TORONTO — Children’s content producer and distributor Nelvana announced Tuesday several new licensing partnerships to celebrate the 40th publishing anniversary of the beloved preschool brand Max & Ruby.
Based on one of the most popular book series for preschoolers by award-winning author and illustrator Rosemary Wells, Max & Ruby follows the hilarious, entertaining and mischievous adventures of siblings Max and his older sister, Ruby. The series’ seventh season recently launched on Treehouse in Canada and Nick Jr in the US.
Starting this fall, Nelvana has partnered with Cracker Barrel for an exclusive US retail launch of Max & Ruby branded plush, apparel and sleepwear across Cracker Barrel’s 650 stores. Nelvana has also signed on several new licensing partners, including Aurora (master plush partner), Chouette (publishing), Picture This (apparel), Prime Party (party goods), Happy Threads (apparel), and Jellifish (sleepwear). In addition, Nelvana has secured a partnership with Braum’s Ice Cream & Dairy Stores in the US for a Max & Ruby quick service restaurant (QSR) program that will roll out in January 2020.
“It’s a momentous year for Max & Ruby as the brand reaches its 40th anniversary milestone,” said Mellany Masterson, head of Nelvana Enterprises, in a news release issued by parent company Corus Entertainment. “Since its launch, the esteemed series captured the hearts and minds of preschoolers by helping children learn and understand the universal nature of sibling relationships through play. We’re excited to welcome our amazing new partners to the Max & Ruby family and look forward to the brand’s next 40 years!”
Nelvana, in collaboration with its Korean licensing agent Asiana Licensing Inc., has also brought on Eplis Co. to represent and create Max & Ruby stationery items in Korea.
Further to its expanded licensing efforts, Nelvana is celebrating Max & Ruby’s 40th anniversary through a number of consumer-facing initiatives, including: the launch of custom-print apparel on Teespring.com earlier this year; a special Toddler Tuesday with Max & Ruby at Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, on November 26; and a sweepstakes to be announced later this year on the Max & Ruby official Facebook page.
In addition to airing on Treehouse in Canada and Nick Jr in the US, the Max & Ruby series has garnered more than 593 million views on YouTube worldwide. Based on the brand’s online success, Nelvana has also recently launched a series of Super Max digital shorts on its Treehouse Direct YouTube channel.
