Fiskars Group becomes a shareholder in Rights & Brands, master agent of the Moomins and licensing agent of iconic Nordic brands. With joint business planning, Rights & Brands, Fiskars Group and Moomin Characters aim to develop new concepts globally
Rights & Brands, with its headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden, is a licensing agency focusing on bringing Nordic brands to a global arena. Moomin Characters is the proprietor of the Moomins and a shareholder in Rights & Brands. Now, 70 years after Tove Jansson, creator of the Moomins, designed the first Moomin mugs for the Arabia brand (now owned by Fiskars Group), Fiskars Group, Rights & Brands and Moomin Characters join forces with the aim to develop new consumer-centric concepts globally.
The new arrangement with Fiskars Group as a minority shareholder in Rights & Brands (R&B), the long-time Moomin master agent, solidifies the unique partnership and grants Fiskars Group access to a wide portfolio of R&B’s beloved brands, including the Moomins.
“At Rights & Brands, we are very much looking forward to the exciting synergies we are creating with this new partnership. R&B, Moomin and Fiskars jointly offer an extremely appealing mix of art, brand development, retail knowledge, territorial coverage and storytelling. Bringing together our respective networks, insights and know-how is set to completely re-write the path of licensing,” says Patrick Ullman, CEO of Rights & Brands.
Currently, Fiskars Group produces the immensely popular Moomin tableware series as well as a great selection of other products in the home category. Through the partnership, Fiskars Group, R&B and Moomin Characters are looking beyond the present products and categories to grow even further globally, reaching both existing fans and new audiences with exciting concepts and platforms.
“This is an outstanding moment for us. Two iconic Finnish design powerhouses join forces to tap into new geographies beyond existing markets, thanks notably to the international network and licensing expertise of R&B. Our shared global ambition, values and love for Nordic lifestyle and design provide an excellent starting point for deepening our collaboration,” says Nathalie Ahlström, CEO of Fiskars Group.
“The Moomin stories are essentially about the most important things in life, to anyone anywhere, anytime”, tells Sophia Jansson, Owner and Creative Director of Moomin Characters. “Respect for one another, family, love, compassion, tolerance, freedom and appreciating the nature are key to the the Moomins and to us as a company. Throughout our long, joint history, Fiskars Group has done an extraordinary job of transforming stories and artwork into enchanting and beautiful products. I am utterly excited about this new joint step towards a wider, international collaboration,” tells Sophia Jansson, Owner and Creative Director of Moomin Characters.
The partnership with Fiskars Group adds yet another expansive strand of business development to Rights & Brands’ previous investments and business alliances with Rovio Entertainment Corporation (Angry Birds) and Gutsy Animations (Moominvalley animation) earlier this year.
