Following a deal with publishing powerhouse DJ Murphy, The Point.1888 and Moonbug Entertainment have secured six additional licensee partners for the hugely popular children’s brand, Blippi.
The brand extension specialist The Point.1888 was appointed in the summer as the Master Licensing Agency across EMEA for Blippi, along with other brands in Moonbug’s portfolio, including CoComelon, My Magic Pet Morphle and ARPO. Since coming on board, The Point.1888 has sought to capitalise on the show’s popularity with young children as well as the need to keep them entertained and engaged by signing licensees across a broad range of categories, including clothing, puzzles and games.
Blippi was created by comedian Stevin John, who had the idea of creating a high quality, educational kid’s show on YouTube. The program was a hit, and Blippi now airs on YouTube, Hulu and Amazon Video. The show has racked up an astonishing 12 billion views. The Blippi character which John portrays has a childlike, energetic and curious persona and is always dressed in a blue and orange beanie cap, blue shirt, orange suspenders and a bow tie.
The new licensees secured by The Point.1888 for Blippi include:
- Scholastic, the global publishing, education, and media company, has been signed as Master Publisher;
- Poetic Brands, a specialist clothing manufacturer, will produce a range of kids’ daywear;
- Misirli, leading underwear and hosiery manufacturer, will produce Blippi branded socks;
- TDP Textiles and Aykroyds & Sons, leading manufacturers and distributors of licensed nightwear and swimwear, will produce Blippi branded pyjamas and swimwear;
- RMS International will produce Blippi puzzles; and
- Zak, lunchware specialist, will create Blippi branded lunch boxes.
These new licensees join Blippi’s existing partners Jazwares, Creative Kids, Texco, Round Room and DJ Murphy.
Commenting on the news, Bethan Garton, Commercial Director at The Point.1888, said: “The brand licensing program for Blippi is really picking up pace, and that is in part thanks to the incredible team at Moonbug who have been so open to our ideas and share our passion in making this a success. It may look like there’s a lot going on now but trust me when I say it’s about to get even busier!”
Since its creation in 2014, The Point.1888 has followed a ‘retail first model’, which means that it creates new products based on the gaps it sees in retail, rather than what it thinks the brand’s target demographic might like. This supports a higher chance of retailer buy-in and a better sales performance, the company says, and helped bring success with the Blippi property.
“The Point.1888 has been an excellent partner and these new licensees are a testament to the hard work that the team has put into expanding the playful world of Blippi,” said Simon Philips, Senior In-House Advisor at Moonbug.