Licensing Hotline
This story originally appeared in Children's Bookshelf on July 19, 2007 Sign up now!
by Karen Raugust, Children's Bookshelf -- Publishers Weekly, 7/19/2007
Peter Rabbit Goes Green
Beatrix Potter was an early environmentalist, raising funds for convervation and preserving land in perpetuity by donating it to Britain's National Trust. Now, more than 100 years later, the licensing program based on her characters is following suit. Penguin and its U.S. agent The Wildflower Group will offer new and current Beatrix Potter licensees the opportunity to use the "Peter Rabbit Naturally Better" logo on products with improved packaging, superior product formulations or other factors that make a positive impact on the world. "It's about being kinder to the environment, in many ways," said Diane Cain, director of consumer products marketing for Penguin Young Readers Group.
Starting with fall 2007 releases, Penguin's Frederick Warne & Co. imprint, which publishes the Beatrix Potter books and holds the licensing rights, will use inks, papers and printers approved by the Forest Stewardship Council, thus earning the right to use the new logo on its products. "We want our own category to be a leader," Cain explained. Peter Rabbit Organics, a line of natural foods that contain no added sugar, salts or trans fats and feature environmentally sound packaging, will be the first licensee to introduce "Peter Rabbit Naturally Better" licensed products in the U.S.
The impact of the program is potentially significant: more than 450 licensees worldwide market Peter Rabbit products to the tune of $500 million in annual retail sales.
DreamWorks Adds Reader's Digest to Roster
Reader's Digest has become the latest publishing partner for DreamWorks Animation; it will release interactive storybooks and viewers for Shrek the Third starting in fall 2007. It joins HarperCollins, Meredith and Kappa as the studio's key multi-property, long-term publishing licensees, with each on board from Shrek The Third through the next five DreamWorks films. Next up: Kung Fu Panda and Madagascar 2.
"All our movies have a lot of hard and true stories underlying the humor," reported Kristy Cox, the studio's head of publishing, which makes them a good fit for books. "And we have plans to make them as franchiseable as a movie can be."
For Shrek, the company's strategy to extend the property's life beyond the films includes not just DVD releases but a TV Christmas special, Shrek the Halls, which will lead to holiday-themed merchandise; a Shrek Babies brand for infant products; and a Shrek Princesses brand for girls. The latter two are related to characters introduced in Shrek The Third. Publishing tie-ins will include HarperCollins's Shrek Babies I Can Read Book and Shrek the Halls jacketed picture book, both planned for the fourth quarter of this year.
BOZ's Books
David C. Cook is introducing books and toys tied to BOZ, The Green Bear Next Door, a faith-based DVD animation property from Exclaim! Entertainment, in Christian stores and churches. The first two book titles are God's World and Me—BOZ's Big Book of Bible Fun, a 200-page, four-color tome with activities for teachers and parents to do with their children,and the BOZ Family Faith 'n' Fun Kit, tied to the themes of the fifth and latest BOZ DVD. Both books will be released in September, with additional titles planned for 2008 and 2009.
"BOZ is faith-based and it's very educational, so it seemed like a good fit," said Janet Lee, group publisher, learning resources, at David C. Cook, which has previously created licensed learning resources based on the Christian property Noah's Park. The publisher also will sell BOZ toys and games, such as plush and floor puzzles, and is working on a year-long preschool curriculum for churches.
Marketing support for the BOZ brand in the fall will include a 13-city live stage tour, a national web-based campaign to 200,000 churches and a national coloring contest, as well as its first direct-to-DVD feature film, A WowieBOZowee Christmas.
In Brief
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