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LICENSING EXPO2007 INTERNATIONAL THE BRAND BUILDERS NEW JUNE 19 -21, 2007 YORK JAVITS CONVENTION CITY CENTER Where BRANDS and PROPERTIES GET DISCOVERED • Now in it’s 27th year, Licensing International is the most established event driving the $180B licensing industry • The only event that showcases more than 6,000 brands annually • The must-attend event where 525+ brand and property owners, and over 23,000 retailers and consumer product manufacturers connect • A unique opportunity to spot trends and brands that drive products to retail shelves the following year • Licensing International is where the deal gets done To download the latest industry annual report and learn about exhibiting or attending Licensing 2007 International, visit: Source: Kid www.licensingshow.com/discover
Tight times for CGI fi lms and related consumer products b y l a n a c a s t l e m a n Talk in animated feature fi lm circles has turned to the perceived glut of CGI family fl icks fl ooding the market. To be sure, 2006 was a watershed year, with more CGI toons hitting U.S. theaters than ever before—16 were eligible for the best animated feature Oscar in 2007. And while the competition at the box offi ce heats up, studio consumer products pros are faced with the task of convincing retailers and consumers that their fi lms and related merch merit attention in an environment already plagued by shrinking sales margins and shelf space. The past year saw the once fl op-proof CGI genre produce its fair share of box-offi ce disappointments—including Disney’s The Wild and Warner Bros.’ Ant Bully, which respectively racked up just US$37 million and US$28 million in domestic ticket sales. But all players continue to formulate plans on how to best navigate these choppy CP waters. For example, with Fox’s 2008 release Horton Hears a Who, Dr. Seuss Enterprises is attempting to remain above the fray by not licensing moviespecifi c product at all. “Merchandise will be based on our classic Horton book program because it’s timeless and has a longer shelf life,” says Susan Brandt, EVP of licensing and marketing. The program will also be limited to one mass retailer for apparel, toys, health & beauty and a targeted book and gift line. For its part, undisputed movie licensing champ Disney Consumer Products hasn’t drifted into comfortable complacency. Mary Beech, DCP VP and GM of animation marketing, says it’s a more competitive environment, and she has noticed that retailers are asking to see CGI fi lms at earlier stages in their development. Accordingly, the House of Mouse has upped its game in product The biggest domestic earner, Disney/Pixar’s Cars (US$244 million), marked the joint-venture’s lowest To help it stand out on crowded shelves, film creators and category experts developed Ratatouille product together innovation, involving fi lmmakers/artists in merch development to make its fi lmbased product stand out in the crowd. take since 1998’s A Bug’s Life, and DreamWorks Animation is likely Product has to be authentic and true to the story, Beech explains. to write down costs on Flushed Away; it grossed US$129 million “Toys are easy, but with something like melamine plates and cups, worldwide, but its associated costs ran around US$143 million. it’s a bit harder.” For Ratatouille, bowing this summer, her team went Turning to the ancillary market, studio licensing execs are the extra mile to create melamine that looks like plates found in not insensitive to the idea that consumers may be suffering French cafés to refl ect the movie’s Parisian culinary setting. Addi- from animation fatigue, and that parents, in particular, might tionally, items as mundane as T-shirts have been given an extra be having diffi culty distinguishing a toy based on one wise- dimension with a scratch-and-sniff feature; one style will smell like cracking talking animal from another. DreamWorks Consumer fresh-baked pastries, for example. The creators who’ve worked on Products head of licensing and retail marketing Rick Rekedal, Ratatouille also have a hand in making product. One of the fi lm’s for one, believes the market fallout has already started, noting animators illustrated the tie-in book Too Many Cooks, and Beech says fewer CGI releases are set for 2007 and even fewer still are it’s standard practice to pair creators with experts in each product based on original material. category to see what innovations they can come up with. JANUARY 2007 43
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