Rocket Licensing receives ten Licensing Awards 2020 nominations for Hungry Caterpillar, Rebel Girls and more

Rocket Licensing is enjoying a run of industry success this year, having found itself with no fewer than ten inclusions in the shortlist for the upcoming Licensing Awards. Nominations in the 2020 awards span its work across licensed product ranges and experiential collaborations for a range of its licensors and licensees.

The slew of nominations follows the company’s recent win at the Licensing International Excellence Awards, where The Very Hungry Caterpillar campaign at the Royal Horticultural Society was named the Best Experiential or Location-based initiative.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar has now been shortlisted for seven awards, including the overall Best Preschool Licensed Property in the Licensing Awards. It has also been recognised for its RHS Summer Partnership in the Best Licensed Promotions Campaign category, its Butterfly Dress-up for George@Asda from Christys By Design is nominated in the Best Licensed Dress-up or Partyware award, and its clothing range from Denicci for Tu at Sainsbury’s is shortlisted in the Best Licensed Preschool Apparel Range category.

Rounding out the property’s nominations, its Gardening Range for the RHS from Robert Frederick is in the Best Licensed Giftware Range, Home Décor, Tableware or Housewares Range.

Meanwhile, Rebel Girls has been named a finalist in the Best Sustainable Licensed Product category, a new slot for the 2020 Licensing Awards. It’s the UK games and puzzles specialist, Gibsons and its Rebel Girls jigsaw range that has caught much of the industry attention and secured its place in the shortlist.

The puzzles, which carry Rebel sirls’ mission to highlight female role models, are printed on 100 per cent recycled puzzle board and FSC paper.

Christmas favourite, The Elf on the Shelf, has landed two spots on the finalist list, as contender for the overall Best Children’s or Tween Licensed Property (Age Group five to 12), and also in the Best Licensed Giftware Range, Home Décor, Tableware or Housewares Range category, for its Food Gifting Range from Kimm & Miller.

The Beano brand has been recognised in the Best Licensed Promotions Campaign category for the Beano Time Travellers! exhibition at Mottisfont, which explored the history of the longest running children’s comic in Britain. Meanwhile, the Horrible Science Kits and Board Game from James Galt & Co are in the running for the Best Licensed Toys or Games Range.

 Rob Wijeratna, joint MD, Rocket Licensing, said: “We’re so pleased that these awards have all been able to go ahead virtually despite all of the current restrictions, so that our industries can come together to support one another during a difficult time, and celebrate excellence in the sector.

“We’re thrilled for our licensors and licensees to have been recognised across such a wide range of categories, and would like to congratulate all the other finalists. Fingers crossed for virtual Rocket Licensing corks popping on the 16th December.”

Publishing, licensing, and the rule-breakers that have shaped its success

A particularly enjoyable piece of trivia is that there is very real evidence to suggest Agatha Christie was one of the first Britons to learn to surf standing up. Added detail that she did so off the shores of Honolulu and Cape Town at the height of the roaring ’20s, only adds to the image of vivacity of the author known for pioneering new grounds in British literature through the creation of two her best loved characters, Hercule Poirot and Ms Marple.

Both, believe it or not, have been the subject of successful licensing endeavours in the past and present, that have taken the characters and their worlds into the physical and digital gaming space, consumer products, and, of course, countless television and film adaptations – many of which will be broadcasting on any given channel right now, as you read this.

History has long been written – but often overlooked – by the women holding the pen, while it’s arguable that the licensing industry has long been influenced by the creations that emerged from their pages. Tove Jansson, the Swedish-speaking Finnish author, as we all know, was the mind behind Moomins, Beatrix Potter brought us the world of Peter Rabbit (et al), Rowling handed us Harry Potter, Mary Shelley gave us Frankenstein’s monster (yes, that totally counts), and actually the list goes on.

In doing so, however, each had to break the rules of their era, help set new precedents, and pioneer in a space heavily enveloped in patriarchy. Licensing, by extension, has always managed to champion those rule-breakers and help create a legacy around their works. Recently though, Timbuktu Labs – the owners of the Rebel Girls IP – has striven to take this one step further.

It’s well recognised that the publishing sector has long been a favoured pitch of the licensing industry, seen by many as a fertile ground for some of the most impactful and longstanding licenses and licensing programmes in the space today. Only this week has Dr Seuss Enterprises detailed this year’s plans with Random House Children’s to celebrate the author’s 116th birthday, while the Roald Dahl Story Company has seemingly written a new future for the world’s number one children’s storyteller through its boundary-pushing partnership with Netflix.

When it comes to licensing, classic book properties really do know how to go the distance. But with such a deep well of classic children’s literature to draw from, and up against some of the most iconic characters and brands to emerge from them, it’s no small undertaking to launch modern day book properties to the same effect.

David Walliams has largely been credited with revitalising the children’s book scene in recent years, with licensing success beginning to emanate from some of his most popular titles, including the likes of the Billionaire Boy stage show, or the Gangsta Granny board game, among various other partnerships in place, or on the way. Since his embarkation on a journey into children’s books, Walliams has – to date – sold 25 million copies across his portfolio of some 16 titles, proving that no matter how popular the classic IP remains, there’s still plenty of room to reach contemporary audiences, with a spin on the contemporary messages.

And what are contemporary audiences asking for more and more? Well, better representation of the women of history that have helped shape society today is always a good start.

The Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls is a book series well aware of the demand for a contemporary shake-up among the book cases today. In a few short years, the series has sold over 4.5 million copies and has been translated in nearly 50 languages, taking its stories and accounts of just some of history’s best known -and the not so well known – trailblazing and pioneering women to audiences worldwide.

Its success in fact, has sparked the foundation of the Rebel Girls lifestyle brand, one that unites publishing, podcasts, digital content, and consumer product licensing, through which the values to educate and empower girls through storytelling are shared. Its global success to date is reflective of shifting audiences not only in the publishing space, but the wider market, for stories, and brands, that empower and speak out in a new way.

“The brand reaches beyond the hugely successful book series to connect Rebel Girls across multiple platforms,” Louisa Skevington, licensing executive a Rocket Licensing, the team responsible for Rebel Girls’ UK licensing programme, tells Licensing.biz.

“The Rebel Girls podcast has achieved over three million downloads between two seasons, and its digital presence is steadily growing, establishing Rebel Girls as a distinctive lifestyle brand beyond its core publishing. Rebel Girls is keeping ahead in this competitive market.”

Rocket Licensing recently detailed the first UK licensees for the Rebel Girls brand in Gibsons Games – who has developed a contemporary puzzle range based on the look and message of the brand, with a card game to follow this summer – and Portico Designs, which will be launching an extensive range of products, including back to school stationery, gift items and lunch ware.

Of course, the launch of the brand in this way, and the messaging behind it couldn’t be more timely.

“With the rise of the #metoo movement, and the increasing awareness around the importance of equality and representation, Rebel Girls is filling a space in the market that continues to grow,” added Skevington. “And Rebel Girls has a clear mission that translates into product strategy. The brand looks to identify products in need of refreshing and inspiring updates, considering impact on education, gender and environment.

“The product, like the brand, aims to be forward facing in its ideas and approach. The universal message of Rebel Girls spans a wider demographic than many publishing titles.”

From here, and working closely with the Rebel Girls US based brand owner Timbuktu Labs, Rocket Licensing is already eyeing its next move, and, with a style guide currently being finalised, we won’t be waiting too long to see what happens next.

“We are currently targeting product categories such as nightwear, daywear, social stationery, accessories, and health and beauty, while developments in licensing are supported by the ongoing growth of the brand itself, which continues to expand upon its core collection – just recently it launched two new chapter books: Junko Tabei Masters of the Mountain and Dr Wangari Maathai Plants A Forest,” continues Skevington.

“This summer it will release a fifth chapter book: Alicia Alonso Takes the Stage, while autumn will mark the release of its third anthology, Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls: 100 immigrant Women who Changed the World.”

 

Gibsons and Portico Designs first UK licensees for Rebel Girls in deals from Rocket Licensing

Gibsons and Portico Designs have been named the first UK licensees for the award-winning brand behind the best-selling book series, Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls, a title that has sold 4.5 million copies and translated into nearly 50 languages.

The deals have been brokered by Rocket Licensing, the licensing agency for Rebel Girls across the UK and Eire. The firm plans to create educational, ethical and empowering products for the Rebel Girls consumer products programme across the territory.

Rocket’s deal with Gibsons is for the UK, Eire and Europe, with potential for wider distribution. The initial puzzles, which are anticipated to appeal to girls, teens and young women alike, launch in spring 2020, followed by a card game in summer and a board game in 2021.

Product placement for the range is mid-tier, with department stores, speciality toy and book stores, and online set to support the launch. 

Meanwhile, The Portico partnership covers an extensive range for the UK and Eire, including back to school stationery, gift items and lunchware. An initial range of gift stationery is anticipated to launch for autumn/winter 2020 with further product to follow across mid-tier, speciality stores and select grocers, again targeting girls and young women.

Rebel Girls is currently also available as a podcast with over three million downloads, and a recently launched digital magazine and newsletter. The Rebel Girls brand is now on a mission to ‘inspire a generation of confident girls through vivid storytelling, illustration and compelling multimedia content.’

Rocket Licensing will continue to target categories such as homewares and home textiles, daywear, nightwear, accessories and health and beauty for Rebel Girls.

Louisa Skevington, licensing executive at Rocket Licensing, commented: “We are delighted to be launching the Rebel Girls licensing programme with two partners who are perfect for the brand. Gibsons’ and Portico’s mid-tier positioning and beautifully designed products are in line with the property’s values and mission, and the initial product development looks fantastic.

“We are thrilled with the response Rebel Girls has received since launch. Many potential partners are already familiar with the property and reading the books to their own children. We’re excited to see how this one grows.”

Gibsons partners with Rebel Girls to launch new puzzle range inspired by the best selling book title

The family-owned jigsaw puzzle and board game specialist, Gibsons, has teamed with Rebel Girls, the award-winning brand behind the book series Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls to launch a new puzzle line.

Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls is a globally popular book that has sold over 4.5 million and has been translated into nearly 50 languages.

Known for its innovative puzzle designs and best-selling games, Gibsons will release two jigsaw puzzles in spring this year, as well as a card game in the summer, and a board game to follow in 2021.

The jigsaw puzzles will be available in two piece counts, 100 piece and 500 piece, appealing to girls, teens and young women alike. Each product will make full use of the rich Rebel Girls style guide, which focuses on positive, empowering messaging and bold designs.

The partnership was brokered by the UK licensing agent for the Rebel Girls brand, Rocket Licensing.

“We are delighted that Gibsons has joined us on our Rebel Girls mission, encouraging girls to explore, learn and dream without limits,” said Louisa Skevington, licensing executive at Rocket Licensing.

“Gibsons has really reflected the core values of Rebel Girls in their game development and the puzzle designs look absolutely fantastic – we cannot wait to see them in store.”

Emily Charles, product development manager at Gibsons, added: “Rebel Girls is a fantastic brand that we are thrilled to be working with.

“It’s been fascinating and inspiring learning the stories of the amazing women featured in these games and puzzles through the product development process. We heard about the Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls books from our own gang of Gibsons Rebel Girls (the daughters of some of the team).

“As a company, we have a very strong female presence, 60 per cent of the team are women, including two of the directors, and so we felt straight away it would be a great fit.”