ZAG appoints Megalicense to represent ZAG Heroez in Russia and CIS

Animation studio ZAG has signed Megalicense, the leading licensing agency across Russia and CIS, to represent its ZAG Heroez brand portfolio, headlined by the pop culture hit Miraculous – Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir

Under the terms of the agreement, Megalicense will develop the licensing and merchandising plans for Miraculous, together with Power Players and ZAG’s newest series, Ghostforce, across Russia and CIS.  The agency will work together with ZAG’s Helena Perheentupa, Vice President, Licensing, for Central, Eastern, Northern Europe and Russia & ZAG’s European Department.

“Megalicense is the premiere licensing agency across Russia and CIS, and we are delighted that they will be spearheading the consumer products activities for ZAG,” commented Julian Zag, EVP, Global Operations and Head of Consumer Products. “This is an exciting time for Miraculous, with over 200 global licensees and retail sales achieving over $1 billion last year.

“Coming up this year is our US$100M+ animated feature supported by a global QSR programme, the season five series premiere and new mobile and console games, amongst many other initiatives. Our newest series, Ghostforce, which had its world premiere last August on TF1 in France, is already resonating with kids as we are seeing an increase in tons of activity across our social media channels. And we have Power Players, which is gaining traction in Russia where it currently airs on Karusel. We look forward to working with Megalicense to develop a robust licensing programme for these original IPs throughout the region.”

“We are so proud to start our long-term collaboration with the ZAG portfolio of brands,” says Friderico Gatti, CEO of Megalicense. “Our initial focus will be Miraculous, one of the most successful brands for the 6-12 target audience globally. Over 220 million products have been sold to date around the world and we see huge opportunity to further grow the brand across Russia with a focus on apparel – following successful collaborations with giants such as GUESS and ZARA – alongside back-to-school, footwear, outdoor, accessories, homeware, textiles and many others. We have no doubt that Miraculous will continue its success in Russia, and we look forward to introducing Ghostforce and Power Players to potential licensing partners across the region.”

Season four of Miraculous is currently available across Russia and CIS on Disney Channel, with season five set to premiere in Q3 alongside two animated TV Events: Miraculous World – Shanghai – The Legend of Lady Dragon and Miraculous World: New York – United Heroez. Toys from ZAG Lab and Playmates are performing well in the U.S. with the new line rolling out internationally. With a massive fan base of young adult “Miraculers,” (ages 15-25), Miraculous has become a digital planetary craze with over 29 billion views on YouTube (authorised and user-generated content) and 200 million downloads of the official app.

Ghostforce is currently available across Russia and CIS on Disney Channel, and a toy line for the series from ZAG Lab and Playmates will be available in 2023. Ghostforce was acquired by Disney Channel in the US and is currently available on Disney XD. The series is available across Europe, and the Middle East on Disney Channel and on Discovery Kids in Latin America, with launches planned in Japan and India this year.  The series had its world premiere in France on TF1 in August 2021 with an audience share of over 35%.

Power Players is currently available in Russia on Karusel and in Ukraine on PLUSPLUS.

ZAG launches new Games and Interactive Experiences division with gaming’s Elinor Schops in VP role

The award-winning independent animation studio, ZAG has launched a new Games and Interactive Experiences division in a move to develop new gaming experiences and interactive opportunities across mobile, PC, online, console games, VR and AR, video and mobile apps. The division will develop new concepts for all properties under the ZAG Heroez label.

Leading the new operation will be Elinor Schops who takes on the role of vice president in order to lead an all star team of creatives from her base in Israel. Schops will report directly to Julian Zag, executive vice president, global operations art ZAG.

ZAG’s first official global mobile game for Miraculous – Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir was released in April 2018 and ranked the number one game in 39 countries with 100 million downloads to date.

“Following the huge success of the first Miraculous game, as well as the phenomenal presence of the brand online with over 20 billion views on YouTube, establishing the ZAG Games & Interactive Experiences division has been an important strategic goal for us, especially in managing the requests from gaming companies worldwide,” said Julian Zag.

“We are thrilled to have found the ideal executive in Elinor to lead this new division and the talented team we are building, while bringing her extensive expertise across entertainment, music, media and mobile fields to this new important role. With a renowned reputation as a ‘Startup Nation’ and a major global player in the gaming industry cross platforms, Israel is a perfect location to launch this new endeavor to manage game development for our phenomenal award-winning stable of brands.”

Schops added: “Gaming has become a tremendous multi-billion-dollar industry globally, and I am thrilled to lead this new division to maximize all of the untapped potential in this arena with ZAG’s amazing catalog of hit properties to develop unforgettable gaming experiences for fans all over the world.”

Schops will drive new opportunities for the company’s key brands under the  ZAG Heroez label, including the flagship brand Miraculous™: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir.   

Over 150M products have been sold for the brand during the past three years. Seasons four and five of the number one ranked series are currently in production, as well as two big-budget animated specials to be available globally (except for Brazil and China) on Disney Channel and Disney+, plus a major $70M U.S. theatrical release.

Additionally, season three of the series launches this summer and fall around the world. Seasons one and two currently air in key territories, consistently ranking #1 in the U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Poland, Brazil and Mexico, and top-ranked in the U.S. on Disney Channel.

Power Players, which currently airs on Cartoon Network in the U.S. and in key territories across EMEA and Asia Pacific, is available for streaming on Netflix and available on France’s France Télévisions, Germany’s KiKa, Brazil’s Gloob, and Discovery Latin America.

A new toy line from Zag Lab and Playmates Toys for Power Players recently debuted in the US, with an international roll-out commencing this fall. ZAG’s newest property, Ghostforce, is currently in production for Disney Channel EMEA, TF1, and Discovery Kids Latin America.

Before joining ZAG,  Schops served as vice president of business development at CrazyLabs (formerly TabTale), a Top10 mobile casual and hyper casual game developer and publisher. Among other initiatives, she was responsible for establishing the casual IP business for the company, and for the planning and execution of the company’s B2B marketing strategy to expand the company’s reach and recognition, as well as to drive potential partners’ awareness, engagement and satisfaction.

Schops also worked at Israel’s leading sports, media and entertainment company ONE (part of Yedioth Achronoth group) and its subsidiary Mobile1, where she initiated and managed strategic partnerships. As an executive in the gaming industry, Schops initiated the first ever Women In Games event in Israel. She also established an online network and mentoring program for Israeli Women In Games.

ZAG Studios signs new SVOD and broadcast deals for Power Players

The independent animation studio ZAG has signed multiple deals to bring the first two seasons of its 3D CGI animated-meets-live-action hybrid TV series, Power Players to SVOD and broadcast partners around the world.

ZAG has signed a non-exclusive global SVOD deal with Netflix that saw the series launch on the platform on March 5, 2020, while broadcast deals with Channel 9 in Australia, family/kids’ channel PlusPlus in Ukraine, Karusel in Russia, and Teletoon in Canada.

The new partners join a line-up of broadcast, cable and satellite TV partners including Cartoon Network US, EMEA, and Asia Pacific, France’s France Télévisions, Germany’s WDR, Brazil’s Gloob, and Discovery Latin America.

Power Players follows the adventures of Axel, a boy who transforms into a living action figure, and his unlikely team of toy heroes as they embark on the biggest “small” adventures a kid could ever imagine. Together with his team of toys brought to life, the Power Players fight the destructive fun of villainous robot Madcap and his followers.

Power Players was created by Jeremy Zag and developed in collaboration with ON Kids & Family (Mediawan Group) and Man of Action Entertainment.

“We are extremely proud of this new original creation that we developed alongside Man of Action, Cartoon Network, FTV, and Playmates Toys. It will be launching in 2020, worldwide, with the best international partners. So, now, Play on,”commented ZAG’s CEO, Jeremy Zag.

The 2020 Power Players toy collection includes an assortment of highly detailed and articulated five-inch action figures based on the TV show, as well as nine-inch deluxe action figures that are packed with electronics and sound effects.

The line also features a variety of vehicles, allowing kids to send their favourite Power Players on heroic adventures, as well as role play gear which allows kids to transform into Axel, the leader of the Power Players.

Bulldog Licensing eyes cross-category licensing partnerships for Zag Studios’ new Power Players

Discussions are underway between Bulldog Licensing and a range of potential partners for Zag Studios’ newest animated property, Power Players, as the agency works to build a licensing programme for the series across the UK and Ireland.

Power Players will launch in the UK on Cartoon Network this month. Bulldog Licensing is already eyeing partners across apparel, home, gifting, publishing and more.

The toy range from Playmates, distributed in the UK by Flair, is readying for release in Q4, along with other core merchandise, and will feature action figures, vehicles and role play items at launch. Retail reactions to the new line at the recent toy shows has been phenomenal and the range will be supported by a heavyweight marketing programme.

The TV debut will consist of 78 episodes following the adventures of a cast of super-powered characters disguised as toys, led by Axel, a human boy, who joins the smart toy world he is partly responsible for creating.

Rob Corney, MD, Bulldog Licensing, said: “We’re thrilled to welcome Power Players into the Bulldog family. The fun, fast-paced series is a real showcase of the huge talent at Zag, and the strong characters and storylines have made for a colourful and creative style guide which will inspire leading licensees across categories.

“Our initial discussions with potential partners have been overwhelmingly positive, and we are looking forward to announcing new deals and rolling out the consumer products soon.”

Flair readies for Power Players master toy line launch

Flair is powering up its boy’s portfolio in summer 2020 with the addition of the Power Players master toy line. The collection created by Playmates Toys will include action figures, vehicles and role play accessories.

Power Players is a new action-comedy animation series created by Zag. The new show shifts between the full-scale world of its lead character, Axel and his friends and family, and the world of his toy teammates when he transforms into a living action figure.

The series will debut on Cartoon Network this February.

Flair will launch the Playmates toy line to bring the adventures of the animated series to the playroom. A full range of action figures featuring all the main characters of the show will be joined by Super Feature figures with detailed articulation and electronic elements that will bring the toys to life.

Vehicles will add to the choice, while accessories such as Axel’s Power Bandz and Sword will offer transformation and role-play into the play pattern.

Emmanuelle Cadet, GP Flair’s head of marketing, commented: “We are delighted to be working with Playmates in bringing this collection to the UK.

“The series lends itself perfectly to toy play and with the detail that Playmates puts into its action figures, we have an excellent property to bring to the boy’s aisle.”