OPINION I The Insights Family on the future of cinema

When kids and teenagers can access VOD via phones and tablets whenever they want and wherever they are, what can cinemas do to compete? Exploiting popular IPs, offering better value, harnessing the latest technology and enhancing – even personalising – the cinematic experience are all viable options, attest market intelligence experts The Insights Family.

In the US, visits to the cinema amongst 6-9 year olds halved in the summer of 2020, compared to the previous year in light of the pandemic. Over the last 12 months, the popularity of Netflix among 6-9s has increased by a minimum of +30% in Australia, Canada, Germany and Russia. So, as we look forward, what factors are going to drive customers back to cinemas in 2022?

Eighty per cent of the all-time top 10 highest-grossing movies worldwide are reboots or sequels to established franchises, suggesting familiar IP is what drives people to the cinema. With VOD platforms offering the convenience of engaging with new content at no additional cost, cinemas are faced with a difficult task: having customers part with their money with the risk they may not enjoy the experience. This risk is mitigated somewhat through sequels, remakes and reboots.

Of the aforementioned top 10 highest-grossing films, 70% are owned by Disney. In Kids Insights’ data, Disney also own three of the top five favourite characters amongst 6-9 year olds. This sequel culture isn’t going anywhere – Spiderman is the number one most anticipated film amongst this age bracket, as hype builds surrounding the release of the latest instalment in the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe. As owners of IP continue to be rewarded for focusing on their recognisable imagery, it could be suggested that we are likely to see an increase in the number of reboots and sequels in the coming year, particularly as brands continue to prioritise guaranteed revenue in the economic fallout of the pandemic.

The cinema is still very much seen as the pinnacle of achievement for on-screen IPs and can introduce a new audience to the source material. PAW Patrol, the second most popular TV show amongst 3-5s globally, released a cinematic experience in August this year. In the UK, popularity for the TV show increased by +75% amongst this audience in the months following the movie’s release, relative to the three months prior. By producing content in relation to existing popular IP, there is a significant opportunity to resonate with the target audience through licensing and merchandising. 3-5 year old Paw Patrol fans in the UK are +24% more likely to purchase licensed toys than the average kid.

However, the VOD market is here to stay. The Insights Family anticipates that the cinema will lean more towards highlighting the experiential aspect of a potential visit to effectively drive footfall. Since the beginning of the year, the value of experiences among young teenagers has grown by +15% in Russia, Japan, Germany and India. Now that the content itself is available at no additional cost to the consumer, with shorter windows from screen to home, the cinema should look towards providing an experience worth paying for, making that the USP. More comfortable lounge-seating and food/drinks seat-service are a few strategies to create a more enjoyable experience for the average movie-goer.

Additionally, we will see more budget cinema options, to compete with the cost-effective, on-demand option. In the US, the average young teen spends $9.54 a month on the cinema – according to the MPAA, the average ticket price in 2020 was $9.34, leaving no space for a repeat visit in a single month. Just one-in-ten US 13-15s visit the cinema two or more times a month, and this figure halves when considering three-plus visits.

What we will therefore see is a fragmentation of the cinematic market, mirroring the rest of the kids’ entertainment ecosystem. With more content and viewing options available than ever before, kids are able to tune in with the flexibility and personalised approach that they come to expect as the on-demand generation. Whether they value experiences, cost efficiency or convenience, there is a cinematic experience for them.

Further in the future, we will eventually see widespread adoption of more immersive technologies in the cinema environment. VR and AR for example, making use of full 360-degree filming capabilities isn’t a stretch of the imagination. Will we see the start of data being used to optimise the movie experience as per the viewer? In this sense, there is great potential to see advancements towards the gamification of movies. Perhaps an utterly personalised experience tailored to individual kids where they are the heroes?

To find out what other trends will be popular this year, The Insights Family launched their Future Forecast 2022 report. For the first time, the company is exploring not only kids and parents, but family ecosystems trends, based on Kids Insights™ and Parents Insights™ data. The report contains 10 predictions and trends which will impact advertising, content, licensing, marketing, product and retail strategies for brand owners.

To download the full complimentary Future Forecast 2022 report, visit: https://theinsightsfamily.com/futureforecast 

Opinion I Beyond the metaverse: how brands are transforming the Out-of-Home entertainment landscape

The hype that has surrounded Web 3.0 and the co-opting of the term ‘metaverse’ to describe the digital opportunities on offer has set the investment market and business world abuzz. But many of the strategies and initiatives ascribed to the metaverse are already at work today in the Out-of-Home (OOH) entertainment landscape, contends industry expert Kevin Williams of Spider Entertainment.

Location-based entertainment (LBE) and the OOH entertainment industry are the best representations of creating a physical business from digital IP and content. These physical representations of digital brands are achieved not just with characters and themed settings, but increasingly now with immersive technology that allows guests to be placed within the virtual universe of these properties.

This approach is not a new one, and is perhaps best illustrated with the move by the media content empire Walt Disney Corporation into the theme park and resort business way back in 1955. Along with the use of its film library to theme its attractions, the Corporation also undertook licensing agreements with big brands to incorporate them into the ‘story’ of its venues.

However, it’s the crossover of toys, movies and videogames into physical experiences that has seen the most far-reaching developments.

Video-game giant Nintendo has invested considerably in being one of the major multidisciplinary license platform providers in the global market, seeing its properties traverse the bounds of toys, games, licensed material and even movies.

A physical presence with venues of its own was a logical move, and Nintendo signed an agreement with Universal Studios in 2015 to develop a concept that would offer an interactive theme park extension in Universal resorts, based on Nintendo video-game characters and IPs. This would result in ‘Super Nintendo World’, which opened in Universal Studios Japan in 2020 and offered numerous attractions based on the Super Mario universe.

The latest immersive technology was applied to create compelling experiences such as ‘Mario Kart: Koopa’s Challenge’, which deployed Augmented Reality (AR) and Interactive Dark Ride (IDR) technology that placed the guest in the videogame. Hugely popular since opening, the theme park extension is due to be incorporated into other Universal park properties globally, with the Californian and Florida versions currently under construction.

Nintendo is now looking at its Out-of-Home entertainment landscape afresh. The company announced in its Second Quarter Financial Reports and Corporate Management Policy Briefing in November 2021 that it intended to spend some $2.7b on establishing a new stream of revenue through its investment into theme parks and new Nintendo entertainment stores – not just retail stores, but entertainment venues that will comprise immersive entertainment and scaled-down interactive attractions. The company has dabbled with retail stores in the US and Japan, but this will mark a major investment towards creating immersive entertainment spaces and has started a land-grab by other major properties keen to carve out a place in the ‘Retailtainment’ sector.

Throwing open the floodgates for others to follow, European videogame developer and publisher Ubisoft has also looked to broaden the penetration of its videogame properties. Having already seen motion pictures based on its Assassin’s Creed and Prince of Persia brands, as well as countless merchandised products and branded toys, the company’s expansion to a physical facility business seems logical.

Its first move was to establish a Location-based Entertainment Manager role within the corporation, looking at Out-of-Home entertainment opportunities. Fast forward to today, and Ubisoft is well known for its work on the successful VR amusement attraction Virtual Rabbids: The Big Ride, which has seen several hundred units placed in amusement sites globally. The company also has a division (Ubisoft Escape Games) licensing unique VR escape game team-based experiences to facilities.

What’s more, the company announced in November that it would be partnering with leading theme park and attraction developers to launch its first ‘Ubisoft Entertainment Center’. Scheduled for 2025, the venue will be situated on France’s Mediterranean coast as part of the Studios Occitanie entertainment hub. Ubisoft is not stopping there; with partners Storyland Studios, it is working on its own design for a large-scale Ubisoft theme park, having looked at Nintendo’s progress in this area and wanting to share some of the opportunity. Other video-game publishers are eagerly watching the fortunes of these two companies and their massive investments in the physical space.

Movies and TV – and zombies

Movie and television/streaming entities now looking at a wider penetration for their brands and licenses have also caught the bug and are looking to dive into the crowded waters of the “metamorphosis of the digital into physical”.

The use of Out-of-Home entertainment to turn digital content and properties into physical attractions has not been lost on the big players, including streaming giant Netflix, which has an estimated audience worldwide of some 215m paid memberships.

For a company streaming TV and movie content and investing vast sums in production, having a physical vehicle that can promote its properties seems obvious. Many industry insiders had speculated that Netflix was looking for its own chain of cinemas, but the implosion that has struck the theatre business seems to have lessened this interest. There is, however, one area of facility investment that has interested the corporation.

With the successful launch of the Netflix movie property Army of the Dead, a new marketing and promotional concept was rolled out by the company – marking an investment in a physical presence for its properties and employing the latest immersive technology. ‘Army of the Dead: Viva Vengeance’, an immersive pop-up attraction, was launched at selected Westfield mall locations, most recently (until the end of December 2021, after a run in Los Angeles) at the space vacated by Debenham’s department store in London’s Westfield Shepherd’s Bush mall. Not just dependent on live actors, the whole experience represented an interactive virtual reality (VR) attraction, which had guests blasting hordes of the undead as they traversed through the infested badlands.

This is not the only example of streamed or movie properties turned into VR experiences and deployed in location-based entertainment (LBE) venues. Movie production houses such as Lionsgate and Sony Pictures have ongoing projects that will see specialist attractions and venues based on their properties. Likewise, IP licenses are being acquired by entertainment venues to be incorporated into the mix of existing spaces. The food and entertainment chain Dave & Buster’s, for example, has had a strong affiliation with licensed IP to attract its target audience, having commissioned virtual reality attractions based on blockbuster film properties such as Jurassic World, Star Trek, Men In Black, among others, from location-based entertainment company VRstudios.

The ability to create an entertainment offering that can be injected into the available retail space has led to an explosion in Retailtainment. The ‘Retail Apocalypse’ that had hit the shopping mall landscape was obviously exacerbated by the global lockdown, but in re-emerging, the owners of these retail spaces have turned to entertainment to fill the gaps left by closed department store chains.

New operator Spider Entertainment has been created to provide landlords, developers and investors with a turnkey solution to run profitable pop-up and permanent attractions for their retail destinations, employing the latest brands, along with the latest immersive entertainment attractions, to help reinvent the retail experience. Physical spaces that include this level of brand immersion offer a unique new revenue stream beyond the original video-game and movie properties, and a level of customer engagement that is new and compelling.

What’s clear is that marketing and licensing executives keen to connect with their customer base will now have to include Out-of-Home entertainment as a new weapon in their armoury – a weapon that offers great opportunities and could in fact change the whole landscape of consumption.

Entertainment and technology specialist Kevin Williams is a regular presenter at international conferences, speaking at the Foundations Entertainment University (FEU) and Amusement360 events, as well as at bootcamps for LBE and FEC investors. He is one of the senior judges of the VR Awards.

Kevin’s consultancy KWP Ltd specialises in helping international clients develop immersive and interactive entertainment. Kevin has recently become Co-Owner and Technology Director for OOH entertainment specialist Spider Entertainment and is the publisher of the Stinger Report, a-must-read for those working or investing in the amusement, attractions and entertainment industry.

Kevin can be reached at kwp@thestingerreport.com.

 

The Big Interview I Getting under the skin of the National Trust

Established over 125 years ago, the National Trust is the largest conservation charity in Europe. The organisation and its volunteers help care for 780 miles of coastline, more than 250,000 hectares of land, over 500 historic houses, castles, parks, and gardens and one million works of art. With so much heritage and history to draw upon – and so many different aspects to its work – how does the Trust ensure that its licensing agreements reflect its core values, visually and ideologically?

That was the task facing brand extension agency Skew Studio, who were commissioned to devise a new licensing style guide for the organisation earlier this year. Licensing Biz sat down with Skew Studio’s Oliver Dyer and the National Trust’s Clare Brown, Head of Brand Licensing and Retailer Development, and Michaela Davies, Brand Licensing Manager, to talk about the process, and why every National Trust product has a story to tell.

Ultimately, what’s the most important thing about a National Trust product?

Clare:
For me, the most important thing is to create products that are inspired by and intrinsically linked to the Trust in some way, which allow us to use the storytelling behind our properties, our places and people to emotionally engage with our consumers. Hopefully the products help people identify with the Trust, but equally, we want consumers to be inspired to become a part of it all, because at the end of the day we rely on people’s benevolence to volunteer to be part of our cause and help us carry on the important conservation work that we do.

How do you select your retail partners?

Clare: We’re very selective about who we partner with. As a conservation organisation we’ve been talking about nature and how important it is for a very long time and even more so now with the challenge of climate change; we have plans to establish 20 million trees across England, Wales and Northern Ireland and reach carbon net zero by 2030, for instance. So, we are very clear on our criteria for licensees, and sustainability is at the top of the list. We do a lot of research, and we actively then go out and target organisations that are strong in this area.

The three large product category areas that the Trust is known for are home, garden and lifestyle gifting, but we do have other categories outside of that, such as children’s products.

Creating a coherent ‘look and feel’ for National Trust branded collaborations seems like such a mammoth undertaking. What were the first steps?

Clare: We’re a massive organisation, and we mean an awful lot of things to a lot of people. So you’re right, translating all of that into a licensing programme was a huge task.

The point about our purpose is that we protect and care for our places, so that people and nature can thrive. We believe nature, beauty, and history can benefit everyone. So we exist ‘for everyone, for ever’: that’s at the core of our mission.

Our membership audience is also becoming younger and more diverse – that’s because our offer is so broad and we’ve been engaging with different organisations, like Sports England; we are the largest host of Park Run in Europe, we have a growing number of campsites we also have children’s playgrounds in all our properties now… Also, we are one of the biggest art commissioners in the UK; we use art to move, teach and inspire people. More and more people are enjoying our places for different reasons. So initially we passed all that over to Oliver and his team, we did a bit of brainstorming, and Skew really took it by the horns and got under the skin of what the National Trust is about.

Oliver: I wrote down and double underlined that phrase, ‘for everyone and for ever.’ As a target, from a creative point of view, that’s pretty big! But as an organisation the National Trust is really clear about what it is, and who it’s appealing to.

Our first job was to try to join the dots, to match up the Trust’s visual, tangible assets with its intangible assets – what people think and feel towards the properties and towards the Trust as a whole. And once we’d done that, it was a case of looking at what consumer trends are coming up, then translating them in a way that will work well for the Trust and serve all the different segments of its audience, and also work well for retail, so that by the time the Trust get to the point of dealing with licensees and retail buyers, we know there’s going to be a real appetite for what’s been developed.

Clare: At first I thought that translating everything the National Trust is about was going to be an almost impossible task, but Skew’s designers are so clever. They not only picked up on all the key points, but they made it contemporary, which was just wonderful.

Can you explain how the new style guide works in practice?

Michaela: The majority of our licensed products have been developed to reach audiences beyond those that visit our locations, as a way of broadening our appeal and allowing more people to connect with our charitable activities. They’re for everybody and are just as likely to be on sale in a local garden centre, or in John Lewis.

The style guide is such a useful tool; not only has it got fantastic design assets in there that are really inspiring, but it also has packaging ideas as well. Packaging may not be hugely exciting but it’s a big part of how we present our charity messaging to consumers, and flag things like our sustainability criteria. The style guide gives guidelines on where and how we put our messaging on the packaging, so that we’re giving a consistent message across all our licensed products, because they can be very diverse.

If you’re a consumer, shopping in a supermarket with the kids in tow, you might only have a split second to make a decision about what to buy. You might pick up a National Trust product and think, ‘Oh look, it says here that they give a donation from the sale of this product back to the National Trust”. So having that consistency of message on packaging is important for us. Buying a National Trust branded product could be the first touchpoint non-members have with us.

Oliver: I’d actually use the word coherence rather than consistency. What the National Trust has to offer is so wide, while you want to be able to present products that all work together on a shelf, they can be quite different visually, depending on the type of item and who it’s for. I think that the work that we all did together was to try to give retail partners the opportunity to take what was on offer and make it their own, and even take it in new directions, but ultimately have it make sense and be coherent overall.

Michaela: When I started working in brand licensing at the Trust in 2019, the only assets we had were photographs of our amazing places and landscapes. But now, our main style guide has six diverse themes [see below]. We not only have downloadable assets in the guide that our licensees can use and create products with, but it’s inspirational, too.

For example, last year we signed Sarsen Stone Group, who make interior wall and floor tiles. From the guide, they picked up on one of the themes that Oliver’s team came up with that we’ve called Under the Canopy; it’s based on looking up into the woodland tree canopy and the patterns, light and colour you see through the leaves, and Sarsen Stone took that as their starting point. They also visited one of our beautiful arboretums, Winkworth, and took photographs of it back to the design team, who were really inspired by it. They even named that particular collection after the Arboretum. So, it’s a lovely bit of storytelling; they’re not just interior tiles with leaves on, there’s a great link back to the National Trust.

Oliver: We also created a lookbook that was like a magazine, to give people something that was quick to look at and focused only on product inspiration, to show how different looks could be interpreted in different product categories for different parts of the market.

Michaela: Our style guide for kids’ products has six categories too. Some of our licensees won’t have time to sit and take in everything the Trust is about, but with six different core designs, it’s easy for them to flick through and think, that one’s not for me, I’ll go on to the next one…

Clare: I have to say, the children’s style guide that Skew produced is particularly fantastic. It takes important issues such as climate change and presents them in a really innovative and playful way.

Oliver: The back story behind the product is really important, but that’s not what people buy, when it comes down to it; they buy really great products. And that’s what the National Trust team are producing. There’s a huge amount of work involving in dealing with licensees to produce something that people really love. What we did was really just the start of that process. It’s the team at the National Trust that are bringing it to life and doing a great job.

THE NATIONAL TRUST’S 6 STYLE THEMES

Architectural heritage

Inspired by the exterior of National Trust properties designed by some of the world’s greatest architects and artists, these designs are characterised by classical forms and symmetry.

Wonderful details

From decorative cornices to elegant sculptures, the Trust’s properties accommodate a wealth of details and grand statement features, each with their own story to tell.

Along the country lane

A tangle of grasses, seed heads and native wildflowers was the starting point for stunning natural designs with striking pops of colour and bold silhouettes, evocative of an afternoon’s stroll in the countryside.

Vibrant landmarks

An homage to the vision of the National Trust’s founders, Octavia Hill, Robert Hunter and Hardwicke Rawnsley, who pledged to preserve the UK’s historical and natural landscapes so people could reconnect with nature for everyone, for ever.

Along the coast path

Evoking the 780 miles of beautiful, dramatic and diverse coastline managed by the Trust, which is home to a wealth of wildlife and nature.

Under the canopy

A celebration of the beauty and subtle textures found in natural landscapes, with designs that combine fresh, bold colours and pastel shades across delicately layered shapes.

Interview I Talking strategy with MGM’s Robert Marick

Home to Bond, Rocky and The Pink Panther, MGM is a powerhouse of a studio. We asked Robert Marick, Executive Vice President Global Consumer Products & Experiences, to tell us about developing licensing strategies for some of the most iconic properties in entertainment, and how his stints at Disney, Mattel, Twentieth Century Fox and Discovery have shaped his approach to global brand management.

A lot has been said about how people returned to familiar, “comforting” brands during the Pandemic. Do you think the landscape is now almost back to its pre-Pandemic state, or will nostalgia brands keep on having a moment?

The Pandemic affected companies and people in so many different ways, but I think one of the things that was ultimately a positive for consumers is that they were able to connect with brands, and foods, and time with family – let’s call these things “comfort opportunities” – like never before. And that definitely had an impact in terms of how consumers reacted to our properties. Whether it was the Pink Panther or, in particular, Rocky or Creed, there was a real connection there.

Particularly with Rocky, fans connected with some of the core themes of the DNA of that property: the underdog, the perseverance, how you can find something within yourself that enables you to push boundaries… Those things became more important than ever during that time period, and we saw in the news how consumers would look at properties like Rocky and say, “That is my inspiration.” What we noticed over the past 18 months was a definite resurgence of engagement with our catalogue titles.

Can you give us an outline of your role and responsibilities at MGM?

In essence I’m a global brand manager; my job is to build and grow our properties. We look at them more as franchises now, and less as a catalogue, title or a new release. If you take the example of The Addams Family, which has been around for 75 years, we recently supported it with a new CGI film, and now we’re going to be releasing Wednesday on Netflix. Or in the case of Rocky, which I mentioned earlier, we released Creed I and II, and Creed III is out next year. Vikings is now being supported with a new Netflix series, Vikings: Valhalla. All these franchises have a foundation that fans around the world appreciate in one form or another, and we’re fortunate now to be able to build off that base, and release new content across the board.

There’s also Pink Panther, which will be celebrating its 60th anniversary shortly; we have a new film in development. What you see there is our company really investing in new ways to build out these global franchises.

With some of your IPs having such a long history, how do you market them to the entire fanbase? Presumably younger audiences require a different approach to Boomers?

Without a doubt, Gen Zs and millennials require a different approach to older consumers when it comes to promotional activities. So, how do we do that? If you look at what’s on my radar at the moment – The Addams Family, Vikings, Rocky/Creed, and also Legally Blonde, which is celebrating its anniversary, plus there’s a new film in the works ­–  we have new content coming out that is really supporting the core property. But we can also look at supporting the core properties by genre; so, this year, there was a focus on horror [with the release of Candyman], 2022 is all about sci-fi, and 2023 will be about laughter.

We’re also going to be looking at upcoming anniversaries. Legally Blonde, for example, is turning 21, so that’s going to be a big initiative for us. We also market by decade, so fans of, say, the 80s, or 90s or 2000s, can really buy in to our brands and properties. When you have 4,000 movies in your library, you need to find the common connections that consumers have to your IP.

By taking different approaches we’re able to find connections with our audience, whether they’re genre fans, anniversary fans, or a fan of a particular IP. Research shows that Gen Zs and Millennials tend to get their first source of content from a video game, while Gen Xs and Baby Boomers still get their content from new films or television in development. Our video game business is growing exponentially and that is an opportunity for us to be able to drive awareness in new areas. One example is that we’re developing a Robocop game on console. Bond is another case in point; we’re driving interest in the IP through video games.

MGM has an amazing library of IPs to draw upon – but entertainment is a crowded market. What do you think MGM’s particular strengths are when it comes to licensing?

I think it really comes down to four things – what I call “the DNA” of MGM. First off, it’s about the lion logo. It’s such an iconic trademark. It represents the Hollywood of yesteryear, but it’s also about today. Another thing that makes MGM different is that when launched, it was all about the latest technology and different ways of working, and artists and directors would come to MGM to be able to try new things. And that still continues today.

The third aspect is quality; we’re immensely proud of the quality of the work that we do, it’s evident in all our shows. And I think the fourth point is storytelling. Everything that we do is about the story that’s being told. In particular, I think that’s what helps us not only in traditional licencing, but in terms of video games, and in location-based entertainment.

I am very selective about where I spend my time and energy; it’s not just a case of pushing the latest release. What’s almost more important is creating a programme during “bridge” years”. For instance, with The Addams Family, we had a CGI film in 2019, we had The Addams Family 2 in 2021, now we’ve got the Wednesday TV series coming in 22. I’ll ask myself, in the “gaps”, what does the programme look like? And that’s where video games come in, that’s where experiential comes in…

You’ve worked for some of the biggest companies in the entertainment sector. How has that wide experience coalesced to influence your licensing strategy at MGM?

I’ve been fortunate enough to work with some very significant companies. Each one has provided me with a different lens or perspective that allows me to do the job that I do. Having worked at Mattel for many years, I really understand the idea of product development, and marketing a product. That led into my time at Disney, which was all about how you manage a brand, looking at its different elements to see how they might apply to music, or toys, or film or apparel.

With anything that I look at from a brand franchise perspective, I always ask myself, what’s the DNA of the property? Once I’ve established that, it’s “What can merchandise help amplify? What can video games help amplify? What can location-based entertainment help amplify?” The recent campaign we ran for Rocky’s 45th anniversary is a good example of how we look to create an experience around a property, where you have multiple disciplines [including athletic runs, gaming collaborations, concerts and apparel collections] that come together to create a consumer experience.

Ultimately, I’m hoping that once you’ve done the Rocky Run, or you’ve experienced some new merchandise, you’re going to come back and want to watch the film, or the next film or the third film within the franchise. My job is really about expanding the media experience, and that’s three-fold: first, you watch it. Then you buy it – whether it’s a pencil, a t shirt or a video game. And then you’re going to want to live it, which is where experiential comes in. And by living it, you’re going to want to go back to the original media and watch it again. So the whole thing is cyclical.

Vikings: Valhalla and Wednesday are expected to air in 2022. Creed III is scheduled to premiere in cinemas in November next year.

 

 

 

Diversity and innovation celebrated as Licensing Expo Virtual’s License This! crowns its 2021 winners

An animated brand with diversity at its centre, a refillable snack jar, and a children’s animation that brings African and African American culture to the super hero sector have each been named the winners of the inaugural US version of the popular License This! competition.

Held during this past week’s Licensing Expo Virtual – which ran from August 24th to 26th – License This! in partnership with InventHelp, is a global competition that culminated at the online trade event, by providing select illustrators, designers, animators, and product inventors the chance to pitch their concepts to a panel of expert judges.

Spanning three categories in its online format, including Character and Animation, Brand and Design, and Innovations and Product Innovation, the live finale is now available to watch via the Licensing Expo Virtual platform. It witnessed finalists making their pitch to a panel of licensing experts, who then deliberated over this year’s winners.

a staple of London’s Brand Licensing Europe trade show, this marks the first time that the License This! competition has been held for the US licensing industry.

The winners of the inaugural US version of the License This! competition, are:

License This! Character & Animation winners:

  • Emily Blumenthal & Lindsay Kaye Lippman, The Charmsters, a diversity-based animation brand. 

License This! Brand & Design winner:

License This! Innovations & Product Innovation winner:

The License This! competition’s 2021 judging panel comprised of 18 senior executives from every corner of the industry, including Bioworld Merchandising, Boat Rocker Studio, Crayola, FYE, Hallmark, Licensing International, Lisa Mark Associates, Product Counsel, PowerStation Studios and Redbubble, in addition to partner InventHelp and official sponsor WestEnd Software.

“We at the Goodie Jar are excited to have been chosen as a License This! winner,” said Lawrence Canada, The Goodie Jar. “This is a dream coming to fruition. We look forward to the opportunities and experiences that accompany this accomplishment at Licensing Expo.”

Fellow License This! winner Xavier Smith, added: “Winning License This! is an exciting and epic opportunity for The Kujifunza Kids brand and the II Tribes Entertainment family! We look forward to all opportunities from this wonderful experience.”

Finally, founder Emily Blumenthal, and creative director Lindsay Kaye Lippman, of Kanvas Brands, said: “We are excited to win the Character & Animation category for the License This! Competition. We believe this will bring awareness and opportunities to The Charmsters, a diversity-based animation brand rooted in joy, inclusivity and girl empowerment.

“We are grateful to the industry for giving us this platform to introduce our mission and female founded brand and look forward to what happens next.”

This year’s License This! winners receiveone-to-one consultation with members of the judging panel and competition sponsor WestEnd Software, free-of-charge turnkey booth at Licensing Expo 2022, one-year Licensing International membership, one-year Products of Change membership and – exclusively to the winner of the ‘Inventions & Product Innovations’ category – one-to-one consultation with InventHelp.

“I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of this year’s panel,” said Steven Ekstract, managing director of Global Licensing Advisors and Chair of the License This! Judges. “We are really excited to announce the winners and wish them all the very best of luck.”

Brand Licensing Europe’s (BLE) popular License This! competition, which has been running for over a decade, is now open for entries and announces a new third award category, the Inventions & Product Innovations category.

Obituary | Those Licensing People founder and MD, Russell Dever, passes away

The vivacious and engaging founder of licensing agency, Those Licensing People, Russell Dever (aged 62), passed away on 11th August having sadly taken his own life after a long battle with depression. 

Renowned for his passion in children’s entertainment and content, his affection for the genre led him to found the Leeds-based licensing agency in 2013.  

Over the last decade his client portfolio has represented some of the world’s most-loved classic children’s brands, which he rejuvenated with his boundless energy and enthusiasm for the industry he embraced. Clients he has represented include Sooty, The Magic Roundabout, Roobard & Custard, and The Little Prince. Russell’s personality shined at industry trade shows and events where he was a regular exhibitor and sponsor, with an unwavering support for the licensing community and those who became his friends, not just clients or contacts.

Alongside his licensing business Russell was also respected in the children’s broadcast industry, having created and produced a number of children’s TV series, including the hit Little Monsters. It was his success in children’s entertainment which led the creative entrepreneur to expand his career into the licensing industry, for which he became so passionate.  At the time of his passing, Russell was also working on several production projects to be showcased at upcoming trade shows, where he relished networking with industry executives.  

In 2017 his youngest daughter, Leah Dever, joined the business and will continue her dad’s work with their existing clients.  She says: “There are just no words to explain this loss to our family; we are all incredibly heartbroken. We kindly ask for flowers not to be sent, however notes, cards and words of condolence are very welcome. Russell is survived by his much-loved wife Janine and daughters, Abigail and Leah. 

A tribute website to Russell has been set up where people can access the funeral information for 8th September, and donate to the mental health charity, Mind. www.russelldever.muchloved.com

When Geek Culture went Pop! | Kids Industries on how we’ve all adopted the geek market (without even realising)

Aleksandra Szczerba, researcher at Kids Industries, explores the ubiquity of geek culture today, and the very real chance that if you’re reading this, you’ve long since become one.

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No longer constrained by the four walls of a dimly-lit basement or the stacks of a comic book store. No longer only openly revered by social outcasts (and covertly by everyone else in fear of being shunned). So-called “geek culture” is – in many ways – no more. Or at least it has evolved to be something vastly different than it has been in the past. The cornerstones of geek culture of decades gone by, from sci-fi to comic books, from video games to anime, don’t just have their footholds in the mainstream. They have become the mainstream, permeating today’s biggest children’s and adult media trends alike. So how have we all become geeks, how did this happen, and what does it mean for the future?

The most obvious way in which geek culture has become a staple in pop culture is of course through screen adaptations of comic books, both feature film and television. Although one would think that DC had the head start, having the rights to iconic characters such as Superman and Batman, it is Marvel that took the movie industry by storm in the past decade. The Marvel Cinematic Universe, comprising more than 20 films and dozens of characters, became a set of interwoven narratives and franchises, brought together in a grand finale in the form of the highest-grossing movie spectacular of all time (at the time at least). “Avengers: Endgame” earned $2.798B at the global box office, and is now the second highest grossing movie of all time, after being narrowly dethroned by the re-release of James Cameron’s “Avatar”. Notably, it is not the only Marvel film people around the world saw in droves: “Avengers: Infinity War” is fifth in terms of box office earnings, and the first “The Avengers” movie ranks 8th. The dollar signs speak for themselves – it’s not just geeks who are all over superheroes today.

Although “Endgame” brought a sense of finality to the MCU, Marvel is not slowing down – it was only the end of Phase 3, and we are already well into Phase 4 with the release of “Black Widow” and the many streaming titles being released on Disney+. Each series is dedicated to developing fan-favourite side characters, and these have been a hit for the platform, both in drawing in subscribers – and in drawing critical acclaim. The June release of “Loki” coincided with Disney+’s biggest increase in mobile app downloads among major streamers, with a 39% increase in the week ending 27th June, and an 11% increase in streaming sessions, according to Bloomberg’s Apptopia data, and in general Disney+ is currently chipping away at Netflix’s dominance in the streaming space. It definitely takes a bit of a geek to want to watch a multi-episode series about a villain or a supporting character who didn’t get their own feature length movie, and clearly there is no shortage of those out there. They also come in all shapes and sizes – at KI we have interviewed children as young as 6 who report enjoying watching Marvel series with their parents.

To put it simply: superheroes are cool now. And it’s not just the MCU. The “DC Extended Universe” may not have taken off in the same way, but television’s “Arrowverse” definitely has its own very loyal following. Superhero movies and TV shows, like “Logan” or HBO’s “Watchmen”, have received prestigious accolades. Comic book brands are no longer “for kids” or “for geeks” – everyone knows these stories and characters, including their mother, father and brother. Once upon a time everyone knew that Superman was the super strong guy, now everyone has an opinion on where they stand in the Captain America vs Iron Man conflict in “Civil War”. There is something for everyone in comic book stories, from a bit of good old fashioned fisticuffs, in-depth character conflict, to comedy and teenage high school hijinks. Many of today’s superhero stories are also more diverse and more relatable; everyone is bound to find a type of superhero they can enjoy.

To an extent the appeal of comic book movies also translates to other expressions of fandom. Parts of the “geek” industry have seen growth, from collectable merchandise like Funko POP! action figures (Funko reports growth every year and quarter, with the POP! line specifically most recently seeing growth of 33% in US and Europe in the first quarter of 2021), to events (the San Diego Comic Con attracts upwards of 130 thousand attendees every year). Similarly, one would expect this to translate to comic books – and many in the industry do cite MCU’s success as the reason for the U-turn in the decline in comic sales post-1993 (i.e. when the comic book bubble burst – but that’s a story for another day). In the 2010s, comic book sales in the US alone crossed the $1 billion mark in 2015, and grew to a $1.2 billion peak in 2019. However according to retailers the ‘movie-lover-to-comic-reader’ conversion is difficult, and hasn’t been all that successful. Yes, more people come into stores and give comics a try, but they also stick to content that is as close to the adaptation as possible. The industry has seen boosts and has seen increased sales related directly to trending storylines or characters – but the bottom line is this: we might collectively be comic book movie geeks, but we’re not quite comic book geeks (yet).

Similarly to superheroes, once upon a time interest in anime and manga may have been limited to people known as “otakus” or “weebs”, but in the year 2021 things could not be more different once again. The anime industry is worth over $20 billion today, with overseas markets accounting for half of the Japanese animation industry’s profits according to the Association of Japanese Animations. In 2019 the industry reached an all time high of $24 billion, with the overseas market valued at around $11 billion – a 19% increase on 2018, and almost a fivefold increase from 2009. These numbers include everything from animation itself (TV and film), to music, and merchandise, with the latter alone being worth over $5.2 billion globally. The dollar signs don’t lie – they’re all pointing East. Not only are we geeks, we’re also otakus.

Data from various streaming services further backs up the data on anime’s growth. According to the specialist anime streamer Crunchyroll’s data, a whopping 8 in 10 people today watch anime, and the platform has felt this. During last year’s Festival of Licensing the platform boasted of nine consecutive years of record sales (the site doesn’t just offer anime, but also manga and merchandise), and in February 2021 the site had hit 4 million paying subscribers, alongside over 100 million registered users, having grown its paid memberships by 33% in the space of just six months. In December 2020 news emerged regarding a possible monumental merger worth almost $1.2 billion in which Crunchyroll would be acquired by another anime giant: Sony’s Funimation. The deal is still up in the air, but if the deal goes through, it will lead to the creation of a veritable anime giant.

Anime isn’t just something found on niche platforms however; regular mainstream players recognise the power of anime too. In 2020 Netflix reported that more than 100 million households across the globe had watched at least one anime title on the platform between January and September, an increase by 50% from the year before, and that anime titles had appeared in top 10 lists in nearly 100 countries. The company has a Tokyo-based team dedicated to anime production and is regularly producing new content as well as acquiring new titles. Just as an example, earlier this year they released a well-received two-part Sailor Moon movie “Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Eternal”, and August will see the release of “The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf”, an anime prequel to the live-action fantasy “The Witcher” series based on the Polish hit-books-turned-hit-video-games (now how’s that for layers of geekiness?)

Of course, the best known titles today are still the likes of Pokémon, Naruto, Studio Ghibli movies, but people are broadening their horizons. This exploration does not end with animation – manga sales were at an all time record high in 2020. Based on NPD’s BookScan data, across the 20 top selling adult graphic novels in the US in October 2020, 17 were manga titles. One of the biggest hits of today took the top three spots: My Hero Academia, a shōnen superhero-themed series popular with teenagers. This year an ever hotter commodity is the supernatural series Jujutsu Kaisen, particularly following the release of its anime adaptation; as of May this year it has 50 million copies in circulation, it has had successful brand collaborations including Uniqlo, and has topped the list of Japan’s most lucrative franchises of 2021 so far.

Anime and manga are popular enough in the English-speaking world that an element of fandom never previously accessible to these audiences is finally being opened up to them as well. This summer, for the first time ever, stage adaptations of popular anime will be streamed online with English subtitles for non-Japanese speaking audiences. These musical stage productions, also known as “2.5 dimensional musicals”, are a big part of manga, anime and video game fandom in Japan, but overseas audiences haven’t been able to engage with them officially until now. In August musical adaptations of Naruto, Sailor Moon and My Hero Academia will be streaming as part of a special online theatre event.

Geek culture has undoubtedly morphed and evolved over time, and the 21st century has seen it become – for all intents and purposes – pop culture, with previously “geek” franchises and fandoms becoming your standard, everyday, blockbuster fare. How “geek” evolves from this point on, we are yet to see – but it is definitely here to stay. It has made its place in the media landscape and it is seeping into trends everywhere. Geek franchises have bastions of fans, and they’re primed and ready to discover new titles and brands that align with their tastes. It is official: we have all become geeks (probably without even realising it).

Mattel debuts new He-Man and The Masters of the Universe toys as first Netflix trailer lands

Mattel has lifted the lid on a new collection of toys and action figures inspired by the new animated Netflix series, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, a CGI reinvention of the cult classic series that has been developed for a new generation of fans.

Detailed in a post issued by Mattel’s vice president and global head of action figures, PJ Lewis, the new collection of toys features both classic and never before seen characters, enabling fans of all ages to ‘join the battle to save Eternia.’

The new range takes inspiration from a new CGI animated series, scheduled to land on Netflix this September 16th. Reinvented for today’s audiences, the series will deliver a reimagined storyline and a new stylised take on the world of Eternia.

The first trailer for the new series was dropped earlier this week. Check it out and take a first look below:

The series lands amid a run of recent activity for the Masters of the Universe franchise that most recently made its comeback in the form of the Netflix animated series – Masters of the Universe: Revelation – released this July.

As we continue to reintroduce Masters of the Universe to the world, I am excited to share that on September 16, the sword is being passed to the next generation of fans with the release of the new animated Netflix series He-Man and The Masters of the Universe, a show reinvented for kids today with a reimagined storyline and new stylized take on the world of Eternia,” said Lewis.

“But what’s most exciting to me is we are taking kids’ favourite heroes off the screen and into their hands with the introduction of a slew of amazing toys and action figures inspired by these new series.”

Each articulated figure in the new range comes with an attack feature or projectile, while He-Man and Skeletor can race into action with The Masters of the Universe Vehicle Pack, or engage in head to head battle using the Snake Mountain Throne play-set.

“The options are limitless for even our youngest fans to recreate their favourite Masters of the Universe scenes, and the fun starts October 1st when the new collection becomes available at Walmart,” said Lewis.

Toys R Us is planning a major return to the US in Macy’s shop in shop partnership

Toys R Us is preparing for its latest reincarnation, this time through a major new partnership to launch shop within shop concessions in more than 400 Macy’s stores across the United States.

Revealed earlier this week, Macy’s Inc has teamed up with WHP Global to bring the Macy’s and Toys R Us brands together, delivering an expansive assortment of toys and games both online via macys.com/toysrus as well as in Macy’s more than 400 stores across America.

The shop within shop Toys R Us concept will roll out nationwide in 2022.

“As a Toys”R”Us kid, I could not be more excited to bring this beloved brand that so many of our customers know and love into Macy’s online and to our stores across America,” said Nata Dvir, Macy’s chief merchandising officer.

“Our toy business grew exponentially in the past year, with many families looking to inspire their children’s imagination and create meaningful moments together. Toys”R”Us is a globally recognized leader in children’s toys and our partnership allows Macy’s to significantly expand our footprint in that category, while creating more occasions for customers to shop with us across their lifestyles.”

The Toys”R”Us experience at macys.com/toysrus lets shoppers search for products by age, toy type, character and brand. From perennial favorite toy cars and dolls to STEM-inspired products for creative learners, Macy’s expanded assortment of the most popular items, including products that highlight inclusivity, discovery and learning, will offer something for every parent and child.

Powered by Macy’s, ToysRUs.com will look to serve as the dedicated authority for all things toys and play, with immersive content that aims to connect consumers to the toy offering at macys.com.

Within Toys“R”Us shop-in-shops rolling out to more than 400 Macy’s stores nationwide in 2022, customers will be welcomed by Geoffrey the Giraffe before discovering and playing across dedicated sections by age, interest and category, with interactive experiences, activation centers and iconic elements throughout.

Yehuda Shmidman, chairman and CEO of WHP Global and Toys“R”Us, commented: “Our partnership with Macy’s marks the greatly anticipated return of Toys”R”Us in the USA, and changes the retail landscape by combining two beloved retail brands together for consumers across the nation in a completely innovative way. We’re thrilled to be launching this new partnership together with Macy’s.”

Founded by Charles Lazarus, Toys”R”Us became one of the world’s best loved toy stores and a globally recognised household name in the toy category. Today, Toys”R”Us has a vibrant business that generates more than $2 billion in global retail sales annually through nearly 900 branded global stores outside the US and e-commerce businesses in more than 25 countries.

Toikido talks | “Video game licensing is in the best health of any entertainment platform”

Fresh from welcoming the latest major gaming IP to the fold in the form of the British indie game developer’s multiplayer title, Gang Beasts, there’s a palpable and persistent excitement among the Toikido team right now. This was an outfit that, upon launch last year, promised to turn the toy and licensing sector on its head.

So far, having turned around a successful toy line based on one of the biggest gaming franchises of the past two years, within a record-setting six months (navigating a pandemic and shipping chaos out of China along the way), Toikido’s debut product portfolio for the Among Us IP appears to have done just that.

Straight out of the box, the Among Us toys have been subject to rave reviews online from across the markets, hitting demand in a timely fashion as retailers now begin to reap the benefits of the Toikido model. It’s why expectations are now high for the team’s follow up property, and why excitement levels are even higher; all for a game that is yet to receive an ‘official’ launch.

Licensing.biz catches up with Toikido co-founder, Darran Garnham for a quick run through of all the latest:

There was a lot of excitement around the announcement that Toikido had signed with Among Us – what has the momentum behind the signing been like in the months since – the buzz doesn’t seem to have gone away – what’s been fuelling the excitement?

The team at Innersloth and Duel Wield have managed the programme phenomenally well. Protecting their licensees and not double licensing ensures the products supply and demand is in a great balance to keep momentum. Inbound interest from fans has been incredible and great fun.

What plans have you got in place for the Among Us brand from here and for the rest of the year onwards? What categories will be key for you as you build the brand from here?

Product is just hitting shelves now with toys in market in most countries.  We have moved from contract to shelf in just six months which is amazing.  We could have been even quicker had we not had Covid & the shipping chaos out of China. The reaction from every market has been positive and we have delivered to retail ontime.

The toys will be driving the programme but design on apparel, bedding and puzzles looks really strong. The game itself has had some exciting updates so this allows us to plug into new characters / colours and ship elements.

How do audiences for gaming IP differ to other entertainment, how does it influence the licensing strategy for the brand? How do you tap into the cross-generational audiences?

The gaming community are extremely supportive and invested in the game and products and are very vocal on social media. I love that. I want the fans to tell us what we are doing right, wrong and what products are missing from the range.

Gaming content – compared to entertainment like films – is never static – i.e. subject to updates and new gaming modes etc… To what extent does this influence the licensing programme, what level of creativity or freedom does this bring to the table for you guys?

Thankfully working with digital IP is nothing new to the team at Toikido. We are set up to flex and move fast as game updates drop. We all love what we do and so the WhatsApp / Slack chat over the weekend is as busy as it is during the week.

Can you talk us through the latest gaming IP under the Toikido umbrella? What will this be bringing to the video game licensing space?

We are really proud to have added Boneloaf and the multi-award winning Gang Beasts. This is a crazy, bright character fun filled multiplayer game. I know when my kids are playing as I can hear the shouts and laughter.

We will be working closely with Boneloaf so expect a wide variety of products and some super fun toys. The game is coming to Switch this fall and so it’s great timing building on the current fanbase and expanding with Nintendo. 

 Why is this the right move for you guys, what makes this an ideal partnership and IP for Toikido?

The Boneloaf team share our values. We like working in partnership rather than just feeling like ‘another licensee’, that’s what we have with Innersloth and now with Boneloaf.

 

Is the video game licensing space in good health? What do you think of the state of innovation and creativity in the video game licensing sector? What is Toikido bringing to that space?

I think it’s in the best health of any of the entertainment platforms. I think it’s also setting positive visions of change through the #RaiseTheGame Diversity Pledge – ‘RaiseTheGame is a collaborative and high-impact pledge to improve equality, diversity and inclusion in the games industry – creating cultures where everyone belongs, voices are heard and ideas can thrive.’

It’s exciting to be working with studios to expand their fanbase, work with current fan crop and expand global opportunities for their IP.

What’s the next step for you guys?

We have three of our own IP in development, a Netflix IP launching in fall and an NFT project that I believe is very unique in this exploding space.

We will also announce an exciting strategic investor in the coming months so we not only have fuel for growth but additional IP coming into the business.