Skylanders Named Overall Best Licensed Program of the Year

      Activision Publishing Inc. is proud to announce that Skylanders has won Overall Best Licensed Programme of the Year and Character or Toy Brand of the Year at the LIMA International Licensing Excellence Awards held in Las Vegas last night. Following on the heels of other key honours earlier this year including DICE and TIA awards, these two prestigious awards validate Skylanders as one of the biggest franchises in kids’ entertainment, doubling the portfolio of licensees to over 150 partners in less than one year.

Skylanders Named Overall Best Licensed Program of the Year;
Hot Topic Nabs Best Retailer of the Year for The Hunger Games

LAS VEGAS, NV – The top licensed properties and products of the past year have earned their highest honors: International Licensing Excellence Awards from the International Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association (LIMA). Skylanders by Activision Publishing, Inc. was named Overall Best Licensed Program of the Year and Hot Topic received the Best Retailer of the Year Award for The Hunger Games. This year’s 15 Awards recipients were chosen from a ballot of stellar nominees via an industry-wide search and determined by a vote of LIMA’s membership. The winners of the industry’s most prestigious annual Awards were announced tonight at the LIMA Awards Ceremony during Licensing Expo 2013.

     “It was a tough competition this year, as there were so many wonderful licensed properties and programs from all around the world to choose from – and our members rose to the challenge with a list of deserving honorees,” said LIMA President Charles Riotto. “The 2013 Award winners delivered outstanding entertainment value to consumers on a global scale, while helping to lead licensing industry growth for the second consecutive year.”

     LIMA’s International Licensing Excellence Awards honor the best, most successful licensed properties, products and campaigns in five distinct categories: Art or Design; Character or Toy Brand; Corporate Brand; Film, Television, Celebrity or Entertainment; and Sports. In addition, awards are presented for the Best Licensed Promotion of the Year, Best Retailer of the Year and Overall Best Licensed Program of the Year.

The latest crop of Awards winners (listed by category) are:

ART OR DESIGN

Best Art or Design Program of the Year

The Very Hungry Caterpillar/The World of Eric Carle (by Eric Carle Studio/The Joester Loria Group)

Best Art or Design Licensee of the Year

Kids Preferred for The Very Hungry Caterpillar/The World of Eric Carle)

 

CHARACTER OR TOY BRAND

Best Character or Toy Brand Program of the Year

Skylanders (by Activision Publishing, Inc.)

Best Character or Toy Brand Licensee of the Year – Hard Goods

LEGO (for Marvel Super Heroes)

Best Character or Toy Brand Licensee of the Year – Soft Goods

Alfred Angelo (for Disney Fairy Tale Weddings)

 

CORPORATE BRAND

Best Corporate Brand Program of the Year

HGTV HOME (by HGTV HOME/Beanstalk)

Best Corporate Brand Licensee of the Year

Sherwin-Williams (for HGTV HOME)

 

FILM, TELEVISION, CELEBRITY, OR ENTERTAINMENT

Best Film, Television, Celebrity, or Entertainment Program of the Year

Marvel’s The Avengers (by The Walt Disney Company/Marvel Entertainment)

Best Film, Television, Celebrity, or Entertainment Licensee of the Year – Hard Goods

CVS/Pharmacy (for NUANCE Salma Hayek)

Best Film, Television, Celebrity, or Entertainment Licensee of the Year – Soft Goods

Vans (for Yo Gabba Gabba!)

 

SPORTS

Best Sports Program of the Year

National Basketball Association

Best Sports Licensee of the Year

Junk Food Clothing Co. (for Vintage NFL)

 

PROMOTION

Best Licensed Promotion of the Year

50 Years the Art of Soup: Campbell Soup Company (for Andy Warhol at Target)

 

RETAILER

Best Retailer of the Year

Hot Topic (for The Hunger Games)

 

OVERALL BEST LICENSED PROGRAM OF THE YEAR

Skylanders (by Activision Publishing, Inc.)

 

For a full list of this year’s nominees and more information about our annual Awards program, visit the LIMA website, www.licensing.org. For more information on the Skylanders franchise please visit http://.activision-pressassets.eu