Bruno
Owner/licensor: Cuppa Coffee Studios
Territory of origin: Canada
Description: Bruno recently made his debut in a series of 50 x one-minute interstitials that are airing in more than 80 countries worldwide, including the U.S. (Nickelodeon and Noggin) and Canada (CBC). A spin-off 26 x 11-minute series is in production and should launch internationally later this year. Bruno and the Banana Bunch will feature Bruno and his animated friends interacting with real kids in a live-action setting to fuel more imaginative adventures.
Concept: Meet Bruno, a playful little monkey with a big sense of fun. With his quirky sense of humor and childlike wonder, Bruno is an age-appropriate learning partner for preschoolers. Along with his friends, he explores colors, numbers, shapes and sizes, while also learning bigger life lessons like responsibility and friendship. Bruno weaves these important learning concepts into fun and imaginative activities and adventures using reinforcement and repetition.
Demo: Preschool
Domestic and international licensees: Looking for partners worldwide
Domestic and international categories: Toys, apparel/footwear, publishing, stationery, stickers, party goods, bedroom décor, home entertainment, snack foods/breakfast cereals and juice
Initial territories of interest: The U.S., Europe and Asia
For licensing opportunities, please contact: Lalitha Poonasamy, 416-340-8869 ext. 230, lp@cuppacoffee.com; or Charlie Day,
310-545-6839, charlie.day@sharpeco.com
At-a-Glance Temperature Read
Overall potential in respondents' product categories/territories: good
Would respondents add Bruno to their portfolios: yes (46%), no (46%), n/a (8%)
Best potential product category: toys & games
Desired retail channel for merch launch: high-end/specialty (35.8%), mass (35.7%), mid-tier (28.5%)
Expected royalty range: 8% to 12%
Cuppa Coffee's wee primate generated the most page views in our on-line survey, and interest among respondents was generally quite robust, with most assessing his licensing potential as "good" or "very good." He certainly scored high marks on his graphic appeal, with one agent even suggesting that Bruno had the potential to succeed with older consumers shopping the high-end specialty market, in the way that Paul Frank products do.
In fact, the majority of participants pegged specialty and mid-tier channels as the best retail homes for Bruno. "Preschool properties are great for our specialty products," says one toy exec. "Bruno is visually stimulating, and the content is simple and on-target for that age group." Another toy player felt that the property's "original and unique, one-of-a-kind design" would make it a natural sell in those outlets.
Respondents picked toys & games as the lead category for the property, but publishing ran a close second, with apparel, domestics, infant products and furniture coming in not too far behind.