By Allison Watkinson
TLL Reporter
Rovio Entertainment and IMG are launching an Angry Birds consumer products program for the upcoming Netflix series Angry Birds: Summer Madness.
Rovio is working with CAKE Entertainment on the new series for release next month, and has partnered with sports and media licensing firm IMG for a global CP licensing program.
“After more than a decade in hit games, blockbuster movies, licensed products and location-based entertainment, the feathery flock has now made a long-awaited foray into long-form series with Angry Birds: Summer Madness,” Said Hanna Valkeapää-Nokkala, Head of Brand Licensing at Rovio Entertainment.
“We are proud of the upcoming launch and the exciting licensing program we have been building together in a great partnership with IMG. Angry Birds truly is a 360 brand, which can be played, touched, experienced and watched—we cannot wait for our fans to engage with the brand in a completely new way!”
The producer of the Netflix series, CAKE Entertainment Ltd., is an independent entertainment company that specializes in the production, distribution, development, financing and branding of kids’ and family properties. The upcoming series is the latest collaboration in a long-term partnership between Rovio and CAKE. This partnership includes international distribution rights to Rovio’s library of non-dialogue shorts.
Rovio Entertainment Corporation started out as a mobile-first games company that created, developed and published mobile games. It has since evolved to include other forms of entertainment, as well as animations and consumer products in brand licensing. The Angry Birds brand is the most successful game and entertainment franchise Rovio has released so far.
Following the success of the Angry Birds movie franchise, the series Angry Birds: Summer Madness will mark the brand’s first long-form streaming show.
To promote the Netflix series, IMG has signed deals across many categories including apparel, QSR, confectionery and promotions in location-based experiences. A global leader in sports, fashion, events and media, IMG is also targeting other licensees in key categories including F&B, promotions, apparel, plush, hardlines and more.
“Following the global success of the movies, Angry Birds: Summer Madness marks an exciting new step in Rovio’s evolution of this iconic franchise and is a fantastic opportunity for brands and licensees to become part of it,” said Sam Barker, Senior Licensing Director at IMG.
“ The new series promises to deliver a fresh perspective on these globally loved characters, and even more fun for fans, with the same humour of the movie franchise.”
Angry Birds: Summer Madness will involve an over-arching story line that follows popular characters such as Red, Chuck, Stella, and Bomb as they spend summer vacation at Camp Splinterwood.