In what Mattel hope will be something of a fresh purple patch for the brand, Barney’s return will span TV, film and YouTube content, as well as music and consumer products. There will also be apparel and accessories based on classic Barney, to satisfy adult fans of the brand.

“Barney’s message of love and kindness has stood the test of time,” said Josh Silverman, Chief Franchise Officer and Global Head of Consumer Products at Mattel. He continues: “We will tap into the nostalgia of the generations who grew up with Barney, now parents themselves, and introduce the iconic purple dinosaur to a new generation of kids and families around the world across content, products, and experiences.”

Fred Soulie, SVP and General Manager of Mattel Television, added: “In creating the new series, it was important to us that we properly reflect the world that kids today live in so that the series can deliver meaningful lessons about navigating it.

“With our modern take on Barney, we hope to inspire the next generation to listen, care, and dream big. We think that parents, many of whom will fondly remember the original Barney from their own childhoods, will love the show, too.”

Barney is just the latest icon of kids’ TV to get rebooted in recent times… Disney+ welcomed the return of The Proud Family in The Proud Family: Louder & Prouder and X-Men 97’ is in the works. Over at Paramount+, there’s been a recent Rugrats revival, while live-action reboots of Dora the Explorer and The Fairly OddParents are in development.

Elsewhere, Yogi Bear, Boo Boo, Huckeberry Hound and other iconic characters from the world of Hanna-Barbera got a reimagining in 2021 with Jellystone. Like the upcoming Barney reboot, the show’s characters were pitched as being ‘modernised for today’s family audience.’

With all this in mind, we asked Play Elevated’s Deb Weber, Imaginnovation’s Wayne Lindsay and Vize Creative’s James Oddy for their picks of shows that are ripe for a relaunch.

Deb Weber, Founder, Play Elevated
I’m going to have to go with Dragon Tales, because I think it checks all the boxes: nostalgia, educational, diversity, positive messages and role models, diversified portfolio (toy, books, music, games, toys, puzzles, live events), strong ratings by parent and child viewers, Common Sense Media, Parents’ Choice Awards, Emmy nominations – and academic research outcomes showing significant positive change in social-emotional and language skill development gains among children ages two to five years old.

From a mom perspective, Dragon Tales was one of my daughter’s favourite shows growing up! I thought the characters were lovable and engaging, the episodes were educational and helped her imagination and the series sent the right message to all kids.

On YouTube’s segment DefunctTV: The History of Dragon Tales, I learned more about the series that I think is worth sharing. The documentary explained that Ron Rodecker – educator, illustrator and creator of the Dragon Land storybooks the series was based on – believed that using the plot of the stories could be a way to “teach children to meet new situations with confidence”. The dragons could help children learn lessons and approach situations. Ultimately the show was compared to Sesame Street – that is, what Sesame is for academic readiness, Dragon Tales is for social-emotional readiness.

Given today’s climate and the needs of this generation of kids and families around the world, a relaunch of Dragon Tales could be opportunistic for many. Our young children have fallen behind in their social-emotional learning and development. Dragon Tales could once again, be an effective positive tool for parents, families, and educators alike; a tool to use as a platform to promote conversations with our kids! They face all kinds of challenges today, and the characters and storylines in the series demonstrate how kids can count on their friends and family to help tackle difficult social situations.

Dragon Tales is a perfect blend of “real” kid characters and fantasy-based characters that embody relatable traits for a wide age range and interests of children today. Introducing a catchy song – including lyrics with meaningful messaging in each new episode – and weaving in lessons – with topics including problem-solving and facing challenges together – made the series relevant and purposeful in the past and in the present.

There could be so much potential and opportunity for a Dragon Tales relaunch – it has my vote!

Wayne Lindsay, Founder, Imaginnovation
This question took me back! When it comes to iconic characters, the ones that pop into your head first are those that don’t need a relaunch as they’re still currently top of mind… So it was fun to reflect on the ones that are currently grounded, archived, memories.

It got me thinking about the intro to each episode of the much-loved Super Ted: “An ordinary teddy bear… When he was made, they found something wrong with him and threw him away like a piece of rubbish into an old dark storeroom. Then from outer space…”

Another favourite of mine was The Raggy Dolls. It had a catchy theme tune: “It’s not much of a life when you’re just a pretty face, just to be whoever you are is no disgrace. Don’t be scared if you don’t fit in, look who’s in the reject bin! It’s the Raggy Dolls, Raggy Dolls, Dolls like you and me…” I think these characters within a modern context would work really well to include themes like image, value, physical and emotional wellbeing, sustainability and more.

Which led me to another hot topic: Artificial Intelligence. For all that is said about it, we have an opportunity to showcase what an awesome tool it can continue to be in partnership with the human spirit, our imagination and our challenges. So naturally, I thought of a beloved British children’s programme first aired in 1985…Bertha! It featured a lovable machine – and catchy theme tune! – with a talent for manufacturing all sorts of products in the bustling factory with a cast of quirky characters, all filmed in stop motion.

A modern take on the show could have Bertha’s AI upgraded to incorporate the latest technology, and the facility where they work could be expanded to include even more exciting products and projects. With the addition of new characters, updated animation, and contemporary pop culture references, a Bertha reboot could capture the hearts of kids and adults alike.

AI-powered Bertha could teach kids coding to solve challenges, work with young inventors and explorers to learn science and technology and new ways to express creativity. Bertha’s deep learning and AI could be accessed from anywhere to help kids solve mysteries, catch villains and spot fake products using recognition and authentication capabilities. And then there’s the schoolwork!

And let’s not forget the toy range! With Bertha’s iconic design updated and cheerful personality, there are so many possibilities for a line of collectible figures or an interactive playset where kids can design and manufacture their own products alongside real-life Bertha, inspiring a new generation of problem-solvers.

James Oddy, Co-Founder, Vize Creative
I love brands that relaunch, but as a creative I get really excited about seeing new brands with plenty of characters and storytelling. For me, The Boy, The Fox and the Horse told a story of love, hope, friendship and the courage of asking for help. It seemed to resonate with so many.

As a child growing up in the Eighties, we were very spoilt for content and there is tremendous vault of brands that could be relaunched. I’ll start with pre-school and work my way up!

Some of us will remember Button Moon, this was a Thames (ITV) production, so simple yet elegant, very iconic and unisex. The characters were fantastically effortless but still very captivating and the show also had a really good theme tune. I can see this going into publishing, homeware, wooden toys and would make an incredible immersive world on the Roblox platform today!

I’ll also slip The Trap Door into the pre-school category. Funny, Berk, Boni, Drutt, The Thing Upstairs… If Aardman could remake this, I don’t see why this wouldn’t be a commercial success. And it also had possibly the greatest theme song ever!

Aged up; Jayce and The Wheeled Warriors was just amazing. At the time it was following the footsteps of other strong toy affiliated animated series such as G.I Joe and Transformers. I see a fantastic toy line here, and an anime style reboot would be phenomenal.

The Wild Thornberries has a more unisex appeal and Darwin looks like The Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT’s, so very relevant. Maybe they could rerelease it as an adult animated series and make it kind of abstract like Rick and Morty?

Just for my own selfish reasons, I’d also like Bravestarr to make a comeback! I was obsessed and again a toy range would be a perfect comeback. I mean who doesn’t love a futuristic cowboy? Could go even live action ‘Mandalorian’ style!

In the Adult categories, how about a comeback for MTV Celebrity Deathmatch? Will Smith Vs Chris Rock?

We receive a lot of requests from our clients for branded anniversary style guides. If you saw our American Psycho anniversary guide we did for Evolution, that was so fun to work on! We love relaunching characters so let’s celebrate the amazing existing franchise brands the licensing industry already has to offer, but also use the quality nostalgia to jump start ideas for new innovative content.

PS: I’m cycling from London to Paris for The Royal Marsden Hospital. I’d be so grateful for any sponsorship to this amazing charity, please head to my Just Giving page here.

The post Talking Brands: Mattel is bringing Barney back… Which other classic kids’ TV shows are right for a relaunch? appeared first on Brands Untapped.

Really? Gosh, that’s an intriguing start! So when did your attention turn to toys and games?
I know it sounds crazy, but it was only in recent years I realised that toys and games needed designers and inventors! I wish it had been on my radar at school… So I’ve been making a concerted effort to enter the wonderful world of toys and games as the ‘play space’ is so open, and it’s all about imagination and innovation, which is what my work is all about.

Of which, your work just won first place in the 2021 Kelvyn Gardner License This! design competition at Brand Licensing Europe. How did it come to be on your radar?
I think I was just in the right place at the right time, on Linkedin! I’ve been following Mojo Nation since it began and Billy – big shout out to the don – has been particularly generous and invaluable in shining a guiding light for new and would-be inventors…

I hate to hear the man praised, but in what way?
He tirelessly encourages and facilitates connections and introductions… So, I saw the Mojo Nation post about the competition and applied to enter. Within moments of reading the competition brief, I’d sketched an initial idea for the product and couldn’t stop thinking about it.

What was the idea?
The concept is based on the dynamic between Morph and Chas. They’re the perfect double act and I really wanted to celebrate that; I also needed a creative hook to delve deeper into their story. The most compelling word for me was tension.

Tension, did you say?
Yes. I really fell in love with the idea that we could make a product that’s challenging, where Morph and Chas can’t physically stand up without the perfect balance of tension and teamwork. I also wanted to play with the name Morph – using it as a verb so that it could represent what the product could do to its environment… ‘Morph Your Desk!’ was born.

That’s terrific! Look at that! And it feels to me like you made a pretty decent prototype there… Is that an easy thing to put together for you?
As a family we are always making things. Our boys are very creative and so we have a huge amount of craft materials to play and create with. My wife Andrea helped me make the initial prototype from modelling clay. We used a wire armature and played with the body shapes to show the tension and sense of fun.

I absolutely love it. What was the biggest challenge with this idea?
Making it work, on every level. It needed to be functional, so that was pretty easy. But would it work for every age? Could it work as more than a desk tidy? Would it work as a gift, a piece of art, or a play thing? Was it curious enough? Could it work in an open-ended way, with new ways to reinvent and use it? So the shape and style, even in subtle details, became the keys to making it work – and it truly came alive with the 3D render.

I lost track of how many questions were in your answer, but I think that says something about the way you think. Let me ask you this… How important do you think creativity is in licensing?
I think it’s inherent. Creativity is always there – in the way a story is told, or a product is sold… In the way something is reimagined or seen from different perspectives. Simply by looking at Morph’s name from a different perspective – viewing it as a verb, in this case – created more fuel for my ideas. Creativity can give a product power to transform its environment, to ignite imagination. It also unlocks strategic opportunities and ways to tell and sell the story. Today Morph Your Desk!; tomorrow… Morph Your Wardrobe!

Great answer! Take the rest of the day off after this! Out of interest, then, what was the rest of the competition like?
I was most excited about seeing everyone else’s ideas. I love seeing creativity at work and at play, especially when you’ve had the same brief. In a sense, we’ve all been given the same ingredients so there’s a real sense of anticipation to see what people have cooked up.

“There’s always that moment of realisation that someone spotted an angle you missed…”

There’s always that moment of realisation that someone spotted an angle you missed, and suddenly your mind spirals with new possibilities – but it’s too late because you’re up next! Jon and Christophe were definitely fellow creatives rather than competitors, though. We instantly connected and were genuinely willing each other on and doing our best to calm each other’s nerves.

It did sound like the rest of the field was pretty strong! So… Charm and good looks aside, did the judges give you any indication of why you were the winner?
Well, they’d been drinking… No, they seemed to really connect with the main component: the dynamic between Morph and Chas. It was the relationship I needed to spotlight. That’s where the real story was and my product was simply the flashing arrow to point at it.

And what happens to that product now?
The next phase is just as creative! We need to practically explore how we help this concept reach its potential, so that it can be transforming desks around the world! That’ll include refining the design with manufacturing in mind, exploring the creative scope in terms of product range, marketing opportunities and so on. I’m looking forward to following up with Ian Downes, from Start Licensing, and Rob Goodchild from Aardman to see what’s possible.

A couple of good eggs by reputation so that sounds terrific! Great. This isn’t the first design of yours that’s achieved success, though, is it? What other ideas have you got across the line?
I’ve worked on branding projects, public art sculptures, digital products, illustrated books and designed legal tender coins but this is definitely the one I’m most excited by.

“Be ultra patient, take advice, and generate as many different ideas as you can.”

And given how quickly you went from “looking to learn” to seeing a way forward, what are the best lessons you’ve learned as a new inventor? What advice would you give even newer inventors?
Be a nice person. Meet as many people as possible and be a sponge. Be ultra patient, take advice, and generate as many different ideas as you can, finding ways to test them objectively. Understand your audience and find creative ways to tell your story. Set realistic goals and celebrate accomplishments along the way, proactively look for ways to help other people. And have fun!

Lovely stuff! What’s next for you, Wayne?
I have lots of lovely clients with some fantastic projects in full flow, so that’s my immediate focus. My cheeky little Morph Your Desk! prototype is there on my desk, though, silently nudging me to play with more ideas…

Final question then: apart from that design, what’s the most interesting thing in your office or on your desk?
I have a box labelled Imaginnovation – Scents of Adventure… I’ve started incorporating essential oils in some of my client workshops

Oh yes?
Not for massaging! Not for massaging… Instead, I map the agenda like a journey and use the powerful sense of smell at three intervals to focus on creativity, adventure and then success.

Interesting idea!
It’s not to be sniffed at!

No! Hahaha! Let’s leave it there; mic drop on a pun! Wayne Lindsay: thank you for your time and congratulations again.

The post Designer Wayne Lindsay on winning the 2021 Kelvyn Gardner License This! Competition at Brand Licensing Europe appeared first on Brands Untapped.