NEWS

LICENSING EXPO: Bulldog Licensing to showcase a stellar mix of brands, from Magic Mixies to Care Bears

Published on: 9th May 2022

Bulldog Licensing is readying for its second face-to-face trade show since restrictions were lifted, with an appearance at Licensing Expo in Las Vegas later this month.

The licensing agency will have a range of brands on board its stand, including Care Bears, as it celebrates a big milestone anniversary; the much-loved heritage brand, Sesame Street; the ever-popular Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir; sell-out Christmas sensation Magic Mixies; and new preschool animation Odo, among others.

The loveable, huggable Care Bears from the whimsical land of Care-a-Lot are celebrating their 40th anniversary this year. First introduced in 1982 through a line of greeting cards, the Care Bears have amassed fans of all ages over the decades, and are now featured everywhere from consumer products and plush toys to animated television shows and feature films. Bulldog’s recent deals for the iconic bears include luxury knitwear label, Chinti & Parker, with a range of adult cashmere jumpers, hoodies, sweatpants and T shirts; Character World for a collection of children’s bedding and soft furnishings; and Eat Glitter and Shine for a homeware line based on the globally recognised faces of Tenderheart Bear, Wish Bear and Love-a-Lot Bear.

Heritage brands continue their reign during uncertain times and Sesame Street remains as popular as ever over 50 years since its initial launch. Another property which spans generations in its reach and popularity, Sesame Street still airs daily on leading commercial preschool broadcaster, Tiny Pop, and Bulldog has curated a number of best-in-class deals for the brand, providing a diverse and wide-reaching range of consumer products.

A more recent addition to Bulldog’s carefully selected portfolio of brands is warm-hearted and comic animated series Odo, a co-production between BAFTA winning Belfast-based Sixteen South and Polish animation studio Letko. Odo is a little owl with big ideas; the series launched on Milkshake! in the UK, Cartoonito on HBOmax in the US, ABC Australia, MiniMini in Poland RTÉ in Ireland and, TVO and Knowledge Network in Canada in 2021 with a series of 52 x 7-minute episodes, aiming to teach young children self-efficacy and to believe in themselves. The series has been sold to over 150 territories and was created to help combat the worrying rise in anxiety and depression rates in children. Each episode sees Odo positively tackle challenges with the help of his friends.

Bulldog’s first licensee for the property is master toy partner Wow! Stuff. The deal will see Wow! Stuff create a comprehensive line of Odo toys including plush, dolls, figures and accessories, role-play toys, vehicles, play sets, track sets, construction toys and bath toys. Bulldog has also signed Macmillan Children’s books as Odo’s global publisher.

ZAG’s Miraculous, Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir, everyone’s favourite superhero story, first aired in 2016 in the UK on the Disney Channel and quickly became the top-rated show for the channel. Ladybug and Cat Noir then joined the POP line-up where the show airs daily in prime-time and ranks amongst the top 3 series for Kids 4-15 (Sep 21-Feb 22). On-demand viewers can find Miraculous on Netflix, Disney Plus, and Google Play. The series has been sold to over 120 countries worldwide with season 5 currently in production for a fall 2022 launch, and the US$100 million animated feature will also premiere later this year. Recently, the brand hit over one billion dollars in retail sales with over 250 million products sold around the globe, while on social media, Miraculous has racked up 30 billion views on YouTube alone.

Recent additions to Bulldog’s consumer products line-up include Kennedy Publishing for a standalone magazine, and Zak, which will offer a dining collection including tabletop and dinnerware, drinkware and breakfast sets. The ZAG Lab and Playmates toy line is enjoying massive success at retail with the UK being one of the top 3 markets worldwide, and is a Top 10 Brand in the Fashion Doll category according to NPD data.

Sell-out Christmas toy sensation Magic Mixies, from Moose Toys, is one of the latest additions to the Bulldog family. The innovative magic cauldron caught the attention of the nation at the end of 2021 and was included on Christmas lists from retailers, the Toy Retailers Association, and children alike up and down the UK.

Magic Mixies sales rocketed the brand to become the highest grossing SKU in Moose Toys’ history with stock selling through as soon as it hit shelves. The interactive showstopper then went on to be crowned the Creative Toy of the Year at the 2022 Toy of the Year Awards. Bulldog is now in discussion with a range of leading licensees to partner with the brand for a range of consumer products.

Rob Corney, Managing Director, Bulldog Licensing, says: “The Bulldog team is so excited to be back in Las Vegas for Licensing Expo. Our return to the trade show arena after restrictions were lifted was at BLE and we had a great show seeing customers face-to-face again, so we can’t wait to do it again later this month. The Bulldog roster is the strongest it has ever been at the moment and we’re excited to share all of our news and brand updates with existing and new customers at the show.”

Bulldog Licensing will be at stand B129 at Licensing Expo, Mandalay Bay Convention Centre, Las Vegas, from 24–26 May, 2022.

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