New deals for Peppa Pig and PJ Masks in the UK, Ben & Holly marks ten years, Ricky Zoom ready for launch.
A raft of new partners and retail initiatives are set to further boost the presence of eOne’s preschool brands at retail throughout the remainder of 2019 and into 2020.
In the run up to Brand Licensing Europe (which takes place at ExCeL from October 1-3), eOne has inked a number of new deals, further expanding its presence in the UK across both Peppa Pig and PJ Masks. The roll out will begin in autumn and will include product launches from TOMY, Tefal, Star Editions, Signature PG and Merch By Amazon.
In addition, eOne will once again team with long-time charity partner Save the Children for Christmas Jumper Day 2019, supported with a Peppa Pig Christmas charity single, Bing Bong Christmas, and an exclusive four-pack of family figures in Christmas jumpers sold exclusively at The Entertainer with a percentage of sales donated to the charity.
Bing Bong Christmas will also feature on the CD release of Peppa Pig’s First Album, available from October 25. Penguin has also created a bespoke title, Peppa’s Christmas Jumper Day, also with a percentage going to Save the Children.
Meanwhile, in the UK a new deal with Rossi will mark PJ Masks’ entrance into the frozen food aisle. A new PJ Masks Halloween single will be hitting the digital space just in time for Halloween, and a brand-new coding app, Hero Academy, will be launching.
The three heroes will also be flying into key family and retail locations between now and December making over 60 costume character appearances in an extensive tour across the UK ahead of the key seasonal retail period.
Celebrating its 10th anniversary in the UK this year, multi award-winning animated series Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom is still top of the charts holding this year’s record for most views on a single episode on Nick Jr aged 4-6. BBF also joins the UK licensing programme with a new celebration cake launching in 2020.
New IP, Ricky Zoom, meanwhile is heading to UK screens from October 5 on Nick Jr., with licensing opportunities being presented at BLE.
Activity continues across the experiential category, too, with new productions marking the company’s biggest slate of live entertainment to date.
Fierylight’s all-new stage show production Peppa Pig Best Day Ever embarks on a UK tour reaching 60 theatres from October 18, including a limited run at London’s West End for Christmas. Due to popular demand, Fierylight will also add further dates for its popular classical concert format, Peppa Pig My First Concert, in 2020. Meanwhile, the PJ Masks Live stage show has been a hit around the world and a new touring production called Save the Day will be heading to theatres in the UK from October 2020.
eOne is also set to ramp up its in-store marketing activities to drive footfall at retail. The licensor is strengthening its partnership with luxury department store, Selfridges, by introducing a permanent space for Peppa Pig following the successful shop in shop launched in January which exceeded all expectations.
A PJ Masks store takeover is also poised to welcome customers at 170 The Entertainer stores across the UK.
“The exciting list of new partners, retail activations and live stage show productions in the UK is a clear demonstration of how our preschool properties continue to attract partners that drive innovation and bring fans the best possible experiences both at home, on stage and at retail,” said Katie Rollings, svp UK licensing at eOne Family & Brands.
