Category Archives: Highlight

Aardman and Wild in Art announce creative partnership

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Animation studio Aardman has entered into a creative partnership with Wild in Art that will produce public art trails featuring sculptures of well-loved characters Morph and Shaun the Sheep in towns and cities across Britain, from January 2022.

The characters will provide a 3D canvas, and creative inspiration, for a wealth of art and design from a carefully curated mix of well-known and emerging artists. The new trails will further Wild in Art’s mission to bring art out of the gallery and create shared experiences, whilst the learning programmes and activations develop the next generation of artists.

The first-ever sculpture trail to feature Morph launched on 29 January this year when ‘Morph’s Epic Art Adventure’ arrived in North Tyneside. This first event, hosted by North Tyneside Council, will see Morph of the North with twenty 1.8m-tall Morph sculptures decorated by commissioned artists from across the country with a wide range of themes, including floral, character designs and plays on the word ‘Morph’.

This is the second Wild in Art trail to take place in and around North Tyneside Town Centre, following the hugely successful delivery of The Snowman and The Snowdog in Winter 2020. The aim is to drive footfall into town centres, supporting the local economy, whilst also encouraging families to get outdoors and active, and nurture an interest in art and creativity in the community.

The opportunity to host a ‘Morph’s Epic Art Adventure’ trail is open to towns and cities across the UK. Shaun the Sheep will be the second collaboration as part of this new partnership, and news and opportunities for this concept will be announced soon.

Charlie Langhorne, Managing Director and Co-founder of Wild in Art said: “We are delighted to continue our partnership with Aardman and to bring these internationally renowned characters to art trails across the UK.

“Morph and Shaun the Sheep will bring colour and creativity to host locations. Each sculpture will be a conversation starter, with a different story to tell, allowing residents and visitors to explore their town or city from a different perspective. It’s a Covid-friendly way for people to socialise, support local artists and our charity partners/a local charity and enjoy some exercise in the fresh air.

“We’ve got some exciting plans in development and we look forward to revealing more host locations in the coming months.”

Rob Goodchild , Commercial Director at Aardman, added: “We are very happy to be working with the great team at Wild in Art to bring more art trails featuring our characters to the streets of the UK, including the inaugural Morph art trail – a character that’s encouraged creativity in generations of kids since the seventies. We look forward to finding fun and creative angles to connect our characters with each location and inspire people – young and old – to get creative.”

 

 

Wildbrain CPLG takes to the podium with Sauber Motorsport representation deal

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Entertainment, sport and brand licensing agency WildBrain CPLG has further expanded its Lifestyle portfolio with the signing of global representation rights for Swiss company Sauber Motorsport AG.

Under the deal, WildBrain CPLG will handle all Sauber brands, including Sauber Motorsports – which owns and operates the Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN – as well as Sauber Technologies and Sauber Esports. The initial focus will be on the UK, EMEA, China, India and North America markets.

WildBrain CPLG will assemble a strategic cross-category merchandise range for Sauber’s Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN brand across multiple categories, including apparel, accessories, footwear, gifting, automotive accessories, toys and collectibles, and official team products to further engage Formula One fans of all ages.

For Sauber Technologies and Sauber Esports, WildBrain CPLG aims to utilise the expertise of the Sauber Engineering and Technology teams, which includes 3D printing, aerodynamics and Formula One technology, and leverage the precision, efficiency, innovation and performance attributes of these properties to extend them into everyday categories. WildBrain CPLG will initially focus on household and lifestyle products for Sauber Technologies, while for Sauber Esports, target categories will include fashion apparel, toys, collectibles and gaming accessories as well as digital products and partnerships.

“As we continue strengthening our lifestyle roster, it’s fantastic to welcome a brand of Sauber’s calibre to our line-up,” says Victoria Whellans, Group Brands Director at WildBrain CPLG Lifestyle. “Sauber’s portfolio brings many fantastic opportunities, whether that’s connecting fans to the Alfa Romeo Formula One team, tapping into the rapidly growing world of Esports licensing with Sauber Esports, or capturing the company’s extensive experience in engineering through the Sauber Technologies brand. We look forward to working closely with Sauber to develop a carefully curated product range with best-in-class partners to drive long-term brand engagement and growth on a global scale.”

Yan Lefort, Commercial Director at Sauber Group, adds: “This deal with WildBrain CPLG is a huge step for Sauber as it allows us to further develop our licensing strategy and operations across all Sauber brands. It’s a multi-year and 360 degree package, including licensing services, a programme strategy development and business management deal, which will help grow our brand. WildBrain CPLG will support us with finding the right partners, those who align with our core values, and help us access their global network to drive revenue and boost our brand’s stature.”

Sauber was founded in 1970, making its Formula One debut in 1993. Over the past few decades of activity in the motorsport industry, Sauber has developed skills and expertise in the construction and deployment of Formula One vehicles – Sauber Motorsport’s core business – which is applied in each of the Sauber Group’s third-party services. These services are provided by Sauber Aerodynamics, which offers full- and model-scale testing, CFD and vehicle development, including access to the state-of-the-art wind tunnel facility, and Sauber Technology, which focuses on additive manufacturing services including 3D metal printing, laser sintering and stereolithography.

The 2022 Formula One championship season will see Zhou Guanyu make history as the first Chinese driver to race full-time in Formula One as he joins Sauber’s Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN alongside ex-Mercedes Grand Prix winner Valtteri Bottas.

Sauber Motorsport is the latest addition to WildBrain CPLG’s varied portfolio of Lifestyle and Corporate brands, which also features Kärcher, Motul, Kikkoman, Absolut Vodka, Malibu Rum, Chupa Chups, Yale and Harvard universities, and the University of Southern California.

The Point.1888 appoints sub-agent Playology to expand programme for TV’s The Raccoons

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The Point.1888 has signed Playology International as a sub-agent for Canada to explore new and existing licensing opportunities and partnerships for The Raccoons.

Playology is charged with delivering a licensing programme that will capitalise on the recent resurgence that the TV series has seen, with fans eager for more access and products from the much-loved Canadian show.

This will support The Raccoons’ return to TV after the announcement that the series is being remastered prior to being released on DVD and Blu-Ray, as well as streaming services.

Created in 1985, the animated television series follows the day-to-day life of raccoons Bert, Melissa and Ralph, their friend Cedric Sneer the aardvark and his dad, Cyril Sneer, and their adventures in the Evergreen Forest. For two decades, it engaged the imaginations of families in 180 countries all over the world.

Olivia Wiggett, Associate Commercial Manager at The Point.1888, says: “Many of our team go way back with Playology’s co-founder Jacqueline Vong, and we’re thrilled to finally have the chance to work with her. Playology has a fantastic reputation, and its brand portfolio compliments The Raccoons perfectly. We are certain they will be an amazing partner for the brand in its home country, Canada.”

Jacqueline Vong, Co-founder of Playology, adds: “Growing up in Canada with The Raccoons as a staple on TV and having the opportunity to work on the brand now is a full-circle moment. We can’t wait to introduce The Raccoons to a new generation and their fans again!”

 

 

The Point.1888 appoints sub-agent Playology to expand programme for TV’s The Raccoons

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The Point.1888 has signed Playology International as a sub-agent for Canada to explore new and existing licensing opportunities and partnerships for The Raccoons.

Playology is charged with delivering a licensing programme that will capitalise on the recent resurgence that the TV series has seen, with fans eager for more access and products from the much-loved Canadian show.

This will support The Raccoons’ return to TV after the announcement that the series is being remastered prior to being released on DVD and Blu-Ray, as well as streaming services.

Created in 1985, the animated television series follows the day-to-day life of raccoons Bert, Melissa and Ralph, their friend Cedric Sneer the aardvark and his dad, Cyril Sneer, and their adventures in the Evergreen Forest. For two decades, it engaged the imaginations of families in 180 countries all over the world.

Olivia Wiggett, Associate Commercial Manager at The Point.1888, says: “Many of our team go way back with Playology’s co-founder Jacqueline Vong, and we’re thrilled to finally have the chance to work with her. Playology has a fantastic reputation, and its brand portfolio compliments The Raccoons perfectly. We are certain they will be an amazing partner for the brand in its home country, Canada.”

Jacqueline Vong, Co-founder of Playology, adds: “Growing up in Canada with The Raccoons as a staple on TV and having the opportunity to work on the brand now is a full-circle moment. We can’t wait to introduce The Raccoons to a new generation and their fans again!”

 

 

Flair and Aardman sculpt new deal for Plasticine

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Flair GP and Aardman have signed a two-year deal to introduce new licensed lines to Flair’s Plasticine collection. The partnership will introduce two of Aardman’s much-loved animated characters to Flair’s popular heritage collection: Shaun the Sheep and Morph.

Available from July 2022, these licensed sets aim to offer children hours of creative play, allowing them to recreate their favourite on-screen characters.

The first addition to the range will be the Plasticine Shaun the Sheep Farmyard Fun set, which lets kids create their own Shaun the Sheep characters from Plasticine, complete with the illusion of a woolly texture. Once modelled, the characters can be displayed in the fun 3D farmyard scene.

The second line is the Plasticine Morph Animation Maker, which will allow children to create their own Morph – the iconic clay character who made his TV debut on the children’s BBC art show Take Hart in the 1970s and is back in a new Sky Kids series: The Epic Adventures of Morph. Kids can use the props and accessories to create Morph and then place him on the famous desktop scene to bring to life their favourite stop-motion sketches from the hit TV show.

Speaking of the collaboration, Iulia Toader, Marketing Manager, Flair GP, says: “We are so excited to announce this incredible partnership with Aardman. Aardman traditionally use modelling clay for their animations, and the most famous modelling material on the market is Plasticine – so there couldn’t be a better synergy between the brands. We know these lines are going to be a real hit with children and their families.

“The lines will launch during the summer holidays, and with it will come a marketing drive to raise further awareness among children and their parents, to ensure their success at retail.”

Adam Vincent-Garland, Business Development Manager at Aardman, adds: “We’re delighted to be working with Flair GP on these new Plasticine lines. Modelling is integral to the history of Aardman and our best-loved animations, so it really is a fitting partnership – and one that we hope will inspire the next generation of 3D modellers and animators.”

 

Genius Brands promotes Kerry Phelan to Chief Brand Officer

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Genius Brands has announced the promotion of Kerry Phelan to the newly created position of Chief Brand Officer.  This follows the company’s recent acquisitions of Canada’s WOW! Unlimited Media and Ameba TV, major investment in Germany’s Your Family Entertainment (YFE) to build a global footprint, as well as the worldwide rollout of Kartoon Channel!/Kartoon Channel! Kidaverse.  

Phelan joined Genius Brands in July 2021 as Executive Vice President & General Manager of Global Franchise Management after serving for 30 years in consumer products and retail executive roles at numerous studios, including  Lucasfilm, Dreamworks Animation and Pixar, where she built global campaigns for multi-billion dollar brands such as the Star Wars and Cars franchises, as well as Shrek, Kung Fu Panda and Madagascar, among many others.

As Genius Brands has expanded significantly over the past year with multiple acquisitions, Phelan’s role is expanding to include global brand building across all Genius Brands’ businesses. As Chief Brand Officer, Phelan is charged with building out a 360° ecosystem with multiple consumer touchpoints while driving significant incremental revenue for the company. She will be responsible for overall global brand strategy, consumer products, brand partnerships and collaborations, brand experiences, retail development and more, for Genius Brands’ roster of kids’ properties, including Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten, Shaq’s Garage, Stan Lee Universe, Rainbow Rangers, among others in development.

“It’s a tremendous privilege for us to have an executive of Kerry’s calibre, with her successful track record of launching some of the most successful brands in entertainment history… leading the charge as we continue to launch new IP into the market and roll out existing brands on a global scale,” says Genius Brands’ CEO Andy Heyward. “Genius Brands is experiencing its most significant growth to date with our slate of acquisitions further bolstering our content catalogue and giving us a greater worldwide footprint, and we are in a solid position to take our company to the next level and achieve our goals of delivering quality children’s franchise to the marketplace and revenue to our shareholders.”

“In less than a year of joining Genius Brands, I am excited to be a part of a company that is leading the charge in the kids’ space to deliver innovative, purpose-driven brands to the marketplace while building a global platform to reach kids anywhere, anytime with quality content,” adds Phelan. “It is truly amazing to be a part of the team at Genius Brands and to play a role in the growth of the company, and I look forward to the years ahead as we continue to build our brands and platform on a global scale.”

 

 

Genius Brands promotes Kerry Phelan to Chief Brand Officer

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Genius Brands has announced the promotion of Kerry Phelan to the newly created position of Chief Brand Officer.  This follows the company’s recent acquisitions of Canada’s WOW! Unlimited Media and Ameba TV, major investment in Germany’s Your Family Entertainment (YFE) to build a global footprint, as well as the worldwide rollout of Kartoon Channel!/Kartoon Channel! Kidaverse.  

Phelan joined Genius Brands in July 2021 as Executive Vice President & General Manager of Global Franchise Management after serving for 30 years in consumer products and retail executive roles at numerous studios, including  Lucasfilm, Dreamworks Animation and Pixar, where she built global campaigns for multi-billion dollar brands such as the Star Wars and Cars franchises, as well as Shrek, Kung Fu Panda and Madagascar, among many others.

As Genius Brands has expanded significantly over the past year with multiple acquisitions, Phelan’s role is expanding to include global brand building across all Genius Brands’ businesses. As Chief Brand Officer, Phelan is charged with building out a 360° ecosystem with multiple consumer touchpoints while driving significant incremental revenue for the company. She will be responsible for overall global brand strategy, consumer products, brand partnerships and collaborations, brand experiences, retail development and more, for Genius Brands’ roster of kids’ properties, including Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten, Shaq’s Garage, Stan Lee Universe, Rainbow Rangers, among others in development.

“It’s a tremendous privilege for us to have an executive of Kerry’s calibre, with her successful track record of launching some of the most successful brands in entertainment history… leading the charge as we continue to launch new IP into the market and roll out existing brands on a global scale,” says Genius Brands’ CEO Andy Heyward. “Genius Brands is experiencing its most significant growth to date with our slate of acquisitions further bolstering our content catalogue and giving us a greater worldwide footprint, and we are in a solid position to take our company to the next level and achieve our goals of delivering quality children’s franchise to the marketplace and revenue to our shareholders.”

“In less than a year of joining Genius Brands, I am excited to be a part of a company that is leading the charge in the kids’ space to deliver innovative, purpose-driven brands to the marketplace while building a global platform to reach kids anywhere, anytime with quality content,” adds Phelan. “It is truly amazing to be a part of the team at Genius Brands and to play a role in the growth of the company, and I look forward to the years ahead as we continue to build our brands and platform on a global scale.”

 

 

OPINION I The Insights Family on the future of cinema

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When kids and teenagers can access VOD via phones and tablets whenever they want and wherever they are, what can cinemas do to compete? Exploiting popular IPs, offering better value, harnessing the latest technology and enhancing – even personalising – the cinematic experience are all viable options, attest market intelligence experts The Insights Family.

In the US, visits to the cinema amongst 6-9 year olds halved in the summer of 2020, compared to the previous year in light of the pandemic. Over the last 12 months, the popularity of Netflix among 6-9s has increased by a minimum of +30% in Australia, Canada, Germany and Russia. So, as we look forward, what factors are going to drive customers back to cinemas in 2022?

Eighty per cent of the all-time top 10 highest-grossing movies worldwide are reboots or sequels to established franchises, suggesting familiar IP is what drives people to the cinema. With VOD platforms offering the convenience of engaging with new content at no additional cost, cinemas are faced with a difficult task: having customers part with their money with the risk they may not enjoy the experience. This risk is mitigated somewhat through sequels, remakes and reboots.

Of the aforementioned top 10 highest-grossing films, 70% are owned by Disney. In Kids Insights’ data, Disney also own three of the top five favourite characters amongst 6-9 year olds. This sequel culture isn’t going anywhere – Spiderman is the number one most anticipated film amongst this age bracket, as hype builds surrounding the release of the latest instalment in the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe. As owners of IP continue to be rewarded for focusing on their recognisable imagery, it could be suggested that we are likely to see an increase in the number of reboots and sequels in the coming year, particularly as brands continue to prioritise guaranteed revenue in the economic fallout of the pandemic.

The cinema is still very much seen as the pinnacle of achievement for on-screen IPs and can introduce a new audience to the source material. PAW Patrol, the second most popular TV show amongst 3-5s globally, released a cinematic experience in August this year. In the UK, popularity for the TV show increased by +75% amongst this audience in the months following the movie’s release, relative to the three months prior. By producing content in relation to existing popular IP, there is a significant opportunity to resonate with the target audience through licensing and merchandising. 3-5 year old Paw Patrol fans in the UK are +24% more likely to purchase licensed toys than the average kid.

However, the VOD market is here to stay. The Insights Family anticipates that the cinema will lean more towards highlighting the experiential aspect of a potential visit to effectively drive footfall. Since the beginning of the year, the value of experiences among young teenagers has grown by +15% in Russia, Japan, Germany and India. Now that the content itself is available at no additional cost to the consumer, with shorter windows from screen to home, the cinema should look towards providing an experience worth paying for, making that the USP. More comfortable lounge-seating and food/drinks seat-service are a few strategies to create a more enjoyable experience for the average movie-goer.

Additionally, we will see more budget cinema options, to compete with the cost-effective, on-demand option. In the US, the average young teen spends $9.54 a month on the cinema – according to the MPAA, the average ticket price in 2020 was $9.34, leaving no space for a repeat visit in a single month. Just one-in-ten US 13-15s visit the cinema two or more times a month, and this figure halves when considering three-plus visits.

What we will therefore see is a fragmentation of the cinematic market, mirroring the rest of the kids’ entertainment ecosystem. With more content and viewing options available than ever before, kids are able to tune in with the flexibility and personalised approach that they come to expect as the on-demand generation. Whether they value experiences, cost efficiency or convenience, there is a cinematic experience for them.

Further in the future, we will eventually see widespread adoption of more immersive technologies in the cinema environment. VR and AR for example, making use of full 360-degree filming capabilities isn’t a stretch of the imagination. Will we see the start of data being used to optimise the movie experience as per the viewer? In this sense, there is great potential to see advancements towards the gamification of movies. Perhaps an utterly personalised experience tailored to individual kids where they are the heroes?

To find out what other trends will be popular this year, The Insights Family launched their Future Forecast 2022 report. For the first time, the company is exploring not only kids and parents, but family ecosystems trends, based on Kids Insights™ and Parents Insights™ data. The report contains 10 predictions and trends which will impact advertising, content, licensing, marketing, product and retail strategies for brand owners.

To download the full complimentary Future Forecast 2022 report, visit: https://theinsightsfamily.com/futureforecast 

Rubber Road scores new heavy metal music licences

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Rubber Road is heading down a new musical path with some new licences that will see the company introducing official merchandise for three of the world’s biggest heavy metal artists.

The company works with some of the leading names in TV shows, movies, gaming and comic books and can now officially add music to the list thanks to a new deal with Global Merchandising Services.

Liam Taylor, Commercial Director at Rubber Road says: “Fans of Ozzy Osbourne, Motorhead and Iron Maiden are going to love this quirky range that pays homage to these rock idols, we guarantee that they won’t have anything like it so far!

“We are delighted to be getting our air guitars out and heading into the world of music, and what a fantastic way to kick off with these three rock icons. When it comes to heavy metal memorabilia, we reckon this range aces it and we are counting down the days until we can reveal all.”

Rubber Road is known for producing merchandise – created by its design arm, Numskull – for some of the leading global brands in entertainment including Universal, Warner Bros, Netflix, Xbox, Sony Pictures, Sony PlayStation, SEGA and Hasbro. Franchises in the portfolio include Minions, Harry Potter, DC Comics, Sonic the Hedgehog, Back to the Future, Stranger Things, Jurassic Park, Star Trek, Ghostbusters, Lord of the Rings, Friends, Jaws and Resident Evil.

Warners Bros Consumer Products and SKECHERS launch latest We Bare Bears collab

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SKECHERS and Warner Bros. Consumer Products have announced their latest collaboration featuring brothers Grizz, Panda, and Ice Bear from Cartoon Network’s popular series We Bare Bears, for Lunar New Year in Asia.

Following the successful debut collection last October, the latest Skechers X We Bare Bears collaboration expands with two new ranges – the Classic collection and the Spring Summer collection – which feature new sneaker colourways and an expanded apparel line for both adults and kids.

Vikram Sharma, Vice President of Consumer Products, Advertising & Partnerships, WarnerMedia India, Southeast Asia & Korea, says: “We had such a great reaction to last year’s rollout from both partners and fans. So for these new collections, not only has SKECHERS added to the range and included footwear, we have also created bespoke design that depict the bear trio in an adorable tiger costume in time for Lunar New Year.”

The new collection includes footwear and apparel which will only be available through select distribution partners and SKECHERS websites in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Brunei, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

The Skechers X We Bare Bears women’s collection is slated to launch in March.