Tag Archives: The Point 1888.

The Point. 1888 sorts Christmas for animal lovers through Battersea and M&S collaboration

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Christmas is sorted for cat and dog lovers this year thanks to a new product range from Battersea which was unveiled in M&S stores nationwide last week. Developed with brand licensing specialist, The Point. 1888, the collection includes gifts for the family such as puzzles, tote bags, hand towels, ceramic mugs, Doginoes and Moginoes, and more.

 The collaboration between the nation’s favourite high street store and the 160 year old much-loved animal charity is intended to give customers across the country the opportunity to support Battersea’s tireless efforts to care for and rehome thousands of dogs and cats every year.

Over the last 12 months, both Battersea and pet ownership have significantly increased in popularity. Battersea has raised its profile with its  “Rescue Is My Favourite Breed” campaign  and earlier this year, research by the charity showed that 75 per cent of Brits said their rescue pet helped rescue them during lockdown.

 Pioneering the retail-first approach within the brand licensing industry, The Point.1888 creates 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.

 Hannah Stevens, head of retail at The Point.1888, said: “M&S and Battersea are a match made in heaven thanks to their appeal with the whole family. So much so in fact that this hugely exciting collection of products being released is just the start of a long-term partnership, and we look forward to more innovation coming up.”

 Sarah Van Kirk, licensing manager at Battersea, added: “Battersea is thrilled to be working so closely with M&S to deliver products sure to delight dog and cat lovers throughout the UK. This is a great start to a long-term partnership that will enable shoppers to show their support for rescue.”

 The full Battersea range launched in stores and online on 8 October 2020.

Barratt and Icefresh retro ice cream launch brings joy to a locked down nation

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A licensing partnership between confectionery brand Barratt and Icefresh has surpassed sales expectations during lockdown, thanks to the launch of an ice cream range targeted at retro sweet fans.

The range of four ice lollies and an ice cream tub was made available exclusively at Iceland this summer, with ice cream versions of childhood favourites Fruit Salad, Dip Dab, Flump, Black Jack and Wham.

The partnership was brokered by brand licensing specialist, The Point.1888, which is now seeking new partners for the Barratt brand following the increased awareness that has been generated through the collaboration.

The fun-filled range entered all of Iceland’s more than 1000 stores nationwide from April 20th, a month into the UK’s lockdown experience. Once on sale the range repeatedly sold out, with more than 1.3m units sold in the first 12 weeks, despite the strict social distancing measures and without a significant launch investment.

Valeo Foods, owner of the Barratt brand, has stated its belief that the success was linked to ‘a strong national affection for a familiar British brand we have all grown up with’ and the fun and escapism it brings to consumers.

Russell Tanner, marketing and category director at Valeo Foods, said: “During a challenging time for the nation, the supermarket shop became the only time many people left their homes.

“The Barratt ice cream range became a sell-out success not just because of the fantastic lockdown weather, but because shoppers were seeking small and cost-effective ways to bring fun into their lives at a time when that wasn’t easy to come by.

“Although this was a brand-new product in freezers, buyers trusted the Barratt brand for a taste sensation that would help to infuse their lockdown summer with joy. As a result we’re thrilled to be emerging from a challenging trading period with an army of new and reinvigorated brand fans.”

Sarah Crimes, head of marketing at The Point.1888, added: “Against the backdrop of Covid, to reach this type of result is amazing and is a testament to the strength of the Barratt brand. As experts at bringing licensing partners together, we’re thrilled at a job well done and are now ready to take advantage of the increased interest in Barratt from retailers to explore more collaborations in the near future.”

Icefresh was responsible for translating Barratt’s range into the ice cream experience.

Lucy Wright, brand manager, said: “As we developed this new range we knew that sweet-lovers would be unforgiving of anything that didn’t truly recreate that joyful feeling of enjoying a sweetie in the playground. We kept coming back to the original sweets and refining the recipe until we were confident that we had a product that was completely true to the Barratt brand – for example, the Dip Dab ice lolly even comes with sherbet for dipping.

“Thanks to the strength of the Barratt fan base and the quality of the ice creams, this has been our highest performing licensed ice cream launch to date, with more than 1.3 million boxes of ice cream sold in the first 12 weeks.”

An earned media campaign whetted the public’s appetite for the frozen treats. After samples were sent to journalists up and down the country, national coverage rolled in with more than 40 mentions secured across titles including The Sun, Daily Express, Metro and You magazine.

Meanwhile a colourful and creative social launch delivered exceptional ROI, with the product seen by 1.3m people and a quarter of a million video views tracked.

Iceland, it turns out, was equally as thrilled with the range performance. Sally Bentley, senior buyer, commented: “We always knew that Barratt and Iceland would be a great fit and as expected, the ice creams flew out of our freezers as fast as they came in. Our store staff were big fans of the range, and were outstanding advocates when it came to promoting the product in store.”

Discussions are ongoing to extend the range in 2021, with more exciting flavours and formats added to maintain consumer interest.

The Point. 1888 named UK licensing agent for The Brilliant World of Tom Gates

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The Point. 1888 has been named the UK licensing agent for The Brilliant World of Tom Gates, a popular book series that has just been commissioned for its first Sky Originals children’s TV series.

Written and illustrated by Liz Pichon, the Tom Gates series of books is published by Scholastic and has sold more than 11 million copies in 44 languages across the world to date. The series features doodles, pictures, and handwritten font throughout, all of which documents Tom’s adventures at home and school.

The new 2D, stop-motion and live action TV series presented by Pichon herself will follow a modular, mixed-media magazine format, bringing TOm’s antics to life for six to 12 year olds. In support of the recent Sky Originals commission, TG Entertainment has appointed The Point. 1888 to handle its UK licensing programme.

Making its debut on Sky Kids UK in the UK and ROI in early 2021, the launch of the TV series will coincide with the 10th anniversary of the first book and the publication of the 18th book in the series – Tom Gates Ten Tremendous Tales.

 The Tom Gates’ brand licensing will focus on encouraging children to get creative through illustration, music and doodling.

Pichon, said: “I am delighted that The Point.1888 has been appointed as brand licensing agent and I can’t wait to start working with them on ideas to take Tom’s world off the page and inspire even more children to pick up pens, pencils and paintbrushes and explore their own creativity.”

Janine Richmond, senior commercial manager at The Point.1888, added: “We’re thrilled to be working with Liz and TG Entertainment Ltd on this exciting brand licensing programme. Liz puts so much focus and energy into bringing the World of Tom Gates to life as evidenced by her incredible creativity during events, signings, festivals and more.  It’s time to bring a bit more fun into children’s lives and we can’t wait for Tom Gates to do just that.”

Liz Keynes, commercial director, TG Entertainment Ltd, concluded: “All the activity around Tom Gates in early 2021, means the launch of a licensing programme couldn’t be more timely.  Centered around everyday life, this fun and funny unisex brand connects ’brilliantly’ with children and offers stand-out opportunities for partnering on unique and creative brand activations.”

The Point.1888 has already begun its brand immersion phase, which will then be followed by further research and competitor analysis, before the team dive in to engage with their vast network of retail and licensee contacts.

British wallpaper brand MissPrint lands Fy deal courtesy of The Point. 1888

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The British eco-wallpaper design brand, MissPrint has landed a new partnership with the online homewares, wall art, furniture, and accessories platform, Fy thanks to a deal secured by the brand specialist, The Point. 1888.

Under the new deal, Fy will be showcasing 39 of MissPrint’s hand drawn art prints from this month. The wallpaper brand is known for its unique collection of eco-conscious designs, each hand illustrated and printed in the UK.

Already hugely popular among women, homeowners and interior design enthusiasts, the brand appointed The Point.1888 in March 2020 to extends its audience base by creating products which have wider appeal and are suitable for those renting property, as well as homeowners.

 To date, MissPrint has enjoyed success with brand licensing collaborations such as John Lewis, Dunelm, Quaker Oats and others. The new partnership with Fy should ensure that MissPrint can reach its new target audience, who consider  the online shop as their go-to for home and fashion purchases.

 The Point.1888 is a pioneer of the retail-first model within the brand licensing industry, creating new products based on the gap 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. As a result of early conversations with retailers, the agent identified huge demand for the brand and the partnership with Fy will be the first of many exciting new ventures for the MissPrint brand.

MissPrint co-founder, Rebecca Drury, said: “MissPrint is no stranger to brand licensing and yet this is the first time we have worked on creating an art print collection inspired by our wallpaper designs. It makes perfect sense to create such a product range to attract new customers and I’ve found the whole design process really exciting. We’re so grateful to The Point.1888 for giving us this opportunity and cannot wait to unveil our other plans.”

 Janine Richmond, senior commercial manager for Home at The Point.1888, added: “We’re delighted to have paired MissPrint with Fy as the retailer was top of our target list for reaching style-conscious home renters and owners. Fy only works with the world’s coolest emerging brands, artists and designers and MissPrint’s place on that list is well-deserved.”

Moonbug and The Point. 1888 eye ‘evergreen retail space’ for CoComelon, Blippi, and rest of portfolio

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Following on from last week’s Moonbug and MGA Entertainment partnership announcement, the global entertainment company has now turned to the brand licensing agency, The Point. 1888 to expand the Moonbug portfolio, including CoComelon, Blippi, My Magic Pet Morphle, ARPO, Supa Strikas, and T-Rex Ranch.

Under the new partnership, The Point. 1888 will look to ‘provide streamlined consumer products roll-out across EMEA’, with the ambition of owning evergreen retail space for the collection.

“As our audience continues to grow, we remain focused on widening consumer engagement touchpoints at a global level, and part of that is having a trusted partner in EMEA,” said Simon Philips, Moonbug. “We’re confident in The Point.1888 and look forward to seeing what we can achieve together.”

Collectively, Moonbug receives over 7 billion monthly views, and will now operate the largest network of kids channels on YouTube, encompassing 235 million subscribers, and its beloved kids’ brands are available on over 100 platforms globally, including major on-demand streaming services such as Netflix, Apple TV, Sky and Hulu.

Will Stewart, founder and managing director at The Point.1888, said: “We are so excited to get started on this. It is not often that you find a unique digital IP partner like Moonbug that is ahead of the crowd producing safe and fun content, with such speed that appeals to all the family, every gender and all our diverse nations.

“The stats speak for themselves proving the success across all the properties and really offer endless opportunities for this licensing programme.”

The Point.1888’s retail-first brand extension model has been one of the biggest drivers of the agency’s growth in the last 12 months. Its team, headed up by Commercial Director Bethan Garton is rapidly expanding and is currently made up of 19 industry professionals with vast and relevant experience having previously worked with other big brands such as the Gruffalo, Star Wars, LOL Surprise, Marvel, Clangers, Mr Men, Noddy and Sesame Street.

The Point. 1888 names Becky Langer its new senior commercial manager

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The Point. 1888 has expanded its commercial team with the appointment of Becky Langer to the role of senior commercial manager. Langer joins from Hasbro where she held the position of retail development manager.

With 14 years of licensing experience at high profile companies, such as Warner Bros, HIT Entertainment, and Character World, Langer’s appointment has been described as a significant one for The Point. 1888.

Under her new role, Langer will report into the head of retail and softlines, Hannah Stevens, who was last week awarded Licensing International’s prestigious Rising Star Award. She was the only representative for the UK and European licensing community.

It’s notable that The Point.1888 has found itself to be resilient to the effects of the pandemic, something the company has attributed to its retail-first approach and brand-manufacturer pairing process. In some cases it has delivered increases in sales for clients’ products over the last few months.

Hannah Stevens said: “More so than ever, in the current climate, our team is working with amazing speed and enthusiasm on identifying strategic partnerships with retailers and licensees to drive the company’s growth plans, and fill gaps for our brands. We have to continue to innovate and deliver brands that are reflective of trend, but also have the longevity to inspire the customer to repeat buy year on year. It’s a tall order and the reason why we’re growing our team at this time.

“Becky brings a huge wealth of knowledge and expertise from her licensing career to this Innovative and forward thinking team.  Her tenacity, positivity and creativity make her a fantastic fit not just for my team, but for the agency as a whole and I’m so excited about the possibilities that lie ahead.”

Langer added: “Having been in the industry for 14 years, I’ve watched The Point.1888 emerge and establish itself as an industry leader in record time. It’s clear why when you see the capability of the team and the business model they’ve adopted. It’s also incredibly refreshing to be part of an organisation that operates with such integrity and kindness, not only in business but also in how they treat their team.

“The portfolio is full of exciting, beautiful and diverse brands so there really is something for everyone without being limited to certain genres or demographics.  I cannot wait.”

Established in 2014, The Point.1888 delivers retail focused brand extension programmes by creating 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.

 

The Hachette Children’s Group lands publishing rights for the hit pre-school series Tinpo

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The Point. 1888 has partnered with one of the UK’s leading children’s publishers, the Hachette Children’s Group, to adapt the CGI animated television series Tinpo into a wide range of book and activity formats.

The agreement will see the launch of a new range of picture books, annuals, story books, activity books, and novelty books featuring the characters and stories from the popular children’s series.

Since launching in February 2019 via a prime slot on the CBeebies television channel, Tinpo has become a favourite among its pre-school audience in the UK. Combining themes of construction and unconventional problem solving, the main character Tinpo and his team resolve problems in their unique world in ways that are never practical, but always fun.

In addition to the UK, the show just launched last week in Japan on TV Tokyo and last month in Latin America on Nick Jr./Noggin with more broadcaster announcements coming shortly.

The Hachette Children’s Group was chosen as the property’s publishing partner for its record of success in creating award-winning and bestselling books for children of all ages and interests. Its licensed publishing includes Rainbow Magic, Beast Quest and Pokémon.

Bethan Garton, retail and brand director at The Point.1888, said: “This is a wonderful start to what will be a successful licensing programme for Tinpo and its owner, Cloudco Entertainment. Publishing is a key pillar within the programme, allowing the brand to reach an already loyal audience with some crucial products in a popular category.

“Here at The Point.1888, we love working with the Hachette Children’s Group and are delighted to be adding Tinpo to its portfolio of impressive brands.”

Heather Crossley, Pat-a-Cake and Licensing Publisher at the Hachette Children’s Group, commented: “We’re delighted to be constructing a tailored publishing programme that introduces the “Tintastic” world of STEAM to pre-schoolers. Building on the themes of problem-solving, creativity and teamwork, we will combine tried-and-tested formats with innovative ideas to create books that children will come back to time and again.”

Roubina Tchoboian, vice-president of international licensing at Cloudco Entertainment, added: “We have long admired the products that Hachette Children’s Group creates and look forward to seeing the key themes of Tinpo brought to life through what we’re confident will be a successful range of books.”

 

The Point. 1888 lines up Kombucha drinks for Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage

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River Cottage, the food and events business established by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, has signed a new deal to start producing its own range of Kombucha drinks in partnership with Equinox Kombucha. The deal was brokered by the UK licensing agent, The Point. 1888.

The antioxidant-rich tea based drink is commonly consumed for its wide-ranging health benefits and was marked as number one on River Cottage’s wish list of products. Under the new deal, River Cottage Organic Kombuchas will be made in partnership with Equinox, who have been making organic Kombuchas at their artisan “brewery” near Hebden Bridge in Yorkshire since 2013.

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s successful food and events business brought on The Point.1888 back in February 2019 to help it generate further brand awareness and encourage the nation to eat more sustainably and ethically through the introduction of a broader range of consumer products.

These innovative products are being developed as part of River Cottage’s on-going mission to create Food to Inspire Change, and in line with its SLOW ethos of foods that are Seasonal, Local, Organic and Wild.

Since starting work with the brand, The Point.1888 has helped to secure six new partnerships for River Cottage, including an organic and eco-friendly coffee producer; one of the leading organic breweries in the UK; a bees wax plastic-free, food-safe wrap manufacturer, and an award-winning organic artisan cider producer.

This latest deal is with Equinox Kombucha, one of the UK’s fastest-growing makers of this increasingly popular traditional drink, based on brewing with live cultures known to be beneficial to a healthy gut.

Fearnley-Whittingstall, said: “I’ve been a big kombucha fan for a few years now. I think it’s a fantastic drink and I believe it’s not only helped me to maintain a diverse gut biome, but also to reduce my alcohol consumption by offering a complex and delicious alternative without a load of sugar and additives.

“I’ve been brewing my own at home and sampling almost any kombuchas being sold in the UK that I could get my hands on. But it frustrated me that so many of them are imported from abroad, and pasteurised so they are no-longer “live”. When I sampled the Equinox range I was blown away by the quality and delighted to note that it was fully organic, completely live, and being made right here in the UK.

“It’s been a fantastic experience to collaborate with Daniel and Rupert at Equinox to create a range of completely original River Cottage kombuchas, based on some of our favourite ingredients, from the Garden, Orchard, Hedgerow and Meadow.”

Louise Williamson, head of specialist brands at The Point.1888, added: “This partnership is significant, not just because it topped our client’s wish list, but also because we expect the timing of our launch should make it incredibly rewarding.

“While we continue to battle a global outbreak of Covid-19, there is a significant rise in the demand for immunity-boosting foods and beverages, particularly kombucha.”

Equinox has seen sales of its own brand of Kombucha rise significantly in retail over the last few years, something it ascribes to the rise in social awareness of gut health and the holistic health benefits of fermented living foods and drinks. With  increasing evidence that there are links between our gut health, and our mental wellbeing and immunity, kombucha is poised to sky rocket in the marketplace in the wake of Covid-19.

With the River Cottage kombucha range now in production and packaging designs being finalised, The Point.1888 and Equinox are currently holding meetings with retailers to agree where the range will be stocked. It is expected to be in stores towards the end of September.

The Point. 1888 lines up Kombucha drinks for Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage

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River Cottage, the food and events business established by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, has signed a new deal to start producing its own range of Kombucha drinks in partnership with Equinox Kombucha. The deal was brokered by the UK licensing agent, The Point. 1888.

The antioxidant-rich tea based drink is commonly consumed for its wide-ranging health benefits and was marked as number one on River Cottage’s wish list of products. Under the new deal, River Cottage Organic Kombuchas will be made in partnership with Equinox, who have been making organic Kombuchas at their artisan “brewery” near Hebden Bridge in Yorkshire since 2013.

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s successful food and events business brought on The Point.1888 back in February 2019 to help it generate further brand awareness and encourage the nation to eat more sustainably and ethically through the introduction of a broader range of consumer products.

These innovative products are being developed as part of River Cottage’s on-going mission to create Food to Inspire Change, and in line with its SLOW ethos of foods that are Seasonal, Local, Organic and Wild.

Since starting work with the brand, The Point.1888 has helped to secure six new partnerships for River Cottage, including an organic and eco-friendly coffee producer; one of the leading organic breweries in the UK; a bees wax plastic-free, food-safe wrap manufacturer, and an award-winning organic artisan cider producer.

This latest deal is with Equinox Kombucha, one of the UK’s fastest-growing makers of this increasingly popular traditional drink, based on brewing with live cultures known to be beneficial to a healthy gut.

Fearnley-Whittingstall, said: “I’ve been a big kombucha fan for a few years now. I think it’s a fantastic drink and I believe it’s not only helped me to maintain a diverse gut biome, but also to reduce my alcohol consumption by offering a complex and delicious alternative without a load of sugar and additives.

“I’ve been brewing my own at home and sampling almost any kombuchas being sold in the UK that I could get my hands on. But it frustrated me that so many of them are imported from abroad, and pasteurised so they are no-longer “live”. When I sampled the Equinox range I was blown away by the quality and delighted to note that it was fully organic, completely live, and being made right here in the UK.

“It’s been a fantastic experience to collaborate with Daniel and Rupert at Equinox to create a range of completely original River Cottage kombuchas, based on some of our favourite ingredients, from the Garden, Orchard, Hedgerow and Meadow.”

Louise Williamson, head of specialist brands at The Point.1888, added: “This partnership is significant, not just because it topped our client’s wish list, but also because we expect the timing of our launch should make it incredibly rewarding.

“While we continue to battle a global outbreak of Covid-19, there is a significant rise in the demand for immunity-boosting foods and beverages, particularly kombucha.”

Equinox has seen sales of its own brand of Kombucha rise significantly in retail over the last few years, something it ascribes to the rise in social awareness of gut health and the holistic health benefits of fermented living foods and drinks. With  increasing evidence that there are links between our gut health, and our mental wellbeing and immunity, kombucha is poised to sky rocket in the marketplace in the wake of Covid-19.

With the River Cottage kombucha range now in production and packaging designs being finalised, The Point.1888 and Equinox are currently holding meetings with retailers to agree where the range will be stocked. It is expected to be in stores towards the end of September.

Author and illustrator Nick Butterworth partners with The Point. 1888

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The Point. 1888 is partnering with the renowned children’s author and illustrator Nick Butterworth to bring the cast of literary properties from his portfolio to life in the consumer products arena.

Butterworth is the mind and talent behind popular children’s book creations such as Percy The Park Keeper series, My Dad is Brilliant, My Mum is Fantastic, My Grandma is Wonderful, My Grandpa is Amazing, and the Altogether Now series. He has sold over 20 million books in more than 35 languages.

The modern classic, Percy The Park Keeper has sold more than nine million copies in partnership with HarperCollins.

Signing the deal this week, Butterworth selected The Point. 1888 following a recommendation from a licensee who was impressed with the company’s retail-first approach and experience with literary brands such as The Gruffalo. The agency now prides itself on its work with brands with purpose, which include River Cottage, Battersea, Metropolitan Police Service and Mumsnet.

Butterworth said: “I am absolutely delighted to be working with The Point. 1888. Celebrating 30 years of dear old Percy The Park Keeper this year has shown me how much love there is for Percy and his animal chums. It is a privilege to know that children, parents, grandchildren and teachers get so much from the books.”

Hannah Stevens, head of retail at The Point.1888, added: “Children across the country have truly embraced these stories for 30 years. The books have a spirit of kindness and fun that resonates with children, parents, grandparents and teachers. We’re thrilled to be able to give families the opportunity to engage further with this ethos with the creation of branded products that can be played with and enjoyed time and time again.”

The Point.1888 aims to create new products based on the gaps it sees at retail, rather than what it thinks the brand’s target demographic might like. The strategy has been adopted in order to support a higher chance of retailer buy-in and a better sales performance.

The Point.1888 has already begun its brand immersion phase, which includes research and competitor analysis, and the team is now ready to engage with their vast network of retail and licensee contacts.