Rocket Licensing has secured a deal to manage the consumer products programme for new preschool stop motion animation, Kiri and Lou.
The series – which centres around two small prehistoric creatures – has been launched in New Zealand, Canada and Australia, also airing weekdays on CBeebies in the UK having debuted on April 27.
During its first week, Kiri and Lou was the most requested CBeebies brand and in four weeks it has achieved over two million requests on iPlayer.
New episodes are premiering from today (June 8), while a free Kiri and Lou app is available to download from the App Store and Google Play.
The show centres around music, the environment, nature, feelings and friendship exploring values such as kindness, thoughtfulness and empathy.
The series also features original songs co-written for each episode with well-known New Zealand musician, Don McGlashan, with a Kiri and Lou album due to be released later this month.
In addition, famous names have lent their voices to the characters including Flight of the Conchords’ Jemaine Clement as Lou.
Rocket will manage the licensing rights in the UK and Eire and will be discussing the new brand with potential partners in a wide range of categories including toys and games, stationery, publishing, homewares, apparel, accessories, food and drink, educational tools, partyware and digital.
The agency also sees strong potential to explore options for sustainable and environmentally conscious product and partnerships, in keeping with the brand’s core values and messaging.
“Kiri and Lou bring something completely fresh to the preschool sector,” said Charlie Donaldson, joint md of Rocket Licensing. “The animation employs a traditional stop motion animation technique, which brings not only a different look, but a different pace to the screen and enables fully developed characters, environment and stories.
“The brand is the perfect mixture of a calm and gentle approach to exploring personal and social education for young children, with fun, laughter and adventure. The rich design and writing offer a huge scope for licensed products.”
Fiona Copland, ceo and producer at Stretchy, added: “We are delighted to partner with Rocket Licensing for the UK and Eire. They share the values of this brand and bring a wealth of experience working with high quality IP that is beloved across the UK.”
