Category Archives: Highlight

The Emoji Company takes legal action against Emoji King for trademark infringement

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The Emoji Company has taken legal action against Emoji King and the use of its trademark that the company believes to ‘similar to the point of infringement’ upon its own trademark registered company name. Emoji is the registered name by The Emoji Company  for a multitude of goods and services.

The company owns the well-established Emoji trademark in more than 100 countries, encompassing goods and services in up to 35 classes.

In court proceedings, it has been stated that the use of Emoji King infringes The Emoji Company’s trademark rights. It has since prohibited several companies – one of which is Emoji King Industrial Co Ltd – from directly or indirectly advertising, offering, and bringing into circulation any products for which The Emoji Company holds registered trademarks.

The trademark Emoji is licensed and used through an international network of renowned agents, licensee, retailers, entertainment and advertisement companies around the world, and the Emoji brand has been globally awarded by the licensing industry.

Official Emoji brand partners include blue chip corporations such as Sony Pictures Animation, Ferrero, Burger King, Nikon, Walmart, Nestle, Zara, Aldi, Pepsico, Ravensburger, The Hershey Company amongst many others.

“Given the success of the globally established and recognized emoji® brand, there are competitors that try to imitate the original,” said Marco Hüsges, CEO and founder of The Emoji Company.

For that reason The Emoji Company continues to take legal action and working with customs globally to defend its well-established brand identity and honest reputation against trademark infringements.

US brand Owens Corning celebrates its 40 year partnership with MGM’s The Pink Panther

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The US construction company Owens Corning is celebrating a 40 year relationship with MGM’s iconic The Pink Panther, the recognised mascot for the business having kicked off its partnership back in August 1980. Over the course of four decades, The Pink Panther has starred in countless TV, print, and digital media promotions for the firm.

The Pink Panther also adorns the vehicles and hundreds of select contractors, distributors, and builders working with the company’s roofing and insulation business. The partnership first got off the ground to promote sales of Pink Fiberglas insulation on August 15, 1980.

“The relationship between Owens Corning and The Pink Panther is nothing short of remarkable,” said Suzanne Harnett, Owens Corning’s vice president of corporate affairs. “For 40 years, The Pink Panther has been a smart and stylish ambassador for our company speaking persuasively to our brand promise despite never uttering a word.”

Robert Marick, MGM’s executive vice president, global consumer products and experiences, said: “Marking 40 years of The Pink Panther as spokesperson for Owens Corning is a true moment to celebrate. It’s rare that you see a promotional relationship like this continue for decades.

“It speaks to both the timelessness and universal appeal of The Pink Panther, as well as Owens Corning’s ability to make him an integral part of their marketing and platforms.”

The company’s enduring relationship with The Pink Panther began the same year that saw the introduction of CNN, Pac-Man, and Post-it Notes, and it has since coincided with the terms of seven US presidents.

The concept for pairing The Pink Panther with Owens Corning was first suggested by Roger Butler, an executive at the New York-based advertising agency Ogilvy & Mather.

The association was made given the colour of the company’s insulation, which has brandished its distinctive pink hue for more than 60 years. The color was added in 1956 when the company was testing a new form of the product. After demonstrating decades of widespread use of the colour PINK®, Owens Corning became the first company to receive a trademark for a color, on May 12, 1987.

Mattel Television to launch new musical Barbie movie to Netflix, Barbie Princess Adventures

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Mattel Television has partnered with the animation studio Mainframe to launch a new animated musical adventure to Netflix this year in the shape of Barbie Princess Adventure. The new feature animation will launch with its own soundtrack which will be made available across all streaming platforms on August 28th.

The new adventure feature follows Barbie and her friends as they are chosen by their school to travel the country of Floravia to meet Princess Amelia, who, nervous about becoming queen, is looking for an escape and devises plans to trade places with Barbie. When a rival prince finds out what has taken place, Barbie and her friends must team up to stop him, and rescue the princess in time for her coronation.

“Barbie is an iconic character who provides endless storytelling opportunities. She inspires the limitless potential in all kids, and this brand purpose resonates deeply with children and parents alike. Barbie Princess Adventure builds on that purpose with a focus on empowerment, self-discovery and finding your voice in the age of social media,” said Adam Bonnett, executive producer, Marvel Television.

“Barbie Princess Adventure captures a range of musical genres which enables the audience to connect with the story in a variety of ways. Original music will continue to be an integral part of Mattel Television content moving forward – for Barbie as well as other brands.”

Barbie Princess Adventure features songs by Matthew Tishler and Andrew Underberg, with score and additional songs by The Math Club. The musical numbers are animated to the choreography of Paul Becker.

The digital soundtrack includes “Try It On,” “Somewhere New,” “(Not) A Picture Perfect Girl,” “Life in Color,” “King of the Kingdom” and “This Is My Moment.”

The Rolling Stones to open world-first flagship store on London’s Carnaby Street

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Rock ‘n’ roll legends, the Rolling Stones are to open a world-first flagship store on London’s Carnaby Street, featuring exclusive new fashion and merchandise under the RS No. 9 Carnaby brand from this September. The new store has been created in partnership with Bravado, Universal Music Group’s merchandise and brand management company.

Situated at number 9, Carnaby Street in London’s Soho, the store will launch under the RS No. 9 Carnaby banner and will feature all the hallmarks of the iconic band.

The collections will include exclusive and contemporary collaboration pieces for fans of all ages, including men’s, women’s and children’s fashion and accessories. A special glassware has been developed with Baccarat, engraved with the Rolling Stones tongue. The store will also feature chairs and scarves from The Soloist, and raincoats and hats from the Swedish raincoat brand, Stutterheim.

The Rolling Stones said: “Soho has always encapsulated Rock ’n’ Roll so Carnaby Street was the perfect spot for our own store. We are confident this exciting project that our friends at Bravado have created will be an unrivaled experience for everyone to come to London and enjoy.”

The store will also introduce ‘Stones Red,’ the official colour from Pantone which is established from the first use of the band’s iconic logo. A collection celebrating the Rolling Stones official Pantone colour will also launch with the store.

The band’s continuing album and single releases will be at the heart of the shop’s pulse and Bowers & Wilkins speakers will play tracks from the rock ‘n’ roll band, including the upcoming release of the remastered Goats Head Soup album and Scarlet single.

Jointly curated by the Rolling Stones and Bravado, the shop fit follows the brand colours of red and black and the glass floor features lyrics, while the fitting rooms are adorned with iconic album artwork.

Mat Vlasic, CEO, Bravado said: “With this innovative partnership, the Rolling Stones add yet another cultural touch point to their rich legacy. RS No. 9 Carnaby is the result of years of planning and decades of building one of the world’s most recognized brands.

“It creates a destination where fans can connect and immerse themselves in the music, style and spirit of one of the world’s most iconic and beloved bands.”

For those in the know, the store’s window features a world first soundwave installation – taken from the opening to the 1966 hit track ‘Paint It Black’.

Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing named master publishing partner for Fred Rogers’ new pre-school series Donkey Hodie

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Fred Rogers Productions, the entertainment company behind Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Odd Squad, and Peg + Cat, has tapped Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing as its master publishing partner for Donkey Hodie, its multi-platform puppet series for pre-schoolers.

The new series will launch early next year on PBS Kids, it will be supplemented with a wide range of books from Simon & Schuster, all inspired by the new show and the work of Fred Rogers to begin rolling out at retail in the first quarter of 2022.

“We’re very excited to build on our successful relationship with Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing for our newest brand, Donkey Hodie,” said Paul Siefken, president and CEO, Fred Rogers Productions. “Donkey Hodie shows children that they can accomplish great things with a can-do attitude, perseverance, and a little help from their friends.”

Valerie Garfield, VP, publisher, novelty and licensed publishing, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, added: “We’re delighted to develop books for this stunning new series and build on its timely messages about creative problem-solving and goal-setting for pre-schoolers beyond the screen.

“We’re thrilled to expand our relationship with Fred Rogers Productions with another standout brand that will inspire kids and families to learn and play together.”

Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing’s broad assortment of titles for Donkey Hodie will encompass storybooks; Ready-to-Read beginning readers; board books; novelty titles, including pop-up and lift-the-flap titles; early chapter books; and e-book formats. As master publishing partner for Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, the company has produced more than 10 million books in print across a range of formats for that license.

Donkey Hodie is an imaginative puppet series that follows the adventures of Donkey Hodie, a sweet, yellow donkey with a magenta mohawk, and her pals – Purple Panda, Duck Duck, and Bob Dog – who live in the land of Someplace Else. Donkey Hodie is the granddaughter of the original Donkey Hodie character (now known as Grampy Hodie) from Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, who appeared in 59 episodes of the beloved classic children’s series.

The new Donkey Hodie series, produced by Fred Rogers Productions and Spiffy Pictures (Nature Cat), is designed to empower children ages three to five to dream big and overcome obstacles in their own lives, to work hard and persevere in the face of failure, to be resourceful and discover they can solve problems on their own—and to laugh themselves silly along the way.

The series is currently in production on 40 half-hour episodes and will feature new music along with re-imagined versions of Fred Rogers’ original songs to reinforce and underscore each story’s positive message.

Universal Music Group strikes partnership with Soundtrack Your Brand

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Universal Music Group has signed up another global licensing deal, this time with a pioneering business-to-business cloud-based music streaming service called Soundtrack Your Brand. The new deal will allow the music platform offer tracks from the library of music produced by Universal Music Group’s own artists.

The aim of Soundtrack Your Brand is to deliver flexibility of music-streaming technology to brands and businesses for an ‘improved user and consumer experience.’ The model is based on full song trackability, and the deal will offer UMG’s artists and songwriters compensation and credit when their music is played in business and public environments.

Insight fro Soundtrack Your Brand has shown how playing music that reflects their brand’s value positively impacts a business, from noticeably moving sales to directly affecting customer satisfaction.

Ola Sars, founder and CEO of Soundtrack Your Brand, said: “Together with partners like UMG, we have re-imagined the licensing and business-to-business model. We hold the conviction that music has intrinsic value as an art-form and that creators must be compensated for their contribution to a business.

“Brands can benefit artists in accessing new fans, if their in-store music is matched to their customer and brand values. It is my belief that through Soundtrack, there is substantial value to be unlocked for artists, rights owners and brands.”

In 2019 Soundtrack commissioned Nielsen to carry out the biggest study on background music to date, engaging with 5000 small businesses across two continents and seven countries. Nielsen reports that 21.3 million businesses are using illicit consumer services, leaving potential revenue untapped for the global music industry. With 88 per cent of businesses playing music four or five days a week and 86 per cent prepared to pay for an improved service, the opportunity is substantial.

James Healy, SVP digital strategy and business development, Universal Music Group, said: “In Soundtrack, we have a partner whose technological and strategic re-imagining of an evolving business-to-business model will support us in ensuring creators are valued and fairly compensated.”

Paul Stuart, head of licensing and business affairs, Soundtrack, added: “Whether you run a bar in Brooklyn, a café in Sydney or a multinational brand, customer experience is everything. I couldn’t be happier for our customers who can now access UMG’s incredible artists and their music through their unrivaled catalogue and new frontline releases.”

Hasbro, Pokemon and Penguin Ventures among first exhibitors taking part in Festival of Licensing

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Hasbro, The Pokemon Company, Penguin Ventures, and the Natural History Museum are among just some of the biggest names to be taking part in the new virtual Festival of Licensing running this October and taking the place of Brand Licensing Europe this year.

Brands from across the entertainment, publishing, gaming, sport, lifestyle, and heritage licensing fields have now confirmed their attendance and taken up their exhibition slots at the digital gathering which this year will run all online from October 6th to 29th. The event is to be hosted by Global Licensing Group in partnership with Licensing International.

Acamar Films, Chupa Chups, NBA Properties, Sega Europe, Start Licensing, and Yale are among those to have already registered to exhibit.

“Many great business opportunities have stemmed from the connections we have made at Brand Licensing Europe,” said Maxine Lister, head of licensing, Natural History Museum. “This year, especially, it is important for us to continue expanding our partnerships and develop new ways for the public to connect with the natural world through our 80 million specimens.

“We are thrilled to be taking part in Festival of Licensing and look forward to new business opportunities to evolve our licensing strategy.”

Registration for the four-week long celebration of global licensing also opens today at www.festivaloflicensing.com where attendees can opt to attend any or all of the Festival’s three regionally tailored events for Europe, Asia and the Americas, as well as the Licensing Leadership Summit:

  • Week 1: 6-8 October – Europe, powered by Brand Licensing Europe
  • Week 2: 14-15 October – Asia, powered by Licensing Expo China and Licensing Expo Japan
  • Week 3: 20-22 October – North America and Latin America, powered by Licensing Expo
  • Week 4: 28-29 October – Global C-suite virtual conference – Licensing Leadership Summit

“The feedback we have received about Festival of Licensing since announcing it just four weeks ago has been incredible and we are thrilled to be able to announce such an amazing first roster of exhibitors,” said Anna Knight, vice president, Global Licensing Group, Informa Markets. “This is only the beginning – we have another seven weeks till ‘doors open’ – so there will be a lot more news, and surprises, coming down the line.”

 

Exhibitors confirmed to date Include:

 

  • Acamar Films
  • Asgard Media
  • Bioworld
  • Brainbase
  • Brandgenuity
  • CAA-GBG
  • Chupa Chups, S.A Unipersonal
  • CPLG/Wildbrain
  • Crunchyroll Europe
  • Cyber Group Studios
  • Dependable Solutions
  • Design Plus
  • Edutainment
  • Hasbro
  • Herschend Entertainment Studios
  • J Patton
  • KOCCA
  • Licensing Works
  • LoCoco Licensing
  • Natural History Museum
  • NBA Properties Inc
  • Octane5
  • Opsec
  • Penguin Ventures
  • Pokemon
  • Sega Europe
  • Start Licensing
  • Tesa Scribos
  • UCLA
  • Xilam
  • Yale
  • Zolan Licensing Agency

Brands who are interested in exhibiting or sponsorship opportunities can visit www.festivaloflicensing.com for more information.

Unanico Group to bolster content development, production and licensing under new CEO Leanne Preston

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The international independent media company, Unanico Group is looking to bolster its content development, production and global partnership and licensing strategies with the appointment of a new Producer and CEO in the form of Leanne Preston.

The former Nickelodeon executive is set to head up the award-winning team and bring her over 14 years of animation experience to the role as Unanico continues on its mission to expand across the US.

During her time at Nickelodeon, Preston worked on the BAFTA-nominated House of Anubis, before moving into her role as head of development at Red Kits Animation. It was there that she spearheaded the development of the award-winning DreamWorks Classics property George of the Jungle, now airing in over 125 countries, and Ella Bella Bingo, recently sold to over 25 countries.

Prior to joining Unanico, Preston has served as head of production development, animation for Citizen Skull Productions, working on Nickelodeon’s LEGO City Adventures, Youku and international pre-school series Emmy & GooRoo, and Tencent hit Mini Mind Warriors.

Preston also had a stint as director of animation development for production at Gaumont Animation US.

Founded in 2009 by producer Paul Laikin and creative director Jason Jameson, Unanico Group is dedicated to the creation of original 2D, 3D and CGI animation, with a focus on developing and producing in-house IPs, as well as co-developing and co-producing animated IPs from selected partners.

Unanico Group creates long-form series, films, shorts, illustrated books, casual games, apps, interactive experiences, AR, VR, MR and licensed merchandise. Previous projects include: One Night In Hell, an award-winning animated short film in collaboration with Queen’s guitarist Brian May, the All Dead, All Dead Queen music video (3M+ views on YouTube), and the animation of all three seasons of CBeebies four-time BAFTA-nominated series, Apple Tree House.

Preston is joining Unanico Group following the release of its pre-school series Buddi in March of 2020. Buddi is streaming worldwide as a Netflix Original Series, with executive producer Keith Chapman. Unanico Group is currently in development of multiple other original series and feature films and has industry partnerships in Japan and in China, where the company has successfully distributed Apple Tree House and Koala Brothers to platforms such as Tencent Video, Mango TV and Jetson Huashi and produced Buddi with Motion Magic of Shanghai Media Group.

“Unanico Group is thrilled to welcome Preston to the team, and excited for her collaboration and leadership on their upcoming development slate and productions, including exciting new IPs and music partnerships,” read a statement from the firm.

“Unanico is dedicated to creating quality animation and forming strategic partnerships, with several new projects underway with major companies leading the IP. We’re excited for the upcoming developments from Preston and her team.”

Panini launches its re-branded Official Premier League Adrenalyn XL Trading Card collection

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The trading card and collectable stickers specialist, Panini has launched a completely re-branded and refreshed Adrenalyn XL trading card collection featuring all of the Premier League’s top talent. The new-look Official Premier League Adrenalyn XL Trading Card range follows the recent success of Panini’s first Premier League sticker collection, Football 2020.

Premier League Adrenalyn XL 2020/21 is the only trading card collection to include all 20 Premier League clubs, and is billed as the ‘must-have collection for football fans and collectors alike.’ It features 468 trading cards, as well as 30 limited edition cards across a new-look range of SKUs including multipacks, pocket and classic tins, and a Countdown Calendar.

The collection will hit shelves in the UK and Republic of Ireland from Thursday, August 20th.

Fans can kickstart their collection with a Starter Pack, which includes a high-quality collector’s binder, two-player gameboard and poster, 18 trading cards, an exhaustive magazine game guide plus two guaranteed Limited Edition cards. Starter Packs are priced at £5.99 and packets, which include six trading cards and one QR code leaflet, are £1.00 each.

A multi-channel marketing campaign is lined up, including extending cross-promotional activations with fellow Premier
League partners and delivering a heavyweight TV, radio, VOD and digital campaign. The launch will be supported by the best
football influencers in the category and a new sampling mechanic in place with the UK’s top-selling newspaper.

Panini has also forged new football magazine cover mount partnerships which, alongside Panini’s own football magazine Strike-It!, will facilitate the sampling of millions of packets to football-loving kids across the British Isles.

Mike Riddell, managing director of Panini UK, said: “Panini is taking Premier League trading cards to a new level for the 2020/21 season. Premier League Adrenalyn XL™ 2020/21 is a dynamic new collection which will be refreshed as new players transfer into the world’s most exciting league.”

Will Brass, commercial director, Premier League, added: “We’re excited to kick off our second season with Panini. The new-look Adrenalyn XL™ trading cards are a great way to get the Premier League into the hands of fans across the UK and Republic of Ireland.”

Chris Clover, head of marketing, Sport at Panini UK, concluded: “I cannot wait for collectors to get their hands on these new cards. The design team at Panini UK have created something really special for all Premier League fans to enjoy, switching up and improving every element from last season. There really will be no mistaking which trading card collection for the 2020/21 season is officially Premier League.”

The Elf on the Shelf team channels the spirit of Christmas in new corporate branding The Lumistella Company

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CCA and B, LLC, the outfit best known for its perennial best-seller, The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition and Elf Pets has undergone a corporate rebrand to The Lumistella Company to better reflect the firm’s status as a global children’s brand in line with the company’s vision and mission.

Sticking closely to the lore of the North Pole that has to date provided much success for the group, Lumistella is the name given to an ancient and magical Christmas comet. The comet is recognised as the origin source of Christmas magic and all of the characters who make Santa’s North Pole their home, including The Elf on the Shelf.

The name Lumistella is also now a symbol of the essence of the company’s ethos, to remind fans and employees to ‘constantly look for the spirit of Christmas.’

“Many incorrectly believe that The Elf on the Shelf is our official company name, so updating our corporate identity to The Lumistella Company reflects a bigger world of brands and characters,” said founder and co-CEO Chanda Bell. “The North Pole is a magical universe with endless stories and enchanted characters, all centred around the virtues of faith, hope and love. Our new corporate name effectively captures the true essence of our brand identity and accurately portrays our vision as we head into the future.”

The rebrand also reflects the company’s strategic reorganization from that of a consumer products company into a global intellectual property company with three distinct areas of focus, encompassing immersive experiences, entertainment-based content and consumer products.

Each business unit is actively engaged in building strategic partnerships with best-in-class studios, publishers, music firms, product companies, agencies and live entertainment production companies.

“As we celebrate our 15-year anniversary of The Elf on the Shelf, we are well poised to grow beyond consumer products, giving children of all ages a behind-the-scenes glimpse into Santa’s full world,” added founder and co-CEO Christa Pitts. “The Lumistella Company is a name which reflects our evolution as a corporation and better positions us as the go-to authority on all things Santa Claus at Christmastime and beyond.”

Capitalizing on the new direction, the company recently unveiled a whole new immersive kid’s website: santasnorthpole.com.  On the site, kids can explore and play more than 20 interactive games and activities.

“It’s the virtual world of Santa Claus that kids have been waiting for,” noted president Mike Champion. “There is plenty more to come, and we hope our fans will stay tuned for a number of exciting announcements related to our brands this year.”

For more information please visit http://www.lumistella.com.