The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Elf on the Shelf, Horrible Histories, Sony Pictures Entertainment and more

This year at BLE, on stand B5, Rocket Licensing will be kicking off a new decade as one of the industry’s most respected independent licensing companies by showcasing a portfolio of properties that is both extraordinarily exciting and daringly diverse.

Big brands on the Rocket Licensing stand for 2018 include children’s classic The Very Hungry Caterpillar, approaching its 50th birthday in 2019, and seasonal favourite The Elf on the Shelf®, a property that has seen an exceptionally fast take-up of licensees. In addition BLE will mark a new direction for TV and publishing hit Horrible Histories. Rocket is also highlighting a successful long-standing relationship with Sony Pictures Entertainment that showcases the studio’s hit films and TV series.

Joining these established Rocket brands will be the relaunched classic Love Is..., comedy hit Derry Girls, cute Japanese anime properties from Crunchyroll and the drama series sweeping all before it (in some episodes quite literally), Vikings.

Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar has been one of the UK’s most loved children’s books for nearly half a century and has sold over 45 million copies worldwide. In celebration of the brand’s big upcoming birthday, fantastic new products, exciting new licensing categories, anniversary ranges and special promotions will be launching in 2019. Children’s educational toys, butterfly kits, seasonal confectionery, personalised gifts and greetings cards are among the latest signings for this evergreen property with conversations still ongoing for the 50th.

The Elf on the Shelf® has established itself as a modern Christmas tradition since its release in the US in 2005. The kit features a storybook and one of Santa’s Scout Elves, who are sent into homes each holiday season to help Santa create his nice list. Embraced by families across the UK, this fun festive brand is partnering with leading cereal brand Kellogg’s for autumn/winter 2018, when it will be featured on millions of cereal boxes nationwide, supported by prize-giving competitions and a prominent in-store and digital marketing campaign. Additionally, The Elf on the Shelf® is building a strong licensing campaign. New partners for 2018 include TDP and Aykroyds for nightwear and underwear, Fashion UK for daywear, Roy Lowe for socks and Hachette for an activity sticker book. IG Design Group will also be launching wrap and gift bags, while home textiles licensee Dreamtex has expanded its product range to include cushions and towels in addition to bedding for this Christmas.

Rocket’s BLE 2018 line-up also includes the Horrible Histories franchise. Written by Terry Deary and illustrated by Martin Brown, Scholastic’s publishing hit has been the world’s best-selling children’s history-book series for over 25 years and inspired sell-out stage-shows and award-winning TV series, the latter soon to reach its eighth series. In its licensing campaign, this enduring and uniquely British brand has seen success in dress-up, board games and social stationery, with new product ranges currently in development for heritage sector gift, collectable commemorative coins and puzzles. 2019 will see the brand propelled to new heights with the release of Horrible Histories: The Movie, set in Roman Britain. Produced by Oscar-winning Altitude and Horrible Histories TV producers, Citrus Films, Horrible Histories: The Movie is set to star big names from British comedy and film.

Building upon a successful longstanding relationship with Sony Pictures Entertainment, Rocket Licensing is showcasing the studio’s hit films and TV series, including the much-anticipated untitled Men in Black spin-off. This $2B franchise continues to resonate with fans around the globe and has a style that is immediately recognisable. The iconic brand forms a strong basis for an impactful licensing campaign across categories, notably with apparel, toy, gift, publishing, accessories & eyewear, health & beauty and more. The new film, scheduled to hit UK screens in summer 2019, features an all-star cast with Chris Hemsworth (The Avengers), Tessa Thompson (Thor Ragnarok) and Liam Neeson (Taken).
2019 is also set to be a big year for Ghostbusters, the 80s classic film that has proven its perennial appeal as it now approaches its 35th anniversary. The anniversary will be marked by a flurry of brand activity including the release of the Ghostbusters World AR game and a global orchestra tour, as well as forming a strong focus point to further build the brand’s licensing success.
The Hotel Transylvania franchise continues to show its strength in film and television. After a hugely successful theatrical release of a third feature film, Hotel Transylvania: The Series found a new audience on Netflix and continues to gain traction with viewers. The series will return on linear television in 2019 and Rocket will continue to help build this brand.
From Sony Pictures Television, the worldwide hit series Outlander has quickly become the largest scripted series telecast for the channel since its launch on More 4 in 2017. With the brand continuing to grow in popularity and maintaining a strong television platform, there is opportunity for the licensing program to develop alongside the launch of Series 4 this autumn. Sony Television’s portfolio is also strengthened by the growing success of Breaking Bad prequel Better Call Saul, which has already received a great response to its fourth series launch on Netflix this summer.

Elsewhere, the simple charm of its characters and its notes about love continue to give Love Is… an enormous appeal to a core market of adult females aged 18 to 30. Danilo’s Love Is… card range was launched earlier this year and has secured strong listings for Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day 2019. New art assets and a style guide theme extension also support many new licensing opportunities ranging from apparel, accessories, publishing and stationery to housewares, beauty products, and of course, gifting.

Derry Girls from Hat Trick Productions has been one of Channel 4’s biggest-ever comedy hits. This story of four teenage girls and a teenage boy attending convent school is set in 1990s Northern Ireland and takes place against the backdrop of bomb threats, armed soldiers and roadblocks. The show has now inspired a licensing campaign developed to appeal to fans of the show as Lisa McGee’s funny and feisty characters return to our screens for a second series in spring 2019. Target categories will include apparel, accessories, gifting and homewares, stationery and social stationery, health and beauty, and games and puzzles.

As the leading global platform for Japanese anime and Asian content with an online community of over 40 million, Crunchyroll also has a dynamic portfolio of brands represented by Rocket Licensing. This includes Bananya, the charming and funny short-clip animation series following the adventures of a kitten and his family and friends, all of whom live in bananas. Rocket will be looking to fill key categories including publishing, health and beauty, apparel and food and confectionery, where the brand’s visual appeal and charm will be strong attractions for both consumers and licensees. Roy Lowe is already on board for socks with new partners to be announced soon.

Vikings’ extraordinary combination of bloodshed, bravery and humour has made this dramatic family saga a must-see on the History Channel and Amazon Prime. Season six is on the way, supported by licensing partnerships with GB Eye for posters, mugs, badges and prints, and Winning Moves for board games. Also from MGM is Rocky, the ultimate boxing movie, which has established itself as a perennial brand that continues to engage fans, with Creed II scheduled for release this November. Then there is the award-winning dystopian story The Handmaid’s Tale, which has seen a successful second series air on Channel 4 this summer.

Further brands to be showcased by Rocket at BLE 2018 include JIFFPOM, the adorable Pomeranian featured in Vivienne Westwood’s AW18 global advertising campaign, the BBC hit Mrs Brown’s Boys, which is consistently ranked No. 1 comedy programme, and the fantastic portfolio of comic books from Valiant. Rocket has also been renewed as the UK agent for Gold’s Gym, the most recognised fitness brand in the world, for which target categories include sports apparel, accessories and nutrition.

Rob Wijeratna Joint Managing Director of Rocket Licensing says: “This is, as you would expect from Rocket, a varied list of properties with two things in common. Firstly, they all offer exciting licensing opportunities. Secondly, they prove that, after ten years managing licensing for some of the most innovative and exciting brands to hit the UK, we have no intention of slowing down!”