Kiddinx to rep Pippi Longstocking

The German marketplace

KIDDINX MEDIA SIGN TO REPRESENT PIPPI LONGSTOCKING

76 years “young” and as up-to-date as ever! Pippilotta Delicatessa Windowshade Mackrelmint Ephraim’s Daughter Longstocking, or Pippi Longstocking for short is at the core of the brand and, from now on, this adventurous girl will strengthen the licensing portfolio of Kiddinx Media. The licensing agreement between the Astrid Lindgren Company and the Berlinbased licensing company covers the German-speaking region and applies to all categories – except for the publishing sector, which has been the responsibility of the Oetinger publishing group since 1949. Thomas Puchert, Head of Licensing Kiddinx Media said, “I’m a huge Pippi fan myself and am delighted that we can now market this world reknown brand. Pippi Longstocking is the embodiment of strong women who don’t let things get them down and who confidently go their own way. These values are as important in the past as they are today. Even my three teenage children Linda, Luisa and Jakob identify with Pippi Longstocking. To be able to experience the world of Pippi, to bring the brand closer to fans throughout the GSA region and to be able to offer fans something suitable across all platforms, is something very special for me and the entire Kiddinx team.” Cilla Nergårdh, CEO Astrid Lindgren Company: “Ever since the first Pippi Longstocking book was published in Germany back in 1949, the popularity of the character and its famous author has remained intact. “Germany has always been, and remains, one of the key markets for The Astrid Lindgren Company. We are very happy to be able to continue to strengthen our presence in the GSA region and to promote the strong values of the Pippi Longstocking brand together with one of the most renowned licensing agents for the market, Kiddinx Media.” First published in Sweden in 1945, Pippi represented a completely new and different kind of girl character. Not only does she have her own horse, is extraordinarily brave and the strongest girl in the world. She is also selfconfident, funny, spontaneous, helpful, incredibly generous and above all independent. True to the motto: “I’ll make the world as I like it!” Meanwhile, the stories have been translated into more than 70 languages and more than 66 million book titles have been sold worldwide. A new live-action cinema film is currently in development - produced for

the first time by Heyday Films and Studiocanal – The cinema premier is planned for 2024. When developing the licensing pro-

gram and selecting partners, Kiddinx Media and the Astrid Lindgren Company place great emphasis on sustainability and a “perfect fit” with the brand’s core values. Three licensing programmes are available to partners: Original illustrations by Ingrid Van Nyman, live-action style from the films and TV series with actress Inger Nilsson, and artwork from the new feature film. Initial licensees include Schmidt Spiele (puzzles, cardgames), INKICKS (customized converse chucks) and Athesia Kalenderverlag (family calendar) On a different note, after the box office successes of the four Bibi & Tina films in German-speaking countries and the soundtracks at the top of the music charts, the newest movie adventure is about to begin. With the cast of actors from the Amazon Original Series, directed by Detlev Buck, Bibi & Tina – Simply Different began filming in July and was successfully completed in September 9.

The nationwide theatrical release is on

July 21, 2022 through DCM. In October 2021, Kiddinx started the next big radio play series for children aged 8 to 12 with Kira Kolumna. The main protagonist of the series is the 16-year-old blogger Kira, a distant relative of the famous roving reporter Carla Caramaba. The passionate young reporter Kira reports on her adventures in the series. In her blog, she reports on big and small experiences in which she sometimes gets into dangerous situations. Thomas Puchert, Head of Licensing Kiddinx Media: “We are delighted that we are now bringing a new Kiddinx brand to life with Kira Kolumna. Furthermore, we are really excited to see whether the fans will embrace it with the same enthusiasm as the entire Kiddinx Team has already done. The first discussions with potential license partners were already very promising. The series is wonderful with current topics that are of great relevance to the target group. The new style guide further aids in a fresh, high-quality look. “ The first two episodes have been available in stores as well as download and streaming since October 15.

Thomas Puchert