This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
New Blog Posted:
9th October

Category Archives: Media & PR

Winners announced for British Animation Awards

Posted on by

The winners have been announced for the British Animation Awards 2022 at a ceremony held last night at London’s BFI Southbank, presented by comedian Miles Jupp and sponsored by Hanna Barbera Studios Europe. 

Now in their 26th year, the British Animation Awards (BAAs) attract the great and the good from one of the nation’s most successful creative industries to this biennial celebration of their craft.

Gathering momentum ahead of the Academy Awards later this month, Britain’s two Oscar-nominated short films Affairs of the Art and Robin Robin were triumphant in their categories, with Affairs of the Art picking up three awards: Best Short Film, Writers Award and Best Voice Performance (for 86-year-old Little Britain star Menna Trussler as ‘Beryl’).

Created by film-making partners Joanna Quinn and Les Mills, Affairs of the Art continues the story of larger-than-life Welsh housewife Beryl who has artistic ambitions on a grand scale. Meanwhile Robin Robin, Aardman Animations’ Netflix Original film about an optimistic robin raised by a family of mice, won the award for Best Original Music for its score written by The Bookshop Band (Ben Please and Beth Porter).

London-based animation studio Magic Light Pictures was successful in two categories, with BBC One Christmas special Zog and the Flying Doctors winning for Best Use of Sound and Milkshake! and Sky Kids series Pip and Posy picking up the award for Best Children’s Pre-School.  Meanwhile, the Best Children’s category was won by Fourth Wall’s feline-focused series Milo, also shown on Channel 5’s Milkshake!

One of the closest-fought categories of the night was the prestigious Best Long Form category, which saw victory for Locksmith Animation’s debut feature Ron’s Gone Wrong. Directed by Jean-Phillipe Vine, Sarah Smith and Octavio E Rodriguez, the film tells the story of a socially awkward middle-schooler who befriends a defective robot.

Best Animation in a Commercial category was won by Airwick for its Breath of Nature campaign, directed by Peter Szewczyk of Nerd Productions, while animator Ged Haney took home the Best Music Video Award for Rocket Freudental’s ‘Der Stuhlkreis’.

 A hard-hitting film featuring the voices of some of Hollywood’s hottest stars picked up the award for Best Factual award. Save Ralph, an animated short film about the cruelty of testing on animals, produced for the Humane Society International, was written and directed by Spencer Susser and features the voices of Taika Waititi, Ricky Gervais, Zac Efron and Oliver Munn.

Meanwhile, the Social Good category was won by Typically, a film aiming to remove the taboo surrounding periods, produced for period poverty charity Bloody Good Period and directed by Anna Ginsburg and Caitlin McCarthy.

In two of the new categories for 2022, the Best Immersive Animation award was picked up by Grant Berry and Dane Winn’s The Beast, while the Wildcard category was won by Osbert Parker’s Timeline.

Continuing to challenge the status quo, the Cutting-Edge award was won by Jamie Jay Johnson and Asa Movshovitz’s E4 series about a role-playing fantasy game, Dead Pixels. And this year’s Design Award was won by Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey, a Netflix Original directed by Ian Spendloff, with VFX by Lucy Hare.

Some of the leading British animation courses were represented in the Best Undergraduate and Best Postgraduate Student film categories, including nominees from Falmouth University School of Film and Television, University of Creative Arts in Farnham, Arts University Bournemouth, Royal College of Arts London and National Film & Television School. The winners were Renee Zahn’s (NFTS) O Black Hotel! for Best Postgraduate Student Film and Miles Jezuita’s (Arts University Bournemouth) Suburb for Best Undergraduate Student Film.

Introduced in 2020, The Lamb Award bridges the gap between current categories which recognise student achievements and general best-in-class awards, and is open to any young professionals working in the animation and VFX industry. The winner of the 2022 Lamb Award is Production Coordinator Hodan Abdi, who was nominated by Illuminated Films.

Three awards on the night were decided by members of the public, voting for their favourites in a special online poll.  The winners of these audience awards were:  Tony Comley’s Time to Recover for Best Music Video, Uri Lotan’s Black Slide for Best Short Film and Sky Kids’ hit children’s series The Brilliant World of Tom Gates for the Children’s Choice Award.

The awards themselves (the BAAs) are unique artworks, featuring sheep, created especially for the occasion by a range of leading international and UK animation artists. This year’s awards include designs by author/illustrators Liz Pichon and Rachel Bright and legendary film-maker Terry Gilliam.

BAA Director Helen Brunsdon and Producer Kieran Argo said: “We have been amazed at the quality of the entrants for this year’s British Animation Awards and would like to offer our heartfelt congratulations to all the winners and nominees.  After a particularly tough couple of years animation continues to be one of the most productive and creative industries in the UK”.

The BAAs are the only awards to recognise all forms of animation and reward the work of both new and established animators across all aspects of the UK Animation scene, from student work to commercials, children’s entertainment, short and experiential films, music videos and new technologies.

 

Brand & Licensing Innovation Summit agenda revealed

Posted on by

The agenda for the 2022 European Brand & Licensing Innovation Summit (B&LIS) is now live, featuring interactive panel discussions and workshops to help delegates evaluate, shape and maximise opportunities around the future brand licensing and retail landscape.

B&LIS returns on 21 June after debuting virtually last year and takes place the day before SiLC (Sustainability in Licensing Conference) to create a brand new two-day event for European industry leaders and decision makers held at the Royal Geographical Society in West London.

Tickets are available to buy now with special rates available for two-day in-person passes for B&LIS and SiLC, with additional discounts for Licensing International and Products of Change members.

Tackling trends including consumer spending, Web 3.0, NFTs and the Metaverse, the role of purpose, and addressing challenges with the licensing supply chain as a whole, the B&LIS sessions will spotlight how brands can create successful post-pandemic retail and licensing strategies with the first few speakers confirmed from KidsKnowBest, Hunter Price, Asda, TrendBible, The Point 1888, The Smiley Company and Products of Change.

The sessions will run from 0930 – 1730 on 21 June, followed by a drinks reception in the evening. The current programme is as follows: 

08:00     Registration Opens

09:20     Introduction from Global Licensing Group

09:30     Evaluating the Modern Brand Landscape

Start the day by setting the scene on some of the key trends coming through in licensing. License Global, alongside other knowledge partners, will unveil exclusive insights into their new and reimagined Top 150 Licensors report, the only research of its kind focused on global licensing brands and trends that will be released later in the summer.

10:10     Leaders Panel: Building a Post-Pandemic Retail & Licensing Strategy

A panel of industry leaders will air their expectations, hopes and fears for a post-Covid future as it relates to retail, whilst giving an insight into the long-term opportunities for licensing and where they will be placing their bets for the coming years. This session will address:

–             Which trends have been accelerated by the pandemic?

–             How do you stay competitive and remain ahead of trends?

–             What new opportunities are emerging for the licensing industry?

10:50     Following the Money: How The New Age of Consumers Spends

The panel will focus their discussion on Gen Z and millennials; where you can find them, what they want, and provide an understanding on how they engage with brands in new and more meaningful ways. Find out how to tap into platforms such as TikTok, YouTube and Snapchat, how to choose the right influencer for your brand, and enjoy practical examples from others who have done this successfully.

11:45     Everything You Need to Know About Web 3.0

This dynamic session will explore some of the hottest topics in our industry right now and provide you with answers to some of the questions you need answered:

–             NFT, Metaverse, IoT, AR, VR… 101 explanations of what you need to know

–             Why should I care about Web 3.0 and is it here to stay?

–             What are the challenges and opportunities behind these concepts?

–             What new licensing categories will emerge?

12.45     Networking over lunch

13:45     Think Tank: Can the Licensing Process be Rebuilt?

From supply chain challenges to the need for faster speed to market, does the licensing process need to be reviewed? Have your say and submit answers that will influence our panel of speakers as they debate some of the key pain-points in the licensing journey.

This session will include a constructive debate with a cross-industry panel who, alongside the audience, will aim to drive actionable outcomes on improvements that can be carried forwards towards getting meaningful products to consumers at the right time.

14:30     Forecasting the Future of Retail through Consumer Trends

Join this discussion on emerging and future consumer behaviours and understand how they influence the retail space. This session will be structured in two parts:

–             Consumer behaviours post-pandemic: from new lifestyle choices to shopping habits, understand which new categories are emerging and how consumers are spending.

–             Retail strategies post-pandemic: how are these changes impacting retail? From new products categories to creating more meaningful experiences in stores, find out how retailers are tackling some of these trends and what they can mean for your brand.

15:45     Category Breakout Sessions

To provide additional depth around emerging categories, join our interactive roundtables as they spotlight them in more detail. Hear a case study and take part in a Q&A discussion with a choice from three categories.

16:30     The Good Fight: How Purpose Breeds Success

What is purpose and why is it important to businesses and customers? What differences can it make? Our panel of industry change makers will debate how leading with purpose can create a competitive advantage for licensors, retailers and licensees alike. Understand what role the licensing industry has to play and most importantly, what opportunities this can create.

17:30     Closing Remarks

17:30     Evening Drinks Reception

Brand, retail, consumer trend and licensing experts who would like to take part as a panellist are invited to contact Ella Haynes at ella.haynes@informa.com ASAP.

“As the industry continues to navigate the ever-changing content landscape and consumer behaviour, the Brand & Licensing Innovation Summit is a critical opportunity to connect with business leaders to discuss, share and learn from one another,” says Anna Knight, VP Licensing, Informa Markets.

“B&LIS will deliver a full schedule filled with practical, action-oriented sessions to help give delegates’ businesses the tools they needs to make the most of new licensing opportunities and maximise impact at retail.”

B&LIS one day tickets are priced at £275 and can be purchased from Brand & Licensing Innovation Summit Europe.  SiLC tickets one-day tickets are priced at £275 and can be purchased from Sustainability in Licensing Conference. POC and Licensing International members can enjoy a 20% discount on these rates (non-cumulative). Alternatively, two-day tickets can be purchased from either site for the discounted rate of £525.

To find out about sponsorship opportunities at the B&LIS Europe 2022 event, fill out this short form.

McDonalds teams with charities to give away over 500K books this World Book Day

Posted on by

Research shows one in eight families do not own a book and as the UK’s largest distributor of free books, this World Book Day (3 March) McDonald’s is working to correct that. The restaurant company is teaming up with footballers, football clubs, community hubs and charities to get as many books as possible into the hands of families.

This includes partnering with The Raheem Sterling Foundation to donate 1,500 books to his Foundation centres in Manchester and London. McDonald’s is also teaming up with the Premier League Primary Stars campaign and BBC Children in Need to ensure groups, refuges, and community centres all over the UK can provide some of the hardest to reach families access to the joy of reading this World Book Day.

Visitors to the centres will be able to choose between Mr Silly: My Book About Me or There’s A Wolf In My Book by Tom Fletcher, which can also be collected exclusively in store at McDonald’s restaurants.

Clive Ellington, Chair of The Raheem Sterling Foundation says: “Through our work at the Foundation we want to give families resources they may not otherwise have access to, and reading is an important place to start.

“Reading and access to reading for enjoyment is so important, and we have great links to young people in Brent and Manchester to help distribute the books to families within these communities. This is a wonderful initiative to kick-start a promising partnership between McDonald’s and the Raheem Sterling Foundation.”

Louise Page, Head of Brand Communications and Partnerships at McDonalds, says: “Throughout the course of World Book Day, our restaurants and community partners will give out over half a million free books to families. We are so proud to partner with so many fantastic organisations to help distribute books to families across the UK.

“Story time is such an integral part of childhood and as children all over the country celebrate World Book Day in schools and nurseries, we want to ensure as many of them as possible have books at home to enjoy beyond today.”

McDonald’s is continuing its ongoing commitment to children’s literacy this year, by giving families and communities across the UK and Ireland access to more free books than ever. This marks the fourth year that McDonald’s has partnered with World Book Day, and the tenth anniversary of the Happy Readers scheme, which has seen over 110 million books given away in the UK.

This year, three is the magic number with up to three free books up for grabs. Families can choose between Mr Silly: My Book About Me, or There’s A Wolf In My Book by Tom Fletcher as well as receiving a free book with every Happy Meal thanks to the existing Book or Toy promotion – meaning families can walk out of restaurants with two books in hand to explore straight away. Plus, there will be a £1 token on every Happy Meal box (from 2–15 March), to help children continue their reading journey beyond World Book Day.

Reading for pleasure is the biggest indicator of a child’s future success – more than their family circumstances, their parents’ educational background or their income. However, it is in decline and at its lowest level since 2005. McDonald’s is on a mission to change this and help bring books to children who need them the most.

The Raheem Sterling Foundation looks to improve social mobility, further education, and empowerment in young people who may face challenges to reach their full potential, with a focus on seven key areas: education, employment, enterprise, creativity, personal development, accountability, and social mobility.

McDonald’s will also be donating thousands of books to 71 football clubs across the country so that wider communities can have invaluable, free access to reading resources. The books will be donated by Club Community Organisations to local schools as part of the Premier League Primary Stars campaign – a national curriculum-linked education programme that works with Premier League and professional football clubs to inspire children to learn, be active and develop important life skills.

WiT announces 2022 Wonder Women Awards winners

Posted on by

Women in Toys, Licensing & Entertainment (WiT) has announced the 2022 Wonder Women Award winners, as the global organisation celebrates its 30-year anniversary. Honouring the brightest women in toys, licensing and entertainment, the WiT Wonder Women Awards is an annual celebration of the industry’s remakable thought leaders, entrepreneurs and changemakers.

The 2022 Wonder Women Award winners are:

  • Designer / Inventor – Kenna O’Brien, Senior Manager, Product Design – Barbie – Mattel

  • Licensee / Manufacturer – Amanda Bright, Senior Director, Product Development – Spin Master

  • Licensor / Entertainment – Jes Wolfe, CEO – Rebel Girls

  • Marketing / PR – Arlene Biran, SVP, US Marketing – Spin Master

  • Social Good – Sarah Knott, Manager, Global Philanthropy and Social Impact – Hasbro

  • Covid Hero – The LEGO Group

  • Deal Maker – Paula Kupfer, Senior Director, Global Partnerships – Hasbro

  • Storyteller – Azhelle Wade, CEO – The Toy Coach

  • Unsung Hero – Maggie Snow, Senior Director & Associate General Counsel – Mattel

  • Wonder Girl – Alaya High, Artist (That Girl Lay Lay) – Paramount

  • Rising Star – Deal Maker – Brittany Oliver, Senior Commercial Lead – ZURU Toys

  • Rising Star – Designer/Inventor – Vanessa Fung, Senior Designer, Toys & Hardlines – Universal Brand Development

  • Rising Star – Licensee / Manufacturer – Dr. Lisa Williams, CEO & Founder – The World of EPI

  • Rising Star – Licensor / Entertainment – Tiffany Suzuki, Licensing Manager – Crunchyroll

  • Rising Star – Marketing / PR – Sakita Withers, Brand Manager – PlayMonster

  • Rising Star – Social Good – Penny Bauder, Founder & CEO – Green Kid Crafts

  • Rising Star – Storyteller – Rupa Parekh, Founder & CEO – Umani Studio

  • Rising Star – Unsung Hero – Amanda Marschall, Training Manager – The LEGO Group

The 2022 Wonder Women Award honorees are:

  • Retailer of the Year – Amazon / Anne Carrihill – Amazon

  • Icon Award – JoJo Siwa – Paramount

  • Changemaker Award – Steven Wolfe Periera – Encantos

“It’s a privilege and an honour to celebrate this incredible slate of 2022 Wonder Women Award winners and honorees,” says Janice Ross, WiT President. “This year’s expanded categories gave us the opportunity to spotlight the broad range of tremendously talented women in our industry, and the powerful impact they’re having. Out of hundreds of deserving nominees, this amazing group embodies such extraordinary excellence in leadership.”

WiT is also planning a special International Women’s Day Celebration Event on 8 March to celebrate the achievements of all women in the industry, and highlighting WiT’s 2022 Wonder Women Award winners and honorees.

The WiT 2022 Retailer of the Year Award was presented to Amazon, accepted by Anne Carrihill, Director, Toys & Entertainment, for the positive impact Amazon has had on the toy industry and everyone’s lives. A WiT spokesperson said: “Amazon kept the world connected with safe, crucial deliveries of toys and goods for its massive customer base during this unprecedented time, and their myriad strategic programmes – including Amazon Smile, which offers customers a way to support their favourite charitable organisation, at no additional cost, when they shop at Smile.Amazon.com; Amazon Small Business Academy, and Amazon Black Business Accelerators – have empowered entrepreneurs, businesses and organisations with tangible resources, which have been a lifeline to countless companies and individuals.”

WiT also presented an Icon Award to JoJo Siwa, the powerhouse Nickelodeon star, pop star, social media sensation, author and consumer products global brand. “She is an activist, role model, and overall trailblazer in every way,” said a spokesperson. “She now also adds powerhouse LGBTQ+ icon for kids and adults of all ages who she has inspired throughout her journey and meteoric career.”

WiT presented its 2022 Changemaker Award to Steven Wolfe Pereira, for his purpose-driven and transformative leadership in diversity and inclusion. A spokesperson said: “Through his intentional actions using both his personal social influence and the work he leads as CEO of Encantos, the public benefit corporation he co-founded, Steven is a visionary business leader committed to allyship, advocacy and activism to create opportunities for under-served communities.”

WiT thanks its 2022 sponsors, including Amazon, Hasbro, Mattel, Paramount, Disney, Spin Master, LEGO, Jazwares, The Bandai Foundation, VTech, Warner Bros, TOMY, and the many partners who provide funding and support for WiT’s year-round programming, events and initiatives, including The WiT Foundation Scholarship Program.

Rubies teams with Novel Entertainment for Horrid Henry World Book Day campaign

Posted on by

Costume designer and manufacturer Rubies Masquerade UK and Novel Entertainment have come together to support an exclusive Horrid Henry giveaway and Rubies dress-up costume for the brand.

Launching during the week of World Book Day (3 March), for which Rubies is an official corporate partner, the initiative will see an exclusive offer for 250 fans to receive a free copy of a specially created comic-style book entitled Horrid Henry’s Vile Vacation when they purchase a Horrid Henry dress-up costume through one of Rubies official retail partners. The offer will be supported on both Rubies and Novel Entertainment’s Horrid Henry official social media channels.

The book is based on the popular TV episode of the same name, written by Novel Entertainment’s Co-Founder and Creative Director Lucinda Whiteley, and follows Henry on the trip of a lifetime – even though it isn’t quite what he was expecting.

Under Novel Entertainment’s long-term deal with Rubies, the Horrid Henry costume is available in children’s sizes, while there is also ‘Bag of Tricks’ available, featuring essentials for every budding prankster and Horrid Henry fan.

Novel’s Lucinda Whiteley says: “As a long-standing and valued partner of Horrid Henry, it’s fantastic to be teaming up with Rubies on this campaign to support the launch of our first ever comic-style book alongside the latest brilliant costume. At Novel Entertainment, we’re committed to highlighting the joy of reading among Horrid Henry’s strong and growing fan base and this is just the start of our plans in this space. We can’t wait to see children have the chance to dress up and immerse themselves in the world of Horrid Henry’s Vile Vacation.”

Mike O’Connell, Managing Director of Rubies UK, adds: “This is a fantastic opportunity to promote the power of reading to children. With our exclusive offer, we know this will not only be a way to generate unprecedented interest in our Horrid Henry costumes and the new story, Vile Vacation, but to also inspire children to read, which provides untold and limitless benefits. We are proud of our robust relationship with Novel Entertainment and Horrid Henry, which is showcased through the unique opportunities we have to collaborate with them.”

Licensed toys win big at the 2022 Toy of the Year Awards

Posted on by

The Toy Foundation has unveiled the winners of its 22nd annual Toy of the Year Awards (TOTY)
during a virtual event attended by play professionals and toy fans from around the world.

The awards ceremony included the induction of four industry trailblazers into the Toy Industry Hall of Fame, as well
as a spotlight on The Toy Foundation’s charitable initiatives. One hundred percent of the award programme’s proceeds
support the work of The Toy Foundation, which funds children’s hospitals in disadvantaged communities, provides
grant relief to non-profits assisting families impacted by COVID-19, and supports vital diversity, equity and inclusion
initiatives in the toy industry.

During the TOTY ceremony, Squishmallows from Jazwares took home the coveted “Toy of the Year” award, as well
as the “People’s Choice” award and “Plush Toy of the Year.”

TOTY awards were handed out in 16 categories and given to the following:

Action Figure of the Year – Masters of the Universe: Masterverse (Mattel)

Collectible of the Year – LEGO Minifigures MARVEL Studios (The LEGO Group)

Construction Toy of the Year – LEGO Marvel Spider-Man Daily Bugle (The LEGO Group)

Creative Toy of the Year – Magic Mixies Magic Cauldron (Moose Toys)

Doll of the Year – Ada Twist, Scientist Lab Doll (Just Play)

Game of the Year – A Game of Cat and Mouth (Exploding Kittens)

Grown-Up Toy of the Year – LEGO Botanical Collection Flower Bouquet (The LEGO Group)

Infant/Toddler Toy of the Year – Fisher-Price 4-in-1 Ultimate Learning Bot (Mattel)

License of the Year – Pokémon (The Pokémon Company International)

Outdoor Toy of the Year – ZURU Crazy Bunch O Balloons (ZURU)

Playset of the Year – LEGO Star Wars Boba Fett’s Starship (The LEGO Group)

Plush Toy of the Year – Squishmallows (Jazwares)

Preschool Toy of the Year – LEGO Disney Ariel, Belle, Cinderella and Tiana’s Storybook Adventures (The LEGO Group)

Specialty Toy of the Year – LEGO Everyone is Awesome (The LEGO Group)

STEAM Toy of the Year – LEGO CREATOR 3-in-1 Ferris Wheel (The LEGO Group)

Vehicle of the Year – PLAYMOBIL Volkswagen T1 Camping Bus (PLAYMOBIL)

“We are thrilled to unveil this year’s much-anticipated TOTY winners, all of which are outstanding examples
of the toy community’s talent in designing innovative, magical, and creative playthings for kids and adults alike,”
said Pamela Mastrota, executive director of The Toy Foundation. “We congratulate Squishmallows, each of
the category winners, and all the nominees for their wonderful achievements and thank the industry for coming
together in support of The Toy Foundation and its critical work of bringing toys, play, and healing to millions
of children in need.”

During the event, four toy industry visionaries were officially inducted into the esteemed Toy Industry
Hall of Fame – the late Johnny Gruelle, creator of Raggedy Ann & Raggedy Andy; the late Lucille King,
founder of the Playskool Institute; Jim Pressman, president of Pressman Toy Corporation; and
Bob Wann (retired) of PlayMonster.

More than 600 TOTY Award nominees poured in late last summer. Of those, 114 finalists were selected
by a panel of expert judges. Category winners were then determined based on votes from toy retailers
(mass and specialty), media, Toy Association members, and consumers. The “Toy of the Year” winner
was determined by an expert panel that discussed all the finalists before rendering a decision based on
TOTY votes, holiday sales, and media buzz (traditional, online, and social). The “People’s Choice” award
winners were uniquely selected by online consumer votes. All results were audited for accuracy,
including the judging and voting process, and The NPD Group validated marketplace acceptance.

Descriptions of all TOTY finalists can be found at ToyAwards.org.

 

Macmillan marks 40 years of Dear Zoo with new key partnerships

Posted on by

Celebrations are underway at Macmillan Children’s Books to mark the 40th anniversary of Rod Campbell’s interactive picture book, Dear Zoo. The publisher will celebrate this much-loved family classic with a year-long programme of activity, starting with the publication of a new golden board book edition in January.

A dedicated marketing and PR campaign will see a series of immersive events, national press coverage, experiential advertising and other surprise deliveries. A year-long digital advertising campaign will run alongside far-reaching trade and consumer promotions. An instore competition is currently running with JoJo Maman Bébé across 88 UK and Irish stores.

A major partnership with leading family attraction ZSL London Zoo launches in the spring. A Dear Zoo trail featuring all the animals from the book will feature through the zoo during the Easter holidays, launching on 2 April. ZSL will also be running an experiential activity based on Rod Campbell’s 2021 book Look After Us.

The sell-out Dear Zoo Live! on stage production will return for its third nationwide tour in 2022. https://dearzoolive.com/

Further partnerships designed to bring the brand to an even wider audience will be launched through the anniversary year.

Sales of Dear Zoo now exceed 13 million copies. In 2021 it appeared 38 times in the Preschool & Picture Books weekly Top 20. Rod Campbell’s titles had a record year in 2021, with sales across all of his titles growing 9% to total 1.5m copies across all markets. Internationally his sales grew by 59% in volume across all markets. Five new languages were sold, bringing the total to 31.

Dear Zoo is available in a variety of formats in addition to the classic board book edition, including paperback, cloth and buggy, sound and pop-up, as well as audio books. For countless babies and toddlers Dear Zoo is their first book and many go on to share it themselves with their own children.

Rod Campbell said: “I am absolutely delighted that so many generations of young children continue to love Dear Zoo. Their pleasure when interacting with the story is so pleasing to see, and for me is the greatest of compliments. Here’s to the anniversary activities bringing Dear Zoo to an even wider audience of families.”

Stephanie Barton, Publisher, says: “With just eight animals, 16 pages and 115 words, Dear Zoo hits the spot every time. Putting the child at its centre, Dear Zoo is a joyful, playful first book for little children everywhere, and is much loved by parents and grandparents who remember it fondly from their own childhood. Rod Campbell finished 2021 as the second bestselling author/illustrator in the UK’s Preschool market and Dear Zoo was the number-one best-selling preschool title by an author /illustrator in 2021. That’s quite an achievement over 40 years and we are so proud to work with Rod and on Dear Zoo.”

 

B&LIS & SiLC unite to create two-day licensing conference in June

Posted on by

Two leading European licensing conferences are uniting this summer with the aim of providing business leaders and decision makers with action-oriented, thought-provoking content on the future of the licensing industry and create a critical moment in the diary to enable knowledge sharing and networking.

Brand & Licensing Innovation Summit Europe (B&LIS), organised by Informa Markets, the team behind Brand Licensing Europe, and the Sustainability in Licensing Conference (SiLC), presented by Products of Change, will make their in-person debuts on 21 and 22 June (respectively) at London’s Royal Geographical Society following successful virtual programmes in 2021 attended by hundreds of international delegates.

B&LIS will kick-off the two-day conference on 21 June and will spotlight retail and future trends through interactive panel discussions as it tackles next-gen topics such as NFTs, the Metaverse, the ever-changing content landscape, breakthrough licensing categories and how to maximise opportunities at retail.

The following day, SiLC will bring sustainability to the fore on 22 June, deep-diving into crucial issues such as sustainable supply chains, driving social change through entertainment, leading brands, retail treatment and best practice from licensees and suppliers, showcasing what is required of business to be ‘future fit’.

The resulting event is set to be a critical date in the diary for global leaders and decision-makers from the world of brands and consumer products to enjoy panel discussions, live Q&As and roundtables, as well as a lively networking reception on both evenings to build new connections in-person.

“B&LIS and SiLC share the same ethos: a desire to deliver genuinely thought-provoking, action-led content that has the power to challenge leaders and drive positive and profitable decision-making in relation to everything from product development and distribution to consumer engagement and commerce,” says Anna Knight, VP of licensing, Informa Markets. “Uniting the two events means we can create a key moment in the summer when European licensing leaders can connect, learn and share, while also saving on time and travel.”

Amplifying Anna’s belief, Helena Mansell-Stopher, Founder and CEO at Products of Change, adds: “Never before has our industry needed to transition at the scale that is required to achieve the 2030 and 2050 Global Goals. This transition provides both an opportunity to create the future of how the industry operates, as well as commercially benefiting business. SiLC will bring visibility of new solutions, discuss how to implement and showcase new future technologies to lead the industry to a profitable and sustainable future.”

B&LIS one-day tickets are priced at £275 and can be purchased from Brand &Licensing Innovation Summit Europe.  SiLC tickets one-day tickets are priced at £275 and can be purchased from Sustainability in Licensing Conference. POC and Licensing International members can enjoy a 20% discount on these rates (non-cumulative). Alternatively, two-day tickets can be purchased from either site for the discounted rate of £525.

Character World to continue sustainability drive in 2022 and beyond

Posted on by

Leading manufacturer and distributor of licensed home textiles and accessories Character World has reaffirmed its commitment to sustainability in 2022 and beyond. 

For the past two years the company has been working on and delivering against its sustainability plans, looking at all aspects from product to packaging, shipping to consumer care.

Adam Howarth, Character World’s Supply Chain Director, says: “We believe that a good night’s sleep doesn’t have to cost the earth. Sustainability is not just something that we have approached from a single angle or for a single range, we are looking at it across the whole business… We know that this is an ongoing project and a journey that will continue to develop and evolve in collaboration with our partners.”

Some key changes that Character World has made start with the products themselves. The company now uses only responsibly sourced BCI cotton, plus it is offering retailers the option of recycled polyester for their polyester and polycotton bedding products.

Character World’s latest development, Coverless Carefree Bedding, uses recycled plastic bottles for the filling, helping to reduce plastic waste and the subsequent amount of plastic in our oceans.

The company has also collaborated with Lego and JYSK for sustainable packaging options. The packaging for the Lego City bedding was developed using recycled card, is fully recyclable and contains no single-use plastic.

Mark Champkins, Learning Lead, LEL Sustainability Transformation at Lego, says: “Character World has been proactive in supporting us to work toward our aim that by 2025 all LEGO packaging will be made from renewable or recycled materials and will be easy for consumers to recycle, to avoid it ending up in landfill. We look forward to continue working with Character World towards our 2025 goal.”

In addition, Character World is committed to driving post-consumer purchase developments via its partnership with WRAP, who make it easy for customers to easily find their local recycling banks.

The company is also proud to be a member of Products of Change and one of the sponsors of the Sustainability in Licensing Conference, and is working within the licensing community to drive sustainable change by championing ideas and best practices across the industry.

“Character World is committed to helping make the world better for future generations, and we look forward to working in partnership with suppliers, licensors, retailers and consumers on the journey,” concludes Adam Howarth.

 

 

Lisle Licensing powers into 2022 with new website

Posted on by

Leeds-based agents Lisle Licensing have kicked off 2022 with a “bright and bold” new website that has been designed to align with the company’s brand ethos.

Led by Managing Director Francesca Lisle, the business had a successful 2021 despite the ongoing global turbulence and has seen year-on-year growth in new categories, such as Home & Lifestyle, as well as within Character Entertainment, for which it is well known.

The new website, which stylistically draws upon the company’s widely recognised blue and green colour palette, details the five brand areas where Lisle currently operates: Character Entertainment, Gaming, Lifestyle, Publishing and Sports. The team, agency focus and current client portfolio are all profiled within the new website which has been designed to be easy to navigate, particularly for potential clients not familiar with Lisle and its work. The site is complemented with strong endorsements from existing clients Tetris, Animaccord and Kate Smith Company as well as licensees, and accompanied with video and stills from a number of its other clients.

Francesca Lisle says: “In the last six months we have invested in our team and work culture, as well as having on-boarded a number of new clients.  The time felt right to put further investment into a new website that demonstrated our creative strengths alongside our understanding and insight into licensing.

“It’s important for your ‘shopfront’ to align with the people inside the business and this wonderful new website does just that. Now we’re ready to conquer all that 2022 has to throw at us and we’ve got some exciting times ahead.”

NAVIGATION