Merchantwise Licensing Wins Two LIMA Awards

The Simpsons D’ohnut and iconic brand emoji Named Winners

Merchantwise Licensing was a winner at this year’s recent Australia and New Zealand International Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association (LIMA) Awards held at Leonda by the Yarra in Melbourne, nabbing two of the night’s prestigious inaugural awards.

Nominated for nine awards, Merchantwise Licensing took home ‘FMCG, Licensed Promotions and Events Product or Campaign of the Year’ for its world first Krispy Kreme – The Simpsons D’ohnut and the ‘Digital, Video Game or New Media License of the Year’ category for emoji®, the iconic brand.

A landmark international deal, the first of its kind anywhere in the world, Krispy Kreme’s The Simpsons D’ohnut was brokered by Merchantwise Licensing on behalf of Gracie Films Production and Twentieth Century Fox.  The Simpsons D’ohnut set mouths watering all around the world and to date, has sold over 1.5 million doughnuts since its launch in March this year.

Spearheaded by Merchantwise Licensing on behalf of The emoji® Company, the local emoji® licensing program now has 20 partners across Australia and New Zealand, achieving strong sales results at retailers including the Cotton On Group, Jay Jays, Big W and Best & Less.

With 6+ billion emojis sent daily by 95% of internet users, there is no stopping the brand that has become the envy of the licensing world with over 600 emoji® licensees generating over $US500 million in retail sales.

Moose Toys’ global brand phenomenon Shopkins was nominated in multiple award categories, including the prestigious ‘Girl’s License of the Year’.

Australian heritage brand May Gibbs was nominated for ‘Events, Product or Campaign of the Year’ for its Snugglepot & Cuddlepie 100^thAnniversary display at this year’s VIVID Sydney festival.

In the ‘Best Retail Marketing Campaign’ category, The Simpsons’ extensive cross category activation with retailer Typo was nominated.

In the category of ‘Digital, Video Game or New Media License of the Year’, Microsoft’s HALO and SEGA’s Sonic The Hedgehog, both represented by Merchantwise Licensing, were nominated alongside emoji®.

The Merchantwise Group’s Asembl, a brand extension agency specialising in FMCG, fashion and lifestyle, just missed out on taking the ‘Sports, Fitness, Street or Lifestyle License of the Year’ for its work with Diageo and The Beanstalk Group on an innovative licensing campaign for iconic liqueur brand Baileys.  Baileys Premium Ice Coffee from licensee On Shelf was also nominated for ‘FMCG, Licensed Promotions and Events Product or Campaign of the Year’.

“It’s an honour to have had such a diverse selection of our Merchantwise Licensing and Asembl brand licensing programs nominated for this year’s prestigious Australasian LIMA Awards, and to see our work with both The Simpsons and emoji® brands recognised in the industry. Our wonderful licensing team works hard to develop local programs that are strategic, innovative and exciting for brand owners and consumers alike – it’s rewarding to see these efforts recognised,” said Group Managing Director, Alan Schauder.