Category: News

Toy giants Clementoni, Lisciani and Simba Smoby amongst the many renewals for hit children’s series Bing

Acamar Films, the award-winning independent producer and distributor of the global pre-school hit Bing, announces 17 license renewals for the hit pre-school property plus one new
clothing and apparel license with Ellepi. The deals include many key toy and game partners such as Clementoni, Lisciani and Simba Smoby.

“Italy is a key market for Bing and that we are able to announce so many renewals, speaks to the continued success of the property in the territory,” said Katie Rollings, Chief Licensing Officer, Acamar Films. “It is not only in consumer products where Bing is performing strongly but also across Italian content distribution platforms as well as live events and partnerships. These renewals, in conjunction with our wider plans to grow and support the brand, mean that Bing is set to remain a top franchise in Italy for many years to come.”

Renewal agreements for Bing have been signed with:
Toys and Games
Adriatic
Clementoni
Dulcop
Grabo
IGT
Lisciani
ODS
Ravensburger
Sbabam
Simba Smoby
Toys Garden

Apparel and Accessories
Sun City
Coriex
Sabor

Paper and Party
Multiprint
Diramix
Modecor

A new agreement has been signed with 0-6 childrenswear specialist, Ellepi.

Bing has a leading licensing programme, managed by Maurizio Distefano Licensing.

Bing has recently been selected by the Italian Society of Paediatrics and nursery trade association, Assonidi, to be the face of a nationwide campaign to support young children’s wellbeing. The campaign launched June 2023 and is set to run over several years.
First launched in Italy in February 2018, Bing is supported in the country by a variety of distribution partners. As well as its strong presence on Rai Yoyo where the show airs seven times a day, Bing is watched on DeA Junior, Vodafone TV, Amazon Prime Video and TIMVision. All 104 Italian episodes of Bing launched on Disney+ in August 2022.
Episodes of Bing as well as additional special compilations are also available on Acamar Films’ YouTube Network of channels. With over 1.2 million subscribers, the Italian Bing YouTube channel is watched for 5 million hours a month. The dedicated Bing app, ‘Bing: Guarda, Gioca, Impara’ is free to download and includes all 104 Bing episodes and over 20 games. The app has been downloaded by around 1.2 million Italian families since the launch in June 2020.
Bing also has a strong experiential and promotions programme in Italy, with top-rated theme Park Leolandia having daily meet and greets with Bing and Flop and a live show. Thanks to our partner Soluna Eventi, Bing is also present to meet fans in shopping malls across Italy. New promotions deals in 2023 included a Bing Easter Egg chocolate connoisseur Ferrero, as well as a year-long gift with purchase promotion with vitamin company Benegums. Bing-branded Sterilfarma Monello Milk is also available in pharmacies from June 2023.

Announced today, ten new episodes from beloved animated series Bluey will be available on Disney+ in the U.S. and around the world on Wednesday, July 12.

The new episodes include cameos from well-known Bluey fans, including Lin-Manuel Miranda, who appears as a talking horse in the episode “Stories,” and Rose Byrne, who plays Chilli’s sister Brandy in “Onesies.”

Created and written by Joe Brumm and produced by the multiple Emmy^® Award-winning Ludo Studio for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and BBC Studios Kids & Family, the new episodes will also arrive on Disney Channel and Disney Junior later this year.

“Fans have been keenly anticipating more Bluey, and we’re excited to share these new stories with them” said Henrietta Hurford-Jones, Commissioner & Executive Producer of Bluey for BBC Studios Kids & Family. “We’re so happy at how our audiences have taken Bluey to their hearts! These episodes will not disappoint families, with episodes such as the excellent ‘Tradies’ and others. And viewers will love the return of the Grannies in Granny Mobile.”

New episodes to be released July 12^th on Disney+

 

• Musical Statues
• Stories
• Puppets
• Turtle Boy
• Onesies
• Tradies
• Granny Mobile
• Space
• Dirt
• The Decider

 

Bluey follows the adventures of a lovable and inexhaustible Blue Heeler puppy who lives with her Dad, Mum and little sister, Bingo. It showcases the joyful simplicity that can be found in families, by bringing to life how children learn and grow through play.

The series has enjoyed acclaim internationally, recently winning a 2023 Kidscreen Award for Best Animated Series, Preschool, 2022 BAFTA Children & Young People Award in the International category and picking up its fourth consecutive AACTA Best Children’s Programme award. These newest honors add to an International Emmy® and numerous other awards for craft and production around the world.

Jointly commissioned by BBC Studios Kids & Family and ABC Children’s, Bluey is produced by multi-Emmy® Award-winning Ludo Studio in association with Screen Queensland and Screen Australia.

The series is distributed internationally by BBC Studios Kids & Family outside Australia.

BBC Studios Kids & Family has a global broadcast deal with Disney for Bluey in all territories outside Australia, New Zealand, and China. Episodes from the third season of Bluey are streaming on Disney+, and available on Disney Channel and Disney Junior, with more episodes from season three still to come.

Maurizio Distefano Licensing to license hit children’s adventure-comedy-fantasy now airing on Italian TV

Princess Sam Consumer Products has announced that it has appointed Maurizio Distefano Licensing, the number one independent licensing agency in Italy, as licensing agent for the children’s animated adventure-comedy-fantasy hit Tara Duncan.

Maurizio Distefano Licensing was chosen because of its success in Italy, which comes from taking a holistic approach that allows it to analyse and respond to the particular business development needs of each individual licensee. The properties Maurizio Distefano Licensing manages include some of the world’s best-known and most successful movies, brands and animated children’s series.

The time is certainly right for the Tara Duncan property to enter the licensing arena in this major market. The showing of the first 52×13’ series began in Italy on Rai Kids channel Rai Gulp and on Rai Play in April and on DeA Kids a year before.

Total sales of the series now exceed 80 countries, including such major broadcasters such as Disney Channel, Disney+ and Gulli (France), RTS (Switzerland), Télé-Québec and Family (Canada), ITVX (UK), Gulli Africa, MBC3 (Middle East & Africa) and Disney Channel in Latin America. More major sales are due to be announced in the coming months.

Now Head of Licensing for the Princess Sam Consumer Products division Laurent Taieb is bringing more than thirty years of proven operational experience in all aspects of consumer products and licensing to the Tara Duncan licensing campaign. Among the campaign’s first successes has been a licence in the French market awarded to toy company tonies. Tonies will produce a version of its enormously popular Toniebox musical storybox themed around Tara Duncan stories and characters. Many more deals are expected this year.

Tara Duncan is the exciting story of an ordinary girl from Earth with extraordinary powers who discovers she is heir to the throne of the Meme empire. She soon finds herself on OtherWorld, a magical planet where she makes new friends and tries to thwart the ambitions of the evil Magister who wants to steal her magic and conquer her new home.

First published in 2003, tens of millions of Tara Duncan books have been sold worldwide. The animated series, launched in 2022, uses state-of-the-art, 3D CGI motion capture technology, more than 170 artists recruited from the global feature film industry, and advanced innovations to deliver an experience like no other: beautiful, astonishing and fantastic but also exciting, engaging and very, very funny. It also boasts a diverse and engaging cast of characters, led by the very brave, very positive and very slightly accident-prone Tara.

Laurent Taieb says: “Signing Maurizio Distefano Licensing to the Tara Duncan campaign is a strong statement of intent. We see Italy as key market for the brand but one in which we need a knowledgeable, experienced and respected partner. We have found that in the number one independent licensing agency in Italy. We’re looking forward enormously to working with Maurizio Distefano Licensing.”

Maurizio Distefano, an internationally accredited professional with over 20 years of experience in the sector, is President of the licensing agency and management consultancy that takes his name. He says: “Tara Duncan has deservedly been a publishing and broadcasting phenomenon. We are delighted that Princess Sam Consumer Products saw us as the ideal partner for the Italian market and fully intend to take this exciting and innovative property to the next level.”

The carefree and adventurous family born from the pen of the Finnish author and artist Tove Jansson brings color and art to Maurizio Distefano Licensing’s property portfolio.

The Moomins are a carefree and adventurous family who live in their house in the peaceful Moominvalley. They are central characters in the works of celebrated and beloved Finnish author and artist Tove Jansson who created the magical and fascinated stories and designed location and characters from scratch.

Moomin is a values-led brand, with three core values at its heart: love, equality and courage. The main character is young and curious Moomintroll, who goes through the important stages of growing up with his extraordinary family and quirky friends who live in the magical and protected world of Moominvalley. But at times, the Moomins venture beyond the Valley into the vast wilderness, traverse dense dark forests, land on mysterious faraway islands and climb lonely dangerous mountains engaging viewers in their adventures at once familiar and extraordinary. There is always a happy ending to the stories. Jansson, in fact, wrote during World War II so it was important to her to express a feeling of serenity and confidence.

Nine books were released in the collection, together with five picture books and an extensive series of comic strips between the years 1945 and 1980 The Moomins have since been the basis for numerous television series, films and even theme parks. The stories have been translated into more than 55 languages and are still in print all over the world today.

“Moominvalley” is the animated series based on Moomin, produced by Gutsy Animations in association with Yle and Sky. Moominvalley has been sold to over 60 countries to date, including Finland (Yle), UK (Sky), Japan (NHK) and Germany (ZDF). In Italy is available on Rai Yoyo and Rai Play. The series was awarded the ‘Audience Episodic Award’ at the New York International Children’s Film Festival 2022 and was also nominated for the British Animation Awards 2022.

Maurizio Distefano, President of MDL states: “We are so excited for this partnership. Moomin covers a wide range target which makes it appealing to multiple Licensing categories, from adults, with its pieces of art, to kids with the Moominvalley series. I’m sure that the upcoming projects will reflect its artistic and colorful style”.

Bing chosen to front first-of-its-kind initiative across Italy

Bing, Acamar Films’ award-winning global pre-school hit animation has been selected to front a new campaign from the Italian Society of Paediatrics and nursery trade association, Assonidi. The campaign, Healthy Habits for Children, the first of its kind to be launched by the national medical body, will help support grown-ups and children in their everyday lives over the coming years.

Bing shares the small stories that can make a big difference in the lives of young children as Bing encounters unexpected experiences and emotions with patient and reassuring Flop by his side. Bing is currently the most popular pre-school series on the Rai Play digital platform. The Italian Society of Paediatrics and Assonidi recognise the ways in which Bing supports children’s emotional and social development, and how the production, and how Bing is inspired by Montessori principles,  aligns with their mission of promoting the health and well-being of children in Italy.

The Healthy Habits for Children campaign will mean that Bing and his friends will be present to guide and encourage young children to adopt recommended habits. From coping with change to visiting the doctor, resources, clips and activities featuring Bing will be available to support children during what could be an unknown and frightening new experience. Healthy daily routines such as drinking water and playing outside will also be part of Healthy Habits for Children with the inclusion of Bing making those activities more engaging.

We are honoured to have our efforts recognised by the Italian Society of Paediatrics and Assonidi. We work tirelessly to ensure that our Bing episodes truly reflect the authentic lives of young children, and support healthy growth and development. Millions of Italian families have welcomed Bing into their cherished daily routines, so to see our show and its characters lead this incredibly important and long-running campaign, set to support families across Italy, really is fantastic.” said Mikael Shields, CEO Acamar Films.

Several key topics will be covered through the partnership with assets to support grown-ups and children. Themes such as outdoor play, coping with change, bedtime routines and anxieties visiting the doctors will all be included in the campaign. The first theme, Growing with Bing, launching in June 2023, focuses on nutrition, supporting families on the importance of fruit and vegetables in a child’s diet, and why drinking water and milk is so important.

“We are happy that a character as loved by children as Bing can become, thanks to this campaign, an ‘ambassador’ of lifestyles to help our children and grandchildren grow up healthy and become healthy adults. This partnership with Acamar and Assonidi is an important step towards the realisation of our mission: to promote the psychophysical health of children and their social well-being,’ says Annamaria Staiano, President of the Italian Society of Paediatrics.

Families, doctors and teachers will have access to Bing-themed recipe cards, activity sheets, videos with approved messaging from the Italian Society of Paediatrics. These resources will be distributed via Assonidi to all their 400 associated nurseries and families within the nurseries, as well as in the Italian Society of Paediatrics’ doctors surgeries. The Italian Society of Paediatrics has a network of 11,000 paediatricians who work in hospitals and surgeries and in universities throughout the country. Campaign resources will also be available to download in late summer at www.bingbunny.it, and shared with Bing’s 118,000 Italian Facebook followers and 1.2million Italian YouTube subscribers.

“Our network of nurseries, creches and private pre-schools will greatly benefit from the important messages from the Italian Society of Paediatrics delivered by their friend Bing. We see the popularity of Bing with our pre-schoolers everyday, and we cannot wait to offer our teachers and families additional resources to support the healthy development of children.” – Paolo Uniti, President of Assonidi.

Bing has been phenomenally popular with Italian preschoolers and families since its debut in 2018, due to its multi-platform distribution strategy and a dynamic licensing programme. Italian fans can enjoy all 104 Italian episodes of Bing on top platforms like Rai Yoyo, Disney+, DeA Junior, Vodafone TV, Amazon Prime Video, and TIMVision, as well as on a dedicated Bing YouTube channel and the all-in-one Bing app, ‘Bing: Guarda, Gioca, Impara‘.

Bing was the most requested preschool show on Rai Play in 2022. “Rai Kids collaborated closely with the Italian Society of Pediatrics during the quarantine period due to COVID, and is pleased to support this new important long term partnership which also involves Assonidi and Bing, much loved by our audience of children and families“, comments Luca Milano , Director of Rai Kids.

Bing licensing opportunities with Italy are being managed by Maurizio Distefano Licensing.

The Milanese brand with 3 million followers on social media is now available for licensing projects in Italy

Maurizio Distefano Licensing expands its portfolio by welcoming Il Milanese Imbruttito, the successful Milanese brand that operates in the content marketing field and was born from the work of Tommaso Pozza, Federico Marisio and Marco De Crescenzio who decided they wanted to share their point of view on the human-metropolitan realities of the city of Milan. A clear, simple and precise idea: use social media to be ironical about Milanese customs, language and habits.

With a precise graphic choice and a concise and effective tone of voice, the Facebook page opened in 2013 grows quickly, reaching 100,000 likes in a month and serves as the starting point for a broader social and content creation project, with the opening of a blog and social media pages. Il Milanese Imbruttito achieves ever-increasing success and now boasts an acting cast of professionals for the creation of video sketches. With its recognition and credibility, acquired over the years with the development of editorial and video projects for clients such as Disney, Amazon, Sky, Samsung, PayPal, Microsoft, and Coca-Cola, Il Milanese Imbruttito represents one of the points of reference in the Italian social entertainment scene.

More than 3 million people follow Il Milanese Imbruttito on social channels Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. In addition to these, there are more than 500k readers every month on imbruttito.com, which chronicles everything that revolves around the city of Milan and beyond in an ironic-sarcastic way.

Over the years, Il Milanese Imbruttito has created several characters, recurring in his videos, who are now known and loved by the entire community. Each character has its own characteristics and personal peculiarities that allow their immediate recognizability to the general public: the Imbruttito, the Imbruttita, the Giargiana, the Dwarf and the Guy from the south.

Maurizio Distefano, President of MDA said, “With Il Milanese Imbruttito we hit it off immediately and are extremely excited about the partnership. Its ironic-sarcastic character makes it distinguishable and recognizable, essential elements of a brand. I am certain that we will bring the fun spirit of Il Milanese Imbruttito to a large number of licensees throughout Italy”.

The brand has a broadened appeal to all age groups and lends itself perfectly to the customization of all types of products, ranging from food to non-food, always pushing new boundaries with irony and intelligence. Marco De Crescenzio, co-founder and COO of Il Milanese Imbruttito, says, “The partnership with a well-established reality such as Maurizio Distefano Licensing will strengthen the presence of the brand “Il Milanese Imbruttito” on the national territory, and we are confident that together we will be able to achieve very important goals for our company, which has always believed strongly in product development for a greater capillarization of brand values.”

Sorry, this entry is only available in Italian.

Available since the 10^th of March on Rai Play, three new episodes are airing daily with more and more hilarious stories.

For the happiness of all fans of the animated series Masha and The Bear, produced by international licensing company and studio Animaccord and represented in Italy by Maurizio Distefano Licensing, new unreleased episodes of the fifth season are airing daily on Rai Yoyo since March 26, available exclusively on Rai Play since March 10.

The first episodes of the fifth season had already been aired on Rai Yoyo in February 2021, garnering the enthusiasm of all the fans who were looking forward to the arrival of new adventures.

In addition, this year, Animaccord has partnered up with Giochi Preziosi to develop a new Masha and The Bear toy collection including plush toys, dolls and playset, which will launch in Portugal, Turkey and Greece, as well as in other European countries in 2024.

Masha and The Bear is the family hit animation series, with more than 130 billion total views and 200 million followers on YouTube along with 55 Creator Awards (including 7 Diamond Awards). In Italy, Masha and the Bear is widely represented on major TV and VOD giants including Rai media channels, DEA Junior, TIM Vision, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. According to international research agency Parrot Analytics, the series heads the list of the most in-demand kids’ shows in the country (Parrot Analytics, March 2023).

Maurizio Distefano, President of the homonymous agency, states: “Masha and The Bear is a guarantee to families with children who always enjoy to watch the new stories and adventures together. It’s constant release of new contents allows it to keep the little fans glued to the screen”.

There are 9 properties in the agency’s portfolio on shelf this Easter.

Once again this Easter, Maurizio Distefano Licensing is filling up on deals and placing animated series and brands on the shelves thanks to great chocolate partners, for an Easter full of novelties.

Motta is excited to announce another year Easter fun with Masha and The Bear, children’s beloved duo, that is featured on the seasonal 190-gr. fine milk chocolate egg. All little fans of the animated series will find 3D toys of their favorite characters as a surprise in the Easter eggs. The series continues its success by being ranked as the most in-demand children’s program worldwide according to Parrot Analytics, February 2023. In addition, this year Rai Yoyo has doubled the number of Masha and The Bear broadcast slots with 3 daily slots.

It’s not all with Motta, who will please adults as well at Easter, continuing to offer the irresistible Colomba with cream with the unmistakable Baileys flavor, a sweet and delicious encounter with Italian tradition.

Cerealitalia, under the Dolci Preziosi brand, is celebrating Easter with three different agency IPs: CoComelon, the first most-watched children’s channel on YouTube, becomes the star of the 150-gram shell of fine gluten-free milk chocolate with many surprises to be discovered; Gigantosaurus, present again on shelf in the 150-gram format in which there will be the surprises from the animated dinosaur series; and finally, this year there will be eggs from the young and talented Content Creator Charlotte M. who has ushered in 2023 with the release of her new film “Charlotte M. the Film: Flamingo Party” and is ready to make her theatrical debut with her Live Tour that will stop in 9 major cities in Italy.

As a new addition for Easter 2023, Dolfin have included the animated preschoolseries Bluey, which is a huge hit with audiences around the world. The series centers on Bluey, a Blue Heeler puppy who loves to play and turns everyday life into new adventures that always prove unpredictable and hilarious. In February, it won Best Animated Series at the Kidscreen Awards 2023, a celebration of excellence in children’s content that honors both television and digital content.

Bing’s Easter is branded Ferrero, with a collection of 150g Kinder-branded GranSorpresa eggs. When opening the delicious milk chocolate, Bingfans will be able to find Bing-themed surprises and, as a first-of-its-kind, a digital surprise. By scanning the Bing toy, in fact, children will be able to unlock Bing’s character and see him come to life with Kinder’s Applaydu app. Bing episodes continue to be featured on Rai Yoyo, and with more than one million subscribers and more than one billion views on the Italian YouTube channel, with more than 384,000 followers on Facebook, 42,000 on Instagram, and with distribution in more than 130 countries, Bing continues to delight entire families and their children.

Leo&Tig return with Balocco, which confirms the choice of the two cubbies protagonists of a thousand adventures in the Taiga with many surprises in a 150-gram fine milk chocolate egg. Episodes of the series continue to air on Rai Yoyo daily entertaining the little ones with journeys, fun and legends of the Taiga.

Balocco is also offering a rockin’ Easter with the 250-gram fine milk chocolate egg from ALVINNN!!! And the Chipmunks, the animated series that airs daily on K2 and Nickelodeon and entertains its little fans to music and lots of laughs. The egg surprises are beautiful and very consistent with the character.

The third season of the hit animated series Bluey, produced by Ludo Studio and co-commissioned by BBC Studios Kids & Family and ABC Children, won the Best Animated Series category at the 2023 Kidscreen Awards, a high-profile celebration of children’s content excellence paying tribute to outstanding TV and digital media work that keeps kids and families entertained.

Moreover, Bluey was awarded Property of the Year at Bologna Licensing Awards. The nomination was announced during the Bologna Licensing Trade Fair (6-9 March 2023) during a special ceremony.

The series that centers on Bluey, a Blue Heeler puppy who loves to play and turns everyday life into new adventures that always prove unpredictable and hilarious, became an immediate hit in Australia and has expanded in EMEA on free-to-air TV in territories including Italy, Spain, Ireland, Denmark, Sweden and France. Bluey is also available on YouTube in Italian, French, Spanish, Danish and English with more than 950,000 subscribers.

In Italy, the first and second seasons are airing on Rai Yoyo daily with a great audience success.

Episodes from series 1-3 are also available on Disney+. In addition, BBC Studios Kids & Family launched Bluey’s Italian-language YouTube channel in 2022, which now boasts more than 77,000 subscribers!

Bluey’s toy line was successfully launched by Giochi Preziosi in spring 2022 and other partners are actively launching Bluey’s CP thanks to Maurizio Distefano Licensing agency, that manages Bluey licensing programme in Italy: Adriatic, Ciao, Clementoni, Diramix, Dolfin, Dulcop, Grabo, Halantex, Lisciani, Multiprint, Pon Pon Edizioni, Ravensburger, and Soluna Experience.

The show has won praise from both parents and critics since it first launched in Australia in 2018, recently winning a 2022 BAFTA Children & Young People Award in the International category and picking up its consecutive fourth AACTA Best Children’s Programme award to add to an International Emmy and numerous awards for craft and production around the world.

The brand stemming from NFT’s most famous collection lands in the Italian licensing market

Maurizio Distefano Licensing, the number 1 independent agency in Italy, confirms its famous pay-off “the evolution of licensing” thanks to the partnership with Global Merchandising Services which resulted in becoming agent for a brand that is nothing short of innovative: Army of Apes is the brand consisting of the collection of the famous NFTs that are part of Bored Ape Yacht Club, now made available for the licensing market.

The Bored Ape Yacht Club is a collection of 10,000 NFTs launched in April 2021 to which belong illustrations featuring anthropomorphic monkeys that are distinguished from each other by a number of distinctive features, making each illustration unique.

Each Bored Ape is generated by a program that mixes 170 different possible distinguishing features including facial expressions, clothing, headgear, and other accessories, and some combinations are rarer than others.

These NFTs have been worth more than $1 billion so far resulting in belonging to one of the most valuable NFT collections in the world, which boasts famous and prominent personalities from the world of sports, entertainment and music such as Eminem, Jimmy Fallon, Justin Bieber, Post Malone and others among its buyers.

Army of Apes brand, now available for licensing, consists of a selection of the most significant and famous ape illustrations made available to offer a unique opportunity, namely the chance to collaborate with the NFT world and reach out to the web’s most famous ape fans.

Maurizio Distefano, President of the agency, says, “This brand is the perfect addition to our portfolio to make it even more diverse and multi-target. The digital world, and within it the NFT world, is constantly expanding and becoming more and more a part of our lives, intercepting each of us through new communication languages and new trends. Army of Apes is a step beyond anything that can be considered “new” and represents an opportunity to ride on the coattails of change and new art forms. The right licensee for Army of Apes is a trailblazer, it is the company that wants to be disruptive and wants to amaze.”

Army of Apes license is inspirational and available for several product categories, such as apparel, homeware, and accessories.

The busiest and most diverse time of year in the kids’ products sector is again boosted by many fine products based on the agency’s properties and delivered by exceptional partners.

The last quarter of the year, and in particular the period leading up to Christmas, is a time when many companies launch new products, especially in the toy and seasonal categories. Maurizio Distefano Licensing agency has forged many partnerships between IPs in its extensive portfolio and leading Italian companies in various categories and is bringing to the shelves a rich offering of new products for Christmas 2022.

Giochi Preziosi, a licensee for Bing, one of the best-loved TV series among Italian preschoolers, already offers a popular Master Toy line. It has now introduced new products that are perfect as Christmas gifts, such as the Bing Canta Tu.

Giochi Preziosi‘s Canta Tu is also available under Charlotte M.’s license. Charlotte M. is the content creator who, at just 14 years, old boasts record numbers on social media, with 1.15 million followers on YouTube and 1.2 million on TikTok.

The Canta Tu is part of a larger line of electronic products inspired by this popular property, such as Charlotte M. e-watches, speakers, microphones and headphones.

And that’s not all. Giochi Preziosi has a number of other standout seasonal products to offer, including, once again, the famous Calzettone, developed this year for both Bing and Charlotte M.

Ciao, meanwhile, has used the lively cartoon series ALVINNN!!! And the Chipmunks, as the theme for its Epiphany sock featuring games and surprises inspired by the famous singing chipmunks. The TV series continues to enjoy record-breaking ratings on K2 and to delight young rock fans.

In the food category, Christmas is going to be even sweeter this year, thanks to Tedesco’s Masha and the Bear panettoncino and pandorino under the Ore Liete brand.

Dolfin’s Epiphany assortment, meanwhile, features three of the agency’s properties in stockings filled with surprises and sweets from Bing, Bluey and ALVINNN!!! And the Chipmunks.

The wide range of different products developed by leading companies in the industry for this Christmas season underlines once again the winning selection of IPs represented by Maurizio Distefano Licensing and promises a rewarding Christmas season – for licensees, brand owners, retailers and consumers.

The new episodes of BBC Studios’ hit animated series are the perfect Christmas gift of Italian fans!

The Second Season of the hit animated series Bluey, produced by Ludo Studio and co-commissioned by BBC Studios Kids & Family and ABC Children, will launch on Rai Yoyo, Italy’s number one broadcaster of children’s programs, from December 26, 2022.

The first season of the series is already airing on the channel with four episodes a day in two different time slots. On December 26, episodes of season two will be added in the 11:20 a.m. time slot.

Season 2 episodes are also available on Disney+.

In addition, BBC Studios Kids & Family launched Bluey’s Italian-language YouTube channel earlier this year, which now boasts more than 60,000 subscribers!

Bluey’s toy line was successfully launched by Giochi Preziosi in spring 2022, and new additions to the line have been distributed to all the best toy stores and large retailers for this Christmas. There are also numerous other Bluey partners in Consumer Product thanks to the Maurizio Distefano Licensing agency, Bluey’s agent in Italy. “We are extremely happy to be Bluey’s agent. It is a promising and successful IP, as confirmed by Rai who included in its programming schedule the second season and counts it among the channel’s most beloved.”

Licensees currently on board are Adriatic, Ciao, Clementoni, Diramix, Dolfin, Dulcop, Grabo, Halantex, Lisciani, Multiprint, Pon Pon Edizioni, Ravensburger, and Soluna Experience.

The series centers on Bluey, a Blue Heeler puppy who loves to play and turn everyday life into a new adventure that always proves unpredictable and hilarious, bringing her family, friends and community into her world of fun. Bluey has won the hearts of children and since its debut in Australia in October 2018, it immediately became a hit.

Acamar Films is pleased to announce that the film Bing’s Animal Stories will be broadcast on Rai Yoyo at 8:45 a.m. on Sunday, December 11, 2022.

Bing, currently the most popular preschool series on the Rai Play digital platform, has been a huge success in Italy since its launch in 2018, thanks in part to the management of its licensing program by the Maurizio Distefano Licensing agency.

Now, for the first time anywhere, a collection of Bing episodes made for movie audiences and with content never before broadcast on TV, will be available for free on TV for all Bingsters.

Bing’s Animal Stories contains seven episodes from all four Bing series and other content that was only available in the film version, which will be presented in September 2021.

But that’s not all. Viewers will also have the chance to help Pico put together Bing’s favorite animal album!

Annalisa Liberi, Head of Purchase Products at Rai Ragazzi, said, “We are very pleased to have Bing’s Animal Stories on Rai Yoyo, Italy’s leading television channel dedicated to children. Our young viewers love Bing and will enjoy looking for the answers to Pico’s riddles in Bing’s daily adventures”.

Eroulla Constantine, Director of Sales & Distribution at Acamar Films, said, “Allowing the enjoyment of a new Bing experience on Italian television is fantastic. We are sure Bing fans will love Bing’s Animal Stories and we are delighted that Rai Yoyo is our first partner for this special edition.”

Also on Rai Yoyo, airing for the third consecutive year at 9:40 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, is Bing’s Christmas, where Bingsters and grown-ups can watch Bing and his friends make collages and play with snow.

Bing’s Animal Stories and Bing’s Christmas are currently available on Rai Play. Bing episodes will continue to be available on Rai Yoyo, Rai Play, TIMVision and DeA Junior, as well as Amazon Prime Video and, most recently, Disney +.

Leo&Tig is also airing daily with two episodes slots on Rai YoYo, also available online on Rai Play’s website

The second season of the animated series Leo&Tig, represented in Italy by the Maurizio Distefano Licensing agency, has been launched on the series’ official Italian YouTube channel on October 21, 2022. At last, little adventurous fans of the series created by Parovoz Studio and commissioned by Digital Television Russia Group, will be able to enjoy the new stories, new settings and new characters at any time on the official YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7jetLThIhNkBtoDBoXK7-Q). Series 1 and 2 also air daily on Rai Yoyo during two different slots, but children can also continue to watch the episodes on Rai Play at any time (https://www.raiplay.it/programmi/leoetig/episodi/stagione-2).

The animated series Leo&Tig chronicles the adventures of little leopard Leo and tiger cub Tig. The lives of the two cubs are full of adventures, from which they emerge victorious, facing their fears and helping each other.

In the first season, the characters learn about the natural environment of the Far East, unlocking the secrets of the forest and coming to the aid of those in need. In the second season, Leo and Tig meet a Chinese monkey LiLi, who is lost and in trouble. To help their friend return home, Leo, Tig, Mila, Jara, Martik and Cuba embark on a long journey to different countries.

CIAO Ltd. for carnival costumes, Grabo for balloons, Sbabam for 3D figurines, Balocco for the 2023 Easter egg, De.Car for the characters plush toys, Clementoni for puzzles and educational games, and Mondadori for books are just some of the licensees that have chosen Leo&Tig for their products.

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Maurizio Distefano Licensing, worldwide licensing agent for Charlotte M., has announced that the voice of the hugely popular YouTuber and TikTokker has helped to propel the new animated film The Nutcracker and the Magic Flute to third place at the Italian box office!

Charlotte M. voices Marie, the heroine of the new animated film produced by Notorious Pictures and released in theatres on 3 November which, in its first weekend, has been a big hit in Italy (source: www.cinetel.it , 07/11/2022).

Charlotte M.’s acting and singing talents are perfectly suited to the character of Marie, the young heroine, a girl who loves to dance and adores her toys. When her father dies, Marie makes a wish – and her toys come to life, while Marie becomes toy-sized and joins them in an incredible adventure full of fun, love and lots of magic.

Charlotte M. is thrilled with the success of the animated film (which grossed more than €500,000 in its first weekend) and is keen to produce more magic for the silver screen. In fact she already has – but this time as the lead actress in a movie dedicated entirely to her.

Charlotte M. the Movie: Flamingo Party will launch on the big screen on 1 January 2023. It’s all about Charlotte and her friends in their first year at high school and how, in between school dances, love and music, they dedicate themselves to saving an oasis of flamingos. A novel adaptation of the film will also be released at the end of November; it will be published by Fabbri Editori.

Web star Charlotte M. boasts more than one million followers on YouTube and TikTok and is adored by her Generation Z fans. Her success is down to her authentic reflection of teenage life and its passions such as music, poetry, singing, acting and writing.

Her role in this animated film – and in the upcoming production dedicated her – confirms Charlotte M.’s still-growing popularity. It’s an amazing way to round off 2022, a year that has already boasted some major successes, like the release of Charlotte M.’s latest song Best Friend and the publication of her third book, My Secret Life, by Fabbri Editori.

Charlotte M. also a licensing star, with the help of Maurizio Distefano Licensing, which has brought her name to books, accessories, snacks, Easter eggs, back-to-school items and more.

Lucca Comics & Games returns again this year to offer the audience an immersive experience together with the publishers and exhibitors of the most beloved sagas, all while discovering the different historical areas of the city.

Rai Kids is once again attending the event and will entertain the audience (more than 70,000 people are expected this year!), in its headquarters, the Real Collegio, with marathons, previews, shows and Meet&Greet events with the audience’s most beloved characters from the Rai Yoyo and Rai Gulp channels.

Among these, Bluey, Bing and Masha and The Bear, the most-watched animated series currently on Rai Yoyo, will participate in a day totally dedicated to the little ones and organized with the support of the Maurizio Distefano Licensing agency, Acamar Films, Animaccord and BBC Studios.

Sunday October 30th will be entirely dedicated to the animated series airing on Rai Yoyo and Rai Gulp, starting in the morning with the presence of character mascots for fantastic Meet&Greet events involving all the children in Rai Gulp’s space in the Real Collegio cloister.

Surprises never end, Bluey, Bing and Masha and The Bear will be protagonists, together with other characters, of the most attended show of the day by children, the Live Kids Parade which will take place at the Auditorium Suffragio, a theatre that especially for this occasion will host the fantastic show with many interactive activities for the audience, Baby Dance’s and gift gadgets!

A fantastic live broadcast of the event on Rai Gulp is planned, while other Lucca Comics & Games events will be available on RaiPlay and will be followed live on all active social media.

Maurizio Distefano Licensing (MDL), which manages licensing for a number of the biggest children’s brands in the Italian market, has announced some very exciting Easter plans aimed at young fans of chocolate, toys and cartoons.

This year, the charming pre-school animated hit Bing and high-quality chocolate maker Dolfin have come together for a selection of Easter eggs made of the finest milk chocolate. The eggs will be in four different sizes: 50 grams 220 grams and 320 grams, plus a special version which comes with a free-time bag.

And for a delightful alternative look no further than toy company Giochi Preziosi and Bing’s Pasqualone an egg-shaped package full of fun games and surprises for all Bing fans.

Chocolate, pastry and sweets specialist Motta is again returning to a winning formula after the sold-out success of last year’s 190-gram Masha and the Bear fine milk chocolate Easter Eggs. This year Motta is promising many surprises that will delight fans of the much-loved animated duo, whose continuing enormous popularity is a major attraction for Motta.

Italy’s number one easter eggs producer Walcor this year brings back ALVINNN!!! And the Chipmunks as one of the stars of its Easter 2022 offering: fans of the wild band of singing chipmunks will be able to choose between a mini egg (45 gram) and a maxi version (200 gram).

Another sweet star of the chocolate scene, Witor’s, has a partnership with Gigantosaurus in a 200-gram format containing some great surprises for fans of the little dinosaurs!

Biscuit, cake and sweet maker Balocco offers something new for the little ones: a starring role for Leo and Tig, the leopard cub and tiger cub, whose exciting adventures in the Taiga have inspired a 150-gram egg made with the finest milk chocolate.

Cereal and chocolate producer Cerealitalia’s Dolci Preziosi brand celebrates Easter with two ambitious new projects. The first partnership is with the successful Moonbug Entertainment production CoComelon, which arrives on the shelves with a 150-gram surprise egg, a great treat for fans who love the nursery rhymes and catchy educational songs from the world’s biggest family YouTube channel.

The second Dolci Preziosi licence involves the young creator Charlotte M who can boast a vast number of followers on YouTube and TikTok. Fans can sweeten up their Easter table with a super surprise hidden in a 280-gram fine milk chocolate egg.

Maurizio Distefano says: “The confectionery and toy categories have once again enthusiastically supported our popular children’s and young people’s brands with some amazing products. This is yet another great 2022 Easter season full of news, sweets, fun and winning projects for us, for our very successful property portfolio and for our licensees.”

Maurizio Distefano Licensing, agents for Bluey since September 2021, has welcomed the series’ recent excellent ratings in Italy.

The loveable Australian dog has gained many Italian fans since her first appearance on Rai Yoyo, the public broadcast service’s preschool channel, in December 2021 and has established itself as #1 TV show among kids channels according to the latest (30 January 2022) Auditel ratings for reach – with more than 19,000 watching hours in just one week!

Now Bluey is ready to make the YouTube community fall in love, expanding its global presence with an Italian language channel (joining existing French, Spanish, Danish and English channels who share more than 1.2 million subscribers).

Bluey has a winning combination of simplicity, charme and humor. The series follows the adventures of Bluey, a six-year-old Blue Heeler dog, defined by her inexhaustible vitality, imagination and constant curiosity about the world which are the driving force behind each episode.

Bluey lives in Brisbane, in the Australian region of Queensland, along with her father Bandit, mother Chilli and younger sister Bingo. The Heeler family are joined by family, friends and community (each belonging to different dog breeds) who are drawn in to their games and adventures.

Bluey’s world is playful and full of joy: could this be the secret ingredient for the success of this award-winning Australian TV series that thrills both young people and grownups?

Certainly, one of the many, together with the faithful and evocative setting of the Australian landscape and the lightness with which its creator, Joe Brumm, is able to brilliantly describe the daily life of the modern family, sharing Bluey and Bingo’s learning and growth (as well as their parents’) through dynamics of play and discovery.

Bluey recently hit headlines around the world for an innovative collaboration with Airbnb which saw the Heeler home faithfully constructed ‘for real life’ in a suburb of Brisbane. The home is available for one lucky family for a weekend stay and will also host online experiences for fans from around the globe.

The show both reflects everyday life and offers escapism and has collected several awards as proof of its success, such as a prestigious International Emmy® Kids Award, the AACTA Award for best children’s program in 2020, four Kidscreen Awards in February 2021 and has recently been named as number one New Toy Property in 2021 in the UK by NPD.

Season 2 of Gigantosaurus’ Cyber Group Studios blockbuster TV series is now available anytime on Rai Play and is airing daily on Rai YoYo in italy. This brand new season featuring 52×11’ hilarious and heartwarming episodes takes the team to exciting never-before-seen cretaceous-period locations and brings “dino-mite” all-new adventures to life featuring the young dinosaur best friends Rocky, Bill, Tiny, and Mazu.  This 2^nd season also introduces new dino characters, including extra-adorable baby dinos and a fierce T-rex named « T ».

Maurizio Distefano, Gigantosaurus’ Licensing, agent in Italy, says: “As agent who supports the brand with numerous licensing agreements, we are thrilled about the launch of brand-new episodes of our favorite dinos series on RAI (Italy). We continue to support Gigantosaurus with a rich licensing program that brings fantastic products to life inspired by the adventure-comedy TV series. Stay tuned, ROAR-SOME new licensing partnerships and products are soon to be announced.”

The larger-than-life hit series incorporates a wide array of real dinosaurs species, more than 40 as well as realistically rendered flora and fauna that’s true to the time period. The fil rouge theme that will accompany the new series will be music.

Based on a worldwide best-selling book written by Jonny Duddle and sold to over 600 000 units worldwide Gigantosaurus, follows the adventures of four young dinos as they go on quests to explore their world, face their fears, work together to solve problems, learn more about the mysterious Gigantosaurus himself – and have lots of fun all along the way.

Charlotte M., the young webstar with 1 million followers on her YouTube and Tik Tok channels, is loved by the Generation Z, which will adore all her branded products that are ready to be released soon.

Thanks to Maurizio Distefano Licensing agency, who represents Charlotte M. in Italy and all over the world, many agreements with some of the most important companies have been signed, which are going to develop collections in collaboration with Charlotte M. to be launched in 2022.

Giochi Preziosi designed a fantastic back-to-school collection including backpacks, pencil cases, diary and stationery in the unmistakable style of Charlotte which is going to be introduced in back-to-school occasion this year. These products are characterized by the very high quality, foundation of all Giochi Preziosi school product, and by their strong appeal.

With Easy Shoes, thanks to its shoes and accessories agreement, perfect spring/summer sneakers are coming up in 4 different colour variations for all Charlotte M. fans: a fabulous TV spot starring Charlotte M. will launch the collection. This collaboration with Easy Shoes will continue also for its next collections.

Mitama proposes a gift and accessories collection branded with Charlotte M., in the name of shining glitters, including a lot of sets and must-have products, such as the slime and glitter glues.

Grani & Partners will hit the shelves through Edizioni Seven with the Surprise Bags collection, which consists of mini backpacks, perfect to enhance girls’ look or to add a touch of style to their backpacks, perfect to collect, and full of mini-size accessories for school life, all branded Charlotte M.

Preziosi Food will make all Charlotte M.’s fans happy with a special edition of its chips, completely devoted to our YouTube star. The chips will be distributed and available in different supermarkets: every pack will have some surprise stickers, portraying some Charlotte M.’s poses.

Cerealitalia, in collaboration with Dolci Preziosi, will offer to all Charlotte M.’s fans a special Easter Egg in 2022 and Epiphany stockings in January 2023.

As an additional service, Charlotte M. supplies her support to licensing products through her social networks, by creating posts, IG stories and videos to introduce and promote the available products.

Charlotte M. is also a very appreciated singer by her audience. Her latest releases are “I Loove You”, “Buum Buum” and “Best Friend”.

Her passion for music will drive her to new songs projects also in 2022, in different languages like Spanish and English.

In addition to music, Charlotte M. loves writing and has already published two books with Fabbri Editori: “Summer in the Haunted College” and “An Oversea Love Story”. Now the third book “My Secret Life” is ready to be released, also published by Fabbri Editori.

Charlotte M.’s plans for this year continue, in fact, she will be engaged with the dubbing of an animation series, the filming of her first book and a tv series for her fans.

Acamar Films and Maurizio Distefano Licensing are proud to announce that Bing Italian YouTube channel has just surpassed the milestone of having ONE MILLION total subscribers!

Bing official channel on YouTube in Italian has been live since August 2018, and in its lifetime has gained 903 million views and just shy of 100 million hours of watch time.

This is the proof of how Bing is beloved by the Italian audience that follow his adventures passionately and assiduously.

Thanks to this achievement, YouTube will reward Acamar Films with the first gold Creator Award to celebrate the new subscriber goal.

Bing is already a star of the screen, of the stage and he has arrived onto the radio too with his debut on Italy’s Rai Radio on 18 November on children’s show Big Bang on Rai Radio Kids.

Since its launch on Rai Yoyo in 2018, Bing has become a top show. It consistently ranks in the top 10 on linear and was the most-viewed title on RaiPlay for kids 4-7 in the first six months of 2021. New episodes from Series 4 premiered on Rai Yoyo in February 2021 and are currently airing and available to watch on RaiPlay.

As well as its massive popularity on TV, Bing also has a freemium interactive app plus a robust, extensive and expanding Italian licensing portfolio managed locally by the Maurizio Distefano Licensing agency.

New entry for Maurizio Distefano Licensing agency is Corto Maltese, the famous comic book character created by Hugo Pratt in 1967, protagonist of exciting stories and adventures around the world and subject of watercolours, black and white sketches and graphic novels created by the skilled hand of the author, which, applied to the Consumer Product, can characterize apparel and accessories giving them the unique style of the sailor.

Corto Maltese is a cult character of the best European graphic novel, but also a real literary myth of the twentieth century. He is a traveller, an ironic sailor who combines Mediterranean appearance and character with an Anglo-Saxon culture. Corto is an anti-hero who prefers freedom and imagination to wealth, he is a modern Ulysses able to make us travel to the most fascinating places in the world.

The stories of Corto Maltese are 29 of various lengths and are characterized by the presence of precise historical references, consistent geographical notations and in-depth characterization of the characters, elements that make it suitable for an adult target.

Collaborations with highly prestigious brands, such as Lanvin, Monnalisa, Angel & Devil, Iceberg, Adolfo Dominguez, include it among the brands that manage to create a perfect combination of auteur comics and fashion, which arises from the possibility of implementing a stylistic research based on Pratt’s numerous works.

Maurizio Distefano, President of the homonymous agency, says: “Corto Maltese enters the Agency’s portfolio to enrich the offer of well-known and highly positioned brands. It identifies above all as an iconic and intriguing brand for adults, which due to these qualities is also suitable for high-end products “.