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Gift and plush toy specialist Russ Berrie is dramatically expanding its portfolio following both acquisitions and agreements for several new licences, including Applause, Marvel and Scooby-Doo. New lines will be introduced to travel retail markets both globally and regionally, depending on the brand |
UK. Gift and plush toy specialist Russ Berrie is dramatically expanding its portfolio following both acquisitions and agreements for several new licences, including Applause, Marvel and Scooby-Doo. New lines will be introduced to travel retail markets both globally and regionally, depending on the brand.
“These new licences provide Russ Berrie with a new dimension to our product portfolio; our customers have responded very positively to this initiative,” said Russ Berrie director duty free sales Garry Stoner.
“The licences have been carefully selected to bring added value to our customers. Sales derived through these new brands will be incremental to the traditional Russ brand.”
In the first development, Russ has acquired the well-known Applause brand. “The Applause brand has been around 30-plus years and is known globally as a quality product,” said Stoner. “Adding this selection to the Russ product portfolio will offer operators an additional product style dynamic. We will launch the brand at the Duty Free Show of the Americas [in Fort Lauderdale, Florida] in April.”
The company’s new Marvel licence covers Spiderman, the Incredible Hulk and Fantastic Four for worldwide markets, excluding Spain and Portugal. Available to customers from June this year (Spiderman from March 2005), the product range includes character-themed plush toys and gifts such as mugs, picture frames, magnets, pencil toppers, key chains and bookmarks.
The Dreamworks film Madagascar is hitting screens now and Russ has secured the licence for gifts for the US and Australia (domestic and travel retail) with product available from May. The range will include plush toys, plush keyrings and backpack clips, hand puppets, picture frames, figurines and mugs.
Additional new licences feature Warner Bros’ Scooby-Doo dog and the cartoon The Adventures of Curious George. For the US, its military bases and selected US territories, plus US travel retail, Russ has secured the licence for plush gifts, finger puppets, hand puppets, magnets, mobile phone covers, available from June.
Worldwide licences, including travel retail, have been agreed for other cartoon characters including Ziggy and Keroppi, for plush and soft-bodied figures, clip-ons, keyrings, beanbags, ceramics, glass, wood and resin items; and Raggedy Ann & Andy (except Japan) to cover painted wood products, plush dolls, hand puppets and a full range of gift items.
Other agreements have been reached with footwear brand Hush Puppies, for which Russ has created a puppy plush toy which is being used as a promotion with shoe sales by Hush Puppies licensees in more than 130 countries. The toy is also being distributed in its own right through gift and toy stores in the US. Already available on the US domestic market, the range will be launched to US travel retail at the IAADFS show.
For details, contact Garry Stoner, Russ Berrie, UK, tel: +44 2380527527, email: gstoner@russberrie.com.
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