Maurizio Distefano Licensing, which manages licensing in Italy for the delightful new children’s animated series Leo & Tig, has announced five major licensing deals for the property. They are with Grabo, Ciao, Edizioni Playpress, Diramix and Sbabam. More announcements are expected very soon.

Grabo, a world leader in the production and distribution of inflatable helium balloons, is offering a varied selection of Leo & Tig balloons; they are available now in both wholesale outlets and during fairs and events.

Ciao, a major name in dress-up, will produce party sets, a carnival costume, an outdoor toys range, a seasonal Epiphany sock and Easter egg toy containers. They will launch in the first quarter of 2021.

For the kiosk channel three licensees will be developing products to coincide with the new TV series. They are: Edizioni Playpress, which will publish an activity book, a colouring book and a magic pen, Diramix, which will offer a sticker album to play with or to use for sticker trading, and Sbabam, whose collectable 3D figurines will be available in kiosks supported up by a special TV ad campaign.

The Edizioni Playpress range is already at retail. The Diramix range will launch in the first quarter of 2021. The Sbabam figurines will launch in the second quarter of 2021.

Leo & Tig is produced by the Russian animation studio Parovoz and managed by 0+Media. The first series (26 x 11) appears daily on Rai YoYo as well as Rai Play. Children aged from five to 10 years old have responded enthusiastically to the adventures of the curious and brave leopard cub Leo and his cautious friend Tig, a Siberian tiger, in the beautiful Far Eastern forest they call home.

The show’s winning combination of fun with a message of respect and care for the world around us is not only popular with kids, but has enormous potential in licensing across toys, plush, apps, stationery, publishing and much more.

Brand owner 0+ MEDIA and Maurizio Distefano Licensing signed the agreement to develop the licensing programme for the property only a few months ago. Under the deal, Maurizio Distefano Licensing secured the licensing and merchandising rights for Leo & Tig across all the main categories of consumer products, including toys, publishing, apparel, accessories, and back to school ranges for Italy and Italian speaking territories.

With five deals already announced and many more expected in the coming months Leo & Tig has clearly made an immediate and lasting impression on the Italian market.

Maurizio Distefano says: “The strong debut of Leo & Tig on Italian TV has met with a very positive response from the licensing market – as these five deals prove. We’ve expecting many more licensees in the coming months across a variety of categories, ensuring that Leo & Tig will inspire a varied and long-lasting licensing programme.”

About Maurizio Distefano The evolution of Licensing

Maurizio Distefano, an internationally accredited professional with over 20 years of experience in the sector, is President of the licensing agency and management consultancy that takes his name. The innovative and exclusive proposal of the agency is based on a holistic approach which allows it to analyse and respond to the particular business development needs of each individual licensee. Maurizio Distefano, together with his business partner Michela Marchese Patti, selects animated series, movies and brands for successful licensing projects.

The properties launched and distributed by MDL are:

Cartoons: ALVINNN!!! and the Chipmunks, Masha and the Bear, Bing, ZAFARI, Gigantosaurus, Kit’n’Kate, Monchhichi,  Angry Birds.

Brands: Asterix, Cup of Therapy, May Gibbs, Hamsta, Camomilla, Baileys, Guinness.

Fashion: MDL is Master Agent Worldwide for PREMOLI+DI BELLA, Filippo Laterza and Stefano Cavalleri.

Music: AC/DC, David Bowie, KISS, Pink Floyd, The Police, Woodstock, John Lennon, Lennon & Mc Cartney Lyrics, Genesis, Janis Joplin, Miles Davis