by ANNA KNIGHT, senior vice president of licensing, Global Licensing Group
The power of animation is immense; characters and storylines aren’t constrained by reality and, as such, are capable of bringing imagination to life. And with the rapid advancement of technology, entertainment giants like ZAG are leveraging burgeoning technology and brand extension strategies to break the boundaries of the screen.
As exhibitors gear up for an exciting 2022 Licensing Expo in Las Vegas set to take place in a few weeks, ZAG has cohesively brought together innovative consumer products for its flagship brand, Miraculous – Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir, which has woven together interactive characters not just for kids, but for the whole family.
ZAG is confirmed to exhibit at Licensing Expo, the world’s largest licensing trade show, taking place May 24-26 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. Retailers, licensees, and manufacturers interested in joining the fun and discovering ZAG’s newest IP available for license can register for Licensing Expo here and meet with ZAG to see how the plans to meld technology and children’s entertainment.
I caught up with ZAG’s Executive Vice President of Global Operations and Head of Consumer Products Julian Zag to discuss how the company has continued to bring new and exciting ideas to reality and what the pop culture juggernaut has planned for the next year as it continues to expand beyond the proverbial curve for years to come.
Anna Knight: Could you share a little backstory on ZAG and your role within the company?
Julian Zag: I joined ZAG in 2018 to manage the global consumer products business for all of the properties under the ZAG Heroez label — an umbrella brand franchise that brings together all the superheroes from ZAG’s animated properties. Our main focus right now is on Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir, a modern-day story of two young, magical, transforming iconic super-heroes that feature a blend of genres, from action to superhero to comedy and romance; and Ghostforce, an original comedy-action series for kids and families that follows three junior high school students who form a secret team to defend their city from the ghastly ghouls haunting it.
Our global consumer products team numbers more than 150 executives located around the world across retail, licensing, promotions, digital and gaming, and live events and experiences. Since I joined, we have ramped up our team significantly as we moved into production on season five of Miraculous which will debut this year, and we are in preparation for the launch of our $100 million-plus animated feature later this year. We have expanded further with new offices in Miami and Mexico City, to serve the Latin American marketplace; in Germany to serve Eastern Europe; in Tel Aviv, Israel, with the launch of the gaming division; and in Dubai to serve the Middle East and Africa. These are in addition to our existing offices in Paris, Los Angeles, and Montreal.
AK: How do you use Licensing to continue to innovate?
JZ: With all the products we develop with our licensing partners, we keep the consumer and customer at the heart of every decision as we continue to innovate. It’s imperative that our fans have exceptional experiences every time they interact with the brand. Therefore, products are developed from a deep understanding of our customers’ needs and wishes.
A great example of innovation for Miraculous is the Miraculous RP: Quests of Ladybug & Cat Noir game that we developed with Toya for the Roblox platform. ZAG was the first company to bring a TV series to the Roblox metaverse! We are now at our one-year anniversary and have racked up more than 300 million plays.
And the ZAG Lab team, together with Playmates Toys, developed a complete line of action dolls and accessories. Most recently, we launched the Fashion Flip doll. With the flip of her sequins, kids can transform Marinette into Ladybug. And later this year we will be launching the Miraculous Ladybug: Switch N Go Scooter w/10.5-inch Ladybug Lucky Charms Fashion Doll. With this unique toy, at the press of a button, Ladybug’s oversized yoyo transforms into her signature red and black Lucky Charm scooter for fast superhero action!
We also invested in the French company Epopia, whose unique epistolary letter format encourages children to read and write through interactive storytelling. Epopia brought together an entire team of writers, teachers, illustrators, developers, speech therapists, and graphic designers who worked together to create a personalized, immersive, and interactive storytelling experience for children. Epopia is the winner of a French National Education Award and two Gold Medals from the Paris Innovation Salon ‘Concours Lepine.’ This unique platform is a great vehicle to extend audience interaction from the TV to new storytelling adventures!
And finally, ZAG Lab is developing a new line of products for next year that will sit alongside our toys. More on that to come soon!
AK: What industry trends are coming down the pipeline?
JZ: I believe there is strong demand for more in-person shopping, particularly where brands can offer retail experiences for fans that go beyond product purchases. While online shopping hastened during the pandemic, brick and mortar retailers have a chance to find ways to bring people back into stores this year, and retail experiences will be a key component to bringing buyers back in person. We anticipate seeing more pop-up experiences and retail activations.
And we have seen an enormous demand for immersive and live experiences. The Miraculous live-action stage tour from Proactiv was immensely popular in Spain before the COVID-19 pandemic. The tour recommences across Latin America in June, and Europe in October. And we’ll soon be announcing a new partner for a North American live show.
And we are close to finalizing a deal with a theme park but it’s too soon to go into further detail.
Immersive and live experiences increase fan engagement with the brand which leads to more “word of mouth” social media coverage and the desire for fans to purchase consumer products.
AK: What is the current biggest trend of industry disruption you see due to the pandemic?
JZ: I think that the pandemic confirmed for everyone that brands must have great content and consumer products available at all touch points. As I mentioned, online shopping hastened during the pandemic, and here at ZAG, we were able to act nimbly to create a well-executed, well-coordinated, and broad-ranging consumer products strategy that delivers a diverse product across retail and e-commerce. This is all managed through our global e-commerce division, which manages a day-to-day basis for all our e-commerce efforts alongside our major partners, licensees, and retailers. We expect direct-to-consumer retail to continue to accelerate with Generation Now, the kids and families who crave instant gratification — anything, anytime, everywhere.
AK: You’re a prominent returning exhibitor at Licensing Expo. What are you excited about for this year’s edition that will be different from years past?
JZ: This will be the first time in two years that we’ve been able to meet with partners face-to-face, and we have achieved so much in this time frame that we can’t wait to update everyone on this success, share new strategies, and celebrate together. For example, we hit over $1 billion in retail sales, sold more than 250 million products, and just hit 30 billion views on YouTube. We also have big plans in the works to share with partners around the launch of our Miraculous theatrical movie that will be supported by a major QSR program; the launch of our first Miraculous console game that is available on XBOX, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch; two new mobile games; and several co-branded partnerships with some more of the most influential companies across the globe — including a global automaker — for numerous consumer products categories.
We are also developing our go-to-market strategy for Ghostforce, and we look forward to meeting our current and potential new partners there. Disney Channel U.S. acquired the series and premiered it last October, on Disney XD. The series launched in most European countries with great out-of-home and digital visibility, subsequently becoming the market leader in various kids’ target groups. Single airings reached up to 40.9% share among all kids ages 3-14, and 51.2% among kids ages 6-9! In Latin America, the series debuted on Discovery Kids last December.
Additionally, we have added many new licensing executives over the past two years, and having all of our team in one place will be extremely beneficial as we continue to grow our business.
Register for Licensing Expo for free here to schedule a meeting with ZAG.
