Licensing World May 2018

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John Baulch

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May 2018

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CONTENTS 14 Brand Profile: Blue Sky Studios

18 Feature: Character Licensed Merchandise

Mark Austin

Sales Director mark@toyworldmag.co.uk 01442 502 405

Anita Baulch

Circulation and Financial Director anita@toyworldmag.co.uk 01923 711 439

News

Opinion Features

07 From the Publisher

16 Touching Base

FOR KIDS

EVERYO

14 Brand Profile: Blue Sky Studios

18 Feature: Character Licensed Merchandise

08 News

28 Feature: Licensing Expo Preview FOR LICENSING OP 30 Brand Profile: PJ Masks

get in touch – consumerprodu

Rachael Simpson

Deputy Editor rachael@toyworldmag.co.uk 01442 502 406

30 Brand Profile: PJ Masks

28 Feature: Licensing Expo Preview

Casey Goodman

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elcome to the second annual Licensing World supplement, brought to you by the team behind Toy World. Once again, the supplement focuses solely on the children’s licensing sector, so we can bring licensees and retailers the very latest information from the part of the licensing world that they are truly interested in.

from the publisher

John Baulch - @Baulchtweet

A year ago, when Licensing World made its debut, the toy and licensing communities were both riding the crest of the wave. The UK toy trade had recorded three consecutive years of solid growth, and licensed merchandise had been a key driver behind this success. Licensed products were commanding an ever-increasing share of retailers’ selections and a series of family blockbuster movies were predicted to dominate the kids’ retail channel for the second half of the year. We all know how that turned out…

What a difference a year makes. The received wisdom is that last summer’s movies failed to live up to expectation, although maybe that’s because the level of expectation was unrealistic to begin with (I know what you’re thinking, it’s not like the licensing business to get carried away…). A variety of theories have subsequently been put forward for the under-performance; the combination of too many movies released in too short a time-frame, coupled with sequel fatigue amongst consumers, saw sales volumes fall short of retail orders placed.

With several large retailers sitting on large volumes of product that weren’t moving at the anticipated rate, aggressive promotional activity to shift stock became an inevitability.

Thus, the pendulum began to swing away from licensed toys, a situation exacerbated by 2017’s runaway toy hits - LOL Surprise and Fingerlings - being unlicensed products that were driven by innovation. So, it was perhaps no surprise that the 2018 Toy Fair season saw retail buyers adapting their buying strategy to focus more on innovation and ‘newness’ (how I hate that word), with licensed merchandise taking a little more of a backseat than it has in previous years.

The demise of Toys R Us has only exacerbated the situation; the retailer played a pivotal role in the success of many high-profile licences, with its prominent feature-wall ideal for creating impact and driving sales. Its loss will be keenly felt by many toy suppliers and licence holders alike.

Despite all this, I do believe it is important to keep things in perspective; I have worked in the toy and licensing business for well over three decades, and this isn’t the first time that the pendulum has swung away from licensed merchandise. Without fail, it always swings back.

Maybe it was time for a fundamental realignment in some areas of the licensing world – perhaps, ultimately, it’s all a question of balance? Many felt that certain blockbuster properties (mentioning

Licensing World 7

no names, although one may have been in a galaxy far, far away…) had been over-licensed and overranged, with many of the products over-priced and over-engineered. Talking to retailers over Toy Fair season, many were extremely complimentary about Mattel’s new Jurassic World range; as well as strong product development, the line was praised for being focused and for its competitive pricing structure. Perhaps lessons have been assimilated already?

I’m also sensing that expectations are generally more realistic across the board, starting with licensors and their licensees and ending with retailers. Some caution is inevitably being shown towards movie-related properties; Black Panther performed extremely well at the box office, yet merchandise was in relatively short supply across the globe. However, the real test will come next year, when several historically-successful movie franchises are scheduled to release new instalments, including Toy Story 4 and Frozen 2.

One would imagine that licensees and retailers will adopt a considerably more bullish approach to ranging those properties (and thus the pendulum will begin to swing back once more…).

The first quarter of 2018 has seen classic licences dominating the sales charts, another sign that caution rules, with retailers focusing on tried and tested properties rather than taking too many risks.

It may come as a surprise to some that Frozen is still in the top ten licences year to date according to NPD, despite the fact the movie was released over four years ago. I suspect this shows that there is sometimes a gap between perception and reality when it comes to sales of licensed merchandise.

It also neatly illustrates the pitfalls of writing off a property prematurely, something that retailers have often been accused of in the past.

I am sure that other properties will come to the fore as the year unfolds. Jurassic World is widely tipped for success; dinosaurs literally never go out of fashion. The Incredibles may just surprise a few people; the original remains one of my favourite Disney movies, and the Jakks range looks strong.

Looking ahead to next year, the third movie in the How to Train Your Dragon series – The Hidden World – arrives in March, while Toy Story 4 and Frozen 2 are due to bookend the second half of the year. It’s not all about movies, though; Platinum’s Bear Grylls, Young Adventurer is set to show that TV-driven properties can still make a huge impact on the licensing scene. You can read more about this exciting new property in next month’s issue of Toy World, while you can catch up with the latest news and developments from Licensing Expo in my Vegas Blog, which will be returning to the Toy World website during the week of the show.

For now, enjoy our Vegas preview and our round-up of a selection of the latest character merchandise ranges hitting retail shelves in the coming months.

News Hasbro and Nintendo partner for Monopoly Gamer: Mario Kart Edition The Monopoly Gamer: Mario Kart Edition game provides fans of all ages with new ways to engage with the Nintendo brand. Throughout the game, players will pass – and potentially purchase – Mario Kart themed properties such as Rainbow Road and Bowser’s Castle, while simultaneously encountering familiar challenges like dodging Banana Peels, tossing Shells and scooping up Super Star spaces to win the game.

To introduce another layer of competition and strategy, landing on or passing “Go” triggers a Mario Kart race where players compete for the Grand Prix card. In addition, each character token will have its own unique Power-Up ability activated by landing on a Super Star board space.

Jonathan Berkowitz, senior vice president of global marketing for Hasbro Gaming, commented: “In 2017, our fans were excited to see Mario and Mr. Monopoly join forces, so it’s only fitting we continue this collaboration with another franchise favourite – Mario Kart. The game will integrate elements of Mario Kart into the Monopoly game, offering a one-of-a-kind experience for gamers across the globe.”

Jakks Pacific signs worldwide master toy deal for Gigantosaurus The series is set to launch on television platforms worldwide in early 2019.

Under the terms of the worldwide licensing agreement, Jakks Pacific will design, produce and bring to market a full range of toys inspired by the series, including pre-school 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 debut at retail in autumn 2019.

Gigantosaurus is based on the best-selling book by world-renowned author Jonny Duddle (published by Templar). The full CGI-animated action and comedy series brings pre-school viewers along on the adventures of four young dinosaur friends as they explore their prehistoric world and the mystery of Gigantosaurus — the biggest, fiercest dinosaur of all. Inquisitive Mazu, playful Tiny, timid Bill and courageous Rocky all want to discover the secrets of the elusive Gigantosaurus, and their land.

Gigantosaurus (52 x 11-minutes) 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).

Tara Hefter, senior vice president, global licensing, Jakks Pacific, commented: “We are thrilled to be named master toy licensee for Gigantosaurus. Gigantosaurus is a series based on a beloved best-selling book and we look forward to bringing these loveable dinosaurs to life in a whole new way.”

Super Wings UK licensing programme takes off Super Wings, the pre-school show from Alpha Animation, has announced the first wave of UK licensees under deals brokered by its agent, Rockpool Licensing.

Aykroyd and TDP Licensing are on board for nightwear, underwear and swimwear, while BM Fashions (Global Licensing and Fashion UK) will cover daywear.

Roy Lowe & Sons is the partner for socks, Dreamtex is on board for bedding and bathroom textiles, and MV Sports for wheeled toys and ride-ons.

Vickie O’Malley, MD, Rockpool Licensing, commented: “Our take-off with Super Wings has been perfect. We’re very proud to have these well-respected and admired frequent flyers on board and are looking forward to soaring to new heights in 2018. “ She continued: “All puns aside, we’re delighted with the enthusiastic response to Super Wings from the UK licensing community. Super Wings’ great performance on Cartoonito and Tiny Pop, along with the amazing job that Mark and the team at Alpha Animation and Toys have done with the 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.”

Licensing World 8

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News ITVS GE to represent The Rubbish World of Dave Spud ITV Studios Global Entertainment has announced its appointment by The Illuminated Film Company as licensing agent representing the new property.

With a colourful range of comedy characters, such as Gareth the starfish sidekick, sarcastic and two-faced Gran, cheerful cheapskate Dad, and a mangy one-eyed flea-ridden dog called Fuzzypeg, this is a new story for boys and girls aged 4-9. It’s never long before the world starts to misbehave around Dave Spud, an archetypal underdog and fighter against the odds.

A magnet for disaster, Dave must use every one of his average abilities if he is to triumph during his adventures and restore normality in time for tea.

Trudi Hayward, SVP global head of merchandise at ITVS GE, commented: “The Rubbish World of Dave Spud has fantastic potential in the market and we are thrilled to have been chosen to represent this original and hilarious property. We will be focusing particularly on publishing from illustrated graphic fiction to non-fiction activity books and annuals. Dave’s surreal world lends itself perfectly to publishing and it is the ideal property to target early readers. We are excited to discuss opportunities with potential publishing partners.”

Coming to CITV in autumn/winter 2019, the comedy – created by Ed Foster (Little Princess) and produced by Iain Harvey (The Snowman, Father Christmas, Little Princess) – will consist of 26 11-minute episodes in the first run. The show features a star-studded voice cast including Jane Horrocks, Philip Glenister, Gina Yashere and Johnny Vegas as Dave Spud. Brit Awards-winning electronic music duo Basement Jaxx (Felix Burton and Simon Ratcliffe) will be providing the music and soundtrack to the series. The show has also already been pre-sold to Sweden and Australia with more countries to be announced.

Pokémon announces major new UK partnerships The Pokémon Company International has announced that it has signed two major new UK partnerships with Sony Pictures Television Networks’ (Pop, Pop Max and the PopFun app) and Sky UK Limited (Sky+, Sky Q, Sky Go, NowTV and the Sky Kids app).

Both new partners have acquired multiple seasons and movies from Pokémon’s programming portfolio based on the video game franchise, significantly increasing the reach and availability of Pokémon animation in the UK. Sony Pictures Television Networks has acquired content from Pokémon the Series: Black & White, which kids can watch on Pop and Pop Max and via the Pop Fun app, whilst Sky subscribers can access content from Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl on demand, on various Sky platforms and via the Sky Kids app in a staggered roll out across the year.

These latest deals are in addition to TPCI’s longstanding partnership with broadcaster CITV which recently launched the latest season in the growing Pokémon catalogue, Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon—Ultra Adventures.

Emily Arons, senior VP international business at The Pokémon Company International, commented: “These latest deals are testament to Pokémon’s broad appeal and provide UK fans with even more ways to watch animation across the long lineage of Pokémon content.”

Smyths lead Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom consumer products launch Universal Brand Development (UBD) is celebrating the launch of the consumer products programme for Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, which made its UK retail debut in April.

Official merchandise is rolling out across key categories in what Hannah Mungo, Universal country director for UK and Ireland, calls the company’s “most ambitious licensing push yet”.

The campaign kicked off on 16th April as Smyths Toys Superstores delivered the first of many local consumer engagement initiatives that reflect the scale and theatre of the 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.

The event was documented by a professional film crew who also created a time lapse sizzle reel of the installation process. Smyth’s will be using this bespoke content to promote Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom across all its digital and social media channels including Facebook & Instagram, as well as embedding the video within the online cross category Jurassic brand store.

Sinead Byrne, joint head of marketing at Smyths Toys Superstores, commented: “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 groundbreaking 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.”

Further initiatives will be rolled out across numerous key accounts in support of the theatrical launch of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, which makes its big screen debut in the UK on 6th June, in addition to the back to school period and the home entertainment window in October.

Toy World 10

ŠDisney. Based on the Winnie The Pooh works by A.A. Milne and E.H. Shepard

Brand Profile

Blue Sky Studios

A magical range Licensing World spoke to Gavin Holden, director of Blue Sky Studios, about the imminent launch of the company’s new Harry Potter bags and lunch-ware range, and the reasons behind the long-lived magic of the brand. books 20 years ago are now reading those books and watching the movies with their children, which spurs subsequent waves of merchandise demand.

What has been the reaction to the new Blue Sky Designs range of bags and lunch-ware?

What is behind the enduring popularity of Harry Potter, so long after the books and subsequent films were first released?

I think the Harry Potter franchise has fully embedded itself into British culture over the years, and much of the content oozes quirky Britishness that many of us warm to. It’s also so rich in detail; the more you read the books and re-watch the movies, the more you keep discovering. Harry Potter successfully spans multiple generations which is always key to sustaining popularity - it’s a real family property that’s enjoyed by kids, teens, adults, grandparents and so on, which gives it the broadest possible fan base. I suppose many readers of the first

Extremely positive so far, and certainly above and beyond our original expectations, which is always nice. We had a fantastic Spring Fair, which was our first opportunity this year to present the final range to retailers. We have opted for a premium feel to the range, using high quality materials, metallic gold printing and lots of nice details. Utilising the school crest, we have designed this range to look as though it’s officially issued by Hogwarts. These are the bags/ lunch-ware you’d own if you attended Hogwarts, which as a concept has been very well received by our customers.

When is the range launching?

Our trade range arrives into stock around towards mid-June, and we have several big promotions and ranges going live at retail from early July onwards.

What other categories will your Harry Potter range span?

In addition to our bags and lunch-ware we are also offering an impressive range of school and social stationery alongside a novelty gifting collection.

Licensing World 14

The opportunity to buy across multiple categories from us, with the benefit of consistent quality and design, is something we anticipate will appeal to retailers. We have worked hard creatively on the range, adding clever aspects and detail into the products. This a brand that revolves around magic and trickery, so we have notebooks that open like a map, a wand that is also a pen, a mug that self-stirs your drink, and a pop up goblet. Stockists will also find plenty of uniqueness within our product range that does justice to the Harry Potter brand.

Looking towards the latter half of 2018, what else does Blue Sky have in store?

We are putting the finishing touches to a winterspecific Harry Potter spin off range, alongside several new Christmas gift sets. With the listings we have secured, it looks as though 2018 will finish on a high with Harry Potter; don’t forget, we also have the second installment of Fantastic Beasts arriving in cinemas this winter, which no doubt will boost the hype surrounding the property even further.

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Feature

Touching Base

Licensing World spoke to a selection of licencees to ask what changes they have seen in the licensing industry over the past year.

Manufacturers are looking to invest in older licences with a multigenerational appeal, thereby widening the audience. (moneysupermarket.com anyone?) The danger of this is oversaturating a brand with lazy product diversity. Toy Story will have had a 10 year gap by the next movie is released in 2019, which should be exciting for everyone involved.

Geoff Sheffield, VP sales UK & Eire, MTW Toys

Mark Hillier, CEO Click Distribution

Previously, licensing was dominated by various popular TV properties, but there are now just a limited few dominating retail space, making it difficult to launch new or secondary brands. The prominence of craze lines further minimises retailer shelf space. In addition, consumers are now extremely savvy, and very much wanting to see bargains. As a result, retailers need to drive prices so they’re competitive, making products with a high royalty rate a real challenge.

Alison Downie,

Global Licensing & Brand Director, HTI

The biggest change is the emergence of gaming and app based properties. These are performing really well, and have taken market share from the mainstream film and TV properties. Good examples of this are Five Nights at Freddies, Bendy and the Ink machine, Overwatch, Rocket League and Slither IO. This is not altogether surprising, given that the current generation of young consumers spends so much time on iPads and other smart devices.

Andrew Barrett, Director of European

David Wootliff, Commercial Director, Pyramid International

I think one area that will grow significantly into a more mass market licensing opportunity is the world of classic and retro gaming. With lots of films looking back at the 1980s, and the craze for basic games like Fortnite and the rebirth of Atari, I feel that this will be huge.

product development & licensing, VTech With TV programmes proliferating and TV channels slicing and dicing audiences, alongside the number of movies suffering from fatigue, it’s getting harder and harder to pick out those winning new licences. That’s why licensing shows are so important to attend - to see and hear first-hand what’s coming through.

Phil Ratcliffe,

Sales & marketing director, MV Sports Classic licences such as Disney Princess, Batman and Peppa are enduring alongside new classics such as Paw Patrol, while L.O.L Surprise! was a hot seller from the off. There is a certain amount of jockeying for position in collectible based licences, with older ones fading and being replaced. There are also fewer movie licences this year. Older licences such as Trolls have staying power, while others haven’t even registered.

Lucy Wynn-Jones, Head of licensing, Worlds Apart The biggest change would have to be the plethora of collectible licences coming into the mix. I would also say that there is an expectation for a licence to build immediately – there is no longer the opportunity to build up slowly and become evergreen.

Nicola Jenkins, Head of marketing UK, Tomy It’s been great to see a very strong girls’ collectible licensing portfolio emerge over the last 12 months. Pre-school licensing continues to be an opportunity as long as you have the right product and marketing mix.

Licensing World 16

The new gifting range is here!

Bamboo Dinner Set

Snap Card Game

Puzzle Play Set

Tin Money Box Height Chart

Snakes and Ladders

Š 2018 & TM Julia Donaldson /Axel Scheffler.

Licensed by Magic Light Pictures Ltd.

Gruffalo gifts and games Available from September 2018

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MillyandFlynn @MillyandFlynn MillyandFlynn sales@millyandflynn.com 01242 241765

Feature

Character Licensed Merchandise Over the following pages, Licensing World presents a selection of the latest character licensed products and ranges which will be hitting the market over the coming months.

Bandai 020 8324 6160 | www.bandai.co.uk New to the licensed line up at Bandai for 2018 is Baymax, as the firm prepares to launch the master toy collection for Disney’s Big Hero 6 TV series.

Big Hero 6: The Series launched in February, and fans will soon be able to collect all the characters from the show with this comprehensive line up of toys.

Central to the range are collectibles and action figures including the Micro Chibi Figure Assortment of blind boxes and the 12.5cm action figures, with nine points of articulation for dynamic poseability.

Adding a twist for Baymax fans, and on trend with the current squishy craze, is the Squish to Fit Baymax line, which allows kids to squish Baymax into Wasabi’s vehicle and two different suits.

Also new is Mini Max, a new character that comes in deluxe action figure format with nine points of articulation and phrases from the show. Alternatively, Armour-Up Baymax 2.0 is the toy from the original movie range, and now features two new weapons and 20 assorted accessories.

Finally, the TV advertised Flying and Flame Baymax features automatic wings, rocket fists, motion sensor sounds and phrases, plus flame blasts from its feet.

Orange Tree Toys 01242 244 500 | www.orangetreetoys.com Orange Tree Toys has a collection of three licences that include characters ideally suited to traditional wooden toys; Paddington Bear, Peter Rabbit and Winnie the Pooh have all been strong sellers for the company. With toys such as musical instruments, development toys, push-alongs and more, these three ranges are perfect for keeping little ones entertained whilst they learn and develop important skills.

The Peter Rabbit Collection was expanded upon last year and again for 2018. The range now includes a collection of development toys based on Peter Rabbit and Jemima Puddle-Duck, which help encourage coordination and learning through play. Included in the range are 3D puzzles, shape sorters and bead frames, with all products already proving to be successful for the company.

Peter Rabbit and Jemima Puddle-Duck are included in the 3D puzzles.

These toys are completely new to Orange Tree Toys, and are ideal for encouraging coordination and memory skills. Once built, the puzzle creates a little painted character that children can enjoy playing with.

A selection of painted numbers has also joined the Peter Rabbit range, each one hand painted with Peter Rabbit and his friends. The numbers are ideal for teaching children their numbers from 1-10 in a tactile and engaging way. Numbers can also be combined to extend the learning opportunities.

Golden Bear 01952 608 308 | www.goldenbeartoys.com Golden Bear’s In the Night Garden collection is getting a complete refresh for 2018, which focuses on the brand’s very young core audience and the property’s bedtime slot. The plush range has been refreshed with larger eyes and softer fabrics and is led by Sleepytime Igglepiggle which has soothing lullabies and soft glowing cheeks to help reassure and relax little ones at bedtime. His red blanket adds extra comfort and his head sways in time to the music. The line will also include Igglepiggle’s Lightshow Bath-time Boat which features a light up function, creating a colourful and soothing display in the water. It also comes complete with two floating shapes that fit into the boat’s shape sorter, and an Igglepiggle figure that can be used as a watering can and pouring cup.

Licensing World 18

Character Licensed Merchandise

Jumbo Games 01707 289 289 | www.jumbo.eu The Peter Rabbit licence has been the newest addition to Jumbo’s Children’s and Adult puzzle portfolio. Having launched a 4in1 Puzzle Box Set and 50-Piece Giant Floor Puzzle to celebrate the release of the Peter Rabbit Movie, Jumbo has now followed up with two new puzzles in the style of the classic Beatrix Potter books.

These classic illustration-inspired children’s puzzles include a 4 Shaped Puzzle Box Set as well as a Giant Floor Puzzle. In addition to the children’s range, June will see Jumbo launch a 1,000-piece and 500-piece puzzle aimed at adult fans.

Ahead of the release of the Disney Pixar sequel Incredibles II, Jumbo will be launching a 100XL Puzzle and 200XL Puzzle for children that will feature images of the Incredibles characters.

Jumbo will also be expanding its licensed Adult Disney Puzzle portfolio later this year, with the release of Snow White and Bambi 1,000-piece movie poster puzzles, and to kick-off the celebrations surrounding Mickey’s 90th Anniversary the company is launching a 1,000-piece montage puzzle that shows the magic of Mickey throughout the decades.

Jumbo Games will be extending its pre-school offering by launching two new licensed puzzles for the new Disney Junior show, Vampirina. Jumbo’s Disney Vampirina line will also welcome a 4 Shaped Puzzles Box and 4in1 Puzzle Pack formats. The two puzzle box sets will feature the characters Vampirina, Gregoria, Poppy Peepleson, Demi and others.

For Disney Princess fans, Jumbo has a range of five brightly coloured puzzles, in formats including the 50-piece Giant Floor Puzzle, 4 Shaped Puzzle Box Set and the double-sided Puzzle & Colour, which allows children to piece the puzzle together and then colour it in afterwards.

Finally, Jumbo’s Disney Minnie Mouse range grew earlier this year and now includes five decorative puzzles, including a My First Puzzle Box Set, 4 Shaped Puzzles Box Set, Giant Floor Puzzle, 4in1 Puzzle, and Puzzle & Colour Box Set.

Milly&Flynn 01242 241 765 | www.millyandflynn.com Parents can add a little fun to breakfast, lunch and teatime with the Gruffalo dinner set, part of Milly&Flynn’s exclusive new range of Gruffalo gifts and games.

The Gruffalo is one of the world’s best-loved picture book characters.

Written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler, the story of a resourceful little mouse facing great danger has sold more than 17.5m copies across the globe.

Milly&Flynn’s five-piece Gruffalo dinner set includes a plate, a bowl, a cup, a fork and a spoon, all an ideal shape and size for toddlers to get to grips with and made entirely from non-toxic eco-friendly bamboo fibre. Featuring the monster and the mouse, the dinner set is durable, tactile and has an appealing natural look. All items are dishwasher-safe and suitable for use with hot or cold foods and drinks.

Launching in time for Christmas, the full Milly&Flynn Gruffalo range also includes snap cards, a snakes and ladders board game, a jigsaw puzzle play set, a height chart and a tin money box.

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Tomy 01271 336 155 | www.tomy.com Molang the rabbit and best friend Piu Piu celebrate the importance of happiness, friendship, solidarity and mutual respect. As master licensee, Tomy’s collection is based on the animation, which is aired on both Cartoonito and Boomerang.

Molang from Millimages is now shown in 200 countries. The brand has seen growth of over 300% across social media in the last 10 months.

Followers are provided with engaging content daily, resulting in a combined following of almost 300,000 across Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr.

Tomy’s range of plush has been popular with consumers due to its high quality and stand out onshelf look. Tomy is building its distribution strategy for the range around the success the plush category has enjoyed within the fashion and lifestyle retail market.

The collection is designed to appeal to gift givers, girls, tweens and teens, with an expanded range of new basic and feature plush characters, as well as core figures assortments and a line of finger figures now available. All products reflect scenes from the show, allowing fans to relive episodes whilst encouraging collectability between friends and across a range of price points.

To amplify awareness around the range, Tomy has rolled out targeted influencer sampling.

YouTube stars and social media influencers have been gifted exclusive Molang Easter hampers, featuring hero SKUs and new releases, and Tomy will continue to invest in its digital media campaign with online video, social media and traditional media promotion for the wider range.

Character Licensed Merchandise

Pioneer Europe 01279 50 10 90 | www.pioneerparty.com Pioneer Europe previewed its new Pioneer Party ranges at Spring Fair in February, to great acclaim.

The company’s main focus was the new Premium Party Licensed Partyware collection, consisting of seven design led, on-trend ranges featuring Disney’s Bambi, Princess, Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and The Little Mermaid, as well as Lucasfilm’s Star Wars and Marvel’s Avengers characters.

Each range in the collection features high quality paper cups and a choice of paper plate shapes/ styles along with three-ply napkins and tablecovers. In addition, a variety of other accessories are also available including paper party bags, garlands, cupcake stands and photo props.

Pioneer states that the bold new designs, product quality and additional detailing on this collection have been well received by all who have seen the range, and the company is confident that the range will resonate with consumers when it launches later this month. The Premium Party range is available from the end of May, and retailers are advised to pre-order to secure stock from the first deliveries.

In response to customer demand, Pioneer Europe has also extended its range of partyware, including the addition of a Paw Patrol collection.

All these new products will feature in the new Pioneer Party Collection Catalogue, which launched last month, and will be supported by a brand new website that showcases the full party collection.

Engino 0800 988 7068 | www.engino.com Engino is starting to deliver its licensed range of JCB construction toys, which allow kids to recreate the famous machines in model form.

The Engino JCB series consists of four different pack options of varying price. Each pack allows kids to build up to three different JCB models including, among others, the JCB 3CX Backhoe Loader, the JCB Telescopic Handler, and the JCB Skid Steer Loader. The larger sets also include a motor which brings the models to life. All packs in the range are available for immediate delivery.

In addition, children can make their own conceptual JCB models, as the parts within the Engino construction sets can be used to make anything they can imagine.

Model designs are available as 3D instructions though the Engino 3D viewer app, while the KidCAD app shows the models in rotatable formats and allows for the pieces to be viewed in a completed or exploded view.

With construction at the heart of both brands, Engino’s partnership with JCB has been a natural fit for the company, and the range has been well received by trade customers and consumers alike.

Character Options 01616 339 800 | www.character-online.com Autumn will see more in store for Character’s Peppa Pig master toy line up, as the When I Grow Up theme ushers in an array of new play sets, including the Peppa Pig Mobile Medical Centre. This free-wheeling, 2-in-1 ambulance play set folds out into a full medical centre, where Nurse Peppa and Dr. Brown Bear can treat patients to make them feel better.

The star of the new theme is a new Nurse Peppa plush, with a variety of features.

Peppa has an otoscope and interactive stethoscope that makes heartbeat sounds, and interactive play value is added with medical phrases, allowing pre-schoolers to practise their own bedside manner.

Finally, Follow Me Peppa snorts, giggles and plays music when activated through multiple touchpoints. The toy also features a Follow Me mode, an engaging interactive game in which children have to follow a sequence of entertaining sounds - a snort, laugh, dance tune, or the sound of splashing up and down in muddy puddles.

Licensing World 22

CONSTRUCTION SERIES Introducing our new radio control Volvo A25HPS. A concept designed by Volvo and the Maisto Tech RC team, this big dump truck can carry the load and deliver in style.

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A World of Fun!

Character Licensed Merchandise

Pyramid International 0116 284 3640 | www.pyramidinternational.com This year sees an increased focus on Rick and Morty at Pyramid International. The success of the show’s third season saw product demand increase substantially, and fans are on the lookout for more products depicting everything Rick and Morty.

An American animated science-fiction sitcom for adults, Rick and Morty follows the misadventures of Rick Sanchez, a cynical, brilliant scientist, and his fretful, easily influenced grandson Morty Smith, who split their time between domestic life and interdimensional adventures. The show, which first premiered in 2013, has been applauded for its use of pop culture references, writing and off-the-cuff style, and its fan base is currently awaiting news of the show’s fourth season.

Pyramid’s licensed Rick and Morty range grew significantly in early 2018, with the company now offering a range of products to retailers including items manufactured in the UK such as posters, wall art, stationery, heat change mugs, travel mugs and signature doormats. The range will benefit from further product development and refreshed designs, while Pyramid International also offers merchandising solutions for all areas of retail.

Blue Sky Studios 01133 879 670 | www.blueskystudios.co.uk Blue Sky Studios launches the first wave of its brand new Harry Potter range for Q4. The licensed range, based upon the popular book series and movie franchise, includes gifts, backpacks, lunch bags and water bottles, in addition to the innovative stationery lines that Blue Sky is renowned for. The company states that feedback and interest in the range so far has been extremely positive, and a number of retailers are already backing the stationery, backpacks and lunch bag lines following a sneak peek at the NEC Spring Fair in February.

Blue Sky has considered gaps in the current market for Harry Potter products when designing the new range, as demonstrated by the premium version of its Harry Potter backpack, ideal for wizarding fans of all ages. The backpack features durable 900D polyester construction, leatherette magnetic buckles, an internal laptop pocket, carry handles, gold printing, detailed stitching and two side pockets – just the right size for a Harry Potter water bottle.

The Harry Potter premium backpack can be teamed up with Blue Sky’s premium satchel lunch bag and Polyjuice Potion water bottle, which comes in its own canvas carry bag. Add in the array of stationery items on offer - the Sorting Hat 10 colour pen, 3D Pencil Eraser set, and Marauders Map Notebook - and young witches and wizards will be ready for their first term at Hogwarts.

The launch of the new range is timed to coincide with Back to School in August, and customers will have even more choice for Christmas. The Blue Sky team is taking pre-orders now on the new Harry Potter range; interested parties are advised to contact the company for further information.

MV Sports 01217 488 000 | www.mvsports.co.uk MV Sports has added the successful property L.O.L Surprise! to its comprehensive range of licensed wheeled toys.

Core to the range is the folding in-line scooter, featuring height-adjustable handlebars, an easy fold mechanism and folding handles for simple storage on-the-go, while the fixed in-line scooter has glitter wheels and a set of glitter stickers for customisation.

The L.O.L Surprise! 12v electric scooter has an easy twist and go grip, foldable handlebars and becomes a free-wheeler when the power runs out; kids can simply flick a switch and carry on scooting.

There are two bike sizes on offer within the range; the 14” bike includes removable stabilisers and the option to adjust the handlebars and seat height for progression and growth, and comes with stickers and a crash pad. The 16” bike has full printed wheel inserts plus a printed character chainguard.

L.O.L glitter skates come with glitter socks, glitter wheels and a set of stickers allowing fans to customise their wheels. A ramp and safety helmet are also available, both with inclusive sticker sheets. The helmet features a ventilated shell, adjustable size dials and quick release buckles.

After wheeling around, kids can pitch the L.O.L tepee. With an integrated floor, front tie backs and printed Glitterati club characters including Queen Bee, Cosmic Queen, Glitter Queen and Crystal Queen, this is an ideal hideaway for any L.O.L Surprise! fan.

Licensing World 24

PAW Patrol Partyware: ™

Now available from Pioneer Europe!

In Stock

NOW!

With a whole range of licensed and everyday party goods on offer, talk to Pioneer® Europe about adding party to your offering today!

To see the full range visit www.pioneerparty.com.

Or contact one of our friendly team on 01279 501090 or email pelorder@qualatex.com

© 2018 Spin Master PAW Productions Inc. All rights reserved.

Available to purchase in the UK and ROI only.

SB-TW1803064 ©2018 PBC

Character Licensed Merchandise

Vivid Imaginations 01483 449944 | www.vividtoysandgames.co.uk Vivid introduces its global licensed character property Nella The Princess Knight, new Tiana Toys AndMe range, and extensive Crayola Color Wonder licensed line up as part of the expansion of its Character Licensed portfolio for 2018. Princess Nella is a tiara wearing knight-intraining who dreams of a life of grand adventures beyond the palace.

Based on the TV programme currently airing on Nick Jr and Channel 5’s Milkshake, the toy range includes dolls, role play items and plush, which reflect the magic and adventure of the Nickelodeon TV show.

Schleich 01279 870 000 | www.schleich-s.com/en When it comes to character licensed figurines, Schleich aims to deliver the most up-to-date and covetable figurines.

April saw the Marvel Avengers: Infinity War film hit the big screen and fans of the licence will be able to bring the superhero world home with the new Spiderman and Iron Man figurines from Schleich launching later this year.

Both characters are modelled standing in their signature poses.

Other key heroes from the Marvel universe will also be available to complete the line-up, including characters such as Dr Strange, Thor and Hulk. As with all Schleich products, attention to detail is paramount.

Tobar 0844 573 4299 | www.tobar.co.uk Kids looking to operate their own mini construction site need look no further than Tobar’s remote control model of the Volvo A25HPS hauler.

This large RC construction vehicle features full function control and is simple to steer thanks to the intuitive controller. It has chunky off-road tyres and a large working dump bed on the back, ready to be filled with whatever needs hauling.

Funrise 01908 555640 | www.funrise.com Funrise’s upcoming line Herodrive is an innovative collection of vehicles for pre-schoolers. Following the announcement of a partnership with Warner Bros.

Consumer Products, the Herodrive DC Super Friends collection will launch with themed character vehicles inspired by recognisable DC characters such as Batman, Superman, The Flash, and more. Vehicles will be available in a range of sizes and styles; Mash Machines fuse together vehicles such as police cars and fire trucks with DC Super Friends characters, while Herodrive Power Pals plush vehicles feature wobble wheels and sounds. The Signal Squad DC Super Friends-inspired stylised vehicles project DC Super Hero logos, and the Batman Racer motorised vehicle features lights and Batman and Batmobile-inspired sounds.

Licensing World 26

Character Licensed Merchandise

Moleskine +44 1243 219 334 | www.moleskine.com/barbie Barbie has partnered with Moleskine to launch a new collection of notebooks to inspire and celebrate creativity, imagination and personal empowerment.

The collaboration marks a roll out of licensing partnerships for Barbie in 2018, including further drops of the successful Barbie x Missguided collections and a Sephora France beauty partnership.

The Moleskine collection comprises of four Barbie notebooks, an iPhone cover and a Limited-Edition Collectors’ Box. The notebooks’ covers celebrate iconic Barbie moments in time including the instantly recognisable retro logo, Barbie’s fun accessories and a sketch of the first ever Barbie doll. Each notebook also comes with a selection of themed stickers.

The Barbie Limited Edition notebooks are available at all Moleskine stores, on Moleskine.com/Barbie and at selected retail outlets worldwide.

Posh Paws 01268 567317 | www.poshpawsinternational.co.uk Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom premieres in June, and official plush partner Posh Paws has now launched its collection of Jurassic World 2 soft toys to retail.

At the heart of the line is the 8” Jurassic dinosaur assortment in a CDU, plus larger 10” plush presented in a gift box, with both ranges available in five dinosaur styles. For impactful displays at retail, 14” and 21” options are also available.

Five styles of plush bag clips round off the collection, so fans can take their favourite dinosaur with them wherever they go.

GP Flair 020 8643 0320 | www.flairplc.co.uk As the master toy partner for Ben 10, GP Flair is preparing to release its latest additions for 2018, inspired by the latest adventures of Ben Tennyson and his alien counterparts.

The summer collection includes the all-new Omni-Enhanced Action Figures along with the articulated and detailed Alien Vehicles. The introduction of Ben-to-Alien Transforming Figures will further boost the line in July, along with the introduction of foil bagged mini figures. Also launching is the Ben 10 Alien Creation Chamber. Previously a best-seller, the Creation Chamber allows fans to create their own aliens; kids simply load the body parts into the chamber and use the Omni Creation Dial to assemble them.

Ravensburger 01869 363 830 | www.ravensburger.com Brand new this season is the bright and colourful range of Peppa Pig puzzles and games. Currently, the range offers nine jigsaw puzzles, including a Giant Shaped Floor Puzzle, a Look & Find Puzzle and My First Puzzles. Available for the youngest of fans, the My First Puzzles are suitable from 18 months, ensuring there is something suitable for any age of puzzler. The range of fun family games includes a Peppa Pig Snakes & Ladders, Dominoes, Card Game and Ravensburger’s memory game. There will be further range additions in July this year.

Completing the extensive range of licences are puzzles and games for popular characters such as Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom, Paw Patrol, Thomas & Friends, PJ Masks, The Gruffalo, Disney, Marvel, Paddington and many more.

Licensing World 27

Feature

Licensing Expo

Viva Las Vegas John Baulch shares his experiences of attending the Licensing Expo and outlines what visitors to the Vegas show in 2018 can expect.

I

n a matter of weeks, the global licensing community will be heading to Las Vegas for Licensing Expo, which will once again be held at the Mandalay Bay Convention Centre. Those who have attended in the past will know that Vegas is a different kind of event on so many levels: one major UK retailer making her inaugural trip to the show last year, armed with her trusty calculator (as she would be at Toy Fairs), was slightly bemused to find herself sitting in a meeting with a licensor, where the principal objective appeared to be to arrange a further meeting the following month back in the UK. This year’s show will run from 22nd – 24th May, having moved from its traditional June timeslot for the first time last year. Broadly speaking, the new dates were well received, with several people suggesting that post-show follow up proved to be marginally quicker than in previous years, when holiday season followed hot on the heels of the show, breaking the momentum.

Apart from the earlier date, there was little appreciable difference to the previously established routine; people drift into Las Vegas across the weekend, some even arrange a few informal meetings (Sunday pool meetings are becoming ‘a thing’). Proceedings ramp up several notches on the Monday, when a growing number of licensing companies put on presentations; indeed, there are now so many companies presenting that the programme starts at 9.00 rather than midday, presumably to avoid too many clashes.

Despite having our own domestic licensing show in London in October, the British contingent in

Vegas still represents a sizeable group, evidenced by the traditional Wednesday evening ‘gathering of the clan’, where colleagues and competitors come together in the spirit of friendship, camaraderie and networking. Rather like the toy trade, the ability of the licensing industry to put aside commercial rivalries on occasions such as these is the sign of a special, tight-knit community. I certainly know of no other country that arranges this sort of ad hoc, communal event at an international trade show.

As ever, Toy World will be present at this year’s event, seeking out the latest hot properties which will be vying for shelf space over the next 12-18 months. The selection of properties over the next

Toy World 28

few pages will hopefully give you a flavour of what can be seen at the show, but from previous experience, numerous brand new licences are kept under wraps until the exhibition opens, and others will emerge as ‘ones to watch’ over the course of the week. So, for an eye-witness report of what’s happening at Licensing Expo 2018, visit the Toy World website (www.toyworldmag.co.uk) to read John Baulch’s Vegas Blog from the show. In the meantime, Toy World presents a round-up of some of the key licences of interest to the UK & European toy and children’s leisure product community....

Live stage show rolling out across US & Australia in 2018

Series 3 in production

Over 36m official app downloads worldwide

600+ global licensees

PJ Masks Š Frog Box / Entertainment One UK Limited / Walt Disney EMEA Productions Limited 2014.

www.pjmasks.com OfficialPJMasks

PJMasksUS

PJ Masks - Official Channel

Brand Profile

eOne

PJ Masks reaches for the moon Toy World spoke to Andrew Carley, EVP Global Licensing at eOne Family & Brands, about the success of the popular pre-school animation PJ Masks, what fans can expect from Series 2, and how the global merchandise rollout will continue for 2018.

Has the initial success of PJ Masks been replicated across the globe?

Yes. We’ve had a tremendous response to the launch of PJ Masks merchandise in all territories and we hear anecdotal evidence from all over the world that PJ Masks was the breakout pre-school property of 2017. It ended the year as one of the top pre-school licences in the US, UK, Australia, Brazil, Italy, Germany and France, and this year we’re looking forward to toys launching in China via our master toy partner, Alpha Group.

The wide geographical success comes down to a number of factors, in addition to the popularity of the show: meticulous planning; a very strong merchandise debut; a superb line of products, led by Just Play’s master toy line, and high consumer demand. PJ Masks’ first licensed merchandise range has already won numerous awards including an Australian Toy & Hobby Retailer Award and a UK Licensing Award for Best Licensed Toy Range.

How many licensees are now on board, and which new licensees have joined the portfolio this year?

There are now over 600 licensees signed to the global licensing programme, and over 40 in the UK. We continue to welcome new partners to the licensing programme; we’re also proud to say that existing licensees have been so buoyed by the success of the first product launches

that they are expanding their ranges and developing new products to meet demand.

We have just signed Colgate in the US and will be announcing more FMCG partners to increase the brand’s presence in the grocery

is the wide-ranging differentiation in marketing and promotions we achieve at retail, particularly with the toy lines. In 2017 retailers were each able to offer something different for their young fans, from meet and greets to a trolley dash

know the three heroes in more detail.

But the new series also expands the PJ Masks universe with new locations, including the moon, which is key to our heroes’ transformation and powers, new vehicles and great new characters. Series 3 has also been greenlit, securing a pipeline of rich new content to support the brand.

What new product ranges and themes will follow the launch of the new series?

Just Play has a new toy line based on some of the exciting new characters and themes from series 2.

These include a capsule Super Moon themed toy range, out in October, inspired by the two-part episode special Moon Struck. The new range will feature our heroes in their moon outfits, and introduces the new rover vehicles and the HQ Rocket playset.

What are your aspirations for the property in 2018 and beyond?

aisles. We should also mention Just Play’s toy line, which has been such a successful backbone of this licensing programme so far. Just Play’s ranges continue to evolve, and this autumn there will be a capsule Super Moon themed toy range based on a special episode in Series 2.

How will the roll-out of licensed merchandise continue in 2018?

Throughout 2018 fans will see new product categories becoming available at retail including ELA, die cast, role play and FMCG. New lines will be inspired and refreshed by the rich new content in Series 2, which is broadcasting on Disney right now.

Another important part of the roll out

around Smyths. Throughout 2018 we will expand these experiential and promotional opportunities. We’ve also seen the benefit of working with partners like Oxygen trampoline parks in the UK, the Youth Sport Trust charity and pre-school dance franchise diddi dance, which reach kids at a grassroots level and drive interest back into the TV show and consumer products.

What can you tell us about Series 2 of PJ Masks?

The series is currently rolling out on air in over 150 territories on the Disney Junior global network. The 52 new episodes stay true to the brand’s core values of teamwork, friendship, action and adventure, and we’ll get to

Licensing World 30

We have seen really rapid success and overwhelming demand for PJ Masks products but, as you know, our strategy is to build the PJ Masks brand step by step to give it the best foundations for a long term future. We aim to expand the brand globally with best in class partners, supported by fresh content, great retail activations and a growing live events category.

The first permanent theme park attraction launches at Leolandia in Italy in 2019, and the live stage show Time to be a Hero will tour Australia and the UK in 2018/2019. It has already been a big hit in the US where it played to audiences in 65 North American cities, selling 135,730 tickets in just three months. We also have great hopes for the launch of consumer products in China this summer, and hope to replicate the incredible success we’ve seen around the world so far.

Vegas Licesning Expo

Universal Brand Development 0203 618 8360 | www.universalpictures.com Stand F170 At this year’s event, Universal will showcase an expanding portfolio of properties from the company’s film and television creative partners including Universal Pictures, Illumination and DreamWorks, as well as NBCUniversal’s TV and cable properties.

It has been twenty-five years since Jurassic Park transported fans to a world where dinosaurs roamed the earth. In June 2018, the adventure returns as Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom makes its anticipated debut in theatres. Anchored by global partners Mattel and Lego, the Jurassic World franchise is supported by its largest programme to date.

Also from Universal Pictures comes Mortal Engines. This new adventure, directed by Oscar-winning visual-effects artist Christian Rivers (King Kong), premieres in theatres 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 adventure based on the 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 theatres 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 theatres June 2019, and in 2020, fans can look forward to both Minions 2 and Sing 2.

The next film in the DreamWorks How To Train Your Dragon franchise premieres in theatres Q1 2019, and Trolls 2, the follow up to the 2016 hit starring Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake, debuts 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 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, specialty partner Breyer and book publishing partner Little Brown Books are among the key partnerships supporting the series.

Cartoon Network 0207 693 1124 | www.cartoonnetwork.co.uk Stand D170 Cartoon Network Enterprises will be returning to Licensing Expo to showcase its extensive and dynamic brand portfolio. Key licensing partnerships will be announced for many of its Cartoon Network and Adult Swim brands.

The Ben 10 franchise, which was successfully relaunched around the world, will continue to grow in 2018 with an extensive licensing programme.

Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, The Powerpuff Girls will grow with new licensing partners joining existing ones. Additionally, the consumer products programme will expand for the 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.

Cartoon Network relaunched the Ben 10 franchise around the world in 2017, introducing a new animated series and a corresponding licensing programme.

Since its debut, the series has delivered top ratings, and it has been renewed for a third season. Global master toy partner Playmates Toys is expanding its toy line in 2018 to include an all new assortment of action figures, feature-driven deluxe figures, Omnitrix-inspired role play and more. The licensing programme is also expanding with a variety of new partners in categories including apparel and accessories, providing fans of the series with a range of new products in 2018.

One of Cartoon Network’s most enduring brands, The Powerpuff Girls, celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2018, which includes a global rollout of new episodes, events and both new and continuing licensing partners. Among the new licensing partners is The Lego Group, which will introduce building sets featuring Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup. New fashion collaborations are also in place for the brand, including British fashion designer Katie Eary who is launching a collection inspired by The Powerpuff Girls.

Cartoon Network will also continue to expand the licensing programme around franchises Adventure Time, We Bare Bears, Steven Universe and more, providing fans with a diverse product offering that allows them to engage further with their favorite brands.

On the Adult Swim side of the business, the licensing programme for the Rick and Morty animated series will grow significantly with new and continuing partners across various categories. With season three of the series being the No. 1 comedy across all of television for 2017, fans will have a wide product offering to choose from, including an expanded collection of products from master toy partner Funko, and partners such as Bioworld and Think Geek launching consumer electronics inspired by Rick and Morty. Additionally, multiple fashion collaborations are set to debut throughout the year.

Licensing World 32

Vegas Licesning Expo

Aardman Animation 01179 848 485 | www.aardman.com Stand K230 Series 5 of Shaun the Sheep is broadcasting in over 170 territories worldwide, and a movie sequel is in production for 2019. Aardman will continue to work closely with Studiocanal on developing a strong licensing and promotional programme for the film, including publishing and live experiences.

This summer sees the launch of a new series for early years English language learners - Learning Time with Timmy - on a dedicated YouTube channel, and with a number of international broadcasters. The team is developing an international publishing and licensing programme, to further extend the brand and increase global accessibility.

Finally, Wallace & Gromit will be celebrating 30 years in 2019, and the studio is looking to talk to licensing and promotional partners for its anniversary campaign.

Sesame Workshop (212) 875 8469 | www.sesameworkshop.org Stand Q192 At this year’s show, Sesame workshop will be highlighting its core brand, Sesame Street, and Esme & Roy, its new series.

Named one of the most innovative companies by Fast Company, Sesame Workshop and Sesame Street, are more relevant than ever.

Focusing on the consumer experience, the company has recently announced renewals with SeaWorld and Beaches resorts. This year, a second show is touring with Feld Entertainment, and the Sesame Place theme park is debuting its newest coaster Oscar’s Wacky Taxi. A new book for adults - The Joy of Cookies: Cookie Monster’s Guide to Life – will also be launched this year.

Sesame Street is collaborating with top lifestyle companies to create distinctive products that resonate across generations. From graphic tees, handbags, canvas prints, home décor and skateboards, fans will see a range of textures, shapes and googly eyes appear 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 has just launched Cookie Monster’s Foodie Truck!, a new series following Cookie Monster as he hits the road in a food truck to learn where food comes from. Visitors to the show can meet Cookie Monster, and the puppeteer David Rudman, at lobby area D4, May 22nd and 23rd from 9am-3pm.

Finally, Sesame Workshop’s newest series, Esme & Roy, will also debut on HBO this year, and visitors to the show can enjoy a sneak peek of what the new property has to offer.

Licensing World 34

BBC Studios 020 8433 3460 | www.bbcworldwide.com Stand N204 BBC Studios (formerly BBC Worldwide) is back at Vegas Licensing Expo with brands for all ages.

Global hit Doctor Who will undoubtedly be a main attraction as excitement builds for the new series, with new deals from the US and UK to be announced in the coming months. Already, Titan has renewed for the US, Canada and UK for figurines, apparel and gifts/novelties.

BBC Studios recently partnered with John Adams Leisure to manufacture and distribute the first ever official Strictly Come Dancing board game, which goes on sale this summer.

The Bafta and International Emmy Award-winning Hey Duggee had an incredible year in 2017. Hey Duggee toys launched in the US through Jazwares in July 2017; a deal was brokered with Chicco to stock toys in its 150 stores in Italy; the series hit over one billion video views across streaming platforms Tencent, iQiyi and Youku in China; Australia signed up Winning Moves as games partner; a plethora of new softline deals were secured in the UK, including Dreamtex for bedding; and the series won two more Baftas. With series three greenlit, and a raft of further deals in the pipeline, the success of the property looks set to continue in 2018.

The success of landmark natural history series Planet Earth II and Blue Planet II has led to the BBC Earth brand becoming a big draw. Recently, White House Leisure inked an agreement to create plush toys for the UK and EMEA, and ACCO signed a deal to create BBC Earth-branded calendars for the US and Canada.

The Pokémon Trading Card Game is the num ber one best-selling tradin g card game in Europe (NPD, strategic card game category).

The 20th Pokémon full-length feature film, Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You!, debuted in a global cinema event in 31 countries in November 2017.

According to License Global Magazine’s May Top 150 Global Licensors, Pokémon was ranked as the number one single-IP entertainment company (May 2017).

The Pokémon animated television series has more than 900 episodes and is beginning its 21st season.

More than 300 million Pokémon video games have been sold worldwide.

New action-adventur e title Detective Pikach u was launched for the Nintendo 3DS™ family of systems on 23 March 2018.

Last year, general attendance at Play!

Pokémon events worldwide totaled more than 950,000 participants (The Pokémon Company International, December 2017).

Pokémon GO has been downloaded more than 800 million times worldwide (Niantic Inc., December 2017).

For Licensing opportunities, please contact:

®

©2018 Pokémon. TM, Nintendo.

Harris McQueen Licensing Manager, UK h.mcqueen@pokemon.com

Jessica Nioncel Licensing Associate, UK j.nioncel@pokemon.com

Vegas Licesning Expo

ITV Studios Global Entertainment 020 7157 3693 | www.itvstudios.com Stand L204 ITV Studios Global Entertainment (ITVS GE) will be heading to this year’s expo with its extensive portfolio of ITV owned and third-party properties.

Leading the slate following its recent brand launch at BLE is Robozuna, a Netflix Original animated series following 14-year-old Ariston and his homemade robot, Mangle. This original IP will launch across multiple platforms simultaneously, including linear broadcast in the UK, VOD around the globe through Netflix, YouTube Kids with short-form content, as well as in apps and gaming with global social media influencers Ethan Gamer and Ali-A, both of whom star in the series. The content on each platform will complement the rest and create a seamless 360-degree user experience for kids as they delve into the Robozuna world, making it an interesting proposition for licensees. Viewers will be able to join forces with Ariston and Mangle in autumn when Robozuna debuts on Netflix around the globe, and in the UK on CITV. Consumer products rollout will follow the broadcast in spring 2019.

ITVS GE presents another recently added property with the new interpretation of Watership Down. The four-part CGI animated mini-series is a reimagining of Richard Adams’ classic 1972 novel and is a co-production between the BBC and Netflix. The series will feature an all-star cast including James McAvoy, John Boyega, Sir Ben Kingsley, Olivia Colman, Nicholas Hoult, Miles Jupp, Freddie Fox, Anne-Marie Duff and Gemma Arterton, and will be written by Bafta-nominated Tom Bidwell. Licensing opportunities will be available for the series in multiple categories, with some deals already underway.

The action TV series Thunderbirds Are Go continues to expand its global footprint and has aired in over 40 markets, with recent successes in China, where it enjoyed the status of No. 1 animated show in the country across all channels when it aired, and the Nordics, where it reached the Top 5 kids shows on SVOD platform Viaplay. Season 3 is set to launch in spring with the support of a strong consumer PR campaign. Accompanying the start of Season 3 will be the launch of the story-telling game app from award-winning UK-based Kuato Studios. The app features new parenting tools to make it completely child-safe and allows parents to set goals and rewards.

ITVS GE also has a growing roster of nostalgia brands led by the 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, 1970s action/comedy series The Persuaders!, which starred Roger Moore and Tony Curtis, and Patrick McGoohan’s 1960s series The Prisoner.

In addition, ITVS GE acts as a full-service agency for third party brands including the animated comedy series Oddbods, new show Piny, which is airing on Pop and reached over 2.5m 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. With the expertise to build an evergreen global franchise, ITVS GE can offer a strong broadcast platform in addition to content production, consumer product management, brand support and distribution.

Entertainment One 020 3691 8600 | www.entertainmentone.com Stand G196 Entertainment One (eOne) returns to the show this year with its line-up of award-winning pre-school entertainment properties: Peppa Pig, PJ Masks and Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom.

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 US, ANZ, China, Italy, Brazil and France. Through a new global partnership with Merlin Entertainments, Peppa Pig Land in-park attractions launched recently at Heide Park in Germany and Gardaland in Italy. In addition, Merlin is set to create a 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 pre-school superhero property PJ Masks has increased in popularity in the past 12 months following strong broadcast ratings and the launch of a full product line, which has performed strongly in the international retail market. With annual global retail sales going from strength to strength, PJ Masks has cemented its position as a leading pre-school brand.

Just Play’s global master toy line has garnered widespread acclaim and propelled PJ Masks to the No. 1 growth property in the US pre-school toys sector last year.

The 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 three platforms. Throughout 2018, the 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.

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Sony Pictures Consumer Products (310) 244 6189 | www.sonypictures.com

Stand 214 Sony Pictures Consumer Products 2018 film licensing opportunities include franchises and all-new properties. The Hotel Transylvania franchise has welcomed the third instalment - Hotel Transylvania: Summer Vacation – while new franchise film opportunities include the Men In Black spinoff, Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle, and Goosebumps: Haunted Halloween. Known for its library of classics, Sony is gearing up for big celebrations this year including Ghostbusters 35th Anniversary, The Karate Kid 35th anniversary, the 10th anniversary of Step Brothers, and more.

The Pokémon Company International 0207 381 7000 | www.pokemon.com Stand G196

One Animation (+65) 627 31785 | www.Oddbods.com Stand L226 The Emmy nominated series Oddbods has expanded its global footprint at a fast pace and is now available to view in over 150 countries across 30 broadcasters. The show’s free to air, cable, VOD and SVOD platforms include the Disney Channel, Cartoon Network, Boomerang and Netflix, with the latter recently securing an additional 30 new episodes.

Meanwhile, the show’s digital audience numbers are increasing rapidly; Oddbods’ YouTube channel is now averaging 9m daily views whilst a recent slew of gaming and consumer products partnerships are increasing the brand’s touch-points still further. Launching through to Q3 this year will be 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 formats including Augmented Reality (AR) features. Also joining the progressive portfolio of digital gaming is a Virtual Reality (VR) 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 and Bentex Group as master toy and apparel licensees respectively in North America, and this summer will see the brand launch across select Target stores in the territory. Additionally, The Cookie Company will produce a range of apparel reflecting the brand’s on trend values via a pan-European deal.

Throughout summer, the Oddbods will be surprising fans with integrated activities including influencer marketing and experiential events for kids and families.

Pokémon enjoyed a successful 2017, and looks forward to launching a slew of new products this year ahead of further expansion which is currently 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 cast includes Ryan Reynolds, Rita Ora and Bill Nighy.

On the small screen, Pokémon Go has launched a new research feature and introduced new community day events encouraging the millions of players worldwide to play together across the globe.

According to NPD data, Pokémon is Europe’s leading strategic card game with over 82% of the market share, and the brand saw 42% UK growth last year, rounding out 2017 by winning Pocket Money Toy of the Year at the Toy Industry Awards. Pokémon continues to drive extensive retail promotions with leading retailers to provide an immersive experience for fans and to help drive sales.

Pokémon arrived on Nintendo Switch late last year with the launch of Pokkén Tournament DX. Along with Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, an exclusive to the Nintendo 3DS, these latest titles helped Pokémon video games to top 300m sales worldwide since its launch in 1996. Meanwhile the newest Nintendo 3DS release, Detective Pikachu, has been well received.

Following the theatrical release for Pokémon Movie 20: I Choose You, shown at special two-day cinema events, Pokémon has significantly increased the reach and availability of its animation in the UK. Pop and Sky UK Limited are airing multiple seasons and movies from Pokémon’s programming portfolio on their various platforms. CITV is also currently airing the latest series The Pokémon Series: Sun & Moon—Ultra Adventures, which includes the 1000th episode of the long-running TV franchise.

Wicked Cool Toys’ first Pokémon master toy range, distributed by Character Options in the UK and Eire, hits retail in July this year having been well received by the trade, winning the London Toy Fair Editor’s Choice 2018 Award. The comprehensive new range features innovative toys across plush, figures and role play items.

Pokémon’s innovation has earned the company a number of awards including two Best Game BAFTAs for Pokémon Go at the BAFTA Games Awards/Children’s Awards, and Best Handheld/Mobile Game for Pokémon Sun & Moon at the Golden Joysticks in November.

Throughout the rest of the year, Pokémon is highlighting some of the most sought-after Pokémon with monthly video game character distributions, new TCG products, and mobile game animation and retail promotions.

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Nickelodeon 020 3580 2000 | www.nickjr.co.uk Stand O180 Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has generated millions in retail sales in the UK and billions of dollars across the globe. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has been the No. 1 action figure for the past three years in the US, and the franchise is a previous recipient of the Toy Industry Association’s top honour for Property of the Year at the Toy of the Year Awards.

Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (RTMNT) is a colourful reboot of the Nickelodeon animation series – with a fresh look and new weapons, powers and villains, plus a talented new voice cast thrown into the mix. This reimagining brings together a strong mix of Turtle power, ninja moves and mutant mayhem for kids aged 6-11.

With a lighter tone than previous iterations, the show’s contemporary new 2D style pays homage to the Turtle’s classic comic-book roots. In the new story, the Turtles work together to navigate the perils of both the modern age and secret realms beneath New York City to become the heroes they were always destined to be. Set in modern New York, the Turtles encounter absurd mutants and bizarre creatures - whilst always finding time for pizza.

The characters have been refreshed and updated for the new series, collectively representing a modern, mixed family dynamic. In this way, Nickelodeon has further distinguished the four characters. The Turtles enjoy being teenagers; viewers will see that they’re younger and a little more naïve and boisterous.

Raph is the enthusiastic - sometimes overly so - leader of the Turtles. He enjoys fooling around with his brothers, even in the middle of a mission. He wants to be a stronger warrior and is a firm believer that practice makes perfect.

Leo is more straight-laced than in versions past, and likes to think of himself as the coolest Turtle on the team. He isn’t afraid to break the rules when he thinks he’s right, and can quickly size up any situation. Leo uses his sharp intellect and quick wit to find the next opportunity, adventure or shortcut.

Donnie is the tech wizard of the group, and logic is his game. Donnie is very proud of his intellect – the by-product of which is an unintentional superiority complex. Being a softshell turtle, Donnie uses his genius to construct a series of wearable battle shells, transforming his most vulnerable point into his strongest asset.

Donnie is more interested in working out engineering and coding issues than he is in fighting.

The youngest and wildest personality of the bunch, Mikey is an eternal optimist who finds comedy in any situation. Sometimes, Mikey’s inherent talents can run amok, which leads to spectacular wipe outs. In Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Mikey is an artist, break dancer and enthusiast of B-Boy culture.

Since the 1980s Nickelodeon and Slime have always been intertwined, and sliming has become an iconic part of the Nickelodeon brand. Nowadays kids are making slime, watching slime videos and sliming one another, and now they can wear Slime with Nickelodeon’s new range of consumer products.

About 10 years ago, the phenomenon of being slimed started in the United States, and is now considered the ultimate Nickelodeon badge of honour. Nickelodeon’s annual Kids Choice Awards has seen celebrities including Katy Perry, David Beckham, The Rock, John Cena and Michael Phelps accept this quirky accolade.

In creating products for Slime, the company has put thought into what slime is and what makes it special.

Nickelodeon states that Slime is “the ultimate symbol of free-spirited mess and the physical embodiment of the playful and unconventional spirit of Nickelodeon.”

The core target market is kids aged 6-11 years, though slime is for everyone. In the UK, products include the core slime compound pots made in partnership with master toy partner, Sambro. In addition, Nickelodeon and Sambro have launched a make-your-own range. Comprising slime powder and slime activator kids can mix, shake and make green, pink and blue slime. Glow in the dark, glitter and noisy tubs of slime are also available.

The hero product in the Sambro range is the Nickelodeon Hyper Blaster. The pump action style device is capable of projecting the green liquid up to seven metres, and comes with ten packs of instant slime in two colours.

Nickelodeon is looking at product in other categories too, with ideas ranging from sandwich bags to umbrellas, apparel and housewares.

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