BuzzFeed Signs Licensing Deals for Goodful Brand

BuzzFeed discloses its first licensing agreements for the Goodful brand with Conair Corp. (Cuisinart), Epoca International, AeroGrow International and  Welspun Corp.  First products are slated to arrive by September.

The Goodful brand primarily focuses on healthy food and wellness videos, mostly viewed on Facebook, amassing about 20 million followers since launching in September 2016.

Conair is focusing small kitchen electrics such as blenders and air fryers (which cook ingredients without oils), while textile maker Welspun will have 25 SKUs of bedding and towels made via a manufacturing process that produces yarn capable of regulating the fabric’s temperature, keeping it cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

Epoca, which launched a line cookware, bakeware and kitchen utensils under BuzzFeed’s Tasty banner earlier this year, will field 60 items (cookware, bakeware and kitchen  utensils), many of them produced with wood and cast iron as opposed to the plastic used with the Tasty line, says BuzzFeed’s Eric Karp. And AeroGrow is readying an in-home gardening system, adding to its licensing business that also includes the Miracle-Gro brand.

In addition to the Goodful products, Conair also will have Tasty kitchen electrics late this year, including a version of BuzzFeed’s  Tasty One Top induction burner that heats by generating a magnetic field.

Contacts:

BuzzFeed, Eric Karp, Head of Licensing,914-486-1285, eric.karp@buzzfeed.com

Conair/Cuisinart, Ronald Diamond, Pres., 203-351-9045, Ronald.diamond@conair.com

Epoca International, Brian Melzer, Pres., 951-353-3921, brian.melzer@epoca.com

Welspun Corp., Nancy Golden, SVP Marketing, 347-957-0167, golden@welspunusa.co

Guru Studio Expands ‘True and The Rainbow Kingdom’ Licensing

Guru Studio is expanding its licensing program for “True and the Rainbow Kingdom” as the series gears up for a second season on Netflix starting June 15. The 10-episode, 22-minute series, which launched last August, also is being readied for a third season starting in early 2019, says Guru’s Frank Falcone. The initial licensing thrust will be with master toy licensee Toy State’s plush, playsets and other items starting in late summer with other licensees to follow, including Palamon (costumes), American Marketing Enterprises (sleepwear), Global Brands Group (socks), Chouette (master publishing license) and Bendon (coloring books and arts sets). The move into licensing via agent Brand Central is Guru’s first with its own IP. The series has the backing of singer Pharrell Williams’ I am Other multi-media company. Guru has handled production in the past for Spin Master’s “Paw Patrol” and Mattel’s “Ever After High”: as well as the BBC’s “Dinopaws.” It also is developing a new children’s series, “Big Blue”, with the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.

Contacts:

Bendon, Beth Peters, Licensing Dir., 615-724-2714, beth.peters@bendonpub.com

Brand Central, Ross Misher, Pres., 310-268-1231, ross@brandcentralgroup.com

Global Brands Group, Laura Kaufman, Licensing Dir., 646-786-2652,laurakaufmann@caaglobalbrands.com

Guru Studio, Frank Falcone, Creative Dir. and Pres., 416-599-4878

Palamon, Cheryle McCarthy, Product Development, Licensing and Sales Mgr., cherylemccarthy@palamon.com.hk

Toy State, Ashley Walsh, Marketing Dir.,781-749-1000 x19, awalsh@toystate.com