London, UK – Poeticgem has signed a deal that will see the company produce an adult apparel range based around smash-hit internet comedy Annoying Orange.
The deal has been brokered by Rocket Licensing – UK licensing agent for the Annoying Orange brand – on behalf of licensor The Collective and allows Poeticgem to produce a range of adult apparel featuring Annoying Orange and other characters from the hit web series such as Pear and Midget Apple. Products will include T-shirts, nightwear and onesies, and are set to launch over the next couple of months.
Created by Dane Boedigheimer, Annoying Orange has built up a huge global fanbase since first hitting YouTube in October 2009. The bite-sized comedy shorts feature the eponymous Orange as he annoys whichever fruit or other unlucky foodstuff is within earshot. With over 1.4 billion downloads over the last few years it is the most watched series on the web, with 3.7 million views per month being recorded in the UK alone. Annoying Orange also boasts over 12 million fans on Facebook, with more than 1.5 million of these in the UK. A new episode is released every Friday on YouTube while a hit US TV show is due for broadcast soon in the UK.
Rob Wijeratna, Joint Managing Director of Rocket Licensing, says: “Annoying Orange is a global phenomenon and as a character-based property is ideal for an adult clothing line, so we are delighted to be welcoming Poeticgem on board, as they have an incredibly strong record in extending brands into the apparel sector. They will be a welcome addition to our strong roster of licensing partners, which already includes Underground Toys (toys), Egmont UK, (publishing), Pedigree Books (annuals), TV Mania (kids apparel), PMS (amusement toys).”
Elliott Matthews, of Poeticgem adds: “We are hugely excited about the potential of the Annoying Orange license - the landscape of licensing is changing to incorporate the internet mediums that consumers are increasingly using and we, as licensees, want to be part of this trend and take on the most popular brands coming out of this new media.”
Source: Poeticgem