Television series, consumer products and special projects to support the franchises.
Last Tuesday evening, in the heart of Milan, within the historic setting of the Cloisters of San Barnaba, Viacom Italy presented at the annual appointment of the Nickelodeon Licensing Meeting, the latest news of Consumer Product Division, coming within next months and beyond. The appointment was led by Nadia Caron, Senior Director of Viacom Italia, Greece and Turkey, who alternated on stage in chronological order: Mark Kingston, Senior VP International Consumer Products; Felix Ruoff, VP Consumer Products SWEMEA; Morena D’Incoronato, VP Research & Portfolio Strategy; Sergio del Prete, VP Editorial Content; Francesca Gottardi, Retail & Marketing Manager; Carl Raven, International Sales Director; Cinzia Gerasi, Hasbro Marketing Manager; Luca Montesion, Licensing Manager Brand and Licensing and Retail of Juventus; Lorenzo Incantalupo, Senior Marketing Director of Viacom Italia and Paolo Piantoni, Nickelodeon Marketing Manager.
Viacom Italia‘s Licensing activity has always focused on the kids world, linked to the properties of the preschool area of NickJr (Sky channel 603) and the Nickelodeon school area (Sky channel 605). Nickelodeon has always created a world of positive values in which children can grow up and make them feel at home; the mission of the licensing activities is, therefore, to develop brands in which children can identify themselves, to create products that can transmit emotions and to give experiences that can be truly memorable.
Starting from a solid position on the market acquired over the years, which must be continuously nurtured and strengthened, the activity focuses on strategic planning of the franchises, on creating a direct relationship with the world of retailers and on strong synergy with the various business areas of Viacom Italia to maximize the result, a result that aims to build medium-long term relationships with our partners.
The long-term development plans of the Viacom / Nickelodeon properties were issued, with a specific focus on the Italian market:
- PAW PATROL – the world-famous puppies are fresh to launch the toy linked to the theme of the Sea Patrol series, launched in June in FTA, is preparing for the launch of the 5th season “ULTIMATE RESCUE” in September on Nickjr and from the next summer in FTA. The “short movie” linked to the MIGHTY PUPS theme was launched in November on Nickjr and the next EP in FTA.
- RUSTY RIVETS – hot month of June for Rusty Rivets, a young and likeable inventor, thanks to the launch of the 2nd season on Nickjr (June 2018) to the new episodes broadcast on the FTA of the 1st season and the launch of the consumer product in the toy category , which will be completed at the cross category level from September 2018.
- BLAZE AND THE MEGA MACHINES – Blaze the fastest monster truck in the world is instead ready for the upcoming roll out on July 9th of the 4th series on Nickjr with new themes that will thrill all children (TOW TRUCK and ROBOT RIDER)
- SHIMMER & SHINE – The two troubling little genius have revealed the 3rd series to the general public of the FTA, occupying the wait for the launch of the 4th season in December on Nickjr
- NELLA, THE BRAVE PRINCESS – The new episodes of the 1st season of Nella, unconventional heroine, were launched in June 2018, waiting to launch the entire first series on the FTA in September 2018. A fairly rich 1st series It consists of 40 episodes that will lead to the launch on Nickjr of the 2nd season from next spring 2019 and the subsequent roll out of the product from the toys category, to then cover all the product categories.
- SUNNY DAY – Sunny the young and positive businesswoman will continue her adventures accompanied by her inseparable friends Rox and Blair and the awkward little dog Doodle, with new episodes of the 1st season from October 2018, a 1st season which consists of 40 episodes. Still in production the second season that will see the inclusion of new and entertaining characters, like the pets of the protagonists.
- TOP WING – the story of these friendly birds that help the community by stimulating each other to improve mutual flying techniques, is thrilling the whole world. After the excellent global results of the 1st season roll out, we have also witnessed the best launch of a series in the last year. Exciting news for the FTA, still in TBC will accompany us towards the launch of consumer products in the toy category in the autumn of 2019.
- SPONGEBOB – the synergy between Nickelodeon Viacom Consumer Product and the Marketing department of Viacom Italia, has led to the creation of an important and exclusive agreement between SpongeBob and Juventus. After a first phase of competition on Nickelodeon’s website to win a special day at the Juventus Stadium in Turin, the collaboration led to the launch of the first Capsule Collection of SpongeBob and Juventus sweatshirts and T-shirts on sale since last May in the Juventus Stores throughout Italy. The next phase will lead to the realization of a broader and more articulated Consumer Product plan with an international inclination as well. In addition, among other projects planned for the autumn and with a development also in 2019, there is certainly Aquarium di Genoa which has for many years now been an important and exclusive partnership with Nickelodeon and SpongeBob. In addition to the dedicated areas, this year the collaboration has been enriched with the “SpongeBob room” where to live an unforgettable experience not only offered to Viacom partners and talents, but accessible to everyone through competition. This activity, “A Night at the Aquarium with SpongeBob”, has been very successful and will continue from the back to school until the late spring 2019 with news and the increasing involvement of partners for licensing and marketing activities.
- NINJA TURTLES – Anxiously awaiting the revival of the very famous Ninja Turtles. Revisited in a manga key, with a 2D stroke and new powers are ready for the new series “RISE OF TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLE” which presents its protagonists in a completely new and never seen! For the first time we are witnessing a global alignment for the launch of this new reboot that will see the Italian roll out on Nickelodeon in October 2018, to arrive in FTA for next summer with the consequent launch of CP for the back to school 2019.
- JOJO SIWA – The top muser that counts tens of millions of followers of social after being the protagonist of a project handed out by 4 hands by Nickelodeon and Super! which includes the visibility of the brand and the character ON AIR, ON LINE and ACTIVITY ON THE GROUND throughout the course of 2018 to prepare the ground for the upcoming launch of consumer products from October 2018, will be completed from next autumn winter with a marketing activity that aims to amplify the resonance of the brand, both in terms of both TV and digital. To close the part of the consumer product, MTV was also presented, which is made up of an increasingly generalist program, of a constantly expanding digital and social reality and of increasingly on the ground events, such as the European Music Awards. MTV, a constantly evolving brand that makes Millennials and Generation Z its point of reference, based on the level of consumer product on 3 fundamental pillars FASHION – TECHNOLOGY – LIFESTYLE. “Our properties have unique characteristics and values that allow us to be distinctive on the market” – comments Nadia Caron, Senior Director of LICENSING Viacom Italia, Greece and Turkey. “Thanks to the constant collaboration with the different Viacom departments, we are always able to propose to our partners, retailers or licensees, integrated innovative communication and product development projects that make the difference. And this is constantly recognized by the market “. But many are the Licensing projects linked to the properties of the Viacom world that will be presented during the year and which envisage medium and long-term development plans as a fundamental point of Nickelodeon’s Viacom Consumer Product strategy.
