Toei Animation Creates In-House Licensing Division for U.S. Market
Toei Animation Inc. has established an in-house consumer products licensing division under the supervision of Coy Edmunds, the unit's newly appointed director of business development and licensing. Headquartered in Toei's Los Angeles offices, the licensing operation will focus on the U.S. market and launch with the licensing representation of the company's popular Digimon brand.
Toei's new licensing operation will make its official debut at the New York International Licensing Show to be held to be held June 19-21, 2007, at the Javitz Convention Center.
Edmunds joins Toei Animation, from Focus Sports, (Los Angeles), where he was a director and agent for the renowned sports management organization. He previously was marketing manager for United Global Artists (Tokyo) where he developed and executed numerous high-profile entertainment and sports-based promotional events.
Edmunds worked earlier as legal consultant for the Law Offices of Timothy D. Myers (Huntington Beach, California).
"With the formation of an in-house licensing unit, Toei Animation becomes a fully integrated kids-based entertainment studio that develops, produces, distributes and controls the licensing and merchandising for our brands," said Yosuke Kobayashi, president/coo of Toei Animation. "We look forward to working with Coy Edmunds, an experienced executive whose expertise in licensing and marketing will help launch our new licensing operation."
With headquarters in Tokyo and sales offices in Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Paris, Toei Animation (www.toei-anim.com) ranks amongst the world's most prolific animation production studios. Toei Animation's operations include animation development and production, and worldwide marketing and program licensing. Founded in 1956, Toei Animation has produced more than 9,000 episodes of TV series (189 titles) and 172 long feature films as of March 2007.