Spotlight on German Licensing

Bavaria Media GmbH, a subsidiary of the Bavaria Film Group, was established in 1979 as Bavaria Sonor GmbH. The company’s headquarter is located on the Bavaria Film studio lot in Geiselgasteig near Munich. Amongst the brands that Bavaria Media are actively licensing are Big Bobby Car, Care Bears, Janosch, Playmobil, Frida Kahlo and Stumn der Liebe. Big Bobby Car is the world’s most successful and best selling children’s slide car with brand awareness in Germany standing at 95%. To date more than 20 million Big Bobby cars have been sold and the classic product is almost unchanged since it launched in 1972. 2022 saw the 50th Anniversary of Big Bobby Car with multiple activations and celebrations including a year-long online campaign, together with social media and influencer campaigns. Over 150 million Care Bears have been sold since they debuted 40 years ago and Bavara Media see the brand

as a classic property for three generations. Season 2 of Unlock the Magic will debut this Spring and there is also a significant investment in original YouTube animated content. The official Care Bears Channel launched in 2020 and a Care Bears film is currently in development. Janosch was born in 1931 and is best known for his stories about Little Tiger and Little Bear. Spring this year sees the 45th birthday of Little Tiger, Little Bear and Tiger Duck and the brand targets not only children but parents and grandparents who grew up with Janosch. The brands have more than 121,000 Facebook followers along with 108,000 Instagram followers and 73 episodes of Janosch Dream Hour are available on YouTube. The TV series Tigerntenclub has been continuously broadcast since 1996, appearing now on KiKA and ARD. More than 6,600 different Playmobil characters have been launched since 1974 and the brand is looking ahead to its 50th anniversary next year. Product – and the licensing program – targets children aged four to twelve with ranges of collectible figures aimed at adult fans. German children have 90% awareness of the brand and the consumer products program is growing rapidly with a 54% increase in 2021. Licensees include Hering, Plastoy, United Labels, Quick, Cookie Company, Sony, Pez, Tonies, Grupo Planeta, Winning Moves, Zara and Difuzed amongst many others. Frida Kahlo is the most googled female artist in the world and has become a worldwide icon for authentic and extraordinary lifestyles. New styleguides are launched annually and the Frida Kahlo program currently has over 80 licensees around the world. She is followed by 954,000 on Twitter and well over 6.6 million on Facebook. Licensees include Reserved, Calzedonia, Waterdrop, Sugarbird, Erik Sass & Belle and Karaca together with Mano, Primark, Pimkie, Asos , Thalia, Hardie Grand and Moleskine. Sturm der Liebe is a telenovela set in the Bavarian Alps. First aired in 2005, it has become Europe’s most successful telenovela with around 1.15 million viewers per episode. A Sturm der Liebe cookbook launched late last year and ranges of fashion, stationery and accessories launched this January. Beyond Germany, the series airs in Austria, Italy, Lithuania, Estonia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Finland, Belgium and Canada.

The heart of Lizenzwerft beats for the development and expansion of brands in the licensing sector. Their service, which is individually tailored to each brand, is based on more than 30 years of expertise with entertainment licenses, lifestyle and sports brands, and even corporate brands. They have been working with celebrity collaborations just as long and successfully. they burn for their brands, because they know what is important in brand building and brand presence. With heart and soul and knowledge of the uniqueness of the brands, the Lizenzwerft team under the leadership of the two highly experienced managing directors Peter Bichler and Christopher Conzen supports their position and further expansion. Peter Bichler, proven expert in the licensing business and head of entertainment licensing and consulting at Lizenzwerft, emphasizes: “The sheer

Germany is a very diverse country and its licensing activities amply demonstrates this.

On the following pages we take a sample of different companies involved in different aspects of the industry to give readers a flavour of how broadly-based the industry is in Germany.

mass of more than 400 characters per month makes the entertainment licensing market extremely confusing for non-experts. The multitude of license themes is very specific and singular and therefore cannot be compared to the environment of corporate, fashion or sports brands. On top of that, visionary recognition of which topics will be particularly successful in 12 to 18 months requires precise analysis of all available facts. And this is exactly where we come in with our profound market knowledge. We specialize in closely analyzing entertainment markets to evaluate data-based information in conjunction with marketing plans to make a recommendation for the 1-1.5 year period in the future. It’s a skill that our team has demonstrated successfully and with great dedication time and again for many years.” Precisely fitting, always focusing on the power and core of the brand, Lizenzwerft advise their clients to develop unique products. With their extensive experience in the licensing business, they support clients in all areas related to the brand. Continuous scouting, strategic consulting and individual market research as well as trend analysis are as much part of their core competencies as careful analysis and sustainable marketing. Christopher Conzen, a visionary and strategist, is a passionate networker with excellent contacts in industry and retail. At Lizenzwerft, he is responsible for brand development, brand strategy and the celebrity business segment: “Recognizing the uniqueness of a brand and its potential, implementing it optimally together with the brand owner and seeing it unfold its potential is always like a successful treasure hunt. Our drive is to enjoy the success of the brand and its owner.” Product, design and brand should be optimally coordinated - which is why artwork development is also part of their service portfolio. Understanding the brand essence and formulating and pursuing clear goals in a plan developed together with the license holder is one of their proven strengths. Jan Jacob Peters, brand director and sales expert at Lizenzwerft, adds, “In addition to our in-depth expertise in brand development and expansion, it is also the high level of competence of our marketing experts to provide consulting support or executive services in the implementation of the joint vision.” In addition to high-profile designer, sports and influencer brands, Germany’s best-known model Angelina Kirsch and her brand “Rock your curves” is a current example from the portfolio of Lizenzwerft: the model, who is also a successful TV presenter of the food show “The Taste”, presents her own apparel collection for plus sizes, which claims to present the wearer in the best light and not hide her behind designs. Christopher Conzen commented, “Angelina with her natural presence and completely gorgeous manner is an absolute dream as a brand owner. She is 100% authentic, a fantastic communicator and acts from conviction. What she stands for, she wears herself. The RYC by Angelina Kirsch brand, with Angelina’s support, will see Lizenzwerft focus on the beauty, interior design and food categories in addition to apparel through a consistent brand extension strategy.” A current example is the return of the windsurfing brand HiFly. Brand director Hinrich Stürken, whose years of expertise in the national and international brand and licensing business as well as his proven success in the testimonial field make him a highly regarded contact for his high level of creativity, believes the rebirth of the brand is on course for success: “The brand, which had the self-confidence to want to name a sport after itself (Someday surfing will be called Hi-Fly) and which meets with such a positive response from active and passive alike, has succeeded in making a spectacular reappearance with its fashion partner role at this year’s Mercedes Benz Windsurf World Cup on Sylt. We are now pooling this energy with the right partners and will make the brand fly with cool looks and its incredibly bold and attractive retro logo.” “It’s in the nature of this very sensitive business that we cannot publicly name all the clients we advise. Trust and integrity are essential components of our successful cooperation, also with partners from the USA or China, whom we help to gain a foothold in the GAS market,” adds Christopher Conzen.

Over the last 10 years, IMG has built a strong foothold in the German market. The agency represents leading German brands like Haribo, Volkswagen, Bugatti, and the Bundesliga German football league, while also facilitating key deals for IMG’s global clients in the German market. The agency’s German team also works closely with IMG’s sister agency WME and IMG Events to expand their licensing portfolio and execute strategic partnerships through their unparalleled network. Munich and Frankfurt-based VP of Licensing at IMG, Sven Thierhoff says, “Through the combination of our global network and localised expertise, IMG is able to deliver impactful regional collaborations that add immense value to every stakeholder in a “one-stop shop solution”. Germany has always been a key market for the company, and our deals over the last year reflect our strength and experience in this region.” Thierhoff is especially proud of the agency’s work with German confectionary company Haribo, “In the li-

censing industry, it usually takes about 2 years to get a new project up and running. However, in the last two years as Haribo’s global licensing representative, we have already facilitated various notable regional and global partnerships including a footwear collection with Puma that perfectly combines Haribo’s fun-loving and colourful identity with Puma’s trendy and urban designs.” In 2022 Haribo’s iconic Goldbear celebrated its 100th anniversary with a fun array of licensed products and retail initiatives brokered by IMG throughout the year. Haribo teamed up with Casio to launch a special edition of their Baby-G shock watch, inspired by the Goldbear candies’ colourful shapes and delicious flavours. The watch has been well-received across the world among Casio collectors and Haribo lovers alike. IMG also facilitated the launch of Haribo scented candles in collaboration with Fragrance and Style. The candles come in different shapes and sizes with a wide range of scents based on popular Haribo flavours. The product is sold by most major German retail chains ranging from grocery chains like Aldi, Rewe, Netto or Edeka to online retailers like Zalando. Meanwhile, Haribo’s unique footwear line with Puma continues to be a fan-favourite since its launch in 2021. One of the world’s largest car manufacturers, Volkswagen is known across the globe for its innovative technologies, attractive designs and classic cars such as ‘the camper van’ and the ‘Beetle’ who have become licensing personalities in their own right. As Volkswagen’s exclusive global consumer product and brand agency, IMG facilitated a partnership with German toy brand Playmobil to launch collectable miniature versions of the VW Beetle and VW Bulli. These collectables can also be customised, giving fans a chance to design their own versions of the classic vehicles including colour combinations, figurines, stickers and even an individual license plate. The brand’s other key collaborations from last year include a VW4 Special Edition Stroller Wagon, inspired by the vintage VW Bus in partnership with Wonderfold, and a special-edition Playmate cooler, also modeled after the globally loved VW Bus, in partnership with Igloo and rock band The Grateful Dead. IMG has also facilitated several partnerships for Bugatti, the creator of the world’s ultimate hyper sports cars. This includes Bugatti’s first electric scooter line in collaboration with ByTech. Launched in January, the premium scooters come in a sleek yet functional folding design and are equipped with cuttingedge technology to deliver a practical, powerful and comfortable mode of transportation. Additionally, GilletteLabs, the premium innovation division of Gillette 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. Finally, Bundesliga is Germany’s top professional football league, featuring some of the best clubs and footballers in the world. In a deal facilitated by IMG, Bundesliga partnered with Superclub, the football manager board game, to launch a new official licensed expansion pack. Launched globally in November 2022, the game includes player cards featuring players from all 18 Bundesliga teams, with IMG leading the game development and launch strategy.

Pure Brands is a young, vibrant brand licensing agency based in Munich with a worldwide network. Founded in 2017, the agency specializes in automotive and lifestyle brands as well as corporate trademarks. In addition to its headquarters in Munich, the agency also maintains a branch office in Shanghai and Shenzhen. “We are experts in successfully launching outstanding licensing deals and brand collabs in key global markets,” says

Jürgen Halder, founder of Pure Brands. “By having a team of high caliber professionals in Shanghai and in Shenzhen and through our agent partners in SEA, we understand the Asian market inside out.“ Pure Brands recently made a big splash through a deal with Chinese sportswear brand Particle Fever“and the license theme The Smurfs. Particle Fever retailed at Lane Crawford among others, created a unique premium Smurfs apparel collection exclusively designed for the Asian market. Pure Brands is also very active in the field of lifestyle brands. With the world-famous mountain resort and luxury brand St. Moritz, the agency had been able to place several fantastic licensing agreements and brand collabs at once. For example, they brought together the two iconic brands “Bally” and St. Moritz to launch a fashion collection that is available worldwide from F/W 2022 onwards

and includes 91 sku’s. It is sold in exclusive department stores like SAKS 5th Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Kadewe, Harrods, Rinascente, Leclaireur & Selfridges. Other licensing partnerships with Moncler, DoDo and Indigo demonstrate the tremendous market potential of the St. Moritz brand. The third major area in which Pure Brands specializes is automotive. Among its clients is the luxury car manufacturer Automobili Lamborghini, for which the agency recently brokered a major deal in the area of kid’s mobility products. Licensee Cheerway has developed a range of high-quality mobility products for children that includes a tricycle, a balance bike and a sliding bike. The tricycle comes with special features such as foldable techniques and rim design of a Lamborghini car, they are all high-end products that follow the safety rules and are globally distributed. They are specially produced according to the iconic Lamborghini Design. Furthermore, Pure Brands executed a long-term licensing agreement between the toy brand Double Eagle and the German luxury car manufacturer RUF Automobile. The toy program includes the legendary RUF Yellowbird as well as GT, SCR and GT3 models that let the Porsche soul run free and set pulses racing. Key clients represented by Pure Brands include Automobili Lamborghini, Blaupunkt, RUF Automobile, Pininfarina, Scholl, Dr. Scholl and St Moritz. In addition, the agency has initiated numerous deals on behalf of manufacturers and brokered contracts with BMW and Audi among others, especially for Toys and Games.

WildBrain CPLG’s well-established German office has used its extensive local knowledge and expertise to connect brands across entertainment, lifestyle and sports, with world-class partners in a wide range of categories. Based in Munich, the team oversees the agency’s activity across the German, Austrian and Swiss markets, developing a robust and varied slate of popular brands, including WildBrainowned brands Peanuts, Teletubbies and Strawberry Shortcake, as well as such key partner brands as ZAG’s Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir, SEGA’s Sonic the Hedgehog, Dr. Seuss’s ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas!’ and more. For 2023, the team is significantly expanding the consumer products offering for Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir. The beloved animated show continues to be a hit on Disney Channel in Germany, with a recently launched fifth season. New content is also on the way with the brand’s highly anticipated CG-animated feature, Ladybug & Cat Noir: The Movie, set to be released in cinemas across Germany in 2023. WildBrain CPLG has assembled a broad array of promotional retail partnerships and product ranges to bring these much-loved characters to life in an extensive range of categories. The new ‘Miraculous Rise of the Sphinx’ console game also recently launched building on the success of the brand’s hugely popular Roblox game, which has already notched up over 450 million gameplays to date. This digital activity expands the vast merchandise offering the team has already established for the brand, which features many long-standing licensees, including Panini and Blue Ocean (publishing), Geda Labels and Klaus

Herding (home and living), Ravensburger (puzzles and games) and Deichmann (shoes) plus many more.

For the beloved character brand

Peanuts, 2024 will mark the 50th anniversary of Snoopy’s first appearance as his Beagle Scout character in Charles M. Schulz’s iconic comic strips. To celebrate this milestone, the team is focused on developing new lines centred around “Snoopy’s Outdoor Adventure” in the lead up to the anniversary, with key themes including camping, being outdoors and scouting. In 2025, the celebrations will continue as the Peanuts brand reaches its milestone 75th anniversary. In the year ahead, WildBrain CPLG will continue supporting Peanuts Worldwide’s global sustainability initiative “Take Care with Peanuts”, which first launched in October 2020 and encourages everyone to take care of themselves, each other and the Earth. As part of the ongoing global campaign, new themed episodes are released monthly on YouTube and social media platforms. WildBrain CPLG Germany continues to build the Peanuts business with a program at Deichmann across shoes, bags and accessories, following a Summer 2022

launch and has secured new licensees in apparel and fashion including Aytex, Stuffmaker, TB International. Existing partners, such as Butlers, Geda Labels, Thalia and Codello will also continue to introduce fresh Peanuts collections. Across the region the team continues to forge super-charged new partnerships for SEGA, with the new series Sonic Prime co-produced by WildBrain and SEGA having launched on Netflix in December 2022. With Jakks Pacific as Sonic master toy partner, deals secured by WildBrain CPLG include an exclusive line of Sonic Prime products from leading toy manufacturer PMI that will launch in early 2023, including minifigures, plush, games and more. Newly signed licensees for Sonic Prime in Germany include Ravensburger for puzzles and Panini for books, with many more in the pipeline. The festive season for 2022 saw WildBrain CPLG Germany secure a wide range of partnerships for Dr. Seuss’ seasonal family favourite How the Grinch Stole Christmas! Deals include a global collaboration with adidas for a Grinch-themed version of the sportwear company’s iconic Forum Low shoe, which was supported by an extensive marketing and social media campaign. New products also launched locally, including from Thalia for gifts and Bloomerry for sweaters at C&A. For 2023, the team will build upon this momentum and has an exciting pipeline of activity for its diverse and growing roster of brands, including several significant partnerships and retail activations.

PI Kids makes books come alive! With their interactive books, they entertain young readers, encourage their development, instill a fascination of reading and encourage their curiosity. Their ambition is to foster reading comprehension and the enthusiasm for stories that lasts a lifetime. Together with their licensors, such as Disney or Nickelodeon, and their local authors and illustrators, they combine stories about favorite characters, such as PAW Patrol, Peppa Pig, or Fireman Sam, with illustrated pictures, sounds, music, and activities to create a unique reading experience that excites and inspires. They do this with a wide range of formats, such as sound books, songbooks, picture books, board books and other interactive book products. The PI Kids brand is known all over the world as the leader in licensed and sound book publishing and their books have been published for over 30 years in more than 35 languages. PI Kids is a registered trademark of Phoenix International Publications, Inc. and is published in the Germanspeaking area by Phoenix International Publications Germany GmbH, which is part of the Phoenix Publishing & Media Group (PPMG), the largest publisher in China, headquartered in Nanjing. Prior to 2014, PI Kids was the children’s book division of Publications International, Ltd.

Amongst the most popular products are the Peppa Pig Voice Changing Microphone Deluxe Sound Book, the Paw Patrol Listen and Learn Board Book, the Peppa Pig Little Potty Sound Book and the Disney Press the Page Sound Book.

Three years ago Hamburg based licensing-experts V.I.P. Entertain-

ment & Merchandising AG

brought the merchandising for Leo Lionni´s bestselling picture books to the German speaking markets, and after a slow start the success of the brand climbs steadily. Edel Kids released its third CD with Frederick & Friends stories that rank also at discounters among the bestsellers. Carlsen´s Lappan Verlag signed a second license for calendars and gift books for your adults and Edel Books took another license for additional activity books. Another new license was granted for plush toys, socks and kid jewellery to Love Collection Jewellery UG, and as V.I.P.’s Michael A. Lou tells us, the licensee is open for cooperations with distributors. Frederick & Friends stories on Tonies NFC devices went so well that Tonies also signed a license for the US. V.I.P.’s newest property is ZORRO, the internationally famed hero with a 100 years track record. Backed by its 40 years experience V.I.P. expects that the massive presence in theatres, TV and Streaming Platforms (five TV series and four motion pictures are being planned by Zorro Productions International) will boost demand for licenses. In particular as the productions aim at different target groups such as the live action feature films Django/ Zorro (age PG-13), based on Quentin Tarantino’s Djano/Zorro comic book . Tarantino will be executive producer, together with ZPI’s John Gertz. Currently an animation for kids is being aired on Germany’s leading kid channel KiKa and the first live action series for TV (Age 10+) is being shot in the Canary Islands to be released in the second half 2023. One of V.I.P.’s most recent international deals for The Beatles, that they have now represented for nearly 20 years, was with Hohner, the world’s leading harmonica company. They report “very satisfying” sales, V.I.P. says, who is just about to sign another worldwide license with another market leader.

Studio 100 report that with the launch of the first season of “Mia and me” in August 2012, an international success story developed and will continue to be told right through to 2023. The first feature film in May 2022, followed season 2 (2015) and season 3 (2017). “Mia and me - The Secret of Centopia” had the most successful start of a post-Corona German family film to date. To date, the film has thrilled more than 350,000 young and old cinema visitors in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland and just in time for Christmas, the DVD and Bluray release of the cinema film has also hit the shelves. Since 2012 the series with its 78 episodes so far has been broadcast regularly on TV on ZDF and KiKA with excellent ratings. “Mia and me” is also successful internationally and has been sold to over 170 countries. Mia’s adventures will continue at the beginning

of 2023 with 26 new episodes in the fourth season! With more than 2.9 million YouTube subscribers worldwide, the brand also presents itself with top values in the online sector. In addition to that, there are 1.6 billion views on 10 international channels. There are many highlights in Licensing, such as over 1.8 million books sold and a strong publishing partner in Ravensburger. Simba’s toy line consists of dolls of the elven heroes Mia, Yuko and Prince Mo, and a range of unicorns as well as plush and role-play products. Edel Kids have distributed the physical audio products from the start and are now very successful in streaming or with the Tonies. Important for monthly fan activities is Blue Ocean Entertainment’s magazine, which ranks second among School Girls magazines with a circulation of over 45,000 copies. The extra magazines and special editions are also top sellers. The current sticker series for the feature film was produced in a print run of 150,000 albums and with well over 1.2 million sticker bags. A new “Mia and me” app will also be released in spring 2023. The nationally and internationally product portfolio is large and varied, and the brand’s success is further consolidated by a global agency network. Extensive and truly magical style guides for the first three seasons provide the basis for product design; the style guide for the new season comes with a new look, playful but less childlike and with softer, pastel colours. To further expand the brand’s potential in the Softlines range, extensive trend books

are now also available for the fashion segment: Denim Patches, Frosted Sparkle and of course a supplement on the theme of “Strong Girls”. Through this approach, Studio 100 Media supports its brand through a GIRL POWER campaign, which focuses on World Girls’ Day on 11 October every year and wants to convey a very clear message, especially to young girls: you can feel strong, you don’t need to be afraid and always follow your heart. This year, a big competition, cooperations with influencers, a social media ad campaign and a cooperation with and for the benefit of SOS Children’s Villages were implemented. In 2023, the German-language Sesame Street will celebrate its 50th birthday. It all began on January 8th 1973 where Sesame Street became a pioneer in German children’s television, which literally didn’t exist before, and therefore became an instant classic. To date 2,931 episodes have been produced in Germany. “Sesamstraße” is available in the ARD media library, online on Sesamstrasse.de, on the road with the “Sesamstrasse”-app and on YouTube with its own channel. On television it is still broadcast weekdays on KiKA and from Tuesday until Friday on NDR. To celebrate this special Birthday, many activities are planned in early 2023. There will be TV highlights such as “A Thousand Great Things”, giving homage to the show with many prominent birthday guests remembering the greatest moments on ARD in January or a special broadcast of the “Tagesthemen” news format on January 8th presenting exclusive insights and backstage footage for all young and old fans. This will be followed by several other TV and radio specials. Ernie & Bert will attend the NDR Family Concert in Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie on January 28th, followed by four more concerts just for kids from Primary School. To mark the occasion, the BallinStadt Emigration Museum in Hamburg is collaborating with Sesame Workshop to present an exhibition about the broadcast history of “Sesame Street” with props and costumes, a childfriendly exploration of themes such as migration, diversity and integration, and a presentation of Sesame Workshop’s international commitment. Another exhibition will attract kids and families in the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg. The MK&G is showing a large special exhibition “Sesame Street - 50 Years of Who, How, What!”. The animated spin-off “Sesame Street Mecha Builders” will be broadcast in Germany by Super RTL (additional broadcasters in key European markets to be announced). In this new series, Elmo, Cookie Monster and Abby Cadabby are robot heroes in training, using their STEM superpowers to solve problems. And another highlight is expected in

the new year: Cookie Monster and some friends will be featured in the new show “Cookie Monster’s Foodie Truck with Steffen Henssler” (a famous TV cook in Germany) on RTL+ and Super RTL. Here it’s all about cooking and nutrition, which Cookie Monster and Gonger (who is appearing on German TV for the first time) are preparing with Steffen Henssler for preschoolers and their families. But that’s not all. In addition to the multi-year licensing partnership with Just Play, which will see the launch of a wide range of products - consisting of plush, figures, playsets, vehicles, roleplay/clothing, bath toys and educational toys, fans can also look forward to products in the fashion and softlines categories. The apparel will allow fans to express their personality and reflect the brands they love, whether they are children or young adults. The clothing will be trend-conscious and wearable. A special focus will be on clothing for babies and toddlers, stationery, backto-school and hard goods. Just Play is teaming up with Sesame Workshop to develop a brand-new and extensive toy line. The new Just Play product line presents familiar characters as plush figures and electronic learning aids. The company promises that the products will push interaction and will be among the most cheerful and fun toys to be launched in Germany in spring 2023. More product launches are planned for the fall of next year. Just Play is focusing on plush figures. From the new range, Sesame Street fans can cuddle their favorite characters at an entry-level price, first and foremost the favorites Cookie Monster and Elmo, but also Ernie and Bert. They are all filled with 100 percent recycled material. Leading the pack is the Potty Time Elmo figure. During the summer months, a special brand marketing campaign will be carried out. Furthermore, Cookie Monster is available as a hand puppet for impulse purchases. The electronic learning aids in the Just Play range, on the other hand, are designed to promote children’s development through play - for example, together with the Elmo telephone, children learn letters, numbers, colors and even whole words and sentences while chatting on the role-play telephone shaped like Elmo. More new products and content are planned for 2023. For the German market, Just Play is cooperating with Alpha Team Trading Solutions - the specialist for e-commerce, logistics and sales. Managing Director Tim Mörtl is excited about the collaboration with Sesame Workshop: “We are thrilled to be working with Just Play and Sesame Workshop to bring this new line of Sesame Street toys to the German market. Sesame Street is a brand trusted across multiple generations, and we look forward to bringing this brand to life in German retail stores in 2023.” Ami Dieckman, VP EMEA Sales at Just Play, comments: “Just Play is thrilled to be working closely with Sesame Workshop to launch this new toy line in Europe. We look forward to the products hitting the shelves this spring, supported by marketing campaigns and great retail engagement. The Sesame Street brand has a great heritage in Germany, and we’re looking forward to reaching both longtime fans of the brand and new, young fans.” Munich-based agency Studio 100 Media is also on board as a partner. Says Joachim Knödler, Head of Licensing Distribution: “For Studio 100 Media, Sesame Street is the most important third-party brand - a very important and outstanding license that fits perfectly into our portfolio with its educational approach. We look forward to the 2023 anniversary year, which will take Sesame Street to another level in terms of licensing and marketing, driven of course by the extensive activities of the Sesame Workshop and also the market entry of many new licensees that Studio 100 Media secured for a presence in the coming year.”