Metrostar to launch Kraft Heinz into the licensing arena at Festival of Licensing

Metrostar will be joining the line-up of virtual exhibitors at this year’s Festival of Licensing, where it will take to the screens to showcase its newest client, Kraft Heinz and make use of the platform for a hard launch of its brands into the world of licensing.

The two companies, along with the company’s global licensing agent, Brand Central, have been working with Kraft Heinz brand teams on strategies for each of the brands in the UK. As such, together they have identified their key priorities for the show.

Metrostar now reports that early conversations are going well, citing ‘high levels of interest’ amongst both retailer and licensees, and that the Festival of Licensing will ‘provide the ideal platform to introduce Kraft Heinz brands to the broader licensing industry.’

A variety of Heinz sub-brands are to be on show, including Tomato Ketchup, Baked Beans, Salad Cream, Cream of Tomato Soup, Spaghetti Hoops, as well as other brands in the company’s portfolio such as HP Sauce, Lea & Perrins, Amoy and Bull’s Eye.

Metrostar MD, Claire Potter, said: “Our workshops have generated some great new product ideas for these iconic brands. The opportunity to extend is significant and we’re looking forward to talking with potential partners in food and non-food about our thoughts. The Festival of Licensing couldn’t have come at a better time for us.”

Kraft Heinz marketing director, Northern Europe, Olivia Hibbert, added: “With unmatched strength in brands spanning across categories with over £800M in UK and Ireland sales, we are excited to take these iconic and much loved brands into new and exciting directions for the future.”

IMG renews representation agreement for French cinema icon Brigitte Bardot

IMG has renewed its exclusive representation agreement with Family Trademark to continue its work developing fashion collaborations for the icon of French new wave cinema, Brigitte Bardot.

The screen legend of ‘And God Created Woman,’ ‘The Contempt’ and other movies remains a style icon whose classic beauty and distinctive style continues to inspire generations of models and leading fashion designers. Throughout the 1960s and ’70s, the Bardot ‘look,’ including smoky cat-eye makeup, kitten heels and gingham capri pants, the off-the-shoulder top and bouffant hairstyle all established an unmistakably personal style that continues to influence fashion today.

Since 2015, IMG has been working with fashion labels to develop capsule collections and items that celebrate the Bardot legacy and the many fashion styles she made famous.

In January, IMG worked with designer Anine Bing following a personal letter by the latter to Bardot herself, describing the French icon as her “first inspiration” and “muse.” The resulting collection of three monochrome pieces depicting Terry O’Neill’s iconic images of Brigitte Bardot was worn by celebrities including Kate Bosworth and Poppy Delevingne and quickly sold out in Anine Bing stores around the world.

In addition to her film and fashion credentials, the rebellious star known as ‘B.B.’ is renowned for her lifelong advocacy for animals and the environment. This is reflected in various B.B. collaborations, including a new two-piece t-shirt collection featuring Terry O’Neil’s famous images with Massimo Dutti’s environmentally-friendly ‘Join Life’ label, launched in Massimo Dutti stores around the world and online this month.

This year has also seen the launch of a vegan, cruelty-free luxury haircare range with Brigitte Bardot’s signature citrus floral scent, available now from retailers including Urban Outfitters, Pretty Little Thing and Fenwick.

Additional recent collaborations have included collections with Mango, Joyrich, and Snidel, as well as a new range with Swedish high-end fashion brand Limitato which will arrive to stores later this year.

“Our work on the Brigitte Bardot brand with IMG bears witness to a mutual trust. Our aim is to pay homage to the fashion legacy of Brigitte Bardot with products that invoke the timeless glamour of her style and era with quality products that can be enjoyed by many and not only the ‘happy few,’” said Tanguy Toulemonde, CEO of Family Trademark.

Bruno Maglione, president of licensing, IMG, added: “Brigitte Bardot is a beauty and fashion icon without rival in terms of the continued relevance and aspirational appeal of her style.

“Bardot’s signature looks are so established that her name has become interchangeable with them. Our aim is to bring authentic images and storytelling to the many brands and designers who continue to be inspired by B.B. and her legacy.”

Emoji renews its partnership with Argentina’s Felfort to roll out more licensed chocolates across the region

The Emoji Company has renewed its partnership for the fourth year running with the Argentinian manufacturer, Felfort, the South American business that will continue to produce licensed chocolates, candies, cereals, and more for the global licensor.

Felfort and Emoji struck up their partnership in 2016 when the Argentina-based firm was tapped to develop and produce Emoji themed chocolate coins. Such was the success of the range across the region that the pair extended the line to include the more recent launch, Chocolate Jack.

“We could not choose a better association to continue building our brand in Argentina,” said Marco Heusges, CEO of The Emoji Company. “Emoji and Felfort provide excellent moments to all young people who love chocolate.”

The move comes as Argentina continues to battle through both the ongoing global Covid-19 emergency as well as its own current economic slow down. Despite this, Felfort continues to manufacture a wide variety of successful products, competing on equal footing with industries and imports from some of the world’s largest economies.

Forbidden Planet partners BBC Studios and Titan Merchandise on ‘most ambitious Doctor Who merch project ever’

Geek pop culture and hobby retailer, Forbidden Planet has partnered with BBC Studios and Titan Merchandise to launch an exclusive apparel and giftware range for Doctor Who: Time Lord Victorious, in what it has billed its ‘most ambitious Doctor Who merchandising project ever.’

Doctor Who: Time Lord Victorious is a multi-platform adventure that tells its one story across a range of books, magazines, audio, comics, vinyl, games, escape rooms, immersive theatre, figurines and t-shirts.

The first announced retailer special is a variant edition of Titan Comics’ Doctor Who: Time Lord Victorious #1. This exclusive design combines the Daleks and the iconic Forbidden Planet rocket logo and is available now via the Forbidden Planet website.

It is limited to just 500 copies and is part of the celebration for the 42nd anniversary of Forbidden Planet in 2020 – a milestone number with some significance to fans of British science-fiction and fantasy.

There is also an exclusive glow in the dark Brian the Ood t-shirt, featuring text written by James Goss. This narrative ties into the overall Time Lord Victorious story, offering fans the chance to learn who Brian really is, and how to hire him. Alongside this one of a kind t-shirt is further apparel featuring the Dalek Emperor, as well as Lee Binding’s Time Lord Victorious Iconic image.

Anthony Garnon, licensing and special projects manager at Forbidden Planet, said: “The most ambitious Doctor Who merchandising project ever, finds a home at Forbidden Planet. Fans are excited, and we’re delighted to offer them the entire range of releases in one easy to navigate home – the Time Lord Victorious microsite at ForbiddenPlanet.com. Thanks to James Goss and the team at BBC Studios for making this happen.”

ForbiddenPlanet.com will act as an official retailer, stocking all items and offering exciting first looks at merchandise. It will feature strictly limited edition comic books and merchandise specifically created for the retailer.

More exclusive reveals coming soon to ForbiddenPlanet.com, highlighting characters and concepts from across the Time Lord Victorious journey. 

For more information please visit: https://forbiddenplanet.com/promotion/doctor-who-time-lord-victorious/. 

Celebrate the 30th anniversary of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air with this limited edition capsule collection

It’s been 30 years since Will Smith first said to his homies, ‘smell ya later’ and rocked up as the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and to celebrate, the Fresh Prince clothing brand has unveiled a new limited edition capsule collection exclusively available at the newly-launched Fresh Prince online store.

The 30-piece unisex collection is known as the 30th Anniversary, and features an array of premium apparel and accessories, including jackets, t-shirts, sweatshirts, sweatpants, hats, masks, bags, and more, all of which are inspired by The Fresh Prince himself, Will Smith, along with his Grammy Award-winning music partner, DJ Jazzy Jeff.

The nostalgic capsule comes out exactly 30 years to the day that the pilot The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air first premiered on television on September 10, 1990. The inaugural episode (titled “The Fresh Prince Project”) focused on Smith’s character as he moved from the streets of West Philadelphia to Bel-Air, Los Angeles to live with his wealthy relatives.

The range is currently available at www.freshprincestore.com.

“Very rarely do television programs have such a significant cultural impact 30 years after its release, but to generate this type of excitement in 2020 is really a testament to the fans,” said DJ Jazzy Jeff. “This is really a celebration of a legacy and it’s incredible watching the series evolve into a fashion brand and influence an entirely new generation.”

The “30th Anniversary” collection pays homage to Smith’s Philadelphia roots and also pulls inspiration from his Bel-Air experience in the show, such as starring on the Bel-Air Academy basketball team. Each piece features patterns and prints inspired by the show and the fashion trends of the ’90s.

The Fresh Prince clothing brand and online store first launched in May 2020 with a 10+ piece unisex “Summertime” collection that was inspired by DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince’s 1991 smash hit “Summertime.” Both the brand and store launched in conjunction with a live virtual block party on the @FreshPrince Instagram account that featured live sets from several of the biggest DJs in the world, including Jazzy Jeff, D-Nice, Just Blaze and Clark Kent, among others.

The capsule launch also comes in the same week that Smith formally announced that NBCU’s Peacock had picked up two seasons of the dramatized reboot of “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” which is based on the viral video created by cinematographer Morgan Cooper.

Visit www.freshprincestore.com and follow @freshprince to stay up to date with all things Fresh Prince.

Industry trio forge new art, culture, and science focused business ARTiSTORY

Licensing industry specialists Dave Collins, Tamara Dixon, and Natasha Dyson have united their expertise and combined experience to launch the new licensing business venture ARTiSTORY, a new unit focused on developing content in the art, culture, and science sectors.

ARTiSTORY will aim to translate objects or artistic, cultural and scientific significance into usable assets for the consumers of today, doing so through its three key areas of business: IP asset development, IP licensing, and content development.

The founder trio are each experts in their respective fields and the new venture will see Collins take on the role of co-founder and commercial director, Dixon as co-founder and creative director, and Dyson as co-founder and licensing director.

By tapping into treasured collections at world’s top museums and heritage institutions, ARTiSTORY creates annually refreshed trends, themes and original design assets including illustrations, prints & patterns, which in turn, can be applied onto product and packaging design.  

ARTiSTORY licenses these design assets to consumer brands and retailers and assist them to introduce compelling products, engage shoppers via digital marketing and offer immersive shopping experiences. Each product comes with a unique story that consumer brands and retailers can attract more shoppers by leveraging the power of storytelling.  

“Storytelling is central to human existence. That it’s common to every known culture and research shows that messages delivered as stories can be up to 22 times more memorable than just facts. Storytelling is the future of marketing and there are no better ingredients than art and culture which transcend time and geographic barriers,” read a statement from the new business.    

“By working with ARTiSTORY, consumer brands, manufacturers and retailers will acquire new customers more effectively, both through their online and offline stores, turning shoppers into your loyal fans while providing them with unique shopping experience.”

The team at ARTiSTORY are pioneers in art and culture IP licensing with track records working with the Natural History Museum, British Museum, the MET, V&A and many world’s top retailers and consumer brands such as Uniqlo, Amazon, Max Factors and Nestle etc.  

“We are constantly looking to partner with new IP in the art, culture and science sector. We serve as a creative design studio, act as a joint licensor and roll out design led licensing programmes across Europe and North America,” said ARTiSTORY.  

ARTiSTORY will work from a design led studio in London and a sales office in Barcelona.

Contact: Natasha Dyson on natasha@artistorybrands.net +44 7855 858711.

www.artistroybrands.net

Moonpig launches largest on-boarding project in its history to support the creative industry

The online card, gifting, and flowers retailer, Moonpig, has launched its largest on-boarding programme in the company’s history in a move to help support the creative industry that found itself hit hard by the effects of the global pandemic.

The UK company has issued a call for established publishers, as well as any creative talent passionate about greeting cards and eager to develop different ranges for sale on the Moonpig website.

During the initial phase that will run until October, Moonpig will look to triple the number of publishers it works with, focusing on design led, humour and topical ranges to extend its existing 12,000-strong catalogue. The aim is to bolster the card offering with non-personalised and relevant (topical and trending) cards, while using this opportunity to make its range more representative, and continue to offer the best choice for its customers.

“The creative industry has been hit hard by the pandemic this year and we wanted to support young, talented people by offering them the opportunity to get their designs to market in a quick and effective way,” said Sarah-Jane Porter, head of cards at Moonpig.

“This is a brilliant chance for them to get their designs in front of millions of people and build a successful brand for themselves.”

The programme has already found success with a number of independent designers and established publishers signed up, including: Charly Clements, Dean Morris, Filthy Sentiments, JOLLY AWESOME, KitsCH Noir, Klara Hawkins, Lucy Maggie, Objectables, and more.

The team at Moonpig encourages anyone eager to cooperate to get in touch on hello@moonpig.com.

Polish streetwear brand PLNY LALA marks 70 years of Peanuts with new collection

WildBrain CPLG is marking the 70th anniversary of the Peanuts brand through a new partnership with the Polish streetwear brand, PLNY LALA. Brokered on behalf of Peanuts Worldwide, the deal will see the launch of a range of sweatshirts, t-shirts, dresses, tops, and socks all inspired by Snoopy and the Peanuts gang.

The collection has been launched in anticipation of October 2, the official 70th anniversary of the date that Charles M. Schulz first introduced the world to the Peanuts characters when the comic strip made its debut in seven American newspapers. Since then, Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the Peanuts gang have gone on to leave an indelible mark on pop culture.

The new PLNY LALA range is part of a global campaign with licensors that will be rolling out from Peanuts Worldwide this autumn.

Tara Botwick, senior director, international territory management, EMEA at Peanuts Worldwide, said: “With a focus on empowering its customer base and taking a fresh, playful approach to its influential collections, we knew that PLNY LALA would be an ideal fashion partner as well as a tentpole licensee as we look to ramp up a wide programme for Peanuts worldwide and across the CEE territories specifically. It’s an exciting collaboration that we feel sets the tone for our ambitions in the region and globally.”

Elisa Minetti, creative director and designer at PLNY LALA, added: “I’m excited to be teaming up with WildBrain CPLG again and this time working with Snoopy and the Peanuts squad. Our collaboration emphasises the global trends that PLNY LALA is at the forefront of in the local Polish market.

“My creative process for the range has involved combining iconic Peanuts cartoon artwork, with streetwear for women who carry an inner girl flame, which has resulted in a collection that is ideal for a feisty LALA girl. This autumn, Peanuts celebrates its 70th anniversary of the first comic strip’s debut. Let’s continue this inspiring journey together.”

Now available to purchase exclusively in PLNY LALA’s stores and online at www.plnylala.pl, the launch is being supported by in-store POS, a dedicated website landing page, social media and influencer product seeding, a look book, and a pop-up store in Warsaw. Items in the collection are priced between 39.00 – 599.00 PLN and are offered in a range of sizes.

The new partnership bolsters existing Peanuts fashion offerings secured by WildBrain CPLG in Central and Eastern Europe, which include: Polish retailer Smyk for a DTR range which is now launching; LPP for teen and adult collections available at Reserved, Reserved Kids, House, Sinsay and Sinsay Kids; and a range from E Plus M which is being focused towards teens and adults.

Beyond fashion, Carbotex will soon launch its first range of Peanuts homewares, and ERT launched a range of mobile accessories earlier this year.

K-Swiss forges alliance with Magic: The Gathering for re-imagined Gstaad ’86

The American heritage tennis brand, K-Swiss, has forged a new alliance with the collectable and digital collectable card game, Magic: The Gathering. Inspired by the iconic strategy card game, the Magic: The Gathering x K-Swiss collaboration now introduces a complete re-imagination of the Gstaad ’86.

The new partnership sees K-Swiss tap into Magic: The Gathering’s more than 25 years of card character heritage and brings to life one of the most beloved characters, Jace Beleren. The Planeswalker is one of the most powerful beings in the multiverse – with a well-known costume design that sets the tone for the updated K-Swiss Gstaad ’86.

The sneakers are crafted with premium leather overlays and underlays that are accented by glow-in-the-dark elements. The leather collar lining, printed designs, rubber outsole and extra laces are all inspired by Jace’s power and costume. Metal lace clip-ons modeled after Jace’s character design and a debossed Magic: The Gathering logo at the tongue and a sublimated sockliner of Jace’s artwork complete the magical reinvention of this classic K-Swiss style.

The new sneakers are packaged with a special-edition box and tissue paper.

The Magic: The Gathering x K-Swiss Gstaad ’86 are available now. The special-edition launch is limited to just 300 pairs and will be available exclusively Hasbro Pulse retailing at $100.

State Bicycle Co goes inter-dimensional with Rick and Morty in new bike and accessories collection

Cycling specialists, State Bicycle Co has detailed a new partnership with Warner Bros. for the launch of a range of its Adult Swim animated comedy Rick and Morty styled bicycles and accessories.

Under the partnership, State Bicycle Co has launched a line of limited edition Rick and Morty themed premium bikes, parts, and clothing all featuring the iconic characters from the animated series. The officially licensed collaboration brings in elements of the hit show on Adult Swim.

The primary graphic design of the State Bicycle Co. x Rick and Morty series pays homage to the inter-dimensional Portals of the show, with an all-over graphic on the Core Line bike, and a Portal Graphic treatment for logos on the high-performance 6061 Black Label bike and frameset.

Handlebar tape, foot straps and a cycling kit (jersey and bib shorts) also feature the Portal Graphic, while the other jersey in the collection showcases a collection of the strange beings Rick and Morty encounter on their travels through space-time.

“We could not be more excited to partner with Rick and Morty. The TV show has been one of the most exciting and daring of the last decade and we feel the opportunity to mix cycling and their favorite pop culture characters will be an awesome opportunity for self-expression for our customers,” said State Bicycle’s co-founder, Mehdi Farsi.

This limited-edition collection is available starting September 1, exclusively through Statebicycle.com