General Mills and SEGA of America team up for Sonic’s birthday

General Mills and SEGA of America have teamed up to celebrate Sonic the Hedgehog and the release of his new film – Sonic the Hedgehog 2 – on April 8, 2022, with a special-edition line of cereal and fruit snacks.

Fans can collect gold rings just like the Blue Blur with a new honey-flavoured, ring-shaped cereal, complete with Chaos Emerald and Spin Dash marshmallows, as well as a fun back-of-the-box activity for a speedy way to start the day. The partnership also includes new Sonic the Hedgehog fruit snacks, which come in a variety of shapes and flavours for speedsters on the go.

“Our goal is to create holistic brand experiences for our consumers, and we’re so excited to be able to join SEGA to extend the ways that families can engage with the beloved Sonic the Hedgehog this spring,” says Katie Wong, Head of Ideas & Partnerships for General Mills. “By bringing Sonic into the cereal and fruit snacks aisles, we’re able to bring together favourites of both kids and parents alike.”

“General Mills is one of the foremost brands in the food industry, especially when it comes to youth-focused products, so we’re thrilled to partner up with them,” says Michael Cisneros, Senior Manager of Licensing at SEGA of America. “This partnership is a really fun and creative way to integrate some iconic aspects of the Sonic games into a whole new product line, and we’re excited to introduce it to Sonic fans.”

Character World tucks in with Swizzels for bedding, blankets, and more

Character World is helping kids tuck in to the confectionery specialist Swizzels Matlow with a new range of bedding, blankets, towels and more based on some of its most popular brands.

In a deal brokered by Blonde Sheep Licensing, the initial range is due to online this year with a focus on the Love Hearts brand, with further lines to be added throughout the year.

Swizzels is the largest independent British owned manufacturer of sugar confectionery in the UK and is still run by members of the families who founded the business back in 1928. The company makes a range of well-known products including Love Hearts, Squashies, Refreshers, Drumstick Lollies, Rainbow Drops, Double Lollies and Fruity Pops.

Tim Kilby, eCommerce and brand director at Charter World, said: “Character World is delighted to be working with Swizzles. We are looking forward to bringing Love Hearts to life in homes throughout the UK later this year.”

Natasha Dyson, managing director at Blonde Sheep Licensing, added: “It’s fantastic to have Character World on board for the bedding category. The Swizzels brands have broad appeal and their bright colours paired with Character World’s retail network will add cheer to bedrooms all over the UK.”

Blonde Sheep Licensing continues to investigate other opportunities for Swizzels in categories including jewellery, toys and social greetings. 

Chefclub partners with Tefal to launch limited edition Roi de la Raclette

The leading French digital cooking brand, Chefclub has struck up a partnership with the kitchen brand, Tefal to launch the limited edition Roi de la Raclette, or to give it its English title, the Raclette King.

With the on-set of the winter months, those dark mornings and evenings usher in a whole new reason to get out of bed, the raclette season is now upon us, a time of year when food needs to be covered with thick, melted cheese, just to make the rest of the day seem worthwhile.

Now, through a union of culinary expertise, Chefclub and Tefal have joined forces to tap directly into the raclette market with the launch of Roi de la Raclette, a limited edition raclette and grill machine, along with a card game designed to liven up the evening and crown the Raclette King, to Chefclub’s digital audience.

Renowned for its videos of innovative recipes that continue to tantalize the tastebuds of some 90 millions food fans each month, Chefclub is helping its follows to rediscover the warmth of this ‘indulgent season’.

“Winter is approaching, families are together every night, and the world’s sporadic lockdowns continue,” read a statement from Chefclub. “So what could be more convivial than raclette? Well, raclette with a card game. Rediscover this warm and indulgent season, because fun with Le Roi de la Raclette is going to be so Gouda.”

Kraft Heinz moves into the family gaming space with Big G Creative partnership

Kraft Heinz has found another means of getting itself all over your dining table thanks to a new partnership with the US games publisher, Big G Creative, that delivers the company’s globally renowned food brands to the board gaming sector.

Under the new deal, Big G Creative has launched the new Kraft Heinz Variety Game Pack – a three-in-one set of games inspired by Heinz food brands Heinz Ketchup, Jell-O Gelatin, and Kraft Macaroni Cheese.

Big G Creative’s new Kraft Heinz Variety Game Pack includes three family-friendly games that bring beloved pantry essentials to life: the Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Game has players roll the dice to play matching noodle cards and push the Cheesasaurus Rex piece up the Noodle Meter, the Jell-O Jiggler Slap Game is a quick thinking, hand-slapping game, and the Heinz Ketchup Dice Game has players rolling dice and collect as much ketchup as possible to score 57 points.

“For most families, more time at home means getting extra creative with day-to-day routines and seeking out fun experiences in between,” said Steven Anne, creative director at Big G Creative. “Kraft Heinz has always brought a playfulness to the dinner table, and now we’re thrilled to bring that same spirit to family game night.”

The fun with food starts from the moment families open the pack, as each game is packaged like the original food favorite. For example, the Heinz Ketchup Dice Game comes in a bottle just like the classic condiment, which also acts as a dice-rolling cup.

All three games are designed with inclusive play in mind. The games are easy to learn, fun to play, and only take about 20 minutes. Plus, the games accommodate families of all sizes, allowing two or more players aged eight years and older to go head to head.

Big G Creative’s Kraft Heinz Variety Game Pack is now available exclusively at Target stores.