Category Archives: Highlight

Nickelodeon ramps up Rainbow Rangers with increased broadcast of the pre-school hit

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Fans of Rainbow Rangers rejoice – Nickelodeon has upped the ante and increased the broadcast of the popular Genius Brands International original pre-school series to 26 airings per week.

Nick Jr. now airs Rainbow Rangers Monday to Friday with four airings per day, and six airings on the weekends.

The animated action-adventure series premiered on Nick Jr. in November 2018 with five airings per week and, according to the firm, has consistently achieved high ratings with its target demo of Girls aged two to five. The additional airings of Rainbow Rangers, which represents a five-fold increase (400+ per cent), are complimented by content available via video on demand platforms and the brand’s robust YouTube channel.

“From the beginning, we knew we had a special and unique new series for pre-schoolers that delivers values-based entertainment for children around the world. Needless to say, leading broadcasters like Nickelodeon don’t make schedule changes of this magnitude without good reason, and we are thrilled that they continue support Rainbow Rangers heading into year two,” said Andy Heyward, chairman and CEO, Genius Brands.

“The series is airing in the US and internationally, and we have several hundred product SKUs planned for rollout at retail in 2020. As I have said many times, we are on track to build a new heavyweight pre-school brand, which we anticipate to peak within the next two years.”

In the international market, Rainbow Rangers season one debuted last summer across Latin America on Nickelodeon LatAm, as well as  in Italy, on Cartoonito. Genius Brands is currently in negotiations with key broadcasters and licensing agents worldwide. 

Rainbow Rangers is a rescue-based series that follows the adventures of seven girls who are Earth’s first responders, protecting people, animals, resources, and the natural beauty of our world.

The series boasts a unique and highly-accomplished team of creators from the animated motion picture and television worlds, including Rob Minkoff (Disney’s The Lion King director), Shane Morris (Disney’s Frozen co-writer), Tim Mansfield, and New York Times Bestselling author and Emmy Award-nominated writer Elise Allen (Dinosaur Train, Lion Guard, Barbie specials),  who serves as head writer and co-creator.

Multiple Emmy Award-winning director Michael Maliani directs the series, and Genius Brands’ Chairman and CEO and multiple Emmy Award-winning producer, Andy Heyward, serves as executive producer.

Children’s mindfulness brand Max Mindpower positions for growth across licensing

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Max Mindpower, a children’s brand that comprises a range of plush toys, a book series, and a new app all with the focus on promoting and encouraging mindfulness among kids, is pushing ahead with licensing efforts thanks to investment from CHF Media and licensing guidance from industry expert Valerie Fry.

Today, the conversation around mindfulness in the children’s space is in full flow, and in recent months and over a development period of years, Max Mindpower has found itself at the centre of much of it. Developed by Nikki Collins, the Max Mindpower brand already spans a successful book series, mindfulness app and soothing plush bar that encourages mindfulness in children through play and breathing exercises.

Nikki Collins, founder, Max Mindpower

“The topic of mindfulness in children is incredibly important, not only because it’s something that the consumers are actively looking for and want, but because it’s a real issue in society today and not something that is going to go away today or tomorrow,” Collins told Licensing.biz.

“It’s certainly something that is being taken more seriously than it was maybe two years ago, but like anything it takes familiarity before people can take it on board. The more we talk about what is affecting children and what they need, the more the industry will listen and respond.”

Having met with investment from CHF Media and having recently appointed the licensing specialist, Valerie Fry as its commercial director, Max Mindpower is ‘on the cusp of some big things in the licensing space.’

“Max has certainly made an impact on the toy industry and brought mindfulness to the forefront after winning an award at its launch at London Toy Fair,” continued Collins. “I notice a lot of the trends in toys since have been more towards wellbeing, which is so heartening as it shows that this is something which is becoming increasingly important throughout the industry; not just a nice idea.”

Collins’ move into mindfulness toys for children was, in fact, inspired by a number of culminating factors, not least the recorded rise in mental health issues in children today and the fast-vanishing downtime that children have at their disposal in modern day living. But not only this, Max Mindpower was inspired by Collins’ own life experiences, following a hit and run incident that left her with disabilities and mental health issues at the age of 19.

“I was given a very poor prognosis in terms of recovery and was actually recommended mindfulness as a way to come to terms with how my life would be, but I actually got better. It gave me a completely different outlook on life and made me fascinated with psychology, which I went on to study,” she explained.

It was while studying that Collins was struck with the idea of developing an all round children’s toy that ‘conveyed mindfulness through a mainstream children’s toy.’

From then on, Max Mindpower, a toy which “encompassed emotions and coping skills and tricks that children could learn from a young age and use in every day life,” was put into development.

The move has payed off for Collins who has since reported an ‘overwhelmingly positive’ reaction from consumers and retailers to her Max Mindpower concept, and the brand developments around it.

“In terms of retailers, we have some that champion and support us so much, but the consumer reaction is the best. We often get emails, letters, and videos from people letting us know the difference it has made to their children. We are so grateful that people take the time to write to us, and they probably have no idea how much getting these responses means to us,” she concluded.

WildBrain CPLG expands its German commercial sales department with double hire

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The entertainment, sport, and brand licensing agency, WildBrain CPLG is expanding its commercial sales department in Germany with two new hires in the form of Sarah Rosenstock and Lisa Gruczek.

Rosenstock (pictured right) has been brought in as the unit’s new commercial director, while Gruczek (pictured left) takes up the role of senior sale manager.

Rosenstock returns to WildBrain CPLG from the in-house licensing agency of Hubert Burda Media KG where she held the position of head of brand cooperations and led the brand licensing sales division. Prior to this, she held roles at ProSiebenSat.1’s SevenOne AdFactory, Burda Intermedia Publishing and also at WildBrain CPLG.

In her new role at WildBrain CPLG, Rosenstock will be responsible for driving the company’s activity and strategy in the German market across its portfolio of brands. She reports into Sibylle Gondolf, managing director at WildBrain CPLG Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Meanwhile, Gruczek joins WildBrain CPLG following a six-year tenure at Hubert Burda Media KG where she helped build the brand licensing division for an array of publishing, lifestyle, design and celebrity brands. Prior to this, Gruczek held roles at Alex Springer AG and Colosseum Music Entertainment.

At WildBrain CPLG she will report into Rosenstock and support the commercial sales team, with a focus on the apparel and accessories, toys and games, publishing, and beauty categories

Gondolf said: “With many years of experience in brand licensing between them, Sarah and Lisa are the ideal candidates to augment our Commercial Sales team in Germany. The pair bring a wealth of expertise as well as exciting new ideas, and I’m confident they will both play a crucial role in driving forward the success of our growing brand portfolio in the region.”

WildBrain CPLG expands its German commercial sales department with double hire

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The entertainment, sport, and brand licensing agency, WildBrain CPLG is expanding its commercial sales department in Germany with two new hires in the form of Sarah Rosenstock and Lisa Gruczek.

Rosenstock (pictured right) has been brought in as the unit’s new commercial director, while Gruczek (pictured left) takes up the role of senior sale manager.

Rosenstock returns to WildBrain CPLG from the in-house licensing agency of Hubert Burda Media KG where she held the position of head of brand cooperations and led the brand licensing sales division. Prior to this, she held roles at ProSiebenSat.1’s SevenOne AdFactory, Burda Intermedia Publishing and also at WildBrain CPLG.

In her new role at WildBrain CPLG, Rosenstock will be responsible for driving the company’s activity and strategy in the German market across its portfolio of brands. She reports into Sibylle Gondolf, managing director at WildBrain CPLG Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Meanwhile, Gruczek joins WildBrain CPLG following a six-year tenure at Hubert Burda Media KG where she helped build the brand licensing division for an array of publishing, lifestyle, design and celebrity brands. Prior to this, Gruczek held roles at Alex Springer AG and Colosseum Music Entertainment.

At WildBrain CPLG she will report into Rosenstock and support the commercial sales team, with a focus on the apparel and accessories, toys and games, publishing, and beauty categories

Gondolf said: “With many years of experience in brand licensing between them, Sarah and Lisa are the ideal candidates to augment our Commercial Sales team in Germany. The pair bring a wealth of expertise as well as exciting new ideas, and I’m confident they will both play a crucial role in driving forward the success of our growing brand portfolio in the region.”

A word with the author: Oi book series creator Kes Gray talks his love of World Book Day

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Following another successful World Book Day, and as March remains our month to celebrate books, reading and the industry’s relationship with licensing, Licensing.biz takes its chance to have a word with Kes Gray, the three times World Book Day author of the best-selling Daisy and Oi book series.

Gray reflects on this love of the annual reading festival…

Oi Kes, thanks for talking with us. Can you tell us, what does World Book Day means to you?

World Book Day means ‘busy’ to me. It’s the time of year that I visit more schools over a short period than any other time of the year. It’s a time when assembly halls and fancy dress costumes coalesce. It’s the time when the fun of reading becomes the one and only subject on the curriculum. And I always feel under dressed.

What is about World Book Day that you enjoy in particular?

I like the liberation of it. Children and teachers leave their school uniforms at home and books become heroes for a day.

If you were going to dress up, which character would it be?

If I was 7 Batman. If I was 59, Batman.

Do you have any interesting experiences of World Book Day?

I have been a chosen World Book Day author three times, twice with my Daisy books and most recently with Oi. My most memorable World Book Day moment was guesting at the Greatest Book Show On Earth in Coventry in front of an audience of 1000 children.

I unleashed my X Man skills flicking cream crackers, rich tea and ginger nut biscuits further than I have ever flicked them before. (In case you didn’t know, I’m an X Man, my X Man name is Biscuito and my arsenal is a biscuit tin.) Be afraid, be very afraid.    

What kind of reaction have you had to the Oi series over the past year?

The Oi series has gone from strength to strength over the past year. Its popularity continues to grow apace and shows no signs of waning. Thank you, children, parents, teachers, librarians and  bookshops great and small. We couldn’t have done it without you.

What sort of growth in popularity have you seen for both the books and the extended product portfolio in that time?

Outside of conventional publishing Oi Frog continues to make new friends. In Sarah Fletcher we have the best merchandising agent we could wish for. In partnership with the Kenny Wax Theatre Company ‘Oi Frog & Friends’ has debuted in the West End, is travelling the country and has been short listed for the Olivier ‘Best Family Show’ award. In retail terms Frog, Cat and Dog really are going places. New friendships are always very welcome.

What plans have you got to continue to expand the Oi ‘world’ from both a publishing and products perspective?

We take our lead from Sarah, but at the top of our wish list would be a plush manufacturing partner who really wants to push the plush boat out. Jim, Sarah, and I want to develop an Oi plush range that is different to a conventional range.

Think of it as  a ‘plush + range’  a range that can both grow and combine fun and education in a way that only Oi can. We are in no rush and will hold out for the right partner. If you think it’s you, OI! give Sarah a call…

A word with the author: Oi book series creator Kes Gray talks his love of World Book Day

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Following another successful World Book Day, and as March remains our month to celebrate books, reading and the industry’s relationship with licensing, Licensing.biz takes its chance to have a word with Kes Gray, the three times World Book Day author of the best-selling Daisy and Oi book series.

Gray reflects on this love of the annual reading festival…

Oi Kes, thanks for talking with us. Can you tell us, what does World Book Day means to you?

World Book Day means ‘busy’ to me. It’s the time of year that I visit more schools over a short period than any other time of the year. It’s a time when assembly halls and fancy dress costumes coalesce. It’s the time when the fun of reading becomes the one and only subject on the curriculum. And I always feel under dressed.

What is about World Book Day that you enjoy in particular?

I like the liberation of it. Children and teachers leave their school uniforms at home and books become heroes for a day.

If you were going to dress up, which character would it be?

If I was 7 Batman. If I was 59, Batman.

Do you have any interesting experiences of World Book Day?

I have been a chosen World Book Day author three times, twice with my Daisy books and most recently with Oi. My most memorable World Book Day moment was guesting at the Greatest Book Show On Earth in Coventry in front of an audience of 1000 children.

I unleashed my X Man skills flicking cream crackers, rich tea and ginger nut biscuits further than I have ever flicked them before. (In case you didn’t know, I’m an X Man, my X Man name is Biscuito and my arsenal is a biscuit tin.) Be afraid, be very afraid.    

What kind of reaction have you had to the Oi series over the past year?

The Oi series has gone from strength to strength over the past year. Its popularity continues to grow apace and shows no signs of waning. Thank you, children, parents, teachers, librarians and  bookshops great and small. We couldn’t have done it without you.

What sort of growth in popularity have you seen for both the books and the extended product portfolio in that time?

Outside of conventional publishing Oi Frog continues to make new friends. In Sarah Fletcher we have the best merchandising agent we could wish for. In partnership with the Kenny Wax Theatre Company ‘Oi Frog & Friends’ has debuted in the West End, is travelling the country and has been short listed for the Olivier ‘Best Family Show’ award. In retail terms Frog, Cat and Dog really are going places. New friendships are always very welcome.

What plans have you got to continue to expand the Oi ‘world’ from both a publishing and products perspective?

We take our lead from Sarah, but at the top of our wish list would be a plush manufacturing partner who really wants to push the plush boat out. Jim, Sarah, and I want to develop an Oi plush range that is different to a conventional range.

Think of it as  a ‘plush + range’  a range that can both grow and combine fun and education in a way that only Oi can. We are in no rush and will hold out for the right partner. If you think it’s you, OI! give Sarah a call…

The RHS appoints Danilo as its diaries and calendars partner

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The Royal Horticultural Society has appointed the licensed calendar, greetings cards, gift wrap and diaries publisher as its new calendar and diary partner.

The coming year will see Danilo produce a wide range of 2021 RHS calendars and diaries. The items will feature photographic images of RHS gardens, the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and plant portraits, alongside illustrative images selected from the RHS Lindley Collections.

The range will feature a number of product formats, including the RHS Chelsea Flower Show Slim Calendar, RHS Gardens Square Calendar, and the RHS The Collection A5 Diary. Also available will be the RHS Gardens Slim Diary, RHS Fruit and Flowers Slim Calendar, and the RHS Illustrated Slim Diary.

The collection will be completed with the RHS Easel Calendar and the RHS Family Organiser.

Two deluxe products will also feature under the new partnership: An RHS A3 Calendar with botanical illustrations from the RHS Lindley Collections – in a special tear-off format so the artworks can be framed, and an RHS Collectors Gift Box Set featuring the RHS Gardens Square Calendar, the A5 Diary and a pen in a deluxe box.

The calendars and diaries will be available at a wide range of book, card and gift shops, as well as supermarkets, department stores and RHS shops from September 2020. They will also be widely available at online retail, including rhsshop.co.uk and danilo.com. A selection of these products will launch at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in May 2020.

The market for the range is expected to be RHS members and gardening enthusiasts as well as gift givers of all ages.

Dan Grant, licensing director, Danilo, said: “Not only is the RHS the world’s best-known gardening charity, enjoying unmatched levels of awareness, but it has supplied an extraordinary selection of beautiful photographic imagery and artwork to inspire the designs of our calendars and diaries. We are delighted to be working with the RHS on this range.”

Cathy Snow, licensing manager, RHS, added: “Danilo is highly recognised and well regarded in its industry, with innovative and award-winning product designs.

“This range wonderfully reflects the varied and inspirational work of the RHS and will be popular not only with lovers of gardens and gardening but with anyone who loves calendars and diaries that are both useful and beautifully designed.”

The RHS appoints Danilo as its diaries and calendars partner

Posted on by

The Royal Horticultural Society has appointed the licensed calendar, greetings cards, gift wrap and diaries publisher as its new calendar and diary partner.

The coming year will see Danilo produce a wide range of 2021 RHS calendars and diaries. The items will feature photographic images of RHS gardens, the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and plant portraits, alongside illustrative images selected from the RHS Lindley Collections.

The range will feature a number of product formats, including the RHS Chelsea Flower Show Slim Calendar, RHS Gardens Square Calendar, and the RHS The Collection A5 Diary. Also available will be the RHS Gardens Slim Diary, RHS Fruit and Flowers Slim Calendar, and the RHS Illustrated Slim Diary.

The collection will be completed with the RHS Easel Calendar and the RHS Family Organiser.

Two deluxe products will also feature under the new partnership: An RHS A3 Calendar with botanical illustrations from the RHS Lindley Collections – in a special tear-off format so the artworks can be framed, and an RHS Collectors Gift Box Set featuring the RHS Gardens Square Calendar, the A5 Diary and a pen in a deluxe box.

The calendars and diaries will be available at a wide range of book, card and gift shops, as well as supermarkets, department stores and RHS shops from September 2020. They will also be widely available at online retail, including rhsshop.co.uk and danilo.com. A selection of these products will launch at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in May 2020.

The market for the range is expected to be RHS members and gardening enthusiasts as well as gift givers of all ages.

Dan Grant, licensing director, Danilo, said: “Not only is the RHS the world’s best-known gardening charity, enjoying unmatched levels of awareness, but it has supplied an extraordinary selection of beautiful photographic imagery and artwork to inspire the designs of our calendars and diaries. We are delighted to be working with the RHS on this range.”

Cathy Snow, licensing manager, RHS, added: “Danilo is highly recognised and well regarded in its industry, with innovative and award-winning product designs.

“This range wonderfully reflects the varied and inspirational work of the RHS and will be popular not only with lovers of gardens and gardening but with anyone who loves calendars and diaries that are both useful and beautifully designed.”

Novel Entertainment launches new audio content for Horrid Henry across Spotify, iTunes, and Audible

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Novel Entertainment is launching a new publishing line based on the original stories from its award-winning animated TV series, Horrid Henry.

First out of the gate, and aimed at the Horrid Henry audience of kids aged seven to 11, new content will take the form of audio dramatisations from Novel Entertainment’s hit Horrid Henry TV series, featuring the show’s voice talent with additional narrative from Henry (voiced by Elizabeth Waterworth-Santo) and songs.

The content will be available worldwide as downloads on major platforms such as Audible, Spotify, and iTunes and Amazon. The initial release will see 10 titles launch including Horrid Henry’s Fun Run, Horrid Henry Takes the Biscuit, and Horrid Henry and the Lost Dog.

“We’re delighted to be bringing these original Horrid Henry stories to life in exciting new publishing formats,” said Lucinda Whiteley, creative director and co-founder of Novel Entertainment.

“With research showing audiobooks can positively impact reading skills and children’s mental wellbeing, we’re looking forward to giving fans the chance to enjoy the hilarious storylines they know and love from the TV series, whether on car journeys, with friends or at bedtime.”

 These new publishing products are the latest incarnations of Novel’s four-time BAFTA-nominated Horrid Henry, which is one of the biggest children’s animated shows ever in the UK. The fifth season is currently on air in the UK and the brand has expanded to include film, stage, radio and online extensions, as well as being at the heart of a successful licensing and merchandising programme.

A total of 250 episodes are now available with recent sales including MBC (Middle East), Alati International (Russia), and Atlantic Digital Networks (Canada). Renewals include Turner Broadcasting System (Asia Pacific), Mediacorp (Singapore), POP TV (Slovenia), E-Vision (Middle East), Asiana (Korea) and Netflix (France, US, Canada, Russia, Australia and New Zealand).

Other leading broadcasters on board include ABC Australia, RTE Eire, Mediacorp Singapore, Gulli France, NRK Norway, Hulu US, SVT Sweden, YLE Finland, RTP Portugal, TVP1 in Poland, and Al Jazeerah Middle East.

Opinion: Is the Wild West about to be tamed? – Anthony Marks

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Anthony Marks is MD of Fanattik a pop culture specialist, a gifts and collectibles licensee for 20th Century Fox, Universal Studios, and Paramount Pictures. He talks us through why the days of the Comic Con counterfeiter may just be numbered

As a self-confessed geek I have no problem admitting that I have been visiting Comic Cons for more than 25 years, and many a time I remember queuing up for hours in the rain to get into an event and spend my money on product that mainstream retailers were ignoring.

Although visitor numbers have reduced from their heyday, a big London show can attract well over 100,000 visitors over a weekend and regional shows more than 30,000.

I still visit the shows, but this time with my commercial hat on to see product from all over Europe under one roof. The shows have never ceased to amaze me with regards to how much unlicensed poor quality product is freely available to buy, so I read with interest that a representative from Marvel was seen attending this month’s Liverpool Comic Con, it definitely had the exhibitors at the show in a tizz from the reports I received.

My company started off selling licensed limited edition art prints and many years ago we went through a phase of exhibiting at shows all over Europe, we found ourselves placed next to stands selling prints featuring images downloaded from the internet and run off on a home printer. We complained to show organisers and they just didn’t care, they had to sell the space and they didn’t care who they sold it to.

The most faked brands that we noticed always seemed to be Nintendo, Star Trek and Pokemon. I couldn’t understand why the brands weren’t sending representatives to these shows which were mostly in major cities, easily commutable from their or their agents offices.

A colleague used to take pictures of stands selling fake keyrings, pin badges, glassware etc but after being threatened by stall holders numerous times he decided it wasn’t worth doing anymore, especially as the show organisers and the brands we were sending the pictures to wouldn’t act on them anyway.

Licensees invest a lot of money in testing, especially on items such as jewellery as it comes into contact with the skin, the last thing the industry needs is a red top to report how a child’s neck turned green because they were wearing a necklace bought at a show. The press won’t care that the item was unlicensed they will just report the brand featured.

These stands are not always run by someone who just wants to make a little bit of extra money by selling product they produced at home, there is one large organised group which has multiple stands not just at the London shows but I have seen them at Frankfurt, Amsterdam as well as many of the regional UK shows, blatantly selling unlicensed product imported direct from China (I saw the packing boxes behind their stands). The show organisers know who they are but don’t want to get rid of them because of the number of stands they book all in one go.

A few years ago I offered my services to one event, I would travel down to their show at my own expense and walk the halls with one of their team to try and clean things up, they wouldn’t even have to buy me a sandwich for lunch, but they turned me down.

Things are changing though.

Newham Council – which covers Excel where a lot of the London events are held – sends a team to each event, they are very good at shutting down stands selling plush if they don’t have the CE mark on them, but when it comes to other product they are a little lost and they could do with brand representatives alongside to point out what shouldn’t be for sale.

An example of a pro-active brand is Bethesda. I saw its head of European licensing at an event last year visiting existing licensee’s and the smaller stands. When he saw unlicensed product, he showed the stall holder his card and stated calmly that his legal team were at the show and would be along in half an hour, so the offending product had to be taken down.

Sure, it helped that this man was built like he could go ten rounds with a professional boxer but the fact that he could prove he was an official representative of the brand was enough to persuade the exhibitor to co-operate.

With the bigger shows wanting to form more commercial relationships in the form of sponsorship deals with the brands, things are going in the right direction. In the future the Wild West may not be totally tamed, but it will at least be a safer place for fans and licensee’s to visit.