Tag Archives: The Point 1888.

The Tom Gates kids’ book series taps back to school market with Sainsbury’s campaign

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The first range of products based on the popular Tom Gates children’s books, and The Brilliant World of Tom Gates TV series are landing in store at Sainsbury’s and Argos this month, with a back-to-school promotion supported by a month-long POS campaign and a national competition.

Developed by The Point.1888, the retail promotion will form part of the UK licensing agent’s wider brand programme to encourage kids to get creative through doodling, music, and crafting. A total of 275 Sainsbury’s stores across the UK – as well as online across Sainsbury’s and Argos – will be selling the exclusive back-to-school range, which includes gel pens, backpacks, doodle books, lunchbags, sipper bottles, and more.

The line will be tied together with a range of the popular Tom Gates books, while the launch will also be supported by a ‘summer doodle’ competition in Sainsbury’s stores run by Tom Gates Entertainment with a range of prizes including an exclusive doodle by creator Liz Pichon.

A writer and illustrator, Pichon has produced 19 award-winning, multi-million-copy-bestselling Tom Gates books to date. Translated into 45 languages, the stories are written to be warm and funny, full of family, friends and treats, and ‘bursting with creativity and music.’

The books are published by Scholastic in the UK and have won over 25 awards and sold more than 11m copies worldwide.  The 19th book in the series, Random Acts of Fun is published in October.

Meanwhile, the TV series, The Brilliant World of Tom Gates (produced by TG Entertainment) launched first on Sky Kids in the UK and Ireland and is now being enthusiastically received by Tom Gates fans around the globe. A range of Tom Gates licensed products have launched in the UK in summer 2021 and roll out internationally in 2022.

Tessa Moore, head of marketing at Tom Gates Entertainment, said: “The Tom Gates brand is warm and funny, bursting with creativity, and much loved by families across the globe. We are excited to launch this exclusive new range with Sainsbury’s supported by a fantastic competition encouraging children to get creative in their summer holidays and win some special prizes.”

Janine Richmond, head of product and brand at The Point.1888, said: “School has been disrupted over the last two years and we hope this new Tom Gates range will help young fans across the country get excited about being back and having fun in the classroom.”

The Tom Gates kids’ book series taps back to school market with Sainsbury’s campaign

Posted on by

The first range of products based on the popular Tom Gates children’s books, and The Brilliant World of Tom Gates TV series are landing in store at Sainsbury’s and Argos this month, with a back-to-school promotion supported by a month-long POS campaign and a national competition.

Developed by The Point.1888, the retail promotion will form part of the UK licensing agent’s wider brand programme to encourage kids to get creative through doodling, music, and crafting. A total of 275 Sainsbury’s stores across the UK – as well as online across Sainsbury’s and Argos – will be selling the exclusive back-to-school range, which includes gel pens, backpacks, doodle books, lunchbags, sipper bottles, and more.

The line will be tied together with a range of the popular Tom Gates books, while the launch will also be supported by a ‘summer doodle’ competition in Sainsbury’s stores run by Tom Gates Entertainment with a range of prizes including an exclusive doodle by creator Liz Pichon.

A writer and illustrator, Pichon has produced 19 award-winning, multi-million-copy-bestselling Tom Gates books to date. Translated into 45 languages, the stories are written to be warm and funny, full of family, friends and treats, and ‘bursting with creativity and music.’

The books are published by Scholastic in the UK and have won over 25 awards and sold more than 11m copies worldwide.  The 19th book in the series, Random Acts of Fun is published in October.

Meanwhile, the TV series, The Brilliant World of Tom Gates (produced by TG Entertainment) launched first on Sky Kids in the UK and Ireland and is now being enthusiastically received by Tom Gates fans around the globe. A range of Tom Gates licensed products have launched in the UK in summer 2021 and roll out internationally in 2022.

Tessa Moore, head of marketing at Tom Gates Entertainment, said: “The Tom Gates brand is warm and funny, bursting with creativity, and much loved by families across the globe. We are excited to launch this exclusive new range with Sainsbury’s supported by a fantastic competition encouraging children to get creative in their summer holidays and win some special prizes.”

Janine Richmond, head of product and brand at The Point.1888, said: “School has been disrupted over the last two years and we hope this new Tom Gates range will help young fans across the country get excited about being back and having fun in the classroom.”

Martin McLaughlin to lead The Point.1888’s new marketing agency Story.1888

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The Point. 1888 has detailed the launch of a new marketing agency, Story.1888, a new business arm that will be headed up by specialists in the marketing and advertising sectors, alongside a line-up of licensing and retail veterans to deliver new services such from product branding and style guides to content creation and brand management.

The new agency will be led by Martin McLaughlin, who joined The Point.1888 in June 2019, having previously delivered communications, advertising, and brand partnership planning for brands like T-Mobile, Cadbury, Amazon, Warner Music, and Ford. Since joining the team, he has grown a book of clients as well as its marketing and creative division.

The Story.1888 offering will include creative services such as product branding and style guides, product marketing, strategy, content creation and campaign management. The agency launches with three clients already on its books, including the retro animated hit, The Raccoons, and Comic Relief. McLaughlin and his team will work to create a global hub for fans around the world to celebrate the animated property, while carrying out strategic and creative work for Comic Relief.

McLaughlin said: “It’s not the norm for a brand licensing specialist to launch a marketing agency but it’s the most obvious next step. The licensing industry is great at creating amazing products, but not always so effective at telling the brand story and connecting the product purpose to the consumer. Connect those dots with a retail hat on and you can create really powerful moments that drive consumer love and revenue.”

The Point.1888’s managing director, Will Stewart, added: “Our business has experienced rapid growth thanks to talent, grit and strategic thinking. Pre-pandemic we saw there was a need for specialist marketing support for our brand licensing clients and we have taken our time to find the right team and approach to make it work. I’m thrilled to be able to reveal this exciting development for our business and cannot wait to see it grow.”

The Story.1888 team will be in attendance at BLE and will be taking meetings with interested parties to walk through their credentials and approach.

Five new faces join The Point. 1888’s expanding commercial, retail, product, and finance teams

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The momentum continues to gather apace at the brand extension agency, The Point. 1888 as a swathe of new starters sees the company expand across its commercial, retail, product development, and finance departments this month.

The latest line-up of new faces to join the team follows the company’s latest sweep of appointments that saw it bolster its marketing division for Story.1888 only this month. In its latest recruitment drive, The Point. 1888 has brought in five new faces in order to support its increasing client base and product development programme.

Rosanna Cousins, who has several years’ of retail buyer experience at John Lewis and Harrods, has joined as The Point.1888’s newest retail manager. She will report to head of retail and sport, Hannah Stevens, to support the division as it prepares for a busy year ahead.

Sophie Fennessy has joined the team as senior PD executive and will be working within the fast-paced product development division, putting to use her vast licensee experience gathered at previous employer Poetic Brands. Meanwhile, Naomi Serradimigni – previously of the ambassador marketing platform, Brandbassador –  has joined as The Point.1888’s new senior commercial executive with a focus on health and beauty categories.

Max Pilcher, the agency’s newest commercial executive, joins from ViacomCBS and will report into senior commercial manager of soft goods, Becky Langer, to support work across the portfolio and assisting with sub-agents in Italy and Iberia, while finally, Mia Wakeling, joins as finance assistant to work in the agency’s busy finance department.

Despite the pandemic’s best efforts, The Point.1888 has welcomed 11 new clients and this growth in the agency and its client book made the decision to recruit once more an easy one.

Bethan Garton, commercial director at The Point.1888, said: “This is a hugely exciting time for us as we expand the licensing arm of our agency, continuing the growth we have seen in recent years. Bringing Rosanna, Sophie, Naomi, Max and Mia to the commercial and brand teams at The Point.1888 allows us to continue the fantastic work we do with Moonbug, Rachel Ellen and all of our other brands, whilst still attracting new clients.”

Will Stewart, managing director of The Point.1888, added: “I am incredibly excited to welcome Rosanna, Sophie, Max, Mia and Naomi to Team.1888 family. Our amazing book of clients and our high profile within the industry mean we have no shortage of talent to choose from when new roles are created and I’m confident that we’ve picked the very best.

“Their energy and enthusiasm as well as the diverse experience they bring will undoubtedly give our team the support it needs to continue our growth.”

The Point. 1888 doubles marketing division headcount with latest suite of new hires

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The Point. 1888 has doubled the headcount of its marketing division with the appointment of three new team members who join the firm as it strives to reach its ambitious goals for growth throughout the year.

The news comes just months after the agency announced the creation of a director of marketing role at The Point.1888, held by Sarah Crimes.  Joining The Point.1888 are Chris Brinkworth, Andrea Inglis, and Sophie Loader. They will all join Sarah Crimes, Martin McLaughlin, head of partnerships, and Ellen Fazakerley, marketing executive.

Brinkworth joins the team as marketing manager, who, already well versed in the licensing industry, joins from Global Licensing Group where he was responsible for implementing year-round marketing campaigns for products as well as product development and media partnerships.

In his new role with The Point. 1888 will be helping Crimes develop the business goals and providing client support.

Andrea Inglis, The Point.1888’s new account manager, has worked with a wealth of big brands including Hilton Hotels, Ford and the Wildlife Trust. Skilled in delivering fully integrated marketing campaigns and social strategy, she will be putting that experience to great use in her new role.

Finally, Sophie Loader joins the team as junior marketing executive and will be supporting the them in all aspects of marketing, ensuring the development of the agency’s current clients as well as The Point.1888’s own channels.

The Point.1888’s marketing division was formed in Spring 2019 and has established itself as vital for many of The Point.1888’s clients. Shortly afterwards, Crimes and McLaughlin spearheaded the creation of the agency’s second business, its very own creative agency – Story.1888 – designed to provide retail-led, consumer-inspired branding, creative and marketing support from a wide team of experts.

Since then, The Point.1888 has welcomed 11 new clients. This growth in the agency and its client book was the driving force behind the marketing team’s expansion.

Will Stewart, managing director of The Point.1888, said: “Over the last few years, we’ve shown the industry that we’re an agency to watch thanks to our attitude and retail-led approach. Our growth has been phenomenal but we recognise that to continue on that trajectory, meet our targets and give our clients the best possible support, Sarah and Martin need the support of a team of talented individuals and with Chris, Andrea, Ellen and Sophie, they’ve got just that.

“This is such an exciting time for the marketing division and for our company as a whole and we’re ready to get people talking once again.”

He’ll have a Caninety Nine, please! Battersea launches a new ice cream range just for dogs

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The UK’s 160 year old animal charity, Battersea is demonstrating its flair for canine cuisine with the launch of an ice cream range specially made for dogs.

Surprisingly not called Caninety Nine, the range is made using real fruit puress and includes Strawberry and Apple & Banana flavours, and has been produced by Jude’s, Britain’s first Carbon Negative ice cream and desserts specialist. The deal was brokered by Battersea’s brand licensing agent, The Point. 1888.

Under the partner, five per cent of the sale proceeds of the range will be invested back into the animal charity.

Chow Mezger, MD of Jude’s, said: “As a family of dog-lovers we are delighted to launch Ice Cream for Dogs so now the whole family, including the pooch, can enjoy our utterly delicious ice cream. Our family Jack Russell Tinker loved being chief taste tester and we’re pleased to say that Ice Cream for Dogs has her full approval.

“Working with Battersea has also been fantastic, and we couldn’t be more proud to support their vital work to help dogs and cats everywhere.”

Sarah Van Kirk, licensing manager at Battersea, added: “Battersea is delighted to be working with an innovative and environmentally conscious UK based company like Jude’s. We’re really excited about this collaboration with royalties from each product going directly towards the care of dogs and cats.”

The Point.1888 looks to create new products based on the gaps it sees at retail; rather than what it thinks the brand’s target demographic might like. This supports a higher chance of retailer buy-in and a better sales performance. In 2020, it delivered record-breaking sales using this approach in Iceland for an ice cream range inspired by the iconic sweet brands of its client Barratts.

Gabbi Langdorf, senior international and brand manager at The Point.1888, said: “We love working with brands with purpose and are thrilled that such an innovative product will be raising funds to help support Battersea’s important work. The timing of the launch couldn’t be better – long may this great weather continue.”

The ice cream range is now available to buy from Ocado.

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.”

St Andrews Links appoints The Point. 1888 as it looks to take on apparel, toys, beverages, and more

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St Andrews Links has selected The Point. 1888 as its brand extension partner, adding to the firm’s growing roster of Sports brands that now encompasses the likes of Williams Racing, Team GB, and the British and Irish Lions.

A veteran in the world of brand licensing, having worked with Hannah Stevens previously when she worked at CPLG, St Andrews Links (SAL) has made the most of its iconic courses and the world’s love of golf to build awareness as far afield as Korea and Japan.

With seven courses spanning nearly 1,000 acres, SAL is at the top of every golfer’s wish list. More than 230,000 rounds of golf are played on the courses every year by golf fans flocking from all over the world.

By appointing The Point.1888, it is seeking to ramp up its brand licensing activity, going beyond the golf accessories and gifting markets to new categories that will offer its loyal and older demographic, as well as younger generations across the world, a small piece of 600 years of history.

Keen to explore fashion apparel, homeware, stationery, personal care, toys and games, as well as alcoholic beverages and confectionary, SAL is looking to develop product ranges that capture the heritage and tradition of the links while still bringing a feeling of fun and timeless style that lasts and endures.

The Point. 1888 will look to drive awareness ahead of The Open, the biggest golfing competition in the calendar, which will be returning to St Andrews in 2022 for the 150th anniversary of the tournament and the 30th time it will have been played at SAL.

Hannah Stevens, head of retail and sport at The Point.1888, said: “With The Point.1888, St Andrews Links knew they were getting an agency with an unconventional approach who really understands their unique high end brand and knows how to find the best opportunities at retail. We’re really excited about the collaborations that we can work on together.

“St Andrews Links creates such an opportunity with the popularity of golf skyrocketing among younger demographics, but also because we pride ourselves on working with brands with purpose. The Links’ values mean they take real pride in being active and supporting members in the community, for instance their fantastic junior golf programme, which gives free golf to children in the town.”

Danny Campbell, commercial director of SAL, added: “We have more than 600 years of history and our brand reflects golf’s values of integrity, collaboration and the pursuit of excellence. We had to make sure that the agency we chose shared those values and could match our ambition with their ideas, creativity, experience and passion. I know we’re in very good hands.”

’80s animated series The Raccoons makes play for retro and environmentalism licensing

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The Raccoons is the latest animated property to be jumping the decades and making a play for the retro licensing space, helping fans and viewers who grew up with the show put to rest that fundamental question: what on Earth kind of aardvark is Cyril Sneer anyway?

First created in 1985, the animated TV series followed the day to day life of three raccoons: Bert, Melissa, and Ralph as well as their friend Cedric the aardvark and his greedy businessman father, Cyril. For two decades, the series engaged the imaginations of families across 180 countries.

Today, The Raccoons has tasked The Point. 1888 with bringing to market a raft of new branded products in accessories, babywear, socks, gifting, plush and more as the retro revival trend continues to gather pace among millennial and Gen Z audiences today.

With a wealth of entertainment brands already on The Point.1888’s books including Moomin, Molang and Moon & Me, The Raccoons is another significant win and comes just one year after the agency was appointed by 75 year old children’s brand Moomin to support its comeback and raise its brand licensing game.

With an underlying message of conservation and environmental protection running throughout the series, The Point. 1888 has already added nature charities and forests to the brand’s licensing strategy.

Olivia Wiggett, The Point.1888’s Associate Commercial Manager, said: “The Raccoons is such a wonderful, nostalgic brand that resonates with so many people across the world. We are so delighted to be working with the amazing team at The Raccoons, and can’t wait to start bringing the brand to life in the licensing space. Not only that, but because The Raccoons are such a perfect fit for nature charities and forests, we have added this to their strategy.”

Kevin Gillis, President of Run With Us Productions, added: “The Raccoons have had the honour of having a strong and environmentally-conscious fan following in the UK since Bert Raccoon first moved to the Evergreen Forest. As we recognize the growing critical importance of understanding our fragile global eco-system, we look forward to working with The Point 1888 in connecting with and supporting our many loyal and invaluable fans.”

Product development and marketing plans are now underway and The Point.1888 will be commencing talks with potential licensees and retailers in the next few weeks.

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.