With major films being released, Universal Brand Development is preparing a massive licensing launch for the Jurassic Park and Minions franchises.
Jurassic World Dominion will be opening in theaters next summer, while Minions: The Rise of Gru is currently scheduled for release on July 1, 2022, although release dates have been a bit slippery because of COVID-19.
Both films come from franchises that have been reliable tent pole blockbusters, and both have also spawned massive licensing campaigns for previous installments. For that reason, UBD says it’s pulling out all the stops in its upcoming global licensing programs.
Jurassic World Dominion
Universal Brand Development says it spent the past two years laying the ground work for the return of Jurassic World Dominion. Among other things, UDP has created new products, retail programs, games and digital content, and new seasons of the popular Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous animated series.
“The new film is about as big as it gets for the franchise, which continues to deliver after almost three decades,” says Paul Bufton, VP of EMEA at NBCUniversal Brand Development. “Even in non-movie years, Jurassic World has proved its dominance with record ratings on Netflix and exponential double-digit growth in the toy category across EMEA. “The gates are open for business and consumers are lining up for a piece of the action that only this powerhouse brand can provide.”
The tentpole release will top a prolific period for Jurassic World, highlighted by a continuous content pipeline that includes the popular animated series Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous from Universal Pictures, Amblin Entertainment and DreamWorks Animation. Camp Cretaceous is a top Netflix show for kids, with season four launching in December.
UBD has signed up a “a raft of best-in-class licensing partners,” led by Mattel and LEGO, as well as new gaming experiences. Those include Jurassic World Aftermath and Jurassic World Aftermath 2 for Oculus by Coatsink, and the multi format Jurassic World Evolution 2 from Frontier Developments, both offering immersive digital experiences to keep fans engaged on multiple platforms.
The year 2021 has also marked a welcome return to physical in-store promotions with Dino Days – a cross category in-store and online shopper campaign running throughout Q4 in the UK, Germany and France across multiple retailers including Smyths Toys, Carrefour and Amazon.
The campaign includes promotional videos on YouTube, targeted Facebook advertising, competitions and influencer outreach supporting new toy lines from Mattel and LEGO. Tesco has also recently leveraged the popularity of Jurassic World to drive its commitment to sustainability with a collection of children’s apparel made from 100% recycled cotton and sequins.
Minions: The Rise of Gru
UBD says the next year is set to feature a “Minions summer like no other,” as the company “pulls out all the stops” to support the eagerly awaited sequel Minions: The Rise of Gru.
Global toy partners Mattel and The LEGO Group will be launching collections featuring fresh new looks for action figures, construction sets, electronics, plush, collectables and play-sets. Other partners include Topps, Asmodee, Ravensburger, Clementoni, Posh Paws, Danilo and Boxine.
During last year’s 2020 lockdown, Minions’ global popularity in the international grocery sector kept the characters front-of-mind for consumers. The Minions brand continues to show a lot of retail strength in all categories, including apparel, softlinks, food, personal care, and beauty products, among others. Universal is currently in the planning stages of a program involving several licensing categories with partners like Yazoo, Brioche, Pez, Danone, Volvic, Perfetti Van Melle, Colgate, Avon, BIP and Glamglow.
UBD is also making its licensing and retail efforts a truly global affair, working with a large roster of local agencies to tailor its licensing and retail opportunities to the local market. That work is expected to intensify over the next seven months leading up to the film’s release in July 2022, UBD’s promotional and marketing efforts will be doubled as the company is expecting ‘huge’ pent-up demand and anticipation for the brand.