Firefly to Rep Three Endemol Shine Shows
Firefly Brand Management was appointed the licensing agent for the following Endemol Shine North America (ESNA) entertainment properties: Fear Factor, Wipe Out, and Deal or No Deal.
Firefly plans to showcase the properties at Licensing Expo later this month in Las Vegas.
The new management deal falls on the heels of MTV’s announcement to relaunch an all-new Fear Factor premiering Tuesday, May 30 at 10 p.m. EST. Grammy Award-winner Ludacris will host the refreshed series filled with new stunts inspired by urban legends, popular scary movies and viral videos from today’s cultural zeitgeist.
Firefly is seeking licensing partners in key categories that include: toys, games, publishing, food, and apparel.
Tinderbox Named Call of Duty Licensing Agent for Europe
Tinderbox, the digital division of Beanstalk, has been appointed by Activision to handle licensing for Call of Duty in Europe.
Tinderbox will support the Call of Duty franchise by expanding the European consumer products footprint, and create new touchpoints with fans beyond the award-winning franchise. Tinderbox will actively pursue opportunities in the lifestyle sector, including apparel, fashion accessories, gift and novelty, consumer electronics, and home décor.
Call of Duty was 2016’s No.1 top-selling console video game franchise worldwide for the seventh time in the last eight years.
Dan Amos, head of Tinderbox comments: “Call of Duty is one of the most iconic video game franchises in history. Its reach extends into the fabric of pop-culture with references in all forms of media, globally. Tinderbox is proud to join the team at Activision in developing consumer product extensions for this massive franchise throughout Europe. Call of Duty has potential across a broad range of categories and distribution channels; we are excited to begin work and look forward to great program extensions to come.”
Brandberry to Rep Speed Stacks
Brandberry has entered into a representation agreement with Speed Stacks, a worldwide leader in Sport Stacking. Together they plan to bring Speed Stacks back to mass retail for the first time in 10 years, and are looking for a licensee with both marketing and distribution muscle.
Speed Stacks launched in 2006 with Play Along Toys, prior to the company’s acquisition by Jakks Pacific. After the acquisition, Speed Stacks continued to market and sell its products through the educational channels it developed prior to launching in retail. Now it seeks to leverage its network of loyal students and ambassadors it’s built to support broader distribution. Thousands of teachers, administrators, and parents along with millions of kids experience the benefits of Sport Stacking through school programs, which drives demand in retail.
Speed Stacks is the exclusive equipment provider to the World Sport Stacking Association and sponsors hundreds of tournaments worldwide, including the World Sport Stacking Championships. In 2018, the World Championships will be in the U.S. again, making for a powerful platform for a spring 2018 mass retail relaunch.
Rubie’s Costume Company Inc. will launch a line of costumes, masks, accessories, and makeup inspired by the upcoming movie, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.
Available in toddler, children, and adult sizes, the officially licensed Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Collection includes Star-Lord along with his quirky crew of misfits: Rocket Raccoon, Drax the Destroyer, Groot, Gamora, Yondu, and Nebula. From deluxe muscle chest jumpsuits to costume tops and masks, Rubie’s provides every fan an opportunity to transform into their favorite character. In addition, Imagine (a toy division of Rubie’s) offers dress-up costumes and accessories for children in separates and boxed sets.
School Zone Taps Oznoz for Digital Distribution
School Zone has partnered with Oznoz, a New York-based digital distribution platform for kids, to further extend its digital distribution deals for its self-financed preschool series Charlie & Company. Through Oznoz.com, School Zone will reach thousands of bilingual families across the U.S. and Canada.
Charlie & Company features original music by singer/songwriter Brian Vander Ark and tells the story of a beloved Golden Retriever (Charlie), School Zone’s ‘Anywhere Teacher’ (Miss Ellie), and Charlie’s friends as they learn about the alphabet, counting, creativity, writing, math, and more. Charlie & Company was created using a combination of live-action and 2-D animation. The storyline and characters find creative ways to teach preschoolers, kindergartners, and first graders important skills they need to succeed in school.
Oznoz is an SVOD platform catering to bilingual families in North America, offering children’s programming such as Sesame Street, Babar, Super Why!, Chloe’s Closet, Bakugan, Lili & Lola, Pororo the Little Penguin, in more than ten languages. For a monthly fee, subscribers can stream all content in any browser as well as download to tablets, smart TVs and other iOS or Android devices. Oznoz is also available on Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV and Roku.
In the Night Garden, NSPCC Team for Charity
DHX Media’s popular preschool brand 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.
As part of the collaboration, the NSPCC’s Baby and Toddler Safety page, which launched last month, will feature branded In the Night Garden lifestyle imagery, along with tips from the show’s affiliated sleep expert, Mandy Gurney (Millpond Sleep Clinic), to help parents get their children into healthy and effective sleeping routines. In addition, there will be a host of articles created by the NSPCC to assist parents.
The collaboration will also see a variety of fundraising activities, including the sale of a new range of In the Night Garden products from Truprint, due to launch this summer, which will include cushions, blankets and greeting cards, and see 25 percent of the proceeds go to the NSPCC.
Beanstalk Signs New UK Deals for TGI Fridays
Beanstalk is working with TGI Fridays to expand its licensing program internationally with a focus on the business’s top performing markets including the UK, Australia, Taiwan and South Korea.
Tulip, one of Britain’s leading food companies, has launched a range of slow-cooked meats for the TGI Fridays brand. The initial range will include Slow Cooked Barbacoa Pulled Beef Tortilla Wrap Kit, Slow Cooked Rack of Ribs with Tennessee Bourbon BBQ Glaze, Slow Cooked Chicken Wings, and a Pork Ribs Selection Pack.
The products are now available in approximately 300 Morrison’s stores across the UK.
The launch from Tulip signifies the beginning of a major international expansion for TGI Fridays, with a gifting range developed by IG Design Group scheduled to hit shelves for holiday 2017. The range will feature gifts aimed at helping consumers produce American- style cuisine and favorite TGI Fridays cocktails in the comfort of their homes.