Ludorum Expands Chuggington Portfolio
Ludorum announced that it has entered a licensing agreement with Hallmark Cards, Inc., and its subsidiary Crayola to develop a line of social expression product and arts and crafts based on its Chuggington preschool property. A new train-based TV series, Chuggington currently airs daily on Disney Channel’s Playhouse Disney programming block.
Aurora, National Wildlife Federation Ink Plush Deal
Aurora World announced details surrounding its newest plush license with National Wildlife Federation (NWF). In the two-year deal, Aurora will produce plush characters based on NWF’s new animated television series, Wild Animal Baby Explorers, and will be the chief plush supplier to all specialty retail channels in North and South America. Wild Animal Baby Explorers, distributed by American Public Television, is based on the preschool magazine, Wild Animal Baby.
At a suggested retail price of approximately $14 each, the plush animals will include Sammy the Skunk, Miss Sally the Salamander, Benita the Beaver, Skip the Rabbit, and Izzy the Owl.
The Beatles and Diaper Dude Come Together for Diaper Bags
Diaper Dude announced a licensing agreement with Apple Corps, Ltd., that was brokered by Live Nation Merchandise, The Beatles’ North American licensing agent. The images that were featured in the classic Yellow Submarine animated film will now be available to a new generation of parents and their toddler gear. The Yellow Submarine diaper bag and accessories collection combines Diaper Dude’s style with psychedelic prints, vibrant colors, and the pop animation of The Beatles’ Yellow Submarine film. The new line of Yellow Submarine bags and accessories by Diaper Dude will be available spring 2011, with bags expected to retail for $88.00 at select retailers and diaperdude.com.
New Licensees Hop on the Sillybandz-Wagon!
BCP Imports, along with its licensing agency Brand Central LLC, announced that they have signed several licensees behind Silly Bandz. The Silly Bandz consumer products program will launch this fall. Licensees include Cra-Z-Art, which has developed a full range of toy-driven collections including arts and crafts, activity maker, collectors’ case, bead box, display stand, and collectible dolls. Mad Engine has created a Silly Bandz fashion collection with a full range of apparel featuring the shapes, colors, and themes, including a gift-with-purchase pack, of Silly Bandz. Silly Bandz will go digital with an iPhone application and video game from licensee Zoo Games. University Games is in development with games and puzzles that will bring Silly Bandz to a new dimension through play. Other lifestyle products include cell phone accessories and gadgets from ESI, gummy candy in the shape of the Bandz with SMMS, and colorful Silly “band-ages” from Ouchies.
Brand Central is seeking additional licensees in product categories including fashion accessories, bags and totes, toys, electronics, housewares, domestics and social expressions.
Marvel Signs Play Box Deal with Box-O-Mania
Box-O-Mania and Marvel announced that they have entered into a licensing agreement to develop a line of play boxes based on several Marvel character franchises including Spider-Man, Super Hero Squad, Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor. Box-O-Mania has obtained the U.S. and Canada rights through 2012. The initial play box will be based on Iron Man and is scheduled to be in stores for holiday 2010.
The Box-O-Mania Play Box is made of recyclable plastic, can be decorated with giant, reusable theme stickers and erasable markers, and provides kids with a space to create, learn, and imagine.
MODA Signs Taste of Home
MODA Licensing has been appointed as the exclusive licensing agent for Taste of Home. Taste of Home is a multi-platform provider of food, cooking, and entertaining content. It comprises three magazines, 40 special interest recipe collections for sale at retail and grocery stores each year, dozens of cookbooks, 300 local cooking schools staged annually around the country, and an online community including 2.1 million unique visitors to tasteofhome.com.
Taste of Home is part of the Reader’s Digest Association’s Food & Entertaining Affinity, a media community designed to unify the voices and experience of everyday cooks and home entertainers.