC is the leading brand licensing agency in Ukraine and it is a part of the Art Nation Family group.The company has seven years of experience in brand licensing and provides a full range of services relating to brand promotion and licensing. In its efforts, the agency uses a comprehensive approach that includes market research, an assortment strategy and promotion plan development, consulting, cross-

promo, content management, licensing of consumer products and advertising campaigns, participation in product development and launch and design bureau services. In the Ukraine, UDC Licensing Agency exclusively represents globally known brands from Viacom (Paw Patrol, TMNT, Sponge Bob etc), Animaccord (Masha and the Bear), Tacoda (Pets Rock) and properties from theUkrainian cultural platform Art Nation (Gapchinska, Prima Maria, Goose). The companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s portfolio currently includes 25 brands in total. There are some very successful case studies from Ukrainian companies. More than 130 companies have successfully taken advantage of services provided by the agency from the time it was founded. More than 3000 SKUs of licensed products have been launched with brands from UDCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s portfolio. Among UDC clients are well-known leading Ukrainian and international companies such as Danone, Watsons, Lantmannen AXA, Vivat Trading, Epicentr K, Malbi Foods, Vitmark, Biosphere Corp, ATB Market, Newtone Pharma, Kraina Igrashok, Agromat, Allo and Leader Snack etc. Product categories covered are food and beverages, personal care, back to school, publishing, toys and games, sporting goods, homewares and furnishings, tableware, apparel and accessories. Moreover, UDC has launched two successful loyalty programs, based on the licensed brand Gapchinska and AR technology, with the biggest retailer in the Ukraine â&#x20AC;&#x201C; ATB Market with 930 stores. This case history will also soon be presented to the global licensing business community. On March 22nd, UDC Licensing Agency created the first Brand Licensing Day - a unique business event for the Ukrainian market. It

was the first ever specialized business forum about brand licensing in Ukraine. The main goal of the event was to educate the market and to connect companies that already work with licensing with those that have never heard of this tool before. The forum gathered together over 200 business participants as well as licensing experts. During the event, it was explained what brand licensing is, how it works and what are the advantages of using this tool. Speakers detailed different occasions where it was necessary to use brand licensing and presented several successful case studies featuring Ukrainian companies, including the case of Danone with Masha and the Bear. The overall atmosphere of the forum was fully immersed in licensing. There were several exhibition stands with licensed products organized for guests in order that they could see what licensing means in terms of real examples even, quite literally, touch the licensed product examples. In addition, visitors were entertained by mascots of popular brand characters.The space was also equipped with brand-themed photo zones, where everyone could take a photo to remember the event. There was even a photo zone with AR technology. The success of the event has shown that further growth of brand licensing can be confidently expected in the Ukraine. Moreover, UDC announced that moving forwards, Brand Licensing Day will become an annual event in the Ukrainian brand licensing market.

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Super Wings UK Licensing Programme Takes off Super Wings, the pre-school hit from Alpha animation, has announced the first wave of UK licensees under deals brokered by their agent, Rockpool Licensing. Checking in are Aykroyd and TDP Licensing for nightwear, underwear and swimwear; BM Fashions (Global Licensing and Fashion UK) for daywear, Roy Lowe & Sons for socks, Dreamtex for bedding and bathroom textiles and MV Sports for wheeled toys and rideons. Vickie O’Malley, MD, Rockpool Licensing commented, “Our take-off with Super Wings has been perfect. We’re very proud to have these wellrespected and admired frequent flyers on board and are looking forward to soaring to new heights in 2018. “ “All puns aside, we’re delighted with the enthusiastic response to Super

Wings from the UK licensing community. Super Wings’ impressive performance on Cartoonito and Tiny Pop, along with the amazing job that Mark and the team at Alpha toys have done with UK launch has generated a great buzz around the trade. We have high expectations for Vegas and look forward to announcing more great partnerships over coming months. “ “We are thrilled to be partnering with Rockpool Licensing who have been able to bring on board renowned licensing partners in key categories over a short period of time. Our partnership, great performances with our UK TV broadcast partners and the support of our UK toy division, is taking the Super Wings brand to the next level.” said Antoine Erligmann VP Media, TV and Consumer Products at Alpha Group.

For further information: Vickie O’Malley vickie@rockpool-licensing.co.uk Nicola Thompson nicola@rockpool-licensing,co.uk

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Born Licensing celebrates year of growth Born Licensing, headed by founder David Born, is celebrating another year of significant growth with new staff and a new office. Naomi Smith joined the firm as Licensing Coordinator and Executive Assistant to Owner and Director David Born. Naomi was introduced into the world of licensing during a twelve-month internship at Mattel UK, working with properties Thomas and Friends, Barbie and Fireman Sam. Born Licensing has moved to a new office in Hammersmith, alongside others in the licensing industry such as Disney, DHX Media and CPLG. This time last year the firm was enjoying the success of its biggest project to date, the Epic Skeletor ad campaign with major UK advertiser Moneysupermarket. Two more major campaigns for Moneysupermarket have followed, both of which have been seen by tens of millions of eyeballs. In September, He-Man and Skeletor returned to pay homage to one of the greatest dance scenes of all time, the (I’ve Had) The Time of My Life sequence from Dirty Dancing. Within moments of airing, #EpicSkeletor and #Moneysupermarket were trending across the UK. In fact, the licensee went from 100 mentions a day on Twitter to 35,000 per hour! It achieved 27 million organic views equating to £3 million in free media. It was also popular in the advertising industry, being named ‘Ad of the Day’

and Ad of the Week’ in many publications and falling in the top 10 best ad of 2017 by Campaign. The campaign was recently shortlisted for 3 British Arrows. Earlier this year MoneySuperMarket swapped Skeletor and He-Man for Britain’s greatest hero of all time, Hasbro’s Action Man. In a major stop motion production, we see Action Man dancing across the desert with his comrades to CeCe Peniston’s hit song ‘Finally’. #EpicActionMan was trending across social media on the night of the launch, with advertising press The Drum, Campaign and Adweek naming it their ‘Ad of the Day’. It was named the ‘Most Recalled’ ad in March

by Adwatch and it has already picked up a Gold in the Craft category at The ANDY Awards, run by The Advertising Club of New York. It has received a nod from the licensing industry as well, being shortlisted for this year’s LIMA Licensing Awards in the Best Promotion category. Another campaign Born Licensing worked on that captured the attention of the advertising world was the Instagram ‘Stories are Everywhere’ which featured SpongeBob SquarePants and Sonic. It was named the #3 best ad campaign of the year by Adweek. David Born continues to expand his focus to new markets in Europe and beyond. He has also recently launched his first campaign in India with Facebook India who licensed a clip of Sponge-

Bob SquarePants in their ‘Live What You Love’ campaign. This year Born Licensing have also launched their first major campaign which licensed an icon. UK based payas-you-go energy provider Boost Energy created a character called Boost Lee, inspired by the great Bruce Lee. They worked on the campaign with Bruce Lee Enterprises and their agent Beanstalk, which ran as a fully integrated campaign. They also worked with other major advertisers such as BT and Ovo Energy. Their campaigns have now aired in UK, Ireland, USA, Germany, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, India and Netherlands. They expect this list to grow as they continue to engage with new markets. Their next project will launch in May and will be their first major campaign in the financial services category. They are focused on growing our business and continuing to sign deals that deliver incremental revenue opportunities and strong media value to our licensor partners. As David Born commented, “Our Licensor partners don’t only benefit directly from the licensing fees for specific deals, but also indirectly thanks to the positive media value being put behind their brand. If you were to assume that Action Man sales in the UK went up because of the massive Moneysupermarket campaign, you’d be right.” We’re super excited to have a deal shortlisted for ‘Best Promotion’ for the second year running at the 2018 LIMA Licensing Awards. We have our fingers crossed, as do He-Man and Skeletor!’. David Born, Born Licensing Tel: London: +44 7438 301 920 Tel: Melbourne: +61 499 333 449 E: david.born@bornlicensing.com bornlicensing.com

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ATLANTYCA GROW PROPERTY ROSTER Milan-based Atlantyca Entertainment will be attending Licensing Expo 2018 to underline its continued growth and development by promoting its roster of licensing properties – and some exciting new properties. Key properties on show will include Geronimo Stilton Classic, Geronimo Stilton: The Animated Series and Bat Pat. In addition, they will highlight three properties for which they are agents in Italy. These are H20 Mermaids Adventures, Scream Street and School of Roars. Geronimo Stilton Animation aimed at girls and boys aged five to ten is based on the educational and humorous stories, loved by children around the world.The series has been adapted from the classic book series that follows the adventures of Geronimo Stiling, the famous editor in chief of the Geronimo Stilton Media Group. There are now three seasons comprising 78 x 22 minute episodes. In Italy, these air on Rai Pulp with more than 500,000 views. The third series in the franchise launched in autumn 2016, again comprising 26 x 22 minute episodes produced by Atlantic Entertainment with the participation of Rai Fiction. Series 1 and 2 have now aired in more than 100 countries and in Italy they air on Rai 2, Rai Gulp and Sea Kids. Geronimo Stilton Classic is targeted at boys and girls aged seven to twelve. It is based on the leading book in the market aimed at the target age. The brand is educational and adventure driven. More than 151 million copies of the books have been sold worldwide and the property has been

published since 2000 and in the US by Scholastic. 34 million copies have been sold in Italy alone. With new covers and new graphics, the Geronimo Stilton Classic property is entirely focused on the life and adventures of the well known Geronimo Stilton, editor in chief of the Rodent’s Gazette – the most famous magazine of Mouse Island – and author of the Funny Tales story series. Atlantic are seeking to extend the brand experience further into additional categories such as games, apparel and lifestyle, stationery, gifts and homewares. Bat Pat is targeted at boys and girls aged five to nine. It is billed as a creepy comedy series and currently season one, which comprises 52 x 11 minute episodes is available together with season 2, again 52 x 11 minutes currently in production and airing on Rai. Bat Pat is a humorous and yellowbelly Bat who lives with the Silver family in Fogville, a small town where supernatural creatures seem to be habitual. What brings these monsters to Fogville? The Silver kids, Martin, Rebecca and Leo along with Bat Pat. The series currently broadcasts on Netflix and Amazon amongst other children’s streaming platforms. School of Roars which Atlantic represent for Italy only is new to their portfolio of brands. It is target at children aged three to six. Season one, which comprises 52 x 7 minute episodes, began airing in Spring this year and the aim of the series is to help children

prepare for school life by exploring their first school year through relationships and experiences. Because the key characters are monsters, they attend school at night, led by their teacher Miss Grizzlesniff. Atlantyca are looking for all categories of products. H2O Mermaid Adventures is a further property that Atlantyca represents for Italy.Targeted at girls and boys aged six to ten, the animated series comprises 26 x 26 minutes and tells the story of the daily lives of three normal teenagers, Emma, Cleo and Rikki – as well as their best friend Lewis – who are magically transformed into Mermaids whenever they touch water. Suddenly a whole new world opens up to them, and as they discover the undersea world. They also realize that each one of them has gained a magical powers. Finally Atlantyca represent Scream Street for Italy. The brand is aimed at boys aged four to eight. It is a comedy-horror adventure comprising 52 x 22 minute animated episodes now being broadcast on Rai Gulp. The series features teen-werewolf Luke who is joined by surfer-dude zombies, sarcastic vampires, martial arts mummies, glamorous witches and monsters who all work together to put a new spin on ‘community spirit.’

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CYBER GROUP STUDIOS EXHIBIT IN VEGAS FOR THE FIRST TIME Cyber Group Studios is a French independent multi-award-winning producer and distributor that specialises in top quality kids programming with strong international appeal. Their rich and varied library boasts 1000 half hours of programming targeted at kids and family. To bring the highest quality entertainment, the company collaborates with the best creative talents around the world and develops breakthrough technology to enhance its productions. Cyber Group Studios is proud to continue the development of partnerships with top producers by bringing them high value access to key players in the international market. Cyber Group Studios has its own consumer products division and develops international licensing programs.The objective is to develop the brands in a 360° way: from broadcast to the setting of an international licensing program adapted to consumer needs and supported by strong marketing campaigns. After opening new offices in Los Angeles, Cyber Group Studios decided to extend its international exposure on

digital platforms as a result of key partnerships and a new digital specialist. Cyber Group Studios opened its new interactive division that will aim at developing games and interactive experiences on digital platforms, on traditional console platforms and on PC. The French prodco’s interactive group will develop games and interactive experiences for iOS and Android devices, as well as traditional console platforms like Sony PlayStation, Microsoft Xbox, Nintendo Switch and PC. A number of game concepts have already been identified, with new deals expected to be announced in the coming months. For the 1st time, Cyber Group Studios will be exhibiting at Licensing Expo in Las Vegas. It will be the opportunity to discover Cyber Group’s international licensing portfolio with properties including Gigantosaurus, Sadie Sparks, Taffy, Droners…

Gigantosaurus Gigantosaurus is a 52x11 minute series targeted at 4 to 6 year olds. Produced in CGI - 2D - HD it is an action comedy series that has been sold to a number of channels including Disney Junior, France Television, Super RTL, Tele Quebec, Netflix and more. The series stars Rocky, Bill, Tiny and Mazu, four young dinosaurs in the process of discovering the world. And, of course, dinosaurs are huge amongst kids. Everything in the series is over the top, filled with long–necked brachiosauruses, huge triceratopses, incredibly wide rivers, very tall plants, very bushy jungles… But above all there is the big bad wolf - or at least its Cretaceous equivalent: the big bad Gigantosaurus. Gigantosaurus is a rather strange animal born out of Jonny Duddle’s imagination in his eponymous book, published by Templar Publishing, which represents the idea of playing with one’s fears. One of the four heroes, in charge of being the little group’s scout, keeps crying wolf as he thinks he can see the dreaded Gigantosaurus everywhere, until the moment when the monster suddenly pops out for real. Gigantosaurus isn’t actually very wellknown but the mere mention of his name is enough to conjure up a range of (conficting) emotions in the four young friends: fear (Bill), fascination

TOTAL LICENSING (Rocky), laughter (Tiny), and scientific interest (Mazu). In short, Gigantosaurus represents four different ways of finding out more about the world for children aged 4 to 6 years old. The Gigantosaurus fully CGI-animated action and comedy series, produced by Cyber Group Studios, will be released worldwide in early 2019 on Disney Junior. The show will be also broadcast on a number of free TV channels like France Television in France, Super RTL in Germany, Tele Quebec in French Speaking Canada... Others TV channels are under discussion and will be announced soon. The show will be also available on Netflix on a worldwide basis. Cyber Group Studios is now working on a huge wordwide licensing program and a worldwide master toy agreement has been signed with Jakks Pacific Inc. Jakks Pacific, Inc. will design, produce and bring to market a full range of toys inspired by the series, including preschool toys, figures, toy vehicles, playsets, outdoor seasonal, indoor furniture, Halloween costumes and accessories. The first products will be at retail in time for Christmas 2019. Templar will be master publishing licensee and will distribute the books based on the TV series all across the world. Sadie Sparks Sadie Sparks is a 52 x 11 minute CGI series targeted at 6 to 11 year olds. The animated comedy series has been sold to TV channels including Disney Channel (Pan a European deal), RTVE (Clan), Tele Quebec and Cartoonito Sadie is a fairly typical fourteen-yearold girl whose life becomes anything but typical when she finds out that she’s actually a wizard. Sadie is, in fact, a rarity – it’s almost unheard of in the wizarding world for someone so young to possess such a natural gift for magic. To that end, a magic-realmer has been sent to guide and train her, in the form of Gilbert – a very old and very grumpy rabbit. When Gilbert was lured out of retirement by the Wardens of Wizardry because some trainee named Sadie

needed his mentoring or guidance or whatever, he was not a happy bunny. Truth is, he was hating his retirement, but he wasn’t going to admit that to anyone! Gilbert suspects that if Sadie is properly mentored and learns to control her volatile magic skills, she could develop into a very special wiz-

ard indeed. And though he’d be loath to actually admit it, as he’s gotten to know Sadie, Gilbert’s developed quite the soft spot for the kid. Of course, it’s not like Sadie isn’t conflicted over this latest turn of events either. She thinks having magical powers is incredibly cool, but it turns out that being a wizard isn’t all sparkles and granted wishes. The last thing Sadie wants to do is learn the rules of magic and memorize spells, especially with mid-terms and the spring formal coming up.

Though, it was pretty sweet when that replication spell she did last week actually worked - Sadie swears she even saw Gilbert crack a smile. A supernatural sitcom, Gilbert & Sadie is about the ultimate odd couple. Gilbert plays by the rules while Sadie is all instinct, but in each other they’ve found the perfect magical match. Taffy Taffy is a 78 x 7 minute series targeting kids aged 6 to 12 and produced in 2D HD. The animated comedy has been sold to Boomerang and is based on an original creation from Cyber Group Studios and developed with Turner. Taffy follows the non-stop, slapstick extravaganza faced by loyal hound dog Bentley when his billionaire old lady owner Mrs Muchmore takes in an imposter posing as wide-eyed, fluffy angora cat. Each instalment sees Bentley try to reveal Taffy for the vermin he is – while super-clever Taffy handily frames the dog for every one of his exploits, pillagings and disastrous messes. Whether traveling from Mrs Muchmore’s luxurious mansion, to a fivestar cruise, to jet-setting international adventures or a visit with the President, wherever these rivals go, mayhem follows. The 78 x 7-minute series, which will be produced in France, will join Boomerang’s line-up of funny, multigenerational shows like Tom & Jerry, Scooby-Doo etc.

Come and meet Cyber Group Studios’ new stars during Licensing Expo in Las Vegas booth H236.

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IT’S SHOW TIME! As the industry makes its annual pilgrimage to Las Vegas for Licensing Expo, we take a look at what a selection of the exhibitors have on offer this year.

Following an good start to the year which saw the global release of the much-anticipated prehistoric comedy adventure Early Man from Academy Award winner Nick Park, the Aardman team (booth K230) will be exhibiting at the International Licensing Expo in Las Vegas, meeting with new and existing partners to present their upcoming feature film, exciting new IP and product style themes for 2018 and beyond. The Shaun the Sheep brand continues to flourish with Series 5 broadcasting in over 170 territories worldwide and a movie sequel in production, which promises to be a major global event for 2019. The studio will continue to work closely with Studiocanal on developing a strong licensing and promotional programme for the film, including publishing and live experiences. Aardman are handling UK and international rights via a worldwide network of agents.

This summer will also see the launch of Learning Time with Timmy’- a new educational online series for early years English language learners. The series, which is set to launch on a dedicated YouTube channel and with a number of international broadcasters, has been

developed in collaboration with the British Council, and is the latest addition to the innovative Learning Time with Timmy portfolio which marries the studio’s much loved characters with the British Council’s teaching expertise to deliver English language learning for 2-6 year olds around the world. The team are also developing an international publishing and licensing programme to further extend the brand and enable more children, parents and educators around the world to access the Learning Time with Timmy learning experience. Classic brand Wallace & Gromit will be celebrating 30 years in 2019 and the studio are looking to talk to licensing and promotional partners for their anniversary campaign. The Brand Liaison (F154) has developed a strong reputation for creating strategic licensing programs based on the specific on-screen persona of many of today’s top television stars and social influencers. Leading Actor Kevin James’s launch of his Jamestown

Clothing brand leads an all-star roster of celebrities that will be featured by the Brand Liaison at Licensing Expo, including Celebrity/Fashion Licensing Program of the Year Nominee LaurDIY, the YouTube super star with over 17 Million followers that Forbes described as the ‘Millennial Martha Stewart.’ In addition to Kevin James and LaurDIY, The Brand Liaison celebrity licensing includes branding expert Daymond John (Shark Tank), Brady Bunch alum turned furniture designer Christopher Knight (Brady Bunch, MTV), celebrity chef Robert Irvine (Restaurant Impossible), QVC personality and syndicated cooking host “Mr. Food” Howard Rosenthal (QVC, Mr. Food Test Kitchen), the unmistakable Jon Taffer (Bar Rescue), dress designer Sondra Celli (My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding), and introducing their newest social influencer Sofie Dossi, a leading fashion and lifestyle vlogger best known for her golden buzzer winning performance on America’s Got Talent, who has amassed over 1.3 Million followers in just over a year. 2018 will be another big year for Brandgenuity (Booth J122) who will continue the expansion and management of the global licensing program for the BMW Group. Brandgenuity will develop lifestyle and food extensions ranging from meat snacks and salty snacks to condiments and sliced cheese for White Castle®, America’s first fast-food hamburger chain and the home of The Original Slider. The agency will grow the Mrs. Fields licensing program around indulgent snacks and desserts including confections, baking ingredients, frozen breakfast. Brandgenuity will build a licensing program for TCBY with a focus on frozen novelties and yogurtbased snacks. Brandgenuity signed Anheuser-Busch InBev to represent the world’s largest beer brands for licensing in Canada, Europe and Asia. They will explore food extensions for Anheuser-Busch InBev brands in Canada, as well as to build on the success of Pave a la Leffe cheese in categories including crackers, condiments and confectionery.

TOTAL LICENSING Cartoon Network Enterprises (D170) will be returning to Licensing Expo in 2018 to showcase its broad, dynamic brand portfolio. Key licensing partnerships will be announced for many of its adored Cartoon Network and Adult Swim brands. The beloved

and other related products focusing on the fans’ favorite Yu-Gi-Oh! characters and monsters. GameStop is also creating a distinctive line of 4-inch Yu-Gi-Oh! collectible figurines available to Yu-Gi-Oh! fans on its on its website(s) and in its stores, as well as in many of its partners’ stores around the world. Producer and distributor Cyber Group Studios (H236) has inked a multi-year, worldwide master toy agreement with leading global toy and consumer products company JAKKS Pacific, Inc. for Gigantosaurus a new animated preschool series set to launch on television platforms worldwide in early 2019.

Ben 10 franchise, which was successfully relaunched around the world last year, will continue to grow in 2018 with an extensive licensing program. Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, The Powerpuff Girls will grow with new and continuing licensing partners. Additionally, the consumer products program will significantly expand around the globe for the immensely popular Adult Swim series Rick and Morty. Other brands that will be highlighted during the show include Steven Universe, We Bare Bears, Adventure Time, The Amazing World of Gumball and more. 4K Media Inc (F188), the Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. subsidiary that manages the Yu-Gi-Oh! brand outside of Asia, has signed licensing agreements with both Funko, a purveyor of pop culture and licensedfocused collectibles, and GameStop, a global retailer of specialty brands and games. The two deals – negotiated and announced by Jennifer Coleman, Vice President of Licensing and Marketing at 4K Media – bring a new array of YuGi-Oh! collectibles to the worldwide marketplace (outside of Asia). “We are elated to welcome both Funko and GameStop to the Yu-Gi-Oh! family. We are impressed with both companies’ creative designs for new and engaging collectibles encompassing so many of our central characters and monsters.”Funko will be launching a line of stylized vinyl collectible figures

Under the terms of the worldwide licensing agreement, JAKKS Pacific, Inc. will design, produce and bring to market a full range of toys inspired by the series, including preschool toys, figures, toy vehicles, playsets, outdoor seasonal, indoor furniture, Halloween costumes and accessories. The initial products from JAKKS, as well as other licensed products including new books from Templar, will be at retailers beginning Fall 2019. The 52 x 11 minute series will be launched on Disney Junior worldwide (excluding India and Taiwan) beginning in early 2019 and then will also air on major broadcast networks, such as France Télévision (France) and Super RTL (Germany).

DHX Brands (G204) are experts in developing, distributing, licensing, marketing and managing high-profile brands. Teletubbies’ popularity continues to increase globally, with a rapidly growing footprint in Asia. Much excitement greeted their first-ever UK theatrical tour, which is appearing across 60+ theatres, and they are teaming up with the adorable Tiddlytubbies this summer for another exclusive live show at Butlin’s UK resorts. Summer also sees the launch of new TV episodes, supported by key retail and marketing initiatives. In the Night Garden enjoys enduring appeal and is a consistently top rating show on CBeebies. The No. 6 preschool toy brand, Golden Bear’s new toy range launches A/W 2018, supported by strong retail activity and TV support. New themed bedrooms launched at Alton Towers Hotel, where its ride in CBeebies Land is a top performing attraction and best-selling licensed property. The longest-running preschool live show welcomes its one millionth customer in 2018! Strawberry Shortcake Beloved girls’ property Strawberry Shortcake continues to occupy a special place in the hearts of women who grew up with

her in the 1980s, and their daughters. With an eye to her 40th anniversary in 2020, big news is in the works for the sweet-scented cutie and her friends! Dr. Seuss Enterprises (A220) the official licensor of all things Dr. Seuss,

TOTAL LICENSING will be exhibiting at the upcoming Licensing Expo. Some of Dr. Seuss’ most famous characters will be on full display at the DSE booth, including largerthan-life displays of The Grinch and The Cat in the Hat. 2018 highlights include the 60th anniversary of The Cat in the Hat Comes Back book, new episodes of the PBS series The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!, and the stage show The Lorax debuting at the Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis and The Old Globe in San Diego. DSE will also launch a new reading program, Dr. Seuss’s Word Challenge, which will challenge children across the U.S. to collectively read over 20 million words over the summer, supported by products, sweepstakes and social media. DSE will cap off the year with the release of The Grinch - a full-length 3D CGI animated film by Illumination featuring the voice of Benedict Cumberbatch, hitting theaters November 9, 2018. Content creator, producer and distributor Endemol Shine North America (Q226) announced recently the company’s key properties featured at the upcoming Licensing Expo, including Peaky Blinders, Masterchef, Deal or No Deal, Simon’s Cat, Page Six TV and Mr Bean. This comes on the heels of the recent announcement by Endemol Shine Group that the company is launching the global brand licensing and ancillary rights to the British drama.. Endemol Shine North America Key Properties Include Peaky Blinders. The award-winning, epic gangster drama Peaky Blinders is produced in the UK for BBC Two and sold globally by Endemol Shine International across 182 countries, including airing on Netflix. A fifth series of Peaky Blinders has

been confirmed for 2019. The hit cooking competition series Masterchef (Fox) remains the #1 cooking franchise in America with 60 million unique viewers in 2017. Globally, Masterchef is the #1 mostwatched cooking competition show and in 2017 Guinness World Records recognized it as the ‘Most Successful Cookery Television Format.’ Masterchef Junior season 6 airs on Fox and consistently wins the night in the key demo 18-34. Masterchef season 9 premieres at the end of May. Masterchef Junior season 7 is currently in production, air date to be announced. Recently announced licensing partnerships include Camp MasterChef, Craftsy.com, EatWith and SCS/MC Small Electronics and Penguin Random House publishing. One of America’s most popular and beloved game shows, Deal or No Deal returns to television with its host Howie Mandel as part of CNBC’s primetime lineup in fourth quarter 2018. The reimagined Deal or No Deal will feature all the high energy and risk-reward that captivated audiences, with some exciting new twists. In its original run on NBC, Deal or No Deal was a nationwide phenomenon and at the height of its ratings success averaged 16 million viewers weekly and was the second most traveled unscripted format in the world, reaching 78 territories. Page Six TV is the daily syndicated show modeled after Page Six, the iconic New York Post gossip column and web site. True to the Page Six signature style, the show’s contributors and insiders deliver in-the-know gossip and news from entertainment, culture, the media, real estate and politics. Page Six TV is renewed for its second season in more than 90% of the U.S. ahead of its second season on station groups including Fox, Sinclair, Hearst, Tegna, Cox and the CW 100+. Page Six TV averages over 1 million viewers daily on average and remains the #1 new

first-run syndicated show of the season amongst women aged 25-54. Finally, Mr. Bean is a global sensation, broadcast in 195 territories with over 25 years in continual distribution. The brand has also seen phenomenal digital growth and with more than 78 million fans on Facebook, recently overtaking the likes of Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber. On YouTube the 4.5 billion Mr. Bean video views in 2017 added up to a total watch time of 38 thousand years. Entertainment One (eOne) (G196) returns to Licensing Expo this year with its world-class line-up of awardwinning preschool entertainment properties: Peppa Pig, PJ Masks and Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom. Global licensing phenomenon Peppa Pig continues to expand into international markets and now boasts over 1,000 licensees globally. The brand has standout retail presence in the UK, the U.S., ANZ, China, Italy, Brazil and France. Through a new global partner-

ship with Merlin Entertainments Peppa Pig Land in-park attractions launched recently at Heide Park in Germany and Gardaland in Italy, in addition, Merlin are set to create the ultimate Peppa Pig indoor play experience from 2018/2019 in the US and China. eOne is gearing up to celebrate the brand’s 15th anniversary milestone in the UK and Australia in 2019 with a calendar of events, which will be buoyed by a fresh pipeline of 117 new episodes premiering on-air from spring 2019 through winter 2022. eOne’s preschool superhero property PJ Masks has soared in popularity in the past 12 months following strong broadcast ratings and the launch of a full product line, which took the international retail market by storm. With

TOTAL LICENSING annual global retail sales going from strength to strength, PJ Masks has firmly cemented its position as a leading preschool brand. Just Play’s global master toy line has garnered widespread acclaim and propelled PJ Masks to the No 1 growth property in the U.S. preschool toys sector last year. The hit TV series is broadcast in more than 150 territories globally on the Disney Junior network. It has been amplified by the launch of series two at the beginning of this year across a plethora of terrestrial channels around the world and VOD partners, including China, where the show has just launched on 3 platforms. Throughout 2018 the popular PJ Masks live stage show, Time to be a Hero, will further expand into North America. A national Australian live tour is also now set to kick-off in September and a new brand-themed attraction will open at Leolandia theme park in Italy next year.

by the December 2018 release of a new feature film starring Bumblebee. Hasbro Gaming’s portfolio includes diverse experiences from face-to-face, social and digital gaming and perennial favorites like Monopoly and Twister. Finally, Nerf is not only a key player in action based performance toys but also transcends the toy aisle as a lifestyle brand for kids and adults. Howard Robinson (E86) has recently announced that the Selfies for the second year in a row is again a nominated finalist in the LIMA International Licensing Awards to be held in Vegas in 2018. There are currently 72 licensing partners across the UK, USA, Canada, Russia, Poland, France, Germany, Denmark, Finland, New Zealand, Turkey, Hong Kong, Taiwan & China the Selfies have continued to expanded into new categories and territories. Home furnish-

Informed by consumer insights and inspired by storytelling, Hasbro (South Seas Ballroom E - Level 3) continuously innovates and expands the ways they bring their brands to life through entertainment, music, publishing and location-based entertainment, and an array of consumer products, spanning a broad range of categories and price points. Hasbro will showcase top and

emerging franchises, Transformers, My Little Pony, Nerf, Hasbro Gaming, Littlest Pet Shop, Magic: The Gathering, Monopoly and its newest franchise brand, Baby Alive. Baby Alive delivers realistic nurturing moments in surprising ways and was the #1 Nurturing Doll Brand across the G10. Transformers is bolstered

ings have been a strong sector with a number of new licensees for bedding, curtains, cushions, accent rugs, blankets, Wall coverings and dog beds. Interest from digital media companies also continues to grow, collaboration with Butterfly-effected GmbH for a unique mobile application producing a large range of Selfie themes exclusive to Samsung for phones and watches and 1616 Media recently launching a new and unique range of Weavyword digital greetings. The core clients continue to see impressive sales with once again over 1 million Selfie Puzzles being sold and a Lenticular range with Prime 3D now growing to over 120 stationery and gift items.

INK Group (F204) will have a huge presence at the forthcoming Las Vegas Licensing Expo, through a major stand partly branded with INK Group’s Zafari – the new animation that looks certain to be one of the biggest kids’ brands of recent years. Zafari is the creation of animation visionary David Dozoretz and tells the story of a group of friends who inhabit a land where all the resident animals have been magically born with an amalgamation of varying skins, patterns and characteristics, making each individual

truly unique. NBCUNI Dreamworks is the distributor for Media Rights and a large host of broadcasters are embracing INK’s vision for the series and have joined the Zafari franchise across Latin America, Asia and Europe. The series is also linked with World Wildlife Fund (WWF) – a unique collaboration and the first of its kind – with each episode of Zafari featuring a video aimed at educating viewers about wildlife and wild places on our planet. Leading the ITV Studios Global Entertainment (L204) slate at Licensing Expo is Robozuna, an actionpacked Netflix Original animated series following teen Ariston and his robot Mangle as they attempt to free their oppressed nation from the evil Corvus Imperium. This kids adventure series will launch globally in Autumn 2018 across multiple platforms simul-

TOTAL LICENSING taneously (linear broadcast, VOD, YouTube, apps & gaming), creating a seamless 360° experience for kids and an exciting, unique proposition for licensees and retailers. Consumer products rollout will follow in Spring 2019. ITVS GE also present the new interpretation of family favourite Watership Down, a BBC/Netflix co-production. The four-part CGI animated mini-series, written by Bafta-nominated Tom Bidwell, features an all-star cast including James McAvoy, John Boyega, Sir Ben Kingsley, Olivia Colman, Nicholas Hoult, and Gemma Arterton. Licensing opportunities will be available for the series in multiple categories, with deals already underway. Season 3 of the hit action TV series Thunderbirds Are Go launches Spring 2018 with new villains creating a world of chaos for International Rescue, and a huge consumer PR campaign. Accompanying the start of Season 3 will be the launch of the story-telling game App from award-winning UKbased Kuato Studios. ITVS GE are also proud of their roster of nostalgia brands, led by the everpopular Supermarionation TV shows created by Gerry Anderson including the original Thunderbirds, Space: 1999, and UFO. Other classic brands from the vaults of ITV include cult animated film The Last Unicorn, and Patrick McGoohan’s 1960s series The Prisoner. In addition, ITVS GE acts as a full-service agency for third party brands including cute animated series Oddbods, hit new show PINY which reached over 2.5 million viewers in 2017, and retro favourite Village People. Deals outside of the UK on iconic British series Poldark and Victoria are also handled by ITVS GE. Licensing Works! (U244) is presenting its portfolio of timeless, iconic brands at Licensing Expo this year. The Little Prince is celebrating its 75th Anniversary. Lead licensees include LeSportsac (purses and cosmetics bags), Little Unicorn (swaddles and quilts), Finn and Emma (infant/toddler apparel), Running Press (stationery) and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, offering an Anniversary Edition of the novel. Zorro is gearing up for its 100th An-

niversary in 2019. New adult-targeted licensees include Aristocrat Technologies (slots), Playtech (online wager gaming), American Mythology (graphic novels), Poster Posse and Poster Foundry (posters), Caseable (tech cases), Pop Threads and Red Bubble (apparel), episodic AR/VR mobile games, role playing and board games, and a tequila. Edgar Rice Burroughs and Tarzan have announced the franchise’s first baby brand Tarzanimals. Riley Blake leads with fine cotton fabrics and a soft book. In addition, Intellivision is prepping for its 40th anniversary with T-line (apparel), Surreal (novelty), The Coop (stationery), Poster Posse (limitededition prints), Artovision (art), Poster Foundry (posters), and iP2 Entertainment (location-based entertainment). In 2019, Moulin Rouge celebrates 130 years as the world’s most successful French entertainment venue with a focus on licensing home décor, party, apparel, accessories, and health/beauty. Best friends Molang and Piu Piu are on Disney Jr., Disney Now and YouTube. Season 3 airs in 2019, along with 3 all-new television specials. Toys are available at Walmart through Jazwares. Scholastic is publishing Molang books and nCircle’s Season 2 release is everywhere DVDs are sold. The successful range of Puppy In My Pocket collectibles from Just Play offers new opportunities around partners Intimo, Calendar Holdings and LeapYear. Kewpie continues its 100+-year tradition of inspiring happiness. New products available from Riley Blake, Goldberger, Caseable, and Vinca. Finally, Rainbow Hedgehogs is the new creation from Lisa McCue, one of the world’s most sought-after illustrator/ authors, with over 200 books. The initial focus is on toys featuring McCue’s unique transformational plush utility patent and publishing. Pokémon (G196) continues to engage with its fans in innovative ways enjoying a highly successful 2017, exciting new products launching in 2018 and further expansion in the pipeline for 2019.

In a first for the property, the Detective Pikachu live action movie, directed by Rob Letterman, is currently in production in the UK for May 2019 release. Its starry cast includes Ryan Reynolds, Rita Ora and Bill Nighy. Global phenomenon Pokémon GO launched a new research feature and introduced exciting new community day events encouraging players to play together worldwide. According to NPD data Pokémon is Europe’s leading strategic card game, with over 82% of the market, also collecting Pocket Money Toy of the Year at the Toy Industry Awards. Growth across Europe was driven by extensive retail promotions including special Halloween, Christmas and Easter events at leading retailers. Recent Nintendo releases including Pokkén Tournament DX on Switch helped Pokémon video games to top an incredible 300 million sales worldwide since launch. More recently Detective Pikachu has launched on the Nintendo 3DS. Following the acclaimed theatrical release for Pokémon Movie 20: I Choose You, the latest season of the beloved animated Pokémon series, including the 1000th episode, rolled out across Europe. Additionally, in the UK POP and Sky UK Ltd are airing multiple Pokémon seasons and movies on their various platforms. Wicked Cool Toys’ first Pokémon master toy range distributed by Character Options in the UK and Eire, hitting retail in July this year, has been fantastically well received by the trade, winning the London Toy Fair Editor’s Choice 2018 Award.The comprehensive new range features innovative and fun toys across plush, figures and role play items. Pokémon is celebrating a legendary year in 2018, highlighting some of the most sought-after Pokémon with

TOTAL LICENSING monthly video game character distributions, new TCG products, and mobile game and animation promotions. It looks set to be a legendary performing year too. Content powerhouse Rainbow (O192) is ready to sprinkle magic at the Vegas Licensing Expo by showcasing four of their key brands – 44 Cats, Winx Club, Regal Academy, and Maggie & Bianca Fashion Friends. 44 Cats is a Rainbow production in collaboration with Antoniano Bologna that follows the daily adventures of Lampo, Milady, Pilou, and Polpetta – cats who are all part of a music band named The Buffycats. The four

kittens are homeless and get shelter in a garage, transforming it in a ‘Clubhouse’. This big-hearted series promotes positive, can-do attitudes, and conveys a positive message in a funny environment. The cats in the show, just like kids, find creative solutions to everyday hitches by dealing naturally with important themes like tolerance, diversity and acceptance. The show is getting very positive feedback from broadcasters with leading channels in Germany, France, Russia, Latin America, Greece, Benelux and the UK already on board and many other partners to be announced shortly. rs since the launch of the brand. Regal Academy is the hilarious, fresh and funny show that takes the familiar world of fairy tales and turns it on its head through the adventures of Rose Cinderella, a normal girl who suddenly finds herself in the world of Fairy Tales. Here she discovers that Cinderella is… her granny! Rose is enrolled at the fabled Regal Academy where her fellow students include Hawk Snow-

White,Travis Beast, Joy LeFrog, Astoria Rapunzel and LingLing Iron Fan, all of whom belong to the school’s founding families. A superb new season of the show is now on offer - with rich new content and a high quality of animation - that is currently wowing audiences across the globe. Maggie & Bianca Fashion Friends is a huge success story, with millions of fans across the world. This live-action show has matched the success of the globe’s biggest kids brands through its utterly compelling mix of fashion, friendship and music. It tells the story of Maggie - an ordinary American girl with a dream of becoming the world’s greatest fashion designer - who wins a scholarship at the Milan Fashion Academy. There she meets Bianca, a self-proclaimed Italian ‘princess’, and together they make friends with other students, who all share a passion for fashion and music. The show has now reached series 3, where the young friends leave Italy to live in America and face difficult choices about their future friendship and relationships. The Moodboards – the band from the show – have also been entertaining crowds on a sell-out live tour. In addition, the show has also inspired two TV movies, two music CDs from Sony. Sesame Street (Q192) and Esme & Roy are debuting their latest at Licensing Expo this year. Named one of the most innovative companies by Fast Company, Sesame Workshop, and its core brand Sesame Street, are more relevant than ever. Focusing on the Consumer Experience, they announced renewals with SeaWorld and Beaches.This year, a second show is touring with Feld Entertainment, and Sesame Place is debuting its newest coaster Oscar’s Wacky

Taxi. There will also be an inspirational new book for adults: The Joy of Cookies: Cookie Monster’s Guide to Life. From graphic tees, handbags, canvas prints, home décor and skateboards, fans will see playful textures, whimsical shapes, and googly eyes in new collections from Bioworld, Mad Engine, Zara, PUMA, H&M, Globe, Lauren Moshi, Drake General Store and Land of Nod (Crate and Barrel Kids). Sesame Street is collaborating with top lifestyle companies creating distinctive products that resonate across generations. Sesame Workshop’s newest series, Esme & Roy will debut on HBO this year. The hit family friendly game app, slither. io, added Surreal Entertainment to its growing roster of licensees. Created by Lowtech Studios, LLC, slither.io continues to thrill its fans worldwide, achieving 160+ million downloads and over 28 billion plays in 2017. Surreal Entertainment will manufacture and distribute slither.io licensed beverage-ware, novelty items and home goods. Other licensed partners include Party City, Bonkers Toys, Fifth Sun, Accessory Innovations, Franco Mfg, Just Toys Intl., Trends, Aquaris, and Everything Legwear and Raw Thrills. Lisa Berlin Wright of Tie-In Pro, the exclusive licensing agency for slither.io, brokered the deal and will showcase the property at The Licensing Expo where the Licensing Industry Merchandisers Association (LIMA) nominated Bonkers Toys slither.io toy line as one of six nominees of 2018 in the “Toys and Games for Ages 0-12” category for 2018. “We are thrilled to add Surreal Entertainment to the slither.io family of licensees,” said Lisa Berlin Wright. “With millions of players worldwide are excited to bring new licensed products to the market.” “With our mission to be the industry leader in top fan driven merchandise, the slither.io product line will bring fans new and innovative products.” said Sarvish Arora, President, Surreal Entertainment. Slither.io, released by independent developer Lowtech Studios, is the Google Play award-

TOTAL LICENSING winning game and top free app that has taken the world by storm. Slither. io was named Google Play’s 2016 Most

Irresistible and Top Trending game in numerous countries worldwide. The immensely popular Internet sensation was played over 28 billion times in 2017 and was a #1 Free Action Game on Google Play throughout the year. It has been downloaded more than 160 million times worldwide to date. Sony Pictures Entertainment (O214) classic films can elevate and complement pop-cultural trends that are ripe for added value across categories such as apparel, interactive

games, accessories, collectibles and more. Known for its library of classics, Sony is gearing up for big celebrations and upcoming opportunities that include Ghostbusters 35th Anniversary, The Karate Kid 35th Anniversary, Superbad, Step Brothers 10th Anniversary, Poetic Justice 25th Anniversary, Easy Rider 50th Anniversary and more. Sony Pictures Consumer Products is deepening con-

sumer brand experiences and extending IP longevity through creative licensing collaborations. As the industry is shifting to cater to the digital age generation, our strategy will continue to grow these core brands as the storytelling and characters have a timeless quality. Mining the classics library present strong growth opportunities. Ghostbusters is a prime example of a brand that has multigenerational appeal as a result of sustained marketing on the part of Sony Pictures and Ghost Corps. Recent examples include the Stranger Things - Ghostbusters Reebok special edition retro-sneakers that coincided with plot points in the Netflix original Stranger Things and the all-new Ghostbuster World AR mobile game will be released later this year. For 2018 and beyond, Sony Pictures Consumer Products is dedicated to producing collaborations with brands that can capitalize on current trends utilizing these classic films. It’s these pop-cultural driven moments that bridge generations and keep the brand relevant now and in years to come. Synchronicity (M194) report that Jay@Play’s successful plush brand FlipaZoo is moving into the world of licensing at break-neck speed. Global agent Synchronicity, appointed last year to rep the IP, has locked down a raft of new licensees and international agents that are preparing to roll out FlipaZoo product that features the property’s signature flip in the com-

ing months. On board are Basic Fun/ Goodstuff (amusement park plush), Taste Beauty (HBA), Global One Accessories (bags and accessories, headwear, cold weather), Ethical Products (pet products), Jay Franco (bedding and home décor), and Mad Dog Concepts (pajamas, slippers). Additionally, HuntAR is launching a FlipaZoo augmented reality app that uniquely lets kids scan branded product hangtags and packaging to bring their favorite FlipaZoo character to life on their mobile devices. To round out the program, Synchronicity is looking for apparel, publishing, back to school, arts & crafts, costumes, party supply, novelty candy, and FMCG promotions licensees in the US and throughout the world. Additionally, agents Lisle Licensing and Curiosity have been signed on in the UK and Japan, respectively. The iconic, fan favorite puzzle game – Tetris (S265) – is turning 35 next year. In preparation for the milestone, The Tetris Company today announced that it is readying its lineup of global licensee partners to introduce new Tetris-branded products in 2019 and beyond. Spanning games, beauty, apparel, gear, housewares, decorative items, entertainment experiences and more, Tetris is one of the most recognizable and influential video game brands of all time. Brand representatives will be on hand at Licensing Expo. “For nearly 35 years, Tetris has remained one of the most beloved global video game brands ever,” said Maya Rogers, president and CEO of Blue Planet Software, the sole agent for the Tetris brand. “As we head into this historic anniversary year, and to meet the demand of the

TOTAL LICENSING brand’s ever growing fanbase, we’ve developed a comprehensive consumer products strategy with a keen focus on delivering merchandise and experiences that are unique to each region and culture. We’re eager to grow the brand’s remarkable footprint by creating meaningful opportunities for brand and licensing expansion in markets around the world.” Tetris enjoys a massive, dedicated fan base that spans the Americas, Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa. To date, hundreds of millions of Tetris-branded

products have been sold worldwide and the Tetris game has been played in more than 235 countries and translated in over 50 languages. Tetris games have been introduced on more than 50 platforms worldwide. From computers to online, consoles, mobile, tabletop and more, if a gaming platform exists,Tetris is or will be on it. Recent additions include games for the Nintendo Switch, digital and physical casino slot machines and Instant Games for Messenger. More than just a video game,Tetris has evolved into a lifestyle, showcased by fans daily through their use of a range of merchandise products. To date, the ever-growing Tetris-branded product lineup includes apparel and accessories, bespoke suits, toys and games, stylish home and office décor, lottery tickets and more. The brand’s network continues to grow with recent additions including Maurizio Distefano The Evolution of Licensing (Italy and Eastern Europe) and Notorious Brands & People (Spain and Portugal). They join BN Licensing (Benelux), Branding Streams (Canada), Dentsu,

Inc. (Japan), Home Made Licensing (France) and Lisle International (U.K.). At this year’s Licensing Expo 2018, Universal Brand Development (F170) will showcase an expanding portfolio of properties from the company’s film and television creative partners including Universal Pictures, Illumination, DreamWorks as well as NBCUniversal’s TV and cable properties. It has been twenty-five years since Jurassic Park captured the imaginations of global audiences and transported fans to a world where dinosaurs roamed the earth. In June 2018, the wonder, thrill and adventure returns as Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom makes its highly anticipated debut in theaters. Anchored by global partners, Mattel and LEGO, the Jurassic World franchise is supported by its largest program to date. Also, from Universal Pictures comes Mortal Engines. This new epic adventure, directed by Oscar®-winning visual-effects artist Christian Rivers (King Kong), premieres in theaters December 2018. In April 2019, Robert Downey Jr. brings a signature new take on a very particular genius in The Voyage of Doctor Dolittle, the sweeping adventure based on the enduring tales imagined by Hugh Lofting and directed by Academy Award winner Stephen Gaghan. Also in 2019, fans can look forward to the continuation of the Fast & Furious franchise. From the creative teams at Illumination and Universal Pictures, comes a newly imagined version of Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch, starring Benedict Cumberbatch voicing The Grinch. In theaters November 2018, Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch is supported by global master toy licensee, Just Play, and launches just in time for the holidays. Also, from Illumination, The Secret Life of Pets 2 will debut in theaters June 2019, and, in 2020, fans can look for-

ward to both Minions 2 and Sing 2. The highly anticipated next film in the DreamWorks How To Train Your Dragon franchise premieres in theaters Q1 2019, and, Trolls 2, the follow up to the 2016 breakout hit starring Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake, debuts in theaters April 2020. Global master toy partner, Hasbro, continues to expand the breadth and scope of its toy collection, which supports the film franchise as well as the highly popular, 2D animated Netflix original series, DreamWorks Trolls The Beat Goes On! Also part of the DreamWorks portfolio is the award-winning Netflix original series, DreamWorks Spirit Riding Free. Master toy licensee, Just Play and specialty partner, Breyer, and book publishing partner, Little, Brown Books are among the key partnerships supporting the series. Zenescope Entertainment (B111) is a top independent comic book and graphic novel publisher, best known for its dark reimagining’s of fairy tales and its unique takes on horror, sci-fi, and supernatural thrillers. With its flagship series, Grimm Fairy Tales, it boasts the largest female driven shared universe in comics today. A major figure in the Grimm Fairy Tales universe,Van Helsing is the inspiration of the hit SyFy television series. There is now a third season scheduled to air this Fall.

See Total Licensing, Total Brand Licensing and Total Art Licensing at Licensing Expo, Las Vegas, The Character Licensing Fair in Seoul and Licensing Latam

Animaccord, the rights holder of the worldwide phenomenon, Masha and the Bear, this year marks 10 years since the start of the cartoon production. Amazed by the billions of YouTube views and the geography of the show broadcasting, people are questioning what the key to success is. Exactly a decade ago, Oleg Kuzovkov, the creator of today’s hit animated series, together with the Animaccord team did not realise how beloved Masha and the Bear would become, not only among families in Russia, but abroad. The team was inspired by the true friendship of the duo they brought to life – a little mischievous and creative girl Masha who is exploring the world around and her, and her kind and dedi-

cated friend, the Bear. The various appearances of the main character and marvellous locations, outstanding plots of each new episodes, amazing music and the exceptional quality of 3D animation became the unique qualities of the cartoon recognized across the world. During the past 8 years, Animaccord has been breaking boundaries and conquering new markets. The Masha and the Bear series can now be seen on leading national TV channels throughout the world including SBT in Brazil, Universal Kids in the USA, Treehouse in Canada, Clan TV in Spain, Rai Yo-Yo in Italy, KIKA in Germany and many more. The audience’s love for the characters was caused by a strong media presence, which then generated the high demand for licensed consumer products. This led global market players to partner with Animaccord to deliver the Masha and the Bear products of various categories to the shelves of the largest international retailers. As of today, with just 70 released episodes, Animaccord has a strong global partners’ portfolio among which are Spin Master, Little, Brown and Company, Simba Dickie Group, Ferrero, Ravensburger, Egmont

and many others. Expanding into the Indian Market with Consumer Products 2018 was a remarkable year for the Masha and the Bear property as Animaccord, with the support of Viacom 18, expanded into the Indian market with the Consumer Products delivering the diversified line of licensed toys produced by Animaccord’s Master Toy Partner in the EMEA region, Simba Dickie Group. The range includes plush toys, plastic dolls, figurines, playsets, wooden toys, hand puppet sets, musical instruments, toddler toys. etc. The distribution of toys will go to the Hamleys’ stores across India, followed by other leading retailers in the country. Moreover, this year the Easter season was celebrated with the launch of a special collection of licensed Kinder Surprise Maxi eggs in Europe and Kinder Surprise eggs in Mexico, Central America, Europe and CIS. First Cinema Release in MENA For the first time in MENA, Animaccord and INK Media have agreed to a deal with Spacetoon Pictures to bring Masha and the Bear Season 2 to the big screens across the region. The theatrical release successfully took

TOTAL LICENSING place on April 19th in the authorized cinema chains – Vox Cinemas, Novo, Real Cinemas, Roxy and many others. Spacetoon distributed a movie, which brought together 13 episodes of the cartoon’s Season 2 in a single screening. Moreover, the biggest kids expo in MENA “Kids in Motion”, produced by EventBox, brought for the first time in the region the mini live show – Super Masha. The premier took place on February 15 to 17th, 2018 in Jeddah (Jeddah Exhibition Center), with the second series of the live performance taking place on March 1st to 3rd in Riyadh (Al Nakheel Mall), Saudi Arabia. Continuing Journey across Europe In France, Animaccord, together with the Ink Group, has signed a deal to screen Masha and the Bear Season 3 on Piwi + channel (Canal Plus) with the release date of April 2nd. HBO Europe (all Central Europe and Spain) is going to launch two spin-offs from the core show, Masha’s Tales, on May 4th and Masha’s Spooky Stories on June 1st. In the UK, Cartoonito released the brand new Season 3 of the core show in March, which now airs weekdays, adding to the show’s massive global presence. Moreover, The Entertainer, one of the leading toy retailers in the UK, ran the Spring campaign with Masha and the Bear starting on April 22nd and ending on the April 25th. During the campaign period, The Entertainer’s shops were set up with the fabulous branded Masha and the Bear’s POS displays, featuring the hilarious characters creating a fun environment, which were supported by interactive Meet & Greet events with the show character. The previous joint campaign with The Entertainer, which was run in fall 2017,

almost tripled the sales of Masha and the Bear toys from the Simba Dickie Group in the EMEA region. In Portugal, this spring Lemon Live Entertainment brought a Masha and the Bear live performance “Rescue at the Circus!” to the stages of the country. The premiere started in Troia on March 31st with all three sessions held in the Casino de Troia sold out. This led to the opening of three extra sessions on April 1st. The tour will continue its performance across Portugal, from north to south, until May 27th, 2018. Charity is Spreading Love To support the love and equality in the USA, on March 23rd Masha and the Bear joined the charity event Teleton USA, organized in cooperation with the Univision Communications Inc. held at the Univision Studios in Miami. Animaccord participated in the charity broadcasting by providing the costumed characters of kids’ favorite heroes, Masha and the Bear, to perform with the celebrity hosts and meet the supervised patients during the program. To ensure the event’s message of love, peace, and care was widely spread among the TV audience, Animaccord’s team produced a special call-to-action video for Teleton’s foundations with the Masha and the Bear characters to raise donations, which served to maintain Teleton’s rehabilitation centers both in the USA and in Mexico. YouTube Phenomenon Animaccord’s exceptional media strategy towards the series distribution on YouTube made Masha and the Bear one of the leading animated contents on the platform with the overall number of content with Masha views over 35 billion worldwide. This includes views from Vatican City and The Antarctic. Moreover, the single episode, Recipe for Disaster, is the only animated video included in the

list of Top 10 most watched YouTube videos of all time ranked securing in the 6th spot and gaining over 3 billion views. Today Animaccord team continues the production of Season 3 full of new exciting adventures of Masha featured in various appearances – Golf player, Easter bunny, Musketeer, etc. – and her forest pals. The release of each new episode of a brand new Season 3 gains more than a million YouTube views during the first day of launch, which proves how much it is expected among the audience worldwide. Looking into social media, the posts of Masha’s fans, from Europe, Latin and North America to Arabic and Asian countries, parents and kids massively dress up in Masha and the Bear costumes for Halloween, local carnivals, birthday and kindergarten parties, which shows how strong and wide the wonderful story of everlasting friendship has spread throughout the decade.

For licensing enquiries, visit www.animaccord. com/license/contact

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Total Licensing talked to Marie-Laure Marchand, SVP Global Consumer Products Xilam Animation Studios.

Interview: An exciting year for Oggy! 2018 is an exciting year for Oggy, celebrating 20 years, can you tell us how you will be celebrating this key milestone? We are preparing an extensive marketing campaign in our home country, France, that we hope our agents will be able to replicate locally – highlighting this landmark moment for Oggy across the globe. The celebrations will mainly be held in Q4 2018. We are in the midst of finalising agreements so it’s unfortunately a little too early to be sharing more details about our plans to mark this special occasion, however, what I can tell you is that there will be some exciting partnerships, street marketing, a comprehensive social media campaign as well as retail promotions. Stay tuned for further announcements! Why do you think Oggy has kept his appeal for so long? Cartoon comedies have universal appeal and Oggy’s slapstick humour means that it resonates with a wide audience internationally. Both parents and kids really enjoy watching the show and we see a lot of co-viewing. Moreover, Xilam studios has successfully maintained the momentum for Oggy by producing new strong and funny content on a regular basis. The brand is now becoming a “classic” and has been sold to more than 190 countries, with top-class broadcast partners supporting the show globally. The fact that it is a non-dialogue show certainly helps the wide appeal of the brand especially on YouTube – there are no language barriers and it’s also ac-

cessible to children of all ages. We are proud to have earned over 1.6 million subscribers on our YouTube channel and 3.6 million fans on Facebook! In addition to the significant exposure we have on digital platforms, we also have partnerships with Netflix and Amazon which meet kids’ demand to watch their favorite show whenever and wherever they want. How are you appealing to new audiences? We have produced three new seasons of Oggy in 4K and our new season 5 focuses on OGGY through the ages. For the first time, Oggy and his friends appear on screen in different costumes and travel to an array of countries and time periods to meet famous historical characters such as the Pharaohs, Leonardo da Vinci and Napoleon. This creates a fresh twist for fans and gives them the opportunity to visit recognizable key moments of history in a wacky way. As you can see from our partnerships with streamers like Netflix and Amazon, we are also adopting a full 360 strategy that is in sync with the kids’ new content consumption behaviors. Therefore OGGY can now be watched on linear TV as well as on YouTube and SVOD platforms. We also have fun mobile games, alongside a diverse range of merchandise that can be found at retail to give audiences additional brand touchpoints. Can you outline any new licensing plans for Oggy? We have now appointed eight licensing agents across the globe who are developing creative merchandise programmes for Oggy in every key market. For example, Lansay successfully released the first toy range in January into the French market and is now developing its Christmas toy line. We are also in discussions with licensees for merchandise to support the fifth season, ‘Oggy through the Ages’ and have created a fantastic style guide to support this new

content. For the first time ever, chapter books will be released for Oggy and will be based on this new season. Lansay has also developed a happy family card game, Gedis has brought out a sticker collection and Grani in Italy has created a figurine collection based on season five. Nazara, our mobile game partner in India has just finished developing “Oggy Go, World of Racing” which will launch shortly across Asia, the Middle-East and Latin America. The runner game is a perfect match for the brand’s DNA and we are confident that it will delight our fans in these regions. What other big exciting projects have Xilam got coming up? Season three of our slapstick comedy Zig & Sharko is now in full production and is in the same humourous and accessible vein as OGGY. We have just finished developing the brand’s style guide and are currently in discussions with a number of potential licensees. The series is set on an island so beach, summer, vacation and outdoor activities are the main themes of our style guide and fit well for many categories such as toys & games, apparel, sporting goods, homewares, food & beverages, alongside promotions. We are also now introducing our first preschool brand, Paprika, which launched successfully on free TV in France last November and are now looking to build a consumer products program. Last but not least, we are currently in production on a reboot of the classic 1960s series, Mr Magoo. We are confident that our fresh take on the show will capture kids’ attention across the globe. We have already secured major TV exposure for Mr Magoo through broadcast deals with France Télévision in France, K2 in Italy, ITV and CITV in the UK, along with Cartoon Network in Asia and we have many more partners to be announced soon. This property will be one of key licensing focuses in the near future.

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ZAG AT LICENSING EXPO Award-winning global independent animation studio ZAG will be at Licensing Expo under the leadership of André Lake Mayer, President-Global Brand Strategy and Consumer Products with four properties under their ZAG Heroez label an umbrella brand franchise that brings together all the super heroes from the ZAG animated TV series. ZAG HEROEZ Miraculous - Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir airs in over 120 countries worldwide, regularly scoring #1 rankings and lifting overall network ratings with key broadcast partners such as Disney EMEA & Latin America, France’s TF1, UK’s POP, Italy’s Super!, Brazil’s Gloob and Netflix in the USA and has now been greenlit all the way through season five--a total of 130 episodes! Miraculous has also become a digital planetary craze with over 17 billion watch-time minutes and 3.4 billion views in its lifetime (2016/17) on YouTube (authorized and impressive amount of user-generated content)! For 2018 they are adding a comical web series that will feature “chibi” style characters.

With over 300 licensees on board and multiple industry awards, Miraculous passed the $100 million mark in retail sales in 2017. New far-reaching programs for 2018 include the first official global mobile game from Tab Tale, with almost 1 million registered users prior to launch; GUESS x “Be Miraculous” Ladybug Fashion kids capsule collection (EMEA); collectibles from “POP!”; stylized vinyl figures from Funko; PEZ candy dispensers; Ipanema sandals; a live touring stage show; global promotions with Ferrero and Burger King; and a Monopoly Jr. game from Winning Moves in time for Christmas 2018 in EMEA. ZAG is looking to further expand in publishing and party goods, more tailored retailer programs, lifestyle products for young adults and more healthy food and packaged good promotions. ZAG HEROEZ Zak Storm – Super Pirate is an original, multiplatform IP targeting Boys 6 to 11 years-old and the only modern-day transforming “superhero” pirate brand for boys! The Zak Storm - Super Pirate 3D, CGI-animated TV series (39 x 22 minutes) airs in the U.S. on Discovery Family and Sinclair Broadcast Group’s KidsClick TV, and available for streaming on Netflix; and on top-tier cable and free to air TV channels around the globe. Bandai will debut new SKUs of its toy range this Fall that are packed with “digital enhancement” treasure coins, designed to level up the free gaming app. Publishing licensees include Panini for magazines and trading cards; Editorial Planeta in Spain, Gründ in France and Cirandu Cultura in Brazil. Palamon is on board in the U.S., for Halloween costumes; plus numerous licensees have been secured in apparel, accessories and backto-school internationally who will start to debut products in Fall 2018. At Licensing Expo, ZAG will be looking for new partners in publishing, games and puzzles, sporting goods, spring and sum-

mer toys, electronics, apparel, bedding/ bath/beach, party goods and more! Brand new at the Expo is ZAG HEROEZ - Power Players (title not final), a 3D CGI animated/live-action hybrid action-comedy TV series for boys 6–11! In this new series, an inventive boy goes stealth as a 6-inch superhero, gaining super skills as he experiences big missions alongside his favorite action figure friends. Their adventures are both hilarious and daunting! A global master toy partner and several U.S., European and Latin American TV broadcast partners will be announced soon. Also to be introduced is ZAG HEROEZ - Ghostforce, a creepy cool, adventure comedy where three school kids use “ghost” powers to become the “Ghost Force” super hero team that fights and captures the annoying ghosts that haunt their city! Major European and LATAM TV broadcasters are on board and conversations are in process in USA. ZAG is looking to sign up a Master Toy Partner at the Expo. Visit ZAG at Licensing Expo Booth A175

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BEYBLADE BURST SECURES A ‘FRESH’ PROMOTION WITH SUBWAY JUST IN TIME FOR SPRING! The Subway QSR Deal is One of Several Brand Highlights, Including New Product, Animated TV Series Distribution and a World Championship Countdown When you’re in charge of managing the popular Beyblade Burst brand outside of Asia, how do you keep the fan frenzy going while attracting a whole new generation of Bladers? For Sunrights Inc., it’s about reaching the existing target audience while also securing ‘fresh’ promotions. New York City-based entertainment rights company forged a high-visibility promotional partnership with top inter-

national restaurant chain Subway® for its Fresh Fit for Kids™ meals. With an international rollout that began March 31 in Australia and New Zealand, more than 35,000 participating Subway restaurants around the world (including all U.S. locations as of April 27) are featuring a Beyblade Burst-inspired launcher and two spin-

ning tops in Fresh Fit for Kids meals. The promotion will ultimately include restaurants in the United States, Canada, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Luxemburg, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. “Subway has earned its reputation as a top family choice for quick, nutritious food on the go, and the restaurant chain’s wide international reach includes many countries with active Beyblade Burst fans,” said Kaz Soeda, Managing Director of Sunrights Inc. “We are very pleased to work with this stellar partner in bringing some Beyblade Burst fun to Subway Fresh Fit for Kids Meals around the world.” Yet, this promotion isn’t the only way Sunrights Inc. is keeping things fresh for fans. Master Beyblade Burst toy licensee Hasbro has rolled out exciting new product sure to generate some epic battles among fans. Among the highlights are two different Beyblade Burst Switchstrike Dual Packs and a Beyblade Burst Mega Micros-Beystadium. Sunrights Inc.. has also just inked a licensing deal with Epic Story Interactive to develop a Beyblade Burst mobile game slated to debut in fall 2018 with an initial rollout in North America, South America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Beyblade Burst Rivals (working title) is a fastpaced match-3 puzzle battle game for iOS and Android. The robust Beyblade Burst licensing program features some 31 active licensees that continue to expand the brand’s reach globally in most major categories with merchandise hitting the shelves throughout the year. Beyond announcing new Beyblade Burst licensed products, Sunrights

Inc. continues to expand the distribution of the animated Beyblade Burst TV series. Season 2 – Beyblade Burst Evolution – is currently airing on US and Canada’s Disney XD, Canada’s Teletoon, Australia’s 9Go!, made its premiere on Israel’s Nickelodeon (in Hebrew) in March, France’s Canal J and New Zealand’s TVNZ in April. And, finally, Sunrights Inc. and master toy licensee Hasbro are very excited to further the brand’s spirit of competition by unveiling details for the 2018 Beyblade World Championship to be held November 3, 2018 at Kidexpo in Paris, France. The journey to the 2018 Beyblade Burst World Championship begins with a series of Beyblade Burst National Championships in multiple countries from March to September, where Bladers will compete for the opportunity to represent their country on the world stage. Winners from each country will face off at the Beyblade Burst World Championship in Paris, with one victor ultimately claiming glory and being crowned the Beyblade Burst World Champion. Sunrights Inc. plans to continue expanding Beyblade Burst’s international success at Licensing Expo 2018, Booth #B222.

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GIRL POWER! It is a well known fact that the licensing industry has never been slow to embrace equality - to the extent that a high percentage of top jobs in the industry are held by women. Total Licensing took this opportunity to talk to two such women - Debra Joester, President, Joester Loria Group and Lisa Reiner, Managing Director, Europe & Asia Pacific Beanstalk to ask them for their opinion on a number of relevant and timely issues. This current period of time is like no other - and consumers have a real emerging social consciousness. How, in your opinion, can the world of brand licensing evolve to cater to this? Debra Joester Joester Loria Group

Lisa Reiner Beanstalk

Debra Joester: Global issues and growing political tribalism around the world has impacted consumer behavior in a number of ways. In addition to voicing their point of view and protesting on social media and in the streets, today’s consumers carefully scrutinize a company or brand’s position on social issues. Controversial issues are polarizing, but there are ways to appeal to consumers’ social consciousness without wading into controversies. Over the years, research has shown that consumers have higher regard and intent to purchase for brands that support causes and the community. We have seen that aligning with causes that are authentic to a brand’s identity, and consistently supporting those causes yields results. A number of JLG clients have adopted such initiatives over the years. In the UK, The World of Eric Carle works with Action for Children, the oldest children’s charity in the UK, celebrating 150 years in 2019. We partnered with AFC to create the Giant Wiggle annual event with the goal of engaging young children in volunteering

and raising money, with the charity’s only fundraiser designed for participation by children. In 2017 over 62,300 children participated along with their families, pre-schools, playgroups and churches, bringing our fundraising to $325,000 since inception in 2014. Licensees like Cawston Press, Penguin Books and retailers have also supported the Giant Wiggle and seen the benefit of joining consumers in supporting a great cause. Lisa Reiner: Today’s consumer is more environmentally and socially conscious than ever and brands in all areas need to be mindful of their consumer target when developing new offers. Products and services must always live up to the core brand’s promise in terms of equity and mirror the brand’s core messaging, which might also relate to the environment and CSR objectives. Consumers today are actually looking for fewer products but products that are built to perform and last. The licensing strategy must be mindful of this, as must the identification of licensees capable of developing product that our more socially conscious. It is critical that when seeking to develop relevant brand enhancing extensions, brands understand consumer, product and retail trends, all which have a significant impact on where a brand has permission to stretch. This is true whatever the business model

but even more so for licensing whereby investment by licensees is contingent on their confidence in success. As a business Beanstalk is constantly monitoring new trends, both independently and working alongside fellow Omnicom agencies, to understand the fast changing brand landscape and impact on the broader marketing mix. In terms of how these trends effect the world of brand licensing for example, we know that younger consumers value experience above the acquisition of more products. Experiences generate social discussion currency and are unique to the individual. In recent years brands have been extending in the experimental space, via the licensing and other business models, and we see this as a key area of opportunity for brands with a strong emotional connection going forward. Leading drinks brand owner Diageo has been quick to leverage its unique portfolio of beverages in the experiential space, most recently launching the Guinness Export House and Baileys’ Treat Stop to give brand admirers the opportunity to experience their brands in a new and exclusive way.The Baileys pop-up featured customisable Baileys hot drinks with sprinkles, treats and glitter, as well as hands-on cocktail workshop classes and the opportunity to purchase other indulgent Baileys products.

Bearing this in mind, how accountable would you say brands need to be to their end user? DJ: Consumers rate brands and their owners on factors including ethical policies, corporate culture, and transparency and responsiveness when there are issues with their products or services. These factors that are fundamental to a brand’s credibility. Contributions made to causes and communities such as providing prod-

TOTAL LICENSING ucts and services when disaster strike, and supporting charities are well received by consumers, as long as these activities as authentic and not exploitative. A number of leading brands have dynamic philanthropic programs that are operated very separately and are not leveraged to sell products and services. LR: The conversation between brands and consumers have never been more direct or more honest. Corporate brands are increasingly mindful of the need for transparency and to create a genuine open message to consumers. A study conducted by Label Insight in 2016, found that 94 per cent of consumers are more likely to be loyal to brands who are completely transparent. In the simplest form: transparency builds trust with consumers. A key area where brands should establish transparency is how products are manufactured – labour conditions, quality of materials, environmental impact etc. As an agency, Beanstalk is very mindful of the importance to ensure that all licensed products secured on behalf of our clients are produced to the highest ethical standards, and we have robust due diligence and monitoring processes to ensure that these are met and adhered to. With the rise of informed consumers, brands who are transparent will not only attract new consumers, but retain existing consumers – increasing brand loyalty.

To use the millennial expression to be ‘woke’, meaning the generation of young, politically and socially aware people, who no longer blind purchase but make informed decisions based, partly, on their influences from social media, liberal news sources etc - how does a brand with decades of history tailor to this new wave of consumers? DJ: Companies best positioned to connect with millennials have brand teams and executives that reflect the diversity of our population. Women

and minorities need to be empowered to articulate their point of view and experiences, and participate in making key decisions. At this time, brands across the spectrum from established brands to new, disruptive brands are struggling to integrate inclusiveness into their corporate culture. We continue to see companies lose the confidence and support of consumers due to inappropriate behavior and decisions by senior executives, poor treatment of workers and an unwillingness to give women and minorities a meaningful role in the company. The scrutiny that offensive behavior and policies are getting is challenging companies to change. Consumers are showing their displeasure by boycotting brands, deleting leading apps and making their displeasure knows, and we have begun to see companies respond. LR: Brands, whether old or young need to tell a genuine, open story to their consumers in order to be relevant to today’s more socially aware consumer (who incidentally are not all young). In an age when marketers can no longer fabricate a brand’s story (though marketers are no doubt still in the business of creating dreams), older brands often have the advantage of years of heritage upon which to build their brand messaging. Younger consumers are drawn as much to brands with history as to nimble, younger brands that become that latest “trend”, and there is certainly the opportunity for each in the market place. The key is for every brand, whatever its history, is to be authentic and transparent, to tell a story that is aspirational to this emerging consumer, and to tell it through messaging and mediums that resonate directly with them.

On a more general note, technology is changing and developing rapidly. How do you think this can benefit a brand extension program? DJ: Technology has created influencers, driven billions of views of new content and allowed brand owners to tap into communities of consumers. It

has allowed brand owners to effectively communicate with likely consumers and minimize wasted dollars and impressions. Simultaneously, consumers have enthusiastically embraced digital media and all the access and information it provides. The impact has been profound! However, 2018 is shaping up to be a year of reckoning and realization for hundreds of millions of consumers, and technology companies. The new EU privacy rules will make access to consumer data more restrictive, while in the U.S., recent scrutiny of Facebook and other platforms has elevated consumer concern and anger over how “private” information is used and abused. Technology will continue to directly connect brands and consumers and greatly benefit brands, but brand owners will need to insure their digital marketing meets new regulations and consumer expectations. LR: The emergence of on-line retail has accelerated the speed at which brands can engage, and equally has given them the ability to talk directly and immediately to consumers. This affects both core and licensed products, and can benefit a brand extension programme through accelerated speed to market and direct consumer engagement. However, increasingly consumers want to touch and try products as they shop, an experience only brick and mortar retail can offer. Research suggests that this is particularly true for younger consumers. As a result, E-commerce brands have started to recognise the importance of physical retail as part of the overall brand experience and we are increasingly seeing brands that emerged in the digital space entering brick and mortar retail, thereby offering them an experience that blends offline and online worlds. By example, British etailer Missguided has extended its online presence in a brick and mortar store in Bluewater Shopping Centre, which features ‘Instagrammable’ moments to reinforce their online #BabesofMissguided and seasonal installations to bring fashion trends to life – blurring the lines between physical and digital.

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In terms of brand sectors - e.g. automotive, celebrity, food and drink etc - are there any sectors which you see as being ripe for growth or development? DJ: Restaurant, food and beverage extensions to closely aligned foods and beverage categories continues to be a sweet spot, as retailers and consumers seek brands they trust and their favorite flavor profiles. Celebrity licensing appears to have waned while leading social media influencers continue flourish. On the entertainment front, we anticipate break-outs based on popular entertainment on YouTube, Netflix, and other streaming services will emerge, as kids increasingly view entertainment on those platforms. LR: One sector that is ripe for growth within the licensing industry, is the emergence of social media influencers as brands in their own right. Social media platforms have enabled individuals to build their own brand, and the most successful of these have established an authority in a particular sector – lifestyle, health and wellness, beauty etc., that has led to demand for products in the name of the influencer. Licensing as a business model is enabling these new celebrities to bring product to market, building on the product development and distribution capabilities of specialist licensees, and supported by a direct route to the consumer via the influencer’s social media channels. A group of influencers who are often referred to as the Celebrity Glam Squads have successfully launched their own branded programmes, enabled by the big name celebrities often tagging their beauty or hair professional in their Instagram posts; Kardashian favourites such as makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic (@makeupbymario) launched master class tutorials in which tickets sell out in minutes, along with own branded cosmetic palettes, and hairstylist Jen Atkin (@jenatkinhair) has a successful haircare range under the Ouai brand,

illustrating the power that these individuals have to leverage their specialism and social media power to create their own brands. A further area that we anticipate growth is for brands linked to Health and Wellness, a movement that has migrated from a “trend” into an accepted lifestyle sector. Brands that have a health and wellness angle – be it technology, food or celebrity – offer opportunities to capitalise on the consumer’s desire to lead a healthier life.

Finally, how do you see the brand extension and licensing sector growing moving forwards? Both in your domestic market and internationally? DJ: The market is cyclical, and at this time, the impact of retail bankruptcies and retail private label brands in the US is making market entry and growth more challenging. It will take a couple of years to replace the lost distribution caused by the closing of over 7000 doors last year and the loss of Toys R Us in 2018. Nevertheless, we are bullish on the long-term opportunities provided by great brands and popular content. LR: We see experiential as a key area for growth, mirroring the trend highlighted earlier. As part of a robust strategic plan, experiences can offer brands both short and long-term opportunities and answer demand for multi-sensory brand experiences alongside physical products. In addition, we continue to see the trend for collaborations as a key area for growth. Dual branded collections, which are often based on the unexpected convergence of brands, or ‘frenemies’, are by nature limited edition and therefore, become highly desirable by consumers, generating significant social media currency for both brands. One of the most significant collaborations in recent seasons, Louis Vuitton x Supreme, was limited edition, exclusive, and highly collectible, even before the first products were released.

Beanstalk client Braun, a German consumer products company known for its innovation, design and technology, also collaborated with Supreme in 2015 to debut a dual branded travel alarm clock which quickly became a collectible item. Another growing area where brand extension and licensing is developing is personalisation. A recent study by Deloitte found that at least one-inthree consumers want the ability to personalise products and 71 per cent of consumers are prepared to pay a premium price for personalised items. With the growth of online retail and the readily available information about products, brands are now able to personalise products to order, and we see this as an area ripe for development in the licensing industry. Finally, from an international perspective brands that are culturally aware will succeed by tailoring licensing programmes to be relevant to consumers’ tastes and needs on a local level. Cutting and pasting strategy built in North America to Asia is not a sound approach and one that still many global brands are trying to employ. While Asia is evolving at a dizzying pace, it is not evolving to be the United States of Asia. It is a fragmented region of many different countries with unique e-commerce platforms, consumer tastes, lifestyle needs and impressive homegrown brands and influencers. Brands that are open to licensing into products and services that deliver value to consumers on a local level will retain staying power and growth in the increasingly diverse international landscape.

Pick up your copy of Total Licensing, Total Brand Licensing and Total Art Licensing at Licensing Expo, Las Vegas

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Closing In On the $10 Billion Mark Women are making their mark in the gaming market While Broadening the Core Audience Recent NPD data reports that the board game category has grown nearly 30% over the last couple of years, well above the rest of the toy industry. What is even more remarkable is that the adult board game subcategory has grown almost 200%. Many associate the rise in sales with the “nesting” trend. It appears that older Millennials settling down are now looking for time to unplug and socialize offline. Lifestyle media trendspotters like Well + Good refer to staying home as “The New Going Out.”

A Broadening Market Women interested in gaming are also on the rise in the adult tabletop category. Jessica Aceti and Deirdre Cross of Forrest-Pruzan Creative are not at all surprised that women of all ages are flocking to this area of play. Located in Seattle, Forrest-Pruzan Creative is an award-winning game invention, design, and play-testing studio working with the likes of Asmodee, PlayMonster, Disney, Ravensburger and more. “There is incredible diversity and variety in today’s board games,” said Aceti. “You can build an ancient civilization with games like Seven Wonders, or you can be immersed in the world with your favorite characters in cooperative games like Harry Potter: Hogwarts Battle.”

Gamers out on the Town For the game enthusiasts wanting to get out of the house, there are board game cafes and bars capitalizing on the trend all over the world. With more than 3,500 games a year entering the market, cafes like The Chatterbox Pub in Minneapolis and Vigilante in Austin offer consumers greater opportunities to experience new titles. The Uncommons in Manhattan hosts special events on International TableTop Day, and is open from 8:30am to midnight during the week, and even later on the weekend. Draughts is London’s first board game-themed venue, and with a selection of over 500 games to choose from, it is often packed. But Library Pot, The Rosemary Branch, The Gallery, and Thirsty Meeples also rank high on the list of favorites for gamers. Even Parisians get geeky with many game spots to choose from, including Le Dernier that has original cocktails all named after favorite comic book characters like “Poison Ivy.” Rome, Milan, Berlin, Stockholm and more are all cities also welcoming passionate players with venues built for them. According to Mintel in a report done late 2016, roughly 30 percent of millennials say they are interested in visiting a board-game themed café or bar. Big Meeples Board game biggie Hasbro ranks in the top four in gaming, sitting alongside Asmodee, Goliath, and Ravensburger. These giants are home to hundreds of titles between them. Hasbro’s roster, mostly gained through the years by way of acquisition, includes beloved titles like Monopoly, Battleship, Scrabble, and Yahtzee by legendary game companies Parker Brothers and Milton Bradley. Many titles are geared toward children, but others like the classic murder mystery game Clue takes a bit more concentration and strategy to win. Their latest, Cranium Adult Party Board Game is better played after the younger set has hit the hay. “With 2.1 billion gamers worldwide,

it’s an exciting time to be part of the gaming industry,” said Tanya Thompson, Director of Global Product Acquisition Games at Hasbro. “No matter your age or generation, our classic games like Clue and Scrabble as well as social games like Pie Face and Speak Out continue to bring people together for fun and meaningful face-to-face interactions.” The Narrative Power of Games Strategic board games these days are not just toyetic, but play like true theatrical experiences. Many, like runaway hit Pandemic, have ongoing storylines leading into sequel releases. These narratives have created a whole new category called “Legacy Games.” Publisher of Pandemic, Asmodee strives to bring an immersive story to its audience for each release. Other top games pushing the boundaries of imagination for Paris-based Asmodee include Ticket to Ride, Agricola, Mysterium, 7 Wonders, and Splendor. Catan, originally released in 1995, is currently in development with Sony for a major theatrical release. Andy Jones is a recent addition to Asmodee, heading up the new entertainment division. Jones aims to explore new forms of content via various mediums to create true experiences for their fans. “At Asmodee, we say that we are all about Great Games and Amazing Stories, and we mean it! We want to follow game players throughout their life, both on board and off,” states Jones. “We have been able to create some really great stories through our games which has afforded us the power to explore other areas to further transform those intensely immersive stories. The way we see it, when you have a game with a great story, the sky’s the limit.” Asmodee is an ever-growing board game behe-

Debbie Dunn Managing Director The Brand Guild debbie@thebrandguild.net

On a professional level, 2018 seems promising for the future of women in tabletop. Women are not only being recognized for their contributions to creation and design but also being acknowledged as real enthusiasts with a voice in the marketplace. Just visit a tabletop online forum to find out quickly that female hobbyists are passionate, competitive, and proud of it. These fangirls are interested in outsmarting their opponents and winning. It brings a powerful new meaning to “playing games like a girl.”

TOTAL LICENSING also release titles on a wider scale; bookended between the start-ups and the giants. Makers like GMT Games who have been producing war games for 27 years, Alderac Entertainment Group (Smash Up), CoolMiniorNot (Zombicide), Cephalofair Games (Gloomhaven), just to name a few.

Debbie Dunn is a 20-year veteran of the licensing & merchandising industry. Currently, she is managing director of The Brand Guild, a boutique agency specializing in the business development of emerging trends, licensing, marketing, communications and digital engagement for the consumer products industry.

moth, extremely active in adding many well-known and loved studios, brands, games and distributors to its corporate family through acquisition and partnerships, growing at a rate unmatched in recent years. Not since Hasbro gobbled up Milton Bradley and Parker Brothers in the 80’s and 90’s have we seen such cardboard procurement. With its recent acquisition of Mayfair Games, the company has obtained the rights to over 20 game publishers, developers, and distributors in all since 2008. And industry veterans believe there’ll be more. A Place Where Inventors Rule Inventors are the core of the board game business and always have been. Hobbyist know this and treat them with high regard, many times following them through every update. At events like Gen Con and sites like Board Game Geek, and The Dice Tower, fandom abounds as they are treated like celebrities. Today’s female game inventors are creating games of all sorts, and are often being awarded for it.The Spiel des Jahres Award is one of the industry’s highest honors; the Academy Award of gaming. Women like Inka Brand have been awarded and nominated multiple times for games like Exit: The Game,Village,The Enchanted Tower and more. Others through the years have also been responsible for creating more mainstream games like Leslie Scott for Jenga. A True Community These days there’s not a ton of chatter online about what is being played

offline. The blog-o-sphere and forums abound with influencers sharing the ins and outs of play. The “boardgames” sub-Reddit has over a half-million people talking about their hobby. Board Game Geek (BGG) tallies a visit count of 20+ million each month, and comes complete with a marketplace known as “Geek Market” where registered users can buy and sell games online. BGG prides itself on being the ultimate authority in this thriving category covering board games, dice games, card games, tile-laying games, and games of dexterity. All are welcome to the online forum, as well as the blog that posts seven days a week. Tom Vasal, whom, since 2004, has dedicated his family-friendly podcast, website and YouTube channel called The Dice Tower to promoting board and card games. Vasal is now joined by a host of gaming enthusiasts whose goals are to promote the hobby, as well as the people who are involved in creating the exciting world of board games. Others include Gameosity, Peace, Love & Games, Board Game Quest, The Board Game Family, Shut Up & Sit Down, Everything Board Games, and Board Gaming, just to name a few. On YouTube Watch It Played will teach the rules to table top games and then play them so fans can determine which ones are a good fit for them. Contenders That Cannot be Ignored The great thing these days in gaming is that there’s always room for great ideas. There are several notables that

Up-Starts Giving Everyone a “Kick” in the Pants Many say that the sudden growth in board games can, at least partly, be attributed to crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter. With a goal of producing 500 card decks, for $10,000, inventors Elan Lee and Matt Inman started their record-breaking Kickstarter campaign for Exploding Kittens.The game raised over $8 million dollars with nearly 220,000 backers. Round two for them was Bears vs. Babies, now on the market with a furry plush box. Another crowdfunded runaway hit, this time raising over $3 million from 85,000+ backers. Ameritrash Games also made happy camper status with their Kickstarter campaign for Camp Grizzly. Who knew bears were even a thing? Surprisingly, tabletop games make five to six times more money than video games on Kickstarter. But many designers debate the future of the new funding trend, saying that it is often not a way to commercial success. Sadly, few even make their minimums to produce an order. Still others like Deirdre Cross of Forrest-Pruzan Creative say that crowdfunding is great for creativity. “Ten years ago, the only way you could get your game made, was to pitch it to a publisher,” says Cross. “Now inventors can try their hand at going directly to the end consumer. Even if your campaign is only moderately successful, it could make it possible to produce samples to help you pitch your concept to game publishers.” Tabletop World Domination In a world where Internet addiction is actually a thing, it’s nice that board games are there. Board games have a social function. A way for people to really connect with one another. The human element.

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SANTORO GROW GORJUSS PROGRAM Santoro is reporting a very strong 2018 for their Gorjuss collection which saw the year commence with a major TV advertised collectable campaign from Planeta DeAgostini in January, coupled with the announcements of many new partner signings following the appointment of Rainbow SRL as their licensing agent for Italy, France, and Turkey. Speaking with Founder and Creative Director Meera Santoro, she says, “We have signed over 20 new contracts since BLE, and are reporting a 40% growth from 2016. Gorjuss has already become a US$172 million brand, and the international markets interest in Gorjuss is continuing to climb. 48 million Gorjuss products were sold in 2017, which is quite simply incredible.”

New signings include FMCG contracts for seasonal confectionery, corn snacks, bottled water, plasters and new product launches this year will include homewares, educational games, wooden furniture, new collectables, and much more. Meera adds, “We will also unveil some beautiful new organically grown artworks this year, which are particularly drawn from the heart, which will adorn some very exciting new products.” Since its launch in 2009 Gorjuss is now available at over 35,000 POS across 93 countries worldwide, and continues to strengthen in Europe through our most valiant distributors and 65 licensees, with a particularly phenomenal year in Spain where Gorjuss is now the top selling license for girls for the second year running. More to be unveiled at BLE in October. For further information please contact Jo Campbell jcampbell@santorographics.com

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ODDBODS ACCELERATES ITS GLOBAL REACH Oddbods, is an Emmy nominated, nondialogue animated series that centres on the adventures of seven adorable and very different characters who survive the perils of everyday life, turning ordinary situations into extraordinary adventures with lots of belly laugh humour along the way. Oddbods has expanded its global footprint at break-neck speed and is now aired in over 180 countries across 35 broadcasters and VOD platforms including the Disney Channel, Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, and Netflix with the latter recently securing an additional 30 hilarious new episodes. Following the success of the first long form Christmas Special last year, 2 further 22 minute specials are green-lit for launch later this year. The show’s digital audience numbers are also sky-rocketing: Oddbods’ YouTube channels are now generating a staggering 3.5BN views to date, averaging 9M views daily! Meanwhile, a recent slew of gaming and consumer product partnerships are increasing the brand’s touch-points still further: Launching this year are a series of mobile games for iOS, Android and Google Play platforms in partnership with leading developers including SEGA that combine freemium game play with winning formats including Augmented Reality features. Also joining the portfolio of digital gaming is a

Virtual Reality freemium game offering a 360 fully immersive viewer experience, available on Google Cardboard, Google Daydream and Samsung Gear VR. Pursuing International cross-category ambition for the brand, One Animation has appointed Kids Station Inc, and Bentex Group Inc. as master toy and apparel licensees respectively in North America and this Summer will see the brand launch in Target stores across the territory. Additionally, The Cookie Company will produce a range

been appointed as the core toy licensee for Oddbods in the territory, with product hitting shelves from Q4 2018. The highly anticipated range will include bright and engaging interactive plush, figurines and collectables. The hilarious antics of the relatable animated characters are also well represented across a variety of digital platforms in the region, facilitated by deals with best in class video streaming platforms which together have amassed an incredible audience of over 1BN views since launch just a little over 12 months ago. Further capitalising on the digital playground and new also for Q2 2018 is an interactive digital app from Sindrax, which allows fans to get up close and personal with the favourite characters through customisation, using cutting edge multi-media technology and story-telling. Sashim Parmanand, CEO, One Animation, enthuses; ‘This great raft of partnerships with best in class international leaders is testament to the popularity of the show and the insatiable demand for Oddbods product. Into 2019 we are following a robust strategy to continue to delight fans with fun and creative activations across consumer products, digital, gaming and on-ground events whilst continually

of apparel reflecting the brand’s fun and on trend brand values via a Pan European deal. World domination doesn’t stop there however as the Oddbods head to China with the team recently securing a raft of new toy and digital licensees in the region: King Bee has

pushing the boundaries expected from our worldwide audiences.’ But the fun doesn’t stop there! From the wider studio portfolio; following the success of Season 1 of Insectibles, the studio is in production on a second season of BIG adventures. And in true One Animation style, the latest addition to the studio’s progressive portfolio, a new rambunctious series, ‘Hardboiled’, is in development with 52 x 11min episodes in the making. Visit the team at the Licensing Expo, stand L226 to discuss potential opportunities!

Sashim Parmanand, CEO, One Animation

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Pat the Dog Goes to Benelux ProSiebenSat.1 Licensing signs with License Connection ProSiebenSat.1 Licensing is taking the next step in the marketing of the Pat the Dog license: The agency License Connection has now partnered with ProSiebenSat.1 Group’s licensing company to promote the brand licensing of the animated children’s series in the Benelux countries. License Connection is a well-known Licensing Agency based in the Benelux region. The Agency represents a variety of properties for major International Copyright Owners. License Connection connects brands to a wide range of quality products by working closely together with dedicated local Licensing Partners. “We have found a very successful partner for the Benelux countries in License Connection. We were as convinced by its long-standing expertise in the licensing sector, experience with major brands, and contacts with local retailers and manufacturers as we were by its sustainable partnerships and successful campaigns. All these are crucial factors for the international success of Pat the Dog,” explained Robert Merkel, Managing Director of ProSiebenSat.1 Licensing. “We are proud to partner with ProSiebenSat.1 Licensing. It is a privilege to work with such a great company and its team”, said Daphne Kellerman, Owner of License Connection. “Pat the Dog is very humoristic and appeals kids as well as adults. We are excited to start representing the brand and we believe it will be a strong partnership with ProSiebenSat.1 Licensing.” The Pat the Dog franchise from Superprod has been part of ProSiebenSat.1 Licensing’s portfolio since November 2017 and will be exploited worldwide. In order to implement the international license marketing quickly and effectively, ProSiebenSat.1 Licensing is working with the best agencies in each country. For the UK and USA, it is already partnered with Retail Monster LLC. As a first step, an international mas-

ter toy partner will be sought. Then, the product portfolio will be gradually expanded in order to reach fans and keep them interested in the franchise beyond the TV show. Pat the Dog is the TV adaptation of the globally successful mobile game Space Dog with more than 45 million users. The series follows the adventures of a dog named Pat, who will go to any lengths to make his owner Lola happy and to keep her out of all sorts of trouble. Lola is always full of new ideas, but she never sees them through to the end. So Pat often has to put the chaos this causes back to rights. The series is produced by Superprod and Animoka Studios. To date, there have been 4 billion sessions, more than two million games played per day and 1.5 million active players per month. The game has been translated into many languages including Russian, Spanish, Italian, German, Chinese The famous digital pooch also appears in a cartoon series mixing action and comedy.m The first series comprises 78 x 7 minute episodes and series 2 is in production. The 78 episodes are airing on RTBF and VRT in Belgium, TSR in Switzerland, Radio Canada, Discovery Latin America, Turner EMEA & Asia Pacific and Disney Channel in the US, TV3 and Disney in Spain, etc. covering over 180 territories. The series has been on air since June on Disney Channel in the USA with up to 1,09 millions viewer and is above channel average of 800K viewers. Seasons 2 is planned for Q1/2019 again on Disney Channel US In the UK, the series airs on pay TV channel Boomerang and in Spain where it is a top 5 show it airs on Disney Channel. In Germany it launches on Disney Channel in Autumn this year. Commenting on the series, Robert Merkel continued, “Pat the Dog is action coupled with loads of humor

and emotions for the whole family. We are proud to be representing the licensing for this franchise internationally from now on. With Pat the Dog, we have acquired a high-quality CGI animation that occupies a unique brand position between “boysy” superheroes and “girly” princesses.”

ProSiebenSat.1 Licensing GmbH specializes in ProSiebenSat.1 Group’s licensing business. It provides clients with licenses and promotional rights for in-house station and program brands like “Galileo,” “Germany’s Next Topmodel,” and “The Voice of Germany.” The company covers the entire value chain of license exploitation for TV programs, cinematic highlights, and third-party rights, such as “Danger Mouse” and “The Big Bang Theory.” As a lifecycle company, ProSiebenSat.1 Licensing aims to have a suitable franchise for every target group in the portfolio and to implement the topics with a uniform franchise strategy.

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RAINBOW READY TO LIGHT UP LAS VEGAS! Content powerhouse Rainbow is ready to sprinkle magic at the Vegas Licensing Expo by showcasing four of the hottest brands in world licensing on stand O192 – 44 Cats, Winx Club, Regal Academy, and Maggie & Bianca Fashion Friends. 44 Cats is a Rainbow production in collaboration with Antoniano Bologna that follows the daily adventures of Lampo, Milady, Pilou, and Polpetta – cats who are all part of a music band named The Buffycats. The four kittens are homeless and get shelter in a garage, transforming it into a ‘Clubhouse’. When they’re around humans, they act like cats, but when they’re by themselves – they act like humans! And – just like kids - they see the world of human adults as confusing and full of strange rules. Storylines explore the themes of friendship and altruism: the main characters love helping others and this drives many of their adventures, as they find creative solutions to everyday hitches by dealing naturally with important themes like tolerance, diversity and acceptance. This big-hearted series promotes positive, can-do attitudes, and conveys a positive message in a funny environment. Many broadcasting deals have already been signed - including with Super RTL, Germany’s No.1 commercial

children’s channel and there has been a great response from across the international TV market, with announcements in the pipeline for major broadcasting channels in France, Russia, Latin America, Greece, Benelux, the UK and many others territories. Winx Club is the evergreen classic that is one of the world’s most popular girls brands and follows the adventures of a group of young fairies as they combine school life with battling against the forces of evil. The show mixes action/adventure with comedy and appeals to girls from 4 to 10 right up to tween/teen. The brand first debuted in 2004 and now boasts 182 produced episodes, 4 TV movies and 3 theatrical releases. Series 8 - featuring 26 brand new episodes will premiere at the beginning of 2019 to celebrate 15 years since the launch of the brand. This steady stream of content produced by Rainbow is the cornerstone of the show’s success, as it ensures there is always something new and exciting for fans to explore and keep the brand fresh. Content always follows the needs of the audience and is suitable for the target age group, which in turn has led to the devotion of millions of Winx Club fans. And Rainbow is also cooperating with Netflix in the development of a new live-action version of Winx Club, which will reinvent this magical show in a completely new format! Regal Academy is the hilarious, fresh and funny show that takes the familiar world of fairy tales and turns

it on its head through the adventures of Rose Cinderella, a normal girl who suddenly finds herself in the world of Fairy Tales. Here she discovers that Cinderella is… her granny! Rose is enrolled at the fabled Regal Academy where her fellow students include Hawk SnowWhite, Travis Beast, Joy LeFrog, Astoria Rapunzel and LingLing Iron Fan, all of whom belong to the school’s founding families. These five famous fairy tale families not only run the school but also the lives of their grandchildren – or at least they try to! When the fairy tale clans aren’t fighting with each other, they’re butting heads with Rose and the rest of the new generation, who have their own ideas about what the life of a ‘Prince Charming’ or a ‘Damsel in Distress’ is all about. A superb new season of the show is now on offer - with rich new content and a high quality of animation - that is currently wowing audiences across the globe. In it, Rose Cinderella and her friends are back from summer holidays and ready to face new and exciting adventures in fairytale Land. In this exhilarating second season our heroes have to deal with mysterious new student Kira, and the evil Snow Queen - who wants to trap them all

TOTAL LICENSING in her Snow Globes! Helped by new magical items and funny pumpkin creatures called the PomPoms, they will undertake incredible missions to become the next generation of fairytale heroes! Maggie & Bianca Fashion Friends is a huge success story, with millions of fans across the world. This live-action show has matched the success of the globe’s biggest kids brands through its utterly compelling mix of fashion, friendship, music and two cultures coming together. It tells the story of Maggie - an ordinary American girl with a dream of becoming the world’s

greatest fashion designer - who wins a scholarship at the Milan Fashion Academy. There she meets Bianca, a self-proclaimed Italian ‘princess’, and their encounter is a real clash, as they come from totally different worlds and have opposite personalities. This make them argue – often - but as they get to know each other better they hit it off and also make friends with other students, who all share a passion for fashion and music. The show has now reached series 3, where the young friends leave Italy to live in America and face difficult choices about their future friendship and relationships. In addition to the show’s huge broadcast success, The Moodboards – the band from the show - have been entertaining crowds throughout Italy on a soldout live tour starting from October 2017, with dates in many major Italian cities. The show has also inspired two TV movies, and two music CDs from Sony.

All these brands benefit from Rainbow’s 360 degree approach to marketing, which includes major events to engage directly with the target market, co-marketing with important partners to grow brand visibility, and usergenerated content and viral contests that involve fans through social media. Rainbow follows a global marketing plan but this is turned into countryspecific initiatives in each territory that take into account local culture and customs. The global strength and popularity of Rainbow’s brands means that licensing is an essential part of the company’s

business, making it the world’s twelfth biggest licensor. Over 500 active licensees use Rainbow brands across a host of merchandising categories, including fashion, food and drink, publishing, BTS, footwear and fashion dolls.These partners are supported by

artistic and style guidance from Rainbow’s talented and dedicated team of professional artists and designers. The Rainbow Group was founded in 1995 by Iginio Straffi, still President and Chief Executive Officer, and gained a worldwide reputation thanks to the extraordinary success of the Winx Club fairies brand. The group operates in the children and teenager entertainment industry, ranking among the main international companies for the development of content – both animated and live action – for TV and cinema productions, as well as for the creation, development and licensing of content and the production of animated content for third parties, integrated by the group with the acquisition of Canadian studios Bardel Entertainment in 2015.With the acquisition of Iven Group in 2017, the Rainbow Group has also broadened its offer of TV and movie products dedicated to adults and families, with the TV formats and film library owned by Colorado Film Production S.r.l., (one of Iven Group’s companies) that has been active on the market for more than 30 years. In over 20 years of experience, the group has created and developed a variety of properties and can count on a product portfolio aired in over 100 countries through different broadcasting platforms; in the consumer products industry, has led to the company being 13th on the yearly Global Licensor List worldwide - and 1st in Europe - with more than 500 licensees worldwide on a global scale.

TOTAL LICENSING INK Group will have a huge presence at the forthcoming Las Vegas Licensing Expo, with a portfolio of brands that underline the company’s commitment to unique properties that combine distinct originality with strong stories, thus creating shows that appeal not only to international media buyers, but most importantly to kids. Each project that INK nurtures and supports has been carefully selected to stand out in the crowded marketplace of kids television, and aspires to reach the top 25% of the industry.

INK GROUP SET TO MAKE A BIG IMPACT AT VEGAS 2018 The company’s stand F204 will be partly branded with INK Group’s ZAFARI – the new animation that looks certain to be one of the biggest kids’ brands of recent years. Some ideas come along only once in a generation and have the ability to connect with people on a deeply personal level, but also on a worldwide scale. ZAFARI - the creation of animation visionary David Dozoretz - strives to be one of those rare ideas. It tells the story of a group of friends who inhabit a land where all the resident animals have been magically born with an amalgamation of varying skins, patterns and characteristics, making each individual truly unique. In our age of mixed races, modern families, bullying of children and more, ZAFARI teaches that we need not only to tolerate - but to embrace - what makes us unique. The series follows the adventures of Zoomba – a little elephant with zebra stripes – as he explores and makes sense of the world. ZAFARI concentrates on the themes of inclusivity and friendship, showing kids that everybody is unique in some way and that our differences should be celebrated. NBCUniversal International Distribution is the distributor for Media Rights and a large host of broadcasters are embracing INK’s vision for the series and have joined the ZAFARI franchise across Latin Amer-

ica, Asia and Europe whilst Hachette is on board as Global French-language publisher. The series is also linked with World Wildlife Fund (WWF) – a unique collaboration and the first of its kind – with each episode of ZAFARI featuring a video aimed at educating viewers about wildlife and wild places on our planet. This will use the global reach of ZAFARI to further the conservation message and create future generations of WWF supporters. In addition to ZAFARI, INK Group will present a range of other top brands at the Expo: Masha and the Bear is the global heavyweight that, through a combination of enticing and engaging story and beautiful animation, has transcended its home country of Russia

and become a global hit that is now broadcast in almost every country in the world – via both pay and free-toair channels. Now one of the top 3 brands in Europe, the show chronicles the adventures of a little girl called Masha and the Bear who becomes her reluctant playmate and is the work of leading Russian animation studio Animaccord. The recently launched season three has already been snapped up by channels in the UK, Italy, Turkey, MENA, France, Germany, Nordics, Asia, Greece and elsewhere. The show has also spawned two hit spin-offs – Masha’s Tales and Masha’s Spooky Stories and has a third music inspired spin-off in the works – the show is also a huge YouTube hit with over 35 billion views via the platform. In addition, Masha and the Bear has enjoyed a successful theatrical release across key European markets, making it successful across a wide range of formats– having conquered the whole world through digital, TV and cinemas. Ink Group also represents licensing for Beat Bugs – an Emmy award winning Netflix original series for kids – thanks to the multi-territory partnership deal with Centa IP, which spans merchandising, publishing, promotions and events. The show follows the adventures of five young insects who live in an overgrown suburban backyard, which to

TOTAL LICENSING them is their entire universe. Each episode combines a beautifully-told story, with a cover of a song made famous by the Beatles, by artists such as Pink, James Corden, Eddie Vedder and The Shins. The result is funny, fresh, original and represents a truly unique music-driven kids property. Ink Group represents the show throughout Europe (excluding the UK), Russia/CIS and MENA, with an initial focus on toys, publishing and apparel. Moonzy is a beautiful new Russian animation for pre-schoolers that introduces young audiences to a little alien who falls to earth and finds a new home amongst the lovable inhabitants of a forest meadow. Their adventures are subtle, engaging and funny tales for the 21st Century. Already a massive success in Russia, where it is the toprated show on the Karousel channel, Moonzy is produced by multi-awardwinning director Sergey Selyanov and promises to be the biggest Russian project since Masha and the Bear. There has already been cooperation with Ferrero, Unilever and many more in Russia, where there is an extensive licensing portfolio and publishing program in place. Media sales for Moonzy have already been achieved in the USA with Janson Media for Amazon Prime and HappyKids OTT channel, but also – amongst others – in Israel with HOP and in Turkey with Planet Sony. Both shows are available on TV and VoD across the world – except Russia and China.

Mojicons is an established show that’s being discovered by new audiences across the world.This lovely animation follows the adventures of the Mojicons – the innumerable emoticons that, despite living in our emails and text messages, don’t realise they are part of a complex digital world! But when a computer crook steals the @ symbol, threatening all electronic correspondence, it falls to the Mojicons to restore the web by undertaking a thrilling quest to get it back. The show has been eagerly accepted by many digital platforms – and broadcasters across 100 countries have snapped up the show, whilst a Mojicons movie has been successful across France – and one more is now ready for release. In addition, a deal has been signed with

China´s largest online video platform - iQiyi, which will launch Mojicons in June – a deal that enables INK Global to expand its Chinese business operation for the brand. Claus Tømming, Managing Partner, INK Group, says: “This licensing expo promises to be even busier than usual for INK, as we have a fantastic range of brands that are all benefitting from our long-term dedicated global crossmedia plan for building a franchise. We don’t represent a lot of shows, as we value quality over quantity, but there’s a world of original stories out there and we’ll be presenting the pick of the crop at Las Vegas. The wisdom of our story-driven approach can be seen in the astonishing success of Masha, which is one of the biggest franchises in the world – with the recently released series three already making waves, ZAFARI is also creating a massive buzz in the industry, so we have strong expectations for this unique and innovative show. And of course we have other very original and engaging shows to present from our impressive portfolio – all of them exemplifying INK’s vision of building major brands on great storytelling, because not only does a great story make for fantastic kids TV, it’s also the hook on which to hang a successful licensing programme.”

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New Series from Mondo Mondo TV is again looking forward to inviting visitors to its stand (C204) at Licensing Expo. A diverse portfolio of properties will be on show, with four key titles: Heidi Bienvenida, Robot Trains, YooHoo to the Rescue and Invention Story. Heidi Bienvenida, Mondo TV’s liveaction comedy-drama for teens, has recently arrived on Italian TV. Series two has already been filmed and will launch in 2019, and Mondo has recently announced plans for a film version. Heidi Bienvenida has already sold into many Latin American markets and extended its reach to Russia and Israel. In April it arrived in Italy, where it has been airing on Rai Gulp. The film – Mondo TV’s first ever – goes into production at the end of 2018. Among the first global licensees was Panini, for stickers and magazines. In the Italian market Panini is planning to launch a Heidi sticker album for the 2018 backto-school season and Mondadori’s Heidi books will be available in Italy after the show’s first season has aired: the first two titles will be a fan book and an arts and crafts book, launching at the end of June. This summer, Play Press will launch a Heidi selection for children, while, in the food and confectionery category, Walcor is planning an Epiphany stocking for 2019. A soundtrack CD in May from music and live show rights owner Sony is also on the way. Meanwhile, for Latin America, Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial plan a series of Spanish-language books, coming out in Colombia, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay. Robot Trains, a new animation for kids, produced by South Korea’s CJ E & M. The series now broadcasts on a number of leading free-to-air channels

including Cartoonito in Italy and Gulli in France. The show will also be arriving soon on Dkids in the Middle East, Cartoonito UK, Clan TVE in Spain and Canal Panda in Portugal. More territory announcements are imminent. Mondo TV is the distributor of the first series in a number of major territories. Silverlit Robot Trains toy ranges will be distributed through partners worldwide. Rocco Giocattoli, toy distributor in Italy, has already planned a major marketing campaign, which includes a strong TV commercial offering in three different formats to support the Silverlit launch. And Rocco Giocattoli is far from the only toy distributor appointed for Robot Trains – nor is it the only one planning a huge marketing commitment to the property. Bisak in Spain and Concentra in Portugal are planning a very strong marketing push in the months to come in order to support the Christmas toy launch. In the Italian market licenses have now been awarded across all product categories. Among the licensees on board are Grani & Partners, Panini, Grabo, Admiranda, Clean Paper, Villa Giocattoli, Preziosi, La Feltrinelli, Ravensburger, Modecor, Kimbe and Ciao. In addition to Mondo’s own licensing agreements and marketing investment, the company is also planning to boost co-marketing activities in order to create synergies between partners. Rocco Giocattoli and Panini are good examples of this strategy; both companies are planning to collaborate with Mondo to enhance the visibility of Robot Trains in their own distribution channels through promotions and events. Spain and Portugal are mirroring the success of the property in Italy. Among the many licensees now on board are Panini, Gedis, Comansi, Kstationery and United Labels. Invention Story, 104 x 11 minutes is, a co-production from Henan York Animation and Mondo TV that arrives next year Such is the enormous potential of Invention Story across both play and learning-related licensed product that

Henan York Animation and Mondo TV have already committed to five series – for a total of 520 x 11 minute episodes. This is an important development. A broadcast reach that will include many of the free-to-air and pay-TV broadcasters of all major countries, combined with a five-series commitment, will allow partners to develop a successful long-term licensing programme. In fact a number of categories are soon to be finalised, including master toy and master publisher, with others certain to be announced before the series’ launch in Easter 2019. Finally, there has been a strong broadcast and licensing response to YooHoo to the Rescue, the brandnew 3D CGI animated series based on the line of plush toys made by Aurora World. Now confirmed as a Netflix Original Series, the show is expected to launch in 2019, and is already attracting strong licensing interest – not too surprising given that more than 80 million YooHoo to the Rescue plush toys have been sold since the world-

wide launch of the line in 2007. The licensing programme already has Panini on board for publishing with a worldwide agreement. Dolfin has agreed a multi-territory deal for Easter eggs and confectionery. A new multi-territory agreement has also been recently announced with Nuvita, which will offer baby care products. In Italy, licensees include Mondadori, Play Press and Kimbe.

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Children’s Reading in the UK 76% of British Children Value Reading, but Classic Books are in Decline British children still value reading, according to new research. Three quarters of children (76%) say that they enjoy reading books a lot or quite a lot, which is a similar rate to that among adults – at 78%. OnBuy.com took to analysing 2018 data from YouGov to determine, which classic books are no longer cherished and, which 21st century children’s classics may replace forgotten titles in 2018. The findings of the research make for interesting reading: • Three quarters of children (76%) say that they enjoy reading books ‘a lot’ or ‘quite a lot.’ • Treasure Island has seen the steepest decline in readership by children – at 19%. • Over eight in ten girls (82%) and women (89%) say they like to read books. • Just seven in ten (71%) boys and two thirds (67%) of men say they like to read books. • Novels by Roald Dahl and JK Rowling remain widely read by children. In Decline OnBuy found Robert Louis Stephenson’s timeless classic Treasure Island has seen the steepest decline in readership of all the books listed by 6-17-yearolds – with as little as 19% choosing to pick up the title. Overall, half of adults (49%) have read the book – including 80% of those aged over 65 and 73% of those aged 5564. Other traditional reads have seen a similar decline. The Wind in the Willows, written by Kenneth Graeme, has been read by 48% of adults but only 23% of children. This is comparable to Lewis Caroll’s Alice in Wonderland and/or its sequel Through the Looking Glass, whereby just a third (32%) of children have read either book compared to many adults

– at 52%. Nearly half of children (48%) say they have read a children’s novel by Enid Blyton (whose series included the Famous Five and the Secret Seven), but this is notably lower than the 70% of adults who have done the same – including 81-82% of those aged 50+. Other titles more likely to be read by adults than children include The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkein, the Swallow and Amazons books, written by Arthur Ransome and the Chronicles of Narnia books, by C.S. Lewis. The data also proves a gender divide in readership. Over eight in ten girls (82%) and women (89%) say they like to read books quite a lot or a lot, compared to around seven in ten (71%) boys and two thirds (67%) of men. Still Treasured Perhaps unsurprisingly, novels by Roald Dahl and JK Rowling remain widely read by children. More than eight in ten children (83%) have read at least one of Dahl’s books, compared to 71% of adults, and 56% of children have read one or more of the Harry Potter books, compared to just 44% of adults. The Mr Men and

Little Miss books, written by Roger Hargreaves, remain popular with both young and old readers – with three quarters of kids (74%) having read one, as well as 68% of adults. Commenting on the findings, Cas Paton, managing director of OnBuy. com commented, “Though it’s exciting to see new children’s classics in the pipeline, it is with a tinge of sadness that traditional texts aren’t as popular now. It’s important to encourage our children to read, whatever the book, but we should make a commitment to mix the old with the new, to ensure our children benefit from the best of both worlds.” Other titles more likely to be read by children than adults include the Goosebumps books, by R.L. Stine and the Alex Rider books, by Anthony Horowitz. AA Milne’s Winnie the Pooh books have a similar degree of consistent readership, with 51% of children and 57% of adults saying they have read about the adventures of Pooh Bear and friends at one time or another.

For more information, contact Onbuy. https://www.onbuy.com/ gb/

The New Classics OnBuy.com took to identifying 10 new children’s classics to note, utilising data available from goodreads.com, judged by novels with the highest vote and an average score between 3.62 and 4.69. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Isle of Winds by James Fahy Drowned Tomb by James Fahy Chains of Gaia by James Fahy Peter: A Darkened Fairy-tale by William O’Brien The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman The Magic of Finkleton by K.C. Hilton The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

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Each day presents a brand new opportunity to relive the past.

Millennial nostalgia - defined as those born between 1981 and 1997 - make up the majority of today’s young parents. Though the generation is seemingly obsessed with technology, millennial parents are turning back to classic toys and retro brands, from their own childhoods, that harken back to a time that was simpler. The word ‘nostalgia’ stems from the Greek language. ‘Nostos’ a recurring common theme in Greek literature depicting an epic her returning home. refers to a common theme in Greek literature, an epic hero returning home. Nostalgia craves something long gone and this yearning comes as a rosy, idealized memory. People don’t necessarily recall a past they actually experienced; they elicit moments how they imagine them now, significantly more dazzling than the instant they lived through at the time. So why this generation? Although they’re often viewed as a tech-savvy and forward-thinking generation, Millennials love an excuse to throw it back to the ‘good old days.’ They use apps like Timehop to resurface pictures from the past and are willing to pay large amounts to see groups like Backstreet and Britney perform on their comeback tours. To leverage this, many brands are tapping into nostalgia to increase favorability of their products and encourage Millennials to open their wallets. But just how effective can nostalgia

marketing be? Businesses and brands have benefited from this adoration for the past. From a marketing perspective, it’s significantly easier to bring back an old-school logo than it is to deliver new content. Brands from all industries are working with positive cultural memories because seeing a product in the condition they experienced as children

triggers an emotional attachment, and therefore a higher possibility that consumers will act upon a purchase. Coca-Cola has brought back glass bottles. Tootsie Roll Pops have redistributed their original cartoon commercial, asking the question “how many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?” On the TV side, Nickelodeon has designed a programming block called “The Splat,” where the channel airs 90’s favorites such as All That, Hey Arnold!, Clarissa Explains it All, Doug, and Rugrats, among others. Staying with Nick, and a few years ago, Nickelodeon released a program targeted at millennials called The ‘90s Are

All That. The title was based on a hit TV Show called All That, which was basically Saturday Night Live for kids. It featured shows like Kenan & Kel, Hey Arnold!, Rugrats, Doug, and a handful of other shows from the ‘90’s. This program ran on Teen Nick for over four years and aired weeknights between midnight and 4am, clearly a time slot directed towards millennials.

Psychologists have been studying nostalgia for years. And although every generation and every individual expresses some degree of the word, Millennial nostalgia is a particularly interesting topic. Millennials grew up in a period of economic turmoil. They saw the effects of the recession at a young age and are in the midst of a difficult job market. On top of that, Millennials have been inundated with technology and the internet for a large portion of their lives. The combination of these two might explain the reason so many 20and 30-somethings are experiencing “early-onset nostalgia” – an information overload that compels them to

TOTAL LICENSING remember simpler, easier times of the past. And figures, particularly from the toy industry, recognise this trend - in the US plush sales grew by over eight percent and doll sales were up four percent. So why is nostalgia so prevalent with this generation? Due to high levels of stress, many millennials tend to suffer from anxiety and depression. As a result, we tend to hold onto things that remind us of our childhoods. Now that millennials are contributing to the economy as consumers, companies are taking notice and are using things from the past to reel us in with their marketing strategies. Millennials have grown up in one of the fastest evolving decades of technology in human history.Their formative years were spent in parallel with the rise of the Internet and with the technology that developed with it. And that seems to be the key to it. The fierce grasp on the past comes from childhoods that advanced more rapidly than any other generation. Baby Boomers grew up with no technology and Centennials are growing up completely tech-savvy. Millennials fall into the middle. Almost all areas of consumer goods that one can imagine are touched by this. Look at the ubiquitous revamped VW camper van. Food (the rise of the prawn cocktail and the popularity of the avocado). Home decor - pot plants in macramé holders. Vinyl records and gaming (the NES classic edition immediately sold out and comes with 30 original Nintendo games preloaded). Psychologists seem to believe that millennials have a need to return to a time in which their parents were

young as if, by default, they can experience a small part of the ‘we had it so good’ post-war privilege. The objects they surround themselves with now come from a time when housing was affordable, rock music was new and exciting, all education was free and people weren’t so fat! Nostalgia is an emotion that is satirised in the Woody Allen film Midnight in Paris where the lead character, having travelled back in time to the 1920s that he always idolised, actually realises that 2010 wasn’t that bad because at least there were antibiotics. The current general looks to the Boomers for their clues, just the the hippies of the 1960s look to the Pre-Raphaelites. And all sectors of marketing are capitalising on the trend. Look at Born Licensing’s campaign using He-Man and Skeletor - both from the 1980s - which is used by price comparison website moneysupermarket.com. Movies, too, are following the trend. Films such as Tarzan, Jungle Book and Beauty and the Beast have all recently been remade into live action movies. The Lion King has a new series called The Lion Guard and in the past few years we have seen a real surge in movies such as Maleficent and Oz the Great and Powerful which are stories based on villains and heroes from classic movies. TV hasn’t missed out either, with a particular emphasis on the TV shows that were popular in the 80s and 90s. Shows like Boy Meets World, The X-Files and Powerpuff Girls have all been rebooted. Netflix, the giant of on demand is investing in these re-

alising that they have such a huge following. Somehow the nostalgia of this generation seems to counterbalance the high-tech world that they live in. We all have high powered cameras in our phones but Polaroid have relaunched into the market some nine years after it was originally discontinued and a year after the last packs of official Polaroid film expired. Such is the interest that there are services now that will reprint your digital photos in the shape of a Polaroid image. For some people, nostalgia is the emotional attachment to childhood ignorance and the bliss that came with it. Growing up and ‘becoming an adult in the real world’ can feel disappointing in comparison to the optimism they felt as children. Nostalgia allows for a form of emotional es-

capism. Millennials grew up buoyant only to face the reality of inherited economic devastation. Why engage with the present that needs fixing when the bliss of times past are appearing on our high-tech screens on an hourly basis? Eventually, Millennials may reach a saturation point where they can no longer afford to dwell in the fantasy of their childhood dreams. Until then, they relish the fact that every day is a brand new opportunity to relive the past.

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Playmates Toys, the longtime master toy licensee for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, recently revealed its all-new product line for 2018 inspired by Nickelodeon’s brand-new animated series, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which is also set to debut in 2018. In this reimagined iteration of the popular franchise, the band of brothers discover new powers and encounter a mystical world they never knew existed beneath the streets of New York City. The extensive Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles toy line is set to hit toy shelves in fall 2018, and includes action figures, vehicles, playsets and role play. Key highlights in the all-new toy line include an assortment of highly detailed action figures that are uniquely sculpted and fully articulated. The collection features the four Turtles, as well as new characters Baron Draxum, voiced by WWE Superstar John Cena, Meat Sweats and others introduced in the series. The Turtle Tank, the new group vehicle that serves as the mobile command headquarters for the Turtles, when Donatello’s removable lab rises up in spy mode. The 43” Epic Lair Playset, the biggest playset ever from Playmates Toys, includes four levels of play and numerous features including an adjustable skateboard ramp, Raphael’s Weight Training Room, Leonardo’s Rotating Weapon storage wall,

Michelangelo’s arcade and so much more. “As the driving force behind the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles toy line for decades, it’s been exciting to develop a collection of Turtles for a new generation of kids that feature an all-new look, new weapons, new characters and more,” said Karl Aaronian, Senior VP of Marketing, Playmates Toys. “The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a culturally iconic property that has reinvention in its DNA,” said Jon Roman, Senior Vice President, Toys, Nickelodeon. “Our brand-new Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series will have a dynamic, colorful look and feel, with plenty of action, and there’s no one better than long-standing toy partner Playmates to capture that spirit in a terrific line of products.” Nickelodeon will bring its hit animated preschool series Sunny Day to life this summer with the debut of a portfolio of consumer products, beginning with a new line of toys from Mattel, and the launch of the Sunny Day Tour, an immersive on-ground activation that will travel to cities across the U.S. Nickelodeon has also greenlit a second season (20 episodes) of Sunny Day that will follow Sunny, a 10-yearold master hairstylist and entrepreneur, as she goes on exciting new adventures in her seaside town of Friendly Falls. Inspired by Sunny and her friends Rox and Blair’s colorful and creative personalities, Sunny Day consumer products will feature the bold, vibrant color palette from the show and span categories including toy, consumer

electronics, home goods and more from best-in-class partners. The all-new toy line created in conjunction with Mattel includes basic and deluxe doll assortments, accessories, plush, role play and playsets. It will be available as a first-to-market this May at Walmart and will roll out to all other retailers in August. “We’ve been excited about this property since the first moment we saw it. Sunny Day has broad appeal, inspiring entrepreneurship and creativity for any kiddo that walks down our toy aisles,” said Anne Marie Kehoe, Vice President, Toys, Walmart. “We are excited to be the first in market to carry this Nickelodeon property and anticipate it being a hit.” Nickelodeon will introduce further products that later this year including apparel, accessories and dress up, arts and craft, consumer electronics, games and puzzles, home goods, novelty, publishing and home entertainment, rideons and sporting goods, social expressions and vehicles/RC. The Sunny Day Tour kicks off at the Bentonville Film Festival in May, and make stops at select Walmart stores across the country through Summer. In season two of Sunny Day (20 episodes), Sunny will gear up and go on new adventures around her seaside community of Friendly Falls. Along with best pals Blair, Rox, and Doodle, Lacey will join the salon team to manage Sunny’s new Pet Parlor. Sunny will also hit the road in a brand-new vehicle, the Groom & Vroom, a styling vehicle exclusively for pets. Developed and produced by Silvergate Media, Sunny Day features a social-

TOTAL LICENSING emotional curriculum highlighting leadership, innovative thinking and teamwork. New episodes of Sunny Day will continue to air regularly on Nickelodeon this year. Nickelodeon has also announced a strategic partnership with Hasbro, Inc for the network’s new hit preschool series Top Wing, produced by 9 Story Media Group. The product line, which includes figures, vehicles and plush inspired by the show’s four best friend rescue birds, will launch in the U.S. this fall, followed by international markets in Spring 2019. “Nickelodeon’s preschool portfolio has a powerhouse roster of content and the action-packed series Top Wing is poised to be another runaway fan favorite,” said Pam Kaufman, Chief Marketing Officer and President, Consumer Products, Nickelodeon. “This partnership will be our first preschool master toy deal with Hasbro done on a global scale, which mirrors our content roll-out strategy to introduce Top Wing domestically first, followed by international markets.” Hasbro’s Playskool Top Wing product line will let preschoolers join the Top Wing team and go on rescue missions with figures, mission -ready vehicles, playsets and plush, all inspired by the characters and adventures on the show. The toy line is slated to launch this fall in the U.S., followed by international markets. Top Wing follows four best friend rescue birds–Swift, Penny, Rod and Brody–who are training to earn their wings at the Top Wing Academy on Big Swirl Island. With the help of their mentor Speedy, and unique turbocharged vehicles and high-tech gadgets, the cadets are assigned different missions to sharpen their rescue skills and help those in need while learning valuable lessons along the way. Produced by 9 Story Media Group, Top

Wing features storylines that help preschoolers build self-confidence, and includes lessons about perseverance and hard work. New episodes of Top Wing will continue to air regularly on Nickelodeon and will roll out internationally this year. A further announcement for Nickelodeon is a new live action series The Covurts (working title), the first original co-production between Nickelodeon International and Israeli Nutz Productions - the subsidiary production arm of Ananey Communications Group - together with Israeli cable network HOT. The Covurts focuses on Mr. and Mrs. Covurt, highly trained secret agents tasked with fighting an evil international organization. Little do they know that it is actually their three kids – Hadrian, Mackenzie and Watts – who are really the agency’s biggest asset against crime. Nickelodeon has ordered forty 22-minute episodes, which will be distributed to Nickelodeon’s international audiences spanning 170+ countries and territories via the brand’s more than 100 channels and branded blocks. “The Covurts” was created by Tom Riles, David Guest and Patrick Quinn. The head writer is Israeli screenwriter Michal Cooper Keren. The series is an original co-production between Nickelodeon International, Nutz Productions and Ananey Communications Group. The series has entered pre-production, will film in Israel and will begin premiering internationally in 2019. Ananey is an Israeli content producer and pay-TV provider that serves as the Israeli licensor of several of Viacom’s biggest brands, including Nickelodeon, Comedy Central and MTV, and produces both local and international original content. The greenlight of The Covurts comes on the heels of Viacom purchasing a minor-

ity stake in Ananey Communications Group in 2017. Nickelodeon International, in partnership with KidsRights Foundation launched #KidsCan, an international campaign that spotlights the stories of nine International Children’s Peace Prize winners and nominees from around the globe who are creating positive change in their communities. @Nickelodeon and @KidsRights spotlight kids around the world making positive change in their communities. #KidsCan campaign will air across @Nickelodeon channels and digital platforms in 170+ countries. As the next iteration of Nickelodeon’s international Together for Good initiative, Nickelodeon platforms will air profiles on each #KidsCan changemaker to educate young people about children’s rights and empower them to become changemakers themselves. New profiles are airing monthly from April through December, highlighting remarkable children. Finally, Nickelodeon teamed up with 15 globally loved content creators from 11 countries to form the 2018 KCA PrankStars (#KCAPrankStars), an international social squad that transported a collective following of nearly 40 million fans into all the exclusive, on-the-ground and backstage excitement at the 2018 Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards.

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Congratulations Charles! Twenty-one amazing years! When Charles Riotto retires from LIMA this July, it will be the end of an era - twenty one years that, under his stewardship, have seen the industry trade association grow and develop into the global powerhouse it is today. On the following pages, we look back over the years and take a look at the legacy that Charles leaves behind him.

TOTAL LICENSING the financial records to sweeping the storage room floor, but this is where I got my first taste of managing a trade association and organizing trade shows.” Charles was there for ten years from 1971 to 1981. “It was a great experience and I learned a lot, but I could see that the graphic arts segment of the business would soon be replaced by computers and that the industry was headed for a severe downturn. So I made the decision to move on.” he continued. Wanting to stay in the association field, Charles received a nice offer from a local association in the shipping industry. It seem like a solid organization with good growth potential, but to be honest, he was not enamored with the idea of spending his next several years learning about shipping containers. “Thankfully, with the shipping association pressing for an answer, I received another offer from the Toy Industry Association (now simply The Toy Association), to manage the New York Toy Fair, which I quickly accepted.”

THE TOY ASSOCIATION DAYS Charles spent 10 (mostly) great years at the Toy Association from 1981 to 1991. “I met many wonderful people, some of whom are still good friends to this day.” When he started there, Toy Fair was held mainly at the showrooms at 200 Fifth Avenue, with a few hundred booths at the Americana Hotel (now the NY Sheraton). He distinctly remembers his first Toy Fair. “My first Toy Fair experience was a baptism

LIFE BEFORE LIMA Before Charles Riotto joined LIMA, he spent the majority of his career with three other associations, with a brief detour to a trade show management company in between. As Charles explained, “My first job was with the National Art Materials Trade Association where I was hired straight out of college as the #3 person in the organization. I should mention that there were only three people employed there! My responsibilities ranged from keeping

“I know you’re probably expecting a funny story, but after thinking about it, I realized the real story of Charles’ tenure at LIMA was how his calm, thoughtful, and professional demeanor set the tone for an entire organization.We still had fun – after all, how could you not have fun in this industry? – but we also deserved to be taken seriously and Charles was the right person to lead LIMA and represent the licensing industry through two decades of increasing revenues, visibility, influence, and global expansion. Congratulations, Charles… and thank you!” Carole Postal, President, Spotlight Licensing & Brand Management

of fire, with a 26-inch snow storm arriving on the day before the exhibits were to open. We somehow managed to get everything set up on time and, all things considered, the show was a success.” Two years later, the Javits Center opened and the show immediately tripled in size with all the additional exhibit space at the Assocation’s disposal. It continued to grow at a fast pace throughout Charles’ time there, and continues to do so to this day.

And this is where licensing came in! As Charles explained, “Some time around 1985, I was contacted by Greg Battersby who proposed the idea of running licensing legal seminars during Toy Fair. I had always felt that we should be doing more educational programming at the show, so I

“I have always told Charles that he has a unique skill-set which is perfect for running a trade association which includes multiple groups with divergent interests. His ability to listen and support this diverse group of members, without offending anyone, made him the perfect person for the job. I’ve always accused him of simply listening and ignoring what the people complained about, but he adamantly denies that! I’ve rarely seen him flustered or upset, no matter the issue. The one exception, however, was when a group attempted to stage a palace coup d’état which he handled adeptly and efficiently. Over the years, we’ve tried to improve our respective golf games….to no avail. My two highlights were when he hit a ball into what looked like a sinkhole. Instead of just leaving it there and losing the ball, he attempted to play it, losing his golf shoes in the process. There is still mud on mine from trying to rescue him. The second highlight was when we last played and I gave up after 4 holes and 30 shots, with him calling me a coward. He got that right!” Greg Battersby, Battersby Law Group LLC

Charles Riotto with Murray Altchuler, his predecessor at LIMA accepted his offer and the licensing seminars became a key feature of Toy Fair for several years to come. That was my first exposure to the world of licensing and the beginning of a friendship with Greg which is still going strong. Little did I know at the time that this relationship would open the door to a great opportunity several years later.” “I recall that, during my years at the Toy Association, an upstart group of licensing people started a small trade show at one of the New York

TOTAL LICENSING LIMA hired Charles to start as President July 1, 1997 which was the same day my Term as Chairman started. Charles & I worked closely together through the end of my three year Term and also worked closely together with Greg Battersby,The LIMA House Counsel plus The LIMA Board members during that time. There are many highlights of our time together but these are just a small selection. One of the first things we did was to go to LA to meet with Disney, Warner Bros and others, as well as in NYC, the NFL, MLB, NBA & others of the larger LIMA Members asking them what we could as their professional Licensing Trade Association, do to help them. Charles and I, with the LIMA Board’s blessing, then went to London, met with current LIMA members who had offices in the UK to work together to set up our LIMA presence there. It was LIMA’s first successful International office. Then Charles and I went to Munich to do the same to set up LIMA Germany as LIMA’s second International affiliated office. We also visited Messe Frankfort, had great schnitzel in Braunschweig and climbed the Cologne Cathedral, where I almost passed out on the hot day as we hiked up what was at one time, the tallest building in the world. Charles and I visited with Beth Schlansky & Cheryl Rubin as co-chairs of The LIMA Charity Committee,The Hole In The Wall Gang Camp, during the dedication of The LIMA Creative Zone. Paul Newman surprised us by joining us for the unveiling of this popular media center which provided hope and an outlet for the campers who were there dealing with their terminal diseases. Charles and I worked with LIMA House Counsel Greg Battersby in 1998 to sell LIMA’s half interest in The Licensing Show to LIMA’s partner, Expocon which was a division of Advanstar. Those proceeds with LIMA Board Member, Bernie Leifer’s help, provided much needed security. . We did other important things that laid the groundwork for what Charles, Greg and others on the Board during these past eighteen years, have done to provide vision and leadership for LIMA to have become the Global Professional Licensing Trade Association that it is today. And under Maura Regan’s leadership, with Greg Battersby’s counsel, and the current LIMA Board’s direction and leadership, LIMA will continue to grow and build on Charles’ legacy going forward. Brian Hakan, Hakan & Associates, Inc

With Paul Newman, Beth Schlansky & Cheryl Rubin, co-chairs of The LIMA Charity Committee for the LIMA Charity of choice, The Hole In The Wall Gang

hotels – I think it was the NY Hilton. I remember walking the show with a few of my toy colleagues and joking about the amateurish displays and the cheesy promotional brochures being waved in our faces as we passed by. Again, I had no idea how much a part of my life this neophyte group would become.” Charles left the Toy Association in 1991 and, after a brief and unfulfilling stop at a trade show management company, he moved on to become Executive Director of the International Recording Media Association. “This was a wonderful organization with a great group of people but after a few years, as with the art materials association, I could see the handwriting on the wall.

Tape and disks and the equipment to manufacture them were being phased out, and data transfer was moving to downloads, making the future of the association very tenuous.” So by 1997 it was time for Charles to start thinking about his next move. “Around that same time I received a

call from my old friend Greg Battersby telling me that LIMA was starting a search for its next President (actually the title back then was Executive

“Charles Riotto is a very understated executive who has served LIMA well over the last 20 years. I departed from WBCP in the beginning of 2006 after a 23 year run as its founder/president and would often chat with Charles to collaborate on important initiatives that would mutually benefit our industry. LIMA has obviously grown and become very successful and Charles has been instrumental in that result, while at the same time, soft spoken and deliberate in his achievements. He serves multiple masters. Not an easy task and yet the accomplishments are evident. Congratulations Charles and as we say in Italian, Mazeltov!” Dan Romanelli, former President, WBCP

TOTAL LICENSING Charles with LIMA’s Louise Caron at the Executive Conference in Palm Springs

Charles, all of us at Total Licensing are very sorry to see you step down from LIMA. Certainly, we’ve had some fun over the years. We will miss our shoe shopping in Bologna (an annual pilgrimage), sightseeing in Dubai, Shanghai, Moscow and Venice and sharing great meals in so many different places around the world. You’ve been a great friend and we do hope this continues as you embark on your next chapter. You’ve left LIMA in great shape as the truly global trade body that our industry needs.That’s a tremendous legacy and you should be very proud. Have fun and enjoy some well earned relaxation! Francesca Ash and Jerry Wooldridge, Total Licensing

“With Charles stepping down from the LIMA presidency, an era comes to an end since he has been overseeing the international licensing business, which is like a huge family, for two decades.This was a time where many things happened, and in which the importance of licensing within the entertainment industry grew significantly. Charles has been there longer than our company has been in business, so he was already a kind of institution. And during the last years we always had a true supporter of the licensing industry not only worldwide, but in Germany in particular. I am glad that I had the chance to work with Charles from the very beginning when the LIMA office was founded in Munich. On behalf of Studio 100 Media and m4e, I want to thank him for his outstanding work and everlasting support.We wish him all the best for his future.” Gerd Russwurn, Head of Licensing, Studio 100 Media

Director), since co-founder Murray Altchuler was retiring from the position. To be honest, my interest at that time was pretty low, due to my recollection of the band of rogues I had seen at the licensing event several years earlier. But a couple of weeks later Greg called back and pushed me a little harder, so I started to take a closer look and soon realized that there was a real business here with great growth potential. I soon threw my hat into the ring and after a long series of several interviews with the search firm and members of the Board of Directors, they offered me the position in June of 1997.”

JOINING LIMA

The 1999 LIMA Board Murray Altchuler years and, fortunately for Charles, agreed to stay on. “Louise was (and continues to be) a tremendous resource on all historical and procedural matters, and in

Charles looks back at his early days at LIMA. “The first couple of years had their challenges. Our Board meetings were pretty raucous, with lots of shouting and disagreements on everything from strategic expansion plans to the color of the napkins at the awards dinner. It eventually quieted down as both the industry and the association matured.” During this time the staff consisted of just Charles and Louise Caron who had been Charles and House Counsel Greg with LIMA through the Battersby with CLS graduates

so many other ways. And of course, Greg was always there to lend his support and counsel.”

EXPANDING LIMA’S REACH In those years, LIMA’s membership was almost 100% US-based but Charles knew there was a great opportunity to expand internationally, as well as put LIMA’s stake in the ground before another group beat them to it. The UK was the logical choice for their first market expansion. After extensive planning, Andrew Levy was appointed as Administrative Director in September 1998 and LIMA’s first meeting outside the US – to plan the launch of LIMA UK - was held in November at the Moat House Hotel in London. It was attended by Andrew Levy, Tony Gadsby Peet, Caroline

TOTAL LICENSING With Bettina Koeckler

Mickler, Jackie Ferguson, Conan Chitham-Mosley and John McInnerny. Andrew was succeeded by Kelvyn Gardner in 2008.

When I first met the President of LIMA at my very first LIMA Gala in NYC in 1995, I wasvery pleasantly surprised when I was introduced to Charles Riotto. Charles was a very open minded personality with a deep interest in the international part of the Licensing business so we had an immediate connection. Under his leadership, LIMA has expanded continuously into the international key territories, has invested in educational programs related to all segments of the industry and is also reaching out to the young professionals by starting the CLS program and offering mentoring and networking opportunities.Today LIMA is a truly global Licensing organization representing multiple industries from Entertainment, Arts, Lifestyle and Sports to Corporate Brands. During his many trips abroad to personally show his support for the industry, he always has been eager to learn more about the local culture which allows for many happy memories with the friends he made along his way in multiple different places around the world. I have especially fond memories of some excellent dinners during Bologna Book Fair where we all tried to revive his Italian heritage! Charles Riotto has been a very supportive and generous business partner over all these years, but more importantly he has become a really good friend. So I am saying thank you Charles, this is not good-bye but Cheers and I will see you later! Bettina Koeckler, Deal Factory

TRAVELLING THE WORLD LIMA’s expansion continued with Germany in 1999. The first planning meeting was held at the Munchen Park Hilton on March 24, and the office was formally launched the following year. Offices in Japan (2002) and China (2004) followed, and in later years LIMA added offices and representatives in Canada, Australia, Korea, India, Italy, France, Russia, Brazil and Mexico. “These all came about as the result of hundreds of meetings and millions “I have known Charles for many years from the old (and good!) days when Licensing Show used to take place in New York. But we used to meet, not just in the US but many times in Brazil and more recently in other countries in Latin America. Charles’ personal contribution to the licensing industry and specifically to the Latin America region has been truly remarkable. His comprehensive presentations on the industry performance, positioning and future objectives have contributed to educate and inspire many business professionals. Nowadays, the Latam region has not just grown and established itself as one of the most promising territories for licensing, but offers high quality events such as ExpoLicencias Latino America held in Colombia in 2016 and 2017. Charles’ leadership and vision supporting the entire region have been key to the industry growth so a big thank you.We often hear that Latin America is seen as a roller coast with its ups and downs! Charles has made the ride much more fun and professional!” Celso Rafael, Lotus Global Marketing, Brazil

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of miles flown. Today, our membership is 64% non-US, a testament to the great work of our staff, affiliates and the LIMA Board.”

Charles with Danny Simon

Charles was a great believer in visiting the offices and other licensing-based events, no matter where in the world - a belief that paid-off handsomely with the upsurge in global membership. His travel schedule, then and right up to date, has been little short of gruelling. “We have continued to grow our services around the world and the number of events we are producing or sponsoring. Licensing Expo moved from New York to Las Vegas in 2009, with a lot of resistance from several different sources. While New York is still missed by many, especially my European friends, the show has thrived in Las Vegas where I’m sure it will remain successful for years to come. In addition, our US-based educational and networking events have become must-attend affairs for many in the industry, as have licensing trade shows in London, Shanghai, Tokyo and others.”

Globally, LIMA has held or sponsored hundreds of events in at least sixteen different countries over the years and have established collaborative relationships with several government organizations and major corporate entities who have sought out LIMA for their expertise and have recognized the great impact licensing can have on culture and the economy.

EDUCATING THE NEXT GENERATION LIMA also works with several universities around the world as they cultivate new talent for the next generation of licensing professionals. “It’s really gratifying to me to see the respect LIMA has earned over

TOTAL LICENSING

Charles with Mark Matheny and Peter Van Raalte

the years from major institutions and international organizations, and the recognition we receive as the voice of the industry.” LIMA has come a tremendously long way since Charles joined back in 1997. Not only has the membership expanded and grown to become truly global but the respect for LIMA, and for the licensing industry, has grown hugely too. Licensing is respected as a powerful force in marketing. And a lot of this is down to Charles, with the help of his Boards, staff and officers, who have worked tirelessly to make this happen.

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“I was lucky over the last 20 years to have spent time with Charles in New York, Los Angeles and in Japan. One of the most memorable times was on a sunny spring day on a 45 foot yacht in Tokyo bay. A mutual friend had a large boat (I called it a yacht) and there were 10 people beside Charles and myself ready for a day cruise.We started by boating for about 45 minutes to the other side of the bay to a small fishing enclave. Fisherman left here for the open Pacific waters each day and came back with loads of fresh fish for sale at the various fish markets all over Japan.We docked and went to restaurant - more of a hut with picnic tables outside under tents - and proceeded to feast on beer and the freshest sushi ever. A few hours later, very full and a bit tipsy, we boarded the yacht for the trip back.We were cruising along, all having fun and laughing, enjoying the fresh air and saltwater spray, when the boat jolted with a loud bang and sent us all flying.We came to an abrupt stop in the middle of the bay. Looking back, we could see the protruding tip of a rock we had slammed into.The water started pouring in through the gash on the port side of the boat.We all grabbed life preservers, sent out an SOS and dove overboard as we watched the ship sink. Ok, not really! Yes, we hit a rock with a thud, but the damage to the boat, while severe, was actually limited to a gash on the underside that didn’t penetrate the inside hull, and to one of the two propellers making the remainder of the journey very slow as we limped back to port. Back at the dock we set up a picnic on the cement walls of the marina and continued our feasting and drinking while a crane hoisted the boat out of the water. Upon inspection, we could see that in fact, we were centimeters away from a hull breach and what could have been a real disaster. Charles and I looked at each other and laughed. Another life experience!” Ted Larkins

TOTAL LICENSING “I take Charles’ decision to retire from LIMA personally, and frankly I am pissed off about it! It has nothing to do with Maura’s ability to take the reins of LIMA, I have no doubt that she will lead the organization well and wisely. Nor do I question the prospects of LIMA’s future, to continue its role as the preeminent licensing industry trade association. Its capacity to remain so is assured thanks in large measure to Riotto’s efforts to grow LIMA globally, secure its financial underpinning, and to diversify the base of membership services and benefits. My displeasure with Charles’ choice to depart is strictly personal, and, truth be told rather immature. Charles has become a friend, and his is leaving has provoked a response that is something akin to kid whose friend is moving away.While you hope that the friendship can endure despite geographical separation, you know there is a chance it won’t. As the one who signed his first LIMA employment contract, and worked to make the passage from Murray to Charles a smooth one, I am now forced to witness his departure. I must confess that this event is yet another undeniable sign of the passage of time, which brings to mind Dali’s painting of a clock face slowly slipping off the table’s edge. Charles and I have spent a good bit of time on the road together attending licensing related events in far off places like Rio, Dubai and Hong Kong.Whether it was shopping in Kowloon’s night markets, taking a private tour of the five star Burj Al Arab, (where room prices start at a reasonable $1,100 per night), or experiencing a hellish cab ride in Sao Paulo, the one thing I could always count on was Charles’ dry sense of humor to make any such encounter funny and enjoyable. Charles’ unflappable demeanor and his ability to provide heartfelt responses to even the most arcane questions, endure tedious board meetings with his composure intact, or adjudicate petty squabbles among the membership are admirable qualities I have long admired. How he manages to pull this off is, and will always remain a mystery. Perhaps it is a Zen thing, or is it that he is simply clueless…whatever. I wish you well Charles as you close the door on this chapter of your life, and walk off into sunset into the next one. Know that you take with you my friendship, and the fervent hope that down the road, when hopefully we next meet again, you will continue to pick up the check!” Danny Simon,The Licensing Group

THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES... As Charles concludes, “Looking back, it’s been a great honor for me to have worked with so many passionate, creative and dedicated people who have made licensing the great business it is today, with so much promise for the future. I’m fortunate that many have become great personal friendships that I will treasure in the coming years. In looking back, I’m very proud of what LIMA has become – and I’m certain it will only continue to grow and prosper in the years ahead. I’m sure I’ll really miss the excitement of being a part of this great industry and the wonderful people who make it tick. It’s been a great ride.”

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Charles and I first met years ago at a licensing event in Munich. We bonded over our love of international business development, a passion for the licensing industry (and a few beers) For more than ten years he has been friend, colleague and this past year boss. He is the best listener and a great travel companion. Charles is the one you want to be with - no- need to be with -when your plane has been rerouted and then cancelled and you are stranded in an unknown city. Talk about calm . He demonstrates a keen appreciation for the business of licensing. He has consistently challenged us to think global and act local - before it became a headline. He understood instinctively where this industry was heading and how to help it get there . Our industry and LIMA are better for his guidance and LIMA leadership. Maura Regan, LIMA

TOTAL LICENSING By Hyonkyong Kim, president of Korean licensing agency, K-VISION Inc. Seoul, South Korea

LICENSING IN KOREA In a short period of twenty years since its inception in the early 2000’s when Korean characters were first recognized as a distinct field of Korean cultural contents, the domestic market for characters has shown speedy quantitative and qualitative growth despite going through various paradigm shifts. Media reports cite the 2016 Korea Character Industry White Paper published by the Korea Culture & Contents Agency (KOCCA), a government-related organisation, that “the market size of characters created in Korea increased from 2.759 trillion won (US$ 2.694 billion) in 2005 to 11.573 trillion won (US$ 9.841 billion) in 2015, an exponential growth of five times over a decade”. Various factors have contributed to Korea’s shortterm shift from a country that was once a sub-contractor and OEM supplier for animation production to one that now creates and exports its own contents. The basis for this is said to have been the Korean government policy to nurture the contents industry and the efforts of various companies and creators who produce contents. Infrastructure for speedy sharing of information and the expansion of diverse channels for contents consumption have also played a role. The Korean character market has evolved in its own unique way. In the global market dominated by European, U.S. and Japanese characters, the market share for Korean characters is quite small. However, it is a fact that Korean characters have globally influenced the character business by creating new contents channels through paradigm shifts and developing diverse IT platform bases. It is hard to define the

changes in the 2018 Korean character industry in one word, but I think the core themes would be “diversification”, “brand” and “sustainability”. Emergence of Popular Characters Through Channel Diversification Pororo is an animated educational character for infants and preschoolers that first appeared as a TV series in 2005. It continues to maintain its position as the most popular character in Korea, so-much-so that Pororo is also known as “President Pororo” alluding to the country’s highest state position. As a educational animation for threeto-four year old preschoolers, Pororo pioneered characters for infants as a new business category and defined the essence of Korean animation. Audiences watch Pororo across a wide range of media devices from TV to internet to mobile and the character continues to be in great demand. More recently though an even more popular character has emerged. Pinkfong, a pink-colored fennec fox character from Smart Study, Inc., has become the premier preschool character in Korea solely through its presence on YouTube, and without any dependence on terrestrial animation broadcasts. The success of Pinkfong has confirmed the trend for consumption of preschool animated character contents becoming increasingly personalized (i.e. watching what one wants, when one wants it).

This has been accompanied by a shift away from “one-way” consumption via traditional TV. Pinkfong has succeeded in creating a huge fan base by getting more children to watch its content online in a sustainable manner. Thanks to that, Pinkfong is now successfully expanding its rights business into merchandise licensing, overseas market development, live musical shows, and animation production. Contents consumption in Korea itself has changed, disengaging itself from the traditional method of character business development via linear TV broadcasts, and into media platforms such as internet, mobile, and YouTube that meets consumer needs as more sustainable formats. Moving forward, this will have the largest influence on the Korean animation market. Developing Characters from MultiChannel Network Influencers Korean children spend the largest amount of their time watching Carrie, the main presenter on the YouTube channel, Carrie And Toys, that has 1.4 million subscribers. Carrie is the most popular influencer in the market for online toy review videos and for showing kids how to play with them. Carrie’s talent management office, Carrie Soft, has developed vast sources of ancillary revenue through Carrie advertising and character merchandising. The licensed property “Carrie & Her Toy Friends” generates sustainable added value to the core YouTube channel through merchandise licensing, live musical shows, cafes and animation production. While there were various challenges in managing influencers affiliated with multi-channel marketing, the character business has succeeded and has inspired other influencers and companies engaged in multi-channel marketing. There have been various co-branding and collaboration activities and I envision further development of influencer-driven character business.

TOTAL LICENSING Mobile Messaging Apps: On-going Popularity of Digital Stickers Characters & Launching New Characters Korea’s Kakao-Talk and Japan’s LINE are two leading mobile messaging app-based services. Both services have succeeded in gaining many fans for their respective original characters, Kakao Friends and LINE Friends, by increasing awareness through consistent exposure on their platforms and giving users the ability to visually express their emotions through the digital stickers. Both companies didn’t look to simply license out their characters. Instead they established separate companies staffed with appropriately skilled employees for the sole purpose of licensing. By monetizing

their characters in their own bricksand-mortar retail stores, co-branding with other strong brands, and game and animation development, the social messaging services have raised their respective core brand worth. In 2015 when Kakao Friends was established, it earned 10 billion won (US$8.5 million). In 2017, it posted 97.6 billion won (US$ 86.3 million) in sales, an increase of ten times in just three years. I expect that the large parent companies of Kakao Friends and LINE Friends will continue to register sustainable growth moving forward. Once recent interesting development in the digital messaging sticker market has been hit characters designed by third party illustrators. These characters, completely unassociated with Kakao Friends or LINE Friends, have become popular in themselves, devel-

oping enough traction to succeed in merchandise licensing. Two leading examples of this genre are the characters Extremely Rabbit and Betakkuma. Both properties have been huge successes in merchandise licensing, opening up pop-up shops, engaging in co-branding collaborations with big companies and being used for promotional campaigns. I expect both characters will keep being active in the marketplace for the foreseeable future. Korean culture, its industries and the individual characteristics of each region around the country are all contributing to the advancement of the Korean character market. Characters are not simple marketing tools. Instead, by ongoing investment, a company can use a character to increase its brand value. I believe that the interest large companies are showing in characters is a good trend as our market continues to grow.

NEW SERIES FROM REDIKS GRAPHICS Rediks Graphics in Seoul specialises in character, brand creation and the exploitation of in-house brands including Anacoli the fairy cat and Rinkinton. They focus on creating humorous and compassionate characters that resonate with young peoples’ tastes. Internationally, Rediks Graphics also represents the peace-loving squirrel character Choop, the fashion loving cat and Harajuku lover, Lalalacoco by Yuko Shimizu - the creator of Hello Kitty and the lifestyle brand House of Tartan. Rediks Graphics has extended the brand potential for these into publishing, digital & mobile contents on an international basis. Inspired by Anti-war and peace-loving cultural wave back in 60’s, Choop was created in 1994. A peace loving, flower child squirrel named who lives in Choopland forest and interacts with various friends spreading the message of love. Choop has become a lifestyle brand in terms of clothing and bags with the design support of Crown Creative. There is also a Choop baby line that targets toddlers and kids and soon to be presented on the mater-

nity to toddler lines. Anacoli is a whimsical kitten from New York, who loves to do magic tricks to bring fun to people. Anacoli is full of dreamy illustrations combined with flowers and butterflies that run alongside Anacoli’s witch horse friend Bloony. First developed for a women’s cosmetic line produced by Rediks Graphics’ sister company, the Anacoli character with her fun personality and vibrant design concept, appeals to women. Merchandise target products will be aimed at girls and adults and core product lines will include cosmetics and casual clothing. Finally, a character created by the creator of Chibi Maruko-chan, Momoko Sakura’s latest collaboration project is the Rebeccabonbon character. Rebeccabonbon by Momoko is a cute little French bulldog puppy friend who is rebellious. Rebeccabonbon loves to

Hyonkyong Kim is president of Korean licensing agency, K-VISION Inc. Ms. Kim studied for a Masters Degree in Journalism at Sophia University in Tokyo for two years. During that time, she also worked as an overseas video journalist for KBS 2 TV channel, part of Korean Broadcasting System, the national South Korean public broadcaster. Upon graduation, after working for Sumitomo Warehouse, she re-engaged with media joining H.C.P., Japan’s first magazine dedicated to the “Korean Wave” of popular Korean contents.Thereafter she worked for the Tokyo International Anime Fair Secretariat before establishing K-VISION in Japan in 2005 and then in Korea in 2010. Ms. Kim writes extensively on the Korean contents industry. For three years, she authored a Korea market column for Charabiz. com, a Japanese character industry portal site, and now continues to contribute to Korean licensing magazines. E-mail: japansophia@hotmail.com or hksophia2@yahoo.co.jp

socialize with friendly people who share the same positivity and aura. The brand is targeted at teen to tween consumers and key product lines are girls’ clothing and accessories. Rebeccabonbon by Momoko was first promoted as an iPhone cover in Korea and Japan.

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TOTAL LICENSING

TELETUBBIES SIGN KOREAN DEAL One of the most successful preschool brands of all time, Teletubbies’ popularity continues to increase globally, with its footprint in Asia seeing an especially rapid rise over the past year. The latest territory to fall in love with the Fab Four is South Korea, where DHX Brands has just signed new broadcast and consumer products

agency deals to bring the new series of the global phenomenon to the country for the first time. KBS, South Korea’s national public broadcaster, debuts the brand new Teletubbies series this month while SMG Holdings/Joon International has been named territory licensing agent for Teletubbies toys and consumer products. KBS is the first South Korean broadcaster signed for the new series and, as the leading public broadcaster in the country, is the perfect platform for Teletubbies. The new technological elements to the show such as the Tubby Phone plus the cute and adorable Tiddlytubbies characters and the colourful Tubby Custard Ride should prove popular with young preschoolers in the territory. SMG Holdings/Joon International is expected to begin rolling out a consumer products program in the terri-

tory later this year. With an extensive track record of managing top entertainment properties, they are the ideal agency to bring the magical world of Teletubbies to a new generation of preschoolers through consumer products and live experiences. The two latest deals build on DHX Brands’ strategy to expand the Teletubbies brand throughout Asia and to capitalise on the significant potential for consumer products in the territory. They come on the heels of recently announced broadcast and consumer products deals for Teletubbies in China, where the series is seen on the country’s most popular streaming services, including iQIYI, Youku, Tencent and others. With strong viewer response in China and a huge appetite for the Teletubbies brand in Korea, DHX Brands will be looking to make further inroads into the territory in the coming months.

CJE&M APPOINT SUPERIGHTS TO HANDLE THREE SERIES French distributor Superights recently announced a new partnership with CJ E&M South Korea for three preschool series of its catalogue: Emmy & Gooroo, Helen’s Little School and Bo Bear. The series will be launched this year on the new Pay TV Channel of the group English Gem focusing on English learning. Produced by Left Pocket and Tomavision the adventures of Emmy & Gooroo (52 x 11 minutes) have already been acquired by YLE in Finland, Paka Paka in Argentina, Studio 100 in MENA. Helen’s Little School (52 x 11 minutes) produced by Superprod and Muse Entertainment was launched last Fall on France Television’s France 5 (France), Télé-Québec, TFO, Knowledge Network (Canada), Minimax (Poland) and Discovery’s youth channel DKids (Latin America). This is also a significant deal for Bo Bear (26 x 5 minutes), the first live action series of Superights, as it marks its first international sales ahead of other ongoing discussions around the globe. “We are excited to have such beautiful programmes from Superights on our lineup of the new kids channel, English Gem.” commented Diana Kim, General Manager of Premium TV Contents at CJ E&M. “I am thrilled of this first collaboration with CJ E&M, no doubt it will be a great home for our little heroes” says Safaa Benazzouz, Sales Manager for Asia at Superights.

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CJ E&M is at the forefront of the latest cultural trends as one of Asia’s top media contents company. CJ E&M Media Business provides various programmes through 18 channels available across diverse platforms and the new channel “English Gem” is a premium pay channel for preschoolers in Korea. It aims at providing the opportunity to learn the English language in a more natural way through internationally renowned quality programs for children.The channel will be launched in May 2018.

Pick up your copy of Total Licensing at the Seoul Character Licensing Fair and the Asia Content and Entertainment Show in Gwangju.

TOTAL LICENSING

Korea’s most comprehensive entertainment content exhibition

2018 Asia Content & Entertainment Fair in Gwangju Thursday Sept. 13 – Sunday Sept. 16 Kimdaejung Convention Center, Gwangju, Korea

The 2018 Asia Content & Entertainment Fair in Gwangju (2018 Gwangju ACE Fair) will take place from September 13 to September 16 at the Kimdaejung Convention Center, located in Gwangju, Republic of Korea. Main exhibition categories include broadcast, animation, game, character, edutainment,VRAR, etc. As Korea’s most comprehensive cultural content exhibition, Gwangju ACE Fair continues to expand into industries relating to entertainment and welcomes participation from new and emerging categories.

Preview Content born and raised in Gwangju The ACE Fair Secretariat and the Gwangju Information & Culture Industry Promotion Agency (GITCT) have been supporting the growth and development of local companies. For a complete list of companies that are part of the GITCT incubator program, please visit their website at http://www.gitct.kr/eng/. Early-bird special until May 31! Pricing and registration available at http://acefair.or.kr

Oops! Ikooo by Maro Studio I-Kooo is a young prince who travels to earth form outer space. But will he be able to adjust himself to life on earth safely?

Story Messenger Dongaeb By Studio Fishiker Co Dongaebi is the town troublemaker. He lives in an old house with his grandfather, a postman, who is on the point of retiring.

Duda & Dada By Eyestream Studio This is a story of how a young happy-to-lucky mole, Duda, discovers the world above ground and befriends an explorer, Dada. Together they have exciting adventures.

Magic Adventures By Studio W. Baba The thrilling tale of Magic Land begins. Find the Magic Crystals - the only way to defeat darkness and keep Magic Land safe.

Fire Robo By Studio Button The firefighters in this series are true heroes who are ready to sacrifice themselves for others.

Aliens Ninano By Toz Studio This happy laughing virus, Nin, is living in a pet’s home run by a human girl, Tada. Ninan spends his days squabbling with the pet show guardians.

Please direct all inquiries to the ACE Fair Secretariat, Email: os@acefair.or.kr. Tel: +82-62-611-2247)

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Territory at a glance Spain has emerged from a severe economic recession that began in mid2008, posting three straight years of GDP growth above the EU average. Unemployment has fallen, but remains high especially among youth. Spain is the Eurozone’s fourth largest economy. After a prolonged recession that began in 2008 in the wake of the global financial crisis, Spain marked the fourth full year of positive economic growth in 2017, with economic activity surpassing its pre-crisis peak, largely because of increased private consumption. The financial crisis of 2008 broke 16 consecutive years of economic growth for Spain, leading to an economic con-

traction that lasted until late 2013. In that year, the government successfully shored up its struggling banking sector - heavily exposed to the collapse of Spain’s real estate boom - with the help of an EU-funded restructuring and recapitalization program. Strong export growth helped bring Spain’s current account into surplus in 2013 for the first time since 1986

POPULATION Total Population Population under 14 years: Urban Population: GDP per capita: Internet Users: 110

48,958,159 15.38% 80% of total $38,200 39,123,384 (80.6%)

and sustain Spain’s economic growth. Increasing labor productivity and an internal devaluation resulting from moderating labor costs and lower inflation have improved Spain’s export competitiveness and generated foreign investor interest in the economy, restoring FDI flows. On the following pages, we take a look at the Iberian marketplace, highlighting some of the companies, and properties - both domestic and international - that are enjoying growth.

Population Growth 2006 1.69% 2007 1.85% 2008 1.60% 2009 0.89% 2010 0.46% 2011 0.36% 2012 0.06% 2013 -0.33% 2014 -0.33% 2015 0.07% 2016 0.01%

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For more information visit www.helloanima.com

Anima is a leading animation studio based in Mexico City, Madrid and the Canary Islands. Specializing in 2D and CGI animation, it creates, produces and manages high quality brands and develops original projects for kids and the whole family. It also has a division that manages and commercializes its own brands, designing the most suitable strategy for each one and adapting it to each territory. Anima Spain is currently presenting two big projects to the licensing market: Cleo & Cuquin and PINY Institute of New York. Cleo & Cuquin (52 x 7 minutes) is a preschool series that features the six siblings - specifically big sister Cleo and the littlest member of the family, Cuquin, who gets caught up in all kinds of adventures thanks to baby Cuquin’s curiosity and cheeky mischief. In each episode, the six kids go on an exciting mini-adventure, and pretend to be astronauts, gardeners, rock stars, detectives and more! At the end of each episode, Cleo decides what she wants to be when she grows up... at least until she discovers that she wants to be something else! Cleo & Cuquin, co-produced with Televisa, is a transmedia brand that

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counts on YouTube content, apps, and a web site. All this consolidates the idea of having a specific presence in all channels used by kids. The brand currently has Nick Jr USA, Netflix, Discovery Kids LATAM, Spain’s Clan, and Mattel among its most relevant deals. Important agreements in English-speaking and European markets will be announced in the next months. The TV show has been aired in January on Nick Jr (USA), Clan (Spain), Discovery Kids throughout Latin America, Hop (Israel) and Televisa (Mexico), with many more coming soon! The ratings so far have been great, with Cleo&Cuquin scoring the top third position in Clan in less than 8 weeks and very well performance in the rest of territories included Nick Jr USA and Netflix has bought global second window rights of the show. Familia Telerin - Cleo & Cuquin’s YouTube channel has proven a huge success: with just 22 music video clips published to date and having only started posting episodes, it has over 2 million subscribers and has chalked up around 1 billion views, spearheading the online strategy for the transmedia brand Cleo&Cuquin. Mattel has been appointed Cleo & Cuquin’s Master Toy Licensee: the global toymaker will launch a range of Cleo & Cuquin’s toys in Spain in June and will be in Mexico’s stores in October this year. Products will roll out in the US in Spring 2019. The brand has inked licensing deals with Penguin Random House, which will launch Cleo&Cuquin’s books in all Spanish-speaking countries and Portugal in fall 2018; and with Clementoni to produce side toys in Spain in Autumn 2018. It also has agreements in place with Famosa to launch plush toys in Spain and Mexico, and with

Ruz, that will launch back-to-school products in Mexico next fall. Anima is also in talks to agree on several other deals. PINY, Institute of New York (52 X 11 minutes), co-produced by Ánima Spain and Famosa – which is Master Toy too, - has been broadcast in Disney Channel in Spain and Portugal, Gulli in France, Frisbee in Italy and Carousel in Russia. It is being aired throughout Latin America on Cartoon Network and Boomerang, both owned by TBS Latin America, as well as in Televisa and UK’s Sony POP, with great ratings in the latter. PINY, Institute of New York is an exciting series targeted at 6 to 8-year-old

girls which follows Michelle and her friends during their life at the famous Institute that focus on enhancing the students’ natural talents and creativity. Famosa has launched a full range of PINY toys: the first mini-dolls were in Spanish stores in Christmas 2016, and the PINY fashion doll was launched last April 2017 - it counts on different models and formats, some of them with high technological components. These two categories are being distributed in Europe and Latin America currently. The first collection of PINY books with brand new adventures have been published in Spain by Penguin Random House in Spring 2018. Scholars will be able to buy new back-to-school material in Mexico thanks to Ruz and in Argentina, with Cresko. The brand has YouTube channels in Spanish, English, French, Italian, Portuguese and Russian, and its episodes make big hits every week, having racked up more than 100 million views.

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El Ocho Licencias y Promociones is an agency, based in Spain, dedicated to the management of brands and promotional marketing, specialized in the licensing market. With more than twenty years experience, everybody at El Ocho works to fulfil market needs and give a complete counsel of the license process to our clients.They manage every brand in a personalized manner and plan an individual strategy for each brand, working closely with licensees, property owners, retails and the media. (http://el-ocho.com/en/ )

PJMasks This follows the thrilling night-time exploits of three young friends who transform into their dynamic superhero alter egos - Catboy, Owlette and Gekko - when they put on their pajamas and activate their animal amulets. Together, they embark on action packed adventures to save the day! In two years, it has become a global phenomenon and a enjoyed success on Disney Jr. and Disney Channel. Entertainment One is one of the producers of the series. The series has two season with a total of 52 x 11 minute episodes and a third season is currently under production, which will bring a further 52 x 11 minute amazing episodes of the popular superheroes! PJMasks is currently one of the top preschool brands in Spain and Portugal. It has one of the best licensing and merchandising programs, with over 50 licensees in Spain and Portugal that cover all product categories. Key partners includes Bandai as Master Toy and Penguin Random House as Master Publishing. PJMasks has an extraordinary PR and Meet and Greet program. eOne decided to work once again with the best meet and greet agency in Spain following great success with Peppa Pig. They also work with the best digital agency that manages and creates new content for PJ Masks on social media.

Peppa Pig Peppa Pig is an animated series for preschool children about a cheeky and slightly bossy pig called Peppa. Her adventures always end happily with loud snorts of laughter. The series is produced by Entertainment One and broadcasted by CLAN TVE in Spain. Peppa Pig has been broadcasted continuously from Monday to Sunday since 2011, consistently making it within the top pre-school series on CLAN. It currently has 260 x 5 mins episodes

and 117 brand new episodes are in production. After seven years, Peppa Pig continues to be one of the top selling brands for licensing and one of the most successful preschool brands in the Spanish market. With a major licensing program in Spain and Portugal the property has 60 licensees in all categories including Bandai as Master Toy and Penguin Random House as Master Publishing. Peppa is also a massive success on Facebook as well as YouTube (2.9 million Facebook fans and 4 million subscribers to the official YouTube channel). It is loved by kids on digital platforms across the world.

Distroller Distroller has arrived in Spain in 2018 thanks to El Ocho. The award winning Mexican brand is a part of an ambitious project with CIFE as Master toy. El Ocho believe that there are no limits to what this brand can achieve in the Spanish market. The three-bestselling properties of Distroller will soon be available in Spain, which include Virgencita Plis as the most representative brand of Distroller, Neonates where children have the opportunity to adopt a being in their hearts and minds, with over 2.5 million dolls solds in 2016, and Chamoy y Amiguis another great success for the brand.

Dragon Ball Dragon Ball, the cult franchise is stronger than ever. Dragon Ball Super is an all-new series based on the original story by Akira Toriyama and produced by Toei Animation. Dragon Ball Super reconnects fans with their favorite characters, while introducing new storylines beyond imagination. Broadcast by Boing in Spain it is #5 kids program on the channel. It has more than 100 x 26 minute episodes and an action packed second season coming in 2018! The brandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s key partners are Bandai and Ban-

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dai Namco and 15 other licensees in the Spanish and Portuguese territories, covering numerous categories of products. The franchise is unstoppable and continues to grow after 30 years: It has sold more than 240 million mangas worldwide, making it the second bestselling manga ever, 200 million downloads worldwide of the App and over 10 million video games sold. Lastly, Goku will be the ambassador for the Tokyo Olympics in 2020!

Anekke Since 2016, El Ocho has managed Anekke, a design brand with unimaginable potential. In only a year and a half, the property has expanded worldwide and has a presence in 35 countries. It already has 13 licensees in various categories. What makes Anekke different is its attention to detail. The property continuously creates beautiful designs and delicate content for all its licensees. Every product is unique and creates an emotional impact, which makes it a success all around the world.

Mölang The internet sensation character will arrive in Spain thanks to El Ocho and Bizak as Master toy during the next Christmas campaign. The TV series follows the adventures of Mölang, a joyful, eccentric and enthusiastic rab-

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bit and his best friend Piu Piu. In a 2D HD 104 episodes x 3.30 minutes format, the over-the-top cuteness and no dialogue allows this unique property to be universal and transcend demographics appealing to both preschoolers and teenagers.

Bing Acamar has teamed up with Brown Bag Films and Tandem Films to co-produce the animated series that follows the story of a preschool bunny named Bing as he experiences the world around him. 78 x 7 minute episodes have been broadcast in Spain and Portugal by CLAN TVE since 2016. Fisher Price is the Global Master toy and Penguin Random House is Master Publishing with many more licensees in different categories.

Algo de Jaime Algo de Jaime is a great new project by El Ocho. It revolves around Jaime, a talented artist with autism. He is able to see the world from a different perspective and shares it through his wonderful drawings. The project originates from his love of drawing and its main objective is to provide a job for Jaime that allows him to have a future in a normalized environment. Jaime’s drawings have caught the eye of important companies like Zara, El Corte Inglés, Cefa Toys and Cife, which will soon start selling

products with Jaime’s drawings. Algo de Jaime also had huge success on social media. For World Autism Awareness Day on April 2nd, the hashtag #YoTambienTengoAlgoDeJaime (I also have something from Jaime) went viral with celebrities and influencers.

Operation Triunfo Sixteen years after its first edition, the most famous TV music phenomenon in Spain was reborn in 2017. Operación Triunfo became the biggest success on TVE in many years and part of that success lies in the social media usage of the program; the official account of the program has been enormously active on instagram and twitter, along with the 24h channel on YouTube with over 523,000,000 views. The program was #1 in the rankings for several weeks and achieved over 30% share. Following this great success, many licensed products in all categories will arrive during the 2018 Christmas season.

MasterChef MasterChef is a highly awarded show and the most watched show with over 30% share on prime time. A culinary contest searches for the best amateur chef in Spain. Broadcast by TVE, produced by Shine Grupo and Endemol. The 6th season will be released in 2018.

TOTAL LICENSING Animation from Spain is the umbrella brand created and supported by ICEX, Spain Trade and Investment to promote the Spanish animation industry at all international shows around the globe. ICEX Spain Trade and Investment is the state agency for the internationalization of Spanish businesses. Animation from Spain as a brand is also helping to improve the business around the Spanish animation industry as Spain is at the forefront in terms of creativity, tech and digital advances in the International arena. To identify ‘Who is Who’ in Spain ICEX is has produced a directory that highlights the vitality of Spain’s animation, video game, and new media sectors. The guide represents both the business and creative sides of the animation world. Commenting, Silvia Barraclough, Head of Videogames, Animation, and Virtual Reality Sector said, “We firmly believe that Spain has many eclectic and commercially viable properties, undeniable talent, expertise and solid international connections. ICEX is supporting the industry of animation, the part that is already structured and very active in the international audio-visual landscape, with the key Spanish animation companies (in cinema and TV, commercial and arthouse), but also a growing number of digital, and VR companies and of course distributors and agents including those specializing in licensing and merchandising.We highlight the know-how and competitivity that Spanish producers, creatives, and agents can provide and the opportunities that Spain has to offer as a true international player”.

Brands & Rights 360, the Madrid-based integrated brand management specialist has recently placed RCN’s Chica Vampiro (120 x 45 minute episodes) on Disney Channel. The tween-novela premiered on Disney Channel Spain on February 5th and airs Monday to Thursday at prime time. The series is also being backed by Disney’s different digital and social platforms. China Vampiro launched in the first quarter this year in Spain. In his broadcasting time slot, is the most viewed (in children channels) between Girls 4-12, improving the yield of the strip by +1.8 points vs half

time slot the four previous weeks. It also leads amongst girls 9-12, improving the performance of the time slot by +3.6 points vs 4 previous weeks. On the licensing and merchandising front, B&R360 has already announced its main strategic partners: CD + DVD, with Warner Music Spain; Simba and Cife, as Master Toy and stationary; Planeta and Grupo Zeta for publishing; Garty for Home Decor; electronic devices with Lexibook; Montichelvo for accessories and concerts and shows with Planet Events. More licensees/ categories to be announced soon and the first products landed on shelves in March. Since its premiere on the Disney Channel App, Chica Vampiro, leads the rankings of most viewed content with more than 196k videos viewed and with 43k unique visitors, well ahead of the next most viewed content in that period (Soy Luna), with 76k Videos Viewed and 24k unique visitors. The tween novela, produced by RCN Colombia, narrates the story of Daisy, an ordinary girl, whose parents are vampires. After a terrible accident, they decide to bite Daisy in order to keep her alive. She curses her luck as soon as she wakes up since she never wanted to be a vampire. The relationship she has with Max, her sweetheart, will be more complicated now; what would happen if her vampire fangs came out and she wants to bite him? Her life is now divided in two: the one she has in the mortal world at school and the other one she enjoys in the vampire world. In addition to Spain, the series has been aired on Gulli France, Boing Italy, Biggs Portugal, Zoom Israel, Nickelodeon Benelux and Poland and Gulligirl Russia and Gloob in Brazil. Only in France, there are over 38 licensees plus 500 SKUs in total with a solid sell-out performance and the Music CD of the series achieved the Platinum record in only three months (more than 100.000 units sold). On a different note, Brands & Rights 360 are also marketing Kally’s Mashup. Kally’s Mashup is a success story that will arrive in Europe late this year. It is the most-watched tween / teens real-image series in the history

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of Nick Latam since its premiere. It is produced by Adam Anders, the composer of Glee’s music and author of songs of Selena Gomez, Jonas Brothers, Taylor Swift, Nick and Powwow 360. Iñaki Orive from B&R360 has as plan to launch Kally’s MashUp in more than 7 countries simultaneously in 4Q18. The previous success of Chica Vampiro has helped to the intelligent commercial exploitation of the show: “We have opened slots in more countries that are counting the months to be able to launch Kally’s MashUp”. Besides, Orive added: “We want to launch the show on five or six free to air channels in different countries simultaneously, in the fourth quarter of 2018. We are already in discussions with strategic partners for concerts, digitals-plays, toys, publishing houses and textiles”. Apart from this list, the licensing strategy includes back to school accessories and apparel and has already gained Sony’s commitment for this broad undertaking. Moreover, discussions are being held right now and deals are trying to be made so that Kally’s MashUp can have the widest audience in Europe. Moreover, discussions are currently taking place in order to give Kally’s MashUp the widest possible audience in southern Europe. So far, B&R360 can gladly confirm that Kally’s MashUp will premiere on 4Q18 (in record time since Mipcom) on Gulli/Lagardere in France: FTA and PTV (dubbed in French with songs in English) and PTV in Russia + Baltics (dubbed in Russian with songs in English), Super!/DeaKids in Italy: FTA and PTV dubbed in Italian (songs in English), Teen Nick in Israel: PTV in original version subtitled in Hebrew and DSTV KIDS Angola & Mozambique PTV in Portuguese. 2017 has been a very positive year for Biplano Licensing as some of the licenses they represent have enjoyed huge success: Masha and the Bear, Hello Kitty and Sony properties among others. Moreover, Biplano has signed agreements with two strong licensing agents in order to enlarge the offering to licensors. Biplano has reached an

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agreement with Maurizio Distefano in Italy and Sagoo in France in order to be formally and officially, commercial partners in those territories. Back to Iberia, Masha and the Bear is

Biplano also manages Sanrio for the Iberian market and among all Sanrio properties, Hello Kitty stands out among the others. In 2017 and 2018, Sanrio, has launched

enjoying a sweet moment. The show is being broadcasted on Clan (Spain) and Canal Panda (Portugal) with excellent results. Masha and the Bear is one of the best TV shows in terms of audiences and number of runs with a strong broadcasting plan in prime time. 2018 is turning out to be an excellent year for the brand and we can say that Masha and the Bear is confirming the take-off of the brand to become a “hot property” in Iberia. Masha and the Bear has a strong and comprehensive licensing program with licensees in almost all category products. Simba-Smoby as Master Toy, together with Comansi, Cife, PMS, Dolfin, TV Mania, Royer, Stor, Madhouse, Procos, Air Val, World Cart, Cuetara or Lemon complete the list of licensees. The expectations for 2019 are even better and Biplano, Animaccord and all Masha’s partners will be focused on retail in order to satisfy the high demand of Masha and the Bear products. In addition to the sale of products in stores, a key factor that demonstrates the current success of the property are the events that are taking place in various shopping malls in Iberia run by Madhouse. And last but not least, in March 2018, Masha and the Bear has premiered the Live Show managed by Lemon. The tour started in Portugal passing through different cities and it will arrive to Spain.

a new project called Hello Kitty Gang. Made up of adult Hello Kitty fans from the cool and creative worlds of fashion, health, and beauty, food and street style, Hello Kitty Gang offers exclusive urban, grown-up Hello Kitty apparel and an array of events throughout Europe, Middle East, and Australia. In collaboration with Biplano Licensing, Sanrio has launched this project in Spain during the first quarter of 2018 and in March 22nd took place in Madrid a party with influencers and Hello Kitty fans to welcome the Hello Kitty Gang project. The Hello Kitty licensing program includes Play by Play, Comansi, United Labels, Safta, Angel Europa, Mango Kids, Zara, H&M, El Corte Inglés, Cortefiel, Dolci Preziosi, Idel Casa, Stor, Edigrama, Tap Tap Tales, Virginias, ABC Parts among others. In addition, Biplano manages Sony Pictures Animation properties and Hotel Transylvania stands out among the others. The new TV series has been released in October 2017 and in summer 2018, the third movie will be released in all cinemas. The first two movies had a big success with a box office of more than a billion dollars, and everything suggests that this third will follow in the footsteps of the two previous ones. Apart from the films, the Hotel Transylvania franchise grows with a new digital content: Hotel Transylvania, the series. Set in the same universe of

TOTAL LICENSING movies, this new TV series allows us to extend the window of the property offering a longer exposure beyond the cinema. The series has premiered in Spain in October 2017 on Disney Channel with daily broadcast and very good audience results. Hotel Transylvania Licensing program: Jazwares distributed by Bizak as Master Toy, Play by Play as the distributor of Whitehouse plushes and other companies such as San Benedetto, Vidal Golosinas, Angel Europe, Madhouse, McDonald’s or Novotel among others. Another property that will have a big impact in Iberia in the coming years will be Angry Birds. In 2016, the launch of the first movie offered the opportunity to the Iberian market to develop a complete licensing program with strong retail plans. In 2018, Biplano is working on a long term licensing program to take profit of the launch of the second movie in 2019 and a new TV series in 2020. Beyond these properties, Biplano also manages all King Features properties, The Smurfs (celebrating the 60th anniversary in 2018), The Little Prince (celebrating the 75th anniversary in 2018), Miffy, WWE or Little Baby Bum among others. Last but not least, Biplano has agreed to incorporate two new properties to his portfolio in Iberia and France: Lilybuds from Zodiak and Zafari from Ink. WildBrain, a leading digital kids’ network & studio, has been appointed the exclusive global manager of BRB Internacional’s extensive catalogue of kids’ content on YouTube. BRB is one of Spain’s leading producers, distributors and licensors of kids’ content, recognized globally for classics such as Dogtanian and Willy Fog, and flagship brands Bernard and Teo.

The deal, which took effect January 1, 2018, saw BRB’s vast catalogue of more than 30 brands added to WildBrain’s existing network featuring 600 kids’ entertainment brands. WildBrain will use its leading technology and data-rich analytics to ensure an optimal digital strat-egy

that maximizes engagement in BRB’s brands on YouTube. The deal attests to WildBrain’s proven ability to attract large scale, premium partners to its branded network, as well as to its expertise in managing content in a variety of languages. In addition, the agreement further reinforces BRB’s strategy to grow its online presence and audience on YouTube. Marijo Arnáiz, Director of Digital Media at BRB, said, “We’re very pleased to have teamed up with WildBrain on our ongoing strategy to grow the audience for our many brands on YouTube, where currently, our channels garner more than 400 million views per year. I am confident that WildBrain’s experienced team of savvy professionals are the right people to work with as we continue to build our brands for success on the YouTube platform.” BRB’s content generated 45 million views and 115 million minutes of watch time in December 2017 on YouTube. Among the more than 30 brands added to WildBrain’s network under the new agreement are Bernard, a series that chronicles the comical adventures of a hairless polar bear who travels the world without knowing any rules, and Teo, an animated series based on the famous preschool books, Teo Discovers the World. From September to December 2017, Bernard generated more than 143 million minutes of watch time, while Teo currently boasts 100,000 channel subscribers. Perfetti van Melle, the global confectionery player, develops successful licensing programs in Spain and Portugal, both for lifestyle and food, with its popular brands Chupa Chups and Smint. Smint was first launched in Spain in 1994 and soon became leader of the refreshment market, owing to its intense freshness, its iconic triangular shape and an original, unique and compact dispenser. Today Smint has a strong natural seduction power. Its witty and urban communication campaigns typically revolve around kissing and have captured its consumers to help generate confidence and personal charisma. Today, No Smint No kiss! This 2018, the kiss booster brand has partnered with Skull Rider, the personal brand of motor racer Jorge Lorenzo, to take, for the first time ever, the seduction to a next level! They have created a surprising and trendy sunglasses collection called “Sparks” for European markets. But still more to come because Smint is looking for more opportunities in many other lifestyle categories such as apparel or personal care. The Smint licensing future has a kissable outlook! Chupa Chups itself is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year.The famous brand was launched

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in Spain back in 1958 and it has very much become a part of popular culture since. The iconic flower logo of the lollipop, which has helped to build its tremendous international awareness and its strong personality, was designed by the artist Salvador Dalí himself in the late sixties. Today, Chupa Chups is the most popular and consumed lollipop in the world: one out of four lollipops sold worldwide is a Chupa Chups. Every year billions of these high quality lollipops, with a huge variety of flavours in the characteristic colourful wrappers, are enjoyed by people of all ages in 150 countries. Chupa Chups is a truly global brand, not only does it have a huge international awareness as one of the top 5 confectionery brands worldwide, but also a tremendous emotional link with its customers. In Iberia, Perfetti van Melle has developed food and beverage licensing programs with its most popular brand. Chupa Chups did a very successful collaboration with Unilever creating a range of individually wrapped icecreams. The products, including Chupa Chups Calippo Shots in flavours Cherry Banana and Cola Lemon, was launched at out-of-home distribution channels across Western Europe. Furthermore, a range of surprising doughnuts have been created under the iconic international lollipop brand

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and the product will leverage the sweet flavours, as well as the colourful and playful designs associated with the brand. The doughnuts have been launched this April 2018 in France, Belgium, Netherlands, and will be launched also in Spain later in the year. Chupa Chups keeps its expansion in bakery products, beverages and desserts. Chupa Chups has launched this spring two iconic and colourful new t-shirts that can be purchased across its shops globally. One is for young ladies and the other one for girls aged 5 to 14. In addition, Macson, a Spanish retailer for sophisticated and fashion conscious young men, has developed a surprising summer collection based on the most popular lollipop flavours. T-shirts, swimsuits and sunglasses will be launched this May in all its stores. Car Parts is a leading car accessory company that

has developed an amazing car air fresheners collection with the most popular lollipop flavours, including strawberry, limelemon, orange, vanilla or apple. The products are already on the market for 3 years. Finally, Dohe, a leading stationery company in Spain, has created several back to school collections which year after year leave teens and kids wanting for more: note books, folders, agendas, back packs, purses, and pencil cases. Products have been on the shelves of many hypermarkets, department stores and specialized retailers during 3 years already. Other international deals with distribution in Spain are: apparel and fash-

ion accessories for girls with the hottest fashion retailers: H&M, Primark and Uniqlo; a range of lip balms with Markwins; original perfume foams with Swis&Sens (Foamous), a gifting stationery range with Hoomark and puzzles with Jumbo. Consumer Product Connection report that Chic&Love based in Spain – Madrid, is a fashion brand that designs lifestyle products. They design products to make life easier for women and seek inspiration in women who are nonconformist, positive and rather restless. Product targets women between 15 and 35 years of age for whom fashion is an expression of their personality. The designs are based on quality products that include fashionable trends. They believe in products that last and accompany somebody throughout their lives. The Chic & Love brand is an official partner of the prestigious Swarovski brand. They embellish all their collections with various types of crystals. Swarovski crystals provide each product with a differentiating element that makes it unique in the market. Since June 2017 with its birth at the

hand of Miquel Rius in the category of stationery and accessories with a lot of success, Chic & Love products are distributed in more than 850 sales outlets in Spain, including El Corte Inglés, Fnac, Vips stores, Carlin, Folder, Worten, Carrefour and more. This year 2018 Miquel Rius has a new collection with two design lines and new allies; Quam License with technology accessories, sunglasses, bikinis, yoga clothing, socks, cosmetics, textiles with more categories being covered soon. After the success of this year Chic Love has a new style guide completely

TOTAL LICENSING renovated with the latest trends in fashion: zebra, phyton, rainbow, iridescent. In terms of international, CPC has been appointing best in class licensing agencies to cover Europe, Eastern Territories and Latin America. The first agreements are already being signed on many categories. CPC are also managing the rights in Iberia for Cybergroup Studios’ new super production, Gigantosaurus. The series features four young dinosaurs: Rocky, Bill, Tiny and Mazu. Growing up in the Cretaceous is no mean feat. New volcanoes popping up all the time, long-necked brachiosauruses, meteor showers, enormous triceratopses and… the big bad Gigantosaurus. Gigantosaurus isn’t actually very well-known but the mere mention of his name is enough to conjure up a range of (conflicting) emotions in our four young friends: fear (Bill), fascination (Rocky), laughter (Tiny), and scientific interest (Mazu). In short, Gigantosaurus represents four different ways of finding out more about the world when you’re between 4 and 6 years old. Jakks Pacific is the Master Toy and will be distributed locally by CIFE Spain. CPC is already working actively to cover all the different categories to be launched in the market 2019/20. Notorious has been managing the WRC rights in Iberia since 2016. WRC is a dynamic, vibrant and fun brand aimed at motor sports lovers. In the course of the last two years they have achieved significant progress in the toy category with an almost global partner in the slot car category with amazing results and an unprecedented media and marketing campaigns with WRC´s full support. Notorious also represents The Tetris brand, one of the leading and most distinctive video game brands and franchises in the world. For over 30 years, the brand has been loved globally by people of all ages and cultures. Billions of Tetris games are played online every year, and over 500 million Tetris mobile games have been downloaded to date. Working with Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, Sega, Sony/GSN Games and many other licensing partners, the Tetris franchise continues to be one of the most widely recognized video game brands of all time.Tetris Holding, LLC is the owner of Tetris rights worldwide, and The Tetris Company, LLC is its exclusive licensee. On a different note, the Saez Merino family and Notorious have been working with these legendary fashion brands over the last three years; with almost global reach both brands keep their appeal and strength among different generations. Finally, Notorious runs the licensing rights to the

amazing Saturday Evening Post archive of illustrations, photos and cartoons. Est. in Barcelona’s Olympic Year (1992), CPLG Iberia is located in Barcelona and headed up by Managing Director, Pau Pascual, together with a team of nine across retail, licensing and operations. CPLG Iberia has recently added the Middle East to its remit to support the expansion plans of CPLG MENA as part of the groups restructure and global growth plans announced last year. For over 25 Years, CPLG Iberia has been developing the local licensing market, connecting the best brands with the best partners with a coherent strategy across a perfect mix of properties. Traditionally known for its entertainment portfolio, CPLG Iberia also represents brands and lifestyle properties such as Michelangelo, Billboard, Cherokee, Tony Hawk, Parental Advisory, Flip Flop Shops and has a strategic and tactical alliance with Perfetti Van Melle for Chupa Chups. With the success of Minions over the last two years, CPLG Iberia is now focused on developing its wider entertainment roster. This includes UglyDolls from STX Entertainment, children’s CGI comedy Sunny Bunnies from Media I.M., as well as existing brands Hatchimals from Spin Master; DHX’s pre-school brands Teletubbies and Twirlywoos; Oddbods, Hey Duggee and Go Jetters from BBC Worldwide, Paramount’s next Movie Amusement Park, Sega’s Sonic Boom and local Property from Teidees Studio Misha, the Purple Cat. Over the last 25 years, CPLG Iberia has become a ‘Home of Classic Brands’ with an increasingly

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strong portfolio of classic properties with a rich heritage including Space Invaders, Pink Panther, Sesame Street, Felix the Cat and Peanuts and also has reinvigorated some Back Catalogue Properties such as Dynasty, Flash Dance, Dirty Dancing and more. CPLG has developed a real understanding of how to grow and extend these brands into new areas to ensure they continually evolve and deliver long-term revenue (which is very well received from the Licensing players in the region, bearing in mind the dubious and uncertain landscape of Entertainment Licensing). A good example of this is what CPLG Iberia did with Peanuts. “Peanuts is an evergreen brand that resonates with different generations of fans making it an attractive brand for global partners like Lladró and Inditex” said Pau Pascual, Managing Director, CPLG Iberia. CPLG Iberia secured Peanuts fashion collections at a number of global retailers including Oysho, Women’Secret, Mango, Pull & Bear, Bershka and Lefties with the most recent SS18 collection for Girls and Women at Zara. Dorna Sports reports that after the success achieved in Spain, Italy, France, Belgium, Portugal and Brazil as well as Argentina with the helmet die-cast part work collection, Grupo Planeta will launch the new MotoGP motorbike die-cast collection in September 2018 in Spain. In addition, Dorna and Spanish company Indeca have renewed the current agreement for the launch of a new collection of video game accessories and peripherals in Spain and Portugal and Montichelvo have renewed their agreement to be able to license MotoGP Back to School items for the Spanish territory. They will launch their new collection third quarter this year. Finally, long term licensee, Impacto, diseño y rotulación and Dorna Sports have re-

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newed their agreement to sell MotoGP casual clothing over the next 2 years. The new 2018 collection will be available online and at all the European MotoGP World Championship circuits. Edebé report that their most successful license currently is Santoro’s design-led collection, Gorjuss. Spain is one of the strongest international markets for Gorjuss, with the collection becoming a huge phenomenon throughout the territory. It is without any doubt the most suc-

cessful license for girls/women at this moment in Spain and one of the top properties in general. Gorjuss has been a winner as the best Art & Design license in 2015 and 2016 consecutively and has been nominated again for the same award for 2017 - in the Licensing Property Awards from the Spanish Magazine Licencias Actualidad. There are now more than 70 licensees already on board covering the majority of categories and the sales performance of the Gorjuss licensed products is amazing! Panini have sold more than 33 millions of their Gorjuss photocards to date and new licensees on board include Planeta De Agostini/ Altaya (flow packs of mini figurines with effects), Davi Pharma (pharma items), Tosfrit (salty snacks) and Stor (outdoor bottles). The Gorjuss collection has a very broad demographic, appealing to adults as well as children. In terms of retail, Gorjuss products can be found in select retailers such as El Corte Inglés, FNAC, Abacus, VIP’S, and many independent stores with excellent windows and displays allocated to the

collection. Staying with Santoro and Poppi Loves is the new design collection from the company. Poppi Loves is a very sweet book-based collection, different from all the other collections/licenses that there are on the market. The artwork is beautiful and message is very strong: big dreams, curiosity, nature, beauty in the simplest things, enjoy the moment, preserve the natural world. The main gift, stationery & accessories Poppi Loves Collection began to be distributed in Spain through Commercial Nim from June 2017 and the sales figures are very promising. Penguin Random House is already on board as the publishing partner for Spain and Eden is in advanced conversations with many other companies for BTS, Apparel, Room Décor among other categories. The main target age is girls from 2 to 8 years old. Enjoy Brand Licensing, a boutique brand extension agency specializing in lifestyle brands is reporting major activities with some of their represented brands. Madrid Fashion Week Spanish fashion designer, Ion Fiz, has collaborated with Nickelodeon Spain for a brand-new SpongeBob SquarePants (Bob Esponja) fashion line. Ion Fiz showcased his interpretation of Nickelodeon’s iconic sea sponge by turning up the GOLD

TOTAL LICENSING Heat recently at the first Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Madrid of 2018. The “Bob Esponja Gold by Ion Fiz” collection mixes Ion Fiz’s signature brand of fashion with the fun and energy of SpongeBob for a new range of apparel. The collection will form part of Nickelodeon’s year-long SpongeBob SquarePants Gold international campaign, celebrating SpongeBob. Ion Fiz also partnered with Epson to create a fashion collection printed with Epson Technology, “Epson by Ion Fiz”, is an initiative whose goal is to show how technology can help fashion to get spectacular results able to satisfy current fashion trend needs. This “Epson by Ion Fiz” collection was presented in Madrid Fashion Week 2017, in C! Print 2017 Trade Show and in the brand anniversary event in Bilbao, which included a catwalk show in the Bilbao Guggenheim Museum. Ion Fiz has also just launched together with Smash!, a fashion Spanish company with strong distribution reaching up to 40 different countries, a new collection entitled Smash by Ion Fiz Autumn/Winter Limited Edition. The collection will be sold in fashion distribution multiband channels and in El Corte Ingles, the leading department store in Spain. Enjoy Brand Licensing also reported major deals with Carrefour and their represented Madrid Fashion Week brands Devota & Lomba and Roberto Torretta, where jewelry special collections were launched in Summer and Christmas 2017. Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products Iberia has continued to consolidate its position as the preschool leader on the Iberian Peninsula. With strong Pay and FTA presence in both countries, properties such as PAW Patrol, Blaze and the Monster Machines, Shimmer and Shine and Nella the Princess Knight are reaching wide audiences, generating awareness and engagement with the young target demographic. “Our strategy to position Nick Jr. and Nickelodeon channels with all local Pay TV operators, together with a strong partnership with Clan TV in Spain, is bringing positive results to all levels of the licensing value chain, including our licensees, retailers and, of course, our consumers,” said Eric Belloso Gonzalez, Senior Director of Consumer Products for VIMN in Iberia & France. The brand’s 360º approach that combines TV, re-

tail, malls, theme parks (such as the existing partnership with Parques de Atracciones in Madrid) and digital campaigns is one of the most valued advantages that NVCP is offering partners in today’s competitive preschool landscape. PAW Patrol is still the no. 1 preschool property across all product categories in the market and this 2018 will see the launch of brand new range of with Spinmaster and Comansi, apparel lines with Suncity, bags by Charactermania and FMCG products by Danone through their local water division, Lanjaron. Strong retail activations are also in place both physically and digitally in order to keep the brand alive and appealing for the youngest consumers. Blaze and the Monster Machines maintained its top three position in license toys according to NPD figures, and the strong presence of the Mattel line on shelf combined with great TV ratings nationwide carry great momentum for 2018. Shimmer and Shine also saw great results at the end of 2017 and is consolidating its position as a key property in the girls’ preschool market.With the recent launch of season two on Clan TV, the expectation is high and the launch of new textile, back-to-school and toy products will continue the great engagement this series is generating for young fans in the region. Nella the Princess Knight is NVCP’s newest launch in 2018. The series has been on Nick Jr. since 2017 and on Clan TV since February. The first toy products will be launched by Bandai in May, followed by a strong multi-category release following the summer. In addition to the strength of its expansive preschool portfolio, NVCP continues to benefit from the strong on air results and audience love of iconic evergreen property SpongeBob SquarePants, which has been the no. 1 children’s series for the last two years. These fantastic results continue generating high interest from licensees and retailers, and new products are expected to be in the market by fall 2018. Finally, with the MTV EMA coming to Bilbao in November 2018, the NVCP team is actively signing exciting agreements with major local soft-lines companies to assure a strong MTV brand presence throughout the events in the host city and nationwide across Spain. Nottingham Forest are currently majoring on four key properties for the Iberian market - Su-

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per Wings, Power Rangers, Paul Frank and Hamsta. Super Wings is broadcast on CLAN in Spain and Canal Panda in Portugal. In Spain, Super Wings is the leader preschool series on CLAN, ranking Top every month. On air, the series obtains daily audiences that surpass the main TV channels and on online (CLAN’s

web and app), it has obtained more than 40 million views. In Portugal, Super Wings is one of the most watched series on Canal Panda. In terms of licensing, the brand has more than 34 licensees in Iberia with companies including Inditex, Zara stores and Revell for building games. Most Super Wings products are already at retail. Power Rangers currently airs on Neox Kids in Spain and the full library of Power Rangers is available on Netflix. Bandai is the master toy licensee and Nottingham Forest are looking to broaden the licensing base into categories such as toys, back to school and apparel. Saban Brands has recently appointed Nottingham Forest to license Paul Frank in Iberia. The first agreement has been signed with Safta for back to school products. Finally Hamsta is another new brand for Nottingham Forest who will be looking to cover categories including gift, apparel, accessories, homewares, back to school and arts and crafts. With offices throughout Europe, including Spain, in 2016 Planeta Junior joined forces with German company M4e to focus their co-production, distribution and consumer products in

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Northern and Central Europe. Since February 2014, the company has also managed TV rights, licensing and promotions for DreamWorks Animation. Planeta Junior continues to invest in its own productions, featuring series like Gormiti, Pio Rocks!, Beatrix Girls, Mutant Busters and Maya the Bee among others. In 2018 Planeta Junior, Method and Zag Animation signed a deal for the coproduction of new Zag Heroes animation series. In January 2018 Planeta Junior sealed an agreement with Cottonwood Media for the development, the production and distribution of new content. Squish will be the first animated series of this deal. Key brands in Planeta Junior’s portfolio include Zag Heroes Zak Storm Super Pirate. Initial licensing deals include agreements with companies like Airval (personal hygiene), Artesanías Cerdá (textile accessories and backpacks), Cife (art and craft), ClaudioReig (musical instruments), DitexMed (apparel), Dolci Preziosi (chocolate and sweets), Editorial Planeta (books and activity pads), Educa Borrás (jigsaws and board games), Jugavi (wash bags). Kids Licensing (gifts), K Stationery (Back to School for Portugal), Naipes Heraclio Fournier (cardgames), Panini (stickers and official magazine), Safta (Back to School) and Viving Costumes (costumes). Bandai holds the worldwide master toy license. In recent news, Greenpeace and Planeta Junior, a European leader in children’s and youth entertainment, have launched the Greenpeace & Maya SOS Abejas campaign, to raise children’s awareness of the importance of saving the bees. Giochi Preziosi is the master Maya the Bee toy licensee. With Studio 100 and Planeta Junior’s support, Giochi Preziosi will handle the manufacturing, distribution, promotion and marketing for the soon to launch lines. The extensive range of licensed products are planned to launch Fall 2018 including main categories; figurines, playsets, role play and feature plush. The licensing deal covers key territories such as Italy, France, Spain, UK, Portugal, Greece and many more. The

new toy range reflects Maya’s fun and colourful values and complements the cheerful content of the brand. Further properties in the Planeta Junior stable include Gormiti. Giochi Preziosi and Planeta Junior are launching a new 3D CGI action and comedy series comprising 52 x 11 minute episodes aimed at boys aged five to eight. Giochi is the master toy licensee whilst Planet Junior handles TV sales and consumer products. Finally Zag Heroes Miraculous Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir. Thanks to a partnership agreement between Planeta Junior, European leader in children’s and youth entertainment, and Amazon Spain, Miraculous - Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir, created by ZAG and Method Animation, part of On Kids and Family, will receive its first cross category store on the Amazon website. This special store will allow Ladybug and Cat Noir fans to find all the products for this license in Amazon, from toys, stationery, backpacks and books to fashion, home decor, electronics and much more. Children can now play with the dolls, soft toys and role play products by Bandai, the worldwide master toy license holder for this property. The fun continues with the music toys by Claudio Reig, puzzles and board games by Educa Borrás, playing cards by Fournier, the live shows by Proactiv, bikes and helmets by Toim S.L., costumes by Rubies and Viving Costumes and party items by Verbetena. Other licensees who have placed their trust in Miraculous Ladybug include Arditex for the house furniture, Big Ben Interactive for the electronics, Cife in the Art & Crafts sector, Dekora, Dolci Preziosi, Hot Shots in the food sector, Karactermania, which have developed fashion backpacks and bags while Stor has launched household goods.

TOTAL LICENSING In personal care, Airval has created the perfume range and Nice Group the line of toy cosmetics. Laboratorios Iberpos and Laboratorios PHB have taken care of the dental hygiene and Zara has launched an eau de toilette only available at Zara Stores. In Spain Safta has taken care of Back to School, while this category is handled by K Stationary in Portugal. Novelty and fashion highlights include Artesanía Cerdá for textiles and hair accessories, Ditexmex, for the clothing line and pyjamas and Estamparia Adalberto household textiles. Ypsilon Licensing manages licensing and publishing rights of animated brands in Spain, Portugal and Italy in co-ordination with the right holders developing a comprehensive long term business plan which also includes online promotions, magazines and retail events. The company operates as a bridge between international partners and the local broadcasters in order to secure the best slots for the property building a strategy for the merchandising and publishing across multiple platforms with the producers, the leading local players and li-

censees. Ypsilon manages key relationships with TV networks, master toy companies, licensees and retailers, negotiates and structures the deals including all commercial, financial, legal and artwork follow up. Brands managed by Ypsilon include Peg + Cat which has a number of licensees in Iberia including Editorial Planeta, Editorial Saldana, Famosa, Cerda, Cyp Brands, Comansi, Ravensburger and Stor. Monchhichi is a further Ypsilon representation and the series will be released in Iberia in July this year. Licensees include Silverlit as master toy and Sekiguchi for plush. Beyblade Burst Evolution airs on Boing and has

a wide number of licensees distributing in Spain and Portugal including Montichelvo, K-Stationery and Dolci Preziosi. Zinkia has announced that after over a decade on air, Pocoyó is back with an exciting all new 4th season and is available for licensing. The new season will see the introduction of two new characters; female lead Nina, and her pet robot, Roberto. The show is airing currently on Clan TV’s primetime slots, under recently signed, 2-year contract. The new Pocoyó episodes will continue to speak the show’s well-loved visual language, where colors, shapes and music build a unique world.The show also continues to focus on core values such as respect, tolerance and friendship. In addition to the character’s educational spirit and curious nature, this new season cranks up the adventure and puts the whole group center stage. The main innovation is the introduction of a new female character who will be joining Elly, Pato, Loula, Pulpo, Pajaroto, Pajarito and Valentina, and will be sharing the limelight with Pocoyó. Zinkia’s mission is to continue to build upon the reach of the Pocoyó brand and, at the same time, to promote its activity in worldwide licensing (adding to its 100+ licensees: Bandai, Moltex, Famosa, El Corte Inglés, etc.), while continuing to expand its agreements with broadcasters and maintaining Pocoyó’s unparalleled dominance on-line and in Social Media – 285 million monthly, more than 3 billion views of the episodes per year worldwide. Other events scheduled for 2018 include a Pocoyó’s Birthday Party Live Show at the Cofidis Theater in Madrid, and the theatrical release of a new 50-minute feature, “Pocoyó and the Super League of Extraordinary Friends”, on more than 200 screens across Spain and Latin America.

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By João Fernandes, Founder and CEO, BuzzStreets http://buzzstreets.com/ linkedin.com/ company/25078940/ seedrs.com/buzzstreets facebook.com/buzzstreets/ twitter.com/BuzzStreets

How will the way we navigate around our towns and shopping centres change in the next ten years? You’re on your way to a party – you need to stop off and get some wine, a bunch of flowers, and a dessert (you promised you’d supply the trifle!). You drive to the local shopping centre and breeze straight from your parking space to the wine merchant’s shop, then from there to the bakery, and finally to florist and straight back to your car and on to your friend’s house – all using your navigation app. It has taken you from your house, to the car park and an empty parking space, and then into the shopping centre to each store you needed, before finally taking you out again and on to your party. This may sound far-fetched (and very attractive!) and the good news is, it’s already almost possible. Of course, outdoor navigation technology matured years ago and now we all walk around with a detailed map of the world in our pockets. But what happens when you enter a building? The navigation drops out. That’s because map technology is enabled via GPS – satellite technology. And while

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that sounds cool and techie, in reality satellites are rubbish at picking up phone frequencies from within buildings.

hospitals, offices, and stadia to iron out these kinks, while Google is offering DIY indoor mapping without navigation features.

Fortunately, solutions to this particular problem have already been developed. Most use Bluetooth beacons positioned around a building’s interior to ping a user’s mobile device, allowing an app to pinpoint the user’s location to within a few feet. Of course, there are more sensitive solutions which allow for centimetre-accurate positioning, but that’s usually overkill for something the size of a person.

In the very near future, we will see the combination of these technologies, providing a quick and simple solution for businesses, building mamagers, and venues of any size. At this point, we will quickly reach a critical mass of businesses providing indoor navigation and the whole world will be navigable – indoors and out. You’ll be able to go from your front door to the specific room, that you need to be in, within the building you are visiting. Navigation will take you all the way – not just to the outside door by reception.

These beacons are steadily becoming cheaper and more reliable, making them a cost-effective solution for most large and complex indoor environments, such as shopping centres, airports, and sports stadia. Every environment has its own unique technical challenges to be ironed out, however, meaning indoor navigation requires an expert consultancy rather than a DIY approach. BuzzStreets, for example, is working on a number of pilot projects with

The evolution of indoor experiences Indoor navigation isn’t just about getting people from A to B, however; it’s about the journey and experience as you make that trip from one place to the next. Indoor environment – particularly commercial spaces like shopping malls – will need to change in order to con-

TOTAL LICENSING tinue to attract shoppers and fend off the growing ecommerce sector. To do this, shopping malls and individual stores will offer shopping experiences. Imagine going into a shopping mall and seeing marine animals swimming through the air, with games and news appearing on virtual screens around you. As you approach your favourite craft beer shop you can already see whether they have the Spanish beer you wanted before receiving a special discount code. As you step inside the lighting changes and your favourite band plays softly in the corner. Again, this isn’t necessarily a sci-fi vision. BuzzStreets has already been playing around with augmented reality (AR) ideas such as these to offer shoppers a rich, immersive environment to explore. When handsfree, wearable devices become the mainstream, this futuristic vision will become a reality. Until then, we will still need to use our smartphones and tablets as a window to this world. The dawn of deep data Data has become a catch-word over

João Fernandes, Founder and CEO, BuzzStreets

the last few years. It’s BIG, it drives things, and everyone wants a piece of it. It’s been accused of swinging elections and found to help cure cancer. It’s the new oil. And anonymous navigation data, especially indoor data, holds a great power: the ability to transform the world. Sound a bit grandiose? It really isn’t. For thousands of years we’ve been improving our transport systems, our public services, healthcare, and everything else, through a combination of guesswork and the scientific method. Results are slow to come and never seem to capture the whole picture. With a global population of over 7,000,000,000 people and rising, the world can’t wait for the results of a five-year trial before making important changes.The world is too complex and fast-moving for that traditional approach. Gathering data in real-time allows us to put our theories to the test, develop new models, and

make useful changes quickly and accurately. How do people move around the shopping centre? What route do they take to get there? Where does the mall get the highest footfall? When are people most likely to buy food – is it really just at lunchtime? Why are people visiting your department store? If they are visiting your retail warehouse to buy wine – how to they move about and are there sections they miss? Data can help answer all of these questions and many more. Businesses can optimise their environments to improve the user experience, save money, and change our lives. The same approach can also be applied to inanimate objects, such as equipment. If you need a specialist piece of equipment, but it’s not where it should be, location data can help you track it down.

About the Author João Fernandes is the Founder and CEO of BuzzStreets, a B2B navigation and locationbased services solution. We combine indoor and outdoor navigation with technologies such as augmented reality and proximity-triggered offers, to create a bespoke solution for customer engagement. The analytics the solution can also be invaluable in improving building efficiency and keeping track of vital equipment. Particular verticals that could benefit from BuzzStreets include: Shopping Malls, Stadiums, Hospitals, Airports and Offices.

Perhaps you find that some equipment is regularly moving long distances through the building, in which case perhaps it would save time and money to buy a second machine. There are almost infinite ways in which the data gathered by navigation software could be used to improve our lives. The only limit is our imagination.

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Rubik’s Promotions are making Nicolas Loufrani Happy! Almost two years to the day that The Smiley Company announced it had entered into an exciting new partnership that would see them going from licensors to licensees, the brand is continuing to spread happy news, but this time as master licensee to Rubik’s, spearheading an intelligence revolution that is sweeping all before them. In the two years since, Smiley CEO Nicolas Loufrani has overseen the creation of a host of new products which have not only leveraged the

brand equity of the Rubik’s Cube, but also the resurgence of retro gaming and geek culture. Mix this with Smiley’s own industry leading design studio and world class distribution channels and the recipe for success was never really ever in doubt and you can see why some of the biggest brands, licensees and retailers in the world are using themes of art and intelligence to extend the Rubik’s brand appeal into new categories and channels. With the global demand for Rubik’s at the highest levels since its launch in 1980 and a number of industry leading partners already signed up across categories including apparel, back to school, gift, live events & attractions, partworks, promotions and publishing, there has never been a better time to ‘Play Smart’ with Rubik’s. The work being done by The Smiley Company to put the Rubik’s Brand in new and innovative spaces is best reflected by an exciting new deal for a QSR promotion that the brand has just announced for a McDonald’s Happy Meal promotion. This multi-territory promotion will appear in McDonald’s restaurants across Europe, Scandinavia, Middle East, Africa and North America, with a first launch in France scheduled for July 2018 and roll out across other territories from August

through November 2018. To highlight the innovative methods that The Smiley Company are using to leverage the Rubik’s Brand, in an exciting development, the iconic Happy Meal Box will be transformed from its traditional tented “house” design into a Cube shape to mirror the Rubik’s Cube for the duration of the campaign. Children enjoying a Happy Meal at McDonald’s will have a choice of 4 different bespoke Rubik’s Cube toys in a shape that has been derived for Rubik’s successful Junior line that includes; square 2x2 cubes and rectangular 3x2 cubes as well as rounded versions of these, with a total of 12 different toys to choose from. This unique promotion will also feature a product mash-up between Rubik’s and a top series of top Hollywood animation properties Lori Heiss-Tiplady,VP of Brand Strategy at The Smiley Company, spoke about the deal saying, “We have worked closely with The Marketing Store and the whole team at McDonald’s and are really pleased with the innovative and high quality content of this campaign. From the robust mini Cubes and the unique Rubik’s Cube shaped Happy Meal box to the TV ads and bespoke games created for the Happy Studio app, every aspect of the promotion has been crafted to perfectly leverage the Rubik’s brand mission of encouraging children to PLAY SMART and further our goal of bringing intelligent play to kids of all ages.” “With the Rubik’s brand extension

TOTAL LICENSING that saw over 50 high profile appearances in film, music, advertising and on TV, as Rubik’s continues to enjoy standout coverage across the world’s most influential pop culture channels. With the Cube appearing in blockbuster kids movie Despicable Me 3, as well as Hollywood heartthrob Chris Pratt solving the Cube whilst answering a serious of questions about his career on PopBuzz in an impressive 3 minutes.

program moving from strength to strength with launches across categories including publishing, apparel, back to school, gifts and more, The Smiley Company is thrilled to be adding a partnership with a superbrand like McDonald’s; one which has a truly global footprint and supports its launches with strong marketing activations – this will ensure the Rubik’s legacy continues to be passed down through the family.” The McDonald’s deal follows hot on the heels of another major promotional announcement that Red Bull have decided to give wings to the global Speedcubing phenomenon. Red Bull will leverage the Rubik’s Brand and sponsor a thousand global Speed-

cubing events this year, as they look to take a stake in not only this fast growing sport, but also in the intelligence revolution. Red Bull and Rubik’s will together focus on creating bigger and better events with more reach, while Rubik’s will mutually benefit from Red Bull’s owned media platforms across social media, earned media and PR. Competitions will take place in twenty countries across five continents attracting huge media exposure and significant budgets in line with what Red Bull is already doing for action sports. Red Bull Mind Gamers will take the Speedcubing sport to a new level of professionalism and recognition. These exciting new promotions follows another stellar 2017 for Rubik’s

Meanwhile Ballon d’Or winner and one of the greatest soccer players of all time, Cristiano Ronaldo, dropped a video across his social channels on the day he appeared in the Champions League final, that featured the Cube and was appropriately titled ‘Pick Your Skill Level’. Whilst Apple featured the Cube in an advertising campaign to launch of their latest operating system iOS 11, highlighting the ease of navigating the new system. It’s apparently so easy that you could solve the Cube with one hand and operate an iPad with the other!

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DO YOU PROMISE? Do You Promise? is an app created by British parents, Dean and Stephanie Campbell of Jessami Ltd who saw a need and wanted to spark enthusiasm in their kids. Knowing how challenging it can be to encourage children to commit to tasks and to reinforce good behavior, Dean and Stephanie came up with the idea for the app as a new type of reward system that kids really engage with.

For information contact Trudi Bishop, Bee Licensing +44 (0) 780 520 2812 trudi@beelicensing.com

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This app can make daily routines run much smoother at home. It is designed to boost self-confidence and encourage healthy living. It’s easy for parents and caregivers to set up a profile for each child, go back and add more promises, and watch kids happily await their rewards. Real- life rewards, for example, ‘A trip to the park’, are chosen by parents at the time of the Promise and sealed with fingerprints by both the parent and the child. This is an excellent opportunity for parents to have quality time with their children. Once the app is downloaded, the quality is apparent and all of the amazing graphics and animations go a long way towards enticing your children to stick to their promises. The videos they will see are done in a ‘FaceTime’ fashion and will truly engage their attention and devotion to complete their promises. The app is free to download and there are several characters you can purchase packages of 3 for (a total of 9 promises per licensed character). The character videos have proved to be very popular and motivating (younger children tend to think it is a real call from the character). The developer’s creations, Princess Ava and MJ-5 led to licensing from Arty Mouse, Poppy Cat, Gummy Bear and Super Geek Heroes. This app is not purely designed for parents; it is also for children’s en-

gagement and a desire to achieve their goals. Using popular characters makes the parents’ lives a little easier when encouraging their children to try the app for the first time. When they get that first video call from the their favorite TV character then there is no going back and the children are asking to check on their progress and do more promises unprompted. It really is a win-win for all concerned. “Do You Promise?” helps families around the world in a fun and interactive way, using technology as a bonding activity between parent and child, whilst enriching kids’ lives through fun and imagination by rewarding and encouraging their achievements. Once downloaded, the parent chooses a goal for the child to achieve, such as tidying their room, cleaning their teeth (there are 9 to choose from) and the number of days the child needs to complete this task in order to achieve their real-time reward which is chosen by the parents and gives the child an incentive. The ‘magic’ really happens when the child’s chosen character “video calls” them to check they are ready to lock in their promise. The camera on the parent’s phone or tablet is activated so the children can see themselves talking to their character. The delight on their faces is reward enough for some parents. The child and parent then ‘lock in’ the promise together on an imitation fingerprint reading screen. Parents can receive notifications to check on their child’s progress. Once the task has been completed they get a ‘well done’ video message and a printable certificate for their efforts. The app is aimed primarily at children between 2-7 yrs and has been proving a real hit among parents and children alike. The app has been approved by the Good App Guide with four-star reviews where reviewers loved how it encourages children to commit to a long-term goal, reinforces good behavior and promotes self-care. It has also achieved five star reviews on the Educational App Store and a glowing

review on ‘Best Apps for Kids’. It is clear to see how clever their idea has been to combine technology and parenting so the magic of characters can make every day routines and even development milestones (such as potty training) that little bit easier for both the child and adult. It allows them to work together to reach a common goal and provides positive reinforcement to the child. ‘Do You Promise?’ is currently running a competition with Poppy Cat and already have more competitions in the pipeline for next month with Arty Mouse and more! Their vision for the future will be to look at adding more characters that are right for the app’s age group, COPPA compliant and locally appealing in relevant markets. Additional to looking at more characters, the plan is also to look at improving the visibility and daily usage by parents and their children via preloading or licensing the app on relevant platforms in multiple territories.There are many discussions going on at the moment so watch this space. The future certainly looks bright for this wonderful app – rewarding the positive can only have positive rewards.

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TF1 LICENCES - a 360° strategy Earlier this spring TF1’s flagship property Ushuaïa was nominated for a LIMA International Licensing Award that recognizes innovation and creativity in licensing. It is one of the three French properties amongst 132 nominated (out of more than 700 applications!) competing for the “Film/Television/Entertainment – Live Action” prize. For 30 years, Ushuaïa has been an emblematic and essential property for TF1 Licences, establishing itself as a benchmark for all nature lovers. Today, the brand is available over a wide range of products including beauty, outdoor and adventure. The Ushuaïa TV adventure channel has more than 13 million subscribers in 30 different countries. A 360° approach is a key focus for the TF1 Group. TF1 Licences is building bridges between their free, cable and digital TV channels, their advertising agency, games company, film and music divisions, to name but a few. One of the best examples is Miraculous Ladybug. Broadcast on TF1 and Disney Channel in France, TF1 Licences worked closely with the Music division to release a new version of the theme song sung by Lou and Lenni Kim, two star contestants of The Voice Kids, also broadcast on TF1. The video clip went viral on Youtube and has already reached 46.5 million video views! To follow up the collaboration, the two young artists performed in April at the French “Madame Tussauds” Musée Grevin, for the launch of the wax figures Ladybug and Cat Noir and it was an amazing success! Another great project is Wakatoon. Helped by TF1’s start-up incubator, the company created an App that animates children’s drawings. TF1 Licences has concluded a licensing deal and invested in the App with Miraculous Ladybug to combine forces. Last but not least, the collaboration between TF1 Licences’ promotions and TF1 Publicité advertising teams have secured exciting

licensing promotions for the seventh season of The Voice with advertisers such as Maybelline, Calor, Daddy and Deezer. Continuing its success story, Barbapapa will be back on TV in 2019/2020 with a brand new series produced by Normaal. The program is sold to a global kids broadcaster set to launch in over 100 territories as well as major European broadcasters such as TF1 and RAI. Going global is an important focus for TF1 Licences. By obtaining multi-territory rights, they have developed the brand beyond its frontiers to produce the most creative programs which are enjoying phenomenal success in Southern Asia. In all there are over 110 licensees worldwide. Monchhichi has been back on TV with an animated series since the end of 2017, and the master toy Silverlit has just launched the first figurines, vehicles and a playset. Meanwhile Pocket

Jeunesse and Dragon d’Or have published novels and activity books. Monchhichi is already meeting its fans outside the TV screens! For families, TF1 Licences will keep working with The Smurfs, still young at 60 years old! The team is proud to announce new promotional operations with Mustela, and with six Hammerson shopping malls. An amazingly immersive exhibition “The Smurf Experience” will take place in Brussels from June. But to properly celebrate this

anniversary, the sky is the limit! Passengers can now fly with Aerosmurf! Brussels Airlines has dedicated nothing less than an Airbus A320 to the famous little blue characters. The plane will fly the skies until 2023. In all, finding potential and sharing values are in TF1’s DNA. A balanced and diversified portfolio and a strong 360° strategy are the pillars of the company’s approach. Its unique marketing position allows it to push the entertainment experience to the highest level.

For information, visit www.tf1licences.com

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STUDIO 100/M4E HIGHLIGHT MAYA THE BEE Studio 100 Media/m4e brands will be highlighting a number of key properties for Licensing Expo this year including Maya the Bee, Tip the Mouse, Arthur and the Minimoys and Vic the Viking In German-speaking territories, Maya the Bee is number 3 in terms of brand awareness amongst kids aged four to 12. And, according to a study from Kids License Monitor she is the No 1 in terms of brand appeal amongst girls aged four to six. The Maya program has expanded around the world to include a number of different styles and Studio 100/m4e have style guides for retro, baby and adult now. In terms of activity in Germanspeaking countries there have been a number of promotions including Schwartauer Were for Corny cereal bars. This features pictures to collect on each package with a collection magazine and poster to download. Maya’s 160,000+ Facebook fans have become involved and the promo has enjoyed wide distribution across Germany (Globus, Edeka, VMarkt, REWE, Kaufland).

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A further project, involving the protection of bees, has taken place with Mellifera. The goal was to increase the number of flowering areas in Germany and sowing of seeds has now begun in the first five hectare areas. Consumers can become bloom sponsors by either donating or planting their gardens or balconies. In Spain, Planeta Junior is working with Greenpeace on similar projects. Maya the Bee - The Honey Games launched theatrically on 1 March this year following a major TV, trailering and poster campaign. The trailer featured on familie.de and bild.de. In addition a fruit promotion with SanLucar (on strawberries, raspberries, blueberries etc) ran from Feb to the end of May with 21 million branded packaging. Studio 100 Media has reached an extensive broadcasting deal with Poland’s number one kids channel TVP ABC, containing more than 230 half hours of program. The deal includes seasons one and two of the CGI TV shows Maya the Bee (130 x 12’) and Heidi (65 x 22’) as well as the much anticipated new TV show Arthur and the Minimoys (26 x 24’) from visionary French creator Luc Besson. This CGI series is based on his internationally successful Arthur movie trilogy and is co-produced by Europacorp Television, Studio 100 Animation, Lagardère Group and Disney Channel Germany. It will be available in summer 2018. Maya the Bee is a very popular brand in Poland, proven by currently more than 400,000 theatrical admissions for Maya the Bee – The Honey Games. The movie was released in early February 2018 and reached third position in the movie charts on its launch weekend in Poland. Total admissions have even passed the result of the first feature film Maya the Bee Movie which was released in Poland four years ago and drew about 373,000 visitors into movie theaters.The release of the second movie was supported by various

marketing activities initiated by Polish distributor Monolith Films and Studio 100 Media, including a successful tie-in promotion with Indykpol on Jedyneczki sausage products, branded with Maya the Bee, that were distributed in more than 5,500 shops in Poland. The new licensing agent Planeta Junior will extend the licensing program for Maya the Bee and is already in negotiations with several distribution partners for the new toy line by Giochi Preziosi. Already on board as publishing partner is MSZ – Media Service Zawada Publishing for books and magazines. The potential of Maya the Bee and the Studio 100 key brands has led the Studio 100 Group and the Dutch investor Momentum Capital to build the “Majaland” theme park in Kownaty in Western Poland. In the UK, Maya the Bee is preparing her big launch this year, starting with the release of her new feature film and the introduction of a new toy line in late summer. Signature Entertainment launched Maya the Bee – The Honey Games in April exclusively in Vue Cinemas, the third largest cinema chain in the country. Signature Entertainment as one of the leading names in UK film distribution is supporting the movie launch with various activities. The DVD release of Maya’s feature film adventure is planned for late summer by Signature Entertainment’s home entertainment division. Also in late summer a new extensive toy line for Maya will be on the shelves at key retailers, distributed by Flair Leisure Products Plc (a wholly owned subsidiary of Giochi Preziosi SpA). The Maya licensing program in UK is managed by Brands with Influence who are aiming to have a roll-out of various products this fall. The TV series is currently broadcasted by the children’s channel Tiny Pop who will bring the second half of the new season 2 on air around the movie’s theatrical release.

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DCT Media launch This is Animal Jam magazine DCT Media (part of veteran publishers DC Thomson) and WildWorks are celebrating the launch of This Is Animal Jam magazine in a deal brokered by WildWorks’ UK agent Rockpool Licensing. This Is Animal Jam, which has recently hit magazine racks across the county, is filled with insider tips, a Jammer name generator, games and puzzles and fun facts about the natural world. The bumper selection of covermounts includes an exclusive in-game code and Centum Books’ Call of The Alphas taster storybook. Inside there are competition prizes from licensees Gemma, Winning Moves, Dreamtex and Jazwares. The magazine is also going on sale at Barnes and Noble stores across the USA. “DCT Media have done an amazing job with This is Animal Jam. We’ve been partners with Sweet magazine for the last couple of years and we’re thrilled that readers have been asking

for an Animal Jam stand-alone read. DCT have put all of their experience and passion for Animal Jam into the project and they should be very proud of the result.” said Vickie O’Malley, MD of Rockpool Licensing. “It has been a pleasure to work with WildWorks to create a magazine we can all be truly thrilled with. We wanted to come up with an engaging publication that ticked all the boxes for Animal Jam fans – packed with activities, exclusive tips, fascinating facts and so much more - and we think we have done just that,” said Sian Dolan, Editor of This is Animal Jam and Sweet magazine at DCT Media.

Animal Jam is the number one social on-line game world-wide, with over 95 million worldwide registered users, over 6 million of them in the UK & Eire. Animal Jam has a core target of girls 8-12 years of age, is rich in content and boasts an average engagement time of over 50 minutes! Personalisation, collectability and social interaction are at its heart. WildWorks is an interactive entertainment company that creates super fun games for kids. Its audience expertise, brilliant game design, and dedication to ethical online commerce ensures that both parents and kids feel happy and safe during playtime. WildWorks believes that a kid’s attention is a terrible thing to waste, which is why WildWorks is committed to constantly innovating new ways to educate and delight through purposeful play.

For further information: Vickie O’Malley vickie@rockpool-licensing.co.uk Nicola Thompson nicola@rockpool-licensing.co.uk

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BRAZIL

The licensing market is one of optimism ers’ aspirational desires and the seal of quality offered by licensed products.

By Marici Ferreira President ABRAL - the Brazilian Licensing Association and Director of EP Grupo marici@abral.org.br www.abral.org.br www.epgrupo.com.br

The Brazilian licensing market for brands and characters is constantly growing. Both the country and the population size allows all the productive sectors as well as commerce and services to use this marketing tool widely. There is stable growth and a bright outlook. In particular this year, licensees and retailers are ever-more optimistic. Despite the country’s troubled political-economic scenario, retail sales have increased after two consecutive declining years. Licensing has more and more become an excellent strategy for point-of-sale differentiation. Two aspects are particularly relevant in Brazil - consum-

The children’s sector continues to grow significantly. After all, there are over 40 million Brazilian children eager to try and experience new things. As, for example, the case of the LOL dolls. This has been an amazing success in Brazil with a full licensing program. Among other current highlights in Brazil are Paw Patrol, PJMasks, Dragon Ball, Rainbow Ruby and Rick and Morty. Although international brands still account for the largest share of the business, there are some Brazilian licenses which are tremendously successful and bring excellent investment returns such as Monica’s Gang, Lottie Dottie Chicken, Luna’s Show, Bubu, among others. Brands emanating from music, digital influencers and games are on the rise among kids and teenagers. These include DJ Alok, Mario Bros. and Whindersson Nunes. All of them have great business potential for industry and retailers. Consumers are anxious for these property releases. The fitness and health foods sectors should also be highlighted, and it seems that they will become increasingly relevant in Brazil in the coming years. Co-branding is also on the rise. There are lots of partnerships that please consumers. Fast fashion networks, food industries and service providers have performed well when they involve other brands. McDonald’s and

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BRAZILIAN LICENSING AT A GLANCE • 500 licensees, potential for 10,000 • 600 licenses available with 80% international brands •

50 licensing agencies

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1,500 directly employed and thousands indirectly

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Key sectors: apparel, stationery, toys and personal care

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Revenues 2017 at retail: R$ 18 billion

Kopenhagen, Lala Rudge Collection and Barbie for Riachuelo and Ipiranga and Rock in Rio are excellent examples of partnerships created last year. One last word: Brazil is currently the most representated country in Latin America, (according to the LIMA Annual Report). Brazil is Fourth in terms of worldwide sales of licensed products. In terms of business and ABRAL and EP Grupo’s understanding of the future, they have expanded their activities in Latin American countries in particular Chile, Argentina, Peru and Colombia. Starting this year, they are pleased to host a licensing event for these markets. They have expanded the Licensing Brasil event bring together international markets, therefore creating more business opportunities. The event is now Licensing Latam which will be held on August 28 and 29 in São Paulo. www.expolicensinglatam.com.br

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STRONG FEMALE CHARACTERS FROM NICK Nickelodeon has a proud legacy of strong and empowered female characters, from Dora, the ultimate explorer and preschool icon who paved the way for them all, to the newest heroines Nella and Sunny, who epitomize fearless compassion and self-expression. With more girl power than ever before, Nickelodeon’s preschool characters, content, and curriculum are ready to inspire young girls worldwide/Latin America. Nella the Princess Knight premiered on TV in Latin America in April/2017 and has its launch in Consumer Products in 2018, including Latin American countries. More than 7.3M

people watched Nella in Latin America in February and March/2018. Sunny Day premiered on US in August/2017 and on Latin America in February/2018. Nickelodeon will bring its hit animated preschool series Sunny Day to life this summer with the debut of a robust portfolio of consumer products, beginning with a new line of toys from Mattel. In Latin America, the launch for

Consumer Products will begin in 2019. Inspired by Sunny and her friends Rox and Blair’s colorful and creative personalities, Sunny Day consumer products will feature the bold, vibrant color palette from the show.

KEY BRANDS FROM BANZAI FILMS Based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Banzai Films is an animation studio focused in the creation of animated original content and character-centric intellectual properties. With more than 200 episodes of original series under its belt, the Studio is now seeking to expand into the international market, so global networking and collaboration are key strategic focus of the company for this year. Amongst Banzai’s key brands are Ray Trigger, Space Commander, Ben & Hairy, Totem, Junior and Rex and Radar. Ray Trigger, Space Commander is a sci-fi comedy adventure series comprising 26 x 11 minutes 2D and CGI currently in development. Ben & Hairy comprises 20 x 4 minute complete episodes and Totem is 25 x 11 minutes of 2D animation current in development. Junior is a character-driven dark comedy currently in development and Rex & Radar is 52 x 3 minute episodes, currently in development.

TV PINGUIM OFFER DIVERSE PORTFOLIO Founded in 1989 by Celia Catunda and Kiko Mistrorigo, TV PinGuim, one of Latin America’s leading animation company creates entertaining, educational, distinctive and fun programming for children of all ages. Their portfolio covers a diverse range of subjects from science to sci-fi and from art to the environment. TV PinGuim have enjoyed widespread licensing success in Brazil, first with Fishtronaut and now with a fast growing presence for their latest property, Earth to Luna! Now in its fourth season Earth to Luna! follows the adventures of six-year-old Luna. With its sale to Netflix last year, International Emmy nominated pre-school success Earth to Luna! is now available in every country bar Latin America, where it airs on Discovery Kids. This adds to the worldwide presence already enjoyed by the fun science series, which airs on broadcasters in 96 countries.

Its app has already notched up over two million downloads and there are also one million Youtube subscribers. In Brazil Luna now has over thirty licensees signed to the growing brand making it one of the biggest pre-school brands in the country. Apparel is a key category with several licensees already on board including, Marisa, Pernambucanas, and Riachuelo whose clothing lines are available in over a thousand stores across the country. The most recent licensees to come on board include Pacific for back to school products; vitamins from Equaliv; Lielos for toiletries from Lielos; and Festcolor for party ware. Recent campaigns include very popular live shows, meet & greet, giveaways and mall events throughout the country. Luna albums are available on Spotify/iTunes/Deezer and there are also two interactive books.

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CONGRATULATIONS DOCE!

Doce is a leading marketing services company in Chile. It is a holding group that comprises Doce Licensing and Doce Entertainment. The company was formed in 1978 representing Marvel Comics and Hanna-Barbera for their publishing business in all Latin America. Its founder was Chile’s former Housing Minister and businessman, Andres Donoso. In 1979, his son José Donoso came onto the scene as business manager taking Doce to new heights in terms of licensing and promotions. He is currently Doce’s General Manager. Donoso’s third generation is represented today by Jose’s son, Sebastian, who is Doce Entertainment’s General Manager. They are all now waiting for his son, Lucas, to become Doce’s fourth generation leader!

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In celebration of Doce’s 40th anniversary, friends, colleagues, licensors and clients around the world have sent congratulatory messages. As Jose Donoso explained, “These are some of the greetings and congratulation messages we have received from our friends, colleagues, licensors, and clients around the world. We are sincerely grateful for their cooperation, work and friendship throughout these 40 years, and we continue our commitment to keep doing our best for many years to come.” Karim Hodali, Operations Manager – Falabella Chile It’s impossible to think about Warner Bros. or Cartoon Network without automatically linking them to Doce, a licensing agent that’s always looking into the future, seeking the latest novelties and finding new opportunities for its clients, not only in Latin America, but worldwide. And to back this up, I remember when Pucca was a hit in Japan and Doce had the capacity to foresee how this Japanese license, unknown to the Chilean market, would become such a successful phenomenon. Doce has the ability to turn a property into entertainment, releasing it in 360 degrees. Leonardo Gutter, President – IMC Licensing Argentina I’ve been honored to know Doce for 38 years, and I have never stopped being amazed about the knowledge they have of the licensing business and the personal touch of each and every member of this company, the Donoso family. It is they who began the licensing business in Chile, and I believe that they were the first in Latin America too.They are without doubt,

the leading licensing company in Chile. On a personal note, they have continuously helped me every time I needed it through all these years, and above all, they honored me with their friendship. . Jordan Sollitto, former Executive VP Int’l Licensing - WBCP I was fortunate enough to work with Doce founder Andres Donoso as well as his son and current Doce Chairman Jose. Both shared a passion for licensing, a dedication to their clients and an endless commitment to the process of formulating dynamic sales and marketing programs. But it has been their ability to attract and motivate equally energetic and brilliant talent to their staff that perhaps best distinguishes them. Congratulations to Doce on 40 years of creativity, ingenuity and excellence. It was a privilege to be a part of such a remarkable run. Carla Silva, VP and GM, Global Head of Licensing – King Features Syndicate Congratulations Doce! 40 years and counting… A world of thanks from your friends at King Features! Kelley M. Nichols, SVP Latin America Marketing| WB Pictures Many congratulations from the Theatrical Team at Warner Bros. Pictures International! We have always enjoyed working with you and Alba and wish you many more successful years in the licensing business! Tito Saldías Fernández, Director – Industria de Alimentos Trendy SA I would like to join the licensing community to congratulate Doce on its 40th birthday, because over the last 30 years, we became friends and a part of the licensing family. Jose Donoso and his team’s professionalism and personal touch makes the choice of characters for each productive right one. In other words, Doce makes sure that the licensed product becomes a success in terms of sales and positioning in the market. During all

this time, we have had big hits with a variety of characters such as Looney Tunes, Ninja Turtles, etc. Congratulations to this great team and my wishes for many more years contributing to the licensing world. Gerardo Velásquez, Senior Contract & Finance Admin – Doce I remember that on my first day at Doce, 27 years ago, after being led to my post by Jose Donoso himself, I had time to think about what I expected from my new job. To tell the truth, the list wasn’t long: a place where to spend the next 6 or 7 month acquiring experience, people who treated this young lad with some degree of respect and honesty, and a job that wasn’t too boring. Twenty seven years later and Doce has become my second home. I love this job; here I have stability, I acquired “some” experience, and I built my family and home during these years. Doce is by far the most transparent company I know. Jose and his team have always run the business on the base of truth, respect and responsibility and I wouldn’t be here otherwise.Yes, I’m proud to be one of the guys in this team. Congrats, Doce. Let’s go for yet another 40. Claudio Ansaldo, Marketing & Development Manager – Ansaldo S.A I still remember our first license agreement with “Jay-Jay, the Jet plane”, which we negotiated with Doce back in 2004. Since that time, we have been working together uninterruptedly. The most remarkable element is Doce’s team; people with whom we have established bonds through the years to jointly develop licenses in the Chilean market. My most sincere congratulations for this huge achievement of 40 years in the world of licensing! Eduardo Klinger, Business Manager – Glam S.A. Forty years of business trajectory are good enough proof of Doce’s ability to elaborate strongly innovative business proposals. We at GLAM are honored to be business partners with Doce. Congratulations! José Luis Villar, General Manager - Simba Toys Spain - Simba Toys Chile I want to congratulate Doce on their 40º Anniversary. No doubt about it, they will be there for another 40 as a minimum, simply because of the way they communicate and make the job easy for all of

TOTAL LICENSING us. I had the pleasure of meeting them in 2016, when I took office at Simba Chile. I can still remember the “feeling” we had after our first communication; we quickly understood what Doce intended to transmit, not only as a licensing agency, but one of integral marketing services. Doce is involved in every step of the process, and provides support and differentiation for the point of sale development, both in conception and execution. Gonzalo Fernandez, General Manager – Rhein Chile SA - Argos Chile SpA License agreements require not only legal formalities, strict approval processes and timely royalty reports, they also call for partners who understand your business and work with you to find and take those increasingly elusive opportunities that the market has for you. That is what Doce means for us, a true partner. Big hugs and congratulations on your 40 years of existence. Alejandro Galemiri, Business Manager – Comercial Windsor Ltda. We have been working alongside Doce for over 10 years, during which time we have received full support from them, both in the business and product development areas. It has been a tremendous experience. Congratulations on your 40! Jeanne Marie Delherbe C., Child Division Manager – Cencosud Retail SA It’s a real pleasure to work with Doce’s team; they are so easy to relate to, which in turn makes it easier to create new businesses and projects that are innovative and eye-catching. This is a very straightforward and professional group of people who transmit ideas that are clear and easy to implement. It’s so nice to work with such a team. Paulina Abud, Business Director – Big Bang Chile Doce is the longest running agency in Chile. It’s a real luxury to work with such professional, proactive and capable people to develop and take the licensing business to its fullest. Congratulations, Doce! Deborah Tockus, Marketing Manager – Imexporta Our work with Doce dates back a long way. For many years, we have jointly developed projects to implement and promote licenses for the children’s world. Im-

exporta has always relied on Doce’s team support to reach its expected goals and objectives. One of Doce’s main features is that they have an experienced, flexible team that is always willing to provide us with support in every aspect of our business. They are always one step ahead in the industry. Together, we have been very successful, and we will keep working and growing side by side. Felipe Auad, Marketing Manager – Comercial TBC Ltda. Doce is a company with an extraordinary team, both professionally and personally. It has been a pleasure working with them for nearly 10 years. Furthermore, they granted us our very first license - and you never forget your first time. We hope we can work alongside for ever. Happy 40 years, and many more to come! Javier Garza, former Int’l Manager – WBCP Congratulations to all of our dear friends at Doce for their first 40 years of success in the licensing industry! Marcelo Tapia, Business Manager – Libesa Congratulations on Doce’s 40 years in the Licensing world! You have made a huge contribution to the industry, thanks to your leaders and the professionalism of your people. Big hugs, and many more years to come. Francisco Radrigán, General Manager – Biotec Chile S.A. Doce has made a tremendous contribution to the development of our business. Undoubtedly, during 20 years of working together we have built more than a business alliance We forged a true friendship. Congratulations on your first 40 years. John Louie, Senior VP, Int’l – WBCP Congratulations to Doce for 40 great years in the licensing industry and for many years of partnership with Warner Bros. Here’s to the next forty years!

anniversary! During the time you have worked with us, you have significantly contributed to our success! We thank you for your enduring loyalty and diligence! And many more to come! Mario Lorca, Child Division Manager – Ripley Chile We have an excellent and close relationship, both in terms of license presentations and store implementation. Doce is a very active company when it comes to the development of new license. In general, Doce means very good support for us when we need them. Luis Salazar, General Manager – Compania Panamericana de Licencias We wish you the best for your 40 years in this business. We saw the excellent job that you and your staff have done in Chile and we would like to congratulate you for it. Andre, Andrea and the whole Zag Studios family Congratulations Team Doce! Your passion for our industry, market insight, and strong ties to the retail community has forged a truly deep partnership for our Zag Studios brands. We look forward to sharing your next 40 years! You’re truly a Miraculous agent!. Rocky Shepard III, former President – King Features Syndicate Jose, you are my inspiration to play better golf. I respect you as a very good business partner and most of all as a very good friend.Today, Doce is the agent for some

Today, Doce is the agent for some of the most important licensors in the world, such as Warner Bros., DC Comics, Discovery Media Ventures,Toei Animation, Turner International, King Features Syndicate, ZAG America, Zinkia Entertainment, Animaccord, In Brands We Trust, John Sands (Australia) Ltd, FC Barcelona Merchandising among others.

Above: Lucas Donoso - the fourth generation! Below: Jose Donoso with Rocky Shepard 111 of King Features and Garfield creator Jim Davis.

Barry Koch, former President – Cartoon Network I would love to comment that Doce’s passion for our properties and knowledge of the market benefited our business and brand for many years.Working with Doce is like working with family. Giannina Vergara, Manager Consumer Products, Latam – Discovery Networks Congratulations Doce on your fortieth

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Understanding childhood profiles children ages 2 to 5 years old By Aurélia Picoli and Ana Amélia De Césaro, partners at Play Research & Intelligent Content in Brazil. The company is a research and content company that specializes in children, adolescents, young adults and families.

www.letsplay.com.br

This time, let´s start from the beginning or, almost! How to meet the needs of children 2 to 5 years old and their parents? How to communicate with both targets without looking like a “crazy” brand? In this phase where the child is self-centered, the world revolves around them, where toys need to be self-sufficient and friends are just classmates, what do we do to get their attention? It is at this stage of egocentrism that playtime and imagination have supreme reign, but we can not think that any appeal is what works with them. Have you ever stopped to wonder why some cartoons that seemingly make no sense, yet they “talk” to them so much? Who has never laughed at the illogical Teletubbies, Barney & Friends, Tweenies? I know, it´s too repetitive, too colorful, and the story is too rounded…everything is too much and it´s all that “too much” that makes perfect sense for this target. Firstly, the period of egocentrism is where the imagination develops, the playtime of the child is the center of attention and the correspondent needs to speak directly to it, so a lot of the cartoons ask the child to repeat some words or even numbers. The profile of this target at the time of consumption is based on the repetition effect. In a survey conducted by Play, 85% of mothers say that their children watch the same cartoon every day without tiring, what is the reason behind this? The security is so desired by them, that it is possible to be reached from the familiarization that they have with certain products or characters. This is reinforced by the number of times they access the

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same product, the same cartoon. That knowing and associating characters and products allows the sense of security – knowing where they are.

In a survey conducted by Play, 85% of mothers say that their children watch the same cartoon every day without tiring. Secondly, although this is not the only important point, the colors and shapes are of extreme importance for this target, which as a rule is best related to cheerful and vibrant colors, such as Paw Patrol, Super Why & Go Jetters. Vivid colors make recognition and fixation easier. The rounded forms of the characters give the child the feeling of tranquility by the absence of aggressiveness (recognized in angular and pointed forms.) This is what we can find in the harmonious world of Bubble Guppies, Little Charmers, & The Backyardigans. Speaking of these purposely “big-headed” characters, the head slightly larger than the body means the character´s ability to dominate his impulses thanks to thought. Thirdly, what about music or sound? We noticed that the shorter and more repetitive, the higher the adhesion rate of the kids. Music plays an important role in their lives, the rhythm, rhyme and chorus as a whole, is an invitation to be playful. It allows you to learn by playing, which Fisher

Price does with mastery. Fisher Price’s toys emit sounds of the objects and animals that they intend to imitate, generating familiarity, reference (by association), and the child´s safety when listening to them (have you ever seen an all-black toy from Fisher Price?). In one of Play´s research surveys, 63% of mothers said their children repeat the sounds or songs of toys after they have heard them at least 40 or more times, before toys even emit the sounds. Lastly, image and sound transmitted simultaneously, as seen on cartoon shows such as Bubble Guppies, The Lion Guard & Dora the Explorer. Why do you think children like it so much? It´s simple, they learn when they see and associate the image with the corresponding sound, similar to the song “The Itsy Bitsy Spider” what is the message there? That a spider is climbing up the wall.

And what about the parents? For parents, the secret is that the brand reinforces what they wish to offer to their child.The primary desires involve caring for, protecting and educating. A brand can care for quality, protect tradition and reliability, and educate in a playful and creative way. The way the child likes it: playful and fun. It is necessary to generate a relationship that awakens the desire of the child and the approval of the parents, it´s as simple as that.

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IMC: 38 YEARS OF REGIONAL LEADERSHIP

More information? www.IMClicensing.com.ar

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For 38 years, IMC has been commercializing the most successful and profitable properties and characters in the market, bringing business opportunities for multinational companies, SMEs and startups from Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay. In 1980 a millionaire industry arrived in the territory in the form of the licensing business brought to Argentina by International Merchandising Consultants (IMC), the leading company in the market. In that year Leonardo Gutter, the president of the company, won the representation of Marvel and in record time first class companies, such as Pepsi, took the first licenses. A few months later, and with a whole bunch of signed contracts, Gutter went back to USA in order to get in touch with other big movie studios and entertainment companies. Within a few years IMC won the representation of Warner Bros. Consumer Products, Sony Pictures, LucasFilms, Twentieth Century Fox, MGM and big Japanese animé companies. “38 years after our first representation I’m still convinced, as if it was the first day, about the importance of licensing as a business opportunity, even in a difficult economic climate,” reflects Gutter. One of the main pillars of IMC leadership is its deep knowledge of the market (know how), as well as having a client base that exceeds over 200 companies (know who!). Through this know-how and know-who, IMC became the national company with the most quantity and variety of licenses in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia. In order to measure IMC’s success, it’s enough to mention that Marvel, Star Wars, Pokemon, He Man, ALF and Lazy Town, among others, have used its services in order to launch themselves into the market. Furthermore, it was Leonardo Gutter who convinced the presidents of River Plate and Boca Juniors soccer clubs to start licensing their brands.This is how soccer licensing began in Argentina, with

Leonardo Gutter San Lorenzo and other Argentine soccer clubs joining later. Nowadays IMC represents the most important soccer clubs in Europe such as FC Barcelona, Juventus, Real Madrid, Roma and Inter. A BUSINESS OF JOINT SUCCESS “Our responsibility as a licensing agent is two-fold. We represent licensors in merchandising, administration and care of their brands; and on the other hand, we take licensees as partners, more than just clients. Experience shows us that a client that experiences the benefits of associating a license with their products or services, never stops doing it,” explained Leonardo Gutter. The licensing industry is very dynamic and IMC knew how to adapt in every instance to cover the needs of both clients and the property owners of a variety of content such as animation, literature, cinema, comics, digital

world and even mobile games. IMC also works with licenses that belongs to less traditional categories and turns into overwhelming success. This is the case of Rasti, an icon of the toy industry in Argentina that extended the power of its brand to different product categories. Or Etermax, that generated success in the digital world and transformed it, via an excellent licensing plan including board games, for every target. A further success is the case of Reino Infantil who founded their success on infant discography and developed it on digital platforms. IMC’s licensee database includes SMEs, mass market, service and multinational companies. The reach of their projects is diverse and, in their role as agents, IMC develops the business model that fits best to the needs of specific clients. Throughout IMC’s history they have enjoyed many accomplishments as is the case with most recent award they received - the greatest distinction an agent can aspire to - being named Best Global Agent by Twentieth Century Fox. “These 38 years have brought us to a great moment. Our accumulated experience helped us to generate very specialized departments by category. This way companies work with more than a salesman, but a person that understands their business, senses their needs and offers the right solutions,” concluded Gutter.

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A Kingdom to Learn and Play Back in the 90s, we were surprised because children dominated the TV remote control. Today they handle all the devices they can reach (smartphones, tablets, Smart TV and more). This new environment is where El Reino Infantil comes into its own. This YouTube channel, founded in Argentina, has more than 450 animated songs and has passed 14 billion views becoming the 15th top channel on YouTube platform and the first in Spanish across all genres. The most popular videos are from the IP known as La Granja de Zenón like Bartolito (305 million), La Vaca Lola (500 million) or El Gallo y la Pata (325 million) standing out. Following this is Las Canciones del Zoo with awesome numbers as can be seen in videos like Cuidado con la bomba Chita (410 million), Mi tío Mario veterinario (286 million) and many more. How can we explain these results? Today’s children are digital natives who understand perfectly how to dominate the screens with their little fingers, choosing what, when and where they want to see their favorite content. Digital platforms allow us to analyze instantly what they like and what they don’t, through behavioral data and their interactions with the platform.Taking advantage of such insights

is one of El Reino Infantil’s secrets. Most of the time, upcoming releases are based on the fans’ ideas, therefore this kind of initiative increases our community’s sense of belonging. The children are not alone in front of the devices, behind them are the parents or grandparents. Taking into account this second audience, we produce videos with songs from their childhood in order to enjoy a magical and incredible moment with their little ones. Our songs help in the emotional, cognitive and psychomotor development but always focusing on the entertainment overall. These generations are in charge of what they see; they like to be the ones to choose what they want. Having fun makes it a lot easier to teach the values present in our videos. An example for this is the song called “En la escuela” (At the School). In this, the lyrics teach kids how to count numbers and paint drawings while promoting good companionship by sharing their toys. This video got more than 2.5 million views in its first week and right now it has more than 24 million. We understand that the audience we manage in each platform is different. Parents become our fans once they see how their kids learn to sing, dance and laugh with our content.That’s why we have built a Facebook fan page dedicated to them. With almost 3.2 million followers, this space addresses the matters that are of special interest to them. Licensing has become one of the key points of our global strategy.The stunning development of our YouTube channels and fan pages has brought to the table a big opportunity: using them as mass media communications to leverage our products. A space where the community gives such an immediate feedback and engages with the content on daily basis is highly appreciated by brands who want to reach their targets. This is why we are devel-

oping new commercial agreements including product placement and branded content initiatives, helping brands to connect with our audience. Our last licensing agreement with Clarín, the most important mass media company in Argentina, was a huge success mainly due to our communication strategy. Each product release,

By: Roberto Pumar, CEO, and Founder

an edition that included a magazine and a sequence of different gifts, sold out with short notice. Today’s digital new generations enjoy El Reino Infantil´s characters in multiple spaces: online and offline. We have a presence on YouTube, Facebook, Netflix, Claro Video, iTunes, multiple apps and our own OTT to be launched in the next days. We have already developed more than 70 children’s products and we have 3 theater seasons with more than 250 performances in different countries across South America. And there’s more to come: we are working on new product deals and a master toy license.

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Annual overview from KOPA News from Mexico, Central America, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Chile

Carlos Andrés Carvajal Licensing Director KOPA Licensing

carlos.carvajal@kopa.com.co www.kopa.com.co @KOPA_licensing

Me To You lunchbox by Vanyplas.

Pacific Rim Uprising.

It is that time of the year again, time to present the synopsis of the past 12 months of work before we leave for Las Vegas. If you are a nostalgic - like me - and like to collect the badges from the previous shows, you would probably know already that this will be the 10th time the Licensing Expo is held in Las Vegas. A lot has happened since the show moved from New York to the Nevada desert in 2009; Disney consolidated as the industry’s juggernaut, first with the acquisition of Marvel, Lucasfilm and more recently 21st Century Fox. Fortunately for the health of the business, we also got to see the rise of a couple of refreshing surprises, like Angry Birds, Peppa Pig, Paw Patrol and emoji.

One thing that I still remember - and miss - from the first shows in Las Vegas is the State of Retail Presentation; a conference followed by a retail tour throughout Las Vegas stores by retail expert Carol Spieckerman and our good friend Marty Brochstein. The LIMA event used to present the latest trends in retail and gave hints on what to look for in the coming years. It’s been now probably eight years since I first heard about the transformation of retail and how countless stores were on the edge of closing their doors due to the impact of e-commerce.Well, this year we saw the fall of Toys “R” Us and now the scary term “retail apocalypse” is more frequently used in this business. It is hard to believe that in just a couple of years we witnessed how Amazon moved from books to toys and everything in between and now is rocking the grocery industry with the acquisition of Whole Foods. Undoubtedly it’s been a tough year for traditional retail, but what about Latin America? Is that wave ever going to hit us here? Apparently, don’t or at least not for a while. It is true that things are also changing here, but in a bizarre way, everything remains the same, is like people say,“the more things change, the more still the same”. Due to its vicinity with the United States, things are evolving in Mexico, that is certain, but for the rest of the territory, in countries like Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Chile, the big retail chains are still in absolute control, as if we were still living in the 90s. Despite what it is going on in the US and Europe, some retailers continue to underestimate its customers and stubbornly keep repeating the same formula over and over again, with the same products and the same licenses. Sellers complain about low sales, but what would you expect if your stores lack creativity and surprise? How can you bring more customers to it if you are still offering the same items –and licensees– you had on the shelves

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through the whole year? It is 2018 and we still find licensees having to back down from a signed deal memo because a retail buyer didn’t watch or personally dislikes the TV show or movie that supports the property, despite all market research shows it is a popular property amongst its target group and the product it’s on high demand. It is only a matter of time before the socalled “retail apocalypse” reach us here, the big chains know it is coming, but in the meanwhile, they feel comfortable knowing that the classic business model can still be squeezed for a couple of more years. I personally find very depressing the images of abandoned malls and closed stores falling apart, it looks like the perfect setting for a scene from The Walking Dead, but the Latin American market is in urgent need of a change, this retail boredom has to end, our economy needs it and customers deserve something new and fresh. Fifteen years –or even more– with the same animated character is more than enough already. Things are changing at an incredible pace and comfort zones have disappeared, it is about time retailers understand it and start doing something about it. The tables have turned and the future of your business now lies in the hands of a 20-year-old browsing through your website on its smartphone. Do you really think picking a license for your store is about the shows you enjoy watching at home? Annual Overview Our annual overview starts this year with a big announcement, KOPA Licensing has been appointed by The

TOTAL LICENSING emoji Company GmbH to represent in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru the digital phenomenon of the 21st century, the official emoji brand. With over USD 300 million in retail sales, more than 500 licensees across the globe and 5.000 plus SKUs in the market, emoji has become a universal lifestyle brand with long lasting potential. We are thrilled to be part of the amazing team lead by the visionary Marco Hughes. KOPA Licensing will be working alongside emoji’s Licensing Manager for the Americas, Mrs. Rocio Rico to expand the brand into new categories. As we write this article our schedule for the Licensing Expo is filling up quick with licensees that want to be part of the successful emoji story. Pacific Rim Uprising In last year’s article we announced that KOPA Licensing was going to represent the sequel to Pacific Rim (2013), the awaited Pacific Rim Uprising (March 2018) and I can honestly say that working with Legendary, Jamie Kampel and Lisa Lisa Lilly, turned out to be an amazing experience and we are grateful for it. Knowing our market we knew right from the beginning that it wasn’t going to be an easy task, but at KOPA we know how to pick our battles and as true fans of the first movie, we wanted to be part of the sequel to the epic battle between Kaijus and Jaegers. It was in Colombia and Mexico where we found two special licensees who shared our enthusiasm: Vanyplas and Ping Solutions. The plasticware licensee produced a line of lunchboxes featuring the hero Jaegers from the movie, the Gipsy Avenger, Saber Athena and November Ajax. The product was out on the shelves right before Colombia’s BTS season. The premiums licensee from Mexico took it to a bigger scale and together with Golden Link turned it into a global

deal. Ping Solutions delivered a fantastic line of products featuring the Jaegers from the movie and even the powerful Kaiju, Raijin. Stainless steel cups, metal and glow in the dark key chains, 3D lids and even a light-up water container shaped as the Gipsy Avenger’s head were available through movie theaters around the world. Me to You The lovable Tatty Teddy and his friends continue to be one of the strongest properties in our portfolio. This year a new licensee joined the list, Vanyplas. The plasticware licensee produced a line of lunchboxes featuring the lovely gray bear surrounded by its friends.The product was released in Colombia for BTS season. As expected, in Honduras (Central America), Cuadernos Quick renewed for another year and its notebook collection was released in January 2018. Also from Central America, Manpa Lider (Costa Rica) recently released a new collection and it is renewing for a 4th term. The new notebooks should be out in January 2019. The newcomer, Primavera (Colombia), had a successful debut with the Me To you and My Blue Nose Friends. It literally run out of notebooks and far exceeded the minimum guarantee. Delltex (Ecuador), the domestics licensee continued with its collection of comforters and blankets featuring Tatty Teddy and his friends. It is expected to renew for a 3rd term.

The Walking Dead notebook collection is expected in January 2019. KOPA is the authorized agent by Striker Entertainment (worldwide agent) to represent the license in Spanish speaking Latin America. We would like to thank Meagan Vaughan and Martine Berreitter for their confidence and support through all these years.

Territories covered by KOPA: • Mexico • Central America • The Caribbean • Colombia • Ecuador • Peru

This is the synopsis of 12 months of hard work, many thanks to Total Licensing for the invitation and we look forward to another 12 months of fulfilling achievements.

• Chile

Marco Hüsges CEO & founder of emoji Company GmbH.

The Walking Dead The Walking Dead just wrapped its 8th season and will return in October 2018 for its 9th. The popular series from AMC remains a must-see for all the genre fans around the globe. Next year will be the 6th consecutive year for both Torre (Chile) and Tai Heng (Peru) working with the license. That makes them the longest running licensees we ever had in KOPA Licensing. Both licensees are renewing and a new

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INFLUENCER MARKETING: FROM LIKES TO SALES Jessica Jusepe Hernanedez, General Manager of Panaderia Licensing and Marketing takes a look at how times are changing for the industry - and what is being done to keep up with challenging times. It was a while back that we noticed that the licensing and entertainment industry was changing, and it was not only heading into all sorts of new directions, but it was growing by leaps and bounds in relatively short periods of time, which was certainly not what we were used to, and not typical in our line of business. By Jessica Jusepe Hernández General Manager Panadería Licensing and Marketing, Mexico www.panaderia.xyz

So, we sat down to analyze and tried to pin point what it was that was changing and figure out why - after more than 15 years of experience in the traditional licensing business, of which we knew about a great deal - did we feel like we were being left behind? Why are we not key players in this new growing and thriving type of licensing? And right there and then, it hit us, it had been the new platforms of content distribution, as well as social media that accidentally democra-

tized the process, so now anyone who had a specific interest in communicating an idea could become a “content creator”, therefore become a potential competitor to all brands and celebrities. It was after that, that we decided to get some of those “potential competitors” on our side. In 2017 Google searches on “Influencer Marketing” increased 325%, and more than 57% of marketing specialists allot a significant part of their budgets to this kind of marketing. It’s this kind of advertising that will continue to thrive and drive the markets during 2018 and 2019, as everyday day more and more, brands and companies are investing in “influecer talent”.

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A recent case study from Linqia (influencer marketing platform) suggests that 39% of marketing specialists will increase their budgets for content creators between 25K and 50K for 2018. But before we could get into this trend and ride this new “wave” that was here to stay, we needed to know how this “content creators” universe worked, who made use of it and who didn’t, which targets did it speak to, in which seasons or for what kind of products, and we were surprised to notice that across all kinds of products, brands, and throughout all lines of business and companies “content creators” were the way to go, as from top luxury brands to mass market companies leveraged from them to promote and advertise across their ever growing social media, while capitalizing and turning “likes” and “shares” into tangible sales. BEAUTY Understanding the undeniable influence of Instagram is key to appreciating recent shifts in the beauty in-

dustry. In a 2016 survey conducted by Facebook IQ, 52% of US women ages 18-44 stated that beauty experts on social media had influenced their purchasing decisions, while 64% use Instagram for beauty inspiration. Social media has fuelled the rise of a completely new kind of brand, driven by “skinfluencers” and the power of community. These are often based almost entirely on visual aesthetics – sometimes without regard to product efficacy. COOKING Teen cookery shows such as Chopped’s Teen Tournament and MasterChef Junior have become popular, while more teens are learning how to cook thanks to the Internet. These digital natives want to share their cooking creations, while they also crave visually stimulating dining experiences in immersive, social media-friendly environments. With this, a group of young food bloggers and teen chefs are gaining large social followings. These influencers are launching legitimate careers in food: some are publishing cookbooks and appearing on major television shows while others are opening their own dining concepts and restaurant groups. This group represents a largely untapped niche for brands.

TOTAL LICENSING APPAREL Uniqlo has released a new campaign featuring influencers from the fields of art, food, technology, sport and entertainment in Boston, Los Angeles and Philadelphia, ahead of corresponding store openings in each US city. Representing ‘a variety of forwardthinking, socially conscious, next-generation icons’, the models were selected based on the agenda of sharing a common goal of improving the world through culture and community. This ties to a recent report highlighting takeaways from the Forbes Under 30 Summit, where next-generation business leaders spoke to adopting and supporting social mission-driven companies. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia actor/ producer Glenn Howerton and artist Raheem Johnson appear in the Philadelphia ads. Boston is represented by Top Chef winner Kristen Kish and RunKeeper CEO Jason Jacobs. Model Kenya Kinski and high-profile surfer Warren Smith are seen in those targeted towards Los Angeles. The images will be displayed in stores, pop-ups, online and through all of the brand’s social media channels. The Japanese retailer is looking to expand its presence in the United States, with plans for six stores opening in Boston and the surrounding areas in due course, with pop-up shops in the interim to build excitement. One of the facts that caught our attention the most, and that made us completely reconsider the overall company strategy, was realizing that

trust is turning into the new social currency and when partnering with content creators, all points of contact between the brands and the prospective customers will have to reflect the point of view and the perspective of the content creator in order to truly connect with final consumers. So, after many late nights of discussing,

exchanging ideas and going back and forth, one day, we finally connected all the dots and realized the value we could add - as experts in brand management and licensed products - to this growing “Content Creator” market. After all this analyzing and planning, we were truly enthused, and with our heads filled with new great ideas and projects, we were ready, BUT, there was still something missing, the most important of it all. Who would be our partner in crime? How could we choose from all the options and possibilities out there? We felt like trying to find a needle in a haystack, but as I’ve always said, destiny may work in mysterious ways, but it will always get you to the right place and in the right time, and just like that - and thanks to our good friends from Google México - we found our dream partner: Polinesyan Group, a pioneer and innovating company in the digital industry in which the main partners are three of the most important and top ranked content creators in México, and that thanks to their freshness and spontaneity, but above all, thanks to their real concern to connect with their audience, have managed to create one of the largest and most faithful communities in Latin America: Los Polinesios. WHO ARE THEY? They are three siblings, and together are the entertainment leaders of Latin America: Rafa, Karen and Leslie started back in 2011, when they recorded and uploaded a prank to YouTube, and today they’re the most important and fun siblings on the internet with more than 50 million followers from their five YouTube channels, as well as being a reference for family entertainment. Throughout their career they have been recognised with different awards in the industry as well as being named guests of honor for different social causes favoring youth, among which they held a session with Pope Francis. If we had written a wish list, or sent out a letter to Santa Claus, I don’t think we could have asked for more,

as this talented group had it all, but to our surprise and after getting to know them and their team, we saw a huge and amazing quality that we actually see in Panadería L&M too, as what really drives them and differentiates them from their competitors is that they care about people more than they care about their personal fame, financial growth or success, and it could not have been other way, as

people don’t just accidentally get or win millions of followers. Nor has it been the result of a commercial strategy, in fact their success is the result of doing things with passion and love, and that’s what created a true bond between Panadería L&M and Polinesyan Group. That’s been the key to overcoming all sorts of obstacles we’ve found along the way whilst building this project, which six months down the line has all of us at Panadería L&M and Polinesyan Group 100% committed, and working together to create new opportunities that each one of us on our own would never have been able to achieve.

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BRAND EXPERIENCES

A Key to Success at retail Licensing does not sell brands... it sells emotions! By Rosinda García VP of Retail Tycoon Enterprises S.A. de C.V., Mexico

“Emotions are the precursors of any rational decision making,” it has been proved that 70% of purchase decisions are made directly at the point of sale (*Store-Effect Study), based on something “already deposited in our memory that triggers the emotion”. Cristina de Balanzó, Doctorate in Advertising and Sociology. The impact of technology is considered one of the biggest game-changers in retail today, with the current technologies affecting small, medium and even retail giants.

Retailers unprepared for new ways of doing things or the new ways that technology provides find themselves in real trouble and, almost on weekly basis, we hear of another one joining the list of those who suffered. The key areas where technology transforms the retail field include the supply chain, in-store operations and customer outreach. However, in my experience, one of the key points that still make a big difference at brick and mortar retail is the possibility to offer a meaningful retail experience, which touches and detonates the emotions directly. I believe this is where the real value of a license resides, its relevance is in the emotional bond that is established between the consumer and the product. The brand and the emotions it evokes, become the main guideline of comparison and purchase, and if, at the same time, we deliver an amazing experience at the floor, the possibility of success increases between 30% to 60% during the activation period. According to this, part of our proven strategy is to differentiate our brands through great events to create stimuli that accelerate consumers pulse and increase sales and ROI for all involved parties (licensor, agent, licensee, channel and consumer). When a character or brand provides an authentic meaning for the consumer, price sensitivity and competi-

tion risk decrease importantly, the “must have” wish partially clouds the reason and what comes into play is the emotional tie that binds consumers with the brand they so strongly want to buy. Hello Kitty Pajama Party at Liverpool Goals: Pamper Hello Kitty fans in a very special way; nurture Liverpool’s commitment as a key partner for Hello Kitty merchandise and programs; support Liverpool´s loyalty to the brand and increase sell-ins and sell-thru; enhance brand awareness Window: November 7th to 20th, 2017. Pajama party was carried out on November 23rd. Event: Upload a picture wearing Hello Kitty merchandise to Hello Kitty’s Facebook fan page. The 50 photos achieving more likes will be invited to celebrate a PJ party with their favorite character! “Hot spots” crossmerchandise exhibitions at 30 Liverpool stores; coverage by 20+ media; Presence of 15+ influencers (moms and girls) A whole afternoon full of great surprises: Hello Kitty-branded girls spa (hair, nails, and make up sessions), nice catering, bedtime stories and Hello Kitty walk around joining the party for photo opportunities! 58% Sell thru in the activation month among 6 different product categories! The event created a very intimate and emotional experience for all participating girls, which in turn expanded to their immediate families. Being part of this priceless experience undoubtedly deepened their bond to the brand. Angry Birds Suburbia & Six Flags Activation. Goals: Celebrate Christmas in a very special way; uphold Suburbia as a key partner for Angry Birds merchandise

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and branded programs; to increase sell tin and performance of Angry Birds product; boost brand awareness and reward Angry Birds fans via unforgettable fun! Window: December 2017 Event: Enter a “Scratch & win” promotion when purchasing Angry Birds product and win your ticket to Six Flags Mexico City park; special product exhibitions at Suburbia stores. Stores participating: all 45 stores located in Mexico City. Branding of two attractions at Six Flags: Kilahuea and Slingshots; Placement of Angry Birds standees and signage across the park Participation of walk around characters at Six Flags’ “Christmas in the Park” parades. Results: Sell thru average reached 62% within 40 days. Over 670,000 visitors to Six Flags during the promotion enjoyed the rides they loved while constantly interacting with the characters which changed game-play for this generation! “Happiness + trust = loyalty” This premise was presented by Pablo Casaubón and Santiago Saviñón at their Consumer loyalty study in México in 2014. This formula is the mail reason whereby four out of five people claim to be totally loyal to their favorite brands! These are a pair of great examples of amazing experience and the reason I confirm that when we do Licensing we do not sell brands - we sell emotions!

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IT TAKES A TRUE NETWORK!

By Dalia Benbassat VP Corporate Relations Tycoon Enterprises

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Much has been said about the big global recession and its impact on economies in Latin America and consumption. Today, although projections are not identical, most analysts agree in that the region is in recovery mode and most financial predictions aim at 2% growth for 2018 or close. This in great deal due to the revitalization of the US economy, the stabilization of most currencies, the enlargement of exports due to bigger demand of basic goods, the rise in consumption (moved in part to enlarged remittances) and the resurfacing of Brazilian economy (which represents 40% of the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s GDP). Of course, there are challenges of political nature which remain. 2018 will be elections year in Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela and Paraguay, and although each territory in going under different processes, overall speculation preceding the elections has caused a slowdown during first semester of this year. Mexico is particularly vulnerable at this point due to the undergoing TLC negotiations with its powerful neighbors and the many possible ramifications this may bring in the shape of tax reforms. This slow-down is expected to change for second half though, hopefully in a good way, once uncertainty dissipates and once trust and investment pace are recovered. Even if on a macro-scale our economies are improving, our industry, the Licensing & Merchandising industry within our region, has not quite overcome the blow of recessive years and currency turmoil. It is time to prove our resilience in the face of global factors and our capability to understand and support brands as engines of growth. If we were to single out the most important relationship for brand owners besides the bond with audiences and consumers, it would have to be Retail. Of course, without the deep connection with consumers, our efforts become pointless. But without a direct, meaningful and ongoing dialogue with Retail, our possibilities for success

would fly loose like a high-pressure water hose! It is retail direction and retail experiences which are driving consumers behavior and defining the destiny for most brands. The other relationship which must be nurtured is that with Technology. Retail is undergoing probably the most radical transformation ever experienced in the history of sales of goods to public. The incorporation of technology to retail experience has opened a thousand new avenues of business development and new retail models beyond what we could have ever imagined. We are all bound to be part of this transformation whether actively or not, but it will take us in without a doubt. Latin America takes part of the global revolution at a slower pace. Although e-commerce is gaining force, 90%

most of our purchasing goes on in brick rather than click, hence thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s where our battles continue to be fought. New trends in experiential marketing are being quickly adopted by our retailers, the use of social media, digital overlays progressively incorporated to retail promotions. The capability of brand owners to keep this conversation going with Retail and adapt to the new business models enabled by technology will be crucial. The quality of this dialogue with retail will be a key factor to success in our region, as will be the ability to generate impactful strategies and deliver those at retail. We feel the desire for licensed brands has not waned but has increased. Across Latin America, retailers in every tier are looking to incorporate brands from the entertainment, life-

TOTAL LICENSING MEXICO: Despicable Me 3 Back to School Seasonal at Wal-Mart Supercenter 267 Walmart stores across Mexico featured Despicable Me product of every thinkable category, coming from more than 25 licensees. This is the countries most coveted retail space during the season, right across the main alley. Huge brand statement, result of joint work of Licensees, UPI and Tycoon.

style, sports and corporate fields, and wish to use them in multiple categories. What has decreased however, is the level of commitment offered by retailers behind each, and a brand’s opportunities are often cut short, transactions becoming smaller and smaller. This must be reverted, and new formulas are needed. Which brings us back to our earlier point: Those brand owners who embrace transformation with creativity and determination, will make it through to the new Retail era. But it takes a village to execute correctly. A team, a network. Retail projects require very thorough management and close coordination among licensees, buyers and merchandisers. From product development to retail roadshows, from order placement to shipping. From design of POS material to execution of promotional concepts. We pride ourselves for producing some of the most outstanding Retail activations in our region, at time simultaneously in various retailers and in different markets. It takes a network to understand how each market behaves and amass the kind of business intel you only get when you have perspective.This might be the reason why big Brands who have been operating directly in the region are looking to go back to the agency model, even while others are moving the opposite direction. Tycoon is the only true network in Latin America. We hold offices in

Mexico, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Colombia, Chile, Peru and Brazil. We keep dedicated teams specifically to develop Retail relationships, while our category managers develop opportunities with licensees. We share a strategic alliance with CPLG (Copyright Promotions Licensing Group, true powerhouse in Europe and MENA), which adds to our possibility of looking at each project with a truly global perspective. MÉXICO: Despicable Me 3 in Liverpool stores In celebration of the much-awaited release of Universal Pictures DM3, Tycoon orchestrated and introduced multi-category “Hot Spots” in Mexico’s department store giant Liverpool. These branded corners included Boys and girls apparel, sportswear, pajamas, footwear, toys, games, home and bedding, back to school, with outstanding instore executions.

MEXICO: Despicable Me 3 Hot-spot in Suburbia stores To ensure presence in this important retail floor, Tycoon implemented this multi-category focal points in the Boys’ and the Girls’ departments, in all 122 Suburbia stores across Mexico. Hot-spots featured apparel, footwear and accessories. Suburbia is a softlines specialty retailer, mid-tier and top client for licensed apparel. MEXICO: Despicable Me 3 focal points at MIXUP stores Despicable Me 3 toys and games combining product from global and local partners was featured in Mexico’s specialty music chain MixUp during release window. PANAMÁ: Despicable Me 3 at Steven’s Next to the great impact of DM3, Tycoon Central implemented branded corners within all STEVEN’S stores, largest Department Store in Panama, featuring all sorts of DM3 merchan-

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TOTAL LICENSING acter appearances in stores in Bogotá and Medellin completed the story. CHILE: Despicable Me 3 in CENCOSUD Despicable Me 3 activations continued down in South America. In Chile in hands with largest retail consortium Grupo Cencosud, owner of multiple store formats from high street to mass. We worked with licensees and Universal Pictures in the development of support programs for each. Introduced product corners with instore graphics, character appearances and advertising in the store’s printed and digital platforms. dise, including apparel, toys, footwear & accessories, beautifully displayed and supported by instore graphics. A costume character tour followed, where movie fans could have their picture taken next to their favorite characters. PERÚ: Despicable Me 3 Character Tour in Mundo Comics, Oeschle, París & Saga Falabella In support of DM3 licensees and in order to motivate sell thrus, Costume character tours continued extended through other key points of sale in the region. In Peru, the largest tour took place in Shopping Mall Plaza Norte, one of the largest malls in the country, followed by retailers Saga Falabella and Paris on the high end, Oeschle in

the mid-tier and Mundo Comics on the specialty end. The tour covered all market tiers, hundreds of photos taken caused great social media response. COLOMBIA: Despicble Me 3” in El Éxito The movie enjoyed incredible success in Colombia, where Tycoon conducted impressive Retail activations. During July and August, DM3 branded product corners dominated the floors of 50 El Exito stores in Colombia, largest retailer in the country. The program included amazing instore signage in approximately 40 sq. meters of store floor in main isles. The store catalogue featured several branded pages showcasing the full DM3 assortment, and costume char-

GRUPO CENCOSUD: Departament: “Paris” Starting June 16, department stores Paris offered costumers a full assortment of DM3 merchandise displayed in 41 stores, supported by outstanding POS materials and catalog pages, followed by Children’s Day promotions (celebrated August in Chile). GRUPO CENCOSUD: Mid Tier Johnson Strong in licensed apparel, footwear and toys, DM3 merchandise was displayed in 36 Johnson stores, the group’s Mid-Tier store format, POS materilas. MEXICO: Girl Power. Miraculous Ladybug in Liverpool Miraculous Ladybug made a glorious entry to Mexican Retail in BTS 2017 via a Tycoon negotiated cross-merchandise Hot Spot in 31 Liverpool Stores in Mexico, the country’s largest High End Retailer. Toys, Bags & Back packs, Pajamas. Miraculous Ladybug photo opportunity in Suburbia stores. Following the huge success of Miraculous Ladybug 2nd season on air in Disney Channel, fans gathered in Suburbia stores to have their picture taken next to their favourite girl-power héroe. 119 stores featured Ladybug “Hot Spots” and character tours were announced via the store’s digital platforms.

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Introduction Football continues to be the dominant sport both in terms of participation and popularity in the UK. Girls’ interest continues to increase, no doubt fuelled by the increased awareness and exposure of the woman’s game, and with girls football increasingly being promoted in schools. This quarter 54% of boys (ranked no.1) and 15% of girls (ranked no.3) are actively playing football (only 2% behind second place gymnastics). When it comes to popularity, football again continues to be the most popular sport watched on screen, with 54% of boys watching and 23% of girls. But one of the big trends that we predicted for 2017 in this magazine (our 2018 trends are available www.freereport.kidsinsights.co.uk/futureforecast) is eSports establishing itself as a key player in this category, and our latest data shows that is very much happening, and it is happening now! For boys between the age 13-18 eS-

ports is now their second favourite sport to watch on screen. With more than 1 in 4 listing eSports as a sport they watch on screen, this modern sport is performing well against historically popular sports such as tennis and rugby. The popularity of eSports could serve to further strengthen existing traditional sports, rather than diminish them. For example, with 150 of the 196 of the professional sports teams involved in eSports originating from football clubs, there is a significant overlap between the two sports, further strengthening the football ecosystem. Our data on a weekly basis identifies trends such as this, as TV ownership continues to reduce with kids and with 75% of 4-6s now owning a tablet, the kids ecosystem has never being so dynamic. As we highlighted in our Autumn 2017 article, the emergence of the Amazonowned Twitch as a broadcasting plat-

In their latest column for Total Licensing, Kids Insights, the UK’s most comprehensive and dynamic market intelligence on kids, tweens and teens have used their data to look at the implications of the latest trends in the kids ecosystem will impact on brand licensing. Each week Kids Insights survey more than 400 different kids, tweens and teens (more than 20,000 children a year). By collecting the data continually Kids Insights can provide the most comprehensive and dynamic market intelligence for brands, media owners and agencies. Based on a sample of 5,000 children, Kids Insights produce four insight led reports every 12 weeks. Furthermore, all of their data in available in real-time through their online portal, which allows users to view, filter and interrogate the data further – to enable users to discover insights specific to their business. To access a free sample and a free trial of the Kids Insights online portal please visit www.freereport. kidsinsights.co.uk/totallicensing This report focuses on data collected by Kids Insights between 1st January and 13th April 2018.

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TOTAL LICENSING plex and fragmented kids ecosystem is leading to more niche and concentrated microsystems, which are highly susceptible to flash trends.

Popularity of Sports Brands When it comes to traditional sports properties, Manchester United continue to lead the way off field as children’s (across all genders and ages) favourite sports teams.

Favourite Sports teams: In terms of products bought related to favourite sports teams, clothing is the most popular with 30% of all boys aged 4-18 purchasing clothing which is related to their favourite sports team.

The Future

Did You Know? In the last 30 days, Fortnite Battle Royale has leaped to the top of the favourite console video game for children under 18. The free online multiplayer game, which combines combat with building skills, can trace much of its success back to live streaming, from popular gamers such as Ali-A. Fortnite’s lack of graphic gore, it’s cartoon style gameplay and viral dance move celebrations have meant that, unlike previous hit video games such as Call of Duty – parents are typically allowing their younger children to play, with our data showing 11 year old’s playing the game most. To experience real insights in real time, visit www.kidsinsights.co.uk/totallicensing for a free trial.

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form for eSports and live streaming has been nothing short of staggering with over 10 million viewers a day tuning in. According to our data Twitch has not yet got the use and recognition of younger children, but 17% of 16-18 use the service, making the platform more popular than several more traditional platforms such as All 4, Sky Go, My5 and Now TV. The impact for sports properties, licensees and retailers has never been more significant as the more com-

As the popularity for eSports continues to grow, sports properties don’t really have an option not to be involved, and the potential to integrate eSports with traditional sports with OTT becomes an exciting opportunity for all involved. There are of course significant opportunities for sports properties, licensees and retailers to collaborate to make the most of this as an opportunity, as if collaboration is done right then all parties could significantly benefit, but to do this all parties need to be highly agile and collaborative – possibly blurring some of the traditional licensing rules and guidelines.

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THRIVING THEME PARKS IN CHINA There are some By Alice Yang Licensing Project Manager China Toy & Juvenile Products Assocation alice_yang@tjpa-china.org

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Walt Disney’s US$5.5 billion theme park in China enjoyed a very successful year after opening in June 2016. According to its annual financial report, the Shanghai theme park had already achieved profit in its first full year of operations, much better than its American headquarter had expected. “That’s an extraordinary achievement. I’m not sure we’ve ever done that. It’s a mark none of its resorts has been able to hit in the last 30 years,” said chief executive officer Bob Iger. “After the first year, I’m pleased to say that prospects are really strong for continued success and continued growth,” he added.

In China, there is even potential for Disney to build a second park in the long run, Iger said, adding it would focus on the Shanghai resort first. And a Toy Story-themed land opening is planned this year. “With the theme park, films, co-productions, Disney English and retail, they’re creating an ecosystem to bring consumers in and foster a broader buzz and awareness,” said Ben Cavender, Shanghai-based principal at China Market Research Group.

700 theme parks in China, according to a report by the state-run People’s Daily last year

TOTAL LICENSING With the opening of its first resort in mainland China, Disney is banking on Chinese parents willing to spend lavishly on their children and a rising middle class intent on travel. According to the report from Talking Data, the Shanghai Disney Park logged more than 11 million visitors in the first 12 months of operation, and 58 percent of them are among the age between 26 to 35, many of who are married and visited the park with their young children. Shanghai Disneyland is the largest theme park being built in China but far from the only one. There has been a building boom in the wake of the growth of a strong middle class in China as the economy there has improved. Another 64 theme parks are in the pipeline. Other foreign companies also eyeing the Chinese market include Comcast’s NBC Universal and Six Flags. Universal Studios is a building a theme park in China.The planned US$3.3 billion development in Beijing is scheduled to open next year. And U.S. operator Six Flags Entertainment Corp., is set to open two parks in China by 2020. British theme park developer Merlin Entertainments Group Ltd., the owner of Madame Tussauds museums, is also on the way to launch China’s first Legoland theme park in Shanghai, with construction work scheduled to finish by 2022, in a bid to grab a slice of China’s booming entertainment market. More than that, the company will open one of its history-themed Dungeons in Shanghai and a Little Big City attraction in Beijing. In addition, in

2019 Merlin will open its third Legoland Discovery Centre in the country in Beijing. As its theme park sector continues to thrive, China is expected to surpass the U.S. as the largest themepark market in the world by 2020, attracting 221 million people every year, nearly double the attendance of about 120 million in 2015, according to U.S. consulting firm AECOM. It is also predicted that China’s spending at its parks is to reach nearly US$12 billion (£9.5bn) by 2020, leapfrogging both the U.S. and Japan. As Chinese disposable income rises, attractions are reaping the rewards, with tourism numbers increasing as more leisure opportunities become available to tourists. A growing middle class and rising incomes have spurred domestic developers like Dalian Wanda Group and Evergrande Group to join the game as

well. There are some 700 theme parks in China, according to a report by the state-run People’s Daily last year, but 70% of them are making a loss, according to a report by Shenzhenbased research center Forward Industry Research Institute. “Bigger players, especially those with international backgrounds, will be in a better position as they can generate revenues from multiple channels such as the sale of food, souvenirs and stays at park hotels,” said Pascal Martin, partner at consultancy OC&C. But the trend remains positive. Earlier this year in March, China announced that the Ministry of Culture and the China National Tourism Administration would merge into the Ministry of Culture and Tourism at the first session of the 13th National People’s Congress. The new ministry was established to coordinate the development of China’s cultural and tourism industries, enhancing the country’s soft power and cultural influence. As a perfect format to combine both culture and tourism, the theme park has raised great attention from the Chinese government. The opening up of policy has also contributed to the emerging sector. Last year, China has removed restrictions on foreign investment in large-scale theme park projects, opening up the possibility for new developments in what is already a hotbed for theme parks under development.

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Legally Speaking

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PROPER TRADEMARK USE AND NOTICES

NEW BOOK PUBLISHED THE BUSINESS OF LICENSING - The Essential Guide for Intellectual Properties Licensing has has exploded into a $250+ billion worldwide industry at retail and generates more than $7 billion in royalty income for those property owners who are savvy enough to license their properties for a wide variety of consumer products. About 8 years ago, lawyer Gregory J Battersby and licensing veteran Danny Simon introduced the first Basics of Licensing book .They did a revised version a couple of years later and followed it with a Licensee edition and then finally an International edition. Recognizing that there was a degree of commonality between these editions, Battersby and Simon concluded that it was time for the definitive work on licensing, hence, The Business of Licensing which combines the best of all three prior editions and takes the subject to the next level. This book takes the reader through the nuts and bolts of how to conduct a licensing program and handle many of the problems that it might face There is a substantial amount of reference material. They have included an expanded history of merchandising, and an extensive collection of the forms that any licensing professional may need which they intend to provide to purchasers with electronic access to the forms via Dropbox. The Complete Business of Licensing will be available after August 1st at a cost of $39.95 ($34.95 for LIMA members). Visit www.businessoflicensing.com.

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 158

By: Gregory J. Battersby and Jed Ferdinand It’s always a good idea to properly use a trademark to avoid problems down the road. Similarly, it’s important to mandate that your licensees similarly adopted good practices re.: trademark usage. The ™ designation is used to identify a property that is considered a trademark by the owner but is not federally registered. For example, the proper use might be PET ROCK™ for a toy product. Similarly, the designation SM indicates that the word, symbol, or logo is considered by its owner to be a service mark. For example, proper trademark usage for an unregistered service mark might be Burlington BisonsSM for sporting services in the nature of a baseball team. It should be appreciated that there is no particular legal necessity for inclusion of either designation other than to indicate to the public at large that the user considers it to be its trademark or service mark.

This is probably a good time to discuss good “trademark practice” for both the property owner and its licensees. The following simple guidelines should always be followed:

The ® symbol is used to designate a federally registered trademark. Some trademark owners prefer to use the designations “Registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office” or “Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.” This is a matter of choice, although the ® symbol is often preferable, simply because it’s easier to place. The inclusion of the proper notices, particularly the ® symbol can be critically important in litigation when it comes to an award of damages. Under the Lanham Act (the Trademark Law in the United States), the owner of a registered trademark may not recover any actual lost profits as damages unless it has given proper notice of its registration by proper marking of its (or its licensee’s) product or by providing actual notice of infringement to the infringer, typically by sending a cease and desist letter.

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Always use the trademark as an adjective to describe the product for which it is being used, e.g., a STAR WARS toy;

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Always capitalize the trademark relative to the type of product for which it is being used, e.g., a Harry Potter book;

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Never use the trademark as a noun or a verb or in the plural form, e.g., “I want to Xerox the drawing;” and

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Always follow each usage of the property with an appropriate trademark notice, e.g., Batman™ costume.

Most property owners/licensor prepare a style guide which illustrates the proper form of trademark usage for their marks. Style guides can be in virtually any form---paper, pdf or in electronic format which is located on-line. The obvious advantage of an on-line style guide is that it allows licensees to literally cut and paste the proper use from a website, thus avoiding any unnecessary problems. There may be instances where, due to the nature and size of the product, one cannot literally fit a proper trademark notice on the product. Application of the mark with the requisite trademark notice on labels or packaging as typically deemed sufficient.

TOTAL LICENSING Philippe Guinaudeau of Kidz Global gives Total Licensing readers an overview of the market highlighting some of the brands that are working in the Italian market. There is a strong list of brands preferred by girls whilst boys tend to appreciate cross-gender brands. Infants/preschoolers are also highly gender-orientated with the exception of Mickey Mouse,VTech and Noddy.

How to read the graph Mostly mentioned by girls 7 - 14 Mostly mentioned by girls 0-6 Mostly mentioned by boys 7 - 14 Mostly mentioned by boys 0-6 Diameter - Number of mentions

7 - 14 years

Boys

Girls

June 21-23, Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas In its 36th year, Licensing Expo has connected the world’s most influential entertainment, character, fashion, art and corporate brand owners and agents with consumer goods manufacturers, licensees and retailers. This is where the global licensing industry will gather, to build partnerships, check out latest trends, and talk business. Millions of products across the world started life as a conversation at Licensing Expo,. In 2015, 461 exhibitors representing more than 5,000 brands gathered in Las Vegas and more than 16,150 key decision making retailers, manufacturers, marketing and advertising professionals attended, across all consumer product categories. Read our detailed preview over the next several pages, with news from exhibitors, previews of what to expect from the show, who is looking for new partnerships, and highlights of what of the three days in Vegas! Don’t forget the sunscreen!

Mickey Mouse

0 - 6 years

Paw Patrol boasts 68% awarenesss amongst boys aged 3 to 6 who love the property. And consumer demand for licensed products is extremely robust. 60% of boys aged 3 to 6 want to receive a product featuring Paw Patrol in the near future mainly covering three different categories including toy ranges and apparel.

Although Star Wars appeals to boys 7 to 9 and 10 to 14, as well as older consumers, the brand is also very much appreciated by girls of the same age groups. However, ownership vs awareness of the brand shows some room for improvement. 43% of boys 10 - 14 know the brand and have a product featuring Star Wars.

We’ll be all over social media at the show, updating the industry with all the latest. And to be included in our NEW show dailies, please email becky@totallicensing.com with your news!

Kids aged 3 to 6 and 7 to 9 know Lego. Although ownership is quite general consumer demand remains rebust with more kids willing to have products than kids already having products.

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2016

2017e

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censed products, which ran during the film show time, to raise money first in order to manufacture products.” But that was the story two years ago. Li stressed that October Media nowadays has launched a wide range of licensed products and promotional events for the successful property. “We have also started licensing activity on our upcoming movies too,” he added. The same lesson was also learned by Enlight Media, one of the biggest entertainment groups in China. Before the company had their films shown on the cinema screen, they already launched an impressive quantity of licensed products for customers. The movie Big Fish & Begonia last year, and Dahufa which launched this Summer, are good examples. Many official licensed products can be found in the market, especially online, including on the crowdfunding sites of Taobao and

Italy is a very competitive country in terms of licensing. The top entertainment brands in the country are a mixture of a number of international brands together with a few strong national brands such as Geronimo Stilton and Clementoni.

Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland and Denmark (collectively the Nordic countries) have a combination of high living standards and low income disparity that has captured the world’s attention. At a time when the growing gap between the rich and poor has become a political hot button in developed nations, the Nordic region has been cited by many scholars as a role model for economic opportunity and equality. The Nordic model has attracted a significant amount of attention from other nations. Many wonder if it provides a template for smaller countries where citi zens are more homogeneous in terms of their opinions and experiences yet live in poverty or repression as a result of Marxist government policies. Others believe it provides a template for reforming the unchecked capitalism that has created notable income inequality and dramatic differences between the quality of life between the rich and the poor in prosperous nations. Sitting between the controlled economy of Marxist re-

gimes and unchecked capitalism at the other end of the spectrum, the Nordic model is sometimes referred to as “the third way.” Licensing in Nordic territories is, as one would expect, very developed and sophisticated, with a combination of home-grown brands and international ones. In the following pages, we take a look at different sides of the industry, and

a few different properties which we hope will give our readers a flavour of what’s on offer in Scandinavia. Icelandic character-based lifestyle brand Tulipop has flourished in its most exciting and productive year yet. The magical world and its quirky, colourful characters came alive in a series of webisodes on a dedicated Tulipop YouTube channel launched in October, while a pitch for an animated TV series created intense interest at Cartoon Forum. In addition, the company’s first flagship store opened in Reykjavik and the brand continued its global expansion with a growing presence in the US centred on an exclusive retail launch in 300 Hot Topic stores in November. Founded in 2010 by celebrated Icelandic illustrator Signy Kolbeinsdottir and marketing expert Helga Arnadottir, Tulipop has developed into a multiple-award-winning design brand with a growing global fanbase through its range of quality character products. “Since Tulipop first appeared, fans have been asking for more ways to get to know the world and the characters,” explains Helga. “It has always been our ambition

AUSTRALIA

TOP 30 FAVORITE ENTERTAINMENT BRANDS IN ITALY Kids aged 0 to 14 years. January 2017 an industry for committed, hard working and creative people, who seize the opportunity, when it comes around – especially in Germany. Germany has a challenging segmented retail structure and self-confident and critical consumers, who know very well what they want. None of the licensors, licensees, the agencies and all the great people, working in German licensing business get anything for free. But those, who accept the challenge, have a good chance of major success in one of the most thrilling markets in the world.” LIMA has one of the largest memberships in the world within Germany with more than 180 members covering licensors, agents, licensees and retailers. The Association runs different events during the year, including their major Day of Licensing in April and Licensing Market Germany in October.

Of course, with more than 170,000 square metres, the world’s largest Toy Fair, which has a major impact on the licensing industry, is also held in Germany. The Nuremberg Toy Fair (Spielwarenmesse) opens its doors on January 31 to more than 2800 exhibitors from 60 countries and trade visitors numbering in excess of 75,000.

Minions is the most cross-age and crossgender of the entire landscape; almost as many young boys, young girls, older boys and older girls place the brand as their favorite brand. Consumer demand on the brand, however, is weaker.

On the following pages we take a look at some of the companies involved in the licensing business in Germany which, hopefully, will give our readers a feel for the marketplace. Universal Consumer Products Germany are gearing up to the launch of Jurassic World: The Fallen Kingdom which will be released on 7 June. Commenting on the brand, Kathrin Brandhorst, Country Director of Universal Consumer Products Germany GmbH, believes, “Jurassic World: The Fallen Kingdom is a blockbuster movie on our agenda, which will entertain a wide target group. For us, as a young company, it is important to make a global impact to thrill existing and

7 - 14 years

73% of girls aged 3 to 6 love the Frozen brand. 11% place the brand as their favorite brand. And 72% of these girls want to receive a consumer product with the brand on it.

0 - 6 years

Masha and the Bear became the most popular entertainment brand amongst young kids aged 0 to 2 and 3 to 6 - over the last few quarters. Although slightly preferred by girls than boys, the consumer demand for licensed products is extremely strong.

Despite its international success, only half of the 7 to 25 year olds - boys and girls - know Minecraft.Younger boys aged 7 to 9 tend to appreciate the brand more and want licensed products featuring the brand.

GERMANY

ITALY TOTAL LICENSING

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12 - 16 July 2017 Coex Halls, Seoul, South Korea

With over 29 billion views, Masha and the Bear from Animaccord in Russia is one of the most watched YouTube videos of all time. During 2017, Animaccord continued the successful media and licensing expansion of Masha and the Bear. In June, Animaccord together with the Ink Group, brought the show’s Season 1&2 to Clan TV, making it the first time the series was released on a free TV channel in Spain. Viacom18 Media Pvt. Ltd., one of India’s fastest growing entertainment

launched Season 3 on November 6th, whilst in Poland Puls TV is on board for Masha’s Spooky Stories. In Canada, the free TV channel in English – Treehouse – released Masha and the Bear Season 3 on November 6th. This year Animaccord has conquered the top by inking the deals to bring Masha and the Bear show for the first time to free TV channels in the United States and United Kingdom. Thus, in September the show was released on NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment’s - Universal Kids network. The series is aired from Monday to Friday at 6 p.m. In the UK. Animaccord, together with the Ink Group, partnered with CSC Media Group, a subsidiary of Sony Pictures Television, launched Masha and the Bear the Season 1 on the free children’s TV channel, Tiny Pop, on December 11th. In terms of consumer products for Easter 2018, Ferrero will launch a special collection of licensed Kinder Surprise Maxi eggs in Europe and Kinder Surprise eggs in Mexico, Central America, Europe and CIS. Simba Dickie Group, the Master Toy Partner of Animaccord in the EMEA region, has recently presented a plush for the Christmas season, which was available for purchase in major retailers across Europe. The

new toy makes snoring sounds and dressed in pajamas. Hachette designed a new collection of licensed partworks, which consist of book with the learning letter, activity book, a magnet and magnetic board, launched in Poland in November 2017 and in France in December 2017. Brand4rent group of companies develops licensing in Russia and CIS across all licensing categories, from traditional character licensing to sport, lifestyle and art licensing.The company was established in 2015 and became one of the top three licensing agents in very short period of time. Currently b4r works with leading international and local licensors providing them with sales, marketing and creative support. Their kids portfolio includes Super Wings, Wissper, Oddbods, Tobot, Maya The Bee and other brands. Brand4rent Sport is the leading sports licensing agency servicing local and international sport brands including leading local football clubs like Spartak and CSKA as well as international leaders like Eurosport, Slazenger, Everlast and others. Brand4rent Art is the leading licensing agency focusing on lifestyle and art brands. Their portfolio includes Pepsi, Moomin, Gapchinska, Miffy and other brands.

Japan is the third largest economy in the world in terms of nominal GDP and the fourth largest by purchasing power. In addition, it is the world’s second largest developed economy. Little surprise then that, according to the LIMA Annual Global Licensing Survey, Japan is the world’s third largest market for licensed products, after the US and UK markets with $11.9 billion in retail sales for 2015. However, the Japanese market is one of stability rather than one showing significant growth. It is still the largest electronics goods provider and, faced with increasing competition from its South Korean and Chinese neighbours, the country today focuses primarily on high-tech and precision goods. It is also a popular tourist destination with tourist numbers growing significantly and expected to grow yet more as we get closer to 2020 when the country will host the Olympic Games in Tokyo. So where does Japan stand in terms of licensed products? To find out more, we talked to Roger Berman of ZenWorks and Kaori Taniguchi from LIMA Japan who gave us their take on the state of the marketplace and how we can expect it to develop over the coming period. According to both Kaori and Roger, the market is a pretty stable market with this year’s retail sales figures on a par really with the previous year’s

figures. “If there has been any growth,” explained Roger Berman, “it has been incremental rather than anything else.” According to both, the Japanese market is very much subject to movement only as a result of a hit character. For example, between 2012 and 2015 there were a number of hit properties which helped to grow the market. As Kaori explained, “Frozen, a social phenomenon in Japan, and Yo-kai Watch both had a huge impact on licensing and allied industries. The toy

industry, for example, rose 10% as a result of Frozen toy sales.” But whilst some of the hit properties were, as one would expect, the international success stories such as Frozen, others were very much Japanese in origin and execution. Kumamon was a mascot created for tourists by the government of the Kumamoto Prefecture in 2010. It helped attract visitors after the Kyushu Shinkansen line opened and by 2011 had become nationally popular. Sales of Kumamon merchandise grew from $26 million in 2011 to $120 million in 2012. The government issued licenses to manufacturers but did not charge

for the usage, which certainly helped the merchandising program and such was the popularity of the character that it made a cameo appearance in the 2014 Yo-kai Watch 2 video game and, beyond Japan, the character is also now beginning to be popular in

RUSSIA

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Kids 3 to 6 and 7 to 9 know Lego and love it. And although ownership is quite general, consumer demand for the brand remains very robust. However, less kids are willing to have products than kids that already have the products.

Total xhibitors 320 Total attendees 128,000.

networks, introduced Masha and the Bear Season 1&2, and the spin-offs Masha’s Spooky stories and Masha’s Tales to Indian audience in May. Following the huge potential of the show in India, Nick Jr. has partnered with Animaccord to release the Masha and the Bear Season 1 on TV in India on November 13th. Turner Broadcasting System signed a deal with Animaccord to purchase the rights for the core show’s Season 3, which was launched on Cartoon Network Latin America on December 4th. In Italy, Rai Yo-Yo has snapped up Season 3 and spinoff Masha’s Spooky Stories being released on December 17th and August 11th respectively. In France, France TV

NORDICS

Mostly mentioned by girls 7 - 14 Mostly mentioned by girls 0-6 Mostly mentioned by boys 7 - 14 Mostly mentioned by boys 0-6 Diameter - Number of mentions

Boys and girls, as in many other countries, appreciate different brands. Infants and preschoolers are less gender-orientated, with the exception of Clementoni, Minions, Nintendo or the TV channels Cartoonito and Boing.

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For more information, contact Elena Snagovskaya elena.snagovskaya@ grand-expo.com

How to read the graph

Philippe Guinaudeau of Kidz Global gives Total Licensing readers an overview of the market highlighting some of the brands that are working in the Italian market.

CHINA

JAPAN

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The Emerging Licensing Destination

By Marcus Macedo Santa Cruz Marketing and Director, Abral Brazil

BRAZIL: A FRESH LOOK When one looks back to the first decade of this century, specially between 2005 and 2010, the licensing business in Brazil was reasonably levelled. Licensors such as Disney, Warner Bros. (along with Cartoon Network) and Mattel had local offices in Latin America´s largest consumer market. Studios like Universal, DreamWorks, Nickelodeon, Discovery, Fox, Sony, Marvel and Paramount and brand owners like American Greetings and Sanrio – to name a few, were largely represented by local or regional agents with a strong local market footprint. The economy was showing incredible performance and consumers were out spending money. Brazil was celebrated as the new kid on the block, its economy ranked among the world´s top 8 largest and international investments poured in.

incapable of sustaining actual wealth creation. Despite the fact that a considerable part of the low-income families celebrated a spike in consumption, the “middle class dream” did not last long. For over 13 years, the worker´s party, led by populist president Lula, tried to install what has been called “white socialism” - a free market economy with a heavy state presence geared towards subsidies distributed to lowincome families. Not only did it not work on the basics of the economy, but it opened the doors for one of the largest and most systematic corruption schemes ever seen in the mod-

ern era. For months a fair share of the population hit major city streets across the country to demonstrate its revolt and repugnance and it made it clear the government could no longer stand as it was. Before the end of 2016, Dilma Rousseff who succeeded president Lula was impeached by congress and the country plunged into one of the worst political and economic crises of its history.

By Rutika Malaviya Editor- in - Chief, Licensing Corner rutika@roohentertainment. com

A countrywide investigation, led by federal judge Sergio Moro,

What the world failed to see (or conveniently didn´t want to see…) was that the country was anchored on income distribution programs devised by an inexperienced government that lacked the responsibility to create solid economic foundations and

SPAIN

2019e

Without any doubt, the German licensing market is amongst the top brand markets in the world. As Peter Hollo, who heads up LIMA in Germany explained, “ First of all, Germany is a fantastic market. Not only, regarding the licensing business. Germany has a strong and growing economy, is politically stable and amongst the most reliable and predictable regions in the world. A good place to invest money and grow your business at low risk.” “In terms of retail sales for licensed goods, Germany is a strong #4 in the world,” he continued. “German retailers are doing a fantastic job, when it comes to doing business with licensed products. They know very well how licensing supports them in securing and growing their businesses. Licensed products help them explore new target audiences or regain target audiences, thought to be lost. Licensed products create new touchpoints and opportunities for consumer sales, every single day. Of course, this is not happening ‘just like that.’ Licensing is

Grand Expo JCSC in Moscow, organisers of Kids Russia and Licensing World Russia are bringing Total Licensing readers the latest developments from a number of key players in the Russian marketplace.

market, to award-winning catalogue shoots across the world. Already the website has become an integral part of our business and we’d encourage your readers to look around and really get to know us! We’ve also continued our focus on diversifying our brand portfolio - while entertainment will always remain the backbone of our business, we now also extend across the key pillars of sport, brands and art and design. With new brands we’re opening up opportunities for retail collaborations that until now have been unheard of in our markets. And if that’s wasn’t already enough for one year – we then launched a brand new office in the Philippines - HavenAsia - extending our reach into South East Asia and beyond. We’ve worked hard to put together a fantastic team on the ground, and with Nickelodeon as our first major partner we’re already moving forward with opportunities in this new market that we’ll be announcing soon. It’s a very exciting time!”

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Source: CIConsulting

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TLA 40

10 7.2

USA

Haven goes Global! between partners and what we offer is so much more than that. Doing the deal is the easy part! We’re market makers, brand builders and managers. We create new opportunities for brand extension and drive success at retail with compelling marketing programs. Everything we do is strategically designed to push our brands’ awareness at all levels, and at the end of the day the deals and contracts are just the papering-up of these processes we go through! With the rebrand came a new website – www.havenglobal.com, which truly illustrates the breadth of our business and the variety of our accomplishments – from fashion collaborations with some of the best Australian labels, to launch events for unique product we’ve brought to

Film Licensing Market Size in China

MARKET OVERVIEW

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FRANCE

With a new look, a new website and a new office in the Philippines, Haven’s business is changing to reflect the changing global environment. Total Licensing Australia caught up with Tom Punch and Yvonne King to find out more.

This makes a pleasant change. The box office record for a Chinese-made animated film is still Monkey King: Hero Is Back, made in 2015, which generated 957 million yuan ($144m). The movie was produced by October Media but, at the time, Chinese film makers were not really ready for licensing activities. “Our focus was for on the film content itself, but we didn’t expect it would be so successful,” said Li Zhen, Licensing Director of October Media. “Large numbers of the audience were looking for licensed products after they watched the movie, but there was virtually nothing in the market. It was only then that we realized we should launch licensing products as soon as possible. So we immediately created an online crowdfunding project on Taobao for the li-

Don’t forget to pick up our sister publication Total Brand Licensing, taking an in-depth look at some of the big brands that will be in Las Vegas! www.totallicensing.com

“2016 was a huge year for us, with some bold and exciting changes at Haven to meet the ever changing environment in which we all do business. First and foremost, we’ve undergone a rebrand process and come out the other side with a fresh new look that truly reflects what it is that we do and what we offer our partners. The industry and the way we work has changed so dramatically over our 23 years in the biz, and we felt it time to reflect these changes within our own branding – including dropping the word ‘Licensing’ from our name. Finally we feel our outsides are matching our insides and showing what we’re really capable of! In reality, a ‘license’ is simply the terminology to describe the agreement

This summer, the Chinese film market hotted up.The Wolf Warriors 2, directed and starred in by action film star Wu Jing, launched in cinemas on July 28. Wu’s first Wolf Warrior film came out in 2014, but had little impact on the market. Wolf Warrior 2, however, has become a phenomenon. The film broke box office records in China in only twelve days, became the first Chinese movie to be ranked in the world’s top 100 in only 18 days, and generated 5 billion yuan ($750m) in 24 days. And it just keeps on growing. Meanwhile, the licensed products based on this record-breaking film have also been welcomed by the market. Licensed products featuring Wolf Warrior 2 include toys, models, apparel, accessories, housewares, electronics and more, covering almost every traditional licensed product sector. Although the major income for film producers in China still lies with the box office, the idea of developing licensed products at the same time is already on their minds.

alice_yang@tjpa-china.org

Las Vegas 2016

TOP 30 FAVORITE ENTERTAINMENT BRANDS IN FRANCE Kids aged 0 to 14 years. January 2017

78% of girls 3 to 6 love Frozen. 31% even place the brand as their most favorite - and 85% of these girls want to receive a consumer product featuring the brand.

By Alice Yang Licensing Project Manager China Toy & Juvenile Products Assocation

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Boys

The French licensing marketplace, in common with the Italian market covered in this issue, is a highly competitive market, largely created by a mix of international brands and a number of strong national brands.

Playmobil is a popular brand amongst boys and girls aged 3 to 6 as well as 7 to 9. The brand is mostly appreciated for its master category - toys. The potential for the licensing of Playmobil appears limited at this time.

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Licensing opportunities now exist in all spheres in India. Manufacturers from various industry sectors including apparel, consumer goods, toys, gifts, accessories and sports are keen on acquiring licenses. The emergence of modern and more organized retail in India has set the pace for new collaborations between International licensing companies and Indian business houses. Character and entertainment licensing has witnessed terrific activity. The children’s entertainment market is steadily gaining pace. Licensing in sports has also developed into a multi-billion dollar systematic business in India with the formation of various sports leagues. The attraction of licensing trademarks for business objectives appear to be at an all-time high. Many eminent personalities and fashion designers in India have started licensing their brands to business houses that independently produce and sell on a large scale and give royalties to designers. The brand licensing business that was launched 11 years ago in India is currently growing at 15% over $1.2 Billion USD. The total Indian retail industry is growing at CAGR of 13-15% yearly (estimated to reach $948 billion USD by 2019). Currently, e-commerce retail sales stand at $29 billion USD with whopping growth of 68% in 2015. Disney, Viacom, Cartoon Network,

IMG-Reliance have their own offices. There have been number of success stories of Indian Brands. One sector amongst these is celebrity licensing. Salman Khan’s Being Human had accounted to $55 million USD in 2016 under the stewardship of Manish Mandhana of Mandhana Retail Ventures. An Indian originated animated IP Chhota Bheem owned by Rajiv Chilaka, Green Gold Animation has over 100+ product categories covered with 4000 SKUs and is now present in 15 International markets. A Film Production house - Yash Raj Films is bringing in the Entertainment to Experience Brand Licensing & Merchandising programme. India is in many ways a tougher mar-

With Brexit now around the corner, do you think the UK will continue to be the gateway to Europe in terms of licensed products? Rob Corney Bulldog Licensing

LAT AM

Despite the uncertainty of Brexit and all its implications, the UK it seems at present is business as usual. For this year’s Roundtable, we spoke to a number of individuals, on different sides of the industry, to see how they view the marketplace in the UK both today and, importantly, looking ahead into an uncertain future.

ket. Its population is poorer and its infrastructure worse. But its prospects look remarkable. The income per person, which in 2014 was $1,570, could be twice that by 2025. Two-thirds of Indians are younger than 35 and their phones give a huge number of them access to the Internet. In December 2014, smartphones accounted for one in five Indian mobiles, according to Goldman Sachs. Just six months later, they accounted for one in four. Morgan Stanley expects Internet penetration to rise from 32% in 2015 to 59% in 2020. By 2030, India is projected to be a one-billion-person digital market. India is one of the fastest growing retail markets in the World with 10%

Rob Corney: I think there’s a big question as to whether the UK has ever been the gateway for products... for brands rather than products, the UK is seen as the springboard for success across Continental Europe in many ways and this will certainly continue. The US is seen as a marker for likely growth of brands in the UK and there has never been an official trading relationship between our two countries, so it would be very odd to suggest that the changing nature of our political relationship with Europe would affect the position of the UK as a barometer for a brand’s opportunity elsewhere in Europe. But for products I think the traf-

fic is much more inbound. There are certain categories, mainly hardlines, in which major UK companies take the lead in distributing their products around Europe, though most of them have had a footprint on the continent for years, with local staff managing their product roll-out. In these categories, with high costs to entry and long lead times, this trade is generally carried out under the terms of Pan-Euro (or certainly multi territory) agreements - there is a question as to whether or not the potential for tariffs on certain classes of goods could impact a UK company’s ability to distribute internationally, but even under WTO rules (assuming favourable terms cannot be agreed), corporation tax levels, labour regulations, economic stability, etc. in the UK are still far better than in most of the rest of Europe so a base here will continue to make sense, even if some adaptations might need to be made, depending on the outcome of conversations in Brussels. Where the biggest change could possibly come is in cross-border trading. At pres-

OUR 2017 PANELISTS

A look at some of the companies and properties making waves in the Canadian marketplace.

Rob Corney, Group Managing Director, Bulldog Licensing Rikesh Desai, Licensing Director Merchandise/ Gaming, Consumer Products, BBC Worldwide Kelvyn Gardner, Managing Director, LIMA UK Darran Garnham, CEO, MTW Toys Hannah Mungo, Country Manager UK and Ireland, Universal Brand Development Tom Roe, Commercial Director, DHX Brands Meera Santoro, Founder and Creative Director, Santoro ent, inbound licensed products, trading into the UK under EU free trade rules, cause huge challenges for local licensees.There is some traffic heading the other way with UK licensees shipping to European retailers under the auspices of ‘unsolicited trade’ but the UK really bears the brunt of this due to language issues - most Licensors seeing product development from a UK licensee in anything other than the

UK 74

INDIA

9 Story Media Group is a leading creator, producer and distributor of kids and family focused intellectual property. Its award-winning animation studio, Brown Bag Films, is recognized around the world for best-in-class brands such as Doc McStuffins, Daniel Tiger’s Neighbourhood, Octonauts, Wild Kratts, Peter Rabbit and The Magic School Bus: Rides Again. The company’s international distribution arm, 9 Story Distribution International represents over 2,700 half-hours of animated and live-action programming, seen on some of the most respected international channels and platforms. With facilities in Toronto, Dublin and Manchester, the 9 Story Media group of companies employ almost 600 creative and corporate staff. 2017 has been an exciting year for Peg

+ Cat! Master toy partner Imports Dragon introduced an exciting first line of toys for the brand, featuring an assortment of high-quality plush, arts & crafts sets, games and wooden puzzles. These are available in Canada on Amazon.ca, ToyRUs.ca, and Renault-Bray. On the home entertainment front, eOne has released two titles: The Chicken Problem and The Christmas Problem. With relatable and funny adventures filled with upbeat music, the multiple Emmy award winning series has garnered a growing audience and has been sold to over 180 countries. 9 Story also report that there are several exciting things in the works for Nature Cat as we move into 2018. New North American master toy partner TOMI is hard at work on the brand’s first line with plans to launch

in early 2019. Tomi is currently working on plans for plush, figures, play sets and role-play skus. Aimed at children 3-8 years old, Nature Cat helps children relate to and engage with the natural world. The series was recently renewed for second and third seasons. On the consumer products side, 9 Story represents various territories for several key children’s properties, including: Daniel Tiger’s Neighbourhood in selected markets, Peg + Cat worldwide, Nature Cat for worldwide excluding the US, Wild Kratts for the world excluding North America, and Luo Bao Bei for worldwide licensing. Nelvana is one of Canada’s premier animation companies and a worldleading producer and distributor of children’s content. Nelvana has delighted audiences around the globe for more than 40 years with a vast library of more than 4,000 episodes from original, award-winning series like Babar and Franklin. Nelvana’s content is distributed in more than 160 countries worldwide and broadcast across Corus Entertainment’s suite of leading kids networks. Nelvana Enterprises, the global licensing and merchandising arm of Nelvana, manages the organization’s portfolio of in-house and third party brands with offices in Toronto and Paris. Nelvana Studio in Toronto and leading digital animation software

CANADA

Magazines for the worldwide licensing industry TOTAL LICENSING UK

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March 2018

For information visit www.totallicensing.com Editorial: Francesca Ash or Becky Ash francesca@totallicensing.com - becky@totallicensing.com Advertising: Jerry Wooldridge or Joanna Cassidy jerry@totallicensing.com - joanna@totallicensing.com

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

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

THE REAL - AND NOT SO REAL - LICENSING EXPO IN LAS VEGAS As the global licensing industry prepares to gather for our annual Licensing Expo, it’s for the neon glow of the Las Vegas Strip to blur the line between the real and the not so real. The “real” is the four (or five or six) days you’ll be spending in and around the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, seeing new properties and partners, cementing existing plans and relationships, prospecting for the kind of unexpected success – dare I say “jackpot” – that’s the lifeblood of the licensing business. Where’s the next Tickle Me Elmo, Frozen, It’s Happy Bunny, Shopkins or Pokemon?

has expanded in kind.We now have offices or representatives on the ground in 14 countries on five continents, each serving the needs of its members with educational, social, networking and business activities designed to foster the professional standards and growth of the business, and to help members tie into the global community. The international nature of the business has also become increasingly reflected in the response to the annual LIMA International Licensing Awards

programs on the ballot are from outside the U.S. In one sense, that’s not so surprising, since 40 percent of all the entries came from 21 countries outside the U.S. For the first time, LIMA members got a chance to vote for their favorites in a category (Best Promotion) in which all the nominated companies were from somewhere other than the U.S. The global footprint of the licensing business is apparent throughout

The not so real can be seen up and down the strip, as a long walk can take you on a faux global tour from Monte Carlo, to Paris, to New York New York, to the Venetian, and even to Rio. But that mini excursion to Vegas’ version of far flung parts of the globe actually fits into the LIMA narrative in a way that may have only crept up on you over the past couple of decades. Under the leadership of Charles Riotto, who retires next month after two decades as LIMA’s President, the Association has quietly grown to become a truly global organization, mirroring the industry itself. For example, it would probably surprise most readers that only a little more than a third (36 percent) of LIMA member companies are in the U.S. The rest are headquartered elsewhere, led by (in descending order) Germany (190 member companies), the UK (130), China (130), Brazil (91), Japan (78) and Australia (74). In all, the more than 1,200 member companies that comprise LIMA are spread across 40 countries on six continents (Antarctica, we’re coming for you!) And the LIMA management network

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competition, whose winners will be announced during the annual ceremony on the opening night of Licensing Expo Las Vegas. An international panel of judges met this spring in New York to pare down a record 700 entries into a ballot of 132 nominees in 21 property/program or product categories. It was an exceedingly long day for all involved, who even put in “homework” time in advance of the judging to begin to go through the submissions. Perhaps the most striking element of the ballot that emerged is that more than 40 percent of the companies or

the year and throughout the world, reflected in the shows and conferences that LIMA sponsors, supports and stages, such as next month’s LIMA MindMix in London (an exciting oneday executive thought leadership conference), Licensing Expo China in July, and the Licensing Market in Germany in November, among many others. So as you walk the aisles and huddle in the meeting rooms of Las Vegas during Licensing Expo, keep in mind that you’re part of a global community that’s constantly on the move. Safe travels!

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Surtex Blueprint Shows Licensing Expo Children’s Media Conference Korea Character Licensing Fair Licensing Expo China The Licensing Awards Brand Licensing Expo Frankfurt Book Fair MIP Junior MIPCOM China Licensing Expo

May 20 - 22 May 17 - 22 May 22 - 24 July 3 - 5 July 18 - 22 July 25 - 27 Sept 11 Oct 9 - 11 Oct 10 - 14 Oct 13 - 14 Oct 15 - 18 Oct 16 - 18

www.surtex.com www.blueprintshows.com www.licensingexpo.com www.thechildrensmediaconference.com/ www.characterfair.kr http://www.licensingexpochina.com/ www.thelicensingawards.co.uk www.brandlicensing.eu www.buchmesse.de www.mipcom.com/mipjunior www.mipcom.com www.chinalicensingexpo.com/en/

FALL/AUTUMN 2018 ISSUE Key features: Brand Licensing Europe Preview, Nostalgia Licensing, Children’s apparel and licensing Deadlines: Editorial: 19 August 2018 • Advertising: 8 September 2018 Contact:s: Editorial: Francesca Ash. francesca@totallicensing.com Advertising: Joanna Cassidy. joanna@totallicensing.com - Jerry Wooldridge. jerry@totallicensing.com

4K Media......................................................................55, 57 A+E Networks...............................................................164 Ace Fair............................................................................108 Anima Group..................................................................111 Atlantyca........................................................................... 53 Born Licensing..................................................................13 Business of Licensing.......................................................59 Cartoon Network...........................................................19 China Licensing Expo....................................................157 CJE&M............................................................................. 8, 9 Cyber Group Studios.................................................... 4, 5 Doce........................................................................134, 135 El Ocho................................ 113, 115, 117, 119, 121, 123 El Reino Infantil......................................................140, 141 Expo Licensing Latam....................................................149 IMC International Merchandising...............................139 INK Brands........................................................................33 ITV Studios........................................................................51 Kiddinx Media...................................................................35 Korea Character Fair....................................................107 Licensing Awards..............................................................14 LIMA..............................................................................67, 95 LIMA International...........................................................99 LIMA UK..........................................................................101

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Lotus Global Marketing..................................................94 M4E/Studio 100................................................................21 Mercis ................................................................................25 MIPCOM and MIP Junior..............................................161 Mondo................................................................................59 NBA....................................................................................97 Nickelodeon........................................................................ 1 One Animation.................................................................23 ProSiebenSat.1 Licensing.............................................. 2, 3 Rainbow SpA .................................................................. 6, 7 Reed Japan.........................................................................31 Santoro...............................................................................15 SEGA...................................................................................29 Sesame Street...................................................................47 SG Companies..................................................................93 Spacetoon........................................................................163 Sunrights.............................................................................69 SYBO..................................................................................39 TF1 Licences.....................................................................17 Turner.................................................................................91 Wildworks.........................................................................27 Zag .....................................................................................11 List correct at time of going to press.

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