Category: News

Fans’ affection for Bing grows more and more: Chicco develops a clothing line dedicated to the little ones.

 

 

23 October 2019: Maurizio Distefano Licensing has closed a licensing agreement for the Property Bing, which is confirmed as one of the most sought after of the moment, with Chicco, who chose the tender Bing to design a capsule collection for children from 9 months to 4 years for the spring/ summer 2020 season. In this new line we’ll find all Chicco’s know-how: from the attention for fabrics, to the maximum comfort for the little ones, without neglecting the aesthetic details with graphics that reflect the tenderness and liveliness of the little Bing, for garments that become journey companions in the adventures of the little Bingsters.

 

In addition to the daily broadcast on Rai Yoyo, with 15 episodes a day, Bing is also present on DeA Junior channel.

Bing’s popularity is not limited only to the television world, but is also reflected in the reality of the immersive experience offered by Leolandia, which allows its visitors to meet Bing and Flop in person. Moreover, fans on Italian social networks continue to grow, with more than 60,000 Likes on the Facebook page, 300,000 subscribers on YouTube channel and many followers on Instagram.

Animaccord, the international media and licensing company and studio, confirmed the deal with one of the world’s largest manufacturers of primary batteries and portable lighting products, Energizer to produce the Masha and the Bear handheld lights and headlights. The licensed products will be launched across Europe, Middle East, and Africa.

The distribution of Masha and the Bear handheld lights and headlights will be handled within the Q1, 2020 via mass markets, hypermarkets, independent stores, e-commerce, and electronic retailers in over 100 countries across the abovementioned regions. The deal has been carried out by Animaccord’s licensing agent in Italy, Maurizio Distefano The evolution of Licensing.

This summer sees the arrival of some delightful new travel companions for Neos, the leisure airline owned by the Alpitour Group. Angry Birds – the stars of cinema, toys, promotions, their own games and much, much more – will actually take flight over the next few months aboard a 737 that has been personalized just for them!

 

This initiative is the latest project in the successful partnership between the Alpitour Group and Angry Birds, which was launched last winter. These two major names in their fields had already enjoyed an exclusive collaboration focused on Italian travel and travelers. Now, there’s another ‘first’ on the horizon: Neos will be the first Italian airline to have personalized Angry Birds livery, a riot of colors and fun character images inspired by forthcoming film The Angry Birds Movie 2.

 

Yes, for the next few months, delighted travelers will be welcomed on the runway by the cheeky and charming stars, who will be greeting passengers – from the side of the plane!

 

The Neos airplane certainly won’t go unnoticed as the Angry Birds take flight to some of the most splendid summer destinations. They include Italy, the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands, Israel, and Egypt – and in all of them Alpitour has many special offerings for holidaymakers, including the AlpiClub Famiglia where Red and other Angry Birds friends will be on hand to entertain guests with a variety of activities during their stay.

 

“Neos is continuously working to innovate,” says Aldo Sarnataro, CEO of Neos, “as evidenced by our young, cutting-edge fleet, the many services on board, a wide range of destinations to explore, and custom initiatives and collaborations that reflect the airline’s lively, dynamic philosophy. Angry Birds is perfectly in line with our bolder, cheekier side, and we are thrilled to have the characters aboard as we await the release of the latest Angry Birds film, The Angry Birds Movie 2.”

 

Neos’ new livery is also a handy reminder that The Angry Birds Movie 2 is imminent. Due to be released in theatres in Italy on 12 September and produced by Sony Pictures Animation in collaboration with Rovio Entertainment, this is one of the most anticipated film releases of 2019.

 

“We like all our partnerships to have a strong connection with our movies, so the idea of letting the Angry Birds fly made perfect sense”, says Domenico Ravaioli, Promotions Manager at Sony Pictures. “The Alpitour Group is the leading company in its field, with an excellent understanding of communication. It is a great pleasure and privilege for Sony Pictures to be part of this amazing project alongside Alpitour.”

 

 

 

 

 

This new stage in the successful partnership between the Alpitour Group and Angry Birds was made possible thanks once again to the work of Maurizio Distefano Licensing, an Italian leader in the licensing industry, which helped bring together Rovio Entertainment and the Alpitour Group.

 

“We are thrilled to be in a partnership with such a reputable tour operator,” says Magdalena Biernat-Heikkinen, Licensing Director at Rovio. “We have been given this fantastic opportunity for the Angry Birds to fly to as many Alpitour’s holiday destinations as possible, to entertain fans and bring excitement to all.

 

“Italy is a fantastic market for the Angry Birds brand, and as we see, it is not only driven by fashion, but also by bringing families together and offering the great holiday experiences supplied by Alpitour. We are honored to be part of it.”

 

Maurizio Distefano, President, MDL, says: “This agreement not only ensures a treat for travelers but is a superb platform for Alpitour’s wonderful offering, for the excellent Neos fleet and, of course, for the Angry Birds themselves just before their major new movie hits Italian screens. We’re delighted to be involved in a partnership that will see the Angry Birds quite literally reach for the sky!”

 

 

 

 

 

THE ITALIAN EDITION SPEAKERS WILL BE:

 

 

 

Red                     MACCIO CAPATONDA

Chuck                 ALESSANDRO CATTELAN

Leonard              MASSIMO BITOSSI

Bomb                  FRANCESCO PANNOFINO

Silver                  VERONICA PUCCIO

Kit^n^Kate’s licensing project in Italy is managed by Maurizio Distefano Licensing, who had high expectations even before the airing of the series. Now on Rai Yoyo with six episodes a day, 3 in the morning and 3 in the afternoon, the cartoon dedicated to preschoolers has made a great debut. It enjoyed excellent results worldwide, recording millions of views on its official YouTube channel. Kit^n^Kate captivate children for their adventurous stories, fun and, at the same time, for the important educational message that underlies each episode.

The main characters of the animated series are two kittens, Kit and Kate, who play in a magic box that transports them to new worlds where they live fantastic adventures. The series was created by the authors of Sesame Street, of the very famous video game Cut The Rope and by the creators of Shrek2 and Madagascar, who were able to create a series animated by excellent quality and with a simple and captivating narrative system.

Kit^n^Kate is also aired in Eastern Europe, Russia, Finland, Benelux, Australia, South Korea, Portugal, Middle East, Africa and the airing in new countries is currently under negotiation. In addition, two new seasons are in pre-production with 102 episodes that will be available soon.

Maurizio Distefano, President of the agency of the same name, commented: “Among the main strengths that have determined the success of the agency and which are also recognized by foreign Licensors are: the ability to look far and anticipate market trends by offering to our customers the brands and news before they become known to the general public and the very high level of professionalism and 360 degree service that we offer for the duration of our collaboration. ”

Pavel Muntyan, CEO of Toonbox Animation Studio, commented: “We are sure that the success that Maurizio and his team have had with other brands in Italy will also be repeated with Kit^n^Kate. Furthermore, we are extremely happy that MDL believed in this project from the beginning, with the aim of helping Kit^n^Kate to fully develop its potential also in Italy “

MDL hails modern classic status of wildly popular pre-school property in Italian market

Maurizio Distefano Licensing (MDL), which manages licensing for the Masha and The Bear brand in Italy and Switzerland, has welcomed the arrival of series three of Animaccord’s hit pre-school property on one of the country’s leading kids’ television channels.

 

Season three of Masha and The Bear premiers on Rai YoYo, the free-to-air kids’ TV channel owned by the Italian public broadcasting group RAI, on 7 June. A special edition of the popular Rai Ragazzi show, La Posta di YoYo, which previews the new series of Masha and The Bear, will appeal on Rai YoYo on the same day.

 

The launch of season three of Masha and The Bear on Rai YoYo reinforces the status of both the show and the licensed property as a modern children’s classic. Awareness of Masha and The Bear, both as a licensed brand and a TV series, is exceptionally high among children and families in Italy, where Masha and her friend have been wildly popular since the launch of the first series. Repeat showings and new episodes of Masha and The Bear are greeted with enormous enthusiasm by big audiences on both Dea Junior and Rai YoYo.

So popular is the brand that two spin-off series – Masha’s Tales and Masha’s Spooky Stories – have been created. Episodes of all three shows are also available on mobiles, PCs and tablets, and streaming on Infinity, a dedicated YouTube channel and the official Masha and The Bear Facebook page.

 

The success of the property has also been reflected in a a dedicated site at a major theme park, numerous promotional partnerships and, of course, a thriving licensing campaign. Masha and The Bear remains one of the most sought-after licenses in the children’s market; at present there are about 30 Masha and The Bear licenses in the Italian market alone. MDL has represented the property in Italy and Switzerland since its arrival in both markets.

 

The show is also building strongly in a number of other territories. In the UK, season three of Masha and The Bear arrived earlier this month on Cartoonito, while in Latin America the new episodes began airing on Cartoon Network and Boomerang in April. The new series is also due to arrive on KIKA in Germany in a primetime slot from June.

 

Maurizio Distefano, President, MDL, said: “Masha and The Bear’s continuing success in Italy after a number of years makes it one of the most successful pre-school properties of recent years in that market. MDL is delighted to be representing this classic property and looking forward to many more years of licensing and promotional success for Masha and The Bear.”

Strong licensing potential for innovative new kids’ series launching on Rai YoYo in June

 

Maurizio Distefano Licensing (MDL), has been appointed to manage licensing in Italy for the remarkable new 52 x 11’ animated series ZAFARI, on behalf of brand owner Ink Group.

 

Produced by ZAFARI Holdings and distributed worldwide by NBCUniversal/Dreamworks, ZAFARI has already enjoyed a strong reception in France, Latin America and the UK and is about to launch in a number of other territories. It will appear in Italy on Rai YoYo, the free-to-air kids television channel owned by the Italian public broadcasting group RAI.

 

This innovative and original new series follows the adventures of Zoomba, a baby elephant born with zebra stripes who worries about being different until he and his best friend, a Borneo tarsier monkey named Quincy, discover ZAFARI, a world in a valley at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro. There they meet Antonio, a lion with pink flamingo feathers, Pokey, a giraffe with a peacock tail, Babatua, a baboon with penguin colours, and many more. Together with his new friends, Zoomba learns to embrace differences in others and himself, realizing that sometimes being different, makes all the difference.

 

Aimed at audience of both boys and girls aged four to nine, ZAFARI takes up themes such as inclusion, tolerance and friendship through funny and exciting stories, creative characters and high-quality production values that bring beautiful locations and animals to life in stunning computer graphics.

 

In addition, a partnership with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has allowed the creation of 52 special mini videos, one of which will appear at the end of each episode. The videos will show real images of animals in their natural habitat, adding a touch of real-life magic to each delightful animated tale.

 

This is an entertaining and imaginative animated story that is already building audiences across Europe, but it’s even more than that. The look and themes have inspired a colorful and unique style guide that will allow the brand owner and licensees to build strong, appealing product lines, whilst the many endearing and instantly recognizable characters will lend themselves to numerous licensing categories.

 

The MDL team is available to provide more detailed information about the new property to potential licensees and retail partners.

 

Maurizio Distefano, founder and President, MD Licensing, says: “The ideas, themes and sheer quality of ZAFARI really make it stand out both as an animated show for kids and as a licensing property. We at MDL are very excited about ZAFARI, whose charm, wit, originality and stunning visuals are sure to charm children everywhere.”

 

Animaccord, the producer and distributor of the worldwide popular animated series Masha and The Bear, together with Samsung, the leader in the consumer electronics sector, will launch a joint communication campaign in Italy. The campaign will cover the entire Christmas period, starting November 30th, 2018 up to February 28th, 2019. By purchasing one of the 15 models* of Samsung tablets, users can download for free from the Galaxy Apps store, the application “Masha and the Bear for Samsung”, and enjoy 52 episodes of Masha and the Bear and 26 episodes of the spinoff series Masha’s Tales , as well as a variety of digital contents from e-books to games and posters. The promotion was carried out with the support of the local licensing agency Maurizio Distefano Licensing.

Masha and the Bear, one of the most popular cartoons in Italy, will be available for 15 different Samsung tablets*, including the latest Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 and Tab A 10.5, featuring innovative technical specs to make entertainment easier and more interesting anywhere, anytime.

Samsung is committed to security, and the whole Tablet portfolio is further proof of how the company is taking care of its users even from a security standpoint. The parental control feature allows all children to enjoy multimedia content in a more independent, secure and protected way.

A television campaign featuring Masha and the Bear together with Samsung devices will kick off on December 9^th, covering the main children’s tv networks.

Samsung tablet portfolio has been designed to meet every consumer need and their state-of-the-art technology guarantees an engaging and safe Tablet experience. Samsung tablets’ unique features make them the perfect companions to enjoy all the digital content of Masha & the Bear world.

The contents of Masha and the Bear will be available on 15 different Samsung Tab that can be purchased in the main electronics and online shops.

Maurizio Distefano Licensing (MDL), which manages licensing for the Masha and the Bear brand in Italy, has brokered this major agreement that brings together the popular children’s characters Masha and the Bear and Samsung.

*Tab E, Tab E, Tab A 10.1, Tab A 10.1, Tab A 10.5, Tab A 10.5, Tab S2 8, Tab S2 9.7, Tab S3, Tab S3, Tab A 7, Tab A 8, Tab S4

Thanks to Maurizio Distefano Licensing, today in kiosks the magazine for the youngest is dedicated to Bing and its friends

The popular magazine Focus Pico, edited by Mondadori and dedicated to the youngest readers, thanks to MDL agency, who manages licensing rights for the brand in Italy, has chosen Bing for a special issue ahead of Christmas.

With sweet Bing’s episodes stories to read, games and coloring pages, as well as a wide selection of stickers, the magazine will engage and entertain the younger children while waiting for Christmas, letting immerse themselves in the playful world of Bing, in an all winter version.

Bing is an award winning animated pre-school TV series that airs in Italy on Rai YoYo, with more than 15 episodes a day, that attracts children from 1 to 5 years old. Bing’s success has been lightning fast, both on television with a very high share of audience, and on social channels, where the official Italian Facebook page is already followed by more than 23,000 people just 5 months after its opening.

Adapted from Ted Dewan’s insightful books, Bing celebrates the noisy, joyful, messy reality of life when you’re a pre-schooler.

The stories are small but they are full of drama – everyday micro-dramas that all young children and the grown-ups in their lives will recognise – whether it’s dropping an ice cream or losing a favourite toy.

Precisely for this reason, Bing is becoming the favorite character of many and many Italian children.

 

Follow Bing on its official italian Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/BingBunnyItalia/ and on YouTube Italian channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2vF6YEhaKAh1uMUc58lqdg

Stores across the country to participate in two-week-long Masha superhero doll offer

 Maurizio Distefano Licensing (MDL), which manages licensing for the Masha and the Bear brand in Italy, has announced a major new partnership between the nationwide Italian toy chain Toys Center and the enormously popular children’s characters Masha and the Bear for a massive November promotion.

From 1 to 15 November 2018, in any Toys Center containing the relevant promotional material, customers who spend a minimum of €19.90 on Masha and the Bear products will be able to claim from the cash desk an amazing Masha doll – Masha the Superhero, in full superhero costume, driving her very own train!

This great offer applies exclusively to participating Toys Center shops and Masha and the Bear toys sold in those shops.

Launched in the 1990s, Toys Center has in the past fifteen years become the leading toy retailer in Italy, with over 120 stores in total, covering the length and breadth of Italy. One in every three toys sold in Italy is sold in a Toys Center store.

This two-week promotion builds on high consumer awareness of Masha and the Bear, and its success, both as a licensed brand and a TV series, with Italian families. Now in its third season, repeat showings and new episodes of Masha and the Bear are greeted with enormous enthusiasm by big audiences on both DeA Junior and Rai YoYo.

So popular is the brand that two spin-off series – Masha’s Tales and Masha’s Spooky Stories – have been created. Episodes of these three shows are also available to mobiles, PCs and tablets, and streaming on Infinity, a dedicated YouTube channel and the official Masha and the Bear Facebook page.

Maurizio Distefano, President, MDL, said: “This promotion in an enormous number of toy stores, proves, yet again, the staggering popularity of the Masha and the Bear in the pre-school market – and especially in Italy. We’re delighted to be working with the leading name in Italian retail to bring this wonderful offer to Masha and the Bear fans.”

De Agostini Editore to offer collectible Hatchlings figurines in all kiosks

Maurizio Distefano Licensing (MD Licensing), which manages licensing for the Angry Birds brand and its popular spin-off brand The Hatchlings in Italy and Switzerland, has announced that it has agreed on new Hatchlings license on behalf of brand owner Rovio Entertainment Corporation.

Leading Italian publisher DeAgostini Publishing is marketing a series of Angry Birds Hatchlings ‘Hatchies’ – colourful collectible figurines sold in flowpacks attached to the kids’ publication &Co Magazine – in all kiosks across Italy. The collectibles are going to be available at end of October.

Hatchies are based on the Hatchlings, the hilarious baby birds who rose to success with The Angry Birds Movie. Hatchies bring together the soft and bouncy Hatchlings characters with coloured casings that open up. The casings are interchangeable, so children can switch the characters round to invent new combinations. There are 12 different Hatchlings available to collect.

The Hatchlings were chosen from DeAgostini because of their enormous popularity with children. DeAgostini is supporting the Hatchies with an advertising campaign, TV spots and a dedicated site, where kiosks can register to take part in a contest linked to the initiative.

The first Angry Birds Movie in 2016, produced by Rovio Entertainment and distributed in Italy by Sony Pictures  , was released in Italian cinemas on June 15, 2016 and grossed $352 million at the world  box office. The movie sequel, produced and distributed by Sony Columbia Pictures, is in production and is set to be released in 2019.

The success of the Angry Birds mobile game series, one of the most popular the world has ever seen, and the Angry Birds Movie has driven strong licensee engagement with the Angry Birds brand in Italy.

Maurizio Distefano, President, MDL, said: “Hatchlings has a massive following among children. We’re delighted that DeAgostini Publishing is launching this wonderful and catchy product in kiosks. I’m sure Angry Birds fans all over Italy will love it.”

Sorry, this entry is only available in Italian.

Sorry, this entry is only available in Italian.

Sorry, this entry is only available in Italian.