Including Q Pootle 5 heading to space, and In the Night Garden teaming with the NSPCC.
The Source rounds up more news from the licensing industry across the globe from the week.
DHX Media’s In the Night Garden is joining forces with the NSPCC in a year-long campaign to help the charity engage with more young children and their parents. NSPCC’s Baby and Toddler Safety page will featured branded ITNG lifestyle imagery, along with tips from the show’s affiliated sleep expert, Mandy Gurney, to help parents get their children into healthy and effective sleeping routines. There will also be a host of articles created by the NSPCC to assist parents. In addition, a variety of fundraising activities will take place – including the sale of a new range of ITNG products from Truprint such as cushions, blankets and greeting cards, with 25% of the proceeds going to the NSPCC.
Q Pootle 5 is to focus on space in a new UK brand awareness initiative to promote the CBeebies series. Activity kicks off at the National Space Centre in Leicester on May 12, with creator Nick Butterworth taking part in Small Space Day, which is aimed at toddlers and will include stories, songs, craft activities and trails, as well as a visit from the costume character. In addition, a special Q Pootle 5 themed morning will be held at the Royal Observatory Greenwich on July 31. Visitors will be able to watch an episode among the stars in the planetarium, which will be followed by an interactive presentation from Nick and a chance to meet him at a book signing after the show.
Icelandic lifestyle brand Tulipop is being brought to life by DHX Media’s multi-platform kids network, WildBrain – with the company appointed to create an animated web series and to launch and manage a global Tulipop YouTube Channel. A series of 2.5 minute episodes will launch on the channel in early summer, targeted at fans aged seven and up.
Beanstalk is working with TGI Fridays to expand its licensing programme internationally. Food company Tulip is leading the charge with a range of slow cooked meats launching in Morrison’s stores. In addition, IG Design Group will launch a gifting range in time for Christmas 2017, aimed at helping consumers produce US-style cuisine and TGI Fridays cocktails at home.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 took £17.85 million at the UK and Irish box office in its opening four days. This makes it the second highest opening of the year behind Disney’s own Beauty and the Beast.
Aardman has launched a range of Morph emoji stickers to help celebrate the brand’s 40th anniversary. The 16 ’emorphjis’ were sculpted by Peter Lord using modelling clay, before graphics and animation were added to bring them to life. The collection also includes messaging stickers for fans to insert into their texts and social media posts.
Endemol Shine Group partnered with Adobe Character Animator to launch a special Mr Bean event on Facebook Live on May 3. The event marked the first time that the Mr Bean audience could interact with the character in real time. The live stream featured Mr Bean performing charades with sounds from the recently released Mr Bean Soundboard app as viewers played along. There were seven different charades and appearances from series favourites, such as Scrapper the cat.
eOne is taking PJ Masks on the road in September with the property’s first ever live show; Time to Be A Hero will take in 50 US cities.
The campaign to crowdfund a new Moomin animation has smashed its fundraising target, raising a total of $253,320 towards the visual development of the series. Thanks to 3,701 superfans around the world, the campaign reached 127% funding, far exceeding its $200,000 target. The team at Gutsy Animations will now proceed with development of the 2D/3D hybrid technique, where characters are rendered in 3D in an environment with some 2D illustrative or painterly elements.
Animaccord’s Masha and the Bear is set to hit cinema screens across Turkey after Ink Group signed a deal with distribution company Cine Majestic.
Jumbo Games is to launch a new range of puzzles and games to tie in with the release of Cars 3. There will be five products in the collection.
The SpongeBob Gold international fashion collection will launch on May 18 at the Wonderland Shop at 192 Piccadilly, London and online. Part of a year-long campaign, the retail launch of the fashion line will be celebrated with a private launch party and late night shopping event at Wonderland, featuring DJ Jodie Harsh.
Smiley is partnering with branded lifestyle apparel company VF Corporation and its iconic Lee brand for an exclusive denim collaboration this autumn.
Preschool Netflix original series Beat Bugs took home the gold for Outstanding Writing in a Preschool Animated Series at the 44th Annual Daytime Creative Arts Emmy Awards.
The 2017 London Stationery Show recorded its highest ever visitor numbers, the organiser has reported. Visitors were up 9% on 2016, with the show attracting attendees from 43 countries across the world. There were over 160 exhibitors and 300 brands represented at the event, which ran at London’s Business Design Centre from April 25-26.
Licensed apparel company Mad Engine has acquired urban streetwear brand, Lifted Research Group.
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