Nickelodeon Expands Partnership with pocket.watch

Update (5/6) - Original Nickelodeon USA Press Release:

Nickelodeon Expands Partnership with pocket.watch

Viacom Nickelodeon Consumer Products to Manage International Consumer Products Licensing for Ryan’s World and Ryan’s Mystery Playdate

June 05, 2019 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

NEW YORK--Viacom Nickelodeon Consumer Products (VNCP) today announced an agreement with pocket.watch, the new studio creating global franchises from the YouTube stars and characters loved by Generation Alpha, to manage licensing in select international markets across all product categories for Ryan’s World, a companion consumer products line featuring YouTube superstar Ryan from Ryan ToysReview and the universe of characters created by Ryan and his parents, and Ryan’s Mystery Playdate, Nickelodeon’s new breakout live-action series created and produced by pocket.watch and starring Ryan and his parents. VNCP will represent licensing for the properties across key markets in Europe, the Middle East, Canada and South America. Pocket.watch’s existing portfolio of licensees in markets covered by the deal will be managed by VNCP, effective immediately. All domestic consumer products licensing for Ryan’s World and Ryan’s Mystery Playdate will continue to be managed directly by pocket.watch.

“Ryan is a bonafide star for the YouTube generation, and we are thrilled to expand our partnership with him and with pocket.watch,” said Pam Kaufman, President, Viacom Nickelodeon Consumer Products. “We are incredibly excited to further develop and grow Ryan into a truly global retail brand through our expertise in creative, product development and retail marketing.”

Ryan’s Mystery Playdate was recently greenlit for a second season. The live-action series follows Ryan as he tackles a series of imaginative, physical challenges and solves mystery box puzzles to reveal the identity of his playdate. The series has quickly emerged as the number-one preschool show on all TV and reached more than 22 million total viewers since its launch in April.

“Viacom has been a great partner for us, and it is incredible to see what we’ve accomplished together in such a short time,” said Chris M. Williams, Founder and CEO of pocket.watch. “Pam and her team are some of the best in the business, and we’re thrilled to have them representing Ryan’s World and Ryan’s Mystery Playdate consumer products internationally.”

Pocket.watch is the new studio that specializes in entertaining and inspiring kids and families through digital-first content and sparking their imaginations with lifestyle products ranging from toys to toothbrushes. The company inspires kids to seamlessly move between screen time and playtime and boasts a growing portfolio of franchises that includes some of the largest kids and family YouTube brands in the world alongside original characters and talent that the company has extended into premium series, consumer products, books, games, live events and more. Pocket.watch was founded in March 2017 by Chris M. Williams and is located in Culver City, CA where it maintains an office and studio. The management team is made up of studio veterans and visionaries from traditional and digital entertainment including Albie Hecht, Stone Newman, Jon Moonves and David B. Williams. Investors include Viacom, Greycroft, Third Wave Digital and United Talent Agency (UTA), as well as notable strategic angels including Robert Downey Jr. (Team Downey) and Jon Landau.

Viacom led pocket.watch’s $15M Series B investment round in 2018.

About Viacom Nickelodeon Consumer Products

Viacom Nickelodeon Consumer Products (VNCP) oversees all merchandising and retail operations for Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), one of the world’s leading multimedia entertainment companies and home to such powerhouse brands as Nickelodeon, MTV, Paramount Network, Paramount Pictures and Comedy Central. With a diverse portfolio spanning animation, preschool, youth and adult licenses, VNCP is committed to providing key partner development and innovative marketing solutions, ensuring the highest quality product offering across some of the world's most powerful TV and entertainment properties, including SpongeBob SquarePants, PAW Patrol and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

###
"The key to Nickelodeon’s and Viacom’s success is understanding the consumer. A couple of years ago, we started seeing that social influencers became extremely important to the kid audience,” Kaufman tells The Hollywood Reporter in explaining the recent deals push with social media influencers. “This group of celebrities started becoming even more important to kids than athletes ... even friends. So we started working with some social media influencers through the consumer products lens, not just through a marketing lens. We’re looking to do more with these people who appeal to the kids and family audience from a content and consumer products perspective.”

Do they replace traditional Hollywood actors? “We still really need actors,” says the exec. “I don’t think they are replacing actors. These are different kinds of people for our audiences.”

Importantly, consumer products can be a growing revenue stream for the talent and Nickelodeon and keep both relevant beyond the on-screen experience at a time when “retail is asking for them,” Kaufman says.

Chris Williams, founder and CEO of pocket.watch (in which Viacom invested as lead backer in a $15 million funding round in 2018), tells THR the reason why the company has expanded into the consumer products space: "The main thesis was these stars and characters on YouTube, where the vast majority of the kids and family audience is now consuming content, why can't they be treated like Mickey Mouse or SpongeBob and extended into all the franchise areas that we traditionally associate with television and film properties, including consumer products? And we were right."

He points to data proving the business opportunity. "We launched consumer products with Ryan domestically in August of last year, and NPD reported that just those five months in the U.S. were enough to make Ryan's World the third-largest new consumer products brand in the brand for 2018," Williams says. "We have been working with Ryan and his parents to make it a truly global franchise," as evidenced by 45 percent of the more than 120 million unique users, as of the first quarter, of his main YouTube channel being outside the U.S. "So we know there will be demand for consumer products internationally."

For both the social influencers and Nickelodeon, consumer products provide an opportunity for new ways to connect with consumers, in addition to creating revenue. "These people are playing on multiple platforms. We’re really excited to represent them from the consumer products perspective, because now people want to physically own a piece of the talent,” making it the equivalent of another screen or consumer touch point, Kaufman explains. "We can stay relevant to consumers by identifying these young talents and amplifying them through the power of our platforms, including TV, Pluto TV, YouTube, other digital platforms and retail. After all, Viacom is no longer just a television company” as per CEO Bob Bakish’s vision.

The success of the “extraordinary relationship” with Siwa means there are more deals with social media influencers to come. “JoJo has become a $1 billion brand. Now she is on tour, and our product line continues to expand,” says Kaufman. “We are really amplifying her across various platforms,” including with an on-air special, her co-hosting Lip Sync Battle Shorties and appearances at the Kids Choice Awards and Kids Choice Sports and more.

Siwa's consumer products, including dolls, accessories and more, are currently available in more than 30 markets, with Nickelodeon having signed more than 230 partners globally. Her signature bows have sold more than 60 million times worldwide so far.

In a couple of weeks, Kaufman says the Nickelodeon team in Miami will go over ideas with de la Torre. Asked about Nickelodeon’s future work on consumer products for social media influencers, the executive is upbeat: “There is definitely a lot more to come.”

###

Update (6/13) - Official pocket.watch press release via PR Newswire:

Pocket.watch Appoints Veteran Marketing and Technology Executive Kerry Tucker to Chief Marketing Officer

Tucker to drive marketing and communications strategy for the pocket.watch brand and creator franchises

CULVER CITY, Calif., June 12, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, pocket.watch, the new studio that creates global franchises from the YouTube stars and characters loved by Generation Alpha, announced it has appointed veteran marketing and technology executive Kerry Tucker to the position of Chief Marketing Officer.

As pocket.watch's CMO, Tucker will drive the company's content and consumer products marketing strategy, lead brand positioning, manage all public relations and corporate communications, and oversee the consumer experience for the quickly growing startup.

Tucker will also spearhead the launch and promotion of pocket.watch franchises, including kid's content powerhouse Ryan's World and Ryan's Mystery Playdate, as well as Hobby Kids Adventures, the studio's latest franchise. She will direct strategic and creative marketing, and work top-to-top with the C-Suite of pocket.watch's biggest partners, including Viacom/Nickelodeon, Amazon, Target, and Walmart. She will also be responsible for creating and executing big tentpole moments, including back to school and holiday campaigns to support expansive product and toy lines.

"Kerry has a proven track record as a dynamic, strategic, and innovative leader at both Fortune 500 companies and startups," said pocket.watch founder and CEO Chris M. Williams. "Her experience working with some of the most iconic brands in the world, including Martha Stewart, Victoria's Secret, and CBS Corporation, will be invaluable during our next stage of growth."

"Pocket.watch is completely disrupting kids and family entertainment and I'm honored to be part of this powerful team," said Tucker. "I'm incredibly excited to bring innovative digital-first kids content and consumer products to market, expand and evolve our partnerships with creators, licensees and retailers, and help establish pocket.watch as a leading global entertainment studio."

Prior to joining pocket.watch, Tucker served as the CEO of Hello Sunshine, Reese Witherspoon's media and production company, EVP of Marketing for Victoria's Secret, SVP of Marketing, Media, and Merchandising at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, and VP of Business Development at CBS Corporation. Tucker also served as the COO of the video curation company The Video Genome Project, and was instrumental in brokering the acquisition of the tech startup by streaming giant Hulu.

About pocket.watch
Pocket.watch is a new studio that specializes in entertaining and inspiring kids and families through digital-first content and sparking their imaginations with lifestyle products ranging from toys to toothbrushes. The company inspires kids to seamlessly move between screen time and playtime and boasts a growing portfolio of franchises that includes some of the largest kids and family YouTube brands in the world. Pocket.watch developed and launched the massive Ryan's World® consumer products line and created and produces Ryan's Mystery Playdate, which airs on Nickelodeon and is the #1 preschool show on television. The company was founded in March 2017 by Chris M. Williams and is located in Culver City, CA where it maintains an office and studio. Its management team is made up of studio veterans and visionaries from traditional and digital entertainment including Albie Hecht, Stone Newman, Jon Moonves and David B. Williams. Investors include Viacom, Greycroft, Third Wave Digital and United Talent Agency (UTA), as well as notable strategic angels including Robert Downey Jr. (Team Downey) and Jon Landau. For more information about pocket.watch, please visit pocket.watch.

SOURCE pocket.watch

Related Links
https://pocket.watch/

###

Official CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc. press release via Business Wire:

Hardee’s Relaunches Star Pals™ Meals in Partnership with pocket.watch and Ryan’s World®

Star Pals Meals will Include an Exclusive Line of Toys Available at Participating Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. Restaurants Nationwide Designed by YouTube Sensation Ryan of Ryan ToysReview™

Exclusive Ryan's World Toy Line for Star Pals Meals (Photo: Business Wire)

June 11, 2019 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

FRANKLIN, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Hardee’s, known for quality you can taste, today announced the return of the restaurant’s beloved Star Pals™ meals to its menu for the first time in eight years. To celebrate the return, the brand is teaming up with kids’ entertainment studio pocket.watch and Ryan’s World® for a first-of-its-kind partnership as YouTube creators continue to transform the toy industry.

“When we decided to reintroduce Star Pals to our menu, we wanted to ensure we had a partner that families would be excited about,” said Jenna Folk, Director of Brand Marketing, Hardee’s. “Ryan ToysReview™ has seen tremendous success on YouTube and beyond, and we are thrilled to have exclusive Ryan’s World toys in our Star Pals™ meals this summer.”

The new Star Pals meals will feature an exclusive toy line under the massively successful Ryan’s World consumer products brand, designed by Ryan, the seven-year-old YouTube star with more than 19.4 million subscribers. The toys will be available at participating Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. restaurants across the country beginning June 19, 2019.

“This partnership with CKE is a perfect extension of Ryan’s World, the amazing character universe created by Ryan and his family,” said Edwina Cumberbatch, Manager, Sales and Co-Promotion, pocket.watch. “And, it really builds on pocket.watch’s mission to bring kids and families more of what they love from their digital worlds.”

Hardee’s new Star Pals meals come with three protein options including Kid’s Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders, a Kid’s Hamburger or a Kid’s Cheeseburger. All Star Pals meals have the option of a side of applesauce and a milk beverage.

The Ryan’s World® exclusive toys available within the Star Pals meals will include:

- Mystery Egg Puzzles: Open your egg to find out what puzzle you’ve got inside! Next, spread out your pieces on the table and start to put your puzzle together. There are two sides to each puzzle, so if a piece does not look right, try flipping it over. When you have finished putting together one image you can take it apart and solve it again to complete the image on the other side – collect all three!

- Rockin’ Ryan Figures: Place Ryan down on a flat surface and gently press the top of his head to watch him bounce up and down and raise his fist into the air – collect all three!

- Gil™ Squirter: Squeeze Gil to blow out all of the air and submerge him into water, then slowly release to fill him up with water. Remove him from the water and squeeze his sides to squirt water from his mouth!

- Combo Panda™ Roller: Place Combo Panda down on a sloped surface, and push him gently to watch the wheel roll along. Combo Panda will rock back and forth as he rolls, but will never fall down!

The program will continue later in the summer with the introduction of a new line of toys from HobbyKids Adventures™, a new animated series from pocket.watch based on YouTube family HobbyKidsTV. HobbyKids Adventures™ Star Pals meals will be available at participating Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. restaurants nationwide in August.

Hardee’s Star Pals will be available at participating Hardee’s locations beginning June 19, 2019. The new meals will start at $3.99 and up, price and participation may vary by location, tax not included.

Follow Hardee’s on social media for the latest product news and promotional offers.
Twitter: @Hardees
Instagram: @Hardees
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Hardees

About CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc.

CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc. (“CKE”), a privately held company based in Franklin, Tennessee, runs and operates Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s, two beloved regional brands, known for one-of-a-kind premium and innovative menu items such as 100 percent Black Angus Thickburgers®, Made from Scratch™ Biscuits and Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders™. With both a US and international footprint, Carl’s Jr. Restaurants LLC and Hardee’s Restaurants LLC have over 3,800 franchised or company-operated restaurants in 44 states and 43 foreign countries and U.S. territories. For more information about CKE, please visit www.ckr.com or its brand sites at www.carlsjr.com and www.hardees.com. STAR PALS is a trademark of Carl’s Jr. Restaurants LLC.

About pocket.watch

Pocket.watch is a new studio that specializes in entertaining and inspiring kids and families through digital-first content and sparking their imaginations with lifestyle products ranging from toys to toothbrushes. The company inspires kids to seamlessly move between screen time and playtime and boasts a growing portfolio of franchises that includes some of the largest kids and family YouTube brands in the world. Pocket.watch developed and launched the massive Ryan’s World® consumer products line and created and produces Ryan’s Mystery Playdate, which airs on Nickelodeon and is the #1 preschool show on television. The company was founded in March 2017 by Chris M. Williams and is located in Culver City, CA where it maintains an office and studio. Its management team is made up of studio veterans and visionaries from traditional and digital entertainment including Albie Hecht, Stone Newman, Jon Moonves and David B. Williams. Investors include Viacom, Greycroft, Third Wave Digital and United Talent Agency (UTA), as well as notable strategic angels including Robert Downey Jr. (Team Downey) and Jon Landau. For more information about pocket.watch, please visit pocket.watch. RYAN’S WORLD, GIL, COMBO PANDA and RYAN TOYREVIEW are trademarks of Remka, Inc.

###

Original post:

California-based Pocket.watch has announced the launch of a comprehensive licensing program based on Ryan’s Mystery Playdate, Nickelodeon's hit live-action preschool series that was recently picked-up for a second season. This will be the second franchise that pocket.watch and Ryan ToysReview have launched since the Ryan’s World launch in August 2018. Products will be hitting shelves right in time for the 2019 holiday season.

The Ryan’s Mystery Playdate inaugural line will feature products ranging from toys to apparel, bridge the gap between screen time to and playtime, and focus on the unique elements of Ryan’s Mystery Playdate. Fans and viewers will experience the joy of Challenges, Mystery Boxes, Mystery Splashers, Playdates with Ryan, and more— just like their favorite digital star, Ryan.

Pocket.watch is excited to bring all the fun and excitement of the show to life with the launch of the Ryan’s Mystery Playdate licensing program,” said Stone Newman, Chief Revenue Officer (CRO), pocket.watch. “Ryan’s World has undoubtably been a global success, and while we’ve yet to announce our retail strategy for Ryan’s Mystery Playdate, we know that fans of the show will be excited to re-enact their favorite show through everyday play.”

The initial roster of licensee partners features category leaders, including Accessory Innovations (accessories), Franco Manufacturing (home and bedding), Just Play (master toy), Komar (sleep), Mattel (games), Taste Beauty (bath, health and beauty, personal care), and Simon & Schuster (master publishing). Additional partners to be will also be announced in the future.

Additionally, pocket.watch announced the hiring of Gaye Dean as the new vice-president, retail sales at pocket.watch. As pocket.watch continues to expand its retail footprint, Dean will oversee retail strategy across pocket.watch franchises. Most recently, Dean served as the marketing director for licensing at Target. Earlier this year, Dean was honored as the Women in Toys’ Wonder Woman Awards Retailer of the Year.

“It’s impressive to see what pocket.watch has done within the past couple of years, from the launch of Ryan’s World to bringing their original and creator IP to market,” said Dean. “I’m excited to work alongside Stone and the team, utilizing my vast retail background and experience to further the companies mission to bring more of what kids and families love to where they are.”

Created and produced by pocket.watch, Ryan's Mystery Playdate follows Ryan as he tackles a series of imaginative, physical challenges and solves mystery box puzzles to reveal the identity of his playdate.

In the live-action series, Ryan, his parents and animated friends Gus the Gummy Gator and Combo Panda, work together to complete unique challenges and unlock mystery boxes that contain hints to help him discover who his mystery playdate is. The series encourages physical play, models positive family relationships and features a creative problem-solving curriculum.

Season one (20 episodes) premiered on Nick Jr. in April 2019 and was quickly renewed for a 20-episode second season after strong ratings.

Stone Newman recently revealed at Natpe’s LA Screenings Independents Producers Summit in Los Angeles that the company is looking at working with young YouTubers around the world to produce localized versions of the show.

“We believe in the power of localisation and taking this very successful format and localising it market by market with local YouTube creators,” said Newman.

The series has quickly emerged as the number-one preschool show on television, and is gaining broader traction with children aged 2-11. Twenty-five percent of the show's audience are new to the Nickelodeon network.

Viewers can catch brand-new episodes of Ryan's Mystery Playdate regularly on Nickelodeon, as well as visit nickjr.com, Like the show on Facebook and follow the series on Instagram for more Ryan's Mystery Playdate.

Since its inception in 2015, Ryan ToysReview (19 million subscribers) has grown to become one of the world’s largest YouTube channels with videos that feature Ryan and his family playing with toys for kids. The channel, along with other channels featuring Ryan and his friends, averages over one billion views monthly and currently has over 18 million subscribers. In addition to videos of Ryan playing with toys, Ryan ToysReview also features fun and easy science experiments, educational content, and videos that document daily life for the family of five, which includes Ryan’s younger twin sisters. Ryan’s World, a companion consumer products line developed by pocket.watch, featuring Ryan and the universe of characters created by Ryan and his parents, launched nationwide last year. Ryan’s Mystery Playdate marks the influencer’s first foray onto linear.

The Ryan ToysReview brand has been growing since 2017 when Ryan’s family first partnered with Pocket.watch on a multiplatform franchise development plan. Today his brand has expanded into publishing, licensing, original programming and merchandising.

Pocket.watch is the new studio that specializes in entertaining and inspiring kids and families through digital-first content and sparking their imaginations with lifestyle products ranging from toys to toothbrushes. The company inspires kids to seamlessly move between screen time and playtime and boasts a growing portfolio of franchises that includes some of the largest kids and family YouTube brands in the world alongside original characters and talent that the company has extended into premium series, consumer products, books, games, live events and more. Pocket.watch was founded in March 2017 by Chris M. Williams and is located in Culver City, CA where it maintains an office and studio. The management team is made up of studio veterans and visionaries from traditional and digital entertainment including Albie Hecht, Stone Newman, Jon Moonves and David B. Williams. Investors include Viacom, Greycroft, Third Wave Digital and United Talent Agency (UTA), as well as notable strategic angels including Robert Downey Jr. (Team Downey) and Jon Landau.

Production of Ryan’s Mystery Playdate for Nickelodeon is overseen by Cathy Galeota, Senior Vice President, Preschool Content.

More Nick: Nick Jr. Live! "Move To The Music" U.S. Theatrical Tour To Debut Fall 2019!

Originally published: Tuesday, June 04, 2019.

Source: aNb Media, Inc.; H/T: Kidscreen; Press release via Business Wire.

---

Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nick Jr., Nickelodeon Preschool and Ryan's Mystery Playdate News and Highlights!