Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products To Add A Touch Of Magic To BLE 2015 With A Re-Energised Portfolio That's Stronger Than Ever

Original Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products (NVCP) UK Press Release via Brand Licensing Europe:

NVCP to add a touch of magic to BLE 2015 with a re-energised portfolio that's stronger than ever


Tweet this! #NVCP prepares for #BLE2015 with a re-energised portfolio with brand new properties #Shimmer&Shine & #Blaze&theMonsterMachines; plus new launches for #PawPatrol, #Dora, #SpongeBob – and more!

Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products (NVCP) is preparing for Brand Licensing Europe 2015 [this] month with a portfolio that's stronger than ever.

The Network has launched a raft of new product lines across all core properties in 2015 – from Nickelodeon'sSpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer (and the hotly anticipated Dora and Friends: Into the City), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Paw Patrol, to adult targeted brands including Comedy Central's South Park and MTV Classic. It has also continued its international roll-out of Nickelodeon branded retail stores around the world – with its first European flagship store having launched in London's iconic Leicester Square in May 2015.

NVCP will be returning to London's Olympia with two new hotly anticipated additions to its best in class pre-school portfolio: energy fuelled interactive animated series, Blaze and the Monster Machines and enchanting new series Shimmer and Shine.


NVCP will also be unveiling new products for established hit Paw Patrol (a coproduction with Spin Master Entertainment). The smash hit show (pictured [above])– which has been recently green-lit for season 3 - has quickly evolved into one of the biggest preschool franchises on the planet with growing international ratings, having already launched in over 80 countries.


Products include bedding and accessories, play-sets, bath toys and games, with collectables in particular becoming the leading item in early toy sales. Additional lines and categories, spanning toys, video games, publishing, apparel, food, health and beauty will roll out across the region in 2016.


Finally, demonstrating its cross-demo appeal for tweens and young adults, NVCP will be unveiling new content and property launches in 2016 for the ever-popular evergreen SpongeBob SquarePants, who returned to the big screen in February 2015 in blockbuster smash 'SpongeBob SquarePants: Sponge Out of Water' (accumulating $311.6M global box office sales).

Globally renowned evergreen Dora the Explorer will also be launching a range of new product and lines in support of her latest adventures in Dora and Friends: Into the City.

For more information, tweet us @VIMN_PR

ABOUT NICKELODEON VIACOM CONSUMER PRODUCTS

Nickelodeon, one of the world’s leading entertainment brands for kids, is excited to showcase its strong content pipeline at Brand Licensing Europe 2015. This year, Nickelodeon | Viacom Consumer Products will spotlight plans to reach multiple demographics with its iconic, evergreen properties including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora, and announce updates for new preschool series PAW Patrol & Blaze and the Monster Machines. Our goal is to forge partnerships that will help us expose our unique brands through powerful products. Please come and visit the Nickelodeon | Viacom Consumer Products booth (#E005) between 13th-15th October.

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SpongeBob SquarePants Thumbs Up image via The SpongeBob SquarePants Wiki; Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products at Brand Licensing Europe 2015 advertisements via Licensing.biz and Toy World Magazine.

Also, from Toy News Online:

Nickelodeon's Marianne James on the demand for Paw Patrol toys, Blaze's potential and the power of the Turtles

Marianne James, vice president, consumer products UK and Ireland and European retail sales and marketing at Nickelodeon Viacom Consumer Products, tells Billy Langsworthy about its biggest BLE yet and why the firm's future in the toy space is looking bright.

How has the last 12 months been for Nickelodeon in the toy space?

2015 has been a fantastic year. Our roster of properties has benefited from blockbuster theatrical movie releases, strong Nickelodeon network ratings, presence on Channel 5 and innovative retailer promotions.
Evergreen properties have grown steadily with new lines and new licence deals, while new properties have proven successful on air as well as on shelves.

2015 has also seen the opening on the flagship Nickelodeon Store in Leicester Square which is a huge opportunity for our properties and toy partners.

What have been your best performing properties?

Turtle Power has continued in the toy aisles with the launch of the Mutations range from Flair as well as the expansion of the younger-skewed Half-Shell Heroes.

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are icons and are popular across different ages and the announcement of the new movie, upcoming series guest stars and new retro lines with retailers such as Forbidden Planet has kept the momentum of the property going.

SpongeBob SquarePants has seen his profile grow following the release of the movie this summer, a new deal signed with Sambro along with some exciting fashion collaborations.

SpongeBob is also a pop-culture icon and fashion collaborations of the last couple of years seems to have sparked the imaginations of our toy partners and reignited the interest in consumers.

Paw Patrol has been phenomenal both in stores as well as on air.

It's a property based on puppies and vehicle play so lends itself well across a wide range of play patterns and product lines. Spin Master has done an incredible job with the toy line and we've built upon the success of the toy range with an innovative range in other category lines.

Have any brands proved surprising this year?

We knew Paw Patrol would be successful but we didn't fully appreciate the demand for products upon launch.

We had parents emailing the channel asking where they could buy product with lines selling out when they arrived on the shelves.

We've learned a lot from that experience and will be taking those learnings into how we work with pre-school properties in the future.

The other surprise has been SpongeBob. He's always been steady in the toy space but this year his cool cred has skyrocketed with fashion partnerships with Beatrix Ong and Hype. The Sponge can't be stopped.

What is looking like being big for you in 2016?

Pre-school continues to be a focus so Dora and Friends will continue to grow, as will Paw Patrol.

Those key properties will be joined by new titles: Blaze and the Monster Machines, which launched on Nick Jr. in March where it has performed incredibly well and will be coming to Milkshake! this autumn, and Shimmer and Shine, premiering on Nick Jr. this November featuring two adorable and funny genies, will be perfect for toys as well as apparel and role play lines.

Also, we have the UK licence for the beautiful Lily's Driftwood Bay, a UK commission airing on Nick Jr. and Milkshake! as well as Digby Dragon, another UK production set to premiere on Nick Jr. next year.

The entire roster of Nick Jr. properties has never been stronger and we are excited to see category partners make the most of the different styles and opportunities of each brand.

What should BLE visitors expect to see from you guys this year?

We have got more this year than ever before. We are keen to show off our core properties and the innovative ways they are growing across categories and with audiences.

There are some really cool partnerships that we'll be announcing as well as innovative lines.

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