- Licensing agencies Carlin West (US) and VLM Licensing & Consulting (Italy) have a new mission: representing Banijay Kids & Family’s Totally Spies! brand in their regions. The animated spy series’ seventh season launched on French kidsnet Gulli in May; season eight is already greenlit; and a live-action adaptation from Amazon MGM Studios, Banijay and Gloria Sanchez Productions is in the works, with actor Will Ferrell and director/producer Adam McKay (Daniel) attached.
- Mattel has partnered with Airbnb to build a branded Polly Pocket vacation destination that will be open for business this fall. Located in Massachusetts, the 42-foot-tall Slumber Party Fun house (pictured) replicates the make-up compacts that Polly Pocket dolls are packaged in. Fans can book overnight stays from September 12 to 14, and then it’ll be open wider for drop-in visits from September 16 to October 6. Polly Pocket turns 35 this year.
- Spaceport, an LA-based company that licenses brands to UGC creators and developers working on digital gaming platforms, has signed a deal to represent assets and characters from Toei Animation’s new feature film Hypergalatic, which is set to premiere in 2025. For a fee, Roblox and Fortnite creators can build new games and digital products using official design elements from the movie. Toei sees this as a way to expand its licensing business beyond physical products, and also get fans engaged with the film in a viral way.
- Paddington and UNICEF Canada have teamed up to give Canadian kids a taste of the world. In a deal brokered by The Copyrights Group, which represents Paddington’s licensing interests, UNICEF is distributing a monthly Paddington’s Postcards subscription box for the next 12 months. Boxes contain a branded postcard, plus educational activities and info sheets designed to teach four- to 10-year-olds about a different country each month. Parents can make an US$18 tax-deductible donation to UNICEF for each box.