10 Minutes with … Asterix

License Global speaks to Baptiste Cazaux, head, licensing at Les Editions Albert René, to discuss all things Asterix, ahead of Brand Licensing Europe in September.

Ian Hart

August 22, 2022

Baptiste Cazaux.Asterix

You began your career at Paris Saint Germain Football Club. How does working in publishing differ from the sports arena?

The main difference is that with sports, you are very dependent on results that you don’t control.

For the past 10 years, I’ve been in charge of developing the

Asterix

property in France and across the world. We manage France directly, and we work with agents for the international regions.

Asterix is an evergreen and classic brand that speaks to the whole family with strong actualities each year.

The Asterix brand covers many product categories; what’s important when choosing a new strategy and a new licensing partner?

It is important for us to work with partners who share the same values as ours. We also prefer long-term partnerships.

Today, licensing products need to make sense to our fans. So, we try to be creative with our partners and innovate. One of the strengths of Asterix is certainly to be able to explore new product categories for the family.

What properties will you be highlighting and showcasing at your booth at Brand Licensing Europe this year?

We will continue to push Asterix. A new live-action movie is due to be released in February, and a new comic album is scheduled for October 2023. It’s always the event of the year!

Next year we will have also a new Asterix

Playmobil

range, and in 2024 an exclusive Asterix

CGI series will be broadcast on

Netflix

We will also push our new TV series based on Idefix, which is targeting more kids. We are proud to announce a second season officially. The Idefix TV series is a real success, and the licensing program begins with the first licensees in France and Germany.

What can we expect from Asterix for the remainder of 2022 and into 2023?

Asterix and Idefix will have strong actualities in the coming months and years. The Asterix Playmobil range will continue to increase with some new sets, and we will announce new European partners in other product categories during the BLE or just after.

The Idefix licensing program will continue to grow in France and Germany, while new territories, such as Spain, will begin very soon.

Brand Licensing Europe

returns to London’s ExCeL Sept. 20-22, with exhibitors spanning a range of categories, a new fashion theme highlighting exciting lines from leading brands, exciting seminar content and more!