Tag Archives: preschool

BBC Studios bolsters Hey Duggee toy line up with MV Sports and new launches from HTI

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MV Sports has become the latest name in toys to sign up with the popular BBC Studio preschool property, Hey Duggee in a new deal to produce a range of branded scooters, ride-ons, and bikes.

The first wave of product will launch at retail this autumn, joining the existing toy partner portfolio comprising HTI, who itself now prepares to release a new role play range for 2022. Both deals mark a shift of gear for the Hey Duggee property in the toy space.

HTI was brought on board earlier this year to create a range of licensed Hey Duggee outdoor toys, including The Bubble Flurry, Bubble Bucket, and Patio Chairs. Other Hey Duggee categories due to launch later this year from HTI include character shaped cases, which feature a medical set and stampers of key characters, as well as a range of musical instruments.

HTI will continue to invest in its Hey Duggee role play toy range, with more tooled products set to launch in 2022 and beyond.

Devised by Studio AKA, the multiple BAFTA and Emmy award-winning preschool series Hey Duggee was the most-watched kids’ show of the year on BBC iPlayer in 2020 with over 192 million requests. Year to date in 2021, Hey Duggee continues to be a top performing children’s show on BBC iPlayer and CBeebies each month.

The official Hey Duggee YouTube channel recently surpassed one million subscribers.

Julie Kekwick, senior licensing manager at BBC Studios said: “I am thrilled to have MV Sports and HTI  on board. Their products reflect Hey Duggee’s core brand essence of encouraging imaginative play and  fun outdoor adventure and I’m in no doubt fans will love them.

“The ever increasing popularity of the show is reflected in sales of licensed consumer products. NPD recently reported Hey Duggee toy sales doubling year on year in the first three months of 2021. This success can be attributed to our Master Toy partner Golden Bear seeing UK Trade sales grow by 97 per cent in 2020 and an order book showing an increase of 70 per cent so far in 2021.”

Phil Ratcliff, joint managing director at MV Sports, added: “We are delighted to be partnering with BBC  Studios on Hey Duggee! With an exceptional time slot on CBeebies, outstanding BBC iPlayer ratings and a history of strong toy sales, Hey Duggee is showing all the signs of becoming a classic.

“Loved by both parents and children alike, Hey Duggee has the perfect awareness profile for strong and sustained  wheeled and outdoor toy sales.”

Hey Duggee boasts an impressive global footprint in over 150 territories, while licensing agents and European toy partners have recently been secured for both France and Spain, with launches planned for later this year.

Bluey tops the ratings on CBeebies and iPlayer during first month on its UK free to air home

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Bluey has been named the top rating programme on CBeebies in April, the same month that the popular preschool series launched to its free to air home in the UK.

The series also become the number one show in its time slot for 0 to six year old children, and its episodes constitute the top five most requested CBeebies episodes on the BBC iPlayer. So far throughout May, Bluey represents nine of the top ten most requested episodes on CBeebies.

Henrietta Hurford-Jones, executive producer for Bluey and director of children’s content partnerships at BBC  Studios, said: “Working with Ludo and ABC on Bluey is a joy and a privilege, and seeing audiences worldwide respond so positively to the warmth, humour and authenticity of the show is immensely rewarding. The degree to which the CBeebies audience has now embraced Bluey too is equally incredible.”

Bluey has been winning the hearts of kids and parents around the world since it first launched in Australia in October 2018, and the show is fast becoming a global hit. In its home market, Bluey was the number one children’s programme on metro broadcast television in 2020 and is the number one series ever on ABC iview with over 480 million views across series one and two.

In addition to winning over audiences worldwide, Bluey has scooped up multiple awards, such as the  International Emmy Kids Award in the prestigious Preschool category last year. The accolades have continued into 2021, with Bluey winning four Kidscreen Awards in February.

Multi-award winner Bluey follows a six year-old Blue Heeler dog who loves to play and turns everyday family life into extraordinary adventures. Bluey is produced by the multi-Emmy award-winning Ludo Studio for ABC Kids Australia and is co-commissioned by ABC Children’s and BBC Studios.

The Point. 1888 secures 12 EMEA sub-agents for Moonbug Entertainment’s preschool portfolio

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Moonbug Entertainment has set a course for global expansion, having signed with 12 sub-agents across the EMEA region for a number of its popular preschool properties. The string of sub-agent partnerships was secured by the firm’s master licensing agency, The Point. 1888.

The sweep of new licensing agents is just the latest move for Moonbug Entertainment who continues to bolster its presence on the international licensing scene. The firm has already secured a number of licensee partners for its brands Blippi, CoComelon, and My Magic Pet Morphle, courtesy of The Point. 1888.

The brand extension specialist was appointed last summer as the master licensing agency across EMEA for Moonbug. Since coming on board, The Point.1888 has sought to leverage the shows’ popularity with children by bringing the brand closer to its audience across a broad range of categories, including clothing, puzzles, arts & crafts, games, outdoor to name just a few.

The Point.1888 has also now secured a wealth of sub-agents to  help it deliver its licensing plans across EMEA. These include the German brand licensing expert, The Brand Residence, in Germany, Austria and Sweden; the award winning Spanish agent, El Ocho, in Iberia; the leading agent for the Italian market, The Evolution of Licensing, and Spacetoons, one of the largest and most successful kids entertainment conglomerates in the Middle East.

Further partners include LDI in Israel LDI in Turkey and Cyprus, ELC to cover Eastern Europe, Brand4rent in Russia, CLM in South Africa, License Connection for the Benelux region, Ferly in the Nordics, and Brand Energy – headed up by Benoir Roque and Alex Ardant – will be covering France.

So far, all sub-agents are in discussion with prospective licensees in their territories and a number of agreements are now in place. Jazwares and Bandai are working with the sub agents and The Point.1888 on the master toy launch of CoComelon and Blippi across EMEA this year, following a strong 2020 launch in the UK.

Character Options is planning for the launch of its master toy range for My Magic Pet Morphle this Autumn.

Bethan Garton, commercial director at The Point.1888, said: “Every agent we’ve signed really understands the new digital world that kids live in and that properties on YouTube, Netflix, Amazon and others can have just as successful a launch at retail as those on a traditional broadcaster, if not more so.

“Our agents will all act as ambassadors of Moonbug and The Point.1888 in their region and so a retail approach is key. They will be working with and educating retailers across EMEA on the strength of digital content brands.”

Jo Galpin, international licensing manager at Moonbug, added: “The success that we’ve seen so far has been phenomenal and allows families across the globe to connect with their favourite Moonbug characters. The Point.1888 have been excellent partners and we look forward to what each sub-agent will bring to their region.”

Macmillan Children’s Books lands LEGO City publishing partnership with Ameet

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Macmillan Children’s Books has landed a new publishing partnership with AMEET Publishing and the global toy brand, LEGO, to launch a series of LEGO illustrated novelty board books for preschoolers.

The global deal will span all languages and was completed by Nicole Pearson, publishing director, brand and media, at Macmillan Children’s Books alongside Dan Shepherd, international sales and marketing director at AMEET.

The books will be based on the popular LEGO City brand and will tap into preschool topics such as Fire Station and Building Site, and will feature specially commissioned artwork. The series will launch in August this year with two titles in Macmillan Children’s Books’ Busy Book format. These will be followed by a seasonal Christmas title.

Macmillan’s best-selling Busy Book format sells all around the world and its popular push, pull and slide mechanisms allow young children to interact with the book in a fun and rewarding way. The books will promote the LEGO themes and values, encouraging imagination and creativity among children.

Pearson commented: “The LEGO Group is known and loved by children and parents the world over and we are delighted to be  working in partnership with AMEET on this series of LEGO novelty board books for pre-schoolers which  are sure to captivate young children.”

Stephanie Barton, publisher, preschool, brands and media at Macmillan Children’s Books said: “The LEGO Group’s values of imagination, creativity and quality are closely aligned to those of Macmillan and we are thrilled to be working with this world-class brand as part of our developing media strategy.”

AMEET’ s Shepherd, concluded: “AMEET is LEGO Publishing’s strategic partner for the LEGO Books imprint. We are delighted to partner with Macmillan  Children’s Books to publish LEGO Books in the Busy Books format with novelty elements and stories that encourage young readers to interact with the book, these titles fit perfectly into our Playful Reading  programme that promotes creativity, imagination, and play.”

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.

Boat Rocker lassos a raft of new Dino Ranch partners across the US and Canada

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Boat Rocker Studios has secured a raft of new licensing partners for its hit preschool series, Dino Ranch, across a number of key categories for the US and Canadian markets. Multiple new deals see the property move into apparel, home decor, timepieces, and costume characters.

Young Dino Ranch fans can look forward to dressing themselves in Dino Ranch branded apparel, thanks to a new partnership with The Bentex Group and its affiliates Dreamwave and HIS International. The firm will be producing Dino Ranch daywear, swimwear and outerwear.

Meanwhile, Komar Kids LLC, a global leader in the design, sourcing, manufacturing and distribution of apparel with over a century of expertise, will be producing a range of sleepwear for kids to ride off to bed in.

Dino Ranch will be brought to life at live events and festivals with Oasis Productions Inc. who will provide costume characters for the US, reaching audiences to engage kids’ curiosity and sense of play; while Spirit Halloween, the largest Halloween retailer in the US – with over 1,400 locations across North America – is gearing up for a range of kids’ and pet dress up costumes and accessories for Halloween 2022.

Elsewhere, fans can recreate the ranch look at home thanks to Franco Mfg, creators of home décor, who will be launching a range of products, including bedding, bedding accessories, bath and beach for the US and Canada.

Alongside publishing partner Scholastic these categories will roll out from Spring 2022 following global master toy launch by Jazwares this summer.

Kate Schlomann, EVP brand management and content marketing, Boat Rocker Studios, said: “There has been a phenomenal response to Dino Ranch on Disney Junior where it has been the number one preschool U.S. cable show since its launch.  It’s not just viewers that love the show, we have received an incredible reaction from both the broadcasting and licensing community and are delighted to team up with such a prestigious herd of licensees to provide our Rancheroos with a roar-some range of high-quality products across these key categories.”

Dino Ranch launched in the UK on Disney+ on April 23rd and in Australia on April 2nd. The series is due to roll out internationally in other territories later this year.

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 manage the global franchise development including content distribution and consumer products.

Baby and parent product label Marcus & Marcus eyes licensing move into toys, fashion, kitchen and more

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The baby and parent product label, Marcus & Marcus is taking its first steps into the licensing space, having appointed LMG to help build brand awareness through a programme of new licensing partnerships.

Developed by two parents, Marcus & Marcus is recognised for its bold, bright and engaging animal friends designed to kep children engaged.  The brand strives to help families take on the challenges of parenting and simplify the everyday chaos.

Drawing from the brand’s ethos and commitment to safety, quality, and sustainability, LMG seeks licensee partners in lifestyle categories such as Children’s Fashion, Toys and STEM Toys, Bags and Luggage, Bedding, Toddler & Infant Products, and Home and Kitchen.

“We’re honored to add the Marcus & Marcus brand to our client roster and look forward to developing products and promotions that support young families and walk them through the ups and downs of parenting,” said Andrew Kwan, EVP LMG, Maxx Group.

“The adorable Marcus & Marcus animal friends inspire fun, fresh and unique designs. We will be guided by the needs and desires of modern parents in our approach, we’re looking for licensees that embrace the core brand principles of safety, innovation and sustainability,” said Eric Tong, senior licensing manager LMG, Maxx Group.

The three-year partnership between Marcus & Marcus and LMG will commence Spring 2021. LMG are currently seeking licensee partners in Children’s Fashion, Toys and STEM Toys, Bags & Luggage, Bedding, Toddler & Infant Products and Home & Kitchen.

The Point. 1888 nets Farshore for CoComelon book publishing in the UK, Eire and Poland

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The hit preschool property and leading children’s series, CoComelon has bolstered its portfolio of international licensees once more, this time tapping Farshore for children’s book publishing across the UK, Eire, and Poland. The deal was brokered by Moonbug’s European licensing agent, The Point. 1888.

CoComelon is a preschool phenomenon currently dominating the digital space and, according to the firm, is set to become one of the biggest global preschool brands across all categories. It is the number one children’s and educational channel on YouTube worldwide, seeing more than 100 billion views globally.

The Moonbug series has spent the most consecutive days in Netflix’s top ten programs across both adult and children’s shows, and in 2021 it has been the most streamed Netflix show beating Bridgerton to the top spot.

Launching with two titles in October 2021, Farshore will publish CoComelon’s most watched and popular songs in bright, bold board book format for preschoolers to sing along with, followed by further publishing in 2022.

CoComelon Bath Song Board Book includes the main character JJ and his brother TomTom from the hugely popular and catchy Bath Song episode. Children can sing along to another much-loved classic with CoComelon Wheels on the Bus Board Book.

Zoe Masters, brands and licensing publisher at Farshore, said: “We are delighted to be publishing CoComelon in this joint deal with HarperCollins Poland. We are incredibly proud to bring Moonbug’s hugely successful entertaining educational content to life in our book publishing.

“At Farshore we are committed to ensuring a love of reading from an early age, and our CoComelon titles will provide fun and engaging books for children to share and enjoy time and time again. The books are launching in 2021 and we couldn’t be happier with the response from retail we have received so far.”

Katie Wilkinson, senior commercial manager at ThePoint.1888, added: “Farshore’s purpose is to make every child a proud reader so I am absolutely thrilled that we are working with them on this epic brand. Cocomelon has joined the digital kid’s entertainment space and achieved growth like no one has seen before, currently it is the most viewed You Tube channel in the world and second most subscribed.

“This lends itself to publishing perfectly and I’m excited to see the first titles later this year and then the ever growing title list rollout in 2022 and beyond.”

CoComelon Bath Song Board Book and CoComelon Wheels on the Bus Board Book publishes on 30th September 2021, for children aged one to four.

Acamar Films builds on UK licensing success for hit preschool IP Bing

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The popular kids’ property and pre-school series, Bing is continuing to expand its UK licensing programme, building on the success the IP has seen across the toys and wider consumer product space to date.

Last year, demand for Bing products enjoyed an 11 per cent year on year increase, while this year, Acamar Films – the London-based studio behind the IP – has welcomed strategic new categories to the portfolio, dialing the UK licensing programme up to 25 licensees in total.

Not only will 2021 Bing move into bathtime and dental products with Solent, but also launch onto the children’s audio system, Tonies, as the platform prepares to deliver an audio storytelling experience for all Bingsters, slated for a 2022 release.

It follows a string year of sales growth across Bing’s master toy range with Golden Bear, a line that saw sales increase 115 per cent year on year in 2020. Golden Bear will be expanding the collection with the introduction of Nicky, a new character from the latest series, as well as siblings Coco and Charlie.

New lines for Autumn/Winter include a musical dancing Bing and a large play-set of Bing’s House. For the very first time, bath toys will be available for Bingsters with the new wind up Bathtime Boat set to make a splash at retail.

Meanwhile, 8th Wonder boasts a raft of new wooden toys and games to add to their Bing range, marking the Bing Skittles and Carry Along House as high performers, while MV Sports will be widening its retail footprint with additional listings of its wheeled and outdoor toys.

In publishing terms, Bing continues to perform well for HarperCollins, who witnessed a 62 per cent year on year net sales growth in 2020 and has nine new titles scheduled for release this year.

Juliet Matthews, publisher, media and brands, HarperCollins Children’s Books, said: “Thanks to strong support across retail and increased range space, Bing’s backlist continues to perform well alongside exciting new titles such as Bing and the Fire Engine and the timely vaccination picture book with stickers, Doctor Bing. Our single sound novelty title The Rainybow Song is a stand out title, selling 1k copies consistently every week.”

Softlines have also expanded across daywear and outerwear from licensees Fashion UK and William Lamb. There will be a specific growth in girlswear to match the boyswear offering and new lines include dresses, sweatshirts, joggers, trainers and rucksacks.

“We are excited to see the growth of Bing across our girlswear, boys and unisex lines,” said Hannah Miles, joint managing director at Fashion UK. “The trend guide collections bring fresh opportunities to tailor creative to each retailer and offer gorgeous designs to our consumers and their Bingsters.”

Aykroyds and TDP continue to build their business year-on-year and Smiffys has introduced an additional girls’ dress up line to their range with Sula, which launched exclusively with Tu at Argos/Sainsburys ahead of World Book Day 2021.

Continuing the focus on Acamar Films’ direct-to-consumer relationships, e-commerce hub The Bing Store will be expanding its product offering further in 2021.

Louise Simmonds, head of UK licensing and merchandising at Acamar Films, said: “It is wonderful to see steady growth across our consumer product programme for 2021 and the support from our partners during such tough times.

“Bing’s timeless and relatable core values, alongside the growing audience engagement we are seeing across our content, digital and social platforms, provides a reliable and trusted foundation for the year ahead.”

Macmillan Children’s Books launches new Dear Zoo babywear collection to Tesco

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Macmillan Children’s Books has launched a new clothing range for Tesco based on the classic and much-loved children’s story, Dear Zoo, created by Rod Campbell. The latest collection follows the success of the first Dear Zoo apparel range across Tesco stores in 2020.

The babywear collection is now available in-store and is made up of six garments for babies aged 0 to 24 months, including a sleepsuit, sleeping bag, pyjama sets, vests, and bibs. The new designs introduce two new colours to the Dear Zoo palette, which fit alongside the existing and classic Dear Zoo imagery.

A large social media influencer campaign accompanies this launch and will showcase sample outfits and books to over 350k consumers.

Stephanie Barton, publisher, preschool, brands and classics, Macmillan Children’s Books, said: “We were delighted by the success of the Dear Zoo babywear in Tesco last year and couldn’t have been more pleased when they wanted to do a new range for 2021. They are a brilliant partner, and the clothing sits well alongside the other bespoke licensing that we have for Dear Zoo.

“The classic story continues to grow in popularity each year and has now been loved across three generations of families. This new apparel gives something extra to families who really love the brand, while introducing new families to the animals and the story.”

The Dear Zoo classic storybook offers the magic of a shared storytelling experience as a variety of animals are sent from the zoo. The story brings a sense of humour, anticipation and discovery as the child turns the pages. It continues to be at the heart of families throughout the UK and around the world and was the bestselling picture board book in the UK in 2019.

Macmillan Children’s Books will be celebrating the 40th anniversary of Dear Zoo in 2022 and plans are being laid for an extensive on- and off-line consumer marketing campaign across the brand. The Dear Zoo Live on Stage play production hopes to tour 20 venues with 80 shows nationwide in autumn 2021, depending on COVID regulations. Since its launch in 2018, nearly 85,000 children and families have already enjoyed the performances and it has also successfully toured in the UAE, Hong Kong and Singapore.

This new clothing launch continues the growing story around Dear Zoo and Macmillan is looking forward to building on its success in the soft toy, nursery, gifting and stationery sectors shortly.