Poetic Brands adds Schitt’s Creek to its portfolio

Apparel manufacturer Poetic Brands has partnered with ITV Studios to create a range of adult apparel based on the hugely popular riches-to-rags comedy drama Schitt’s Creek.

The new range is set to include men’s and women’s T-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies and nightwear for distribution across Europe.

Schitt’s Creek made a record-breaking sweep of the 2020 Emmy awards with nine wins, including Outstanding Comedy Series, and has also won a plethora of other awards in its six-year run, including ACTRA awards, Canadian Screen Awards, a Critics’ Choice Television Award, Screen Actors Guild Awards and many more.

ITV Studios has secured a number of international broadcasters for the series, taking the total count to 197 territories. When the sixth and final series launched on Netflix in September 2020, users in the US watched 968 million minutes (Nielsen Streaming Rankings, September 2020), moving the show to the most-watched on the platform.

Elliott Matthews, Executive Director at Poetic Brands, commented: “Schitt’s Creek is one of those series that will go down in history and despite there being no more production, it will continue to be popular with its army of fans. We’re really excited to be launching this apparel range – the brand is part of adult pop culture in the UK and we’re sure it will be a big hit.”

Christina Lima, VP Global Franchise Management and Creative Services at ITV Studios, added: “Schitt’s Creek is one of those brands that everyone wishes to have in their portfolio. After the huge success with the licensing programme in North America, it is time to bring it to Europe. We are very pleased to welcome Poetic Brands as one of our first signed partners in the UK.”

Schitt’s Creek is produced by Not A Real Company Productions Inc. for CBC and Pop TV.

Generation Media signs deal to distribute Bing Event Cinema in new territories from 2022

Generation Media confirmed today that it has partnered with Acamar Films to exclusively manage the theatrical distribution of Bing Event Cinema in territories including Australia and the Nordics.

Following box-office success for ‘Bing’s Christmas & Other Stories’, and ‘Bing’s Animal Stories’ across the UK, Italy, Poland and the Netherlands, this new deal will see Generation Media support Acamar to expand Bing’s cinema distribution footprint to new markets, further complementing Bing’s multiplatform presence across linear TV, streaming services, YouTube, apps and more.

The deal was secured by Generation Entertainment, Generation Media’s division that focuses on global content development and distribution initiatives across cinema, TV and digital. Generation Entertainment’s previous U.K. and Global event cinema releases include iconic preschool brands such as “L.O.L. Surprise! on the Big Screen” and Beano’s “Dennis and Gnasher”.

Greta Bisetto-Donelan, Director of Entertainment at Generation Media, says: “Bing is a beloved preschool character and we are incredibly proud to be bringing such relatable and engaging stories to the big screen in new territories, delighting young children with a new kind of Bing experience for the first time.

“Event Cinema is our absolute passion and a primary tool for engaging with preschoolers and their parents. Cinema is and will always be a fundamental part of a long-term franchise strategy – bring premium content to engaged fans in a quality environment.

“Last year saw us win the Gold Indie Award for the best TV Media Campaign, featuring IMC’s Cry Babies Magic Tears. This year we are, more than ever, committed to bringing engaging content, to the right audiences, wherever they are.

“Within the Kids’ and Families Entertainment space our expertise is truly 360. Our content-first approach allows our clients to achieve long-term success and maximise licensed products sell-in.”

Spread Group links with Peanuts Worldwide for print-on-demand babywear

Spread Group and Peanuts Worldwide are kicking off the new year with a range of baby products and designs. The collection will be offered across the whole of the EU and the UK, and will feature the lovable beagle Snoopy on baby-grows, tiny t-shirts and warm hats.

Sven Burscher, Spread Group’s Head of Licensing, says: “This partnership expands Spread Group’s offering with lovely designs for the Peanuts baby demographics. It gives the brand and its fans the option of print-on-demand, which offers a range of designs in a style, size and colour to suit them. Peanuts has positivity associated with the brand we are very excited to have Snoopy and the gang in our portfolio!”

Tara Botwick, Vice President of Territory Management, EMEA for Peanuts Worldwide, adds: “We are looking forward to growing our baby offerings in Europe, as we know that parents and grandparents want to share their love of Peanuts with the next generation. Expanding our print-on-demand business is important as we continue to reach new audiences and Spread Group is a key licensee in that category.”

Spreadshirt’s Marketplace will also host a showroom of the designs featuring Charles M. Schulz’s classic characters. More designs will be added as they come on-stream, and the collection will also include apparel for teenagers and adults.

 

Acamar Films appoints EMEA Licensing Director and Head of Agent Management

Following the continued European success and expansion of International Emmy Award-winning pre-school series Bing, Acamar Films has promoted Laura Clarke to Licensing Director, EMEA and Luca Bonecchi to Head of Agent Management.

Reporting to Executive Director of Sales, Natalie Harvey, Laura will oversee the overall EMEA licensing strategy in conjunction with managing Acamar Films’ agents in Northern Europe, and will continue to manage and lead the European toy distributors under Golden Bear’s master toy agreement.

Laura joined Acamar Films in 2016 from Mattel, where she was Group Director for EMEA. Since then, Laura has taken Bing from strength to strength in EMEA with her wealth of experience working across all categories in the preschool sector.

Luca joined Acamar Films last year from Entertainment One where he worked as VP Licensing EMEA on major preschool properties including Peppa Pig and PJ Masks. Luca will continue to support and report to Laura, and with his new role will be responsible for the management of existing agents in Southern Europe and new agents outside of the US, in line with Acamar Films’ market expansion.

Natalie Harvey says: “Laura Clarke embodies all the values of Acamar Films in everything she does and with Bing‘s growing international footprint, it is essential we remain focused on servicing the needs of each of our markets and their respective audiences. We are thrilled she has the brilliant support of Luca Bonecchi, who we are very lucky to have as part of our team and who has in a short time has contributed greatly to the ongoing success of Bing in EMEA.”

Spotlight Licensing and Rocket Licensing welcome All Creatures Great and Small

Rocket Licensing and Spotlight Licensing are set to build a global consumer products programme for critically acclaimed fan-favourite television drama All Creatures Great and Small, with Rocket leading in all markets outside North America and Spotlight focused on North America.

The series, based on the best-selling stories written by Alf Wight under the pen name James Herriot, follows the adventures of a young vet from Glasgow working in the Yorkshire dales. Herriot’s books have sold 60 million copies internationally, becoming a global cultural phenomenon with devoted fans around the world.

The series airs in the UK as Channel 5’s top rating British drama, with five million viewers to date for the latest series, and is the second highest-rating programme on the channel, behind The Drowning.

In the U.S., All Creatures Great and Small is currently in its second season on PBS MASTERPIECE after debuting as one of PBS’s biggest hits of 2021 (seen by more than 10 million U.S. viewers).

PBS MASTERPIECE, Channel 5 and All3Media International recently announced that All Creatures Great and Small has already been renewed for a third and fourth season.

Rocket and Spotlight will be looking to target both the young adult and older age-group fans of the show with licensed products including gifting, homewares, stationery, apparel, food and beverage, and more, as well as experiential partnerships, and the team is looking forward to discussing the property with potential licensees and partners.

Carole Postal, president of Spotlight Licensing, says: “All Creatures Great and Small is a wonderful property for anyone who loves and cares for animals, enjoys the beautiful British countryside, and appreciates that small-town community life which Herriot portrays with such warmth and humour. U.S. audiences love the character and charm of this quintessentially British show and we are excited to get a consumer products licensing programme started here in North America.”

Charlie Donaldson, joint MD of Rocket Licensing, commented: “All Creatures Great and Small is a great brand which really resonates with UK consumers, and we are looking forward to discussing the exciting opportunities this property offers for licensed merchandise and collaborations with potential licensees. The demand for British brands is bigger than ever right now and this property fits the bill perfectly.”

Call of Duty collectibles incoming from Koyo and Activision

Games and pop culture merchandise specialist Koyo and video game publisher Activision have partnered to launch officially licensed Call of Duty: Vanguard and Call of Duty: Warzone collectibles.

The new and upcoming products build on Koyo’s existing games offering, which encompasses a range of collectibles based on popular characters and iconic items from some of the world’s biggest game developers and publishers.

Koyo’s latest range for fans of Call of Duty: Vanguard and Call of Duty: Warzone includes logo pin badges, logo keyrings, bar blade bottle openers, patch sets, DIY pin badge sets and Tomogunchi pin badge sets.

More items in Koyo’s Call of Duty collectibles range will be revealed in the coming months.

The Call of Duty: Vanguard collectibles will be available for fans to buy direct from www.thekoyostore.com or through retail stores globally from 22 January 2022, with Call of Duty: Warzone collectibles following in February.

“We’re so excited to be working with Activision to create some truly unique Call of Duty collectibles,” says Koyo COO Helen Garlick. “Our aim is always to deliver what our fan communities want, and Call of Duty has been on many wish lists for a long time, including ours! We’re sure Vanguard and Warzone players everywhere will love these items – and we have more planned for the coming months.”

 

Novel Entertainment partners with P2 Games for Horrid Henry’s Krazy Karts

Novel Entertainment has partnered with P2 Games to develop and launch a new racing game for its internationally renowned Horrid Henry brand.

Targeting kids aged 6+ and families, ‘Horrid Henry’s Krazy Karts’ will initially be available exclusively from the Nintendo eShop on Nintendo Switch worldwide from Friday 21 January.

Based on Novel Entertainment’s hit TV series Horrid Henry, the all-new game will give players the chance to race as Horrid Henry or go head-to-head with him as Rude Ralph, Moody Margaret, Perfect Peter, Brainy Brian or Singing Soraya, gaining cups and upgrades to become the ultimate ‘Horrid Hero.’

The game features 40 challenging levels set across four themed locations: Gross World, Ashton Town, Ashton Primary and the Park. During the races, players control their racing karts to swoop over jumps and dodge obstacles, farts, goo and slime. Fans are also able to customise their kart in the ‘Wacky Workshop’ for extra advantage and win perfect power-up tokens.
‘Horrid Henry’s Krazy Karts’ will be available to play in single and multiplayer modes as well as offering both a Tournament and Race Mode option. The game also features a level design editor, giving users the chance to create and share their own horridly tricky challenges.

Lucinda Whiteley, Co-Founder and Creative Director at Novel Entertainment, says: “There continues to be a high expectation from Horrid Henry’s extensive international fan base for engaging ways to experience the brand across a multitude of formats and platforms. As such, it’s fantastic to once again team up with P2 Games and bring fans a new action-packed racing game, which incorporates all the Horrid Henry elements they know and love.”

Gerry Whiteside, Co-Director at P2, added: “We’re absolutely delighted to be working with Novel Entertainment once again to introduce the hugely successful Horrid Henrybrand to Nintendo Switch. This is the first game that P2, in collaboration with Mobile Pie, has developed for this device and we believe there’s a huge gap in the market for high quality kids gaming content.”

Brand and Lifestyle Licensing Awards 2022 adds new Sustainability category

The Brand & Lifestyle Licensing Awards 2022 has introduced a new category – The Sustainability Brand Licensed Range award – into the awards’ line-up.

The new accolade will recognise and reward the sustainable credentials of a brand licensed product or range. Entries can be for a single product or range, of any type. It can involve collaborations, but a brand licence (non-entertainment) has to be part of this.

The product or range must have been on sale or visible in the UK between 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2021, though it can have had a presence elsewhere in the world, too. Products/ranges can be entered into this award as well as into another category.

Like the other B&LLAs 2022 categories, entry for The Sustainability Brand Licensed Range is completely free of chargeYou can enter by clicking on this link.

The deadline for entries and nominations into all categories is Tuesday 8 March.

“Sustainability and success are becoming almost interchangeable for business and something that all brands will have to embrace in the future,” says Helena Mansell-Stopher, founder and CEO of Products of Change, which is sponsoring the award. “That’s why we are extremely pleased to be partnering with The B&LLAs team to showcase the progress and innovations of the brand and licensing industry within the space of sustainability, and inspire others to take that first step.”

The Brand & Lifestyle Licensing Awards 2022 will take place on Wednesday 27 April at a lavish afternoon event at the Hilton Park Lane, London.

For ticket and table information for The B&LLAs awards event, please click here.

 

McVitie’s launches biggest-ever marketing initiative with sponsorship of Britain’s Got Talent

McVitie’s is undertaking its biggest ever marketing initiative to date by joining forces with Britain’s Got Talent as the new headline sponsor of the entertainment talent show for 2022.

The partnership marks the coming together of two of the UK’s favourite, and most quintessentially British brands, promising “Golden Moments of absolute fun for families to share together”.

The new McVitie’s sponsorship of Britain’s Got Talent will be activated across the major UK grocery chains.

The brand has collaborated closely with Britain’s Got Talent to roll out a fully-fledged 360-degree marketing plan across TV, digital and social media comms, bespoke packaging and in-store displays, competitions as well as a host of PR initiatives that will run throughout the course of the season.

Through the new partnership, fans of McVitie’s and Britain’s Got Talent will have the chance to win top prizes through the new Golden Moments campaign that will offer exclusive money-can’t-buy experiences including VIP tickets to the live BGT Final at Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith, London.

The Golden Moments campaign aims to spread stories of positivity and fun across the nation. Competition details will be available across special Britain’s Got Talent branded packs including McVitie’s Chocolate Digestives, Hobnobs and Jaffa Cakes in retailers across the UK from 7 March, 2022.

The new partnership was announced in with a surprise red-carpet performance from the winners of Britain’s Got Talent: The Champions, Twist and Pulse (aka Ashley Glazebrook and Glen Murphy).

The packed crowd were delighted to see the pioneers of ‘Streetomedy’ – a mix of street dance and comedy, a phrase coined by the two – perform their latest routine which had them dunking their McVitie’s biscuits into mugs of tea.

During the performance, Twist and Pulse handed out a range of McVitie’s treats and cups of tea to warm up the crowd in the chilly January weather.

Caroline Hipperson, UK&I CMO of McVities’ parent company pladis, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be the new headline sponsor of Britain’s Got Talent. Two of Britain’s most loved brands, who share in the same message of positivity, fun and indulgence, best enjoyed in the company of others – it’s a perfect fit. As our biggest ever sponsorship to date we wanted to go big and we have some brilliant surprises planned throughout the season, so we welcome everyone to sit back, enjoy their favourite McVitie’s biscuit and watch the show!”

 

Moose Toys partners with Silvergate Media for new Octonauts toy line

Moose Toys has partnered with Silvergate Media, the producers of Octonauts, on a new line of toys launching August 2022.

Moose will release a range of vehicles, figures, plush and playsets based on the popular animated TV property and its latest series, Octonauts: Above & Beyond, to preschool toy aisles nationwide.

Moose will continue the Octo-fun with line expansions, including new characters, vehicles and more, in late 2022.

“Anticipation for the new line of Octonauts: Above & Beyond toys has been building since we announced our partnership,” says Belinda Gruebner, chief marketing officer, Moose Toys. “We simply could not contain our enthusiasm and desire to share this first look at the line any longer.

“Moose’s strength and expertise in the preschool aisle shines with these toys designed to capture the hearts and imaginations of young Octo-fans. Widely regarded as one of the top preschool properties, Octonauts is action packed, educational and anchored in learning through problem solving and teamwork, and our toy line continues this outside of the episodes.”

The first wave of the range includes:

Playsets

  • Octoray Transforming Headquarters Playset [pictured above]: The ultimate transforming playset that goes from flying Octoray transporter to Headquarters. The large-scale playset comes with Captain Barnacles, three cute creatures and a collectible mission card for kids to create and play their own adventures and rescue missions. SRP $69.99
  • Octopod Action Playset: The command centre of the Octonauts world that’s featured in every Octonauts episode. The Octopod Action Playset includes Captain Barnacles, three creatures and a collectible mission card. SRP $34.99

Vehicles and Figures

  • Octonauts Deluxe Vehicles: This lineup of vehicles includes new vehicles from the latest Octonauts: Above & Beyond series as well as must-have vehicles from the original hit Octonauts show. Each vehicle comes with an Octonauts crew member, creature, and a collectable mission card. SRP $16.99
    • Gup-A and Captain Barnacles: The most iconic Octonauts Gup, the Gup-A is a submarine that is perfect for all underwater missions and adventures.
    • Gup-B and Kwazii: This shark-inspired vehicle comes complete with a chomping jaw feature.
    • Terra-Gup 1 and Dashi: Based on the new Octonauts: Above & Beyond content, the Terra-Gup 1 and Dashi are ready for land adventures.

Figures

  • Adventure Packs: Collectible packs that include one figure, an environment, a creature and a mission card to take kids on their own Octonauts adventure.  The packs feature four of the most popular Octonauts and their companion creatures, including Panni and Reindeer, Barnacles and Puffin, Kwazii and Tiger and Peso and Salamander. SRP $8.99

Gup Racers

  • Gup Racer Assortment: The debut assortment includes six collectible favorite Octonauts characters and their vehicles. With an assortment of sea and land vehicles, each vehicle comes with rolling wheels and a fixed figure. SRP $4.99

Plush

  • Plush and Talking Plush: Super-soft and cuddly Octonauts plush featuring four of the series’ most popular characters, including a talking Captain Barnacles who delivers some of his signature phrases. SRP $9.99 (plush figures); $24.99 (Captain Barnacles talking plush)

The toys will be available nationwide wherever toys are sold beginning August 2022. The launch of the new Octonauts line will be supported by a 360-marketing campaign including national television, digital media buys, influencer partnerships and in-store point-of-sale features.

There are five seasons and a trio of Netflix Original movie-length specials currently available on Netflix. The series is a ratings hit with leading broadcasters worldwide including CCTV, BBC, ABC and Super RTL. The Octonauts official YouTube channels have delivered more than 2 billion lifetime views, with in the region of 2 million subscribers.

The property’s newest series Octonauts: Above & Beyond takes the much-loved crew of intrepid explorers beyond the sea and onto land with an exciting array of new locations, vehicles and storylines to enjoy.