Rovio Entertainment, creator of the globally successful Angry Birds franchise, is preparing for Brand Licensing Europe (BLE 2015) that will take place on the 13-15 October 2015, at Olympia, London. Rovio Entertainment returns to the show on the cusp of the movie event that is set to transform its business and cement Angry Birds’ position as the first evergreen mobile gaming brand in history.
Visitors to BLE 2015 will be updated on The Angry Birds Movie, the first full-length 3D computer animated film from the franchise that is due to hit the big screen in May 2016. By retaining full creative control and employing the expert global marketing and distribution skills of Sony Pictures Entertainment as the animation house, Rovio is on track to deliver a feature that will be a hit with new and existing fans, retailers and licensees alike.
“The film will certainly appeal to loyal Angry Birds fans but that appeal isn’t limited, it’s so much broader than that,” says The Angry Birds Movie, VP and Programme Lead, Joe Lawson. “Our goal is to surprise everyone. Surprise our fans, surprise the naysayers, surprise those who don’t know what to expect from an Angry Birds movie and become the unexpected surprise comedy of summer 2016.”
It is certain that the opportunity to become involved in this movie event is attracting world-class licensees and retailers to the burgeoning global licensing programme. LEGO and Spin Master are producing toys based on the movie characters, and the web’s most popular swim shop, SwimOutlet.com, has already launched an exclusive line of movie-themed Angry Birds swim gear and accessories. Painting Lulu, the tech toy company that allows kids to draw, colour and play seamlessly between paper and digital, has also just signed a multiyear licensing agreement with Rovio to produce Angry Birds colouring sets.
The Angry Birds Movie undoubtedly marks a massive stride forward towards Rovio’s ambition of being an all-encompassing entertainment studio, and yet there are a number of other ventures that will ensure that consumer interest in the Angry Birds brand continues to grow and is maintained in the long-term.
Angry Birds 2, the sequel to the original mobile game, was released on 30 July, 2015 and already has been downloaded more than 50 million times. This adds to the 3 billion total downloads of Angry Birds mobile games and will further bolster the 90 per cent consumer brand awareness that the franchise has achieved in just five years.
Rovio Entertainment is also expanding into Asia and will be unveiling a number of new agent appointments at BLE that will see them partnering with local licensing experts with forensic country knowledge to develop tailored consumer products solutions.