Rocket Licensing gears up for Beano’s 85th anniversary

Having begun its story in 1938, Beano has become one of the most recognisable British brands of all time. In 2023 it celebrates a momentous 85 years since it first hit newsstands, and Rocket Licensing is preparing a celebratory range of consumer products to mark the milestone.

Now the world’s longest-running weekly comic, Beano has recently reported its fifth year of consecutive sales growth, and with more than 28 million Brits having read the comic as kids, it’s unsurprising that it boasts 84% brand recognition amongst children, and a whopping 94% recognition amongst adults.

The special birthday will be commemorated by the brand across the year with a special comic issue, a national press and media campaign, schools’ activity and special appearances from the comic’s celebrity fans. More details of the celebrations will be announced soon.

Rocket Licensing, which manages the rights for the property in the UK, is preparing an exciting schedule of consumer products and events not only to mark Beano’s birthday, but to celebrate Roger the Dodger, Minnie the Minx and the Bash Street Kids, who will be celebrating their 70th anniversary milestones, and The Numskulls, who will be marking their 30th anniversary.

The celebrations follow in the wake of Dennis’s 70th celebrations, which saw fans young and old join in the anniversary fun and Dennis trending worldwide on Twitter across the year. Beano also won the inaugural Children’s Magazine of the Year at the 2021 PPA awards.

Beano will, as always, be supporting World Book Day 2023, with licensed products and categories planned to feature in-store during this important seasonal window including new Beano book releases from Farshore, dress-up from Rubies and nightwear from Aykroyds.

Charlie Donaldson, Joint MD at Rocket Licensing, says: “Beano is part of the culture of Britain, and we’re thrilled to be able to honour the brand’s 85th birthday next year. Dennis’ 70th anniversary in 2021 was a huge success and the nation celebrated in style with a range of fabulous products and events. We’re planning even more excitement for 2023 and are looking forward to working with existing and new partners to ensure the anniversary is one to remember.”

Vanessa Andreis, Franchise Planning and Partnerships Director, Beano Studios, adds: “2023 is going to be Beano’s biggest year yet! Kids and their families won’t be able to miss our celebrations as we commemorate both the iconic comic and our incredible characters which are so loved.”

As part of the celebrations, the brand is also delighted to launch Beano: The Outdoor Game, in partnership with the Outdoor Gaming Company, for families all over the country. Starting with London and Dundee, followed by other major towns and cities over the coming months, the game will see families help Dennis find Gnasher in their local town or city by solving clues, completing tasks, and answering questions.

 

Rocket Licensing to rep Miffy in the UK and Eire

Mercis, which manages the works of Dick Bruna, has appointed Rocket Licensing to represent global icon Miffy in the UK and Eire.

Mercis has been keen to secure a new home for Miffy after previous manager DRI Licensing’s decision to wind down the company.

Marja Kerkhof, MD of Mercis, says: “Our mission is to share Dick Bruna’s work, and Miffy, with as many people as possible, but always with respect for art and the world of a child. It is never easy to make this kind of decision when working with someone’s oeuvre, but it is my belief that Miffy will be in good hands with Rob, Charlie and the Rocket team. We look forward to this collaboration and the exciting possibilities it could bring. But first let’s focus on 2023, Ýear of the Rabbit!”

Rob Wijeratna, Joint MD of Rocket Licensing, adds: “We are so excited to welcome Miffy on board at Rocket Licensing. She is a classic design brand and is instantly recognisable across generations, cultures and languages. Her iconic status is largely down to the simple, impactful design and the key core values of fun, imagination and simplicity.

“Miffy’s licensing programme spans all ages and categories and has featured some exciting collaborations and experiential events, and as we approach the Year of the Rabbit in 2023, our team is really looking forward to building on that and taking the consumer products programme to the next level.”

Rocket Licensing signs Little People, BIG DREAMS

Rocket Licensing has announced that it will be representing children’s book property Little People, BIG DREAMS, and will build a consumer products programme for the inspirational brand.

Little People, BIG DREAMS is the original and bestselling series of illustrated biographies exploring the lives of outstanding people for readers aged three to seven years old. The subjects of the books range from designers and artists to scientists and activists, all of whom have achieved incredible things, but began life as a child with a dream.

Told as a story, with a facts and photos section at the back, the children’s series, published by Frances Lincoln Children’s Books, part of the Quarto Group, and created by Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara, has sold over 7.5 million copies worldwide and been published in 35 languages.

With such a diverse range of people as subjects, the brand offers the perfect way to celebrate key milestones throughout the year, including titles such as Marie Curie on International Women’s Day; Frida Kahlo on World Book Day; a variety of sporting icons like Muhammad Ali for sporting events; Stephen Hawking for British Science Week; and Nelson Mandela during Black History Month. Little People, BIG DREAMS aims to inspire every little dreamer’s ambition.

Planned titles for 2022 include Neil Armstrong, Laverne Cox, Nikola Tesla, Mae Jemison and many more. The series will also publish its 100th title in 2023, to be announced soon.

Rocket will be discussing the exciting brand with licensees across a wide range of categories, and plans to create a licensing programme including apparel, dress-up, games and puzzles, publishing, stationery, gifting, and much more. A brand-new style guide will be available for licensing partners, using the stunning illustrations from the series.

Charlie Donaldson, joint MD, Rocket Licensing, commented: “Little People, BIG DREAMS is a unique and inspirational brand, which brings history and culture to life for the younger generation in a fun, bright and colourful way. We’re really looking forward to bringing the property into the homes and lives of children across a wide range of consumer products.”

Shannon Cullen, Group Publishing Director for Children’s at Quarto Group, added: “We are so proud of the way our bestselling series has inspired children all over the world to achieve their dreams. It’s an exciting opportunity to be working with Rocket and our series creator, Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara, on bringing these stories to life off the page.”

Spotlight Licensing and Rocket Licensing welcome All Creatures Great and Small

Rocket Licensing and Spotlight Licensing are set to build a global consumer products programme for critically acclaimed fan-favourite television drama All Creatures Great and Small, with Rocket leading in all markets outside North America and Spotlight focused on North America.

The series, based on the best-selling stories written by Alf Wight under the pen name James Herriot, follows the adventures of a young vet from Glasgow working in the Yorkshire dales. Herriot’s books have sold 60 million copies internationally, becoming a global cultural phenomenon with devoted fans around the world.

The series airs in the UK as Channel 5’s top rating British drama, with five million viewers to date for the latest series, and is the second highest-rating programme on the channel, behind The Drowning.

In the U.S., All Creatures Great and Small is currently in its second season on PBS MASTERPIECE after debuting as one of PBS’s biggest hits of 2021 (seen by more than 10 million U.S. viewers).

PBS MASTERPIECE, Channel 5 and All3Media International recently announced that All Creatures Great and Small has already been renewed for a third and fourth season.

Rocket and Spotlight will be looking to target both the young adult and older age-group fans of the show with licensed products including gifting, homewares, stationery, apparel, food and beverage, and more, as well as experiential partnerships, and the team is looking forward to discussing the property with potential licensees and partners.

Carole Postal, president of Spotlight Licensing, says: “All Creatures Great and Small is a wonderful property for anyone who loves and cares for animals, enjoys the beautiful British countryside, and appreciates that small-town community life which Herriot portrays with such warmth and humour. U.S. audiences love the character and charm of this quintessentially British show and we are excited to get a consumer products licensing programme started here in North America.”

Charlie Donaldson, joint MD of Rocket Licensing, commented: “All Creatures Great and Small is a great brand which really resonates with UK consumers, and we are looking forward to discussing the exciting opportunities this property offers for licensed merchandise and collaborations with potential licensees. The demand for British brands is bigger than ever right now and this property fits the bill perfectly.”

‘Vikings’ spin-off ‘Vikings: Valhalla’ to drop on Netflix on 25 February

Rocket’s stand at Brand Licensing Europe took visitors back in time, as the agency presented the much-awaited new addition to the global sensation that is MGM’s Vikings: brand-new series Vikings: Valhalla. 

Vikings: Valhalla will premiere on 25 February 2022 on Netflix, and fans are already eagerly awaiting the consumer products portfolio.

Following on from Vikings, which transported viewers through the epic adventures of  Ragnar Lothbrok, a Viking warrior and farmer, MGM’s Vikings: Valhalla is set to thrill the original series’ army of fans.

The series will feature an all-star cast including Sam Corlett as Leif Eriksson, Frida Gustavsson as Freydis Eriksdotter, Leo Suter as Harald Sigurdsson, Bradley Freegard as King Canute, Johannes Johannesson as Olaf Haraldson and Laura Berlin as Emma of Normandy.

The UK licensing programme is set to combine three key touchpoints, enabling fans to “look like a Viking, act like a Viking, and express their love of the series”. It will cover a range of categories including apparel and accessories, health and beauty, homewares, collectables, costumes, games, figures, publishing and stationery, interactive and gambling, as well as experiential events and collaborations. Existing licensees include GB Eye, Ecell Global and Winning Moves, with new licensees and categories coming on board soon.

A new style guide has been prepared for the new series, offering a wealth of assets across three main themes – Vikingr (harvest colours combined with woodland greens); Skjaldmaer (Rustic moods combined in neutral winter hues) and Meidmar (featuring the logos and Viking treasures).

Charlie Donaldson, Joint MD, Rocket Licensing, commented: “The anticipation for Vikings: Valhalla is palpable. The original series built up such a huge following as the most in-demand historical drama in the world, and the second most in-demand TV series in the world. The series had a stupendous 11.2 million viewers per episode, and all of those people are eagerly awaiting this follow-up now on Netflix, meaning the demand will be off the scale.

“We had a great response from potential licensees at BLE and are now looking forward to welcoming new partners to the Viking clan. There is so much potential for this brand and we’re excited to get the licensing programme into action.”

Robert Marick, MGM’s Executive Vice President Global Consumer Products and Experiences, says: “The Vikings series has been incredibly popular over the years, reaching millions of viewers and inspiring the pop culture lexicon.

“We are thrilled to work with our new licensing partners to bring fans an exciting slate of new products for the latest installment of the story, Vikings: Valhalla.”

During its successful run, Vikings garnered 11.2 million views per weekly episode.  Beginning 100 years after the original series concludes, Vikings: Valhalla, from MGM Television, dramatises the adventures of the most famous Vikings who ever lived: Leif Erikson, Freydis, Harald Harada and Norman King William the Conqueror (also a Viking descendant). Around the world, Vikings has accrued more than 30 licensees across apparel, collectables, publishing, novelty and gaming.

Rocket appoints Emily Morgan as new Licensing Co-ordinator

Rocket Licensing has appointed Emily Morgan as its new Licensing Co-ordinator. Emily recently graduated from Exeter University with a first-class degree in History.

Emily will work alongside the Rocket team to carry out marketing duties, such as creating and updating brand materials, event management and PR, as well as liaising with licensees and brand owners. Emily will work across the diverse Rocket licensing portfolio of brands, including The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Elf on the Shelf, Beano, Kodak, Vikings Valhalla, Rocky, Legally Blonde, Dune, Enola Holmes, and many more.

Emily commented: “I’m thrilled to be working at Rocket Licensing and am looking forward to getting to know all of the great brands and licensors. I’m also really excited to attend BLE this month and look forward to meeting many of the industry there.”

Charlie Donaldson, Joint MD of Rocket Licensing, added: “We have a strong collection of brands at the moment and Rocket Licensing is going from strength to strength. We’re delighted to welcome Emily to the team to support us all across marketing and licensing activities – she’ll be a key member of staff.”

Rocket appoints Emily Morgan as new Licensing Co-ordinator

Rocket Licensing has appointed Emily Morgan as its new Licensing Co-ordinator. Emily recently graduated from Exeter University with a first-class degree in History.

Emily will work alongside the Rocket team to carry out marketing duties, such as creating and updating brand materials, event management and PR, as well as liaising with licensees and brand owners. Emily will work across the diverse Rocket licensing portfolio of brands, including The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Elf on the Shelf, Beano, Kodak, Vikings Valhalla, Rocky, Legally Blonde, Dune, Enola Holmes, and many more.

Emily commented: “I’m thrilled to be working at Rocket Licensing and am looking forward to getting to know all of the great brands and licensors. I’m also really excited to attend BLE this month and look forward to meeting many of the industry there.”

Charlie Donaldson, Joint MD of Rocket Licensing, added: “We have a strong collection of brands at the moment and Rocket Licensing is going from strength to strength. We’re delighted to welcome Emily to the team to support us all across marketing and licensing activities – she’ll be a key member of staff.”

Rocket Licensing welcomes brace of new UK licensees for The Very Hungry Caterpillar

The popular preschool property, The Very Hungry Caterpillar is expanding its presence in the toys, role-play, and party space this year thanks to renewed and extended ranges from its master toy partner, Rainbow Designs, as well as product launches from Smiffys, and the Great British Teepee Company.

Play teepees, mats, and cushions all based on Eric Carle’s iconic The Very Hungry Caterpillar are among just some of the newest licensed products to making their way to the UK’s retail space this year, as Rocket Licensing continues to extend the consumer product reach for the hit preschool IP.

The Great British Teepee Company joins a list of new partners, including Findel Education, DNC and Gullivers Theme Park Resorts to embark on new and expansive ventures with the Eric Carle property through partnerships secured by Rocket Licensing, the UK licensing agency.

A range of play teepees, mats, and cushions will launch via the Great British Teepee Company’s eCommerce site and its flagship store this autumn, while Findel Education will introduce a range of educational resources for nurseries and early Childhood centres.

Products featuring the wiggly character are set to include story stones, a storytelling scene and an outdoor board in an international deal covering the UK, Europe, Africa and Asia.

DNC UK Ltd are newly signed for a broad range of homeware items including lunch bags and containers, tableware, hydration and drinkware, cutlery and baby food coolers. With broad distribution across grocery, independent specialist stores, online and mass market, an initial product range is in development to launch in Q1 2022.

Finally, the new experiential partner Gullivers Theme Parks has recently launched its theme park branded activities including character costume appearances and even The Very Hungry Caterpillar accommodation for families to stay overnight in their very own cocoons. The attractions will feature at two of the theme parks’ sites – Gulliver’s Land (Dinosaur and Farm Park) in Milton Keynes, and Gulliver’s Valley South Yorkshire – and there are plans to further develop these activities for next year.

Louisa Skevington, licensing executive, Rocket Licensing, said: “It’s an honour to have these four new partners on board for The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Each a best in class player in their own industry, the new deals take the property into new areas, offering exciting new products and experiences for fans in the UK and beyond.

“The Very Hungry Caterpillar has enjoyed great success with experiential campaigns over recent years, including our award-winning partnership with the Royal Horticultural Society in 2019 and successful partnership with ZSL London Zoo earlier this summer, so we’re excited to extend that into the theme park arena too. Meanwhile the range from Findel will satisfy a growing demand among Early Years settings for The Very Hungry Caterpillar related learning and play activities.”

As well as the new partnerships, Rocket Licensing’s existing portfolio of licensees for The Very Hungry Caterpillar have been busy creating fresh products.

Master Toy partner, Rainbow Designs, is launching a refresh of its wooden toy collection this autumn, while Dennicci offered its biggest ever babywear range for spring/summer this year, with up to 20 SKUs launching across grocery retail. Further extensive babywear ranges are now planned for autumn/winter 2021 and spring/summer 2022.

In addition to this, MORI, which launched its inaugural eight-piece The Very Hungry Caterpillar babywear range in February this year – will be building upon the collection’s success with a relaunch of three of bestsellers: the Zip-Up Sleepsuit, Long Sleeve T-Shirt and Printed Pyjamas, as well as the launch of two new sweatshirts this autumn.

Smiffy’s is working on a new The Very Hungry Caterpillar range of paper partyware using the brand’s new Love Your Planet style guide. Meanwhile Robert Frederick launched its new Little Gardener’s Range in May, including Paint Your Own Pots, Paint Your Own Butterfly House, and Garden Tool Set.

Louisa added: “It’s incredible to see so many new lines launching from our brilliant partners. Consumers have been turning to heritage and nostalgic brands during these uncertain times, and The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a firm favourite across generations over 50 years since it was first published.

“All of our partners create on-brand, bespoke, beautiful products which appeal to a range of ages and these new lines are no exception.”

Horrible Histories celebrates almost 30 years with new publishing and live experiences

The popular children’s book series, Horrible Histories is expanding on its partnerships in the publishing and live entertainment space, detailing its ambitions to ‘captivate new generations’ and remain a ‘pioneering brand’ with child and crossover appeal.

Written by Terry Deary and illustrated by Martin Brown, Horrible Histories has been a popular choice among kids and adults since its series launch in 1993. This year. the world’s best-selling children’s history series has re-launched via a major partnership with The Time to showcase its new, ‘read all about it’ newspaper look, as well as its new strand of Secret Diaries, enabling readers to delve into the minds of famous people from history.

The Horrible Histories book series has inspired a star-studded feature film, Horrible Histories – Rotten Romans, as well as a BAFTA award winning TV series, hit stage shows, and wide licensing partnerships. As the series celebrates over 28 years of popularity, Scholastic has detailed new creative collaborations.

Following over 16 years of creating and performing Horrible Histories stage-shows across the UK and internationally, licensee Birmingham Stage Company has partnered with Woods Silver Fleet on the river Thames to launch the Horrible Histories: Terrible Thames experience.

Leaving from Tower Bridge Quay, the boldly branded boat takes an audience of passengers on a journey along the city’s historic river to discover the terrible truth about London’s iconic landmarks, all performed by actors from the Horrible Histories stage-shows.

Throughout the pandemic, Horrible Histories stage-shows continued to perform to audiences around the UK with partner Car Park Party. The shows have now just returned to the Garrick Theatre with Horrible Histories: Barmy Britain 5 where they are the longest running children’s theatre show in the West End.

Meanwhile, Warwick Castle, a long-term Horrible Histories licensee, and author Terry Deary have unveiled the new Vile Victorians, a gruesome addition to the already historicallyrich Horrible Histories Maze at the UK’s leading family attraction. The Horrible Histories Maze is both inspired by traditional geometric mazes and up to date with multi-sensory additions and packed full of Deary’s foul facts and Martin Brown’s awesome artwork.

Terry Deary said: “Children and adults will always be interested in the horrible side of history and we can learn a lot from it. I am glad to be able to shine a light on the terrible truth about historical times through my books. These new partnerships take my stories to new places and open people’s eyes in new ways.”

Elizabeth Scoggins, publisher, non fiction, brands and licensing, said, “Horrible Histories is unrivalled in its ability to entertain and engage people of all ages with history – its humour and gritty edge is intrinsic to the longevity and growth of the brand.”

With Penelope Daukes, Brand and PR Director, Scholastic is actively seeking new opportunities for Horrible Histories. She added: “Every new partnership that we welcome to the brand reflects the beating heart of Terry Deary and Martin Brown’s bestselling books; being uniquely funny, factual and, importantly, horrible. We are always on the look-out for exciting new partners to join the story.”

Together with Rocket Licensing, Scholastic UK is keen on growing the Horrible Histories licensing portfolio, which currently spans magazines, costumes, games, stationery, and heritage products, while a new deal has been secured for frozen desserts and ice creams. Scholastic UK has promised that new attractions and product ranges are imminent.

The 2021 book relaunch was marked with a major PR campaign including a front-page partnership and national competition with The Times, national interviews with Terry Deary on BBC Breakfast, Newsround, Saturday Mash-Up, The Sun, The i and more. The books have recently been described as: ‘A cultural phenomenon’ (Daily Telegraph), ‘A winning formula’ (Evening Standard) and ‘The cultural behemoth that has been merrily illustrating the gruesome corners of the past since 1993’ (The Times).

Horrible Histories: Queen Victoria’s Secret Diary is out in November 2021 and Horrible Histories: Right on Track about the history of terrible train travel will be launched in March 2022 with partnerships and a major marketing and PR campaign.

Rocket Licensing | “There’s real opportunity to make retail an experience and destination again”

For those of the industry who tuned into the special licensing panel discussion at this year’s London Book Fair, albeit in its digital format, you’d have caught Rocket Licensing’s join managing director, Rob Wijeratna waxing lyrical on the virtues of Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar, a phenomenon of the children’s publishing space and extended licensing market, despite the book itself being only 22 pages long.

At the crux of Wijeratna’s point was that building a brand is ‘about telling a story’ no matter the size (or page length) of the source material. The Very Hungry Caterpillar is today a globally loved franchise that is not only a staple of book shelves and schools across the country – or the planet – but of the preschool and nursery space as a whole.

Central to the storytelling that Rocket Licensing weaves through the wider activity around the title is the experiential licensing, a pocket of licensing that so often acts as ‘an anchor point around which the many facets of a licensing programme can centre. A sector that faced some rather ominous hurdles over the last year, experiential licensing has been forced to adapt and change shape over the course of the past 18 months, working to uncover new spaces within the home via virtual and digital means.

But it’s a space now beginning to open up once again. And as such, Licensing.biz thought it wise to catch up with Rocket Licensing brand manager, Melissa Satterly, to discover what the licensing agency has planned for the return of live experiences for The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Beano, and a few others among its core portfolio.

Hello Melissa, thanks for taking the time to answer our questions this week. The most obvious point to address first and foremost is the pandemic and the impact this has had on the experiential licensing space. As we begin to ‘unlock’ and remove social distancing measures, what sort of excitement is there around the return of experiential licensing?

With things opening up again and families increasingly looking for, and getting excited about, staycations and days out nearer to home, now feels like the perfect time to be engaging with experiential licensing and family-focused activities. We’ve seen real enthusiasm and high visitor numbers for the branded events that we have put on so far in 2021 and are excited for the roll out of several more initiatives over the summer.

How do you think experiential licensing has evolved over the course of the pandemic and what lasting impression has it left on the market and consumers? How do you begin to reintroduce experiential licensing to a post-pandemic world?

The pandemic saw Rocket and our partners take a very different approach to experiences, with the transition to online and at-home events. For example, our annual The Very Hungry Caterpillar Giant Wiggle partnership with Action for Children took place online in 2020 as an at-home activity pack for families. In addition to this, Action for Children really responded to how families were spending lockdown by launching a Growing Challenge subscription pack for little gardeners, an experiential product that we are excited to see continue to do well post-pandemic as well.

We also worked closely with License to PR to deliver lockdown-suitable content, creating a social media campaign for The Very Hungry Caterpillar that targeted parenting/foodie influencers who provided fun caterpillar-inspired recipes for people to try at home, while also promoting the Feed the Hungry Caterpillar game from University Games, responding to the rising popularity of games and puzzles while families were at home. This was one of our most successful campaigns to date.

With lockdowns easing, we have been careful and strategic in the experiences that we have put on, for example focusing on fun outdoor activities while restrictions have remained in place indoors. The first major experiential partnership that we have seen in 2021 was the Big Beano Bonanza at Kew Gardens, which adhered to all guidance on social distancing, with Beano-themed Covid safety signs along the trail, hand gel stations, marshalls and pre-booked visitor slots.

The sale of our branded and co-branded Beano product was initially focused online for the earlier stages of the event while the visitor shops remained closed, and advertising took on an online and local focus.

Can you talk us through some of the key partnerships you’ve secured across the experiential licensing space recently?

We are really excited to have a current partnership for The Very Hungry Caterpillar taking place at London Zoo (running until 16th July). Families can enjoy a fun range of activities, including crawling through a giant fruit story trail, crafting and story-telling sessions throughout the day, as well as the opportunity to visit Butterfly Paradise and Bug House.

For 2021, we have also partnered with Gulliver’s Valley (Rotherham) and Gulliver’s Dinosaur and Farm Park (Milton Keynes) for a range of branded activities for both The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Beano. The Very Hungry Caterpillar presence launched on Saturday, May 1st and includes Meet & Greets, birthday parties, crafting activities and even themed accommodation, so that families can spend the night in their very own cocoons.

The Beano characters will be getting up to all sorts of mischief, including a Beano Blasters! laser tag attraction. We are also very excited to have just finalised a partnership with Escape Live for a Horrible Histories Escape Room, opening later this year and giving families the opportunity to be immersed in a mission that transports them through multiple different time periods.

How important will experiential licensing be for retail in enticing consumers away from the online space? What opportunities are there now available to reboot the retail sector through experiential licensing? Are there any examples of this you can give from your own portfolio?

With the shift to ecommerce and online over lockdown, there is a real opportunity now to make retail more of an experience and destination again, as people get excited to get out and about and enjoy a physical browse in store. Another of our The Very Hungry Caterpillar partners is Bluewater shopping centre who has used experiential licensing to enhance the family shopping experience with the addition of The Very Hungry Caterpillar nature trail and in-mall storytelling telling events.

Bluewater is surrounded by 50 acres of landscaped parkland, which was a popular location for local visitors during the lockdown. They opened a new The Very Hungry Caterpillar storytelling trail this May half term to further build on the existing branded nature trail. The new story trail consists of seven signposts, which are designed using imagery from the book and feature cut outs for photos opportunity and QR codes that tell the story through narration by local school children. It’s a lovely way for families to enjoy time together whilst shopping at Bluewater.

From a Rocket Licensing perspective, what makes a successful partnership in the experiential licensing space?

It’s always so important to be able to match up the brand values of the location with the licensed property. For example, with The Very Hungry Caterpillar, we have really focused on nature-driven partnerships with the likes of the Royal Horticultural Society, the Eden Project and the nature reserve at Bluewater. In terms of execution, we aim to create multi-dimensional experiences, with not only a variety of activities, but opportunities for co-branded merchandise in location-based retail outlets.

Indeed, experiential licensing offers great opportunities to showcase product for our brands in fantastic cross-category displays and really get our licensees working together in collaboration. It is also important for venues to use digital engagement to drive families to the events through comprehensive marketing, advertising and social media promotion.

What do you enjoy the most about the experiential licensing sector, what level of innovation and creativity does it offer you guys and the brands you work with?

It’s always so wonderful to see children and families engaging and having fun with the brand activities; we get so much traction for the partnerships on social media and absolutely love looking at all of the photos! And yes, the creativity of the activities is always fantastic to work on. For example, our recent Beano trail saw a mile long trail including 3D bespoke comic strip, whoopie cushion stepping stones and water pistols over the lake! It’s always really satisfying to see the collaborative effort that goes into these experiences, bringing together marketing, creative and events team with product offerings from our licensees to create brand-immersive events.

What do you think the future looks like for experiential licensing and what are the key points of change in this sector?

We are confident that this sector will continue to grow, generating strong awareness and revenue for brands. Venues like Escape Rooms are only just beginning to engage with licensed IP so this is surely an area that will continue to expand. It’s also likely that experience and retail will draw increasingly close together, exploring more in-store experiences at retail as well as increasing the focus on co-branded product and retail promotion, in association with events and activity venues.

What’s the next big step for you guys in this space?

We are continuing to look for new appropriate experiential partners for our brands and have already started early conversations for next year. We have had great success with experiential licensing in particular for The Very Hungry Caterpillar over recent years and are now increasingly expanding our focus to some of our other fantastic brands, such as Beano and Horrible Histories, to find the perfect location-based fit.

We also have some fantastic adult brands in our portfolio which we would also like to develop in the experiential area. It’s always exciting sharing brand ideas with new partners to create collaborative, engaging and fun experiences for visitors whilst supporting licensed product, and this is what we will continue to do.