Family entertainment producer and distributor Chorion has secured new licensing partners for its preschool property OLIVIA, which follows the adventures of a precocious 6 ¾-year-old pig.

An interactive eBook of OLIVIA Acts Out, from Polin8, will launch later this month on iTunes and will be followed in April by a range of OLIVIA audio books, featuring CDs with storybooks from Toy Box. Also new in publishing, a collection of branded ‘Sound’ and ‘Look & Find’ books from PIL will launch in September.

A new stationery line from Rock Paper Pencil, to be sold exclusively at Toys “R” Us,  will debut later in the year. A new range of Fruit of the Loom OLIVIA packaged underwear will also debut in the second quarter of 2011.

A cake décor line from Bakery Craft will be available in the fall 2011 and Rubie’s will design a regular and deluxe costume range for national, online and specialty retailers in time for Halloween 2011.

Headstrom has been signed for OLIVIA sports balls, sports toys, and pool toys and Carson Dellosa will be developing a line of themed classroom activities for launch in January 2012.

During 2011, global master toy licensee, Spin Master’s range of OLIVIA toys will be supported by a major TV advertising campaign and promotional in-store marketing programs. Other OLIVIA products will include apparel and accessories, DVD’s, publishing, games, puzzles and novelty items.

Octonauts, the latest pre-school brand from Chorion, is finding success with UK audiences.

The animated show launched on CBeebies in October and has been a top-rated program for children aged 4-6. A second series has been ordered and is currently in development.

There has also been a demand for Octonauts’ merchandise, and a new toy range from Chorion’s master toy partner, Fisher Price, is scheduled for August. New products will include a range of figures, vehicles and playsets. Features include posable characters and color-change creatures, plus interactive GUP vehicles, which propel in water or land, squirt water and chomp.  Publishers are already on board for complementary books including Simon and Schuster in the spring and summer in the UK and Hachette Jeunesse in France.

Chorion has announced a range of activities for preschool character Spot as he celebrates his 30^th anniversary year.

In the U.S., BBC America released Where’s Spot? on DVD in April, and will release Spot Goes to School in August and Spot’s Magical Christmas in October. New licensing deals have been inked with Andover Fabric, Starry Story Art, Meri Meri, and the Zoobies. The Spot Zoobie will be featured on QVC for Christmas in July. Master toy licensee Kids Preferred is expanding its Spot product line to include puzzles, backpacks, bath toys, and wooden toys for next year.

In the UK, Abbey Home Media launched a special edition 30^th anniversary DVD in March. The Spot TV series began broadcasting on CITV in April, with further episodes scheduled to air this month. Storytelling and in-store events supported the Spot exhibition at Selfridges in London over the May bank holiday weekend. The touring Spot art exhibition will be featured at the Chelsea Library in London, Foyles book store, and regional museums throughout the rest of this year. An exclusive birthday party is planned for August 5^th in London for parents and children. Master toy licensee Rainbow Designs will introduce an expanded range of products including puzzles and wooden toys for next year.

Additional book titles for Spot from Warne include a 30th anniversary special edition of Where’s Spot?, plus Spot’s Birthday Balloon, and Spot’s Little Library. New publishing formats, touch and feel books, book and plush sets, and an 18-button sound book are planned for the holiday season.

In Australia, Spot appeared in several high-profile events in March and April including Gardening Australia Expo in Adelaide and Brisbane, with further appearances scheduled for the same Expo in Sydney from August 22-24 and Melbourne from October 1-3. The events will include costume appearances, craft activities, and retail opportunities.

Spot plush, through Australian Master toy licensee Jasnor Pty., launched in Japan this year, and new licensing partner Skillman will be creating personalized product. Spot public reading events and retail fairs were held from March through May at Kinokuniya bookstore outlets throughout Japan to celebrate Spot’s 30^th anniversary.  Further events are planned for the rest of this year.

Spot first appeared in Eric Hill’s original lift-the-flap book Where’s Spot? in 1980. To date, Spot has sold more than 50 million books and has a global licensing program that includes toys, apparel, gifts and DVD. The official Spot website features activities for parents and children, competitions, games, and information about the brand and author.

Chorion is expanding its growing global franchise for its properties Mr. Men and Little Miss and Noddy by appointing Dream Theatre as its agent for the Indian subcontinent.

Dream Theatre Private Limited, an entertainment company based in Mumbai, has won the exclusive licensing and merchandising rights for Mr. Men and Little Miss and Enid Blyton’s preschool character Noddy across India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.

For the first time ever in India, Dream Theatre plans to introduce Noddy apparel, home furnishings, personal care, school bags, home video, and other categories. It will also concentrate on licensing deals and merchandising promotions for the Mr. Men and Little Miss classic characters.

Author Enid Blyton’s creation, Noddy first appeared in 1949 in the classic book Noddy Goes to Toyland. Since then, the little wooden boy with the jingly blue hat has appeared in countless adaptations for the screen and stage, met the Queen of England, and sold more than 250 million books.

Chorion has signed a raft of new licensing and promotional deals for The World of Eric Carle in the U.S., Canada, and Japan.

In an exclusive promotional campaign with PictureMe Portrait Studios, parents will be able to have their children’s portraits framed in a range of exclusive new designs featuring The Very Hungry Caterpillar. The PictureMe Portrait Studios promotion runs across 1,800 Walmart stores in the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico from April 7 – June 22 and is supported by promotional flyers, counter-top displays, email marketing, and coupons in portrait envelopes. The new designs can be seen online.

In a separate deal, Stride Rite Children’s Group, LLC is collaborating with Chorion to bring the artwork of Eric Carle to little feet. Featuring characters from Brown Bear, Brown Bear and The Very Hungry Caterpillar in classic silhouettes, the collection by Stride Rite is for children from ages 9 months to 2 years. The shoes are launching in U.S. Stride Rite and specialty store locations this fall.

Additionally, Google is now making its Google Doodle T-shirt featuring The Very Hungry Caterpillar available for purchase online,  for a limited time in infant and adult sizes.

I’m not sure how Mr. Grumpy is going to spin this happy news. Little Miss Sunshine (pictured) appears to be taking it much better.

Chorion has appointed specialist licensing agency AT New Media, and specifically its Brands Division, as its global interactive consultant for Mr. Men and Little Miss brand.

AT New Media will introduce Mr. Men and Little Miss to the interactive gaming industry, securing third-party multi-platform licensing deals worldwide. Platforms will include PCs, games consoles, hand-held games and mobile phone devices.

This deal follows Chorion’s recent agreement with Scrollmotion for scrolling books, the first iPhone and iPod Touch app licenses for the Mr. Men and Little Miss brand.

Bettina Koeckler, SVP Licensing, EMEA at Chorion said: “Mr. Men and Little Miss continues to be a hit on television, the web and now on iPhone and we are thrilled to work with AT New Media to take the brand into the exciting world of gaming and interactive platforms to expand the fans’ opportunities to have fun with these beloved characters.”

There are some inherent bear-facts we’ve all known since childhood—Pooh Bear loves honey. Yogi Bear loves picnic baskets. And, in the UK, Paddington Bear loves marmalade.
Chorion has signed a deal with Premier Foods for Paddington Bear, licensed by Copyrights, a Chorion company, to become the face of Robertson’s Golden Shred marmalade in a UK-wide on-pack promotion.
The campaign, which launches today, gives consumers the opportunity to purchase a range of collectible Paddington badges.
The promotion will run across all Robertson’s Golden Shred marmalades, including Paddington’s preferred chunky variety and new Robertson’s Golden Smooth. Paddington will feature prominently on pack, and will also appear on Premier’s Gale’s honey and Hartley’s No Bits ranges.
Premier Foods is hoping to attract a younger audience to marmalade with the introduction of Paddington on pack, as well as re-engaging adults who grew up with both Paddington and family breakfast occasions.
To collect the Paddington Bear range of badges, consumers enter a barcode from a promotional pack online to be able to purchase a badge for £1.10.