Brands In doubles down on sustainability efforts: “Sustainability is here to stay”

The licensed fashion apparel firm, Brands In, is focusing its efforts on sustainability for 2020 and beyond, aligning itself with a recent surge in both global industry and consumer awareness around the issue.

Since mid-2019 the London-based business has been consciously reviewing all aspects of its supply chain to address sustainability issues and take progressive steps forward. By early 2020, Brands In’s 24/7 apparel print operation had implemented several sustainable ‘ticked-that-box’ elements to its business.

It will continue to develop further initiatives throughout this year.

Firstly, garments are sourced locally in the UK and the business, which has more than 750,000 SKUs across its catalogue, has also achieved a stockless model for 2020 meaning it does not need to hold any blank stock on the factory floor and will only buy in the garments as required.

These are delivered to the business within 24 hours. All product is printed on demand, according to retailer ordering, or consumer online purchases and can be drop-shipped within 48 hours.

The on-shore sourcing, coupled with the drop-shipping means that Brands In has significantly reduced its carbon footprint in the last twelve months.

Meanwhile, in the first quarter of 2020 the company appointed a Sustainability Ambassador from within the business who is responsible for ensuring the efforts are maintained, looking at new ways of building upon achievements to date, as well as observing global trends and new methods of sustainability that can be incorporated into the business. 

Most recently, the company has ensured that associated license label materials will be sustainable from the second half of the year. Additionally, Brands In is currently in development of a number of capsule collections on organic cotton products.

Rick Lowe, managing director at Brands In, said:We’ve always been conscious of doing our part for the environment, particularly because we operate in a factory environment. Over time it became an increasingly important discussion amongst the team, and we realised there were simple things we could do to make change, but other elements we could work on to make a difference in conversation with our suppliers and clients. 

“Sustainability is here to stay, and we will continue to invest in doing our part for positive change.”

The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh celebrates 350th anniversary with new licensing programme

The Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh is celebrating its 350th anniversary this year with the unveiling of two new licensing partners in Caithness Glass and Flame Tree Publishing.

RBGE was established in 1670 as a physic garden near the Palace of Holyroodhouse. The purpose of the garden was to supply fresh plants for medical prescriptions and to help teach medical botany to students. Almost 20 years later, in 1699, it received a royal warrant.

Over the years many intrepid botanists introduced exotic plants from all over the world and innovative techniques into the gardens. Moving to its present site in Inverleith in 1823, RGBE  is one of the world’s leading botanical gardens and today delivers world-leading plant science and conservation programmes and cares for large archives of botanical art as well four gardens in Scotland.

In this anniversary year, RGBE is hosting a programme of exhibitions and events, and has kickstarted an ambitious plan to rebuild its existing glasshouses and create a new one under its Edingburgh Biomes project – one which aims to secure the Garden’s work for future generations.

RGBE’s licensing programme is focused on using its archive and environmental message to work with companies that reflect its brand values. Royalties from products sold help to directly fund and support the work RGBE does to develop its collections to maximise their value as a research, education, conservation and heritage resource.

Inspired by the 350th anniversary, Caithness Glass will produce a range of collectable artglass  featuring a ‘Water lily – Nymphaea’, ‘Blue Poppy – Meconopsis’ ‘Rhodoendron Ferrugineum’ and ‘Ferns’. 

All of these plants have a special connection to the gardens.

Caithness Glass was founded in 1961 and is now a world leading producer of  paperweights and artglass. Each piece is a unique work of art and hand crafted to the highest standards by skilled makers.

Jacqueline McCulloch, area sales manager of Caithness Glass, said: “Caithness is delighted to be working with RGBE in its anniversary year. The first in a series of planned items launched at Spring Fair were received very well with many orders taken – we are confident that this will be an excellent collaboration for years to come.”

Meanwhile, Flame Tree Publishing works with many prestigious museums and galleries creating published content under license including books calendars and greetings cards. For its RGBE 2021 calendar – which is on sale now – Flame Tree is publishing botanical imagery by the victorian artist Charlotte Cowan, discovered in the RGBE archives.

Frances Bodiam, managing director of Flame Tree Publishing, said:Looking through the archives at the RGBE was a revelation and we were thrilled to unearth the work of Charlotte Cowan. There are many other wonderful images to discover and we look forward to working with RGBE in the future.”

Helena Lawrence, head of retail and brand licensing at RGBE, added: “In our anniversary year, signing these two licenses emphasises how much our brand values resonate with licensees. We are very pleased to be working with Caithness and Flame Tree and also to launch our new style guide which will show how our wonderful collections can inspire new product.

“Further licenses are already in the pipeline which will showcase our collections.”

Brand & Lifestyle Licensing Awards 2020 moved to June date

The Brand & Lifestyle Licensing Awards 2020 will be moving  from its planned date in April to mid June following the escalating events surrounding the COVID-19 Coronavirus.

The B&LLAs, established to reward excellence across the brand and lifestyle licensing industry, will take place on Thursday, June 18th at its home at the Hilton Park Lane in its traditional lunchtime slot.

Ian Hyder, joint MD of Max Publishing which owns and organises the B&LLAs, commented: “Due to the escalating events, in the UK, Europe and internationally, regarding COVID-19 Coronavirus, our priority is to safeguard our colleagues, friends, staff and supporters, so we have taken the decision to move the B&LLAs 2020 to this new date.

“We would like to thank our amazing sponsors for their full support in this decision and look forward to welcoming everyone to the Hilton Park Lane in June.”

Brand Licensing Europe is once again the headline sponsor of the awards, with trade organisation, Licensing International, also supporting the programme. Finalists across the Property, Product and Retail categories of the B&LLAs 2020 are due to be announced at the end of next week.

A host of major companies and brands have also pledged their support as category sponsors. These include WildBrain CPLG Lifestyle, The Point.1888, MDR Brand Management, CAA-GBG, The Jockey Club, Pringles, Start Licensing, Golden Goose, Discovery Consumer Products, Powerstation Studios, H&A, Beanstalk, Good Housekeeping, TSBA, Brandgenuity Europe and Brand Comply.com.

For general enquiries on the B&LLAs 2020, please contact Ian Hyder or Rob Willis on 020 700 6740. Find out more about the events at the official B&LLAs website at www.brandlicensingawards.com.

Licensing Expo 2020 moved to August amid Coronavirus pandemic

Licensing Expo, which was originally scheduled to be staged in May 2020, will now be held at Mandalay Bay Convention Center on August 11-13, a move that has been forced owing to the global COVID-19 pandemic.

This decision was made and detailed at the end of last, as a result of consultation with exhibitors and other stakeholders to determine the best outcome for all. Licensing Expo has stated its belief that this new date ‘is in the best interests of our customers and partners.’

All exhibition bookings and visitor pre-registrations will be transferred automatically to the new dates and there will be further communications to these groups over the coming days and weeks.

Anna Knight, VP Licensing, Informa Markets, said: “We have been closely following developments since COVID–19 began spreading, and we have consistently been mindful of its potential impact on global events like ours.

“With the help, cooperation and partnership we have with MGM Resorts we have obtained favourable dates to reschedule the event and we hope this will serve as an opportunity for the industry to regather in August.

“The Licensing Expo team will be contacting exhibitors and partners to discuss the rescheduled dates, answer any queries, and ensure they can deliver the same event experience as originally planned. However, an event of this scale requires careful planning and organisation, so we collectively ask for understanding in advance for any disruption this change may cause.

“I’d like to thank all of our customers for their patience over the past few weeks as we have navigated these unprecedented circumstances and hope to see as many people as possible in Las Vegas.”

Maura Regan, President, Licensing International, added: “Licensing International fully supports the decision to reschedule Licensing Expo. This new date allows our members and the industry some much needed time to regroup and deal with these challenging circumstances, and above all to protect the health of our community and those around us.”

For further questions, please contact your account manager if you are an exhibitor or sponsor or cs@licensingexpo.com for all other queries.

Shaun the Sheep and The Snail and the Whale among winners at British Animation Awards 2020

The talent behind some of Britain’s best animation over the past year, including The Snail and the Whale, The Tiger Who Came to Tea, The Adventures of Paddington, and A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon were celebrated at the British Animation Awards 2020 this week.

Held at London’s BFI Southbank, the BAAs was hosted by comedian and actor Miles Jupp who kicked off a ceremony dedicated to recognising all forms of animation and honour the achievements of the British animation scene from the past two years.

Top awards went to Sally Hawkins for her work on the animated adaptation of the Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler book, The Snail and the Whale, David Arnold for Best Original Music for The Tiger Who Came to Tea, and to Nick Jr for its pre-school series, The Adventures of Paddington.

Hawkins scooped up the award for Best Voice Performance for her portrayal of Snail in Snail and the Whale, Magic Light Pictures’ festive animation about a mollusc on an epic adventure.

Meanwhile there were three major awards for acclaimed studio Aardman Animations, which picked up the prestigious award for Best Long Form Animation for its hugely successful madcap caper A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmaggedon (directed by Will Becher and Richard Phelan), the Children’s Choice Award for an episode from its CBBC series Shaun The Sheep: Squirreled Away(directed by Carmen Bromfield-Mason), and Best Music Video for Coldplay’s “Daddy” (directed by Asa Lucanda).

Staying in the children’s TV categories, Adam Shaw and Chris Drew picked up the Best Children’s Pre-School Series award for their charming Nick Jr. series The Adventures of Paddington – which features the voice of Ben Wishaw as Paddington and a song written and performed by Gary Barlow.

Erstwhile awards and audience favourite The Amazing Adventures of Gumball added another two BAAs to its collection picking up Best Use of Sound and the Writers Award for Richard Overall, Mic Graves and Tony Hull.

Meanwhile, the Best Children’s Series was awarded to Gutsy Animations’ Sky One series Moominvalley (directed by Steve Box), which was praised by the judges for its “undeniable beauty” and “top-notch vocal performances”.

The Best Original Music Award went to multi award-winning duo David Arnold and Don Black for Lupus Films’ The Tiger Who Came to Tea.

 Some of the leading British animation courses were represented in both Best Undergraduate and Best Postgraduate Student film categories including nominees from Falmouth University School of Film and Television, University of Creative Arts in Farnham, Arts University Bournemouth and the Royal College of Arts London.

The winner of the all-female nominated Best Undergraduate Student Film category was Megan Earls from UCA, Farnham for Border/Line and the victor of the Best Postgraduate Student Film was Alex Widdowson, also from RCA, for his film Music and Clowns.

 In other categories: The Best Short Film was awarded to Jonathan Hodgson for Roughhouse, which the judges described as a “masterful piece of short form storytelling”. The Best Animation in a Commercial award went to Thomas Harnett O’Meara and Matthew Day for their charming take on The Wind in the Willows for The Wildlife Trusts; The Best Film or TV Graphic, Motion Design was awarded to Second Home Studios for its “varied and imaginative idents” for DaVinci Learning.

The Best Commissioned Animation was picked up by Moth Studio for the “beautifully delicate animation” in Conception: Catie & Jen: The Best Immersive Category was won by Marshmallow Laser Feast for We Live in an Ocean of Air, which was praised for “inspiring us to think about nature in a different way”.

Finally, in a new category for 2020, the Best Social Good Award rewarded Danny Capozzi for his animation for United for Global Mental Health – New Mindset.

BAA Director, Helen Brunsdon, said: “This is my first year at the helm of the BAAs and I was blown away by the quality of the entries this year. The BAAs are a brilliant way to showcase the incredible talent we have here in the UK and help cement Britain’s position as one of the leading countries in the world for animation.”

Held every two years, the British Animation Awards (BAAs) reward the very best new and established British animators across a variety of categories including short films, animated graphics for film and television, children’s series, music videos and commercials.

The awards themselves (the BAAs) are unique artworks, featuring sheep, created especially for the occasion by a range of leading international and UK animation artists: a measure of the world-wide respect felt for British animation.

Egmont sees record revenue of €1.7bn but warns of challenging year ahead amid coronavirus pandemic

The international media group, Egmont – home of Egmont Publishing and subsidiaries including Norway’s TV 2 and Nordisk Film, has reported a revenue growth of €79 million in its full year 2019 financials, driven by TV, streaming, video gaming, and e-commerce.

The media group hit a revenue record of €1.7bn for the full year, built on its solid foundation of publishing, journalism, and storytelling. Meanwhile the firm is driving increased growth through emerging platforms including video gaming and e-commerce, and marketing services.

Egmont has, however, posted expectations of 2020 to be a ‘challenging year’ due to the Coronavirus pandemic and its crisis across the Nordic countries.

President and CEO, Steffen Kragh stated that looking into 2020 “we are, like the rest of society, very affected by the present COVID-19 crisis and concerned by the well-being of our employees, and that society and we as a company get well through this crisis.”

Three quarters of Egmont’s business is now in film, TV, streaming, computer games, digital media and e-commerce. Increasing the use of technology to optimise the media products and consumer experiences is an important element in the media group’s development.

Egmont’s total business activity, including its share of non-consolidated companies, generated revenue of €2bn.

Egmont Publishing’s magazine titles outperforming the general print market, fuelled by strong growth at the marketing services agencies, numerous bestsellers, and digital growth at Egmont’s book publishers.

At the same time, TV2 Norway increased its stake in TV distributor RiksTV to 50 per cent while its result reflect a strong year with higher viewing shares and marked growth in subscribers to the streaming service TV 2 Sumo. Meanwhile, Nordisk Film saw success with the release of a string of films and video games.

Egmont is a commercial foundation which in 2020 celebrates its centenary. The foundation has a dual purpose: to develop modern media and to support vulnerable children, young people and families. In 2019, Egmont made charitable donations of €13m to vulnerable children and young people in Denmark and Norway and to film talents through the Nordisk Film Foundation. T

he Egmont Report 2019 focused on helping children make a good start at school, and Egmont entered into a new five-year partnership with charity Børns Vilkår during the year to work on school absenteeism. Egmont also supported 12 new projects focusing on dyslexia. Since 1920, Egmont has made total donations of €410m.

Universal Brand Development launches new Jurassic World retail campaign with Smyths Toy Superstores

Universal Brand Development has launched a new Jurassic World retail marketing initiative with Smyths Toy Superstores, a campaign that kicked off with a special screening of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom at The Vaults on London.

The event featured hours of immersive activities and the opportunity to play with new products from the recently refreshed cross-category consumer products programme. Digital gaming experiences, themed food and drink and an authentic dinosaur-stampede complete with costumed adults running for their lives also featured.

The invite-only soiree was co-hosted by the YouTubers Gorgeous Movies who took over the Smyths Instagram account, posting live updates using the #EnterJurassicWorld hashtag. The campaign continues post event with Gorgeous Movies creating bespoke Jurassic World content from the day for its YouTube channel of more than 1.7 million subscribers.

In addition, Smyths has also been posting footage highlights from the day on YouTube and across its Facebook page with a retail call to action.

 Continuing to expand Jurassic World’s retail footprint remains a top priority for Universal Brand Development as the brand nears its third decade with new product ranges and refreshes coming through.

Fans can look forward to the new upcoming Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous animated series from DreamWorks Animation, Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment for Netflix due to hit screens later this year, and the third installment in the Jurassic World film series, entitled Jurassic World Dominion, which will premiere in summer 2021.

Moomin appoints Bavaria Sonor Licensing to grow presence in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland

Moomin has bolstered its global network of licensing partners with the recent appointment of Bavaria Sonor Licensing, the licensing division of Bavaria Media GmbH, to manage the character brand’s licensing across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

The move was made by Moomin’s master agent, Rights & Brands in part of its ongoing efforts that have seen the firm revamp the Moomin licensing programme over the past year to mark its 75th anniversary.

Moomin has seen turnover grow ‘at a tremendous rate’ over the pas ten years with the number of licensee almost tripling worldwide.

The Moomins are the central characters in a series of books and a comic strip created by Finnish-Swedish writer and artist Tove Jansson between 1944 and 1971. Jansson achieved worldwide fame as writer of the stories which follow the characters’ adventures in the idyllic and peaceful Moomin Valley.

Meanwhile, Bavaria Media has a track record helping its brands produce memorable moments and create stories in people’s minds. Founded in 1983 and based in Germany, the company manages international film, tv and music licensing, as well as content distribution. Bavaria Sonor Licensing – the licensing division of Bavaria Media – was named ‘Licensing Agency of the Year 2019’ at the Licensing International Awards in Germany. Its numerous clients Include Playmobil, Emoji, Bud Spencer & Terence Hill, Janosch, Big-Bobby-Car and Panini.

“We are delighted to welcome the Moomins to Bavaria Media – we feel honoured to have the opportunity to represent this timeless, classic brand,” said Ivica Maracic, licensing and sales director at Bavaria Sonor Licensing.

“The Moomin Characters have been loved for generations and we are thrilled to extend the licensing success story into Germany, Austria and Switzerland.”

“It’s wonderful to add a new sub-agent in these important markets,” added Roleff Kråkström, CEO of Moomin Characters. “And it’s great timing to have Bavaria Media onboard when the Moominvalley TV show is about to launch in Germany and Switzerland.

“The Moomin brand is constantly growing, both in revenue and awareness and we are actively building on this momentum. Bavaria Media is exactly the kind of partner we need in order to expand the Moomin market share in this region.”

The appointmet coincides with the recent acquisition of Moominvalley by ZDF, the German public-service television broadcaster, to be shown on ZDF’s platforms and on KiKA, their free-to-air children’s channel.

“I feel happy and proud that ZDF is our partner in Germany,” said Marika Makaroff, executive producer and creative director of Moominvalley at Gutsy Animations.

Moomin first ventured into brand licensing in the 1950s with a range of hand-painted mugs released by Tove and her mother. Moomin now has an established global licensing programme with over 700 licensees worldwide. These include theme parks and branded cafés, as well as companies selling homeware, food and apparel.

This global network has increased the dedicated customer base – working with Bavaria Media will help reach an even wider range of retailers, to offer fans a more diverse range of products.

Patrick Ullman, CEO of Rights & Brands, has said that this partnership is ‘another step in the plan to maximise the Moomin’s international presence.’

“We are excited to welcome Bavaria Media into the family as part of our strategy – they are a great company with a lot of experience and success managing iconic brands,” he said. “The Moomins and Nordic literature are very popular in Germany, so it’s a huge potential market.”

Nintendo helps LEGO reinvent its traditional building system with LEGO Super Mario

The LEGO Group and Nintendo have shed light on the teased partnership that got the rumour mills spinning at the start of this week with the reveal of a new building system that brings Super Mario into the physical LEGO world.

Neither a video game nor a traditional LEGO brick-based set, LEGO Super Mario is a new product line that features an interactive LEGO Mario figure who collects coins in real life game levels created with LEGO bricks, in a launch that ‘will allow kids to experience the world of Super Mario like never before.’

A press release from LEGO went on to explain that both LEGO and Nintendo “share a passion for innovation and play, and the collaboration has led to a re-imagination of the LEGO building experience.”

Super Mario will be brought to life in the physical LEGO world and new levels of challenge and styles of play will be part of the iconic LEGO experience enjoyed by generations.

The news was also shared in a video posted by the LEGO Group and Nintendo earlier today.

The video, which hints at what fans can expect when LEGO Super Mario launches later this year, shows a player using an interactive Mario figure to collect coins in a real-life game level that has been created with LEGO bricks.

“We are very excited to bring Mario into the physical world through interactive and social LEGO play,” said Julia Goldin, chief marketing officer, EVP of the LEGO Group. “With this experience we will help millions of kids with love for Mario to engage and play in a completely new way, where they are in control of creating and playing games with their favourite character. By seamlessly incorporating the latest digital technology, LEGO Super Mario is a highly social, interactive and collaborative experience for kids.”

Takashi Tezuka, executive officer and game producer of Nintendo Co, added: “I have always liked LEGO products and how they help children use their imagination to play. The new product we created together with the LEGO Group seeks to combine two different styles of play – one where you freely build the world of Mario and the other where you play with Mario in the very world that you have created.”

LEGO Super Mario will launch later this year, and more information will be made available in the future.

Downton Abbey gin and whiskey to go nationwide as Harrogate Tipple signs with Boutique Bar Brands

It’s good news for gin and whiskey drinkers and Downton Abbey fans alike this week as Harrogate Tipple signs off an agreement with Boutique Bar Brands to act as its exclusive distributor for the UK.

Under the new deal, the North Yorkshire company’s range of spirits – including its licensed Downton Abbey gin and whiskey collection – will be able to extend its reach in on-trade, off-trade, and online as well as in premium outlets, as a part of Boutique Bar Brands’ portfolio of drinks.

Until now, the range had been available within Booths, Fenwicks, and in a number of independent outlets. BBB works with over 45 wholesalers across the UK, and currently represents three distilleries – The London Distillery Company, Greensand Ridge, and Gleann Morr.

Established four years ago by Steven and Sally Green, supported by internationally renowned distiller Tom Nichol, Harrogate Tipple has already established a loyal following. Housed in a converted barn close to the Ripley Castle Estate near Harrogate, it has an ethos of local provenance with many of its botanicals grown in the estate’s kitchen gardens and Victorian hothouse as well as using the spa town’s famous spring water.

Co-founder of Harrogate Tipple, Steven Green, said: “This partnership is our first distribution deal and marks another important step in our development. BBB has a fantastic reputation in the industry; it only represents the very best brands that have a story to tell.

“We will be able to benefit from this leading drinks agency’s extensive knowledge and contacts, particularly in on-trade premium outlets, enabling us to extend our reach.”

Philip Harding, co-founder of BBB, added: “BBB has more recently been moving into providing a distribution service to drinks brands which have already built a certain level of business within the UK, as opposed to our traditional agency retainer model. When Harrogate Tipple approached us, they impressed the team with their growth over the past few years and their ambition to push onto the next level.

“We believe that the match of Harrogate Tipple’s unique offering, supported by BBB’s network, sales team and reach, will be a great combination, enabling it to become a nationally recognised brand. The Downton Abbey range of spirits is also a very interesting addition to our portfolio, and we are excited to see how far we can take this.”

Harrogate Tipple’s current range includes Premium Harrogate Gin, Gooseberry Harrogate Gin and Blueberry Harrogate Gin; Premium Harrogate Rum; Downton Abbey Premium Gin and Downton Abbey Finest Blended Whisky.