Category Archives: Highlight

NBCUniversal launches infant and toddler brand

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NBCUniversal’s Brand Development division is celebrating all families and the happy chaos of parenthood with the launch of its infant and toddler brand, Welcome to the Universe Baby! – delivering modern, trend-driven collections inspired by fan-favourite NBCUniversal characters, stories and culture-defining moments.

“Welcome to the Universe Baby! embraces the joyful, light-hearted moments of parenthood and reflects the modern lifestyle and attitudes of today’s parents,” says Marc Low, senior vice president and general manager, global lifestyle, Universal Brand Development. “We’ve taken a fresh, uniquely Universal approach to the world of baby, offering style-driven designs that appeal to parents with irresistible character art and catchy editorial,  inspiring them to share their fandom and passion with their own kids.”

With a rich portfolio of beloved global brands under one NBCUniversal banner, Welcome to the Universe Baby! features collections inspired by Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment’s Jurassic World, E.T. the Extra – Terrestrial and JAWS; DreamWorks Animation’s Shrek, Madagascar, How to Train Your Dragon and Kung Fu Panda; classic properties including Curious George, Felix the Cat and Woody Woodpecker, and much more.

Welcome to the Universe Baby! is launching throughout the summer and autumn in key international territories. In North America, a dedicated Amazon brand store will offer outfit sets and accessories from Bentex and Happy Threads, along with cosy blankets from Crown Crafts and an assortment of soft toys and books. In Europe, collaborations include trend-setting social brands such as Sleep No More and Cribstar, alongside apparel collections launching at major fast fashion retailers such as Kiabi, C&A and Reserved. In Mexico, El Palacio de Hierro is the exclusive launch partner, and in Brazil partnerships include offerings from Riachuelo, Grendene and Capricho, among others.

Bespoke collections will roll out in key international territories beginning spring 2022, with a global expansion across categories, retailers and partnerships continuing throughout 2023.

LICENSING EXPO: Q&A with Morgan Weyl, MD of Licensing and Global Development, TOMY International

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Offering a range of innovative, high-quality toys and nursery products that kids love and parents ask for by name, TOMY International is on a mission “to make the world smile”. We caught up with the company’s Managing Director of Licensing and Global Development, Morgan Weyl, ahead of Licensing Expo to find out about TOMY’s latest licensing deals and the products we can expect to see on-shelf in the months to come.

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Hi Morgan! First off, can you describe your role at TOMY and what your responsibilities are?

I serve as the Managing Director of Licensing and Global Development. I joined TOMY in 2000 as we were expending the Gacha licensed toy vending machine business outside of Japan, and that early interaction got me hooked on the licensing business realm. I use my 20 years of licensing expertise to help build a complementary strategy across each of TOMY’s divisions (Juvenile Products, Preschool, Vehicle and Toys) and bring amazing brands and content to life with our innovative products.

In addition to my licensing role, I’m also responsible for optimizing our brands and product platforms across geographies, applying successful regional programmes to further expand TOMY’s global reach.

What is TOMY’s history in the licensing sector?

In 2024, our company will celebrate its 100th anniversary! Licensing has been an integral part of TAKARA TOMY’s history. Some of our early historical successes are licensed; a 1924 Breguet Airplane tin replica or a 1956 Mickey Mouse tin toy, for example. We have fostered and strengthened our licensing portfolio and expertise since then, partnering with top studios and brand owners around the world.

Above: Jurassic Toomies

Across the entirety of the baby, vehicle and toy business today, we partner with inspiring brands like Mickey and Minnie, John Deere, Ford, Peppa Pig, Jurassic World, DC Comics, CoComelon, Super Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog, to name just a few.

Partnership defines our success in licensing. We highly value the uniqueness of our partners’ brands and ensure we infuse their DNA with a little bit of TOMY magic to always come up with something innovative and fresh.

You develop toys for large properties.  How do you ensure the TOMY products stand out in the marketplace – and keep their TOMY ‘essence’?

As just mentioned, it is all about DNA! We look at licensing as a strategic part of our product offering and make sure it complements our core and proprietary brands. By the time we select a property, we already know we’ll be able to bring TOMY’s quality and innovation. We strive to keep our DNA intact, always putting play, surprise, creativity and design at the forefront of our design thinking.

To echo our founder, Eiichiro Tomiyama, “Toys must have an element of fresh surprise, a sense of creativity and design. Without these, there is no progress.” This is TOMY’s founding philosophy and remains true for all our toys today.

Any challenges in the licensing realm?

Credit to all creators, content quality is just too good! Between new brands, and evergreen and nostalgic properties making their way back, there is so content much available. A concentrated retail landscape, added to broadcast and content diversification, brings a dilemma to licensors, licensees, and retailers alike. Opportunities to widely launch brand-new IPs have compressed greatly and we need to adapt our go-to-market strategies.

Getting the time for a property to find its audience is more and more challenging. We partner with our licensing friends early in the process, growing the brand awareness, and getting to a place we feel confident we can launch. We narrow the initial offering down to hit clear winners, while preparing a wider range of products enabling us to chase success as it comes.

You’ve recently acquired Fat Brain – how do you expect that to impact TOMY’s go-to-market strategy?

I just talked about the impact the consolidation of retail has had on toy companies. We also need to take into consideration the fact that consumers’ shopping habits have evolved in the last two years. The 2020 acquisition of Fat Brain diversified our product brand portfolio with amazing toys and brands like Dimpl and it also expanded our ability to reach and connect our brands to consumers directly, building that ever-so-important sense of community.

As a digitally native brand, Fat Brain Toys has tremendous omni-channel reach, offering us a critical platform to nurture the brands and new products and receive real-time consumer feedback.

What’s in the pipeline for TOMY, licensing-wise, for 2022 and beyond?

We have news across all our divisions and categories, starting with our licensed toddler feeding cups. In cups, we have historically worked with some of the biggest IPs in the world. We’ve seen great success with our latest partnerships including Mickey, Minnie, and Baby Shark. CoComelon was just added and is already doing very well. More IPs will soon complement our portfolio. We ensure we stay on top of the latest trend in this highly competitive category.

Looking at our vehicle business, we keep our foot on the pedal with new brands and partnerships. Monster Treads’ fans will soon get their hands on amazing Transformers stylised vehicles, coming this autumn. In 2023, we will expand our “Build A Buddy” STEAM accredited vehicle platform, offering 2-in-1 building fun thanks to amazing AAA brand collaborations. For older kids, all collectors’ eyes will be turned to an amazing diecast ship from the beloved Star Trek universe!

Recently, our toy division also shared news: we announced a new partnership with successful author Diane Alber. We’ll be taking Diane’s acclaimed book series, “A little SPOT”, to the toy aisle. Our playthings will offer young children really fun ways to understand and interact with emotions.

Preschoolers will enjoy new Toomies collaborations and toys with Peppa Pig, DC Comics and a special nostalgic treat with the cutest look of E.T. to celebrate its 40th anniversary. Finally, our Club Mocchi- Mocchi- collector plush platform will expand its POP culture portfolio with many partnerships to be announced very soon.

All these strategic initiatives will further strengthen our portfolio as we approach our 100th milestone.

What are you most looking forward to at Licensing Expo – and what would you like to achieve from the show?

Seeing and celebrating the industry, creators, buyers, and retailers who make life a little happier and more fun. It has been almost three years since we all last gathered in person at the licensing show. I’m personally looking forward to seeing all my friends from the industry as well as sharing all the TOMY news.

Our company motto is to “Make the world smile.” It’s rare to come across someone in the toy industry who doesn’t just love being in it. We’re popular with friends and family because of what we do, we play all day – it’s fantastic. The Licensing Show is one of the moments in time when we gather to be inspired by each other and explore possibilities.

TOMY will be at Licensing Expo, Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas, from 24-26 May 2022. 

 

Banijay Brands strengthens Peaky Blinders portfolio with raft of new deals

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Banijay Brands has today announced new licensing deals for global hit drama Peaky Blinders, in collaboration with series owner and producer Caryn Mandabach Productions. These new partnerships build on the brand’s hugely successful portfolio, as the global hit series heads towards its dramatic conclusion, with season six launching on Netflix on 10 June in the U.S. and other markets.

Banijay Brands has collaborated with the leading craftsmen at Conway Stewart for a global limited-edition Peaky Blinders branded range of luxury pens, available online now. In addition, the brand is building its apparel offering, partnering with Drew Pearsons for a UK range of high-quality, Peaky Blinders-inspired caps.

Recent additions to the Peaky Blinders portfolio include Endemol Shine North America’s partnership with Bushmills Irish Whiskey, for the first official whiskey for the hit series, which is set to launch in 2022 in the U.S.; the Peaky Blinders themed Risk board game, which is now available to pre-order ahead of its UK April release in GAME retail stores; the recent opening of Endemol Shine Brazil and Escape 60’s Peaky Blinders-themed escape room and the upcoming launch of Peaky Blinders: The King’s Ransom VR game from Maze Theory.

Further extending the world of Peaky Blinders, brand-owner and series producer Caryn Mandabach Productions recently announced a brand-new immersive theatre show Peaky Blinders: The Rise, opening in summer 2022 at The Vanguard Theatre, Camden, London, and Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby, a first-of-its-kind dance theatre show, running 2022/23, written and adapted for the stage by Steven Knight.

Alice Bernardi, Director of International Brand Licensing, Banijay Brands, says: “Peaky Blinders is a global phenomenon which translates incredibly well in the brand licensing space. It is a hot property right now, with a surge in demand from both audiences, and licensees who are keen to work with us. By collaborating with experienced and reliable partners, we are able to continue offering high-quality products and experiences for fans of the show to enjoy for years to come.”

Susan Waddell, Managing Director, Caryn Mandabach Productions, adds: “We are thrilled with the response to the most recent book and game launches and even more delighted to see these new products come to market, which we know our global Peaky Blinders fanbase will be delighted with.”

The current portfolio of official Peaky Blinders products is performing strongly, with the Peaky Blinders cookbook from White Lion Publishing (Quarto Group) becoming a March 2022 bestseller in the UK, hitting number nine in the top-ten hardback nonfiction charts, and number five in the food and drink category; the limited-edition Peaky Blinders Monopoly board game which was recently released in the UK completely sold out; and the Peaky Blinders official webstore had a record-breaking month during the airing of series six in the U.K.

The recently aired season six was the UK’s number one drama of the year for young adults, with over 17 million views on BBC iPlayer to date. The final chapter will be released on Netflix from 10 June in the U.S. and other key territories. Sold to more than 180 countries, the series, distributed by Banijay Rights, is widely available internationally on Netflix. Banijay represents a range of global ancillary rights for the Peaky Blinders brand.

The multi-award-winning gangster epic series was created and written by Steven Knight (Dirty Pretty Things, Eastern Promises and Locke). Peaky Blinders is owned and produced by Caryn Mandabach Productions and co-produced with Banijay’s Tiger Aspect Productions. Caryn Mandabach Productions owns the global Peaky Blinders brand.

ZAG to unveil Melody, a new animated musical starring Katy Perry, at Licensing Expo

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Award-winning independent animation studio ZAG has partnered with Cross Creek Pictures to produce Melody, an animated musical feature created and directed by Jeremy Zag, and starring singer, songwriter and actress Katy Perry in the title role.  The announcement was made today by Jeremy Zag, Founder and CEO of ZAG, and Katy Perry.

Melody will be directed by Jeremy Zag, while Katy Perry will co-write and perform the songs for the film. The feature will be produced by Jeremy Zag, Cross Creek’s Tyler Thompson, Katy Perry, and Michael Gracey (The Greatest Showman), who also served as executive producer on the upcoming $US100 million+ animated film Miraculous Ladybug & Cat Noir: The Movie, produced by ZAG.

Jeremy Zag is best known as the creator, director and producer of the global phenomenon Miraculous – Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir. ZAG will debut Melody to potential licensing partners at the upcoming Licensing Expo in Las Vegas.

In this musical adventure, kind-hearted, insecure yet prodigious singer Melody must overcome the evil plans of Rose Stellar, a jealous wicked pop queen who has vowed to destroy her. Set against the backdrop of New York City, Melody will take audiences on an adventure of song, laughter and heroic quest. With Melody are her “Seven Dwarves”-like musical notes that help guide her moral compass in more ways than one.

Packed with magic, love and wonder, Melody is an uplifting and inspiring story of self-discovery that celebrates the importance of fulfilling one’s dreams by believing in oneself and, above all, that to love is stronger than to be loved.

“I’ve dreamed of making Melody for years with a vision to convey messages of empowerment in a wondrous world full of music and adventure,” commented Zag.  “As a popstar, Melody is adored by her fans, but as a young artist, she struggles with insecurity.  On this journey of self-discovery, she comes to realise that the key to fulfilment of her life dreams is that she must learn to love herself first. Katy Perry’s journey to stardom is personified in Melody and, given her passion throughout her career to be an inspiration to her fans, she is the perfect collaborator for our animated extravaganza.”

Katy Perry is one of the best-selling artists of all time, having sold over 143 million records worldwide. All her studio albums released under Capitol have individually surpassed one billion streams on Spotify. She has nine U.S. number one singles, three U.S. number one albums, and has received numerous accolades including four Guinness World Records, five Billboard Music Awards, five American Music Awards, a Brit Award, and a Juno Award.  Her critically acclaimed Super Bowl halftime show performance is the most watched in history. She is also the most followed woman on Twitter with over 100 million followers.

CAA Media Finance represents the worldwide distribution rights to Melody, with Rocket Science co-representing foreign sales.

Acamar appoints Spotlight Licensing to drive growth for Bing in North America

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Acamar Films has appointed Spotlight Licensing as licensing and merchandising agent for North America for its award-winning preschool series Bing.

The multi-year licensing and merchandising agreement covers the USA and Canada. Spotlight will drive strategic Bing licensing and retail programmes as the show’s footprint continues to grow in the region.

A bespoke American version of Bing made its US debut on Cartoonito on Cartoon Network in September 2021, to great success. The show then launched on Cartoonito on HBO Max in February this year. Cartoonito is highlighting Bing as a series that helps young viewers understand how to manage emotions, understand others’ perspective and develop social skills. In Canada, the series is available on TVO Kids, TFO and Amazon Prime Video. Bing is also available on YouTube and in the app stores in both the USA and Canada.

Spotlight Licensing is an award-winning and well-established boutique licensing and IP management company with considerable expertise and experience in the preschool sector. The agency has a reputation for innovation and successfully extending licensing programmes by tailoring strategy to reflect the unique DNA of an individual property. The Spotlight Licensing team will be exhibiting at this year’s Licensing Expo in Las Vegas and are looking forward to spreading the word about Bing and exploring exciting opportunities with attendees.

Sandra Vauthier-Cellier, Chief Commercial Officer, Acamar Films, says: “We are delighted to be partnering with the award-winning Licensing & Merchandising team at Spotlight Licensing. Their outstanding expertise of preschool properties and their strategic and innovative approach, coupled with their wholehearted passion for Bing, promises exciting results. Bing already enjoys a hugely successful licensing programme in Europe, with consumer products across a wide variety of categories, live shows and other immersive experiential offerings. Now we’re looking forward to launching and building Bing’s licensing programme in the USA and Canada to provide our audience with equally delightful products and experiences to connect them even more closely with Bing.”

Carole Postal, President, Spotlight Licensing, adds: “The whole team here at Spotlight has been moved and delighted by Bing and we’re excited to be working with Acamar Films on developing a dynamic and robust programme to accelerate its growth in the region. With its strong, unique and timeless values, the series is so relatable for toddlers and their families, and we want to help deepen their engagement and ensure its longevity.”

Bing is a celebration of the joyful, messy reality of preschool life. Set in a delightful community “round the corner, not far away”, its authentic, timeless stories follow the everyday ups and downs of Bing, Flop (Bing’s own “carer”) and their friends. Bing provides an honest depiction of the highs and lows of preschool life from a preschooler’s perspective – a unique viewpoint for a children’s property.

Acamar Films has established a successful licensing programme for Bing in European markets, with over 100 licensees on board across key categories, from toys and apparel to kids’ audio storytelling and games, and experiential activities. The show is currently distributed to over 130 territories and engages digital audiences on a daily basis via 20 language-specific YouTube channels, social media channels and a suite of digital apps, and is firmly on-track to become a global evergreen property, cherished by families and young children worldwide.

 

Licensing International releases first findings from annual Global Licensing Industry Study

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Licensing International has released a topline preview of its seventh annual Global Licensing Industry Study. Available in full on June 24, the report, conducted by Brandar Consulting, shows some pandemic trends continue to strongly shape the global licensing industry.

The licensing industry has faced significant change over the past two years, both in terms of migration towards the product categories showing growth, and the partnerships built within those categories. The topline report showcases that there was a flight towards stable, evergreen properties with both consumer comfort and staying power being the key drivers behind this switch.

“The study highlights the impressive growth the licensing industry has seen over the past two years,” says Maura Regan, President of Licensing International. “With the constant emergence of new innovations and trends, there are some incredible opportunities to grow even further, some of which will be previewed at next week’s Licensing Expo.”

The global sizing study contains two years’ worth of economic data, country-level data, product market data, royalty rate data, and company-level financials, painting a full picture of what has transpired in the licensing industry. Notable findings from the early release of the study include:

  • Retail – An explosion of e-commerce emerged across the retail landscape, capturing 34% of global licensed sales as businesses fully embraced the move, noting a two-fold benefit of increasing distribution when physical shelf space was so compressed, while also increasing their profit margins.
  • Celebrities – Celebrity licensing saw significant growth (30.1%) because it served as a very close proxy to Entertainment properties, with established Celebrity brands being viewed as more evergreen with longer-term staying power at retail.
  • Sports – With Name, Image & Likeness (NIL) licensing becoming a reality for college athletes, the collegiate sports category was up 18.6%, showing even stronger growth than the overall sports category, which grew 8%.
  • Publishing – With the pandemic leading to a renewed interest in leisure reading, Publishing properties saw a resurgence in the licensing world growing share for a fifth year in a row, now accounting for 8.5% of the global licensing business.

The report dives further into additional categories, touching upon pressing topics within the industry including sustainability, royalties, counterfeiting, and more.

Further results from Licensing International’s 2022 Global Licensing Industry Study will be published in a complete report, including regional and country-by-country breakdowns for major markets.

The full report will be made available for free to Licensing International members on June 24 and will also be available for purchase by non-members.

 

Sustainable fashion brand Supacult to debut at Licensing Expo

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Supacult, a new sustainable fashion brand targeting the consumer-savvy and on-trend Gen Z consumer, will launch next week at Licensing Expo 2022 in Las Vegas. 

Lines from the Supacult range will be unveiled in the Products of Change Business Lounge over the course of the three-day show.

Supacult aspires to be a brand that is as sustainable as possible, focusing on the fashion conscious consumer who wants high-quality jersey-wear apparel that’s been ethically and responsibly produced. There will be six tees and sweats capsule ranges per year for men and women in a target age group of 15-35.  Supacult launches with its own DTC website and a select number of curated wholesale fashion accounts including Next and Zalando.

The designs are intended to be bold and bright, fusing the iconic artwork of pop culture with the world of on-trend fashion wear that is sustainably produced and easy to wear. Drawing upon the existing strong licensor partnerships already in place, Supacult designs will feature some of the world’s largest entertainment properties from Disney, Warner Bros. and global music artists in capsule collections that are both iconic and classic.

The product itself is at the heart of the Supacult brand. Blanks are sourced from a leading supplier which has been licensed under the Global Organic Standards (GOTS) since 2007 and manufactures organic, ethical and climate-neutral product produced exclusively from Indian cotton. With every item labelled as organic, the product blanks are produced in facilities powered by green renewable energy from low-impact raw materials, which adds to their sustainability manufacturing chain. Supacult’s exclusive product supplier has been the largest organic textile licensee of the Soil Association for the past five years, giving consumers the assurance and confidence that Supacult has sourced the best-in-class partner for its brand.

Once the blanks arrive at Supacult’s London production facility they are printed using water-based inks and printed as made-to-order garments.  Beyond this, all Supacult products are shipped using sustainable packaging, creating an entire process that is as sustainable as possible.

Commenting on the launch, Supacult managing director Rick Lowe says: “This is an exciting new move in the growth of our licensed fashion business; Supacult enables us to leverage our core business expertise and relationships, with a sustainable product offering for the discernible trend-led consumer. Our objective is to continually evolve our sustainability offering in line with market developments and consumer demand.”

WildBrain unveils sweet new Strawberry Shortcake deals

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WildBrain, a global leader in kids’ and family entertainment, will be serving up Strawberry Shortcake at Vegas Licensing Expo, May 24-26, as the beloved kids’ brand continues to gain momentum around the world with new distribution, licensing and promotional partnerships.

Following the global success of Season 1 of its new Strawberry Shortcake series, Berry in the Big City, WildBrain is also set to drop Season 2 this summer on the official Strawberry Shortcake channel on WildBrain Spark, the Company’s leading AVOD network on YouTube and YouTube Kids.

Michael Riley, Chief Brands Officer at WildBrain, says: “Since launching this fresh version of our treasured Strawberry Shortcake brand and the new Berry in the Big City series, the response from kids, families and industry partners alike has been amazing. As we prepare to launch forty more episodes, we’re seeing the new brand gathering significant momentum, as demonstrated by another round of international partners, and we know this is only just the beginning for our all-new Strawberry Shortcake.”

Licensees attending Vegas Licensing Expo are invited to visit WildBrain’s dedicated licensing agency, WildBrain CPLG, at stand E154 to learn more about exciting licensing opportunities for Strawberry Shortcake.

The new Berry in the Big City 2D-animated series (80 x 4’), plus four brand-new premium CG-animated seasonal specials (4 x 44’), are produced by WildBrain’s Vancouver animation studio with renowned showrunner Michael Vogel (My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic). The series celebrates stories of diversity, creativity and friendship as Strawberry Shortcake heads to Big Apple City to find her big break and “bake the world a better place.” The series and specials are part of the global rollout of WildBrain’s new Strawberry Shortcake brand across animated content, gaming, music, toys, food, apparel, events and more.

A new wave of distribution partners for Berry in the Big City has been signed following the previously announced worldwide deal with Netflix, which saw the series launch on the platform April 15 and which will see four original CG specials follow in 2023.

Peacock (US) has signed on for seasons one and two of Berry in the Big City, as has Brazilian broadcaster globoplay. The Roku Channel (US) has launched a Strawberry Shortcake channel featuring new and classic content, including seasons one and two of Berry in the Big City. WildBrain’s Family Channel is currently airing the series and will be the exclusive home for the new specials in Canada. Tiny Pop (UK) has taken both seasons plus the specials – seasons one and two episodes will also be available on Tiny Pop’s VOD app, the POP Player. HOP! (Israel) has picked up season one and the four CG specials. Also, TelevisaUnivision’s Prende TV free streaming service has launched a Strawberry Shortcake channel featuring both new and classic content in Spanish for the US.

Other new distribution partners for season one include Amazon Prime Video (LatAm, France, Germany, Austria, UK, Ireland, Australia), Crave (Canada), FilmRise (US), Future Today (US, UK, Canada), Kartoon Channel! (US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore), Kids Street (US), Magenta-TV (Germany), Tubi (US), TVNZ (New Zealand) and XUMO (US).

Additionally, multiple new consumer products partnerships have been inked for the Strawberry Shortcake brand by WildBrain’s dedicated licensing agency, WildBrain CPLG. Several new deals for both New and Vintage Strawberry Shortcake highlight the evergreen appeal of the brand amongst girls and mothers, including Bentex, for girls’ apparel and swimwear in the US; Jay Franco, for home & bath in the US and Canada; Centric Brands, for ladies’, girls’ and toddler sleepwear, plus mommy-and-me sets for the US; and Cotton On, for ladies and girls’ sleepwear, home and stationery, and girls’ apparel, for global.

Also for Vintage Strawberry Shortcake, Boss Fight has signed on to make fully articulated and scented action figures of Strawberry Shortcake and her friends for the US, while Spirit Halloween is on board for costumes and dress-up for the US and Canada.

These deals add to the list of previously announced licensees for the new Strawberry Shortcake, including Moose Toys (Master Toy/global) and Penguin Random House (publishing/North America), plus a number of capsule fashion collections for Vintage Strawberry Shortcake that launched this winter/spring, including a Unique Vintage collection for Valentine’s Day 2022; a co-branded collection from By Samii Ryan (BSR) featuring matching sets, shorts, baby tees, chinos and a bucket hat; and a Dolls Kill collection of apparel, footwear, accessories and a strawberry shortcake picnic basket.

WildBrain’s Strawberry Shortcake kicks off “Fruitastic” produce promotion

Entry deadline extended for The Licensing Awards 2022

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The entry deadline for The Licensing Awards 2022 has now been extended to Wednesday 8 June.

The decision was taken after Max Publishing – which owns and organises The Licensing Awards – was contacted by a large number of companies asking for a deadline extension owing to a very busy week at Licensing Expo.

All of the award categories – including those for licensed products, licensed properties, retail, marketing, honorary achievement, plus the awards for sustainability, international retail and licensed live events – can now be entered, for free, via the website.

The awards event itself will return to The Great Room at The Grosvenor House Hotel, London on Tuesday 13 September 2022.

For sponsorship, entry enquiries or general questions regarding The Licensing Awards, please contact Ian Hyder, Jakki Brown or Rob Willis.

Tickets and tables can be reserved quickly and securely online by visiting Max-Tickets.net or by contacting Clare Hollick at Create Events: clare@createvents.co.uk or phone +44 (0)1183 340085.

Genius Brands signs 20-year deal with Marvel for Stan Lee

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Stan Lee Universe LLC, Genius Brands International’s Genius Brands-controlled venture with POW! Entertainment, has signed a 20-year deal to license the name and likeness of Stan Lee to Marvel Studios for future feature films and television productions, as well as use in Disney theme parks and experiences worldwide.

 “We are proud to be the stewards of the incredibly valuable rights to Stan Lee’s name, likeness, merchandise, and intellectual property brand,” says Andy Heyward, Chairman & CEO of Genius Brands. “And there is no better place than Marvel and Disney, where Stan should be, for his movies and theme park experiences. As we enter the centennial year of Stan’s birthday, December 28, 2022, we are thrilled to see his memory and legacy will continue to delight fans through this new long-term agreement with Marvel.”

Under the terms of the deal, Marvel Studios has acquired rights to use Stan Lee’s name, voice, likeness and signature in movies and television projects, as well as use images, existing footage and existing audio recordings featuring Stan. Exclusive rights to use Stan Lee’s name, voice, likeness and signature in theme parks, water parks, cruise lines and in-park merchandise were included for Disney Parks, Experiences and Products as part of the deal.

“As Stan’s longtime business partner and friend, I’m looking forward to commemorating his work in this new way,” says Gill Champion, President of POW! Entertainment. “Building a connection with his fans is important to us and it’s a privilege to get to do that on his behalf.”

Stan is one of the most prolific and legendary comic creators of all time. As Marvel’s editor-in-chief, Stan “The Man” Lee helped build a universe of interlocking continuity, one where fans felt as if they could turn a street corner and run into a super hero, from Spider-Man to the Fantastic Four, Thor, Iron Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and more. Stan went on to become Marvel’s editorial director and publisher in 1972, and was eventually named chairman emeritus.

Stan also appeared in some of the most popular films of all time. His well-known cameos in Marvel films began in the 1989 telefilm The Trial of the Incredible Hulk. After the release of X-Men in 2000, he appeared in nearly every Marvel film and television project until his passing in 2018.

Among Stan’s many awards is the National Medal of Arts, awarded by President Bush in 2008, and the Disney Legends Award, received in 2017. He was also inducted into the comic industry’s Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame and Jack Kirby Hall of Fame.