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Independent licensing company Rocket Licensing has been appointed by US based licensor CCA and B, LLC, to develop and manage the UK and Eire licensing for The Elf on the Shelf®, the brand based on the enormously popular illustrated children's book and Scout Elf box set — The Elf on the Shelf®: A Christmas Tradition.
This timeless Christmas story of how Santa’s Scout Elves are sent into people’s homes has become a special Christmas tradition, capturing the hearts of children and families all over the world since its publication in 2005. The Elf on the Shelf® has a unique charm, as each book is accompanied by a magical Scout Elf who, once named by his or her adoptive family, receives their Christmas magic to fly back and forth to the North Pole, keeping Santa informed of who has been naughty or nice. With the Scout Elves returning to their adoptive families’ homes each night to hide in a new location, millions of children have embraced this fun tradition of waking up each morning to search for their Scout Elf.
The Elf on the Shelf®: A Christmas Tradition has had massive cultural and commercial success in the US, selling more than 12 million box sets to date. The festive brand has grown to inspire an animated film, a website with interactive games and activities, a massive social media following of more than 2.4 million fans, popular promotions and media exposure, several apps including the number one children’s app ‘Find the Scout Elf’, and of course a range of successful licensed merchandise. The hugely popular animation An Elf’s Story™, which has national TV coverage each year, has achieved over 28 million viewers since its launch in 2012 and, for 5 consecutive years, has reached number one on iTunes downloads’ rankings of top TV shows. CCA and B have also developed the Elf Pets® brand, a successful series of books, that each come with their own featured pet plush: Elf Pets®: A Saint Bernard Tradition and Elf Pets®: A Reindeer Tradition. Total Elf Pets® sales have exceeded one and a half million units since their launch.
The brand also has a significant and growing presence in the UK and Eire, where The Elf on the Shelf® distributor Baby Republic has sold more than half a million box sets. Moreover, in 2017, The Elf on the Shelf® achieved the status of Number 1 Toy for Christmas on Amazon UK. The Elf on the Shelf® and Elf Pet® brands have been featured extensively in national press, on celebrity social media posts, in the Hamley’s Christmas Toy Parade and inspiring an official Scout Elf UK Tour for 2017. Moreover, An Elf’s Story™ DVD sales in the UK have been exceptional, with 100,000 units+ sales annually. The Elf on the Shelf® has firmly established itself as the original Christmas elf brand in the UK!
Now Rocket Licensing has been appointed to harness the enormous licensing potential of The Elf on the Shelf®. Rocket will be focusing on a number of major categories including gifting, Christmas decorations, apparel, including nightwear and loungewear, social stationery, homewares, food and confectionery, partyware and dress up, games and puzzles and accessories. New licensees will add to the already successful range from existing licensees; Dreamtex and Design Group.
Initial licensing announcements are expected soon, with the first phase of product launches to take place in Autumn/Winter 2018, in time for the all-important Christmas market, together with some exciting news about television placement for the Elf on The Shelf movies.
Rob Wijeratna, Joint Managing Director of Rocket Licensing, says: “The phenomenal success of The Elf on the Shelf® book and Scout Elf has, not surprisingly, inspired strong demand for related product here in the UK and Eire. This is the perfect brand for Christmas product and gifting, and we have already received a hugely positive response to the brand from potential UK retailers and licensees.” |
