“It was an absolute game changer for us” says 2016 runner up, I Like Birds.
Entries are now open for Brand Licensing Europe’s License This competition for 2018.
As previously confirmed, two awards categories will be presented this year – Brand & Design and Character & Animation.
Applicants can enter online by clicking here and the deadline is 5pm on Friday September 14.
This year’s winners will receive a free exhibition stand at BLE 2019, one year’s LIMA membership, PR support and advice from a panel of industry experts. Previous entrants – both winners and finalists – have also signed lucrative agent and licensing deals off the back of the competition.
Last year’s winner was the children’s brand Ioguis. Since being at the show in October, it has found an executive producer in LA which is pitching to broadcasters. It is hoping by the time it exhibits at BLE in October, a publishing deal will be signed and it can meet with licensees to expand the IP.
Partner Flor Kohan urged brand owners to take part: “Do not hesitate. It is a great opportunity to show your licence to an international market. It opens great possibilities to you in every sense.”
2016 runner up I Like Birds also quickly found an agent in JELC, whose founder Jane Evans is a License This judge. After starting in greetings cards, the I Like Birds brand can now be seen on calendars, stationery and gift wrap, kitchen textiles and housewares.
The I Like Birds calendar was a top seller for Browntrout last year, up there with Game of Thrones.
Owner Stuart Cox (pictured) commented: “I could go on at great length about how amazing License This is: it was an absolute game changer for us.
“Since entering the competition, we’ve licensed designs to Browntrout for calendars, Quadrille for stationery, The Art File for greeting cards and gift wrap, and My Gifts Trade for all manner of things that range from mugs, jugs and tea pots, through kitchen textiles and onto bamboo trays and coasters and placemats.”
Stuart continued: “It’s early days with most of the products, but the signs are really positive. For a time our calendars were sitting at numbers 1, 2 and 5 on the Amazon bestsellers list.
“Cards from The Art File are now stocked in every Paperchase store and around 1,000 independents in the UK, plus they’ve launched in Europe and North America, and there are more multiples jumping on board. Quadrille launched the stationery in April in the UK, Australia and Europe, and they’re being released across North America in July.”
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