Ink, the leading brand licensing agency in the Nordics and eastern Europe, will be showcasing two of the hottest new properties on the market – Subway Surfers and Masha and the Bear - at BLE 2012.

Subway Surfers is the result of a collaboration between Danish developers SYBO Games and Kiloo Games and is a 3D platform game that sees players taking the role of young graffiti artists as they attempt to evade the attentions of a railway security guard and his dog. Gameplay involves the player dodging oncoming trains and other hazards, whilst picking up coins and useful objects. The hugely popular app is available for iPhone, iPad and iPod and has recorded 22 million downloads and 1 billion play sessions in just three months since launch; its impending release on Android is set to boost sales even further and will introduce the app to a whole new market. Ink is looking to appoint a global network of sub-agents to help popularise the brand and drive downloads past the 100 million mark. Initial target sectors for a licensing programme include toys, publishing, apparel, footwear and stationery, whilst the agency is also looking to facilitate the development of a TV series based on the property.

Masha and the Bear is a Russian animation that chronicles the adventures of a little girl called Masha and the bear who becomes her reluctant playmate. The show mixes sumptuous CGI visuals with hilarious storylines that are packed full of visual gags and has been a massive hit in Russia, where it airs on a primetime slot on the state broadcaster and pulls in a 13.6% share of the audience, with strong figures across all ages. Russian DVD sales totalled nearly 1.2 million in 2011 alone – a 20% year on year growth – making it second only to Avatar, whilst nearly 3 million books and over 700,000 magazines have been printed and there have been 80 million downloads from Masha’s Russian website. Huge interest from the Russian licensing community has led to sixty active licensees across the country, generating over 700 individual SKUs across categories including publishing, puzzles, confectionery, home decorations, digital, and toys and fashion; partners include both local licensees and big international players such as Kinder, Egmont, Orkla and Ferrero. The show has already attracted global TV interest and deals are in place with major broadcasters in the Nordics as well as Poland, Hungary, Australia, South Korea, Turkey, Indonesia, Ukraine Italy, the Middle East, France, Switzerland, Benelux and the Czech Republic.

“We are very much looking forward to attending BLE 2012,” says Ink CEO Morten Geschwendtner. “It gives us the chance to meet up with both established and potential partners and allows the licensing community as a whole to find out more about two very exciting new properties.”