European Licensing Programme takes shape with new team at The Pokémon Company International

Evergreen brand going strong with the launch of Pokémon Omega Ruby and Pokémon Alpha Sapphire on November 28, multimillion-euro marketing campaign planned, and numerous licensees on board London, UK—October 6, 2014—The Pokémon Company International announced today several new deals with European licensees. Ten new deals have been confirmed with players as diverse as:

· Arguydal: Food & Drinks
· Aventure Diffusion: Footwear
· Bon Bon Buddies: Confections
· Cartorama: Back-to-School Supplies
· Fashion UK: Apparel
· GB eye: Posters, Wall Art & Accessories
· HORI: Video Game Accessories
· RDS Industries: Video Game Accessories
· Vadobag: Back-to-School Supplies
· Winning Moves: Board Games

These new European licensees join existing partners such as global master toy partner TOMY, whose range includes figures, feature figures, role play and plush, Ultra PRO for trading card game accessories, Sun City for apparel, CTI for bedding, and CyP for back-to-school supplies.

The recent wave of partnerships was spearheaded by a newly established European Market Development team at The Pokémon Company International in London, responsible for licensing, retail, and brand promotions across the continent. The team is headed by Mathieu Galante and has just been expanded by the arrival of Samantha Mortimore and Romina Ialongo. The team will be meeting prospective partners throughout the Brand Licensing Europe 2014 expo at The Pokémon Company International Stand (F070).

“Following the enormous success of Pokémon X and Pokémon Y, which launched on Nintendo 3DS a year ago, and the subsequent introduction of the latest Trading Card Game generation, Pokémon TCG: XY, we’re enjoying a large resurgence in sales and interest in the brand. And across CITV, Netflix, and Disney XD and on iTunes, the TV show is being watched by a huge and ever-growing following,” said Marketing Director Anthony Cornish.

“The newly expanded Market Development team, based in our European headquarters in Chiswick, has been hard at work bringing on board new partners, and we’re very excited to announce the first wave of new partners who will help us bring world-class consumer products to our passionate fans,” added Mathieu Galante, Senior Manager of Marketing Development.

The expansion of the European licensing programme follows a period of growth for the Pokémon brand globally. Pokémon has enjoyed a stellar year following the launch of Pokémon X and Pokémon Y in October 2013 with combined sales of nearly 12 million copies globally in the first four months. Today it is one of the most successful video game franchises of all time, with more than 260 million games sold worldwide since its launch in 1996.

The Pokémon Trading Card Game perennially remains the market leader in trading card games worldwide—more than 21.5 billion cards have been shipped to 74 countries in 10 languages. Recent NPD reports from the UK market have suggested that sales of the Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) have risen in 2014 by 51%. New Pokémon TCG expansions launch regularly throughout the year, and the next expansion, Pokémon TCG: XY—Phantom Forces, is set to hit stores in early November.

Future projects for The Pokémon Company International and its partners include the launch of the much anticipated video games Pokémon Omega Ruby and Pokémon Alpha Sapphire for the Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo 2DS systems on November 28, 2014 . This title is a fresh take on Pokémon Ruby and Pokémon Sapphire, which launched in 2003 and were fan favourites for the Game Boy Advance system. The launch will be supported by a multimillion-euro marketing campaign.

The Pokémon Company International will be exhibiting at BLE this year at stand F070.

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