The German Marketplace

Warner Bros. Consumer Pro-

ducts in Germany had a great year in 2021. Looney Tunes, in particular were the star of several large licensing agreements. 2022 will be dominated by DC Comics and the Wizarding World Together with August Storck AG, a traditional family business that has been known for its sugar confectionery and chocolate specialties for over 100 years, WBCP has released a Toffifee collection with the Looney Tunes. The successful Looney Tunes edition was launched at Easter. The Looney Tunes were also the star of a major licensing collaboration in the summer of 2021: for the cinema release of Space Jam: A New Legacy with NBA superstar LeBron James, Snipes, one of the leading companies in the area of streetwear and exclusive sneaker models, released a limited collection for the whole family. All 48

items of clothing and accessories were inspired by the Looney Tunes. The urban street style culture of Snipes was combined with the casual charisma of Looney Tunes in an unforgettable collection. Snipes initiated attention-grabbing campaigns with oversized basketballs in Paris, Milan, Madrid, Berlin and Cologne and accompanied it with basketball-inspired games for the community. The winners could win tickets for a pre-screening event in Berlin. The successful Munich fashion designer Philipp Plein also used the popularity of the Looney Tunes for a current luxury fashion collection in 2021. High-quality jackets, T-shirts, cell phone cases, hoodies and accessories for women, men and children have been available in over 90 stores worldwide and online since September 2021. With the current collections, the cartoon heroes have once again proven their great potential to reach a large target group in a wide variety of product categories. For decades, Bugs Bunny, Tweety and all the other Looney Tunes characters have delighted women, men and children of all ages with charm and wit. The Looney Tunes are among the top licenses from Warner Bros. with over 90 percent brand awareness among children and adults and they enjoy continuous presence in TV, home entertainment, on the big screen and in the gaming sector. The outlook for 2022 shows a strong presence of big blockbusters from the DC comic world and the Wizarding World and brings a reunion with one of the most popular superheroes. Fans around the world can look forward to The Batman on March 4th, with superstar Robert Pattinson in the title role. The starstudded action film also stars Colin Farrell as the Penguin, Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman, John Turturro and Paul Dano. The next highlight for cinemas will follow in April 2022: in Fantastic Animals: Dumbledore’s Secrets, the magical world of Harry Potter returns to the big screen. In addition to Eddie Redmayne, superstar Mads Mikkelsen, Ezra Miller, Jude Law and many other stars play in the longawaited sequel to the series. Black Adam begins on July 29th. The DC World superhero is played by Dwayne Johnson, with Noah Centineo, Sarah Shahi and Pierce Brosnan playing alongside him. Another superhero from DC Comic World will delight fans from November 4, 2022: The Flash. The superstars who star in this action-packed film adaptation include Ben Affleck, Michael Keaton and Ezra Miller. The Warner Bros. cinema year 2022 will end with the highly anticipated sequel Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom starring Jason Momoa, Amber Heard and Dolph Lundgren, which will hit German cinemas on December 16.

With Minions -The Rise of Gru (German theatrical release 30 June) and Jurassic World 3: A New Age (German theatrical release 9 June)), Universal is bringing mega-blockbusters to theaters this year. Summer is turning yellow - because at last there‘s a reunion with the Minions! The little yellow helpers have long since achieved cult status and are now an integral part of pop culture. Universal Consumer Products is pulling out all the stops to support the new feature film with global toy partners Mattel and The Lego Group. The toy collection here includes action figures, building sets, electronics, plush, collectibles and playsets in new designs. Schmidt Spiele is also launching plush novelties and games. Ravensburger and Undercover present puzzles and backpacks in the yellow banana look. The start-up Happybrush is thrilling visitors with its Minions collection, which includes banana-flavored toothpaste, electric toothbrushes and toothbrushes made of bamboo, and Agrarfrost‘s frozen products are also going down well. On numerous stylish textile products, e.g. from Difuzed or Nastrovje Potsdam, the Minions show their best side for the different target groups. Universal Consumer Products supports the franchise throughout the year with campaigns such as Banana Day at Easter, Back to School or Yellow Friday in the run-up to Christmas. The highlight of the year-round campaign is undoubtedly the theatrical release of Minions - In Search of the Mini Boss on June 30, 2022, the sequel to the 2015 hit movie. The theatrical release is accompanied by an unprecedented

Market Update

marketing campaign, which is one of the biggest and most comprehensive campaigns of the coming year. In early June 2022, Universal Pictures launches the third part of the Jurassic World trilogy Jurassic World 3: A New Age and brings together the legacy of Jurassic Park and the fan community of Jurassic World with the visually stunning spectacle. „Jurassic World 3: A New Age“ is considered one of the biggest movie releases of the coming year. The dinosaurs also inspire a wide variety of target groups on other channels. In addition to many new product collaborations with strong partners, new content also awaits in 2022: The fourth season of the series Jurassic World: New Adventures has just been successfully launched on Netflix. Further episodes are also in the pipeline for 2022. In August, Universal Consumer Products and its retail partners traditionally celebrate #JurassicDinoDays. With E.T., probably the world‘s bestknown alien, celebrating its 40th anniversary next year. Steven Spielberg‘s feature film was then, as it is now, one of the highest-grossing movies worldwide and boasts a loyal fan base that has grown with the brand over the decades. Numerous product launches in all areas are planned around the anniversary - including toys, fashion and home & living. An EMEA-wide campaign will generate attention and visibility in 2022, culminating in the fall - to coincide with the total lunar eclipse on November 8, 2022. Finally, the brands Spirit and Dragons, which are particularly popular with younger viewers, are bringing plenty of adventure into the new year: Extensive trade activities have already been realized for the home entertainment launch of Spirit - Frei und Ungezähmt in fall 2021 and for the TV broadcast of the new episodes of the third season of Spirit - Wild und Frei on Toggo (Super RTL), which will be continued in 2022. Dragons, as a successful heritage brand, is focusing above all on dragon-strong content in the coming year: With Dragons: The Nine Realms a new TV series from the dragon universe has been announced. WildBrain CPLG’s Germany team is based in Munich and oversees the agency’s activity across the Germany, Austria and Switzerland markets. Since it was first established the team has utilised its extensive knowledge and expertise to connect brands from the worlds of entertainment, lifestyle and sports with world-class partners in a wide range of categories. The team’s representation roster features classic brands, including Peanuts, Pink Panther, Garfield and Popeye, alongside popular entertainment IP, such as Sonic the Hedgehog, emoji- The Iconic Brand, Miraculous – Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir and MTV. The team also represents lifestyle brands including Mentos, Chupa Chups, Kärcher and the renowned artist, Romero Britto who recently joined the agency’s growing Lifestyle portfolio. WildBrain-owned brands, such as Strawberry Shortcake, locally known as Emily Erdbeer, and Teletubbies, are also a key focus in the market. Wellknown local brands include extreme sports pioneer Jochen Schweizer. In 2021, the agency secured a successful collaboration between PUMA and the perennial favourite brand, Peanuts, on behalf of Peanuts Worldwide, which saw two collections launch across adults and kids’ apparel. The team also continues to sign high-profile retail agreements for Peanuts, including a recent pan-European deal with Lidl for a baby collection. Existing local licensees, such as Butlers, Codello, Princess goes Hollywood and Geda Labels, continue to regularly launch new Peanuts collections and execute marketing activations, with multiple licensees gearing up to launch lines inspired by the “Take Care with Peanuts” initiative, a global enterprise encouraging everyone to take care of themselves, each other and the Earth. Following the agency’s success with the brand, Peanuts was named ‘Corporate/Lifestyle/Celebrity Brand of the Year’ at the Licensing International Germany Awards 2021. WildBrain CPLG’s Germany team is also preparing a super-charged year for SEGA’s iconic Sonic the Hedgehog brand, as a movie sequel, the new Sonic Prime animated Netflix series (produced in partnership with WildBrain), and new games are all coming in 2022. The team plans to harness this fresh content, plus the rapidly growing demand from both consumers and retailers for gaming-based brands in the region, to grow the local merchandise programme across multiple categories. Strawberry Shortcake is back with a cool new look for today’s kids in a new animated series, Berry in the Big City, locally known as Emily Erdbeer in der großen Stadt. Following its digital-first debut in September 2021 on WildBrain’s kids’ and family AVOD network, WildBrain Spark, Berry in the Big City (80 x 4’) will soon also be available on Netflix worldwide alongside four brandnew CG-animated seasonal specials (4 x 44’). The series launches on Netflix in Spring 2022, and the specials follow in 2023. Moose Toys is preparing a master toy range for the property and, as part of the brand’s extensive franchise programme spanning apparel, games, publishing, and more, WildBrain CPLG’s German team will be focused on securing new licensees for the brand in 2022 and beyond. For Miraculous – Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir, WildBrain CPLG’s Germany team has created a broad product offering inspired by the brand’s TV series. Ferrero is continuing its successful partnership with the brand and recently launched another iteration of its Kinder suprise promotion featuring Miraculous – Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir. Ravensburger is the newest licensee to join the brand’s local licensing pro-

gramme and will unveil its range of puzzles and games at Nuremberg Toy Fair. Bringing further new products, Deichmann is extending its footwear collection in Spring/Summer 2022 and Edel will launch new audio books, DVDs and CDs. With the upcoming animated movie, Ladybug & Cat Noir Awakening, set for release in 2022, the team is now working with partners on new product ranges and marketing activations for the movie, to launch in 22/23. The team is also expanding the consumer products offering for The World of Eric Carle. Master local publishing partner Gerstenberg has an extensive book and non-book programme for the brand, with new products regularly launching. WildBrain CPLG Germany has also secured activations with leading retailers such as Aldi and Rewe. In the toy category, Schmidt Spiele is launching new products in early 2022, and Legler continues to celebrate great success with its range.

ViacomCBS in Germany are focusing on a number of key brands, covering multiple age groups and as varied as Baby Shark and The Godfather. Together with creators Pinkfong, the Baby Shark television series premiered in GSA in August last year and season two, and a feature film, are said to be in development. Baby Shark’s Big Show comprises 26 x 22 minute episodes aimed at children up to six years old. Products were launched last Autumn including toys, plush, accessories, publishing, consumer electronics, games, apparel, home and social expressions. The Godfather celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2022 and, to commemorate this anniversary, ViacomCBS consumer products division will launch yearround partnerships and activations across key categories. These partnerships will embrace and re-imagine the timeless themes of the film and honor its enduring legacy. The consumer product strategy covers two distinct areas: High-end collaborations with fashion icons and luxury brands; and Mass/Specialty with limited edition product lines inspired by fan art across categories such as wall art, collectibles and fast-fashion. Of course, Paw Patrol continues to feature heavily in the ViacomCBS portfolio. There are now three seasons on Netflix, a feature film which attracted over one million viewers in Germany and Paw Patrol Live Tour which takes place this year. Season seven of the original series is currently airing on SuperRTL and Toggolino in Germany with new episodes greenlit for 2022. In all there are over 200 episodes plus three hour-long specials which will premier later this year. The Avatar universe is expanding its reach through Avatar the Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra. Both series are consistently trending on Netflix in Germany. Avatar the Last Airbender premiered in 2005 and is now in its third season. The Legend of Korra now comprises four seasons with a total of 52 episodes. The story picks up 70 years after Avatar The Last Airbender. Fans in GSA can watch both shows on Netflix, Prime Video, Nickelodeon, Sky and Pluto TV. Product lines include toys, collectibles, apparel, publishing, gaming , housewares and roleplaying games. Star Trek celebrated 55 years in 2021 and now comprises six classic series, five series in development and thirteen movies. Destination Star Trek, the live event, will take place in Dortmund in September and the TV series is available through Netflix, Prime Video, Syfy, TNT and more. There are currently nearly 300 licensees worldwide. Finally, Blaze continues to be popular in Germany with a new toy line launched last Summer and new episodes on SuperRTL which debuted at the beginning of this year. New seasons are in production through to 2023 and a dedicated Amazon brand store launched last October.

With movie releases including Maya the Bee – The Golden Orb and Mia and Me’s The Hero of Centopia scheduled, Studio 100 report increasing activity. 2022 is also the 45th anniversary of Heidi which will be celebrated by an Influencer campaign in Q2. Highlights for 2022 include a new brand – Vegesaurs, an action-comedy CGI-animated series comprising 20 x 5 minute episodes, produced by Australian Cheeky Little for the Australian Broadcasting Company and

France TV. Worldwide distribution will be through Studio 100 Media and the series is aimed at preschool children. Studio 100 have a partnership with Brand Loyalty who see a perfect fit between the themes addressed by Vegesaurs and those that are current with food retailers around the globe. Studio 100 are also beginning to look for new licensing partners for Vegesaurs in 2022. A further new brand handled by Studio 100 is FriendZSpace. Additionally,

Studio 100 look after licensing activities for a number of third parties including Sesamstrasse, NASA, Mediatoon brands including Marsupilami, Miffy, Beyblade:Burst and Tetris. Die Wilden Kerle is a top brand for toys based on a successful book franchise that will be continued by 360 Grad Verlag with new titles in 2022.

Hasbro’s mission of creating the world’s best play and entertainment experiences was never more apparent than during the past 18 months. While staying home, families wanted to play games, be creative, watch show and movies and connect with nostalgic brands. Hasbro’s portfolio includes around 1500 brands such as My Little Pony, Peppa Pig, Nerf, Transformers, Dungeons&Dragons, PJ Masks, Power Rangers, Monopoly, Magic: The Gathering and Play-Doh. In September 2021, My Little Pony introduced a new generation of ponies to a new generation of kids with the launch of a feature-length movie on Netflix, which was the #1 global movie on Netflix at launch and was awarded the Common Sense Media Seal for Families. In GSA, My little Pony – Eine neue Generation started a new chapter in the long-lasting success story of My little Pony and experienced an amazing start in Germanspeaking territories with whole new potential to be revealed in 2022. The Hasbro toy range sold amazingly well with “Sing&Skate” Sunny being the No. 1 My little Pony item and a great gift for Christmas. Initialy My little Pony products have been launched using new characters and with a new look through licensing partners such as Ravensburger (Puzzle), Undercover (Stationary), Herding (Bedding, Home) and Ehapa (Magazine) with new 2022 partners coming soon. More partners in categories such as apparel, publishing, arts & crafts and role play will follow with a brand new series (following the movie content) starting in 2022. A new Amazon.de: My Little Pony shop has been launched in line with the movie. Peppa Pig is broadcast year-round in Germany and SuperRTL is the official licensing agency for the brand. With 84% brand awareness amongst children under six, in addition to the broadcasting of more than 300 episodes through Toggolino, Peppa has her own Germany YouTube channel with 1.43 million subscribers. Season 9 is planned for the end of this year. Germany has a well-established fan base for Transformers and a recent collaboration from Robosen Roboticvs – Optimus Prime by Robesen Robotics – will be available in Europe this year distributed by HEO GmbH. A new roy range by JADA Toys offers a variety of products and established Transformers partners include Undercover, Herding, Joy Toy, Ravensburger and Hauck are not only offering their existing product lines but are preparing for the new movie in 2023.

VIP Entertainment report that Fredrick & Friends, one of Leo Lionni’s bestselling pictures books for children, is being licensed for merchandise products for the first time in Europe.Hamburg-based V.I.P. has been appointed as exclusive agent for the EU and UK by Lionni´s granddaughter Annie Lionni. Although the first Frederick book was published back in 1967 and having sold millions and millions copies around the world since, merchandising commenced only a few years ago. After a kick-start in the US it soon branched out to the Far East and Kohl´s and Uniqlo belong to the large roster of licensees. While with Master Licensee Random House Leo Lionni’s books enjoys the backing of the market leader, V.I.P. decided to first broaden the base and licensed his books as audio stories on CD, for NFC devices, a large range of activity books and other publications before going now after toys, apparel, gift products and alike. Also for young women, since Frederick & Friends are also loved by many parents. Backed by strong track record in licensing Lionni in German speaking markets V.I.P. is now expanding onto other key markets like France, Italy, Spain and the U.K. “The fact that we already have approved artwork for several publications and audio scripts available should ease entering these markets”, believes V.I.P.’s CEO, Michael A. Lou. Moreover, in countries like France and Italy Lionni´s very first book, “The little blue and the little yellow” is equally popular as Frederick and provides additional possibilities. Just like the other 40 books Lionni wrote. Eric Carle, author of the worldbestseller The very hungry Caterpillar said: “Recently I was asked

whose picture books I could not live without. Guess what my answer was. You are right - Leo Lionni´s.“ Further properties represented by VIP include Shape, Germany´s foremost fitness and lifestyle magazines, the famous Josephine Baker and, for over 25 years the Beatles and Yellow Submarine.

With more than 25 offices around the world, IMG represents some of the world’s most prestigious corporate trademarks and institutions, sports brands, teams and federations, fashion labels, lifestyle, media, and entertainment properties, as well as major personalities. The agency globally represents a number of Germany’s leading brands such as Volkswagen, Haribo, Bugatti, and the Bundesliga German football league, and its German-based team also works with a significant number of other top international brands as well as talent from sister agency WME to expand their footprint in the region through strategic licensing partnerships. Munich and Frankfurt-based VP of Licensing at IMG, Sven Thierhoff, said: “Germany, like many markets has changed significantly since the pandemic began. Retail outlets with strong e-commerce and ability to sell large volumes of product through many retail outlets have become the driving force in the licensing industry here. “Traditional food retailers are making in-roads into fashion, and doing more with brands and storytelling, so we have seen strong growth in the market for both high-end and mass-market food retail brands. Additionally, the trend of creating capsule collections with new storylines is everywhere in Germany right now, so there is less mid-to-long-term brand development and more short-term statements being made. “Sports and automotive licensing continue to be popular in Germany. We’ve seen this through our work with the Bundesliga and Bugatti, as well as the 2016 and 2020 editions of the UEFA European Football Championship. The world‘s oldest active sports car endurance race, 24 Hours of Le Mans, celebrates its centenary in 2023. The legendary event takes place in France and is extremely popular in Germany given the dominance in the race of German auto brands including all-time victory leader Porsche. This will be a key focus for us and IMG’s central European offices next year, with development opportunities for key categories including apparel, toys and games, collectibles, publishing, homeware and accessories.” Ahead of the Haribo Goldbear’s 100th anniversary in 2022, this year, the confectionary brand has rolled out a suite of toys, apparel, footwear and homeware to help fans celebrate the world of Haribo. Haribo’s consumer products programme, created through collaborations facilitated by IMG, includes the worldwide launch of Puma’s footwear and apparel collection which takes inspiration from the classic Haribo Goldbears. Other product launches include toys, collectibles and plush with leading U.S. toymaker JAKKS Pacific, Inc. With more than 70 years of heritage and its iconic Kombi, Beetle and Golf GTI, VW is the world‘s #1 car manufacturer selling more than 10 million cars annually. The brand has a successful ongoing toy programme with Playmobil and LEGO, created through deals brokered by IMG. Latest products include Playmobil limited-editions of the T1 Camping Bus and Beetle as well as the LEGO T2 campervan. IMG is seeking partners in kitchen appliances, following its successful partnership with Gorenje to create award-winning Volkswagenbranded designer refrigerators. 2022 will see the launch of the I.D. Buzz, an electric vehicle designed to recall the original Type 2 Microbus. This is in line with an increased awareness and demand for a sustainable lifestyle in the German market but also globally. For the Bundesliga, the world’s mostattended football league, IMG has helped launch a variety of board and card games such as the popular game classics Monopoly, Trivial Pursuit and Top Trumps with Winning Moves. The Monopoly in the Bundesliga edition gives players the opportunity to think like a top manager when buying clubs and investing in grandstands and stadiums. The card games Trivial Pursuit and Top Trumps in the Bundesliga Edition allow players to gain even more knowledge about their favourite clubs and players Ahead of the Bundesliga’s 60-year anniversary at the beginning of the 2023/24 season, 2022 will be an exciting time for the licensing program. Bugatti has recently bolstered its licensing programme with IMG through several new partnerships. The brand’s newest collaboration is a premium scooter range in partnership with ByTech, with the first products launching at CES in January. Additionally, GilletteLabs, the premium innovation division of Gillette (NYSE: PG) launched a Special Edition Heated Razor which combines the technological and design attributes of two world-class innovators to create a product of physical beauty and enhanced performance.