Sesame Street lands new homewares partner in Texco as demand for retro continues

Sesame Workshop’s evergreen and ever popular pre-school IP, Sesame Street is stepping into the homewares and bedding market with the launch of a new range of duvet sets, curtains, bean bags, towels and more courtesy of Texco.

The new line-up, which will also include cushions and fleece blankets, will feature beloved characters from the show like Elmo, Big Bird, and Cookie Monster. The deal was secured by the European licensing agency, Bulldog Licensing, which represents Sesame Street across the UK and Eire.

The move arrives in the midst of what Bulldog Licensing’s MD, Rob Corney has billed as a ‘huge demand for retro brands among consumers and consequently retail’ at the moment.

“During times of uncertainty, families naturally gravitate towards the tried and true characters who can bring comfort and joy,” he said. “Sesame Street has always been a multi-generational favourite. With Sesame Street’s brand values and brilliant production quality, we look forward to seeing the new range from Texco which will hit the market next year.”

Sesame Street programming airs on leading commercial preschool broadcaster Tiny Pop. Cookie Monster’s Foodie Truck launched in 2018, and the channel has since complemented the show with Elmo’s World, which debuted in January 2020, before Cookie’s Crumby Pictures and Super Grover 2.0 joined the portfolio this autumn.

Bulldog Licensing lands Little Brother Books and Texco for Moose Toys’ Kindi Kids

The European agency, Bulldog Licensing, has secured two new deals for the global toy company, Moose Toys and is pre-school doll brand, Kindi Kids, as the IP’s YouTube series hits 82 million views online.

Little Brother Books has inked a new deal to produce Christmas, seasonal, and activity annuals for the popular toy brand, while Moose Toys plans on more content and product launches for spring/summer 2021.

Also joining the growing Kindi Kids consumer products portfolio is Texco, who will be launching a range of bedding and home textiles, including duvet sets, curtains, bean bags, towels, cushions, and fleece blankets. Each launch will use images of the Kindi Kids pre-school characters, along with scenes from the YouTube original content.

The latest licensees join as Bulldog Licensing, who manages the UK rights for Kindi Kids, witnesses a continued and ‘overwhelming’ positive reaction to the brand from both retail and licensees. The team is now building a portfolio of carefully selected partners across all categories.

Meanwhile, Moose Toys is putting plans in place to ensure momentum for the brand continues to grow, with the season three webisode now on YouTube and additional distribution platforms coming in 2021.

Vicky Hill, brand manager, Bulldog Licensing, said: “We are delighted to welcome Texco and Little Brother Books to the exciting Kindi Kids programme. The brand is surpassing all expectations and there is an enormous amount of activity planned to keep the preschool audience engaged.

“Kindi Kids is the number one large doll brand in the UK and with a fantastic, expanded range on the market for AW2020 we are seeing phenomenal sales. Consumer demand for licensed product is huge and we are excited to launch the new ranges to retail.”