FuturumKids has named Niall Watters as the head of its new e-commerce venture. The Spanish producer is preparing to bow its CGI series Paddles in multiple markets this month, and Watters will initially focus on launching a digital consumer products program timed to coincide with the show’s premiere.

Watters joined FuturumKids on October 1 from ChannelSight, where he served as head of brand partnerships. And before that, he was a revenue management analyst at Amadeus IT Group. Watters specializes in digital strategy, data analytics and digital transformation.

His first task in the new role is to lead a strategy to roll out Paddles plush products in Q1 2021, shortly after the 52 x 11-minute series launches on Cartoonito UK. Paddles targets four- to seven-year-olds and stars a polar bear cub being raised by a pack of Irish wolfhounds.

The IP’s initial consumer products offering will include plush toys inspired by the show’s main characters, as well as limited-edition and country-specific SKUs featuring Paddles and his friends wearing national costumes. The plush products will be manufactured in Shanghai and distributed through fulfillment hubs in Dublin, Chicago and Northampton.

FuturumKids is focusing on launching its e-commerce platform in an effort to meet early plush demand as quickly as possible and with maximum flexibility. This effort is part of a larger, multi-platform strategy that will also encompass direct-to-retail and traditional licensing models.