Entara continues to expand portfolio with successful In My Pocket toy brand.

Entara Ltd, global entertainment rights company, is proud to announce it has acquired the UK and Eire licensing rights to the fast growing Puppy In My Pocket® and Kitty In My Pocket® toy brands. Entara is currently planning to roll out a comprehensive licensing programme with immediate effect covering all major categories excluding toy and confectionery.

The In My Pocket brand is owned by MEG, a California-based product development, manufacturing and licensing company specialising in children's character lines, toys and licenses. In the UK, the core toy and confectionery lines are distributed by Corinthian Marketing plc. Having sold more than 65 million puppies, kitties and associated play sets worldwide since the launch in 2006, the popularity of the new look In My Pocket range is nearing the levels of success achieved in the 1990’s.

Puppy In My Pocket is a major TV supported girls brand and the fastest growing girls collectible toy this year (source: NPD). Aimed at 4-7 year olds, over 8.5 million individual puppies have been sold in the UK since its launch in December 2005. Having launched Kitty In My Pocket in January 2007, it is proving just as successful and by the end of the year 2.5 million kitties will have been sold in the UK. It also enjoys strong TV and print advertising which is set to continue throughout the year. Pack retails pricing range from £2.99 to £4.99 for figurine packs up to £24.99 for the growing range of play sets. In My pocket is available in most major UK retailers in the High Street, grocery and CTN channels.

Both In My Pocket brands have their own dedicated consumer websites (www.puppyinmypocket.co.uk and www.kittyinmypocket.co.uk) and collector clubs in which members receive access to an exclusive area where they can play Matching Pairs, download wallpapers, play colouring in and update their Collection Guides. Regular newsletters are sent to over 20,000 fans highlighting new product launches, special offers and competitions and together the websites attract 16,000 unique users a month.
Karen McNally, Vice President Licensing & Marketing, Entara Ltd, comments: “This year, we have been proactively expanding Entara’s property portfolio and our latest acquisition, In My Pocket, is the perfect new addition. Our aim is to build on the success of this family brand with a strong marketing and licensing programme. With the combination of our extensive expertise and exciting new products scheduled for launch in autumn 2008, we are confident we can contribute to making these little toys into an even bigger hit!”

Joe Morrison, founder of MEG, says: “In My Pocket is growing at an astonishing rate and we are delighted with the expanding retail space the brand is getting in the UK. Having grown In My Pocket into a major brand in the mini collectibles category, we now look forward to working closely with Entara who we are confident will take the brand onto a whole new level. The classic design of the toy and the visual appeal of the graphics lend themselves well to licensing opportunities. Coupled with Entara’s expertise in the UK and with an exciting programme of future releases stretching well into the future, there are going to be some significant developments to watch out for.”