Henson News: Brandolution JHC

Henson relaunches CP division
With a bumper crop of properties on the way, the Jim Henson Company has relaunched its consumer products division and appointed Melissa Segal to helm this part of its business as SVP of global consumer products.

Segal joins Henson from licensing and product development agency Brandolution, which she founded in 2006. She had been repping Henson for the past year to help build its L&M program for Sid the Science Kid, and obviously the relationship was a good fit for both parties.

Sid products will debut at retail this fall, but in Segal's new role, she'll also manage activities on Dinosaur Train and The Skrumps. Her team will also handle Henson's fantasy brands, which include Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal and Farscape, as well as Fraggle Rock - once the property is released from an administrative agreement with HIT Entertainment early this year.

Brandolution will continue to exist and will still rep third-party properties. But it will operate under the banner of The Jim Henson Company as Brandolution JHC.

Did someone say Mokey and Sprocket toys?

from Henson.com


Hollywood, CA / January 13, 2009 - The Jim Henson Company is relaunching its consumer products division and has appointed Melissa Segal to the new position of Senior Vice President, Global Consumer Products, it was announced today by Peter Schube, President and COO. Segal joins The Jim Henson Company from Brandolution, an innovative licensing and product development agency, which she founded in 2006. For the past year, Brandolution has represented Henson, helping to build the licensing program for its hit new PBS preschool series "Sid the Science Kid," a co-production of The Jim Henson Company and Los Angeles-based KCET.

Along with "Sid the Science Kid," which expects to see its first products in fall 2009, properties also handled in Segal’s new division include "Dinosaur Train," a new preschool animated series set to premiere on PBS Kids in fall 2009, and "The Skrumps," an animated troupe of characters based on the successful collectible toy line. Segal's internal group will also manage the licensing for the Company’s well-known fantasy brands including "Labyrinth," "The Dark Crystal" and "Farscape," as well as the Company’s stable of classic properties like "Emmet Otter's Jugband Christmas" when the Company's current administration agreement with HIT Entertainment expires early this year. Central to that effort will be the 1980s puppet series "Fraggle Rock," a fan favorite that currently has both film and television projects in development and recently had a highly successful collector DVD release. Additionally, Segal's Brandolution agency will be renamed Brandolution JHC and become a new banner of The Jim Henson Company that will continue to represent Segal's current, as well as new, third party licensing properties.

"This is an exciting time for our company," said Schube. "Our wonderful new properties are driving the relaunch of a dynamic internal consumer products division that will also enable us to focus renewed attention on our classic brands. I can't think of a more ideal executive to head this effort than Melissa, who has already been instrumental in helping us secure key partners for both 'Sid the Science Kid' and 'Dinosaur Train.' It was a great discovery to learn that Melissa already has an inherent 'Henson sensibility' that blends seamlessly with both our classic properties and our many projects in development. I'm personally so excited about the prospect of working with her as we grow this part of our business once again."

Segal has over 18 years experience as a consumer products and brand marketing specialist. During eight years at Disney Consumer Products, she worked on initiatives for such brands as "Winnie the Pooh," "101 Dalmations" and "Toy Story," rising to the position of Vice President of the US toy business. Following her tenure at Disney, Segal served as Senior Vice President for Mommy and Me, helping build the start-up prior to its acquisition by DIC Entertainment. In 2003, she co-founded Evergreen Concepts, an independent licensing agency which represented numerous A-level brands such as Build-A-Bear Workshop, "Alvin & the Chipmunks," Little Golden Books and "Pat the Bunny." After selling Evergreen Concepts in 2005, Segal launched Brandolution in 2006.

Redsonga said:

Did someone say Mokey and Sprocket toys?

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Did someone say "separate Season 4 not released by HIT or Lionsgate?"

Traveling Matt said:

Did someone say "separate Season 4 not released by HIT or Lionsgate?"

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Oh, yeah, I forgot the deal with HIT expires this year. I hope the Hensons find a new video distributor. I'm thinking maybe a certain Mouse House that might get the frog back into DVD's of certain Christmas specials...

But anyway, this sounds very exciting!

Traveling Matt said:

Did someone say "separate Season 4 not released by HIT or Lionsgate?"

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Maybe, I wasn't listening too well *lol* I dunno the idea of more toys got me excited first

Yes, it sounds like there could certainly be more toys and other merchandise coming. It's good to hear that FR will be the main licensing focus of the "classic" brands, something it never had when Henson owned the Muppets and Sesame Street. Maybe more CDs and the book will happen now. It's also good to hear that, despite the circumstances, the complete series DVD still sold well.

I'm wondering what the television project is, and whether HIT's failure to release Season 4 was a factor in Henson's decision to leave them.

Traveling Matt said:

I'm wondering what the television project is, and whether HIT's failure to release Season 4 was a factor in Henson's decision to leave them.

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I hope this means they'll all still be in print, and they'll release the 4th season in the same manner in due time.


And I also hope this doesn't muck around with the Mindstyle Fraggle figures coming out later.

I really do believe something changed at Hit and Henson certainly can't have its quality series posting poor Amazon ratings along with such dire customer dissatisfaction. I wonder if this is also why the Red short was canceled. It appears Hit wanted to make all the money they could before the contract ran out.

I hope the Dark Crystal and Labyrinth figures are still made through Neca. There are so many cheap brands out there that would do them a disservice along with many high-end companies like MindStyle that make owning Dark Crystal figures cost prohibitive for the majority of fans. I like their Fraggle sculpts, but do you think that license is coming due too? Think Neca Fraggles! That would make me happy!

I hope this really is an attempt to revisit licensing opportunities that are just as financially successful for Henson as they are popular with fans.

frogboy4 said:

I really do believe something changed at Hit and Henson certainly can't have its quality series posting poor Amazon ratings along with such dire customer dissatisfaction. I wonder if this is also why the Red short was canceled. It appears Hit wanted to make all the money they could before the contract ran out.

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I just hope this new company can release S4 separately, and we don't have another Inspector Gadget/Shout case where a company promises to leave off where the others did, and then leave fans in the lurch. I've heard the "Oh, we decided we can't make money off of something, but we'll let someone else handle it the same way we did, cuz that's what they said they will do" all too many times.

I hope the Dark Crystal and Labyrinth figures are still made through Neca. There are so many cheap brands out there that would do them a disservice along with many high-end companies like MindStyle that make owning Dark Crystal figures cost prohibitive for the majority of fans. I like their Fraggle sculpts, but do you think that license is coming due too? Think Neca Fraggles! That would make me happy!

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NECA Fraggles would be sweet. But something just makes me say we'd get one wave, and then wait a year for the next one (or worse, nothing will happen). A Lot of Drama apparently went down with NECA"s TMNT line, causing series 2 to (may) never come out... and I blame them for waiting too long between the first wave and the second.