DHX Media signs its first food and beverage deal with First Milk for the popular character brand “Rastamouse.”
DHX Media has signed its first food and beverage deal for popular character brand Rastamouse. The deal with First Milk sees Rastamouse and other characters from the hit CBeebies show become the latest animated characters to appear on packs of Dairy Maniacs Cheddar Stix, an unprocessed natural Cheddar snack for kids.
Packs of Dairy Maniacs Cheddar Stix featuring Rastamouse are available from this month, in selected Asda stores nationwide. The mystery-solving, reggae-loving mouse follows in the footsteps of DreamWorks’ Puss in Boots and Kung-Fu Panda as the latest pack star.
"Dairy Maniacs is the perfect promotional partner for Rastamouse," said Sabrina Ironside, Vice President, Worldwide Marketing, DHX/W!LDBRAIN Entertainment. "Creatively, it is a true organic fit that will build upon the trusted foundation we have already established with families and Rastamouse fans," she commented.
"This promotion signals our first move into the food and beverage space," said Angeles Blanco, Director of International Licensing, DHX Media. As we join the ranks of other iconic brands that have been associated with Dairy Maniacs Cheddar Stix, this promotion will support our rapidly growing licensing program and will contribute to the success that Rastamouse is already seeing at retail," she continued.
Cheddar Stix is an unprocessed natural snack for kids in keeping with the healthy, ‘keep active’ message of the Rastamouse television series. As well as sharing a passion for cheese Da Easy Crew love getting out of doors and expending energy with all kinds of skating and sporting endeavour. Each pack of Dairy Maniacs Cheddar Stix contains six 20g portions of 100% mild, white British Cheddar. Since being launched in summer 2011, more than half a million packs have been sold and the brand now has an 8% share of the £15.3m Kids’ Cheddar Portions market.
Dairy Maniacs brand manager Claire Irvine added: “With his massive appeal and recognition amongst UK families - as well as his love of cheese - Rastamouse is the perfect star to feature on Dairy Maniacs. The Kids’ Cheddar Portions market is growing at 154.5% year-on-year as parents look for nutritious snacks for their children and the Dairy Maniacs brand meets that need perfectly.”
In further deals, Cover Yours has been appointed to develop a range of phone cases, iPad/tablet covers, self adhesive phone, laptop and game console skins for the Rastamouse licensing programme in the UK. The range will be available from Q3 2012 onwards.
The Rastamouse brand is going from strength to strength in the UK. Activity for Q3 of 2012 included the launch of additional book sets from Macmillan, a summer single, a CBeebies radio show and several high-profile live appearances. Da Easy Crew have also signed their second album deal with EMI.
Further brand activity this year includes the launch of the second DVD via Universal, Immediate Media is publishing a popular monthly Rastamouse magazine while Character Options is continuing to release additional skus to complement Rastamouse plush toys, adding playsets and musical toys to their current line. Somerbond has launched PJs and underwear, and posters and stickers are available via a deal with GB Eye. Further licensees will launch product this Autumn including Roy Lowe which is set to bring hats and scarves to retail.
Based on the critically acclaimed books by Genevieve Webster and Michael De Souza, Rastamouse launched on CBeebies in January 2011 and has since engaged a following of preschoolers and parents alike. The series features Rastamouse, Scratchy and Zoomer of Da Easy Crew, the mystery-solving, reggae-playing band who always make a bad ting good and live by their motto "redemption, not retribution."
Rastamouse and Da Easy Crew was one of the highlights of last year’s Glastonbury and LolliBop festivals, and Channel 4’s Big Fat Quiz of the Year, and the group’s celebrity fans include Kylie Minogue, Lily Allen, Dizzee Rascal, Alexandra Burke and Simon Pegg. The series also won this year’s Broadcast Magazine award for Best Preschool Programme and was nominated for a Children’s BAFTA and a British Animation award.
A Rastamouse Company Production for CBeebies, Rastamouse is produced by Greg Boardman and Eugenio Perez of Three Stones Media, in association with Wales’s Dinamo Productions, London-based Little Roots and DHX Media, which handles worldwide TV sales (excluding the UK) and worldwide licensing and merchandising. Visit www.rastamouse.com. Follow us on Twitter @rastamouse_irie.
Source: DHX Media
