Apart from Haven’s amazing Australian & New Zealand business, we understand that they have been actively ramping up some global brands. To understand more, we asked Tom and Yvonne from Haven more about what they’ve got going on in international markets.
TOM — We are thrilled to be at the forefront of the new content revolution for kids. YouTube is fundamentally changing the way that kids consume content and brands are emerging from that space all over the world. It doesn’t matter what country they’re based in, if the brands resonate with kids they hit an immediate global audience. Kids have become their own programmers and are choosing what they love.
YVONNE — It’s a whole new world. It’s not about where kids see their content it’s about how many kids see the content. Total content consumption is where it’s all at. Whether it’s on TikTok, YouTube, free-to-air TV, subscription TV, streaming services, gaming channels or apps – if the kids love the brands then the opportunity is there for the biggest of them to extend their footprint into the consumer products space.
TOM — First cab off the rank for us is CKN Toys, a global YouTube phenomenon with over 13 billion views, based out of Sydney, Australia. Calvin & Kaison are two brothers that unbox and play with all the toys that kids love & they’ve hit a note with fans worldwide. We created this brand from the ground up – we developed the logo, into a styleguide into a consumer products program, launching April this year. We’ve done a TV deal with Nickelodeon for an all new series that will debut in Australia & the United Kingdom in April, we’ve forged a partnership with Jazwares who have created the most fantastic boy play master toy line. We have a global app launching, apparel in the United States… the list goes on. And we are thrilled to have partnered with Nickelodeon UK to represent us in the United Kingdom & Europe.
YVONNE — In another space entirely we’ll be launching a global program around the most gorgeous brand – Meddy Teddy, the yoga and mindfulness bear, who is poised to be the pre-eminent brand in the kid’s wellness space. The Dalai Lama once said, “if every 8 year old in the world is taught meditation, we will eliminate violence from the world within one generation”. Meddy’s mission is to take his skills to kids globally by teaching them to find calm by going within, and finding peace and balance in an ever changing stressful world. As of the date of writing, we are finalising negotiations with a leading global toyco to take Meddy Teddy to the world across a wonderful range of plush, figurines & collectibles. A creation of three brothers, who are experts in the field of yoga and meditation, Meddy Teddy is backed by a vast array of authentic content. And, we are having discussions across a whole gamut of categories including publishing, gifting, yoga wear & a global app. You’ve got to check out www.meddyteddy.com, or the Instagram page @meddyteddy, it will calm your day 😄
TOM — The next of the global YouTube phenomenons for Haven is Vlad and Nikita, two globetrotting brothers, who boast an amazing 33 million subscribers, and over 15 Billion views. The two boys are supported by their wonderful parents, posting fun, busy, and exciting videos of their adventures and crazy activities. Gaining well over ONE BILLION views per month, Vlad and Nikita are a global hit with kids, and we are planning lots of activity around the brand for 2020. Haven inked the global merchandise deal with the fabulous talent in October 2019, and after developing their creative assets will be actively pitching to master toy and content partners at New York Toy Fair, so watch this space.
YVONNE — In other exciting news, we’ve just finalised our partnership with Like A Photon, a fast growing & multi-award-winning Australian production company who are creating a film franchise around “Tales from Sanctuary City”. These beautifully animated films bring to life through beautiful CGI, the story of an eclectic mix of characters who through their adventures tell a majestic, multicultural story of survival in a planet under constant threat. The first film Wishmas Trees releases February 28th, with the second story “Combat Wombat” hitting cinemas Q3 this year, building up to the 2021 release of “Daisy Quokka – World’s Scariest Animal”. Great stories & great humour are going to make this a franchise worth investing in for the long term & we see huge opportunity across toys & games, collectibles, publishing & homewares.
THE BUGG REPORT — That sounds huge!
TOM — It sure is, we’re so excited, we’ve staffed up and got the expert resources we need to maximise all of our fabulous brands, both locally and internationally.
