WildBrain CPLG and cycle brand Milltag launch Twin Peaks capsule collection

WildBrain CPLG has secured a deal with the London-based cyclewear brand Milltag for a new capsule collection celebrating the 30th anniversary of the original TV series, Twin Peaks.

Brokered by WildBrain CPLG on behalf of ViacomCBS Consumer Products, the Twin Peaks x Milltag collection features a full range of cycle clothing, including a jersey, shorts, mitts, snood and cap, and will be available for a limited time in the UK this summer.

The range combines cutting-edge garment technology, high-performance fabrics and a slim fit. The collection’s earthy green and brown tone colourway is inspired by the natural surroundings depicted in Twin Peaks, and is adorned with the logos of iconic local businesses from the series including Double R diner, and the Packard Sawmill.

Laura Quinn, category manager UK at WildBrain CPLG, said: “Twin Peaks has an avid and highly engaged following thanks to its bold, original and genre-bending approach which remains influential to this day. With the show now celebrating its 30th anniversary, we’re very excited to be collaborating with Milltag and translating the brand into a dynamic and high-quality cyclewear range, which we’re sure will be a huge hit with fans across the UK.”

Ed Cowburn, owner at Milltag, added: “Milltag’s favourite projects are ones that hold emotions for people. Whether it be producing products based around someone’s favourite film, album, band or in this case, television show. We like to think that these products mean more to people than a regular off the rack design. Hopefully that means they’ll treasure and look after them, leading to a more sustainable model of consumption as clothing is worn to the very end of its usage cycle.

“We’re incredibly proud of this project as fans of the show. The chance to add to the rich world created by Mark Frost and David Lynch in 1990 is a dream come true and we like to think we’ve designed something true to the essence of Twin Peaks.”

 Created by Mark Frost and David Lynch, Twin Peaks debuted on ABC in April 1990 with an original two seasons and has become one of the most iconic television shows of all time.

In 2017, a third season of Twin Peaks launched on Sky Atlantic. Set in a sleepy Washington town which is rocked by the murder of a young girl, Twin Peaks explores crime, loss, grief and life in small-town America.

Mad Beauty partners with Warner Bros Consumer Products for Friends, DC, and Looney Tunes lines

The UK bath, body, and cosmetics specialist Mad Beauty has detailed a new partnership with Warner Bros Consumer Products to develop a collection inspired by its iconic brands Friends, DC, and Looney Tunes. The new deal and subsequent collection will bolster the firm’s plans for growth across the UK and US.

The partnership marks another milestone for Mad Beauty who has cited ‘extraordinary growth’ over the last two years in home markets. Already 2020 has seen announcements including international extensions of existing brand licenses, the launch of Mad Beauty USA, and establishing new warehouse and fulfilment support.

The first collaboration coming out of the new partnership with Warner Bros. Consumer Products will be a collection inspired by the hit television series Friends. The assortment will launch into market from AW20, consisting of Eyeshadow Palette, Lip Glosses, Make-up Brushes, Face Masks, Shower hats, and more.

“We see ourselves as a beauty company that makes gifts rather than a gift company that makes beauty products and we believe that combining our experience in producing high quality beauty, bath and body ranges with some of Warner Bros’ most iconic characters is a winning formula that retailers will enjoy offering and fans will love,” said Mad Beauty’s managing director, Trevor Cash.

“We’re excited to partner with Mad Beauty on this wonderful new collection. This collaboration provides a great opportunity for fans to celebrate their favourite characters and incorporate them into their daily lives, said Rachel Wakley, general manager UK & Ireland, Warner Bros. Consumer Products.

 

The Point. 1888 names Becky Langer its new senior commercial manager

The Point. 1888 has expanded its commercial team with the appointment of Becky Langer to the role of senior commercial manager. Langer joins from Hasbro where she held the position of retail development manager.

With 14 years of licensing experience at high profile companies, such as Warner Bros, HIT Entertainment, and Character World, Langer’s appointment has been described as a significant one for The Point. 1888.

Under her new role, Langer will report into the head of retail and softlines, Hannah Stevens, who was last week awarded Licensing International’s prestigious Rising Star Award. She was the only representative for the UK and European licensing community.

It’s notable that The Point.1888 has found itself to be resilient to the effects of the pandemic, something the company has attributed to its retail-first approach and brand-manufacturer pairing process. In some cases it has delivered increases in sales for clients’ products over the last few months.

Hannah Stevens said: “More so than ever, in the current climate, our team is working with amazing speed and enthusiasm on identifying strategic partnerships with retailers and licensees to drive the company’s growth plans, and fill gaps for our brands. We have to continue to innovate and deliver brands that are reflective of trend, but also have the longevity to inspire the customer to repeat buy year on year. It’s a tall order and the reason why we’re growing our team at this time.

“Becky brings a huge wealth of knowledge and expertise from her licensing career to this Innovative and forward thinking team.  Her tenacity, positivity and creativity make her a fantastic fit not just for my team, but for the agency as a whole and I’m so excited about the possibilities that lie ahead.”

Langer added: “Having been in the industry for 14 years, I’ve watched The Point.1888 emerge and establish itself as an industry leader in record time. It’s clear why when you see the capability of the team and the business model they’ve adopted. It’s also incredibly refreshing to be part of an organisation that operates with such integrity and kindness, not only in business but also in how they treat their team.

“The portfolio is full of exciting, beautiful and diverse brands so there really is something for everyone without being limited to certain genres or demographics.  I cannot wait.”

Established in 2014, The Point.1888 delivers retail focused brand extension programmes by creating new products based on the gaps it sees at retail, rather than what it thinks the brand’s target demographic might like. This supports a higher chance of retailer buy-in and a better sales performance.

 

Sanrio celebrates 45 years of My Melody with new digital and ecommerce campaign

Sanrio has launched a new digital and ecommerce campaign to celebrate the 45th anniversary of one of its oldest and best-loved characters, My Melody, this summer. The celebration follows hot on the heels of Hello Kitty’s 45th anniversary last year.

My Melody was created in 1975 as the depiction of an honest and good-natured girl, always recognised by the treasured hood her Grandma made her. Like Hello Kitty, My Melody has become an icon of friendship and kawaii style, whose long ears are said to be antennas of friendship that can tell if someone is happy or sad.

On July 27th this year, Sanrio will kickstart two weeks of online celebrations with an array of My Melody content, alongside  a new My Melody Instagram filter on the @hellokittyeu Instagram. Fans will need to follow the handle to see and use the filter.

An Instagram prize draw will also be held from July 27th to August 3rd. Prizes are a selection from the exclusive My Melody 45th Anniversary collection available on ShopSanrio.com and a My Melody accessories bundle, courtesy of Artbox UK.

My Melody isn’t afraid of colour and neither are the macro-influencers involved in the campaign. Sophie Hannah (pictured) and Ling.KT will be giving their followers My Melody styling and make-up tips.

Kids can also get involved in the fun. Downloadable paper dolls to mix and match outfits for My Melody will be available for free at Sanrio Europe.

 

Peppa Pig supports Team GB at Tokyo Olympics in new campaign as children’s ambassador

Hasbro has detailed a new collaboration with Team GB in the UK that will see Peppa Pig join the British Olympic team as a special children’s ambassador to get kids excited for the summer Olympics in Tokyo. The event has been rescheduled from 2020 to 2021, a move that was forced by the world’s lockdown measures.

Big Inspiration for Little Piggies is a new campaign designed to get the nation’s kids moving and into the spirit of the Olympics – set to be one of the most watched sporting events of the year next year – by cheering on their favourite national athletes.

The campaign will be underpinned by a roster of live events, retail activations, digital content, and bespoke merchandise.

“With a year to go until the Olympics there couldn’t be a better time to inspire young kids and their families to get active,” said Hasbro’s Marianne James, VP EMEA consumer products. “Our Big Inspiration for Little Piggies campaign is a great opportunity to tap into the enormous interest surrounding the Olympics to both support the Team GB athletes and nurture a lifelong love of sports in the younger generation that will leave a lasting legacy.”

Partners are already lining up to produce exclusive new consumer products across categories including toys, apparel and accessories, stationery, home gifting and publishing.

The campaign will span multiple touchpoints with a brand-new bespoke style guide featuring innovative new designs that put Peppa and all her friends right into the action with unique sporting outfits and active wear to inspire a range of Team GB licensed merchandise for children, placing the preschool brand in good company with Team GB’s official mascot, Pride The Lion.

New branded content is also being developed across digital channels that will harness the popularity of Peppa Pig and Team GB by encouraging children and families to take advantage of the global sporting event and promote an active, healthy lifestyle.

Throughout summer 2021, Hasbro will be readying a packed calendar of interactive marketing activities that will see Peppa Pig model her very own Team GB kit at various events across the country, sports-related meet-and-greets, experiential displays, retail activations and fun competitions hosted at multiple locations.

The collaboration will kick off with a digital presence in Team GB’s inspired community campaign I Am Team GB from 23rd – 30th July to capitalise on the should-have-been Olympic buzz, and get kids enthusiastic about getting active with Peppa Pig.

WildBrain Spark is bringing Teletubbies and In the Night Garden to AR through ANIPEN partnership

WildBrain Spark, the digital media division of WildBrain, is making its first foray into augmented reality by teaming up with the South Korean AR specialist ANIPEN to bring characters from Teletubbies, In the Night Garden and Boy & Dragon to the medium.

Under the new partnership, the popular children’s characters, including a cast of those from the original WildBrain Spark  show Boy & Dragon, will be brought to life through ANIPEN’s AR technology made available within the company’s AnibeaR app.

Through the app, users will be able to create short videos which will incorporate the characters in real-world scenes shot on their phones. These videos can then be shared via social media. The project is currently in development and the characters are due to launch on AnibeaR in Korea, Japan, China, Southeast Asia, and Australia later this year.

Jon Gisby, managing director of WildBrain Spark, said: “This is a ground-breaking project for WildBrain Spark as we use immersive technology to allow kids and families to create their own stories with our globally recognised characters.

“We are excited about the possibilities of AR and look forward to bringing our favourite characters to life through ANIPEN’s unrivalled technology.”

Jaewoong Jeon, CEO of ANIPEN, added: “We are committed to bringing next-generation augmented reality content that provides bold new experiences for users, such as interactive AR technology that combines our technical expertise with the family characters audiences know and love.

“With a portfolio of popular and internationally successful brands such as Teletubbies, In the Night Garden and Boy & Dragon, we’re very excited to be teaming up with WildBrain Spark and to take their characters into the world of AR.”

Based in South Korea, ANIPEN Inc. is an augmented reality startup that was founded in 2013 and developed an interactive augmented reality content-authoring engine to help global companies at home and abroad in technology and content. The AnibeaR app was developed and serviced in-house at ANIPEN and was also selected as the Best of AR in Google Play in 2019.

ZAG to premiere two new Miraculous animated films on Disney Channel and Disney+

Disney Channel and the studio’s own streaming platform Disney+ have acquired the global rights to two new Miraculous animated TV movies, set to air this autumn and spring 2021. The two new feature films will take the cast of Miraculous – Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir on their first overseas adventures, the first to New York City, the second to Shanghai.

The launch is the result of a partnership between the independent animation studio ZAG and the European animation leader ON Kids & Family. The two companies are also currently in production on a $60 million budget animated Miraculous feature to be released globally in autumn 2021 or early 2022.

The two animated TV movies, Miraculous World – New York -United HeroeZ and Miraculous World – Shanghai – Lady Dragon, will be available on Disney Channel and Disney+ who have acquired global rights except for Brazil and China. It will then roll out across France’s TF1 for the second window.

Brazil’s Gloob (Grupo Globo), Canada’s Family Channel & Télé-Québec and UK’s POP have acquired respective territory rights.  Created by ZAG and produced by ZAG and ON kids & family (Mediawan Group), the 3D-CGI-animated TV movies are directed by Thomas Astruc.

“With our two new movies, we’re expanding the world of Miraculous like never before as Ladybug and Cat Noir explore New York and Shanghai, and meet new superheroes as they take on treacherous villains far away from their home city of Paris,” commented Jeremy Zag, founder and CEO of ZAG.

“We thank all of our fans for their continued love for Ladybug and Cat Noir, and our tremendous partners, and we can’t wait to share this whole world of new amazing hero characters with everyone.”

Aton Soumache, president and co-founder of On Kids & Family, added: “We are fortunate to be the producers of an extraordinary franchise, that has grown forcefully over time, with phenomenal success and which crosses frontiers. It is now time to extend “The Miraculous World” and today we are taking our universe to a decisive stage in its evolution. The legend will now expand all over the world.”

Miraculous has garnered over 16 billion views on YouTube (authorized and of user-generated content) and has seen over 150 million products sold during the past three years. Miraculous is the winner of thirteen awards, including the 2018 Teen Choice Award for Choice Animated Series, and airs in over 120 countries across the globe.

Dr Seuss makes first move into digital collectables with blockchain pioneers Dapper Labs

Dr Seuss Enterprises is taking on the digital collectables market thanks to a new partnership with Dapper Labs, the company behind the world’s first blockchain game, CryptoKitties. It’s the latest move in a mission to bring blockchain to mainstream consumers through licensing.

Featuring some of Dr Seuss’ most iconic and popular characters, including Cat in the Hat, The Lorax, Horton and Thing One and Thing Two, the web-based experience will enable fans of Dr. Seuss’s vast universe the ability to collect digital packs of their favourite characters, and own them on blockchain forever.

The new experience is designed to strike a balance of nostalgia and discovery in a new digital format. To access, fans simply visit drseuss.onflow.org and begin assembling digital decals to organize into collections. As they amass these collections, they will be given the opportunity to discover and unlock exclusive content that they can use to publicly post.

“As the world moves increasingly online, so has consumers’ desire for discovering and collecting digital memorabilia that brings them one step closer to their favourite athletes, musicians and iconic characters,” said Roham Gharegozlou, CEO and founder of Dapper Labs.

“With our new Dr. Seuss digital decal experience, we are marrying the best of both worlds – allowing fans to interact and discover something entirely new, while tapping into our collective nostalgia for the characters that mean so much from our childhood. We are thrilled to be working alongside Dr. Seuss Enterprises to launch this first of its kind endeavour that is bound to bring joy to Dr. Seuss fans around the globe.”

Unlike typical collectibles, the decal experience is designed to live on forever in a digital space. Because of the true ownership provided by blockchain technology, fans will be able to treat their digital collections as one of a kind assets that can be passed down from parent to child, or among friends for generations to come.

“Dr. Seuss fans are some of the most passionate fans in the world,” said Susan Brandt, president of Dr. Seuss Enterprises. “By partnering with a company like Dapper Labs, a true trailblazer in the blockchain space, we will be able to offer our fans something entirely new. Digital collectibles will allow Dr. Seuss fans to revisit and revel in their favourite characters in an entirely new way.”

Experiential production outfit Gamepath will mark UK launch with immersive Monopoly deal

Gamepath, a new company dedicated to developing and staging experiential and live gameplay productions in partnership with leading global entertainment brands has launched into the UK. The new outfit will make its UK debut with the launch of an immersive Monopoly experience in collaboration with Hasbro.

Further details of inaugural projects will be revealed in the coming months, but will include partnerships with other major and iconic titles across the gaming and cinematic genres.

Gamepath comes in under the umbrella of H&R Entertainment, the parent company of Selladoor Worldwide theatrical production company. Gamepath’s work will encapsulate the best of escape rooms – a booming global industry – combined with immersive theatrical magic, and innovative translations of much-loved titles in Covid-secure venues in London and beyond.

With the gaming industry in the UK projected to be worth an estimated £23bn by 2023, and the global tabletop board games market projected to be worth more than $12bn by the same year, and with over 10,000 escape rooms in existence worldwide, Gamepath will look to bring new audiences for live entertainment from the growing gaming sector and with a unique fusion of theatrical storytelling, thrilling gameplay and global brands.

Led by head of development Julia Posen, who came to the company from Walker Books and previously BBC Worldwide, the company comprises associate producer Paul Mansfield, development producer Tom Beynon, and is headed up by CEO David Hutchinson and CFO Philip Rowntree.

Hutchinson said: “We’re delighted to launch our new company, Gamepath, dedicated to developing and producing experiential productions in partnership with leading global brands. The gaming sector is a huge industry, and by working alongside household brands developing them into innovative, dynamic live gaming experiences – we’re hoping we can bring a whole host of new audiences to live performance who want to consume entertainment in a different way.”

Posen added: “We’re excited to be working with the leading industry players like Hasbro. For each project we work on, we always seek to ensure the creative heart is worthy of the brand name its based upon. It’s a responsibility taking such iconic properties into a live arena and making sure the experience really delivers something special to our audiences. Our projects will have genuine creative purpose and storytelling that honours all that has gone before.”

H&R Entertainment Ltd is made up of Selladoor Worldwide, I Am Marketing, Desk Tidy Design, and now Gamepath.

Bulldog Licensing signed as European licensing agent for Rolling Stone

Bulldog Licensing has been appointed as the European licensing agent for the iconic music, entertainment, and politics media brand, Rolling Stone. Established for 50 years, Rolling Stone spans print, digital, social and events, and is now looking to leverage its brand, develop products and reach its extensive audience in new ways.

In the US, the Rolling Stone licensing programme is already underway with brand owners, Penske Media Corporation already working with licensees including Anheuser-Busch’s brewery Elysian Brewing for a Rolling Stone Lager, publishing deals with Alfred Publishing, Sellers Publishing, and Meredith, puzzles and games from Spin Master, and location based experiences including the Rock Room on Holland America Line ships and the Rolling Stone Bar & Grill at LAX airport.

Rolling Stone has a monthly footprint of 42 million people across its platforms, who access the brand for its photography, insightful reviews, in-depth interviews and award-winning journalism.

Across social media, Rolling Stone has 5 million Facebook fans, 4.5 million Instagram followers and 6.3 million Twitter followers worldwide. The UK is one of the strongest audiences and provides over 1 million unique users and 6.8 million page views each month to the rollingstone.com website.

Across Continental Europe, the brand enjoys a huge footprint with local editions in Italy, Germany and France reaching millions of people every month.

Discussions are already well underway with licensees across a diverse area of products with announcements expected very soon.

Kevin LaBonge, VP global partnerships and licensing at Penske Media Corporation, said: “We’re delighted to be working with the team at Bulldog Licensing as we expand Rolling Stone into new formats. Rolling Stone is a hugely iconic brand around the globe with millions of touchpoints every month in Europe alone.

“With Bulldog’s rich history of delivering large scale licensing programmes for iconic media properties we are excited to tap into their experience and energy to grow the Rolling Stone brand even further.”

Rob Corney, MD of Bulldog Licensing, added: “Rolling Stone is a true icon in the music, entertainment and politics industry and has a huge, dedicated audience. We’re thrilled to have them on our roster and are looking forward to building a consumer products programme across the diverse core classic and vivid culture graphic collections.”