Funko turns Christmas Pop! in exclusive Hallmark and Walmart gifting and wrapping partnership

Funko is expanding across the seasonal aisle this year thanks to an exclusive partnership with the US retailer Walmart that will see the pop culture specialist release Pop! inspired Hallmark ornaments and wrapping paper in time for the Christmas and holiday season.

Hallmark has been a staple of the holiday product roll-out across the US since 1910. This year, it will join the pop culture explosion by partnering with Funko to deliver a 2021 ornament collection featuring Pop! versions of celebrated characters from TV, comic books, films, and more.

“The Funko team is always working on new and exciting product ideas to delight our fans. We’re excited for holiday shoppers to experience this upcoming season in Funko style with new décor that fits perfectly around your Christmas tree or on your mantel,” said Andrew Perlmutter, president at Funko.

“We’re excited to share this collection with our dedicated fanbase and reach new pop culture enthusiasts through an expanded holiday program for the most wonderful time of the year.”

Nicole Reid, vice president of ornaments and gifts at Hallmark, said: “For decades, Hallmark has designed and sold licensed ornaments and gifts for people like us who love a pop of culture in our homes and on our Christmas trees, whether that’s a favorite character from a comic book or even a nostalgic video game from our childhoods.

“Hallmark and Funko are excited to join forces and bring the Pop! versions of these popular licensed characters to add to fans’ trees this holiday season.”

Funko will also be debuting a range of Christmas and holiday season wrapping paper, all featuring pop culture icons in the Pop! styling. Available at Walmart this autumn, Funko’s debut line of wrapping paper will feature iconic TV shows, comic book characters, video games and more.

Funko’s holiday collection will also include advent calendars, games, mugs and more.

Louis Kennedy supports FareShare this festive season with Christmas ecard send out

With Christmas 2020 rapidly approaching, sending a greeting to colleagues and friends feels even more essential than ever before. Louis Kennedy wanted to mark this festive season by do something extra special which would have the widest possible impact; on recipients, the communities we live in and the planet. 

Which is why, this week, inboxes across the country will receive a very special delivery via DontSendMeACard.com with a heartfelt message from Louis Kennedy. Instead of sending a paper card and a box of chocolates, Louis Kennedy has made a donation to FareShare, the charity distributing food that would otherwise go to waste, and sent Christmas ecards, which contributes to reducing its carbon emissions.

Grant Morgan, CEO said: “We are delighted with this excellent alternative to traditional greetings and from initial feedback it seems our business partners appreciate our decision too.”

Helena Mansell-Stopher, CEO Products of Change, commented: “It was a lovely surprise to receive an ecard from the Louis Kennedy team for Christmas this year, 2020 more than any other year has really highlighted the need to review the amount we buy, receiving the digital card was a nice reminder that though we like to send physical cards, there are different ways to spread Christmas cheer and give to charity at the same time.”

DontSendMeACard.com is a unique alternative to traditional greetings cards. Over 1,000 charities across a broad range of causes and of every size have joined the site. Individuals, companies and organisations can choose which charity to support when sending an ecard for any occasion and the donation made in lieu of a traditional card, goes straight to the charity, with no fees at all.

Charities have enthusiastically designed and uploaded a fabulous variety of cards, including in partnership with licensed characters and official photography, to reflect the cause they champion.

Alex Furness, creator of DontSendMeACard, concluded: “We’re seeing an incredible increase in usage of our system for 2020. When reputable companies like Louis Kennedy get behind the idea like this and give a very generous amount to FareShare, it makes it all possible.”

Moonpig partners with KFC to launch limited edition Christmas cards and merchandise

Moonpig has reignited a partnership with KFC to launch a limited edition range of Christmas cards in its move to ‘spread chicken and cheer’ for the holiday season. The series of six Christmas cards come complete with festive designs while a portion of sales will go to Comic Relief through the KFC Foundation.

Featuring carol Zingers singing, sleigh bells winging and Colonel Sanders slipping a hot wing under the tree, the launch has been manipulated to ‘sprinkle some much needed joy to this year’s festive season. ‘

“So, why not send a lenticular card with a gravy optical illusion to your gravy lovin’ gran, or a personalised ‘Fillet Navidad’ card to your KFC obsessed mate?” says Moonpig via a press release.

The KFC x Moonpig Christmas card range is available online exclusively at Moonpig. Ten per cent of net sales will go directly to KFC Foundation’s charity partner, Comic Relief and its work to support young people across the UK to fulfil their potential.

“But it’s not just cards we’ve launched this Christmas…” added the company. “We recently announced the launch of our first ever line of merch ahead of the festive season, with a clucking good range of streetwear and Christmas jumpers.”

The new range can be viewed here.

“So, whether it’s a Christmas eve filled with a Family Feast or watching Mother Hen take a snooze after one too many egg-nogs on Boxing Day, KFC & Christmas will always have one thing in common, they’re meant for sharing,” Moonpig concluded.

Rachel Lowe launches The Elf on the Shelf Board Game through Rocket Licensing deal

Award-winning board game designer Rachel Lowe has partnered with The Lumistella Company to bring its flagship property, The Elf on the Shelf to the traditional board gaming space in time for Christmas. The move acts to cement Elf on the Shelf as part of the festive tradition for families across the UK.

In a deal brokered by the UK licensing agency, Rocket Licensing, Rachel Lowe’s official The Elf on the Shelf Board Game plays out the story of Scout Elves who fly back to the North Pole each night to report to Santa who has been naughty and who has been nice. Nice players are rewarded with Candy Canes, while naughty ones lose their candy cane collection.

Designed as a family-friendly title, the games sees player take turns on the spinner to determine their naughty of nice fate, as well as face challenges along the way, including Snowball Fights to collect an extra candy cane. The player with the most candy canes wins the game.

The game is released alongside The Elf on the Shelf Snap Card Game depicting Scout Elves.

Rachel Lowe said: “I love Christmas and I am absolutely delighted to be working with The Elf on the Shelf to create a range of products that any child will love to have this Christmas.

“Every year parents come up with elaborate and funny activities for their elves which they share on social media. I’m really excited to be able to contribute to this Christmas tradition which is such a big part of families’ festive holidays.”

The Elf on the Shelf launched in the UK in 2015 and quickly became a family favourite. Rocket Licensing, which manages the licensing rights for The Elf on the Shelf brand in the UK and Eire, has already predicted that 2020 will be the biggest Christmas ever for the property, which started life as a book and Scout Elf in 2005.

In a recent survey, over half of mums had top of mind awareness of the loveable elf, which also ranked as the third most popular Christmas tradition for children (2019 MMR survey).

The Elf on the Shelf Board Game is available alongside Rachel’s current range, including Call the Midwife and WWE: Road to WrestleMania.

The WWE: Road to WrestleMania board game, released in 2019, is available with a 500-piece puzzle and playing cardsallowing WWE fans across the UK to become part of the electrifying global pop-cultural event. The products featured WWE Superstars including John Cena, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch and have been popular with WWE’s passionate fanbase.

The Call the Midwife products (board game, puzzle and playing cards) have continued to be popular in their third year of release.

Rachel said: “Call the Midwife is a show with a dedicated following and the new series next year, along with the Christmas special, will be very popular. I will be looking to update the game and puzzle to keep it in line with the new characters and story lines coming in future series.”

Bing-le bells: Pre-school IP lands major Italian toy retail presence this Christmas shopping season

Acamar Films’ flagship pre-school property, Bing, is to be a big presence across Italy this Christmas, thanks to the implementation of a marketing strategy throughout the region’s largest toy and retail stores, spearheaded by the Italian licensing agent, Maurizio Distefano.

The aim is to strengthen the Bing property and the consumer awareness around it both in-store and online throughout the key trading period.

Kicking off the strategy, leading Italian toy retailer Toys Center has set up new branded shelf areas dedicated to the popular pre-school series. With over 90 locations participating and with some areas including a light-up display, the concept will make it easy for consumers to make their Bing purchases this season.

Bing will also have a significant branded area at Toys Con Te, starting at the retailer’s newly opened location in Rome Tiburtina. Bing will then roll out across the retailer’s best-performing locations. 

On top of this, and through a collaboration with Bing’s master toy partner Giochi Preziosi, 157 Bing-branded bay areas have been created for Italy’s main mass-market retailers, including Carrefour, Finipier, Conad, Bennet, and Mondadori.

As Bing’s presence continues to grow in stores, the hit pre-school show’s e-commerce footprint is also expanding. Toys Center and Acamar Films recently collaborated on a dedicated Bing shop-in-shop on the Toys Center website. Various Bing products are now available to purchase via a direct link on Toys Center’s home page.

Acamar Films has also launched an Italian Bing Store on Amazon which was recently highlighted in a successful paid media campaign ahead of Amazon Prime Day on October 13th to 14th.

The series is currently number one on Rai Yoyo’s RaiPlay app and is the most watched series on DeA Junior. Pre-school fans have also been treated to the release of two new episodes on Rai Yoyo this November, including a Halloween episode and the Nicky Nicky episode.

In addition, as part of Acamar Films’ multi-platform distribution strategy, the Italian Bing episodes (together with various educational games and activities) are available to stream and download through the recently launched Bing app called Bing: Watch, Play, Learn, and on the official Italian YouTube channel.

The YouTube channel today boasts an average of 30 million views each month. Bing is also available on TIMVision’s on-demand platforms and on Amazon Prime Video in Italy.

Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group in ‘potential rescue talks’ with Debenhams

Retail tycoon Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group is in talks over a ‘potential rescue transaction’ for the British department store Debenhams. The brand fell into administration last week, putting some 12,000 jobs at risk.

Frasers has said that it was ‘in negotiations with the administrators of Debenhams’ UK business’ on a possible deal, but it has warned that time is short for the retail brand.

In a stock market statement, it said: “Whilst Frasers Group hopes that a rescue package can be put in place and jobs saved, time is short and the position is further complicated by the recent administration of the Arcadia group, Debenhams’ biggest concession holder.

“There is no certainty that any transaction will take place, particularly if discussions cannot be concluded swiftly.”

Details of the talks were first disclosed over the weekend by The Sunday Times.

Finance director Chris Wootton reportedly said that under the deal, Frasers would “hope to be able to save as many jobs as possible.”

Debenhams announced that it was to wind down its business and close all 124 stores after JD Sports ended discussions over a rescue deal for the struggling department store chain. Talks ended between the two companies following the collapse of Arcadia Group.

The sports chain was the only remaining bidder for the company, but with the news of the collapse of Arcadia Group last week – the biggest concession stand operator across Debenhams stores – so too came the decision of JD Sports to terminate its talks of a takeover.

Debenhams slid into insolvency in April this year and has been on the search for a buyer since the summer. Without a buyer, the business faces going into liquidation or being wound down. This spring saw Debenhams axe 6,500 jobs. Its current predicament puts a further 12,000 at risk.

Penguin Random House launches National Trust, Christmas Grotto, and Instagram campaigns for Peter Rabbit

Penguin Random House UK has launched a series of new brand activations for Peter Rabbit, giving families the chance to come together this winter as lockdown restrictions lift in the UK.

Leading the charge is a dedicated partnership with the National Trust that will see a series of Peter Rabbit Winter Activity Trails launch across 90 National Trust places within the UK this month. The trails will offer families nature-themed activities in outdoor settings, while a range of Peter Rabbit gifts will be stocked at all National Trust shops and online.

The ambitious partnership will bring Peter Rabbit to the Trust’s impressive family audience with an expected 1.7m visitors accessing the trails this winter. Dates and locations are all available on the National Trust website.

Meanwhile, a series of digital activities will be available at a dedicated Peter Rabbit area on the National Trust website, including festive storytelling and audio clips from the recently released Beatrix Potter: The Complete Tales and activity sheets, to support partners across the Peter Rabbit brand, will be promoted to the Trust’s combined social media following of 2.7m followers.

“Penguin Random House UK has worked in partnership with the National Trust for many years to protect Beatrix Potter’s legacy in the Lake District,” said Izzy Richardson, global brand director, Penguin Random House Children’s Owned Brands.

“We are so excited that our partnership can now bring the adventures of Peter Rabbit and friends to National Trust supporters and their families in an entirely new and immersive way.

“The trails will place Peter in some of the most beautiful outdoor spaces in the UK and offer families the opportunity to create memorable experiences together this winter.”

The trails and digital campaign use the festive illustrations from a new book, ‘Peter Rabbit: Christmas is Coming’ which provides a story and an activity to share, every day throughout December.

An influencer campaign to promote the new book is currently underway with seven influencers showcasing family-friendly, festive activities and stories as well as a range of perfect Peter Rabbit licensed gifts. With new content posted every week, the ‘Festive Fridays’ campaign will reach a combined following of approximately 480,000 Instagram users during the crucial Q4 period.

In addition, Penguin Ventures (the licensing team at Penguin Random House) has worked with Eskimo Jo for the third year running to launch an official Peter Rabbit Christmas Grotto. The immersive experience will launch at Centre MK this December with Peter Rabbit and friends, welcoming back families as the shopping centre reopens this month.

Thomas Merrington, creative director at Penguin Ventures, said: “This is the third year into our partnership with Eskimo Jo and Vibration Music Ltd following two sell-out Peter Rabbit grottos at intu Trafford Centre.

“Together we have created an incredibly atmospheric and theatrical, interactive grotto. The cosy rabbits’ burrow and opportunity for children to get involved with crafting, is the perfect way to evolve Peter Rabbit for Christmas family audiences.”

Katie Piper launches her own collection at Superdrug to inspire confidence and kindness this Christmas

The TV presenter and philanthropist, Katie Piper, has launched her own product range exclusively with Superdrug. Arriving in time for Christmas, the collection features a line of fragrances, candles, diffusers, and skin balm sets.

Piper’s debut collection includes; Confidence by Day, Confidence by Night, and Courage – Perfect Little Perfumes. Each product has been specifically designed by Piper, with special attention given to producing scents which inspire feelings of confidence and courage.

For every purchase made, five per cent of profit will be donated to The Katie Piper Foundation, supporting burns survivors in their rehabilitation and recovery.

The ‘Confidence’ range has been created with splashes of bergamot, sweet orange, mandarin and dark cassis, with a large dose of Jasmine for a bold and sophisticated sense. The fragrances, candles and diffusers make for perfect gifts all year round and this is just the start, with many more products launching 2021.

Piper said: “I am thrilled to be launching my debut Katie Piper product line in Superdrug stores and online. It’s been in the making for a long time now and I’m so pleased it’s here in time for Christmas. In stores you’ll find my new fragrance, candle, diffuser and skin balm sets which are the perfect stocking fillers.

“Two of my gift sets are called ‘Confidence by Day’ and ‘Confidence by Night’ so it’s all very ‘me’ given how much emphasis I put on emotions and acts of confidence. I think what we’ve all learnt this year is that it’s important to treat yourself and look after ‘YOU’, so I hope my products act as a much needed pamper after a tough year for all of us. 

“It’s also an extra special project for me because a five per cent donation goes to my charity, The Katie Piper Foundation. I have more merchandise launching in Superdrug for Spring 2021, in time for Easter and Mother’s Day, which is really exciting too.”

Simon Comins, Superdrug commercial director, added: “We are so excited to be launching our first collaboration with Katie Piper, a range of scented fragrance, candle and diffuser gifts, exclusively available at Superdrug. We know our customers love to shop for indulgent homeware at affordable prices, and these sets are the perfect item to pick up in time for the Christmas season.

“We’re also pleased to be supporting a cause close to Katie’s heart, with a five per cent from each product sale to be donated to the Katie Piper Foundation.”

The Entertainer partners with Mattel to bring a virtual Christmas grotto experience to children this year

The family-owned high street toy retailer, The Entertainer, has teamed up with Mattel to create a virtual grotto experience for children missing out this Christmas due to the coronavirus pandemic.

With government restrictions, lockdowns, and social distancing measures taking experiences and events off the table this year, the pair are looking to recreate the experience of the Christmas grotto visit in a unique way with a giveaway offering 50 places to families who will get the chance to ‘dial through’ to the North Pole and chat with Santa and his elves.

Supporting some of those families most at need, 25 of the 50 spaces will be split between families from The Salvation Army nurseries and families supported by the support group Enabled run by The Salvation Army who provide spiritual and social fellowship for people with a disability and their carers.

The remaining 25 spots are open to the public to win. Families have from November 5th to 21st to enter. Full T&Cs can be seen on the website alongside the entry form by following this link: https://emails.thetoyshop.com/public/m/santa_competition

As well as a chance to meet Santa, there will also be toys from Mattel to be won including the latest Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels cars, Mega Bloks construction toys as well as games including UNO and Scrabble. All entrants will also receive a 10 per cent off voucher for Mattel toys at The Entertainer.

Gary Grant, founder and chief executive of The Entertainer, said: “Covid-19 has had a huge impact on our children, from missing play dates with friends to time away from learning and this Christmas is already looking very different. Visiting Father Christmas is a time-honoured Christmas tradition for thousands of children across the country, and whilst social distancing means this isn’t possible this year, we wanted to bring Santa to children in the virtual world so families can share the joy of Christmas together.”

Menkind is expanding licensed ranges and adult party and card games to meet lockdown trends

The gadget and gift retailer, Menkind has highlighted its plans to expand on its licensed products and exclusive ranges as it heads into the Christmas shopping season, a move that has been driven by the increased consumer engagement with pop culture TV, films, video games and entertainment throughout the pandemic.

Licensed products, according to the retailer, who recently detailed its plans to open concession stores with the UK department store giant Debenhams in the run up to Christmas, have become a “comfort blanket for consumers in difficult times,” and as a result will be increasing its listings as it adapts to current demands.

Last month, Menkind revealed that it was opening 23 concession stores within select Debenhams department stores across the UK, planning to open each from the start of October. The new concessions will be staffed by over 50 new recruits across all locations, and will stock all the core Menkind product range.

Among those ranges will be key trends to have emerged from 2020, including the greater lean on licensed products, as well as a trend for adult party games driven by the increased time consumers are spending socialising from home over virtual gatherings and group chats.

“Being stuck at home, people have turned to movie and TV show online streaming services, as well as games and video gaming as their main entertainment,” Fred Prego, director of marketing and e-commerce at Menkind, told ToyNews.

“Licensed products have become a comfort blanket in these difficult times. We have always stocked a quirky and unique range, so it’s definitely in our plans to expand our offering with new products and exclusive lines that are in high demand. I think it’s crucial to really listen to what consumers want during these times and adapt to trends very quickly.

“Meanwhile, with limited socialising in pubs and restaurants across the country, the biggest trend in my opinion is friends getting together virtually to have fun and relax with a drink. For that reason, we have extended our range of adult and party games that can easily be played in group chats.”

With the nation staring down localised lockdowns in the run-up to Christmas and restrictions in place in varying degrees across the country, Menkind has acted to adapt to the new model of Christmas shopping likely to be adopted this year. Its partnership with Debenhams places the brand within destination shopping zones ahead of the festive season.

Confirmed Debenhams store locations where Menkind will open include Bath, Birmingham, Cardiff, Colchester, Guildford, Manchester, Luton, London Oxford Street, Middlesbrough, Warrington and more.

“With Christmas markets and fairs likely not happening this year, we created an omni-channel proposition called ‘Menkind Wonderland’, to offer our customers a variety of toy, gift and gadget stalls online and in-store,” continued Prego.

“Debenhams felt like the perfect partnership to give shoppers a safe and fun pre-Christmas experience, and their widely accessible network of stores will help us best serve customers throughout the country during the busy holiday shopping period and beyond.

“Our Christmas range includes a wealth of unique gifts, gadgets and licensed merchandise, so we are determined not to have Christmas cancelled this year.”

When lockdown was first announced in March this year, Menkind swiftly began to introduce new products ranges such as puzzles and card games, in order to tap into the rising trend for family entertainment over the earlier part of the year.

“We also gave our online channels extra attention to ensure our customers are having a seamless shopping experience,” said Prego. “More recently, we’ve launched a range of exclusives and have implemented all the necessary safety measures during and post-lockdown. We are constantly listening to government advice in order to react as quickly as possible to any changes that affect retailers.

“Another initiative we’ve been working on has been releasing dedicated product ranges for key events earlier, to give people the opportunity to plan their shopping better, especially if it involves trips to the store. We started selling advent calendars as early as August, and it’s been very well received by our customers.

“Whilst we are continuously implementing all the safety measures recommended by authorities, we have made it our mission to communicate the same sense of fun and positiveness our customers are used to, and offer them the best experience possible in-store and across our online channels,” Prego concluded.