Category Archives: Entertainment

WildBrain CPLG scores wave of new Emoji partners across EMEA spanning fashion, accessories and back to school

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WildBrain CPLG has scored a new wave of new deals across EMEA for the globally revered Emoji – The Iconic Brand, adding a selection of new fashion, accessories, and back to school partners to the ever-expanding portfolio.

WildBrain CPLG’s Middle East and North Africa (MENA) team has inked a deal with Yellow Flower (Premium Brands) for an Emoji apparel line spanning babywear and kids’ t-shirts, now available at Carrefour stores across the Middle East. Additionally, Andy Enterprises has developed a new line of Emoji face masks, which has launched at 45 Brands for Less stores in the region.

The new partnership joins the previously detailed deal with the Kuwaiti sports and high street fashion retailer, Al Nasser, who has now introduced its first Emoji brand apparel range for kids and women. Meanwhile, the local high-end fashion retailer RIVA has just launched its second Emoji brand collection for teens and women.

Over in Central and Eastern Europe, WildBrain CPLG is building upon its long-term relationship with the Polish market leader for school supplies, St-Majewski, with the launch of a new range of Emoji stationery and gifts, including crayons, colouring pencils, notebooks, backpacks, diaries and money boxes. The line is now available online and at stores across Poland and Europe, with the support of an extensive marketing and PR campaign.

In a further local deal, WildBrain CPLG has signed Utenos who will launch an apparel collection for kids, tweens and young teens this summer.

Marco Huesges, CEO and founder of the Emoji company, added: “An integral part of our Emoji brand strategy is ensuring there’s always a fresh and enticing range of on-trend products available to consumers of all ages. WildBrain CPLG continues to secure best-in-class partnerships and these new deals are no exception – we’re sure these new ranges will be a huge hit with our fans across EMEA.”

Roberto Pallottini, licensing manager MENA at WildBrain CPLG, said: “The instantly recognisable Emoji brand continues to go from strength to strength particularly across the MENA region, where it’s become a key property for retailers, especially those within the fashion space. With its distinctive, vast and universal language, Emoji offers endless possibilities for licensees and retailers to get creative, as demonstrated by this latest wave of products that offer consumers some really fun and unique ways to express themselves.”

WildBrain CPLG represents the Emoji brand across the UK and Eire, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, across Benelux, Turkey, CEE, Spain and Portugal. It also reps the brand in Russia, France, MENA, Nordics, Italy, Greece, Poland, and Ukraine.

Additionally, WildBrain CPLG is handling worldwide licensing and merchandising rights for emojitown®, a new digital-first series and consumer products extension of the Emoji brand, for which the agency is developing a cross-category merchandise offering targeted at teens and young adults.

Global toy craze Cats vs. Pickles lands first longer form animated series in Cepia LLC partnership

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Cats vs. Pickles, the global collectable toy craze that has rocketed to success across the world’s toy markets in recent months, has landed its first extended original TV series, a move that is expected to ‘unlock the IP’s potential for international marketing, licensing, and additional consumer products.’

The move is part of a new alliance formed between Curiosity Ink Media and its owner Grom Social Enterprises, and Cepia LLC, who will also be eyeing ancillary publishing extensions for the toy brand this year and beyond.

In the world of Cats vs. Pickles, Cats are afraid of Pickles, but Pickles are misunderstood, they just want to be friends. The Cats vs. Pickles brand has already established vast appeal among a global audience through its range of collectable bean-filled toys, as well as its hit YouTube series of animated shorts and app game.

Details of the brand’s move into longer form, 11-minute animated content, as well as its publishing plans, were revealed this week by Cepia LLC’s founder and CEO, James Russell Hornsby, and Curisity Ink Media’s chief content officer, Russell Hicks.

The partnership represents both companies’ foray into the worlds of content distribution and publishing – offering new revenue streams for both – unlocking the potential for attendant ancillary businesses including international marketing, licensing and additional consumer products.

The alliance will develop Cats vs. Pickles into a recurring series in 11-minute installments, as well as create revenue-generating extensions beginning with published content for consumer purchase. With no dialogue, Cats vs. Pickles will benefit from having no language or cultural barriers to navigate, with ‘potential for immediate global distribution.’

Simultaneously, Curiosity and Cepia will collaborate to produce a collection of picture, board and activity books expected to hit shelves in 2022.

In the tradition of the classic cartoon, Tom & Jerry, Cats vs. Pickles tells its story without the use of dialogue as the misunderstood, dim-witted pickles – Joe Pickle, Hank Pickle, and Fitzgherkin – plot complex but doomed-to-fail schemes to get close to cats while in the pursuit of friendship.

The colorful cast of cats -including Paw-Purr-Oni, Water-meow-lon and Galacticat – are too self- absorbed to realize the pickle pursuit until it’s too late and react to the pickles with frightening alarm.

“Cats vs. Pickles has the elements of a franchise hit including a simple premise: loveable characters, endless storytelling possibilities and brand extension opportunities,” said Hicks. “Curiosity Ink Media is very excited to partner with the brilliant minds from Cepia to elevate this online sensation from cult hit to global powerhouse at a time when the world could definitely use a laugh, a smile and a message about acceptance.”

Hornsby added: “At its core, Cats vs Pickles is a love story that everyone can relate to because, at some point, we’ve all been pickles ourselves. We are thrilled to team up with the exceptional storytellers at Curiosity Ink, whose rich biographies in entertainment include cultivating powerhouse franchises like SpongeBob and Dora the Explorer, to expand Cats vs. Pickles into its next nine lives.”

Exploding Kittens launches first licensed title Exploding Minions with Illumination and Universal Brand Development

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The hit tabletop games publisher, Exploding Kittens has launched its first licensed game, Exploding Minions, developed in collaboration with Illumination and Universal Brand Development.

The new game is a Minions-inspired take on its flagship Exploding Kittens card game, drawing on the appeal of one of the most successful animation franchises of all time, to bring an ‘easy to learn, quick to play’ game for kids and adults to enjoy together.

Read the full interview with Exploding Kittens’ Joeri Hoste here or in the Spring/Summer issue of ToyNews.

“We’re excited to combine one of the biggest card games with Illumination’s global pop-culture phenomenon, the Minions, to create a new family game night essential,” said Elan Lee, co-creator and CEO of Exploding Kittens. “Exploding Minions marries these two universes to create a simple yet strategic game for all to enjoy.”

Aimed at players aged seven and upwards, Exploding Minions is a family-friendly spin-off of the core Russian Roulette-style game that includes new card types and fun illustrations of Minions as imagined by The Oatmeal. Participants take turns drawing cards while trying to evade the Exploding Minions.

Players can avoid exploding by using clever strategies and favourite cards such as ‘Defuse’, ‘Nope’ and ‘See the Future’, as well as the new ‘Clone Card’. The last player who hasn’t exploded is declared the winner.

The partnership with Illumination and Universal Brand Development marks the first licensing partnership for Exploding Kittens who, until now, has seen most of its licensing activity take the form of outbound licensing, expanding its own IP into the likes of video games for the Nintendo Switch.

In an exclusive interview with Licensing.biz’ sister title, ToyNews, Exploding Kittens’ director of international sales, Joeri Hoste revealed that should the partnership prove to be successful, then further licensing options will be an avenue the firm will continue to explore for its titles.

LEGO Education partners with NASA to launch STEAM learning series ahead of the Artemis I mission

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LEGO Education has detailed a new collaboration with NASA to launch a free digital STEAM learning series this September, designed to spark curiosity and engagement in STEAM through the upcoming Artemis I mission.

Called Build to Launch: A STEAM Exploration Series, the 10-week series includes interactive episodes and open-ended prompts grouped into three learning themes aligned with the mission: Getting to Space, Testing and Transport, and Working in Space.

Teachers will be able to implement this standards-based series for grades K-12 into their curriculum. From astronauts to engineers and flight controllers, each interactive and hands-on lesson will highlight and explain careers at NASA to inspire students to see themselves in these roles.

Students will then work together to solve problems like the NASA teams they’re learning about. Throughout the series, students will also follow along and interact with the LEGO Space Team, featuring LEGO minifigures as members of the flight and ground crews involved in a typical space mission.

Esben Stærk, president of LEGO Education, said: “We are at a pivotal moment in education, and to rethink how students learn we must provide meaningful, hands-on learning experiences. The LEGO Education and Artemis lesson series creates joyful learning moments and brings STEAM learning to life through the real-world application of space exploration – a topic that evokes curiosity and awe in students of all ages and abilities.”

Students and teachers will be able to tune into student press conferences hosted on the LEGO Education YouTube channel by LEGO Education SPIKE Prime minifigures Kate and Kyle as they prepare for the mission as part of the Space Team. Each episode will set up the theme of the next module, and students will be encouraged to submit questions ahead of time for Kate and Kyle and their NASA counterparts to answer.

The lessons were developed in collaboration with NASA to excite teachers and students about STEAM learning and Artemis I, the first in a series of increasingly complex lunar missions that will enable human exploration on and around the Moon where NASA will prepare for eventual human exploration of Mars.

During the flight, the uncrewed spacecraft will launch on the most powerful rocket in the world and fly farther than any spacecraft built for humans has ever flown.

As students progress through each learning module inspired by this mission, they will experience some of the important jobs leading up to launch which will test their skills like problem solving and collaboration. Students will work hands-on designing and prototyping, iteratively testing, and working together to build and assemble parts much like the stacking of the mission’s powerful Space Launch System (SLS) rocket.

“Every NASA mission requires people from a wide range of STEM careers, skills, backgrounds, and interests. Today’s students are the Artemis Generation – learning about space and the Artemis I mission through hands-on activities will introduce them to the many careers they can pursue. We look forward to their contributions to push the frontiers of scientific research and expand our understanding of the universe,” said Mike Kincaid, Associate Administrator of the Office of STEM Engagement.

The digital learning series will be made available online for free and can easily be adapted for non-tech use with materials available in classrooms everywhere or with LEGO Education sets.

Teachers and parents are invited to sign up to receive more information at LEGOeducation.com/BuildtoLaunch and be notified when the Teacher Resource Guide becomes available before the full experience launches in September 2021.

Edutainment Licensing named worldwide licensing agent for preschool publishing brand Eat Dirt

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Edutainment Licensing has been appointed the worldwide exclusive licensing agent for the new preschool publishing brand, Eat Dirt, a franchise that spans story books and poems that encourage a love of veggies, children’s gardening, and healthy habits among kids’ aged two to five.

Written by the US author and illustrator, Stacy Moore, the Eat Dirt stories and poems have been inspired by fond childhood memories of romping outside in the garden while munching freshly picked berries and digging in the dirt. The books’ veggie characters each have their own personalities, representing all children of all races and body types.

Moore’s work also features a cast of more unusual characters that don’t fit any mold, such as Green Thumb Chums (a two headed friendly garden monster), Peeve (a little pet compost pile), and unusual boggish creatures, all developed with the idea of being relatable to children and readers.

While every veggie and animal character are different from one another, everyone is accepted and loved and valued. They each contribute their own special skills to the garden community. 

‘Beans don’t expect tomatoes to be like beans, toads don’t expect owls to be like toads, dragonflies don’t expect worms to fly, nor do they think they are better because they can – they can’t dig holes like worms!’ read a statement from the team. 

A rich and comprehensive publishing programme is offered with worldwide rights currently available.

“We are so excited to be working with Stacy – her delightful stories and poems teach kids all about the garden and include a healthy dose of pure silliness, which they love,” said Denise Deane, owner of Edutainment Licensing.

“I am delighted to work with Edutainment Licensing,” added Stacy. “They are a highly successful team dedicated to helping children learn the best way possible – through fun! From my many years of experience as a children’s photographer, I know the importance of keeping kids entertained and happy – otherwise they are off and running.”

Octonauts to ‘make waves’ across UK Sea Life Centres this summer ahead of spin-off series launch

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A series of new activity-based Octonauts trails are set to ‘make waves’ across Sea Life centres and aquariums in the UK and ANZ this summer, thanks to an extensions of an established partnership between Silvergate Media and Merlin Entertainments.

The new deal will also see an all year-long experience launch at Chang Feng Ocean World in China ahead of the launch of the new spin-off series, Octonauts: Above and Beyond later this year.

The interactive events will allow preschoolers and their families to ‘Be Captain For A Day’ as part of a themed and immersive experience which puts them centre-stage of their own Octonauts adventure, looking for Captain Barnacles alongside favourite characters from the show such as Kwazii, Peso and Inkling.

Guests to the attractions will also learn about conserving the world’s oceans as they complete tasks, challenges and activities as part of their mission.

Making a big splash from June to July in the UK, Octonauts events will be taking place at 11 UK Sea Life centre locations, including London, Manchester and Brighton, Birmingham, Blackpool, Bray, Great Yarmouth, Hunstanton, Loch Lomond, Scarborough and Weymouth from June to July.

Visitors to Australia’s Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium (August) and Sea Life Kelly Tarlton’s Aquarium in New Zealand (June to July) will also be able to enjoy the fully-themed family experience.

“We are delighted to bring this latest exciting Octonauts adventure to life for fans in the UK, ANZ and China as we build towards the broadcast launch of OctonautsAbove & Beyond,” said Lisa Macdonald, SVP content and consumer product sales at Silvergate Media.

“Merlin Entertainments’ world-class Sea Life centres are the perfect setting for children to fully immerse themselves in the brand and learn all about saving the oceans. Visitors will be able to embark on a real-life adventure with their favourite characters for a family day out that’s both fun and educational.”

 Rita Marcal, global head of brand and products, added: “Octonauts has such a fantastic affinity with Sea Life and our goal of inspiring guests to fall in love with the ocean and its animals through fun and education. We’re thrilled to welcome our guests to experience the event and learn about conservation with the help of the Octonauts.”

The UK and ANZ events follow close behind the recent Octonauts attraction which launched at Changfeng Ocean World in Shanghai in December 2020 and will also be hosting the new Octonauts trail throughout the year. This is the latest in a series of multi-territory partnerships between Silvergate and Sea Life aquariums, with plans to extend the roll out to the US and the rest of Europe in 2022.

The second half of 2021 promises to be an exciting time for the popular pre-school brand, which is poised for a major relaunch as it makes a welcome return to experiential events.

Silvergate is readying the global launch of the new animated spin off series Octonauts: Above & Beyond in autumn 2021 which has inspired a brand new toy line from the global master toy partner, Moose Toys, including figures, vehicles, play-sets, plush, and games set to debut at retail in 2022.

Spin Master considering global roll-out of Future of Play Scholarship ‘based on interest’

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Spin Master will be considering the expansion of its new Future of Play Scholarship Programme across its 28 global offices, based on the level of interest expressed within the individual markets.

Last week, the global entertainment powerhouse and toy maker detailed the launch of a programme to support the education and career advancement of individuals from under-represented communities across the toys, entertainment, and digital games sectors.

Through its Future of Play Scholarship, the firm has committed to investing up to $100,000 a year in financial aid, as well as mentorship and on the job experience for individuals from under-represented communities, including BIPOC, women, LGBTQIA+, and indigent students seeking post-secondary education with toy design, creative production, digital gaming, and app development.

The launch of the programme follows findings across all three sectors – toys, animation, and gaming – that suggest vast under-representation for many communities, including the matter that black inventors file for patents at one third the rate of white inventors. Similar patent disparities have been uncovered for women, who in 2019 accounted for just 22 per cent of US patents. Research also found that families in the top one per cent of income are ten times more likely to produce patent holders than families in the lower half.

Elsewhere, 2015 research in the animation space found that 60 per cent of animation students are women, yet men make up almost 80 per cent of animators in the workforce, according to Women in Animation data. Representation is even lower for women of colour working in animation, who are in less production roles than their white counterparts.

“At Spin Master, we create toys that inspire, characters that entertain and story lines that empower children around the world to be positive members in their communities,” Tammy SMitham, Spin Master’s VP of global communications and corporate citizenship, told Licensing.biz.

“We want to ensure that our teams creating these toys, games, and series are representative of the diverse communities in which we live and work and that children experience in their daily lives.”

With 28 offices around the world, Spin Master has stated that it will consider expanding the Scholarship programme outside of the US and across its global market based on the interest expressed by each.

“The industry is already having conversations and taking steps to increase diverse representation,” continued Smitham. “What needs to be considered is that not only are the toys, series, and experiences we create more inclusive, but that the people behind the scenes, creating, innovating, and telling the stories are diverse and representative of the kids and families they entertain.”

While the company has highlighted a commitment of $100,000 to the programme, as well as the offer of internships at Spin Master with the potential for full-time employment upon the completion of studies, the toy maker is also keen to see word of the initiative spread among networks, with an eye on awarding more scholarships that originally planned, should the firm receive more applications that expected.

“We want to be a contributor to the movement to increase diverse representation within our industry and within our company,” said Smitham. “At Spin Master we believe that diversity of thought can fuel new ideas and further innovations which will only benefit the children and families we entertain.

“We hope that our Future of Play Scholarship helps to increase representation in the industry as a whole, while also helping students who may have thought they couldn’t pursue their career dreams in the children’s entertainment industry because of lack of opportunity or funding.

“By increasing diverse representation, we can ultimately deliver even more inspiration to the children who we engage with every day.”

Toei Animation teams with LA streetwear brand The Hundreds to celebrate One Piece

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Toei Animation has joined forces with the LA-based streetwear brand, The Hundreds to celebrate the international anime series, One Piece, with the launch of a full range of apparel and collectable accessories.

Produced by Toei Animation and based on the top-selling manga title of all time by Eiichiro Oda, the One Piece anime series spans more than two decades with over 975 episodes to date since it first launched on Japanese TV in October 1999. The series follows pirate Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat crew on the quest to fine One Piece – the legendary treasure of the Pirate King Gol D Roger.

The anime series has achieved global pop culture status that has spurred the growth of the franchise to span theatrical films, home videos, video games, and a catalogue of licensed merchandise that includes accessories, toys, novelties, furniture, housewares, and apparel.

The Hundreds X One Piece Collection will feature Monkey D. Luffy, Roronoa Zoro, Nami, TonyTony Chopper, and the rest of the crew across a line of graphic t-shirts, long sleeves, crewnecks, pullover hoodies, sweatpants, and hats, as well as an array of collectable accessories, including stickers, coffee mugs, pin sets, keychains, and post-it notes.

The Hundreds X One Piece Collection arrives on Thursday, June 17, and will be available on The Hundreds App and Online Shop, as well as The Hundreds flagship store at 501 N Fairfax in Los Angeles and in select authorized retailers in the United States, and Canada.

Entertainment One’s PJ Masks to make season six return with global launch on Disney Junior

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Hasbro’s global entertainment studio, Entertainment One will see its popular preschool series, PJ Masks return for a sixth season as it launches globally on Disney Junior in 2023.

Season six will see the superhero trio Catboy, Owlette, and Gekko make their return for ‘their greatest adventures yet,’ as they encounter all new villains in the city, a new planet in outer space, and the discovery of a new frozen wilderness.

“Our audiences can’t get enough of Catboy, Owlette and Gekko, and we’re excited to introduce them to even more friends in season six,” said Olivier Dumont, president of family brands at eOne. “Disney Junior has long been a key global partner and supporter of the series and we’re so happy to continue our relationship with them and take the brand to new heights.”

 PJ Masks has become a global phenomenon since its launch on Disney Junior in 2015 as a leading storyteller for preschoolers across the globe, broadcast in over 180 territories worldwide across several FTA and VOD platforms. The heroes have a digital footprint including 17 billion lifetime views globally on YouTube and 216 million global music streams as well as 138 million lifetime app downloads.

The brand is also maximized through a multitude of consumer products programmes from apparel and role play, to publishing and location-based entertainment, firmly established in 85 markets worldwide – with the sixth season being brought to life at retail with a new full line of toys from Hasbro from 2023.

PJ MASKS Season Six will launch with 52 x 11-minute episodes, including three super feature-length 44-minute episodes and six half-hour specials that tap into the exciting new themes that preschoolers will love.

Rubies invites gothic kids’ book character Amelia Fang into the licensed dress up collection

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Rubies is expanding its children’s book character range of dress up costumes with the addition of the popular quirky gothic-inspired publishing IP, Amelia Fang.

Created by author and illustrator Laura Ellen, the Amelia Fang book series is published by Farshore/HarperCollins UK and has sold over 380,000 copies in the UK, as well as translated into 24 languages worldwide. It follows the tale of a little vampire with a big heart as she embarks on adventures on the city of Nocturnia.

The title is favoured by seven to nine year olds, with seven books in the series, filled with gothic tales and creative illustrations. Rubies notes that the character Amelia Fang works well within World Book Day and Halloween ranges.

The costumes themselves will feature Amelia Fang, the lead character, and her signature spooky outfits in a variety of sizes. Rubies will design, market, manufacture and distribute the range in the UK next year.  

The IP is the latest to joins a robust and growing portfolio of character licenses that spans everything from Marvel and DC to the likes of Dennis the Menace and Horrid Henry.

Tracey Devine-Tyley, head of licensing and portfolio EMEA, said: “We understand how important reading is to children as it helps develop their minds and imaginations and we strive to support this through any of the licenses we hold which celebrate reading. Amelia Fang is a fantastic license for us to acquire as it is a beloved book series, with a strong and growing group of fans consisting of both children and parents.”

Laura Ellen Anderson, creator of Amelia Fang, added: “I’m so excited to see Rubies bring the Amelia Fang costume to life. It’s wonderful to know that my fans and readers will be able to easily access this costume which can be worn for events such as World Book Day and Halloween, or just for fun.”

The costumes will be available to order early next year on www.rubiesuk.com.