Rocket Reps Reservoir Dogs, Adds First Hornby Licensees

Rocket Licensing has been appointed by Lionsgate U.K. as European licensing agent for Reservoir Dogs, the 1992 thriller about a heist gone wrong, from director Quentin Tarantino. Meanwhile, the agent has announced the first line-up of licensees for Hornby's hobby brands.

Rocket has started pitching to prospective licensees for Reservoir Dogs in apparel, gift and dress-up categories with an initial market focus on men ages 18 and up buying at record retailers, specialist outlets and online. The imagery and style associated with the film are highly distinctive, helping to maintain strong brand recognition for the last 20 years. This, together with the quantity of unofficial merchandise in the market, led rights owner Lionsgate U.K. to appoint Rocket Licensing to take Reservoir Dogs into licensing and retail. Lionsgate U.K. has developed a comprehensive style guide, highlighting the characters, images and phrases made famous by the film.

In other Rocket news, the agent has signed a number first-time licensees for Hornby hobby brands Airfix, Scalexrtic, Corgi and Hornby. The agent recently launched a two-pronged licensing campaign for adults and children.

Greencore Cakes & Desserts is rolling out a Scalextric cake for Marks & Spencer this month, with an alternative design due to hit other retailers in the new year. And TVMania will develop Airfix boys' apparel for launch in key retailers, beginning in early 2011.

"Inspired by Airfix's stylistic and very adventurous creative material, TVMania U.K. is introducing a wide range of boys' apparel," says Dan Wilkins, managing director at TVMania U.K. "Zak U.K. is planning boys' Scalextric lunch kits and melamine dinnerware, including sports bottles and lunch bags, for retail in 2011. Scalextric is also going into the children's rides business with Kiddy Rides."

For older home gaming fans, Veemee is developing Scalextric-branded mini-games as digital downloadable content for virtual worlds and handheld devices across all European Union markets. Wild & Wolf will take Airfix, Hornby and Scalextric into the adult gift arena and Portico Designs will offer greetings cards for all ages and across all four brands.

"We have worked hard to take these brands into the licensing arena for the first time," says Rob Watson, licensing director of Hornby Hobbies. "It's been important to find licensees who can develop well-designed products suited to the very different boys' and adult markets and who understand and love these iconic brands. We think these first licensees for the Airfix, Corgi, Hornby and Scalextric brands have perfectly caught the combination of contemporary style, excitement, classic appeal and good old-fashioned fun that underpins these brands."