DIC Ent. is unveiling a host of new licensing intitives for such brands as McDonalds, MADELINE, TROLLS and the new property, HORSELAND.
Following the successful launch of the McDonalds Vintage t-shirt line from Master Apparel Licensee, Mighty Fine, DIC will introduce into specialty and mid-tier retailers this year an expanded line of soft-line fashions, fashion accessories and gift and novelty products from select leading licensees, including The Bradford Exchange, Briefly Stated, Drew Pearson Marketing, ES Originals, Fabrics by Spectrix, FunKo, GTO Design Studios, SBH/High Point Knitting, Hot Properties! Merchandising and Senario. The brand will rollout to mass retail in 2007.
Mighty Fine, the industry leader in fashion and innovation, produced a collection of limited-edition t-shirts that brought McDonalds memorable characters to life. Ronald McDonald, Grimace, Hamburglar, Birdie and all the McDonaldland friends are featured in the McDonalds collection of knit tops designed under Mighty Fines fashionable specialty label, Doe. Doe has created fashion, fun and fond memories through its McDonalds apparel collection, capturing the authenticity of the McDonalds brand and the nostalgia of youth.
We are thrilled with the response to the t-shirt collection and we have no doubt the popularity will continue to grow as we expand our distribution and our product lines, comments Cynthia Modders, svp, worldwide consumer products, DIC. The McDonalds brand has unparalleled global recognition and mass appeal and we are excited to bring a product to the marketplace that evokes nostalgia and fun.
McDonald's is an American icon that we all grew up with and have an emotional connection to, commented Justin Watson, marketing director, Mighty Fine. We have had a lot of fun re-positioning McDonald's within the fashion retail market,"
For MADELINE, DIC Ent. and the The Alexander Doll Co. will introduce of an all-new Madeline doll line. DIC will unveil the Madame Alexander signature collectible Maggie Doll, as well as an eight-inch Madeline plush doll. Both items will be featured in the Madame Alexander fall 2006 catalog (June) and the FAO Schwartz Holiday 2006 catalog (September). The new Madeline doll lines will rollout to high-end and specialty retailers in spring 2007.
DIC will also re-launch the MADELINE brand by creating a program. The company will introduce product lines in spring 2007, including toys, home furnishings and domestics for spring 2007 and will then expand the categories and distribution to include soft-lines to the mid-tier and department stores in fall 2007. Additionally, the award-winning MADELINE television series will join the lineup of programming scheduled to air in September 2006 on CBSs Saturday Morning Secret Slumber Party.
We want to re-establish Madeline as an upscale brand by licensing high-end collectibles for the enjoyment of both the older generation of fans who have grown up with the spunky red-head and to girls 3-6 who will be exposed to her for the first time, comments Modders.
Moreover, DIC Ent. has announced all new licensees and product lines for the Classic Trolls brand. The pop culture icon was re-introduced in January 2006 in specialty retail outlets throughout the U.S., and now the brand is heading to the mass retail market for the first time ever via a product line from Master Toy partner Play Along, a division of Jakks Pacific Inc.
Play Along is the only company licensed to manufacture and market the original Dam Trolls. The company has developed a targeted collectible line that includes Troll pen toppers, Troll clip-ons, 3-inch Good Luck Message Trolls, five-inch Classic Trolls and five-inch Themed Trolls, such as a biker, rock star, nurse, chef and many more. Throughout 2006, Play Along plans to continue to add new themed Trolls to the line while retiring others. Play Along and DIC have launched a comprehensive yet untraditional marketing campaign featuring product placement, promotional partnerships, film contests and other quirky grassroots initiatives
DIC has signed additional licensees to rollout new product lines in 2006, including American Greetings (cards, calendars, ornaments), Berkshire (headwear, footwear, cold-weather accessories), Hot Properties (novelty itemsbuttons, magnets, toppers, key chains, etc.), SBH (sleepwear, daywear, intimates), Springs Creative Products Group (fabrics) and Trevco (t-shirts, novelty tops). In addition to the specialty outlets, the Classic Trolls and new product lines are now available at Walgreens, KB Toys, Tower Records and Claires. In fall 2006, additional retailers will include Wal*Mart, Target, Kmart and Toys R Us.
Modderscommented, "We are thrilled with the response from collectors and new fans for the Classic Trolls and anticipate phenomenal success when we take them to mass retailers. "We have top partners and licensees onboard to keep the program fresh and exciting for a new generation without compromising the integrity of the brand that has become a cultural icon."
DIC Ent. has also set Licensing 2006 for the launch of an all-new lifestyle and entertainment brand, HORSELAND.
DIC is developing a unique entertainment and consumer products program for the new brand, based on the highly successful, persistent web community (2.4 million registered accounts), www.horseland.com, on which kids can interactively buy, sell, breed and train virtual horses, and compete with themselves and each other. DIC will incorporate its signature 360 Degree approach to brand building to create a comprehensive licensing and merchandising program, which will launch in spring 2007 with key categories, including toys, apparel, publishing, mobile, collectibles, and more. The core demographic for HORSELAND will be girls 6 -12 with a secondary market of horse enthusiasts and collectors.
Our goal is to build a unique licensing and merchandising program that will tap into young girls love of horses, the outdoors and adventure and will extend the experience beyond the web community, comments Modders. Our new program will integrate the propertys special features of nurturing play patterns and collectibility in merchandise.
DIC is in production on the television series, featuring CGI and traditional animation, which will debut in the U.S. this Fall on the new CBS branded kids programming block, CBSs Secret Saturday Morning Slumber Party. The interaction between HORSELAND and the website will be synchronized for maximum synergy with each character having their own personal page on the site, allowing users to interact with the characters and animals from the series. Additionally, players will be able to watch past episodes as streaming video and may submit story ideas.
HORSELAND episodes will follow the relationships of five girls and two boys who have become fast friends trough their love of horses. Each episode features themes that deal with issues such as compassion, honesty, cooperation both human and equine. But, like all friends, they occasionally have conflicts too. Each character owns a unique horse, and the horses and stable dogs can talk to each other. All of the horses will be rendered very faithfully to their breeds, with precise, accurate depictions of training, grooming, riding and competition.
DIC Ent., a fully-integrated global brand management company, is dedicated to creating, developing, producing, distributing, marketing and merchandising family-based intellectual properties. DIC owns one of the largest libraries of western-style animation with approximately 2,800 half-hours of programming. In 2003, the company launched the DIC Kids Network, a syndicated programming block designed to meet core FCC requirements and the only network for kids that reaches effectively 98% of U.S. households on more than 300 stations. DIC has developed strategic partnerships with key domestic and international broadcast partners throughout North America, Europe, Asia, Latin America, Africa and Australia. DIC is headquartered in Burbank, California with international offices in Paris, London and Cologne.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
