A new transmedia company seeking to combine the appeal of classic stories and the potential of cutting-edge technologies, Elf Labs has launched today with the goal of transforming the media industry. The studio’s IP reimagines iconic characters, which will combine with state-of-the-art compression and AI-powered production and distribution technology, to deliver franchises targeting all demographics.
To support these efforts, Elf Labs has partnered with DreamWorks Animation alumnus Mike De Seve, branding industry pro Bernt Ullmann and leading global technology company Cosmic Wire.
The company has amassed a portfolio of 400 copyrights and over 140 trademarks for well-known characters, with classic and reimagined renditions of Snow White, Little Mermaid, Sleeping Beauty, Peter Pan, Pinocchio and more in the Elf Labs IP portfolio. This allows the company and its partners to monetize these brands through global consumer product licensing. Elf Labs achieved this by acquiring the Junior Elf book catalog, comprising 200-plus titles featuring timeless characters originally published by Rand McNally. The company successfully registered character trademarks at the United States Patent and Trademark Office for over a decade.
“Elf Labs’ platform is a multi-patented system designed to incubate, develop, and launch mega IP franchises,” said David Phillips, CEO of Elf Labs. “Combining the world’s most iconic IP with captivating creative and revolutionary technology will allow Elf Labs to truly reimagine entertainment.”
Phillips assembled production, marketing and technology experts to help monetize these reimagined characters for modern consumers. Elf Labs’ content partners hold 31 Emmys and credits including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Madagascar and Shrek. Before launch, Elf Labs quietly wrote and seeded the Once Upon a Zombie series featuring Zombie Cinderella®, Zombie Rapunzel®, Zombie Tinker Bell®, Zombie Peter Pan® and more. Although in stealth mode, the first release sold 100,000 copies and won 12 awards, including Best YA Fiction – Purple Dragonfly Award and Best Juvenile Fiction – The President’s Award.
“A creative production is only as good as its storyline, and the all-star roster of characters that Elf Labs secured has provided my team with an incredible jumping-off point,” said Mike De Seve, founder of global animation and screenwriting collective Baboon Animation. “I am excited to partner with David and the team to bring innovative content to life across many mediums.”
Beyond character development and world-building, Elf Labs offers an integrated approach to IP distribution with the help of its technology partner, Cosmic Wire. Combining state-of-the-art technology and next-generation content production, the partnership allows the two media companies to bridge the physical and digital realms, creating spatial worlds where audiences interact with their characters through seamless AR/VR experiences accessible on any device with an internet connection. Cosmic Wire also has an integrated marketing engine to democratize its characters and stories across millions of channels.
“Cosmic Wire’s technology allows for a whole new level of immersion into IP, unlike anything that has existed before,” said Jerad Finck, CEO/Founder of Cosmic Wire. “Elf Labs’ willingness to push the boundaries creatively and experientially makes them the perfect partner for us to co-create a groundbreaking transmedia storytelling experience.”
Elf Labs’ go-to-market strategy includes web series video content, AI-powered toys, animated and live-action feature movies, and seamlessly accessible augmented reality experiences. The company’s latest original series, RoboStars, presents a new type of hero. Robots like Robo Cinderella and Robo Pinocchio act as a metaphor for free will, inspiring kids with the power to reject ‘robotic’ reactions to internal and external challenges, because we all possess the power to create proactive, positive change. Guided by Ullmann’s decades of experience helping celebrity business leaders build their brands, Elf Labs plans to execute licensing deals around its expanded character offerings to drive massive merchandise revenue.
“I have coordinated thousands of licensing deals and have never been as excited as I am to join the Elf Labs team due to the enormous growth potential for its IP,” says Bernt Ullmann, Head of Licensing. “With access to some of the most monetizable character brands in history, the possibilities are endless.”
Visit elflabs.com to learn more.