Steve Madden Dresses Up
Shoe designer Steven Madden Ltd., inked alicense agreement giving Jump Apparel Group exclusive rights to design,manufacture, and distribute dresses under the Steve Madden and Steven by SteveMadden brands. Dresses will begin shipping to retailers in the spring.
Multi-Partner Co-Development Venture
Nelvana and Spin Master Toys–along with Japanese partners Sega Toys, TMSEntertainment, and Japan Vistec–are joining forces on the co-development of ananimated series, consumer products program, and joint production committee. Thefirst project will be Bakugan, a boys' action franchise targeting ages 8 to 12.Bakugan is an animated series and action game featuring cards and marble-likeballs that transform into multiple collectible characters. Additional plansinclude an immersive Website, merchandising, and retail events. Sega Toys andSpin Master will jointly develop Bakugan's original characters; Japaneseproduction company TMS Entertainment (part of the Sega Sammy Group) willproduce the animated series in cooperation with Japan Vistec. Nelvana willmanage broadcast sales and related copyrights globally, with TMS performingthis role in Asia. Nelvana will cover Australia and New Zealand. Sega Toys willhandle the toy and related peripheral businesses in Japan and Asia, with SpinMaster taking on North America and Europe.
New Food Items Organic to Sesame Workshop's Strategy
Earth's Best will help Sesame Workshop extend its Healthy Habits for Lifeinitiative with a line of four all-natural frozen foods for young children. Theline of whole grain mini-cheese pizzas, organic whole grain mini-waffles,organic whole grain mini-blueberry waffles, and all-natural mini-cheeseraviolis arrives on shelves at natural foods stores and supermarkets. Earth'sBest also extends its Sesame Street toddler offerings with organic alphabetpasta and Very Vanilla Organic Letter of the Day Cookies in grab-and-go 1-ouncebags. Both lines hit shelves in January 2007. The Workshop also partnered withCalifornia Giant Berry Farms to help educate children about the benefits ofstrawberries. In spring 2007, a variety of on-pack labels and educational, funin-store POS from California Giant will feature the Sesame Street characters.Partnered consumer activities and customized programs with key retail partnersalso are being developed.
Fox TV Series Inspires Art Exhibit
Family Guy is the inspiration for an art exhibit at The Museum of Television& Radio in Beverly Hills that runs from November 8 through January 21,2007. The exhibit is called "What The Deuce Are You Staring At!?! A Collectionof Interpretive Work Inspired by Family Guy." Presented by 20th Century FoxTelevision Licensing & Merchandising, the exhibit is the first PopSurrealist exhibition of new works inspired by a TV series. A tour of animationgalleries both in the U.S. and around the world will follow the Beverly Hillsexhibit. The tour includes the Animation Connection in Toronto; The Linda JonesGallery in Santa Fe, NM; The Animation Art Gallery in London; The Silver KGallery in Melbourne, Australia; and Van Eaton Gallery in Los Angeles, CA.
Nike Celebrates Basketball Legacy with Collection
Black Fives, Inc., which promotes the early history of African-Americans inbasketball, granted a multi-year trademark license to Nike, Inc., for a linecelebrating the all-Black
basketball teams that played during the Black Fives Era, the period prior tothe racial integration of the sport in the late-1940s. The Legacy ofInspiration Collection by Nike features premium retro sneakers and apparel, as wellas caps, T-shirts, rugby shirts, sweats, jackets, and footwear. The collection(suggested retails, $25 to $139) just hit shelves at Niketown, NIKE.com, andBLACKFIVES.com. Footaction will feature head-to-toe assortments and extensivein-store merchandising at its Seventh Avenue flagship store in Manhattan andits other key locations. Nike will unveil additional team footwear and apparelin 2007.
Music Sets the Tone for New Cartoon Network Series
Cartoon Network will premiere its latest show, Class of 3000, November 3 at 8p.m. The series is about an international music star, Sunny Bridges, who givesup everything to teach a group of gifted musical prodigies in Atlanta. The showwill feature a new song every week from co-creator Andre "3000" Benjamin withinthe context of a music video. Benjamin also will lend his voice to the leadcharacter. Cartoon Network Studios is producing the show in association withco-creator Tom Lynch Co. and Benjamin's production company, Moxie.
WBCP Fetches Partner for Scooby-Doo
Warner Bros. Consumer Products appointed Thinkway Toys master toy licensee forScooby-Doo, marking the first preschool line for the franchise. Thinkway Toyswill create Scooby-Doo action figures featuring five different themed versionsof Scooby and Shaggy and a new version of their infamous vehicle, The MysteryMachine, which opens up to reveal a projectile launcher on the van bed. Theline also will include plush figures of all characters and talking themed plushfigures of Scooby and Shaggy. Additional toys include a remote-controlledskateboarding Scooby, mini-wacky vehicles, a camera showing colorful Scooby-Dooscenes with talking sound effects, and a flip cell phone with Scooby-Doo voiceand sound effects.
BBC Goes Underground with Toy Partner
BBC Worldwide appointed Underground Toys Ltd. the North American manufacturerand distributor for Doctor Who toys and collectibles, including the figure linefrom the UK's Character Options Group. Most Management brokered the deal.Initial products will begin shipping in time for the holidays, with a fullrollout due for Toy Fair in February 2007.
In other news, Alliance Atlantis International Content Distribution appointedBBC Worldwide the UK DVD licensee for preschool stop-motion animated propertyLunar Jim.
SBG/b EQUAL to Support Shrek
SBG/b EQUAL will create a series of DVD games based on Shrek the Third via adeal with DreamWorks Animation SKG. The company will release the TV DVD gamestimed with the theatrical release.
Aerosoles Expands Presence in Slipper Category
Aerosoles partnered with Wiesner Products Inc. on a line of women's slippersunder brand names Aerology, A2, What's What, Sole A, Twist and Shout, andFlexation.
Applejack Art Partners Deepens Archives with Deal
Applejack Art Partners, Inc., recently formed an alliance with UK illustrationcompany Advocate, becoming the exclusive agent for Advocate's collection in theU.S. The deal will expand Applejack's art archive to more than 100,000 images.
His Dark Materials Heads to Video Games
Sega of America Inc. and Sega Europe Ltd. will create video games based on theHis Dark Materials trilogy as part of a deal with New Line Cinema andScholastic Media. The trilogy comprises The Golden Compass (Northern Lights inthe UK), The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass. Scholastic publishes the HisDark Materials trilogy in the UK. The first film, The Golden Compass, will beproduced by New Line Cinema and Scholastic Media and will be in theatersNovember 2007. Scholastic Media also is serving as the licensing agent for thisproperty.
New Deals on the Table for Happy House
Bradford Licensing Associates hammered out two new deals for youth lifestylebrand Happy House. Productos Torre will create notebooks to be sold in Chile in2007 with plans to expand into a broad range of stationery and back-to-schoolitems. Toy Century will come to market with dolls, photo frames, jewelry andmusic boxes, and playsets featuring an assortment of Happy House characters.Merchandise will be distributed throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Brazil,Argentina, Chile, Guatemala, and Costa Rica in May 2007.
Studio Brings Property to European Union
judith jane studio, llc, inked a two-year deal with Latitude Licensing torepresent Wilkey P. McNee and The Adventures of Wilkey P. McNee throughout theEuropean Union. Latitude Licensing will create a program that initially willfocus on apparel, toys, and food and beverages in the UK and throughout Europe.
Freeze Inks Cool Deal with Burger King
Burger King Corporation chose Freeze (a division of Central Mills, Inc.) as itslicensee for T-shirts and junior fashion tops. The Broad Street Licensing Groupbrokered the deal.
Casual Games Come to the Friendly Skies
Electronic Arts and DTI Software signed a global partnership that will bringThe Sims 2, Poppit!, Word Whomp, Phlinx, Tri-Peaks Solitaire, Harvest Mania,Tumble Bees, Great Escapes Solitaire, and Turbo 21 from Pogo.com to airlinesworldwide. Pogo.com is a casual games destination with more than 15 millionmonthly players, including 1.3 million paying subscribers.
Execs on the Move
The Brainy Baby Company promoted Jeffrey Quinn to executive vice president,sales & licensing. Star Farm Productions appointed Susanna Pollack seniorvice president of global TV sales and licensing. Wild Planet hired DrewStevenson as senior vice president of worldwide sales, and promoted KristieRaycroft to national sales manager.
Submit Licenses Granted & Available Now Online
The LICENSE Finder allows you to submit licenses granted and available nowonline, which will be published on the LICENSE Website (http://www.licensemag.com/) on a weeklybasis once approved by an editor. Go to http://www.finder.licensemag.com/to fill out the verification form and submit your licenses granted or availablenow. Highlights from each month's online submissions will be published inLICENSE magazine. Any questions, contact Alyson Grala at 212.951.6743 or viae-mail: [email protected].
Dear Trainee Agent,
The time has come for your first training assignment! Your first assignmentwill be...........to visit http://www.thesecretshow.comand prove to me that you have the makings of a top agent by uncovering the TopSecret Trailer my team has hidden and report back when it has been located(bonus points if you find the Top Secret wallpapers, too!).
I also have heard rumors from my intelligence agents on the ground that BBCWorldwide announced the appointment of Dimensional Branding Group http://www.dimensionalbranding.com/as the exclusive North American licensing agency for madcap animation seriesThe Secret Show. I will be watching this situation closely, and so should you!
Your humblest servant,
Squeaky Fritter
(Name Changed Daily, for reasons of security)
This communication was brought to you by U.Z.Z.–Protecting you against T.H.E.M.
For more information on licensing news and features, visit LICENSE magazine'sWebsite, http://www.licensemag.com/.
