FremantleMedia Looks to Extend Top Brands

LONDON, June 15: Extending the reach of the brands The
X Factor, The Apprentice and Prehistoric Park will be
FremantleMedia Licensing Worldwide’s key priority at Licensing Show next week.

“Our focus for Licensing International will be to seek
partners who will help us extend our brands across multi-format platforms and
reach consumers of all ages,” said Pindy O’Brien, the head of brand licensing
and retail for the U.K. at FLW. “Being an integral part of FremantleMedia
allows us to work closely with our production teams and gain input for
licensing at a very early stage, thereby ensuring that our brand programs fit
naturally alongside the TV platform. We’re very excited to be taking such a
diverse and strong portfolio to New York and look forward to sharing and
discussing our ideas for these brands with the industry.”

Merchandising for The X Factor, Simon
Cowell’s talent search reality series, will focus on products for the 7-to-15
set, including health and beauty products, fashion apparel, lifestyle, food and
drink, toys and games and promotions.

The Apprentice, which recently concluded
a second season in the U.K., has spawned executive stationery, gadgets,
electronics, games, publishing and apparel. In the works are business courses
and corporate trading DVDs.

The six-part Prehistoric Park is a
co-production of ITV, Animal Planet, M6 and ProSieben. Key categories are interactive
products, board games, apparel, toys and publishing for both adults and
children. Prehistoric Park launches on ITV1 in the U.K.
later this year.

The Price Is Right consumer
products will also be showcased, along with merchandising programs for the
other game shows Family Fortunes, Play Your Cards Right, Blockbusters and Blankety
Blank; the classic kids’ brands DangerMouse and Rainbow; and the
kids’ cookery adventure show Planet Cook.