New children’s series secures mater toy partner ahead of its release later this year.

Ánima Kitchent has appointed Mattel to serve as the worldwide master toy licensee for the new TV series “Cleo & Cuquin.”

Under the terms of the agreement, Mattel will now produce and market toys across a variety of categories for the new brand.

“For Ánima, ‘Cleo & Cuquin’ is conceived as a transmedia content that aims to be an entertainment brand,” says Víctor M. López, chief executive officer, Ánima Kitchent. “With Mattel on board as worldwide toy master licensee, this goal is closer to becoming a reality. Having Mattel as a partner in this project is a source of pride, but also a huge responsibility.”

“Cleo & Cuquin” is based on the classic Spanish children’s brand The Telerin Family, a hit in the ’70s and ’80s throughout Spain and Latin America. The new series will highlight Cuquin’s curiosity, which leads to daily mishaps that require Cleo to come up with creative solutions to get him out of the trouble the only way a kid knows how: by playing. The transmedia story originally began on YouTube and is currently in production and set to hit screens in the last quarter of 2017 with 52 seven-minute episodes. The brand also comprises of web content and two apps.

“Ánima Kitchent’s latest series, ‘Cleo & Cuquin,’ is a great opportunity for us to bring to life characters that not only appeal to today’s preschoolers, but also have nostalgia with parents in markets where Familia Telerin has strong heritage,” says Lauren DeFeo, vice president, Toy Box division, Mattel. “‘Cleo & Cuquin’ has shown tremendous reach and we’re thrilled to offer families a variety of ways to play out all the fun captured in the series.”