Tag Archives: lead

The Point.1888 and EMEA sub-agents sign 48 new deals for CoComelon, Blippi and Morphle

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Brand Licensing specialist The Point.1888 and its sub agents across EMEA have signed a raft of new licensee deals for Moonbug Entertainment’s hit brands Blippi, CoComelon and Morphle.

The new deals come on the back of recent news that Blippi is now available on demand via streaming giants Netflix and HBO Max, with Blippi Wonders joining both platforms this spring, Blippi’s Treehouse launch on Amazon Kids+ last December and the launch of Blippi’s best friend Meekah on YouTube last fall.

Morphle launched on Tiny Pop and has seen huge success with the recent launch of clothing on Character.com and following the Character Options toy release before Christmas.

CoComelon has continued to go from strength to strength, picking up awards for its consumer products programme, having won Pre-School Toy of the Year at the 2021 Toy Industry Awards. CoComelon is also the number-one most-watched kids’ brand on YouTube globally.

Since coming on board, The Point.1888 has sought to leverage Blippi, CoComelon and Morphle’s popularity and develop a successful consumer products programme that enables the brands to become accessible and fun. In partnership with its sub agents, Brand Energy, CLM, El Ocho, ELC, Evolution of Licensing, Ferly, LDI, Lisans, Partner Plus and Spacetoons, the licensing programme is now strongly established across EMEA.

New partners across EMEA include:

  • 8th Wonder for CoComelon chair and heatable warmer
  • Ackermans for CoComelon apparel
  • Albatros for CoComelon publishing and activity books
  • Alligator for Morphle publishing
  • Amscan for Blippi dress up
  • Aykroyds/ TDP for Blippi nightwear
  • Big Balloon for CoComelon publishing
  • Centum for Blippi & CoComelon publishing
  • Character Options for CoComelon & Blippi toy extensions
  • Cijep Jemini for CoComelon furniture & home
  • Clementoni for CoComelon puzzles & games
  • Diakakis for CoComelon BTS
  • Diamant for CoComelon toy extension
  • Eurofun for CoComelon events & character appearances
  • Famosa for CoComelon plush backpack, 3D cushions, and PJ holder
  • Fashion UK for CoComelon, Blippi & Morphle apparel
  • First Kid for CoComelon inflatables
  • GSS- Amendment for CoComelon toy extension for novelties & inflatables
  • Happiness Is Us for CoComelon chocolate eggs
  • Hunter Price for CoComelon fidget toys
  • Igloo Books for CoComelon publishing
  • Immediate for CoComelon publishing
  • Intersource for CoComelon toys
  • Laceys for CoComelon hardlines, softlines, and FMCG
  • Panini for CoComelon publishing
  • Party Centre for CoComelon
  • Phidal for Blippi & CoComelon publishing
  • Prima Toys for CoComelon toys
  • Rainbow Max for CoComelon & Blippi back to school, stationery, and arts & crafts
  • Rainbow Productions for CoComelon character appearances
  • Relkon for CoComelon confectionery
  • RJ Bags for Blippi & Morphle bags
  • Roy Lowe for CoComelon, Blippi, Morphle & Little Baby Bum hosiery
  • Rubies for CoComelon dress up
  • Showagent for CoComelon events and character appearances
  • Signature for Blippi publishing
  • Sinecast for CoComelon events and character appearances
  • Sodico for CoComelon personal care
  • Soluna for CoComelon live events
  • Spactoon event for Blippi events
  • Suncity for CoComelon apparel
  • TeamTex for CoComelon car seats
  • Toy Pro amendment for CoComelon outdoor & home
  • United Essentials for CoComelon apparel
  • Upcoming Minds for CoComelon board games & hardlines – scooters
  • Visage Textiles for CoComelon crafting textiles
  • Whitehouse Leisure for Morphle amusement plush
  • William Lamb for Blippi bags & footwear

Bethan Garton, Chief Commercial Officer at The Point.1888, says: “We’re thrilled to announce our partnership with so many licensees for Blippi, CoComelon and Morphle. With the consistent growth and popularity that the brands have experienced over the past year, this is the perfect time for new products to launch in the market. We’ve worked extremely hard to ensure the brands have the right partners to deliver product that provides as much fun as the brands do.”

Adam Steel, Director Global Agency, Consumer Products at Moonbug Entertainment, adds: “The rapid growth of our licensee portfolio is a reflection of the strength of our great brands and the great work of the team at The Point.1888. We are looking forward to welcoming new high calibre partners to the Moonbug family and continuing the great work in expanding our current product lines and categories.”

Octonauts activity trail set to make waves at SEA LIFE centres

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Silvergate Media and Merlin Entertainments have announced their new activity trail, Octonauts: The Great Gup Rescue, which has just been unveiled at SEA LIFE at Mall of America before beginning its voyage to SEA LIFE centres around the world.

Expanding on its successful global partnership with Merlin, Silvergate’s new interactive activity-based Octonauts trail will allow visitors to embark on a journey with their favourite characters by completing missions and saving the sea creatures. The Great Gup Rescue starts with an underwater storm that has caused major electrical problems leading to all the Gups (the Octonauts’ aquatic vehicles) to break down. Alongside Captain Barnacles and Dashi, preschoolers and their families will experience an activity trail throughout the site where they can help save the day and become a hero in the rescue. 

As a continuation of last year’s successful activity trails that were brought to life at 13 SEA LIFE centres and aquariums across the UK and ANZ, this exciting new adventure will educate and inspire guests about important conservation topics while attracting new visitors to SEA LIFE centres. 

The Great Gup Rescue activity trails launched initially at SEA LIFE at Mall of America on 10 March 2022 before launching at SEA LIFE locations around the world. This latest activity trail joins a strong and expanding portfolio of global live event partnerships from Silvergate and continues to build on their long-standing partnership with Merlin, including the world’s biggest Octonauts attraction at Merlin’s Changfeng Ocean World in Shanghai.

“I’m always looking for exciting experiences for our guests at SEA LIFE at Mall of America, so we are thrilled to have The Great Gup Rescue,” says General Manager Trisha Ruf. “This partnership will spark even more imagination, adventure and wonder with guests at SEA LIFE Aquariums here in Minnesota and around the globe.”

“We are thrilled to be introducing a brand-new Octonauts activity trail at SEA LIFE centres this spring. Children will have the opportunity to become truly immersed in their own Octonauts adventure and as restrictions begin to lift, it’s perfectly timed to meet rising consumer demand for live experiences that deliver on fun and education,” says Lisa Macdonald, SVP Content and Consumer Product Sales at Silvergate Media. “This activation marks the start of a busy year ahead for the brand as we build towards the highly anticipated toy line from Moose Toys and we’re delighted that our latest collaboration with Merlin Entertainments will create real life experiences for families to enjoy.”

5th Charity Film Awards, presented by Smiley Movement – winners revealed

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A powerful and heart-wrenching film by Macmillan Cancer Support featuring staff doing ‘whatever it takes’ to support those living with cancer has scooped the Grand Prix trophy at this year’s Charity Film Awards, presented by Smiley Movement. The film was among a series of winners – including productions from Surfers Against Sewage, Teenage Cancer Trust and Shelter – announced at the Awards ceremony at ODEON Luxe, Leicester Square, with more than 500 guests in attendance.

Celebrating the charities’ use of video, the winners were chosen through a combination of expert judges and public votes. The campaign generated an additional 2.5 million views on these films.

One of the best outcomes from the awards was how Smiley Movement were able to massively increase the visibility of the films across all categories, regardless of whether they were awarded. For example, Teach Happy increased their views more than five times, from about 18k to 60k.

The overall ‘People’s Choice’ Award – which received the most public votes out of all the films entered this year – went to Isha Foundation, for their film ‘Cauvery Calling: A Race To Save A River’.

Other notable winners include Safenet Domestic Abuse and Support Services I’s film ‘Behind Doors’; The Scout Association’s ‘What Made Me’; Shelter’s ‘Fight For Home’; and Surfers Against Sewage’s ‘Thank you Sea’.

More than 450,000 people live-streamed the 5th Charity Film Awards ceremony across Twitter, Facebook, Youtube and on Fundraising Everywhere’s virtual event platform.

The 2022 Award Winners are:

Nicolas Loufrani, CEO of Smiley Movement, says: “Nothing captures hearts and minds like film. These films that won this evening absolutely demonstrate the importance of film for charitable campaigning and are wonderful examples of modern charity communications.

“We had more than 300 charities enter the Awards this year and generated an additional 2.5 million views across all the films. It’s a great achievement for all the charities who made it through as Finalists. Congratulations to all the winning charities.”

You can watch all the films, including the winners at smileymovement.org/awards.

Smiley Movement is a social enterprise, which was set up by Nicolas Loufrani, CEO of The Smiley Company. This is the first year Smiley Movement has run the Charity Film Awards, which provides an easy way for the general public to support the great work carried out by these non-profit causes. By watching, voting, and sharing these films, they have not only helped raise awareness but also learned more about the missions of these charities.

Research by Smiley Movement found 92% of people want to do good in the world, but are unsure how – while 82% would volunteer more if they were better informed about the charity sector, and 40% have volunteered in the past year.

They also found 99% of people believe we can solve more of society’s issues if the public engaged with charities more. To find out more about Smiley Movement and the work it does to support charities, visit smileymovement.org.

5th Charity Film Awards, presented by Smiley Movement – winners revealed

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A powerful and heart-wrenching film by Macmillan Cancer Support featuring staff doing ‘whatever it takes’ to support those living with cancer has scooped the Grand Prix trophy at this year’s Charity Film Awards, presented by Smiley Movement. The film was among a series of winners – including productions from Surfers Against Sewage, Teenage Cancer Trust and Shelter – announced at the Awards ceremony at ODEON Luxe, Leicester Square, with more than 500 guests in attendance.

Celebrating the charities’ use of video, the winners were chosen through a combination of expert judges and public votes. The campaign generated an additional 2.5 million views on these films.

One of the best outcomes from the awards was how Smiley Movement were able to massively increase the visibility of the films across all categories, regardless of whether they were awarded. For example, Teach Happy increased their views more than five times, from about 18k to 60k.

The overall ‘People’s Choice’ Award – which received the most public votes out of all the films entered this year – went to Isha Foundation, for their film ‘Cauvery Calling: A Race To Save A River’.

Other notable winners include Safenet Domestic Abuse and Support Services I’s film ‘Behind Doors’; The Scout Association’s ‘What Made Me’; Shelter’s ‘Fight For Home’; and Surfers Against Sewage’s ‘Thank you Sea’.

More than 450,000 people live-streamed the 5th Charity Film Awards ceremony across Twitter, Facebook, Youtube and on Fundraising Everywhere’s virtual event platform.

The 2022 Award Winners are:

Nicolas Loufrani, CEO of Smiley Movement, says: “Nothing captures hearts and minds like film. These films that won this evening absolutely demonstrate the importance of film for charitable campaigning and are wonderful examples of modern charity communications.

“We had more than 300 charities enter the Awards this year and generated an additional 2.5 million views across all the films. It’s a great achievement for all the charities who made it through as Finalists. Congratulations to all the winning charities.”

You can watch all the films, including the winners at smileymovement.org/awards.

Smiley Movement is a social enterprise, which was set up by Nicolas Loufrani, CEO of The Smiley Company. This is the first year Smiley Movement has run the Charity Film Awards, which provides an easy way for the general public to support the great work carried out by these non-profit causes. By watching, voting, and sharing these films, they have not only helped raise awareness but also learned more about the missions of these charities.

Research by Smiley Movement found 92% of people want to do good in the world, but are unsure how – while 82% would volunteer more if they were better informed about the charity sector, and 40% have volunteered in the past year.

They also found 99% of people believe we can solve more of society’s issues if the public engaged with charities more. To find out more about Smiley Movement and the work it does to support charities, visit smileymovement.org.

Heinz partners with Ebury for cookbook series

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Ebury, an imprint of Penguin Random House, is to publish the first ever official Heinz cookbooks, including gift books for lovers of Ketchup and Baked Beanz.

The licensing partnership will launch with The Heinz Cookbook in May 2022, followed by four iconic ingredient-led gift titles. Elizabeth Bond, Publishing Director for Ebury Partnerships, acquired world rights (excluding North America) from Claire Potter at Metrostar.

Bond says: “This is an exciting opportunity to partner with our best-loved food brands to create iconic gift books, and develop a range of healthy and delicious recipes which will delight every Heinz fan.”

Jojo de Noronha, Kraft Heinz Northern Europe President, adds:“Our products are loved by consumers, and we know that they are already featuring many of our brands in their day-to-day meal recipes. The Heinz Cookbook and Icon titles will offer surprising new recipes to make exciting dishes for every occasion and the creative licence to experiment with their favourite products.”

Claire Potter says: “We received a number of strong proposals for the rights to publish Kraft Heinz books but were impressed by Ebury’s vision for the brands in publishing and passion for the project. We are excited to see where this partnership can go.”

The Heinz Cookbook (5 May 2022) will be a collection of 100 specially commissioned, ingenious and delicious recipes, featuring over 30 of the nation’s favourite products as the star ingredients. It will be followed in late 2022 and 2023 by the first ever official Ketchup, HP Sauce, Beanz and Lea & Perrins books, the perfect gift for every fan.

Prisoners of Geography taps Map Marketing for licensed merchandise

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Independent publisher Elliott & Thompson’s Sunday Times best-selling Prisoners of Geography books by author Tim Marshall continue to engage fans of maps and facts from 6-80 years. With unprecedented and continued global sales success, the franchise is extending into a range of licensed merchandise for launch during 2022.

Map Marketing Ltd is on board to develop a range of printed maps, posters and framed prints in various sizes and gifts featuring the beautiful map illustrations from the Prisoners of Geography illustrated edition.

“Map Marketing lives and breathes everything to do with maps, so Prisoners of Geography was a no-brainer licence acquisition for us,” explains Brian O’Donnell, MD of the Devon-based business. “We absolutely love the detailed but easy to understand map illustrations, which in themselves are beautiful works of art. We’ve seen a huge growth in consumer interest in geography and maps as both educational and beautiful art for home decor in recent years. Prisoners of Geography is a hugely versatile brand and is also perfect for our growing direct-to-schools business Geopacks.”

Maggy Harris from BlueSkye Licensing, which brokered the deal, says: “Extending the franchise is a natural step forward for Tim’s books and we are delighted to welcome Brian and his Map Marketing team into the Prisoners of Geography brand family. We’re seeing a great response from companies responding to increased consumer interest and demand for quality, factual, fun, family brands. The detailed illustrations are perfect for family-focused edutainment merchandise. Watch this space for further 2022 product launches across jigsaws, games, puzzles, gifts and stationery.”

Lorne Forsyth, Chairman of publisher Elliott and Thompson, adds: “Prisoners of Geography has been an astonishing, long-lasting hit in hardback and paperback, providing a gripping exploration of the power of geography to shape humanity’s past, present and future. It is acknowledged as one of the bestselling international geo-politics books of all time.”

Character.com launches Mighty Mike in the UK

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Leading French Animation studio TeamTO and UK Licensing Agency This is Iris have been working together on a number of licensing collaborations for popular international kids’ animated comedy Mighty Mike (78 x 7).

The first of those collaborations to be announced is with leading online character specialists Character.com, with products launched on Monday 21 March. The first lines available to pug-loving consumers will be apparel, nightwear and backpacks, with licensees TDP, Aykroyds and William Lamb.

“We are really excited to be working with This is Iris and to be the first to market with Mighty Mike,” says Karen Hewitt, Co-Founder of Character.com. “We know how popular Mike and his friends are and we hope that this range will let their fans support their favourite canine in style.”

Mighty Mike can currently be seen on screens across the globe, from the US, UK and Australia to France, India and China. Top partner broadcasters include CITV, Cartoon Network, France Televisions, Super RTL, Family Channel Canada, Boing, YLE, and many more.

“We instantly loved this show the minute it was presented to us,” says Sarah Lawrence of This is Iris. “Throughout the last year we’ve heard from licensees and retailers who have been watching Mighty Mike with their children, telling us that it’s the perfect show to bridge the gap between preschool and tween, with families coming together to watch Mike’s humorous attempt to impress Iris, the neighbour’s poodle.

“We’re thrilled to be launching with Character.com. They loved the show and together with our partners have been fantastic in developing the collection during such a challenging time for all involved in manufacturing.

“We have every confidence in this show as further deals are to be announced shortly. Not only is this show funny and packed with character, being non-verbal and built around our love for our pets, especially pugs, means that this show reaches a much wider audience.”

Patricia De Wilde, Director of Marketing and New Business at TeamTO, adds: “We are delighted to be working with This is Iris to make Mighty Mike a household name in the UK. Sarah’s original and creative approach to bringing out Mike’s inherent humour, personality and charm is guaranteed to result in a spectacular licensing range. We can’t wait for UK fans to discover our favourite pet pug!”

For more information see: Mighty Mike – This is Iris and www.TeamTO.com

Licensing International and Spielwarenmesse to launch joint licensing fair

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Spielwarenmesse eG and Licensing International have announced a co-branded event that combines their skillsets to provide the German-speaking region with a licensing event of its own. Licensing-X Germany will offer the licensing sector across Germany, Austria and Switzerland a new platform and will coincide with Insights-X, the established stationery event, from 5 to 7 October 2022 at the Nuremberg Exhibition Centre. 

“With Licensing-X Germany, we are building our portfolio in a market that shows strong growth, that we are very familiar with, and that is active in many different sectors,” says Christian Ulrich, Spokesperson of the Executive Board, about the new launch by Spielwarenmesse eG. According to Licensing International, global sales of licensed goods and services amount to some US$ 293 billion, of which about US$ 11 billion are accounted for by the German market. This diverse spectrum includes product categories such as clothing, toys, fashion accessories, video games, home decoration, foods, footwear, cosmetics, sports and gifts.

Founded in 1985, Licensing International has had an active presence in Germany since 2001 through its LicenseMarket event. “Our primary mission is to grow awareness of the licensing industry worldwide, along with its many benefits,” says Maura J. Regan, President of Licensing International. “Licensing-X Germany will foster growth and expansion in Germany as we continue to align with key practitioners across the licensing community at large.”

Through this new licensing event, Spielwarenmesse eG is expanding its existing partnership with Licensing International. “Our shared objective is to be the leading platform for the licensing business in the German-speaking region,” says Peter Hollo, who is responsible for Licensing International’s activities in Germany.

Licensing-X Germany will build on the success of LicenseMarket and introduce new programming and networking opportunities across categories for the entire licensing industry. New trends in the market, including streaming services and NFTs, will be a focus as the event highlights licensing opportunities on the horizon.

Merlin Entertainments to bring Jumanji brand to life

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Merlin Entertainments, a global leader in location-based entertainment with brands including LEGOLAND, Madame Tussauds and SEA LIFE, has entered into a formal multi-territory exclusivity agreement with Sony Pictures Entertainment to develop and operate attractions, rides, lands, retail outlets and themed hotel rooms based on the studio’s box office hit Jumanji film franchise across Merlin’s Resort Theme Parks and Waterparks in Europe (including the UK) and North America.

The first Jumanji experience to be launched as part of the agreement will be the world’s first Jumanji ride, which will open in April this year at Merlin’s Gardaland Resort in Italy, with a second activation already in development at a different theme park for a 2023 launch.

Merlin is teaming up with Oceaneering and Framestore for the development of the Jumanji ride at Gardaland. The attraction will be called “Jumanji – the Adventure” and will transport guests to the fantastic world of Jumanji, where an exhilarating adventure awaits them: a journey full of pitfalls, surprises and dangers through the wild jungle. The new “Jumanji – the Adventure” attraction will be a dark ride for adventure lovers of all ages, designed to appeal to a wide audience of families, teenagers and young adults. “Jumanji – the Adventure” will open in April 2022, and will be complemented by the simultaneous launch of fully themed Jumanji hotel bedrooms.

The deal supports Merlin’s broader global strategy to engage and work with leading IP and brands across its global estate, with existing successful partnerships including LEGO, Marvel, Peppa Pig and CBeebies. The agreement is also a pivotal step in Sony Pictures’ larger global strategy to grow and expand location-based entertainment by utilising its strong global film and TV brands to create opportunities for audiences around the world to immerse themselves deeper into the studio’s stories.

The collaboration further builds on Merlin’s successful relationship with Sony Pictures Entertainment, which has already seen the previous roll out of two “in-attraction” themed experiences including the Ghostbusters 5D ride at Heide Park in Germany and the Ghostbusters experience at Madame Tussauds New York.

Chief Development Officer for Merlin Entertainments, Mark Fisher, says: “We are excited to be taking our relationship with Sony Pictures Entertainment to the next level with this strategic partnership. Sony are one of the top movie companies on the planet and Jumanji is a multi-billion-dollar brand which has appealed to guests of all ages for over two decades. Our Merlin team are already hard at work developing brilliant creative concepts, which will bring to life the blockbuster-famous Jumanji film across our Theme Parks and Waterparks. We can’t wait to deliver thrilling rides and experiences for guests and film fans alike. The game is certainly on!”

Jeffrey Godsick, EVP of Global Partnerships and Brand Management and Head of Location Based Entertainment at Sony Pictures Entertainment, adds: “Merlin is the ideal company to bring the world of Jumanji to life.  Their commitment to strong storytelling, quality of craftsmanship and fantastic guest experiences ensure that fans of Jumanji will be fully immersed into the worlds of our films and have an unforgettable experience. I am very pleased to expand our relationship with the great team at Merlin.”

Ranked Europe’s top and the world’s second-largest tourist attraction operator, Merlin runs more than 135 tourist attractions in 24 countries across Europe, America, Asia and Oceania.

Following on from the original Robin Williams film in 1995, the adventure continues in the brand-new film Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) and Jumanji: The Next Level (2019), starring Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart and Karen Gillan. The film franchise’s continued success has made it Sony’s biggest wholly owned film franchise of all time. Taking over $2.1bn at the global box office, the Jumanji film franchises are popular with both family and teenage audiences globally.

CoComelon to expand into new territories through WarnerMedia Cartoonito deal

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Moonbug Entertainment has announced an expanded partnership with WarnerMedia, bringing its leading IP, CoComelon, to preschool brand Cartoonito in over 115 countries across EMEA. CoComelon will go live on Cartoonito as the brand continues its rollout throughout 2022.

This marks Moonbug’s first ever multi-territory linear deal, bolstering the beloved kids’ brand’s global accessibility and building on the existing partnership in the UK, where CoComelon launched on Cartoonito in April 2021. The extended partnership will feature the rollout of 170 CoComelon episodes on Cartoonito across the EMEA region, in multiple languages including German, French and Italian.

“This is yet another milestone for Moonbug and CoComelon as we expand not only our reach but our existing partnership with WarnerMedia based on the proven success and demand of the show,” says Nicolas Eglau, Managing Director EMEA and APAC, Moonbug Entertainment. “This expansion signals a further vote of confidence in digital-first content, underscoring its high quality and the trust that Moonbug has built with its globally loved IPs.”

Zia Bales, Lead Acquisitions, Partnerships and Coproductions, Kids EMEA, WarnerMedia adds: “Preschool is such an important focus for us and this deal with Moonbug reaffirms our commitment to building our library of trusted brands for this audience.”

CoComelon is a household name globally, expanding from the digital world to being available on linear channels and platforms in multiple languages. CoComelon models positivity and good behaviour and supports preschoolers’ learning through music. The main characters JJ and his friends and family share their fun everyday adventures exploring and learning through relatable situations and toe-tapping songs.

For more information on Moonbug, visit www.moonbug.com.