Category Archives: Lifestyle

Palace creates Elton John capsule skatewear collection

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London-based skateboarding and clothing brand Palace has created a special licensed Elton John capsule collection with the icon himself, celebrating his legacy and his legendary music career.

The capsule drop includes a retro velour tracksuit with ‘EJ’ Elton and Palace branding, in white or navy with lurex side strips; a knitted jumper featuring Elton’s image, and a selection of T-shirts in short and long-sleeved versions, with archive images from such legendary performances as his landmark gig at LA’s Dodger Stadium in 1975.

In addition to the apparel collection, Palace has produced a special Elton John board and a rug that bears a Palace-doctored woven image of Elton at the keys, on stage at Dodger Stadium. The collaboration was brought together by Bravado, Universal Music Group’s leading brand management company.

Elton John says: “I’m so excited about my forthcoming collaboration with Palace. I’m always looking to the future, but the range brings back some fantastic memories – it really captures the essence of youth and freedom from my time on the road in the 1970s. I’ve never been a skateboarder but that’s not going to stop me wearing the lot.”

The collection launches in the UK on Friday 11 March at 11am GMT, in-store and online, and online in the EU at 12pm CET.

In the US, the collection goes live the same day online at 11am EST and 8am PST, in-store in New York at 11am EST, and in LA at 11am PST.

The collection launches in Japan, in-store and online, at 11am JST on Saturday 12 March.

Bicycle Playing Cards launches limited-edition Smiley deck

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Bicycle, the bestselling playing card brand in the world, is launching a Bicycle x Smiley Collector’s Edition. The commemorative decks are part of Smiley’s 50thanniversary takeover with Bicycle and other major brands incorporating the trademark “smile” image into established products.

The limited-edition deck features a design created by world-renowned graffiti artist, André Saraiva, who transformed Smiley’s original “Take the Time to Smile” campaign Smiley icon into the design for this premium Bicycle playing card deck.

Each capsule edition Bicycle x Smiley Collector’s Edition playing card deck features a foldout image of the iconic “Smiley” and a unique number out of 9,999 limited-edition card decks.

Bicycle x Smiley Collector’s Edition playing card decks will be available for $49.99 at select Nordstrom locations throughout the United States as well as at Nordstrom.com. The collectible Bicycle x Smiley Collector’s Edition playing card decks will also be available at major retailers in Germany, Spain and France.

“As a leader in the playing card market, Bicycle continues to leverage its platform to innovate and grow with strategic partnerships, like this one with the Original Smiley brand,” says Tricia Bouras, CEO, USPCC. “Our partnership with Smiley demonstrates our leadership and commitment to providing new products to card players and collectors across the globe.”

Bicycle recently launched its first-ever NFT “Genesis Collection,” featuring the brand’s iconic cards transformed 1000 years into the future by artist Adrian Valenzuela.

“Smiley is the original brand for spreading happiness and positivity, which makes a partnership with Bicycle such a natural fit,” says Lori Heiss-Tiplady, SVP Toys & Publishing, Smiley Company. “As the leading maker of playing cards in the world, this much-loved brand has also brought smiles to the faces of millions of people, providing them with many happy hours playing games with friends and family.

“Creating products that provide magical moments for people is something both Smiley and Bicycle are proud of, and this limited-edition set of playing cards created in honour of our 50th anniversary will encourage people to take the time to smile with its beautiful design and surprise Smiley paper engineering.”

 

Blu Goblin to launch replica Bullseye trophy in support of the Stroke Association

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The next drop from Blu Goblin will be a limited-edition replica of the Bronze Bully Trophy from popular TV game show Bullseye. The launch is to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the show and to support the Stroke Association.

Bullseye fans, darts enthusiasts and trophy collectors from around the world can order their limited-edition replica Bronze Bully from later this month at www.blugoblin.com. Crafted from polystone resin and painted, each replica comes with an individually numbered Certificate of Authenticity, and is delivered in a bespoke presentation box.

A Louis Kennedy innovation, Blu Goblin creates limited-edition, exclusively licensed collectible models, replicas, figures and art, from nostalgia to modern day, across the worlds of entertainment, sport and gaming. Proceeds from every single transaction raise money for good causes.

In the early days of developing Blu Goblin, Louis Kennedy approached Bulldog Licensing to discuss opportunities from the portfolio of brands it represents, including Bullseye.

Vicky Miller, Licensing Director at Bulldog Licensing, says: “We loved the Blu Goblin model as soon as we saw it. Creating high-quality, limited-edition products for fans and supporting incredibly important causes at the same time is a winning combination. We are thrilled to be working with the team to launch this very special Bronze Bully, a super, smashing, great way for fans to celebrate 40 years of their favourite gameshow!”

A key feature of the partnership is to raise funds and awareness for the Stroke Association, a charity working across the UK to support people to rebuild their lives after stroke. For each Bronze Bully sold, Blu Goblin will donate 10% of the sales to the Stroke Association.

Saul Heselden, Head of Corporate Partnerships at the Stroke Association, says: “Stroke strikes every five minutes in the UK and it changes lives in an instant. Our much-needed specialist support, research and campaigning are only possible with the generosity of our supporters.

“We’re thrilled that Bulldog Licensing and the Blu Goblin team have worked together to support the Stroke Association through the sale of limited-edition replicas of Bronze Bully. The funds raised will go a long way in supporting our work to rebuild even more lives after stroke.”

Tracey Richardson, Licensing and Partnerships Director at Louis Kennedy, adds: “I recommend all Bullseye fans, darts enthusiasts and Stroke Association supporters visit www.blugoblin.com now, where they can sign up for our Newsletter, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram, to ensure they are the first to know when the limited-edition replica Bronze Bully trophy is available to order.”

Blu Goblin launched on 2 March with framed limited edition prints inspired by the recent Tokyo Art and Photography exhibition at the Ashmolean Museum. Future campaigns include a Beano Chess Set, Dennis 70th anniversary statuette and Danger Mouse 40th anniversary figurine collection.

Louis Kennedy launches DTC platform to raise money for good causes

Precious Moments revs up its licensing programme with Mad Engine deal

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Precious Moments has announced the addition of Mad Engine Global as a key licensing partner for a full range of Precious Moments apparel and accessories.

The deal, brokered on behalf of Precious Moments by Spotlight Licensing and Brand Management, is a strong strategic partnership that aims to keep the cherished brand fresh and relevant for current fans while also appealing to new audiences who may be discovering it for the first time.

“We are thrilled to be working with such an iconic brand as Precious Moments. Nostalgic ‘feel good’ properties are in demand with our junior and young adult consumer, so we can’t wait to put our fun twist on apparel and accessories and bring it to retail,” says Cindy Levitt, SVP Licensing, Mad Engine Global.

With a brand history spanning more than four decades, Precious Moments is a widely recognised part of pop culture and the diverse range of Precious Moments products planned by Mad Engine reflects the many ways Precious Moments’ brand appeal spans generations, with products for everyone from infants and young children to teens and adults.

Shehnaz Safiuddin, Vice President, Product and Marketing for Precious Moments, says: “Mad Engine is known as an industry innovator and trend-setter. We are excited to work with their artists and designers to leverage our highly recognisable characters and storied brand history to create fashion-forward products appealing to younger consumers as well as great-looking apparel and accessories that longtime fans and collectors will love.”

Mad Engine has been granted rights to utilise iconic Precious Moments branding and art on apparel for all ages and accessories such as backpacks, caps, hats, tote bags, hair accessories, and cold weather gear. Mad Engine will sell Precious Moments products through U.S. and Canadian retailers starting in June 2022. Worldwide print-on-demand and merchandise-on-demand programmes will also be available.

Animal Adventure inks new licensing partnership with Sophie la girafe

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Animal Adventure and its affiliate Dan Dee International (jointly Animal Adventure), and licensing agency Anjar & Becker Associates have announced a new licensing agreement with DELISO S.A.S. for the premium infant brand Sophie la girafe.

Sophie la girafe is the best-selling teether in the world generating $100M+ in annual retail sales. Animal Adventure plans to market an extensive line of plush, feature plush, mobiles, activity mats, storage cubes, rockers, rocking horses, soft chairs, stroller toys, baby wedges and seasonal products in the U.S., beginning in summer 2022.

“We’re pleased to be partnering with Sophie la girafe, one of the world’s most trusted infant brands and a great fit with our Animal Adventure business,” says Mark Matheny, Head of Licensing, Animal Adventure. “Animal Adventure is known for creating wonderful baby products through a thoughtful, trend-driven approach, and we’re excited to build a Sophie la girafe line that looks beautiful and leverages the unique position which the brand holds for parents and infants,”

Andrew Hogan, Licensing Director, Animal Adventure, adds: “As a parent, having confidence in the products that I give my child is so important. Sophie la girafe was the first brand that my child was introduced to and has been trusted by parents around the world for generations.

“This partnership via Anjar & Becker Associates will bring elevated and innovative new products to parents and gift-givers, allowing infants to experience the Sophie brand in new and exciting ways.”

“We’re very excited that we could bring Sophie la girafe and Dan Dee/Animal Adventure together for this expansive licensing deal,” says Patti Becker, CEO of Anjar & Becker Associates. Sophie is a very special brand, and we know it’s in good hands with Dan Dee and Animal Adventure. They make beautiful plush, and we’re excited to have them join the family of Sophie licensees.”

For more information on Anjar & Becker Associates, visit: www.Anjar.com and www.BeckerAssociates.com.

 

Olive Oyl turns fashionista with Moncler Genius collection

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King Features has announced its latest partnership for Olive Oyl. The animation icon features in the 2 MONCLER 1952 WOMAN Spring/Summer 2022 collection by Veronica Leoni, part of the fashion brand’s MONCLER GENIUS project.

Olive Oyl has been a groundbreaking female character since her debut in 1919. Veronica Leoni chose to feature Olive in her latest collection due to her “widely recognised confidence and humour”, selecting retro images of Olive to appear on a capsule of T-shirts and hooded sweatshirts.

“We are very happy to have secured this collaboration with such a high-end and innovative brand as Moncler and such an iconic character as Olive Oyl,” says Grazia Bussandri of Premium Licensing, King Features’ Italian agent, who secured the deal with Moncler.

“For decades, style makers around the world have been inspired by Olive’s confidence and glamorous self-perception,” adds Carla Silva, VP/GM, Global Head of Licensing, King Features, “but this capsule from Moncler is in a class of its own. The clever designs highlight what a dynamic individual Olive Oyl is and the characteristics that make her so appealing to fans and fashionistas alike.”

The capsule collection is available now on Moncler.com and in select Moncler boutiques.

DC and Warner Bros celebrate International Women’s Day

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To mark International Women’s Day, Warner Bros. Consumer Products and DC have announced new offerings and experiences dedicated to the women of DC. Featuring Wonder Woman at the helm, DC’s roster of powerful women also includes Batgirl, Catwoman, and more. 

Australian activewear label Active Truth has released a Wonder Woman inspired activewear collection. The 18-piece, size-inclusive collection gives women everywhere the opportunity to put on a 2022s version of a superhero cape and activewear and come together to “Break the Bias” on IWD and beyond. The WONDER WOMAN x Active Truth Collection launched globally on Tuesday 1 March, 2022.

Unique Vintage has produced an empowering collection of vintage-inspired pieces celebrating the Women of DC. Released in tandem with International Women’s Day, the line features strong colours and prints in timeless silhouettes. Product offerings include graphic tees, printed dresses, and Super Hero swimwear, available in sizes XS-5X. The collection launches on March 8.

Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi is introducing a new DC Super Hero ‘Batgirl’ who will be making her first appearance at the theme park on International Women’s Day. Joining Batman’s crusade on March 8, Batgirl will be fighting crime with The Dark Knight in Gotham City, just in time for the highly anticipated ladies-only event, ‘Women of Warner’.

Finally, DC is debuting the first Wonder Woman crossover of its kind in decades, by the writers behind Wonder Woman, Nubia & the Amazons, and Wonder Girl and some of the best and brightest artists in the industry.

The long-awaited Wonder Woman event Trial of the Amazons kicks off with Trial of the Amazons Issue #1 from writers Becky Cloonan, Michael Conrad, Vita Ayala, Stephanie Williams, and Joëlle Jones writing and drawing, with artists Elena Casagrande, Laura Braga, and Skylar Partridge, with Nubia and the Amazons #6 to follow.

Participating comic shops will be celebrating the event with three promotional temporary tattoos, each representing a different Amazonian tribe. The first temporary tattoo, representing the Themyscirans, will arrive alongside Trial of the Amazons #1, the opening chapter of the explosive story. The second, representing the Bana-Mighdall, will arrive alongside Nubia & the Amazons #6, the second installment of the seven-part crossover. The third, representing the Esquecida, will arrive alongside Wonder Woman #785 on March 15, part three of Trial of the Amazons.

 

 

Just Play named as master toy licensee for Sesame Street

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Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organisation behind the iconic Sesame Street, has named preschool toy specialist Just Play as its multi-territory master toy licensee for North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

Under this multi-year partnership, Just Play will manufacture and market an expansive array of products featuring beloved Sesame Street characters including Elmo, Cookie Monster, and Abby Cadabby. The company will also support Sesame Workshop’s mission “to help kids grow smarter, stronger and kinder”.

Starting in 2023, Just Play will take the helm and usher in a new era of engaging educational products that will roll-out throughout the year and beyond. Key preschool play patterns and categories including plush, figures, playsets, vehicles, role play/dress up, bath and learning toys will define the new product portfolio.

Just Play will contribute to Sesame Workshop’s social impact efforts by providing funding for vital initiatives that bring critical early learning and support across a broad variety of challenges to children around the world. These initiatives are fundamental to both organisations’ ongoing efforts to help families everywhere thrive.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Just Play and strengthen the Sesame Street brand globally,” says Ed Wells, EVP and Head of Global Media and Education, Sesame Workshop. “Just Play creates fantastic, best-in-class products that delight the whole family. This, coupled with its exceptional retailer and distribution network, and impressive mix of items across multiple categories, make it a natural partner. We’re also mission-aligned: we both create unique and powerful experiences for kids and families to play and learn with their favorite brands. Those deep connections drive everything we do at Sesame Workshop.”

“It’s a privilege to become a central partner to one of the most beloved and respected franchises in the world,” says Sunny Lauridsen, SVP of Licensing and Brand Strategy, Just Play. “Sesame Street is a brand that connected with each of us in our childhood and continues to provide important educational, social and giggle-inducing content for families today. We’re honoured to bring the next generation of toys to market.”

Just Play’s international reach is essential to supporting the growth of Sesame Street globally with its recently opened UK office serving as the hub to EMEA operations, and strategic partnerships in Latin America.

 

New line of Dr Seuss books in development

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Dr. Seuss Enterprises (DSE) and Random House Children’s Books (RHCB) will launch Seuss Studios, a line of books for early readers by new and emerging authors and illustrators who will create original stories inspired by Ted Geisel’s (aka Dr. Seuss) unpublished sketches and illustrations. The news was announced today, Dr. Seuss’s birthday, by DSE and RHCB.

Seuss Studios will carry forward Dr. Seuss’s legacy of inspiring millions of people to learn to love to read by working with an inclusive community of authors and illustrators to create books for all young readers and families that capture Dr. Seuss’s hallmark spirit of creativity and imagination.

The sketches and illustrations that will serve as inspiration pieces for Seuss Studios books have been selected from the Dr. Seuss Collection archives at UC San Diego and curated by Dr. Seuss Enterprises and Random House Children’s Books. The original Dr. Seuss sketch that serves as the inspiration for each of the new Seuss Studios books will be included in the book, along with a note from the creators explaining how they were inspired, and their process.

The launch of Seuss Studios is a tribute to Ted Geisel’s commitment to supporting new writers and artists. In 1957, Ted Geisel co-founded the Beginner Books imprint at Random House, the iconic line that includes enduring classics like The Cat in the Hat and Green Eggs and Ham. With this imprint, Geisel sought not only to create a robust and enriching library for kids, but also to open new doors for creators who were either at the beginning of their publishing careers or who worked in other creative industries.

Continuing the tradition started with Beginner Books, Dr. Seuss Enterprises and Random House Children’s Books will seek out and work with a varied roster of fresh new voices to develop the Seuss Studios line.

Mallory Loehr, EVP and Publisher, Random House Books for Young Readers, and Martha Rago, VP, Executive Creative Director, RHCB, will oversee editorial and art direction at Random House Children’s Books.

Susan Brandt, President and CEO of Dr. Seuss Enterprises, says: “Seuss Studios is a new, exciting step in the continued evolution and growth of Dr. Seuss Enterprises, and one that will help us ensure that Dr. Seuss’s images live on in the best possible way – and in new ways – for future readers. We look forward to putting the spotlight on a new generation of talent who we know will bring their unique voices and style to the page, while also drawing inspiration from the creativity and imagination of Dr. Seuss.”

Mallory Loehr adds: “I can’t wait to see what the Seuss Studios creators come up with! The unique styles and voices of each author and illustrator in the Seuss Studios line will shine through on every page, cover to cover – with a glimmer of Dr. Seuss’s imagination tucked inside each book. I know that these stories will connect to today’s young readers and inspire a joy in reading for years and years to come.”

Seuss Studios books will be geared towards readers ages 4 to 8. Additional details on the inaugural list will be announced later this year.

 

Zavvi celebrates Batman in latest collection

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As Batman returns to the big screen, fans can now show their love for the film franchise thanks to the latest memorabilia range from online retailer Zavvi.   

Launching this March is a limited-edition and fully licensed Batman collection, based on the superhero film franchise’s latest installment that is already captivating audiences worldwide. The collection includes Batman-inspired t-shirts, varsity jackets, Akedo high-top trainers and a selection of homewares.

The range is emblazoned with the distinctive emblem from the superhero films, and celebrates the return of Riddler, a supervillain who has not been seen within the franchise since Batman Forever in 1995. The range also features the cinematography from the 2022 release starring Robert Pattinson as The Batman and limited-edition print and photographic artwork from the new film, a great addition to any fan’s collection.

The new and official Batman merchandise is now available worldwide, exclusive to Zavvi.com.