Ahead of the imminent broadcast debut of the highly anticipated boys’ action adventure series Thunderbirds Are Go on 4 April 2015 on ITV, ITV Studios Global Entertainment (ITVS GE) continues to build momentum with a slate of new licensing deals for the UK and Eire across key categories including toys, apparel and accessories, gifting and stationery.
Bolstering the toy category, ITVS GE has signed leading clothing design and manufacturer Global Solutions for Clothing (GSC) to launch a range of children’s hanging dress-up costumes inspired by the new series. The range will be led by the Scott and Virgil Tracy costumes, giving children the chance to dress as their favourite pilots.
Fashion Lab boosts the apparel and accessories category with its boys outwear range for mid-high end retail, while Xccessories MC’s range of children’s apparel accessories will include hats, gloves and scarves and Aykroyd & Sons will launch a line of boys’ nightwear and underwear inspired by the new TV series. Misirli will debut a collection of children’s socks and Alfred Franks & Bartlett is on board for boys’ sunglasses.
ITVS GE SVP head of global merchandising Trudi Hayward comments: “As excitement builds for the upcoming debut of Thunderbirds Are Go it’s fantastic to see our licensing programme for the show growing so rapidly and welcoming such high calibre partners. From innovative toys to unique gifts, we’re delighted to be bringing the much-loved Tracy family into homes around the world.”
Strengthening the stationery category, GB Eye will launch a range of posters, prints, gift sets and badges and Star Cutouts Limited will unveil its selection of boys’ cardboard face masks and cardboard standees. Paper Projects Ltd has been signed for a range of sticker formats and reward charts, UP Global Sourcing expands the homewares category with its line of tissue products and DNC UK Limited for lunchware and snack boxes. World’s Apart Limited will also be producing a range of novelty lighting for the brand, including Go Glow Lights and Go Glow Pal, a plush light for these key territories.
Thunderbirds Are Go production partner, Weta Workshop, builds the gifting programme for the upcoming series with a line of t-shirts, art prints, display models and The Art of Thunderbirds Are Go book, all of which will have global distribution at their exhibition special events and on the Weta e-commerce site.
Thunderbirds Are Go is produced using a unique mixture of CGI animation and live-action miniatures. The new series aims to bring the Thunderbirds brand to a new generation of children aged 5-11 years and to international audiences.
The broadcast debut Thunderbirds Are Go has been announced: an hour-long episode will air on ITV on the 4 April 2015. The official YouTube channel launched in February and already has over 1 million views across its videos. The most recent trailer has over half a million views alone. Thunderbirds.com, the official website for the new series, will launch activities on the same day as the TV launch. At present, subscribers (or recruits, as they are called), have access to character profiles and craft information, and can print their first certificate.
These new partnerships join the extensive licensing programme for Thunderbirds Are Go that already includes Vivid Imaginations as the master toy licensee as the master toy licensee for worldwide manufacturing across Europe, Australia and New Zealand, Simon & Schuster and DC Thomson for publishing and BeyondTheStory for digital content. In the UK and Eire, Danilo are on board for greetings and stationery, Posh Paws for back packs and bags, MV Sports for wheeled play, Smith and Brooks for children’s apparel, DreamTex for homewares and Kokomo for personal care.