Dracco had exhibited Filly at MIPCOM, Brand Licensing Europe and Frankfurt BookfairDracco - October 2015 |
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Dracco’s top girls brand FILLY® expands with further international licensing agents.
Dracco has appointed ELC as their licensing agent for Russia and Eastern Europe, where Filly® (www.Filly.com) is growing strongly. Also Discovery Kids Licensing has been appointed as the licensing agent for Italy and Discovery plans to broadcast the high quality Filly® Funtasia 26 half hours Animation TV Series for late 2016/early 2017. The TV Series and audiovisual rights will be exploited in a transmedia way from traditional TV to DVD, VOD and YouTube across the globe. For TV and DVD rights outside GAS, BRB (the appointed producer of the series) is closing many deals. The IP owner Dracco has also been approached with further projects including a feature film and a musical project. In Germany, four new publishers have been signed on recently, including Panini, Nelson and teNeues adding to Blue Ocean which publishes the highly successful Filly® magazine . Universal Music is distributing Dracco’s own produced Storytelling CDs (audiobooks) including newly Hollywood-produced Filly® kids pop music. The wealth of content that the brand has been able to create will be heavily enriched by licensees and content partners and finally by the CGI Animation series. Content has already proven to be highly valued by the German and international fans, who know almost each of the Filly characters. 13 million magazines have been sold and 1,1 million audiobook (storytelling) CD's since 2010 in Germany alone. The range of 30+ licensees keeps expanding, also with Dracco building its toy distribution through the own subsidiaries and strong importer partners across the globe. The Dracco toy ranges and confectionery of Filly® Butterfly and Filly® Stars rotate very quickly on retail shelves. Dracco will present further new brand developments at MIPCOM, Brand Licensing Europe and Frankfurt Bookfair.
Filly®, Dracco’s® number one toy brand, has created its success on its great collectability of high quality figurines living in a magical fantasy world. Dracco creates in-depth content and stories allowing kids to expand their imagination. The Filly® figurines are the base of the brand. Each character is beautifully detailed with a crown that is decorated with Swarovski® crystals, each character has its own name, profession, and fantasy kingdom that the Fillys reside in. These fantasy stories, characters and collectible series innovations are the ingredient that has kept girls engaged over the years. 2016 will celebrate the 10th anniversary in Germany and many other markets.
To date Filly has sold close to 100 million figurines, with over 200 individual characters, in over 50 countries around the world. The Filly brand continues to win the hearts of consumers. In Germany Filly® was ranked #1 and #2 in 2014 according to NPDgroup toy charts in the category “Playset themed figurines and accessories” (based on turnover). Additionally 4 more Filly® products were in the top 10 category. The Filly® Butterfly Flower Tower in December 2014 Christmas sales was the most sold item in this category. Overall in 2014 Filly® ranked #4 among the Entertainment License NPD ranking and as such being the #2 girls license. Girls in Germany reinforce this finding as Filly® also ranks among top 3 “Appeal of Licenses” with 94% appeal rate girls 4-6 years old according to research institute Icon Kids & Youth from the September 2014 Kids License Monitor. Girls 4-6 years old, being asked for their favourite license for merchandising products - unprompted, without mentioning the name - mention Filly® as top 3! 75% of all 4-6 years old think that it’s absolutely brilliant to have Filly® as a brand on products (the Hype Status), ranking #1! Altogether Filly® is a top 3 license in Germany with aided awareness of 99% among girls 4-6 years old, 84% among 7-9 years old and 89% awareness among the 10-12 years old!
The Filly® magazine, licensed by publisher Blue Ocean Entertainment AG. in Germany, with its core target group 6-9 year olds continues to nurture the success of Filly® with 13 million copies sold in Germany alone to date. Each year there are approximately 40 issues of magazines distributed, focusing on the yearly theme, and accompanied by seasonal, educational, arts and crafts or seasonal series like Filly® Mermaids and Filly® Wedding magazines. The monthly magazine achieves sales of around 100.000 copies. Adding the several readers per issue, this means a readership of 250000 per month. Dracco takes care of supporting the stories and ideas plus the supply of exclusive Filly® figurine covermounts The magazine has also expanded on an international basis with launches in Russia, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Serbia, Croatia and many more markets to follow, like Spain, Italy, France, Nordics, Benelux and further.
Dracco’s Filly® licenses also expand beyond the successful magazine with licensees such as Panini, Carlsen, Ravensburger, teNeues, Vtech, McDonald’s (German Happy Meal campaign in 2014 and Junior Mailing promo 2015), Universal Music Group (CD audiobook distribution), Leomil, and many more with the international expansion constantly growing.
Filly® not only has the support of its growing licensing partners, but also its marketing supports. Filly® is now also an entertainment IP. Dracco produces 26 half hours of high quality CGI animation TV program called Fillly Funtasia. The first episodes are already highly acknowledged for its production quality and its storytelling. The series follows the adventures of Filly friends at an academy for magic and draws on the rich history and diversity of the brand and celebrates the best of all the Filly families. Filly Funtasia will be supported by a full range of merchandise and digital media plus many licensed products to be signed, starting now. The series is planned to be launched internationally in 2016.
Dracco will also launch a YouTube channel as a platform for sharing music videos, DVD, and TV content. Dracco already has videos online from product and reviews with some videos reaching over 2 million viewers. But also user generated content has very high viewing rates. Even in the US a fanbase has already built.
Filly® supports all the above facets with its robust digital component that allows fans to engage with the Filly characters on www.Filly.com. In many of the product packaging fans will find a code with virtual online gifts. The www.Filly.com website includes games, kid-safe social interaction and specialized content for each global region. Fans can take Filly on-the-go with the Filly Photo Fun app that blends real-life pictures with Filly artwork. A new Filly Butterfly version of the Filly Photo Fun app was introduced earlier this year. A Filly Stars (2015/16 theme) will be added.
For more information on Dracco, Filly or licensing opportunities, please contact:
Axel Derendorf, Head of International Licensing and Business Development, at license@dracco.com or ad@dracco.com and Marie-Louise Scholte, Managing Director of Dracco Netherlands BV at mls@dracconetherlands.nl.