The Metropolitan Museum of Art unveils new licensing partnerships

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has announced its new licensing partnerships across home décor, fashion accessories, gifting and educational games. Collectible clutch bags by Olympia Le Tan launched in September, while over the coming months, an exciting range of new products will be launched to consumers and the trade.

Inspired by the artworks and stories within its collection, the Met has worked closely with selected partners “who exhibit the highest level of creative development in their respective areas, from home textiles to social expressions”. Licensing partnerships include bedding and home accessories by Ann Gish (launching October 2021), giftable ceramic tabletop items by Ligne Blanche (winter 2021), case furniture by Abner Henry and Lingo educational games (both January 2020, Pura home fragrance, and paper goods and social expressions by Caspari (both spring 2022), and textiles, wallpaper and trim by Scalamandré (autumn 2022).

Six of the partnerships were sourced through the Met’s agency relationship with Beanstalk, the Met’s licensing agency for the US, Canada, EMEA and Japan. The remaining two – Olympia Le Tan and Ligne Blanche – were sourced by WildBrain CPLG.

Products will be available through partners’ distribution channels, and will be highlighted within the Met Store in New York. All proceeds from licensing revenues will support the Museum’s collection, study, conservation and presentation of over 5,000 years of art.

“We are thrilled and honoured to be working with these incredible companies, some of which, such as Scalamandré, have longstanding relations with the museum,” says Lisa Silverman Meyers, Global Head of Licensing and Partnerships for The Metropolitan Museum of Art. “We are so excited to see how they marry the heritage and the unique design sensibilities for which each company is known, to create offerings that are inspired by highlights from the Museum’s permanent collection.”

 

TV games shows The Cube and Lingo land new board game partnerships with John Adams

John Adams has partnered with the independent distributor, All3Media International to bring new board game adaptations of the popular game show television game shows, The Cube and Lingo, to the UK.

A new board game based on The Cube is expected to land on UK shelves by July this year, replacing a previous version that became a top seller when it sold more than 410,000 units. The refreshed game will be accompanied by a new web-based element.

Meanwhile, the show’s iOS and Android app – which has been live for ten years – was also recently updated with a rebranded games pack and push notifications. A US version of the app is also set to launch later this year alongside the broadcast of Warner Media’s new US series, and an Australian version is in development following The Cube’s recent commission by Network 10 and WIN Network.

The Cube challenges players to complete simple tasks within the confines of a perspex cube. Recently rebooted in the UK as The Million Pound Cube, the format has aired in multiple territories since its debut more than ten years ago.

Elsewhere, and currently under development with an expected launch in the UK this summer, Lingo is a board game adaptation of the classic word-play quiz which debuted on ITV last year. Lingo pits teams against each other in a battle to find words to win big cash prizes.

The show has aired for 29 years in France, over 500 episodes have aired in the US, and it has been adapted in 17 territories worldwide. Lingo was originally produced by IDTV.

Jane Sharp, formats executive at All3Media International, said: “We’re looking forward to the arrival of these new ancillary products for The Cube and Lingo, two evergreen game shows that are now firmly established as viewer favourites around the world.

“As the formats continue to go from strength-to-strength globally, arriving in multiple territories this year, having modern and refreshed complementary products ready to be localised will only add to their appeal.”

Simon Pilkington, group managing director at John Adams Leisure Limited, said: “We are well-known for creating best-selling table-top games based on TV game shows, so we are really excited to be working on both Lingo and the new version of The Cube.

“We are confident that both games will become must-have family board games in 2021, full national distribution for both products is already looking very positive.”