Beginning June 10th and running for an initial two-week period, the event unfolds across Miraculous RP, Miraculous Tower Rush and Rabbids Takeover. Each experience preserves its core gameplay while introducing event-specific content tied to an overarching crossover storyline.

“This is about moving beyond standalone collaborations and building connected worlds,” said Elinor Schops, VP of Digital and Gaming at Miraculous Corp.

“Players aren’t just participating in separate events—they’re stepping into a shared story that unfolds across multiple experiences, where their actions contribute to something larger.”

Vincent Coudert, Director of Global Brand Partnerships at Ubisoft, added: “Rabbids and Miraculous each have incredibly distinct identities, so bringing them together is an opportunity to create a crossover that feels both unexpected and highly entertaining.

“With Roblox as the entry point, we’re able to introduce that collaboration in an interactive way while exploring how these two universes can come together across broader storytelling and entertainment experiences,” said Vincent Coudert, Director Global Brand Partnerships at Ubisoft.

The post Miraculous and Rabbids come together for Roblox crossover event appeared first on Brands Untapped.

The new rights build on WildBrain CPLG’s longstanding partnership with Ubisoft in the French market for its Raving Rabbids brand.

Under the expanded agreement, WildBrain CPLG will spearhead a strategic cross-category licensing programme for Rayman, targeting categories including apparel and accessories, toys and collectibles, homewares, publishing, stationery, promotions, and more.

“Our collaboration with WildBrain CPLG marks a new chapter in the evolution of the Rayman licensing program,” said François Tallec, VP Partnerships & Consumer Products at Ubisoft.

“We’re excited to see how this partnership will expand its reach and inspire meaningful brand experiences across fashion, collectibles, and more.”

Clémentine Goutaine, Commercial Director, France at WildBrain CPLG, added: “Rayman is a truly iconic character whose unique visual identity and whimsical universe have captivated fans for three decades.

“As Ubisoft marks this significant milestone, expanding our partnership in France presents exciting opportunities to bring Rayman to life offscreen through fresh and innovative consumer products and experiences that celebrate the brand’s enduring appeal.”

The post WildBrain CPLG to helm licensing push for Rayman in France appeared first on Brands Untapped.

The game will feature a Bluey gameplay map produced by Ubisoft and Neels Studio in partnership with BBC Studios and Ludo Studio. Players will join Bluey and her family, dancing through a variety of settings around Bluey’s house and mirroring each step of the choreography.

“We’re proud to have collaborated with the BBC Studios to bring Bluey into the world of Just Dance,” said Amélie Louvet, Marketing Director for Just Dance.

“This partnership allowed us to create a gameplay experience that celebrates family togetherness – values at the heart of both Bluey and Just Dance. We’re thrilled to offer families a new way to connect through dance, and we can’t wait to see our players discover the joyful word of Bluey !”

Marina Mello, Global Director of Gaming & Interactive at BBC Studios, added: “Bluey and Bingo love to dance, and now families everywhere can join in too. We’re excited to bring Bluey to Just Dance in partnership with Ubisoft and Ludo Studio, giving fans the chance to move, groove, and share in the fun together.”

Just Dance 2026 Edition will be released on October 14th on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.

The post BBC Studios and Ubisoft bring Bluey into Just Dance appeared first on Brands Untapped.

Jean: There’s a tendency to believe that creatives generate ideas that may not be strategic, while salespeople only see the financial aspect of the relationship. However, this is not the case. In our organisation, both teams are capable of being business-minded and analytical without stifling creativity and out-of-the-box ideas.

Yes, I imagine it’s quite a common misconception!
Michelle: Creatives can offer a broader vision on commercial aspects and vice versa. As an example, it’s crucial for business leads to understand what’s trending in the market, gaps in the business, various manufacturing processes and so on… That all helps in better assessing the value and feasibility of concepts.

Jean: For creatives, it’s important to grasp the financial parameters of the market in which we operate… Especially the competitiveness of the market where the product we develop with a licensee will evolve.

Which recent launch would you point to as a good example of your team’s close collaboration?
Jean: The launch of our consumer products program for Assassin’s Creed Shadows is a concrete example of our team’s symbiotic work. All the products brought to market are the result of joint efforts between creative and business.

Michelle: Much like Yin and Yang, we proposed, iterated and participated in every stage of development. Without the business team, we wouldn’t have been able to access certain new licensees, with whom the creatives had a blast creating super-cool products.

The post Dream Teams: Ubisoft’s Michelle Wun and Jean Gauvin appeared first on Brands Untapped.

The video game is set in 16th-century Feudal Japan and Venum’s range ’embodies the journey and contrasts of the two main protagonists’.

The collection spans​ rashguards, boxing shorts, training shorts and t-shirts, as well as boxing gloves and judo kimonos, inspired by Japanese tradition.

The post Venum and Ubisoft launch Assassin’s Creed Shadows collection appeared first on Brands Untapped.

Stephanie Griggs, Creative Director, Studio Griggs
A range that really made me smile this year was the Lush x SpongeBob SquarePants collection. It had everything that a good brand partnership should have in my eyes: solid purpose and shared brand values – the range raised awareness for the SpongeBob SquarePants: Operation Sea Change initiation and was 100% plastic free – creative synergy and great product innovation… The Krabby Bathy was a 3-in-1 bubble bar, soap and bath bomb that in my four-year olds words “made bath time cool”.

I’ve loved seeing Lush build out their licensed ranges as a staple strand of their offering. This year saw a number of other great collaborations for them including Barbie, the Super Mario Bros movie and Netflix’s Stranger Things.

Paula Rich, Owner, Dot Dash Design
My top choices among licensed products this year are undoubtedly the collaborations with The Met in New York. Expanding on their prior successful partnerships in the realms of fashion and beauty, they launched six captivating fragrances in collaboration with Pura. Each scent draws inspiration from the museum’s most iconic spaces, such as The Temple of Dendur. These exclusive products are available at The Met, their online store and through Pura’s website.

I was particularly impressed with the thoughtful approach taken in the collaboration. Recognising the strong connection between fragrance and memory, The Met sought innovative ways to convey the museum experience through the senses, bringing a fresh dimension to the appreciation of art.

Being a stationery enthusiast, I also loved their collaboration with Papier. The newly unveiled collection of planners and diaries for 2024 is exquisite, showcasing artwork from The Met’s archive. This includes a rejuvenation of art nouveau book covers designed by Margaret Neil Armstrong.

Ben Cox, Creative Director & Co-Founder, Fraktal
My favourite licensed product this year is definitely Hasbro’s Haslab Ghostbuster Proton Pack. I’ve been a lifelong fan of Ghostbusters and as a child I dreamed of owning a Proton pack. Alas, I had to make do with the Kenner Real Ghostbusters version to fill the gap… Fast-forward 35 years and Hasbro answered the call of Ghostbuster fans everywhere by manufacturing a full-size screen-accurate replica through their crowdfunding Haslab platform. The campaign was a roaring success and thousands of fans are now the owners of their very own nuclear accelerator. With all credit to Hasbro, this a great example of a company listening to fans and going the extra mile to deliver a product beyond the expectations of consumers.

Oliver Dyer, Founder, Skew
Our team is closely following fan brands, community-led product development and social selling like TikTok Shops. Sides by Sidemen – in partnership with Hero Brands – fits very much within this emerging phenomenon. Hero Brands, the company behind German Doner Kebab and Island Poké, is moving extremely fast to turn Sidemen’s immense following into a sustainable, long-term brand. It’s impressive and whip-smart how they quickly turned the feedback received from the delivery-only model into a carefully selected chain of restaurants. The location, menu, product design and marketing are a case study in where licensing is heading… Fan brands are the future, and Sidemen have a hyper-engaged focus group of over 20 million who are only too happy to help shape their brand extension offerings.

Anita Castellar, CEO, FanGirl Consulting & Brand Management
My standout for 2023 is McDonald’s bringing back the beloved retro mascots. I always regretted that McDonald’s didn’t keep these iconic characters relevant throughout the years and put them into the archives. Their resurgence not only creates a nostalgia play for kidults, but also an opportunity for a shared moment with those of us who have children. Now we can pass along our love for these sometimes-mischievous characters to next generation. My personal favourites are the adult Happy Meals and the Loungefly bag collection for the win!

Ian Downes, Director, Start Licensing
It’s been interesting to see food and drink brands embracing licensing more frequently and in more depth in recent years. Brand owners like Unilever have led the way with a range of licensing deals with brands such as Marmite. These always seem to be well chosen and created with care. There’s no rush to market, rather a strategic roll out of products. One recent deal that I particularly admired – and one that is a great example of developments in the sector – is McDonald’s working with Galaxy to create a Galaxy Caramel Hot Chocolate. It is well presented in store and represents a very effective bit of NPD. It’s well timed in the run up to Christmas – a season when consumers are looking for festive treats and experiences – and is a great way for Galaxy to activate their brand while strengthening their brand equity. It’s also a good example of a focused licensing deal. The fact it’s a limited edition helps build more engagement and opens the door for further NPD in the future. It is a great example of what is going on in the FMCG licensing market at the moment – and also what is possible when brand owners work together in a focused way.

Sophie Bloomfield, Creative Director & CEO, SBC
2023 has been yet another year of awesome consumer products. It just shows the creativity out there, and the demand for great products. Barbie X Zara collection must get a shout out because wow – just wow! I don’t think Zara has ever given so much attention and marketing support to one brand, let alone a licensed brand. The in-movie look approach to the range was a great creative direction and the sales results proves this was a fantastic collection.

My second choice is Bird & Blend’s Wallace and Gromit tea range. So adorable, especially the packaging and how they executed the brand in store. Great work Aardman!

This next choice has only just launched. Mattel’s Uno collection with Province of Canada. They have literally made Uno into a cool art brand – I want it all! But in all seriousness, this is a tough feat of design. Often classic brands aspire to being a collectable art and lifestyle brand but fail. Uno and Province of Canada have executed this range effortlessly. This is down to the balance of design aesthetics, the choice of products and styles – and not ‘over-designing’ the collection.

Last one! A new favourite is the boygenius collaboration with Brooklyn-based Jewellery brand Catbird. I first saw Catbird’s work via their collab with The Met in 2020 and have been impressed by their work ever since.

David Born, CEO, Born Licensing
Barbie has had such an incredible year, with the world turning pink in July as Greta Gerwig’s film generated over $1.4bn at the box office. However, the product that really caught my eye this year would have been my choice regardless of the film success: the Barbie Stevie Nicks doll. Steve Nicks is one of my favourite performers and when I saw this product, I was super impressed. Mattel absolutely nailed it, with 27-year old Stevie’s iconic bohemian dress and signature tambourine inspired by the 1977 album Rumours. The launch generated a lot of mainstream press and, from what I’ve read, it sold out very quickly. Mattel are brilliant at ensuring that Barbie continues to appeal to a broad customer base… Collaborating with Stevie Nicks is a great example of tapping into the older demographic who grew up listening to Fleetwood Mac and Stevie Nicks.

Tim Collins, MD, The Brand Director
My vote is for Bearbricks. These are large scale figures in different materials covering the usual superhero, sci-fi and classic toy characters. They’re really nicely produced and are – of course – not at all subtle. It truly shows that ‘merch and pop culture’ isn’t a niche market any longer.

Will Stewart, Founder & CEO, The Point 1888
The Powerpuff Girls x Nike SB Dunks are fucking awesome in every way. No idea if it’s gonna be successful, but hey in our industry what does successful licensing mean anyway? Eyeballs, inches or sales? All are valuable regardless of objectives or success. Our industry can do it just cos it’s cool… We can look at a worldie like this and be proud we work in such a cool industry.

Rob Hutchins, Editor & Community Manager, Products of Change
My pick has to be Lush x SpongeBob SquarePants. This was exciting from the get-go. Launched to coincide with Plastic-Free July as part of Paramount’s SpongeBob SquarePants Operation Sea Change campaign, this was a partnership that heralded a new first and a new dawn for licensing. Quick to market with fresh products, Lush is a dynamic outfit of creatives – and it’s everything licensing loves. Bold, pioneering, with a captured pop culture audience on the global stage – all while being kind to the planet through sustainable practices and regenerative processes up and down the value chain. Lush presents a purpose-driven new era for licensing. And the SpongeBob collection presents a creative new application of the industry’s best-loved IP. Besides, show me anyone not happy jumping into a bathtub with a Krabby Patty after a big night out and I’ll show you a liar!

Susan Bolsover, MD & Founder, Lightbulb Licensing
My choice has to be Barbie. While I am a Sindy girl through and through, Mattel knocked it out the park this year! What I found so brilliant was the way in which traditional consumer products and promotions blended seamlessly with movie marketing to create a truly immersive event – and a memorable pop-culture moment. From the core toy product through the extended licensing categories – shout out to the apparel category in particular –to the movie poster selfie generator and the Malibu home promotion with Airbnb to name but a few… Barbie changed the landscape of movie licensing forever and showed how with joined up thinking around a brand, you can deliver something truly outstanding… Something that consumers of all ages around the world can engage with.

The post Stuff We Loved: What are the industry’s favourite licensed launches of 2023? appeared first on Brands Untapped.

Fresh out of school, I wanted to create amazing packaging and worked for design studios in Montreal. I realised that working on great brands – with amazing art directors, photographers and illustrators – was what drove me. I also had a big interest in animation and cinema. I had the opportunity to combine both my design and animation interests by leading a group of creatives in a Canadian animation studio, mostly specialising in kids TV shows. One of our shows became very successful – you might know of Caillou…

“We must give licensees enough creative liberty to express themselves and think outside of the box.”

Of course!
Yes! So we started to license that out for consumer products. That was my first shot at creating some sort of licensing program, style guide and complete consumer products collection for an entertainment brand.

You’re now Senior Creative Director of Global Consumer Products at Ubisoft. What does the role entail?
My role at Ubisoft is to direct the development and execution of the licensing plans from a creative perspective. In conjunction with my team and each leadership team, I establish the creative vision for consumer products for each brand and category. Part of my role is also to work with creative agencies to create branded style guides for licensing.

What brands are your key focuses at the moment?
Although Assassin’s Creed is probably our biggest franchise – and has a lot of my attention – I also work on a wide portfolio of Ubisoft brands. IP such as Rainbow Six Siege, Just Dance, Far Cry, Rabbids and Brawlhalla, to name a few. And then a couple of really fun TV properties, such as Mythic Quest and Captain Laserhawk.

Assassin’s Creed, Just Dance, Rainbow Six Siege… These are huge video game brands. Are you a big gamer?
I do not consider myself the biggest of gamers, but I do love playing when I have free time. Part of the job is to get inspired and be able to know what I’m talking about when meeting with our licensees. And what better way than to play our games – during work hours! Yes, it is considered research!

Well, on that, does it matter to the role? Do you have to be a gamer to do what you do?
Being a big gamer helps, but is not a pre-requisite to the role. That said, you need to have an interest in video games and on the subjects and stories the games convey. This is a must. If you don’t know much about what you are creating for, you’ll always be one step behind.

Let’s delve into product. Are there any launches that you feel highlight how creative licensees can be with your brands?
We had very successful launches for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla with Venum and Reebok; both licensees created unique AC collections while staying close to their roots. They have been highly creative while showing lots of respect to our brand.

We also have licensees such as DRKN on 6 Siege that have been doing highly creative flagship hoodies every year for the Six Invitational esports tournament. And our characters have been wearing them, digitally of course, in our Invitational CG animated trailers.

And then you have artists like Blend Cota who has an amazing talent and creates art that is so unique, you just let them express themselves.

What are some of the biggest challenges in authentically translating video game characters into consumer products?
One of the biggest challenges I find with video game characters is that, until a game is Gold – which means all files are 100% final and the game is ready to be “printed” – characters may evolve and change until the last minute. Art direction, costumes, hair, weapons… Anything can be changed, improved, or enhanced by the development team.

As we need to start working on some projects 12 to 18 months in advance, our licensees must be very flexible and ready to make modifications to stay true to the characters sometimes very late in the process.

I can imagine that could present challenges! Is there anything that helps make that process as smooth as possible?
We start to work on style guides as early as possible with WIP files of the characters – or even character concept art – to decide on style and posing. These early concepts can be shared with key licensees who can then start conceptualising with visuals of our characters that translate the intentions and direction.

As the characters evolve and get defined, we modify our work and communicate with the licensees to update any files they may have used. This process can go on for a little while until we have final characters or files, but it gives us the opportunity not to wait at the last minute to start working on products. It helps everyone deliver on time.

Absolutely. Smart. Now, what’s the key to successful creative collaborations between licensors and licensees?
Constant communication – starting with a creative brief on our part, style guide intentions and brainstorm on specific product categories with each licensee. Accompanying them at each step of their creative process by helping them with approvals and asset development is also key.

It’s part of our job, as licensors, to bring as much creativity to our style guides and offer trendy capsule collections regularly to trigger new ideas… But I also believe we must give licensees enough creative liberty to express themselves and think outside of the box. To me, a style guide will help licensees explore new ideas and get inspired. It’s a creative toolbox. There’s nothing I love better than a licensee that comes back to us with surprising ideas that combine their creative energy with ours. This is the sign of a successful collaboration.

Great answer. Looking ahead, are there any categories still untapped for your brands that you see potential in?
At the moment, we are present in most categories you would think of in licensing: Apparel, collectibles, gaming accessories, stationery, and so on. What I’m really looking forward to is to see more of our brands in less traditional categories for us, such as cosmetics or food and beverages. I can’t wait to explore new collaborations that will bring added value to our brands and make our consumers and fans happy to see us in places they haven’t thought we would be.

We’ve talked a lot about creativity today but what fuels your creativity?
Music. I’ve been playing sax since I was 12 and when I spend time practicing alone or with my band, it just gets my mind flowing and recharges my batteries. Visiting food markets when travelling is also something that fuels me: to eat, drink, taste, connect with people… That is so inspiring to me.

And in my work environment, when I meet the dev teams and see what’s coming up in our portfolio, new games, concepts, ideas… That gets my creative juice flowing.

Jean, this has been great. Let’s be sure to catch up again soon!

The post Ubisoft’s Jean Gauvin on why constant communication fuels great collaborations appeared first on Brands Untapped.

The eight-part series – dramatised by Sebastian Baczkiewicz and Paul Cornell – follows veteran Fourth Echelon agent Sam Fisher as he is thrust into a race against time when a sinister threat to global security is revealed.

Sam Fisher is played by Andonis Anthony, while the cast also includes Daisy Head, Rosalie Craig, Sacha Dhawan, Nikesh Patel and Will Poulter.

The series has been recorded in 3D binaural audio, meaning listening on headphones will give a more immersive experience.

“I am really thrilled to be bringing to Radio 4 and BBC Sounds this innovative and exciting series, and feel sure it will have listeners hooked from the start,” said Alison Hindell, Commissioning Editor for Radio 4 Drama.

“We have a great team working together to bring this world to life for audio listeners, familiar as it is in another form to its millions of game fans. We hope they will enjoy hearing situations and characters that they love, given added layers and dimensions through this new interpretation of the story, and the binaural element is an added bonus.”

Splinter Cell: Firewall will broadcast on Fridays on Radio 4 from December 2nd at 2.15pm.

The post Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell to become Radio 4 drama appeared first on Brands Untapped.

The range, based on the hit video game franchise, features four footwear styles in a variation of colorways that reflect the ‘vibrant energy of the Reebok map featured in Just Dance 2022’.

The Question Low shoe is inspired by the ‘colourful vibe’ of the game and avatars, while the Nano X1 Adventure style is designed in black with reflective prints on the shoes and reflective threads on the laces.

Elsewhere, the Club C x Just Dance shoes come with glow-in-the-dark outsoles, colourful piping, and woven multi-coloured Just Dance logos on the side, while the Freestyle Hi style boasts reflective metallic leather.

Check out some of the range below:

The post Ubisoft teams with Reebok for Just Dance footwear appeared first on Brands Untapped.

Blooloop reports that Storyland will create a Ubisoft theme park as well as indoor attractions based on the publisher’s franchises, which includes Assassin’s Creed, Just Dance and Rabbids.

“The settings within Ubisoft’s game worlds are a perfect tapestry for physical world creation, whether historic, real-life, city-based, under the ocean, or on a different planet,” Ben Thompson, Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Global Clients at Storyland Studios, told Blooloop.

“For an experienced designer like Storyland, it’s an incredibly exciting sandbox to play in. We’re thrilled to have been entrusted with this opportunity.”

Initial concepts for the attractions will debut in November at the IAAPA Expo in Orlando.

The post Ubisoft teams with Storyland Studios to create live attractions based on brands like Just Dance and Assassin’s Creed appeared first on Brands Untapped.