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Eight aspiring young vets will work with Doctor Assin in the new 12-episode series

Kids Vet Academy, the hit live-action show in which a group of eight aspiring vets between the ages of 10 and 13 get to train with real animals, is back!

Season two has been available as a boxset premiere on Rai Play from 23 September and can be seen every day at 8.10am on Rai Gulp from Monday 3 October.

This successful and popular show for under-14s brings eight curious, resourceful, and courageous young animal lovers together with Doctor Renato Assin, a passionate veterinarian and popular science star, to find out more about what it means to be a vet, a profession they’ve dreamed of since they were small.

It’s a fast-paced and engaging show which uses clear, understandable language to show how experts treat and care for animals, with the help of more than 50 little patients from a variety of animal species and homes – including wildlife parks, small sanctuaries, farms, shelters and veterinary clinics.

In fact the 12 new episodes will see our little would-be vets visit the Ark of the Chameleons, the Wolf Refuge, Abatino Park, the Alpaca Plain, Poggio Nebbia Farm, the 4th Mounted Carabinieri Regiment and, of course, the Academy’s headquarters. The aspiring animal doctors will visit – and help to treat – dogs, cats, rabbits and piglets as well as dromedaries, alpacas, horses, ostriches, zebu, monkeys, roe deer, giant millipedes, snakes and many other species!

As well as Renato Assin the programme stars Marina Borgonovo, Alessandro Caputi, Eva Del Grande, Michelle Gallo, Ermanno Longo, Matilde Marzetti, Jacopo Misso and Vasco Kien Nicoletti.

Kids Vet Academy has been developed by Annalisa Del Grande and Federica Petruccioli, with creative direction by Alessandra Cortese. It is produced by TV Com of Rome in collaboration with Rai Kids.

“Kids Vet Academy is unique,” explains Maurizio Distefano, president of the Maurizio Distefano Licensing agency, licensing agent for Italy for the property. “It is a reality show with a strong educational component that allows children to get closer to the world of animals, learn about them and care for them. We are delighted that it is part of our portfolio and thrilled that we are building a strong licensing programme based on the success of the series.”

The collection will be available for Fall/Winter 22-23 season and it is Made in Italy

To BE Too, a brand produced and distributed by Casillo Group, presents the new Fall Winter 22-23 collection: a breath of fresh air that, through the warm and delicate tones of chocolate, vanilla and milk, launches the Back To School season with a modern and romantic collection for little girls. The garments range from sporty looks and to bon-ton and super fashionable outfits. Tulle, feathers, and lurex are paired with everyday fabrics such as denim and knits for a sporty-chic effect that has always been the hallmark of the brand. The colour palette includes delicate nuances such as milk white, beige and pink contrasted with bright tones of fuchsia, turquoise and orange, a casual style that doesn’t go unnoticed.

Among the important new additions to the Fall Winter 22-23 collection, To be Too offers an exclusive capsule entirely Made In Italy, created in collaboration with Charlotte M., the Italian content creator, Youtuber and TikToker who at only 14 years old has her own successful brand and boasts a digital community of more than one million followers. Young, ironic and fashionable, with a passion for acting, music, dancing, singing, writing and a unique artistic streak, Charlotte M. is one of the fastest rising talented teenagers in the social world and more generally in the artistic, literary and musical fields.

Maurizio Distefano, President of Maurizio Distefano Licensing agency says, “For Charlotte M., and for us who represent her WW, 2022 has been a very important year from the licensing point of view: high quality Charlotte M. products have been launched, with fun and trendy graphics that always meet fans’ tastes, To Be Too collection is an example. Charlotte’s enthusiasm and qualities are the driving force behind her success: this capsule collection represents the dream of every fashion-addicted teenager who mirrors herself in the content creator, and the collaboration with To Be Too has been invaluable in making it all come true.”

Her popularity is unstoppable and thanks to her simple and direct style she has quickly won the hearts of her fans and of To Be Too, with whom she has created a capsule that fully reflects her style. The looks bring back the iconic and representative elements chosen and designed by Charlotte such as the ever-present pink flamingo that is on the three garments designed by her just for the brand.  A sporty and impactful look bearing Charlotte’s signature on the cropped sweater, sweatshirt and jogger made in three different colours: white, turquoise and pink.

To Be Too’s Fall Winter 22-23 collection is divided between the Baby collection, available from ages 3 to 8, and the Junior collection, dedicated to teenage girls and available from ages 9 to 16.

For her flamingos (as Charlotte calls her fans) it will be impossible to be without this collection for back-to-school!

Maurizio Distefano Licensing announces retail and licensing growth well into 2023

Maurizio Distefano Licensing, Italian agent for the BBC Studios’ property Bluey, has announced a busy second half of the year for the wildly popular animated hit as the Bluey licensing programme continues to grow.

Summer began with the launch of the Fabbri Editori-branded Mondadori book series, including an activity book and three novelty books inspired by episodes from the series. In June Dulcop launched a line of Bluey soap bubbles and Grabo launched fairground balloons featuring characters from the series.

In July PonPon Edizioni with activity arts & crafts albums and magic pen albums hit the newsstands so kids can have fun and colouring as they relax under their sunshades. September will see the publication of the first Bluey magazine in the Italian market, accompanied by fabulous free gifts every month.

And retail activity will accelerate in Q3 2022. Diramix will distribute a Bluey sticker album in kiosks, inside which little fans of the Blue Heeler puppy can use stickers to fill in stories; Multiprint will launch stamp sets for summer and the back-to-school period; Clementoni plans super colour puzzles in different sizes; and Ravensburger will launch jigsaw puzzles featuring scenes from the show.

Christmas and 2023 are already looking busy. Dolfin is planning a very sweet Epiphany 2023 stocking full of treats and surprises and a chocolate egg dedicated to the animated series for Easter 2023. Ciao will launch a Bluey carnival costume in Q1 2023, followed by seasonal themed games. And for meet and greets and special events, SoLuna is onto a winner with a Bluey character costume, which will bring the lovable little puppy closer to her fans.

And that’s not all. Many more announcements and launches are expected throughout this summer and the coming months – sustainability is key with all new products and licensees work closely with BBC Studios to keep this at the forefront and to ensure these requirements are met.

The continuing growth of the Bluey licensing programme has underlined the popularity of the show. Bluey has won the hearts of children and parents around the world since its launch in Australia in October 2018 – and continues to do so.

In Italy Bluey launched on Rai YoYo in December 2021, and then on the Italian YouTube channel in January 2022. Maurizio Distefano Licensing was confirmed as the property’s agent from an early stage and it wasn’t long before the potential of the property was confirmed with a toy line that was launched by Giochi Preziosi in May 2022.

The series has inspired and engaged viewers of all ages around the world. Each episode centres around play, with Bluey and her sister Bingo creating new adventures which draw in their family and friends. The show is praised for its modern yet relatable portrayal of family life and a sense of humour and imagination which draws in both kids and their parents, who find Bluey‘s charm truly impossible to resist!

Joe Brumm, Bluey’s Australian creator, has masterfully blended many ingredients: a playful but down-to-earth tone, a brisk pace, simple, straightforward relatable plots, with a lightness of touch that is never superficial.

“We are proud to have brought Bluey to Italy. It’s a property that clearly had massive potential right from the start as Rai confirmed when it chose Bluey for its programming schedule.” says Maurizio Distefano, president of the agency. “That potential has been more than underlined with the success and growth of the licensing programme. Bluey is a wonderful property with very strong prospects, both now and in the long term.”

2023 release date announced for the first starring role of the wildly popular influencer

The first film from the hugely popular YouTuber and TikTokker Charlotte M. is on its way!

The young content creator .who has been a hit on the web since 2016 with numbers exceeding one million on TikTok and YouTube, is now the star of the soon-to-be released Charlotte M. – The Flamingo Party film.

Produced by Notorious Pictures and directed by Emanuele Pisano, the film, to be released in early 2023, tells the story of young Charlotte, in her first year of high school, dealing with adolescence and much more with her hallmark creativity and spontaneity.

In the film the flamingo oasis near her grandmother’s country home, a place she loves, is about to close due to lack of funding. So, together with her inseparable companion Sofia and other friends, she decides to organize a fundraising event to save the oasis: a school dance. But things don’t go entirely to plan – especially after the arrival of a new boy in town.

Like the content that has made her popular, the film is about the real life of teenagers, dealing with themes such as great friendship, intense first loves, and above all self-acceptance. These reflect the themes that Charlotte M. herself deals with in an accessible, relatable way for her young audience, not just in her social media content but also in the books and comics she has written and devised, and of course her songs. In fact the film will include two new music tracks performed by the influencer herself.

Charlotte M.’s enormous success is down to her ability to reflect real teenage life, making herself a reference point for her peers looking for inspiration. She’s a teenage influencer whose success is founded not just on appearance but on diverse content that includes music, poetry, singing, acting and writing.

This project is the latest triumph in a year full of successes that include the release of Charlotte M.’s latest single “Best Friend”, a real fan favourite, and her third book “La Mia Vita Segreta”, published by Fabbri Editori.

She’s also a licensing star. Giochi Preziosi has created a fantastic line of backpacks, pencil cases, a diary and stationery based on Charlotte’s unmistakable style for the back-to-school 2022 market, while Easy Shoes has launched a spring/summer 2022 collection of sneakers in four different colours; a new collection is due for the autumn/winter season.

Mitama meanwhile has launched a collection of Charlotte M. accessories under the heading Glitter, with stationery items that include notepads, a transparent glitter case and six-colour pen, a slime kit in two colours, a secret diary (with lock), a water bottle and a super fashion bag.

Salati Prezios has brought special Charlotte M. crisps to supermarkets; inside each bag are colourful Charlotte M. stickers; Cerealitalia, with the Dolci Preziosi brand, came out with an Easter egg for Easter 2022 and already has plans for an Epiphany stocking in January 2023.

In addition, last May Charlotte M. was a guest at Leolandia, the children’s amusement park, for a very exciting special appearance for her fans – known as flamingos – including songs and meet-and-greets.

Maurizio Distefano, president of the agency, says, ” It’s very exciting to follow the development of this property, which is constantly evolving and always rewarding, thanks to wonderful collaborations and projects that make the most of the many talents of Charlotte M. And now there’s a new film! Fans will, I suspect, be looking forward with enormous excitement and anticipation to Charlotte M. – The Flamingo Party film ahead its release in early 2023. The Charlotte M. story just gets bigger and better every day!”

Building on the ongoing success and immense popularity of the hit pre-school show, Bing, Acamar Films have signed a brand new multi-year deal with subscription based streaming service, Disney+ in Italy.

Bing celebrates the messy, joyful reality of pre-school life and finds the big stories in the little moments. These stories represent the everyday dramas that all young children and the grown-ups in their lives will recognise.

From 24 August, all 104 Italian episodes of Bing will be available to stream on Disney+ via TV, mobiles, tablets and gaming consoles. Episodes will also be available to download from these devices so that Bingsters can watch their favourite character and stories anywhere, anytime.

Eroulla Constantine, Director of Sales & Distribution at Acamar Films, said: “We’re thrilled to be launching Bing with such a significant streaming platform and to strengthen our relationship with Disney. This is yet another fantastic opportunity for our audience in Italy to engage with their favourite show. Our relationships with Italian and global partners are flourishing, and we look forward to more Bing success.”

First launched in Italy in 2018, Bing has experienced great success thanks to a multi-platform distribution strategy and robust licensing program in collaboration with Maurizio Distefano Licensing. Bing episodes are currently available to watch on Rai Yoyo, DeA Junior, Vodafone TV, Amazon Prime Video, TIMVision, a dedicated Bing YouTube channel  and the all-in-one Bing app, ‘Bing: Guarda, Gioca, Impara’.

Eagerly-awaited new season of Emmy Award-winning series features brilliant new family-centred adventures

Maurizio Distefano Licensing, agent for Italy of Bluey, the Emmy^® Award-winning sensation that has won over families worldwide, announces its Season Three debut on August 10 on Disney+ in Italy and around the world[1].

Created and written by Joe Brumm and produced by the multiple Emmy^® Award-winning Ludo Studio for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and BBC Studios, the new season of the breakout hit series will be split into two parts. The first features 25 seven-minute stories that will bring even more hilariously relatable everyday moments of family life to audiences everywhere. The second half of Season Three will be available at a later date.

“Love for Bluey has exploded among viewers across the globe, and we’re delighted to debut another exciting season that will give fans more opportunities to spend time with Bluey and family,” said Henrietta Hurford-Jones, Director of Children’s Content Partnerships, BBC Studios. “We’re so happy to be working with a partner like Disney that shares our enthusiasm for the series, which has become part of the cultural zeitgeist and a co-viewing winner worldwide.”

“We’ve been creating Bluey together for over five years at Ludo and every day is a privilege to turn up and create the show with each artist at the studio. We love this crew, we love this cast and we’re so proud and happy that their work is being welcomed and loved by homes around the world,” said Charlie Aspinwall and Daley Pearson, Executive Producers and Co-Founders, Ludo Studio.

Widely lauded by parents and press alike for its heartfelt and funny portrayal of family life and celebration of play, the series follows Bluey, a 6-year-old Blue Heeler dog, who loves to play and turns everyday family life into extraordinary adventures that unfold in unpredictable and hilarious ways, bringing her family – including younger sister Bingo and parents Bandit and Chilli – as well as friends and community into her world of fun and discovery.

The third season builds on the series’ first two multi-award-winning seasons with new friends and locations. The premiering episodes also include a range of home-based stories that reflect, in humorous and sometimes poignant detail, the usual and unexpected occurrences of everyday family life with relatable themes such as making dad a birthday breakfast, keeping promises, and getting one’s own bedroom. Season Three will also feature original takes on games, like Musical Statues and Pass the Parcel, among others.

The series has enjoyed critical success internationally, winning an International Emmy^® Award in the Preschool category in 2020. Most recently, Bluey has earned four 2021 Kidscreen Awards (Best Animated Series, Best Directing, Best Writing, Best Music), a 2021 Rockie Award (Best Animation Program for Pre-school Viewers), a 2021 ARIA Award for Best Children’s Album, the 2021 AACTA Best Children’s Program, a nomination for Best Animated Series at the 27th Critics’ Choice Awards.

Jointly commissioned by BBC Studios & ABC, Bluey is produced by Ludo Studio in association with Screen Queensland and Screen Australia.

Starting from July 4^th, Bing episodes in English are on air in addition to the usual programming.

There’s a big news for all Italian Bingsters, little fans of Acamar Films animated series Bing, International Emmy Award-winning pre-school series, represented in Italy by Maurizio Distefano Licensing: Bing’s English language episodes are on air on Rai Yoyo from July 4^th until September 10^th, daily, with two episodes from 10.45 a.m.

All 78 English episodes of the series will also be available to watch at any time on Rai Play since the 4^th of July too and on Bing’s official app “Bing: Watch, Play, Learn”.

The great success achieved both on Rai Yoyo and Rai Play by Bing episodes in Italian and by Series 4, brought Rai in investing in this outstanding pre-school property even more: Bing content continues to maintain very high audience peaks throughout the target audience (1-4 y.o. kids).

Bing’s show launched on Italian TV screens in February 2018 and quickly grew in popularity, fueling more and more interest among his little fans for Consumer Products. Today a wide licensing program touches different product categories, with more than 40 active licensees list that comprehends the most important licensing partners. Little fans love Bing and Flop presence at Leolandia, the amusement park for little ones: the experience doesn’t stop with a live show dedicated to Bing where Bingsters can meet the characters and sing Rainybow Song. The partnership with Leolandia is set to last years in the future with a lot of news to come.

Maurizio Distefano, MDL President, says: “Bing has become a fixed appointment for all children who are passionate about his little daily adventures and this one is a precious occasion for all Bingsters to learn English in a fun and entertaining way, by playing and watching their beloved Bing”.

MICHELA MARCHESE PATTI & MAURIZIO DISTEFANO REVEAL THE SECRETS OF THEIR AGENCY’S SUCCESS

As the end of the first half of 2022 approaches, it is time for companies to take stock. How is the entertainment world changing? Which names will be the ones to watch in terms of property over the next few months? Maurizio Distefano and Michela Marchese Patti, founding partners of the Maurizio Distefano Licensing agency, explain how and why they have a reputation for spotting winners.

MLD ENT: Is there a secret to your success?

“The secret is the ability to understand the potential of each property or brand right from the start, to believe in it and to help it to grow.

“As far as we are concerned, that ability is the direct result of building a great deal of valuable experience over time – experience that has allowed us to plan a strategy that helps us to choose the properties and brands that are right for this agency. You could almost say that our background in this business has given us a sort of vast database of experience that helps and encourages us to pursue success – but never to forget the needs of the market. These are the factors that have made so many of our choices winning ones.”

MLD ENT: And this achievement has been recognized very recently…

“That’s right. Every year, License Global publishes an annual list of the best licensing companies and agents in the world based on turnover – and, according to the data, ours was the number one licensing agency in Italy, the second across Europe, and the 37th in the world. For us that result is very encouraging – confirming and rewarding our daily work and commitment, you might say. It’s also a great honour to be recognised by such an authoritative source in our industry.”

MLD ENT: Which direction are you going?

“The first half of the year went really well – in line with our expectations in fact, despite the upheavals we’re all living through at the moment. We are only too aware, for example, of price increases and the scarcity of raw materials. These are ongoing concerns for our licensees.

And of course, working has become increasingly complex in recent years, not least in the pandemic and post-pandemic era.

We must be able to establish priorities and organize the time that we have at our disposal – and I think that’s exactly what we are doing.”

MLD ENT: What are the goals for the next few months?

“The same as every year: our main goal is to satisfy the needs of our clients and partners. It’s not just about chasing numbers: our aim is always to guarantee we can provide an excellent service to the licensees and licensors we represent, to do an excellent job with the utmost professionalism.

Only by working with dedication and passion can you be sure you are going in the right direction. It’s the best way to get results.”

MLD ENT: Moving on to projects in the young adult target market, how did LIFE’s collaboration with Benetton and Clementoni come about?

“The project with Benetton [Michela says] came about thanks to a successful collaboration between the company and our product development people. Benetton is an international fashion brand with a strong, stylish, almost avant-garde image. LIFE had to be a perfect match for this brand. The strength of the project was down to the iconic nature of the LIFE images and the extraordinarily high level of awareness that comes with this famous magazine and its long history. The result was a beautiful collection for men, women and children: a showcase of the most beautiful images of LIFE that combined beautifully with the Benetton style and attitude.”

“Another project with LIFE was developed with Clementoni [Maurizio adds]. With this brand it was important to find a way to develop puzzles and products that had an adult and family appeal. In this regard it was interesting to explore how puzzles are no longer just about play; they can be seen as real design objects with an intrinsic value. It’s not just about the fun of putting the puzzle together. There’s a real joy in showing off these iconic photos.

Indeed, they are photographic works of art, like paintings.”

MLD ENT: Charlie Chaplin, Albert Einstein and Corto Maltese have recently expanded the agency’s offer in the celebrities category…

“These are iconic names known all around the world. We’re proud to have been chosen as agents for Italy for these properties. We are now working on projects that will open the door to some really interesting collaborations.

“Corto Maltese is a character brand with a strong image, a mix of artistic storytelling with elements of dreams, adventure and beauty. Charlie Chaplin and Albert Einstein are two people who changed the world with their ideas and discoveries. Iconic elements such as Chaplin’s bowler hat or walking stick are part of the style guide, of course, but used in innovative, high-impact and recognizable ways, ideal for personalizing product lines.”

MLD ENT: You’ve had enormous successes with your preschool property portfolio. What’s the news here?

“Moonbug Entertainment has entrusted our agency with the management of all its properties: CoComelon, Little Baby Bum, Blippi and My Magic Pet Morphle… These phenomenally successful YouTube-inspired brands have also been popular in other media by reflecting the changes in how kids access entertainment and thus have expanded the market into new areas.

“Bing, Masha and the Bear, Bluey, ALVINNN !!! and the Chipmunks and Gigantosaurus just keep on being successful. They’re very different from each other but all wildly popular with young viewers, and massive drivers for the success of the many companies on board as licensees.”

MLD ENT: But it’s not just about TV. What can you tell us about Charlotte M.?

“The versatility and professionalism of Charlotte M, despite her relative youth, make her perfect for a variety of projects. For example, at the moment she is voicing an important animated film that will be released in Q4 2022. And July will see the start of shooting of a new film where she will star as an actress and singer. This new film is expected to reach theatres in Q1 2023. As you can imagine, the flamingo fans are already very excited – and so are we!”

YouTube and Tik-Tok star comes to Italy’s popular amusement park

Maurizio Distefano Licensing, worldwide licensing agent for Charlotte M., has announced plans for a live appearance by the YouTube and Tik-Tok star at the end of May at Leolandia, Italy’s popular amusement park for kids.

Situated in a beautiful green space close to Milan, with eight themed areas and 50 attractions suitable for all ages, this park welcomes young and old alike with a schedule full of shows starring the most-watched cartoon characters and children’s favourites on TV and the web, and Charlotte M., with over one million followers on both YouTube and Tik-Tok, and a new single Best Friend picking up over one million views already, is certain to be a major attraction.

The exclusive event will be held on Saturday, 28 May when Charlotte M. will meet her fans at both 12:00 noon and 3:00 p.m. She will sing some of her most famous songs on the Minitalia Stage. There will also be meet and greets when the young “flamingos”, as her fans are known, can say hello.

A few very lucky flamingos will be able both to talk to Charlotte M. and take a photo with her by purchasing an exclusive voucher on the Leolandia website at https://www.leolandia.it/charlotte-m-evento-speciale-28-maggio.html

The event is being strongly supported by Leolandia through promotions on the park’s social media and Charlotte M.’s own channels. A landing page has been dedicated to the event on the park’s website, helping fans to find out more.

This is a big year for the young YouTuber. In July, filming of her first movie will begin, while Charlotte M. products, inspired by her enormously popular videos, books and songs, are already on the market and many are more on the way. Maurizio Distefano Licensing has already entered into a number of new licensing agreements with leading Italian companies that plan to launch Charlotte M.-branded products during 2022.

“We are delighted with this partnership with Leolandia,” says Maurizio Distefano, president of Maurizio Distefano Licensing. “At a time when Charlotte M.’s popularity is soaring we are sure her many fans will be thrilled to see her in person. With a movie on the way and a fast-growing licensing programme in progress, this is certain to be a big year for this major social media star.”

“For the summer season, Leolandia aims to further boost the park’s exciting daily schedule with special and exclusive content for families,” says David Tommaso, Leolandia’s Director of Marketing and Sales. “As well as rides, animated entertainment, shows and chances to see cartoon characters loved by the little ones, there will be a series of appearances by talented and successful young stars, such as the one scheduled on Saturday with Charlotte M., which is specially designed to ensure that all fans of the young YouTuber have a truly unforgettable experience. Because – as we love to say – in Leolandia all this is real!”

Acamar Films has been celebrating storytelling for World Book Day with Bing and all his fans in Italy. Bing stories portray authentic characters and relatable moments that help pre-schoolers to understand and recognise the multitude of emotions they experience each day. The campaign involved various online, retail and on-air collaborations to emphasize the importance of sharing stories with little ones as they grow.

In the week leading up to World Book Day on Saturday 23 April, Acamar Films partnered with the biggest father online community, Superpapà, to drive valuable content to its extensive social media network with special videos, articles and posts.

Three influencer fathers, part of Superpapà’s network, brought to life the popular Bing book, Bing – Festa per pupazzi, with an entertaining family storytelling video. The videos show engaged and excited Bingfans as their fathers (and mothers and siblings!) read the story all together. The videos are now available to watch on each influencer’s social platforms and a special compilation read along video will premiere on Bing’s Italian Facebook page and Superpapa’s channels on Saturday 23 April.

In addition to this partnership, Acamar Films ended the week with a social media party on their Italian Bing Facebook page with games, activities and quizzes. Fans were asked to engage with questions such as, “What’s your Bingfans favourite Bing story” and “What are your favourite books to read together”.

Bing’s partners in Italy have also been celebrating World Book Day. Publishing partner, Giunti, has been carrying out a gift-with-purchase promotion from now until 13 May for their wide range of Bing books at all Giunti al Punto and LaFeltrinelli bookshops in Italy. Bing was also part of Rai Yoyo’s weeklong on-air and social media campaign culminating with a special World Book Day programming event on 23 April.

“Condividere storie… è una cosa da Bing!”

For the first time since the founding of Masha and the Bear, Animaccord has conducted a large-scale rebranding, releasing a new Core Guide that presents huge renovations: a new logo looks more elegant and modern; new corporate colours offer greater print opportunities as well as updated corporate fonts and new décor encompass the best graphic trends.

Maurizio Distefano Licensing, agent for Masha and the Bear in Italy, is happy to share with all licensees and future partners the opportunity to refresh the upcoming collections of Consumer Products, proving that evergreen Masha and the Bear brand has become a “new classic” that never stops renewing itself.

In the main style guide, all licensees can now find new images and poses of the characters, high-quality backgrounds, new colour palettes, icons, patterns and graphic elements. To make the branding process easier there have been added fresh design solutions, stills from the latest episodes, new textures, updated vector graphics, along with new quotes from Masha.

Also, two new guides on packaging and point of sale have been developed with ready-made designs for different types of packaging that can be easily adapted to the desired height for a product and will be ready to print. In the POS guide, ready-made options for any budget can be found, to create impressive and immersive experiences in point of sales, to enchant more and more all Masha and the Bear little fans.

To demonstrate the variability of the use of the new branding and its elements, a catalogue of various products has been created. Be the first to discover the “new classics” of this rebrand!

Easy Shoes collaboration is part of a busy year for the web star

The respected licensing agency Maurizio Distefano Licensing, the worldwide licensing agent for the popular young web star Charlotte M., has announced that the Charlotte M. spring 2022 shoe collection has arrived.

Designed by Charlotte M. with her target generation Z audience very much in mind and produced by Italian footwear specialist Easy Shoes, these beautiful sneakers in four different colours (pink, white, black and blue jean) are available now in major shoe stores and retail chains across Italy. Not only that but every purchase includes a special gift: a pair of super-cool Charlotte M. cat-eyes sunglasses.

To support the launch of the sneakers, Charlotte M. herself has begun a campaign on her very popular social media outlets and is also the starring in the supporting TV commercial (which you can see on www.easyshoes.it), to be aired on the main children’s channels.

Charlotte M. is a social media sensation, with, to date, over a million subscribers on YouTube and TikTok and nearly 150,000 followers on Instagram. Her creative talents extend to singing, writing, acting and more.

She’s the singer on four songs, “Best Friends”, “Hola Flamingo”, “I loove you” and “Buum Buum”, available on YouTube and streaming on Spotify. She’s also the author of three books published by Fabbri Editori. The first two “Un’estate al college infestato” (A Summer at a Haunted College) and “Un amore oltreoceano” (An Overseas Love) came out in 2020 and 2021. The latest “Charlotte M. La mia vita segreta”, (My Secret Life) published in February 2022, is a comic book adventure with a significant role for Charlotte M.’s favourite animal symbol, the flamingo.

Much more is planned for 2022, including a starring role in a new movie, a TV series and many more licensing launches.

Charlotte M. products, inspired by her enormously popular videos, are already on the market and many are more on the way. Maurizio Distefano Licensing has already entered into a number of new licensing agreements with leading Italian companies that plan to launch Charlotte M.-branded products during 2022.

The Charlotte M. story began at the age of eight when she started making videos in her room for fun and posting them on YouTube. YouTube viewers took notice, her videos became more polished and professional, and her audience grew.

Charlotte M. is especially popular among teenage girls, who love the humour and spontaneity with which she talks about her life and the topics that affect her life – and, of course, their lives: first crushes, friendship, arguments, going to school and how she fills her free time.

Massimo De Laurentis, President of Easy Shoes, comments: “Charlotte M. is fantastic! Our partnership with her and Maurizio Distefano Licensing has inspired us to produce some truly innovative and high-quality products for her fans and is all set to be a great success.”

Maurizio Distefano, President of MDL, says, “We are thrilled to be partnering with Easy Shoes for the Charlotte M. brand. Easy Shoes has captured the essence of the brand and Charlotte’s style with a collection that will blow all of her fans away!.”

Charlie Chaplin and Albert Einstein and expands the agency’s celebrities category offer

Maurizio Distefano Licensing partners has been named agency of record for the Italian market by Greenlight for two iconic celebrities: Charlie Chaplin and Albert Einstein. These two icons are recognized worldwide as pioneers in their field, the first as a comedian and silent film star, the second as a physicist and revolutionary Nobel Prize winner.

Charlie Chaplin gave rise to one of the most emblematic characters in the cinematic production of his years: Charlot led the tramp figure to universal fame and was able to speak to his audience with elegant irreverence, highlighting with purity and simplicity the problems that society was facing in the first half of the 20th century.

His smart and sophisticated comedy is still a hit with audiences, in a collection of more than ninety films of which he was director,  actor, writer, and later music composer (“The Kid”, “The Gold Rush”,  “Modern Times”, “The Great Dictator”, and “Limelight” are just some of his most famous titles).

The iconographic elements linked to Charlie Chaplin are truly unique: his crumpled clothes, instantly recognizable bowler hat, his cane, his funny walk, and his unmistakable mustache have created an exclusive and characteristic image.

Albert Einstein, on the other hand, brought to light modern physics: his discoveries gave an unparalleled contribution to civilization today, through the development of revolutionary theories of electronics, astronomy and quantum mechanics, of which he was one of the founders.

His Theory of Relativity is one of the most important scientific revelations in the history of man and it determined his fame and notoriety. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in for the year 1921, in particular, for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect.

It goes without saying that in Einstein’s iconography in the world represents a symbol, rooted in human thought. In the collective imagination, the scientist figure refers to him: the genius represented with his disheveled hair that defies gravity and mustache.

These two celebrities offer a very rich styleguide full of iconic elements ready to be picked up by licensee companies and through which they can explore infinite possibilities of use of the property: from clothing to accessories, passing through stationery and costume jewelry, and finally home and living, giving space to creativity with truly unique products.

Maurizio Distefano, President of the agency, states: “We are thrilled to have welcomed such iconic and globally relevant celebrities into our portfolio: their uniqueness and the universally recognized images attached to them make us proud of the partnership with Greenlight, who boasts an unparalleled experience in global licensing deals. Being chosen as their Italian agents is, once more, a source of great encouragement, with projects that will certainly give space to further interesting collaborations.”

“Greenlight is proud to name the Maurizio Distefano Licensing the agency of record for the Italian market. We believe their connectivity and expertise in the industry will bring many licensing opportunities to our two beloved icons,” states Ryan Kernan, VP Greenlight.

LIFE collaborations with Clementoni and Benetton honoured in two major categories

Maurizio Distefano Licensing (MDL), which manages licensing for a number of major brands in the Italian market, has enjoyed success in two major categories at the 2022 Bologna Licensing Awards. Both wins recognise MDL’s work with LIFE – a brand inspired by one of the most the iconic names in 20^th century photojournalism.

The partnership between educational toy company Clementoni and LIFE won Best Adult Licensing Project for a collection of licensed puzzles using LIFE imagery. The puzzles were praised for their distinctive design, which created strong branding on a challenging product type thanks to the highly effective use of iconic LIFE images.

Another MDL-inspired partnership – between global fashion brand Benetton and LIFE – won the Best Adult Fashion Project category for using LIFE magazine’s magnificent shots in a new collection of organic t-shirts and sweatshirts. Benetton’s collection impressed the jury both for the garment designs and for the effectiveness of the supporting campaign, which enjoyed strong coverage.

The awards ceremony took place in the evening of 21 March at Palazzo Re Enzo, in the heart of Bologna on day one of the 14th edition of the four-day Bologna Licensing Trade Fair 2022. The Bologna Licensing Awards are the only awards in the field of licensing in Italy and on this occasion assessed more than 130 projects from all over Europe.

The awards recognised the best licensing projects developed during 2020 and 2021 in preschool, kids, teen and adult markets, in categories that included retail, fashion, publishing, promotion and kiosk. There was also an award for best property of 2021.

Award-winning products and projects in the individual categories were on display for all visitors to the show in specially designed showcases.

The jury, all respected members of the licensing industry, included: Ivan Colecchia, Business Development Senior VicePresident at BrandTrends; Lisa Hryniewicz, Owner of Koko Rose Media, an expert in media, children’s IP development and strategic marketing for over 25 years; Helena Mansell-Stopher, Managing Director and Founder of Products of Change, an online hub for sustainability aimed at licensed consumer goods; Cecilia Padula , VP Kids & Family Brand South Europe, Middle East and Africa for Paramount Global, with extensive experience in television, media and entertainment; and Will Pearce, Managing Director of The Insights Family.

Since its first issue in November 1936, LIFE magazine has been the most respected source and collection of photojournalism in the world. Its photojournalists immortalized some of the most significant events of the 20th century from many fields including celebrity, history, fashion, sports, cinema and nature. There’s no doubt that its iconic images have withstood the test of time. This brand strength, along with the continuing relevance of its imagery, has driven a licensing campaign on which MDL has been working with partners in such categories as apparel, stationery, wall art, puzzles and homewares.

Maurizio Distefano says, “These awards are recognition both of the power of a unique brand and of the hard work done by the MDL team with Clementoni and Benetton in bringing LIFE imagery so effectively to such diverse product areas. We are thrilled to be honoured at Italy’s premier licensing awards.”

Maurizio Distefano Licensing ranked number one agency in Italy and number two in Europe

Maurizio Distefano Licensing, which manages licensing for a number of major brands in the Italian market, has been placed at the top of the License Global magazine agent rankings for 2022 in the Italian market.

The recently announced License Global rankings not only place Maurizio Distefano Licensing as the number one agency in Italy. Maurizio Distefano Licensing was also placed second in Europe and 37^th worldwide.

Maurizio Distefano Licensing’s success is underlined by its ability to successfully manage a portfolio of properties across a wide variety of brand areas.

It has of course long enjoyed enormous success representing hit animated series like Bing, Bluey, ALVINNN!!! And the Chipmunks, Gigantosaurus and Masha and the Bear.

However, it has had a great response to its growing portfolio of fashion brands, like young Italian stylist Filippo Laterza and the PREMOLI + DI BELLA brand inspired by the work of creative directors Giovanni Premoli and Dario Di Bella.

Iconic cultural brands like LIFE, Asterix, ISA (International Space Archives) and La Gazzetta dello Sport are also managed by MDL in Italy as are some of the most famous bands and musical artists in history: Motorhead, Backstreet Boys, Whitney Huston, David Bowie, The Police, Pink Floyd, to name only a few. MDL also represents the incredibly successful teen influencer and content creator Charlotte M.

Reinforcing the strong reputation Maurizio Distefano Licensing enjoys, it has announced recent addition to its portfolio that include comic book legend Corto Maltese.

Maurizio Distefano says, “It’s been a tough twelve months for the licensing industry but with hard work and attention to detail we have not only continued offering a first-class service to our valuable existing clients but we have also enriched our portfolio with some popular and iconic names. We’re delighted that this hard work has allowed us to retain our place among Europe’s elite.”

Acamar Films’ International Emmy Award-winning pre-school series Bing continues to go from strength to strength, thanks to a significant new deal signed with Italian free TV broadcast partner Rai.

Bing – currently rated currently #1 on the Rai YoYo app – has enjoyed huge commercial success in Italy following its launch in 2018. This new deal further strengthens the partnership between Acamar Films and Rai, with an extenstion of rights for Bing Series 1-3, and the acquisition of Series 4. Italian audiences will be treated to the latest 26 episodes before the end of this year.

As part of Acamar Films’ multiplatform distribution strategy, Italian episodes of Bing are also available to stream and download (along with a suite of learning games and activities) via the recently launched Bing app ‘Bing: Guarda, Gioca, Impara’, and via Bing’s Italian language YouTube channel – which currently generates an average of around 30 million views each month.

Bing will continue to be available via Italian VOD platform TIMVision (who are currently producing Bing’s first ever sign language version) and on DeA Junior where it is the #1 show on-air. Bing will make its Amazon Prime Video Italy debut in October.

Annalisa Liberi, Head of Acquisitions, Rai Ragazzi, said: “We are very happy Bing’s principal Italian home continues to be Rai Yoyo, the leading children’s TV channel in the country. Our kids truly love and enjoy Bing, easily sharing the feelings and emotions that are part of growing up.”

Eroulla Constantine, Director of Sales & Distribution, Acamar Films, said: “Our latest deal with Rai confirms that Bing is as strong as ever and becoming a truly global evergreen icon. Having recently won ‘Property of the Year’ for 2019 at the Bologna Licensing Awards we know that Bing is a firm favourite among pre-schoolers in Italy. We hope to continue to strengthen our relationship broadcasters and digital platforms with our presence at MIPCOM Online+ in October, and are eager to connect with new partners.”

Produced by Acamar Films and Dublin-based partners Brown Bag Films, award-winning Bing has seen extraordinary success since it launched in the UK in 2014 and has now been licensed to 130 territories. Constantly working to expand its international growth, Acamar’s Media Sales team are currently looking for opportunities in untapped areas including Latin America and key Asian countries.

Acamar Films will be at MIPCOM Online+. Search for “Acamar Films” or use this URL if you have an event account: https://matchmaking.grip.events/mipcomonlineplus/app/profile/3921881

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