Category Archives: Highlight

Original Stormtroopers march upon UK retail with more food and drink partnerships

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Shepperton Design Studios has unleashed an army of galactic delicacies upon the nation’s biggest retailers this year, with the launch of a range of Original Stormtroopers licensed foods and drinks.

Complementing an already successful line of cakes and beer from BBF and The Sourceror, the company – through partnerships brokered by its licensing agent Golden Goose – has unveiled a swathe of new treats, including Original Stormtrooper Easter Eggs, pancakes, and hot sauces.

Modern Gourmet Foods will be helping sci-fi fans kick off lent with its stormtrooper-shaped pancakes, or spice things up a bit with its selection of hot sauces in Stormtrooper-shaped bottles.

The Original Stormtrooper Easter Egg can be found on the shelves of M&S, the Original Stormtrooper cake from BBF is in Asda, and the new Original Stormtrooper Lightspeed Pilsner is currently in Morrisons.

Modern Gourmet Foods will be launching its range on Amazon and selected stores later in the year.

Adam Bass of Golden Goose, said: “The Original Stormtrooper licensing programme continues to move forward at pace adapting to consumer demand and market innovation. Now that the Original Stormtrooper’s quirky, eccentric and unique personality is well established, we look forward to taking the licensing programme from strength to strength in 2020 and beyond.”

Brand Licensing Europe opens applications for 2020’s Retail Mentoring Programme

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Brand Licensing Europe has opened applications for this year’s Retail Mentoring Programme, marking the tenth year of the initiative that helps introduce UK retailers to the licensing scene.

To date, the programme has seen over 300 industry professionals take part since its launch in 2011, with a record-breaking 80 participants in 2019, an increase of 48 per cent over the 2018 edition.

“The Retailing Mentoring Programme offers an in-depth introduction into the world of licensing and unique access to some of the industry’s most important players,” said Anna Knight, VP, Global Licensing Group.

“The wealth of expertise and insight on offer to buyers, creatives and managers is immense. That we’ve seen so many people across a range of sectors participate in the programme, demonstrates its value and scope, with the 2020 edition set to be the best yet.”

An opportunity for retailers to learn about the benefits and fundamentals of licensing, BLE’s Retail Mentoring Programme is a Continuing Professional Development accredited course offering insight into the licensing industry to help retail teams gain a competitive edge when identifying new brand partners and negotiating licensing deals.

The Retail Mentoring Programme runs from the spring until Brand Licensing Europe and is delivered through workshops, seminars and one-to-one consultancy sessions. Valued at £499, the programme is offered free to qualifying retailers.

In addition to the course, participants will also receive a place at the Licensing Essentials Course and Spring Fling in May, organised in conjunction with Licensing International; an invitation to judge the Licensing Awards organised by Max Events; a place at the Retail Mentoring Programme’s closing Licensing for Retail conference, and access to exclusive retail content at BLE, including the retail trends lounge.

Those taking part will also receive a day with a licensor to help them understand licensing from the brand-owner side, as well as receiving tips on how to work effectively with some of the world’s best-known properties and agents.

Previous hosts have included eOne, NBCUniversal, Natural History Museum, Penguin, The Point.1888, and Viacom Nickelodeon Consumer Products.

Emma Edwards, buyer for four to 14 girls wear at Asda George described enrolling on the 2019 edition of the Retail Mentoring Programme as “the best way I could’ve been introduced into the world of licensing.”

“There was so much opportunity on the course to learn from industry professionals and the seminars really did offer a wealth of key and concise information in such a short amount of time,” she said.

Retailers can apply to take part in the programme online. BLE welcomes applications from:

 

  • Buyers, designers, merchandisers and marketers with existing licensing programmes
  • Buyers, designers, merchandisers and marketers engaged in licensing but want further development
  • Teams who would like to learn how to develop their licensing relationships
  • Teams looking for cross-category opportunities
  • Individuals new to retail and hoping to develop their career and expertise within licensing

35 retailers participated in the 2019 Retail Mentoring Programme including: Amazon, Asda George, Character.com, The Entertainer, Fat Face, Hamleys, John Lewis, Jo Jo Maman Bebe, M&Co, Moonpig, Morrisons Nutmeg, Next, Pep & Co, River Island, Sainsbury’s Argos, Sainsbury’s Tu, Tesco and Truffle Shuffle.

Rockpool Licensing helps bring Brambly Hedge book series to screen in Lupus Films deal

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Lupus Films, the animation company behind The Snowman & The Snowdog, has optioned the rights to adapt the classic countryside stories of Brambly Hedge for the screen.

The deal between Lupus Films and the estate of Jill Braklem, the author and illustrator of Brambly Hedge, was brokered by Rockpool Licensing.

The Brambly Hedge series is published by HarperCollins Children’s Books and has sold over seven million copies since the first release in 1980. Focusing on the adventures of a hidden community of mice in the English countryside, the series’ characters have featured on products ranging from china to chocolate, and stationery to figurines.

Now, on the 40th anniversary of its original publication, Lupus Films is set to bring the world of Brambly Hedge to audiences old and new, alongside a refreshed licensing campaign run by Rockpool, which represents the brand globally.

HarperCollins will launch a celebratory publishing programme to commemorate the 40th anniversary in October 2020. Meanwhile, Lupus is initially developing the property as a Christmas special, with further episodes to follow shortly after.

Vickie O’Malley, managing director, Rockpool Licensing, said: “We are really looking forward to bringing a beautiful new version of this classic British brand to life and are actively seeking partners across a variety of categories including gifting, homeware, collectibles, puzzles and paper product.”

Ruth Fielding, joint MD, Lupus Films, added: “The Brambly Hedge characters stand tail to tail with the most classic British literary characters and we cannot wait to delve into the hedgerows and fields of the British countryside to reveal the secrets and folklore of this hidden little community of animals.”

Lizzie Barklem, Brambly Hedge estate, concluded: “We’re delighted to have teamed up with Lupus who have a fantastic track record of translating beautifully illustrated books on to the screen. 2020 is the 40th anniversary of Brambly Hedge so the timing is perfect for introducing the mice to a brand new generation.”

‘King of Soul’ Sam Cooke moves into licensing with ALG Brands

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The American singer-songwriter, civil rights activist, and recognised King of Soul, Sam Cooke is making a move on the licensing space via a new partnership between the Sam Cooke estate and ALG Brands.

Under the partnership, ALG will represent services for the estate, including the licensing of Cooke’s personality rights and administration of his digital and social media assets.

ALG will work alongside estate CEO, and granddaughter of Cooke, Nicole Cooke-Johnson to “maintain and expand the legacy” of the late entertainer through branding and content initiatives with multi-generational appeal.

In addition to establishing the iconic singer’s online presence with an official website and social media profiles, Cooke-Johnson and Austin will spearhead branded media projects leading up to the singer’s 90th birthday in 2021 and beyond.

“My grandfather was a visionary who understood the power of words, music and ownership,” said estate CEO Nicole Cooke-Johnson. “From his singer-songwriter roots in Gospel music to his global successes in R&B and soul music, my grandfather was an influencer who intentionally used his form of branded entertainment to affect changes in his community, for our nation and around the world.

“I am very proud to be continuing his legacy by working with ALG to explore new co-branding opportunities that will inspire people today and for many more years to come as my grandfather’s leadership, creativity and music have inspired so many people around the world for generations.”

ALG Brands CEO, Ashley Austin, added: “Sam Cooke invented soul; his unique blend of gospel and popular music created an entirely new genre, paving the way for countless artists after him.

“Singer. Songwriter. Producer. Activist. Entrepreneur. The list of his accomplishments goes on and on. This is an incredible man with a profound legacy, and it is an honour to be working with the estate to preserve and promote it.”

Cooke’s vocals took over the pop charts in the 1950s and 1960s with a slew of hits, including You Send Me, (What A) Wonderful World, and Twistin’ The Night Away.

In addition to being a celebrated entertainer, Cooke helped usher in the Civil Rights movement as he refused to perform for segregated audiences. His own personal experiences with racial discrimination even served as the foundation for one of his most recognisable songs and one that is universally regarded as the anthem for equality, A Change Is Gonna Come.

Rights & Brands secures Design House Stockholm furniture collaboration for Carl and Karin Larsson

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Rights & Brands, the worldwide agent on behalf of the Swedish artists Carl and Karin Larsson, has launched a creative furniture collaboration with Design House Stockholm.

Karin Larsson created furniture and textiles in a pre-modernist style in the late nineteenth century. The rich, bold colour palette is celebrated in paintings by her husband Carl Larsson.

Both are fixtures of the Swedish art and design world.

“Nordic designers have been at the forefront of the international design scene for decades. But haven’t we been a bit restricted in terms of colour? Design House Stockholm has decided to reach across the centuries and dress up nine objects selected from our contemporary collection of accessory furniture pieces with four of the bold colours of Karin Larsson, a legend of Swedish art and design,” said Anders Färdig, founder and CEO of Design House Stockholm.

The collection Colour Accent inspired by Karin & Carl Larsson is launching today at Stockholm Furniture Fair. The pre-launch took place on Monday, February 3rd at the distinguished National Museum in Stockholm, with over 150 renowned design guests, influencers, journalists and buyers.

“Together with the creative team at Design House Stockholm we are putting a modern take on heritage licensing. It’s been delightful seeing how Karin’s creative, modernist thinking of yesterday marries so well with the objects of today’s top furniture designers,” said Anna Lawrence, rights director at Rights & Brands.

“This collaboration really sets the tone for the year,” said Patrick Ullman, CEO at Rights & Brands. “We are looking forward to adding more creative collaborations to our heritage and art-based brands and showcasing Rights & Brands innovative and progressive take on licensing.”

Design House Stockholm’s contemporary collection includes accessory furniture with straightforward and functional simplicity that pays tribute to the creativity of the Larsson family.

WildBrain CPLG teams with creator Alessandro Enriquez to launch Line Friends designer capsule collections

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WildBrain CPLG has brokered a new deal with the creator and influencer Alessandro Enriquez to launch Line Friends designer capsule collections with some of the biggest names in Italian fashion today.

Featuring signature characters Brown, Choco, Cony, and Sally, Line Friends originated as a collection of stickers for the mobile messenger app, Line and its 200 million active users worldwide. It has since made its presence known across the lifestyle and fashion space.

Developed in collaboration with Enriquez, the collection is the latest instalment of the influencer’s annual Fashion Comics project for Pitti Bimbo. It debuted at the event’s 90th edition in Florence last month.

The project saw designers including Monnalisa, Mc2 Saint Barth, Diadora, Pinko Up, Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini Kids, 2Star, and Akep launch new capsule collections each inspired by the popular Line Friends character brand.

Monnalisa unveiled its range of velvet printed patch sweatshirts and a dress with tulle application on the shoulders, MC2 Saint Barth launched a collection of swimsuits for adults and kids featuring Choco and Sally, and Diadora debuted all-over print sweatshirts.

Meanwhile Pinko Up designed a range of sweatshirts in black and pink, while the Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini Kids capsule collection celebrated Line Friends with a cotton sweater and sweatshirt featuring Brown, Sally, and Choco prints.

Enriquez said: “The Fashion Comics Project created with Line Friends, in collaboration with Pitti Bimbo, has been hugely successful due to the quality and mix of products, the calibre of the brands involved and the impressive feedback from media.

“It was fantastic to see Brown, Sally, Choco, and Cony be such a hit with visitors of all ages at Pitti Bimbo, and I’m confident the popularity of these characters will continue to grow in our country as they have done in the rest of the world.”

Maria Gurrieri, managing director at WildBrain CPLG Southern Europe, added: “It has been an incredible creative process combining the distinctive visual style of Line Friends with the visionary Alessandro Enriquez and innovation of our Italian designers.

“The fantastic response to the capsule collections at Pitti Bimbo shows how exciting this new Fashion Comics collaboration is and we’re sure it will be a huge hit with consumers across Italy.”

MyProtein partnerships and print on demand furniture: The Hut Group is building on a record year in licensing

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There’s certainly been a shift of gear surrounding recent licensing developments for the British e-commerce specialist, The Hut Group, who not only quadrupled its licensing team in 2019, but has since expanded its facilities in preparation for further growth in the space this year.

Across health and beauty, lifestyle, and the pop culture entertainment sectors, the firm has just come out of ‘a record year’ in terms of its licensing operations where the company achieved record sales for its print on demand portfolio for both Zavvi and IWOOT.

Now, The Hut Group is preparing for a successful 2020 as it continues to push new collaborations and product launches across some of the hottest trending licensing sectors of the moment – whether that is a MyProtein deal with Warner Bros, or a boundary-pushing print on demand furniture operation.

Licensing.biz catches up with Rick Kay, licensing manager at The Hut Group to find out more.

Hi Rick, can you tell us how business has been for you guys over the past 12 months?

 Excellent. 2019 was a record year for the group and the licensing team especially. Print on demand was a primary focus for us as a licensing team and we saw record sales in that regard. Our capsule launches have been our biggest win.

A particular highlight was the Original Hero range we did with Nintendo on Zavvi.com which turned over £140k gross sales in just seven days.

And what increase in licensing activity from you guys would we have seen over that time?

On Zavvi we launched at least two clothing collections every month in 2019 which is a massive step up from where we were in 2018. In January 2020 alone we have launched a Harley Quinn range to tie-in with the Birds of Prey movie release, a Star Trek and a NASA collection.

We have also increased our product capabilities and have expanded hugely into the accessories and homeware space. We have launched a Ramen range on IWOOT.com this month which covers multiple products including apparel, phone cases, mugs, prints, cushions, coasters and travel mugs.

We can also print a host of other products on demand including wall vinyl, tote bags, blankets, greeting cards, glassware, doormats, chopping boards and with a dedicated NPD team the list is constantly growing.

Could you talk us through some of the biggest developments The Hut Group has seen in the licensing space over the last few months?

 We consider Zavvi to be the home of pop culture and with this in mind video game licensed products have become impossible to ignore and is a big growth area for us.

Nintendo has been a big partner for a few years now but over the last few months we’ve partnered with Sega (Sonic, Football Manager, Streets of Rage etc), Rare (Sea of Thieves, Banjo Kazooie, Battletoads etc) and Borderlands with many more discussions ongoing.

So that’s pop culture, but what are you guys bringing to the lifestyle, luxury, wellness, and beauty space in terms of licensing?

Our focus on our lifestyle division will remain throughout 2020. Our print on demand model allows us to be quick to market and also allows us to develop product for more niche licenses as we don’t have to commit to minimum orders.

On wellness, our biggest brand MyProtein is about to launch a collaboration with Warner Bros. Phase One is a limited edition Justice League collection including protein powder and accessories.

Further phases and licenses will be rolled out throughout the year. This is an exciting and unique licensing opportunity for us which represents the potential for huge growth

We are also looking into opportunities in the luxury and beauty space and this will be a key driver for growth in the future.

We notice that there’s been quite an expansion of the licensing team at The Hut Group – can you talk us through the team and the new additions?

 The core licensing team has grown from one person to four in 2019.

Natalie Kumeta is the head of licensing and really got the ball rolling with regards to licensing at The Hut Group. I was then brought in towards the back end of 2018 having had experience on both the licensor and licensee side at Viacom and Sambro.

Ben Smith was then added to the team, with seven years’ experience in print on demand his production knowledge has proven invaluable. Finally, Chris Beck joined in July having previously worked at Mattel and eOne.

Beyond the core licensing team we have grown our dedicated design team from four to eight over the last year with their focus almost exclusively being on print on demand product for Zavvi and IWOOT.

We are also expanding our NPD team which will see us bring in much more product beyond print on demand. Expect to see a lot more exclusive and limited edition collectible product and apparel on Zavvi and IWOOT in 2020.

Our multi-million pound print facility in Warrington will also see further investment as we look to expand the volume we’re able to print as well as the quality and variety of product. Expect print on demand furniture to launch in 2020.

We have also started a new initiative called M-A-N-A which will leverage The Hut Group’s tech platform to allow us to create end-to-end brand led e-commerce sites in a matter of hours. This will be a massive area of growth for us as we look to expand relationships with our existing partners as well as new.

How has this set you guys up for further growth in the licensing space for 2020 and beyond?

 The growth of our team will allow us to increase both the frequency and quality of our apparel, homeware and accessory launches on Zavvi and IWOOT in 2020.

Beyond that it will allow us to expand our focus beyond those sites and increase our licensed offering in the wellness, beauty and luxury areas of the business.

I’d like to ask what the next big step for The Hut Group will be now – but I fear we’ll run out of room…

There’s almost too many to list!

For Zavvi and IWOOT the next step will be about expanding our current offering. We have a lot of space to grow our portfolio in the gaming, music, anime and lifestyle sectors.

Growing the two above sites in other territories is also important for us, we’ll be opening a dedicated Zavvi office in the USA and so securing more deals in that territory will be vital.

Then of course we will be rolling out M-A-N-A, and continuing to expand the licensing offering in other sectors of the business.

NetEnt brings Gordon Ramsey into its online entertainment portfolio

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The digital entertainment company, NetEnt is bringing TV chef Gordon Ramsey to its popular online slot games, thanks to a new partnership brokered by Global Merchandising Services.

Notorious for colourful language and TV flair throughout his global television career, Ramsey will be incorporated into NetEnt’s growing library of branded content with his famous catchphrases and imagery.

The Hell’s Kitchen and 24 hours to Hell and Back presenter first graced TV screens in 1998 in the UK mini-series Boiling Point, and has since become a global personality famed for his fiery temper and razor-sharp wit.

Ramsay’s empire of eateries spreads from the UK and France to Singapore, Hong Kong and the US, with 16 Michelin stars under his toque.

“Gordon Ramsay is a true rock star of the restaurant world. His strong personality and use of colourful vocabulary as front-man of Hell’s Kitchen have earned him legend status as a multi-Michelin starred celebrity chef, with fans all over the world,” said Bryan Upton, NetEnt director of games.

“Just as importantly, this allows us to produce a true slot with a strong narrative and a lot of adult fun. We can’t wait to see what our players think of what we have in store for them.”

The deal was brokered by Gordon Ramsay’s licensing agent, Global Merchandising Services.

Licensing manager, Jens Drinkwater added: “NetEnt’s commitment to entertainment has made it a clear leader in the online casino industry and we’re thrilled to support the company with the addition of Gordon’s branded title.”

Flossy and Jim: “The digital revolution is lifting barriers and letting in a lot of new ideas”

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Living by the sea in Devon’s picturesque Brixham, it’s little wonder why Lynette and James Dare, otherwise known as Flossy and Jim, the artistic duo behind the popular design brand of the same name, are awash with creative energy.

It’s a deep portfolio of design-driven, illustrative IP that the pair has to its name, spanning not only the world of Flossy and Jim itself, but an anthropomorphic universe of Horace (the Hamster) & Co, both of which have been developed to help support young people today.

Together, their’s is a mission to help today’s youth feel positive, a statement not only issued thought their use of bright and bold on-trend designs and the innate humour of both Flossy and Jim, and Horace & Co, but also through the way in which Lynette and James embody the brands themselves. 

Together, they both regularly present workshops n schools, talk to pupils about their personal journeys, and encourage them to believe in themselves. It’s good news, then, that the message of Flossy and Jim is beginning to travel far and wide thanks to a licensing programme that is gathering momentum under the watch of Edutainment Licensing.

Licensing.biz has a chat with Lynette and James Dare about Flossy and Jim, Horace & Co, and the latest developments for the portfolio.

It’s been a busy past few months for you guys – what do you think has fuelled or help drive the success of the brand on an international scale? How has this set you up for 2020… what are your expectations for the year ahead?

Working with young people in schools has really helped as we have been able to identify upcoming trends, find out more about our target audience and to develop our style guide. We have been able to create designs that are relatable to young people and help them feel more positive. Working with our agent at Edutainment licensing has been crucial to develop strategies and to secure deals, and attending BLE has really helped us to launch our brand in the UK and internationally.

Our expectations for 2020 is to keep working with young people, keep creating and to build our brand awareness even further.

Can you tell us a bit about Flossy and Jim and what you guys are bringing to the licensing space? How did it all begin for you, and did you foresee the kind of international recognition you have been picking up?

When we began creating the ‘Flossy and Jim’ designs in 2013, we were working part time in schools to deliver workshops to build confidence and self-esteem, by doing this we were meeting with our target audience and learning about what matters to them which helped us really understand our audience.

It became clear that a lot of these children and young adults were suffering with mental health issues and it was then that we realised that we wanted to create designs that would help, and shift the balance of negative content on social media. We never imagined that the brand would grow internationally, it has been amazing.

You guys seem to be coming from a unique angle with the more design led Flossy and Jim, combined with your approach to the publishing space through Horace & Co. How did this approach come about?

How will you now build on the recent success – what developments in licensing will you be looking towards for the year ahead?

At Flossy and Jim we create bold and bright designs that are relatable and help young people feel good. Kids love the ‘on-trend’ art style and can engage with the brands look and humour. Flossy and Jim is design led so we are able to provide new illustrations quickly and efficiently in an ever-evolving trend driven world.

The Horace and Co books were a personal project for about ten years. My son was diagnosed with autism at the age of three and we found daily activities like going to the doctor or going to the shop incredibly difficult. We discovered that drawing little stories really helped to prepare him for the next activity of the day. I looked for social stories like this to buy but could not find any so I decided to create my own.

The Horace & Co. books have been created to help children to relate to every day scenarios and understand how the world around them works. They’ll find out that everyone has qualities that are different, but those unique traits make them who they are, and loved. The titles have now been published with Signature Gifts as personalised books so the child is placed as the centre of the story.

We are currently in discussions for a really exciting publishing project that we hope to be able to share in the coming months.

It’s great to see you guys tap into the AR/XR sector. What inspired this move? How important will new and emerging technology be for the licensing space in driving innovation?

We LOVE augmented reality and we are inspired by how far technology is developing. When we got the opportunity to bring Horace the Hamster and his friends to life, how could we say no? We are very excited to work more in the AR sector and bring more designs to life.

We recently joined the government coalition ‘Future.Now’ headed by the Lord Mayor of London and we pledged that we would do what we could to ensure no young person is left behind in the digital revolution. We feel that alongside our work in schools, AR is a fantastic way to inspire children into the world of technology while they are learning and having fun.

One of the biggest changes we have seen is the challenge of being able to work with the high street retailers – this has resulted in us partnering with online retailers which has been great.

What is the health of the design space at the moment? is enough being done to encourage creativity here in the UK,

The creative sector remains one of the UK’s leading industries and from our experience of working in schools, we feel the arts should become a greater priority in the national curriculum, especially in the midst of the digital revolution.

Aside from this, it has recently been discovered that young people are on the brink of the worst ever mental health crisis. The importance of children’s self-expression as a means to a healthy and happy mind, is an essential part of their education.

A common fear amongst young people we teach is that ‘robots will take away all of their future jobs’. We always say ‘they cannot take away your imagination and creativity!’

Do you think the licensing sector is encouraging enough for creativity?

The licensing sector for us has been very encouraging. We love watching our designs go from an idea, into a product and then to market…it’s addictive actually!

What role does creativity have to play in rejuvenating the UK’s retail landscape?

Retailers are going to have to get more creative and innovative in their ideas to capture their audience in a highly saturated market. It’s going to be interesting to see how the development of technology alongside the efforts to be more ethical and sustainable will drive creativity to a whole new level.

As illustrators watching the digital revolution unfold, we can see barriers being lifted and with that comes new ideas. It’s a very exciting time.

Simon’s Cat lands new board game, card games, and puzzles deals

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Simon’s Cat is slinking into the card games, board games, and puzzles sector thanks to a trio of new partnerships to have been signed by the global content creator, producer, and distributor, Endemol Shine.

Inspired by the hit animated series, Simon’s Cat, the popular moggy will be making its debut among leading names in the tabletop gaming space, including with the like of Alley Cat Games – who will develop a new board game for the IP.

Simon’s Cat will also receive its own series of family card games courtesy of MDR Games, available through Amazon in the UK, Germany, and in stores in Poland, and a puzzle deal with the publisher Athesia Kalenderverlag.

Simon’s Cat follows the antics of a mischievous white cat and his long-suffering owner Simon. It was created by the award-winning illustrator, animator and director Simon Tofield and was first seen on YouTube in 2008.

The series is now a worldwide phenomenon, entertaining audiences in over 100 countries.

These latest deals build on the hugely successful extensions of the Simon’s Cat brand in the mobile games space, with titles such as Simon’s Cat Pop Time, Simon’s Cat Crunch Time and Simon’s Cat Dash, which have generated in excess of 16 million mobile gaming downloads.

Jane Smith, group director, brand licensing and gaming, Endemol Shine Group, commented: “These new deals build on an already successful licensing programme for Simon’s Cat across Europe. The humour and warmth of the brand appeals to a broad fan base of cat lovers around the world who can relate to these charming and cheeky characters, and expanding our digital business into physical products is testament to this.”

The Simon’s Cat brand enjoys success across multiple categories including gaming, publishing and apparel. Last year alone saw sell-out success with Teespring plushies; a brand new book Simon’s Cat It’s a Dog’s Life which brings everyone’s favourite feline back to the page, with a canine twist; the rollout of the hit mobile game Simon’s Cat Dashin China; and continued international growth with further agent appointments in the Nordics and CEE, and Southeast Asia.

Nearly two million Simon’s Cat books have been sold, and there are more than 80 million digital sticker downloads.

The brand has over 6.5 million fans on Facebook, two million followers on Instagram, and more than one billion views on YouTube.