Ty UK launches Hello Kitty Beanie Bandz

Ty UK is set to get on the silly bandz wagon with Beanie Bandz for a number of Sanrio characters. Hello Kitty bandz are the first out of the gate.

The Sanrio elasticized silicone wristbands will be the first licensed Beanie Bandz to be launched in the UK market.

The line will consist of a pack of 12 Hello Kitty Beanie Bandz priced at US$6 and will be available at retail from mid-September.

Ty UK first noticed the colourful elasticized wristband trend occurring in the US and saw potential in the product due to its highly collectible and simple nature. The company will be taking a stand at Autumn Fair in Birmingham, UK next week to promote the product to the trade.

Namco and Rainbow roll out new Winx Club video game

Namco Bandai has inked an agreement with Italy-based animation company Rainbow to distribute the latest Winx Club: Rockstars video game based on the Winx Club franchise.

The game will be distributed by Nintendo DS in Europe, Middle East and Africa in November. And in selected Europe retailers, the game will be accompanied by either an exclusive DS Case or a Winx Club Watch.

Winx Club, which first aired in 2004, features fairies and their adventures between the planet earth and the Magical Dimension. In the Winx Club: Rockstars video game, the fairy friends head out on a new musical adventure, swapping their magic for guitars and microphones.

Strawberry Shortcake sweetens childhood cancer awareness campaign

Strawberry Shortcake is collaborating with Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) to help raise national awareness and support fundraising efforts in the fight against childhood cancer.

During the campaign, ALSF and Strawberry Shortcake are enlisting volunteers from across the US to host special strawberry lemonade stands during the month of September, tied to Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Participants can sign up at http://www.alexslemonade.org/campaign/strawberry-shortcake to receive a special kit with lemonade vouchers and Strawberry Shortcake materials along with the opportunity to win a Strawberry Shortcake prize pack.

American Greetings Properties, the IP and outbound licensing division of American Greetings Corporation, along with Strawberry Shortcake's global licensing agent CPLG, will also donate US$50 to ALSF for every strawberry lemonade stand registered on behalf of Strawberry Shortcake. All funds raised will go directly to Alex's for cancer research.

Licensees jump on board Rango

Paramount Licensing has signed a raft of new licensees for upcoming animated film Rango, slated to debut State-side on March 4, 2011.

Current licensing partners include American Greetings (greeting cards), Artbox (trading cards), Eaglemoss (mini-magazine and figurine collection), Fortune Fashions (men, women, boy and girl fashion basic tees, knit tops and fleece), Hot Toys (collectible figures), Inkology (school supplies), Palace Press Intl (art book), Rubie's Costume Co (Costumes), Scorpio Posters (posters), Sterling Publishing (children's book formats) and The Canadian Group (puzzles, games, magnetic colorform product, tattoos).

Commonwealth Toy signs Lavish Rights' Luv me Buddies

On the heels of announcing its new digital character property Luv me Buddies, London, UK-based Lavish Rights has kick-started its licensing program by signing US licensee Commonwealth Toy & Novelty Company through US agent Jewel Branding and Licensing.

Commonwealth will produce a range of Luv Me Buddies plush toys and pillows and the deal includes distribution across the US, Europe, South America, and Australia. The product range is expected to hit retail starting in early spring 2011

Lavish is now looking for stationery and gifting partners, as well as retailers keen to develop lines directly. The company launched its 100-day plan in July and is on track to meet its target, which includes full brand presentations, trade and consumer websites, and strategic agency signings across the world (28 global agencies have been confirmed to date).

Luv Me Buddies are little animal characters with heart-shaped heads and bodies.

Studio 100 sets priorities for BLE 2010

Studio100, the Benelux region's largest provider of children's entertainment, is heading to Brand Licensing Europe next month with its priorities set on three flagship properties Maja the Bee, House of Anubis and Bumba.

German TV icon Maja the Bee is going CGI with a new series co-produced by Canada's Thunderbird films and Studio 100 Animation in association with TFI and ZDF. While preparing for the 2012 launch of the new Maja the Bee series, Studio 100 is closing licensing deals for its classic line in the Benelux region, Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic and other European countries. Early licensing deals for the new version are being closed already, as are TV sales in France, Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, Finland, Turkey and Canada.

Following the success of Nickelodeon's mystery tween series House of Anubis in Benelux, Germany and Sweden, Studio 100 has started production on a US version, which will be broadcast on Nick US later this year. A full range of licenses and products are already in place in the Benelux and GAS countries, followed by the first launch of home entertainment products in Scandinavia in the coming months.

Meanwhile, Studio 100's pre-school series Bumba will see an initial range of products to be launched in Eastern Europe by the end of this year.

CNE brings Liv doll to Magic Marketplace

Cartoon Network Enterprises (CNE) will bring Spin Master's fashion doll brand Liv to Magic Marketplace taking place this week in Las Vegas.

This marks the first push to extend the doll line, introduced last fall, into secondary categories. As the licensing and merchandising agent for the brand, CNE will be meeting with partners and actively seeking new licensees in the apparel and accessories categories, as well as other categories including footwear, sleepwear, publishing and interactive.

Targeting girls aged six to 10, the doll line launched with four teenage girls - Daniela, Sophie, Katie and Alexis - who live the same life as the teenagers of today. The brand is accompanied by an online world housed on www.livworld.com.

Kmart launches budget-friendly doll line

Taking a page from Mattel's American Girl retail concept, US mass-market chain Kmart is introducing the much lower price-point What a Doll collection. It's an exclusive toy/apparel line that allows girls to match their apparel and accessories up with what their new dolls are wearing.

The collection includes dolls, travel bags, matching doll-sized and girl-sized outfits, cosmetics and accessories. All of the dolls are available for US$29.99, and clothes and accessories range from US$19.99 to US$24.99.

The collection, which launched in July, will introduce new outfits in time for the back-to-school season. New dolls and a seasonal assortment of clothing will be available beginning in October and November in time for the holiday season.

What a Doll fans can also turn to Kmart.com to find activities, healthy cooking ideas, coloring pages, seasonal tips as well as an online shopping component.

Babies'R' Us mixes with LitteMissMatched

US retailer Toys'R' Us has paired with LittleMissMatched to bring a new assortment of baby apparel, accessories, bedding, room décor and nursery furniture to Babies 'R' Us stores nationwide.

The new collection for infants and toddlers expands on the company's current relationship with LittleMissMatched, which introduced its products to kids and tweens at Toys 'R' Us stores last fall.

The Babies 'R' Us exclusive collection is offering a range of mix-and-match baby products, co-developed by the merchandising teams at Babies 'R' Us and LittleMissMatched.

The retailer will support the launch of the LittleMissMatched line with a marketing campaign, including in-store signage, exposure in the September Babies 'R' Us catalogue, an introduction to the assortment on Facebook and online promotions at Babiesrus.com.

WowWee makes US$10 million marketing push for Paper Jamz

WowWee is betting big that its Paper Jamz line of paper-thin instruments will be the must-have item for Christmas 2010.

The private toyco has pulled together an innovative and creative marketing budget of upwards of US$10 million to make sure kids across the US, and other territories, get the hands-on experience that it believe is needed to move the line of pseudo instruments.

"The second people get their hands on it, they want it," says Marc Rosenberg, CMO for WowWee explaining the approach.

The line, which is aimed at kids ages eight and up, includes a guitar that weighs eight ounces and is less than 1.25-inches thick. Powered by new Active Graphics Technology users can strum it like a real guitar. Both the guitar and drum set have an SRP of US$24.99 each, and the accompanying amp will retail for US$14.99. Each item comes with a selection of pre-programmed songs that the user can play along with.

Over the next few weeks, WowWee and its US retail partners, including Walgreens, Toys 'R' Us and Walmart, will be setting up thousands of in-store displays that will allow kids to try out the tactile instruments.

"Display-wise we are looking at 12,000 to 13,000 'try-me' displays," says Rosenberg, adding that WowWee has partnered with battery company Rayovac to make sure that each display is in working order by doing checks on a weekly basis.

"If a display doesn't work, it can be really damaging," he says. "So we are going to make sure they are always in tip-top shape."

Rosenberg added that the displays will be tailored for the different retail environments.

"The challenge has been in making sure each retailer has its own concept, its own voice," says Rosenberg. "They have all stepped up so it's important to create unique opportunities."

People moves: Smarty Pants appoints senior research director

Youth and family research and consulting firm Smarty Pants is welcoming Patty Clark to its executive team as senior research director.

Based out of the firm's Chicago office, Clark will help lead qualitative and quantitative departments on the continued growth of the company's custom and syndicated research services. It is a role that taps her 15 years of experience leading strategic consumer research among the youth and family targets.

Most recently, Clark was research director, US Consumer & Business Insights at McDonald's Corporation, where spent five years leading McDonald's consumer research on kids, moms, and the Happy Meal brand. Her research career at McDonald's began in 1993, and has also included the chicken/salads categories, national promotions, corporate nutrition strategy, and Ronald McDonald House Charities. Prior to joining McDonald's, Clark was a research analyst on the Kellogg's and Keebler brands at Leo Burnett Advertising in Chicago.

Chorion teams with NBA and Junk Food Clothing

Family entertainment distributor Chorion has inked a deal with the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Junk Food Clothing Company to launch co-branded NBA Mr. Men and Little Miss apparel starring Little Miss Sunshine in retail outlets across the US.

The line will launch in time for the start of the 2010-11 NBA season, beginning in the US market, with a additional territories, such as the UK, Canada and Mexico, likely to follow.

The co-branding agreement will see the Mr. Men and Little Miss characters and logos cross-licensed with NBA team logos on apparel for juniors, women and men. The collection, featuring knit tops and t-shirts, will make its debut at the Magic trade show taking place in Las Vegas this month and will be available at the NBA Store in New York, NBAStore.com, arenas, department stores, online retailers and boutiques by late fall.

With more than 100 million copies sold worldwide, the Mr. Men and Little Miss brand has inspired a comprehensive consumer products program with more than 280 licensees worldwide.

Ferrari rolls into sticker albums

Grani & Partners, the Modena-based subsidiary of the Gruppo Giochi Preziosi, is building on its long-standing relationship with Ferrari, obtaining global rights to produce sticker albums, cards and associated gadgets based on the high-end Italian car brand.

The first product will be the Ferrari, the Myth sticker album, which will debut in September in time for the Formula 1 GP in Monza. It will include a deluxe format album with 200 stickers that illustrate the history of Ferrari in the Formula 1 world.

The license extends to 2014.

Marvel adds ingredient to licensing program

Marvel Entertainment has expanded its licensing agreement with Minnesota-based cake decoration supplier and marketer DecoPac to launch a new line of edible images that can be used as pizza toppings.

DecoPac currently has an agreement with Marvel to market cake decorating products featuring Marvel's Super Hero franchises. The expanded agreement will award DecoPac additional rights to produce and market pizza-based edible designs that will feature Spider-Man, with upcoming product introductions featuring additional Marvel characters and brands including Super Hero Squad, Marvel Heroes, Wolverine and Marvel Studios' Iron Man 2, Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger feature films.

The new product will be available beginning in November 2010 at grocery chains, price clubs, pizzerias (non-chain), party and craft stores, convenience stores and other mass retailers.

Hyperion and ABC Family launch enhanced eBook

Hyperion and ABC Family have produced the first enhanced eBook based on a TV series, combining video content from ABC Family's The Secret Life of the American Teenager with text from Hyperion's new book The Secret Diary of Ashley Juergens.

The enhanced eBook is now available on the iBookstore, which is included in the free iBooks app for the Apple iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. The video is viewable in a player box embedded inside the pages of the book.

The enhanced eBook is available for US$12.99 on the iBookstore and features 10 x two-minute video selections from The Secret Life of the American Teenager, the full text of the book The Secret Diary of Ashley Juergens in ePub format as well as video that provides another perspective on the experiences Ashley writes about from her own particular point of view in her journal

The project is the result of a partnership between two divisions of the Disney/ABC Television Group (DATG): Hyperion, which provided the book and produced the ePub text format and ABC Family, which provided the video clips and permissions. Disney Interactive Media Group provided the technical storyboard.

Slinky and Etch A Sketch face off in new toy campaign

Playing on an age-old rivalry, Slinky and Etch A Sketch are now competing in a friendly contest to decide which one is the favorite classic toy of all time.

Supporters can cast votes on www.SlinkyVsEtchASketch.com, where they can submit videos to express what their favorite toy means to them and why it's so special. Top videos for each toy will be awarded a cash prize of US$5,000, in addition to daily drawings for a free Etch A Sketch or Slinky and three cash drawings of US$3,000, US$1,500 and US$500.

The campaign comes as both toys celebrated landmarks this year, with Etch A Sketch turning 50 and Slinky marking its 65th anniversary. Their makers, Ohio Art Company and POOF- Slinky, are hosting the competition, with hopes of conjuring up memories and sparking new interest in the products.

Michigan-based ad agency Team Detroit conceived and produced The Slinky vs. Etch A Sketch campaign, which is running until October 31.

Scarlett & Crimson cosmetic line primes for the holidays

Coolabi is expanding and updating the Scarlett & Crimson cosmetics range designed exclusively for UK pharmacy-led health and beauty retailer Boots.

The Boots range, which was released for the holiday market in September 2009, has boosted its cosmetics line-up from seven to nine items and will see a 20% increase in store distribution compared with last year.

Designed and manufactured by SLG Beauty, the range is designed for a core audience of teen girls. The expanded range includes the My Beauty Collective cosmetics palette, Totally Charmed nail polish collection, and Double Trouble mascara and lip gloss duos.

Other categories in development in both the US and UK include apparel, perfume, bath and body, gifting and accessories and stationery.

People Moves: Universal promotes Amy Taylor

Amy Taylor has been upped to EVP, Universal Partnerships & Licensing, where she will continue to oversee UP&L's North American promotions, worldwide licensing, worldwide digital and interactive activities and retail development for Universal Pictures and Focus Features.

Taylor also continues to oversee licensing, promotional and retail development efforts for the Universal library, which includes franchise properties like Curious George and Scarface. The team that she oversees is currently handling promotional efforts for the Universal films that are being produced with Hasbro including Battleship and Stretch Armstrong.

Taylor recently spearheaded the promotional and licensing sales aspects for Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment's 3-D film Despicable Me. During her 13-year tenure at Universal, Taylor has held senior leadership roles in both Universal's promotions and consumer products groups where she helped launch products and promotions for event films including The Cat in the Hat, The Incredible Hulk and the Jurassic Park films. Prior to joining Universal, Taylor, held marketing positions with Warner Bros., Consumer Products and Hanna Barbera and was responsible for Cartoon Network and Turner properties including Scooby-Doo, The Flintstones and Tom and Jerry, among others.

People Moves: Sanrio boosts senior management team

Torrance, California-based home of Hello Kitty, Sanrio, has bolstered its senior management team with three new appointments.

Jill Kochhas been named VP of brand management and marketing, where she is responsible for maintaining the integrity and identity of the Sanrio brand and its portfolio of characters, including flagship character Hello Kitty. Koch will work closely with the design team on product development and brand extension and will continue to oversee the expansion of the company's co-brand initiatives and collaboration programs, as well as the management of PR and marketing. Koch has been with Sanrio since 2002 and moves from her most recent role as senior director of brand management & marketing.

In her newly created role of executive director of retail business development, Cindy Elfenbein will develop new business opportunities with key retailers and create unique partnerships and promotions between Sanrio licensees and retailers. Prior to joining Sanrio, Elfenbein held senior management positions at Sony Pictures Entertainment, DIC Entertainment and WBCP.

For her part, Linh Forse has been promoted to senior licensing manager, where she is responsible for the management of the company's licensing partners in the US, Canada and Mexico. Her focus will be on expanding distribution in the Canadian market and developing licensing programs for emerging characters. With Sanrio since 2008, Forse was previously licensing manager.

Biscuit gets new licensee

San Francisco, California-based Dimensional Branding Group (DBG) has named New Jersey-based plush manufacturer Kids Preferred as the new licensee for plush and soft toys for Biscuit, the book series from HarperCollins Children's Books.

In addition to plush and fabric based toys, Kids Preferred will be developing bath toys, accessories, lunch bags and activity kits.

The Biscuit series, written by Alyssa Satin Capucilli, started out as part of HarperCollins's I-Can-Read! Program. The books, aimed at beginning readers, have sold roughly 15,000,000 copies to date.

DBG is licensing all Biscuit categories, including toys & games, apparel, interactive, collectibles and room decor.