• Sunny Bunnies merchandise heads into South America with IMC Licensing
• New plush toys set to launch under extension to Posh Paws collaboration
London, March 13th 2024
Media I.M. Incorporated, the London-based content distribution company that specialises in premium animation and family entertainment, has closed a three-year deal with Magic Star, the global division of children’s and family entertainment at music distribution and services company The Orchard.
Under the agreement, covering all Sunny Bunnies audio content, Magic Star will distribute and promote Sunny Bunnies audio content across multiple streaming channels, including Spotify, Amazon and Apple Music, joining the likes of Peppa Pig, My Little Pony and The Rainbow Collections on Magic Star’s music roster of hit children’s brands. The deal includes 32 songs from hit YouTube series Sunny Bunnies Sing Along, which has now racked up more than 100 million views.
Meanwhile, Media I.M.’s Sunny Bunnies L&M strategy continues to gather global momentum, with two significant advances reported in the past year. Brand licensing director Gavin Metcalfe has brokered a landmark deal with Buenos Aires-based licensing agent International Merchandising SRL (IMC Licensing), under which Sunny Bunnies-branded products will be licensed across Argentina, Bolivia, Columbia, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela. The agreement builds on the pre-school sensation’s impressive YouTube performance across South America. In 2023, views of the Sunny Bunnies official Spanish channel surged by 270% year on year, with growth proving particularly strong in Argentina, where Q4 23 views rocketed by 11% year-on-year alone.
In a further L&M deal, Media I.M. has extended its agreement with toy manufacturer and plush specialist Posh Paws for a further two years. Posh Paws’ range of feature plush toys with sound and movement, feature Sunny Bunnies characters Turbo, Big Boo, Iris, Shiny and Hopper are available across the UK. Under the extended deal, a newly designed range of toys will be launched later this year, supported by bespoke animated content on YouTube, TikTok and other social-media platforms.
Gavin Metcalfe said: “These latest deals demonstrate the versatility of the Sunny Bunnies brand. We are thrilled to be working with Magic Star as the market leader in children’s music distribution. Its presence in 45+ markets means that Sunny Bunnies will expand their songs of joy even further across the world. Also, International Merchandising SRL (IMC Licensing) complete the brand’s agency representation picture for the whole of South America, joining Vertical Licensing in Brazil and Televisa in Mexico”.
Media I.M. also has L&M and brand-extension relationships in place with, among others, Redan UK for magazines; Dreamscape Media for digital and physical distribution via multiple channels, including libraries; Chouette for activity books; Misirli, Hotsprings, Fan Mania and Poetic Brands for apparel; Ligsy for children’s party products and Yoto Play for songs on Yoto players and platforms.
About Sunny Bunnies
The Sunny Bunnies are five beaming balls that can appear anywhere there is a source of light, from sunshine to moonlight. In each episode, the cheeky creatures bring their fun and games to a different location — a circus, a sports stadium, a park — embarking on mischievous adventures and spreading laughter and happiness wherever they go. And at the end of every episode, the fun continues with a collection of bloopers.
Launched in 2015 on YouTube, Sunny Bunnies was picked up in 2016 by Disney Channel, Disney Junior and DisneyNOW in the US. A wave of high-profile sales across Europe and Asia-Pacific followed, as the pre-school animation’s popularity built around the world. The series now airs in more than 160 countries and is supported by a comprehensive L&M strategy encompassing toys, books, magazine, publishing and apparel.
About Media I.M. Incorporated
Media I.M. Incorporated, launched in April 2014 by former Viacom International Media Networks executives Maria Ufland and Irina Nazarenko, is an international content distribution company specialising in the sale of premium family entertainment and animation to both linear and non-linear platforms.
Media I.M. Incorporated is active in pre-sales, as well as identifying co-production and product licensing partners for its animation brands, which include Sunny Bunnies and Flying Animals. The company’s boutique approach gives it the flexibility to develop 360-degree opportunities around each property, enabling it to deliver maximum value to both producers and licensees.
About Magic Star:
Magic Star is the official global kids and family division of The Orchard, a leading global music distribution and artist + label services company and member of Sony Music Entertainment. Launched in October 2019 as part of Sony Music Entertainment UK, Magic Star is dedicated to children’s audio and audio-visual content from pop music and spoken word to live events for the whole family. Magic Star’s partner offerings include music engagement, marketing strategy, video creation, distribution, brand partnerships, spoken word production and press/publicity campaigns.
For more information, please visit www.magicstarkids.com
For further information on Media I.M. Incorporated, please contact:
Cheryl Clarke at Mushroom Media on:
Tel: +44 (0)7939554109
E: cheryl@mushroom-media.co.uk