Entertainment One is ‘figuring out what Hasbro brands to bring to the screen’

Entertainment One is in the process of ‘figuring out which of Hasbro’s brands to bring to life,’ the company has stated following the toymaker’s $3.8bn acquisition of the content producer-distributor at the end of last year.

Speaking at UK Screenings this month, Pancho Mansfield, eOne’s president of global scripted programming, said that Hasbro has a ‘treasure chest’ of IP that the company is looking closely at as it works out what out of the firm’s some 1,500 brands will translate well to screen.

The obvious choices have already been highlighted, with the likes of Dungeons & Dragons, GI Joe, Power Rangers, Action Man, Furby, and Transformers among them.

“We’re just wrapping our arms around it and we’re excited to begin,” Mansfield told Deadline. “We’re going to continue doing what we’re doing and we have this great treasure chest of IP and worlds to bring to life.”

Much of the noise around Hasbro’s acquisition has – until now – been focused on eOne’s slate of pre-school properties such as Peppa Pig and PJ Masks, giving Hasbro a firmer foothold in the competitive yet highly lucrative pre-school content sector.

For a number of weeks, questions have been left hanging over what this meant for the future of eOne’s scripted drama output.

Noel Hedges, executive VP of acquisitions for eOne has now gone some way to alleviate those fears. He told Variety: “Drama is a huge part of eOne’s business and Hasbro bought the business not to shrink it, but expand it.

“If anything, eOne is now supported by a very complementary business. We will support Hasbro’s in-house IP and now find ways of bringing that to screen internally. Hasbro wants eOne to thrive, and from a distribution point of view, they want us to be the portal through which we can take that content to the world.

“Even if it’s a kids’ brand, it could be integrated into a cross-generational family offering. Hasbro is a family business but there is a lot there that isn’t just in the kids’ space.

Funko is relocating its operational base to ‘state of the art’ centre in Coventry

Funko is relocating its operational base to a new ‘state of the art’ distribution centre located in Coventry, in the Midlands, in a move prompted by the firm’s continued ‘exceptional growth’ across the UK and Europe.

Since it began trading in January 2017, Funko EMEA has seen significant expansion, with the past three years growth surpassing expectations as the business continues to extend into new and existing markets.

In 2019, Funko further accelerated its business development through diversification, bringing in brands such as Loungefly, Funko Games, Funko Home + Gifts, and softlines, all in order to meed the demands of new and existing customers across EMEA.

Compounding the expansion, Funko is relocating its operational base to the new centre in Coventry in order to ‘provide its partners with an upgraded level of service, and alleviate pressure on the company’s operational infrastructure.’

With 349,000 sq. ft. of operating space, including 17,000 sq. ft. of new offices, the state-of-the-art fulfilment centre is nearing completion. The new facility will mostly be servicing the UK and Irish markets, however, a portion of its capacity will be dedicated to mainland European customers.

Managing director of Funko EMEA, Andy Oddie, confirmed: “We are reacting to our customer needs with an innovative operational system that can mirror the pace of our company – the new space meets all our extensive requirements, and we are delighted.”

The transition to the new location in Coventry has already begun, and is scheduled to go live from early April, 2020.

The Pokémon Company launches half term pop-up at Harrods

The Pokémon Company International has launched a month-long pop-up in Harrods’ famed Knightsbridge store in London, featuring a host of special Pokémon activities for fans and families his half term.

The pop-up opened on Friday, February 14th, with a special area in Harrods themed after the Galar region, which is a UK-inspired new region from the recent Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield video games.

The two new releases have become the fastest-selling Nintendo Switch titles, with more than six million units sold worldwide during last November’s launch weekend, with global sales now totalling over 16 million units.

Running through to Friday, March 13th this year, Pokémon has taken over the pop-up space in the store’s fourth-floor toy department.

The pop-up features a range of Pokémon products, including toys, the Trading Card Game, stationery, and accessories. Activities planned for the month include giveaways and character appearances from Pikachu and friends, a screen showcasing the TCG and toys, and additional surprises planned to mark Pokémon Day on February 27th.

Mathieu Galante, licensing director EMEA at The Pokémon Company International, said: “We are delighted to be returning to this iconic store for another Pokémon pop-up.

“We were thrilled with the response to our previous pop-up at Harrods in May and are looking forward to providing another great experience for Pokémon fans old and new over the coming month.”

The pop-up follows a successful month at Harrods last May when Pokémon took over the pop-up space in the renowned store’s newly launched fourth-floor toy department with a range of products and activity to promote the launch of the live action movie Pokémon Detective Pikachu.

Vault Comics taps Reemsborko as global agent for graphic-novel series Heathen

The US comic book publisher, Vault Comics, has named Reemsborko as its global agent for the company’s critically acclaimed and best-selling graphic novel series, Heathen.

Heathen tells the story of Aydis, a Viking warrior, outcast, and a self-proclaimed heathen, and her companion, the talking horse Saga, rescuer of the immortal Valkyrie Brynhild, and a battler of gods and fantastic monsters.

Born into a time of warfare, suffering, and subjugation of women, she is on a mission to end the oppressive reign of the god-king Odin.

Heathen is currently in pre-production as a major film release from Constantin and director Catherine Hardwicke (of Twilight fame).

Max Arguile, founder of Reemsborko, said: “I have read comics all my life and am a bit fussy about what to follow, but I love Heathen – this is a great narrative with interesting characters, plenty of action and of course, gorgeous artwork.

“Viking mythology is still popular for a reason – like all great stories, they change and are retold for every generation and in Aydis, Natasha Alterici has created an inspirational warrior for our times, the kind of character that has been all too rare in popular culture.

“Don’t let the politicians and pundits make you think that feminism is a dirty word, because it isn’t. We need Aydis in our lives.”

Adrian Wassel of Vault, added: “Natasha Alterici has done the (all but) impossible: she’s created a hero who brings different audiences together. Aydis never gives up. She fights for everyone. It’s her secret weapon—a simple one, but so effectively told, weaving grand myths with fragile emotions.

“Aydis battles the gods themselves to protect love, and when she dons her antlered helmet, you feel her triumph and bravery. No matter where Heathen ventures, the page, the screen, Aydis finds new fans. We’re thrilled to have Reemsborko carry Heathen to new heights.”

BuzzFeed’s Tasty brand launches kitchen and cookware ranges through Haven Global deal

Haven Global has detailed the launch of a new range of cookware and kitchenware inspired by and themed around BuzzFeed’s own popular food brand, Tasty into Big W stores from today.

The line of kitchen products aims to bring the fun, ease and accessibility of Tasty’s signature recipe videos to consumers across Australia. The Tasty-branded cookware line includes 28 products ranging from non-stick cookware and bakeware to kitchen gadgets and accessories.

Matt Drinkwater, head of international at BuzzFeed said: “There is no better way for Tasty fans to prepare delicious recipes at home than with our bright and beautiful cookware range. We’re so proud to partner with Big W to bring the line to a broad audience of beginner and more experienced cooks alike. Together we’re making cooking more fun.”

The Tasty cookware line features bright colours and includes the tools necessary to prepare Tasty’s portfolio of recipes. The line features non-stick forged aluminium cookware, non-stick metal bakeware with silicone handle inserts, emoji cookie cutters, silicone head utensils and soft grip gadgets.

BuzzFeed research shows that two out of three Tasty fans have made a Tasty recipe, using its bank of videos as guidance. The kitchen line is the same range as is used in Tasty’s library of videos and was designed and developed with the Tasty fan in mind.

Tom Punch, managing director of Haven Global, who facilitated the deal, added: “We are delighted we are to be working with BuzzFeed to bring the iconic Tasty brand to the Australian market. This launch reflects the huge shift in how millennials are consuming media along with the brand recognition that online content can offer for consumer products.

“There is so much potential for many more partnerships and categories to come – keep an eye out for this fabulous brand as we further expand into food aisles and more in the coming months.”

The Tasty line of kitchen products is licensed and manufactured by Fackelmann.

CEO of Fackelmann Housewares Australia, Mark Batson, said: “We are thrilled to be the product partner for the launch of Tasty into the Australian market. The new range of millennial focused kitchenware products includes solutions for all stages of meal preparation from knives to bakeware to frying pans.

“All, of course, have been designed to be insta-friendly with bold colours across the range and perfect for recreating the Tasty recipes we see online.”

Tasty reaches over 325 million people globally and can be viewed across social platforms including Facebook, YouTube and TikTok; through Tasty.co and the Tasty app.

The growing Tasty portfolio includes additional brands Proper Tasty, Tasty Demais, Tasty Miam, Einfach Tasty, Tasty Japan, Bien Tasty, Tasty Vegetarian, Tasty Grill, and Tasty Jr.

Disney and UEFA team up to encourage young girls into football with Playmakers campaign

Disney has teamed with the UEFA to develop a ground-breaking football programme that uses the studio’s penchant for storytelling to encourage more young girls into football with the initiative it has called, Playmakers.

Inspired by academic research that has demonstrated the positive role of storytelling in helping children take up sport,  Playmakers also aims to increase the proportion of girls meeting the World Health Organisation’s minimum standards for physical activity.

Targeting five to eight year-old girls not currently playing football, seven UEFA national associations –Scotland, Norway, Belgium, Poland, Austria, Romania, and Serbia – will roll out the Playmakers campaign through schools, clubs and local communities, with more associations expected to introduce the programme later in the year.

Each of Playmaker’s ten initial training sessions follow the narrative of Disney and Pixar’s billion dollar global box office smash hit, Incredibles 2. Equipped with footballs, bibs and cones, trained coaches encourage participants to play the roles of popular characters, such as Elastigirl, Violet, Mr Incredible and Dash, bringing the film’s action scenes to life through movement, teamwork and imagination.

“If you’re going to teach football through the power of storytelling and play, you have to do it with the best stories and characters in the world, and Disney is the perfect partner for this,” said Nadine Kessler, UEFA Head of Women’s Football.

“By taking that Disney magic, and implementing the first-ever pan-European girls’ grassroots football programme, we will give any girl the best possible opportunity to fall in love with football.”

As Playmakers rolls out across Europe, new Disney storytelling will be added to the programme.

Early sessions will see the Playmakers programme focus on building girls’ confidence in their movement, encouraging creative thinking and communicating easily with their friends. Later sessions introduce girls to basic football skills.

Kessler added: “We want girls to have the same feeling and be encouraged to create their own game and make their own decisions. This is exactly what this programme is about – creating an environment for all girls to flourish and develop, whether that be fundamental movement skills, football basics or life skills and values.

“We truly believe that this unique programme can be the spark for a more active generation of football-loving girls.”

At the centre of the Playmakers’ campaign will be a play-based learning programme developed following a literary review from Leeds’ Beckett University in England. Commissioned by UEFA, the review assessed academic research into what motivates young girls to participate in sports, identifying best practice coaching methods to create a safe learning environment.

The programme is also the result of a knowledge-transfer partnership with the English Football Association who is currently running the Shooting Stars programme in partnership with Disney.

Playmakers represents a first step toward achieving one of the main goals of  UEFA’s own Time for Action mission statement, in which UEFA Women’s Football aims to double girls’ and women’s participation in football by 2024.

“It is UEFA’s duty as European football’s governing body to empower girls to play the game,” added UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin, “Through this partnership with Disney, we will open up football to an audience not yet engaged with our sport.”

On top of this, it is across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), that Disney has a long-standing Healthy Living Commitment, using its storytelling to get families more active and working to educate and inspire children about healthy eating.

This has led to a variety of partnerships on inspirational campaigns, such as Public Health England’s 10 Minute Shake Up, which inspired two million kids to get active and register more than 100 million extra minutes of physical activity.

In Poland, Disney launched its #GetMovingWithDisneyJunior initiative, a campaign spearheaded by local sporting champions, which reached more than 30,000 youngsters. The campaign involved the creation of more than 30 films, which featured children exercising alongside Disney Junior characters.

Nicole Morse, Disney EMEA’s vice president of integrated marketing, said: “This brilliant Playmakers initiative is another great example of Disney’s long-term commitment to help future generations lead healthier lifestyles.

“By using our much-loved characters and stories as a force for good, we can really make a difference and inspire families and children to be more active. So we’re very proud that by partnering with UEFA on the first pan-European girls football programme, we will encourage more and more girls across the region to get active, build their confidence and participate in playing football, all in an environment that has been specifically designed for them.”

Industry backs The Sustainability in Licensing Conference as it readies for June debut

BBC Studios, Warner Bros. Consumer Products, and ViacomCBS are just a smattering of the industry big hitter to throw their support behind the Sustainability in Licensing Conference, an initiative aimed at breaking new grounds within the licensing industry’s sustainability efforts.

In a show of support for the concept launched in a joint venture by Max Publishing and Helena Mansell-Stopher, founder of the Products of Change Group, the industry has been quick to back the event, with its roster of partners climbing to 20 within weeks of its announcement.

Already the likes of MDR Brand Management, the Natural History Museum, Hasbro, Character World, TDP Textiles, Brandgenuity, Change Plastics for Good, Smiffys, Dreamtex, Kids Industries, and Amscan have got behind the project as it prepares to debut this year.

This roster has been joined by the likes of GB eye, Global Brands Europe, Those Licensing People, University of Oxford, and Discovery Inc.

To be held at The British Library on Thursday, June 11th 2020, the Sustainability in Licensing Conference 2020 is aimed at everyone in the licensing arena, from retailers to licensors, licensees to trade suppliers.

Its aim is to help the industry future-proof its businesses with insight on how to develop sustainable strategies, taking into consideration how a given organisation operates in today’s ecological, social and economic environment.

The Sustainability in Licensing Conference (SILC 2020) will look to inspire and inform as to how the dynamic licensing sector can continue to innovate and grow commercially while not costing the planet.

“Sustainability is so much more than a buzzword, it is and will continue to be, a vital driver of business decisions,” said Mansell-Stopher, conference director and curator.To drive sustainable growth within the licensing industry over the next few decades will require a radical approach to business practices be it through embracing new materials and production techniques, re-engineering packaging or adopting new marketing methods, all without sacrificing financial growth.

“Our aim with SILC 2020 is to help both future-proof our industry and our world.”

The conference’s agenda will see leading lights and visionaries from outside and within the industry as well as retail experts, sharing their achievements and demonstrating the gains, both environmentally and financially, that can be made.

“The licensing industry is huge and multi-farious – generating US$272 billion at retail at the last count. The brands and properties that feature on all manner of consumer goods across the whole retail spectrum bring so much pleasure to millions of people,” continued Mansell-Stopher.

“I have every confidence that the learnings shared at the Sustainability in Licensing Conference will see some significant gains being made on the environmental front too. We’re all on this journey together, but ensuring we establish a more sustainable footing is no distant wish, it’s very much a necessity.”

Demonstrating its own commitment to the cause, SILC has secured an additional partnership with Offset Earth to ensure the conference is fully carbon offset.

The event’s partnership with Offset Earth will mean that running the conference, along with its attendees, will generate the planting of 720 mangrove trees in Madagascar, an area that houses more than 200,000 species of plants and animals that do not live anywhere else in the world.

However, more than 90 per cent of Madagascar’s original forests have been destroyed, displacing entire animal species and taking away the Malagasy’s ability to farm and live on the land. Entire mangrove estuaries are gone, leaving the bare earth to wash away into the sea.

Funds from SILC 2020 will support the non-profit Eden Reforestation Projects as it continues to reforest the island. Eden is a world leader in responsible reforestation, having already planted 265 million trees and created 2.6 million work days for local communities.

Sustainability in Licensing Conference 2020 – the line-up

Meanwhile, already a content framework for the day has been detailed, highlighting the need for greater change with talks on the following topics:

  • Why change? – 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and what they mean for the industry and the individual
  • How can business contribute towards a sustainable future?
  • Designing out waste – why design plays an important part in the sustainability journey
  • Plastic innovation in packaging and SUPs
  • Collaborations and why these are so important
  • How to unlock sustainable finance and the need to review how we track finance within corporations’ gross domestic product
  • Why we need to move to a circular economy business model
  • Innovation within fashion manufacturing and retail
  • Marketing and communications – both internal and external
  • A panel with leaders from the toy industry, discussing the road ahead and how to manage change collectively
  • What retail requires from the industry
  • A panel with UK retailers, coming together to drive change

Find out how to book your place at this year’s Sustainability in Licensing Conference by clicking here.

Spin Master shakes things up for Etch A Sketch with Hasbro, NASA and Stan Lee partnerships

Spin Master is shaking things up for its iconic red-framed drawing toy, Etch A Sketch in 2020, as the crafty brand celebrates its 60th anniversary with a swathe of new collaborative projects.

As part of its celebrations, Etch A Sketch has teamed with a number of other big names in the toys and entertainment space – including Hasbro’s Monopoly, and the iconic Stan Lee – to deliver a raft of new launches for the year ahead.

For 2020, the Etch a Sketch brand is joining forces with the Monopoly brand, space exploration leader NASA, heritage toy Rubik’s and comic book marvel Stan Lee. Through these collaborations, each will have its own limited-edition Etch A Sketch drawing toys.

“The Etch A Sketch drawing toy is one of only a handful of breakthrough toys that’s popularity spans generations,” said Arlene Biran, VP of marketing for activities and building sets, Spin Master.

“It is a timeless toy that encourages creativity on a magic screen that doesn’t need WIFI. Our series of limited-edition collaborations with other inspiring and imaginative classics honours 60 years of unplugged creativity.”

The Etch A Sketch Monopoly Edition will launch in the US this March and will retail at $19.99. It will be joined by the Etch A Sketch NASA Inspired Edition, launching in April.

The results of a collaborative effort between Spin Master and Rubik’s will see the Etch A Sketch Rubik’s Edition land in May, while the Etch A Sketh Stan Lee Edition will be available to all comic book and toy fans from July this year.

“We’re thrilled to work with the team at Spin Master to bring the Etch A Sketch Monopoly Edition to market,” said Casey Collins, GM & SVP of entertainment and licensing at Hasbro.

“As we honour major milestones for both brands this year, we hope fans of all ages will treasure this release for years to come.”

The Etch A Sketch limited edition collaborations will be released in limited quantities throughout the year on EtchASketch.com as well on Etch A Sketch Day, July 12, 2020, marking the official day the first Etch A Sketch toy was sold.

In addition to the collaborations with iconic classics, Spin Master is unveiling a new limited-edition Diamond Edition Etch a Sketch featuring a sleek black frame and custom crystal knobs available in limited quantities on EtchASketch.com.

The company will also release new innovation with Etch a Sketch Revolution in August, the first Etch A Sketch with a spinning screen that allows you to make circles.

The Light Fund’s Licensing Lolz comedy night returns for 2020 with new venue

The Licensing Lolz, an evening dedicated to comedy and raising money for the licensing industry charity, The Light Fund, is making its return for the third consecutive year this year, taking place a new and bigger, better location.

This year’s offering of laughter – at both the evening’s comedians and (more likely) your colleagues’ expense – will take place on April 23rd at The Albany on Great Portland Street, London. Doors will open at 6pm and the comedy evening will commence promptly at 7.30pm… so walk in late at your own risk.

“It’s a great chance to catch up with your industry colleagues whilst being entertained by some very funny comedians – £40/ticket with food included, tickets are limited so get yours soon,” said Sabrina Segalov, event organiser on behalf of The Light Fund.

Money raised from the evening will go towards to charities backed by The Light Fund.

Mr Men Little Miss launches into McDonald’s Happy Meals with reusable cup collection

Sanrio’s iconic Mr Men Little Miss brand has partnered with McDonald’s for a new Happy Meal promotion across the UK and Ireland, that brings its cast of characters to a line of reusable cups, tapping into the global sustainability movement.

This isn’t the first move from Sanrio to align itself with sustainability. The firm has told Licensing.biz that it has for the past number of years been working with partners – where possible – on sustainable ranges, such a its latest Carex deal for refillable pouches with Tesco.

The company will also be launching a Mr Men Go Green book this June, in which its character Little Miss Inventor cooks up a number of inventions to help her friends in Happyland be kinder to the planet.

It’s latest deal with McDonald’s will bring a collection of Mr Men Little Miss themed reusable, sustainable cups to the Happy Meal offering. The promotion will run from February 5th to March 17th.

It will see eight popular characters that kids can choose from and collect, while each Happy Meal box has received a makeover to feature Mr Tickle, Little Miss Sunshine, and Mr Bump.

The Mr. Men and Little Miss characters are even making a splash on TV with a new McDonald’s advert, as well as in store presence with a host of kids’ activities, including colouring sheets and balloons.

Sabrina Segalov, senior licensing manager at Sanrio, said: “We’re delighted to extend our partnership with McDonald’s to the UK and introduce a new range of sustainable cups as the gift in each Happy Meal.”