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New Shopkins movie coming up

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In an expansion mode, Moose Entertainment has announced that is getting into a new Shopkins movie entitled Shopkins: World Vacation. The film would see Shoppies and Shopkins leave Shopville for a world vacation.

“It is fantastic to see Shopkins proving that it is not just one of the world’s favourite toy brands but that it is now a full-fledged entertainment franchise,” said Belinda Gruebner, EVP global marketing at Moose Toys.

“Entertainment is now a key pillar for the success of a toy brand and we are looking forward to sharing more exciting announcements later this year. The partnership with Universal has gone from strength to strength with the two brands developing market-leading content for the world’s top selling girl’s property,” she added.

The Universal Pictures Home Entertainment Content Group is producing the film which will release in October 2017.

This release will add to the ever-expanding portfolio Moose Entertainment which continues to see amazing results across all categories including over 10 million downloads of the Shopkins World pillar gaming app, 250 million views of Shopkins cartoons on YouTube and 12 million streams of their songs.

In addition to these world-leading results, Shopkins has also recently launched a live stage show touring the US in September showing the brand is now a fully immersive entertainment property.

 

NASCAR Team Properties taps Yeti as official outdoor partner

The NASCAR Team Properties has selected drinkware specialist Yeti to serve as the official outdoor partner for both the NASCAR brand and the NASCAR racing teams.

As per the terms of the multi-year agreement, the American company will develop a variety of NASCAR and team-licensed merchandise including drinkware, coolers and soft-sided coolers.

“Yeti is a dynamic and wildly popular brand that will be a welcomed addition to our industry and fans,” says Steve Phelps, executive vice president and chief global sales and marketing officer, NASCAR.

“There continues to be great momentum surrounding our business as evidenced by nearly ten new brands entering the sport at the Official level this year,” he added.

Yeti will also join the NASCAR Fuel for Business Council that brings together an exclusive group of nearly 55 official NASCAR partners.

The business-to-business environment aims to offer opportunities for many Fortune 500 companies to work together to address specific corporate needs.

Yeti’s first licensed NASCAR collection is now available online at Yeti.com and YetiCustomShop.com.

 

Freemantle ties up with slate of licensees that will release new products

FremantleMedia has declared the names of a number of licensees that will release new products based on the television series American Gods.

“There has been so much excitement and anticipation for ‘American Gods’ that we wanted to offer our fan base a collection of product in celebration of the first season,” said Andrea Brent, senior vice president, licensing and franchise management, FremantleMedia North America.

“An expanded offering is currently in development and will be available in 2018 to support the recently announced second season,” he added.

First in line is Ripple Junction that has created a range of men’s and women’s graphic tees for specialty retailers in the U.S. However, select designs will also be available on Amazon.

Dark Horse Deluxe, a division of Dark Horse Comics is developing a variety of novelty and collectible products that includes a sculpted coin replica, pint glass set and shot glass set that will be available worldwide.

Secondly, Rizzoli will also launch a 2018 wall calendar that will be available this September at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Go! Calendars among many others.

Additionally, Trends International will release a series of branded posters and bookmarks for the U.S. market.

Other worldwide licensees for the series’ consumer products programme include Chronicle Books for a behind-the-scenes hard cover book that will provide further insight into the making of season 1; Rittenhouse Archives will release a series of trading cards, both in print and digital format; Funko will launch a host of stylized figures; Titan will debut non-articulated vinyl figures; and NECA is on board for action figures, foam replicas and scalers.

Represent has also signed on for a global direct to consumer campaign that will offer fans a number of limited edition graphic tees. Additionally, the licensee will work with the series’ cast members to design tees in support of their favorite charities.

In the U.S. and Canada, Brand Access will run the official American Gods online store which is scheduled to open in June. It will initially feature limited edition, curated product bundles. These will include both products developed by brand Access as well as other officially licensed merchandise.

Finally, in Europe, Danilo Promotions is going to launch a series of calendars and journals; Pyramid Posters is developing a slate of posters, wall art, mugs and stickers; Trademark Products is on board for apparel; Brands In is also creating an apparel line and Forbidden Planet will develop and launch a collection of apparel, accessories and more.

Chupa Chups ties up with German brand Essence to launch scented cosmetics

Venturing into beauty segment, lollipop brand Chupa Chups has joined forces with German brand Essence (Cosnova Beauty) to launch a lolipop frenzy with the trend edition, ‘I Want Candy’.

According to the deal, beauty pieces will be available for consumers which will boast the famous fragrance of the Chupa Chups lollipops.

The capsule collection includes a range of scented cosmetics for body, face, lips and nails including body splash, eye shadow palette, lolly dots eyeliner, lip gloss palette, blush shimmer pearls and brush or nail polish, stickers, scrub and top coat.

The range is slated to release this June and July in supermarkets, department stores and online worldwide.

Celebrating Wonder Woman with extraordinary fashion lines

 

As one of the world’s most iconic Super Heroes prepares for her first solo feature film releasing to cinemas worldwide June 2, from Warner Bros. Pictures, Tencent Pictures and Wanda Pictures and Warner Bros. Consumer Products (WBCP), in partnership with DC Entertainment (DCE), celebrates Wonder Woman with an extraordinary collection of trend-driven fashion lines inspired by DC’s Amazon Warrior.

A global cultural touchstone and beloved symbol of empowerment, justice, equality and peace for 75 years, Wonder Woman is inspiring designers from the most coveted fashion houses to lend their talents to benefit the LemLem Foundation, founded by international model and advocate Liya Kebede, whose mission is to improve African women’s lives by promoting access to healthcare and economic opportunities.

From world-renowned fashion house icons to new and emerging designers, to global specialty stores and mass market retailers everywhere, WBCP’s fashion collections’ distinctive styles have been created to reflect that every woman can feel like Wonder Woman in her own right – from the catwalk to the boardroom to the playing field.

And with the participation of such lines as Hero Within and Ukonic, there’s something for men of all ages who aspire to feel like Super Heroes, too.

“Wonder Woman has always empowered fans by embodying what it is to be powerful, confident and heroic, while also expressing her grace, compassion and femininity – in her upcoming feature film and for the last 75 years,” says Soo Koo, Warner Bros. Consumer Products’ Chief Creative Officer. “With fashion as a daily form of self-expression, we’re thrilled to bring together some of the most well-known and exciting designers in the world to create a diverse collection of high-end collaborations and street-ready apparel and accessories for fashion devotees, casual shoppers and everyone in between.”

A global cultural touchstone and beloved symbol of empowerment, justice, equality and peace for 75 years, Wonder Woman is inspiring designers from the most coveted fashion houses to lend their talents to benefit the LemLem Foundation founded by international model and advocate Liya Kebede, whose mission is to improve African women’s lives by promoting access to healthcare and economic opportunities.

An array of designs inspired by Wonder Woman’s unparalleled power, beauty and grace will also be available to the fashion world and fans worldwide as WBCP partners with admired designers and brands to offer up a dynamic lineup of limited-edition collections – from high-end to fast-fashion and everything in between – allowing trendsetters everywhere to channel their inner DC Super Hero.

Collaborations inspired by the effortless style of Wonder Woman, embodied in the film by Gal Gadot have followed suit, empowering women to take on each day by expressing their own personal style. Collections include the innovative athleisure wear from nuyu, bringing consumers an elevated, luxe and chic performance-fitness line, while Under Armour celebrates Wonder Woman with the roll-out of sleek, high performance wear for every strong woman.

As Wonder Woman is well-known for her iconic silver gauntlets and gold headdress, WBCP has also teamed up with leading accessory and jewellery brands to create fashion-forward bracelets, headbands and more. Nanette Lepore Brand and A Classic Time Watch Co. showcase Wonder Woman’s timelessness with an extravagant watch collection, while Love and Madness offers consumers accessories designed and crafted entirely by women. Contemporary jewelry brand ALEX AND ANI also offers a line of jewelry and highly collectible charm bracelets.

LEVEL-5 abby to showcase entire portfolio of children’s entertainment at Licensing Expo

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Global entertainment company LEVEL-5 abby will showcase its entire portfolio of children’s entertainment properties including The Snack World™, The Layton Series™ and Yo-Kai Watch at the impending Licensing Expo.

In today’s digital world, LEVEL-5 abby is unique among kids entertainment companies because all of their content is created specifically for video games. This gives the company a strong platform to build a complete franchise.

The Snack World is the newest cross-media project from LEVEL-5 abby that will be featured at the show.  Created specifically for a global audience and planned to be bigger than Yo-Kai Watch, The Snack World is a cool, tech-infused fantasy story that follows the magical adventures of a boy named Chup and his comrades.

New CGI animation has just been released in Japan and a full product line will be released in July including a video game from Nintendo; iOS and Android mobile games; a toy line and comic books.

The highly successful The Layton Series puzzle mystery games will expand with the newest game from LEVEL-5 abby, LAYTON’S MYSTERY JOURNEY: Katrielle and the Millionaires’ Conspiracy, launching globally on mobile platforms on July 20 with a Nintendo video game to follow in the fall.  This will be the first mobile launch for The Layton Series games. The new title takes a twist on previous games by introducing a new protagonist, Katrielle Layton, daughter of Professor Hershel Layton, as she solves mysterious events and happenings across London. Over the last 10 years The Layton Series of games have sold over 16 million units worldwide and have become fan favorites.

Yo-Kai Watch is a cross-media universe, following the hilarious misadventures of an average human boy and his involvement with the mischievous and invisible Yo-kai all around him.  Yo-Kai  Watch fun will continue globally with a full multi-media campaign from LEVEL-5 abby including new animation, and new games from Nintendo.

 

Yildiz Holding appoints Beanstalk as exclusive brand extension agency

Global food company Yildiz Holding has appointed Beanstalk as its exclusive brand extension agency for the Godiva, McVitie’s, FLIPZ and TURTLES brands in key strategic territories. Beanstalk is the complete code hosting workflow teams or individuals use to write, review and deploy their code.

Cem Karakas, Executive Deputy Chairman, Yildiz Holding said: “Our brands have a unifying passion to create biscuits and confectionery that people everywhere can enjoy. Through licensing, we will bring consumers new ways to experience our brands in complementary categories, through new channels of distribution and in new store aisles. Beanstalk’s extensive food and beverage experience will help us grow our brands through partnerships with industry leaders that are committed to quality and innovation.”

Beanstalk will represent Godiva in the United States, Canada, Europe, Japan and China markets; McVitie’s in Europe and FLIPZ and TURTLES in North America.

Yildiz Holding, owner of Godiva, McVitie’s and Ulker brands among many others globally is expanding some of the best-loved and most recognizable food brands in the world to key geographies.

Godiva has made an art form of creating the finest luxury Belgian chocolate, elevating its craftsmanship to bring chocolate lovers a multi-sensory experience.

As the UK’s leading biscuit brand, McVitie’s offers a range of delicious biscuits and cakes, which have been passionately baked for generations. FLIPZ and TURTLES are best-selling chocolate covered pretzels and original caramel nut clusters in the North American market, featuring only the finest ingredients to deliver sweet and crunchy perfection.

Beanstalk will also seek new opportunities for the brands across close-to-core food categories including beverages, desserts, ice cream, baked goods, snacks and baking products as well as gifting, bakeware, housewares and publishing among other categories. It will also seek in-restaurant partnerships that would feature the brands on menu items.

Allison Ames, President and CEO of Beanstalk added: “We are honored to have been selected by Yildiz Holding to extend its wonderful portfolio of brands. The common thread is their artisan nature, loyal consumer base and distinctive flavor profiles. Be it Godiva, McVitie’s, FLIPZ or TURTLES, these sweet and savory treats are recognized and enjoyed by consumers all around the world. We look forward to creating exciting and innovative products for this incredible family of brands and further spreading its legacy.”

 

 

Fun2Play Toys to unveil its new on-trend property at Licensing Expo

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Fun2Play Toys, manufacturers of a popular line of emoji-themed toys will unveil its new on-trend property, the Poo-nicorns at the Licensing Expo in Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay Convention Centre that runs from May 23rd to 25th.

Under the leadership of Jacqueline Vong, licensing industry veteran, the launch of the Poo-nicorns is a broader product and entertainment line, consisting of toys, games, apps and content, launching this summer and throughout this fall.

Mark Northwood of AnimangaPLUS stated, “We are very excited to be working on comics and animation for such a growing and dynamic brand as Poo-nicornicopia! The people at Fun2Play are a pleasure to work with and have true vision for how to build a kooky and fun brand.”

Partnering with Intimo in time for the 2017 holiday season, Fun2Play Toys will introduce new Poo-nicorn-themed sleepwear. Also launching this fall will be a Poo-nicorn-themed children’s toy line, consisting of an assortment of Poo-nicorn plush products.

A full roster of Poo-nicorn products and licensed goods will be in-store this holiday season. Watch for Poo-nicorn content on YouTube, the growing kids platform Toons2Go and a mobile game available in both the iOS and Google Play app stores.

A new digital game, still comic and web series created by digital studio AnimangaPLUS with support from Dynamite Entertainment, will be launched this summer.

 

Freaky Friday: Pros and cons of product licensing

There are two routes of taking your idea to market, one is by licensing while the other is by self-manufacturing.

Licensing is defined as allowing a business or individual the right to sell and manufacture an invention or product in exchange for continuous payments (royalties) or a onetime payment (lump sum).

Most people think that they can make a fortune on royalties. However, very few people know that the average royalty percentage is 3% of the wholesale price (not the retail price) of the product?  The range can vary anywhere between 2% to 10% depending on the product/invention/idea and the company’s policy on licensing.

With royalties, one will be getting continuous payments over a period of time whereas a lump sum is just a onetime payment upfront.

Here are some of the pros for licensing:

It is a cost-effective route to get a product in the market

You do not have to spend enormous amounts of money to get your product to market i.e. manufacturing costs, packaging, patenting, marketing or sales.

It is a low risk to break into a set market

The company that licenses your product from you will know the market/industry and know how to get the product out there.

Sometimes the company that is licensing your product will give you a portion of the expected royalty as an advance payment. If you go the royalty route, your continuous payments (royalties) could last for many years depending on your agreement.

Now, some of the cons for licensing:

 You can lose control of your product.

That means you have no control over the packaging, distribution, cost, sale and marketing or even how the product is produced.

A company may license your product, but never put it in production. If the company wants to brand your product; you have no say in the matter.

Many products don’t get licensed and you may not get any payments or if you do, it may be very little.

This means that your product might not do well or no one wants to buy your product.  If there is no sales, then no royalties.

Sometimes companies will make you pay a small amount if the product gets returned, damaged or goes on markdowns (sale).

It may be some time before you get your royalty.

Sometimes companies will pay on a quarterly basis.  While this might sound good, four quarters in a year, each quarter is three months, every three months you get a cheque (providing your product sells); you may not actually get the money until the following quarter following the product sales.

Now, to sum up:

As you can see there are some things you want to consider before jumping into licensing.  Some may see the pros outweigh the cons and vice versa, but if you are serious about licensing, it would be in your benefit to find a licensing agent or someone who knows about licensing deals.

As with anything, you want to make sure you do your research and due diligence on anyone you are thinking of using.

 

Disney launches Beauty and the Beast game

There is good news for fans wanting to extend their enchantment with Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. Disney has recently announced the launch of Beauty and the Beast: Perfect Match on the Apple App Store and Google Play.

In the game Beauty and the Beast: Perfect Match, players can put their matches to the test as they solve magical match-3 puzzles alongside Belle and the Beast.

The new mobile game invites fans of the film to join Belle, Beast and the castle staff to solve match-3 puzzles, decorate the Beast’s Castle and experience the tale as old as time like never before.

One can discover inventive boosters and power-ups to create combos, and explore the Beast’s Castle, uncovering the enchantment of such rooms as the Grand Staircase, Belle’s Bedroom and the Dining Room. Along the way, players can add their own decorative touch to the castle with more than 150 elegant items, including chairs, paintings, chandeliers, and more. They can also interact with favorite characters such as Lumière, Cogsworth and Garderobe.

Right now, Beauty and the Beast: Perfect Match is available for free download.