Ahead of the Vegas Licensing Expo, which starts tomorrow, we bring you the latest news from the world of licensing.
Rainbow has announced a new partnership with Bandai America, appointed by master toy licensee Toy Plus for distribution of the 44 Cats toy line across the USA and Canada. Bandai will launch the pre-school range, which is based on the adorable and adventurous characters of the show, allowing kids to play out their favourite scenes with products featuring key elements of the IP: music, creative play patterns and collectability. The collection will featuring toys ranging from plush to figurines and play sets to musical toys. The first products will hit shelves from early 2020.
ITV Studios Global Entertainment (ITVS GE) will present the Canadian sitcom Schitt’s Creek together with its portfolio at the Licensing Expo this week (Stand L204), in response to global demand. The series has generated strong interest from international licensees, and new licensed products will come to the US market from summer 2019. Schitt’s Creek, now in its fifth season, airs on CBC in Canada and Pop in the US, as well as being a popular hit on Netflix in the US, the UK, Eire, Australia, New Zealand, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Japan.
Egmont is to publish a special Nella the Princess Knight issue of its popular magazine Showcase. As well as proving popular on TV, the pre-school property has also amassed over a 2.5m installations of the app, Nella the Princess Knight: Kingdom Adventures. The exclusive issue of Showcase magazine will introduce readers to Nella’s kingdom through stories, snap cards, Princess-themed puzzles, colouring and lots more to make, do and read. The issue is also accompanied by over 30 stickers and a free play set, featuring a figurine of Nella’s trusty unicorn sidekick, Trinket.
Redan’s best-selling Peppa Pig Bag-O-Fun magazine has taken home the Children’s Magazine of Year Award. The award is given by the Association of Circulation Executives (ACE) to the magazine that has ‘excelled in engaging with its audience whilst adding genuine value to the market’. With a current circulation of 80,987 (ABC July – December 2018), FTL Peppa Bag-O-Fun is not only the best-selling magazine in the pre-school sector, but in the entire children’s market. This year’s judges’ comments concluded that Redan deserved the title “for taking this character to a new level of fun and learning, with strong supporting sales.”
Evolution USA, a global licensing and brand management firm based in Calabasas CA, has been appointed to develop and manage a full scale licensing programme for Just Play’s best-selling girls collectible doll brand, Hairdorables. The brand is targeted at girls aged 5-9 and was the No.1 fastest growing small doll property in 2018. Hairdorables Dolls were selected in 2019 as a Toy Of The Year Finalist for Doll of the Year. The brand will be heavily supported with an “always on” content strategy, including a short form series, animated vlogs, toy play videos and how-to tutorials, combined with television advertising, national television appearances, social media and many future waves of collectible products.
