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Licensing Show Buzz: Day 2

By Maria Weiskott, Tina Benitez, Colleen Bohen -- Gifts and Dec, 6/22/2005 4:54:00 PM

NEW YORK — Fantasy is fashionable…and vice versa; as it has been at Licensing Show for at least the past several years.

And it prevails again this year. From multiple life-size Rings figures in and around the New Line Cinema booth to outside journeys into the fantastical, new fantasies are on the horizon. Hold on tight.

The first in a trilogy from Scholastic for His Dark Materials hits shelves this fall. The story follows a young girl as she travels through the North to find her friend to save him and other kidnapped children from twisted scientists. A feature film is in the works for release from New Line Films in 2007.

Meanwhile, Disney Consumer Products has some plans for Tinkerbell and her fairy entourage. Movies based on Gail Carson Levine’s fairy novels – which have already sold some million copies overseas – will be out in ’07.

And speaking of fairies…the Barbie Fairytopia brand got some pumping from Richard Dickson, senior vice president of Mattel's worldwide comsumer products and girls creative division. The company has put together a Barbie Live! show in partnership with ClearChannel Entertainment. The live show, based on the Barbie Fairytopia brand, will travel to an estimated 80 cities across North America beginning in spring 2006.

Dickson comments that this new show, in addition to the Fairytopia DVD release, is a perfect example of the company's new approach to the Barbie property. He said that the company is "looking at it wholistically" and developing it by approaching it as "intellectual property" rather than just from a product development perspective. Right; we’re talking fantasy.

Anyway…Fantasy of the less ‘far out’ kind can possibly become reality with a little help.

New Cutie Patooties (which may actually become ‘collectible’), encourage kids to follow their dreams – no matter how dreamy. Each cutie comes with a book explaining a career choice to kids. “Kids have dreams,” says co-founder, Elena Patrice. We’re trying to encourage kids to do what they want without someone else telling them.”

Now if fashion is the dream, there is plenty of it at the show – including a new line of clothes from Sesame Street. The fashions incorporate denim, frilly skirts and funky colors – not your typical Sesame garb. On second thought, some of those muppets have been kinda funky over the past 35 years, much to the delight of a generation-plus. And, of course, Sesame never has had a problem changing with the times. The new line, which includes clothing for infants to young women, will be out just in time for this holiday season.

And speaking of fashion…the Build-A-Bear brand will be expanding this year with the release of lifestyle and apparel, due out towards the third and fourth quarters. Some specific deals to look forward to include launch of the "Heart and Sole" footwear line set for J.C. Penney and a line of apparel and accessories planned to launch in Lord & Taylor in time for back-to-school.
This, in addition to the New York City flagship store opening planned for July, hints that we surely haven't seen the last of this hot property. Yes, fashion is definitely simmering again this year. Between the appearance of Kimora Lee Sims and designer Anna Sui at last night's Mattel Fashion show, and the appearance of actress/pop songstress Brandy at this afternoon's Sesame Street fashion show, the show is turning out to be a star-studded fashion frenzy!

But that has not taken away from the seriousness of the business at hand; buying, selling, dealmaking.

Silver Lining Productions, for example, had some exciting news: the company has just sealed a deal to handle worldwide licensing for Manhattan Toy's Groovy Girls property – one of the hottest properties in the specialty market. Aother specialty deal: P-Brains, the collectible brain-switching electronic toys, manufactured by Uncle Milton Industries, are now available for book publishing via SupperTime Entertaiment. Frank Adler, executive vice president in charge of marketing at the Uncle's believes the P-Brains concept and characters readily lend themselves to book publishing. "Kids have always been fascinated with the concepts of playing mad scientist and 'switching' personalities.

The P-Brains books will take the concept to a whole other wacky level by drawing on the off-beat, but relatable, characters we’ve created and the everyday environments surrounding them.” Four new characters will launch in fall ’05.

And speaking of “special”…Archie Comics Entertainment this year may just have tapped the youngest licensee yet: 14-year old Marisa Rodriguez. The teen was awarded the license for manufacture of Archie character-based belt buckles.

“While Marisa’s youth was the first thing that impressed us, it was her imaginative designs and the quality of her extraordinary belt buckles that were the deciding factors in welcoming her aboard our family of Archie licensees,” Steve Herman, vice president of licensing for the company says.

Rodriguez grew up reading Archie comics and with the creative input of her mom, Aurora, developed the Archie character belt buckles as a way to display her love for the Riverdale gang – while making a fashion statement that has quickly caught on with her friends at school. The young designer’s future plans include expanding her line of fashion accessories featuring Archie, Betty and Veronica to include porcelain beads, necklaces and bracelets. She is presently exploring a suggested retail price of $49.95 for her belt and buckle set.

And speaking of awards…Al Kahn, chairman and CEO of 4Kids Entertainment, is being inducted into the Murray Altchuler Licensing Hall of Fame tonight during the LIMA Awards Gala. Kahn is being recognized for his stellar 35-year career in licensing. A number of 4Kids' properties are up for awards also. And to think it all started in the Cabbage Patch...

All told, the buzz is good and so is business. Or apparently so, judged by the crowds; especially at the Warner Bros. booth where we couldn’t even find the check-in desk. A rough guesstimate – there must have been about 300 people sitting, standing and milling about while we were there. Looks like Superman will rule. But business seems to be good all over. Anne Glove of Dreamworks Animation, Glendale, Calif., tells us "Business is healthy. I've seen a lot of retailers coming through, and I think it's a good sign."

She adds that she has seen a lot of people in positions of seniority in retail and "when the senior level retailers are thinking about product it's a good sign... they know their customers better than everybody."

Amen. A show with lots of retailers; and senior level ones, to boot. What more could a show want?

—With additional reporting from Brent Felgner.

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