Product category:
Licensing
News Release from: Licensing.biz
Edited by the Marketingservicestalk Editorial
Team on 04 February 2008
Toy Fair 2008 attracts big business
Licensing.biz reports on the biggest deals to emerge at the 2008 Toy Fair in London.
Chapman has revealed a raft of new UK and overseas licensing deals for Roary the Racing Car at Toy Fair There are now 30 UK licensees on board for the property, with the latest to sign up including Titan Publishing (which will be producing a Roary magazine), Mondo Plastic (playballs), PIL (sound books) and Bayliss and Harding (toiletries)
This article was originally published on Marketingservicestalk on 28 Sep 2007 at 8.00am (UK)
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In addition, Gosh has increased its range to include plastic furniture, while KE Mathiasan in Scandinavia has added bedding, homeware, apparel and melamine products to its existing master toy licence shared with Top Toy.
Chapman's director of licensing, Val Fry, said: "We've been delighted by the amount of interest in Roary both at home and abroad since the series launched last year - it's a tribute to everyone involved that Roary the Racing Car is seen as a hot property in the retail marketplace.
"With the recent announcement of a second series, Roary is set to be around for a long time to come".
Also announced at the fair, pre-school TV hit Numberjacks is moving into the publishing world, with Granada and makers Open Mind signing a deal with Egmont.
The agreement means that there will be a range of books launched throughout the year, as well as monthly Numberjacks magazine title.
The first wave of books will arrive in August, with further titles being planned for 2009.
The range includes storybooks, activity books and novelty books (such as drawing, colouring, press-out pieces and wipe clean).
There will also be a Numberjacks annual in the first year.
"We are all delighted that Egmont UK, with their excellent reputation for character publishing, will be the publishing home of Numberjacks," said Kevin Morgan, content director at Granada Ventures.
"This exciting property is going from strength to strength and lends itself to a wide range of publishing formats".
David Riley, director of publishing at Egmont, added: "Securing such a great property for both book and magazine formats really plays to Egmont's strengths; we are happy to be offering the Numberjacks team a complete package and are looking forward to an exciting publishing future with Granada and Numberjacks".
TV presenter and comedian Julian Clary was also at the fair to help unveil the first products from the Little Princess brand, including beanies of the characters, plush toys, a musical TV and inflatables.
"It is with great pleasure that I accepted the Royal summons from Little Princess to attend an exhibition like Toy Fair," said Clary.
"The order of the day is to have a right royal giggle and celebrate the fabulous new Little Princess toy range from Born to Play - me and the mini M'aam were made for the job".
The first wave of Little Princess toys are due to hit retail at the end of February.
Spinmaster chose the fair to unveil its master toy line for the Storm Hawks brand, with products due to start rolling out this spring.
The new property began airing on Cartoon Network last autumn and has been going from strength to strength.
Kids will now be able to act out what they see on screen with an interactive range of action figures, transforming vehicles and playsets.
The action figures have 19 points of articulation and spring-loaded attack features which demonstrate the signature move of each character.
Meanwhile, the deluxe figures combine attack features and light up functions, with four to collect in the first assortment.
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