Virtual Showroom

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.

While Bruno's overall product prognosis was healthy, respondents did have some concerns: chiefly with the existing TV show's interstitial format. Because preschool series need constant repetition to build an audience - and "mom awareness," as one toy brand manager puts it - a few felt that the short episodes and current broadcast scenario weren't ideal. One U.K.-based licensee was quite blunt about Bruno's chances in his market, which is over-saturated with preschool properties right now. "Preschool not produced in the U.K. has failed miserably here to date."

That said, one agent was quite confident and advised Cuppa Coffee to "be patient and let the audience find the show."

Ice Age 2: The Meltdown

Owner/licensor: Twentieth Century Fox Licensing & Merchandising

Territory of origin: The U.S.

Description: Manny the woolly mammoth, Sid the sloth, Diego the saber-toothed tiger and the hapless prehistoric squirrel/rat known as Scrat return from the hit 2002 CGI flick Ice Age, which grossed more than US$380 million worldwide.

Concept: Helmed by Chris Wedge and the Blue Sky team that created Ice Age and Robots, Ice Age 2: The Meltdown takes place as the Ice Age is coming to an end. While most of the animals take great delight in the melting water park that is their new world, our heroes soon discover that their paradise is getting a little too watery - a huge glacial dam is about to break, threatening the entire ecosystem. Their only chance for their survival lies in making it to the other end of the valley, so the gang embarks on a peril-filled mission across an ever-changing and dangerous terrain.

Demo: Boys and girls ages three to 12 (for the licensing program)

Initial territories of interest: Worldwide

Domestic and international categories open: Food & beverage, novelties, gifts, housewares, party goods, stationery (the U.S.); food such as ice cream, ice packs, bottled water, yogurt (the U.K.); bath & beauty, food & beverage, jewelry (Canada)

For licensing opportunities, please contact: Lora Cohn (domestic licensing), 310-369-2243, lora.cohn@fox.com; Rita Prosyak (domestic theatrical promos), 310-369-3125, rita.prosyak@fox.com; Carl Lumbard (European licensing), 44-207-314-7079, carl.lumbard@fox.com; Gary Krakower (Canada, Pacific Rim, Latin America, Asia/India licensing), 310-369-5681, gary.krakower@fox.com

At-a-Glance Temperature Read

Overall potential in respondents' product categories/territories: good

Would respondents add Ice Age 2 to their portfolios: yes (77%), no (23%)

Best potential product category: toys & games

Desired retail channel for merch launch: mass (86.7%), mid-tier (13.3%)