BBC Worldwide Revs Up with Top Gear Deals

BBC Worldwide (Booth #2811) has signed two new licensing deals for Top Gear. Wesco will produce a range of Top Gear wall and alarm clocks, watches, gift sets, children’s watches, computer accessories and a flashlight. Trademark Products have won a clothing license for a range using the Top Gear logo. The deal comes as BBC Worldwide revs up its commitment and focus across its adult brands portfolio under new commercial director, Gavin Miller.

Miller is set to develop licensing strategies to build adult brands such as Top Gear, Strictly Come Dancing, Planet Earth and Doctor Who, by extending them into new licensing channels including merchandising.

“BBC Worldwide is committed to building and sustaining profitable brands across our adult-focused BBC portfolio,” says Miller. “The Top Gear brand lends itself to creative and innovative merchandise products that we’re able to exploit with forward-thinking licensees on board. Wesco’s range for Doctor Who has been a huge success so I’m confident the Top Gear lines will make just as much impact. I’m also delighted that Trademark is joining our list of partners, launching Top Gear into a fashion-led clothing brand.”

The Wesco range, with first product due to launch at retail in the summer, includes a Stig projection alarm clock, wall clock, Stig mouse and mouse mat, aluminum torch, pen, Stig USB memory stick, amphibious vehicle mat and Stig watch.

In a two-year deal, Trademark Products is extending its range with trend driven T-shirts, sweaters and hoodies to launch in early summer. The range will use new a Top Gear style-guide, which includes new-look packaging.

Further new deals for the Top Gear brand have been signed with Half Moon Bay to develop a design-led gift range and with Star Cut-Outs for life-size Top Gear cardboard cutouts and wall stick-ups. Both licensees will launch product in autumn 2009.

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