Animal Planet Awarded A Tillywig Top Fun Award

The Joester Loria Group is thrilled to share that Animal Planet’s Giant T-Rex playset from Toys “R” Us was selected for a Tillywig Top Fun award. The Top Fun award is given to products that stand out in terms of exceptional design, construction and play.

The Giant T-Rex playset gives children a one-of-a-kind journey among some of the mightiest creatures ever to have roamed the Earth. Kids have a great time playing with the giant roaring T-Rex and assembling the fossil bones into a dinosaur’s skeleton. This Animal Planet playset hit store shelves on September 1, retailing at $39.99 and is recommended for children ages 3+.

Toys “R” Us first introduced a line of Animal Planet toysin 1999 and now boasts a 16-foot dedicated section of Animal Planet products featuring toys, figures and play sets exclusive to Toys R Us.

For more information about the Tillywig Awards visit: http://www.tillywig.com/index.php

The World of Eric Carle Expands Its Assortment for Fall 2012

The Joester Loria Group is working closely with licensees and key retailers to expand the World of Eric Carle product collection for Fall 2012 and beyond in top retail accounts, including Babies R Us, Target and Kohl’s.

Babies R Us has broadened its existing The World of Eric Carle program with new introductions of infant developmental toys from Kids Preferred and play mats and nap mats from Venture Products.   More than 20 skus are available chain-wide with prices ranging from $8-$20.

Target’s See Spot Save program launched 20 different World of Eric Carle skus this month including stationery and tote bags from Innovative designs, socks from PS Brands, and feeding utensils and containers by Zak Designs.

Following the ongoing success of their World of Eric Carle infant developmental toy inline program, Kohl’s selected the brand for its semi-annual Kohl’s baby event kicking off in September, offering consumers great deals on the latest baby products.

The World of Eric Carle will continue to build its consumer products programs at retail as all partners gear up for the 45^th Anniversary of Carle’s most famous title, The Very Hungry Caterpillar in 2014.

Kellogg’s Launches New “Goodness of a Simple Grain” Branding Campaign

The Joester Loria Group Brokers New Licensing Agreement for Annoying Orange Vending Novelties

The new collection will include foam balls, mini puppets, blow-up balls, stickers, and temporary tattoos. Each product is designed for a variety of vending machines located in shopping malls, major retailers, and family fun centers nationwide. Annoying Orange stickers and temporary tattoos will begin appearing in vending machines later this year while the crane machine items will launch in 2013.

“We see Annoying Orange as an excellent partner since we serve the same family-friendly audience that also views the popular YouTube and television series,” said Philip Brilliant, Vice President of Licensing and Marketing for A&A Global Industries. “We look forward to adding the Annoying Orange items to our line of popular characters featured in vending machines across the country.”

A&A Global Industries joins a burgeoning licensing program that The Joester Loria Group has developed for Annoying Orange. The Bridge Direct has released an “a-peeling” line of talking plush, clip-ons, and collectible figures while apparel and accessories for young men, juniors and boys from Hybrid Apparel, LF USA and Accessory Innovations are also currently available. Additional partners include Rubies Costume Company (costumes), NANCO (amusement park toys), Sunrise Confections (gummies and fruit snacks), Sakar (electronic accessories), Papercutz (graphic novels), Calendar Holdings (calendars) and Scorpio Posters (posters). A multi-platform marketing campaign supports the rollout of all Annoying Orange products.

Successful line of Animal Planet Stationery Expands to Canada

The Joester Loria Group has brokered a deal between Animal Planet and Ty Global for a new line of stationery products launching in Canada.

The new Animal Planet stationery collection further expands the brand’s lifestyle product offering and will include note pads and cubes, journals, notebooks, three-ring binders, portfolios, pencil pouches, clipboards, dry erase boards, sticker sets and playing cards. The line will be developed for a variety of Canadian retailers including key mass, mid-tier retail, department and home stores, specialty chains, bookstores and more.

The deal for the new line expands their partnership with Ty Global, who has worked with Animal Planet since 2011 on a line of pet products with active distribution at various Canadian retailers, including Sears Canada and Home Outfitters, Canada’s largest kitchen and bath superstore.
A portion of the proceeds from the sale of Animal Planet products will benefit R.O.A.R (Reach Out. Act. Respond), Animal Planet’s national animal advocacy program. Read more about R.O.A.R.

The Licensing Book recently wrote about this new Animal Planet licensing deal.

The World of Eric Carle at Tokyo International Gift Show

Last week the Tokyo International Gift Show, the largest international trade show in Japan, celebrated its 74th year with exhibits spanning personal gifts, consumer goods and decorative accessories. Cosmo Merchandising, The Joester Loria Group’s Japanese sub-agent for The World of Eric Carle showcased the brand and it’s international product collection from over 30 local licensees ranging from apparel, plush, porcelain dinnerware and gifts to stationery, bags and more.

The Tokyo International Gift Show is held semi-annually, each Spring and Autumn at Japan’s state-of-the-art Tokyo International Exhibition Center, known as Tokyo Big Sight. It features 2,400 exhibitors including 400 companies from 20 countries.

Here are some photos from Cosmo Merchandising’s booth:

The Joester Loria Group Expands Entenmann’s Licensing Program with a New Partnership

The Joester Loria Group has brokered a deal on behalf of Entenmann’s that will extend the brand into the gifting category through a partnership with DesignPac.

The Entenmann’s gift program will launch with an Entenmann’s Whoopie Pie Kit that will debut at Kmart this holiday. In 2013, the Entenmann’s assortment expands to include gift baskets containing the Entenmanns branded coffee, candles and bakeware as well as Entenmanns chocolate confections, breakfast mixes and flavored popcorn.

Global License! shared the news of this exciting brand extension for Entenmann’s.

Animal Planet Branded Pet Grooming in Stores Fall 2012

The expanding collection Animal Planet branded pet products continue to provide consumers with quality, safe pet essentials for their pets. This Fall, a new line of pet grooming products from Fantasia will be introduced; the Joester Loria Group brokered the deal on behalf of Discovery Communications.

The new Animal Planet pet care products revitalize and restore the natural moisture of a dog’s skin and coat by using healthy formulas that are enriched with natural ingredients and essential vitamins. The line is alcohol-free, paraben-free and PH balanced to protect pets’ sensitive skin while ensuring your dog’s coat is soft, clean and healthy . Suggested retail prices range from $2.99 to $7.99. Retailers who carry the new products include Amazon among others.

Spotted: Entenmann’s Coffee and The World of Eric Carle at Target Stores Nationwide!

We are very excited to announce that two of our clients, Entenmanns and The World of Eric Carle, have just landed in the See Spot Save area at Target stores nationwide.

Last week, Entenmann’s Coffee launched its mini flavored coffee bags in See Spot Save. Made from superior quality Arabica beans, these flavored coffees capture the taste and aroma of Entenmann’s baked goods. They come in four different flavors including vanilla, hazelnut, cinnamon crumb cake and chocolate donut and the 1.75 ounce mini bags retail for $1.00 each. The new coffees are part of the Entenmann’s beverage line which includes 10 ounce bags of coffee, hot chocolate and a new breakfast blend that will launch this holiday season.

Another Joester Loria Group client, The World of Eric Carle, also made its See Spot Save debut with a line of tote bags, socks, and children’s tableware available exclusively at Target. The collection is inspired by Eric Carle’s popular stories and features the iconic artwork from his classic titles such as The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art’s Annual Benefit Gala Celebrates Picture Book Stars

The Carle Honors, The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art’s annual benefit gala that celebrates picture book stars, will take place on September 20th, 2012, in New York City. This is the seventh year of the Carle Awards and both Eric Carle and his wife Bobbi will be in attendance to celebrate and award picture book art.

Awards are given in four distinctive categories: Artist, Mentor, Angel and Bridge “Artist” recognizes someone for lifelong innovation in the field. “Mentor” awards editors, designers and educators who champion the art form. “Angel” recognizes those whose generous financial support is crucial to making picture book art exhibitions, education programs, and related projects a reality. “Bridge” brings attention to those individuals who have found inspired ways to bring the art of the picture book to larger audiences through work in other fields.

A silent auction is conducted at the Honors featuring original artwork by some of the industry’s most celebrated artists. The original artwork is on display at Books of Wonder in New York City leading up to The Carle Honors. Guests of the event include museum patrons and board members, leaders in the field of children’s illustrated literature, representatives from early childhood education and advocacy, celebrities and children’s media who gather to celebrate the achievements of four individuals who have contributed their talents to the world of picture books.

To view the original artwork available at the silent auction visit: http://www.carlemuseum.org/carlehonors/Auction2012

To learn more about The Carle Honors visit: http://www.carlemuseum.org/CarleHonors/