First phase of licensed product planned for early 2010 to meet expected high demand
Not only has Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom enjoyed a successful launch on Nick Jr this month but the latest preschool TV production from the creators of Peppa Pig has been sold to over 150 territories worldwide. Now E1 Entertainment (formerly Contender Merchandising), which owns the rights to Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom, is planning ahead to meet expected high demand for licensed Ben & Holly product across a wide range of categories.
The adventures of Princess Holly and her elf friend Ben have already captured the imagination of both audiences and key licensees. In the light of this widely expected positive response, retail launch discussions are, not surprisingly, well advanced. A targeted launch with a small number of retailers is planned for March 2010. The main launch across all retail will follow in June of the same year. The main target market is expected to be girls and boys aged 3-7.
Not only has Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom enjoyed a successful launch on Nick Jr this month but the latest preschool TV production from the creators of Peppa Pig has been sold to over 150 territories worldwide. Now E1 Entertainment (formerly Contender Merchandising), which owns the rights to Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom, is planning ahead to meet expected high demand for licensed Ben & Holly product across a wide range of categories.
The adventures of Princess Holly and her elf friend Ben have already captured the imagination of both audiences and key licensees. In the light of this widely expected positive response, retail launch discussions are, not surprisingly, well advanced. A targeted launch with a small number of retailers is planned for March 2010. The main launch across all retail will follow in June of the same year. The main target market is expected to be girls and boys aged 3-7.
A number of key licenses have already been agreed. Golden Bear has been named as master toy licensee and E1 as DVD licensee, while Penguin is planning a series of books which will hit the shelves from March next year. In the clothing and home textiles area, Cooneen and Misirli have been licensed to supply nightwear, underwear and socks, Cohen and Wilkes to supply outerwear and Character World to supply bedding. Jumbo is the licensee for puzzles and games. Further license announcements related to other categories are expected in the coming months.
And that's not all. Awareness of the show, which has been airing on Nick Jr at 7.30am and 4.30pm in half-hour slots since the 6th of April, has been further boosted through wide additional exposure in various media. This includes a high-profile ad campaign on television, online and in a number of top-selling women's weeklies, a standalone site (www.littlekingdom.co.uk), a microsite at nickjr.co.uk, and regular appearances in the Redan Publishing magazines Fun to Learn Friends and Fun to Learn Favourites.
Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom is a funny and enchanting series set in a tiny land where elves and fairies live alongside animals and insects, and flowers and grass rise above the tallest towers. Its main characters are Princess Holly, a young fairy who is still learning how to do magic properly, and Ben, an elf who is her best friend. The 52 x 11 minute series is created by Astley Baker Davies, the BAFTA award-winning team behind Peppa Pig.
Hannah Mungo, Licensing Manager of E1 Entertainment says: "We are thrilled with the response from the licensing community to Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom, and with the strong backing the series has received from Nick Jr and many other children's channels worldwide. As with Peppa Pig, our aim is to build this delightful and engaging property with care and sensitivity, with an eye to making it a long-term success. Judging from the way in which the popularity of the TV show has been matched by licensee and retail support for the merchandising programme, it looks like Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom is well on its way to achieving that aim."
And that's not all. Awareness of the show, which has been airing on Nick Jr at 7.30am and 4.30pm in half-hour slots since the 6th of April, has been further boosted through wide additional exposure in various media. This includes a high-profile ad campaign on television, online and in a number of top-selling women's weeklies, a standalone site (www.littlekingdom.co.uk), a microsite at nickjr.co.uk, and regular appearances in the Redan Publishing magazines Fun to Learn Friends and Fun to Learn Favourites.
Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom is a funny and enchanting series set in a tiny land where elves and fairies live alongside animals and insects, and flowers and grass rise above the tallest towers. Its main characters are Princess Holly, a young fairy who is still learning how to do magic properly, and Ben, an elf who is her best friend. The 52 x 11 minute series is created by Astley Baker Davies, the BAFTA award-winning team behind Peppa Pig.
Hannah Mungo, Licensing Manager of E1 Entertainment says: "We are thrilled with the response from the licensing community to Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom, and with the strong backing the series has received from Nick Jr and many other children's channels worldwide. As with Peppa Pig, our aim is to build this delightful and engaging property with care and sensitivity, with an eye to making it a long-term success. Judging from the way in which the popularity of the TV show has been matched by licensee and retail support for the merchandising programme, it looks like Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom is well on its way to achieving that aim."
