Enormous popularity of cute, character-led collectibles to drive major licensing campaign

Bulldog Licensing, one of the UK’s leading licensing agencies, has been appointed by brand owner Moose Toys to licence Pikmi Pops. Moose, the inventor of global phenomenon Shopkins, recently launched the super cute plush, collectible toys and in only a few short months they have shot up the NPD charts to become the second-biggest new brand in the territory.

The scented, collectible toys are based around a group of tiny, cute animal characters housed in different-sized lollipop-shaped vessels and come with a range of surprises including wristbands, keyrings and much more, Launched in 2017, Pikmi Pops have become a big hit with their target market of girls aged 5 to 9, who love the quirky characters and the element of surprise when they unwrap each vessel. They also love the sweet scents, which include blueberry, peppermint, bubble-gum and chocolate.

The range continues to evolve, with series two having just hit shelves. The stars of Pikmi pops – including Pichi the dog, Ebby the bunny, Leroy the monkey, Ollie the bear, Picki the parrot and Fetti the cat now come with brand new collectible surprises including sweet messages, toys and stationery as well as the much-loved scented plush in their lollipop vessels. There are even collectors’ guides so fans can discover whether their toy, gift or plush is limited edition.

The Pikmi Pops brand is already supported by a powerful multimedia campaign across YouTube, websites, social media, TV, magazines and PR. The next stage will be an expansion of the popular characters to a number of licensed categories launching from the end of 2018 with Bulldog in advanced conversations across all key categories.

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Bulldog Licensing Director Vicky Hill says: “The wit and charm of Pikmi Pops, combined with their collectability and surprise value, has made for the development of a very popular and well-loved brand in a very short time. I have no doubt that the retail performance of Pikmi Pops in licensed categories will match that of the original Pikmi Pops toys.”

The LEVC (London EV Company) – manufacturer of the world-famous Black Cab – is now making a range-extended-electric vehicle, ushering in a new age of environmentally-friendly travel in cities.

LEVC is famous as the producer of the iconic Black Cab, globally recognised as the taxi of choice in London. The brand new range-extended electric model – the TX – retains the unmistakable shape of the classic Black Cab whilst revolutionising all of the technology on board. The new eco-friendly vehicles are now carrying customers around the capital – and attracting positive reviews from media around the world in the process.

This adds to the buzz surrounding brand, which is reflected in a growing licensing programme – managed by Bulldog Licensing. Partners include Oxford Die Cast who will be producing scale models of the new vehicle, whilst Bioworld International are developing ranges of apparel and accessories for the iconic brand. High Resolution Design are on board for taxi plush, Infinity Brands for food gift tins, and Igloo Books for publishing. In addition to the range from Oxford, Bulldog is also working with Hornby Hobbies, Sunstar Models, Waimanly International and Welly Die Cast who have all created die casts of different scales.

Bulldog is also targeting other categories – including toys, games and video games – and would 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. The Black Cab is already an enduring movie star, having featured in over 2,000 films over the last 80 years

“The Black Cab is one of the world’s great brands and the launch of an electric model is generating a lot of publicity,” says Bulldog’s Licensing Executive, Sophie Yates. “This adds to the commercial allure of a property which is attracting a steady stream of interested parties.”