Maya the Bee: the new Danone water bottles star

DeAPlaneta Entertainment has closed a licensing deal with Aguas Danone, S.A. for the launch of two Font Vella Kids water bottle collections in Spain and Portugal. The collections are specially designed for children and feature iconic character Maya the Bee.

Both Font Vella collections include two different Maya the Bee products featuring a range of unique character designs from the series for parents and children to collect: four (33 cl) mineral water bottles are designed in the shape of the characters and a further six designs come with the iconic Font Vella Kids sports bottle top to avoid spills. The bottles are already on sale in supermarkets and include fun activities to make drinking water more fun for kids. Making sure children develop healthy drinking habits has always been a priority for Danone, and the brand’s latest formats, including Font Vella Kids and Lanjarón Kids, are especially designed to promote hydration.

DeaPlaneta Entertainment acts as licensing agent for several brands from Studio 100 Media, including Maya the Bee, which represents strong values including respect for the environment, taking care of nature, bio-diversity, freedom and friendship. Maya is one of the best-known IPs for children in Europe, hitting a multi-generational target. Brands continue to rely on her as the perfect ambassador for organic and natural products, and for CSR activities and awareness-raising campaigns that teach children about the importance of saving the bees.

Maya the Bee becomes face of World Bee Day at Germany’s retail and tourism group REWE

The European retail and tourism group, REWE has underlined its commitment to the protection of biodiversity across Germany, including that of bees and insects, by celebrating World Bee Day last week with its brand ambassador, Maya the Bee.

For the past two years, the popular Studio 100 Media character has been the face of much of the retailer’s environmental activity, including its insect protection campaign, tapping into the brand’s ethos in standing for insect protection and sustainability in its own Project Poppy Meadow initiative.

Last week, Maya the Bee took on the role of ambassador for and face of REWE’s World Bee Day celebrations, with POS designed across the retailer’s outlets to broadcast the importance of the annual Bee Day and raising awareness among customers. As well as this, Maya is prominently placed on the retailer’s website, while TV spots on RTL and VOX round off the campaign this year.

Together with 530 farmers throughout Germany and parts of Austria, the German Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU) and the Rhineland Cultural Landscape Foundation, REWE is implementing biodiversity projects such as nesting aids and flowering areas. The company currently operates the largest biodiversity promotion in conventional fruit and vegetable cultivation (in terms of cooperation between retail, nature conservation and farmers).

Like REWE, “Maya the Bee” also cooperates with NABU and acts as an ambassador for its campaign, Insect Summer. At the same time, NABU supports Maya and her friends with its ‘know-how’ on the website www.diebienemaja-bienenschutz.de.

Planeta Junior launches Maya the Bee ice cream across Poland with Cools Group Studio

The European entertainment company, Planeta Junior, has signed a new licensing agreement with Cools Group Studio and Studio 100 to launch Maya the Bee bio ice cream dots across Poland. The deal marks the first time that the ice cream brand has partnered with a character IP.

Available from the end of April this year, the range will deliver a variety of flavours like bubble gum, cream, cotton candy, and vanilla, while being made of natural ingredients and free of colourants or preservatives.

“The adventures of Maya the Bee bring joy to successive generations. I myself perfectly remember the cartoons from my youth. We are very much looking forward to working with Studio 100 and Planeta Junior and I am convinced that together we will create an excellent product,” said Przemyslaw Rogowski, CEO of Cools Group. 

Joachim Knödler, head of licensing at Studio 100 Media, added: “We are thankful for the trust Cools Group places in us and in Maya to be the first ever license signed for their delicious Bio ice cream. We cannot wait for the first warm days and summer to be here, to bring this amazing product to kids and their families.” 

Planeta Junior holds the licensing and broadcasting rights to the Maya the Bee brand in Iberia, Italy, Greece and licensing rights in the CEE as Studio 100 agents. 

With strong values of respect for the environment, care of nature, biodiversity, freedom and friendship, Maya has become the face of a number of bio and natural products as well as social responsibility actions such as the recent Greenpeace campaign #SOSABEJAS, aimed at raising awareness and sensitizing children to the need to save bees. 

Maya the Bee – The Golden Orb trailer lands on YouTube ahead of cinematic release this year

Studio 100 Film has dropped the first international trailer for Maya the Bee – The Golden Orb on its YouTube channel ahead of the cinematic release of the film later this year and into 2021.

Maya the Bee 3 – The Golden Orb is produced by Studio 100 Media, in co-production with the Australian animation company Studio B Animation and in association with Flying Bark Productions. Munich-based Studio 100 Film is the international sales agency for the worldwide rights.

To date the movie has been sold to Australia, the US, Canada, Brazil, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Ex-Yugoslavia, CIS Territories and the Baltics, Turkey, Israel, the United Kingdom and South Korea.

Tracy Lenon, producer at Studio B Animation, said: “The Australian/German co-production of Maya the Bee – The Golden Orb has provided yet another fantastic opportunity to tell a story with our much-loved, empathetic Maya who bravely accepts the challenge to help others despite being faced with some tricky obstacles.

“Maya’s BFF, Willie, truly shines in this adventure to offer an uplifting, funny tale which will have children and their families laughing out loud. The teams in Australia and Germany have worked incredibly hard to ensure that the loyal Maya audience will be inspired with the highest quality animation of which they have come to expect.”

Thorsten Wegener, producer and head of operations at Studio 100 Media, added: “Maya the Bee’s adventures have delighted audiences around the world and this new film will bring old and new characters together in a fun-filled, comedic story which will appeal to younger and older audiences.

“Recent challenges to working life have led to our Australian and German teams staying at home to work remotely while finishing the film. It’s quite extraordinary that all this could be achieved with only a small delay on delivery.”

The first two theatrical features, Maya the Bee – First Flight and Maya the Bee – The Honey Games, have already been sold to more than 130 countries around the globe. Both have been credited as the most successful German animated film according to the international box office in 2015 and 2018, the dates of their respective release.