New alliance, launching at BLE, will expand licensing for popular Me to You brand.

KIDZ BOP, the #1 music brand for kids, has appointed Bulldog Licensing, one of the licensing industry’s leading agencies, as its official UK licensing agency, beginning at Brand Licensing Europe (BLE).

KIDZ BOP is a global family music brand that records today’s biggest hits, sung by kids for kids, and currently records in five languages. Since launching in the US in 2001, KIDZ BOP has sold over 23 million albums and generated over 8 billion streams and was also named Billboard Magazine’s “#1 Kid Artist” for eleven consecutive years. KIDZ BOP has 24 Top 10 debuts on the Billboard 200 Chart; only three artists in history—The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Barbra Streisand—have had more Top 10 albums. 

Over the past five years, KIDZ BOP has expanded internationally into territories including the UK, Germany, France, and Mexico, with dedicated KIDZ BOP Kids in each market. Since its launch in the UK in 2017, KIDZ BOP has garnered seven Top 10 albums. The brand continues to grow its partnership with Sky Kids in the UK, where they’ve co-produced several specials and series starring the British KIDZ BOP Kids, including ‘KIDZ BOP Halloween Party,’ ‘A Merry KIDZ BOP Christmas,’ ‘KIDZ BOP Presents: MOVE IT!,’ ‘KIDZ BOP Live in Concert,’ and more. They’ve also made several guest appearances on shows including Crackerjack!, Children’s BAFTA, BBC Children In Need, Loose Women, and Good Morning Britain, and performed live at the London O2 Arena and The Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith. Building on this success, Bulldog will be targeting a wide range of categories for the brand in the UK, including apparel, video games, gifts, toys, and accessories, with a target market of both girls and boys from 5-12 years old. The Bulldog team will be bringing the property to BLE for the first time to discuss KIDZ BOP opportunities with visitors and potential partners.

Rob Corney, MD of Bulldog Licensing, commented: “This is a property with a strong identity, a massive appeal and a growing international reach, all of which make it perfect for an expansion into a wide range of merchandise that reflects the values of fun, style and great music that underpin the brand. We’re thrilled to be working with KIDZ BOP.”

The agency is set to create a UK licensing programme for the virtual pet sensation

Launched in the 1990s, Bandai’s Tamagotchi became an overnight global sensation as it taught children how to care for a pet. The toy released in Japan in 1996 and was out of stock within a week due to unprecedented demand from consumers. Over the following year, 40 million units of the virtual pet were sold.

Over the last 25 years, Bandai has continued to create new generations of the pet, including licensed versions, such as the Hello Kitty Tamagotchi, the Pac-Man Tamagotchi and even a Star Wars version, bringing sales to date to an incredible 80 million.

As such a key part of pop culture over the last three decades, Tamagotchi provides the ideal addition to Bulldog’s carefully curated portfolio of brands. With its rich heritage and instantly recognisable branding, the agency will build a portfolio of hand-picked licensees to expand the world of Tamagotchi for consumers and the army of devoted fans.

Bulldog Licensing’s team will be exploring partnerships in a range of sectors, including publishing, apparel, homewares, gifts, stationery and more. Meanwhile, brand owner, Bandai will continue to introduce the Tamagotchi brand to new fans, while also delighting existing enthusiasts with a re-launch of the original Tamagotchi, as well as the new generation, Tamagotchi Pix.

Tamagotchi Pix allows users to interact with their Tamagotchi character in a whole new way, with a built-in camera and touch buttons to enhance the experience.

Rob Corney, Managing Director of Bulldog Licensing, commented: “A brand as iconic as Tamagotchi is a fantastic addition to our portfolio. The wealth of assets makes this the perfect property to build a meaningful, impactful and fun consumer products programme. We are really excited to present Tamagotchi to our best-in-class licensing partners and create a wider Tamagotchi world for consumers to enjoy.”

“We are proud of the continued success of Tamagotchi more than 25 years after its initial launch,” said Aâdil Tayouga, Director of Licensing and Business Strategy at Bandai Namco Europe. “Our toy line has been expanding and growing rapidly in the UK, with both younger and adult generations really being fond of Tamagotchi, which brings exciting licensing opportunities. We are looking forward to work with Bulldog Licensing to deliver more Tamagotchi to our consumers.”