Hot Properties

Bing’s unique pre-school proposition propels global growth

As Acamar Films looks forward to celebrating the 10th anniversary of the UK premiere of Bing in 2024, the awardwinning pre-school show is still captivating young audiences worldwide. Here, the studio explains what’s behind the little bunny’s longevity and how licensing plays a big part in its enduring appeal.

This year, Bing continues its global upwards trajectory with broadcast deals in over 130 territories worldwide. The property is also making headway in emerging markets with new content, experiences and consumer products.

Recent linear TV launches on France Television’s France 5 and on RTL Kockica in Croatia have generated strong early engagement. Three new language channels on YouTube (French, Croatian and Greek) have taken Bing’s channel total to 23, where over 1m hours of content are viewed daily, while subscribers have surpassed 6.5m. In the UK, Bing has surpassed 940m BBC iPlayer requests since launch, cementing the show as a CBeebies favourite.

Chief Licensing officer Katie Rollings joined the Acamar Films team in April, where she’ll be leading the next stage of the company’s global licensing and experiential strategy. She says: “Bing occupies a unique spot; a series that truly centres the toddler experience, serving developmental milestones that are universal and timeless. The opportunities for Bing are immense and I’m looking forward to working with our partners as we continue to grow this exceptional property.”

Careful toy development is integral to this expansion. Master toy partner, Golden Bear, launched a new hero line in spring/summer 2023: Talking Rainybow Bing. The launch was supported by a colourful campaign incorporating a Rainybow social filter, nursery mural live action video and a Rainybow Show special on YouTube. Other new toys for the UK and Europe arriving in autumn/winter 2023 will include the new Peek-a-boo Bing plush, a Fire Engine with lights and sounds, and Bing’s Bathtime Playset. These products have been developed to complement the moments of exploration, connection and understanding shown in the series.

“Our research shows that parents value toys that provide educational value as well as durability, longevity and fun,” explains Becs Henchey, Product & Innovation director at Golden Bear. “Mindful consideration has been given to our Bing range to deliver skill enhancement through play. The upcoming Peek-aboo Bing provides a strong connection with the series while also supporting developmental milestones and encouraging schemas that are present across the preschool age range.”

Alongside toys, Bing’s publishing programme expands year-on-year. Master publisher, HarperCollins, will add six new titles to its UK range in 2023 including novelty, picture, and sound books. Total sales have exceeded 5.2m books worldwide, and backlist titles Bing’s Little Library, All Aboard the Toilet Train and The Rainybow Song remain consistent best-sellers.

Acamar Films is dedicated to maintaining the quality and value of its carefully crafted work via Bing’s extensive library of episodes, YouTube videos, cinema productions, theatre and live shows, apps, games, audio and licensed products. Every episode of Bing is created with input from speech, language and developmental experts to ensure that the stories are not only engaging but also truly authentic to those watching, and supportive of their emotional, social and cognitive development. An exciting acceleration of new content production is planned over the next five years with standards remaining consistently high.

In April, Acamar Films launched a refreshed and redesigned version of its proprietary app, Bing: Watch Play Learn. The app, which has over 2.3m downloads in the UK, Italy, Poland, Spain and the Netherlands, has new audio features including stories, songs and music playlists alongside the existing episodes and games.

This summer, a brand-new website will form the backbone of Acamar Films’ strategy - to more closely engage grown-ups – and will host a catalogue of resources, written or endorsed by experts, to support key developmental milestones, as well as episode guides and product information.

Parents recognise the value of Bing. One mother of a four-year-old said: “Bing is relatable for children and parents. It helps children to understand their feelings and how they can feel better.” Another noted that Bing: “…references different experiences and temporary disappointment. It's good to show toddlers that things won't always go as planned - and that's OK." A third, a mother of a two-and-a-half-year-old, appreciated how: “Bing talks about emotions. This is important in terms of mental health and age-related tantrums.”

Bing is a unique proposition, a space where feelings can be explored and discussed free of judgement. Almost 10 years since the premiere of Bing on CBeebies, Acamar Films is on a mission to ensure it connects even more deeply with grown-ups and emphasises the tools that Bing offers. Ongoing marketing and PR initiatives, plus meaningful partnerships with organisations such as the UK’s NSPCC and Societa Italiana di Pediatria and Assonidi in Italy, help reinforce the show’s unique values.

Bing’s UK experiential presence has been ramping up, ready for what’s set to be a busy summer. Alton Towers Resort’s Bing-themed hotel rooms at CBeebies Land Hotel are booking out each season and Gulliver’s Theme Park Resorts has launched a brand-new live show at its Milton Keynes park. Spring saw Bing and Flop welcomed to Chester Zoo with an activity trail and story time sessions. This will be followed by a programme of meet & greets at family festivals including Gloworm and Carfest.

So, what’s next for Bing? Maintaining success in existing markets is a key focus, so Acamar Films is embarking on the next phase of an exciting global content rollout strategy, as well as tracking the success of Bing’s fastest-growing YouTube channel in Indonesia. 10 years of Bing – and of entertaining children whilst laying down valuable foundations for their lives - has been a huge achievement, and the next 10 will be another big adventure.

Numberblocks

Blue Zoo Licensing

Global hit TV series and YouTube sensation, Numberblocks, leads the charge for Blue Zoo Licensing. Numberblocks is an integral part of the Blocks Universe, which includes Alphablocks, Numberblocks and Colourblocks.

The show is a multi-award nominee and won a BAFTA for Children's Pre-school Animation in 2019. With 120 x 5 mins episodes (and more on the way) plus a number of specials and mash ups, Numberblocks has proved a global hit on CBeebies, Netflix, ABC and Noggin, to name but a few and has been translated into six languages and counting. On YouTube, total subscribers for the shows are at 10m and growing rapidly, with lifetime views of over 7.5b. the property has a social media reach of 11.2m and its music streams have topped 12.5m, with over 39k monthly listeners.

All the Blocks shows, created by Joe Elliot with multi-award-winning animation studio Blue Zoo and commissioned by the BBC, create transformational learning experiences for young children through TV shows, interactive, print and hands-on play and engage millions of children worldwide in the joy of reading, maths, colour and creativity.

Numberblocks helps children to see how numbers really work − and master a new key maths skill with every adventure. It’s a story of friends who can always count on each other − but, most of all, Numberblocks is about having fun with numbers. Blue Zoo has worked with NCETM (National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics) to make sure Numberblocks delivers the essential numeracy skills that build good number sense and a solid foundation for a lifetime of maths success.

Loved by children, parents and teachers alike, Numberblocks has a number of licensed deals in the UK and a Master toy deal with Learning Resources and sister company Hand2Mind. Following the runaway success of its bestselling Mathlink Cubes, product including Stampoline sets, Clings and Plush as well as curriculum-based classroom sets soon followed and the range has won an impressive 33 awards to date. This year interactive plush, figurine and vehicle sets, a playset and a boardgame will join the offering.

Other licensees - including Immediate Media, Sweet Cherry Publishing, Trends, Fashion UK, Rubies, Texco, Zak, Aykroyd and Sons, TDP, Moonpig and costume characters from Rainbow Productions - ensure a solid base from which to expand the consumer product offering, both in the UK and internationally. Blue Zoo is currently working on filling any remaining gaps in the product range, including partyware, live events, food and beverage and a multi-territory promotion, and continues to work on direct-to-consumer deals as well as experiential events for fans.

Interest internationally continues to grow, with agents recently signed in South Korea where an extremely successful publishing programme with Penguin Random House already exists. Other agents include the recently signed Spacetoon and soon to be signed deals in the US, Japan, Latin America and Australia.

With new seasons in development across all Blocks Shows, a strong digital presence with new content each week, as well as free and premium apps (which consistently feature in the top 10 paid and free app charts) and a dedicated social media offering across all platforms, the brand continues to grow and delight fans globally.

Cry Babies Magic Tears

IMC Toys

As part of its partnership with Retail Monster, IMC Toys is set to strengthen the licensing roll out of its global success: Cry Babies Magic Tears. The new line-up of UK licensees comes after IMC’s new Tropical brand theme launched this spring, alongside brand-new animated episodes streaming on YouTube and Prime video.

Poetic Brands will launch a full range of Cry Babies Magic Tears kids’ apparel, which will include daywear, nightwear, underwear and swimwear. In addition, RJ Bags will be giving its popular range of bags, lunch bags, luggage and umbrellas the Cry Babies Magic Tears treatment, ideal for CBMT fans who like to be on the go. Poetic Brands has also launched a first-to-market exclusive range with Character.com this month, and RJ Bags is set to launch pre-Christmas.

In April, sticker specialists Paper Projects unveiled a range of stickers, reward charts and sticker activity sheets, all designed to bring the Cry Babies characters to life.

A Cry Babies magazine packed with stories and arts & craft was published at the end of last month by leading children’s magazine publishers Kennedy Publishing, designed to teach kids about the characters and their various themed worlds.

Beano

Beano Studios

The red and black bunting is up and mischief is in the air on the streets of Beanotown, as Beano celebrates its 85th Anniversary this year. Beano Studios will mark the moment with new licensing deals and partnerships, events and experiential, as well as brand partnerships, school campaigns, national marketing and PR.

Since 1938, Beano has always had its finger on the pulse of what kids in Britain think, want and dream of. In its 85th year, Beano celebrates the joy of childhood, by giving the nation more reasons than ever to have fun and make more mischief.

Family fun will be at the forefront in 2023, as Beano, the BBC Concert Orchestra and the Southbank Centre have partnered to bring the hit TV show Dennis & Gnasher: Unleashed! to life this summer, for the world’s first ever “comiconcerto”. Dennis & Gnasher Unleashed at the Orchestra will see the Beanotown friends conduct some epic classical music antics with the BBC Concert Orchestra and star percussionist Colin Currie.

Reflecting its young audience’s environmental awareness, Beano, together with licensing agent Rocket Licensing, will continue a partnerships centred around environment and conservation. Following recent successful events at Kew Gardens and Eden Project Cornwall, Beano will invite children and families at Whipsnade Zoo this summer to enjoy Beano Goes Wild at Whipsnade Zoo. Dennis, Gnasher and his friends will guide visitors on an inspiring, interactive and fun-filled trail.

The characters will also take centre stage in various towns across the country, as a recent partnership with Outdoor Gaming Company brings Beano: The Outdoor Game to life. Families and Beano fans of all ages can accompany Dennis on a scavenger hunt in his search for Gnasher, cracking crucial clues and completing hilarious tasks along the way.

In hospitality, Beano Studios has welcomed a new partnership with Apex Hotels Dundee, to mark its 20th birthday and celebrate the city’s comic legacy. To add to the festivities, Bridget’s Bakery will launch the Beano Afternoon Tea Bus in the City of London this spring. The bus will be equipped with themed food experiences onboard and fun activities for children of all ages.

In publishing, Beano’s partnership with Farshore Books will see new titles launching this year: the expanded and updated version of The Ultimate Guide to Beano, Dennis & Gnasher: Little Menace’s Great Escape, as well as a special anniversary book soon to be revealed, scheduled for the end of the year.

Successful Beano licensing partnership with Hollywood Bowl, Blu Goblin and VisitScotland and Scotrail continue throughout 2023. Blu Goblin will launch a Beanothemed unique chess set in support of Save the Children, as well as a range of anniversary badges, and Hollywood Bowl will welcome families in centres nation-wide with Beano surprises throughout the year. VisitScotland and Scotrail’s tourism campaign in partnership with Beano continues, aiming to reignite families’ love of trail adventures. The two-year brand partnership promotes sustainable travel as part of Scottish tourism’s recovery. Happy Monkey x Beano smoothies are returning to shelves this July, in stores across the country.

Beano licensed product also includes apparel, dress-up, cards and calendars, plus puzzles and gifts from licensees such as Aykroyds, Danilo, Star Editions and Rubies Masquerade, with new partners to be revealed over the summer.

The animated show Dennis & Gnasher: Unleashed!, launched on CBBC in 2017, has been distributed in over 100 countries around the world and it is now in its second season. Dennis’s quest of putting a smile on children’s faces all over the world continues, helped by two new recent distribution deals: the Pan-African SVOD service Showmax and Peacock USA.

Additionally, Beanotown will be celebrating several other significant milestones in the next 12 months, such as The Numskulls’ 30th Anniversary in October, Minnie the Minx’s 70th Anniversary in December and The Bash Street Kids’ 70th in early 2024.