The winners of the B&LLAs 2023 industry awards were announced Thursday 27 April at a glittering awards event, held at the Royal Lancaster London. Hosted by Matt Forde, the brand licensing community’s annual get-together, was attended by some 450 retailers, licensees and brand owners who shared in the joy as the worthy winners made their way to the stage to collect their trophies.
Moxie and Co is pleased to announce a new partnership with public media powerhouse GBH related to its general audience and children’s TV series for extensions into consumer goods, electronics, home fashion, apparel, toys and branded merchandise, and promotional tie-ins. GBH is the largest producer of public media content, supplying PBS with almost one-third of its primetime and kids programming.
From exploring emotions through games to practicing empathy, the new “Emotional Wellness Playbook” from The Genius of Play, The Toy Association’s nonprofit initiative dedicated to helping parents raise healthy and happy kids through play, offers a curated collection of play-based activities that teach kids how to express their feelings in healthy ways while having fun. Developed in partnership with recognized mental health expert, Starr Therapy Founder, and Certified Holistic Health Coach Talia Filippelli, The Genius of Play’s new resource for parents and educators is launching just in time for Mental Health Awareness Month this May, when mental health advocates will be sparking conversations about reducing the stigma around mental health. The digital playbook features 12 play ideas for kids ages 3+ that effectively tackle the five key components of emotional intelligence: emotional self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills.
BOOM! Studios, under license by MGM and in collaboration with Michael B. Jordan’s production company, Outlier Society, and Chartoff-Winkler, is proud to announce an upcoming four-issue limited comic book series based on the Creed franchise. Creed III’s director, producer and star Michael B. Jordan serves as the creative director on the new story. He joins superstar co-writers LaToya Morgan (Dark Blood, AMC’s Walking Dead) and Jai Jamison (Superman & Lois), highly acclaimed artist Wilton Santos (Break Out), colorist DJ Chavis (Lunar Room), and executive producer Elizabeth Raposo, associate producer Christina Raquel of Outlier Society and Chartoff-Winkler to bring the future legacy of the legendary boxer to life within the pages of a comic book for the very first time in June 2023. The announcement comes following the record-breaking theatrical release of MGM’s Creed III.
Crunchyroll, the international brand offering fans the ultimate anime experience, is kicking off ‘Ani-May’ with global retail and digital celebrations, including a variety of consumer products celebrating fan-favorite series in specialty retailer Hot Topic in the United States, Piticas in Brazil, and FNAC in Spain and France, alongside special activations within the online Crunchyroll Store just to name a few. “Anime is a global phenomenon, capturing the hearts and minds of fans all over the world. To celebrate this dynamic medium, we’ve curated an incredible lineup of products with best-in-class retail partners that will help the anime community express their fandom not just in Ani-May, but all year long,” said Anna Songco Adamian, Vice President, Global Consumer Products, Crunchyroll.
Unstructured outdoor playtime among kids is drastically declining. A 2022 study by Child Mind Institute reports that the average American child spent only 4-7 minutes per day playing outside, and more than 7 hours per day in front of a screen – despite nearly endless proven benefits that the outdoors can provide kids’ physical and mental health. Now, Schwinn, a brand of Pacific Cycle, Inc, aims to combat this concerning trend by announcing ‘Let’s Play Bikes,’ a new campaign designed to support parents and caregivers in getting kids back outside and off their devices.
All American Licensing, a leading full-service brand licensing agency, has been appointed by Relativity Worldwide LLC as its exclusive brand licensing agent for PowerTown Wrestling, a line of collectible action figures featuring iconic wrestlers from the past eight decades. The licensing and merchandising program will focus on a broad range of categories including apparel, accessories, games, social expressions, food & beverage, home furnishings and more, with some licensed products to be released as soon as fall 2023.
Global sensation L.O.L. Surprise! from MGA Entertainment (MGA) – one of the fastest growing and largest privately held toy and entertainment companies in the world – has announced the launch of the L.O.L. Surprise! Bubble Surprise line. This exciting new line joins the brand’s highly innovative new releases in the first half of the year that engage kids and kidults, with an acute focus on three categories of play and collectables: exciting and new water/color transformations, strategic licensing partnerships, and reimagined classics.
Brand Central, a top 10 licensing agency and brand consultancy, is highlighting its roster of clients and its diversity of services at this year’s Licensing Expo in Las Vegas. For the past 22+ years, Brand Central has specialized in brands that drive cultural conversations in the pop culture zeitgeist. A few of the leading CPG brands the agency is featuring include Mars Wrigley’s, portfolio of iconic brands such as M&M’S, Snickers, Twix, Dove, Skittles, Starburst, and Hubba Bubba, as well as Kraft Heinz, which includes beloved brands such as Heinz, Kraft Mac & Cheese, Oscar Mayer, Jell-O, and Kool-Aid – just to name a few. The agency also represents Bimbo Bakeries USA which includes popular brands such as Entenmann’s, Little Bites, Thomas, Boboli and many more, as well as cult favorite food and beverage brands including: Tapatio Hot Sauce, and Yellow Tail wine.