Nelvana, Turner Ink Deal for The ZhuZhus
Corus Entertainment’s Nelvana has inked a broadcast deal with Turner to bring The ZhuZhus to viewers across Europe. Nelvana negotiated the long-term broadcast deal for the show with Turner for Cartoon Network, Boomerang, Boing, and Cartoonito across the UK, France, and the Nordics. Episodes began rolling out in the UK and France this month with another set of new episodes slated for November. The series will debut in the Nordic regions beginning in October.
Additionally, Nelvana has signed on six new licensing agents for the animated series worldwide. Partners and territories include Discovery Italia in Italy, License Connection in The Benelux Union (Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg), Licensing Dynamics International in Israel, Megalicense in Russia and CIS territories, Popcorn Brand Activity in Portugal, and 20too Licensing in the Middle East.
The ZhuZhus is based on the popular ZhuZhu Pets toy line from Cepia, LLC, the mastermind behind the irresistible and always-entertaining lifelike robotic hamsters that became a phenomenon when they were first introduced.
Freeze Tag Inks Deal for Garfield Mobile Game
Freeze Tag, a creator of mobile social games, announced that its new Garfield GO!, a free-to-play, augmented reality treasure hunting game, is now available on Apple’s App Store (iOS) and Google’s Play Store (Android) in the U.S., Canada, and Australia. In the coming months, Garfield GO! will be available in many countries around the world.
In Garfield GO!, players search for hidden treasures in their own neighborhood. With the help of 3-D Garfield, players can discover coins in the map view, which reflects their surroundings. Once a coin is identified, players enter AR mode to search for the exact location of the treasure. Only Garfield knows where the goodies are hidden, but he won’t work for free. First, he has to be fed one of his favorite foods: donut, pizza, cake or lasagna. After you toss some food to Garfield, he will happily locate the treasure chest for you.
Freeze Tag outlined many features packed into Garfield GO! that set the game apart from
other augmented reality treasure hunting games:
- Millions of locations to find treasure
- Real money prizes can be found from partners like Amazon, Starbucks, Best Buy,
- Domino’s Pizza and more
- Hundreds of Garfield comic strip pieces to be found
- 100+ badges to mark your achievements
- Funny hats to change up and customize Garfield’s appearance
- Memory‐based mini games to earn free food to feed Garfield
- Garfield animations, voice recordings, sound effects, and music
Rainbow Rangers Adds New Partners
Genius Brands International, Inc., continues to amass key partners for its upcoming animated preschool series Rainbow Rangers with the appointment of a trio of licensees, The Bentex Group (apparel), Jay Franco (bedding and home décor), and H.E.R. Accessories (accessories) to create new branded products.
As master apparel partner, The Bentex Group will develop an extensive contemporary range of collections in all sizes that capture the color, essence, and spirit of the brand. Jewelry and accessories will play an integral part of the series, and H.E.R. Accessories will create high-quality, on-trend merchandise, including watches, jewelry, hair accessories, and other age-appropriate fashion accessories. Jay Franco will offering of bedding, room décor, and bath textiles and accessories.
Zak Designs Adds New Beauty and the Beast Dinnerware
In celebration of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast DVD release, Zak Designs is expanding its assortment of Beauty and the Beast dinnerware and drinkware.
Among the items in the expanded line is the new Treasure Tumbler that features a fully sculpted rose inside a clear tumbler with a domed lid. The 23.5-ounce tumbler is durable enough to take on daily adventures and designed to bring the central theme of the movie to life with every sip.
It will also include a three-section plate, an embossed double-wall tumbler, 25-ounce and 14-ounce Tritan bottles, and the new 15.5-ounce stainless steel bottle with double-wall insulation and a pop-up straw.