Dickies Names Work Glove Licensee
Dickies, the work wear and lifestyle apparel brand, announced a new licensing agreement with Magla Products for Magla to produce Dickies-branded work gloves. Design and production of the Dickies’ work gloves will begin immediately with marketing and distribution expected to begin in the second half of 2010.
Global Icons Signs Deal with BMW Group
Global Icons and its European partner, Performance Brands, announced an exclusive worldwide representation agreement with the BMW Group. Global Icons and Performance Brands will look to translate the BMW and Mini 
brands into premium lifestyle products that reflect each brand’s distinct attributes and brand promise.
The brand licensing team will seek out business opportunities in areas surrounding mobility, fashion, entertainment, and lifestyle that emulate the core fundamentals of exceptional quality and aesthetic standards. Each licensed collection will capture the individual brand’s essence, from the sophistication, design, and excellence of BMW to Mini’s
unconventional style and attitude. The lifestyle product lines will offer consumers the joy of experiencing the brands and their artistry beyond the core automobiles.
Volunteers Needed for Second Annual Industry-Wide Stuff-a-Thon
On Friday, May 7, the Toy Industry Foundation (TIF) and strategic partner My Stuff Bags Foundation are joining forces with companies from across the toy industry to help disadvantaged
children by filling duffel bags with toys, toiletries, and handmade items that can be distributed to child-focused charities across the United States.
It is estimated that each year 300,000 children enter foster care across the United States. Suffering from abuse or neglect, these children often leave their homes with few personal belongings other than the clothes on their backs.
Last year’s Do Good Stuff-a-Thon was a success, with 5,000 duffels stuffed by volunteers from across the toy industry-from manufacturers to licensors to publishers. Coordinators
have set a goal of making this year’s event bigger with even more volunteers, more toys, and more completed bags.
Members of the toy industry are invited to come together on May 7 at the My Stuff Bags volunteer headquarters in Westlake Village, Calif. Industry volunteers will be joined by representatives of the TIF and My Stuff Bags Foundation boards of directors; representatives of the media and California state and local government are also expected to attend and join in the effort to help bring smiles and care to deserving kids. RSVPs from interested “Do Good Stuffers” are requested by April 23.
For those who can’t attend in person, a virtual event is also being held during the first week in May so that corporate teams can Do Good Stuff by sponsoring duffels online.
The Toy Industry Foundation has pledged to My Stuff Bags a contribution of $400,000 and 50,000 new toys over two years. The toys are donated via The Toy Bank, which is generously stocked by toy industry manufacturer contributions throughout the year.
Fisher-Price Named Master Toy Licensee for Angelina Ballerina
HIT Entertainment has selected Fisher-Price, Inc., as the global master
toy licensee for Angelina Ballerina. The toy line will be based on the new
CG animated series, Angelina Ballerina The Next Steps that sees the ballerina at a school for the performing arts where she is exposed to diverse styles of music and dance. The series, which launched in September 2009, currently airs on major broadcast platforms in the U.S., Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, and France, and is slated to launch in 30 more countries in 2010.
Fisher-Price plans to develop, manufacture, and market a variety of toys, dolls, and roleplay items for girls 4-7 years old across the following categories: figures and dolls;
playsets, dollhouses, and vehicles; push toys; and preschool toys, including electronic learning and developmental toys. The line will be produced under the Mattel brand name, with the first items scheduled to launch in the U.S. this fall exclusively at Target and Target.com.
Fisher-Price will debut its Angelina Ballerina line at mass retailers in the rest of the world starting in 2011.
LIMA Announces Keynote Panel for Licensing Show
Key executives from Disney, LF USA, Hasbro, Mattel, and Toys “R” Us will give their perspective on “The Future of Entertainment Licensing” in a keynote panel that will kick off the
Licensing International Expo 2010, June 8-10 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. The panel will be held 9-10 A.M. on Tuesday, June 8 and is free for all show attendees.
The discussion, moderated by Marty Brochstein, LIMA’s senior vice-president of industry relations and information, will cover current challenges and examine how ongoing changes in the entertainment and retail marketplaces will affect the licensing industry going forward. The panelists will also share their thoughts on what licensees and licensors need to do to adapt in today’s fast-paced business environment.
The following executives will take part in “The Future of Entertainment Licensing” keynote panel: Rick Darling, president, LF USA; Karen Dodge, senior vice-president, chief merchandising officer, Toys “R” Us, Inc.; John Frascotti, global chief marketing officer, Hasbro, Inc.; Neil Friedman, president, Mattel Brands; and Andy Mooney, chairman, Disney Consumer Products.