Braille Skateboarding launches its first skate shoe with R&R Footwear

YouTube’s leading skateboarding channel, Braille Skateboarding, has partnered with R&R Footwear to launch a new skate shoe, marking yet another brand extension for the brand that has made its move on the lifestyle and toy licensing sectors in recent months.

In a deal brokered by Semaphore Licensing Solutions, Braille Skateboarding has been working closely with R&R to develop a skate shoe that will offer skaters comfort, support, quality, and style. The shoe’s footbed has been developed to provide the wearer with a level of comfort and support while allowing them to maintain a good level of board feel.

Available in three classic color ways, black with a white sole, black with a honey sole, and grey with a white sole, the collection (available in adult men’s sizes only) will be rolled out to the US and UK in early summer. Braille Skateboarding founder, Aaron Kyro will be autographing the shoe boxes of the first 1,000 pre-orders.

“This footwear launch symbolizes Aaron’s devotion to developing the best products for skateboarders of all experience levels. As a hobby turned official Olympic Sport, skateboarding as a category has rolled into the spotlight. We couldn’t be more excited for both Aaron and Braille as we help execute their mission to get the entire world skateboarding,” said Michael Bienstock, founder and CEO, Semaphore Licensing Solutions.

Nick Smith, head of sales and marketing, R&R Footwear, added: “R&R Footwear develops and manufactures high-quality footwear for a range of global brands. Braille’s commitment to design, develop and deliver a high-performing skate shoe has been equivalent to what we see from professional footwear teams from around the World and we’re delighted to see Braille’s dreams of creating their own range of skate shoes become a reality.

“The future looks incredible bright for Braille Skateboarding and we’re proud to be a part of their journey.”

Space Invaders lands Floris Van Bommel spring/summer footwear collaboration

WildBrain CPLG has secured a new partnership with the premium Dutch footwear brand, Floris Van Bommel to launch a spring/summer capsule collection inspired by the arcade game, Space Invaders.

Not content with taking over the arcade scene of the ’80s, the brand’s newest partnership will see it collaborate on three different pairs of adult trainers, each featuring the game’s recognisable colours of black, white, and green.

The designs in the Floris Van Bommel tie-up will feature Invader graphics and figurines.

The range launches in the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg this month at Floris Van Bommel’s stores and website, as well as at local department stores. The trainers will be available for men and women and priced at €219,95.

Matt Tobia, senior sales manager at WildBrain CPLG Benelux, said: “We’re seeing significant growth in the popularity of retro gaming brands, with fans being drawn to iconic designs and nostalgic appeal. Floris Van Bommel has done a fantastic job at translating Space Invaders’ iconic futuristic design into a sleek, fresh and on-trend sneaker for the modern consumer.”

Space Invaders is one of the most iconic arcade games of all time and features a simple gameplay where the player uses a laser canon that moves from left to right to defeat alien “Invaders”. The game’s futuristic design is considered one of the most iconic pop culture images of the ’70s and ’80s.

The deal was brokered by WildBrain CPLG’s Benelux team on behalf of Square Enix.

Care Bears adult licensing roster continues to grow as Somerbond lands ladies’ nightwear

CloudCo’s heritage children’s animation, Care Bears is continuing to expand its licensing portfolio thanks to a new partnership with the ladies’ nightwear specialist, Somerbond.

The partnership is the latest in a recent flurry of licensing activity and licensees secured by the property’s European licensing agency, Bulldog Licensing. The brand has experienced strong sales across its adult offering recently, following collaborations with Dolls Kill, Irregular Choice, Tikiboo, and Bershka.

Bulldog licensing continues to roll out a cross-category programme for the much-loved brand, featuring apparel, accessories and home. 

Meanwhile, the children’s programme is underpinned by strong ratings for the Care Bears Unlock the Magic show, airing on Pop. This content will soon be bolstered by new music videos being released by digital partner, Moonbug.

The new licensees join a robust licensing programme, including a newly launched range from Master Toy partner, Basic Fun, which has seen a strong launch in the UK, along with a number of other best in class licensees including Dennicci, Bioworld and Park Agencies.

Rob Corney, MD, Bulldog Licensing, said: “Care Bears may be nearly 40 years old, but it remains as popular as ever among generations of fans. The original fans are still embracing the brand and we’re looking forward to adding new lines with these two new partners to expand the offering for them.”

Laura Ashley fashions new partnership with Graham & Brown for official wallpaper, murals and paints

Laura Ashley has entered into a new partnership with the UK wallpaper and paint manufacturer, Graham & Brown for the launch of an official paint, wallpaper, and murals collection from this spring.

The new line has been developed at Graham & Brown’s Blackburn HQ and will be sold through its distribution on over 75 countries as well as its divisions in the UK, North America, France, Holland, and China.

Alan Kemp, head of brand marketing at Graham & Brown, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Laura Ashley and launching the collaboration in our 75th anniversary year. Both brands are synonymous with design authority and high-quality production values, as well as sharing a strong British heritage.

“We look forward to growing the relationship and supplying the Laura Ashley customer with a wonderful selection of wallpaper, paints, murals, and wall art.”

Poppy Marshall-Lawton, head of brand and partnerships at Laura Ashley, added: “It is so exciting to be able to relaunch the wallpaper and paint collection with Graham & Brown. The partnership combines Laura Ashley’s rich design heritage with Graham & Brown’s expert manufacturing.

“Graham & Brown produce truly wonderful products and we cannot wait to showcase some of our fabulous new murals and exciting new designs inspired from our archive, alongside some of our best-selling wallpaper prints. We are thrilled that this partnership means we are working with a family run brand that has established roots of manufacturing in the UK. We know our customers, old and new will be as delighted as we are with our new home range.”

Laura Ashley Home will be available in selected NEXT stores nationwide and via both lauraashley.com and next.co.uk from Spring 2021.

Thermos warms up for new kids range with Rachel Ellen

Thermos, the 117 year old brand known for keeping drinks and soups hot while on the go, is expanding its presence in the children’s space with a new range developed in partnership with the award-winning greeting card and stationery designer, Rachel Ellen.

Forged by Rachel Ellen’s licensing agent, The Point. 1888, the partnership will see the Rachel Ellen brand apply its designs to Thermos’ popular children’s products, including insulated bottles, food containers, and lunch bags.

This deal marks the first partnership that The Point.1888 has secured for Rachel Ellen since starting with the brand in late 2020. Having developed an in-depth retail and category strategy aligned to Rachel Ellen’s brand vision, The Point.1888 embarked on a search for licensee partners who would make a good fit, produce high quality products and also wouldn’t conflict with the brand’s own award-winning ranges.

It is hoped the partnership will bring a lot of benefits to both partners: strengthening the affiliation Rachel Ellen’s fans have with the brand and also helping Thermos to develop its kids range in the UK.

Janine Richmond, senior commercial manager for Home at The Point.1888, said: “Thermos was one of the first contacts we presented to Rachel Ellen. Having first met the Thermos team when I joined The Point.1888 in 2018, I understood which licenses were most likely to appeal and so could envisage a Rachel Ellen range being a fantastic addition to its collection.

“We know there is demand from Rachel Ellen’s existing customer base for kids lunch products and with the conversations with retailers already in full swing, we can see a great opportunity to broaden the offering and open new doors.”

Rachel Church, the creator and lead designer for Rachel Ellen, added: “Thermos is such an iconic brand, and its products are fantastic quality, so useful and we feel it’s perfect for our demographic. Seeing my designs on new products is always exciting, especially on great products and ones that I would buy myself. The initial concepts are looking vibrant and colourful and I can’t wait to see the finished product.

“I’m also so grateful to The Point.1888 for making it happen. It has been very refreshing and uplifting to start working with them – they are all so positive, informative and thorough which is wonderful, and it’s nice to feel valued.”

James Sheldon, trading manager for Thermos UK, said: “We are delighted to be working with Rachel Ellen. We were looking for opportunities to expand our kids range and instantly saw the synergies between the two brands. The designs are colourful, fun and exciting and we’re really looking forward to seeing them on our products.

“ThePoint.1888 saw the potential in linking Thermos UK and Rachel Ellen together and have been fantastic to work with, enabling the development of the relationship and making the entire process seamless.”

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. 

WildBrain CPLG expands its Emoji EMEA remit with UK, Eire and more

Emoji – The Iconic Brand, has tapped WildBrain CPLG to expand its representation across EMEA, starting this month by building on its already established partnership and adding the UK and Eire, Germany, Austria, Benelux, and Turkey to its remit.

The new five-year deal will see WildBrain CPLG represent the brand on behalf of the emoji company GmbH across key consumer products categories as it builds merchandise offerings for kids, teens, and adults.

Within existing markets, WildBrain CPLG Middle East has secured a new partnership with leading Kuwaiti sports and high-street fashion retailer, Al Nasser, for an emoji brand apparel range targeting girls and women, and in a previously announced deal, high-end retailer RIVA is gearing up to launch its first emoji® fashion collection for teens and women next month.

Since the beginning of its representation of the emoji brand in 2018, WildBrain CPLG has brokered over 100 deals for the brand.

Maarten Weck, EVP and managing director at WildBrain CPLG, said: “The internationally recognisable emoji brand has huge appeal to a vast array of licensees and retailers. Building on our successful partnership with the emoji company, we have now significantly extended our relationship to represent the popular brand in new key markets, which offer strong potential for further growth and future innovation.

“Together with the emoji company, we are committed to celebrating the brand’s fun and creative spirit in new product ranges for consumers of all ages.”

Marco Hüsges, CEO and founder of Emoji Company, added: “The power of emoji truly lies in the brand’s diversity and universal appeal, which means there are simply no limits when it comes to developing consumer products.

“With WildBrain CPLG, we have already brought consumers in EMEA some amazing merchandise collections, and we know that with their local expertise and synergistic approach, they are ideally placed to handle these key new markets. This is just the beginning of emoji’s consumer products journey and we look forward to seeing the brand catapulted to even greater heights across the region.”

MDL brings Italian fashion brand Premoli + Di Bella into the pets market

Maurizio Distefano Licensing, the licensing manager for the fashion brand Premoli + Di Bella, has detailed the launch of a new retail collection Premoli + Di Bella Pet Design, produced under a licensing agreement with Ferribiella Spa.

Available in Italy’s leading pet stores since late 2020, the first collection from Premoli + Di Bella Pet Design launches with an ‘Iconic’ theme, underlining the creativity of Giovanni Premoli and Dario Di Bella. The range includes velvet beds for dogs and cats, soft blankets for home pet use, raincoat ponchos, gym-style suits and more.

Several other releases are on the way, each one offering a specific new theme created by the two young designers whose bold creativity has seen them dubbed ‘the Stylists of the Third Millennium’.

All will bring together products that aim to combine the innovative and the functional for their target audience of animals and their owners. 

Automotive brand Peugeot eyes brand extension into toys, lifestyle, sports, and more

The global automotive brand, Peugeot, has outlined its ambitious intentions to launch into the toy sector, having appointed Licensing Matters Global to roll-out a brand extension programme through licensing partnerships.

The London-based global licensing agency has detailed its new, long-term partnership with the Parisian company, Peugeot Industrie, a Peugeot Family Group subsidiary in charge of the expansion of the Peugeot brand into various consumer product sectors.

Under the agreement, LMG will aim to drive the Peugeot brand into toy aisles through new licensing partnerships.

“We are looking forward to working with LMG to expand our global consumer product offering,” said Christian Peugeot, CEO, Peugeot Frères Industrie. “Gifted with 210 years of entrepreneurial spirit, Peugeot constantly enriches its expertise to create objects and experiences that facilitate everyday life. We believe LMG is the right partner to tailor a program that will instill the Peugeot DNA in new product verticals.”

Michael Kwan, CEO of LMG, added: “We’re honoured to be given the opportunity to support Peugeot Frères Industrie’s ambition.”

“Throughout its history, Peugeot’s inventions – ranging from ground-breaking saw blades to first automobiles, via stylish table mills and robust DIY equipment – have embodied relentless technical ingenuity, timeless elegance and a family spirit,” added Felipe Noriega, vice president EMEA, LMG. “We are eager to help expand the legacy of this world-famous brand, through licensing, into objects and experiences that deliver those core brand attributes to consumers.”

LMG are currently seeking partner licensees in selected product across the toy sector, as well as consumer product categories such as Toys, Garden Power Tools, Camping Equipment, Major Electric Appliances, Sports Equipment, Travel Accessories and Fashion, among others.

Playboy Enterprises expands global consumer products business into India with Jay Jay Iconic Brands

Playboy Enterprises is expanding its global consumer products business to India thanks to a new partnership with Jay Jay Iconic Brands, a leading Indian fashion and lifestyle company. Through the partnership, Playboy will unleash its lifestyle category offerings in the market.

Playboy now enjoys a portfolio of consumer product brand extensions across more than 180 countries around the world.

“With Playboy’s proven track record as a leading fashion and lifestyle brand in China, Japan, Korea and  Taiwan, we are confident that expansion into India to meet the young Indian consumers’ demand for streetwear fashion is the best next step in the evolution of our international roadmap,” said Ben Kohn, CEO of Playboy Enterprises.

“We are enthusiastic about our partnership with Jay Jay Iconic Brands, who  has demonstrated its ability to create exceptional shopping experiences for leading global brands.” 

The Playboy international portfolio has been flourishing for over 25 years in several South Asian markets such as China and Japan. In particular, it has strategically targeted the Millennial and Gen-Z audiences across categories such as apparel, footwear, home textiles, eyewear and watches.  

The Playboy and Jay Jay partnership was brokered by Ashish Saxena of MDR Brand Management. Both teams are working closely to identify other exciting extension opportunities in key lifestyle categories including beauty and grooming, food and beverage and sexual wellness.  

Dr. Rohit Malhotra, CEO of Jay Jay Iconic Brands, said: “Playboy is an amazing brand, rich in heritage and unique assets such as the Rabbit Head logo. The Indian market today is dominated by consumers under the age of 35, who represent more than 65 per cent of the country’s total population and are driving India’s significant online shopping growth.

“The Playboy brand’s core values of playfulness and exploration resonate strongly with the expressed desires of today’s younger millennial consumers. For us, Playboy was the perfect fit.”  

Playboy demonstrates a clear vision to be the leading purveyor of consumer lifestyle product offerings worldwide. The Playboy brand currently holds retail operations (approximately 3000 POS) across online and offline channels, while seeing a continuously high purchasing demand across younger customers.

The first collection of Playboy casual fashion, footwear and accessories are expected to launch in India in mid 2021 on select e-commerce platforms, followed by brick and mortar retail expansion in 2022 across top  cities such as New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore, producing a true multichannel experience.