Leading European agency adds new comedy-action animation from Zag to its roster

Bulldog licensing is in discussions with a range of potential partners for the new Zag Studios animation which launches in the UK on Cartoon Network this month.

The new partnership will see Bulldog Licensing managing the licensing programme in the UK and Eire for the new fun show with real stakes, large laughs and over-the-top action. The agency is in negotiation with licensees across a range of categories including apparel, home, gifting, publishing and more.

The toy range from Playmates, distributed in the UK by Flair, is readying for release in Q4, along with other core merchandise, and will feature action figures, vehicles and role play items at launch. Retail reactions to the new line at the recent toy shows has been phenomenal and the range will be supported by a heavyweight marketing programme.

The TV debut will consist of 78×11’ episodes about the super-powered characters disguised as toys led by Axel, a human boy, who joins the smart toy world he is partly responsible for creating. Courage, comedy and stunning visuals combine in an action-packed show filled with engaging characters.

Rob Corney, MD, Bulldog Licensing, comments: “We’re thrilled to welcome Power Players into the Bulldog family. The fun, fast-paced series is a real showcase of the huge talent at Zag, and the strong characters and storylines have made for a colourful and creative style guide which will inspire leading licensees across categories.

“Our initial discussions with potential partners have been overwhelmingly positive, and we are looking forward to announcing new deals and rolling out the consumer products soon.”

The animated brand enjoys incredible success across TV, app and YouTube

Throughout December and into 2020, Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir, ZAG’s animated TV series, has been experiencing stellar ratings across all platforms, with the UK audience the second largest in the world.

Leading European agency, Bulldog Licensing, which handles the licensing programme for the property in the UK and Eire, reports that TV set viewing figures for single episodes throughout December consistently reached 160,000 on Pop, rocketing to a whopping 180K in the week of the 9^th to 15^th.

The show also took the top spot for the channel every week in December. The property dominated Pop’s top ten broadcast spots throughout the period, mirroring the huge broadcast success which has been seen since the brand’s inception.

Meanwhile the app, based on the popular superhero animation, has reached an enormous 70million+ downloads on iOS and Android globally, with 1.1million downloads in the UK alone, while receiving rave reviews across the board. The fast-paced rescue mission game has an average of 4.7 out of five stars on the App Store, accompanied by overwhelmingly positive write-ups.

The Miraculous YouTube channel has welcomed an incredible 276 million views worldwide. The UK contributes the second highest number of visitors, accounting for nearly eight per cent of total views (around 22 million local views), with the average viewing time at nearly three minutes.

Rob Corney, MD of Bulldog Licensing, comments: “The growth of the Miraculous brand is phenomenal. Throughout 2019, Google Trend analysis shows that the brand has been ahead of most of the leading players in the girls’ market in the UK.

“Zag has created a unique brand and its enormous popularity reflects its fresh approach and top-class production and animation. We have a strong licensing programme already in place, including Bandai, Rubies Masquerade, Fashion UK, William Lamb, Imagine8 and Aykroyds TDP. Sales across fashion items have always been incredibly strong and, we are looking at a year of very strong growth across all other categories for this leading girls’ title.”

Bulldog Licensing signs deal with Rubie’s Masquerade for the iconic evergreen brand

Fans of Sesame Street will be able to dress up as Elmo, Cookie Monster, and the rest of their favourite friends from the classic TV series with a new range of dress up and accessories from Rubie’s Masquerade.

Leading European agency, Bulldog Licensing, which manages the consumer products programme for Sesame Street in the UK and Eire, has signed the deal with Rubie’s to develop adult, children’s and pet lines for the dress up and accessories range.

Rob Corney, Bulldog Licensing MD, says: “Sesame Street has a special place in the hearts of all generations throughout the UK, so the new partnership with Rubies Masquerade is a great addition to the consumer products portfolio. The characters are part of the nation’s fabric and will make fantastic dress-up products.

“Sesame Street showcased its brand power with the 50^th birthday celebrations last year and this is carrying through with activity throughout 2020 and beyond. The licensing programme is seeing significant growth in the territory with new partners, new categories and increased listings, a trend which is set to continue with retailers looking to back the brand in increasing numbers.”

Fans of Sesame Street can catch Elmo’s World and Cookie Monster’s Foodie Truck on Tiny Pop. With over 25 million fans across its social media channels, over a million of whom are in the UK, Sesame Street continues to engage with both children and adults alike.