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The International Licensing Industry Merchandiser's Association (LIMA) is a trade organization for the global licensing industry. This year's Licensing Expo was held at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, where a number of children's beloved programs took home awards. "We're delighted to recognize the huge impact that all of our award winners have had in the marketplace, including Frozen as 2014's top success story," says LIMA President Charles Riotto. "These achievements underscore the high caliber of today's licensing initiatives and the significance of licensed properties and brands throughout the world."
The 2015 award winners are:
Celebrity or Music Program – One Direction, Modest Management/Global Merchandising Services Ltd.
Character or Toy Brand Program – My Little Pony, Hasbro
Character or Toy Brand Licensee: Hard Goods – LAFOOD, Sesame Street healthy food
Character or Toy Brand Licensee: Soft Goods – Under Armour, Captain America collection
Film, Television, or Entertainment (Animated) Program – Disney's Frozen, The Walt Disney Company/Disney Consumer Products
Film, Television, or Entertainment (Animated) Licensee: Hard Goods – (tie) JAKKS Pacific, Disney's Frozen/Snow Glow Elsa doll; Playmates Toys, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles product line
Film, Television, or Entertainment (Animated) Licensee: Soft Goods – Havaianas, Despicable Me flip flops
Lifestyle: Art, Design or Fashion Program – The Very Hungry Caterpillar/The World of Eric Carle, Eric Carle Studio/The Joester Loria Group
Location-Based or Experiential Initiative – The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Warner Bros. Consumer Products
Overall Best Licensed Program – Disney's Frozen, The Walt Disney Company/Disney Consumer Products
CJ Products, the creators of the popular Pillow Pets foldable plush, has recently announced the expansion of its licensing agreement with Nickelodeon Consumer Products to include Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Pillow Pets plush products.
The company previously created illuminating Dream Lites of the popular heroes in a half shell. The new licensing agreement will extend the line to include 18-inch foldable plush toys of Raphael, Leonardo, Michelangelo and Donatello. Considered one of the most popular kids television programs of the 1980s, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles first debuted as a successful comic book series and then became a hit animated television show, a live-action television series and later spawned four blockbuster theatrical releases. Since its launch in 2012, Nickelodeon's all-new CG-animated version has re-energized the iconic characters of this popular franchise. "The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fan base continues to grow with the recent live-action feature film and Nickelodeon's hit animated television series," says Jennifer Telfer, CEO of Pillow Pets. "We are excited to foster this relationship and turn these iconic half-shell heroes into cuddly plush [toys]."
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Pillow Pets will be available summer of 2015.
Thanks to a donation from the Carlin Family to the Miami Children's Health Foundation, patients at Nicklaus Children's Hospital received an experience of a lifetime. Nicklaus Children's Hospital (formerly known as Miami Children's Hospital) and Miami Children's Health Foundation came together to host the 2nd Annual Carlin Family Nicklaus Children's Prom for more than 75 teenage patients and their guests, giving them an opportunity to experience the beloved high school event. "We are so thankful to the Carlin family for offering this once-in-a-lifetime experience to our teen patients," says Lucy Morillo, president and CEO of Miami Children's Health Foundation. "Their generous donation gives us the opportunity to come together for the children; giving them a chance to forget their illnesses for just one night."
Currently and recently hospitalized teen patients were transported back in time with a 1950s-themed prom designed and produced by WOW Factor Marketing Group. The design was ode to the hospital's 65th anniversary, complete with classic cars and a red carpet where patients flaunted their evening attire.
Miami Children's Health Foundation also received overwhelming support from national and local businesses donating their time and services. Volunteers outfitted in 50s-themed attire provided patient care support during the prom to ensure every guest had a memorable night. Blo Bar, Mary Kay, Your Face by Grace and Olga Gaitan stylists pampered prom attendees and provided makeovers to get them ready for their special night. Television personality and Miami-based Chef Adrianne Calvo of Chef Adrienne's Vineyard Restaurant and Wine Bar, alongside Chef David Schwardon Catering and Event Design catered the prom. Prom attendees danced to the tunes of DJ Double ii, the official Miami Marlins spinner.
Designed for children ages three and up, the Mini Monster Magnetic Game from Haba stimulates creativity in little ones. The heavy duty metal box houses four different background scenes and 143 magnetic pieces to create hundreds of different monster combinations for different characters every time.
Bill Schmid, founder of HALO Innovations, was recently awarded the 2015 Making a Difference National Leadership Award presented by Cribs For Kids. The award recognizes Schmid's ongoing role in safe sleep education.
As a result of a personal tragedy, Schmid began an exhaustive review of medical research available on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Halo Innovations began shortly after with a mission to reduce the number of infant deaths related to SIDS. His first product was an engineered solution to the issue of re-breathing, the Halo Active-Airflow Crib Mattress. The company expanded to include more convenient alternatives to crib blankets with the Halo SleepSack and the SleepSack Swaddle. Halo products are now sold throughout North America and a number of other countries and are used in more than 1,400 hospitals nationwide. Schmid's most recent invention is the Halo Bassinest, a bedside bassinet providing a safe sleep space for infants while still next to parents.
A division of Kids Preferred, Bunnies By The Bay offers gifts for little ones embarking on their first years of life. The Stinkin Cute collection for boys includes a hoody with Malibu blue and carrot orange solid and striped knits with a fish coming out of the front pouch; pants that are pull on and off in solid Malibu blue with carrot orange striped waist and ankle bands; the Baseball Shirt with a striped long-sleeve shirt underneath a short-sleeved shirt with a retro baseball patch; and two tees in carrot orange and charcoal gray.
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The Pretty Girl Spring collection features embroidered and stitched messages on each article of pale pink and gray-colored clothing. The line includes a Pretty Sailor Top in soft peony pink with a sailor collar; Pretty Sailor Dress with a double-layered ruffle skirt; Shorties, the bubble bottoms in gray stripes, to complement the Sailor Top and Dress; the Pretty Tweet Romper with ruffles at the neck and knees; and a number of other t-shirts, hooded sweaters and friendly stuffed animals.
The Stinkin Cute Boys collection and the Pretty Girl collection will both be available spring 2015.
To kickoff Children's Book Week this week, the Children's Book Council held its 8th annual Children's Choice Book Awards Ceremony on Monday, May 4 in New York City. Winning titles are selected by young readers of all ages, and this year's event was hosted by Jon Scieszka and Betsy Bird. This year, children and teens across the United States made their voices heard by casting more than 1 million votes. The 2015 Children's Choice Book Awards winners are:
• Kindergarten to Second Grade Book of the Year: Eva and Sadie and the Worst Haircut EVER!, by Jeff Cohen, illustrated by Elanna Allen (HarperCollins Children's Books)
• Third Grade to Fourth Grade Book of the Year: Kali's Story: An Orphaned Polar Bear Rescue, by Jennifer Keats Curtis, illustrated by John Gomes (Arbordale Publishing)
• Fifth Grade to Sixth Grade Book of the Year: The Dumbest Idea Ever!, by Jimmy Gownley (Graphix, an imprint of Scholastic)
• Teen Book of the Year: The One, by Kiera Cass (HarperTeen)
• Children's Choice Debut Author: J.A. White for The Thickety: A Path Begins (Katherine Tegan Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Children's Books)
• Teen Choice Debut Author: Jennifer Mathieu for The Truth About Alice (Roaring Brook Press, an imprint of Macmillan Children's Publishing Group)
• Children's Choice Illustrator: Chris Appelhans for Sparky!, by Jenny Offill (Schwartz & Wade, an imprint of Random House Children's Books)
