Tag Archives: Nick Jr

Nickelodeon UK partners with The Luna Cinema for immersive kids’ event

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Nickelodeon UK has partnered with the market’s leading producer of open-air cinema events, The Luna Cinema, for the launch of The Nickelodeon Experience. The brand-new fully immersive experience, which builds upon a successful five-year collaboration with Comedy Central for its award-winning FriendsFest, will launch in spring 2022, before subsequently touring the UK and Ireland.

With two distinct areas, the Nick Jr. Experience and the Nickelodeon Studio Tour, The Nickelodeon Experience will include multi-sensory interactive zones where guests can step into the world of their favourite Nickelodeon TV shows, taking immersive kids’ events to a whole new level.

The Nick Jr. Experience will cater to the under-sevens, transporting young PAW Patrol fans to Adventure Bay, where they will meet Chase and Marshall, before going on their own mission to discover a PAW Patrol soft play zone. The Nick Jr. Experience will also include an arts and crafts station, a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles underground lair, complete with a tunnel maze as well as a water zone inspired by the world of Nick Jr.’s latest animation success Santiago of the Seas,where fans will be able to climb aboard a pirate ship and participate in water play including magnetic fishing and boat races.

For children aged seven and over, The Nickelodeon Studio Tour will be a unique opportunity to go behind the scenes of some of Nickelodeon’s most popular shows. The tour will begin at The Thundermans’ ‘School for Superheroes’, where Nickelodeon star Kira Kosarin will provide lessons on how to acquire superpowers, before entering Henry Danger’s ‘Cave’ in which visitors will have to navigate through a maze full of hidden secrets. Afterwards, children will then have to work together as a team to crack the code and find the key to get out of the Hunter Street ‘Escape Room’. Finally, guests will experience for themselves the showbiz life of a Nickelodeon star by walking up the famous orange carpets before joining the after-party and enjoying Nickelodeon’s iconic ‘slime time’.

Alongside the Nick Jr. Experience and the Nickelodeon Studio Tour, children and their parents will be able to lounge at SpongeBob SquarePants’ ‘Bikini Bottom Beach’ while enjoying food and drinks from themed stalls and visiting the Nickelodeon store. Bespoke activation areas and sponsorship opportunities will be made available to brand partners, both directly and via VCNI’s UK Saleshouse Sky Media.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with The Luna Cinema to bring our hugely popular Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. shows to life through this uniquely immersive experience,” says Virginia Monaghan, VP, Events and Experiences, ViacomCBS UK. “This is a chance for children to make new memories with friends, in a safe and fun setting, and with their favourite characters.”

George Wood, Managing Director, The Luna Cinema adds: “For a number of years, we’ve wanted to develop a truly interactive experience that allowed kids to immerse themselves in the worlds of their favourite TV shows, just as we do with Friends’fans at FriendsFest and film lovers with our Luna Cinema screenings. To have such an iconic catalogue of shows, including global brands like PAW Patrol and SpongeBob SquarePants, under the Nickelodeon umbrella is a treasure trove of content to explore and bring to life.”

Tickets for The Nickelodeon Experience will go on sale in November and fans can sign up to the presale here to secure their preferred time slot.

 

 

Nickelodeon UK partners with The Luna Cinema for immersive kids’ event

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Nickelodeon UK has partnered with the market’s leading producer of open-air cinema events, The Luna Cinema, for the launch of The Nickelodeon Experience. The brand-new fully immersive experience, which builds upon a successful five-year collaboration with Comedy Central for its award-winning FriendsFest, will launch in spring 2022, before subsequently touring the UK and Ireland.

With two distinct areas, the Nick Jr. Experience and the Nickelodeon Studio Tour, The Nickelodeon Experience will include multi-sensory interactive zones where guests can step into the world of their favourite Nickelodeon TV shows, taking immersive kids’ events to a whole new level.

The Nick Jr. Experience will cater to the under-sevens, transporting young PAW Patrol fans to Adventure Bay, where they will meet Chase and Marshall, before going on their own mission to discover a PAW Patrol soft play zone. The Nick Jr. Experience will also include an arts and crafts station, a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles underground lair, complete with a tunnel maze as well as a water zone inspired by the world of Nick Jr.’s latest animation success Santiago of the Seas,where fans will be able to climb aboard a pirate ship and participate in water play including magnetic fishing and boat races.

For children aged seven and over, The Nickelodeon Studio Tour will be a unique opportunity to go behind the scenes of some of Nickelodeon’s most popular shows. The tour will begin at The Thundermans’ ‘School for Superheroes’, where Nickelodeon star Kira Kosarin will provide lessons on how to acquire superpowers, before entering Henry Danger’s ‘Cave’ in which visitors will have to navigate through a maze full of hidden secrets. Afterwards, children will then have to work together as a team to crack the code and find the key to get out of the Hunter Street ‘Escape Room’. Finally, guests will experience for themselves the showbiz life of a Nickelodeon star by walking up the famous orange carpets before joining the after-party and enjoying Nickelodeon’s iconic ‘slime time’.

Alongside the Nick Jr. Experience and the Nickelodeon Studio Tour, children and their parents will be able to lounge at SpongeBob SquarePants’ ‘Bikini Bottom Beach’ while enjoying food and drinks from themed stalls and visiting the Nickelodeon store. Bespoke activation areas and sponsorship opportunities will be made available to brand partners, both directly and via VCNI’s UK Saleshouse Sky Media.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with The Luna Cinema to bring our hugely popular Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. shows to life through this uniquely immersive experience,” says Virginia Monaghan, VP, Events and Experiences, ViacomCBS UK. “This is a chance for children to make new memories with friends, in a safe and fun setting, and with their favourite characters.”

George Wood, Managing Director, The Luna Cinema adds: “For a number of years, we’ve wanted to develop a truly interactive experience that allowed kids to immerse themselves in the worlds of their favourite TV shows, just as we do with Friends’fans at FriendsFest and film lovers with our Luna Cinema screenings. To have such an iconic catalogue of shows, including global brands like PAW Patrol and SpongeBob SquarePants, under the Nickelodeon umbrella is a treasure trove of content to explore and bring to life.”

Tickets for The Nickelodeon Experience will go on sale in November and fans can sign up to the presale here to secure their preferred time slot.

 

 

TOMY puts new Ricky Zoom toys into gear as kids’ series makes second season debut in the UK

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TOMY is preparing to launch its follow up master range of Ricky Zoom toys this year, as the popular preschool series revs itself up for its second season debut here in the UK.

First launched in July 2020 during what has been a challenging period for retail, Ricky Zoom toys have made a solid start and are set to launch more new lines throughout 2021. These include TOMY’s unique Wind & Launch assortment, a wheel launcher that will send Ricky’s red bike racing.

The launch will follow on from the top selling success of last year’s Speed & Stunt Ricky Zoom play-set, the third best-selling Ricky Zoom item overall at retail, and is already tipped to ‘be equally as popular.’

Fresh hype around the TOMY master toy line is expected to coincide with the second season debut in the UK of the CGI animation, as Hasbro and its global entertainment studio, Entertainment One, rev up for its launch on Nick Jr and Channel 5’s multi-platform preschool brand, Milkshake!

The CGI animated series follows Ricky, a speed loving little red rescue bike who enjoys to zoom around Wheelford. The show has already enjoyed a ‘strong success in the UK’ among its preschool audiences, while the brand has picked up a number of licensing partners lead by TOMY master toy range.

“We are thrilled to bring Ricky Zoom back to the number one channel for preschoolers in the UK with Milkshake! and Nick Jr.” said eOne’s Monica Candiani, EVP, content sales, family and brands.

“The show has had such strong success in the UK among young viewers, allowing us to secure a number of licensing partners across a variety of categories. We can’t wait for audiences to watch season two, which I am sure will deliver even more exciting all-bike adventures in the colourful world of Wheelford.”

Louise Bucknole, VP programming kids, ViacomCBS Network UK and Ireland, added: “We’re delighted to be welcoming back Ricky Zoom and his two-wheeled friends on Nick Jr. in June and and Milkshake! later in the year in the UK.

“It’s a fun and playful show which is a favourite among preschoolers, and we look forward to sharing their new adventures with our young viewers.”

Joining master toy partner TOMY on the growing licensee list is the likes of Penguin (story, activity, novelty books); Redan (magazines); Character World (bedding); MV Sports (wheeled toys); Ravensburger (puzzles and games); Cooneen (nightwear & socks); Blues (daywear); and Drew Pearson (accessories).

The supermarket giants have added Ricky Zoom into their preschool aisle following strong performance of the FSDU programme last Autumn/Winter. Other forthcoming toy highlights include the new interactive Maxwell’s Transforming Trailer Playset, which can be renovated into a mobile repair station and comes complete with both Maxwell and Ricky bikes.

Further product ranges from other licensees will roll out gradually throughout the year, bringing broader distribution.

Marketing activity has also been buoyant, with Ricky proving popular among parent influencers. A Dadsnet campaign to support Smyth’s Toys launch of the Speed & Stunt Play-set reached almost 408,000 via influencers and 558,000 via paid media, while a Ricky takeover on UKMums.TV hit almost 622,000 impressions, with a blogger reach of almost 296,000 and the site’s associated Twitter Frenzy reaching almost 392,000 unique accounts.

ViacomCBS names Jennifer Pang vice president and head of licensing for Greater China

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ViacomCBS Consumer Products has appointed Jennifer Pang to lead its business in Greater China. Pang will be based in Hong Kong, reporting to Mark Kingston, senior vice president, International Licensing, while Claire O’Connor, vice president, consumer products and retail marketing, Asia Pacific, will exit the business.

In her role, Pang will lead VCP’s overall licensing business across markets in Greater China for all ViacomCBS franchises. She is responsible for managing the team, VCP’s master licensee agent as well as global partnership activity locally, while sourcing and executing local licensing and promotional deals.

She will also oversee retail sales and marketing, driving revenue through key account management.

Kingston said: “Asia is an important area of focus for us as we continue to engage with our audiences and extend our most loved IPs and brands beyond linear. With Jennifer’s insight and familiarity of the region as well as her expertise, we are looking forward to aggressively pursuing new partnerships and capitalising on opportunities in this key market.”

Pang has over 11 years of experience in licensing, brand management and strategy across Asia. She was most recently with Hasbro Consumer Products where she served as head of category licensing for North Asia, managing the licensing programme for eOne and Hasbro brands.

Prior to that, Pang was with Entertainment One where she was senior director, Licensing – Asia, Family & Brands.

Hasbro celebrates ten years of Peppa Pig in the US with new content, toys, and consumer products

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Marking one whole decade since Peppa Pig first set trotters down on US soil, Hasbro has detailed a programme of 10th anniversary activity, including a year-long pipeline of new content, a new Hasbro toy line, and a roster of marketing activations, brand collaborations, and promotions.

Marking ten years since the pre-school series first aired on the Nick Jr. channel in the US, the anniversary celebrations will kick off on March 1st with Best Of episodes of Peppa Pig airing Monday to Thursday on Nickelodeon. The week will conclude Friday, March 5th with a new four-part special from series nine.

New product launches for the US market will include a collaboration with Reebok and the launch of a limited edition Reebok x Peppa collection featuring five unique footwear skus for toddlers and pre-schoolers. Meanwhile, Hunter will debut a new collection in autumn for the back-to-school season, following on from its success of its Peppa Pig boots, outerwear and accessories.

These latest deals follow close behind a recent partnership with Urban Outfitters in the US for the brand’s first teen collection of apparel and accessories which featured artwork from Peppa’s debut music album release.

Four new publishing titles inspired by the US special episodes will also be released in summer 2021. Book title formats will include pop-up, sticker and story books featuring iconic Amercan locations.

“We’re incredibly excited to be celebrating 10 years of Peppa Pig in the US,” said Hasbro’s Joan Grasso, vice president of consumer products for North America.

“Reaching this milestone cements Peppa’s evergreen status and unlocks some exciting opportunities with new trend led partners targeting multiple demographics that reflect the maturity of the brand.”

The anniversary will also be celebrated with the release of a frozen yogurt flavor, tea-times with fans and expanded charity initiatives including National Jump in Muddy Puddles Day on April 1st, Peppa Pig Birthday Parties and Playdates with The Little Gym and a year-long campaign with The Muddy Puddles Project, including the brilliant event, Mess Fest.

ViacomCBS details raft of UK partners for Blue’s Clues & You following ‘overwhelming demand’

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With a master toy line already in the works from the global toy company, Just Play, Nick Jr’s hit pre-school series Blue’s Clues & You has now confirmed a raft of UK partners that include Kids Designs, Imagine8, and Kimm & Miller.

The news of the latest signings was announced during the Festival of Licensing’s Americas week by ViacomCBS Consumer Products, vice president for the UK and Ireland, Venetia Davie. It supports a major licensing programme for the property that is now scheduled to hit shelves in July 2021.

Earlier this year, VCP partnered with Just Play to develop a master toy line for the pre-school series. The toy line, targeting pre-schoolers aged two to five years old, includes plush and interactive toys, developed to ‘enhance the key brand attributes to translate success from screen to shelves across the UK.’

Additional partners for Blue’s Clues & You now include Kid Designs for consumer electronics, Imagine8 on accessories and Kimm & Miller who will work on novelty food gifting.

Meanwhile, Fashion UK, who also partners with VCP for PAW Patrol: The Movie, will cover daywear, while Character World will focus on bedding and Amscan on costume and dress up.

In the publishing space, Egmont have acquired the UK rights for Blue’s Clues & You! themed magazines and Signature Gifts on personalised books.

Since launching in April this year in the UK, Blue’s Clues & You! has quickly become a key driver for Nick Jr. The show now ranks as the number fourth show on the channel, only behind ratings juggernauts PAW Patrol and Peppa Pig as well as recently launched The Adventures of Paddington.

A remake of the curriculum-driven interactive series Blue’s Clues, Blue’s Clues & You! follows Blue as she invites viewers to join her and the host Josh on a clue-led adventure and solve a puzzle in each episode. With each signature paw print, Blue identifies clues in her animated world that propel the story and inspire the audience to interact with the characters.

“It’s indicative of the huge popularity of Blue’s Clues & You! that toys and products have been in such overwhelming demand since the series relaunched earlier this year,” said Davie.

“It’s fantastic that Just Play is on board as master toy licensee, and I cannot wait to see how they, together with our other partners, turn Blue and her universe into toys and playthings for this next generation to enjoy.”

Blue’s Clues & You! will be launching this month on Channel 5’s Milkshake! with a second season heading to Nick Jr. in November and a third season already greenlit for 2021.

The property is also available in different formats, including a dedicated YouTube channel which received over 98M global views between March and July this year alone and the Storytime with Josh & Blue podcast which launched this summer on Spotify, reaching over 100k people in just three weeks.

ViacomCBS details raft of UK partners for Blue’s Clues & You following ‘overwhelming demand’

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With a master toy line already in the works from the global toy company, Just Play, Nick Jr’s hit pre-school series Blue’s Clues & You has now confirmed a raft of UK partners that include Kids Designs, Imagine8, and Kimm & Miller.

The news of the latest signings was announced during the Festival of Licensing’s Americas week by ViacomCBS Consumer Products, vice president for the UK and Ireland, Venetia Davie. It supports a major licensing programme for the property that is now scheduled to hit shelves in July 2021.

Earlier this year, VCP partnered with Just Play to develop a master toy line for the pre-school series. The toy line, targeting pre-schoolers aged two to five years old, includes plush and interactive toys, developed to ‘enhance the key brand attributes to translate success from screen to shelves across the UK.’

Additional partners for Blue’s Clues & You now include Kid Designs for consumer electronics, Imagine8 on accessories and Kimm & Miller who will work on novelty food gifting.

Meanwhile, Fashion UK, who also partners with VCP for PAW Patrol: The Movie, will cover daywear, while Character World will focus on bedding and Amscan on costume and dress up.

In the publishing space, Egmont have acquired the UK rights for Blue’s Clues & You! themed magazines and Signature Gifts on personalised books.

Since launching in April this year in the UK, Blue’s Clues & You! has quickly become a key driver for Nick Jr. The show now ranks as the number fourth show on the channel, only behind ratings juggernauts PAW Patrol and Peppa Pig as well as recently launched The Adventures of Paddington.

A remake of the curriculum-driven interactive series Blue’s Clues, Blue’s Clues & You! follows Blue as she invites viewers to join her and the host Josh on a clue-led adventure and solve a puzzle in each episode. With each signature paw print, Blue identifies clues in her animated world that propel the story and inspire the audience to interact with the characters.

“It’s indicative of the huge popularity of Blue’s Clues & You! that toys and products have been in such overwhelming demand since the series relaunched earlier this year,” said Davie.

“It’s fantastic that Just Play is on board as master toy licensee, and I cannot wait to see how they, together with our other partners, turn Blue and her universe into toys and playthings for this next generation to enjoy.”

Blue’s Clues & You! will be launching this month on Channel 5’s Milkshake! with a second season heading to Nick Jr. in November and a third season already greenlit for 2021.

The property is also available in different formats, including a dedicated YouTube channel which received over 98M global views between March and July this year alone and the Storytime with Josh & Blue podcast which launched this summer on Spotify, reaching over 100k people in just three weeks.

ViacomCBS Consumer Products brings yoga and an MTV workout to Festival of Licensing’s Community & Wellbeing programme

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If you thought that the all-virtual nature of this year’s Festival of Licensing meant simply sitting in front of a computer screen, you’d better think again, because ViacomCBS  – sponsors of the event’s Community and Wellbeing programme – is challenging you to don the yoga pants, dig-out the neon headbands, and take a break from the serious stuff with its most iconic brands.

This October will see ViacomCBS Consumer Products swap the usual networking session for a perhaps more cathartic programme of three complementary sessions when Festival of Licensing kicks off its four-week run, delivering a Family Friendly Dance and Yoga session that will draw from its library of Nick Jr. exercise videos, encouraging festival goers to take a break from business and have fun and exercise with the kids.

If you’re in need of something a little more high-energy however, the firm is also hosting a Retro Workout Class, featuring iconic MTV products in a workout class complete with an MTV soundtrack taken straight from the ’80s and ’90s. ViacomCBS will round it all off with a special self care session directly from the ViacomCBS Wellness studio itself.

On top of all of this, the programme will also feature Business mentoring and advice clinics in which festival goers can take advantage of the advice clinics offering legal, financial, and career advice, as well as speed networking sessions for those looking for new job opportunities.

The programme will be concluded with the Global charity fundraiser in support of The Light Fund, Magic Wheelchair, and Licensing International Small Business Global Grants Fund.

“We’re delighted to be working alongside ViacomCBS to bring valuable – and much needed – community and wellbeing content to Festival of Licensing attendees from all the over the world,” said Anna Knight, VP Global Licensing Group, Informa Markets. 

“Surviving through Covid has been incredibly challenging for many – whether financially, physically or emotionally – and it’s important that Festival both acknowledges this and provides meaningful support where we can.”

Festival of Licensing runs online from 6-29 October 2020. Brands who are interested in exhibiting or sponsorship opportunities should visit www.festivaloflicensing.com. Free visitor registration is also open at www.festivaloflicensing.com.

Sambro teams with ViacomCBS and Pinkfong for Baby Shark arts & crafts, novelty, and outdoor toys

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Sambro International has detailed its new partnership with ViacomCBS Consumer Products and Pinkfong to produce and launch a range of children’s arts and crafts, novelty, and outdoor products inspired by the Baby Shark brand.

The new range will include painting sets, doughs, and inflatable play products, and is scheduled to hit shelves in spring 2021.

Tony Hicks, Sambro CEO, commented: “We are delighted to be continuing our long running partnership with ViacomCBS Consumer Products and are excited to be diving into the exciting world of Baby Shark.”

Next year will see Baby Shark swim from YouTube and onto Nick Jr. with a new series titled Baby Shark’s Big Show, featuring a whole cast of characters, a humorous script, and a collection of songs billed ‘just as catchy as the original.’

Venetia Davie, vice president of consumer products, ViacomCBS UK, added: “We are thrilled to be working with Sambro and Pinkfong to expand the world of Baby Shark and create innovative new products that will be hitting homes, gardens, swimming pools and the great outdoors early next year.”

Nick Jr, Acamar and Aardman among licensing line up for Play at Home Fest 2

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Dr Gummer’s Good Play Guide is putting the final preparations in place for the second installment of the virtual family festival, Play at Home Fest, this weekend. Following the success of the inaugural event in May this year, major players from the licensing space are headlining the upcoming event.

Nick Jr. is bringing its Blue’s Clues and You! and PAW Patrol, to feature alongside the likes of Acamar Films, Dreamtex, and HarperCollins with Bing; Rainbow with 44 Cats and its party licensee Amscam, while Aardman will be returning to host a Shaun the Sheep model making workshop.

Also joining this weekend’s line-up are Sylvanian Families, Aquabeads, Geomag, Drumond Park, Trends UK, The Essential One and EasyRead Time Teacher. The event, which was created to make the world a more playful place during the COVID19 pandemic, will be accessible to families worldwide on Saturday 29th August. 

Two virtual stages will be streamed live to living rooms, gardens, campsites, holiday cottages, and anywhere else where children aged eight and under and their families are during the Bank Holiday weekend. 

The event will be hosted by up and coming kidfluencer, Sisi from Sisi’s World, star of West End Musical, Matilda, and daughter of TV presenter Nigel Clarke. She will be guiding and entertaining children and their families during the Bank Holiday weekend. 

The first Play at Home Fest accrued an incredible 71,000 views and was streamed into the homes of 14,000 families, with social media impressions reaching 750,000 on Good Play Guide channels alone. 

“We were blown away by the success of the first Play at Home Fest, and it was a no-brainer to bring families together again for more fun during this period when playful experiences are needed more than ever,” said Amanda Gummer, founder and CEO of Dr Gummer’s Good Play Guide.

“I’m really pleased to have been able to support some amazing brands during a period when marketing and promotion has been particularly difficult, while also bringing fun and play to the forefront for consumers. The calibre of the acts signed up again for this weekend’s event shows just how beneficial this initiative has been for all involved.”