Nifty, Betty Crocker in Deal
Nifty Home Products, Inc., announced a partnership with General Mills for a collection of Betty Crocker-branded bakeware and cookware accessories to debut at retail this year. The line will debut with oven accessories, including cooling racks, oven racks, and roasting racks. JRL Group, Nifty’s licensing agency, brokered the deal.
Deer Little Forest, Playrific in Deal
Deer Little Forest has entered into a licensing agreement with mobile content developer Playrific, Inc., to create and distribute digital assets for the Deer Little Forest property. The deal signals a first foray into the U.S. market for the preschool property.
Playrific will produce a stand-alone app for iOS and Android mobile devices and tablets that will be distributed through iTunes, Google Play, and Amazon Kindle app stores. The app, which will launch this summer, will use pre-existing images, characters, and digital assets to create eBooks, puzzles, coloring, maker activities, match-three games, and more.
Created by Jo Rose, Deer Little Forest stars the feisty Forest Flo and a band of woodland buddies. The property is currently being developed as a 52 x 11-minute preschool series with King Rollo Films. All rights are managed by Koko Media. Licensing rights are represented in the U.S. by Think Tank Emporium and in German-speaking territories by Burda Intermedia Merchandising. This Playrific deal was brokered by Think Tank Emporium.
WWE, Topix Media Labs in Deal
WWE announced that it has signed a multi-year agreement with Topix to produce up to 10, high-end, glossy, 100-page special-edition WWE issues every year.
The issues range from WrestleMania to the WWE Year in Photos to the Best of WWE. The issues will be sold across the country to key retailers, including Walmart, Target, Barnes & Noble, Hudson News, and Dollar General. The WrestleMania Yearbook Collector’s Edition is currently on newsstands.
New Licensees for Sonic Boom
SEGA of America is expanding the Sonic Boom portfolio to include additional merchandising and promotional partners for 2015. SEGA has teamed up with World Tech Toys, teNeues, Bakery Crafts, Advanced Graphics, Accessory Innovations, Rubie’s Costume Company, and Bulls I Toys to create a line of Sonic Boom toys, comics, apparel, and novelty, among other items.
World Tech Toys will be creating an array of high-powered remote-controlled helicopters. Bulls I Toys will create wearables such as branded dog tags and slap bands. Bulls I Toys will also produce products ranging from puzzle erasers, 2-D and 3-D erasers to stickers, and magnetic and traditional trading cards. teNeues will develop wall calendars. Bakery Crafts will roll out a line of cake decoration kits, cake/cupcake stands, decorative candles, and edible decorations. Advanced Graphics will bring Sonic and his friends to life with wall decals and cardboard standees. Accessory Innovations will create a line of backpacks, lunch totes, umbrellas, and more. Rubie’s Costumes will launch a new line of Sonic Boom costumes and expand on their existing Sonic collection with new classic character costumes and a candy bowl holder.
Star Cutouts for Yu-Gi-Oh!
4K Media announced it has finalized a licensing agreement with Star Cutouts that will bring standees and facemasks based on the Yu-Gi-Oh! characters to consumers in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. Star Cutouts will utilize the Yu-Gi-Oh! trading cards artwork to develop and design the life-size standees and flat-face masks.