Pyramid International talks pop culture, fandom, and its Spring Fair 2020 offering

If there’s one thing Pyramid International – part of The Art Group – knows how to do well, it’s licensed giftware, an attribute that has carried the firm well over the past 12 months, and helped it maintain its position of strength throughout the choppy waters of 2019.

It’s possibly the breadth of Pyramid International’s portfolio that has helped
it achieve the success it enjoys today, tapping into a spectrum of audiences, from the Netflix-watching pop culture fans of things like Stranger Things, to those in search of the more niche animé brands like My Hero Academia, all the way through to the mainstream and the audience for DreamWorks’ Trolls World Tour.

It’s true that there really is something for everyone among the Pyramid portfolio, and 2020 will be no different. ToyNews catches up with Pyramid International’s marketing executive Robert Ling to find out what the company is bringing to Spring Fair this year.

How was business for you guys through 2019? It was a big year for pop culture licensing, how did this impact on your success over the past 12 months?

2019 was a good year for Pyramid, despite the tough retail landscape. When looking at releases in 2020 we saw success with Stranger Things in the summer and Frozen 2 at the end of the year. As well as these we also had continued success with Harry Potter and Nintendo. We also saw good success with Steven Rhodes, a new license to our license portfolio, whose dark humour style of art is very on trend and a perfect pop culture fit.

What can we expect from Pyramid for 2020? Can you talk us through some of the new licenses you’ve secured and the product lines that you will be launching at Spring Fair?

2020 will see Pyramid keep adding to our already impressive catalogue of product ranges. Visitors to our stand at Spring Fair will be able to enjoy our new collection for the upcoming Trolls World Tour, including our Sequin Flip notebook and Pencil case which we think is going to be hugely popular for consumers.

Our super cute The Child (Baby Yoda) range for the Mandalorian will also be on display. We’ll also have some of our Anime products on show, including Dragon Ball, and My Hero Academia as we expand into this hugely popular area of entertainment. Of course, our line of classics will be available across Harry Potter, Nintendo, Disney, Star Wars, and Music, to name just a few.

What will the product and license line-up be bringing to the gifting/ merchandise scene for 2020? How are you guys continuing to push for innovation in the pop culture sector?

We’re always looking for ways innovate our products. We are examining a host
of new avenues to add the wow factor at retail… but I can’t say too much – you will have to wait and see.

What makes Spring Fair an important date in the calendar for you guys?

It’s the first UK show we attend, so it provides us a good opportunity to connect with our customers, showing them what we have coming through and strengthening relationships.

Ultimately It kicks off the new year positively for our UK operations. It also provides a good opportunity to show off our portfolio to new prospects.

What do you think 2020 holds for the pop culture licensing scene and its presence at retail?

I think pop culture licensees will continue to be a popular choice at retail, especially as people look for different ways to express themselves and the things they are fans off; and as we are spoilt with more and more content from the VOD services, I think people are going to be actively searching to show off their fandom, because there is a lot of it out there now.

What will be fuelling the space for 2020 and beyond?

At the moment, Baby Yoda looks to be one of the stand out characters coming into 2020, dominating internet searches. I also think nostalgia will continue to be popular, especially with uncertainty still in the air and people looking for the comfort of yesteryear.

Anything you would like to add?

Pyramid International is able to offer a one stop solution across retail for the biggest licenses around, so be sure to come and visit our stand to see the depth of license and products for yourself, and talk to us about how we can support you through 2020.

My Gifts Trade and I Like Birds partner with Marie Curie for exclusive new design for charity

The British home and giftware manufacturer, My Gifts Trade has found itself at the centre of a new collaboration between Marie Curie and the British brand, i like birds.

Launching at Spring Fair this week, the new licensed collection will feature a daffodil and Blue Tit design created by i like birds founder, Stuart Cox, exclusively for Marie Curie. Under the collaboration, ten per cent of the proceeds from every piece sold will be donated to the charity.

The charity was chosen by Cox as one that is close to the company founder’s heart.

“Years ago I was made homeless after leading a bit of a reckless life and falling out of touch with my family in Brighton for years,” he explained. “When I started to find my feet again I got back in touch by sending my mum some illustrations, to somehow let her know that everything was alright.

“Two weeks later she was diagnosed with a super rare cancer of the spine and we were told she did not have long left to live. She managed a year, the last part of which was in a hospice, where they managed to turn what should have been the worst days of my life into a beautiful celebration of her life.

The hospice let her go out in a gentle and graceful way, with views of the birds from her window, so it’s a cause close to my heart and not a charity collaboration that’s been plucked out of thin air.

“Within a year I also lost one of my brothers and my dad and the illustrations were stuffed into a drawer because I was unable to look at them. Years later they were found there by a friend who suggested I get some printed as cards so they could sell them in their local café. I went along with his idea and they went through over 1000 in the first month. Paperchase soon got wind of this and approached me.”

According to Cox, the rest is history and today the artist’s recognisable illustrations of much-loved British birds and flowers now appear on an array of licensed products, including the highly successful gift and homeware collection developed in partnership with My Gifts Trade.

The new collection for Marie Curie will include home textiles and accessories, ceramic products and a lovely decorative pin.

Joanna Mazzotta, product development and creative at Marie Curie, said: “I was very attracted to Stuart’s designs. They are simple yet beautiful and the bold fun graphic added a design style we’d not explored before.

“I thought they’d marry well with incorporating the daffodil – our emblem – and tell a story about how important and joyful nature at the Marie Curie hospices are for the patients.”

Fanattik is bringing The Texas Chainsaw Massacre to Spring Fair

The pop culture specialist Fanattik has added the famed horror movie franchise, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre to its portfolio of video game and movie titles.

The 1974 slasher has been widely recognised as the best of its genre by some of the biggest names in horror, including Stephen King who has previously suggested that the cult classic is ‘still the champion when it comes to pure fright.’

Under its latest deal, Fanattik is certainly looking to satisfy the blood lust of the franchise’ biggest fans with a range of gifts and collectables spanning price points from £7 to £25. It will make its debut at Spring Fair this year, as Texas Chainsaw Massacre nears its 50th anniversary.

“The franchise has been hugely popular for almost 50 years, Fanattik focuses on creating gifts and collectibles featuring brands with multi-generational appeal so this was a no-brainer for us,” said Anthony Marks, MD at Fanattik.

Among the critical praise that The Texas Chainsaw Massacre has received, the famed horror film director Wes Craven the title among his top five favourite horror movies, while The Telegraph has voted it the greatest ever horror film of all time.

The range will be available to view on the Fanattik stand at upcoming Spring Fair Hall 4 B73.

The RHS extends partnership with Heathcote & Ivory for new Flower Blooms Lavender Garden collection

The Royal Horticultural Society has extended its partnership with the British beauty and fine toiletries brand, Heathcote & Ivory for the launch of its 2020 line, the RHS Flower Blooms Lavender Garden collection.

The third in the RHS Flower Blooms series, this collection contains shower gel, scented soap, body lotion and hand cream as well as a set of three hand creams and a weekend away bag containing body wash and body lotion.

Accessories include garden drawer liners, pillow mist and a lavender-filled eye mask. All the items in the collection offer bespoke formulations blended with botanical extracts of wisteria and lilac with Lavandula essential oil.

The items also make use of lavender-themed designs inspired by artwork from the RHS Lindley Collections, the world’s largest collection of botanical art. It’s not just the designs that are inspired by the RHS, but the fragrance too, inspired by the scent of the Lavandula x intermedia Olympia.

RHS Flower Blooms Lavender Garden launches at retail in spring 2020. The range will also be previewed at Spring Fair at the NEC in Birmingham from February, 2 to 6 2020 at the Heathcote & Ivory stand (Hall 3 Q10-R11). Heathcote & Ivory will be targeting leading department stores and garden centres, all of which are among the regular stockists of Heathcote & Ivory products. The range will also be available online at heathcote-ivory.com

The RHS Flower Blooms Lavender Garden collection is the latest range from the RHS partnership with Heathcote & Ivory. The partnership launched in spring 2019 with Flower Blooms Daisy Garland and Tender Palm, two ranges comprising gift sets of washes, lotions and creams for hand and body as well as standalone shower gels, body lotions and hand creams. Trellis, the second in the RHS Flower Blooms series, launched in the autumn of this year.

Denis Aaronson, managing director, Heathcote & Ivory, said: “RHS has been a welcome addition to our select licensing portfolio of some of the UK’s leading design and lifestyle brands. The resources of the RHS Lindley Collections and the strength of the RHS brand have been perfect inspiration for this gorgeous lavender-themed collection.”

Cathy Snow, licensing manager, RHS, added: “Lavender is a much-loved fragrance and a popular plant among gardeners – an ideal inspiration for the RHS Flower Blooms Lavender Garden collection. Our partnership with Heathcote & Ivory has already inspired some wonderful collections and this range is no exception.”