By Allison Watkinson
TLL Reporter
WildBrain has secured a slate of new licensing partnerships and content agreements for its long-standing Teletubbies brand.
The new partnerships will expand the reach of the Teletubbies in categories such as ecommerce, apparel, location-based entertainment, lifestyle products, accessories, gaming and more.
For the ecommerce category, Wildbrain has partnered with Star Editions for an official direct-to-consumer Teletubbies webshop which will launch internationally in fall 2023.
The webshop will offer licensed Teletubbies products such as personalized and print-on-demand t-shirts, tote bags, mugs, art prints, coasters and lunch boxes.
“The Teletubbies continue to take the world by storm, spreading their message of ‘Big Love’ to fans everywhere,” said Wildbrain VP, Elizabeth Litten Miller. “Building on the launch of new content on Netflix and YouTube during the brand’s 25th anniversary celebrations in 2022, this vibrant roster of collaborations demonstrates the Teletubbies’ enduring appeal across the globe.
“We’re particularly excited by our new ecommerce site, which augments our insights into what our customers are looking for and will allow us to tailor new launches and special promotions,” Miller added. “Our global licensing agency, WildBrain CPLG, and our in-house franchise team continue to experience strong engagement from partners eager to share the wonder of the Teletubbies with fans.”
The company has also partnered with the Dolls Kill retail brand for a Teletubbies capsule collection. The Dolls Kill x Teletubbies collection will include tops, skirts, swimwear, hosiery and shoes. Intended to target the 2024 spring festival season, the licensed products will be available for purchase in stores across the US and on the Dolls Kill ecommerce platform worldwide.
Additional apparel and accessory partnerships have been secured with Brand Alliance in the UK, Mark Fairwell in China, and Cakeworthy in North America and the UK.
For the Wildbrain partnership, Brand Alliance recently launched a line of Teletubbies-themed adult onesies through the UK retailer, Primark.
Mark Fairwell debuted an extensive Teletubbies apparel, hat and bag range in China this summer across over a thousand different store locations.
Wildbrain’s partnership with Cakeworthy will include a Teletubbies capsule collection that features licensed apparel, accessories, stationery and homeware. The Cakeworthy collection is expected to launch in March 2025.
In other product categories, Wildbrain has secured deals with Skinnydip for phone cases, Blank Tag for waterproof Teletubbies stickers, a mall takeover in Dongguan City with collectibles licensee Pop Sunday, and a previously announced global partnership with China-based lifestyle retailer MINISO.
The product categories included in the MINISO partnership are toys, consumer electronics, personal care, cosmetics, stationery, accessories, homeware, tableware and drinkware.
Wildbrain has also closed three significant deals for the Teletubbies in the digital space.
Playworks will be launching licensed Teletubbies children’s games for smart TV devices.
House of Blueberry has released a Teletubbies capsule collection for the Second Life metaverse. In addition, Bare Tree Media has renewed its Teletubbies licensing deal for Samsung digital items and Pride themes.
WildBrain CPLG has also partnered with Max-Matching Entertainments for a new location-based entertainment business that is set to roll out over the next five years.
Max-Matching Entertainments is a developer, investor and operator of international cultural and IP -based visitor attractions.
Wildbrain and Max-Matching intend to launch several new Teletubbies-themed family entertainment centers and hotel rooms in Beijing, Zhongshan city, Guangdong, and an additional city which will be announced at a later date.
In other activations, the Teletubbies are featured in an installation at the YOHO Mall in Hong Kong, as pictured at the beginning of this article. The YOHO Mall installation included costume character appearances, photo opportunities and more.
Attendees of Brand Licensing Europe 2023 can visit WildBrain CPLG at stand B171 to learn more about Teletubbies licensing opportunities. WildBrain CPLG will also be attending China Licensing Expo in Shanghai from Oct. 17 to 19, 2023.