WWE Expanding Tapout Distribution

Tapout athletic apparel will expand to more than 500 Aeropostale stores in November following a 120-store test, moving distribution outside J.C. Penney, says World Wrestling Entertainment’s Casey Collins, which operates Tapout as a joint venture with brand owner Authentic Brands Group (ABG). Aeropostale will start with Tapout mens athletic apparel and potentially add womens and boys in 2018, says Collins. “JC Penney has been a good partner, but they have Nike and their own brands,” says Collins. “We will continue to have a presence there but they weren’t willing to give us what we were looking for and we felt we needed some more” retail stores.

The joint venture is considering extending distribution of Tapout athletic apparel outside the U.S., including the UK, where WWE has a partnership with Sports Direct, as well as Brazil, China, Middle East, Mexico, Latin America and India.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth Arden, which licensed Tapout for men’s body sprays being sold through Walmart, is weighing expanding the line and may add a women’s version in 2018, says Collins. Elizabeth Arden started to sell sprays at 1,200 Walmart stores in June and has expanded distribution chainwide, says Collins.

Contact:

World Wrestling Entertainment, Casey Collins, EVP Consumer Products, 203-352-8600 casey.collins@wwecorp.com

Nickelodeon Shifting UK Store Strategy

Nickelodeon is shifting its store strategy in the UK to new family entertainment centers after closing its high-profile retail flagship in London earlier this year, says Nickelodeon’s Ronald Johnson. Licensee Summit Resources International (SRI)  opened the London store in 2015. “We wanted to make sure this made sense for our partner and for us,” says Johnson. “Because our licensed products are so widely available, we want to differentiate the experience of visiting on our Nickelodeon-brand store.”

Licensee Parques Reunidos will open a Nickelodeon-branded 5,000 sq.ft. family entertainment center – food court, rides and merchandise, in the intu Lakeside Shopping Center in Essex, UK in 2018; the first one opens in Spain on Dec. 1.

With the closing of the London store, Nickelodeon is developing a new kiosk format with SRI for department stores and malls in Asia, says Johnson.

Contact:

Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products, Ronald Johnson, EVP Consumer Products Recreation and Promotions, 212-846-3895, ron.johnson@vimn.com

Rovio Begins Licensing for Angry Birds Sequel Film

Rovio has begun discussions with potential “long-lead” time licensees in toys, quick-service restaurants and promotional companies on licensing for its upcoming Angry Birds 2 movie and will have a style book by Licensing Expo in May, says Rovio’s Simo Hamalainen. The film, slated for release in September 2019, is being distributed by Sony, with Rovio retaining the consumer products licensing rights, says Hamalainen. The first Angry Birds movie, released last year, generated more than $300 million in global box office revenue. Rovio had 400 licensees for the first movie, about 300 of whom remain “active,” says Hamalainen.

Meanwhile, Rovio has developed a separate style guide and licensing program for the Hatchlings, the breakout characters from the first movie. Last month, Rovio released the “Angry Birds Blues” series on YouTube, featuring the Hatchlings, which will have a more prominent role the film sequel. Rovio has Hatchlings licensing agreements in plush with Commonwealth Toys for retail and Whitehouse for amusement parks.

Contact:

Rovio, Simo Hamalainen, SVP Brand Licensing, +358 50 585 9757, simo.hamalainen@rovio.com

Hasbro Readies Outbound Licensing for Board Games

With its “Nerf Nation” outbound licensing program expecting its first products starting in mid-2018, Hasbro is expanding its strategy to include board game brands such as Monopoly, Operation, Clue, Twister and others, says Hasbro’s Simon Waters. While Hasbro has had licensing deals for board games-related apparel in the past – the clothing designer Au Jour Le Jour has fielded t-shirts and pants – it’s broadening the availability of the brands.

In connection with the expansion of its Nerf licensing efforts, Hasbro has developed retail displays that can be used to merchandise the products alongside Hasbro’s core Nerf items, says Waters. Part of the effort behind the Nerf licensing program will be to extend the brand’s reach into sporting goods retailers where “the brand can live because it is all about action,” says Waters.

Contact:

Hasbro, Simon Waters, SVP and General Mgr. Entertainment and Consumer Products, 818-478-4804, simon.waters@hasbro.com