Tag Archives: preschool

BBC Studios to drive Bluey licensing growth across the Americas with new SVP of consumer products and business development

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BBC Studios – Americas has promoted Suzy Raia to the role of senior vice president, consumer products and business development, where she will oversee and provide licensing planning for the hit preschool franchise, Bluey alongside Doctor Who, Top Gear, His Dark Materials, and Natural History Unit programming.

Tara Maitra, chief commercial officer, BBC Studios – Americas, said: “Bluey has quickly grown to become a favorite brand among preschool-aged children and their families due in large part to Suzy’s fastidious devotion to the brand, as well as her keen insight into smart consumer product strategy.

“This well-deserved promotion acknowledges Suzy’s leadership in developing the Bluey franchise so successfully in such a short time, as well as for the positioning of the brand for continued, record-breaking growth in the future.”

Since joining BBC Studios in 2018, Raia has been responsible for driving the licensing and consumer products strategies across its portfolio of properties for the US, Canada, and Latin America. Her purview includes product licensing across multiple genres, including factual and natural history content, drama series, science fiction, and children’s animation.

Raia said: “I am living and breathing Bluey every day, and could not ask for a better brand in which to be fully immersed. We have launched a robust licensing program in the US, with extensions in Canada and Latin America alongside our Master Toy Licensee Moose as well as many other best-in- class licensees. All I can say is, the best is yet to come.”

Prior to BBC Studios, Raia built her career over 19 years at Nickelodeon, where she most recently served as the vice president of partnerships and collaborations within the consumer products division. In that role, Raia executed ground-breaking deals including Moschino X SpongeBob, Jeremy Scott X Ren & Stimpy, Story X Nick 90’s, TMNT X Melo (Carmelo Anthony), and SpongeBob(RED).

Raia also served as vice president of apparel and accessories for over 10 years, tripling the business during her tenure with hit properties including SpongeBob SquarePants, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Paw Patrol, Dora the Explorer, Blue’s Clues, and more. Earlier in her career, she worked across a variety of categories which included activity, toy, back-to-school, stationery, and seasonal, with an expanded oversight across Viacom properties including Nickelodeon’s children’s portfolio, Comedy Central’s South Park, and Paramount’s The Godfather, Audrey Hepburn, and many more.

Boat Rocker rounds up new herd of Dino Ranch licensees across US, Canada, and EMEA

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The dress up and costumes specialist, Rubies has been listed among a suite of new US, Canadian, and EMEA licensing partners for the break out hit preschool series, Dino Ranch.

Having launched in January, the popular preschool series has proved to be a hit with both audiences and licensees, with multiple deals already lassoed by brand Boat Rocker across key consumer categories in a number of international territories.

A swathe of new deals reaching across the US, Canada, and the EMEA region now expand the Dino Ranch licensing programme into toddler bedding, hoisery, holiday ornaments, dress up and compilation magazines, with more categories destined to follow in the coming months.

Under its new partnership with the Toronto-based Boat Rocker studio, Rubies is enabling kids to become their favourite Dino Ranch character with costumes and dress up accessories. The team will manufacture and distribute across multiple territories, including the UK and Ireland, France, Iberia, Italy, Benelux, Nordics, CEE, Australia, and New Zealand.

Meanwhile, Kennedy Publishing – recognised as the UK’s third-largest and fastest growing children’s magazine publisher, will be producing special Dino Ranch compilations featuring stickers, gifts, puzzles and colouring.

Young fans in the US and Canada can snuggle up with their heroes in a Dino Ranch themed bedroom with toddler bedding from Baby Boom Consumer Products, while High Point Design will be producing colorful socks, hosiery and Fuzzy Babba slipper socks.

Holiday festivities will have a distinctive Dino twist with ornaments from third-generation family firm Kurt S. Adler, Inc, the leading importer, and distributor of holiday decorations for 75 years for the US and Canada.

Kate Schlomann, EVP brand management and content marketing, Boat Rocker Studios, said: “Dino Ranch has been an incredible success since hatching on Disney Junior, where it launched as the number one preschool show.

“The Dino Ranch YouTube channel has engaged fans with a staggering 23M views in seven months. We’ve seen a huge appetite for the show from viewers, licensees and retail buyers alike. Jazwares launched an early drop of the Blitz dino plush on Amazon.com in the US and units completely sold out organically in less than two weeks.

“We are delighted to welcome another herd of partners to supply young fans with more exciting product across further key categories as public demand is high.”

These new licensees follow a slate of recently announced deals for publishing, apparel, swimwear, sleepwear, home décor, timepieces, dress up and costume characters in the US and Canada, which begin rollout from early 2022. Global master toy partner Jazwares will launch its own Dino sized toy range this autumn.

Dino Ranch is also available on Disney+ in the UK, Australia, and the US and the first 26 episodes are available to own on Apple iTunes (U.S.).

Created by Matt Fernandes (of Industrial Brothers) and produced by Industrial Brothers and Boat Rocker Studios, in association with CBC Kids and Radio-Canada. Boat Rocker Studios manage the global franchise development including content distribution and consumer products.

PAW Patrol, Bakugan, and a strong preschool line up drive ‘exceptional’ Q2 performance for Spin Master

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Another global toy company and another ‘exceptional second quarter performance’ rings in this week, as Spin Master joins the ranks of those experiencing Q2 2021 revenue surges.

Total revenue for the Canada-based toy maker increased 39 per cent this past quarter to hit $390.8 million, up from the $281.1 million it posted in the same period last year, with gross product sales growing 27.2 per cent, driven by higher sales in preschool and girls and boys.

Broken down market by market, gross product sales across Europe grew 23.7 per cent on last year, 23.7 per cent in North America, and 58.2 per cent in its Rest of World market.

“Our strong financial performance this quarter reflects our success in creating exceptional play experiences for children and their families across toys, entertainment, and digital games,” said Max Rangel, Spin Master’s global president and chief executive officer.

“By leveraging this strength of each creative centre, we are differentiating Spin Master in the children’s entertainment space. We are well positioned for the second half with an amazing toy line up, growth in our digital games franchise, and the highly anticipated release of PAW Patrol: The Movie, our first foray into feature films.

“Looking to the future, we are focused on adapting to the changing dynamics of play through innovation, customer driven decision making, partnerships and relentless drive to reimagine where imagination can take us, all while delivering profitable growth for our shareholders.”

Driven primarily by preschool and girls and boys sectors, Spin Master’s gross product sales increased by $70.3 million to hit $352.9 million for Q2 2021. Preschool and Girls grew by 60 per cent thanks to increased sales of PAW Patrol, as well as Gabby’s Dollhouse and Present Pets.

Activities, Games and Puzzles, and Plush decreased by $1.8 million. The decline was driven primarily by the Games and Puzzles portfolio, offset in part by sales of Rubik’s, Influencer, GUND, and Orbeez.

Gross product sales in Boys increased by $23.6 million driven by sales of Bakugan, Tech Deck, and Monster Jam RC. This was partially offset by declines in DreamWorks Dragons.

The outdoor product sector decreased by $1.1million.

In first half of the year terms, total revenue at Spin Master has increased 39.1 per cent on the six months ended June 30th, 2020. Gross product sales have increased by $129.2 million to hit $653.7 million.

Mark Segal, Spin Master’s chief financial officer, said: “We delivered very strong financials and operating performance this quarter.

“Our revenue trajectory continued to strengthen, driven by accelerating momentum in our Digital Games and Entertainment creative centres, which drove margin expansion and we are raising our total revenue outlook for the year.

“We remain committed to our financial framework for value creation, underpinned by our formula for innovation and global growth across toys, entertainment, and digital games.”

Just Play launches Early Learning Centre development platform on its Amazon Brand store

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The award-winning UK preschool brand, Early Learning Centre is embarking on a new initiative for the US market with the launch of a raft of new products and concepts exclusively through its Amazon brand store.

The project is being overseen by the brand’s US distributor and licensor, Just Play and will see new initiatives offering developmental content and experiences for families with children launch to the new Learning Activity Centre, part of Early Learning Centre’s Amazon brand store.

The platform will feature extensive resources for parents looking to support their child’s learning an development, including award-winning products, engaging curriculum-driven activities, and expert advice.

To design the Learning Activity Centre, Just Play has worked with specialists to produce a selection of activities that supplement children’s learning across core categories such as physical development, mathematics, personal, social, and emotional development, and communication, language, and literacy. The portal will feature development icons that will help parents navigate and choose products that best support their child.

The platform will draw on Early Learning Centre’s 50 year heritage in creating innovative preschool toys. The Early Learning Centre line, presented by Just Play on Amazon, has been designed to celebrate and expand that heritage with learning toys that tap into key developmental stages.

“Children are at the heart of everything we do,” said David Martin, CEO of Early Learning Centre. “Using our ‘knowledge of developmental play,’ we thoughtfully design unique and timeless preschool toys for all ages and stages that can be passed down from generation to generation.”

Geoffrey Greenberg, co-president of Just Play, said: “We are thrilled to partner with Early Learning Centre on the creation of the Learning Activity Centre on Amazon, which we expect will be a valuable tool for parents and caregivers as they search for products and activities that are the best fit for their children.”

Just Play aims to unveil an Ambassador Program this fall to coincide with the launch of several new Early Learning Centre preschool toys that encourage playful exploration of skills including counting, spelling and color recognition for children from 18 months to 5 years old.

Acamar Films partners with ZSL London for Bing family activities this autumn

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Acamar Films’ flagship preschool property, Bing is heading to ZSL London Zoo this autumn to bring a host of family activities to visitors and fans. The new partnership is the latest expansion of Bing’s live events and experiential licensing portfolio.

Under the new partnership, ZSL London Zoo will host a variety of themed activities, free to its visitors, from September 20th to October 31st. These will include storytime sessions throughout the day for children to join Bing and Flop in learning about animals.

There will also be a themed self-led Activity Trail around the zoo which features a series of clues and interactive activities at each station. At the end of the trail, families can celebrate their visit with a photo opportunity alongside Bing and his friends.

Kirsty Southgate, director of promotions and partnerships at Acamar Films, said: “It’s an exciting time for Bing and we are thrilled to welcome ZSL to the programme. We hope our Bing experience at London Zoo will encourage young children to build a lasting connection to animals and the natural world.”

ZSL London Zoo chief operating officer, Kathryn England, added: “We’re delighted to be welcoming Bing and Flop to ZSL London Zoo this autumn, supporting our mission to engage the next generation of young animal lovers with the importance of wildlife.

“Bing fans will be invited to go on a journey of discovery, exploring the value of nature, surrounded by more than 20,000 animals – while making lasting memories during a fun-filled family day out.”

Dino Ranch renewed for second season at Disney as its US preschool licensing slate readies for growth

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The popular preschool series, Dino Ranch has been renewed for a second season at Disney, with a scheduled broadcast date on Disney Junior and Disney+ in the US and Latin America for the beginning of 2022.

A broad licensing programme is already underway with a master toy line from Jazwares preparing to launch this year, while Boat Rocker is currently working with its master publishing partner, Scholastic, to design and produce a wide range of Dino Ranch readers, sticker story books, novelty, activity books, and audio books with products slated to land this autumn.

Further licensees have been secured in the US for apparel, bedding and bath, watches, Halloween costumes, and costume characters for live events.

Season two of Dino Ranch follows a successful first season, which saw the series premiere on CBC in Canada, and was the number one US cable series among Kids aged two to five at launch on Disney Junior. Season one has also just launched on SVOD service Disney+ and is coming to Disney Junior Latin America in August, and SRC Canada in September.

“Dino Ranch has received an incredible response from kids and parents around the world and we couldn’t be happier to have the opportunity to produce a second season,” said Michel Pratte, president, Boat Rocker Media, and general manager, Boat Rocker Studios.

“The show is a shining example of franchise IP for Boat Rocker and we are looking forward to continuing to build brand affinity and engagement love for ‘Dino Ranch’ with our partners.”

Jon Rutherford, president, Boat Rocker Studios, Kids & Family and Rights, said: “We’re very excited to continue our strong partnership with Disney for Dino Ranch. Disney’s incredible support, along with the show’s ability to resonate with audiences through its unique blend of dinosaurs, family and engaging storytelling has helped us achieve immediate success. With Season two, we plan on deepening engagement with our fans by unveiling new characters and locations, and many new thrilling adventures with the Cassidy family.”

Internationall, the show has seen strong sales, including with Disney+ in the UK and Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. It’s also landed with Super RTL/TOGGO Plus in Germany, Gulli plus TiJi and Gulli Africa in France, Cartoonito in Italy, Hop in Israel, and SVT in Sweden. NRK in Norway, DR in Denmark, YLE in Finland, TVP in Poland, and HRT in Croatia have also picked up the series.

Dino Ranch is created by Matt Fernandes (of Industrial Brothers) and produced by Industrial Brothers and Boat Rocker Studios, in association with CBC Kids and Radio-Canada. Boat Rocker Studios manages global franchise development, including content distribution and consumer products. Animation services for season two of Dino Ranch will be provided by Boat Rocker’s Jam Filled Entertainment.

Peppa Pig and Hunter launch second collection of wellies, backpacks, and accessories

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Hasbro and Entertainment One’s Peppa Pig is at it again, helping kids prepare for all of those muddy puddles with the launch of a second collaboration collection of children’s wellies and accessories with Hunter.

Following on the heels of the successful first launch collection, the latest line up – featuring the Kids First Muddy Puddles Wellington boot, Backpack, Umbrella, and Kids Boots Socks – will be launching in time for the start of a new school year on August 2nd this year.

Through its partnership with Hunter, Peppa Pig continues to celebrate and encourage a love of nature and adventure. Each product features an exclusive camouflage pattern of Peppa Pig splashing in puddles. The print incorporates rain droplets and Peppa Pig herself wearing boots, a rain jacket and holding a Hunter umbrella.

The boot has been handcrafted from natural vegan rubber offering 100 waterproof protection and features the playful camouflage puddle print, available in Dragon Fly, Yarrow and Rose Metal.

Ranging from £25 to £50 the collection will be available online at Hunterboots com, Hunter retail stores and selected retailers from August 2nd 2021.

From the US | Jazwares unveils its Dino Ranch toy, plush, playset and vehicle line-up

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Jazwares has finally unveiled its highly anticipated Dino Ranch toy line, expanding on the dinosaur themed world of play from the popular animated series which has become the number one preschool show on US cable since it launched in January.

Items in the new range from Jazwares will be making their debut at online retailers such as Walmart.com, Target.com, and Amazon this autumn, with additional in-store listings with key retailers across the UK, including Kohls.

The new product range spans plush, assorted figures, feature vehicles, and play-sets, all based on the character, settings and story lines found within the hit CG animated series. Dino Ranch is produced by Industrial Brothers and Boat Rocker Studios and made its US debut in January this year on Disney Junior.

The series follows the Cassidy family as they tackle life in a fantastical “pre-westoric” setting where dinosaurs roam. The working farm is the ultimate playground for the tight-knit family: Ma (Jane), Pa (Bo) and their three adopted kids, Jon, Min and Miguel. Together they are in charge of rounding up, riding and caring for a lively herd of racing, roaring dinosaurs who are also their best friends.

“We’re thrilled to bring the world of Dino Ranch to preschoolers, and the entire team at Jazwares is ready to join the roundup of the ultimate prehistoric meets Wild West toy line,” said Laura Zebersky, president of Jazwares.

“Loveable, colorful, and full of surprises, this new line will transform playtime into a dino-driven world of adventure.”

Kate Schlomann, EVP brand management and content marketing, Boat Rocker Studios said: “We are delighted to see Jazwares innovative toy line finally launch. Jazwares is the perfect partner for Dino Ranch, and have transformed the onscreen characters into a fantastic product range with great play value, allowing kids to build out their very own Dino Ranch world.

“We’ve had lots of requests for toys on our social channels and cannot wait to see how fans react to them.”

The new Dino Ranch product line includes:

  • Dino-Mites Assortment ($3.99 MSRP): Create the ultimate playground with the Dino Ranch Dino-Mite egg blind figures, featuring 12 mighty mini dinosaur toys to collect.
  • Dino Ranchers 2-Pack Assortment ($8.99 MSRP): Bring home the adventure with the Dino Ranch 2-Pack featuring one Dino Rancher (Jon, Min or Miguel), plus their dino sidekick!
  • Dino Ranch 6 Figure Pack ($24.99 MSRP): The Dino Ranch 6 Figure Pack features all three Dino Ranchers along with their respective dino companions!
  • Dino Action Pack Assortment ($12.99 MSRP): Build out your own Dino Ranch with the Dino Ranch Action Pack Assortment, featuring an adorable 5-inch Dino Ranch facade, four 4-inch articulated dino figures, and four connectable fence pieces.
  • Deluxe Dino Pack ($14.99 MSRP): Saddle up and join Biscuit, the T-Rex and Angus, the triceratops at the Dino Ranch! The 5-inch feature dinos are the biggest ones at the Dino Ranch, the ranch and dinosaur sanctuary where Jon, Min, and Miguel live with Ma (Jane) and Pa (Bo!)!
  • Feature Vehicle Assortment ($12.99 MSRP): Ride along with Jon, Min, & Miguel with the Dino Ranch Feature Vehicle Assortment. Each 5” Dino vehicle has a unique feature and includes their Dino Rancher Figure sidekick!
  • Hatchery Playset ($19.99 MSRP): The Dino Ranch Hatchery Adventure Set is the perfect way to expand the Dino Ranch! It includes a light up Dino Egg Incubator, an Exclusive Mini figure, two Dino-Mites, plus six accessories.
  • Clubhouse Playset ($39.99 MSRP): Welcome to the Dino Ranch Clubhouse, the Dino Ranchers’ hangout spot! This large playset is modular and comes with 9 built-in features, as well as one dino rancher figure, two small dinosaurs, and one free wheel vehicle.
  • Plush Assortment ($6.99 MSRP): The Dino Ranch Little Plush Assortment features one of three soft and cuddly dinos. They look like they jumped right out of the show! Get to know Blitz, the lightning-fast velociraptor, Clover, the gentle brontosaurus, and Tango, the mighty triceratops.

UK retailer Mamas & Papas eyes licensing and franchising among global growth plans

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The British nursery and children’s wear retailer, Mamas & Papas is eyeing international growth, having signed a slate of new overseas partnerships across central and eastern Europe.

The move, according to the firm, arrives amid a surge in international demand for British heritage brands like the Yorkshire-based Mamas & Papas, who has now counted the exploration of licensing partners among its wider global ambitions.

The company, who has headquarters in Huddersfield, and designs and manufactures travel systems, nursery furniture, and children’s clothing, said the new agreements were part of the retailer’s long term goal to be the ‘global nursery brand of choice.’ It added that it was exploring multiple routes to market, from “distributors and agents, to franchisees and licensing partners.”

Mamas & Papas has now signed distribution partners in ten countries, including the likes of Russia, Poland, and the Czech Republic, which have been pinpointed as key markets for the brand. It is also close to signing agreements covering five further countries.

With similar partnerships in the Far East and the Middle East now also on the radar, Mamas & Papas expects to double its overseas sales to the region next year.

Johan Meyfroidt, international general manager at Mamas & Papas, said: “There has always been strong overseas demand for British heritage brands like Mamas & Papas and our products have sold successfully in a number of markets for decades. As we step up our global ambitions, we’re exploring multiple routes to market, from distributors and agents to franchisees and licensing partners.

“What works in Poland may not work in Malaysia, so it’s important we have the agility to tailor our approach to suit local market dynamics.”

Mark Saunders, chief executive officer at Mamas & Papas, added: “Our international strategy is about scaling our presence in new and existing overseas markets at pace but also at low cost, helping us meet increasing global appetite for our design-led products, especially in those territories with increasingly affluent populations.

“Post-Brexit, it’s important that UK firms think globally about their growth and take full advantage of the enduring appeal of British brands.”

“We’re also continuing to expand our presence in our core UK market, both through our online business and our standalone stores and Next concessions.”

The company recently reported strong trading across its store portfolio and online business following the re-opening of non-essential retail in April.

Bluey billed “most important preschool IP since Frozen” as Stor SL readies merch portfolio for UK, Ireland, and EMEA

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Bosses at the global product manufacturer, Stor SL have hailed BBC Studios’ preschool property, Bluey “the most important property since Disney’s Frozen” as it prepares to launch a portfolio of more than 50 licensed items to the UK, Ireland, and EMEA markets in the coming months.

The range, spanning drinkware, lunch bags, plates and bowls, cutlery, bottles, and more will be made from sustainable and eco-friendly materials such as stainless steel, aluminum, and porcelain and will add natural fibres to traditional plastics to reduce the percentage of plastics by up to 30 per cent.

Stor will also be offering tailor-made options to retailers who request an exclusive line.

Valentin Ortiz, CEO of Stor SL, said: “In my view, Bluey is without a doubt the most important pre-school property since Frozen. It has been a real phenomenon in Australia and the USA and is becoming a huge global hit. Our retailers, customers and Stor local office directors have been asking about this opportunity and we are proud to work together with them to develop our Bluey range.”

Anita Majhu, senior licensing manager, BBC Studios, added: “We are delighted that Stor is joining our raft of world-class partners for Bluey. This partnership offers a fantastic opportunity to reach fans across the UK and Ireland and EMEA markets.

“Stor’s commitment to sustainability also complements BBC Studios’ work in this area and we welcome bringing Bluey products to market that are responsibly sourced.”

The Bluey line of product from Stor will complement extensive launch plans for Bluey licensed product across UK and EMEA driven by ‘exceptional TV ratings’ and led by a comprehensive toy programme.

First launched in Australia in October 2018, Bluey is quickly becoming a global hit, achieving ‘outstanding ratings’ and attracting a multitude of best in class partners.

In its home market, Bluey was the number one children’s programme on metro broadcast television in 2020 and is the number one series of all time on ABC iview, with over 480 million views across series one and two. The property also won Pre-School License of the Year for the second year in a row at the Australian Toy Association (ATA) Awards.

Meanwhile in France, Bluey is available on France Télévision’s free-to-air channel France 5 and its catch-up kids’ platform OKOO. Toys from global master toy partner Moose is set to launch at retail in France in 2022.

The series is also available on CBeebies in the UK, where it has become the top programme on the channel since it launched in April. Its episodes constitute the top five most requested CBeebies episodes on BBC iPlayer. Toys from global master toy partner Moose will launch at retail in the UK in July.

BBC Studios has a global broadcast deal with Disney for Bluey and recently announced that the third season will debut on Disney Channel, Disney Junior and Disney+ in all territories outside of Australia, New Zealand and China.