Last night, Elizabeth Reid of the Toy Book and I went to a press screening of the new Morgan Spurlock documentary, The Greatest Story Ever Sold.

The film followed Spurlock in his attempts to secure partnerships and co-promotional opportunities for the film. The goal? Make a documentary about branding, advertising and product placement that is financed and made possible by brands, advertising and product placement.

At the beginning of the film, Spurlock hit the ground running, going door-to-door pitching every company from Nintendo, to POM juice and even Mane ‘n Tail horse shampoo.

Although he received several “no” responses, he was able to secure backing from POM Wonderful (the official sponsor for a cool $1 million), Carrera/Solstice, Amy’s Kitchen, Mane ‘n Tail, JetBlue, Merrell, Old Navy, Movietickets.com, Petland Discounts, Seventh Generation, Sheetz and Thayer’s Natural Remedies.

Everyone knows brands play a key role in the film industry. Through comprehensive interviews with filmmakers (including Quentin Tarantino), branding executives and musicians, Spurlock adds much-needed insight into how it all works.

The movie opens in select cities April 22.

—Mackenzie Allison

Classic Media has expanded the line of Lassie-branded pet products, including a renewed partnership with Sunshine Mills, Inc. (natural dog food and treats) and a new partnership with Silver One (pet beds and accessories).

Silver One will develop Lassie pet beds and throws, as well as dog bowls, leashes, toys and apparel. The line will debut at Global Pet Expo March 16-18, in Orlando, Florida.

Since 2007, Classic Media and Sunshine Mills have worked together to provide Lassie-branded natural dog food and treats. The line, Lassie Natural Way, includes dry dog food formulated for puppies, adult dogs or senior dogs, as well as biscuits and treats.

Animals worldwide will be able to sit, stay and play while wearing the latest fashions from Paul Frank. Paul Frank Industries has partnered with 26 Bars & a Band, a modern pet accessory company, to manufacture a line of products inspired by Paul Frank’s signature design tradition.

The line includes accessories such as beds, charms, collars, and leashes. The products will be available for purchase at Paul Frank Retail Stores and boutiques that carry 26 Bars & a Band items in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia. The debut collection will hit stores this month. To celebrate the launch of the line, Paul Frank and 26 Bars & a Band will host a launch party in Los Angeles on June 27.

America’s VetDogs Veteran’s K‐9 Corps has licensed Bil-Jac Foods, Inc. for dog treats. The license was initiated and finalized by MODA International Marketing, Inc.

America’s VetDogs Dog Treats will launch at the upcoming Global Pet Expo in Orlando at booth #1023. Representatives from America’s VetDogs and MODA, along with Veteran Navy corpsman Joseph Worley and his America’s VetDog, Benjamin will be at the booth.

The targeted channels of distribution are: pet specialty, mass retailers,
supermarkets, farm stores, military PX’s, direct mail and e-commerce.

Paul Frank Industries has announced a partnership with 26 Bars and a Band. The company will manufacture a line of Paul Frank-branded pet products including beds, bowls, charms, collars, dog tags, harnesses, and traditional and retractable leashes. The products will be available for purchase at Paul Frank retail stores and boutiques that carry 26 Bars & a Band items in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia.

“The style of both companies is similar, and more importantly, the business values and ideals are similar,” says Sandi Kaneko, Co-Founder for 26 Bars & a Band. “We share the same influences in art and design. Moreover, both businesses started the same way… small and out of their garages.”
“Paul Frank has always had a soft spot for animals and fashion. Being a dog owner myself, I am constantly looking for hip pieces for my dog that reflect my own fashion sense.” adds Ryan Heuser, president of Paul Frank Industries.
Paul Frank Industries continues to cultivate licensee relationships as a result of its strategic partnership with licensing agency Gator Group.

Campbell Associates LLC has renewed its contract as the licensing agent for the American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which allows us to run a picture of puppies.

Since the licensing program was inaugurated in 2006, it has grown to 16 licensees in several pet care categories including pet travel and safety, toys, grooming tools, crates and containment, and a pet/parent jewelry line. These are available at retailers including Walmart, Lowe’s, Bed Bath and Beyond, Ross stores, Meijers and more.

What’s your favorite type of puppy? Let us know.

Hot dog! (I might have just given myself a lunch idea.) The MARS Retail Group just signed its first licensee for the company’s “Petcare Brands,” which include Pedgree, Whiskas, Greenies, Cesar, Sheba, and Royal Canin. Olivine International Marketing Ltd. will manufacture soft toys, rubber products, beds, carriers, gift baskets, tins, and plastic packaging for the Pedigree, Whiskas, Cesar, and Greenies brands to be available in stores in April.

John Capizzi, general manager of Licensing for MRG, said he hopes that the company’s success in licensing its chocolate brands would extend to pet care products, and noted that the company is actively seeking more licensees. If you’re interested, contact Debi Rosenfeld of MRG at debora.rosenfeld@effem.com.

So we just finished a Halloween magazine, and in originally mocking up the issue we found this picture in a random Google Images search. It would be difficult for us to describe how much we love it, so you can just use your imagination. But it’s a lot. If anyone knows who the manufacturer of these beauties are (the costumes, that is), they’ll get a special place in a future issue of The Licensing Book.

In other costume news, we got a release yesterday from Rasta Imposta’s Gary Schneider, with whom we spoke for the Halloween issue, and he was ecstatic that one of the company’s costumes had been featured on American Idol… and on a successful contestant, no less.

He wrote: “Holly Harden of Rockmart, GA showed up for the Atlanta round of American Idol auditions wearing the GLAM ROCK GUITAR Red Costume. Noting that she ‘can’t play the guitar, but she can be the guitar’ Holly performed for the four American Idol judges, and after noting her fashion sense, the judges put her through to the next round of performances in Hollywood.”

Good news for Rasta Imposta, and great news for Holly Harden, to whom we wish luck owing to our twin fondnesses for Schneider and all things Atlanta, which pops up as relentlessly in our lives as bad singers do on Idol.