Total Licensing Winter 2018 by Total Licensing

Winter 2018

42 78

Regular Features

Worldwide

Comment........................................................................ 6 Global news.................................................................... 8 Legally Speaking........................................................... 86 The LIMA Page............................................................ 88 What’s On.................................................................... 90

The world of Video Games....................................... 22 Rovio...................................................................... 24 Pokemon............................................................... 26 Sega......................................................................... 28 Women in Toys............................................................ 58 Toy Licensing................................................................ 64 Kids Insights Column................................................. 70 Want a Crystal Ball?................................................... 72 Is your Licensing Strategy Better than Harry Potter’s?..................................................... 76 Exploring the world of Federation Kids................ 82 Gen Z - the Mobile, Global Bunch!......................... 84

Europe Ink ALC - Europe and the Middle East................... 16 Licensing in the Nordics............................................ 30 Nordic Licensing - Best in Class...................... 35 Asterix the Little Gaul............................................... 36 Toei Animation has Global Impact.......................... 42 Cover Story: ProSiebenSat 1.................................... 46 Germany Market Spotlight........................................ 50

Asia/Middle East Anti-Disney Takes on Shanghai Park....................... 74 China Licensing Expo Review................................... 78

UK 18

CEE/Russia Animaccord grow Masha program.......................... 20 What’s Hot in Russia.................................................. 38

USA/Canada Interview: Andre Lake Mayer at Zag....................... 18 Canada Market News................................................ 60

64 60 The Total Guide to the Licensing World is the definitive online licensing database. For more details visit www.totallicensingworld.com

Co-Publisher Francesca Ash francesca@totallicensing.com

Co-Publisher Jerry Wooldridge jerry@totallicensing.com

Editorial Director Rebecca Ash becky@totallicensing.com

Business Development Manager Jo Cassidy joanna@totallicensing.com

Office Manager James Ash james@totallicensing.com

Japanese Agent Roger Berman, ZenWorks rmb@zenworks.jp

TOTAL LICENSING LTD 4 Wadhurst Business Park Faircrouch Lane, Wadhurst, East Sussex TN5 6PT, UK Tel: +44 (0) 1892 782220 Fax: +44 (0) 1892 782226 www.totallicensing.com enquiries@totallicensing.com

© 2018 Total Licensing Ltd All illustrations are reproduced by permission of their owners. No part of this magazine may be copied or quoted without permission from the Publishers first. Total Licensing Ltd does not warrant or assume any legal liability for the accuracy or legality of contents, images or advertisements submitted to the magazine. Opinions of the contributing writers are their own and do not reflect the opinion of Total Licensing Ltd. Printed in England

Well, we all survived yet another Holiday Season and, from all accounts so far, in retail terms it wasn’t that bad Whilst retailers in the US had a tough 2017 generally with widespread store closures, the Holiday Season brought them some welcome news. According to Mastercard, between 1 November and Christmas Eve, holiday spending rose 4.9% versus the same period in 2016. So what were these consumers buying? Electronics and appliances were the real winners with sales growth of more than 7.5%. Home improvement and future sales were also healthy and even clothing stores and department stores saw some moderate gains. In the UK it seems that if you were selling food, you did well. If you were selling anything else, it was tougher. The UK’s biggest supermarket chain and the world’s second biggest supermarket, Tesco, saw gains of 3.4% and Morrisons grew 2.8%. Waitrose, in common with its parent the John Lewis Company, both saw healthy sales increases. Department stores, however, were not so positive. House of Fraser, a 169 year old chain, saw decreases in sales in the run up to Christmas. Debenhams, a further British institution issued a profits warning and saw share prices sink more than 15%. Of course the biggest ‘casualty’ within the global retail environment has to be Toys R Us. Known as the category killer in its prime, Toys R Us has been tugging on children’s heartstrings since 1948, appealing to parents’ guilt-ridden fears that the only way their child would be happy is if they had the latest bike, playset or doll. At its peak, it was a multibillion dollar operation. How the tide turns. Last year, Toys R Us in the US filed for Chapter 11 under the weight of $5 billion in debt. And in the UK, the group nearly went the same way, only to be saved by a deal at the eleventh hour. According to those who know, the signs were there two years ago. In 2015, only six years after buying the 155 year old toy store FAO Schwarz, the company shut down the famous Fifth Avenue store. Five months later they closed their huge flagship Times Square store after rental costs apparently soared to over $40 million. Yes, there were still more than 1600 Toys R Us

stores but they all lacked the ‘wow’ factor and many were in need of refurb, something that the beleaguered group simply couldn’t afford. In the UK, the group are closing a quarter of their stores as part of their rescue package and in the US more than 100 stores will shut their doors. So, if consumers are staying away from Toys R Us, where are they buying holiday gifts and toys? Unsurprisingly perhaps, holiday shopping online grew a very healthy 18.1% this year and the trend shows no signs of slowing down. It is, perhaps, all part of the retail cycle. Thirty years ago, consumers moved away from the high street to out-of-town shopping malls of which Toys R Us took a lead.Today, consumers are moving away from stores, in or out of town, and moving towards online purchases. Amazon is now considered to be one of the most valuable brands in the world and is responsible for $1 in every $10 spent in the US. It took nearly 45% of all online Black Friday sales and has grown in the last 20 years from a bookstore into a digital retailer of just about anything. And Amazon’s customers are loyal. In the US, more than 80% of their customers purchase from Amazon each month. And the growth is eye-watering. From 2016 to 2017, the Amazon app holiday shopping grew by 70%. You would imagine this would be enough for the company. But now they are looking to tap into the lucrative online food delivery market, making their first foray by their purchase of Whole Foods. Add on their ever-expanding entertainment arm and it is difficult to see how their impact on retail will not continue to grow. Of course all the trade fairs in the early part of the year are aiming at retailers - of all different shapes and sizes. And Total Licensing will be there - at the London, Nuremberg and New York Toy Fairs as well as at the upcoming Kidscreen Summit in Miami. As always, we look forward to seeing many of you in the aisles over the coming weeks. Francesca Ash Co-Publisher Jerry Wooldridge Co-Publisher

With Thanks to this Issue’s Contributing Writers: Gregory Battersby Martin Brochstein Natasha Carter Debbie Dunn

Su-Yina Farmer Gurdev Mattu Jed Ferdinand Lorie Raileanu

Nick Richardson Elena Snagovskaya Utku Tansel Owain Walbyoff Alice Yang

NEWS

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SECOND SERIES FOR SUPERNOOBS DHX Media recently announced that a second season of its hit animated comedy series, Supernoobs has been exclusively licensed by Turner’s Cartoon Networks in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and in Asia Pacific. The 26-episode order, which has been greenlit by DHX Television’s Family Channel in Canada, is produced by DHX Media’s Vancouver animation studio. “The global momentum continues for Supernoobs with a second ‘supercharged’ season, as characters Kevin, Tyler, Shope, and ‘the Roach’ get up to more crazy adventures,” said Josh Scherba, EVP, Content and Distribution. “Kids worldwide can’t get enough of this hilarious DHX Media original series, and Turner’s Cartoon Network as well as our own Family Channel are the perfect broadcast outlets to deliver a new season of thrills to them.” These newly announced broadcast deals come on the heels of a recently announced agreement with Hulu, which saw the digital service take exclusive SVOD and FVOD rights for season one of Supernoobs in the U.S. The deals highlight the continued global demand for DHX Media original content across linear and digital services. In season two of Supernoobs (26x22’), the Supernoobs begin to master their powers. Noob training is almost complete, and the superhero team is ready to take on Count Venamus and the Creators with a new attitude, new powers and all new episodes. Aimed at kids aged six to 11, Supernoobs is created by Scott Fellows, who is also behind another DHX Media hit, Johnny Test.

WORLD OF WINX TOYS Witty Toys, a company of the Rainbow Group in Italy, is presenting another addition to its popular World of Winx toy range at the upcoming Nuremberg Toy Fair. The range is based on World of Winx – the original series inspired by the hit Winx Club TV show co-produced with Netflix, which is delighting millions of Winx fans across the world. In the show, the six famous fairy friends go undercover to investigate the disappearance of talented children and must defeat an evil villain known as the Talent Thief. The World of Winx toy range has been on sale since Christmas 2016, and thanks to its huge popularity new items have been added the Winx Onyrix collection which will be show-

cased at Nuremberg. The Winx Onyrix collection features six dolls that are available as each of the different fairies and include articulated legs, bendable arms and fluttering wings.

SUZY’S ZOO TURNS 50 Suzy’s Zoo will turn 50 in 2018, and to celebrate, the animated series Adventures in Duckport will make its debut worldwide. The Adventures in Duckport series which comprises 52x11 minute episodes. The series is targeted to children ages 4-8 and follows the adventures of the characters as they interact with and show respect and love for the elder members of their community. Suzy, Jack, Penelope, Corky and their friends do their best to save the day every chance they get, even if they end up in a pickle doing so. Suzy’s Zoo was established by award-winning artist Suzy Spafford in 1968 as a line of greeting cards, and since then has grown to feature over 200 named animal characters on a wide range of social expression products. Each character is based on someone in Suzy’s life. In its nearly 50-year history, more than 250 million Suzy’s Zoo greeting cards and nearly 2.4 billion diapers alone have been sold worldwide. In 2005, Little Suzy’s Zoo was introduced into Plaza Style stores in Japan where the variety of merchandise is vast. Items include cell phone covers, plush toys, apparel, dinnerware, puzzles and games, books, and more. Sales to date in Japan have reached more than $300 million. The animated series, Little Suzy’s Zoo - A Day with Witzy, which includes 26 x 2 minute episodes, is currently being sold for broadcast worldwide. Additionally, PBS Distribution has released a DVD, which is sold online. Licensing and merchandising efforts continue worldwide, and recently-concluded deals will bring many new items to stores including baby apparel and accessories, premium and promotional gifts, maternity accessories, digital stickers, emoticons worldwide, limited edition artwork, books, coloring books, balloons, board books, and more.

NEWS

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MONDO UNVEIL NEW CHINESE CO-PRODUCTION Invention Story, Mondo TV’s new animated co-production with China’s Henan York Animation, is a major long-term commitment by both partners for two very good reasons: its strength as a broadcast property and its potential as a licensing property – particularly in toys. Mondo TV has a large portfolio of shows to offer broadcasters. Its offering is also diverse, with action, adventure, comedy, fantasy, history and even live-action teen drama making up a strong and varied catalog. Invention Story will debut next year and comprises 104 x 11 minute episodes produced in 3D CGI. Aimed at 4 to 7 year olds, it is the tale of Kit, a clever fox who, in each episode, comes up with a new invention. His adopted home, called Carrot Town, is home to a population of rabbits, most of whom

admire Kit. A few, however, are envious of his abilities and want to stop him – or steal his ideas. The property will be a major focus for Mondo at Nuremberg. A further boost to the licensing campaign has been the huge commitment of Mondo TV and its Chinese partner York Animation – for five seasons making a total of 520 x 11’ up to 2021. The show – and the ideas behind it – is already getting positive feedback from many broadcasters, attracted both by the content and its high quality, with major names like CCTV, the leading state television broadcaster in the People’s Republic of China, expressing strong interest. In fact, a recent event in China saw costume versions of the Invention Story characters presented during a big variety show on CCTV3 highlighting animation worldwide.

NEW LICENSES FOR PEPPA PIG Entertainment One have added new licensing partners and contract renewals for the Peppa Pig consumer products program in the US. and Canada.The growth of the property is backed by the ongoing production of new episodes and content. The animated preschool series airs on Nick Jr. in the U.S. and on Treehouse TV in Canada. eOne will expand the brand’s licensing program with new partners, including CSS Industries for seasonal classroom exchange products and accessories for Valentine’s Day and Easter, and PTI Group for character treat buckets. eOne have also renewed previous partnerships, including Amscan for party goods, including tableware, decorations, favors, and invitations; Kurt S. Adler for holiday ornaments and decorations; and Palamon for Halloween costumes.

FUR BABIES WORLD Brands with Influence has named Brandgenuity as its exclusive licensing agency of record for Fur Babies World in the US and Canada. The brand has achieved enormous success as a toy line and YouTube series in the UK, where it is marketed as Bush Baby World. “We are blown away by how this brand has taken off in the UK. Now, with Brandgenuity as our licensing agency and Moose Toys as our toy distribution partner in North America, we are guaranteed to succeed,” said Martin Lowde, Managing Director of Brands with Influence The Fur Babies World toy line took the UK market by storm in 2017 under the name Bush Baby World. Rebranded for the US market, Moose Toys will launch its master toy line in Spring 2018 chainwide at Walmart, followed by a broader rollout to other retailers. Kids love the Fur Babies as they come alive with wiggly eyes and waggly ears and kids enjoy the Fur Babies World website, where they can engage further with the characters. A CGI animated YouTube series tells the story of the characters who protect the Dream Tree, ensuring the magical world they inhabit is kept in balance and that children everywhere enjoy dream-filled sleep. It takes team work, friendships, laughter, problem-solving and care to ensure that the Dreamstars prevail and children everywhere can have wonderful dreams “This brand has all the ingredients necessary for licensing success,” said Jay Asher, Brandgenuity. “Adorable characters, great stories and true collectability. Not to mention, the brand has a new animated series full of comedy and sass. Put these elements together, and we have a runaway hit and a great licensing opportunity!” Brandgenuity plans to build a licensing program targeted at girls, ages 4-10, and will extend the brand into categories including apparel and accessories, publishing, back-to-school, home and more.

NEWS

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CHIC & LOVE LICENSED Licensing Link Europe has been appointed to manage UK licensing on behalf of brand licensor Consumer Product Connection of Spain for the new fashion and accessories brand Chic & Love. Focusing on affordable luxury, the Chic & Love brand combines street style with an avant-garde look: glamorous and slightly off-the-wall, but functional and practical; sexy and attractive whilst modern and comfortable. In addition, thanks to an alliance with one of the world’s most famous luxury

brands Chic & Love will incorporate Swarovski crystals into many of its collections, a differentiating element for Chic & Love products that will underline the affordable luxury message inherent in the brand and its style. Licensing is core to the brand. In addition to the sale of Chic & Love products in the brand’s online store, it is licensed to a number of manufacturers and distributors worldwide. It now has a presence in more than 12 countries including the UK. Chic & Love launched in Spain in June 2017 with a presence in some of Europe’s biggest retail names, including El Corte Ingles, Carlin and FNAC. The first product launch has been a pan-European deal with Miquel Rius, a pioneer in the manufacture of functional and designer stationery for

both students and professionals. The Miquel Rius range includes notebooks, wallets, backpacks, toiletry bags, pencil cases and mugs. Under consideration or in development are license agreements in such categories as health and beauty, greeting cards, smartphone covers, mugs, scented candles, watches, jewellery, apparel, lingerie, footwear, umbrellas, tech accessories, decorations, bed linen, handbags and suitcases – all leveraging the Chic & Love brand values of affordable luxury. The link with Swarovski will be a strong feature in almost all licensed output. Chris Taday, of Licensing Link Europe, said, “The combination of luxury and affordability with the unbeatable differentiating feature of a connection with Swarovski makes this a brand that stands out in a competitive youth market. We’re delighted and thrilled that Consumer Product Connection has asked us to introduce Chic & Love to the UK, where I am sure this brand will be enormously successful.”

PONYSITTERS CLUB PROGRAM LAUNCHED Global media company Brain Power Studio is launching its brand new family series The Ponysitters Club. Based on the book by Victoria Carson, The Ponysitters Club (20 x 22’) is being produced in association with Discovery Kids Latin America, supported by the Shaw Rocket Fund in Canada. The series is written by David Finley, executive produced by Brain Power Studio’s Beth Stevenson and Nancy Yeaman. Directed by Justin G. Dyck, Marco Deufemia and

Emma Jean Sutherland. The series is currently in production and has begun delivery. Twelve year old Skye loves everything about living at Rescue Ranch, especially hanging out at the horse stable that houses rescue horses and ponies. She thinks she is ready to help with more care for the animals. Her mother Billy, who runs the ranch, is reluctant to give her more responsibilities as Skye struggles with her reading and homework. Her friends Olivia, Trish and Ethan come up with a plan to share the horse care and support Skye. The Ponysitters Club is formed. Together they practice compassion and nurturing for these animals that have had an unfortunate past. The

series follows Skye and her friends through their modern kid lives and how they intersect with life on the ranch. All for horses and horses for all! Beth Stevenson, President and Founder of Brain Power Studio said: “We are pleased to be producing and distributing a children’s live action drama that shows such great empathy and inclusion. As our Ponysitters care for the rescue animals, they learn to care for themselves and their friends. Discovery Latin America and Shaw Rocket Fund have been big supporters of the creative balance between entertainment and emotion for this age range. For that we are thankful.” “The Ponysitters Club is an inspiring, heartfelt concept that will demonstrate to kids the benefits of compassion, friendship, and hard work. With Canadian values at its core and the ability to reach kids globally, we are proud to support the team at Brain Power Studio on this great series.”

NEWS

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A BUSINESS BRIDGE BETWEEN JAPAN AND THE WORLD Roger Berman came to Japan in the early 1980s. Today he runs a Tokyobased licensing consultancy and lifestyle brand licensing agency that serves regional companies wishing to enter international markets along with would-be entrants into Japanese and Asian markets. He explains the philosophy that inspired – and continues to inspire – ZenWorks. The world is getting smaller: everyone knows about hit international brands, it sometimes seems, only moments after they succeed in their home markets. However, that’s not always been true. For example, it may feel like licensed products from Japan have been a part of the licensing landscape forever but it’s only been a few decades since some of the hits from that market started replicating their Japanese successes in the UK, Europe and US. Similarly, Japan was not always an important port of call for a hit UK, European or American brand. Now Japan’s well-heeled, well-informed population is a major target for any selfrespecting brand with real global ambitions. Hence the creation of ZenWorks, an agency with a foot in both Japanese and global camps. ZenWorks was founded in 2010 by Roger Berman, an established licensing professional in the Japanese licensing industry, with the goal of helping clients to develop sustainable and long-term licensing programmes. ZenWorks is a Tokyo-based licensing consultancy and lifestyle brand licensing agency that delivers specialized license consulting, sales development, communications, media, trade show and licensing education services to content creators and IP owners entering Japanese and Asian markets, as well as to Japanese and Asian regional companies expanding internationally. Its services include developing licens-

ing programmes for a select portfolio of established brands, ranging from sports and outdoor properties to fashion, lifestyle, character, art and design brands. It represents internationally popular brands such as the V&A, Slazenger, Donnay, and No Fear and consults for Japanese clients including education and publishing group Benesse Corporation and food manufacturer Kikkoman. ZenWorks founder and director Roger Berman has spent 30 years in the licensing industry, working with all aspects of licensing property development across Europe, Japan and North America for such brands as Kelloggs, Paddington Bear, Royal Doulton, The World of Eric Carle, Maisy, Norman Rockwell and Charlie Chaplin. “In the early 1980s I was travelling around Asia and I found Japan especially intriguing, so I decided to stay longer to learn the language. After

three years of Japanese language school, I got an international liaison position with one of Japan’s pioneering companies in the licensing field, where my newly acquired Japanese language skills were essential as a conduit between the Japanese staff and overseas clients. Licensing was intriguing, too. I’m not sure if there are many other careers that encompass the need for expertise in legal, marketing, creative and sales all rolled into one! So after honing my skills over twenty-plus

years, I established ZenWorks to continue the work of acting as a business bridge between Japan and the world.” As for the actual business of brandbuilding in Japan, Berman points out that despite its size, wealth and love of major brands, if you’re looking to make a short-term profit Japan is probably not the first place you would go. “Building a brand in Japan is not a quick process,” he says. “However,” he adds, “if you take a long-term view of your brand, Japan can become an extremely profitable and lucrative country to work in. Some long-established brands – Paul Smith is one – see Japan as among their most important markets. Similarly, not every Japanese brand is going to be a world-beater like Pokemon or Hello Kitty. But once the hard work is done in Japan, a brand can attract strong international interest if properly marketed.” ZenWorks recently announced a strategic partnership with Kilogrammedia, the UK-based licensing and broadcastfocused public relations firm. Berman explains, “With Asian content holders gaining an ever-increasing presence in global markets, we identified a need to offer licensing industry-specific PR services in this region.” Under the terms of the agreement, the two companies will offer mutual support and provision. Kilogrammedia will extend its client services to ZenWorks’ wide-ranging Asian client base and market, while ZenWorks will expand its service to its clients by offering the skills that have made Kilogrammedia the public relations partner of choice for numerous brands and agencies over many years. “In other words,” says Berman, “global brand-building is about managing and building brand awareness intelligently and strategically, because if your brand is good enough the world will want to know its story – and we aim to help brand owners tell that story.”

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Servicing the Nordics, CEE, Russia/ CIS, Middle East and North Africa

INK ALC was born through the 2015 merger of Copenhagen-based Ink Licensing, part of the Ink Group – the leading solution provider in entertainment brand building and brand licensing - and media development giant Global New Age Media (GNAM). The result is an agency that offers a full service — from media development, content placement and sales, through to brand extension and promotion – to clients across the Nordics, CEE, Russia/CIS, Middle East and North Africa. Customers benefit from the synergies and efficiencies of a merged company with over 20 years’ combined experience in the licensing business, across both established and emerging markets. Copenhagen is the administrative hub of the combined company, housing legal, financial and product development teams as well as commercial contacts for each brand owner. Local and regional offices across the territories focus on sales, marketing and client relations, with the office in Dubai acting as a key hub for the company. The company’s portfolio combines established brands with some of the hottest new properties on the market. Masha and the Bear is undoubtedly the biggest name on the INK ALC roster, with a presence in virtually every country in the world – through both free and pay channels.This is bolstered by a massively popular YouTube channel and availability through Netflix. The newly released series 3 is adding to the show’s popularity, as are spinoffs such as Masha’s Tales and Masha’s Spooky Stories.

Across MENA, Masha and the Bear has already reached more than 70% brand awareness, thanks to broadcast through Spacetoon and the growth of the Arabic-language YouTube channel. INK ALC has big plans for the property in 2018 - with a marketing strategy that includes a theatrical launch, live events across the year, and many premium campaigns. Additional licensing deals are also due to be announced across multiple categories. Mojicons is the hit animation that reveals the behind-the-scenes world of the internet, where the Mojicons live – the innumerable emoticons that populate our emails and text messages. Since first airing on Spacetoon in April 2017 the show has been pulling in huge audiences across MENA, becoming particularly famous amongst fans of the emoji trend. This popularity has enabled INK ALC to sign deals across toys, pocket money gifts, art & craft, and confectionery. Zafari is the creation of animation visionary David Dozoretz and celebrates difference and diversity through the tale of a group of friends who live in a land where all the resident animals have been magically born with an amalgamation of varying skins, patterns and characteristics, making each one truly unique. Zafari also features a series of videos from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) - the world’s largest conservation organization – which will complement each episode and aim to educate viewers about

wildlife and wild places. Spacetoon has recognised the potential of this eagerly anticipated new show, with an agreement in place to broadcast the first series from Q2 2018. The brand will be introduced to the retail market through a strong network of toy distribution deals with some of the biggest distribution companies in MENA. Thanks to such a strong portfolio of brands, and the breadth of knowledge and experience within the company, INK ALC is well placed to take advantage of the vast potential within MENA. “INK ALC is focused on using captivating stories to grow a secure and stable environment for the licensing industry, so it can thrive and flourish across MENA, and through the partnership with GNAM, we can draw on a deep and extensive knowledge of the region and its culture, which is a key factor to success.” explains Claus Tømming, Managing Partner, INK ALC. Anas Erabi, Business Development Manager from INK ALC added: “Obviously we face challenges, such as political instability, market fluctuations, retail struggles, and the availability of fake products, but there is still considerable potential for growth. Take a country like Egypt and you see a promising market with a huge young population and demand for wellknown branded toys at reasonable prices. This is replicated across the region and is why we are so committed to the Middle East and North Africa.”

TOTAL LICENSING

Total Licensing talked to Andre Lake Mayer President, Brand Strategy & Consumer Products ZAG

INTERVIEW

Can you outline the history of Zag and how it came into creation? Zag, which was launched in 2009, is the brain-child of our founder and CEO Jeremy Zag. Jeremy’s upbringing in Paris exposed him to the worlds of art, fashion, architecture and animé animation, infusing him with an eye for design and a passion to create. Armed with a unique point of view and a gift for storytelling, Jeremy followed his dream to learn as much as possible about the process of animation to begin creating animated TV shows. He then launched Zagtoon with kid’s industry veteran Jacqueline Tordjman, who was a 30-year partner with Saban Entertainment. Jeremy’s youthful spirit allowed him to inspire creative talent to join and collaborate with him to take TV animation to a whole new level. Zag Heroez - Miraculous™, Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir was a big turning point for ZAG, especially with outstanding partners such as France’s Method Animation, Japan’s Toei Animation and South Korea’s SamG Animation/SK Broadband, as well as our media collaborators, including Disney Channel EMEA, French broadcaster TF1, Italy’s DeAgostini Editore S.P.A., Groupe AB and Brazil’s Globosat. The superior quality of animation along with substantial distribution of the series allowed Jeremy to take his vision to the next level and expand operations of the company to the U.S. His business model expanded to not only creating TV animation but to build global franchises that also include feature films and worldwide licensing, merchandising and retail programs. We are taking the industry by storm and have a solid calendar of projects in development and/or production over the next few years. It’s only the beginning for the world of Zag! What do you think was the most important factor in being named ‘break-out studio of the year’ last year? We put our heart and soul into the creation of our content so we were

incredibly honored to receive this recognition. Driven by the success of Zag Heroez - Miraculous™, Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir, the credibility of Zag was really solidified as a formidable global animation studio and a leader in television and film entertainment for kids and families. What sets the company aside as an animation studio? We bring modern-day heroes to life through relatable narrative within a stunning world of animation. Jeremy cares most about emotionally moving the audience and the WOW factor they will get when watching a cool Zag Heroez show. Our TV broadcast partners worldwide recognize the magical Zag imprint on our animation. For this reason, Zag has achieved extremely powerful distribution and exposure through alliances with leading broadcasters who in turn help us bring this powerful content to kids worldwide. So, when one creates commercially viable content driven with stellar quality animation and toptier distribution, then you authentically become recognized by your peers, partners and fans at large. This is what differentiates Zag today. What makes Zag Heroez - Miraculous™ Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir so popular with audiences? First and foremost, the popularity of Zag Heroez - Miraculous™ Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir stems from its visual impact. The storytelling and the visual influences take the best of Asian, European and American styles. The story has so many layers that incorporate strong female empowerment, which is popular with audiences around the globe at the moment, and as such, the series draws fans from young girls to young women. Also, it is a sitcom first, and an action superheroine series second, which resonates with our young and older fan base. In terms of what we feel specifically draws our audiences, the older fans (15 – 25-year-old teens and young

adults) resonate with the relationships, starting with the dynamics and first love experience between the two main characters who have secret superhero identities. It does run deeper than just those two characters but that is the core and heart of the story. Our fans highly anticipate the “shipping” part. They have also expressed a strong sense of empowerment, selfconfidence and compassion from the lead character, Marinette/Ladybug. And, of course, they appreciate the evident art and design aesthetic of all things Miraculous. For our originally targeted younger girl demo (6 – 11-years-old), we feel they are most attracted to the beautiful Miraculous Ladybug superheroine and the magical aspects surrounding her transformation, friendship, family, fashion and secret identities. And the gorgeous backdrop of Paris is beloved by all our viewers. Zag Heroez - Miraculous™ Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir is truly a multi-layered series, and we are extremely proud that it has resonated with fans all over the world. Tell us about the licensing program and how does this translate to a licensing program? Well, demand from fans for more ways to engage with Zag Heroez - Miraculous™, Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir has led to an extensive licensing and merchandising program, and we currently have over 300 licensees across the globe with 3,000+ products across all categories. In just two years since launching the series, we believe this is truly an achievement and speaks to the quality of the brand and the desire for consumers all over the world to experience it. In the U.S., we have an extensive roster of licensing partners to develop product for kids and/or for pop culture fans, with retail availability at Hot Topic, Amazon,Toys”R”Us, and various specialty stores. Some of our licensees include Action Lab Comics (Illustrated & graphic comic books), Accessory Innovations (girl’s bags, backpacks, backto-school), Bandai America (master toy), BioWorld (teen and young adult accessories, night & loungewear), Cardinal Industries (games, puzzles),

TOTAL LICENSING Changes (young adult hoodies, TShirts), Evy of California (girl’s apparel, graphic t-shirts), Franco Manufacturing (kid’s bedding, throws, bath & beach), Great Eastern (teen gifts & novelties), H.E.R. Accessories (girl’s costume jewelry, hair accessories), Komar Kids (girl’s sleepwear, robes), Mighty Fine (fan art contest & T’s, accessories ), Rubie’s Costume Company (Halloween costumes), Sakar International (youth electronics), Shout! Factory (DVDs), Starlight Accessories (sunglasses, swim goggles) and Townley (girl’s cosmetics). In terms of the international markets, we work with an extensive network of licensing agents around the globe for Miraculous, including Bulldog Licensing, CLM, Doce, Gloob Licensing, Haven, IMC, J&M, MBC, Mediogen, Planeta Jr., Plus, SamG, Segal,Team License,TF1 and Tycoon, to create dynamic retail and promotional programs. Our key global and regional partners include: Bandai (master toy); Danone (water); Ferraro (Kinder Joy & Surprise Egg); General Mills; Panini; Quick (QSR) and Zara (perfume). Clearly the empowerment aspect of Miraculous translates easily into the toy program, spearheaded by Bandai America, allowing kids to relive the scenes through the toys, as well as role-play the main characters. The popularity of role-play and cosplay for both younger and older demos have led to our development of an extensive costume licensing program with partners like Spirit, Rubies and Sunstaches. Our publishing program with partners such as Action Lab Comics allows kids to go deeper into the storytelling, enhancing their connection to the series. A combination of a fashion point of view, as well as empowerment point of view, drives our apparel and accessories program for Miraculous. A unique aspect of this program in the U.S., in particular, is that we are drawing inspiration from fan art for our fashion design choices. Across all of our categories, we are working diligently with our partners to create the highest quality, most dynamic products that authentically reflect the heart of the brand. Given the multiple layers of Miraculous, there are endless op-

portunities to engage our fans, and we have more in store for 2018 and on. Can you tell us some of the other projects you have set for 2018 and beyond? Our TV and film pipeline is quite full for the next five years. It is an amazing position to be in.We have multiple animation projects in production and/or development under our Zag Heroez banner. For Zag Heroez - Miraculous™, Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir, we will continue rolling out the second season, which debuted on Disney Channel Spain and France’s TF1 in October, and on Netflix in the U.S. in Q1 2018 and across all key European markets on Disney EMEA and Latin America throughout spring 2018. We are also currently in production on season three with a premiere planned for November 2018, along with the development of a live-action feature film, which will be distributed by a major studio. We just launched Zag Heroez Zak Storm™ — Super Pirate as a digital trifecta on November 1 in the U.S. on Netflix (plus KidsClickTV and Discovery Family Channel as the linear launch in October) and via Amazon (toys), Google Play and Apple (free gaming app). It had previously launched in several European markets to strong ratings, and we will continue rolling out new episodes for season one in markets around the world in 2018 with season two coming in Q3 2018. We have recently greenlit a fantastic, boy-driven, animated TV action comedy, Zag Heroez - Ghostforce™. This is where our heroes capture and use the power of the ghosts! We have received very strong interest to create a feature film for Ghostforce, which is also now on the horizon. Additionally, we are extremely excited about a ground-breaking new superhero adventure series, which is produced utilizing a hybrid technique with a liveaction background and CGI-animated foreground. We will be announcing the project soon and anticipate it to be a breakthrough for Zag and for the kid’s animation industry in general.

What trends, in general, in terms of animation and tech do you see emerging in 2018? We all continue to ask the question of what is going to happen with virtual and augmented reality, and we are watching to see if it makes sense for us to go down that path. We aren’t there yet but it is definitely on our radar. I think we will see more incentivized entertainment experiences to reach and engage kids digitally by creating a truly connected play experience by interconnecting multiple platforms such TV, toys and mobile games. For example, with our Zak Storm — Super Pirate digital launch, we created that connected play experience via TV, toys and mobile game. When kids watch the series, it will sync with the mobile game to deliver small-screen battles and adventures that mimic the realtime TV show scenes. This then provides the player with digital game rewards. The experience is further realized when kids collect and play with physical toys, which come with scannable collectible treasure coins that provide rewards for the mobile game. Kids can then receive weapons, powers, worlds, strength, health and much more in the mobile game. Players are able to take on the role of Zak Storm as he assembles his crew, explores the seas, and confronts his nemesis’ in battle. I definitely think we will be seeing more creative strategies on the digital front in the years to come as technologies are further developed.

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ANIMACCORD

Bringing a property to international success

For further information, please, contact Valentina Esayan PR Manager esayan@animaccord.com

Animaccord, the company that owns the rights for the Masha and the Bear brand started its successful licensing program for the property in 2010. Since then, Animaccord have brought the Masha and the Bear series onto leading TV channels across the world including SBT in Brazil, Rai Yo-Yo in Italy, Teletoon in Canada, KIKA in Germany, Clan TV in Spain etc. The huge demand for licensed products generated by the strong media presence, led these global market players to partner with Animaccord to deliver Masha and the Bear products of various categories to the shelves of the largest international retailers. Amongst Animaccord’s partners are Simba Dickie Group, Ferrero, Danone, Spin Master, Ravensburger, Egmont and Hachette. Animaccord’s exceptional media strategy on YouTube, made Masha and the Bear one of the leading animated series on the platform with the overall number of views over 29 billion worldwide, including views from Vatican city and The Antarctic. During 2017, Animaccord continued the successful media and licensing expansion of Masha and the Bear. In June, Animaccord together with the Ink Group, brought the show’s Season 1&2 to Clan TV, making it the first time the series was released on a free TV channel in Spain. Viacom18 Media Pvt. Ltd introduced Masha and the Bear Season 1&2, and the spin-offs Masha’s Spooky stories and Masha’s Tales to Indian audience in May. Nick Jr. partnered with Animaccord to release

the Masha and the Bear Season 1 on TV in India. Turner Broadcasting System signed a deal to purchase the rights for the core show’s Season 3, which was launched on Cartoon Network Latin America. In Italy, Rai YoYo has snapped up Season 3 and spin-off Masha’s Spooky Stories. In France, France TV launched Season 3, whilst in Poland Puls TV is on board for Masha’s Spooky Stories. In Canada, the free TV channel in English – Treehouse – released Masha and the Bear Season 3. This year Animaccord has conquered the top by inking the deals to bring Masha and the Bear show for the first time to free TV channels in the United States and United Kingdom. In September the show was released on NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment’s - Universal Kids network.. In the UK, Animaccord, together with the Ink Group, partnered with CSC Media Group, a subsidiary of Sony Pictures Television, to launch Masha and the Bear the Season 1 on the free children’s TV channel, Tiny Pop,in December. Foe Easter 2018, Ferrero will launch a special collection of licensed Kinder eggs in Mexico, Central America, Europe and CIS. Simba Dickie Group, the Master Toy Partner of Animaccord in the EMEA region, has recently presented a new plush, which will be available for purchase in major retailers across Europe. Hachette designed a new collection of licensed partworks which launched in Poland in November. Last summer Exim Entertainment

brought the “Rescue at the Circus!” show, with Masha and the Bear to the stages of Latin America where the show will be performed through mid2019. Another live show distributor, Tycoon Gou, released the live show in Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean in July. In the EMEA region, Los Production prepared a pre-Christmas gift for kids in France by presenting the Masha and the Bear live show across the country. The box office for the show

was ranked as #2 after the Disney ice show, and was supported by a promo campaign with JouéClub, Simba Dickie Group and Hachette. EMA Eventi brought the live show, based on the spin-off project Masha’s Tales, to Italy. In Latin America, La Feria park in Mexico, after the successful Meet & Greet events with Masha and the Bear which caused the increase in park tickets sales of 30%, decided to extend the deal with Animaccord. La Feria ran a series of public performances of the selected Masha and the Bear scenes, as well as Masha’s tales episodes.

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The World Of Gaming

The World of Gaming Licensing TV IP in gaming By Owain Walbyoff, Endemol Shine Group Gaming is an incredibly buoyant industry with unprecedented levels of growth. Newszoo reported earlier this year that 2.2 billion gamers across the globe were expected to generate $108.9 billion in game revenues in 2017. That’s a year-on-year increase of 7.8% and it doesn’t show signs of slowing down. With advances in technology, the mass consumer adoption of smartphones and the steady migration of gaming to mobile driving this growth, there continues to be a huge opportunity to license television IP in gaming. Endemol Shine Group is the world’s largest independent producer and traveller of formats, behind global hits such as MasterChef, Peaky Blinders, Big Brother, Broadchurch, Pointless, Deal or No Deal, and many more. We are in a very lucky position to have access to such a rich and diverse range of IP and finding new audiences for these outside of linear transmission is incredibly important for the longevity of our brands. With such a vast catalogue, one of the challenges we face with licensing a game based on our brands is that we do need to be selective about what will work, as a game created using strong IP does not necessarily equal a great game. We must identify where

the opportunities are for us within our existing catalogue and have seen great success across mobile gaming and into gambling and social casino spaces. Endemol Shine Group brands have huge global audiences and there is a real appetite from these fans to engage with their favourite characters and shows through gaming. Mobile game “Mr Bean around the World” has over 18 million downloads and our hugely popular animation Simon’s Cat launched Simon’s Cat – Crunch Time earlier this year in partnership with Strawdog Studios which has generated 3.5 million downloads in just 5 months. One of the most valuable assets of working with our brands is their awareness and discoverability as they already have existing audiences which enables you to market your product to already engaged fans. In the last year alone we produced more than 800 productions, in 76 territories airing on 295 channels around the world. One of these is MasterChef, which is the most successful cookery television format in the world, has been adapted locally in 52 countries, seen in over 200 countries and watched globally by over 250 million viewers. And worldwide blockbusters such as Black Mirror, Humans, Peaky Blinders and Broadchurch have each sold in 100 or more markets. This discoverability can then be further enhanced when you are able to exploit existing social media around it, like talking to Mr Bean’s Facebook fans which currently stands at a phenomenal 76,555,690. Gameshow brands naturally lend themselves to game extensions. As pro-

ducers behind a number of popular formats like Pointless and Deal or No Deal, the game extensions can easily replicate the existing mechanics of the shows and this has proven very successful for us. But we are also developing some really exciting ideas for games around some of our brands that perhaps you are less likely to associate with gaming. The drama and factual-entertainment output from Endemol Shine Group is unbelievably strong, with hits such as Tin Star, Hunted and Black Mirror. These genres do not provide a straightforward formula for a game extension, but they do offer rich storytelling and a narrative layer which we are keen to explore as gaming experiences for our audiences. Looking forward, as the gaming arm of our IP becomes a more integral part of our business we must take an integrated approach to how these products are developed. The gaming experience of any brand does not have to be an afterthought, but a part of the overall production and development of the show. By adopting this approach, we are able to add an additional layer of entertainment to the television programme and enrich our viewers’ experiences. We are also then able to tap into the creative forces behind the shows and maintain the integrity of the shows that our audiences are so passionate about, which can be essential to a game’s success. Perhaps most importantly of all, the IP lift to a game can be easily and quickly exhausted, so we must continue working with the best talent and partners in this space to develop brilliant products that stand up on their own merit and can be enjoyed by audiences all around the world. Owain Walbyoff is Director of Group Licensing, Merchandising, Gaming & Gambling at Endemol Shine Group.

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The World Of Gaming

Living, Breathing Videogames By Su-Yina Farmer, Bits + Pixels Agency There is a much greater awareness of videogames being some of the most creative and exciting brands amongst entertainment and pop culture. Both old and new, videogames have proved to be evergreen, enduring, beloved and pervasive, amongst all other brands jostling for our devotion. How they achieve this is what makes them so unique, what sets them apart from other industries and makes videogames such a major player in brand licensing. It’s easy for us: Bits + Pixels Agency, gamer ladies forever, to rave about the industry we love and specialise in. But in our quest to enable the licensing industry to realise the full, massive potential of videogames, we wanted to break it down and explain how some of these brands are living, breathing entities, able to consistently remain in the public consciousness, receiving much dedication, long after title releases - and you don’t need to know your L2 button from your L1, or be a level 400 Titan to get involved in this exciting new era! ...We say ‘new era’, but actually video game brands have been hugely popular for many years, your Marios, Sonic the Hedgehogs and Street Fighters are all mega brands which, having grown up with them, have this special place in our hearts. And yet, these brands are still with us because they are constantly evolving, engaging new generations. Who would have predicted that in the future (now), Street Fighter would be played out in a packed-out arena and broadcasted to millions, on the BBC no less! Which brings us to another way in which videogames have this ‘life-blood’ pumping through their veins - contender for Buzzword of Brand Licensing 2017: e-Sports. If you don’t play videogames, then the popularity and business of e-sports can seem unfathomable. Prize money of millions, dedicated TV channels, huge sponsorship deals; videogames have shown that they are not only interactive - they are

spectator sports. But not just in the realm of e-sports, games being played (both competitive and noncompetitive) are watched on channels like Twitch and YouTube in the millions, some gaming channels have almost a billion views! Compare that to movie/ TV show viewing figures or music tracks played, it’s mind-boggling. Let’s talk about how invested people are in playing games. It’s not unusual for someone who enjoys games (of which there are over 2 billion worldwide!) to play an average of 6.5 hours per week (for online games). That means inhabiting and interacting with a videogame for almost an hour everyday...that’s longer than any film, album, or even TV show. All the blood sweat and tears players give to ensuring a cluster of pixels makes it to the end of the game; it’s no wonder people connect so deeply with videogames. As for online games, this is a potentially never ending adventure, providing infinite challengers from across the world or allowing players to team up with their friends. I could provide yet more dizzying figures about online gaming, but anecdotally, I have evenings reserved in my week dedicated to connecting with friends online, completing a ‘raid’ in Destiny 2. Games like

forthcoming epic Monster Hunter: World by Capcom have social play and team spirit at its core, bonding over slaying fearsome beasts is one reason why gamers will want to visit its lush world time and time again. Games have the ability to weave in and out of our lives, both personally and socially, in a way that no other medium can. A new game release can be like the opening of a new bar or cafe where you can regularly catch up with your real-life friends, or even make new friends. And it’s always open for business. There are huge opportunities in videogames, but not just with the blockbusters; there is a constant stream of creativity, of wonderful, engaging games from indie to AAA, all with their own dedicated fanbases. Some opportunities are more obvious than others, but there are certainly enough videogames to go around. And whilst the opportunities are huge, insight into the gaming brand and player base is a must to create appealing and successful product lines. Bits + Pixels pride ourselves on facilitating a greater understanding of gaming brands, how to best appeal to consumers and bringing the opportunities to fruition (but also because, as gamers, we want all the cool gaming merchandise ourselves!).

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The World Of Gaming

Rovio and Ferrero hatch a global partnership plan with a digital twist... Entertainment giant Rovio, the company responsible for reaching 4 billion downloads across its entire catalogue since 2009, has just announced a very sweet global partnership deal with kids’ favourite chocolate surprise brand Kinder. With box office hits on the silver screen and countless digital successes worldwide since the launch of Angry Birds mobile, the much loved feathery gang is now hatching its way through the Kinder Joy! eggs and into retailers across Europe, Asia and Latin America. The collaboration with chocolate

maker Ferrero is one more great step in Rovio’s growth that sees it catapulting not only in its traditional markets of mobile and digital, but also into many more brand extensions and this is a very synchronous partnership as it combines both digital and physical brand experiences. With Angry Birds, Ferrero is adding branded content from a licensor both in product and onto its app for the very first time. Kids and parents will be able to download the official Magic Kinder App from the Apple or Google Play stores, and interact digitally using

the physical toy that allows them to draw directly on the device. Simo Hämäläinen, Senior Vice President at Rovio Entertainment, is hugely optimistic about both the partnership and future of Rovio’s brand licensing division, “We are always happy to work on projects like this where we can combine such great brands and our digital knowhow. Since the launch of the Telepods, Angry Birds has been on a journey to bridge the digital and physical world and this is a nice way to demonstrate that”. Distribution will be in all international markets where Kinder has a foothold including Italy, Brazil, Argentina, China, Turkey and Germany to name just a few. Red, Chuck, Matilda and The Blues will also be migrating across the pond to Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia and you can even find them nesting in Singapore and Brunei, among other territories, too. With the expansion of Rovio’s digital and branding programmes that have helped it acquire over 2 Million subscribers on YouTube, 2018 will focus on setting new targets for the company by conquering the digital and physical world. With exciting, digital pilot campaigns to date including BirdCodes and Augmented Reality, Angry Birds and Rovio continue their journey as the leading mobile game entertainment and licensing brand.

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The World Of Gaming

Successful year for Pokémon means an ever-growing fan-base... The Pokémon Company International has enjoyed another sensational 12 months, consolidating the astonishing success of 2016’s 20th anniversary year. The loyal and engaged fan base of this iconic, evergreen brand continues to grow as the company constantly seeks to innovate and reach out to new demographics, with products designed to further brand engagement for young and older fans alike. Pokémon’s three key pillars – video games, the Trading Card Game and animation – have all enjoyed a vibrant 2017, while the reach of its retail promotions expanded greatly. Pokémon arrived on Nintendo Switch this year with the acclaimed launch of Pokkén Tournament DX whilst also launching Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon exclusively on the Nintendo 3DS. These latest titles helped Pokémon video games to top an incredible 300 million sales worldwide since its launch in 1996. The Pokemon Trading Card Game, the market leader in NPD’s Strategic Card Game category, maintained its recent huge sales surge with its regular quarterly expansions, including justreleased Sun and Moon - Crimson Invasion, plus a bonus release, Sun and Moon -Shining Legends. August’s Sun and Moon -Burning Shadows expansion was promoted by a cool dance off viral online video between Team Skull and Team Pikachu. A big animation highlight this year was the theatrical release for Pokémon Movie 20: I Choose You! A chart-topper on its opening weekend in Japan, it was

shown in over 35 countries worldwide at a special two-day cinema event. Pokémon shared some fun on social media, including its most recent activation in celebration of Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon when it partnered with Snapchat, Facebook and LINE to produce limited-time custom lenses and camera filters to animate users’ selfies and chats. Aiming to expand the reach of its retail promotions to provide an immersive experience for fans and help drive sales, Pokémon began the year with its biggest-ever TCG promotion for the Sun and Moon expansion across a range of retail partners including Tesco, Asda, Toys ‘R’ Us, Smyths, Debenhams and Game The strong push across the year continued with special Halloween and Christmas promotions, plus the first TCG promotion in Carrefour in France. Leading French retailer La Compagnie des Petits also

ran an exclusive apparel promotion. Following the announcement of Wicked Cool Toys as the New Master Toy Licensee and the appointment of Character Option as the UK distributor, the first range of toys will introduce an expanded range across Figures, Plush and Role Play categories and will be unveiled at the London Toy Fair ahead of launching at retail in July 2018. In addition, The Pokémon Company International is taking its first ever stand at Spielwarenmesse, in Nuremburg. A raft of new signings bolstered the number of product categories available and best-in-class licensees were secured for key territories in Europe across many new categories, including back to school, bedding, stationery, lunchware, food, partyware, and bags. Further expansion is planned for 2018, with more licensees and collaborations due to be announced. Named the No. 1 Global Toy Property Jan-June 2017, based on dollars, (The NPD Group Inc), Pokémon also scooped prestigious awards including two BAFTAs for Best Game for Pokémon Go (BAFTA Games Awards/ Children’s Awards), and Best Handheld/Mobile Game for Pokémon Sun & Moon at the Golden Joysticks in November. Pokémon also won the Best Classic Brand award at The Licensing Awards and according to License Global’s 150 Top Licensors, Pokémon is ranked as the number one single-IP entertainment company in the world (May 2017). Pokémon plans to keep momentum going right through 2018.

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The World Of Gaming

Sega: Developing a global e-commerce platform... With over a quarter of a century blazing a trail across multi-platform games, TV animation and a myriad of consumer products and live events, Sonic the Hedgehog today has earned the right to lay claim to being the world’s most iconic video game character of all time. Able to run faster than the speed of sound, Sonic is a defender of freedom, battling with his loyal friends Tails, Knuckles and Amy at his side against Dr. Eggman and his minions. November 2016 saw the launch of the Lego Dimensions Sonic Level Pack, featuring a reimagined Green Hill Zone constructed with Lego bricks. The product was a top seller and heralded the launch of Sonic’s entry back into a multi-platform gaming world. The Lego Dimensions release was followed up in August last year with the wildly successful Sonic Mania and, most recently, the hugely popular Sonic Forces, the latest 3D adventure for Sonic and friends. In addition to Sonic The Hedgehog,

Sega’s portfolio contains a wide selection of videogame brands, such as Total War, Bayonetta and Shenmue as well as the legendary consoles, the Sega Mega Drive and the Sega Dreamcast. With such a diverse pool of content to draw inspiration from, it is no surprise that Sega has partnered with some of the most notable and successful licensees over the years, including Tomy master toy partner for Sonic the Hedgehog and industry stalwarts like Rubber Road and Insert Coin. Sega’s goal of developing a global e-commerce platform kicked off last year in the US with the launch of a dedicated online store available across the Americas. As a follow up to this, 2018 will see a dedicated store for EMEA available throughout the region. Of course, these days Sonic the Hedgehog isn’t just a leading videogame, it’s a global entertainment brand with an established string of hits including the popular TV CG series Sonic Boom.

Season 1 is currently streaming on Netflix and Season 2 is rolling out and is being picked up by major broadcasters worldwide. Plans are also in full swing for a global movie release. The film, under the guidance of Paramount Pictures, features the incredible talents of Neal Moritz, from the Fast and Furious franchise, and Tim Miller, director of Deadpool, and promises to be a wild ride for fans of all ages. Sonic is also at home on mobile platforms, and the latest release, Sonic Forces: Speed Battle rose to the top of the mobile sales charts almost immediately and was showcased by Apple on iTunes. In under two weeks, Sonic Forces: Speed Battle reached two million downloads and continues to grow. Under the banner ‘Sega Forever’, Sega have also released their incredible back catalogue of retro gaming titles from the classic consoles, all now playable on your favourite mobile device.

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Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland and Denmark (collectively the Nordic countries) have a combination of high living standards and low income disparity that has captured the world’s attention. At a time when the growing gap between the rich and poor has become a political hot button in developed nations, the Nordic region has been cited by many scholars as a role model for economic opportunity and equality. The Nordic model has attracted a significant amount of attention from other nations. Many wonder if it provides a template for smaller countries where cit- i zens are more homogeneous in terms of their opinions and experiences yet live in poverty or repression as a result of Marxist government policies. Others believe it provides a template for reforming the unchecked capitalism that has created notable income inequality and dramatic differences between the quality of life between the rich and the poor in prosperous nations. Sitting between the controlled economy of Marxist re-

gimes and unchecked capitalism at the other end of the spectrum, the Nordic model is sometimes referred to as “the third way.” Licensing in Nordic territories is, as one would expect, very developed and sophisticated, with a combination of home-grown brands and international ones. In the following pages, we take a look at different sides of the industry, and

a few different properties which we hope will give our readers a flavour of what’s on offer in Scandinavia. Icelandic character-based lifestyle brand Tulipop has flourished in its most exciting and productive year yet. The magical world and its quirky, colourful characters came alive in a series of webisodes on a dedicated Tulipop YouTube channel launched in October, while a pitch for an animated TV series created intense interest at Cartoon Forum. In addition, the company’s first flagship store opened in Reykjavik and the brand continued its global expansion with a growing presence in the US centred on an exclusive retail launch in 300 Hot Topic stores in November. Founded in 2010 by celebrated Icelandic illustrator Signy Kolbeinsdottir and marketing expert Helga Arnadottir, Tulipop has developed into a multiple-award-winning design brand with a growing global fanbase through its range of quality character products. “Since Tulipop first appeared, fans have been asking for more ways to get to know the world and the characters,” explains Helga. “It has always been our ambition

TOTAL LICENSING to extend the world of Tulipop into animation and to give people the opportunity to engage and interact with the characters through storytelling using a range of digital media.” The dedicated Tulipop YouTube channel features a series of animated 2.5 minute episodes written by Tobi Wilson (The Amazing World of Gumball) and produced in partnership with WildBrain. A full 52 x 11’ series is the next step, and Tulipop was one of the specially selected projects to be pitched to a range of global broadcasters at Cartoon Forum in September – and the one chosen to grace the cover of that month’s Kidscreen magazine. Filled with action, comedy and strange lovable things for kids of all ages, Tulipop’s presentation earned incredible feedback and a number of promising meetings with potential partners are ongoing. Tulipop has also enjoyed a dynamic year at retail. In July it opened a stylish flagship shop in central Reykjavik which has already become a popular

tourist destination, much to the delight of Kolbeinsdottir and Arnadottir. “Our eclectic Icelandic heritage is integral to Tulipop, and our ancient fairytales have given me so much inspiration,” said Signy. “Our aim is for the brand to be as associated with Iceland as the Moomins are with Finland.” In the US Tulipop secured premier US licensees across key categories, including apparel, accessories, stationery and bedding which were launched exclusively at leading US pop culture retailer Hot Topic. To celebrate the launch Tulipop ran a nationwide competition with the main prize being a trip to Iceland, and Signy teamed up with Venice Art Walls to create a stunning street art project in Hot Topic’s home town, Los Angeles. The full product range is currently available in 350 stores in Europe and the US as well as the online Tulipshop. “Tulipop is in a major period of expansion and we are extremely positive about the future,” says Helga. “Our goal is for the Tulipop world to reach and engage with people globally on as

many platforms as possible.” POPbuddies is a pop-culture merchandise producer based in Finland, designing merchandise, especially collectible plushes for the young at heart. The company’s main aim is to create extraordinary products that capture the essence of the characters in a cute way. POPbuddies officially started in 2014 and was given a breakthrough by

TOTAL LICENSING working with 1st Place to produce a plush on their virtual artist - IA. She was a character POPbuddies knew as they are fans of Vocaloids and Japanese pop-culture. It was a great achievement for them to have a product that would be available to fans around the world, even in Japan where she originated from. In 2017 they were given a great opportunity to work with CE Europe Ltd (Capcom) to produce Mega Man.They will be unveiled at this year’s Nuremberg Toy Fair. Thanks to CE Europe Ltd (Capcom) they produced their first reflector based on Mega Man in their new character design format - Small Matters. Reflectors help save people lives especially in the Nordic’s where the winters are dark. They reflect the lights of oncoming vehicles so drivers can see that there is someone there and have a much longer time to react. They can be attached to bags, or attached to your outer wear. The Mega Man products will be available in 2018 to all the member countries of the European Union or Euro-

pean Economic Area, United Kingdom, Switzerland, the Middle East and Africa. Stockholm-based Saltkråkan AB The Astrid Lindgren Company owns the rights for all books and texts by Astrid Lindgren, Astrid Lindgren’s part of the copyright relating to all films and plays based on her works, all illustrations by Ingrid Vang Nyman (the original illustrator of Pippi Longstocking) and a large number of trademarks relating to Astrid Lindgren’s texts, characters and environments. Simply put, the company promotes and protects the Astrid Lindgren trademark all over the world. By that, they ensure that as many children as possible have the opportunity to read her books, see her films and plays, hear her songs and experience her world in the best way possible. Essentially, their activities are built on a true love of Astrid Lindgren and her works.This love is something that they want to spread and share with as many children and adults as possible in the future. Their desire is that future developments take place in a way that guards and protects the originality and feel of Astrid Lindgren’s work. Astrid Lindgren (1907-2002) is the one of the most widely-read authors of children’s books in the world. Pippi Longstocking, Emil, Karlson on the Roof, The Brothers Lionheart, Seacrow Island, The The Children of Noisy Village, Mardie, Ronja, the Robber’s Daughter... Millions of children and grown-ups the world over love these original characters and feel right at home in Villa Villekulla, Nangiyala and the woodshed in Katthult. All these worlds are creations of Astrid Lindgren, one of the most widely-read authors of children’s books on the planet. Of course, the best known of all her characters is Pippi Longstocking, the strongest girl in the world. Books featuring her have been published in 70 languages and, in total, Astrid Lind-

gren’s books have been translated from Swedish into over 100 languages, and have sold over 160 million copies worldwide. Her breakthrough as an author came in 1945 with Pippi Longstocking, and during the years she followed that up with many more books. Many of them

have been transformed into films, tvseries and theatre plays. She died in 2002, at the age of 94. Astrid was an unafraid and persuasive person who fought for children’s rights, equality for the whole of mankind, non-violence, and not least for the humane treatment of animals and a respect for nature. Her crusades to mould public opinion played a noteworthy role in the fall of a Swedish government, and the introduction of several laws. Her significance for Scandinavian culture and society cannot be overrated. Astrid Lindgren herself realised that toys, games and other products is a powerful way to introduce children to the stories. She often talked about the importance of play – children need to play to be able to understand and participate in society.The first licensed products were developed during Astrid’s life. As we know the best stories and the greatest images tend to live on in the heart of the reader, and find new places and environments. As popular culture grows stronger and stronger this intensifies. Today, at least four generations all over the world has grown up with Astrid Lindgren’s stories. The demand for products deriving from her books is growing steadily. We can also see an increasing interest

TOTAL LICENSING in Astrid Lindgren herself. As a staunch humanist and a person who thought things out for herself, stood up for her opinions and demonstrated civil courage and seriousness as well as humour and love – Astrid Lindgren has become a role-model for people the world over. The merchandising department is situated in Stockholm and handles four full-scale licensing programs through a network of local agents around the world; Pippi Longstocking (based on the original illustrations by Ingrid Vang Nyman), Pippi Longstocking (based on the classic live-action films), Emil and Ronja, The Robber’s Daughter (animatyed by Studio Ghibli). New for this year is a licensing program for Astrid Lindgren herself, based on quotes and portraits. The objective of the Astrid Lindgren license program is to strengthen the authorship as a whole, to meet the demand we see from people who admire Astrid Lindgren for her wisdom, creativity, humour and warmth. The program is restricted to certain products, mainly stationary. 5th Wave Brands is a Helsinki, Finland, based licensing agency founded in 2013. The company’s focus is on creating and executing global licensing programs for the Nordic design, life-style and entertainment brands. Licensing has proven an excellent way

for the Nordic design and life-style brands to enter to the foreign markets and 5th Wave Brands is a forerunner in this field in the Nordics. They have successfully launched a local licensing programs in Asia, Australia and the US for their clients and see a lot of potential for this field of licensing.With their global partner network and understanding of the latest licensing industry trends they are in a good position to help the brands expand internationally through licensing. Currently 5th Wave Brands is representing leading Nordic design and lifestyle brands globally and always looking for the new unique and interesting brands and stories to work with. Some of the brands in their portfolio include Finlayson, Ivana Helsinki and Finnish Nightmares. Finlayson is a Finnish home textile and design brand established in 1820. As their global master licensing agent 5th Wave Brands have introduced the Finlayson brand for example to the Greater China markets where their licensing partners are opening Finlayson branded and licensed shops, and the local licensing programs are also growing in South Korea, Australia and the US. Ivana Helsinki is the only Nordic fashion label that has been included in the official calendar of both New York and Paris fashion weeks. The brand’s original approach to designing consists of four elements: art, design, style and film. Through licensing, 5th Wave Brands have for example helped Ivana Helsinki to gain market entry to South Korea and Hong Kong. Finnish Nightmares is a brand that started as a social media phenomenon and comic books, and now have expanded to many product categories through licensing in Finland and also in Japan. The comics tell stories of awkward social situations that people can relate. Established in Helsinki, Finland, Flowhaven is the first brand licensing CRM software pro-

vider coming from Northern Europe. From the start, the company has maintained a solid vision to support brands and branded agencies that are eager to disrupt and modernize industry standards. According to Flowhaven’s CEO and founder, Kalle Torma, the founding idea of the solution was born from his observation of the major technology needs in the industry. “What the global licensing market seemed to lack was agile and flexible software to help manage complex licensing journeys while meeting the individual needs of organizations.” Today, Flowhaven has achieved recognition across the international brand licensing industry. Currently, they offer a fully fledged brand licensing solution that supports licensors in advancing their licensing and merchandising programs to the next level. Over the course of Flowhaven’s history, the team has learned a lot from working with their clients. For one thing they have ascertained that no business in the brand licensing industry is the same. However, when it comes to the workflows and operations. everyone wishes to be more organised. And that is why they designed the solution to cover the varying needs of brands in licensing and support the mechanics of their businesses. With Flowhaven CRM software in use. their clients have enjoyed a greater power of control over their licensing programs. Many have noted that using the software has enabled simpler management of outstanding licensing operations and monitoring the status of current licensing deals. Collaborative tasks also become easier to manage due to the automation of individual tasks. Such automation makes it possible to exchange and comment on digital files on the spot and schedule notifications for partners to submit royalty reports on time. Furthermore. the analytics feature helps to efficiently prioritize their workload and focus on the tasks that really matter for the performance of their brand licensing programs. They work closely with the internal teams of our clients to make the software implementation as easy as possible for everyone in-

TOTAL LICENSING volved in licensing activities. To date, they have built a solid customer base. which includes both prominent domestic brands and branded agencies and several international names. Located in the Northern end of Europe, they embrace long-lasting customer relationships. readily reaching international time zones. They also frequently visit their partners’ offices and hold regular support conferences with their teams online Nordic startups have been known for their special way of maintaining customer relationships, particularly as to how closely businesses support their clients. In the work culture, the twoway communication and transparency are critical requirements. By going the extra mile with customer support, they empower their clients to focus on growth and nurture their licensing businesses. A strong team spirit is ultimately what creates a competitive edge. Everyone at Flowhaven is aligned with the same vision. which makes them gradually improve by expanding their practical experience. gaining customer and internal feedback. and learning from each other. They are meticulous about keeping up with the words they preach. As Flowhaven’s CCO, Timo Olkkola, often says, “We aim to do the humble thing - under-promise and overdeliver”. Although the team has done immense work in the past few years, they believe that this is just the beginning of their story. They stepped into the industry because of their love for brands and branded products. As a result, they are excited to contribute to the brand licensing ecosystem and make it a better place for everyone. As a thriving player in the global licensing market, they are looking forward to the growing opportunities in this business. Tove Jansson painted the first Moomin mugs at the Finnish ceramics factory, Arabia in 1956. A relaunch for the

Moomin mug took place in 1990, and the rest can rightly be called a success story. Mugs as well as other porcelain products and cutlery with motifs from Moominvalley have become extremely popular. Since its launch, Arabia sells an incredible amount of mugs with Moomin images each year, with new markets in sight and constantly new designs in progress. The Moomin mug is very loved in the Nordics and has become a collector’s item. Since the Arabian porcelain factory was founded in 1874, their passion for creativity has been their guiding principle. Today, more than 140 years later, Arabia is rightly called the Department of Ceramics in Finland. With creativity, responsiveness and skilled craftsmen, they have shown the way for both art and everyday objects, and

today they are an iconic brand in the Finnish market. Later there were also plates, bowls, jars and cutlery. Each design is based on an original from one of Tove Jansson’s stories. Arabia promised to use only original illustrations on the mugs - a promise that they have kept right from the start. Since the start of the collaboration, the work with the Moomin brand has been consciously long-term. No one could have guessed how positive the collaboration would be - not just in Scandinavia but throughout the world. Today, the mugs are by far the big-

gest bestsellers of the Arabia Moomin products, with their variety of colors, figures and storytelling. “People loves a good story, and that’s exactly what we give them. One might think about what character in the Moominvalley you might be and which ones you like best,” explained Leni Valsta, Licensing Manager at Fiskars, who work with the Arabia group. Much has happened since the start. The collaboration between Arabia and Moomin has been developed and matured. Today, Arabia is working very closely with the Moomin brand owners. Their work with Moomins today is focused on the consumer. The philosophy behind the characters and stories is highlighted and becomes an important part of each design. Leni Valsta believes that one of the reasons why the collaboration has been so successful is that the characters of Moomin appeal to so a wide audience. The stories create authenticity and credibility and make consumers want to know more. The main target group is women between the ages of 25 and 65, but Arabia has discovered that Moomins are not gender-controlled. Men love the characters as do children. In all Nordic countries, the Moomin mug is a bestseller. The mug also sells really well in Ireland and England, which are new markets. In Japan and other parts of Asia there are many dedicated Moomin fans. Arabia only sells Moomin mugs into markets where Tove Jansson’s fairy tales already exist. Two to three new mugs are released each year, in addition to special anniversaries and other specific activities highlighted with special mugs. The images on the mugs are always carefully selected. 82 different mugs have been produced so far, and although Arabia designed over 500 different Moomin products, it is always the mug that gets the greatest attention. The bestselling mug is the pink love mug, with the Moomintroll and Snorkmaiden.

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Nordic Licensing Company: Best-in-Class Work with the professionals at Nordic Licensing Company (NLC), and you’ll quickly sense the team’s shared perspective: Excellence in all our services leads to success. “Everyone at NLC goes the extra mile and is results-oriented,” says Kirsten Gyde, NLC Managing Director. “We’ve been representing a select group of strong licensors in the Nordic and Benelux regions for more than a dozen years, and our commercial ap-

Fantastic opportunities in 2018 The Harry Potter books were first published in 1998 in the Nordics, so the region is celebrating its 20th anniversary with Harry Potter and his friends at Hogwarts. NLC has planned Harry Potter retail campaigns throughout the year at key retailers in the Nordic region. November 16 will be the big release date for the second “Fantastic Beasts” movie: “The Crimes of Grindelwald.”

Brønner. “Fireman Sam is also very strong, especially in Norway, and we see increased growth in Denmark.” Brønner says Simba (Master Toys) is offering a big toy range for Fireman Sam this year and will also launch a strong Bob the Builder range during the first quarter of 2018. Thomas, another well-established HIT brand, is going on a big adventure in 2018: A new movie will be released in theaters across the region. Work-

proach adds value to all our partners.” Those partners include some of the biggest licensors in the world, such as Warner Bros. Consumer Products, Mattel, HIT Entertainment and top European football clubs. “We maintain customer engagement by providing responsive service, creativity and integrity,” Gyde says. “Our close relationships with retailers help us deliver best-in-class retail activities and results for our iconic brands. For example, by teaming up with licensees such as LEGO, Room Copenhagen and Rubies, NLC led an incredible campaign at Toys R Us in the Nordics for the LEGO Batman Movie release last year.The movie was a huge success for LEGO.”

“Wizarding World is an umbrella of the universes from Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts,” says Ida-Helene Brønner, Nordic Head of Sales. “The Nordic merchandise opportunities are huge, and so is the demand. The core target group is a mix of teen girls and millennium women. They’ve read the books, watched the movies and basically grown up with Harry Potter. Now, Nordic moms are introducing their kids to the Wizarding World!”

ing with the Danish railroad museum, NLC is planning ‘A Day With Thomas,’ giving kids the chance to enjoy a full day of fun and activities with their favorite train. The May 2018 event is expected to attract 14,000 visitors. “Last but not least, we’re also very excited about working with Mattel on the launch of Enchantimals, targeting girls 3-8 years old,” says Brønner. “I believe kids here will love this new brand. Enchantimals are a group of lovable girls who each have a special bond with their animal best friend. Together, they live in a fantastical world where friendship makes anything possible.” For more information on licensing opportunities in the Nordics, contact Kristen Gyde at info@nordiclicensing.com or +45 3378 6600.

Making magic with Mattel NLC has been the agent for Mattel/ HIT since 2015, and there has been increased interest in these classic brands throughout the Nordics. “The interest in Barbie is growing, driven by fashion collaborations,” says

TOTAL LICENSING UK

With Gaulish heroes come great opportunities! Born in 1959 thanks to Albert Uderzo and Rene Goscinny, Asterix the little Gaul is now a major licensed character, continuously appealing to new fans of all ages and from all around the world. In the publishing field, the results have been an off-the-wall phenomenon with 37 albums translated into more than 110 languages and more than 370 million copies sold internationally. It makes it the highest selling comic book series ever! Not only a huge publishing success, Asterix is a cross-media character: the nine animated movies and four live action movies released over the decades have brought more than 100 million people into movie theatres. And Parc Asterix near Paris is the second mostvisited theme park in France with two million visitors per year. With many positive values, Asterix is a little friend for the whole family. Europe is not the only market where the license is strong: it is growing fast in new territories like China, India, USA and South America. The license is successful with books, toys, collectible and food products as well as with fashion. The comprehensive style guide, from licensor Les Editions Albert René, is used by apparel brands in many countries to create

cool and on-trend fashion products. On October 19, the 37th adventure of Asterix was released. The heroes embark on an exciting adventure to explore the fascinating world of Ancient Italy! With more than two million copies already sold across Europe in 16 different languages, it is definitely the biggest comic book success of the year! An impressive media campaign was organized to support this release and many licensees took advantage of the new comic book to offer new products linked to this major event.

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2018, the adventure continues! 2018 will be the year of the magic potion! After the success of the animated movie “Asterix: The Mansions of the Gods”, Asterix will be back in movie theatres in December 2018 with a new CGI movie, “Asterix and the Secret of the Magic Potion.” For the first time it is based on an original screenplay. Viewers can follow Asterix in a quest across Gaul, where the heroes will be looking for a young druid worthy of learning the secret of the famous Magic Potion. In addition, after the opening of an amazing new ride called Pegase Express this year at Parc Asterix, a new hotel will open in 2018 and another one in 2019, transforming the Parc into an international resort. A great way to welcome guests from all corners of the globe. Last but not least, 2019 will see the 60th Asterix Anniversary of Asterix and there will be a big surprise on television.. More details will be announced soon.

TOTAL LICENSING Grand Expo JCSC in Moscow, organisers of Kids Russia and Licensing World Russia are bringing Total Licensing readers the latest developments from a number of key players in the Russian marketplace. For more information, contact Elena Snagovskaya elena.snagovskaya@ grand-expo.com

With over 29 billion views, Masha and the Bear from Animaccord in Russia is one of the most watched YouTube videos of all time. During 2017, Animaccord continued the successful media and licensing expansion of Masha and the Bear. In June, Animaccord together with the Ink Group, brought the show’s Season 1&2 to Clan TV, making it the first time the series was released on a free TV channel in Spain. Viacom18 Media Pvt. Ltd., one of India’s fastest growing entertainment

networks, introduced Masha and the Bear Season 1&2, and the spin-offs Masha’s Spooky stories and Masha’s Tales to Indian audience in May. Following the huge potential of the show in India, Nick Jr. has partnered with Animaccord to release the Masha and the Bear Season 1 on TV in India on November 13th. Turner Broadcasting System signed a deal with Animaccord to purchase the rights for the core show’s Season 3, which was launched on Cartoon Network Latin America on December 4th. In Italy, Rai Yo-Yo has snapped up Season 3 and spinoff Masha’s Spooky Stories being released on December 17th and August 11th respectively. In France, France TV

launched Season 3 on November 6th, whilst in Poland Puls TV is on board for Masha’s Spooky Stories. In Canada, the free TV channel in English – Treehouse – released Masha and the Bear Season 3 on November 6th. This year Animaccord has conquered the top by inking the deals to bring Masha and the Bear show for the first time to free TV channels in the United States and United Kingdom. Thus, in September the show was released on NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment’s - Universal Kids network. The series is aired from Monday to Friday at 6 p.m. In the UK. Animaccord, together with the Ink Group, partnered with CSC Media Group, a subsidiary of Sony Pictures Television, launched Masha and the Bear the Season 1 on the free children’s TV channel, Tiny Pop, on December 11th. In terms of consumer products for Easter 2018, Ferrero will launch a special collection of licensed Kinder Surprise Maxi eggs in Europe and Kinder Surprise eggs in Mexico, Central America, Europe and CIS. Simba Dickie Group, the Master Toy Partner of Animaccord in the EMEA region, has recently presented a plush for the Christmas season, which was available for purchase in major retailers across Europe. The

new toy makes snoring sounds and dressed in pajamas. Hachette designed a new collection of licensed partworks, which consist of book with the learning letter, activity book, a magnet and magnetic board, launched in Poland in November 2017 and in France in December 2017. Brand4rent group of companies develops licensing in Russia and CIS across all licensing categories, from traditional character licensing to sport, lifestyle and art licensing.The company was established in 2015 and became one of the top three licensing agents in very short period of time. Currently b4r works with leading international and local licensors providing them with sales, marketing and creative support. Their kids portfolio includes Super Wings, Wissper, Oddbods, Tobot, Maya The Bee and other brands. Brand4rent Sport is the leading sports licensing agency servicing local and international sport brands including leading local football clubs like Spartak and CSKA as well as international leaders like Eurosport, Slazenger, Everlast and others. Brand4rent Art is the leading licensing agency focusing on lifestyle and art brands. Their portfolio includes Pepsi, Moomin, Gapchinska, Miffy and other brands.

TOTAL LICENSING Internationally, Brand4rent represents The Tretyakov Gallery - the main museum of Russian national art and The Cosmi Academy – a new kids animation. Kid-E-Cats is a Russian animated TV series created for preschoolers with a strong emphasis on friendship, family and learning through play. It is produced by Metrafilms Studio for CTC Media and premiered in October 2015 on CTC and has aired on Carousel since 2016. The series quickly became a success in Russia and won the hearts of Russian children and parents alike because of its strong message, which is positive, fun and safe. This success on screen together with a strong licensing strategy means that Kid-E-Cats has gone from strength to strength. The Kid-E-Cats brand is driven by licensed products in different areas which include interactive plush toys, plastic outdoor toys, colouring books, games & puzzles, storybooks, monthly magazines, stationery, backpacks, arts and crafts, apparel, bed linen, tableware and confectionery. Kid-E-Cats is the story of three kittens who want to play and explore the

world around them. When they come across a problem they put their heads together and between them come up with funny ideas. But one of the ideas is always put into action. Only by working together can they solve the puzzle as they each have different views and ideas. Due to the success of Kid-E-Cats in Russia, the series was taking global by its distributor APC Kids. APC Kids, the children’s entertainment distribution company, brought Nigel Pickard in as Executive Producer and Ceri Barnes

(Floogals, Postman Pat, Casper’s Scare School, Guess with Jess) as Story Editor to produce an international version of the cats show. The 52 x 5’ animated series has been airing on Nick Jr since last Fall and reaches over 100 million households in 143 countries. In addition, APC Kids has secured a raft of new deals with broadcasters across Europe and Canada. Icon Company was founded as a privately owned company and has been operating in the Russian and CIS markets since 2012. The company is a full service licensing agency providing local coverage and expertise through all product categories and connecting brands, manufacturers and retailers. Their services include consulting in licensing, documentation, legislation, media content and distribution as well as sales to reliable partners, product and style guide development, support at all stages of the process, distribution of existing product, sales of content to TV and digital platforms and brand promotions by online and offline. Brands in Icon Company’s portfolio include Anne Geddes, Burda, Deer Little Forest, Eralash, Frida Kahlo, Little Mole and Panda, Major Grom, Olly the Little White Van, The Godfather and TNT Channel’s brands. Kolobanga Media is the company that produces and promotes the popular animated series The Mojicons (Russian name Kolobanga) as well as the full-length animated film Kolobanga. Hi, Internet!. After the animated series was broadcast in 2015 and became known worldwide, Kolobanga Media working with world cinema leader Universal Pictures created the full-length film for European audiences. In August last year, the premiere of the film under the name Sevimli Emojiler took place in Turkey where it held the number one position for several weeks. Distribution in other European countries as well as the DVD release are following. In Russia and CIS audiences saw the director’s cut of Kolobanga series and

Kolobanga. Hi, Internet! which was released on November 30, 2017 incorporating new characters, events and bright eye-catching graphics. Nickelodeon Viacom Consumer Products, the licensing division of Viacom International Media Networks, has a significant number of licensing assets in the area of animated properties for preschoolers, kids and teenagers. In Russia, CIS & Baltics, the company represents global brands including the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora The Explorer, Blaze and the Monster Machines, Shimmer&Shine, Paw Patrol, Nella, the Princess Knight, Rusty Rivets, MTV and South Park. With consumer product categories like homewares, apparel, toys, stationery and party goods NVCP provides more than 2000 different licensed products available in an assortment of leading retailers in Russia. The company is distinguished by its unconventional approach to promoting brands and licensing partners, using a 3600 marketing strategy, including its

TOTAL LICENSING own TV channels, web sites, social networks, online platforms. They actively work with retail chains and licensees. With more than one billion downloads, ZeptoLab’s Cut the Rope featuring key character Om Nom continues to enjoy high ratings on television and VOD platforms. Zeptolab has also developed a number of other titles including C.A.T.S.: Crash Arena Turbo Stars which was voted Best Android Game 2017 by Google, and King of Thieves. These have been successful in China where the animation has achieved half a billion viewings in one month. The property is represented by Windo Entertainment. In addition, the series can be viewed throughout Latin America via Turner’s Boomerang. Other countries are also airing the series, including Carousel in Russia and CITV in UK. The content has been localized to over 15 languages. C.A.T.S. has also extended to animation and ten new episodes of 1.30 minutes rolled out beginning last December. Zeptolab plans to release more updates, games and animation moving forwards.

Pullman Licensing is one of the leading agencies in Russia and is the exclusive strategic partner for a number of international licensors. The company represents the brands of Viacom Nickelodeon Consumer Products, Paramount Licensing, The Emoji Company, SEGA, Santoro, Roi Visual, Ludorum and KinoAtis. Pullman was established in 2015 as part of the Gulliver Group of Companies - which also comprises two kids apparel retail chains and one of the strongest toy distribution companies

in Russia. “Our main goal is to create the synergy between the brands which we represent and commercial success of all our projects. We materialize “heroes” from the screens onto physical products and make them come alive for their fans!” – Pullman Licensing CEO, Valentina Kursanova commented. Pullman works closely with the biggest retail channels in Russia, constantly creating new promotional activities. During the last quarter of 2017 the agency successfully completed a contest with Metro and Paw Patrol, launched a loyalty program for licensees and its b2b customers and finalized a wide trade-marketing plan for 2018. Valentina Kursanova continued, “Besides the brands for kids, in late 2016 we signed a contract with The Emoji company and in just one year launched a number of extraordinary projects in

a fabulous bedding collection.

Russia such as branded emoji bank cards with Sberbank - the biggest bank in Russia, a first licensing fashion collection with emoji in MLM catalogue sales. In addition, Faberlic has created

Union officially launched a new Russian-Chinese co-produced TV series entitled Krash and He-He, featuring Kikoriki character Krash and Chinese panda He-He.

Riki Group IPs continue to win audiences both in Russia and overseas. Marmelad Licensing Agency, which is part of the Riki Group, has recently added a new brand, Tommy the Little Dragon, to its portfolio. In autumn 2017, the BabyRiki TV series celebrated its second anniversary and reached 1 billion views on its YouTube channel in Russia, which makes it one of the leading Russian TV series for the age group 0-3 and the most successful digital-first animated series release. The number of BabyRiki total views on digital platforms in China exceeded 200 million in November 2017. Starting in October the series aired on CCTV Kids and is constantly rated among Top 15 in 8am-5pm slot across 35 Chinese cities. In September 2017 Riki Group together with CCTV Animation and Fun

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TOEI ANIMATION’S GLOBAL IMPACT MAINTAINS 2018 MOMENTUM Why do we still need to talk about the global popularity of animé? For nearly 30 years, animé has steadily become one of the world’s most influential entertainment categories. It’s a fact that Japanese animation has been embraced by creators and executives across every level of the entertainment industry. So, how can animé still surprise us? The reason why is Toei Animation! To say that Toei has had one of its most successful years in 2017 is merely to scratch the surface. Their achievements speak not only to the staying

power of animé, but to its cross-generational appeal. It feels like a surprising fact to consider, but, for the first time, non-Japanese children are growing up with animé that was introduced to them by their parents. The format is still that new, and is one of the most significant tests any medium (whether its TV, music, literature or fashion) can undergo. What is its cross-generational appeal? Toei answered that question to resounding worldwide fanfare with the launch of Dragon Ball Super. The first new Dragon Ball series since

1989, Dragon Ball Super is now one of the world’s top programs. But, its success was inevitable. Sure, a generation of adult fans were waiting with bated breath for the series’ launch, but what of the children? Would kids take to the unique and wild world of Goku and his friends? Star Wars, as an example, had only six movies and one television series before it was seriously re-introduced to audiences after Disney’s acquisition. Dragon Ball, however, has more than 500 episodes aired over 30 years. How would kids respond to a brand with such a long, and canonically complex history, especially since Dragon Ball Super is a direct sequel? As 2017 came to a close, we had our answer. In Europe, Dragon Ball Super airs on 20 EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) TV channels (including NT1 and Toonami in France, ProSieben Maxx in Germany, Boing in Italy and Spain, among others). On SIC K in Portugal and Boing in Spain, it’s the leading program within the slot for kids 4+. On Italia 1 in Italy, it receives an average 1.9M viewers among kids 4+. “Kids are much more in tune with the world around them than adults often give them credit for,” said Ryuji Kochi, President of Toei Animation Europe. “They’re able to grasp the meaning of Dragon Ball – its celebration of adventure, exploration of heroism, and the inherent passion that went into developing Dragon Ball Super. Kids can tell the difference between programs built on a ‘fill-in-the-dot’ format versus one imbued with strong creative qualities. Importantly, they’re further able to share their experience with their parents who also grew up with the series. Dragon Ball Super is bringing families closer together, and creating the kind of magic that few entertainment brands achieve.”

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The numbers speak to Mr. Kochi’s assertions. A recent ABC+ survey about Dragon Ball in France confirms that 41% of boys aged 6-12 watch the series regularly with their parents. Within that, 34% of young viewers were introduced to animé by parents as well. Goku is currently the third favorite hero for boys ages 6-12, and his popularity is only continuing to increase. Dragon Ball has also maintained its staying power among young adults and older fans. In the same survey, Dragon Ball has a 94% notoriety rate among 25 to 45-year old’s. The brand’s licensing efforts further establish Dragon Ball Super’s crossgenerational success. With over 25 licensees in key categories across EMEA, and Goku’s upcoming designation as one of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics Ambassadors, Dragon Ball Super is a consumer favorite around the world. BANDAI’s highly successful Dragon Ball Super toy line has made a huge impact in France, Spain and Italy. Their toys and games have been available in the countries since Q2 2017, and the brand continues its merchandising tour across various retail stores, where gaming competitions are held for players of the popular figurine game based on the series. The competitions have become a hit across social media, most notably in France. Since their launch last May, the toys consistently rank among the top 20 most popular figurines in France, and top 10 in Spain. “From a licensing standpoint,Toei’s unmatched production team has always had an eye for lasting design. They understand that along with watching on TV, people will want to bring Dragon Ball into their homes,” said Kochi. “Dragon Ball Super’s colorful and diverse setting is not only a world viewers want to watch, but one they want to interact with on a tactile level. Licensees have taken advantage

of that by creating products that embrace Dragon Ball Super’s instantly memorable design. In many ways, our products (especially the toys) are effective in attracting in new viewers. When you see a Goku action figure on the shelf, you’re instantly intrigued by the stories the character promises to tell.” Another new area for the Dragon Ball brand is its line of video games which include two console games and a mobile app. Dragon Ball Fighter Z was a fan favorite at the Cologne Gamescom, and also received 40 nominations, and 19 wins (including Best Fight Game of the Year) at the Los Angeles Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). The game is born from what makes the Dragon Ball series so beloved – endless spectacular fights with its all-powerful fighters. Partnering with Arc System Works, the game maximizes high end animé graphics and brings easy to learn but difficult to master fighting gameplay. With a growing presence in the e-sports community, Dragon Ball Fighter Z has a 360° media plan which includes TV, SNS, Web, Trade marketing, and launch events. Western fans are eagerly awaiting the game’s release on January 26, where it will be available for the PS4, X Box One, and PC. Dragon Ball’s videogame line-up also includes Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 on Nintendo Switch and the smartphone app, Dragon Ball Dokkan Battle, which already has over 200 million users worldwide and is consistently ranked among the top 10 titles in app stores. Beyond traditional licensing, Toei’s deep history with their fan base has allowed them to dive into live event production. Dragon Ball Symphonic Adventure is an in-depth agreement with Overlook Events that will feature full orchestra performing unique renditions of the series’ most revered scores in front of a giant screen.The performance is going to take place in Barcelona, Spain, on March 3, 2018, followed by another event in Lausanne, Switzer-

land, on November 3, 2018. An extensive communication/marketing plan that includes a Facebook campaign, billboards and subway advertisements, are already being put in place. “We’re immensely proud that Dragon Ball has reached the level of international awareness where live event production becomes a profitable endeavor,” said Kochi. “It goes back to the power of interactivity and the fact that fans want to engage with Dragon Ball through multiple mediums. Not only are longtime fans able to keep active, but new viewers are brought into a rich tapestry of unique experiences. The live event has been such a rewarding experience for us that we look forward to announcing new projects in recognition of Dragon Ball’s 30th anniversary in France.” Establishing a legacy like Dragon Ball is a dream only few properties receive, but its success is not due to happenstance. Rather, Toei has always embraced an international vision that has allowed them to become the proprietors of multiple global hits. Sailor Moon…Saint Seiya…Digimon…One Piece…Mazinger Z – all animé phenomena that Toei continues to build for followers old and new. “We imbue our brands with core elements that go beyond borders and speak to the very values that define us as a world community,” said Kochi. “Heroism, friendship, adventure, and mystery are the main ingredients to catch anyone’s attention -- but of course, we expand that formula by

Dragon Ball Super: © Bird Studio/ Shueisha,Toei Animation Sailor Moon: © Naoko Takeuchi/ PNP,Toei Animation One Piece: © Eiichiro Oda/ Shueisha,Toei Animation Saint Seiya: © Masami Kurumada/ Shueisha,Toei Animation

TOTAL LICENSING introducing giant fighting robots, fantastical characters, and a never-ending fountain of imagination!” Sailor Moon stands with Dragon Ball as one of the world’s most recognizable and cross-generational television series. Also like Dragon Ball, Sailor Moon is able to blend into a variety of experiences, including live events. Through a deal with La Fee Sauvage, a Sailor Moon symphonic concert has started in Europe with its November 25 2017 premiere in Paris. On the publishing spectrum, Toei’s One Piece has remained the number one manga worldwide for 10 straight

years. That’s coupled with the fact that the animated series is still in production (with 811 episodes, and 13 theatrical movies completed under its belt), and regular broadcasts on Game One in France and Prosieben Maxx in Germany. One Piece is also set to become one of the most high-profile videogame titles for the emerging virtual reality market. Grand Cruise for the Playstation 4 and Playstation VR is an upcoming game from Bandai Namco embracing the full breadth of VR technology. Already a successful exhibit at Tokyo’s One Piece Tower theme park, Grand Cruise allows users to experience the show from a first-person perspective. “Virtual reality is now just that – a reality. For the longest time it’s been either a hypothetical, or greatly flawed, technology,” said Kochi. “But, so much has been accomplished in such a short

time that we’re excited to be a part of this entertainment revolution. And, that’s not all – in 2019 we look forward to celebrating 20 years of One Piece in Japan.” While Dragon Ball, Sailor Moon and One Piece are household names for over three decades of viewers, Mazinger Z has not had a new series since 1974. Well established in animé’s history books, and credited for popularizing the “giant robot/mecha” genre, Mazinger Z has made a major comeback this year – in a move as big as its titular character. Mazinger Z: Infinity is a feature-film sequel to the original series. Featuring stunning CGI and high-concept filming techniques, the film was one of Toei’s largest endeavors. But, that’s not all that made it unique – it is the first animé film to debut in another country before Japan (which will get the film on January 13). Since the 1970’s, Mazinger Z discovered its most passionate fan base in France, and when it came time for the film, the country was rewarded with 22 special premieres before its countrywide release on 136 theaters. Through distribution agreements with Lucky Red and Selecta Vision, the film also made its way to Italy and Spain, respectively. Digimon Appmon and Saint Seiya round out Toei’s 2017 achievements. Digimon Appmon, the Toei produced series, is set to debut in French speaking territories across Europe and Africa. At the same time, Turner acquired the rights to the franchise’s eighth series, which are confirmed to broadcast in as many as 42 countries, including the UK, Spain and Germany, where its popularity remains the most active. The series first launched on Boing

in France on October 23, and new episodes have been disclosed on November 20. Digimon Appmon further enjoys a robust digital and gaming presence. Its app is available across 13 countries since its October 6 launch. Bandai Namco is also planning to release two new games for the Playstation 4 and Vita throughout 2018 (Digimon World: Next Order, and Digimon Cybersleuth: Hacker’s Memory). Saint Seiya, meanwhile, has another digital success with the release of Bandai Namco’s Saint Seiya Cosmo Fantasy, a smartphone adventure game available on iOS and Android platforms. The game released in North & South America, Asia and Europe. The title is critically acclaimed for its fastpaced RPG gameplay that lets fans experience the story straight from the original animé series. Toei Animation has undoubtedly established animé as a global entertainment force, but it’s the heart of their individual properties that contain their true power. 2018 is opening with major licensing deals, historic broadcast records, and a new generation of people proud to be fans. Ryuji Kochi continues, “In many ways, we are caretakers as well as creators. The worlds we build swell up to have a life of their own – and when it gets to that point – it becomes our duty to make sure that those worlds live and prosper forever.”

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Expanding their licensing business internationally ProSiebenSat.1 Licensing has acquired its first international franchise on a global scale. Moving forwards, ProSiebenSat.1 Group’s licensing company will represent the licensing rights to the children’s animated series Pat the Dog around the world. As a result, ProSiebenSat.1 Licensing has expanded its portfolio with a brand aimed at the target group of children aged 6 to 9. The licensing agreement was signed with the French companies Superprod and Superights. “Pat the Dog is action coupled with loads of humor and emotions for the whole family. We are proud to be representing the licensing for this franchise internationally from now on. With Pat the Dog, we have acquired a high-quality CGI animation that occupies a unique brand position between “boysy” superheroes and “girly” princesses,” explains Robert Merkel, Managing Director of ProSiebenSat.1 Licensing.

Clément Calvet, Founder Superprod said, “Our property Pat the Dog couldn’t be in better hands! The professionalism and quality of the network of the ProSiebenSat.1 Licensing team immediately impressed us.” Jérémie Fajner, Founder Superprod agreed. ”We share the same ambition for our worldwide hit property Pat the Dog and together we will take it sky high.” Marketing of Pat the Dog is based on working with leading, independent licensing companies. All the partners have licensing expertise and are the “best in class” in their regions.

About Pat the Dog Pat the Dog is the TV adaptation of the globally successful mobile game Space Dog with more than 45 million users. The series follows the adventures of a dog named Pat, who will go to any lengths to make his owner Lola happy and to

keep her out of all sorts of trouble. Lola is always full of new ideas, but she never sees them through to the end. So Pat often has to put the chaos this causes back to rights.The series is produced by Superprod and Animoka Studios. To date, there have been more than 4 billion sessions with over two million games played per day and 1.5 million active player per month.The brand has been translated into many languages including Russian, Spanish, Italian, German and Chinese. In addition to the game, this famous digital pooch appears in a cartoon series mixing breath-taking action and comedy. Season 1 comprised 78 x 7 minute episodes and Season 2 is in production, all aimed at children aged 6 to 9. The 78 episodes are airing on RTBF and VRT in Belgium, TSR in Switzerland, Radio Canada, Discovery Latin America, Turner EMEA & Asia Pacific and Disney Channel in the US, TV3

TOTAL LICENSING and Disney in Spain, etc. covering over 180 territories.

TV & Ratings USA The series has been on air since June on the Disney Channel. It achieves up to 1,09 millions viewers, above the channel average of 800,000 viewers. Broadcasting of the second season will start at the beginning of 2019. UK The series airs on kids cartoon-channel Boomerang (Pay TV).

Lola Lola is an 8 year-old girl who can never sit still. She always has new ideas and never finishes what she starts. She is the only child in the family and loves to play with her dog Pat in the garden. Dynamic and happy, she would like to spend more time with him, but there is also school, friends, basketball and most of all: video games! Lola is a real geekette. She knows all there is to know about manga and game consoles. She is positive, gentle and generous whilst lacking in confidence and the ability to concentrate.

SPAIN The series has had very good viewer ratings on the Disney Channel and is one of the top five shows aired. The show is also broadcast on TV3 (TV Catalunya). The show has also been on air since August 2017 on Boomerang (Pay TV).

Key Characters Pat Pat is the “little dog next door”, the friend kids dream of having. With his big snout that sounds like a horn, he doesn’t look like much, but he is devoted and courageous. To give himself extra strength and courage, he won’t hesitate to don a cape, or cobble together some gear to leap into the heat of the action and take up any challenge. He overcomes the insurmountable with his improvised plans and his canine genius. His missions are sometimes perilous, often surprising and above all, constantly funny. His strengths are kindness, courage and, most of all, is is faithful. He is, however, small and frail and very fond of food.

Hoodie Hoodie is the newcomer to the family, but don’t be fooled. He is adorable

Victor Victor is the neighbour’s son. He is a bad boy and his favourite pastime is bothering Lola whenever possible. He particularly loves to make fun of Pat, who he calls “the half dog”. A pretentious boy, he is very proud of his dog Tank, who he hides behind, even if he has a hard time controlling him. He is a calculating show-off who, underneath it all, is a wimp. Tank Tank is the dog that belongs to Victor. He’s a huge, muscular beast, more of a car crusher than a Doberman, with a bear trap for jaws and the fangs that go with it. Tank does not like anyone, particularly Pat, and is territorial and aggressive. The Guano Brothers These three pigeons are bad news. They spread trouble and disorder in town and make fun of Pat. It’s hard to shut them up. From high on their perch, they take malicious pleasure in tripping up our four-legged friends. They are light-fingered, mocking thieves. Luckily, their evil plans always end up backfiring on them.

with his little hood and looks like other curious, playful cats. But this feline is capable of triggering the worst catastrophes as a result of his innocent excursions. A very lucky little guy, he never notices a thing. He is lucky Pat is always nearby to save his pads. He is cute, playful and mischievous whilst still being clumsy and naive.

©TM 2018 SUPERPROD Animoka. Licensed by: ProSiebenSat.1 Licensing GmbH, www.prosiebensat1licensing.com

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Interview Always with its finger on the pulse and a nose for current trends and emergent changes, ProSiebenSat.1 Licensing continually adapts its strategies in the licensing business in order to come up with innovative concepts for the development and expansion of its business areas and grows its life-cycle portfolio. For the first time, ProSiebenSat.1 Group’s licensing company has acquired an international franchise on a global scale, namely Pat the Dog. At the same time, the company has gained Retail Monster as its first cooperation partner for the USA and the UK. In an interview with Total Licensing, the two Managing Directors of ProSiebenSat.1 Licensing, Nicole Crichton and Robert Merkel, and Michael Connolly, CEO and founder of Retail Monster, give an insight into their plans and their cooperation regarding Pat the Dog. TL: Why have you decided to buy licensed shows globally from now on? Crichton: We believe that the marketing of licensed shows is an im-

portant growth driver for our license business. As part of ProSiebenSat.1 Group, internationalization is something that has been practiced in the Group for several years. The advantage for rights holders is that we can offer brand solutions and strategies for a franchise from a single source. The affiliation with ProSiebenSat.1 Group also helps us access assets and position the franchise internationally. We make sure that the show is portrayed locally and professionally in each country. TL: Why now? Merkel: The question of the perfect time is not easy to answer. There were various reasons for our decision. It was based on having the right licensed show. We are convinced that Pat the Dog is a franchise that does not conform to the usual stereotypes of superheroes for boys or the typical pink for girls. With its brand positioning, Pat the Dog appeals equally to boys and girls and has an extraordinary entertainment value that also enchants grown-ups. In our eyes, there is huge demand on the market for just this kind of show. Overall, we

believe Pat the Dog has enormous potential and will be the subject of hype for the next few years. Crichton: Other ProSiebenSat.1 units such as Red Arrow Entertainment Group or the multi-channel network Studio71 have shown that an international business can be built up from Unterföhring. Both companies are currently very active in the USA. So it is the right time to do the same at Licensing. We can use our internal synergies to build an international, digital brand strategy for an international right. TL: How can we envisage the international marketing specifically? Merkel: We are building on the cooperation with leading, independent licensing companies in each country, which all have excellent licensing expertise acquired over many years and are the “best in class” in their regions. We are connected to the USA by a strategic cooperation with the Retail Monster brand extension and licensing firm, which has offices on the East and West Coasts and is also well represented in the UK.

Left to Right: Robert Merkel and Nicole Crichton, Managing Director, ProSiebenSat. 1 Licensing, Michael Connolly, CEO and Founder, Retail Monster

TOTAL LICENSING Season 2 episodes, which launch Q1 2019. Continuous storytelling will help to keep kids immersed in the brand while the episodes from season 1 are stripped and played everywhere imaginable. Upon launch of Season 2, we will look to launch with our master toy partner’s program at retail and broadening the consumer products ranges with categories such as Apparel, Accessories and Home.

The global strategy for the brand, consumer products and for commerce is managed here in Unterföhring, in close consultation with Superprod. After all, it is only a stone’s throw from here to Paris, where Superprod has its headquarters. All this enables us to offer our partners sophisticated concepts and to build trusting cooperation on a solid foundation with local infrastructure and a single contact partner. TL: With all your experience, how do you see the potential for Pat the Dog in the USA? Connolly: Pat The Dog is all about a girl, Lola and her dog, where Pat’s main goal in life is to make sure Lola has a perfect day. This property is different versus everything else available at retail. Lola’s not a princess, she is not a super hero, she’s your friend, your daughter, your sister who happens to have a dog as her best friend. And that’s what makes Pat the Dog a strong children’s brand with a high recognition value. TL: As a ProSiebenSat.1 partner, do you only operate in North America or other areas and what is your strength? Connolly: As a ProSiebenSat.1 partner, we operate in North America and the UK. Our strength as a Brand Extension Company is our unique ability to start at retail and then proceed to licensing. Presenting retail partners with a property allows us to gage

their level of interest, in turn, jump starting the licensing efforts with the supplier partners. Our other strength is our extensive and successful experience in working with master toy partners bringing global properties to shelf. Finding the right toy partner will be key to Pat the Dog’s success. TL: What are your plans on Pat the Dog? Connolly: Our plans for Pat the Dog are to continue to engage kids with more content by using best-in-class publishers, to bridge Season 1 to

TL: What further steps are planned? Can you venture a look into the future? Merkel: With regard to Pat the Dog, we feel that long-term and gradual brand development is important. It is not about creating short-term hype but implementing a well-honed strategy plan. Crichton: We are talking to additional local partners in other countries for successful international license marketing. We of course aim to further advance and intensify this strategy, so long-term cooperation is very important to us. At this time, however, it is still too early to go into detail here.

About Superprod: Founded by Clément Calvet and Jérémie Fajner in 2010, Superprod develops and produces animation and fiction TV series and feature films. Superprod has offices in Paris and Angoulême, in the Cognac Valley, where its studio Vanilla Seed is located.Vanilla Seed also provides a wide range of animation services for third party producers. Superprod currently produces Helen’s Little School for France Télévisions, Pat the Dog for Canal+ and RAI, a new season of Lassie for TF1 and Dreamworks, as well as the animation feature film White Fang, based on Jack London’s novel. Superprod’s catalogue is sold internationally by Superights. About Superights: Superights is an international sales company dedicated to kids and family programs. Its catalogue includes Puffin Rock (52 x 11’) produced by Cartoon Saloon and Dog Ears and globally acquired by Netflix all over the world, Pat the Dog produced by Superprod and Animoka and sold in over 180 countries including Disney USA, Turner EMEA & APAC and Discovery Kids Latin America and Boyster (52 x 11’) produced by Je Suis Bien Content sold among others to Disney USA, EMEA, Latin America, Japan & South East Asia as well as Animax in Korea. About Retail Monster: Retail Monster LLC. is a company that develops and delivers family brands to retail shelf for both Intellectual Property Holders and Product Suppliers alike, through best-in-class retail relationships, and extensive expertise and capabilities within Licensing, Creative, Marketing, Sales, Analytics, and Replenishment. The company has 70+ years of elite brand experience with over $40B in sales, as well as executive experience in launching/resurrecting successful brands. Retail Monster is located where the retailers are, providing a unique point of differentiation. Retail Monster has delivered several top tier events at retail since their opening in March 2016. In addition to extending brands, Retail Monster has multiple retailer clients who demand to launch licensing in a more impactful way. In September 2017, Retail Monster Limited opened its first international office in London, England, with plans on delivering this winning formula to England and beyond.

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MARKET OVERVIEW Without any doubt, the German licensing market is amongst the top brand markets in the world. As Peter Hollo, who heads up LIMA in Germany explained, “ First of all, Germany is a fantastic market. Not only, regarding the licensing business. Germany has a strong and growing economy, is politically stable and amongst the most reliable and predictable regions in the world. A good place to invest money and grow your business at low risk.” “In terms of retail sales for licensed goods, Germany is a strong #4 in the world,” he continued. “German retailers are doing a fantastic job, when it comes to doing business with licensed products. They know very well how licensing supports them in securing and growing their businesses. Licensed products help them explore new target audiences or regain target audiences, thought to be lost. Licensed products create new touchpoints and opportunities for consumer sales, every single day. Of course, this is not happening ‘just like that.’ Licensing is

an industry for committed, hard working and creative people, who seize the opportunity, when it comes around – especially in Germany. Germany has a challenging segmented retail structure and self-confident and critical consumers, who know very well what they want. None of the licensors, licensees, the agencies and all the great people, working in German licensing business get anything for free. But those, who accept the challenge, have a good chance of major success in one of the most thrilling markets in the world.” LIMA has one of the largest memberships in the world within Germany with more than 180 members covering licensors, agents, licensees and retailers. The Association runs different events during the year, including their major Day of Licensing in April and Licensing Market Germany in October.

Of course, with more than 170,000 square metres, the world’s largest Toy Fair, which has a major impact on the licensing industry, is also held in Germany. The Nuremberg Toy Fair (Spielwarenmesse) opens its doors on January 31 to more than 2800 exhibitors from 60 countries and trade visitors numbering in excess of 75,000. On the following pages we take a look at some of the companies involved in the licensing business in Germany which, hopefully, will give our readers a feel for the marketplace. Universal Consumer Products Germany are gearing up to the launch of Jurassic World: The Fallen Kingdom which will be released on 7 June. Commenting on the brand, Kathrin Brandhorst, Country Director of Universal Consumer Products Germany GmbH, believes, “Jurassic World: The Fallen Kingdom is a blockbuster movie on our agenda, which will entertain a wide target group. For us, as a young company, it is important to make a global impact to thrill existing and

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new fans to inspire them and create an identification with the brand. The movie will be one of the largest film and merchandising events in the year. Merchandising products around the blockbuster will be available in trade from spring 2018, focused on boys between 6 and 11 years. Also adults and teenagers are the extended target group. The experience of recent years has shown that Jurassic World licensed products reach and enthuse fans of all age groups, because the Jurassic franchise has always generated a great cross-generational appeal.” “After the success of the previous movie, expectations are high: For being able to respond to the increasing demand of the fans and to reach new audiences, everybody is working hard to launch the largest Jurassic World merchandise program ever. Global Master Toy Partners Mattel and LEGO kick off the trade with toys, covering different play patterns and age groups. Many other companies in the toy industry are also relying on Jurassic World and rolling out their products for categories such as collectibles, tableware, party, outdoor products, sweets, plush products, games, etc. In fact, manufacturers such as Ravensburger, Rubies, Posh Paws, Mattel, Mondo, Lego Egmont, Clementoni, Cartamundi, Pyramid, Procos and Sambro will all have product on show at Nuremberg this year. The first Jurassic World move brought 4.7 million viewers to cinemas in German speaking territories. With worldwide movie revenues of over $1.7 billion, the movie is the fourth most successful movie of all time.

Team Licensing are majoring on a combination of traditional licensed properties such as Peanuts, Hello Kitty, and Care Bears alongside newer brands such as Miraculous and The Very Hungry Caterpillar. The second season of Miraculous has been on air on the Disney Channel in Germany Since last November. In addition episodes from the first series continue to be aired and new episodes from the second series will launch early this year. Season three is in production and seasons four and five have been confirmed. To date, there are more then 20 licensees including ASS Altenburger for playing cards and Joy Toy who are developing items ranging from stickers to 3D nightlights. On the apparel side, Tex Ass, Santex and Saborn have new lines and, in terms of publishing, licensees now include Nelson, Are Edition and Panini. Bandai is the master toy licensee and other categories have been signed including cosmetics and bath accessories from Beauty & Care, puzzles from Clementoni, toy cosmetics from IMC, KTN and Dr Neuberger, costumes from Rubies and bedding from Skybrands. The Very Hungry Caterpillar is one of the greatest childhood classics of all time. Since its first release, the Very

Hungry Caterpillar is one of the first books generations of parents read to their children and particularly in Germany the brand has a strong heritage. So far over 7.2 Million copies have been sold in the German language with over 700,000 in recent years.The newest licensee is Bullyland with detailed 3D figurines of the Caterpillar, which will be presented for the first time at Nuremberg. The brand is very successful with infant toys, apparel, home textiles and decorative items in the German market. 2019 marks the 50th Anniversary and a special anniversary logo has been developed together with a range of marketing activities, promotions and new product launches. ProSiebenSat.1 Licensing (see separate feature) is expanding its business areas and engagement on a global scale. Since November, ProSiebenSat.1 Group’s licensing company has represented the license rights to Pat the Dog around the world. In order to build the animated children’s series into an internationally successful franchise, ProSiebenSat.1 Licensing has entered into cooperation with Retail Monster LLC. “In our eyes, Retail Monster is the best partner we could have found for the USA and UK. The team’s know-how and expertise, but also in particular their experience and contacts with local retail and manufacturers, will be a key factor in our international success,” explains Robert Merkel, Managing Director of ProSiebenSat.1 Licensing. “We are proud to partner with one of the leading European media companies. We have already worked with some of the members of the team. It

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is a delight and an honour to be expanding the business to the North American and UK markets together with the ProSiebenSat.1 Licensing team,” says Retail Monster CEO Michael Connolly. The cooperation is based on the international license marketing of the new Pat the Dog franchise from Superprod. As a first step, an international master toy partner will be sought. Then, the product portfolio will be gradually expanded in order to reach fans and keep them interested in the franchise beyond the TV show. The Brand Residence now represents Lufthansa’s licensing rights worldwide. The license agreement was concluded between the Munich-based licensing agency and Lufthansa AG. The licensing business is nothing new for the traditional German brand with its signature crane. The airline has been active in this field for some ten years now. The Brand Residence will continue to expand this segment in the national and international market, relying on high-quality product ideas thoroughly considered in design

and function that embody the essence of the Lufthansa brand, making it a tangible experience. Awarding licenses to qualified partners increases brand presence. The goal is to establish and expand a Lufthansa product and experience world that will raise brand visibility for both retailers and consumers as a premium lifestyle brand. Brand positioning – creating the right environment in which Lufthansa can be perceived as valuable, authentic and unique – plays a central role. License partners and their products will explicitly reflect

this premium quality. Marlies Rasl, Managing Director of The Brand Residence: “Our goal is to establish long-term partnerships with high-end licensees and implement products that convey Lufthansa’s highcaliber image, transfer brand values and address the positive, emotional aspects of the brand, as well.” In short, the brand must become an experience for the consumer. Gudrun Groeger, Account Management Lufthansa Brand Licensing said, “We are in good hands with Marlies Rasl. We were convinced not only by her know-how and expertise in the licensing business, but by her TBR The Brand Residence GmbH understanding of our brand values and her conceptual skills, in particular, combined with her ability to think outside the box.” The possibilities are as varied as the airline’s destinations. These can include products specially developed for Lufthansa, geared to the company’s corporate design, as well as classic travel products for parents and children, toys and, naturally, everything to do with travel in general. A new style guide has been developed for the high-end product strategy, specifying the facets of product design in detail. The Brand Residence is a fullservice licensing and brand extension agency that offers its customers licences, consulting, retail activation, coaching and other services related to brands and brand expansion under one roof. Marlies Rasl, founder and managing director of The Brand Residence has worked with many of the world’s most renowned and successful consumer and entertainment brands, including Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Spider-Man, Coca-Cola, Jeep, Maybach and many more. With its extensive international network with contacts to industry, trade and media, The Brand Residence develops the right brand strategy, perfectly tailored to desired target groups. In part-

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nership with The Brand Residence, Alita Friedman, CEO of Alita’s Brand Bar, will handle the U.S. & Canadian licensing and brand extension efforts for Lufthansa. In February 2017 the Studio 100 Group acquired the majority interest in m4e AG. Both companies are now making make use of all synergies concerning their national and international activities and, cooperating closely. Under the roof of Studio 100 one of the largest European companies for children’s and family entertainment is now formed. The m4e Group, founded in 2003, is an international brand management and media company focussing on children’s and family entertainment content. m4e AG is a leader in creation, production, distribution and marketing of animated and live action programming. Its library of more than 2,300 episodes features some of the most recognizable brands such as Lizzie McGuire, Mia and me, Tip the Mouse, Wissper, Miffy, Rainbow Fish and Conni. The m4e Group includes Tex-ass Textilvertriebs GmbH, Telescreen B.V., m4e Television GmbH, the joint venture companies Hahn & m4e Productions GmbH and YEP! TV Betriebs GmbH & Co.KG, as well as m4e Licensing & Merchandising, a full service agency/division that represents international entertainment brands such as Beyblade, Yo-kai Watch or Super Wings.

New shows in development/production include Mia and me season 4 and a feature film, The Beatrix Girls and more. For 2018, Simba Toys will launch the toy lines based on the brands Mia and Me and Wissper. The initial fashion dolls will be Mia, Yuko and Mo and the full range of 16 collectible figures will include four elves, seven unicorns, four pony corns and Phyddle. For roleplay, Simba has developed a new bracelet with light and sound function which asks the user to name a password and plays the title music to Mia and Me. To date, Mia and Me has more than 170 licensees internationally with over 40 in Germany where the brand is very strong, particularly in publishing. More than 1.8 million books have been sold so far and the month magazine ranks consistently amongst the top four girls’ magazines in Germany. The launch of the toy line will be supported by a TV and PR campaign and a new game app is in development and will be launched in Q1/Q2 2018. Several marketing activities are planned to support the brand in 2018. In summer 2018, Mia and Me will be part of the new feature Holiday Indoors at the Holiday Park Pfalz - a brand new indoor amusement area, featuring brands such as Heidi and Mia and me. Further licensees for Germany speaking territories include ASS Altenburger, Carlsen, Dracco, Edel: Kids, Egmont, Ehapa, Framily, Happy People, Herding, Herpa, Knorr Toys, Nestler, Panini, Ravensburger, Rubies, Schmidt Spiele, Undercover, United Labels and Universal Pictures. In terms of Wissper, the toy line for this preschool series comprises a basic set, various play sets, a feature doll, plush figurines, figurine sets, rag dolls, role plays as well as puzzles and bringalong-games from Noris Spiele. The toy range will launch in spring sup-

ported by various marketing activities. Other licensees include Bastei/Baumhaus Verlag for story and kids books, Egmont Balloon for activity books, Nelson for mini books, Egmont Ehapa for a magazine, Universal Pictures for DVDs and digital, Edel for audio plays, Herding for home products and TexAss for apparel. The Wild Adventures of Blinky Bill premiered on KiKA on 1 January 2018. This new CGI adventure series (52 x 12 minutes) targets kids, aged 6-9 years. The brand has been well-known for more than 80 years and was first shown on TV in a successful animated TV series from the 1990s, distributed in 80 countries, followed by a feature film in 2016. The brand will be supported by various marketing activities in 2018 such as a cooperation with the Zoo Duisburg which will also have a Save-theKoala-Day end of July 2018, the walking act will be part of the Junior Tour 2018 at children’s and city festivals in Germany (10 days in 8 cities), print and online activities in January, the release of the first DVDs and a McDonald’s Junior mailing among others. Princess Emmy has had outstanding publishing success without TV or cinema support. The first book was published in 2013 (up until now more than 200,000 books have been sold). In addition, the quarterly magazine was successfully published, selling 25,000 to 30,000 copies per issue without TV support. German speaking licensees include Spitz for juice, Püttmann for apparel, Herding for linens, towels, cushions etc, Sticker Factory for fusible stickers, Klebefieber.de for wall tattoos, Nelson for activity, mini, and sticker books, Egmont Ehapa Media for a magazine, Dumont for calendars, Kiddinx for audio books, and audio plays, Egmont Balloon for activity and story books and Egmont Schneiderbuch for story books. In Q4 2018 (November 2018) a 78 minute feature film will be released which was directed by Piet De Rycker who also directed movies like Laura’s Star and The little Polar Bear. The movie launch will be supported by a big marketing campaign, of course

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including TV advertising, retailer advertising, a QSR promotion and strong print, PR and online activities. Finally, The second Maya the Bee feature film entitled Maya the Bee - The Honey Games will be released in Germany this March through Universum Film. The movie has already been sold to more than 120 countries. Emma the mascot is known both at home in Dortmund and across the world as a constant and tireless companion of BVB, but now the lively bee has a new sidekick. Snoopy will now cover his Black and Yellow fur with the Black and Yellow jersey of the eighttime German champions and - together with his friends - has been kitted out with all kinds of fan merchandise. The co-branding was presented within the scope of Borussia Dortmund’s Asia Tour. Snoopy is now set for his first visit to Dortmund on the BVB Family Day on 4 August, where he will join EMMA in posing for photos with fans. “Snoopy and his friends are known and loved all over the world. The development of a co-branding design between Borussia Dortmund and Peanuts Worldwide will allow two brands that are extremely popular across all age groups to assist each other,” said Carsten Cramer, the BVB Director of Sales and Marketing. Merchandise sporting Borussia Dortmund and PWW’s co-branding design will be immediately available at the BVB Online Shop and at stationary fan shops across Germany. Additional offers for other European countries

(Great Britain, France and Poland) and the USA are currently being planned. Away from entertainment and Art Licensing International have an active and growing merchandise program for pop artist James Rizzi. Rizzi, who passed away in 2011, was a New York-based pop artist known around the world for his recognisable, highaccessible style. Art Licensing, together with their sister company Art 28, have been managing and licensing the program which now boasts a number of successful licensed products. Key licensees in German speaking countries include are Mundi for carpets. Condor Airlines for Boeing aircraft, Deutsche Post for postage stamps, FILA and Deichmann for sneakers, Fridolin for museum store supplies, Goebel for porcelain, chinaware and household products, Online for fountain pens, Ravensburger for puzzles and games, SIGG for aluminium bottles, Tchibo for coffee makers, teNeues for calendars, Zippo for lighters and various German publishers for ranges of school books. Future plans are centred on three key product groups: fashion, furniture and children’s products and toys.

G+J Brand Business is the international licensing and merchandising unit of G+J, Europe’s largest publishing companies. With huge and established German media brands like Brigitte, Geo and Stern as well as new and innovative ones like Hygge, Beef and Barbara, G+J has valuable brands with attractive target groups and strong coverage to offer. Together with selected partners from various segments, G+J Brand Business develops cooperations and license products. These are tailored individually to the license partner, market conditions, media brand and target group and are thereby geared towards a long term, joint success. As a result a high quality furniture line and wall paints have been developed by Schoner Wohnen, craft beer, dry agers and food processors through Geo, bags and dresses featuring Brigitte and in-house travel offers utilising Brigitte, Stern, Gala and Geo. In the toy industry, the company’s most valuable brands are Geolino and Geomini, targeting children between 4 and 12, and Eltern, Germany’s number one media brand for (new) parents. With these two brands, the company has a wide range of different kids products. Particularly popular is a Geolino comic series called Wadenbeisser with five

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editions published to date. The comics include a collection of detective stories and puzzles for kids of 8 years and above. The young readers support the characters in their work at the school newspaper and assist them in solving tricky mysteries and exciting criminal cases. Additional to the detective stories of the comic series, Geolino developed the Wadenbeisser board game, which is a perfect supplement to the comics. Beside the Wadenbeisser series, the company has published a wide range of other books, audio books, puzzles and games on various topics. The focus is always on the children’s participation, exploration and discoveries they can make for themselves. The Eltern portfolio currently contains, among other products, a large number of guide books. The books contain valuable expert knowledge from the child’s birth up to educational issues, and is a reliable assistant for parents in everyday life. A new Eltern product is the audio book box Lieblingsmärchen, which contains selected fairy tales on 6 CDs, told by various German celebrities. The Smafolk collection” is another highlight in the brand world of Eltern. Together with the danish fashion company Eltern created a colourful children’s collection with typical Scandinavian

Smafolk motives. Finally in our lightning tour of Germany we take a look at a couple of licensees. Spreadshirt is a self-expression e-commerce company that sells clothing and accessories with messages. Founded in 2002, Spreadshirt is available in 12 languages and ships to more than 150 countries. The company carries a number of licenses including DC Comics and Warner Bros Consumer Products for apparel including Tshirts, long sleeve shirts and hoodies for kids and adults, together with phone cases, mugs and bags. Further licenses include Yakari from Eurolizenzen for T-shirts, Janosch from Janosch Media for apparel, Bibi and Tina from Kiddinx for apparel, mugs and bags and Peterson & Findus from Eden for Tshirts and long sleeves for kids. John Toys, located in Southern Germany is known as a manufacturer of playing and sporting balls which they have been making for 90 years. Licenses play a major part in their business and they have been a Disney licensee for more than 45 years. Further licenses held include Minions from Universal, Trolls from DreamWorks, Fireman Sam from Mattel, PJ Masks from E-One, Paw Patrol from Nickelodeon and Teletubbies from DHX.

Clementoni was founded in 1963 by Mario Clementoni in Recanati, Italy. His four children have taken over the company and still produce nearly 90% of their entire lines there. Branches are located in France, Spain, Germany, UK, Poland and Turkey. Products comprise puzzles, family games, educational games, art & crafts, science toys, baby toys and tablets. Clementoni carries a large number of licenses, in particular Disney but also DreamWorks, Nickelodeon and Universal. In Germany the strongest local license for Clementoni is Galileo. It is an assortment of science experiment sets,

some quizzes, a talking globe and a range of robots. The cooperation with Pro7 is very strong and Clementoni have TV-advertising for many of the items. 2017 was the year of magical sets. Together with Ehrlich Brothers - two popular magicians - they developed the sets, and produced videos with all the tricks to show children how the tricks work. The sell-in and sellthrough was excellent. Clementoni develops games allied to current Germany TV shows. The most successful has been Joko gegen Klaas – based on two really crazy guys who challenge each other with spectacular battles. This year there will be a reset of Genial daneben. Finally, Paul Gunther GmbH & Co specialise in licensed kites and have key licenses for Disney and Paw Patrol with product all aimed at children up to the age of four.

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Women in Toys - Inspiring Together #WeInspireTogether Kick off the new year with WIT! Women in Toys, Licensing & Entertainment has brought industry movers, shakers and decision makers together from around the world for over 25 years. 2018 is shaping up to be its best year yet, and now is the perfect time to start your new year off right by meeting, networking and learning from other ambitious women working in toys, licensing and entertainment. With a focus on providing women with powerful knowledge, valuable connections and inspiring, empowering opportunities for career growth, WIT is a global, collaborative community of successful, motivated and ambitious professionals at all stages of their careers, including corporate executives, junior and senior professionals, business owners and entrepreneurs. With over 20 chapters in the US., UK, Canada, Hong Kong, Australia and France, the organization and its initiatives continue to grow and evolve, opening doors to people and opportunity through events, educational programming and committee involvement that gives its members the knowledge, resources and visibility needed to achieve career growth. Coming up on Sunday, February 18 in

New York City is WIT’s biggest and brightest event of the year - the 14th Annual Wonder Women Awards Gala, coinciding with the North American International Toy Fair. The Wonder Women Gala recognizes industry leaders for their outstanding contributions in toys, licensing and entertainment, and this year WIT will induct Lifetime Achievement Honoree, Norma Rosenhain, Creata CEO; and Nancy Zwiers, EVP and Global CMO for Spin Master, with the Elise Lachowyn Mentorship Award. The Gala will celebrate Wonder Women honorees and dozens of finalists in the following categories: Creator/Inventor, Licensing, Manufacturing, Marketing, Public Relations, Retailer, Sales and Rising Star categories, with esteemed winners announced that night. WIT’s Wonder Women Gala is the organization’s largest fundraiser. Last year more than 650 industry executives attended and contributed to fund WIT’s valuable programming, which is focused on providing career growth opportunities for women through education, empowerment initiatives and scholarships. Other upcoming events include WIT’s annual Networking Dinner at

Nuremburg Toy Fair on February 1st; WIT/LIMA Networking Lunch at Kidscreen Summit in Miami on February 13th; and WIT’s annual Licensing Expo Breakfast in May. Visit www.womenintoys/events to learn more. Besides hosting live networking events, panels, and empowerment programs, WIT offers its members valuable online resources including educational Learn the Ropes webinars, a Concierge Service connecting members while traveling, Job Board, Speakers Bureau, a private Facebook Group page Member Directory and more. Women in Toys is powered by its member volunteers (and small support staff) who believe passionately in the WIT mission. One of the best ways to get involved in WIT is by volunteering for committee work. There are over a dozen committees that women can join, giving them a chance to shine and hone their skill-sets while providing a great way to grow their network and discover new opportunities to help boost their careers and their business.

To learn more about Women in Toys, visit www.womenintoys.com.

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Welcome to Miami! The 2018 Kidscreen Summit is set to be the biggest yet. Kidscreen Summit is renowned as the kids entertainment industry’s most important annual event. In 2017, the conference welcomed nearly 2,000 attendees from more than 50 countries. Top executives attend Kidscreen Summit to take advantage of the year’s best business networking, and to engage in critical dialogue on issues that affect the industry.

• Nearly 2,000 delegates • Attendees from 50+ countries • 98% plan to attend again • 99% would recommend the event to colleagues • More than 400 kids programming buyers • 900+ producers & distributors

With one of the most comprehensive conference programs, a global delegation, incredible business networking opportunities and every industry issue covered, Kidscreen is a must-attend event. Total Licensing, a media partner of the summit, will be there covering all the top news. 12 - 15 February at the InterContinental Miami www.summit.kidscreen.com 59

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A look at some of the companies and properties making waves in the Canadian marketplace.

9 Story Media Group is a leading creator, producer and distributor of kids and family focused intellectual property. Its award-winning animation studio, Brown Bag Films, is recognized around the world for best-in-class brands such as Doc McStuffins, Daniel Tiger’s Neighbourhood, Octonauts, Wild Kratts, Peter Rabbit and The Magic School Bus: Rides Again. The company’s international distribution arm, 9 Story Distribution International represents over 2,700 half-hours of animated and live-action programming, seen on some of the most respected international channels and platforms. With facilities in Toronto, Dublin and Manchester, the 9 Story Media group of companies employ almost 600 creative and corporate staff. 2017 has been an exciting year for Peg

+ Cat! Master toy partner Imports Dragon introduced an exciting first line of toys for the brand, featuring an assortment of high-quality plush, arts & crafts sets, games and wooden puzzles. These are available in Canada on Amazon.ca, ToyRUs.ca, and Renault-Bray. On the home entertainment front, eOne has released two titles: The Chicken Problem and The Christmas Problem. With relatable and funny adventures filled with upbeat music, the multiple Emmy award winning series has garnered a growing audience and has been sold to over 180 countries. 9 Story also report that there are several exciting things in the works for Nature Cat as we move into 2018. New North American master toy partner TOMI is hard at work on the brand’s first line with plans to launch

in early 2019. Tomi is currently working on plans for plush, figures, play sets and role-play skus. Aimed at children 3-8 years old, Nature Cat helps children relate to and engage with the natural world. The series was recently renewed for second and third seasons. On the consumer products side, 9 Story represents various territories for several key children’s properties, including: Daniel Tiger’s Neighbourhood in selected markets, Peg + Cat worldwide, Nature Cat for worldwide excluding the US, Wild Kratts for the world excluding North America, and Luo Bao Bei for worldwide licensing. Nelvana is one of Canada’s premier animation companies and a worldleading producer and distributor of children’s content. Nelvana has delighted audiences around the globe for more than 40 years with a vast library of more than 4,000 episodes from original, award-winning series like Babar and Franklin. Nelvana’s content is distributed in more than 160 countries worldwide and broadcast across Corus Entertainment’s suite of leading kids networks. Nelvana Enterprises, the global licensing and merchandising arm of Nelvana, manages the organization’s portfolio of in-house and third party brands with offices in Toronto and Paris. Nelvana Studio in Toronto and leading digital animation software

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company Toon Boom in Montreal employ more than 300 Canadians working with local and international producers to create premium children’s content for a global stage. Headquartered in Toronto, Nelvana’s executive team includes Scott Dyer, President of Nelvana, Pam Westman, Head of Nelvana Enterprises, and Athena Georgaklis, Head of Development for Nelvana. Together, this industry-leading team is committed to character-driven stories, heightening its investment in the industry’s top animators and graphic artists, and strengthening its long-standing partnerships with licensees and broadcasters around the world. Following Nelvana’s brand refresh in Fall 2016, the company’s revitalized brand and dynamic slate of diverse content reflects the organization’s focus on quality story-telling, engaging characters, and development of cutting-edge creative content with universal market appeal. Nelvana Studio has recently announced two partnerships to create enriching new content. Firstly, a development deal to produce a preschool series inspired by the brilliant and bold works of world-renowned, artist, Romero Britto, and secondly, a newly-formed venture with Discovery Communications to produce a pipeline of content for the kids’ market in Canada, Latin America, and around the world. In addition, production is underway on three new series with merchandising plans including Esme & Roy with Ses-

ame Street, Bravest Warriors, and the newest greenlit show D.N.Ace! Over and above these there is ongling production on merchandised properties such as Max & Ruby, Hotel Transylvania: The Series, Mysticons, and Ranger Rob In terms of licensing, Nelvana reports new licensing activity on two key brands - Mysticons and Ranger Rob. In terms of Mysticons, the new Playmates toy range will hit shelves early this year and both MacMillan and Dark Horse will launch publishing titles this summer. In addition, there are new apparel, sleepwear and costume partners launching this year with Happy Threads as master apparel, as well as Komar for sleepwear and Palamon for costumes. A QSR program launches early this year and new episodes will continue to launch on Nickelodeon’s suite of channels around the globe and on YTV in Canada. In terms of Ranger Rob, new partners include Imports Dragon for toys launching early this year as well as

Chouette for a publishing program and Round Room Presents for worldwide live stage shows beginning in Canada this Fall. New episodes will continue to launch on Sprout/Universal Kids in the U.S. and on Treehouse in Canada. Nelvana also represent a number of key third-party properties in Canada including PJ Masks and Peppa Pig from eOne which are two of the biggest preschool licenses in Canada as well as Ben 10 and the Cartoon Network portfolio and Beyblade. Entertainment One and Nelvana have signed a number of Canadian licensing partners across multiple categories to further develop PJ Masks. New licensees include Little Kids and What Kids Want for toys, Stoneridge for bicycles, Cra-Z-Art for craft activities, TCG for playmats, Playhut for tents, Good Food Co for cookies, Black and White Merchandising for footwear, Springs for craft fabric, Danawares for stationery, Centura Brands for health accessories, Kurt Adler for holiday ornaments, HG for hosiery, ACI Brands for accessories and Canadian Thermos Products for housewares. DHX Brands recently announced the worldwide launch of Teletubbies Play Time, a new mobile app produced by market-leading video game developer and publisher, Built Games. The mobile game gives preschoolers the ability to interact with all four Teletubbies through activities that help develop their senses and motor skills. Teletubbies Play Time is free to download for all Android and iOS devices. “Teletubbies is all about encouraging young children to learn from the world around them,” said Charlotte

STOP PRESS 9 Story Media Group is pleased to announce that it has acquired Out of the Blue Enterprises, a leader in children’s media across content creation,TV production, digital applications and consumer products. Founded in 2005 by Blue’s Clues co-creator Angela Santomero and former Nickelodeon executive Samantha Freeman, Out of the Blue is best known for the Emmy-nominated literacy series Super WHY; the Mister Rogers Neighborhood inspired Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood; and the interactive art adventure program Creative Galaxy for Amazon Studios. Out of the Blue also owns the legacy toy brand Colorforms, named by Time Magazine as one of the 100 Greatest Toys of All-Time, and the company is in production on a new animated series based on the classic brand.Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Out of the Blue, based in New York City, will become a wholly owned subsidiary of 9 Story Media Group with Managing Director Samantha Freeman staying on to lead the company and Co-Founder Angela Santomero continuing to serve as Creator and Executive Producer. 9 Story and Out of the Blue have previously worked together on the hit animated series Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, which 9 Story produces and distributes internationally with The Fred Rogers Company in association with Out of the Blue.The two companies have also worked together on Creative Galaxy for Amazon Studios, which Out of the Blue produces and 9 Story is the animation partner. Both series are currently in production on new seasons.

TOTAL LICENSING Hill, Brand Director, DHX Brands. “With Teletubbies Play Time, Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po will help little ones do just that, in an engaging and enjoyable way. Built Games has worked with some of the world’s biggest children’s brands and we’re very excited to launch Teletubbies Play Time with them to continue contributing to the development of young children around the world.” On a different note, DHX has licensed more than 450 half-hours of children’s content to Tencent, a leading provider of internet value-added services, such as entertainment and social media, in China. In this multi-year deal, DHX Media’s new Teletubbies and Inspector Gadget series, as well as Twirlywoos, Super WHY!, Animal Mechanicals, and – on an exclusive basis – classic Strawberry Shortcake, are some of the popular titles that kids will be able to enjoy across mainland China on Tencent’s streaming platforms. Josh Scherba, EVP Distribution and Content at DHX Media, said, “As we continue to build on the tremendous opportunity for children’s content and brands in China, leading streaming companies like Tencent are looking to DHX Media as a key supplier of quality shows that children love. “We are thrilled to launch into this new relationship with Tencent, who have an incredibly robust and growing presence across the internet in China, making their highly popular streaming platforms perfect for delivering top

DHX Media series like Teletubbies, Inspector Gadget, Strawberry Shortcake and others to millions of viewers.” JAM Brands is a licensing consultancy that focuses on the development and management of licensing programs in the lifestyle, fashion, heritage, corporate, sport and character fields. We are obsessed with acquiring an indepth understanding of the products and service categories involved for each individual brand, and identifying the needs and goals of each Licensor and Licensee, in order to create individualized strategies and programs. Our years of experience in intellectual property, marketing, and product development qualifies us to help brand owners and licensees to bring successful products, services and brand programs to market successfully. JAM Brands prides itself on building strong, meaningful relationships between Licensors and Licensees and employs a highly selective, tried and tested approach to linking appropriate product categories and concepts with the brands involved. Amongst the brands represented buy Jam Brands are Laura Ashley, Jits, Pantone, Winx, Garfield, Jenny Foster and Koko. Canadian agency, The Licensing Shop in conjunction with Moose Toys recently unveiled a partnership with McDonald’s Restaurants featuring Moose Toys’ Happy Places Shopkins toy brand. This Happy Meal pro-

motion launched in US restaurants at the beginning of January supported by a substantial marketing campaign. Happy Places Shopkins launched in 2016 and is a successful brand extension from the Shopkins franchise. Happy Places Shopkins is where the Lil’ Shoppies head home (from a busy day shopping in Shopville) to Happyville to make their own Happy Places. Children enjoy using the collectible toys to create their own ‘Happy Place’ with the Lil’ Shoppies and their cute Petkins friends. The McDonald’s Happy Meal tie-in emulates the Happy Places Shopkins creative play with forty-eight collectible Petkins which children can use to decorate four rooms: Bathing Bunny Bathroom, Kitty Kitchen, Puppy Patio and Dreamy Bear Bedroom. Nicole Hardiman, Senior Licensing Manager at Moose Toys commented, “We are thrilled to be working with McDonald’s again featuring the Shopkins franchise. Happy Places was such a natural fit for this promotional tiein. Our fans will enjoy collecting and decorating these fun rooms while enjoying their Happy Meals.” In business for over 35 years, Danawares is positioned as Canada’s onestop-shop for a wide range of quality licensed and non-licensed product lines. The company develops, designs, manufactures and distributes and sell to all channels of distribution. Danawares range of categories include puzzles, arts and crafts, stationery, tabletop, baby, outdoor, health and beauty accessories, bags, backpacks, hair accessories and jewelry. The company carries a number of major licenses including Disney, Marvel, Lucas, Nickelodeon, Paw Patrol, PJ Masks, Peppa Pig, LOL, Num Noms. Emoji the iconic brand, Smurfs, The Emoji Movie, Despicable Me, Beat Bugs and Dreamworks. Distribution channels include Accessory Innovations, Canal Toys, GBG, Global Design Concepts, HER, Jokari, Make it Real, Montco, Taste Beauty, T.S. Shure, Eolo, B4 Adventures, Little Kids,Tot Tutors,Wicked Toys and Wild Planet Plush.

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It’s Toy Time! Showcasing the upcoming Toy season, top trends and highlights from all the fairs

By the time this magazine is published, Toy Fair season will be well and truly upon us. Those heading to New York, London and Nuremburg will be able to see the top trends for the coming year, and navigate the changing landscape of the toy world. And changing it is – with an ever-shifting retail footprint, traditional methods for and by consumers are constantly fluctuating. For kids, watching their favourite influencer on YouTube seems to be something that will grow throughout 2018 – these tech-savvy youngsters have more and more power over their own decisions, and this is something that the industry must stay on top of. Toy licensing is, of course, very much driven by the top movies and TV programs of the moment, but the dynamics are changing, and whereas back in the ‘olden days’ a family might wander the floor of a toy retailer and choose something together, children know about trends, what they want and what they want to play with long before their parents, in many cases. That being said, the huge collectibles trend that swept the industry in 2017 shows no sign of abating. And similarly to last year, the tech trend will grow, as new and increasingly clever tech emerges and attaches to the must-have toys of the time. The strong moral consciousness of our time is having a huge influence over what children play with, as well. The strong move towards gender-neutral toys, ethically sound products and ‘edutainment’ can only grow and grow in 2018. The last couple of years have seen moves towards equality like no year before – Lego debuted its first young disabled mini-figure, Sesame Street introduced a new character Julia who lives with autism, and Barbie had a new friend, Becky, who was a wheelchair user. Now, while the Becky character was discontinued, this still shows that toy companies and retailers are listening to the different, and diverse, needs and wants of their young consumers. Different ethnicities are increasingly no longer being seen as ‘minority’ across toy and film, all moving towards influencing the adults of tomorrow into a more tolerant, inclusive society of the future. Let’s have a look at some of the highlights coming up at the major fairs in the US, UK and Germany...

The North American International Toy Fair 18 - 21 February, 2018 Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, New York With the US toy industry worth $26 billion, the Toy Fair in New York is one of the premiere places for play professionals to come together. Hosted by the Toy Industry Association Inc., a nonprofit trade group that represents businesses providing youth entertainment products, TIA has about 750 members, which represent 90 percent of the yearly U.S. domestic toy market, the association reports. Last year, Steve Pasierb, CEO TIA, told Total Licensing that the Javits was at full capacity – literally every possible exhibitor space was filled. This really shows the enormity of the show. This year will also host the Toy Industry Foundation’s (TIF) 18th Annual Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards ceremony, celebrating the best in toys over the last year.

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The London Toy Fair 23-25 January, 2018 Olympia, London The Toy Fair is the UK’s largest dedicated toy, game and hobby trade show taking place annually at the end of January at Olympia Grand and West Halls, London. The toy industry’s showcase welcomes more than 270 companies exhibiting thousands of products to visitors including retailers, buyers, media and the wider industry. Organized by the British Toy and Hobby Association, the fair sold our months ago, demonstrating the extent of the UK toy industry and the desire that companies have to showcase their latest trends. More than 100 exhibiting companies at Toy Fair this year will be returning exhibitors. One of these is Clementoni, an Italian toy company. “Toy Fair is an extremely important show for us and we are looking forward to meeting both new and existing colleagues across the three days,” said Shahbaz Khan, Country Manager, Clementoni. “We are excited to return to Toy fair and to reflect the growth of the business and the investment we are making into the Clementoni brand for the UK, we have a much bigger stand and so much more product to reveal for launch in 2018.” The BTHA also announced recently the new toy showcase for Toy Fair 2018: Toy Fair Heroes. The new showcase highlights exceptional toys across all categories.This is a badge of honour that will be awarded to toys, games and hobbies that are a set apart from all others. Only toys that are innovative, exciting and break the mould will be considered for this exclusive showcase. The top 25 toys at Toy Fair, will be selected by toy experts and the BTHA, and will make up the new Toy Fair Heroes. The winners in each category will be announced on the opening morning of the show.

Spielwarenmesse 31 January – 4 February, 2018 Messe, Nuremburg Welcoming exhibitors and visitors from across the globe, the Spielwarenmesse is the international showcase in Germany. The international toy markets come together in Nuremberg each year. Famous brands, original start-ups, buyers from large chains, independent retailers and many media representatives make the Spielwarenmesse one of the most important events of the toy industry. The world-leading fair is where decisive business contacts are made, the coming year’s trends are born and the latest information is exchanged. There will be more than 73,000 visitors from 120 countries.

Read on for global toy highlights... 65

TOTAL LICENSING across the globe with localised websites and social media activity. In the UK, there have been over 2.25 million views of the animation since launch. New animated content is in production and will be released in parallel with new toy ranges from the start of 2018. Alligator Products is creating and publishing a range of novelty books including colouring, sticker and activity, Blueprint Collections is developing a beautiful range of stationery items along with an assortment of bags whilst.

Spinmaster, in 2017, launched the most advanced and realistic baby doll yet, Luvabella which became a holiday ‘must-have’ well before it hit shelves. Luvabella was hailed as a technological breakthrough, using advanced animatronic technology to provide hundreds of lifelike expressions and interactive responses. Her reactions are unpredictable so that children become immersed in the imaginative experience of nurturing a real baby girl or boy. Luvabella has been nominated for several awards, including the Toy Of The Year (TOTY) nomination in the Doll Category. Bulls-i-Toy, a division of Excell Brands and toy manufacturer of kids’ products, has partnered with PPI Worldwide to bring the colorful Abatons Animals to the North American market. Abatons Animals is a line of collectible toys that is creating a roar in the toy space. Based on animal species from around the world, Series 1 is home to 20 characters including Salima the Camel, Kirvi the Tazmanian Devil and Suttu the Scorpion. Every blind pack contains the necessary pieces for kids to build their collection and play six mini-games. “With the resources of Excell Brands

readily available and the debut of a product that has an overwhelmingly popular presence around the world, we expect continued success in the North American market,” said Tim Nolan, President, Bulls-i-Toy. “Abatons Animals is a diverse collectible line and we are confident that it will be a continuation of the Gogo’s Crazy Bones success.” Alligator Products, Blueprint Collections and Immediate Media are the latest UK licensees to join the growing Bush Baby World licensing programme. The brand continues to go from strength to strength with continued robust toy sell through in the UK and Australia. The toy range from Golden Bear will also be on sale in 2018 across continental Europe as well as North America. The CGI animated webisodes are being broadcast on dedicated YouTube channels with the brand being supported

Zoonicorn LLC has entered into a licensing agreement with Jay@Play to design and manufacture the four

Zoonicorns. Jay@Play will initially introduce two new lines of Zoonicorn toys. Still in the design phase, these new Zoonicorns are estimated to be available for back-to-school 2018. “With more than 3 million views of our music videos on YouTube, we are thrilled that Jay@Play saw Zoonicorn’s potential and are working with us to bring the Zooniverse to all young children,” said Mark Lubratt, creator and CEO of Zoonicorn. “In a world that gets more difficult to navigate every day, Zoonicorns bring encouragement to children, while teaching important lessons through stories.” Zoonicorn was created with parents in mind. Parents want to protect their kids from everything, but the one place they can’t reach to help their child is in into their dreams.” Jazwares’ portfolio includes: Minecraft, Animal Jam, Peppa Pig, Ben & Holly, First Act, Roblox, Chuck & Friends, Hey Duggee, Chuggington, Molang and Dino Train, among others. Over the past 20 years Jazwares has donated

TOTAL LICENSING hundreds and thousands of toys to over 30 children’s charities, warming countless hearts. It is in Jazwares DNA to delight children who may not all have the means to purchase toys or products themselves. Local organizations, such as the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, the Boys and Girls Club of America, and Junior Achievement of South Florida are frequent beneficiaries of Jazwares’ devotion. Reoccurring organizations also include the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation and I Care I Cure Childhood Cancer Foundation. At London Toy Fair, Adam Hargreaves, the author of Mr. Men, will be doing live drawings on the Tuesday on the Jumini stand GH25/26 – to celebrate the new collaboration of wooden toys. Breyer, the brand of model, toy and collectible horses, has named Rick Rekedal executive vice president of brand and business development, as the company plans to grow its retail, licensing and consumer-driven business. Rekedal joins Breyer with a vision to develop the classic model horse brand into a broad lifestyle franchise, positioning Breyer for growth through expanded product categories, content development initiatives, licensing and retail partnerships. “I fell in love with Breyer when we worked together on Spirit, and haven’t stopped thinking about them since.”

Wicked Cool Toys’ portfolio includes global master toy partnerships with Pokémon (ex-Asia), Cabbage Patch Kids, Teddy Ruxpin as well as key licensing deals with GSUSA (Girl Scouts), MasterChef Junior, WWE, Wild Kratts, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Blaze, Shimmer and Shine, and owned-IP Egg Babies, Xtreme Cycle, Cat Paw and My Girl’s Dollhouse. Wicked Cool Toys has teamed up with Laura and Jorge Posada, founders of the Puerto Rico Hurricane Relief Foundation to donate more than

10,000 toys to children in Puerto Rico hardest hit by Hurricane Maria. The former New York Yankee and his wife, a life coach have been tireless advocates of their home country since the devastating hurricane left millions of people without electricity or homes since September 20th, 2017. Genius Brands will showcase its allnew preschool brand, Rainbow Rangers, at NY Toy Fair 2018. Currently in production on season one and two (52 x 11’ episodes) of the CGI-animated series, the company is also in development on a robust global consumer products program anticipated to begin rolling out in spring 2019, following the fall 2018 series launch in the U.S. on Nickelodeon’s Nick Jr. Genius Brands has already signed several top-tier licensing partners, including Mattel Inc. (master toy), MacMillan Publishing (master publishing), Bentex (master apparel), A.M.E. (sleepwear), Planet Sox (hosiery), Handcraft Manufacturing (packaged underwear), Global Design Concepts (bags, backpacks), Jay Franco (bedding and bath), H.E.R. Accessories (jewelry and hair accessories), Kiddieland (foot-to-floor ride-ons), TASTE. Beauty (healthy and beauty) and Kid Galaxy (bubble toys).

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Additional categories that are planned for the program include footwear, cold weather accessories, games & puzzles, novelty, activity, bikes, stationery and back-to-school supplies, costumes and boxed role-play, room décor, consumer packaged goods and much more. Genius Brands Netflix Original preschool series, Llama Llama, which premieres in early 2018, will also be a focus at NY Toy Fair. Currently in production (15 x 30’), Llama Llama stars the voice talent of the award-winning actress Jennifer Garner. Genius Brands is working on the global expansion of the global consumer products program focusing on four key categories—toy, juvenile products, feeding and apparel. The Learning Journey will launch a complete line of educational toys at NY Toy Fair. The new Code & Learn Lady Bug will introduce kids to basic programming and coding. Kids love to construct, and the Techno Gears Dizzy Droid is the perfect way to encourage them to build. To help children learn hand writing and counting skills, the Write & Erase Flash Cards are handy flash cards that provide skill-building writing and counting practice at just

the right level.,A new addition to the Jumbo Puzzle series, a collection of large floor puzzles that introduce children to basic problem-solving concepts in a fun way, is the Alphabet Jumbo Floor Puzzle. The new Alphabet Jumbo Floor Puzzle features very bright and colorful illustrations that encourage parent-child discussion

about the pictured objects and the associated alphabet letter Using augmented reality, SpinTales has taken storytelling to the next level by turning any bedroom into an enchanted playground, a first of its kind. By weaving stories into an interactive duvet and play rug, children embark on

TOTAL LICENSING adventures the likes of which they’ve never seen. New Activities Include - Grow your jungle - kids drag and drop trees, flowers, and surrounding elements to develop an interactive jungle while learning about life in the jungle; Metamorphosis - Teaches butterfly and frog metamorphosis through a step-bystep process of rearranging the order of the metamorphosis stages correctly; and Jungle Mix-up - Animals ranging from tigers to cows are matched together by their skins and teaches animal facts when matched correctly Cuddle Barn brings one of today’s most popular story time characters to life with a new collection of animated plush inspired by the picture book favorite, Llama Llama Red Pajama. This award-winning #1 New York Times bestselling picture book series has sold more than 10 million copies worldwide. Llama Llama Red Pajama tells the story of Llama Llama who wants to be comforted by his Mama before falling asleep..

Mobo introduces the Cruz Ramirez themed cruiser from Disney•Pixar Cars 3. Similar to Cruz’s eager personality, it’s an experience ‘that children 2-5 years old won’t be able to resist’. The Cruz trike sports her Piston Cup winning Dinoco racer graphics on a sleek yellow finish. Since 2003, Pillow Pets plush folding stuffed animals have been bringing smiles to the faces of all ages. At New York Toy Fair 2018, those smiles will be returning as the original Pillow Pets line is relaunched as the Signature line with the original designs and sizes.The Signature line includes the popular designs such as the unicorn, panda, penguin and zebra. In addition, Pillow Pets is expanding with new items designed specifically for babies, seasonal and holiday designs. Pillow Pets plush folding stuffed animals add true function to that warm and wonderful feeling by combining the security of a stuffed animal with the functionality of a pillow.

For the first time, Pillow Pets is launching products specifically designed for babies - and My First Pillow Pet and Naturals Pillow Pets. Pillow Pets is also launching a girl’s line featuring the best-selling unicorn and puppy in all three sizes, as well as a boy’s line featuring the new dinosaur and wild animals designs in the 5-inch, 11-inch and the classic 18-inch size.

Pick up your copy of the latest Total Licensing at all of the Toy Fairs! We will be there, reporting from each of the show floors so let us know your news and follow us for all the latest... @totallicensing

Pete Yoder, Vice President, Cartoon Network Enterprises for North America, shares his thoughts on 2018 trends: I’m often asked about how licensing has changed since I joined the industry 20 years ago, and where I think it is headed. For me, one of the biggest changes is how much more integrated content is with consumer products and how we reach our end consumer today. What once was the main focus on traditional sell-in methods and trying to secure endcap space has now evolved into truly “eventizing” product launches and building both in-store and on-line experiences. This is best exemplified through our approach with Adult Swim’s Rick and Morty. To say that Rick and Morty has a huge, passionate fanbase would be an understatement. The linear show will end 2017 as the top comedy program for all television for adults 18-24 and adults 18-34. In addition, the Rick and Morty “Pocket Morty’s” game hit #1 on iTunes in 2016 and continues to be a top seller for the brand. And the surprise April Fools 2017 launch of Episode 1 from Season 3 literally broke the internet. With such an involved fanbase, we needed to make sure that product and retail experiences felt authentic to the brand and really captured the comedy of Rick and Morty. First, we identified and signed on partners who had the capabilities to create product specific to each retail channel (and even individual retailer); and also had strong design teams that were nimble and, in many instances, fans

of the brand. We then worked with retailers who would create customized products and events around key tentpoles for the brand. Spencer’s ran a 10-week promotion where a custom t-shirt was created around each new episode and launched weekly, immediately after the episode premiere. They also built a December in-store event called the “12 days of Rickmas” where they highlight a new product each day. And with Transworld, we licensed an exclusive range of food product including Strawberry Smiggles, taken directly from the show, that launched at their FYE San Diego Comic Con Pop-Up shop. Involving our fans in the actual development of product is another way we are integrating content and consumer products. With Hot Topic, we launched a successful Design Challenge where fans interpreted their favorite characters and episodes through custom created art. The designs were judged by Hot Topic and Adult Swim designers as well as the Rick and Morty show creators with the winners having their designs made into t-shirts and sold across Hot Topic stores and on-line. These are just a few ways on how Cartoon Network is leading the trend of integrating content into consumer products and will continue to influence our thinking on how we engage with our fans.

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Total Licensing magazine has teamed up with leading kids market intelligence specialists Kids Insights. Each week Kids Insights survey more than 400 kids and make the data available in “real-time”, enabling clients to interrogate and analyse their data to their own specific needs. They also produce four insight-led reports each quarter based on a sample of 5,000. The following content is based on a gender-balanced sample of 5,000 4 to 18-year olds surveyed between July – September 2017. To receive a free five day trial of the Kids Insights “real time” portal email hello@kidsinsights.co.uk There is no doubt that the kids market is unrecognisable from 10 years ago. New communication platforms, brands, icons and technology have made the kids ecosystem inherently more complex and fragmented. The impact is likely to only become more significant with future generations. Focusing on the now, it is clear that the kids of today have far greater choice about which characters or brands to engage with. Licensed properties are emerging at a greater speed,

gaining exposure in so many different ways, across so many different platforms and media, leading to a more diluted marketplace than ever. This changing dynamic presents the licensing industry with a real challenge as it seeks to react quickly enough to sign up licences and get product to market in time to capitalise on the popularity of the new properties. The continued prevalence of kids wanting to co-create content, sees them engaging with their favourite brands and properties to create and publish brand-related content of their own, increasing the exposure and dispersion of the brand to a “never ending audience”– taking Chinese Whispers to a whole new level! In summary, there is a far greater pressure on brands to build, develop and maintain their ecosystems, which potentially could create a whole new dynamic in the licensor and licensee relationship as licensors look to licensees capable of enhancing the kids’ overall experience of the brand, and not just to provide an additional revenue stream.

Kids Favourite Characters Whilst we are seeing kids’ choice of favourite characters becoming increasingly fragmented, the top ten characters are still the “usual suspects”. Films continue to have a significant influence on what characters kids favour, with silver screen heroes dominating the top ten list – though one consistent element is the power of the ecosystems that surround these characters, enabling kids to have multiple touchpoints with their favourite characters which ultimately helps build a stronger preference. Despite more girls watching both Despicable 3 and the Minions movie, boys are much more likely to choose Minions as their favourite character. It is also interesting to note the different preferences between girls and boys when it comes to purchasing licensed product. Girls are more likely buy books, magazines, clothes And tickets for live events related to their favourite films franchises, whereas boys are more likely to purchase toys and video games which tie into their favourite films.

TOTAL LICENSING new talent to step into the “boots” of Beckham, Ronaldo and Messi – will this be Harry Kane? Though it is interesting to see that this quarter, YouTuber DanTDM was second behind only David Beckham when young boys aged 4-12 were asked who their favourite famous person FAVOURITE was, once again CHARACTERS: GIRLS 4 - 18 showing the power of personal brands from non-traditional platforms. Music and screen stars are the most important influence on girls, with live music being twice as likely to attend live music events compared to boys. Celebrities such as Emma Watson, Beyoncé and Have you bought any of the Johnny Depp (despite recent scandals) following, which relate to are top with teenage girls, with Katy your favourite films? Perry, Little Mix and Ariana Grande FAVOURITE CHARACTERS: BOYS 4 - 18

Favourite Famous Person: 4-18 When it comes to their favourite famous person, footballers continue to be the most popular category, though it is clear that there is long overdue a

are preferred by younger girls. eSports the next big opportunity? As the digital eco-system evolves at a rapid rate and properties emerge from non-traditional places, will the

next influencer stars come from eSports, as this form of entertainment enters the mainstream? The growing popularity of eSports is extremely significant for a number of reasons, having the as the opportunity to bring a new generation and profile of sports participants and fans with potentially limitless opportunities. This quarter we have seen a significant increase in the popularity of Twitch (the live streaming platform owned by Amazon) now watched by 9% of 16 to 18-year olds and entering our top

ten for the first time. As well as Twitch, more mainstream broadcasters such as BBC Three and Sky Sports are dedicating more screen time to cover eSports and properties (such as Formula 1) are investing heavily in their official eSports offering. It is predicted that eSports are could be a £1bn global industry by 2020, with an audience of 600 million – many of these teens. As eSports become more main stream and integrated into traditional sports, the opportunities for properties, broadcasters and the licensing industry will become even more exciting. For a free five day trial of the Kids Insights online portal, and for an example report, please email: hello@kidsinsights.co.uk

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By Lorie Raileanu Vistex

Having a Crystal Ball would be Wonderful But an accurate forecast would be more realistic! Who wouldn’t jump at the chance to truly see into the future? On a personal level, it would help with things like health, family, happiness and overall well-being. Professionally, it would lead us to make strategic decisions that could set us down a path towards tremendous career success and riches for ourselves, our companies, and our hard-working colleagues.

there is a way to lessen it by coming up with a solid plan, a collaborative approach developed in partnership

Unfortunately, a crystal ball is neither scientifically proven nor particularly reliable. A welldevised forecast, on the other hand, can be incredibly telling; especially since it can be based on readily available input like past sales results, planned expenses, and market trends. Forecasting has become the must-have tool people ask about when reviewing our software solutions. It’s simply the best method for minimizing risk while maximizing profit. Whether for licensors or licensees, the need remains the same: to forecast future sales based on current and past sales, taking into account advances, guarantees, estimated royalties, and other expenses. And, of course, they want to update and reforecast on a quarterly basis – as sales and market conditions shift – to help steer the boat in a profitable direction. There’s no way to eliminate risk, but

relationships between partners. A targeted forecast and plan is the best way to establish a roadmap for effective licensing growth, and also the metrics necessary to make sure the plan is on track. It allows all parties to negotiate and agree on an ideal sales strategy, and yields the needed breakdown of sales to ensure proper coverage across product lines, regions, and distribution channels. An ineffective forecast or a poorly managed plan, however, will compromise a brand’s integrity by misplacing it in the marketplace at the wrong time, at the wrong retailers, at the wrong price point.

between licensors and their licensees. Pulling from a number of trusted sources, a well thought out plan can turn into a realistic, living forecast, especially with the support of an underlying system filled with great data. Being able to analyze detailed data is critical to understanding the risks and rewards associated with bringing a product to market and forging strong

Predicting the future is impossible. But making well-informed decisions – based on experience and facts – can often give us a leg up on the competition and strengthen our relationships. Investing in tools that mine the vast databases of information companies already have will reveal new opportunities, measure brand performance more precisely, and provide a global perspective on where and how to invest in the future. About the Author: Lorie Raileanu is a Senior Account Executive at Vistex, providing cross platform, best-in-class rights and royalties solutions that support the media and entertainment, brand licensing and consumer products industries.

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Anti-Disneyland Takes On New Shanghai Disney Park

By Utku Tansel, Head of Licensing Euromonitor www.euromonitor.com

As explored in our global briefing of “Experiential Licensing: Consumer Fundamentals Falling into Place”, Disney Shanghai Theme Park in China has been one the world’s most anticipated attractions in recent years, which is also the new “Experiencing is everything” phenomenon fuelled by “The New Consumerism”. Today’s consumers are redefining their values and priorities, leading to the birth of a new consumerism while time has become a luxury in our connected world. The experience trend is impacting across many areas from travel, theme parks and live shows to sports and music. Theme parks themselves have become an increasingly important component of many brand licensing strategies in recent years, as licensors search for new and innovative ways to leverage their property, enhance brand awareness and connect with fans and followers. China’s booming middle class attracts new actors to town Disney’s Shanghai Park opened its doors on 16 June 2016 at a substan-

tial cost of US$5.5 billion, its greatest foreign investment to date targeting the country’s expanding urban middle class and their children. Disney is by far the world’s largest licensor, commanding a very extensive and unmatched portfolio of world-famous franchises. China’s theme park industry has grown much more quickly than that of most countries in recent times, and given the country’s size and population it is ripe for further growth. The Chinese spend only a fraction of their Western counterparts per person on theme parks annually. However, the market potential also comes with its own perhaps rather unique challenges. Just over two weeks before the opening of new Disney park a rival, Wanda City (also dubbed “Anti-Disneyland”), was opened in Nanchang (a city situated an 8-hour drive from Shanghai) by China’s richest man, Wang Jianlin. The new attraction features China’s tallest and longest rollercoasters. Mr Wang quite boldly declared war on Disney as he told China National Television:

“The days of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck creating a frenzy are over [...] One tiger is no match for a pack of wolves – Shanghai has one Disney, while Wanda, across the nation, will open 15 to 20 Wanda Cities.” This caused considerable controversy. It is entirely possible that some could potentially interpret the move as sheer hypocrisy, as many fake Disney characters from Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Snow White to Captain America and a Stormtrooper have all been spotted at the park. Disney is thought to be taking legal action. One of the unique selling points which local theme parks claim is their ability to cater for local culture and tastes. For example, Wanda City was opened with a ceremony of traditional dancing dragons and its shopping mall was designed to resemble a massive Chinese tea set. However, having copy Disney characters – in poorly designed costumes – to greet guests did little to help or support this argument at this latest local attraction. It could also be argued that controversy around the Disneyland franchise

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50k

Theme Park Sales World and China 2011 - 2020 RSP

40k 30k 20k 10k 0 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Forecast World China may sometimes surface from rather unlikely places such as the arts. With his Dismaland “bemusement park” pop-up exhibition in the UK, world renowned British graffiti artist and social activist Banksy had a quite sinister and satirical twist on Disneyland. Located in a derelict seaside swimming resort in Weston-super-Mare, it was opened to the public for five weeks from 21 August 2015. While Dismaland was branded and marketed as “The UK’s most disappointing new visitor attraction,” its motto certainly failed to deter the British public, with their unique sense of humour, making the show a total sell-out within minutes of ticket launches. Disney factor in China Disney has a real edge over local theme parks thanks to its global expertise and operations as well as perennial and vastly famous properties. While Shanghai Disney Resort’s ticket prices are double those of Wanda Park – a weekend day admission costs RMB499 (US$75.90) versus RMB248 (US$37.70) – it is argued that visitors would not be so deterred by high costs and willing to pay a premium to see and spend time with their favou-

rite characters. Putting aside a possible law suit that Disney would bring against Mr Wang for the infringement of copyrights, some believe that the industry could potentially benefit from new openings as supply would sooner or later create demand. The new growing army of white-collar workers in China would eventually – albeit slowly – catch up with their counterparts in developed markets as they adopt a similar approach of spending money at attractions. The number of people who visit theme parks in China is also projected to more than double over the next five years to reach 339 million by 2020 up from 150 million in 2015. Theme parks is projected to be most dynamic activity ahead of all other activities with a substantial 20.7% CAGR, which translates into US$7.2 billion in further sales over the 2015-2020 period. Yet it was reported that many of China’s existing theme parks are losing money due to poor management. Disney’s world-wide expert proficiency could theoretically bring and set the know-how. Both Disney and Wanda should also benefit from the government’s new initiatives to create more national holidays and high-speed

rail lines according to global travel company Thomas Cook. After all, in absolute terms, rail travel is forecast to be one of the most popular modes of transport, generating US$27.9 billion in additional sales over 2015-2020 in China. Currently, however, in more broad terms, Chinese consumers’ present attitude of not splashing out at theme parks is causing a struggle, leaving many attractions rather cash-strapped. Disney has the potential to change all that.

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Is Your Licensing Growth Strategy Better Than Harry Potter? By Natasha Carter, Vistex

I recently watched a webinar put on by the International Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association (LIMA) on Reframing the Ways Brands Grow, and it got me thinking. What is a brand? It’s not just a product or a service any more. It can be a TV series, a political party, even a celebrity. Basically, anything that is an entity in its own right. It’s something that is valued. But how do you add value to something that is already valued? By finding new ways to build engagement with consumers. The need for a brand to infiltrate a person’s life has never been greater. Smart brands realize they are more than a brand, that their brand is a story, and that stories are a way to integrate into people’s lives. Smarter brands are reinventing how and where they reach, not just who they reach. I’m not just talking about brand extension, but brand expansion and brand extrapolation. Take the Harry Potter franchise for example. They don’t just make movies; they make characters. J.K. Rowling and the folks over at Warner Bros. have built an all-encompassing experience around that story. They’ve realized people touch and consume the brand in so many more ways, versus the historic one dimension. Harry Potter, now isn’t just a mainstay in film, but in TV, theme parks, and consumer products. You want a

Harry Potter make-up brush? You got it.You want a Harry Potter toilet seat? There’s that too. People are having Harry Potter themed weddings and newborn baby photoshoots. It’s no longer a brand, but an integral part of people’s lives. This is a golden time for brand expansion. According to the Licensing University, “With an exploding international market, millennial shoppers opening their wallets at ever-increasing rates, and a digital landscape that allows for on-demand product fulfillment at lightning speed, there have never been more opportunities to achieve success in licensing.” It’s a new era in licensing, and the future of the industry will be determined by the speed at which brand owners, retailers, and licensees fulfill rapidly changing consumer demands. Perhaps it’s time to ask…is your licensing strategy getting as much attention as it should? In low growth environments, can you rely solely on organic growth? Probably not. Are you able to hit your targets within your current structure or do you need to reorganize and reevaluate your growth strategy? However, an updated approach alone won’t guarantee you financial success. If you are going to take market value to a new and exciting place, make sure you have the necessary backend applications and tools to get you there. Oliver Herzfeld, the Chief Legal Officer at Beanstalk had some great advice in his article, How to Establish a World-Class Corporate Brand Licensing Program, on what you’ll need. Have resources “dedicated to licensing sales, licensee and retailer management, legal, finance, contract administration, royalty collections, product approvals and audits…develop and implement the necessary systems and tools which are critical to licensing program success, such as a brand asset library, style guide, licensee proposal form, deal term sheet, standard form license

agreement, contract administration system and online product approval tracking portal...” It is indeed a new era. Consumers aren’t just expecting for a brand to infiltrate their world; they are actively seeking it out. If you want to be successful, you have to reframe how you grow. If you are ready to take your brand somewhere new, start by thinking more of growth through value. Make sure your brand licensing strategy is an indispensable story woven into the lives of consumers, and that you have the systems in place to support those goals. About the Author: Natasha Carter is the Global Marketing Manager at Vistex. Vistex’s robust licensing solution will manage licensing workflow, including sales, acquisitions, contract management, product approvals/ guidelines, rights and royalties. License Maestro, the flagship enterprise application allows clients to make strategic portfolio decisions by tracking their agreements, exploiting/monetizing rights efficiently, and minimizing risks to their brands, while the automated processes reduce risk, time, and effort to ensure all monies owed from licensees or agencies are accurately reported.

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CHINA LICENSING EXPO BOOSTS LICENSING INDUSTRY IN CHINA By Alice Yang Licensing Project Manager China Toy & Juvenile Products Assocation alice_yang@tjpa-china.org

The eleventh edition of the China Licensing Expo (CLE) was held in Shanghai from October 18th to 20th. China Licensing Expo is the largest licensing event in Asia, and is widely recognized as the most effective channel in terms of understanding the licensing market, promoting brands, and expanding the licensing business in China and Asia. The Expo was organized by the China Toy & Juvenile Products Association (CTJPA), with the collaboration of the International Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association (LIMA). For over a decade now, China Licensing Expo has witnessed the development of the licensing industry in China. “This year, the exhibition space of CLE expanded by 35 percent, reaching 23,000 sqm, with 223 exhibitors presenting over 1,000 brands of which international brands occupy over 80 percent.These include top-notch global licensors with fresh properties. Licensing giants including Universal, Hasbro and Mattel have been participating in the Expo for years,” explained May Liang, president of CTJPA. According to data from CTJPA, 53,264 professionals attended CLE 2017, which was a record again in its his-

tory. China Licensing Expo was held concurrently with the China Toy Expo, China Kids Expo and China Preschool Expo. “The four expos together hosted 2,023 exhibitors over 180,000 sqm, which was also a record,” May added. And this year, more and more records were broken. Many new things happened at last year’s expo that are worth highlighting: New exhibitors. This year’s CLE boasted 40 percent new exhibitors, including licensing giants like Turner, Sanrio, Line Friends, Ubisoft, and Huayi Brothers. After over a decade of development, more and more companies are realizing the importance of licensing, as well as the potential of the Chinese licensing market. China Licensing Expo serves as the ideal option and channel when exploring the licensing business in the market. Kenneth Lau from Huayi Brothers, a top tier film com-

pany in China and a new exhibitor to CLE reported that the company received hundreds of meetings and about 5,000 visitors to their booth. “It’s a milestone for us, and for the whole entertainment industry in China too,” commented Lau. More pavilions There were 7 pavilions at CLE this October, including a China Museum Pavilion as well as territory pavilions from Japan, Korea, New Zealand, and Chinese Taipei. Among them, the Japanese Pavilion organized by CBLA and JETRO and the New Zealand Pavilion led by its Embassy to China made their debuts at CLE this year. Broader property categories Besides the traditional selection of animation characters as licenses, CLE this year expanded to cover wider property categories, including movies, live show programs, museums and arts. Different activities. The largest-ever number of on-site activities were held during the Expo. China Museum Licensing Forum was the first forum in China focused on the topic of licensing for museums.The eighth session of the China Licensing

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Summit further discussed the changing era in the Chinese licensing industry. At the Summit, LIMA and companies like Disney,Turner, LMCA, Sesame Street, PPW and Lawson shared their stories about this dynamic industry. The China Licensing Professional Academy provided an entire day’s training aimed at educating licensors, licensees, and retailers. And at the CLE Night, the award of CLE Most Popular IPs, Rising Star IPs, Best Licensees, Best Retailers, and Best Licensed Products were presented. New milestones At the CLE, the CTJPA Brand Licensing Council hosted its first membership conference, which meant the first ever professional organization in the licensing industry has set up officially in China. Meanwhile, the China Licensing Federation (CLF) initiated by Chinese industry associations, covering toys, juvenile products, stationery, electronics, housewears etc. was launched. It was a first for the Chinese licensing industry, and is supported by Chinese associations in different fields and the government (MIIT). The Chinese licensing market is gaining more and more attention from foreign properties. “The Licensing business in China is expanding rapidly with huge potential. In 2016 China ranked the fifth largest licensing market in the world, with a market size of USD8.1 billion and a year-on-year increase of 6.4 percent.” said Charles Riotto, President of LIMA at the 8th session of China Licensing Summit

during the Expo. “With the rapid acceptance of licensing as a strong, new business model in China during the past years, we’re very pleased to have the opportunity to

participate in CLE 2017. We hope to meet new potential licensing partners for our clients as we all seek to grow the licensing industry in China,” said George E. Williams, Managing Director of LMCA. And LMCA was echoed by Line Friends, a famous Korean social media outlet. “We started our licensing business in China less than 2 years ago. However, we have already found that the Chinese market is dynamic. It is growing

very fast and changing frequently,” explained Cheng Minwei, Head of Licensing and Marketing for Line Friends. “We know that the China Licensing Expo is the largest professional licensing show in China, hosting hundreds of exhibitors and many attendees. So, for us it was the primary option that we could consider for exploring licensing business opportunities here.” added Cheng. It was the first time that Japan exhibited as a country pavilion in mainland China in terms of licensing. Andy Toyoma, Director of CBLA, mentioned they recognized that visitors and enquiries from the Chinese market kept growing. “JETRO and CBLA sent a delegation to CLE 2016 to find highly qualified exhibitors and active business matching, and immediately decided to join it for 2017 as a Japa-

nese Pavilion. It was a very impressive market and we found the professional service from the Expo was excellent.” Toyoma explained.

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Creating Gender Neutral Clothing for Children It’s more nuanced than you may think - it’s not just about changing the labels As brands start to react to the growing demands for gender neutral clothing for children, it’s becoming clear that there is so much more to creating successful gender neutral ranges than just changing the label. Gurdev Mattu, Managing Director, Fashion UK, discusses how retailers can conquer this new retail model. Retailers are clearly beginning to consider gender neutral clothing, not only for adults but increasingly for children. But there is so much more to gender neutral clothing than changing the label. As Fashion UK’s experience with gender neutral brands the Science Museum and the Natural History Museum reveals, from alternative colour palettes and garment fit, to encouraging retailers buy and merchandise, including suggestions on store layout, successful creation of gender neutral clothing demands new thinking at every level. Gender neutral clothing is clearly becoming both more talked about and more commercial. From Selfridges to John Lewis and Zara, leading retailers are gaining headlines with what can only be termed trials of gender neutral clothing. For most, the focus is on adult clothing, but John Lewis has recently embraced the concept, to a degree, in its childrenswear, launching

what it calls gender neutral clothes under the ‘boy & girl’ and ‘girl & boy’ labels. For those brands that have been pushing the gender neutral approach for some time it is important to recognise that there is a lot more to creating successful gender neutral ranges than just changing labels. And, for that matter, why not just put ‘kids’ on the label as a growing number of retailers choose to do?

Gender Specific Retail Model The current reality for those brands that are gender neutral is that retailers – even those that have moved to a ‘kids’ label – are still organised along traditional gender lines. From product buyers to store layout, products are often allocated to a specific gender, even if they have been designed to be genderless. From assumptions about products with a slimline fit being automatically designed for girls to the

decision to put anything with a space ship on the boys side of the store, a genderless product can find itself marketed as a gender specific if the retailer doesn’t have a gender neutral model in place. Indeed, a retail buyer will often specifically demand a certain brand or image in a colourway that fits traditional gender stereotypes – resulting in designers being caught up in essentially irrelevant debates about avoiding ‘girly’ pink or too many dark colours that may be deemed to appeal to boys; or being compelled to provide shapeless garments to avoid stereotyping. Irrelevant debates? Well most certainly to the children who are far less gender aware than any previous generation – it is their parents and grandparents who are still demanding the pink dress with butterflies for the girls and navy trousers with a dinosaur motif for the boys. The kids are just looking for a favourite character – from batman to peppa pig; that is the driving force. And this is the key message for any business exploring the gender neutral market: don’t lose your brand values and brand message in the process. To be successful, organisations need to think more clearly about the brand image and consider innovative clothing for boys, girls and genderless that reflect and engage. Genderless should not become style-less.

Conclusion Demand for genderless clothes will grow, especially as millennials become parents, according to the latest research. In the meantime, brands, designers and retailers alike can use this time to address the challenges associated with a gender neutral marketplace – from changing the retail structures, including store layout, to considering issues of fit, colour and styling - to ensure how best to deliver a gender neutral product that children want to wear.

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The Driving Force Behind Federation Kids & Family With new seasons being commissioned for tween drama Find Me In Paris and preschool hit The Ollie & Moon Show – and maverick deals with PlanetaJunior, CPLG, Universal Music, Uyoung China, Francetv Distribution, and even the National Opera of Paris - Federation Kids & Family is rapidly becoming a singular and canny force in the world of kids content. So who exactly is this growing company? Total Licensing sits down with David Michel, Managing Director of Federation Kids & Family, and President of its kids production arm (and creative force) Cottonwood Media, to find out. Could you please give us a background on Federation Kids & Family In 2014 I co-founded Cottonwood Media with my partners Zoé Z. Carrera & Cécile Lauritano, to produce original, high-quality kids shows for international audiences. In 2015, we partnered with Federation Entertainment – a global media group specializing in premium content (such as Marseille, Netflix’ first French series) - to create Federation Kids & Family, a distribution arm that sells Cottonwood’s creations and third party shows. So in simple terms: Cottonwood Media produces great kids shows, and Federation Kids & Family exploits all their rights, from TV and SVOD, to licensing, toys and music. Tell us about your top properties We have a very good variety of shows, with different genres and styles, but they all have a high production value, the best talent available and a new take

on each genre. The Ollie & Moon Show is based on the fabulous books by Diane Kredensor starring two adventurous, globetrotting cats. It has a different looking style that mixes 2D animation with live action. It has sold in over 160 countries and we’ve just started on Season 2, and also received the prestigious Common Sense Media Seal. Find Me In Paris is a 12 million Euro live-action tween drama starring a time-traveling ballerina co-produced with ZDF, ZDF Enterprises and the National Opera of Paris. A Season 2 is now in production thanks to commitment from top broadcasters like HULU and Universal Kids (US), Disney (France, Italy) and France. The show is winning over audiences with world-class dancing, very high production values and on-location filming at the National Opera and the city of Paris. None of this really exists in the tween series today, which are normally filmed in studios. Sqush is a totally one-of-a-kind animated comedy about an amoeba (nope, there is no other!), based on the NYT bestselling books by Jennifer and Matthew Holms. And finally, there’s the musicbased Love, Divina, another live-action teen series featuring pop icon Laura Esquivel, co-produced with Televisa and Pol-ka Producciones. Can you highlight your recent strategic deals and new partnerships? One of our most exciting collaborations is on Find Me In Paris, with the National Opera of Paris. As a co-producer of

the show, the Opera House is providing the backdrop to many of the scenes, and is actively involved in the choreography of the dance scenes. They have even provided access to historic costumes from their collection. All of this makes for gorgeous and original avenues for licensing – which France TV Distribution will be showcasing at Kazachok. Why the focus on Teen Drama and how does licensing approach differ for this genre? What is the key to your success in this genre? Thanks to the many dedicated and super-talented members of our company and production teams, especially my partners Zoé Carrera and Cecile Lauritano, we have a slate of really great shows that are very well received – and of which we can be very proud!

TOTAL LICENSING By Debbie Dunn, GennComm LLC

Debbie Dunn is an account executive at GennComm, LLC which is a communication, strategy and connections agency focused on toys, kids entertainment, licensing and consumers products.

Gen Z - The Mobile Global Bunch Marketers and Manufacturers Coming to Terms in Selling Successfully to this Soon-To-Be Buying Powerhouse Clicking, tapping and swiping are second nature to almost everyone under the age of 30. Known better as Millennials, this demographic is comfortable with technology and uses it to make their lives easier. They also have purchasing power and viewing preferences; with many paying for streaming services like Netflix and HULU vs.

traditional and cable television. For them, Prime Time is anytime. Influencing A Generation While Millennials are comfortable with technology, Generation Z (those born between 1997-2015), have technology ingrained in their DNA. According to Nielsen, 97% of Gen Z,

own a smartphone, with 14% on them for 12+ hours per day. And to this “Selfie Generation” a phone is not just a phone, but a portal to their entire world. Many receiving their own mobile devices in grade school while aged in the single digits. Millennials are on Netflix, Gen Z prefers to watch YouTube, averaging 2-4 hours per day on the channel. 71% of Gen Z are watching videos via their mobile devices. They are much more swayed by “influencers” than traditional celebrities or product spokespeople. They also like to play games on their phones and send emojis/ stickers a great deal. This is all good news for app companies and Internetbased content providers. It Starts With A Good Story Naz Amarchi-Cuevas, head of licensing for SYBO Games says that the number of eyeballs are important AND so is the quality of their interest with this generation. “Authenticity is key, it drives credibility. Considering the latest generation has a reported 8-second attention span, you’ve got to provide them with relevant and quite frankly, interesting and clever content quickly and often.”

TOTAL LICENSING own YouTube channels and online personas as early as age 5-6,” says Padawer. “They are taking coding classes because they know it will benefit their futures and they value the process of creation,” he adds.

Naz and the team at Danish mobile games developer SYBO Games, makers of the smash hit Subway Surfers have enjoyed organic growth year-onyear since 2012. Their Gen Zers are ready to welcome a new lifestyle consumer products line to the mix. With an animated show based on the Subway Surfers brand also launching in 2018, Ms. Amarchi-Cuevas obviously practices what she preaches. Widely known for her work with Rovio’s Angry Birds consumer products program, EnTech darling Amarchi-Cuevas knows from experience that a fully-fledged successful brand can be built starting from a simple mobile app. “Since Gen Z lives here, it’s smart to start here,” she adds. “But it’s equally important to tailor your offering - mobile gamers and tech savvy audiences have specialized tastes, the science of entertainment consumption is compelling to us at SYBO.” Finding a sweet spot in which you create something attractive AND useful to Gen Z; creating well thought-out, quality products still is, and always has been, the key to success. Gaming/ consumer products companies alike need to be in it for the long haul. Build something great, know where your audience will find it, and you’ll have fans for life. Authenticity is Key “Just because practically everyone is creating content these days, doesn’t mean every brand should. A quest

for authenticity connects both Gen Z and Millennials, and if it feels forced, brand owners should steer clear,” states Genna Rosenberg, CEO of GennComm, LLC. “But for the right brands, content could be the incredible connection to really help grow brands and further connect fans with the characters and consumer products in impactful ways.” Traditional Meets Digital Jeremy Padawer, co-president of Wicked Cool Toys agrees that there is huge growth opportunity for brands and technology products pushing into this new demo. And that today’s generation sees technology very differently than ones before. “This generation sees technology as vital to their futures, with many kids planning their

“We are updating classic brands with traditional play patterns for today’s generation,” states Padawer. “With a few innovations, brands like Cabbage Patch Kids and Teddy Ruxpin are as relevant to today’s kids as when they were originally introduced over 30 years ago. But the first thing we always think of when adding technology to our products is if it is a natural fit. Today’s youth can really sniff out inauthentic products.” Research shows that today’s youth are the most racially diverse generation yet, who sees the day that they got their first smartphone nearly as significant as graduating high school or getting a driver’s license. Makes sense since they were handed phones (pacifiers) by the parents practically since birth. Over 50% of teens today have also reported making purchases on their phones. Common Sense Media reports that teens today are spending a full nine hours a day consuming media. So even though there are so many of us competing for their attention, research shows that there’s much hope in reaching this savvy demo.

Naz Amarchi-Cuevas

Legally Speaking

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BATTERSBY’S RULES ON LICENSING... Revisited

Basics of Licensing series

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There has perhaps never been a more exciting time than now for those involved with the business of licensing intellectual property rights. Even in a soft economy, people everywhere continue to embrace forms of OF entertainment across every BASICS$IN G LICEN genre and to identify strongly with the branded products that express their lifestyles. Moreover, with new digital technologies making it possible to reach a consumer base that seemingly grows by the day, the overall profit generating potential of brand-extension and merchandising activity remains anyone’s guess. According to one industry survey, last year alone, sales of licensed products in the U.S. and Canada topped $109 billion. For the entrepreneur seeking to take advantage of this lucrative marketplace, however, navigating its ever-evolving landscape absolutely requires a sound grasp of the business and legal principles that are the bedrock of every successful licensing program; hence, the Basics of Licensing book series. The series began with the original Basics of Licensing (revised and updated), was followed by the sequel Basics of Licensing: Licensee Edition and continued with the Basics of Licensing: International Edition. Each book has been developed in cooperation and with full endorsement from the International Licensing Industry Merchandiser’s Association (LIMA). To order copies, www.basicsoflicensing.com

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By: Gregory J. Battersby and Edmund J. Ferdinand About a decade ago, I created and published what I called “Battersby’s Rule on Licensing.” A lot has happened since then, so I thought it time to update and revised these rule, to wit: 1. When You Sleep with Dogs, You Get Fleas. This continues to remain my number 1 rule it’s all about the partners you choose. Licensors who simply look for the best financial deal and ignore the reputation or track record of the licensee are looking for problems. The history of the licensee is paramount. The adage, “Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it” applies. 2. Everybody Cheats….At Least A Little.” I can guarantee that the CFO’s of the licensor and licensee will read the definition of Net Sales differently and that different reading can result in significant differences in payments. Licensors should audit licensees early. In other words, “Trust, But Verify. 3. There are No Partnerships in Licensing. Licensing executives frequently describe the relationship between licensor/licensee relationship as partnership but the only time you will ever see that word in a license agreement is the statement that says, “this is not a ‘partnership.’” Licensors are not looking for partners. 4. Every License Agreement is Negotiable. Licensors frequently say that their agreement is not negotiable, but they don’t mean it. If you have a strong program, solid financials and offer enough by way of royalties and guarantees, licensors will quickly agree to negotiate their boilerplate. License agreements are ALWAYS negotiable. 5. When Someone Says, ‘Trust Me,’ Grab your Wallet. Never trust any representation made by a licensor unless it’s written into the agreement.

When the studio licensing director tells you to “trust” him that there will be a motion picture in 2 years for the property, beware……particularly when he says that his lawyers won’t let him put it in the agreement. Intent doesn’t count. 6. Licensing is the Last Bastion of Hucksterism. Every licensing executive postures. If something sounds too good to be true, it usually is. The line, “In all my years in licensing, no one has ever……” means “not this past week, anyway.” Do your due diligence and avoid surprises. 7. It’s All About the Guarantees. Licensing executives frequently negotiate hard over the royalty rates. While important, it’s the guarantees that can drive a licensee into bankruptcy, particularly if sales don’t materialize as expected. High guarantees can increase the effective royalty rate three or four-fold in a recession. 8. Don’t Dive for the Last Nickel. More good deals are lost because one side gets greedy. The best deal is the one where neither side walks away totally happy. Leave something on the table and let your adversary believe that they won something—it will help you in your next negotiation with them. 9. Make Sure You’ve Got the Right Party on the Agreement. We live in the day of overnight formation of corporate entities. Make sure that the party granting the license owns the IP and that the licensee has more than 25 cents in its account. 10. Don’t Over-lawyer the Agreement. License agreements should be reviewed by experienced licensing counsel. That said, too many lawyers get hung up on changing the “therefores” which drive opposing counsel crazy and add little value to the transaction. Licensors typically are resistant to making wholesale changes to their “standard” license agreement.

TOTAL LICENSING By Martin Brochstein SVP Industry Relations and Information International Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association www.licensing.org

INDUSTRY HITS NEW YEAR ON OPTIMISTIC NOTE... BUT RECOGNISES CHALLENGES As the calendar has flipped its pages into 2018, licensing executives remain an optimistic lot, though with a firm grasp of some of the big issues facing their companies and the business as a whole in the coming months. They’re coming into the year with generally good feelings. Among early respondents to LIMA’s annual end-ofyear Licensing Industry Outlook Survey Survey of licensing professionals, two thirds reported increases in their licensing business in 2017, including 41 percent reporting increases of 7 percent or more. And they mostly expect the good times to keep rolling. Almost the exact same percentage (65 percent) expect increases in 2018, with more than a quarter of them (27 percent) forecasting gains of seven percent or more in their licensing business. This survey is only one of the research projects that LIMA produces each year, free for members. There’s our Annual Global Licensing Survey – a detailed look at the how the business breaks down both regionally and in the top 50 countries around the world. LIMA also offers members free access to custom twice-a-year reports from Kidz Global on kids’ perceptions of their favorite characters, entertainment vehicles and licensed brands in more than 40 countries.We’ll be adding other research in the coming months. So what’s feeding the good feeling with which the executives are entering the new year? A few themes come to the fore, many of them were related to ascendant technologies and digital entertainment platforms. Several entertainment-oriented licensees and licensors cite positive licensing signs from the OTT market. There

was “some success with new licensing programs being launched off digital channels such as YouTube and Netflix,” wrote one licensor. A sports licensor points to the “rise of eSports.” And, of course, digital merchandise distribution platforms are changing. One U.S.based agent points optimistically to “excitement and energy coming from online/on-demand retailers.”

“The centralization of all major brands in only one player makes it even tougher to get to the consumer.”

But even as optimism reigns in many corners, there’s acknowledgement of the challenges that lie ahead. Not surprisingly, the word “consolidation” pops up frequently in the responses – particularly since the survey was conducted just as Disney’s prospective purchase of a large chunk of 21st Century Fox was announced. “The centralization of all major brands in only one player makes it even tougher to get to the consumer,” hyperbolizes an agent in Mexico. It’s not just Disney. Writes a marketer for a UK firm of major challenges facing the licensing business in the next two years: “Outcomes with the merger of Disney and Fox, and potential others such as Hasbro and Mattel is going to be a big one.”

But the challenges go far beyond big business combinations. There also are the effects of other commercial and societal forces. A U.S. sports licensor points to the challenge of “establishing relevancy and lasting connection with younger demos that are reluctant to make long-term commitments, and tend to have fleeting engagements with brands.” Similarly, an art licensor points to macro forces. The industry, writes this executive, needs to confront “major brand fatigue, and [to continue] to figure out what ‘the new normal’ is for the retail industry. We are in an era of a new shopping pattern being established and, as licensors, the challenge is to stay open-minded to new ways of doing business.” Writes a U.S. agent about issues confronting retailers, but ultimately everyone in the supply chain: “In general, brick-and-mortar [retailers] are struggling to increase in-store shopper traffic and gain a greater share of consumer spending dollars. More shoppers are spending dollars online or not shopping as much as they used to. Millennials [are] looking for immersive experiences and not so driven by acquiring more possessions. So, the traditional licensing opportunities and deals are more difficult to close. It is much more difficult to get healthy advances and minimum guarantees, if at all. Consequently, cash flow for licensors is an issue.” In the end, writes one philosophical licensing agent, “It’s still a competitive slog for retail attention. But that’s how it always has been and always will be.”

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British Toy & Hobby Fair Nuremberg Toy Fair Spring Fair Kidscreen Summit Magic American International Toy Fair Licensing World Russia Australian Toy Fair Bologna Licensing Trade Fair Kazachok MIP.TV London Book Fair Brand & Lifestyle Licensing Awards Surtex Licensing Expo New York Rights Fair

Jan 23 - 25 Jan 31 - Feb 4 Feb 4 - 8 Feb 12 - 15 Feb 12 - 14 Feb 17 - 20 Feb 27 - March 1 March 4 - 7 March 26 - 28 April 4 - 5 April 9 - 12 April 10 - 12 April 26 May 20 - 22 May 22 - 24 May 30 - June 1

www.toyfair.co.uk www.toyfair.de www.springfair.com www.kidscreen.com www.magiconline.com www.toyfairny.com www.licensingworld.ru www.toyfair.com.au www.bolognalicensing.com www.kazachok.com www.miptv.com www.londonbookfair.co.uk www.brandlicensingawards.co.uk www.surtex.com www.licensingexpo.com www.newyorkrightsfair.com

Next Issue alert...

The Spring issue of Total Licensing will be published in March. Key features include: Publishing • Book Fair Previews • MIP-TV Preview • Licensed Animation • Live Events • Licensing in France and Italy Total Licensing Australia (supplement). Bonus distribution: Bologna Licensing Trade Fair, Kazachok, MIPTV, London Book Fair, Melbourne Toy Fair (Total Licensing Australia). Editorial Deadline: 22 February 2018 • Ad Material deadline: 25 February 2018

4K Media ........................................................................... 13

Mondo TV.......................................................................... 11

Australian Toy, Hobby and Licensing Fair.................... 89 Bologna Licensing Fair..................................................... 83 Bulldog...................................................................................7 China Licensing Expo...................................................... 77 Day of Licensing............................................................... 45 Dracco...................................................................................5 Ink ALC............................................................................... 17 Kazachok........................................................................... 81 Kidscreen.................................................................... 56, 57 Licensing Japan.................................................................. 21 Licensing World Russia.................................................. 41 LIMA .....................................................................................2 MIP TV................................................................................ 73

Nordic Licensing.............................................................. 31 NY Rights Fair.................................................................. 63 Pokemon............................................................................ 27 ProSiebenSat 1.....................................................................1 Rovio................................................................................... 25 Sega..................................................................................... 29 Spacetoon.............................................................................9 Toei...................................................................................... 92 Toy Fair............................................................................... 87 WeKids..................................................................................3 Xilam................................................................................... 15 This list was correct at time of going to press