Angelina Ballerina

The Hit property has been given a refresh for 2009, with an all new CGI anmated TV show, a new broadcast platform and a second, follow up stage show with the English National Ballet set to tour in May.
The new TV show - Angelina Ballerina: The Next Steps - will make its worldwide debut on Nick Jr in the UK in the autumn and features new characters and destinations, all in CGI.
Meanwhile, Angelina Ballerina's Big Audition, the second collaboration with the English National Ballet, will be touring the UK, US, Australia and the Middle East through 2009 and into 2010, kicking off in the UK on May 21st. The production will see Angelina audition for her new school and will bridge the classic TV series with the new CGI programming by providing a sneak peek at some of the new characters for the first time.
A DVD release - Angelina's Star Performance - is also planned for May, while Hit will be sponsoring the children's achievement in dance category for the next three years at the National Dance Awards.

Bad Cat

The tween/teen art-based property, Bad Cat was created by US apparel company Mighty Fine and is now looking to grow its licensing programme in Europe.
Managed by Jane Evans Licensing Consultancy, the property first entered the UK market in early 2007 with t-shirts being sold into Tammys and MacKays. Later that year, Bad Cat launched apparel in France, Benelux and Germany into such fashion outlets as Pimkie, Defimode, Promo Fashion, Casino and all C&A European stores.
The programme has since grown with C&A which is now also selling nightwear. Mail order is another strong channel for the property, selling into Bon Prix, Neckermann and Quelle.
Stationery is a key sector - during 2009 Bad Cat's South African licensee will be producing its third back to school range, Poland its second and its first in France (launching with Casino).
Further expansion is planned for Europe including Italy and Spain. JELC is seeking licensees for gifting, accessories, greeting cards, bedding and footwear.

Bang on the Door

BOTD's unique character designs have been successfully used for 22 years and their appeal is showing no signs of slowing.
The design team behind BOTD work hard to create fresh designs and rework classic characters such as Groovy Chick, Fairy Girl and Pony Girl to ensure the look and feel remains relevant to today's consumers.
New activity includes a Nintendo DS game from Mindscape called My Fashion Shop, which lets players run their own fashion boutique, designing outfits and accessorising Groovy Chick and friends. BOTD created over 700 pieces of new artwork for this product.
Other new developments include a range of bookmarks from That Company Called If; Drew Brady has created a line of socks; Mad Catz has a full range of bags and accessories for consoles such as the DS; and Blueprint has just launched Fabric Animals stationery in WH Smith. Other key licensees include Danilo, Pyramid and Hallmark Cards.

Barbie

Mattel is pulling out all the stops for the Barbie brand this year, celebrating her golden anniversary with a series of events and promotions throughout 2009. The aim is to not only bring alive the doll's history, but also its close association with fashion and style.
The first Barbie sold 300,000 units in 1959 and 50 years later, after myriad changes of style and look, the brand is still going strong - click here to read our in-depth brand profile of Barbie.
"The 50th gives us the chance to show the face of Barbie now and to show off our great partnerships," states Jackie Jordan, marketing director at Mattel. "They all cascade down. So we can start with the brand and touch all our key audiences."

Care Bears

This classic brand is being given a refresh for 2009, with a new updated look and style guide. Back in January, Hasbro was appointed as the global master toy licensee. Set to debut this autumn, the toy line will be part of Hasbro's Playskool brand and will feature designs inspired by the animated series, Care Bears: Adventures in Care-A-Lot.
The range will focus on five bears: Cheer, Funshine, Grumpy, Share and Oopsy.
A full line of products will be launched in the UK in spring 2010 including plush, dolls, play-sets, games and puzzles and figures, as well as a number of new categories.
The Care Bears programme boasts over 300 licensees worldwide, generating more than $2 billion in retail sales since 2002. And the brand will receive a further boost with a new CGI movie and DVD release next autumn.

Disney Fairies

This key girls brand features a group of fairy friends with different talents and personalities and is aimed at the four to eight year-old market.
Disney Fairies is inspired by Tinker Bell's world of Pixie Hollow within Never Land. Products are available across toys, food, health and beauty, stationery, home, fashion and publishing, with the range extending into new subcategories throughout the year.
Tinker Bell, the first of four new movies, premiered on Disney DVD and Blu-ray last November, with over half a million copies sold in the UK alone to date. It became the fifth best selling animated title of 2008.
The second film - Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure - will be launching in time for this Christmas, and it will receive extensive support across The Walt Disney Company.

Disney Princess

From the Princess that started it all to Disney's newest royal in ten years, 2009 and early 2010 are going to be busy times for this flagship two to five year-old girls brand.
There are currently eight princesses - Ariel (The Little Mermaid), Aurora (Sleeping Beauty), Belle (Beauty and the Beast), Cinderella, Jasmine (Aladdin), Mulan, Pocahontas and Snow White - which Disney merged under the one umbrella back in 2000.
At that time, $300 million of individual Disney Princess merchandise had been sold. Today, the brand accounts for $4 billion in global retail sales and is set to grow even further in the coming years with a slate of new content. Product offerings have extended to include toys and personal electronics, apparel, home decor, stationery, food, publishing and interactive games.
Snow White, one of the most celebrated animated movies of all time, will be available to own on DVD for the first time in eight years this winter, making it a major Christmas release for Disney.
Meanwhile, early in 2010 will see the range welcome Princess Tiana, the firm's newest princess in over a decade and the star of The Princess and the Frog.
There will be extensive marketing support for both releases, with dedicated activities running across all Disney divisions. The firm will be launching bespoke consumer products ranges for both Snow White and Princess and the Frog.

Dora the Explorer

Since first airing in the US in 1999, Dora has become a worldwide hit. In the UK, Nick Jr is rated as the number one pre-school channel whenever new episodes are shown.
During the channel's dedicated Dora Month in October 2008, Nick Jr increased its audience share by a staggering 30 per cent compared to October 2007. The main feature was the Dora Saves the Snow Princess, which proved to be a huge success and was accompanied by a number of tie-ins including books, DVDs, toys and games.
Licensing activity around Dora is extensive. Key items for refreshment this year include toys from Fisher-Price, toys and games from Halsall, stationery from International Greetings, clocks and watches from Wesco, lunchware from Vogue, bags and umbrellas from Trademark and bedding from Character World.
"Dora is an incredibly successful property and this is reflected in the massive amount of branded items available at retail," observes Clare Piggott, VP consumer products for Nickelodeon UK. "It is very much an evergreen brand and new episodes and specials are constantly being produced - there is plenty more to come from Dora."

Fame

Classic 1980 feel good film Fame is back this September, with the new movie following the storytelling template of the original but with a number of advantages over its predecessor.
30 years on and the brand is still strong and, while the film is expected to have a wide ranging fan base, tween and teen girls are the obvious core demographic - and according to Rocket Licensing, many have been checking out the official website in advance of the film's arrival.
Cover of the new Fame in the press and online has already been strong, but the release on September 25th will be backed with TV and online media promotions, in-theatre campaigns and PR across all media.
Global publishing and music partners for tie-in books and CDs are due to be announced soon, while Rocket - which is managing the UK licensing programme for the film - has already agreed a number of categories. These include apparel (TDP Textiles, Aykroyd, Blues and Somerbonbd); paper products (Danilo); stationery and bags (International Greetings); and legwarmers (Lowes).
GB Eye, Kinnerton, Zeon, Susan Prescott Games, Spearmark and Character World are also part of the fast growing campaign.
The next stage of the programme is already being planned, with Rocket eyeing up new areas such as health and beauty, footwear, accessories, toys, novelty gifts and interactive items. It will be supported by a continuing promotional drive for the flick, plus its release onto DVD and beyond.

Fifi and the Flowertots

13 new episodes of the Chapman property have been confirmed and are due to premiere on May 1st on Milkshake and Nick Jr (TBC). Series three introduces two new characters, twin flowertots Buttercup and Daisy, plus their friend Flutterby. The stop frame animation is now also mixed with CGI.
Chapman currently has 52 licensees in the UK for Fifi and has achieved around £170 million at retail value and 26.1 million items have been sold since launch. A major brand refresh will be rolled out across consumer products in autumn/winter with new packaging and a new look Fifi.
January NPD figures showed that Fifi and friends had been named number one girls pre-school plush and puzzle licence and the number four licence overall in the pre-school licensed category.
Marketing throughout the year includes the continuation of The Fairy and the Flowertots live theatre show until July, a refreshed website and a campaign with Milkshake. Flowertot Friday will run throughout May to coincide with the series three launch, with the new Buttercup and Daisy characters appearing in the studio every week for the month.
Internationally, the show is now sold in 162 countries and 15 languages with over 70 local international partners. Fifi is the second best selling pre-school licence in Scandinavia and will make her debut in Russia this spring.

Footloose

The classic 1980s film starring Kevin Bacon has seen a spike in demand thanks to the interest in all things Eighties at the moment, according to Paramount.
Indeed, a remake has recently been announced.
The licensing programme features newly signed partners Fifth Sun (tees), American Greetings (cards) and Pyramid Posters.

Franny's Feet

The story of a five and a half year-old who finds shoes in her Grandpa's shop that take her on amazing adventures has been an international TV sales success, selling into more than 50 territories so far.
It has a growing presence in the UK on both Disney Playhouse and Five's Milkshake. Now, with a total of 104 11-minute episodes available or in production, Rocket Licensing is looking to emulate the brand's US marketing success.
DVD launches are planned for spring in partnership with Universal, while a publishing partner is about to be appointed. A number of formats have already been successfully bought to market by Penguin USA and Simon & Schuster and will soon appear in the UK, too. They include storybooks, readers, stickerbooks, colour and activity books, novelty books and activity kits.
Other key licensees appointed include Cooneen for nightwear and underwear, plus Cesar for dress-up and play tents. Rocket is now looking at other categories such as magazines, outerwear, shoes, socks and housewares, as well as a series of targeted promotions and an increased presence in all media.

Grease

Described as the 'original High School Musical' by many, the Grease licensing programme focuses on a number of retro-led initiatives. UK licensees include Famous Forever, Half Moon Bay, Smiffy's, The Bacup Shoe Company and Trademark Products.

H20: Just Add Water

With a target market of seven to 15 year-old girls, the tales of the teenage mermaids have been a hit across the world.
In the UK, the show was the fourth highest rated programme on Nickelodeon in 2008, with 24 per cent of girls aged ten to 15 watching. Two series have already been shown and a third is scheduled for the autumn.
In licensing terms, Simon and Schuster launched two books in January, with two new titles planned for spring/summer.
Autumn/winter will see even more product available including apparel, video games, bags, accessories and stationery. Licensees include Vivid, Paramount, Pyramid, J&K Henderson and Alpa.

Happy House

The youth lifestyle brand was formed in Australia in 1995, with the products currently distributed to over 30 countries worldwide. Since it was established, Happy House has enjoyed solid growth, from selling painted greeting cards in a single outlet to opening Happy House-branded concept stores in several international markets. Handled by Bradford Licensing, the brand now covers a number of product categories including clothing, watches, fashion accessories and bags, bed linen, gift items, plush and stationery.
Conver USA is developing a line of party goods, metallic balloons and tableware for the property in the US and Canada; while Colombiana Kimberly Colpapel has launched paper products. Indeed, Happy House is making good inroads into the Colombian market thanks to notebooks and notepads featuring the characters and graphics.
Plush toys - from Commonwealth Toy & Novelty - are also available in Toys R Us stores worldwide.

Hello Kitty

At the beginning of March, Mac launches its co-branded range of Hello Kitty colour cosmetics. The limited edition collection is accompanied by window displays on every major UK High Street, plus media coverage in the likes of Vogue, Grazia and Heat.
Marks & Spencer has also just launched its range of Hello Kitty clothing, while many other products - aimed at teens and young adults - will be launching over the coming months. These will include hair accessories and jewellery, watches, luggage, cosmetics, bedding, houseware, celebration cakes, greetings cards, statiionery, mobile phones, computer and Nintendo DS accessories, lighting, digital cameras, books, tents and camping equipment and gift products.
A number of high profiles celebs - including pop stars Katy Perry, the Sugababes and the Saturdays - have also recently been snapped in Hello Kitty gear.

iCarly

Aimed at tween girls aged seven to 12, iCarly arrived on Nickelodeon UK in March 2008, going down as Nick's most successful ever launch. Indeed, it was the number one live action show for the channel last year. New episodes are due to air in the spring, as well as the iGo to Japan special.
February saw the launch of the first series on DVD, with the second due to follow later in the year. An iCarly CD of music from the show also launched last year and is selling well.
Books, apparel, video games, dolls, accessories, posters, badges and bedding are all included in the licensing programme, with key licensees being Vivid, Paramount, Simon & Schuster, Sony BMG, Pyramid, J&K Henderson, Character World and Aykroyds.
"iCarly is an incredibly strong brand and we already have a string of top licensing names on board," says Clare Piggott, VP consumer products at Nickelodeon UK.

In My Pocket

IMP was one of the top ten fastest growing properties of 2008 (Source: NPD, December 2008).
Owned by MEG in the US and distributed and marketed by Corinthian in the UK, the collectable girls brand is a worldwide success.
The brand was launched in the UK in December 2005 with Puppy In My Pocket, which was followed by Kitty In My Pocket in 2007, Jungle In My Pocket in 2008 and, this year's arrival of Pony In My Pocket.
Parthenon was appointed as the UK licensing agent for the brand in September 2007 and, since then, has signed licences with MV Sports (outdoor toys), Helix (stationery), Redan (magazines), Inspiration Works (handheld electronic games) and Flair (creative play). All are planning to launch products in autumn/winter, focusing on Argos, Toys R Us and Tesco.
In addition to the licensees already appointed, Parthenon is also eyeing up apparel and accessories, publishing and homewares categories.

Juicy Lucy

The Ignition Licensing property enjoyed a successful 2008, and this year will see further licensed products join the line-up.
Highlights include ladies accessories from Zeon, a ceramic gift range from Portmeirion Potteries, calendars from Jarrold, four gift books from Ravette Publishig, ladies and kids apparel from Poetic Gem and cakes from Hazlewood.
In addition, Is It Art?, Sharpcards and Creatively Different are also enjoying success with the brand.
Ignition has signed sub-agency representation agreements in Australia (Wild Pumpkin), Korea (Asiana Licensing) and North America (Bradford Associates), making sure the brand expands on a global basis.

Ladies of Springfield

As part of the spin off licensing programme from The Simpsons, the Ladies of Springfield has a range of fashion lines featuring Lisa across nightwear and outerwear, with Fox already securing listings on the High Street.
T-shirts have sold out in Bershka, while another Lisa tee design will go into Asda from the end of June. Nightwear has also been listed by Next and BHS for spring/summer, while in the fashion accessories category, Specsavers and Optical Express are both stocking Lisa inspired frames.
Other lines within the programme include a range of specialist cycling shirts, plus a recently launched line of computer gaming accessories including DS Lite bundles, travel packs, clean and protect stickers, sling bags and Wii accessories packs. Game, HMV and Gamestation are already stocking the lines, while the clean and protect set will be available in Asda from Easter.
Lisa product targeted for launch from autumn/winter includes a lightweight micro scooter and an inflatable chair, while several girls gifting items are also in development alongside homewares and stationery items for 2010.
Other Simpsons characters popular with the girls market include Itchy and Scratchy, with New Look listing t-shirts in bright pink.

Little Ewe

Represented by Bulldog Licensing, this sentiment brand is proving to be something of a hit in a crowded sector.
Bulldog has secured deals with Danilo (greetings cards, wrap and tags) and Posh Paws (plush toys and gifts), while Sharpcards is also on board for mobile downloads (already available in Spain and Sweden).
Little Ewe has also been picked up by Moonpig, the online greeting card site and has been so successful that it has a starring role in the company's multimillion pound TV ad campaign.
Elsewhere in the world, Little Ewe is represented by G Squared in the US and Canada, Kidz Entertainment in Nordics and Eastern Europe and Wild Pumpkin in Australia and New Zealand.
"The brand has consistently proved its ability to outperform others in the sentiment sector and has enormous potential for generating revenue at retail," says Bulldog boss Rob Corney.

Little Princess

The BAFTA-nominated animation continues to prove a ratings success and remains in the top ten UK terrestrial pre-school shows and in the top 25 terrestrial programmes for children aged four to six (Source: BARB 2009). Strong ratings have also been recorded across other European territories including Germany, where it received market share up to 85.5 per cent on KIKA with girls aged three to six (Source: Media Control, August/September 2008).
TV-Loonland recently revealed Five's commission of series three, which will include 35 additional episodes and introduce a number of new locations and characters - including Brian Blessed as Great Uncle Walter.
Master toy licensee Martin Yaffe has launched a new Born to Play spring/summer toy line, with new plush and pram sets planned for autumn/winter. Little Princess also enjoys a strong publishing heritage and the first 18 TV tie-in books by Anderson Press have sold over 400,000 copies. Further book launches are planned this year.

Loyal Army Clothing

The brand was established in late 2005 by designer Brian Dold who wanted to create a new kind of t-shirt company for the tween fashion market in the US. The goal was to create a t-shirt that sparks conversation and leaves its mark in the sector.
Since then, Loyal Army has expanded into infant, toddler and seven to 16 year-old apparel categories, designing and producing t-shirts, hoodies, fashion knit bodies and an assortment of canvas accessories.
It currently has licensed deals in the US and Canada with Jerry Leigh (junior sportswear apparel), Evy (girls sportswear), ABG (headwear and rain gear), Mad Dog (hosiery and flip flops), Franco (bedding and bath), Badge Bomb (buttons) and Uclick (mobile phones) among others.
The company is also in the process of signing addition categories for accessories, watches and jewellery, handbags, eyewear and footwear.
Loyal Army has opened its first retail store in San Francisco, with the second slate for opening at the end of 2009 in Melrose, California.
The worldwide licensing agent is Creative Brands Group.

Love Hearts

The brand synonymous with love, friendship and romance has remained popular for many years, with further licensed products rolling out this year to give it a boost.
Beanstalk has worked closely with Love Hearts on the licensing drive to develop new and engaging products which allow consumers to express their personal sentiment to their families and friends.
Love Hearts beauty accessories from The Make Up Factory continue to sell well on the UK High Street, while from spring branded emery boards and compact mirrors will be available in Urban Outfitters. Glosses and balms are also due to launch at major retailers in the summer.
The brand's extension into health and beauty is a strategic move by Beanstalk and Love Hearts, recognising the potential of building affinity with the teen and tween market.
Other Love Hearts branded products include jewellery (CW Sellors), silver charm gifts (Suck UK), celebration cakes (Greencore, from May), wedding stationery (Confetti), car air fresheners (Tetrosyl) and tees and sleep sets (Trademark Products) launching in autumn/winter.

Lucky Cookie

The Fun Crew property welcomed a new line of gifts and accessories from Think Pink during February's Spring Fair at the Birmingham NEC, which added the character to its Funky Girl range.
The Tokyo-style pop chick is featured on a range of product with fortune telling cat. Mojo. This includes a rucksack; purse; a secret diary; and a Treat Fund ceramic money box. Other designs include a baking set with a chef's hat, apron tea towel and wooden utensils, plus a Milk and Cookies set with a melamine mug set into a tray.
The Lucky Cookie range is due to feature across a selection of girls' magazines, too. The character already appears in a regular full-page comic strip story in each issue of Easy Peazy and will shortly have its own surf game on Egmont's Go Girl website. Both products and publishing are supported online, while there is even an 'I Love Lucky Cookie' group on Facebook.

Peppa Pig

One of the UK's most successful girls' pre-school properties, Peppa Pig is worth over £60 million at retail.
The aim of E1 Entertainment (formerly Contender Merchandising) is to make Peppa an evergreen property, thus the brand and the licensing programme have been built up with care over a long period. The result is a strong presence for Peppa across numerous categories.
From 20 UK licensees in late 2007, the total now is 51 spanning such diverse areas as blankets, cutlery, beanies, backpacks and toy spaceships. Among recent retail highlights are sales of over one million Peppa DVDs and books in the UK, the top selling pre-school cake in Asda, the successful launch of the De Agostini Peppa Pig Playland partwork and Redan's storming success with Fun to Learn Peppa Pig standalone magazine.
This year will see promotional campaigns, a stage show and a nationwide nursery campaign in May that will see pre-schoolers doing the 'Peppa Bing Bong Song' to raise money for baby charity Tommy's.
Meanwhile, the popularity of the Princess Peppa theme with viewers has encouraged E1 to make royal-themed imagery available to its entire licensee base, with the first range of toys from Character Options already available.
On TV, a third series is in production, with a commitment to deliver 26 episodes a year starting mid-2009 and taking the total of Peppa programmes to 209 by mid-2012.
However, E1 has not neglected the 40 per cent of viewers who are boys - there is a successful girls and boys merchandising programme in all major retailers. Plus product launches, licensee announcements and increased TV advertising are already being planned as far ahead as 2011.

Rainbow Magic

2009 will be a busy year for the Hit brand with the launch of new chapter books, retail promotions and an all new website (which has just been given a refresh).
Having reached sales of 20 million units worldwide, new formats are being added to the chapter book series including an annual covermounted with a CD and an audio book, a sticker album from Panini and a 'choose your own adventure' book from Orchard.
The latest in the chapter book series - Magical Animal Fairies - arrives on April 3rd and will be supported by an extensive print and online campaign. In the run up to the publication date, one fairy is being revealed each week on the website, with sneak peeks of the book's first chapters and an exclusive download of an RM-inspired song.
The next book in the series will be Mia the Bridesmaid Fairy in June. The title of the book was chosen from 35,000 votes cast in an online poll, with the winner getting the chance to have the book dedicated to her,
A special Rainbow Magic Treasue Hunt will also be running nationally over seven weeks this summer. The UK will be split into seven regions, with seven clues released weekly. It will launch on July 3rd with the release of a special £1 edition of Hannah and the Happy Ever After Fairy containing the first code. There will be a website where children can enter the codes to unlock each clue.

Rebecca Bonbon

The latest design property from the creator of Hello Kitty, Rebecca is a French bulldog with a penchant for shopping and sweets.
Aimed at females aged 14 to 20, the brand is already a success in Japan with over 50 licensees and hundreds of products across a range of categories. The character also has a Facebook page which is growing in popularity.
FremantleMedia Enterprises is seeking further agreements in the UK in categories including stationery, greetings cards, confectionery, fashion accessories (jewellery, bags, hair and accessories) and toiletries.
Both American and European licensing drives are kicking off this year, with the character having a major presence at Licensing International in June.

Saddle Club

The Marathon Media property has been enjoying strong ratings on French digital free to air channel Gulli, with the third season having just launched alongside a dedicated website.
Marathon says that Saddle Club is the fastest growing horse brand in France, with five million books sold to date from Bayard Publishing (new activity titles are due to arrive later this year); 350,000 DVDs sold by TF1; and 20,000 units sold by Polydor since December 2008, with a second album release due in April.
In addition, a bi-monthly 50-page magazine was launched by Paperbox last October, while a comic book album is planned by Delcourt. A McDonald's Happy Meal promotion will be running next month throughout France's 1,110 restaurants.
In terms of licensed product, a stationery and back to school line is planned, plus a Nintendo Wii and DS game (Koch Media), a plush line and a horse door-to-door encyclopedia (Atlas). Play-sets, figurines, puzzles, trading cards and board games are also in discussion.
Saddle Club airs on Pop Girl in the UK, while it can also be seen in Italy, Spain, Denmark, Norway, France, Sweden, Australia, Canada and the US among other territories.

Scarlett & Crimson

This duo certainly seems to be going places. Co-owned by Coolabi and greetings card legend Ged Backland, a 16-title publishing deal has already been sealed with Simon & Schuster for the US, Canada and the UK, with the first two books appearing this summer.
An international licensing programme is also underway: the first appointments have been the Lisa Marks Agency in North America and Gorian Consumer Products in GAS and Benelux.
Meanwhile, in the UK, a gift cosmetics line - designed in association with Ruby Hammer and Millie Kendall - has been listed by Boots for October. Robert Cary-Williams has also been inspired by the brand to create a series of limited edition ladies' vests, which appeared in selected boutiques for London Fashion Week.
Even before the launch of any consumer products, however, Scarlett and Crimson was listed by the Sunday Times Style Magazine on January as 'one to watch' for 2009.

Sesame Street

Bert & Ernie's Great Adventures is currently airing on Five every Saturday and Sunday, while Elmo's World is on Fiver every weekend.
UK home entertainment partner, Abbey Home Media, released Pirates and Other Stories back in February, and Elmo's Potty Time earlier this month. Next release will be Old School Volume 2 later in March.
Elmo Live, meanwhile, from Mattel was one of the top selling toys over Christmas last year and was named as one of the Dream Dozen by the Toy Retailers Association.
Sesame Street has over 25 UK licensees, with apparel and plush (by Gund) selling particularly well.

Strawberry Shortcake

Strawberry Shortcake has evolved into a multi-dimensional, evergreen franchise, generating more than $2.7 billion in worldwide retail sales since its relaunch in 2002.
The property boasts more than 450 licensees worldwide, and continues to enjoy growing popularity with expanding product launches and retail successes, particularly in France, Brazil and Mexico. These key territories are leading the charge across the globe and opening doors to additional markets in Europe and Asia.
The autumn will see master toy licensee Hasbro debut a new line of strawberry-scented toys including play-sets, vehicles and dolls, featuring the brand's new look. Fox Home Entertainment will release a CGI movie and DVD - The Strawberry Shortcake Movie: Sky's the Limit.
Cookie Jar is also signing a host of new licensees and working with current partners in all major categories to create items that will reflect Strawberry Shortcake's new look and storyline. It has appointed a new master apparel partner, with product due in the autumn. Additional US licensees will be signed in a wide variety of categories including publishing, bedding, consumables, HBA and footwear. CPLG handles the property in the UK.

Strictly Come Dancing

A personal favourite this one. BBC Worldwide has ambitious plans to make the Saturday night favourite a key licensing brand. Five deals have already been announced, with the first phase of products due to hit retail in the autumn.
Master gift licensee is Zeon, which is working on a line of back packs, shoulder bags and vanity cases inspired by the glitz and the glamour of the show. The product range will also include jewellery, purses and cosmetic bags, glitter balls and an iPod cover and earphones.
In addition to the gift line, BBCW has awarded clothing licences to Aykroyds and TDP Licensing (children's and adult nightwear) and Cohen & Wilks (children's outerwear). Blueprint is also on board for a themed line of stationery products, while Danilo will provide calendars and diaries.

The Daring Book for Girls

The book uses the approach made famous by The Dangerous Book for Boys, including tips and instructions for things to make and do, plus useful or interesting facts and historical information.
While the spirit is the same, however, the content is obviously different: along with karate moves and how to paddle a canoe, Daring Girls can learn about famous women spies and how to put ther hair up with a pencil. A handy trick.
After its licensing success with Dangerous Book, Rocket is already working with a major name on a line of activity gifts for Daring Girls, which will be exclusively stocked by one retailer. The range will be available in the autumn. Rocket is now actively looking at other licensing areas.

The Pig

Represented by 4Kids Entertainment International, Artlist Collection: The Pig is the newest addition to the widely popular animal photography franchise that started in 2003 with collections of The Dog and The Cat.
The Pig series photographs its subjects using a fish-eye lens in a way that enhances their heads and bodies to create close-range images that are expressive and charming.
The brand has alredy secured a large number of licensees for the UK including Gosh (plush), Spearmark (lunch bags and sports bottles), Blueprint (stationery) and Character World (bedding, towels and rugs).
The Pig product range will launch exclusively in all 73 Toys R Us stores in the UK in time for Easter, with products available including school supplies, accessories, room decor and greetings cards, wrap, bags and puzzles.
The launch will be supported with seasonally branded front of store space, POS material and a full page in the TRU Easter catalogue.
Moving forward, and 4Kids will be aiming to build on the success of The Dog and The Cat franchises by securing a broad range of licensees and territories for The Pig. The first international licensee, Italian firm Cool Things, has already signed up a number of items including cell phone danglers, key rings and mini purses.