Category: News

FILIPPO LATERZA after marking the best international runaways, dressing the most popular celebrities among the star system (Barbara D’Urso, Elodie, Malika Ayane, Federica Panicucci, Francesca Barra… and many more) and having designed for the Red Carpet in Venice, Mila Suarez, Georgia Mos (just to mention a few), he presented his collections for women at AltaRoma, White Milano, Shangai, Shenzhen and Dakar fashion week (where he won the award as Italian Creative Genius).

At only 20 years old Filippo Laterza started working with Stefano Cavalli on the kid’s fashion category. Pitti Bimbo sees him protagonist for the Quis Quis line and for two other collection entirely dedicated to him, such as Alisha V and Cesare Paciotti Maine Line.

After his experience in the kid’s category, the women’s haute couture and the bridal category, after the high-end category and the important collaboration with Mattel on the exclusive line for Barbie he works with Rovio for Angry Birds twice in London, Shangai, Milan and Florence to international attention.

Now for the first time he offers an accessible line and sportwear thanks to the licensing agreement signed with Made in Italy Confezioni to launch the e-commerce “www.filippolaterzashop.com“. A collection ready-to-wear made of T-shirts, hoodies and many other accessories that Filippo defines “Genderless”, to express the fluidity of everyone’s identity without having to deprive us from the freedom to represent ourselves, in fact, there is no Women or Men line, the garments are identified only by Adults and Kids and they are also Body Positive, which means without aesthetic stereotype. The range from size S to XXXL and for children from 2 to 12 years old.

They are developed in three different colors: white, black and lilac Filippo’s iconic color. Lilac represents the awakening of the soul, the control of rationality over emotivity.

All items of the collection present three main icons.
The unicorn, symbol of nobility and purity, energy and spirituality. An iconic symbol that unites everyone beyond ethnicity, gender and age;

The heart, that represents emotionality, sincerity and love. The place where soul and body “meet”.

The paper plane, which is the first toy children choose to fly high with their dreams.

To launch the new e-commerce platform, Filippo Laterza celebrated with his 81K followers by creating a new Instagram filter #FILIPPOLATERZAUNICORN. The community loved straight away the initiative that reached 10K views in one day.

The popular animated series “Leo and Tig”, created by Parovoz Studio for Digital Television Russia company starts broadcasting on DeA Junior on December 13.

Young viewers of DeA Junior will have an amazing marathon of animation with the participation of Russian cartoon heroes during the Christmas holidays.

Digital Television Russia has signed the contract for the sale of rights to broadcast the 1st season of the animated series “Leo and Tig” on the paid Italian children’s channel DeA Junior, owned by one of the largest Italian publishing houses De Agostini, which has a great history of more than 110 years.

DeA Junior is an Italian TV channel and entertainment site for preschoolers dedicated to cartoons and fantastic stories, launched on March 18, 2012, on Sky Italia. The channel is available not only in Italy but also for Italian-speaking viewers in Switzerland, Malta, Monte Carlo, San Marino, and the Vatican. DeA Junior programs are entirely dedicated to a target audience aged 3-5 years old.

“Leo and Tig” is an animated series about the nature of the Far East and its inhabitants. There are two inseparable friends in the center of the plot – the tiger cub Tig and the little leopard Leo. The characters explore the amazing natural phenomena and unravel the secrets of the forest every day. With twisted adventures, Leo and Tig learn to be kind, friendly, to help each other and respect nature.

The big journey of the cartoon series through Italy began this summer when “Leo and Tig” was first shown on Rai YoYo children’s channel. Young Italian viewers and their parents were so fond of the adventures of the heroes. In August 2020, 0+ Media company, a part of Digital Television Russia, entered into an agreement with several Italian companies thanks to the licensing agent MDL, such as Play Press, Diramix, Mondadori, Grabo Balloons for production and sale of children’s goods with the image of kids’ favorite characters.

To date, in addition to DeA Junior, dozens of TV channels and digital platforms, including Netflix and the largest Asian online cinemas, have already acquired the rights to show the Russian animated series “Leo and Tig”. “After only a couple of months “Leo and Tig” already captured the attention of children and therefore also of licensees that immediately recognized its potential” states Maurizio Distefano, President of MDL, “we are confident that this property will continue its growth and bring great satisfactions in all different projects.

After recently signing a deal with Italian free TV broadcast partner Rai, Series 4 of the International Emmy Award-winning pre-school series, Bing, will premiere on Rai Yoyo on Monday 14 December with new episodes airing twice a day. The new series will also be available on Rai Yoyo’s RaiPlay app – which Bing is currently rated #1.

The 26 brand new episodes will introduce Bingsters and their grown-ups to new locations and characters such as Dr Molly and Nicky – Sula’s adorable young cousin. Audiences will see Bing celebrating his birthday, Halloween and Christmas and embark on new experiences with his friends such as face painting, going camping and riding the bus.

Bingsters across Italy have been eagerly awaiting new stories of the beloved programme since it first launched with 78 episodes in 2018. The original series will continue airing on Rai Yoyo.

Federica Pitascio, Head of Marketing and Programming, Rai Ragazzi, said “After much anticipation, we are thrilled our audience is able to watch and enjoy new episodes of Bing.  Bing is a cherished character in homes across Italy and we are excited to be rolling out new episodes every day.”

The new Italian episodes will also be available to stream and download (in addition to learning games and activities) via the Bing app, ‘Bing: Guarda, Gioca, Impara’, that has earned an impressive 210,000+ downloads since its launch this summer.

The original episodes of Bing will continue to be available on VOD platform TIMVision, Amazon Prime Video, and on DeA Junior where it is the most watched series.

Bing has seen extraordinary commercial success in Italy having won ‘Property of the Year’ for 2019 at the Bologna Licensing Awards. Thanks to Maurizio Distefano Licensing who represents Bing in Italy and works closely with Acamar Films, Bing continues to make an impact at retail. With the recent launch of an online shop-in-shop with Toys Center and a Bing Store on Amazon, Bing is also expanding its presence in-store with a variety of dedicated shelf areas at major retailers such as Toys Con Te, Carrefour, Toys Center, Conad and more.

 

The International Space Archives (ISA) collected among the best images and videos of the space missions that are available in Italy for licensing projects thanks to MDL.

Crew Dragon, the SpaceX spacecraft that takes NASA back into space, was launched towards the ISS (International Space Station) and landed after 27 hours and a half. After the SpaceX trial launch last May where the two astronauts successfully landed on the ISS, it’s the first operative mission by NASA, nine years after the Space Shuttle. On board of the capsule christened “Resilience” were three Americans from NASA: the commander Michael Hopkins, the pilot Victor Glover the mission specialist Shannon Walker and an astronaut from the Japanese space agency (Jaxa), Soichi Noguchi. Waiting for their arrival on the orbiting station were the American flight engineer, Kate Rubins, and the two Russian cosmonauts, commander Sergey Ryzhikov and flight engineer Sergey Kud-Sverchkov. The 4 astronauts will remain on the ISS for six months during which they will perform several scientific experiments.

 

The International Space Archives (ISA), represented in Italy by Maurizio Distefano Licensing, is bringing together the best of this still and video imagery into one comprehensive collection which is available for licensing projects.

 

“We are very glad to offer our Licensees the opportunity to create original and beautiful new products for the Italian market thanks to the mission patches, the images and the videos provided by ISA. Space has always met the interest of both adults and children and will always be a relevant topic for its continuity and richness of the various space mission programs” says Maurizio Distefano, President of MDL.

Major toy and retail stores across Italy are preparing themselves for Christmas this year with high impact displays dedicated to the International Emmy Award-winning pre-school series, Bing. With the support of Italian agent, Maurizio Distefano Licensing, Acamar Films is implementing a diverse strategy that aims to strengthen Bing’s presence both in stores and online.

 

Starting this month, Toys Center has new branded shelf areas solely dedicated to Bing. With over 90 locations participating and with some areas including a light-up display, grown-ups will be able to easily find the perfect Bing thing for their little ones. Bing will also have a significant branded area at Toys Con Te starting at the retailer’s newly opened location in Rome Tiburtina and will roll out across their best performing locations. Also, with the collaboration of master toy partner, Giochi Preziosi, 157 Bing branded bay areas have been created for Italy’s main mass market retailers: Carrefour, Finiper, Conad, Bennet and Mondadori.

 

As Bing’s presence continues to grow in-store, the hit pre-school show’s e-commerce footprint is also expanding. Toys Center and Acamar Films recently collaborated on a Bing dedicated shop-in-shop on Toys Center’s website. Various Bing products are now available to purchase via a direct link on Toys Center’s home page. Acamar Films also launched an Italian Bing Store on Amazon. The store was recently supported with a successful paid media campaign ahead of Amazon Prime Day on 13-14 October.

 

Bing is currently number 1 on Rai Yoyo’s Raiplay app and is the most watched series on DeA Junior. Pre-schoolers were in for a treat this November with the release of two brand new episodes on Rai Yoyo including a Halloween episode and the Nicky episode introducing a delightful new character, Nicky, Sula’s adorable young cousin. Also, as part of Acamar Films’ multi-platform distribution strategy, the Italian Bing episodes (together with various educational games and activities) are available to stream and download through the recently launched Bing app “Bing: Watch, Play, Learn”, and on the official Italian YouTube channel, that as of today boasts an average of 30 million views each month. Bing will continue to be available on TIMVision’s on-demand platforms and on Amazon Prime Video in Italy.

Thanks to the deal managed by MDL, the new Russian animated series of 0+ Media, Leo&Tig, enters the world of publishing in Italy with a series of books published by Fabbri Editori, entirely dedicated to the stories of the two puppy protagonists.

 

Fabbri Editori will develop the next board books, storybooks, activity books, sound books, game books and e-books by Leo&Tig, which will be available online and in the best bookstores from early 2021. The series airing every day on Rai YoYo and available on Rai Play, is already enjoying great success among the audience and licensees and there are many contracts signed for the realization of new Consumer Product projects.

 

The two Siberian leopard and tiger cubs, Leo and Tig, have attracted the attention of children from 4 to 8 years old with their overwhelming adventures. The stories are set amidst the beauty, dangers and legends of the wilderness of the Far East taiga, with a special focus on respecting of the world around them, a subject of teaching to children. The style guides, which show the high level of computer graphics together with the deep message, are of great inspiration and attraction to potential licensees in each category.

 

“Leo&Tig is a series that impressed us right from the start, it’s one of those properties for which it is possible to develop a complete and lasting licensing program,” says Maurizio Distefano, President of MDL “The brand Fabbri Editori has been creating wonderful books dedicated to the children target for years and will create ideal products for this animated series in which they will certainly be able to emphasize the message of teaching, while maintaining the dynamic character.

 

“We are very happy – adds Enrico Racca, Editorial Director of BU Ragazzi Mondadori – to continue the collaboration with Maurizio Distefano and his team, after the excellent “teamwork” that led to the success of Masha and the Bear. I believe that Leo & Tig represents a property of great quality, entertainment and value aspects, perfectly in line with the editorial strategy of our brands”.

Thanks to a new agreement signed with Sicem International managed by Maurizio Distefano Licensing, Acamar Films’ hit pre-school series Bing becomes part of Prénatal’s offering

 

The International Emmy Award winning pre-school series from Acamar FIlms, Bing, is now featured in a new clothing collection available at Prénatal for children aged 9 months to 5 years old. This collection is the result of a newly signed agreement between Acamar Films, Maurizio Distefano Licensing and Sicem International.

 

Grown-ups have a wide selection to choose from with the new Bing Prénatal collection. Bing socks, pyjamas, t-shirts, tracksuits, hoodies and more are available for little Bingsters to wear during the day and are perfect for bedtime.

 

Bing has seen tremendous success in Italy since its launch in 2018. Currently rated #1 on the Rai YoYo Raiplay app, young children across the country have embraced the programme that celebrates the joyful and messy realities of pre-school life. Audiences in Italy will soon enjoy new episodes of Bing coming to Rai Yoyo this November.

 

Bing episodes (along with many educational games and activities) are also available to watch through the recently launched Bing app, ‘Bing: Guarda, Gioca, Impara’, and on the official Italian YouTube channel, which generates an average of 30 million views every month!

 

Bing will continue to be available on TIMVision’s on-demand platform (which is currently producing the first Bing version with sign language) and on DeA Junior where it is the #1 show on-air. Bing is also now available to watch on Amazon Prime Video Italy.

The practice of Yoga takes on a new character with the new collection of GAPCHINSKA edited by Malìa Edizioni.

After the great success of “Vite Imperfette”, awarded as best licensing project for publishing at the Bologna Licensing Award 2020, the collaboration managed by MDL between GAPCHINSKA and Pon Pon Edizioni bears fruit again with the creation of the new collection “YogaTime” by Malìa Edizioni, sold in bookshops and stationery stores, which includes a manual on yoga and various accessories and gift ideas.

 

A collection dedicated to wellness, that proposes a journey into the world of mental and spiritual yoga. The main product of the collection is the manual that includes an exercise book to refine the execution of positions and breathing, as well as motivational aphorisms and practical tips to extend the benefits of yoga to daily life! A path suitable for both those who approach the practice of yoga for the first time and want to know its benefits, and for those who are already experienced and want to rediscover the discipline under a holistic perspective and in contact with nature.

 

GAPCHINSKA is a brand full of positive emotions, born from the creativity of the artist Yevheniia Gapchinska represented by Art Nation Licensing Agency. MDL is the agent in Italy for her licensing projects that have always stood out for their stylistic, funny and humorous traits.

 

The YogaTime project is a demonstration of the many possibilities that GAPCHINSKA offers in the world of licensing, thanks to its topicality and versatility. A reading in the small moments of pause or an idea for an unexpected gift, the manual wants to convey the message that every difficulty can become a great opportunity for growth.

 

Maurizio Distefano, President of MDL says: “The GAPCHINSKA property has always offered something new in the licensing market and has always maintained its simple and elegant character, a deep message and unique artistic style. What distinguishes it is its ability to adapt to multiple targets and the possibility for licensees to decline illustrations on original and transversal product lines”. 

 

The leading family entertainment theme park in Italy, Leolandia, will be the first park in the world to develop a dedicated Bing themed attraction.

 

Acamar Films is proud to announce a major new partnership for its pre-school hit Bing with Leolandia, Italy’s leading theme park destination for young children and ranked #1 in Italy by TripAdvisor in the last 4 years.  As the first multi-year theme park agreement for Bing, the long-term partnership cements the popularity and longevity of the brand in Italy where it has been going from strength to strength since its launch on Rai Yoyo in February 2018.

 

The new agreement will enable the theme park, which is located close to Milan, to become the first park in the world to host a dedicated Bing themed attraction.  The partnership grants exclusive rights in Italy to Leolandia for the development of a fully themed 9,500 sqm area, with the first phase due to open in 2023.  The attraction will feature interactive play areas, live show venue, restaurants and shops, and aims to create a fully immersive environment that brings the world of Bing to life.

 

The deal between Leolandia and Acamar Films was brokered in close collaboration with Maurizio Distefano Licensing, who represents the Bing brand in Italy and manages a highly successful licensing programme of over 40 licensees.

 

The plans for the theme park attraction follow the overwhelming success of a test Meet and Greet activity and an exclusive show with Bing and Flop at Leolandia in April 2019.  Proving hugely popular thanks to Leolandia’s storytelling abilities, with a guest-rated experience of 9.5/10, the partnership was extended for a full year in 2020 as discussions began on a permanent area within the park.

 

Giuseppe Ira, President at Leolandia, said: “The partnership between Leolandia and Acamar Films, both well-renowned in the kids’ entertainment industry, has produced great feedback and results from the 2019 season. The park has set many precedents with the most beloved characters, exclusive areas and dedicated shows, attracting millions of visitors over recent years. Innovation and vision are our driving forces; therefore, we are very pleased to have signed this agreement extending our collaboration with Acamar Films and Bing and strengthening the popularity of Leolandia among our core pre-school audience. We look forward to enriching our offer with the exciting development of a dedicated Bing area at Leolandia.”

 

Kirsty Southgate, Director of Promotions and Partnerships at Acamar Films, said: “We are thrilled to be partnering with Leolandia on such an exciting new development for Bing and their family focused and world-renowned theme park. It’s testimony to the growing success of Bing in Italy and a real step-change for Bing both there and globally, paving the way for the expansion of Bing’s international experiential entertainment footprint.”

 

Maurizio Distefano, President, MDL adds; “The popularity of Bing in Italy has allowed us to secure deals in product categories that can only be activated with one-of-a-kind properties. Leolandia is proof of this and we strongly believe that this new theme park area will connect “Bingsters” with their favourite characters in an even deeper way, creating a world that existed only in their dreams.”

 

Since its launch on TV in February 2018, Bing has rapidly become a top pre-school property in Italy.  A firm favourite on Rai Yoyo – and the #1 show on its app – Bing is also available on pay TV channels DeA Junior (where it’s the #1 show), TIMVision and soon Amazon Prime Video. Bing’s Italian YouTube channel has amassed an amazing 438 million+ channel views and 32.6 million+ watch time hours in just two years. A hit at retail, Bing was named Property of the Year 2019 at the Bologna Licensing Fair Awards.

 

Maurizio Distefano Licensing has sealed the deal that will give children the opportunity to listen to the adventures and the episodes of Masha and the Bear by using the new FABA audiobooks.

Maurizio Distefano Licensing (MDL), licensing agent for Masha and the Bear in Italy, enthusiastically announces the agreement signed between Animaccord, international production and licensing company, and Maikii, FABA’s creator, for the development of audiobooks dedicated to the episodes of the animated series.

 

Masha and the Bear have become FABA’s Sound Characters, perfect as playmates and characters to collect. Children can listen in Italian to the stories of “Masha’s Tales” and “Masha Spooky Stories”, while they play or before falling asleep, just by placing the Sound Character on the sound box and pressing the button to start the story.

“The world of Masha and the Bear is ideal for this beautiful project and we believe that children and their parents will welcome these new products with great enthusiasm. They stimulate children’s creativity and allow them to listen to the stories of their favorite characters at all times,” says Maurizio Distefano, President of MDL “a demonstration of the great versatility of licensing, one of its most significant qualities.”

 

Chiara Gava, manager of FABA, is enthusiastic about this new collaboration and says that, although emerging, this new brand already has all it takes to expand: “We are convinced that thanks to this collaboration we could affirm FABA as the best storyteller for children in Italy: Masha and the Bear will certainly be among the most appreciated sound characters!”

 

The stories, nursery rhymes and ditties of FABA aim to bring children closer to the world of audiobooks and, thanks to the stories of the many Sound Characters, they will also stimulate their imagination. The storyteller also has an educational goal, children will have the opportunity to approach the English language thanks to nice characters who will be excellent teachers. FABA is composed only of a sound box, some small statues and the Sound Characters. Its stories can vary from 20 to 60 minutes length.

 

Masha and the Bear’s new sound characters will be available on myfaba.com/shop, toy stores and e-commerce platforms.

 

Masha and the Bear is the successful animated series in Italy that occupies the position of #1 most mentioned animated brand for kids 0-14 in Italy[1] (Kidz Global, 2020) and was included in TOP-5 most in-demand kids shows during the pandemic worldwide (Parrot Analytics, May 2020) .It tells the story of Masha, a restless, spiteful and mischievous little girl, who involves her friend Bear in a thousand adventures, helping her to make up for her mischief. In addition to entertainment, behind Masha and the Bear’s adventures lie the values of friendship, love of nature and family.

[1] #1 most mentioned license in cartoon category for kids 0-14.(Kidz Global, April 2020)

Maurizio Distefano Licensing Agency help popular brand ‘Roar’ on ITALY!

To strengthen the exposure of the Gigantosaurus IP and create new licensing opportunities in Italy, Maurizio Distefano Licensing Agency has been appointed by Cyber Group Studios.

 

Gigantosaurus, multi-award-winning adventure-comedy series produced by Cyber Group Studios, is based on Jonny Duddle’s book published by Templar and sold at 500,000 units worldwide.

Gigantosaurus is streaming on Netflix and Disney+ globally. The first episodes are available on Rai Play since September 12^th and the series will be broadcasted on Rai YoYo as of September 21^st.

The ‘Dino-mite’ Series, soon on Rai (Italy) is also currently airing on major international networks throughout 2020, such as Disney Junior worldwide, CCTV in China, Tiny Pop in the UK, Super RTL in Germany, SRC in Canada, SVT in Sweden, and many others.

In addition, Gigantosaurus is set to bring GIGANTIC fun to preschoolers worldwide in the upcoming years. Seasons 2 and 3 have been commissioned by The Walt Disney Company and France Télévisions, while Super RTL (Germany) has acquired season 2.

 

Buoyed by the series’ on-screen ratings success worldwide, a raft of licensing agreements have been signed with prestigious companies such as Clementoni for puzzles (EMEA), Dino Bikes for bicycles, Templar for books, Play Press for activities and coloring books for kiosks and Witor’s for Easter eggs. All products will be available in Italy between the end of 2020 and next Easter 2021.

In addition, as part of a global launch, the Master Toy Jakks Pacific Inc will sell a toy line this November in Italy. The Master toy products are already distributed in the USA, Latin America, Germany, Denmark, Belgium.

 

Already available globally and distributed by Bandai in Italy “Gigantosaurus: The Game” has been designed by Outright Games in collaboration with Cyber Group Studios and Developed by Wildsphere Studios. This new ROARsome adventure for Playstation® 4, Nintendo Switch™, Xbox One and steam, is based on the world of the hugely popular CGI animated show Gigantosaurus.

 

Maurizio Distefano CEO of Maurizio Distefano Advisory Srl comments, “We truly believe in the strong potential of this series for the Italian territory! Gigantosaurus has already won the heart of all children and families globally, thanks to its themes and engaging stories. In each episode, preschoolers are jumping into a new epic adventure with our 4 dinos friends that are on the look for Gigantosaurus. With the Licensing products soon available in Italy, children, will be able to recreate these scenes at home with their friends and families.”

 

Bruno Danzel d’Aumont, International Licensing & Marketing Vice President, adds: “Gigantosaurus is a great global and long-term upper preschool Property. I am very confident that Gigantosaurus will be successfully launched in Italy under Maurizio’s leadership by working with the major key players and major retailers. Maurizio Distefano has an impressive experience in the licensing business for many years and is recognized as such in the Italian market. It is a great pleasure to have Maurizio and his team on board and have them being our brand ambassador in Italy.”

After just a couple of months since MDL was appointed as the Italian licensing agency for Leo&Tig, the new TV series on air every day on Rai YoYo and available on Rai Play, there are already 5 sealed contracts with important companies and many others are at the final stages of negotiations.

 

Grabo will make its inflatable balloons in different varieties that will be available in both wholesales and during fairs and events. Ciao will produce party sets, the Carnival costume, an outdoor toys range and the seasonal Epiphany sock and Easter egg toy containers. For the kiosk channel the licensees that have decided to develop the next products with the new TV series are: Edizioni Playpress publisher of the activity book, the coloring book and the magic pen, Diramix for the sticker album that children can trade and play with and Sbabam, that will develop the collectable 3D figurines available in kiosks with the support of a promotional TV commercial.

 

Leo&Tig are two puppies of leopard and Siberian tiger that enjoy having fun in the wilderness of the Far Eastern taiga, which surrounds them with its beauty, dangers and legends. The core message is the caring and respect of the world that surrounds us, which is an opportunity for children to have learn while having fun.

The great debut of the TV series in the Italian licensing market immediately found a strong interest among potential licensees that will lead to a varied and long-lasting licensing program.

The result of the partnership between Bagdasarian Productions and Salani Editore are 5 different book titles divided in coloring book, novelty book and book puzzle.

Born from the collaboration between Bagdasarian Productions and Salani Editore, and represented by Italian agent, Maurizio Distefano Licensing (MDL), the new ALVINNN!!! and the Chipmunks book collection is available across Italy’s best bookstores and mass market retailers. The publishing program launches with five different titles; “A tutto musica!”, “Viaggi nel tempo”, “LibroPuzzle”, “Il mondo di Alvin” and “Inizia lo spettacolo! Colori a tempo di musica”, and features The Chipmunks (Alvin, Simon and Theodore) and The Chipettes (Brittany, Jeanette and Eleanor).

 

Salani is one of the top Italian publishing houses and its strengths are high quality, attention to young people, creativity and originality of its projects. The aim of the ALVINNN!!! collection is to entertain children through games, puzzles, and stories about everyday life and, obviously in Alvin’s case, music. The books are available online, on the Salani Editore website, in bookstores and in large-scale distribution.

 

Presented in CGI-animation, ALVINNN!!! and the Chipmunks, created by Janice Karman, reflects the trials and tribulations of a single parent, David Seville, trying to raise six hyperactive Chipmunks.  Like most parents, Dave’s patience will be pushed to the limit, forcing him to end many sentences with the iconic, “ALVINNN!!!”  The series takes viewers on a roller-coaster ride of music, laughter, and stories geared to entertain the Chipmunks’ four generations of fans.  Episodes from the hit series are broadcast daily on both K2 and Nick Junior, the CGI series never stops entertaining its fans.

 

“We are extremely proud of the result of this key partnership for the license”, says Maurizio Distefano of the MDL agency, “a simple and fun way to entertain fans of ALVINNN!!! And the Chipmunks, which is currently enjoying considerable success among licensees”.

The most effective, simple and fast way to find all Bing products on the Amazon Store

The award-winning TV series, Bing, on air every day on Rai YoYo and DeA Junior, does not stop its rise, adding to its activities and services also a dedicated page on Amazon Shop, where little Bingsters can find all the products available on the e-commerce of their favorite animated series in no time.

The infinite variety of Bing products now is extremely easy to trace, thanks to the opening of the dedicated page on Amazon, which allows to group them all under the Bing brand.

You can visit the Amazon Shop website here: https://www.amazon.it/stores/node/20327424031?_encoding=UTF8&field-lbr_brands_browse-bin=Bing&ref_=bl_dp_s_web_20327424031&productGridPageIndex=4

The companies that joined and participate with their products are: Giunti, Ciao, Ravensburger, Coriex, Dino Bikes, Dulcop, Giochi Preziosi, Lisciani, Marpimar, Mondo, Multiprint, ODS e Toys Garden, and others to come.

Books, plushes, figurines, party kits, sheets, umbrellas, boxes, bathrobes, board games and stamps are just some of the products and games that can be found in the search, thanks to the division of products into categories.

The animated series, Bing, was born from the adaptation of Ted Dewan’s insightful books, which celebrate the noisy, joyful, messy reality of life when you’re a pre-schooler.

Always on air on CBeebies in England and many other broadcasters in Europe, in Italy it has become a record-breaking series, with the highest audience, every day on Rai Yoyo and DeA Junior. Bing’s stories are also available on Amazon Prime Video and YouTube where the Italian channel has seen significant growth, reaching an impressive number of 600,000 subscribers in July.

The first season of the animated series Kit^n^Kate arrived in Italy in July on Amazon Prime Video which makes possible to watch the animated series at any time of the day. The series is airing also on Rai YoYo, the most popular children’s channel in Italy.

Kit^n^Kate’s licensing program in Italy is managed by the agency Maurizio Distefano Licensing (MDL), which, even before the airing of the series, had successfully closed the first licensing agreements.

 

Kit^n^Kate, a production of Cyprus’ Toonbox Animation, tells the story of Kit and Kate, young brother and sister kitties who love playing together, having fun together, helping those in need, and learning to deal with life’s obstacles.

 

Season 1 of Kit^n^Kate features a series of social-emotional adventures in which the kittens take off on fantastic adventures inspired by the things they find inside their magical toy box. Whether they are on Blueberry Island, at a school for wizards, or baking a cake for the Squirrel Princess, the kittens always find themselves at a dead-end, but with the help of a mysterious stranger (who happens to be Mom or Dad in disguise), the kittens figure out for themselves what they did wrong and get a chance to go back in time and try again.

 

Kit^n^Kate has already been dubbed into 27 languages and is currently being broadcast by leading TV-channels and digital platforms in territories around the world including: USA, Canada, Russia, Finland, Italy, MENA, Benelux, Eastern Europe and Africa. Currently, the American English, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian versions of the series are available on Amazon with the Polish language version about to be launched with the help of Toonbox’s trusted partner Janson Media.

The creative duo Giovanni Premoli and Dario di Bella, together with Ferribiella Spa, a company of Italian excellence with high positioning in the pet market, announces the closed licensing deal for the production and the distribution of a design line dedicated to pets under the brand PREMOLI + DI BELLA. Maurizio Distefano Licensing is the agency that manages the Licensing projects for PREMOLI + DI BELLA and that made the deal happen.

 

The Pet Collection, signed by the two creative minds, will be in perfect harmony with all the other PREMOLI + DI BELLA collections; a style dedicated to Italy and to art, a tribute to creativeness and to Italian design, where accessibility will be the keyword and Art de Vivre the personal DNA, features that move and that incite the PREMOLI + DI BELLA brand. Never trivial and always ready to step up their game, the two creative minds were able to stand out by bringing to the market their own style, which expresses with great simplicity and creativity the Italian life style in the world.

 

“There’s nothing more intimate than the love that we feel for our little animal-friends” –  say Giovanni Premoli and Dario di Bella, “the idea of making something beautiful that can not only be appreciated by pets, but at the same time becomes a cultural element for the owners is the most exciting part. We’ve always dreamed to create a Pet line that could communicate in an open way with design and with home décor, that could perfectly blend with the domestic environment becoming a furnishing element. Today all this becomes reality”.

 

Carmen Avonto, managing director of Ferribiella, states: “The understanding with Dario and Giovanni was completely spontaneous, we agreed immediately on the values that  are core of our company, a family that perceived the importance of the animal world and that has been the protagonist, since the beginning, of this Pet world aiming to discover and experiment innovative, beautiful and functional products.”

 

Michela Marchese Patti, CEO of Maurizio Distefano Licensing agency, that manages the Licensing projects for PREMOLI + DI BELLA and has managed this deal, says: “We are so excited to represent the brand PREMOLI + DI BELLA, that thanks to the volcanic creativity of Giovanni and Dario, is able to create high positioning projects in all Life Style categories. It will be very stimulating to see Ferribiella’s excellent products such as kennels, coats, bags, leashes and much more, with the two creatives’ refined taste in Italian design. This collection will be Ferribiella’s pride for its high position among our successful case histories”.

 

Thanks to the efficient product distribution system, the PREMOLI + DI BELLA Pet collection will be present in the most exclusive Pet stores starting from September 2020, passing both through a selected distribution network of about 2,000 points of sale, and online.

Ink Group and Maurizio Distefano Licensing (MDL) close the agreement with Pon Pon Edizioni for the bimonthly magazine dedicated to the animated series ZAFARI

The animated series ZAFARI, on air every day on Rai YoYo and available in streaming on Prime Video and Rai Play, now also arrives in Italian kiosks thanks to the agreement signed by Ink Group and Maurizio Distefano Licensing (MDL) with Pon Pon Edizioni.

 

Thanks to Pon Pon Edizioni, it will be possible to find all the adventures of ZAFARI in kiosks, in a bimonthly magazine made of stories, games, stickers and gadgets attached to each issue. Everything is marked out by the unmistakable colorful style that distinguishes the series, giving little fans the chance to play and have fun with their favorite characters.

 

ZAFARI, by Ink Group, is a CGI animated series produced by ZAFARI Holdings and distributed by NBC Universal/Dreamworks that tells the story of a group of magical animals living together at the foot of Mt Kilimanjaro, where they learn from each other, go on adventure and have a lot of fun, despite their differences. The series promotes Diversity and Inclusion. The differences between the characters are what makes them unique and special each and one of them, for instance the protagonist Zoomba is a baby elephant born with zebra stripes.

 

“ZAFARI is growing steadily in the licensing world,” says Maurizio Distefano, President of MDL “in particular, we are excited about this collaboration with Pon Pon Edizioni that gives the chance to have fixed appointments with ZAFARI’s adventures and lets them arrive at fans homes boosting their awareness throughout Italy.”  

 

Maurizio Distefano Licensing (MDL) announces the acquisition to manage the licensing program of the historical and popular Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport.

La Gazzetta dello Sport was founded on the 3rd of April 1896, initially printed on green paper, but from the 2nd of January 1899 its pages became pink toned, one of its distinctive features today. Over time the newspaper constantly raised its awareness among the Italian audience, with a 360° information coverage of national and international sport. La Gazzetta dello Sport is by far the most widely read newspaper in Italy and is followed all over the world. Among its main readers are young people, which makes it accessible to anyone, the pink door through which reading newspapers becomes part of Italians habits.

The quality and the completeness of Gazzetta’s journalistic information makes it the most influential sport newspaper, a bible to millions of passionate fans. Always in line with technology, it knew exactly how to reinvent and evolve itself covering the communication on the net, on mobile devices and on the different social media platforms, sharing all the updated news and scoops (the Facebook page boasts 2 milion Likes).

Thanks to the deal signed with the MDL agency, the must-have of the Italian culture in sports is now available for new licensing projects. Apparel, accessories, sports equipment and promotions are some of the categories where this property can offer unmissable licensing opportunities. “We believe that this represents a great opportunity for licensees.”, says Maurizio Distefano, President of MDL: “Sports have always played a dominant role among the Italian public and La Gazzetta dello Sport has kept fans interest alive and, thanks to its high awareness, it certainly leaves room for new licensing ideas and initiatives.

The Photographic Archive of LIFE, the Most Famous Illustrated Magazine of Photojournalism in the World, Boasts Highly-Acclaimed Photographs.

 

LIFE, the modern, avant-garde and world-renowned magazine, enters the Italian licensing market thanks to Maurizio Distefano Licensing (MDL). The magazine’s iconic pictures can now be licensed for Consumer Products collections.

 

Since its first issue on November 23, 1936, LIFE has been the most respected source and collection of photojournalism in the world. Its photojournalists immortalized some of the most significant events of the 20^th century including celebrities, history, fashion, sports, cinema and nature. The magazine covers a wide range of topics with a consistent mission: “To see LIFE; To see the world; To eyewitness great events…”

 

The images of its archive are iconic, they depict both everyday life and epic moments that made history, a real window of the world seen through the eyes of the photographer. LIFE is an archive of human experiences and perception of great artists of the world and its iconic images have withstood the test of time.

 

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with LIFE. It is undoubtedly an icon of strong impact and great potential in the Italian licensing market” says Maurizio Distefano, President of MDL. “With its archive of timeless images, it gives licensees the opportunity to use sophisticated photographic art, which can express itself in the best way in the product lines, giving them a style of high perceived value.”

To mark the special attitude to local families, among which the cartoon first became a huge hit outside Russia, Animaccord devoted the 1^st episode to Italy

The new special musical season of Masha and the Bear “Masha Songs”, made of 13 episodes, where Masha performs by singing in different countries of the world, debuts on the 7^th of June on Rai YoYo and fans are eagerly waiting.

In these episodes, Masha sings a song based on a famous national melody, but uses lyrics, which are like Masha, original and funny, as well as tells about most striking features of countries she visits, highlighting its cultural values and most famous attractions. In the 1^st episode dedicated to Italy Masha sings one of the most famous songs of our tradition, “Santa Lucia”, while visiting the Colosseum and the Pisa tower, eating pizza and playing football.

Masha and the Bear is considered as a classic and evergreen property, but it never stopped provide novelty and uniqueness to keep its fans, kids and adults, gathered around the screen. Thus, during the lockdown period in Italy, Animaccord team created and distributed a cheerful digital campaign “All in the Family”, intended to support the cartoon’s fans, that included “Thank you doctors” flash mob, educational posters, “all in the family” Instagram story sticker as well as 3-D short animated episodes on such topics as stay-at-home activities for kids and basic hygiene practices.

The local media partners – Rai YoYo and pay-tv channel DeA Junior, widely supported the “All in the family campaign” on their platforms in Italy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bing and Gapchinska become part of the list of excellences of 2019 licensing projects

Bologna Licensing Award is the only prize in Italy addressed to the licensing industry, an award dedicated to the best licensing projects of the previous year. Two of the properties that are part of the portfolio of Maurizio Distefano Licensing agency were named among the winners for each category: Bing and Gapchinska.

The jury of 2020 edition, which worked together in the selection of the winners, composed of Cecilia Padula, Senior Director Programming Multibrand, ViacomCBS Italia; Federica Pitascio, Programming and Marketing Manager, Rai Ragazzi and Ivan Colecchia, Senior Vice President Global Development at Kidz Global, announced the winners online due to the current situation that saw the cancellation of the fair.

 

Bing won the coveted prize “Property of the Year” thanks to the success of the licensing programme, the variety and quality of the products and consumer experiences and the property’s ability to engage deeply and meaningfully with its audience across multiple touchpoints.

 

“We’re delighted with the news and we thank our agent Maurizio Distefano Licensing for the fantastic hard work on making Bing a success in Italy,” said Natalie Harvey, Executive Director of Sales at Acamar Films, “We know through brand research, ratings, sales data, significant engagement on social media and huge growth on our YouTube channels that Bing goes from strength to strength. Having such strong foundations stands us in good stead for the future as we continue to grow and expand the world of Bing in Italy.”

 

Maurizio Distefano Licensing represents Bing in Italy and works closely with Acamar Films on thoughtful brand extensions. Maurizio Distefano Licensing has secured 40+ Bing licensees across a range of categories including location-based attractions. Thanks to best-in-class licensees, quality product executions and considerable marketing support, Bing has quickly become a top pre-school property.

 

“We’re thrilled that this prestigious award has been granted to our agency. Our team’s hard work on Bing, since the launch of the licensing programme, in addition to the precious support received by the Acamar Films team, have made this dream come true,” said Maurizio Distefano, President & Owner of Maurizio Distefano Licensing, “The brand is incredibly popular with Italian families and the brilliant content, fabulous marketing and diverse licensing programme have all meant that Bing remains a leader in the preschool market for our territory.”

 

The “Best Publishing Project” award was won by Gapchinska, another property in the MDL portfolio.

The Malia Edizioni collection called Vite Imperfette (or Imperfect Lives) includes a range of homewares and stationery including notebooks, bookmarks, travel mugs, pocket books, magnets and more. The collection features the instantly recognisable artist, Eugenia Gapchinska’s interpretations of four very famous faces – Marilyn Monroe, Freddie Mercury, Frida Khalo and the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci.

 

Including iconic phrases from the icons, such as ‘Don’t stop me now’ on the Freddie Mercury items, and ‘Being normal is boring’ on the Marilyn Monroe products, the lines capture the very essence of their subjects.

 

The judges of the awards said they chose the partnership to win the accolade ‘For the beauty of the books, suitable for multiple targets, the artist’s skill, together with the publisher’s ability to decline the illustrations on a line of original and transversal products.’

 

Maurizio Distefano, Founder and President, MDL, comments: “The collaboration with Malia Edizioni shows the true diversity of the Gapchinska property and we are thrilled that it has been recognised with this award. The collection is unique and appeals to a wide age range, from youngsters to adults. Gapchinska is a brand that can easily be adapted to different consumer products categories. We are extremely happy with the result obtained by these licensing projects: they are great satisfactions, a symbol of the great work and potential behind each new licensing project “.

International Space Archives (ISA) is a digital library containing the best of the incredible imagery created by our planet’s exploration of the universe

MDL is happy to announce that International Space Archives (ISA) is available as a property for Italian licensees.

 

Over the past fifty years, manned and unmanned space programmes in the United States and other countries have amassed a huge amount of still and motion photography which is unique in its scope and splendour. For the first time ever, the International Space Archives is bringing together the best of this still and video imagery into one comprehensive collection which is available for licensing worldwide through LMI Ltd, and now in Italy through MDL.

The Mission Patches, photos, films and video contained in the archive come from a variety of sources including NASA (the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration) and the international space programs of Russia, Japan, China, India and the European Union.

 

Maurizio Distefano, MDL president, says: “This is a unique opportunity for new potential licensees to bring on their products the iconic images of ISA. This property has the strength to be suitable for all product categories and to be an unmissable new-entry in the Italian licensing market”.

 

 

 

0+ MEDIA and Maurizio Distefano Licensing has signed the agreement to develop the licensing program for Russian animated series “Leo and Tig”.

“Leo&Tig” is a phenomenal Russian project produced by Animation studio Parovoz and managing by 0+Media company, tells the story of everyday adventures of two little friends leopard Leo and tiger Tig that enjoy having fun in the wilderness of the Far Eastern taiga, which surrounds them with its beauty, dangers and legends. Friends explore the amazing nature, learn something new about the world around them and its inhabitants.

The message behind this animated series is the sense of respect and care for the world that surrounds us, making it a true cognitive entertainment project for kids.

The episodes with the fearful Leo and the lively Tig are airing in Italy on Rai YoYo and the first series consists of 26 episodes of 11 minutes each, suitable for children from 5 to 10 years old.

With its award in the special nomination as “Animation series with the greatest international potential” at the 22nd Russian Animation Film Festival in the city of Suzdal, Leo and Tig certainly proved to get off on the right foot.

Under the deal, Maurizio Distefano Licensing has secured the licensing and merchandising rights for “Leo&Tig” across all the main categories of consumer products, including toys, publishing, apparel, accessories, and back to school ranges for Italy and Italian speaking territories.

Maurizio Distefano, President and owner of the agency, said: “We are excited to represent the animated series of Leo and Tig in the world of Licensing in Italy. Engaging, entertaining and with a profound message behind it: it has all that it takes to excite children and their families”.

Valentina Kursanova, Director of Licensing and Business Development 0+ MEDIA, “We are happy to start working with Maurizio Distefano company and expand our brand together in Italy. We are sure that this animation and future licensed goods will touch the hears of children and their parents”

The popular pre-school property has Maurizio Distefano Licensing as its licensing agent

“Staying at home together… it’s a Bing thing” is a multi-territory initiative that launched on 6 April across Bing digital platforms with the aim to support families with young children who are currently staying at home.

Led by memorable moments from across all 78 episodes, Bing social channels are encouraging Bing fans to share their experiences of the joyful and messy realities of preschool life at home – creating highly relatable conversation amongst Bing’s ever-growing audience.

In Italy, the Bing Facebook page highlights a new Bing activity sheet every day – providing families with ideas to get busy and creative together during the stay-at-home period.

The brand new Italian version of the bingbunny.com launched at the beginning April so now the ever-growing Italian fan base can enjoy a huge selection of free downloadable activity sheets including making fruit cones with Bing and fruit smoothies with Flop, to colouring sheets of much-loved characters.

Interactive Facebook parties (“Team Bing Play Times”) have also been initiated across Bing’s English, Italian, Polish and Spanish Facebook pages – and will extend to the Dutch Facebook page next month. On designated days, Team Bing will be sharing videos – based on episodic games from the series – encouraging Bingsters and their grown-ups to join the fun with games like Musical Statues and Hide & Seek.

Those taking part will be encouraged to share their photos and videos, and to download a certificate once the games are over.

The popular Bing app, ‘Bing: Watch, Play, Learn’, soon available in Italy, is also playing a role in the ‘Staying at Home Together’ initiative – offering UK users an increased number of interactive learning games for free, for a limited time.

Bing continues to be available via CBeebies in the UK and many other key broadcasters across Europe. In Italy, Bing airs daily on Rai Yoyo and DeA Junior and consistently has the highest audience viewing average across both channels.  Bing’s stories can also be enjoyed through Amazon Prime and on YouTube where the Italian channel has seen significant growth recently reaching 500,000 subscribers and experiencing 36.2 million views in March alone.

As this initiative continues into May, partners like Leolandia, Jet’s and Rai Yoyo are coming on board to show their support by posting the activities on their pages for their many Bing fans to enjoy.

Staying at home together… it’s a Bing thing.

Five Levissima Issima bottles available now to collect, each one with a different Chipmunk character from the animated series managed in Italy by Maurizio Distefano Licensing.

Bagdasarian Productions and Maurizio Distefano Licensing (MDL) closed the deal with Nestlé, one of the leading food companies in the world, for the development of the Levissima Issima water bottles featuring the animated characters of ALVINNN!!! And the Chipmunks from the hit TV series airing daily on K2 and Nick Junior.

Levissima Issima, with its handy bottle, is easy to carry with you on every adventure. Five different Issima bottles are available to collect, each with a different character of the series: Alvin, Brittany, Theodore, Eleanor and Simon. Available in supermarkets, grocery stores and online.

 

Presented in CGI-animation, ALVINNN!!! & the Chipmunks reflects the trials and tribulations of a single parent, David Seville, trying to raise six hyperactive Chipmunks.  Like most parents, Dave’s patience will be pushed to the limit, forcing him to end many sentences with the iconic, “ALVINNN!!!”  The series takes viewers on a roller-coaster ride of music, laughter, and stories geared to entertain the Chipmunks’ generations of fans.

 

Beloved by kids and families around the world, Alvin is a cutting-edge license with a growing list of licensees thanks to the Chipmunks popularity, broad demographic and multi-generational appeal.

Notebooks, magnets, bookmarks, small pocketbooks, puzzles. These are only a few of the results coming from the collaboration between Maurizio Distefano Licensing and Pon Pon Edition that realized a new line called “Vite Imperfette” by Malìa Edition.

A series of autobiographies featuring the iconic personalities of the artistic and cultural world: Freddie Mercury, Marilyn Monroe, Frida Khalo and Leonardo da Vinci

A collection that suits young and adults, boys and girls who are curious to know more about the real story of legendary stars or who are just looking for a little bit of comfort in hard times.

Perfect for a small reading during a break, a pocket notebook to write down some thoughts, or even an unexpected gift, like a magnet or a mug. Sold in bookstores, music and video stores, chain toy stores, kiosk, or gift retailers. A nice and humorous way to make us feel that even if sometimes we stumble or make mistakes, we are not the only ones.

This is one of the many possibilities that Gapchinska offers to the Licensing world, thanks to its modernity and its versatility.

Animaccord celebrated the New Year with adding new licensees to the partners’ portfolio in Italy – thanks to the local licensing agent, Evolution of Licensing.

Halantex, the market leader textile brand, will launch a full range of home textile products (as duvet/sheets sets, comforter, towels, ponchos, bathrobes, 3D shaped cushions, printed cushions, blankets and curtains). The licensed textile line will be distributed across mass markets, toys stores and online in Italy.

Easy Shoes, Italian shoes manufacturer, will release their first footwear collection with Masha and the Bear in the second half of 2020 that includes sport shoes, casual shoes, boots, rain boots, slippers, flip flops, sandals etc. The new collection will be available later in mass markets, supermarkets, mid-tier, department stores and wholesalers.

Italian Licensing Agency enters strategic partnership with Leading Global Brand Extension Agency to manage BAILEYS & GUINNESS licensing programmes in Italy.

Maurizio Distefano Licensing (MDL) has been appointed by Beanstalk, the global licensing agency behind some of the most famous brand extensions in the world, to manage the licensing programs for BAILEYS and GUINNESS (owned by Diageo) for the Italian market.

MDL shares Beanstalk’s philosophy that a successful licensing programme requires a strategic approach consistent with a brand’s unique positioning, and will be leveraging their specific knowledge of the Italian market to grow the Diageo brands.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Beanstalk and look forward to growing the licensing footprint for BAILEYS and GUINNESS in the Italian market” said Maurizio Distefano, President of Maurizio Distefano Licensing. “Strategic brand extension through licensed products is among the most authentic and credible forms of communication, opening up further opportunities for consumers to experience the brand in fresh and attractive ways. In particular, BAILEYS and GUINNESS offer multiple possibilities to create products suitable for the Italian market in categories such as Food & Beverage, Apparel and Gift & Novelties.”

Milano,13 December 2019: MDL has just acquired the rights for the licensing program for Marie-Antoinette, the brand of the famous French sovereign. The brand, owned by Tempting Brands is inspired by various representative elements of Queen’s life during the years of her life at court. The logo is taken from his monogram, which was found as a frieze on the walls of the Palace of Fontainebleau, residence of the French monarchs for generations. With a scent of romance and history, Marie-Antoinette brand is aimed at the sophisticated, strong, independent, elegant and style-conscious woman, starting from the inspiration of an iconic woman, famous for her lavish clothes and style-queen.

 

In order to make it accessible to the licensees, the brand is supported by a comprehensive Style Guide of 300 pages of artworks and product concepts. A variety of themes are included, all surrounding the life of Marie-Antoinette: the beautiful palace, musical instruments, gardens & flowers. As a fashion influencer of her time and a strong woman with independent and sometimes avant-garde views, Marie-Antoinette is perfect to inspire today’s women and girl consumers.

Created by Tempting Brands’ in-house Design Team, the Style Guide brings multiple opportunities for the licensees. On the fashion industry, the brand Marie-Antoinette is available for licensing for cosmetics, toiletry preparations, perfumery, apparel, shoes, accessories or bags. Apart from these, stationary, home textile or even home decor are a great match for the brand.

 

Michela Marchese Patti, CEO of the agency, said: “Our agency is constantly evolving to capture new trends and give our licensees new business opportunities with increasingly advanced licensing and a strategic vision.

Marie Antoinette enjoys a high level of awareness which, combined with beautiful style guides, allows the creation of splendid high-impact products with a rapid sell-out, for an increasingly demanding and style-conscious female target”.

Milan, 19 November 2019: Kit and Kate, the delightful blue kittens and stars of their very own animated series showing 12 times a day on Rai Yoyo, are on their way to a number of new publications from Edizioni PlayPress.

The cartoon, aimed at preschool children, has a made a great TV debut and continues to have a very high viewing share – and the licensing campaign, managed in Italy by Maurizio Distefano Licensing (MDL), is doing well too. In fact, even before the broadcast of the series, MDL had signed a key licensing partner.

Edizioni PlayPress, a company known for quality materials and the integration of innovative technologies, has created a high-quality and engaging Kit and Kate publishing line for preschool children. It includes the Magic Album, with a pen that reveals colours, a Magic Sticker album that combines the magic of an album with lots of stickers, a Stickers and Colours book and a Magic Wow! book. All these publications are now on sale.

Kit and Kate are two kittens who play in a magic box that transports them to new worlds in which they have amazing adventures. Kit and Kate appeal to both children and families through their adventure-filled stories, their sense of fun and, at the same time, the important educational message that underlies every single episode.

The series was created by Toonbox Animation, a boutique studio based in Cyprus, and boasts writers who have worked on major animated movies and series such as Shrek 2, Madagascar, Sesame Street and Octonauts. The creative team behind Kit and Kate have produced a series that combines superb animation with simple and captivating storytelling.

As well as Italy, Kit and Kate is on air in Eastern Europe, the US, Russia, Finland, Benelux, Portugal, the Middle East and Africa. Other countries are expected to follow. Two series of 104 episodes in total are available or in production; season 2 is currently being finalised and will be completed before the end of 2019.

Maurizio Distefano, MDL President, commented: “Among our main strengths, recognized by foreign licensors, is our ability to look ahead and anticipate market trends, spotting the potential of new and developing brands before they gain mainstream acceptance. With Kit and Kate we can safely say that we have been ahead of the curve and that our licensing program for the brand can only grow as the show wins more and more young fans.”

 

Pavel Muntyan, CEO of Toonbox Animation Studio, commented: ” We are delighted that MDL has believed in this project from the very beginning and aims to ensure that Kit and Kate fully develops its potential in Italy. We are sure that the success that Maurizio and his team have enjoyed with other brands in Italy will be repeated with Kit and Kate.”