Popeye and Olive Oyl in food collabs

NEW FOOD LICENSES FOR POPEYE AND OLIVE OYL

King Features Syndicate recently announced that it is growing its global licensing programs for Popeye and Olive Oyl with a slate of new innovative partnerships. The expansion extends across the promotions, food and beverage categories and includes new territories, partners and product lines that honor King Features’ classic characters from the extensive Popeye universe, including Olive Oyl and Wimpy. Popeye is well-established in the food space. In the 1930s, spinach growers credited Popeye with increasing the US consumption of spinach by 33% and his spinach partners are some of his longest standing consumer products relationships, lasting close to 30 to 40 years. Olive

Oyl has recently been given a refresh by King Features who unveiled a new look and brand positioning for the character. Olive is dynamic, relatable, and real. She also has a history in the consumables space, partnering with brands across the category from Prego to Kerrygold to Lindt. Building on the success of these launches, King Features has shifted its licensing focus to the expansion of the promotion/ food categories to grow the brands globally and build upon their footprints in Asia and North America. In Asia, Popeye and Olive Oyl have starring roles in several key promotions such as a renewal of their deal with Manga Coordinate Co., Ltd. and JOYL to produce an advertising campaign starring the pair, played by local celebrities, to promote the popular Ajinomoto Olive Oil in the Japanese market for the second year. In 2020, Popeye was played by pop-star Satoshi Ohno, and in the 2021 campaign, the role of Olive Oyl was played by Ayami Nakajo. Each campaign included print that includes print ads as well as TV commercials. In addition, Japanese video producer, AOI Pro, Inc. and their AI technology client, Laboro.AI Inc are tapping into the tale of Popeye and Olive’s love story to emphasize the innovation of AI technology by creating stateof-the-art clips for a Valentine’s Day commercial, set to run through Summer 2022. Japanese soft drink manufacturer, Ito En, Ltd. is featuring Popeye in a promotional campaign for its Aojiru vegetable drinks, while Runival Sdn Bhd is reaching audiences in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia via a promotional Popeye Virtual Run campaign. In China, Popeye will take part in a promotional campaign featuring glass cups, recycling bags, brooches, face masks, t-shirts and stickers, which will be sold across the territory by Guangzhou Circleplus Culture Co., Ltd. And Sunwoo & Company out of Korea began a worldwide launch of limitededition Popeye theme packs for the Android, version 9.0 and higher, via the Samsung Galaxy store in 2021. Additional theme packs will be released in 2022. The new partnerships in Japan were brokered by King Features’ agent in the territory, Copyrights Asia, while Medialink Animation Ltd brokered the deals in China, Singapore and Indonesia. Popeye is also expanding globally into the food and beverage category, with several new deals this past year debuting around the globe. Popeye continues to be a favorite in Japan, with multiple new deals debuting throughout the year, including Shogakukan Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd. for various Popeye-inspired housewares, apparel, accessories, spinach from Rainbowworks Co. Ltd., and custom Popeye desserts and houseware products from Baobab, Inc. “The characters from the Popeye universe deeply resonate with fans around the world, and it’s thrilling to see one of our fan favorites experiencing continued growth,” said Carla Silva, vice president and general manager, global head of licensing at King Features. “And fans should stay tuned, because we’re kicking off the new year with even more exciting promotions and products!” In North America, Popeye is also making his mark in promotions by starring in Accenture’s global ad campaign advertising the transformational power of their intelligent ops services, and his burger loving friend Wimpy was featured in an advertisement for GPay. And most recently, artist Jeff Koons released Popeye Skateboard, a reinterpretation of his 2008 oil painting, Triple Popeye as part of The Skateroom collection. Proceeds from the charitable launch, in collaboration with Qatar Museums, aid children in need. In the food category, Popeye has expanded his partnership with Taylor Farms by introducing new product lines. And in a deal negotiated by King Features’ Canadian agent, Segal Licensing, Jade City Foods has launched an online Popeye Foods shop offering a variety of new consumables including coffee, hot cocoa, hot sauces and more inspired by Popeye, Olive Oyl, Bluto, Wimpy and Swee’pea.

tonies® at The Toy Fair

With global audiobook revenues set to surpass £3.51bn in 2021, it’s no wonder the Toniebox has emerged as the new must-have toy for young children, dominating the screen-free kids’ audio category. tonies® is revolutionising storytelling in the digital age, opening up a world of audio adventure for little listeners aged 3 to 8 years old, thanks to the playability and multifaceted nature of the Toniebox.

Combining audio, play and tech to get kids reading

What makes the softly padded, shockproof speaker unique and completely irresistible to kids is that it cleverly combines the concept of audio and the wonder of narrative with every child’s fascination with technology. The result? A colourful and interactive audio system that fosters imagination and encourages independent active play while inspiring a love for stories and books in a fun and educational way. Available in every favourite colour, the Toniebox plays popular songs and stories via ‘Tonie’ characters. These beautiful hand-painted figurines bring your chosen audio to life, as well as having a collectible play value all of their own. Designed to replace bright and overstimulating screens, this portable storytime companion is perfect for little hands and wild imaginations. With simple tactile controls, and a battery life of 7 hours once charged, children can immerse themselves in music and storytime wherever they go, enjoying access to hundreds of adventures at their fingertips. Kids will also love the ‘Creative-Tonies’. A troop of super-cute characters that arrive blank for you to record and upload 90 minutes of your very own audio. Whether it’s a story or a song, it’s a chance for you to get creative.

Brand partnerships with Disney, Peppa Pig and more…

Brand partnerships with the likes of Disney, Peppa Pig and favourite CBeebies programmes have helped propel the Toniebox into every child’s orbit as the most coveted toy to get their hands on. The ever-expanding Tonies’ library includes well-known fairy tales, nursery rhymes and modern classics by the likes of Julia Donaldson, as well as a growing variety of engaging educational content. The Toniebox is brilliant at transforming into the perfect sleepy-time friend, with a whole host of content to choose from. This season’s Christmastime collaboration with plush toy brand Steiff on Soft Cuddly Friends saw the creation of adorable soft toy Tonies that play lullabies and stories, making the Toniebox an even bigger hit at bedtime.

The rise of educational toys

Following two years of school closures and national lockdowns, the pandemic has definitely left its mark on the dynamic of toy selling. There’s been a huge consumer shift and emphasis on finding tech-based toys that offer educational value as well as promoting independent play. “People are gravitating towards that ‘big present’ moment, and there are more higher-priced toys that offer greater playability and longevity like a Toniebox. It’s a beautiful thing because you can buy a main present, then other people can buy lots of other little presents (figurines) to build on it. We’re definitely seeing a move towards that ‘big gift’ moment rather than lots of tat,” explains toy expert Peter Jenkinson of Toyology. Jenkinson also highlights the “shelfworthiness” quality of the Toniebox. Sophisticated and stylish in design, and available in six eye catching colours, this is a product that will look the part in any playroom, nursery or bedroom. The tonies® stand at The Toy Fair will host the launch of our new and exciting releases for January and February.