Category Archives: Lifestyle

ARTiSTORY’s Seasons of Impressionists creatives set to travel the world with uin Footwear

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Art and cultural IP specialist ARTiSTORY has licensed global creative rights excluding China to the Spanish footwear brand uin for launching a new collection in partnership with the National Gallery Company, London.

The DTC brand, known for its colourful art-inspired footwear, has chosen ARTiSTORY creatives inspired by timeless classics housed in the National Gallery, London, by the great artists of Impressionism: Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet, Georges Seurat and Edgar Degas. The exclusive collection, entitled “A Timeless Journey”, combines ARTiSTORY’s contemporary take on masterpieces such as Vincent Van Gogh’s Sunflowers and Monet’s The Water Lily Pond  with uin’s innovative and comfortable footwear, perfectly showcasing their core passions – travel and art.

“uin Art Travel Shoes is determined to create a new category of travel shoes, combining simple but natural and comfortable products with creative artistic patterns,” says Fernando Acevedo, Cofounder and Chief Designer of uin. “We are excited to set forth on this timeless journey together with images of the National Gallery’s masterpieces.” 

Seasons of Impressionists is one of the 17 creative collections available to be licensed via ARTiSTORY’s unique “Artefacts to Merchandise” and storytelling model, inspired by the archives of its museum partners.

ARTiSTORY’s Founder and CEO Yizan He says: “We’re delighted to be working with uin on this collaboration with the National Gallery Company and look forward to joining this timeless journey with our partners, witnessing art stories travelling the world.”

DC and Warner Bros mark Black History Month with new comics, books and merch 

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Throughout February, DC and Warner Bros Consumer Products will honour the artistic expression and contributions of Black comic creators, artists and characters by unveiling a new collection of comics, books and merchandise.

The company will also launch initiatives to support and develop Black creators and inspire a new generation of comic book professionals. In addition, Milestone Compendium One allows DC fans to explore the anthology of Black Super Heroes in a 1,300 page book available today.

Announced during DC FanDome 2021, The Milestone Initiative was created by DC and Milestone Media, along with Ally Financial Services, to identify, develop and mentor aspiring comic book professionals of colour. Applicants selected for the Milestone Initiative Development Program will receive both in-person tutelage from working comic book professionals, in addition to virtual education through the prestigious Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art. After study, attendees will be paired with other comic book professionals to create new, original stories within the Milestone Universe.

“Continuing our rich history of amplifying Black stories and talent, the launch of our Black History Month selection of new comics, books and merch celebrates the Black visionaries amongst us and collectively promotes and supports the telling of stories from the Black perspective,” says Anne Leung DePies, senior vice president and general manager of DC. “Focused on boosting representation of aspiring comic book professionals of colour and introducing them to positive apprenticeship in the art, The Milestone Initiative will pave the way for change by creating a place for individuals to be supported by mentors and connect over a shared love for comics.”

DC kicks off the celebration by releasing a series of new comics and books, as well as new Black History Month products at the DC Shop. In collaboration with Milestone Comics, titles Static Season One, Hardware Season One and Icon and Rocket Season One celebrate powerful DC Black Super Heroes, now available at participating comic book stores and digital platforms.

DC spotlights Black creators and characters in comic books including I Am Batman, written by John Ridley, NAOMI Season Two, co-written by Brian Michael Bendis and David F. Walker, with art by Jamal Campbell, Nubia and the Amazons, by Stephanie Williams with art from Alitha Martinez, released today, February 1, plus Aquamen, by Chuck Brown, Brandon Thomas, Sami, Basri and Adriano Lucas debuting February 22nd. Green Lantern, by Geoffrey Thorne, Tom Raney, and Marco Santucci, and Suicide Squad (featuring Amanda Waller) by Robbie Thompson and Eduardo Pansica are also all available at participating comic book stores and digital platforms.

DC released a new Young Adult Graphic Novel as well as Collected Editions including Milestone Compendium One, REPRESENT! on sale today and later this month Batwing: Luke Fox on sale February 15th.  Other titles featuring Black Super Heroes include The Other History of the DC Universe by John Ridley, Andrea Cucchi and Giuseppe Camuncoli; Green Lantern John Stewart: A Celebration of 50 Years, Mister Miracle: The Great Escape by Varian Johnson and Daniel Isles; and Nubia: Real One by L.L. McKinney and Robyn Smith, all available at participating comic book stores and digital platforms.

DC UNIVERSE INFINITE Digital Subscription Platform will feature a free selection of curated titles spotlighting Black DC Super Heroes. For more information and a free trial, fans can check out the website at www.dcuniverseinfinite.com.

The DC Shop today revealed designs featuring DC Super Hero and flagship Milestone character Virgil Hawkins, aka Static. Virgil takes front and centre on a collection of items, including tees, hoodies and sporting goods highlighting his electromagnetic powers. Also available exclusively on the DC Shop is a brand new skate deck featuring Static, retailing for US $99.

Additional merchandise coming to the DC Shop this month features the all-new DC Black History Month logo and key art by artist Alitha Martinez and the return of the popular Juneteenth key art by Milestone co-founder Denys Cowan.

Fans can delve into the history and enduring influence of Black characters and creators this month and throughout the year at https://shop.dccomics.com/en-US/collections/black-history-month.

Merchantwise Licensing secures Oodies for emoji – The Iconic Brand

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Merchantwise Licensing has secured a Valentine’s Day partnership with The Davie Group’s Oodies for emoji – The Iconic Brand.

As the Australian licensing agent for emoji – The Iconic Brand, Merchantwise Licensing has brought together the two much-loved brands for a special Valentine’s Day collection for adults.

Featuring the eggplant emoji brand icon for the men’s Oodie design and the peach emoji brand icon for the female Oodie, the cheeky and playful range launches this month in time for Valentine’s Day. Each product can be found via the official Oodie website www.theoodie.com and will be available for sale across the Australia/New Zealand, European and UK regions.

To complement the emoji – The Iconic Brand X Oodies offering, the deal also sees The Davie Group launching a cheeky range of emoji brand socks and underwear in the coming months.

“The Davie Group is very excited to be partnered with the global icon that is emoji – The Iconic Brand.  We have some fantastic product in development and look forward to sharing it with the world throughout 2022,” says The Davie Group Founder, David Fogarty.

“We are pleased to have partnered the much-loved emoji brand with The Davie Group’s Oodies for this playful Valentine’s range. emoji – The Iconic Brand continues to be a very popular brand here in Australia and New Zealand as well as around the world so we anticipate this collaboration will be a resounding success,” adds Kerryn McCormack, Merchantwise Licensing’s General Manager, Licensing.

Marco Huesges, CEO and Founder of the emoji company, comments: “We can’t wait to see the eggplant and peach emoji brand icons come to life on Oodies for Valentine’s Day. We are thrilled to be partnering with The Davie Group for this fun collection and look forward to the roll-out of some great emoji branded underwear and socks for the family.”

PLAYMOBIL targets anime fans with NARUTO figures

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Just in time for the 20th anniversary of NARUTO SHIPPUDEN, PLAYMOBIL is releasing new figures from the cult anime series.

Based on the manga comic of the same name, the NARUTO SHIPPUDEN anime series follows the adventures of the ninja Naruto. In time for the show’s special birthday later this year, 24 characters from the hit series will be made available in Playmobil form.

Figures will include the series’ hero, Naruto Uzumaki, whose greatest goal is to become Hokage – the leader of his village – as well as his friends Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno. In addition to the three main characters, there are 21 other figures to discover, including the inscrutable Itachi Uchiha and Pain, the leader of the criminal organisation Akatsuki, plus Minato, Naruto’s father, and the shy Hinata.

A must-have for fans and collectors aged 5–99, the NARUTO meets PLAYMOBIL collection launches on 30 September 2022.

 

Gambling tech company Playtech teams with The Jockey Club

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Playtech, the world’s leading gambling technology company, today announces a new five-year partnership with The Jockey Club, the largest commercial group in British Horseracing.

The exclusive agreement will see Playtech develop a range of cross-product content based on the famous races and racecourses operated by The Jockey Club. The deal was brokered by Creation i-Gaming and Metrostar.

Under the new agreement, Playtech will have rights to develop a range of content across its best-performing product verticals including Casino, Live Casino, Poker, Virtual Sports and Bingo. The first content from this partnership will be launched in time for this year’s Cheltenham Festival, including a RNG casino game that will be the latest addition to Playtech’s Sporting Legends suite.

The Jockey Club, founded in 1750, is the largest commercial group in Britain’s second-biggest spectator sport, operating 15 racecourses nationwide, The National Stud, Jockey Club Estates, Jockey Club Catering, Jockey Club Live, Jockey Club Services and its charity, Racing Welfare.

Alongside its industry leading products and services, Playtech has worked with its licensees to become synonymous with efforts to raise industry standards in responsible business and safer gambling. By partnering and working with the leading operators and suppliers in the industry Playtech led efforts to develop the industry’s first code of conduct on safer game design. Moreover, through Playtech Protect, Playtech has pioneered the use of research, data and artificial intelligence to develop products to identify at-risk customers and deliver tailored safer gambling interventions.

James Frendo, Casino Director at Playtech, says: “At Playtech, we are committed to developing the most engaging branded content. By partnering with an iconic sporting institution such as The Jockey Club, we are able to create a full range of exceptional and exciting cross-product content. Partnering with globally recognised brands is a key pillar of our branded content strategy as we look to deliver a unique and engaging responsible gambling experience to our customers.”

Charlie Boss, Chief Commercial Officer at The Jockey Club, adds: “We are delighted to partner with Playtech, whose industry leading software and expertise will help translate the success of our historic brands into the iGaming market for the first time. Playtech also share our values on putting safer gambling at the heart of their products.”

Lisle Licensing inks Sebnini deal for Style Sisters

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Lisle Licensing has announced that Sebnini Trading, one of the UK’s leading experts in candles and home fragrance, will be the home-fragrance partner for aspirational lifestyle duo Style Sisters.

The luxury candle and diffuser specialists, who have more than 30 years of experience in developing bespoke candles and diffusers for the private label industry, are a perfect partner for the Style Sisters, who have created a brand followed by thousands, all keen to aspire to their expertise in home styling and eye for beautiful, yet functional, lifestyle products.

Sebnini will work with the Style Sisters – Gemma Lilly and Charlotte Reddington – to curate a range of candles, reed diffusers and room sprays that are synonymous with the design duo’s brand and vision. As discussed frequently by Gemma and Charlotte in their social media postings, Style Sisters believe that “Scents change everything in a room, whether it be a candle for the living room or bathroom or an everyday diffuser that draws attention to the room when you walk in.”

The range will focus on creating beautifully crafted sustainable vessels that are a joy to open, use and also gift.

Commenting on the appointment of Sebnini as Style Sisters’ candles and home fragrance partner, Deborah Haigh, Commercial and Retail Manager at Lisle Licensing says: “Both experts in their field, we are delighted by the Style Sisters and Sebnini partnership. Sebnini’s wealth of knowledge and experience shines through, and this makes them perfectly placed to create a range that’s so close to the girls’ hearts.”

Sebastian Schyberg, Sales Manager at Sebnini Trading, adds: “Sebnini is incredibly excited to work with the Style Sisters to create an innovative range of home scents that embodies the carefully curated brand that Gemma and Charlotte have worked hard to create. Gemma and Charlotte are great collaborators and their vision for the range is something Sebnini feels privileged to be able to bring to the market. We hope those who follow the Style Sisters fall in love with this range as much as we have.”

In the past 12 months since appointing Lisle Licensing, the duo have continued to grow their brand with high-profile celebrity home transformations, appointed Hunter Price for storage and organisation solutions, and attended Brand Licensing Europe in November for a Q&A session followed by a book signing of their coffee table title Helping You Live an Organised and Stylish Life.

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.

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.

 

Hunter teams with TV’s Killing Eve for capsule collection

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Launching in February 2022, Hunter is introducing a new capsule collection in collaboration with BBC AMERICA’s and Sid Gentle Films’ BAFTA, Emmy and Golden Globe-winning television series Killing Eve, in a partnership facilitated by IMG.

The limited-edition capsule is inspired by the spirit of the show and its iconic style moments, and features two new designs for the brand. The Hunting is a mid-calf style boot available in Black and Olive and The Chasing is a knee-high style, available in Black, Olive and Camel colourways.

According to Hunter, the new designs aim to marry style with functionality and have been crafted to embrace the outdoors and exploration of the unknown – “reinterpreting the tough, daring and bold themes of the show to create something that could be worn in its cinematic world”.

Protection, innovation and intricate details are at the heart of the capsule, with each design made from waterproof Stetson leather, light natural rubber and recycled ballistic nylon with a recycled vegan shearling lining. The shorter Hunting Boot has a leather foot with a nylon upper and features a removable ankle strap and pouch, perfectly sized for essential items. Both styles are finished with Hunter’s new chunky high-grip sole made from FSC-certified rubber.

The collection will launch exclusively with SSENSE and globally on Hunterboots.com in early February before being available with selected stores including Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, and Liberty.

Paolo Porta, Chief Executive Officer, Hunter Boots, says: “We are incredibly excited to be collaborating with the cultural phenomenon that is Killing Eve, marrying our utilitarian heritage with the award-winning television series renowned for its empowered fashion moments. These innovative boots, incorporating recycled materials, strongly express the fusion of function and style, for which all Hunter iconic products are known.”

 

Mattel and Disney announce multi-year global licensing agreement for Disney Princess and Frozen franchises

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Mattel has announced a multi-year global licensing agreement for the Disney Princess and Frozen franchises. Mattel will have the global licensing rights to develop lines of toys for Disney Consumer Products, Games and Publishing, including fashion dolls, small dolls, and figures. The collection is expected to launch at retailers around the globe at the beginning of 2023.

“We are incredibly proud to welcome back the Disney Princess and Frozen lines to Mattel,” says Richard Dickson, President and Chief Operating Officer, Mattel. “As the worldwide leader in dolls, we look forward to bringing our unique Mattel Playbook approach to brand management, product and marketing expertise, and unrelenting attention to detail and quality to create innovative and inspiring lines for these iconic stories and characters.”

The new licensing arrangement builds on the existing licensing relationship between Mattel and Disney for Pixar Animation Studio’s Toy Story and Cars franchises, and the recently announced global licensing agreement for Lightyear.

“The courage and compassion found throughout our Disney Princess and Frozen stories and characters continue to inspire fans around the globe,” says Stephanie Young, President of Disney Consumer Products, Games and Publishing. “By furthering our longstanding relationship with Mattel, we look forward to expanding the worlds of Disney Princess and Frozen, introducing an innovative new era of these beloved franchises through captivating products and play opportunities.”

Through the agreement, Mattel will develop dolls based on Disney Princess including Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, Brave, Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, Mulan, Pocahontas, The Princess and the Frog, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Tangled, Disney Frozen, The Little Mermaid Live Action, Moana D+ Series, Tiana D+ Series, Aladdin Live Action, Beauty & the Beast Live Action, Cinderella Live Action, and Mulan Live Action.