Reflecting on 2025 what do you think have been standout success stories in the licensed toy category? And why do you think these brands have succeeded?
Bluey continues to go from strength to strength – and with the movie coming in 2027, there’s no reason for this to change. I’m sure the success is down to the broad appeal, with parents being very happy for their pre-schoolers to watch it. Pokémon is also performing exceptionally well, consistently monopolising the Circana top products list.

You have a lot of experience of selecting licensed properties to develop for the toy sector. Are there particular attributes that you look for when signing a license?
I would look for a robust content programme. Obviously linear TV is no longer essential, but a strong YouTube strategy is a very good starting point.

How important is a good style guide to licensing success? And what makes a style guide effective for licensees?
Kicking off a licensing programme without a comprehensive style guide will make the whole design process longer and less efficient. Not only is a good style guide essential, but it’s important they’re consistently updated to allow for refreshed designs.

Thinking about the design process in licensing, is there a “right way” to design licensed toys?
It’s important to understand what the consumer finds appealing about the license and find a way to integrate this into the product design. A kick-off product design meeting with the IP owner is an essential starting point and also gives you the opportunity to highlight your own design goals.

“Bluey continues to go from strength to strength.”

There is a lot of focus on fandom in licensing at the moment. Do you think the industry does a good job of servicing the fan market?
This market is definitely growing and there are some outstanding successes, such as Funko. However, retail space needs to expand to cater for this increasing trend.

On that, can you share with us a few examples of retailers that you think have done a good job this past year with licensed products?
Smyths stand out in terms of their support and success with licensed ranges. They have strong relationships with licensors and work with them from the outset – this gives them a big advantage. The independents also do an amazing job with licensed toys, as seen with branded windows for the likes of Bluey and Stitch.

How do you pitch the benefits of licensing to an IP owner who has never licensed their brand?
There are so many success stories to highlight – and it’s key to stress that licensed programmes extend the lifecycle of many brands.

Looking ahead to this year, what do you think are key trends in licensing we should be looking out for?
The source of licenses continues to expand – not just content, but in areas like gaming and collectibles. Streaming services are also going from strength to strength and this will be interesting to watch with the acquisition of Warner Bros.

Finally, in your career to date, can you give us your top three products that you have been involved in?
Going back to the early Worlds Apart days, the launch of ReadyBed was a game-changer, with Disney being the first licensor we worked with on that range. We managed to secure space at retail across a number of categories – pre-school, outdoor and home.

Shopkins has to be another highlight. Worlds Apart was a licensee of Moose at the time, but it really established the collectible category. Thirdly would be the initial Bluey line we did at Moose. It was exciting to see Bluey disrupt the pre-school category and the strong partnership with BBC Studios was key to its success.

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William Lamb Group is on board to develop a range of Magic Mixies footwear, bags, purses and accessories. The collection will debut with a retail exclusive bag in spring 2024, while the full range of products will be in development later in the year.

Elsewhere, Imagine8 will be developing Magic Mixies jewellery and accessories. The range will launch with a retail exclusive cap and sunglasses in the spring.

“This innovative and colourful toy brand has clearly caught the imagination of kids everywhere and is perfectly positioned to bring its magic to many licensing categories,” said Sandra Vanstan, Head of Licensing at William Lamb Group.

“We’re enormously excited to be taking Magic Mixies into footwear, umbrellas and more, in which we are certain the brand will enjoy even more success.”

Norman Thompson, MD at Imagine8, added: “Bringing together the massive appeal of Magic Mixies with our own expertise in licensed character merchandise is a great opportunity to extend this popular property into new categories.

“Jewellery and accessories are perfect for Magic Mixies, and we’re delighted to have been chosen to bring these key products to retail across the UK.”

Bulldog is also in advanced discussions with several partners across secondary toy, arts & crafts and activity, publishing, home and further soft lines.

“The phenomenal success of Magic Mixies continues, both for the retail property and for the growing number of licensing extensions it inspires through partnerships with leaders in their field – like William Lamb and Imagine8,” said Rob Corney, MD at Bulldog.

“We’re thrilled to welcome these high-quality partners to a campaign that is getting more exciting by the day.”

Lucy Wynn-Jones, Licensing Director at Moose Toys, added: “These important additions to the licensing campaign fuel the growing popularity of the brand and fans’ desire to share their love of all things Magic Mixes.

“With retail demand high, a hit streaming show and more licensee announcements on the way, our partners continue to build on the momentum of Magic Mixies.”

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