Numberblocks publisher Sweet Cherry makes British Book Awards 2021 shortlist

The independent children’s book publisher, Sweet Cherry – the publishing partner for Numberblocks, Alphablocks, and The Rubbish World of Dave Spud, has been named a Regional and Country Winner for the Small Press of the Year in the Midlands.

Having made the cut, the book publisher is now in the running to be crowned Small Press of the Year at the British Book Awards 2021.

Hosted by The Bookseller, the judging panel for the awards praised the Leicester-based publishing house’s efforts in 2020, championing it for doubling its export sales in 2020 and highlighting the firm’s diversity with “half of its management from BAME backgrounds.”

Sweet Cherry hit record-breaking sales in 2020 despite being based in Leicester, one of the longest-suffering UK cities during the pandemic. Staff have been working home since March 2020 and the company has been able to publish its new children’s books as planned. 

Lara Clift, publisher and sales director at Sweet Cherry, said: “We are over the moon to have won the regional finalist award in the Midlands. The team has worked so hard during the pandemic and we could not be any happier.” 

The full shortlist for the awards will be announced on Friday 19th March 2021. 

Signature Publishing debuts Adventures With kids’ magazine with Masha and the Bear partnership

Signature Publishing is to launch a new monthly magazine for children called Adventures With, a changing theme magazine for pre-schoolers that will partner up with some of the biggest names in the entertainment sector.

Marking the debut of the new title, Signature Publishing has partnered with Animaccord to brings its flagship property, Masha and the Bear to print as it looks to support early years learning through stories, puzzles, colouring, and other activities. On top of this, each issue will come with a bespoke cover-mount.

Masha and the Bear currently ranks number five in the list of most in-demand children’s shows worldwide as well as number three among top favourite kids’ entertainment brands in Europe and MEA. On YouTube, the series reached over 84 billion total views and 130 million followers as well as received 40 YouTube Play Buttons including five Diamond Buttons (YouTube Creator Awards).

In 2019, the cartoon was included in Guinness World Records book as the most-watched animated video on YouTube, with the episode “Recipe for Disaster” that today counts over 4.4 billion views.

“Masha and The Bear is a brilliant brand to begin our Adventures With magazines,” said Amanda Clifford, Signature Publishing’s editorial director. “The characters and stories are endearing and funny with a unique appeal to young children and it’s been an absolute pleasure to work with it.

“We have many more exciting brands that we’re going to be taking Adventures With and each one is sure to be a magazine that children will love and treasure.”

Adventures With is a monthly magazine launching March 31st 2021 priced at £4.99. The first issue, dedicated to Masha and The Bear, will come with a Masha and The Bear secret box set and will be available nationwide at all good supermarkets and newsagents.

Cartoon Salon launches online art gallery for prints from its award-winning film slate

The Academy Award nominated animation studio, Cartoon Saloon, has launched a new e-commerce art gallery, featuring limited edition framed prints from a slate of its award nominated and award winning films, including WolfWalkers, The Breadwinner, Song of the Sea, and The Secret of Kells.

Originating from Cartoon Saloon’s Studio in the medieval town of Kilkenny, Ireland, the series of artwork is now available, ranging in prices from €450. Each print is signed by the films’ directors and numbered and is printed on museum quality paper.

Brian Tyrrell, general manager, brand development with Cartoon Saloon, said: “The launch of our new art gallery offers us a tremendous opportunity to share the magic of these outstanding movies with fans around the world. We are extremely proud of our films, particularly with the most recent recognition WolfWalkers is receiving with Academy, Golden Globe and BAFTA Award nominations.

“We are thrilled to offer these carefully curated state-of-the-art limited edition numbered prints that are sure to become a valuable collector’s items in the years to come.”

2021 Academy Award, BAFTA and Golden Globe-nominated WolfWalkers, directed by Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and was heralded by The Hollywood Reporter as “a visually dazzling, richly imaginative, emotionally resonant production,” while IndieWire headlines read, “Cartoon Saloon’s Irish Folklore Trilogy Ends with the Best Animated Film of the Year.”

The film opened theatrically in the U.S. on November 13, 2020 and is now available on Apple TV+.

WolfWalkers follows Robyn Goodfellowe, a young apprentice hunter who journeys to Ireland with her father in a time of superstition and magic to wipe out the last wolf pack. While exploring the forbidden lands outside the city walls, Robyn befriends a free-spirited girl, Mebh, a member of a mysterious tribe rumored to have the ability to transform into wolves by night. As they search for Mebh’s missing mother, Robyn uncovers a secret that draws her further into the enchanted world of the WolfWalkers and risks turning into the very thing her father is tasked to destroy.

Meanwhile, nominated for an Academy Award in 2010 for best animated feature and winning awards at festivals worldwide, The Secret of Kells is a bewitching animated fairytale for children and adults alike that is a spirited retelling of the provenance of Ireland’s most cherished artefact, the Book of Kells.

With the Viking hordes approaching, the monks of Kells are forced to turn their attention from transcribing manuscripts to building barricades. The future of the precious book is in jeopardy and it falls to Brendan, young nephew of the abbot Cellach, to save the day.

The Secret of Kells was Cartoon Saloon’s first feature film and was directed by Tomm Moore with Nora Twomey as Co-director.

Song of the Sea tells the story of Ben and his little sister Saoirse – the last Seal-child – who embark on a fantastic journey across a fading world of ancient legend and magic in an attempt to return to their home by the sea. The film takes inspiration from the mythological Selkies of Irish folklore, who live as seals in the sea but become humans on land.

Finally, based on the best-selling children’s novel by Deborah Ellis, the award-winning and multi-award-nominated The Breadwinner, directed by Nora Twomey from a screenplay by Anita Doron and Deborah Ellis, is a celebration of children.

The movie tells the story of 11 year old Parvana who gives up her identity to provide for her family and try to save her father’s life. Every day is a challenge as Parvana tries to bring home enough food and water to support her mother, sister and little brother. She meets a fellow girl in disguise called Shauzia and together, they form a bond that will give them the strength to endure the war that comes to their doorstep.

Papa’s got a brand new bag | How Rocksax is having fun and finding growth in the digital age of music

The music merchandise specialist, Rocksax, has undergone somewhat of a transformation over the course of the pandemic. Nothing quite as drastic as a full-blown Jefferson Airplane to Starship transition, but noteworthy all the same.

Click through to the Rocksax online platform and you’ll be met with an engaging product showcase that spans its collection of music artist and band-branded bags, accessories, and bar stools. It’s been the company’s lockdown mission to build its digital presence, and it’s an effort that has paid off.

This time last year, outside of its retail and distribution business – the primary source of business for Rocksax still to this day – this was an outfit that was bringing in around £1 a day via its consumer-facing online operation. Today, Rocksax is doing between £1 and £2 a minute on the platform, selling luggage, backpacks, and vinyl carriers featuring artists and band artwork that spans the genres.

Within the Rocksax portfolio sits every artist to have made a mark on the music merchandise space, from legacy acts such as Black Sabbath and Pink Floyd, to contemporary artists like Billie Eilish. Then there’s the wealth of talent that sits in between; whether you’re into your Madchester sounds of Oasis or your Bowie image, or perhaps, even, the artwork of legacy record labels, like Blue Note or Motown.

Surprisingly, despite the gig and touring industry being ‘decimated’ by the pandemic, the music merchandise sector is going steady. Whether it’s music fans choosing to place their support of musicians elsewhere this past year, or simply that consumers have had time to re-engage with their music collections, and therefore their fandom, it’s for the likes of Rocksax, that business has actually grown.

But then again, music consumption hasn’t abated, but steamed ahead, and today, Rocksax’s license line-up is as varied as the modern day music lover’s Spotify playlist. If eclecticism defines today’s consumer – whether they are pop culture fans, gamers, or music-lovers –  and fuels today’s streaming culture, then Rocksax is having fun tapping into the opportunities that come along with that.  

What you won’t find among the company’s long list of licences, mind you, is Ed Sheeran. No matter how many Glastonburys he does.

“He just doesn’t resonate with consumers in terms of merch,” laughs Ian Hopkins, investor and business development manager at Rocksax. “Likewise, not many people walk around with an Adele t-shirt. Not every artist appeals to merch, there has to be a certain style, and a catalogue of artwork.”

With a more than 20 year career spent enveloped in the music merch scene, whether heading up new business at Virgin or in his role as the founding director of Pulp, it’s fair to say that Hopkins has an eye – and an ear – for what works. Currently, what’s working for Rocksax is its portfolio of bags, and with Hopkins and his business partner now in control of the young start-up, it’s where the focus will remain for the company.

“What’s exciting and what we are having fun with is tapping into how eclectic consumers’ music tastes are these days,” Hopkins tells Licensing.biz. “The digitisation of music is a lot of things, but it has definitely given music fans a bigger field. 

 “When I was growing up, you didn’t buy vinyl or products from anything other than the genre you were into. If you were a mod or a rocker, you were stuck in one genre because you could only buy one single or one album a month, because of the money,” Ian Hopkins,  investor and business development management at Rocksax, tells Licensing.biz.

“But now, because of Spotify, people are multi-genre, and when you look at their phones they have Metallica, Take That, Katy Perry… they listen to it all. And that’s brilliant, because it allows us so much to play with.”

As well, of course, music merchandising has become a new way for music fans to reconnect with their favourite artists. CDs are no longer the go-to purchase for engaging with music, therefore tactility with music is being sought through other means.

It’s certainly why the music licensing space has exploded over the last few years, with the likes of Bravado – Universal Music group’s own licensing division – spearheading innovative leaps forward in the business of licensing bands and artists. 

Likewise, artists have begun creating their own brands, too. Hopkins gives the example of Kanye and his Pablo and Yeezy brands, but plenty others are in on the act, too. The physicality of music is being redefined in branding, and whether its a Motorhead cycling jersey from Milltag, or a Blink 182 backpack from Rocksax, it’s a vibrantly exciting space.

“The music merch business has moved around a bit since I have been involved in it about 20 years now,” says Hopkins. “Where it was traditionally touring merch and what was stocked in HMV or Vertical Tower, it’s moved into fast fashion in Primark, and beyond that with capsule collections going into Selfridges.

“You hear of hip hop artists opening pop-up stores now, and the numbers they are doing through them is phenomenal.”

Like any industry, the music merch space is about finding a point of difference. With Rocksax, that takes the form of its line-up of bags; a range that itself has undergone development and re-development at the hands of Hopkins’ investment that has elevated its quality and design as the firm looks to extend its retail distribution network beyond the HMVs and international outlets it currently works with.

“We want to get these to the likes of Urban Outfitters, and those other Gen Z retailers,” says Hopkins. “It’s why we’ve made a lot developments over this pandemic, revisited the design, moved factories, just elevated the business in general.

“We have opened up our own subsidiary in the US and we have set up two distributors in the US and one in Canada, it’s all been about spotting the opportunities in different markets as they arise.”

One such opportunity spotted was in the resurgence of the vinyl, a movement that breathed life into Rocksax’s own collection of vinyl carry bags – each of them making use of the artwork not of artists but of record labels themselves, tapping – suggests Hopkins – into the more musically educated market of the record collector.

“We looked at the music market and no one was doing much with the old record label artwork, so we thought that, for the slightly more musically educated fan, maybe slightly older, we would develop this range of record label vinyl carriers that you can take your records around to your mates in,” he says.

“For us, it’s about discovering the trends within our primary focus. We could easily get distracted by other things – like gaming, for instance – but we don’t want that. For us, it is about bringing in genres into the bag business.”

Hip hop is a major focus for the team right now. It’s a tough pill to swallow, but the truth is, many of the genre-defining hip hop artists themselves are becoming legacy acts as the 30 year lag starts to come around again.

“It makes me feel ancient,” confesses Hopkins, “that this generation is now finding out about these artists and buying their merch. Dr Dre, Death Row Records, all of that stuff. What will come next – along with hip hop – will be grunge and the ‘80s/’90s grunge, Nirvana and the beginning of Foo Fighters, which will all start feeding in over the next few years.”

One to keep his ear close to his own Spotify in order to tap into the music trends, Hopkins is aware of the need to remain current. The youth of the Rocksax team helps keep the firm on trend, while the closeness with which Hopkings works with licensors goes the distance to help the business stay tuned in.

And the modern scene isn’t all about the music that consumers are engaging with, but the means through which they get their merchandise, too. It’s why the print on demand sector has become one of particular interest to Hopkins over recent months, so much so, that Rocksax is in the early stage talks with print on demand services to bolt onto its own platform.

“We are working with one of the big printers to create a bag that you can out into a printer and it will print out in two or three minutes,” he says. “That’s something we can then create – a load of bags, bring it over from China, and have them here as blanks for people to print what they want, when they want.

“The potential for print on demand in the music merch business, as well as wider licensing, is huge. It’s quite interesting in music merch because you always see the same three designs for a band, who may actually have a library of art work from their albums etc. There’s a long tail which is never seen.

“Put that in front of the consumer, let them choose, and you’ll find some odd winners that a buyer wouldn’t have thought of. Print on demand is putting the power back in the hands of the consumer, and I think that’s a great thing, because the buyer doesn’t always make the right choices.”

Kids’ audio platform Tonies bolsters pre-school portfolio with Bing and In the Night Garden

The children’s audio story-telling platform, Tonies, has detailed the addition of two high-calibre pre-school IPs to its expanding library of licensed figurines, welcoming Bing and In the Night Garden to its portfolio.

In a new partnership with Acamar Films, Tonies will be bringing the studio’s flagship pre-school property, Bing, to the platform in 2022. Meanwhile, an In the Night Garden Iggle Piggle figurine will join a trio of new launches this month, developed to help children sleep better ahead of World Sleep Day on March 19th.

Designed for children aged three and upwards, the In the Night Garden: A Musical Journey Tonie has a running time of 47 minutes and will follow the CBeebies favourites, Iggle Piggle, Upsy Daisy, and friends on their adventures through the Night Garden. Its charming and gentle songs and stories will help promote sleep and comfort to little ones.

The Bing Tonie will launch to retailers next year and promises to deliver new audio entertainment to children.

Liz Peters, portfolio manager, Tonies UK, said: “We are so excited to partner with Acamar Films and we love that Bing finds the big stories in the little moments, helping pre-schoolers navigate the everyday challenges they experience.

“Bing is a firm favourite for little ones across the UK and we are sure that Bingsters and Tonie-fans alike are going to love this addition to our stellar roster.”

Natalie Harvey, executive director of sales, Acamar Films, added: “Collaborating with Tonies is a fantastic opportunity for more pre-schoolers to engage with Bing stories in an innovative way.

“The importance the Toniebox places on storytelling, language development and imaginative play is in perfect alignment with Bing and we are delighted to be a part of their ongoing success story, delivering audio experiences children will love.”

Wow! Stuff unleashes new Jurassic World line up with flying toys, collectables, and more

Wow! Stuff is continuing to expand its portfolio of hit licensed brands with the addition of Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment’s blockbuster franchise, Jurassic World.

Under the new partnership, Wow! Stuff will unleash a series of collectables and flying toys based on the iconic Pteranadon, including the Pteranadon Jump Rocket that sends the flying dinosaur 50 feet skywards, as well as the new Dino-Glider featuring a jet motor that powers its dinosaur along a circular flight path.

And this is just the tip of the prehistoric iceberg of the range currently in development. The range will also be joined by an extension to Wow! Stuff’s popular collectable Wow! Pods – the ‘swipe to light’ collectable that hit the number one best-seller spot on Amazon last November.

Jurassic World Wow! Pods SFX feature a special effects sound mode. Kids can ‘swipe to light’ to reveal hidden icons inside the hexapod while they Clap to Roar to release dinosaur roars authentic tothe sounds of those in the Jurassic World franchise.

Dialing up the cute factor within the new collection is Wow! Stuff’s own innovative take on dinosaur hatching with the Drop ‘n Pop dinosaur egg like no other. Kids can simply drop the egg onto a hard surface and watch it pop open to reveal a soft plush dinosaur. The line features both Bumpy – the baby dinosaur featured in Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous, or the infamous T-Rex.

When popped open, the dinosaur sits at the base of its egg, making it the ideal item for display. They are also easy to squash back into the eggshell and re-seal.

Kenny McAndrew, director of new product development and licensing at Wow! Stuff, said: “The Wow! Stuff way is to continually innovate in our product development so that we truly ‘WOW’ the fans of great tier one brands.

“Jurassic World has been a fabulous brand to work on with its rich story lines and evergreen status. It’s one of the biggest and most loved brands in the industry and also the undisputed leader of the dinosaur toy category. We believe the fans are going to love the range we’ve created.”

The range is expected to land on shelves from June this year.

Guide Dogs UK creates The Gruffalo scents to make story time inclusive for visually impaired children

Magic Light Pictures and Macmillan Children’s Books have partnered with the sight loss charity, Guide Dogs to answer the age old question: what does the Gruffalo smell like?

Via this innovative new partnership, characters from the popular children’s book by Julia Donaldson – Mouse, Fox, Owl, Snake, and the Gruffalo – will be brought to life in a series of scents developed to help make reading a story inclusive for the whole family.

Research has found that 80 per cent of how we learn is visual. Guide Dogs has therefore made the move to create a sensory version of the beloved 20-year-old story for the first time, helping children with visual impairment feel more included in the story.

Working in partnership with Macmillan Children’s Books and Magic Light Pictures, the charity has created a scent kit that includes five inhalers, one for each character of The Gruffalo. The quick-witted mouse smells like cupcakes, the fox smells of cut grass, the owl smells like a freshly poured cup of tea, and the snake bring with it a smoky scent.

The Gruffalo himself carries with him a leathery barnyard smell that permeates from the depths of the deep, dark wood.

Kerry Kernan, Guide Dogs Children and Young People National Service Operations Manager, said: “Discovering a child has a vision impairment can be a worrying and confusing time for families, and we have a range of services to help. We hope that the universal appeal of The Gruffalo will help shine a light on how important it is to make things as inclusive as possible. Small adaptations and innovations can really help support families with a vision impaired child.

“Every year we help hundreds of families build their knowledge and confidence, and provide tools that are right for each family’s specific needs – whether that’s through enabling more moments like inclusive reading, or by providing services like habilitation support, education support or grants for parents and children to access new technology.

“We hope that this scent kit encourages more parents across the UK to reach out to us for help – and for more people to recognise and support the work we do with children and young people.”

Each scent in the kit was developed with the input of Guide Dogs service users to ensure they were at the heart of this.

Roger Whalley, Guide Dogs UK service user, said: “The support from Guide Dogs’ Children & Young People services has been life changing for our family. Not only in helping us navigate Josie’s sight loss journey, but also for building her confidence through teaching her life skills and providing opportunities for us to meet other families going through a similar experience.

“The Gruffalo is a much-loved story in our house, and we are thrilled that this scent kit will allow our daughter Josie who has visual impairment and our sighted son Wolf to be able to enjoy their favourite book together – something which I think most families rightly take for granted.”

Alyx Price, Associate Publisher at Macmillan Children’s Books, added: “We are so pleased to be working with Guide Dogs to help more children and families enjoy The Gruffalo. As publishers, we want to find ways for all children to access stories and this is a wonderful new way to enjoy books together.

“By interacting with the smells for these well-known characters, visually impaired children can now experience this favourite picture book and ‘meet’ the characters themselves.”

 In addition, Guide Dogs Specialist Education Support Team has developed a bank of resources specifically to support the parents of children with a vision impairment, this includes bringing books to life using touch and sound.

Hasbro and Entertainment One unveil Peppa Pig content plans through to 2027

Hasbro’s global content studio, Entertainment One, has outlined a new content plan for Peppa Pig, confirming that 104 new episodes have been given the go ahead for production.

The plans will ensure that a pipeline of fresh content of the popular pre-school IP will be in place through to 2027. The new epsidoe roll-out will bring the total number of Peppa Pig episodes to 485.

Animation studio Astley Baker Davies (ABD), the original creators of Peppa Pig, will work closely with eOne to transition creative production duties to the award-winning British animation studio Karrot, with Andrea Tran at the helm as director. The animation style, music and voice talent will remain unchanged.

“As demand for Peppa Pig remains as strong now as it’s ever been, we couldn’t be more excited to announce that additional new episodes are underway. In creating the global evergreen preschool series, Astley Baker Davies has achieved a rare, once in a generation success story,” said Rebecca Harvey, EVP global brand and marketing at eOne Family and Brands.

“The show’s enduring popularity is a tribute to their skill as storytellers and their dedication to the characters and their craft. We wish them every success as they embark on their next adventure.”

“We remain committed to producing fresh Peppa Pig content that will continue to resonate with each new generation and that will underpin the long-term future of the property. We are, therefore, delighted to welcome award-winning British animation studio, Karrot, who will honour all the elements of the show that make it beloved of families around the world.”

Neville Astley, Mark Baker, and Phil Davies of Astley Baker Davies, said: “Peppa Pig has been a huge part of our lives. It’s a source of great pride that it’s given joy to so many children for so many years.”

“Peppa will always be close to our hearts and we couldn’t be more pleased to be passing the torch to the extraordinarily talented team of artists at Karrot who will continue to deliver our adored Peppa to the world for many years to come.”

Key talent from ABD have been tapped to join Karrot, maintaining continuity and bringing valuable knowledge and experience of making the show over many years. This includes Phill Hall who joins as head writer, having co-written numerous episodes of Peppa Pig since 2007.

Founded in 2008, Karrot is a BAFTA and Emmy award-winning studio that has built an industry reputation and is best known for creating charming British animated series’ including Sarah & Duck.

Jamie Badminton, series producer at Karrot, said: “Peppa Pig has a charm and simplicity that is timeless and universal.  It’s a giant honour to be continuing the legacy that Astley Baker Davies has created. We will remain faithful to their vision and look forward to being part of Peppa Pig’s future, enduring success.”

eOne continues to drive growth for Peppa Pig with an investment in new content, fresh CP lines and wide-reaching brand marketing plans. Series nine kicks off this Spring with the new four-part US special which sees Peppa and family take a road trip around America followed by a further 22 new episodes that will roll out globally throughout 2021.

Inspired by these new episodes, the theme of ‘Peppa Adventures’ will extend into the exciting retail debut of the first global toy line from Hasbro.

 The brand’s digital footprint also continues to expand this year with the release of a second music album in July, new content on the official YouTube channel where Peppa Pig was ranked the number one most streamed kids show of any age in 2020 and new Audio Stories for families to enjoy on-the-go.

In the UK, a partnership between Peppa Pig and Team GB will leverage excitement around the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. More recently, plans for a brand new Peppa Pig theme park in Florida’s Legoland have just been announced to squeals of delight and the attraction is set to open its doors in 2022.

Rainbow Group details new global marketing and licensing strategy for Winx Club

Rainbow Group has detailed the launch of a new global marketing and licensing strategy for its international hit series, Winx Club, as it looks to target the young adult audience through fashion, accessories, beauty, and make-up.

Winx Club has been a global ratings success for the Italian content studio since its debut back in 2004, with each new series landing further broadcast partners to help make it one of the leading girls’ properties on the international scene.

Alongside the global strategy aimed at kids, Rainbow’s in-house design team has created a variety of differing style guides and a look-book to support its enhanced global strategy for consumer products focusing on teenage girls and the 20-something female audience, with initial specific focuses on fashion, accessories, beauty and make-up. 

To support the new young adults’ consumer products strategy a variety of marketing, PR and digital activities will ensure the engagement of both evergreen fans, as well as new audiences worldwide. Additionally, the co-operation with Netflix and the timing of the successful launch of Fate: The Winx Saga, aligns with Rainbow’s new young adult CP strategy. 

Fate: The Winx Saga is an exclusive Netflix original live-action adaptation of the animation series and produced in collaboration with Rainbow. Within six weeks of its launch on Netflix (January ‘21), the series has established itself as a global ratings success and been commissioned for a second season (Netflix announcement 18 February ’21).  

As a TV series, Winx Club has crossed multi-cultural boundaries with its breadth of characters and themes such as friendship, courage, and determination. These themes are as relevant to today’s young children and young adults, as they were back in 2004 when season one debuted around the world.   

YWOW Games makes US market debut with Kraft Heinz licensed games line-up

The international games and puzzle company, YWOW Brands has made its big move on the American market with the launch of a new range of Kraft Heinz branded novelty puzzles.

The deal was brokered by Kraft Heinz’s exclusive licensing agency, Brand Central, and arrives as YWOW continues to make waves on the global games and puzzles scene through a portfolio of products that combines some of the most recognisable household brands with puzzles.

Last year saw YWOW secure licensing partnerships with some of the world’s best-loved food brands, including Pringles, Kellogg’s, and Mentos. The range is currently being shipped to over 40 markets around the world amid ‘soaring demand’ for the company’s licensed ranges.

According to YWOW, its Mini Puzzles Kellogg’s and Pringles are ‘rapidly selling out in the UK,’ while growing online sales have taken the range into further international markets.

The company has recently taken on a venture to spread the Novelty Puzzle hype to the USA and to do so, has partnered with one of the country’s own best-loved food brands.

YWOW Brands’ partnership with Kraft Heinz has led to the creation of new puzzle lines. The three brands of focus are ones closest to the hearts of Americans: HEINZ, KOOL AID and JELL-O.

“With the firepower of these brands and the innovative capacity of YWOW Brands, the team is prepared to transform the current Toy market in the United States,” read a statement from the firm.

“The brand-new licensed puzzles will appear in the form of Mini and Supersized puzzles in major retailers, designed using striking bold packaging to catch the eye of the consumer. YWOW Brands is expected to have great success launching their puzzles in North America with a guarantee that the global Puzzle market will never be the same.”