YouTube sensation Spy Ninjas set to tour U.S. this autumn

Surge Licensing has signed an agreement with live-tour company Cut & Mustard to bring YouTube sensation Spy Ninjas to over 30 cities across the U.S.  The announcement was made today by Elan Freedman, EVP Surge Licensing, Spy Ninja’s global licensing agent.

Featuring Chad Wild Clay and Vy Qwaint, Spy Ninjas are a team of YouTubers on a mission to save the internet from Project Zorgo, an evil organization of hackers.  With over 40 million YouTube subscribers and over 13 billion views across its YouTube channels, Spy Ninjas is a certifiable YouTube sensation.

With the new Spy Ninjas Live tour, the Spy Ninjas crew will take their detective, martial arts, and hacking skills from the screen to the stage, crisscrossing through many U.S. cities starting this autumn. VIP packages are available and include a pre-show meet and greet with Chad and Vy, exclusive limited-edition merchandise, VIP lanyard, limited-edition photo signed by Chad and Vy, and early access to merchandise stands. Spy Ninjas Live is expected to visit more than 30 U.S. cities beginning with its first leg this October and November, as well as another run in February and March 2023.

In Spy Ninjas Live, the Spy Ninjas have discovered the presence of a Hacker Sleeper cell across North America and must quickly reach major cities to defeat it.  They are taking over local theatres to use as their headquarters and will have access to surveillance and a team of local Ninja associates — the audience — to dismantle the cell.

Spy Ninjas quickly became a YouTube sensation with their serialized narrative-based adventures that are truly engaging and a cool combination of spy adventures, clue solving and high-octane ninja action,” says Surge Licensing’s Freedman. “We are confident that Cut & Mustard will bring their superb creative and production skills to make the Spy Ninja’s Live tour a must-attend event for their legions of fans.”

“We are incredibly excited to visit our millions of fans across the U.S. to deliver a one-of-a-kind entertainment experience,” adds Spy Ninjas’ Chad Wild Clay and Vy Qwaint. “Like our YouTube videos, we’ll combine martial arts, stealth, and detective work to battle the Hackers, all with the help of our local Spy Ninja fans.”

“This action-packed and family-friendly show is the first touring production based on Spy Ninjas’ hit YouTube series and is a great opportunity for fans to see their favourite YouTube stars live on stage,” says Tom Greenwood-Mears, Managing Director at live-tour company Cut & Mustard and Executive Producer of the tour. “At the same time, this dynamic show will offer many young Spy Ninjas fans and their families their first-ever live show experience in a theatre as Spy Ninjas continue their mission to save audiences and the internet from the evil Hackers.”

Spy Ninjas is available to view on YouTube and OTT platforms, including Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Roku, Tubi, and Xfinity On-Demand with new formats of Spy Ninjas in development.

Playmates is the master toy partner for Spy Ninjas with a toy line that features in-show spy gadgets, gear, and non-lethal weaponry.  Fans can role play as their favourite heroes (or villains) using the exact same gear, directly seen in the series.  Surge also signed a multi-faceted publishing deal with Scholastic for the U.S. and Canada, with the first books launching in February 2022. Additional licensing partners include Bentex for apparel, and Event Merch for the Official Spy Ninjas Store.

 

Superclub joins forces with Bundesliga to launch new board game

Superclub, the football manager board game, today announced it has partnered with the German football league Bundesliga to launch a new official licensed expansion pack, in a deal facilitated by IMG on behalf of Bundesliga International, subsidiary of the DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga.

Set to launch October 2022, the Bundesliga-branded expansion pack will include licensed player cards depicting players from all 18 Bundesliga teams, and also introduce an entirely new way of playing the game by mixing the Bundesliga players with the beloved Superclub characters in the main game. The game can also be played using only Bundesliga players for the most authentic Bundesliga season experience.

The Bundesliga is easily one of the best football leagues in the world with some of the best world-class players,” says Kjetil Hetlevik Johansen, CEO of Superclub. “Were looking forward to working with Bundesliga and are excited to collaborate on this new product. Superclub has enjoyed an incredible reception from football fans since it was first launched in English in October 2020. The first licensed club expansions followed a year later, and league expansions are a natural next step.”

Audun Egenberg, Creative Manager of Superclub, says: Managers can choose whether they want to play a Bundesliga-only game, or if they want to mix the Bundesliga IP with the original Superclub game. Naturally, the main game is being translated into German, but the Bundesliga expansion pack will also be playable in other languages. We cant wait to share our game with the Bundesliga faithful around the world.”

We are proud to have connected Bundesliga with a partner who has football expertise and the passion to create a game that allows consumers to play football as its meant to be’ and to recreate the amazing Bundesliga atmosphere at home,” says Sven Thierhoff, VP of Licensing at IMG.

IMG will also play an important part of the game development and launch strategy in the months to come.

To find out more about the game, visit www.superclubgame.com.

 

Three new publishing deals for ‘eatertainment’ brand Chefclub

Chefclub, the eatertainment brand, has announced three new publishing deals inspired by its internationally broadcast video content: in France, Chefclub has launched its new Super Veggies illustrated kids’ cookbook; in Germany, Panini Verlags GmbH is launching a one-off, standalone Chefclub Kids magazine; and in Italy, Vallardi Editore is publishing a family cookbook.

Super Veggies is Chefclub’s brand-new cookbook concept designed to help young chefs discover and love vegetables by casting them as superheroes. Much easier to digest than a nutrition lecture, the 25-recipe book illustrates seasonal vegetables in action with their secret weapons: vitamins to become invisible to viruses, calcium for indestructible teeth, and so on.

Marie-Laure Marchand, SVP Global Consumer Products & Business Development, Chefclub, says: “Being a content-driven company, publishing represents one of our core pillars for building a long-lasting brand. We have internally developed more than 25 titles for a family and kids audience, and have sold over 700,000 units so far. We are very happy to partner with renowned partners such as Panini and Vallardi and look forward to encountering the same success in Germany and Italy.”

In Germany, leading publisher Panini is launching a one-off Chefclub Kids magazine as a special edition of the well-established lifestyle magazine LandKind. An initial run of 55,000 copies was launched in kiosks starting this spring. In the 60-page magazine, the Chefclub Friends entertain young cooks with lots of fun activities and games that allow them to discover ten Chefclub Kids’ recipes. With 100 million monthly views, Chefclub is an extremely strong brand in Germany, where it won the 2021 Digital Licensing International Award for Best Digital Brand.

Finally, this September Italian publisher Vallardi Editore will launch Cucina da Leccarsi i Baffi (“Mouthwatering Cuisine”), a richly illustrated book featuring 100 recipes, including appetisers, main courses and desserts, all based on the popular video-recipes conceived, produced and distributed by Chefclub on social media.

Marcella Meciani, Editorial Director of Vallardi Editore, says: “​We are very happy to collaborate with Chefclub, a dynamic, original and innovative company, to bring cooking enjoyment to every Italian family. The book will feature Chefclub’s most popular video recipes which are ideal for kids, parents and grandparents to cook together.”

The publishing agreements follow a number of strategic moves by Chefclub into streaming, FAST and linear platforms. In April, the brand partnered with Pluto TV in the US, Latin America, Spain and the UK to stream 100 hours of eatertainment content in both English and Spanish; in December 2021 it launched a standalone FAST channel in France and Switzerland with Samsung TV, and a first animated series starring the popular Chefclub Kids animated mascots is in development.

Since its launch in 2016 Chefclub has become the No.1 cooking brand in the world on social media, winning three Licensing International Awards for Best Digital Brand in France (2021, 2019) and Germany (2021).

Teletubbies celebrate Pride with ellesse and GoGuy fashion collab

WildBrain, a global leader in kids’ and family entertainment, has teamed up with Italian sports and lifestyle brand ellesse and festival and streetwear clothing brand GoGuy for a limited-edition Teletubbies adult fashion collection to celebrate Pride 2022.

The gender-fluid collection launched on Friday, 24 June and encompasses five colourful trend stories, reflective of each Teletubby character, and a hero sticker print. The deal with ellesse was brokered by WildBrain’s dedicated licensing agency, WildBrain CPLG.

The launch of the Teletubbies x ellesse x GoGuy range will be celebrated by an influencer launch event in Manchester, UK, social media activity and featured appearances at Pride in London. The collection was designed by GoGuy’s founder and director, Sophie Guy, who leads an all-female team of four creatives.

The five trend stories featured in the collaboration are:

  • A Tinky Winky purple range inspired by ellesse’s tennis heritage, with pleated skirt and crop-top combination.
  • A Dipsy range that nods to the Teletubbies’ roots and Dipsy’s favorite hat, with a bold green and monochrome graphic cow print on cargo pants, bucket hat and cropped vest.
  • Laa-Laa’s iconic sunshine yellow is encapsulated in the ‘Big Love’ dress, a celebration of all love and unity.
  • Po’s red range is in recognition of GoGuy’s festival roots, with crop top and co-ord tracksuit featuring the signature ellesse jet strip detail.
  • The fifth part of the collection is a bold and vibrant print, which includes all elements of the collaboration—a mash-up of Teletubbies’ imagery as well as GoGuy and ellesse logos are emblazoned across a shirt, shorts, head scarf and fan.

The collaboration is part of WildBrain’s year-long celebrations to mark the 25th anniversary of the Teletubbies, with activity encompassing fashion, art and music, all reflecting the unique brand DNA of unexpected joy, childhood development and diversity, while engaging fans both young and young-at-heart.

Melissa Goodrich, Director of Brand Management at WildBrain, says: “The Teletubbies are recognised around the world as icons of inclusivity, togetherness and acceptance, so we’re hugely excited to once again be embracing Pride and celebrating with fans in true Teletubbies style. Ellesse and GoGuy have done an amazing job at capturing the joy and ‘love who you are’ spirit of the Teletubbies and creating a range that is on-trend while brimming with fun and playfulness. We can’t wait to see fans wearing this ‘tubbytastic’ collection during Pride celebrations and beyond.”

Head of Marketing for ellesse UK, Jennie Bianco, adds: “The idea of a collaboration between ellesse and Teletubbies actually began as an April Fools’ prank a few years ago, but we ended up having such a high demand from ellesse customers that we decided to make it happen. We have also been keen to team up with GoGuy for a while, and to all work together on something to celebrate Pride 2022 has been so exciting. As they are celebrating their twenty-fifth anniversary this year, the Teletubbies are working their way back into our hearts and now our wardrobes!”

“Pride is something I have always been passionate about, as I am a proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community,” says GoGuy’s Sophie Guy. “The collection is gender fluid and has been designed with everyone in mind. I believe if you love it, you should wear it no matter what the gender! Teaming up with my favorite major sportswear brand and my childhood icons has not disappointed, and I’m sure you will feel the same after seeing the collection. Do dreams come true? YES, THEY DO!”

The collection is now available to purchase at www.goguyclothing.com.

Hey Duggee live show to tour UK

Hit children’s show Hey Duggee is to tour the UK for the first time ever in a vibrant and interactive stage show.

The smash hit CBeebies series is brought to life through innovative puppetry and storytelling in Hey Duggee The Live Theatre Show, which will tour across the UK from December through to summer 2023.

Visiting 24 theatres, Hey Duggee The Live Theatre Show includes a four-week run at Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall (London) from December 14.

Tickets go on sale at 10am on Friday July 1 (regional theatres) and at 10am Monday July 4 (London) from www.ticketmaster.co.uk and direct from theatres.

Since bursting onto TV screens in 2014, Hey Duggee, a BBC and Studio AKA creation, has won no fewer than six BAFTAs and is an international Emmy award-winning hit. It was the most streamed children’s show on BBC iPlayer in 2021.

Hey Duggee The Live Theatre Show is presented by award-winning theatre producer Kenny Wax and theatre and live entertainment promoters Cuffe and Taylor in association with Live Nation.

Kenny Wax says: “We are so thrilled to be working with Live Nation, Cuffe & Taylor, Studio AKA and BBC Studios to create a brand new stage show with lots of surprises touring the country with a sit-down month in London over Christmas. I can’t wait.”

Ben Hatton, director of theatre touring for Cuffe and Taylor, adds: “This is an incredibly exciting tour. Hey Duggee is quite simply a phenomenon and has taken the world of children’s entertainment by storm.

“We are delighted to be working with Kenny and his team at Kenny Wax Family Entertainment, as well as all the extended Hey Duggee family at Studio AKA and BBC Studios. We look forward to Duggee and his friends filling theatres around the UK.”

For more information go to www.heyduggee.com

HEY DUGGEE THE LIVE THEATRE SHOW TOUR DATES

Sat 3 – Sat 10 Dec Southampton, MAST Mayflower Studios
Wed 14 December – Sun 8 Jan London, Southbank Centre Royal Festival Hall
Thu 12 – Sun 15 Jan Bradford, St George’s Hall
Fri 20 – Sun 22 Jan Darlington, Hippodrome
Fri 27 – Sun 29 Jan Edinburgh, Festival Theatre
Thu 2  – Sat 4 Feb Liverpool, Empire Theatre
Tue 7 – Wed 8 Feb Brighton, Theatre Royal
Fri 10 – Sat 11 Feb Plymouth, Theatre Royal
Tue 14  – Wed 15 Feb Peterborough, New Theatre
Sat 18  – Sun 19 Feb Canterbury, The Marlowe
Tue 21 – Wed 22 Feb Cheltenham, Everyman Theatre
Sat 25 – Sun 26 Feb Poole, Lighthouse Theatre
Fri 10  – Sun 12 Mar Stoke, Regent Theatre
Thu 16 – Sat 18 Mar Sheffield, Lyceum Theatre
Fri 24 – Sun 26 Mar Salford, The Lowry
Mon 3 – Tue 4 Apr Ipswich, Regent Theatre
Fri 7 – Sat 8 Apr Cardiff, Wales Millennium Centre
Mon 10 – Wed 12 Apr Birmingham, Town Hall
Fri 14 – Sat 15 Apr Leicester, Curve
Thu 20 – Sat 22 Apr Bath, The Forum
Mon 1 – Sat 6 May Nottingham, Theatre Royal
Sat 13 – Sun 14 May Southend, Cliffs Pavilion
Thu 25 – Sat 27 May Glasgow, Kings Theatre
Tue 30 May – Sat 4 Jun Kingston-Upon-Thames, Rose Theatre

 

Miffy pops up at Westfield London this summer

Miffy’s first UK food pop-up launches this summer at Westfield White City, when Dick Bruna’s classic character takes over Ichiba, Europe’s largest food hall, on 11 July (until 30 September 2022).

This summer’s take-over of Ichiba aims to delight Miffy’s broad audience – from families with young children to adult design fans, Westfield shoppers, London tourists and Instragrammers looking for the latest foodie vibe.

Located in Westfield’s new extension on the lower ground floor, Ichiba will deck out its 17,400 sq ft of dining and retail space with Miffy’s familiar form, including eye-catching window vinyls, brightly coloured POS and backdrops, plus a giant 2m high Miffy lamp (the perfect prop for selfie-lovers).

For the in-store dining experience, Ichiba’s chefs will serve up Miffy-shaped buns filled with red bean paste, carrot-shaped buns filled with matcha custard, matcha buttercream Miffy cookies, plus a range of Miffy-inspired lattes.

An exclusive Japan Centre x Miffy tote bag will be available in-store at Ichiba and online at japancentre.com, plus other Miffy merchandise including on-the-go coffee mugs, plush, books, interior gifts and cooking utensils. Bunny-shaped baking pans and cookie cutters will be available to purchase so visitors can recreate the Ichiba x Miffy cookies at home.

Highlight PR, which brokered the 12-week pop up, is supporting the activation with an extensive marketing campaign, including a giant display unit filled with Miffy plush located in Westfield’s parenting area (part of a #FindMiffy social challenge to drive footfall to Ichiba), a paid influencer partnership with Great British Bake Off finalist Kim-Joy, plus a day of free family activities in-store on Saturday 23 July, comprising origami craft activities and a costume appearance.

Marja Kerkhof, MD of Mercis bv, which manages Miffy creator Dick Bruna’s worldwide copyrights, says: “Despite her Dutch roots, there is nevertheless a great synergy between Miffy and Japanese culture. This promotion with Ichiba will give the brand fantastic exposure in the UK within a luxury retail environment. It is also perfect timing ahead of the Year of the Rabbit in 2023.”

Genius Brands and Wolfgang Puck team for new kids’ IP

World-renowned chef and restauranteur Wolfgang Puck is expanding his global empire by partnering with Genius Brands International to create an all-new children’s brand, Wolfgang Puck’s Secret Chef Academy, for the worldwide marketplace.

Wolfgang Puck’s Secret Chef Academy will feature an animated adventure series (52 x 11 episodes) with Puck voicing his own character. Creatively collaborating with Puck, Genius Brands is also developing a global licensing, merchandising, promotions and retail programme that will feature themed subscription boxes containing fun recipes from all different types of cuisine for kids to create; a line of branded merchandise for children in categories including publishing, cooking tools, apparel and home goods; a new private food label for kids; a dedicated YouTube channel featuring short-form content; a dedicated website and social media channels, and more.

Wolfgang Puck’s Secret Chef Academy is at its core a celebration of food and culture around the world, and an exploration of how we are all connected through our shared love of eating a delicious meal,” says Wolfgang Puck. “I am extremely passionate about and committed to teaching kids and parents about nutrition and the value of cooking meals with healthy ingredients. Equally important is helping reinforce their understanding of how food goes from farm to table and touching on issues near and dear to my heart such as the elimination of global hunger. Our goal is to deliver these increasingly important messages in an easy to understand and entertaining manner. I look forward to working with my friend Andy Heyward and the Genius Brands team to fulfill a lifelong dream of reaching kids through my life’s work.”

“I have had the privilege of knowing Wolfgang for many years and have been fortunate enough to experience his culinary magic from the beginning,” says Genius Brands Chairman & CEO Andy Heyward. “I have always wanted to collaborate with him on a children’s project. His level of skill, passion, creativity and commitment is truly unparalleled. Our goal for Wolfgang Puck’s Secret Chef Academy is to create an atmosphere of ‘James Bond meets Julia Child’, with a state of the art kitchen and supersonic gadgets, all while highlighting the importance of health, nutrition and sustainability through our storylines and characters’ journeys. We are creating a one-of-a-kind immersive experience through entertainment and merchandise for worldwide distribution.”

Genius Brands Chief Brand Officer Kerry Phelan adds: “Wolfgang Puck’s Secret Chef Academy is inspired by Wolfgang’s global brand recognition, and it is incredibly important to us that we create a brand that honours his vision of delivering an experience that celebrates cuisine around the globe and teaches kids to respect and be inspired by different cultures. We truly believe the next generation will fall in love with food, friendship and family and will learn that there is nothing better than a shared meal to bring people together.”

About Wolfgang Puck’s Secret Chef Academy

World famous chef Wolfgang Puck has a lot on his plate. Besides running an international culinary empire, he is on a mission to create the greatest recipe book of all time, the quintessential cookbook of the most delectable dishes ever prepared on Planet Earth – Wolfgang Puck’s Global Guide to Gastronomy!

Wolfgang has enlisted the help of five talented kid chefs, “Wolf’s Gang,” who attend the famous “4-S”, his Secret Spago School of Scrumptious, in the basement of his flagship restaurant. Wolf sends them on missions around the world to procure iconic recipes that represent the culture and soul of the places they visit.

But each trip quickly becomes a madcap adventure when Wolfgang’s longtime rival, Foxgang Muck, sabotages them at every turn. Wolf’s Gang must outsmart “the Fox”, secure the recipe and key ingredient, and get back to Spago in time for dinner service.

 

Peppa Pig fronts World Oceans Day campaign

This summer, Hasbro’s Peppa Pig is making waves with a major retail and brand marketing initiative to mark United Nations World Oceans Day, which launched on 8 June. The initiative brings together high-profile ecological, educational and retail partners – including Cleaner Seas Project, Twinkl and George at Asda – to help encourage young families to learn all about our oceans and what they can do to help protect them for future generations.

Educational publisher Twinkl has created free Peppa Pig educational activities and resources to help raise awareness throughout primary schools, early years providers and families at home about the little steps people can take to make a big difference to our seas. Tackling the issue from the shore itself, Cleaner Seas Project has started its mission to complete a total of 11 beach and river cleans, with schools invited to join events across the UK throughout June.

Retail partner George at Asda is building on the success of last year’s Plant with Peppa environmental education initiative with an exclusive range of clothing and homeware featuring ocean-themed designs sourced with more sustainable materials such as Better Cotton and in some products up to 83% recycled materials. The collection is now available in 435 UK Asda stores and displayed alongside dedicated World Oceans Day POS featuring key product and a QR code directing consumers to the Twinkl resources. Utilising its extensive store footprint, George at Asda’s World Oceans Day range includes boys’ and girls’ clothing, footwear and accessories, with prices starting from £4.50.

Cat O’Brien, Retail Director Europe and Asia at Hasbro, says: “We are thrilled to be working with George again on this Peppa Pig World Oceans Day campaign. At Hasbro, everything we do is centered in our purpose: making the world a better place for all children, fans, and families. In October 2021, we launched our first Peppa Pig purpose-driven campaign all about educating young families around the importance of helping our planet by planting trees. We are excited to embark on the next campaign, which aims to help children learn more about our oceans and what we can do to help reduce litter reaching our shores.”

Supporting the campaign and boosting awareness of the initiative amongst families is celebrity ambassador and mum of three, Vogue Williams, who took to the shore of the River Thames armed with a host of young litter pickers from a local nursery to undertake the brand’s very first Peppa Pig shore clean-up under the guidance of Cleaner Seas Project. Vogue also took part in a media press junket and photoshoot to help spread the word of the initiative across national media on World Oceans Day to motivate young families to get involved.

Avril Greenaway, CMO, Cleaner Seas Project, adds: “It’s no secret that Peppa Pig and her friends are heroes to preschoolers across the UK, so we were absolutely thrilled to work with her and Twinkl to provide guidance on the eco-educational activities and resources as well as carry out the all-important beach and river cleans for this campaign. Our goal is to drive positive change, no matter how big or small, so by working collaboratively with Peppa and Twinkl to help kids take their first steps towards being more environmentally aware has been fantastic. We think this collaboration will be hugely successful and, partnered with Twinkl’s wealth of resources, we think it will provide families with a simple and fun way to get involved to support the cause.”

Jade Snart, Sustainability and Compliance Expert at George, says: We are very proud to have partnered with Peppa Pig again, this time to help celebrate World Oceans Day, raising awareness of cleaner oceans and a more sustainable planet. A number of the products within the George range have a sustainable element to them as here at George were committed to doing the right thing by our customers and the planet.

 

PAC-MAN and Eastpak partner for travel collection

For the first time, dot-munching, cherry-picking cultural phenomenon PAC-MAN and his fellow maze-dwellers BLINKY, INKY, PINKY and CLYDE have teamed up with yet another icon that went global in the 1980s: Eastpak.

 

The PAC-MAN x Eastpak collection is a playful and colourful range of travel and lifestyle accessories, in three colourways and six styles. The collection comprises the famous Eastpak Padded Pak’r backpack, Springer bum bag, Tranverz S luggage, Out of Office daypack and Benchmark pencil case, and also includes a newly created PAC-MAN Pouch that comes in the shape of the ghosts who pursue PAC-MAN through every level of the world-famous video game.

As an added feature, each item in the PAC-MAN x Eastpak collection comes with a special jacquard keychain embroidered with the iconic phrase: “Game Over”.

The PAC-MAN x Eastpak collection is available now from Eastpak.com.

The Great British Teddy Bear Company comes to PUBG MOBILE

PUBG MOBILE, one of the world’s most popular mobile games, has launched a partnership with soft toy brand and global IP owner The Great British Teddy Bear Company.

Established in England in 2002, The Great British Teddy Bear Company has developed an international reputation for producing teddy bears that celebrate iconic aspects of British culture and tradition. Now, players of the popular battle-royale game will now be able to get their hands on a specially designed PUBG MOBILE-themed GB Teddy Bear alongside a selection of The Great British Teddy Bear Company’s iconic British characters, including Robin Hood Teddy Bear and Sherlock Holmes Teddy Bear, as in-game buddies.

Alongside the new buddies, players will be able to access new and exclusive GB Teddy Bear items, from a GB Teddy Bear Set and GB Teddy Bear Cover to a GB Teddy Bear Ornament and GB Teddy Bear Parachute.

In a special event running until 22 July, players can obtain cotton by completing tasks to make various GB Teddy Bears and unlock exclusive in-game rewards.

PUBG MOBILE is available to download for free on the App Store and Google Play Store.