Spin Master is launching USA Skateboarding licensed Tech Decks as part of new sponsorship campaign

Spin Master has underscored its ‘commitment to growing and celebrating the skateboarding culture’ on an international scale through its latest Tech Deck partnership, taking up official sponsorship of USA Skateboarding, the country’s national governing body for the sport.

The Tech Deck brand is recognised as a global leader in the fingerboard market, creating working replicas of skateboards that fans of the hobby ‘ride’ by mastering tricks and skills with their fingers. The brand has built a loyal following of skilled fingerboarders and collectors in the US.

Tech Deck has now joined forces with USA Skateboarding as the sport prepares to make its debut at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Games this summer. Tech Deck previously threw its weight behind the National Skateboard Championships here in the UK, where the sport has grown “substantial audience and participant numbers” since the on-set of the pandemic and the inclusion of the sport in the Olympics.

“Tech Deck and USA Skateboarding share a passion for and commitment to growing and celebrating the sport and culture of skateboarding,” said Chris Beardall, Spin Master’s president of toys and chief commercial officer.

“We are thrilled to be starting our sponsorship during such an exciting year as skateboarding debuts at the Olympics and reaches a whole new generation of fans.”

Josh Friedberg, CEO of USA Skateboarding, added: “The heart of skateboarding is fun, and no company embodies that better than Tech Deck. From the day we started our initial discussions, Tech Deck’s commitment to skateboarding culture and their natural fit into our existing initiatives made it clear that we had a great opportunity – we’re incredibly excited to have them as a partner in this historic year for skateboarding.”

Spin Master will be launching official USA Skateboarding Tech Deck fingerboardsWith only 10,000 of these exclusive Tech Deck boards being made across three designs, the boards will be given to the USA Skateboarding Team to take to Tokyo in addition to limited quantities that will be available on the USA Skateboarding website and given away on Tech Deck social channels.

The Tech Deck brand will also be celebrating the inaugural year for the sport, activating on the ground in Kasama City, Japan where the US athletes will be stationed just prior to the games.

Later this year, the Tech Deck brand will also be a supporting partner of a skateboarding-focused STEAM curriculum for kids offered through Innoskate – a joint venture between the Smithsonian’s Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation and USA Skateboarding.

Team GB partners with Micro Scooter in latest deal from The Point. 1888

The hit outdoor and wheeled toys brand, Micro Scooters has partnered with Team GB to launch an officially licensed range of Team GB Micro Scooters, now live on the Micro Scooters website.

Developed under a partnership brokered by the UK licensing agency for Team GB, The Point. 1888, the new range of Micro Scooters includes three variations: The Classic Team GB Micro Scooter, The Sprite Classic Team GB Micro Scooter, and the children’s Mini Micro Team GB Deluxe Scooter.

Prices on the new line range from £79.95 to £159.95. The partnership with Team GB marks the first licensed deal secured by Micro Scooters

In an announcing made via The Point. 1888 online platform, head of product and brand, Janine Richmond, said: “For me, this was a dream partnership with such paralleled values. I’m genuinely a massive fan of Micro Scooters – they are perfectionists with the quality of product and branding, which I’ve experienced first-hand having now bought most of their range for my children.”

The new range lands just months away from the much-anticipated Tokyo Olympics 2020 that, having been postponed owning to the pandemic, will take place this July under the same branding. It is expected that a massive 94 per cent of the UK population will be following the games this July and August.

“We know fans want to feel more connected to the brands they love,” continued Richmond. “The Olympics inspires us to become more active and get outside, so this is a great way of getting closer to the action through product.

“It’s so exciting to see the concepts coming through – the product range has surpassed all expectations. The Micro Scooters team are fuelled with amazing ideas of how to get interaction with their product whether on the track; through school programmes or fanZones; they are hugely committed to making this a success and are a joy to work with ….watch this space.”

Team GB partners with Moonpig for greetings and gifts lines ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

Team GB has landed a new partnership with the greetings card and gifting platform, Moonpig in a deal that will witness the launch of multiple new product lines, including cards, e-cards, mugs and t-shirts featuring designs focused on Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and birthdays.

The range has been developed to celebrate special moments and lands on the platform with just over four months to go until the Tokyo Olympics taking place this year. Brokered by The Point.1888, the deal will enable fans to celebrate this year’s olympic event with Team GB and Moonpig.

The partnership marks Team GB’s first venture into the greetings category with exclusive products that will allow fans to show their support for the country’s athletes in new ways. The Moonpig deal also now takes the total number of licensing partners for Team GB up to 31 as it continues to expand its licensing programme into new categories and retail channels.

The intention is to drive awareness of, and support for the team in the run-up to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in 2021 and generate income to reinvest into the continued success of Team GB.

Meanwhile, since its launch some 20 years ago, Moonpig is on a mission to reinvent the gifting experience and become the gifting companion for all of its customers.

Olivia Wiggett, senior commercial executive at The Point.1888, said: “With the Tokyo Olympic Games being delayed by 12 months as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, we made sure to put this extra time to the best possible use. We’ve been able to reach out to more potential licensees and really take extra care in immersing them in the brand to be sure the products developed and the marketing plans associated with them could reach their full potential.

“Moonpig was a no brainer for Team GB. They’ve done an amazing job on other sports properties and its wider licensing programmes. Their credibility and reach make them a perfect licensee.”

Paul Ellis, head of licensing at Team GB, said: “I’ve been so proud of the team and our licensees for their continued dedication and hard work and am thrilled that we’ve secured such a strong relationship with Moonpig in time for the Tokyo Games.”

The new Team GB products are now available on Moonpig’s website.

Peppa Pig supports Team GB at Tokyo Olympics in new campaign as children’s ambassador

Hasbro has detailed a new collaboration with Team GB in the UK that will see Peppa Pig join the British Olympic team as a special children’s ambassador to get kids excited for the summer Olympics in Tokyo. The event has been rescheduled from 2020 to 2021, a move that was forced by the world’s lockdown measures.

Big Inspiration for Little Piggies is a new campaign designed to get the nation’s kids moving and into the spirit of the Olympics – set to be one of the most watched sporting events of the year next year – by cheering on their favourite national athletes.

The campaign will be underpinned by a roster of live events, retail activations, digital content, and bespoke merchandise.

“With a year to go until the Olympics there couldn’t be a better time to inspire young kids and their families to get active,” said Hasbro’s Marianne James, VP EMEA consumer products. “Our Big Inspiration for Little Piggies campaign is a great opportunity to tap into the enormous interest surrounding the Olympics to both support the Team GB athletes and nurture a lifelong love of sports in the younger generation that will leave a lasting legacy.”

Partners are already lining up to produce exclusive new consumer products across categories including toys, apparel and accessories, stationery, home gifting and publishing.

The campaign will span multiple touchpoints with a brand-new bespoke style guide featuring innovative new designs that put Peppa and all her friends right into the action with unique sporting outfits and active wear to inspire a range of Team GB licensed merchandise for children, placing the preschool brand in good company with Team GB’s official mascot, Pride The Lion.

New branded content is also being developed across digital channels that will harness the popularity of Peppa Pig and Team GB by encouraging children and families to take advantage of the global sporting event and promote an active, healthy lifestyle.

Throughout summer 2021, Hasbro will be readying a packed calendar of interactive marketing activities that will see Peppa Pig model her very own Team GB kit at various events across the country, sports-related meet-and-greets, experiential displays, retail activations and fun competitions hosted at multiple locations.

The collaboration will kick off with a digital presence in Team GB’s inspired community campaign I Am Team GB from 23rd – 30th July to capitalise on the should-have-been Olympic buzz, and get kids enthusiastic about getting active with Peppa Pig.