Bulldog Licensing has released details of a new licensing agreement for The London Taxi Company.

The London Taxi Company is the only manufacturer and retailer of the world famous iconic Black Cab, globally recognised as the hackney carriage vehicle of choice for use in London and around the world. The current model being produced, the TX4, is the latest in a long line of Black Cabs to roll off the company’s production line in Coventry.

The new deal will see dynamic publishing company IglooBooks produce a range of titles featuring the unmistakable taxis. This is just the latest in a series of successful agreements for the iconic brand which sees strong sales in the toy category with die cast proving particularly popular right through to fashion apparel with the popular Ted Baker range.Bulldog is now in discussion with potential partners across a wide range of additional categories, including remote control and plastics, games, apparel and accessories, apparel and homewares. The London Taxi Company has a strong history in all of these areas, having previously granted licences as diverse as Disney Pixar for inclusion of their IP in the Cars franchise and Fullers for their Black Cab stout beer.

Bulldog would also like anyone looking to use images of black cabs for commercial purposes, for example in films or video games, to get in touch and discuss rights. “This is great news,” says Bulldog Group MD Rob Corney. “IglooBooks is the perfect publishing partner for this iconic brand, with their knowledge of the industry and strong array of formats, we are sure that this will be a successful partnership on a global scale.’

Hit design brand Tired Ted has bagged another licensing partner, with Cherry Orchard Publishing signing up for greetings cards.

Tired Ted is the creation of Innis Stiles – a designer who has worked with high-profile clients such as McLaren F1 and Hallmark – and Richard Stiles, a greetings and gifting specialist who has developed character soft toys for, amongst others, Hippo & Duck, Spit the Dog, Emu, Orville and Nookie Bear. The brand features a mix of illustrative and photographic art complemented by an endearing back-story that is integral to the brand – Tired Ted is a little bear with a big heart and, as a family heirloom, has been loved by several generations. He has developed a philosophical nature and is always contemplating the world around him. He is also wise, thoughtful and loving, with an endearing grumpiness and lots of friends to help him through his many adventures.

Cherry Orchard Publishing has designed a beautiful new range of everyday and Christmas designs that capture the lovable nature of Tired Ted and his friends. Visitors to this year’s Spring Fair will be the first to see the designs, with the line set to be unveiled at the Cherry Orchard stand (Hall 4 – 4F06) on Sunday, February 1st.

Cherry Orchard Publishing joins other partners including Yoofiti for personalised wall art and TDP for nightwear and underwear.

“Having seen some of the new designs I know this range is going to perform very strongly at retail as the cards perfectly capture the essence of Tired Ted,” says Bulldog MD Rob Corney. “The Cherry Orchard design team have made full use of a brand that appeals across the age groups, from the adult sentiment market through to the young children’s sector.”

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The licensing campaign for Shopkins — the hit new girls’ collectible range that’s taking the UK retail market by storm — is expanding fast with the announcement of three more licenses: in games, posters and amusement plush.

Winning Moves, a leading maker of board games, card games, and puzzles, is set to launch their Shopkins range with Top Trumps card game in markets worldwide and will follow up with more exciting games for the EMEA and Asia/Pacific markets. Pyramid, a leading name in licensed images, will offer posters in all sizes for the UK and Ireland market and Whitehouse Leisure, the leading market innovator in amusement plush and redemption products, is to produce plush and key chains for the European amusement channels.The new licensees join a programme which already boasts the support of major companies including Pedigree Books, DJ Murphy magazines and Scholastic.

The games ranges will be available from Spring 2015 with the poster range available now. The Whitehouse range will reach the amusement market across Europe from mid-2015.

Distributed in the UK by toy powerhouse Flair, Shopkins are the super cute, super tiny, grocery-themed collectibles that are inspired by items from aisles in the grocery store and come with adorable shopping bags and baskets. With a strong programme of through the line marketing, over five million views on Shopkins YouTube in less than two months and over five million views on videos posted by independent toy reviewers, as well as a powerful social media presence Shopkins is looking to be the biggest brand ever produced by Australian company Moose Toys. In fact, Shopkins have proved such a hit with girls that some of them have been selling on Ebay for over £1,000!

The property is already hugely popular in Australia and the US and has now hit the UK — with retailers everywhere struggling to keep the line in stock and having to airfreight in new supplies to fulfil consumer demand.

Bulldog, which represents the brand in the UK market, is already in advanced discussions with licensees in back to school, stationery, apparel and many more with announcements regarding partners in multiple product categories due soon.

Bulldog Group MD Rob Corney says, “These three licensees are major names in their fields and their enthusiasm for the Shopkins brand is a strong vote of confidence in these funny, delightful and charming characters. We’re looking forward to a very busy 2015 for Shopkins!”

Moose Toys, adds, “We’re all thrilled with the success of Shopkins and the speed with which the brand has taken off in the UK. Shopkins is a fast becoming a licensing phenomenon to match its success in the grocery market!”

Less than two months after the launch of the property, Bulldog Licensing has announced further UK licenses awarded for Shopkins — the hit new girls’ collectable range that’s taking the UK retail market by storm.

Independent publishing house DJ Murphy is coming on board with magazines for the UK and Eire markets, while market-leading Annuals publisher Pedigree books is planning Annuals for the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and South African markets. The two new additions to the burgeoning programme for the hit brand join a programme already supported by publishing heavyweights Scholastic who will be bringing a range of titles to market through 2015.

DJ Murphy will be launching its Shopkins magazines in early spring. Aimed at girls aged from five upwards, they will be widely available across newsagents, supermarkets and other outlets. The magazines will include stories, games cartoons and competitions based on Apple Blossom, Strawberry Kiss, Pineapple Crush and the other Shopkins that have already been hits in the collectables market and online. DJ Murphy has been publishing magazines for over 60 years and has a particularly strong children’s portfolio, with magazines dedicated to some of the best-known toy and TV brands.

The Pedigree Shopkins Annuals will include not only the traditional winter book available from October but also seasonal activity editions and bumper packs for the spring and summer market. These will be available from Spring 2015. The Shopkins publications will be packed full of profiles, brand information, activities, games, quizzes, colouring and lots more. Pedigree Books has been the UK’s market leader in Annuals, yearbooks and related activity formats since 1993.

Distributed in the UK by toy powerhouse Flair, Shopkins are the super cute, super tiny, grocery-themed collectibles that are inspired by items from aisles in the grocery store and come with adorable shopping bags and baskets. With a strong programme of through the line marketing, over five million views on Shopkins YouTube in less than two months and over five million views on videos posted by independent toy reviewers, as well as a powerful social media presence Shopkins is looking to be the biggest brand ever produced by Australian company Moose Toys. In fact, Shopkins have proved such a hit with girls that some of them have been selling on Ebay for over £1,000!

The property is already hugely popular in Australia and the US and has raced to the top of the sales charts in the UK with retailers everywhere struggling to keep the line in stock and having to airfreight in new supplies to fulfil consumer demand.

A number of licenses across not only publishing but also games, posters, plush and novelty accessories have already been awarded. Bulldog, which represents the brand in the UK market, is also in very advanced discussions with licensees in back to school, stationery, apparel and many more categories.

“The brand only debuted a short while ago at Brand Licensing Europe show and is already making major waves in the UK licensing market,” says Bulldog Group MD Rob Corney. “These publishing licences awarded to two of the most respected and successful names in the business will play a major part in spreading the word and meeting strong demand.”

Pedigree says: “The cute, charming and instantly recognisable Shopkins translate perfectly into the highly visual, fun and story-led format of Annuals and activity books. Retail and consumer demand for bringing Shopkins to these formats is clearly very strong and we’re delighted to be playing a part in meeting that demand.”

Moose Toys adds: “Each Shopkins character has a strong identity and appeal that makes the range as a whole ideal for publishing. We are especially pleased that Pedigree and DJ Murphy, two companies with such strong track records in their respective fields, have so enthusiastically embraced this brand.”

Hit gaming brand Plants vs. Zombies™, represented by Bulldog Licensing, is set to feature in a new Annual, courtesy of sector leader Pedigree.

Created by PopCap Games, a division of Electronic Arts Inc, Plants vs. Zombies requires players to stop a fun-dead horde using of a host of zombie-zapping plants that each have their own special powers. The mixture of endearing characters, funny surprises, and quality gameplay is irresistible to gamers. There are now several games in the chart-topping franchise – the original was followed by Plants vs. Zombies 2, which quickly became the most successful mobile game launch in EA’s history. Fans received another treat when multiplayer shooter Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare launched for console, heading to the top echelons of sales charts everywhere.

Pedigree is set to launch an activity Annual and activity Annual bumper pack, with product hitting the shelves in February across the UK and Eire, Commonwealth countries, and North America.

This new deal adds to the brand’s massive licensing presence, with Plants vs. Zombies represented by a host of licensees across multiple categories. Partners include Cooneen for nightwear and underwear, Smith & Brooks for apparel, Portico for greetings cards, K’Nex for construction toys, Character World for homewares, A4T for digital peripherals, and Jazwares for plush and toys.
“Pedigree are always looking to work with the hottest brands on the market for their Annuals, so this new deal is indicative of just how popular Plants vs. Zombies has become,” says Bulldog Licensing Manager, Vicky Hill, “This is reflected at retail, with existing products flying off the shelves, meaning the property is rapidly developing into one of the most successful digital brands ever.”