Bulldog Licensing Brings Multiple Offerings to BLE

Bulldog will promote a selection of brands, including Care Bears, the Me to You character, Magic Mixies, Sesame Street, Totally Spies, Mr Bean and children’s publishing brand, That’s Not My…. 

The Care Bears licensing programme spans multiple categories, ranging from plush to apparel, accessories, homewares, collectibles and gifts, making Care Bears one of the must-have multi-generational brands in the U.K. 

Since 2000, Carte Blanche has partnered with best-in-class licensees to market best-selling Me to You products across many categories, including apparel, print on demand, food, gifting and nursery – selling millions of licensed products every year. Bulldog is taking the extraordinary reach of Me to You’s signature character, Tatty Teddy, and the nursery property, Tiny Tatty Teddy, to the next level. Recent licensing deals include Brand Threads for nightwear, Brand Alliance for leisurewear, Pawprint Family for patches and pins and Craft Buddy for arts and crafts kits. A network of agents is working with Bulldog to build on the brand’s strong presence internationally, including such major names as Revolution in South Africa, Kopa in South America and MJA Licensing France, with another signing – for Australia and New Zealand – expected soon. 

Bulldog is also building on the licensing success of Moose Toys’ Magic Mixies range, which began with the Magic Mixies Cauldron. The newest innovation has been Magic Mixies Pixie Supreme 10.5-inch fashion doll. All products are aimed at children and tweens and designed using the Magic Mixies style guide. Nightwear, publishing, food and drink containers, bags and accessories are some of the Magic Mixies-inspired products at retail – and many more licensing extensions are signed or on the way. 

Magic Mixies webisodes, first launched on YouTube and Kidoodle TV in May 2022, have been available on Netflix since early 2023 and are boosting an already successful brand. 

Sesame Street is a key focus for Bulldog in the U.K. Working with the global nonprofit organisation, Sesame Workshop, the agency has announced numerous deals for Sesame Street as it continues to grow its presence in U.K. retail. Sesame Street also has strong appeal in the adult market, inspiring successful ranges of apparel, badges, embroidered patches and more. 

BEYBLADE X makes its BLE debut and marks the fourth iteration of the anime series and toy brand. Initial licensed lines will roll out in early 2025 in support of the toy lines, and a cross-category campaign will be built throughout next year. 

Produced by Banijay Kids & Family label, Zodiak Kids and Family France, animated spy-fi series, “Totally Spies!,” ran from 2001 for six seasons and has recently returned with a 7th season. Some of the early categories targeted will be apparel (daywear, nightwear), fashion accessories, tech products, health and beauty and stationery. The new season of the show began airing with Gulli (France). It will soon be heading to Discovery Kids LATAM and across EMEA and the U.S. with Warner Bros Discovery. Season 8 of the series has been confirmed, and a live-action version is also in development with Amazon MGM Studios, Banijay Kids & Family and Jessica Elbaum and Will Ferrell’s Gloria Sanchez Productions.  

Bulldog Licensing has also been appointed by children’s entertainment powerhouse, Banijay Kids & Family, as U.K. licensing agent for Mr Bean, the iconic comedy character co-created by Rowan Atkinson and Richard Curtis. Bulldog Licensing will build on Mr Bean’s licensing presence, pursuing expanded opportunities in kids’ and adult markets, focusing on the original series and the animated series. Imagery from both formats will feature in the licensing campaign, targeting multiple categories, including homeware, stationery, T-shirts, toys, collectibles, bags and greeting cards. Recent signings for Mr Bean include Whitehouse Leisure/Posh Paws for plush aimed at the retail and amusement sectors and Heathside Trading, which will develop collectibles and gift lines. 

Published by Usborne, “That’s Not My…” is a book series for babies and toddlers and a gifting favourite for newborns as their first book. The books’ humour, bright colours and distinctive illustrations have inspired a top-selling range of babywear/accessories, kidswear, apparel, footwear and luggage from some of the U.K.’s major names in licensed apparel. Other licensed products include wall stickers, bags and a gift range. After the recent retail launch in the U.S., the fan base is still growing. Bulldog will target a wide range of categories, from toys and apparel to nightwear and games for the U.S., building on the established U.K. licensing programme. It has also signed WB Brands as agent for the Australia and New Zealand markets. 

Other highlights at the show include licensing deals for Popeye in his 95th birthday year, the 10-year licensing success of hit TV darts-based quiz show, “Bullseye,” and new brand representations, including attitude, a gay magazine. 

“We’re looking forward to highlighting both our established representations and some very exciting new brands that are already inspiring a strong industry buzz,” says Rob Corney, marketing director, Bulldog Licensing Group. “All of the brands we represent highlight the strength and diversity of the Bulldog offering, a theme that will be key to the company’s message to its visitors at Europe’s biggest licensing show. See you on stand A190.”