Pillow Pets is releasing new plush foldable stuffed animals of characters from Nickelodeon, DreamWorks Animation, and Disney, among others. The newest Pillow Pets plush lines include Thomas the Tank Engine, Dora the Explorer, SpongeBob SquarePants, and Shrek and Donkey. Pillow Pets’ Disney plush characters include Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Lightning McQueen (Cars), and Tow Mater (Cars). Additional new characters and styles will be introduced at Toy Fair 2012.

CJ Products offers Pillow Pets plush in a premium line for specialty retailers and a standard line for the mass marketplace. The Pillow Pets Premium plush line features softer, more luxurious fabrics and special “collector-level” branding, including an exclusive tag. The premium styles are exclusive to specialty retailers for a limited time and then introduced to the mass market as new premium styles are created.

“The premium line allows specialty retailers to offer new Pillow Pets plush before they hit the mass market,” said Jennifer Telfer, CEO of CJ Products, LLC. “This enables them to be the go-to purchasing destination for the first wave of styles.”

In collaboration with leading brands including adidas, Jerome C. Rousseau, nOir, M·A·C Cosmetics, and iHome, Disney Consumer Products (DCP) launches a Disney’s The Muppets-inspired collection spanning couture fashions and apparel, footwear, accessories, beauty, electronics, and toys inspired by the film starring Jason Segal and Amy Adams in theaters November 23. Designed for the ultimate Muppets fan of all ages, the new product line features bright and bold colors and playful designs that embody the personalities and characteristics of Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Animal, Gonzo, and other favorite characters.

Fashion:

With her love of the spotlight, Miss Piggy has charmed her way into super stardom, and now her “look at moi” style and attitude has inspired the pink Diva Glitter Pump by distinctive high-end women’s footwear designer Jerome C. Rousseau. Expertly handcrafted in Italy, this shoe reflects the color, curves, and drama of the fabulous Miss Piggy. The Diva Glitter Pump will be available at Saks Fifth Avenue Stores and SaksFifthAvenue.com in January.

True to nOir Jewelry‘s style, the Muppets jewelry collection is enchanting and edgy. Comprised of necklaces, bracelets, and rings, the collection features glamorous Miss Piggy-inspired cocktail jewelry as well as quirky statement pieces inspired by the playful nature of the rest of the Muppets gang. The Muppets jewelry collection from nOir will be available on noirjewelry.com.

The adidas Originals Muppets Collection for kids takes the iconic shell toe and other styles to the next level with designs inspired by Kermit the Frog, Animal, Fozzie Bear, and Gonzo. The adidas Originals Muppets Collection is available November 18 at Kids Foot Locker, select Foot Locker stores, and kidsfootlocker.com.

Threadless has released a Muppets-inspired collection of men’s and women’s tees. Following the popularity of The Muppets Design Challenge held earlier in the year, Threadless is printing 23 of the most popular Muppets designs submitted and voted on by more than 1 million members of Threadless community. Limited quantities of The Muppets Threadless tees are available on Threadless.com/themuppets.

Beauty:

Generous glamour goddess that she is, Miss Piggy is sharing her beauty with the world via a limited edition, online-exclusive, M·A·C Cosmetics collection for the eyes. The collection includes a glamorous pink frost eye shadow, black eye liner, and lashes designed to create a stunning and alluring look.

Disney and OPI introduce two enticing Muppets-inspired collections perfect for this holiday season. The Muppets Collection features six glitter-packed polishes packed with micas and sparkle creating a 3-D textured look in bright jewel tones, providing the perfect pop to any ensemble. The Miss Piggy Collection features six elegant shades ranging from softer shimmers in copper and bronze metallic hues to dramatic reds and bold burgundies. Polishes from both collections are available at professional salons and spas.

Toys & Electronics:

Disney and iHome have collaborated to make your iPod listening experience even more enjoyable with a new line of Kermit the Frog-themed iHome accessories, including speakers, headphones, and earbuds. Kermit the Frog-themed iHome accessories are available at Toys “R” Us, and Amazon this fall.

With the Kermit the Frog Wrist Band for iPod nano. The watch face can be remove and replaced with your sixth-generation iPod nano. Featuring a slap bracelet design wrapped in soft-touch silicone, it’s comfortable, fashionable, and practical. The Kermit the Frog Wrist Band from PDP is available at Apple.com, Amazon, and Dr. Botts.

What Not˙ Workshop Plush: Now you can create your own zany-looking Muppets plush with the What Not˙ Workshop only at FAO Schwarz. The workshop allows participants to create a personalized What Not˙ by selecting the eyes, nose, hair, and outfit of their choice. From cute princesses to wild monsters the options are endless!

Get reacquainted with all of the classic Muppets characters with Disney Store‘s collection of Muppets plush toys. This exclusive plush assortment includes Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo, Animal, and Beaker. Muppets plush toys are an extensive collection of high-quality, uniquely detailed plush available in small, medium, and large sizes, only at Disney Store and DisneyStore.com.

View more photos of merchandise inspired by Disney’s Muppets by clicking here.

According to a report in The New York Times by Brooks Barnes, Disney will purchase 49 percent of SevenTV, a broadcast network reaching three-quarters of Russian television households. United TV Holding Russia will remain the majority owner of the channel, which will be rebranded as a Disney Channel and feature classic Disney children’s shows and new programs created in Russia.

This is potentially huge news for a licensing industry that has gained a foothold in western Europe but struggled to find its way against local brands in Russia. The backstory to this deal is probably incredible, and it obviously remains to be seen if this is a harbinger of things to come or whether Disney, with its considerable muscle, managed to place itself far enough ahead of a curve that we won’t see similar deals in the coming years.

Either way, it’ll be interesting.

—Bryan Joiner

Walt Disney Co.

Disney bought Marvel in 2009, but Viacom Inc.’s Paramount Pictures released Marvel’s Thor and Captain America in a deal that ended this year. Disney will release Marvel’s The Avengers next spring.

Nickelodeon Consumer Products (NCP) also announced company changes this week. NCP, a division of Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN), plans to take its Canadian licensing and merchandising business in-house as of October 1. NCP Canada’s Toronto-based office will exclusively represent VIMN’s portfolio of properties and brands, including Nickelodeon, MTV, and Comedy Central, and manage all operations and retail and licensee relationships for NCP.

DCP and Fisher-Price, a subsidiary of Mattel, Inc., introduced the new Rock Star Mickey interactive feature plush with a concert by Constantine Maroulis, star of Rock of Ages and former finalist on American Idol. The rocker jammed on stage with Mickey Mouse to show kids and Disney fans classic rock star moves featured in the interactive plush. The two have also teamed up for the Rock Star Mickey TV commercial, which is set to air September 6. With strong pre-sales currently underway, Rock Star Mickey is expected to be a fan favorite this holiday season, and will be available September 6 at retailers nationwide.

Mickey will show little rock stars how to jam along with the “Rock Star 101!” mode, with rock songs including “You Really Got Me.” Mickey sings, bobs his head, kick-steps, and finishes with his signature move, the Mickety-Split, where he plays the guitar with his nose.

John Lasseter, chief creative officer of Walt Disney Studios and Pixar Animation Studios, and Ronald Stroman, deputy postmaster general, unveiled the USPS Send a Hello Forever stamp series, featuring the characters of five films created by Disney·Pixar Animation Studios. Available now at usps.com, the series includes Buzz Lightyear and two of the green, three-eyed aliens from Toy Story; Lightning McQueen and Mater from Cars; Remy the rat and Linguini from Ratatouille; the robot Wall·E from Wall·E; and Carl Fredricksen and Dug from Up.

Disney Store announced the worldwide debut of the Disney Princess Designer Doll Collection on August 19. Each of the 10 classic dolls are dressed in a glamorous runway inspired gown that comes in its own special collector case with a sleeve that showcases the beautiful sketch art created for each one. Disney expects the collection to be one of the most sought after items this holiday season. Starting today, one new Disney Princess Designer Doll will arrive in stores each week for 10 weeks in a random order not to be revealed to guests until each Monday when they go on sale.

Caption: Disney Store debuted its Princess Designer Doll collection in a private ceremony prior to the Legends of Disney Awards. The honorees, whose voices brought to life many of the modern-day Disney Princesses, were presented with one of the dolls by a child dressed up as the princess they honored. Honorees included Jodi Benson (Ariel from The Little Mermaid), Paige O’Hara (Belle from Beauty and the Beast), Lea Salonga (singing voices of Jasmine from Aladdin and Mulan from Mulan), Linda Larkin (speaking voice of Jasmine from Aladdin), and Anika Noni Rose (Princess Tiana from The Princess and the Frog).

Marvel Entertainment, LLC, has partnered with Williams-Sonoma to launch a collection of superhero kitchen and bakeware merchandise sold exclusively at Williams-Sonoma.

Designed exclusively for the retailer, the products include renowned superheroes from the Marvel Universe, including Spider-Man, Hulk, Captain America, and Iron Man. Featuring retro character art and graphics, the Williams-Sonoma collection captures the charm and artistry of the original Marvel Comics.

The program launches with an array of bakeware and kitchen essentials including cookie cutters, pancake molds, adult and child aprons, spatulas, and iced cookies. Product will be available at all Williams-Sonoma stores in the U.S. and Canada, and also via catalog and online.

Berkshire Signs Fila Licensing Deal

Italy’s Fila Luxembourg, S.a.r.l. has entered into a multiyear licensing deal with Berkshire Fashions, Inc. to design, manufacturer, and sell Fila accessories for the U.S. market, commencing this fall.

The line for Fila, which marks its 100 anniversary this year, will feature men’s women’s, boys’, and girls’ headwear, cold weather accessories, sweatbands, bags, and water bottles.

Disney Consumer Products To Showcase Merchandise at D23 Expo 2011

Disney Consumer Products (DCP) will showcase an extensive collection of Disney merchandise and interactive experiences inside its Disney Living Pavilion at the ultimate Disney fan event, D23 Expo, held at the Anaheim Convention Center from August 19-21.

D23 Expo attendees can explore the ultimate Disney lifestyle through the neighborhoods of “Style,” “Play,” and “Celebrations.” From the latest toys and newest fashions to the ultimate Disney birthday party and some of the most beloved Disney classics such as Disney It’s a Small World, guests can experience all things Disney through an immersive environment featuring exclusive and never-before-seen products; meet and greets with artists, designers, authors, and innovators; hands-on demos and activities; and live performances at the Disney Living Pavilion stage.

Guests can commemorate the event with specially released D23 merchandise, including a new Hallmark keepsake ornament, a Toy Story Woody action figure, a Finn McMissile Cars vehicle from Mattel, a Minnie Mouse plush from Just Play, and limited-edition 25th anniversary items from Disney Store.

Tickets to D23 Expo 2011 are available at http://www.D23Expo.com. Admission includes access to all experiences and entertainment at the D23 Expo and can be purchased for single days or for the full three days of festivities. More details about D23 Expo entertainment, events, and special guests will be announced in the coming weeks. Fans can keep up with all the news by visiting www.D23Expo.com, as well as by following “Disney D23″ on Twitter and Facebook.

—Melissa Tinklepaugh

The Muppets movie doesn’t hit theaters until November 23, but Disney is making sure everyone is aware that The Muppets are coming. The Muppets’ official trailer even declares: “Get ready for Muppet domination.” While four months away from release, the movie’s promotion relies on spoof marketing.

Coinciding with the July 22 release of Captain America, The Muppets’ marketing team rolled out a poster of Sam the Eagle as Captain America. We’ve also seen two other promotional posters this month, showing the whole Muppets gang back together. Enjoyable as those posters may be—who doesn’t smile from seeing a Muppet? —Captain America in Muppet form and Green Lantern Kermit have greater potential for retweets.

Disney released a Muppets teaser trailer parodying the Green Lantern film the day it hit theaters in June. Even if you’re weirded out by seeing Muppet feet, you have to admit Kermit makes a captivating Green Lantern in the accompanying poster.

Aside from the spoofs, plans have begun to roll out for the merchandise program. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers will launch a new Muppets publishing program this fall in conjunction with the film. The Muppets book program will comprise seven titles in an array of formats featuring Kermit the Frog, Fozzie Bear, Miss Piggy, and other favorite characters. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers’ launch consists of a junior novel that features eight pages of full-color photos from the film, two early readers, a giant sticker book, and a punch-out-and-play Muppet theater. The line also features a hardcover joke book perfect for holiday gift giving and the first in an original illustrated middle-grade series about a boy who wakes up as a Muppet.

Beginning August 23, Starbucks will have The Muppets: The Green Album available for purchase. Described as a tribute to the music of the Muppets, the album includes “Muppet Show Theme Song” recorded by OK Go, “Mahna Mahna” by The Fray, and “Bein’ Green” by Andrew Bird, among its 12 tracks. The album cover uses the artists’ names to form an image of Kermit’s face.

For those in New York City, the Museum of the Moving Image launched an exhibition and film screenings from July 16-January 16. Muppet fans can reminisce by watching the classic Muppets films dating back to 1979 and 1980s and the concept Muppet films of the 1990s—perfect preparation for Jason Segel’s approach to creating the upcoming film.

“I’ve just grown a little disappointed with ‘Muppets in the Old West,’ ‘Muppets Under Water,’ and all these weird concept movies,” Segel told MTV. “I just want to go take it back to the early ‘80s, when it was about the Muppets trying to put on a show. That’s what I’m trying to bring back.”

The Awl’s Elizabeth Stevens looks further at the evolution of The Muppets. And see The Licensing Blog’s roundup of The Muppets trailers.

Judge Rules Marvel Owns Copyright to Comics
In other licensing news, a federal judge in New York granted a summary judgment to Marvel Entertainment and its parent company, the Walt Disney Company, regarding their dispute with the heirs to comic book artist Jack Kirby, according to Michael Cieply’s article in The New York Times. The judge denied the Kirbys’ request for judgment against the two companies.

The ruling rejects the Kirby family’s claim to comics and characters, including the Fantastic Four, the Incredible Hulk, and the X-Men, created by Jack Kirby, and instead declares them as works for hire.

Fox Partners with Santa Cruz Skateboards

Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products signed Santa Cruz Skateboards to produce a line featuring characters and iconography from The Simpsons. Available this fall, board designs include a custom Bart Simpson skateboard with his spiky-hared skull and cross bones on the base plate, and a board shaped like a can of Duff Beer. The line is geared toward the hardcore skater or collector.

—Melissa Tinklepaugh

The big news from yesterday was Disney signing a deal with the National Hockey League for co-branded Phineas and Ferb merchandise for the 2011-12 season. We and others have talked about how Disney is actively using Phineas and Ferb to make inroads into the boys 6-11 market. We’ve also talked about how sports labor issues in the NFL (though that seems on its way to a resolution) and NBA might affect licensed product sales, but we haven’t talked about how it could affect deals and dealmaking. If there’s no NBA season next year, which seems like a real possibility, the value of Disney’s deal with the NHL would increase—perhaps not dramatically, but increased nonetheless. Sports-hungry eyeballs have to go somewhere when football isn’t on.

Warner Bros. announced that it has teamed with Lego to create Lego DC Universe Super Heroes. Lego has access to the entire library of DC Comics characters (including Batman, Robin, Catwoman, The Joker, The Riddler, and more) and stories. And not to step on our Comic-Con coverage, but 3,000 exclusive Batman and Green Lantern minifigures will be distributed to kick off a five-month promotion for the launch.

Finally, big news from WME Licensing, where The Little Prince has been sold as an animated series with 54 half-hour episodes in more than 72 countries, with a motion picture now in development. Licensing for the classic storytime book and the animation series is now underway, and interested parties should contact Rob Stone, president of WME Licensing, at rstone@wmeentertainment.com.

—Bryan Joiner

Elliott’s report mentions retailers, including Kmart, boasting “Christmas in July” sales, which dovetails with a reporter in yesterday’s Times by Stephanie Clifford which found grocery chains offering bulk deals to consumers in order to maximize in-store revenue. Clifford said grocery chain executives found that “in this economy, with people visiting stores less frequently, spending less per trip and sticking to their shopping lists more closely, the competition to offer more compelling deals is stronger than ever.” And that’s for food!

In this context, it makes sense that Walmart would offer its licensed back-to-school product cheap online while advertising cheap in-store goods. It’s easy to justify the purchase of a Toy Story or Cars item for slightly more money than a generic item when you’re at home, and haven’t spent the time or money to go to the store. Once a consumer is in the store, the inclination to buy generic could take over—the idea of saving a lot of money all at once is appealing, as grocers have discovered.

A Dow Jones Newswires article by Karen Talley hinted that retailers walk a knife-edge while trying to entice consumers to spend money for back-to-school items when those same consumers are used to dirt-cheap promotions around BTS time. In the article, Kit Yarrow, a professor of psychology at Golden Gate University, says that “Parents are going to be shocked and disappointed by the price of goods. They’re going to make sure their kids are outfitted, but won’t go beyond their budgets like they have in the past.

Of course, the entire licensing industry is predicated on the notion that parents will, in fact, go beyond their budgets, if only a little bit. And there’s proof that it’s happening, even now, with Mattel’s Cars 2 merchandise sales pushing company earnings up 56 percent from Q2 last year, which is proof that consumers are rational even in tough times: Even while cutting back on food, it’s worth spending the extra few dollars on a Mater backpack. Retailers might take a hit on BTS merchandise sales, and consumers might spend less, but the best licensors will remain resilient as always.

Target’s Funky New Partnership

Target has teamed with the Hamilton Wood & Type museum of Two Rivers, Wisc., for an apparel line.

Wait… what?

According to an article in The Atlantic by Steven Heller, Target’s Michael Alexin “fell in love” with the museum after seeing a film about it, and set out to create a partnership. The campaign is based around the tagline “Cool Never Fades” and is banking that consumers will know and love old typography enough to see it as a funky retro brand. The line debuted last week, and is perfect for, as Alexin says (wait for it)… Target’s back-to-school collection.

J-Lo and Marc Anthony: Off, but Still On at Kohl’s

Horrors! Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony may have split, but their clothing line at Kohl’s will move ahead as scheduled.

In a Daily Mail article by Tamara Abraham, LF USA’s Rick Darling (LIMA 2011 keynote speaker) says that the launch will remain unaffected. “‘We have two separate agreements with Jennifer and Marc and always intended to have separate lines. [Their split] doesn’t impact the agreements in any way.” LF USA sublicenses the brands to Kohl’s.

You may rest easy.

LIMA Elects Six New Reps to Board of Directors

The International Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association has added six members to its Board of Directors.

Joining the LIMA Board are:

• Susie Lecker, SVP of Fisher-Price Friends, FP Brands
• Marty Malysz, President, Dependable Solutions, Inc.
• Carla Peyton, SVP, Licensed Consumer Products – The Americas, BBC Worldwide America
• Jennifer Richmond, Managing Director, Richmond Management Group
• James Slifer, VP, Business Development – The Joester Loria Group
• Cheryl Stoebenau, President, CAS Marketing

Leaving the board are Spin Master’s Adam Beder; Making Connections’ Rick Mallow; Marketing on Demand’s Stu Seltzer; Mattel’s Holly Stein; Strand IP’s Robert Strand; and Konami Digital Entertainment’s Careen Yapp.

—Bryan Joiner

Film studios bring in toy makers early in the development process for a film like Green Lantern in order to ensure brand visibility in toy aisles, according to the Time article, “Green Lantern and Mattel: Friends with Benefits.” Doug Wadleigh, senior vice president of franchise development at Mattel, told Time that Mattel has access and input into big upcoming projects up to 18 months before theater release, and Mattel spent more than a year designing Green Lantern action figures and products.

Toy makers like Mattel give the studios input earlier in the film development process to tell why that particular film could translate into toys. Doing this integrates the toy company with the filmmakers to develop products kids want. Newer brands, like Green Lantern, cost toy makers less money to license the film and come as a lower risk if movie tickets and products don’t sell. Thus, according to Time, Mattel paid Warner Bros. $2.5 million in royalty fees for Green Lantern, expects perhaps $20 million in toy sales for the film, and as a $5-billion-a-year company, is risking much less of a loss if sales don’t do as well as expected. (See USA Today for more about Green Lantern products.)

Studios, however, increase the likelihood of reward by focusing on films with the potential for sequels, spin-offs, products, games, and even theme-park attractions, according to The Wall Street Journal’s article “Cars 2 Is Already a Hit–In Stores.” WSJ cites an estimate that Cars 2 cost slightly less than Toy Story 3’s $200 million production costs. In order for Disney’s Pixar Animation Studios to generate profits beyond breaking even on production costs, the studio looks for merchandise tie-ins for a portion of its films.

Target announced earlier this month its collection of merchandise inspired by Cars 2, which hits theaters June 24. Fur further integration, Target features a dedicated boutique of Cars 2 products online at Target.com/Cars2, including an interactive experience with the movie’s characters and an exclusive custom animated TV spot created for Target by Disney•Pixar.

“Fans are clamoring for Cars-inspired merchandise that brings the stories and characters from the film to life,” said Bruce Morrison, senior vice president of sales at Disney Consumer Products, in a press release. “Target has captured some of the movie’s magic through its expansive Cars 2 assortment, and we know fans will love it.”

Disney and its licensees also have products lining Walmart and Toys “R” Us shelves, and merchandise expands through multiple departments, with products such as Kleenex, shampoo, food items, kids’ furniture, sleeping bags, and video games, according to WSJ. Furthering franchise expansion, Disney has plans to open a 12-acre Cars Land at it California Adventure theme park next year, and DisneyToon animation studio is working on Cars spin-off direct-to-DVD films.

In another WSJ article, “Franchise Guardian at Pixar Tries to Keep Cars 2 on High Road,” Pixar’s Jay Ward said he seeks to keep merchandise tie-ins authentic, measuring by “truth in materials,” such as a heavier car moving slower than a lighter counterpart. He also monitors products for accuracy to the characters and the world they live in.

Cars 2 may sell more merchandise than any single previous Disney film, including Toy Story 3, which set the bar last year with $2.8 billion in merchandise sales, according to WSJ. The first Cars installment has sold an average of $2 billion annually since 2006.

With focus on films’ potential for retail sales, it’s not surprising that Warner Bros.’s Legendary Entertainment is negotiating with Mattel, in this case to receive film rights to the Hot Wheels toy car line, according to Variety. By purchasing film rights from a well-known toy line, it’s hard to imagine a toy maker more seamlessly integrated into a film.

—Melissa Tinklepaugh