January 9th, 2018
90 comments
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Doctor Who Brand and Licensing Update
Information and text from the January 2018 edition of toy world magazine
BBC Worldwide With over 55 years of history as the world’s longest running sci-fi television show, Doctor Who is a global franchise, watched in over 239 countries and with hundreds of millions of fans worldwide. At the heart of the franchise is the highly anticipated launch of Doctor Who Series 11.
The regeneration of the Doctor in the 2017 Christmas episode, as well as last year’s revelations about the new series, engaged with fans across the globe, as it was unveiled that Jodie Whittaker will play the first female Doctor in the show’s history. 2018 marks a true regeneration for the franchise, with a five year evergreen strategy built around a commitment to a solid content pipeline, delivered through platforms relevant to the BBC’s audiences.
The BBC will continue to work with world class partners, building an expansive digital and ancillary strategy and key annual marketing moments to create audience engagement. These strategies will grow youth audiences, engage families with young children, and deepen the property’s relationship with existing fans as the Doctor Who universe continues to expand. Doctor Who has a proven track-record in consumer products with over 4m Sonic Screwdrivers sold in the past decade, over 12m action figures sold since 2005, and over 18m DVDs sold globally.
As the Doctor embarks on a new era, the company states that current licensees are continuing to innovate and create future-facing products that will reflect the new series and reach wider audiences.
BBC Worldwide has cross-category ambition for the brand, driving category roll out across retail to expand the brand’s retail footprint. Nearly 70 longstanding, global licensees are working on Doctor Who, including Character Options as master toy licensee, Penguin Random House, Winning Moves, Eaglemoss, Kokomo and Brand Alliance.
The licensing team has also seen renewed interest in the brand from new partners across new categories, and in new retailers in new territories.
In addition there is an advert with the following information…
- New Doctor, Companions and Adventures
- More than 11 hours of new content in Autumn 2018
- New Evergreen Styleguide and Licensing programme
For licensing enquiries, contact [email protected]
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Anonymous
June 8th, 2018 - 6:05pm5 months later, I’m not seeing much of an evergreen pressence, anyone else?
booboo
June 8th, 2018 - 6:24pmit will go full on nearer when the show starts no doubt, in the meantime everyone is redesigning their branding with stuff being put on hold whilst that happens
we are already seeing all licence holders changing to the new logo on mass
Anonymous
June 8th, 2018 - 10:33pmI suppose theres still some hope, its just we’ve only about 4-5 months till the show returns and the merch REALLY needs to pick up. If this rebrand doesn’t work, i think it will truly be the definitive end of any worth-while DW meechandise…
Dr Who
January 22nd, 2018 - 10:43pmBooboo will there be a page for the toy fair Tomorrow.
booboo
January 23rd, 2018 - 8:25amunless we have been told wrong I dont think there will be anything to make a page on sadly
Anonymous
January 10th, 2018 - 9:12pmI hope this means a rate of merchindise like back in 2005
Where we had lot of character figures and DVDs. I hope for some new dvd releases like special editions and animations. Shada and Power are some of the best releases we have had in a long time. I hope they do more animations and a few blu rays of classic who, like five doctors
Ian
January 10th, 2018 - 10:14pmAccording to Matthew Warehouse at a recent US convention there is to be a special edition of Earthshock.
LastOfTheSonics
January 11th, 2018 - 7:21amUnfortunately those days are long gone… Unless CO actually do something for once.
booboo
January 11th, 2018 - 7:57amits down to lack of retailer interest in the last few years rather than CO do something
you look at every Doctor Who licence holder and all of them have curbed back considerably over the last 3 years
Ian
January 11th, 2018 - 8:14amAgree Booboo, but promotion works two ways, BBC have been very poor at promoting the show over the last few years and CO, when they release anything are slow at getting it out.
Do you think the BBC and CO should be more reactive? Like having some figures out at the start of the series? No need to worry about spoilers. Example, we knew from the trailer of series 10 Missy was back, Nardole and Mondasian Cybermen.
I am hoping for a set with first Doctors Tardis and a David Bradley Doctor & a regen set, 12th & 13th Doctor…I can dream lol.
booboo
January 11th, 2018 - 8:46amone of the big problems in the past was that Character were given limited info to work on (and sometimes wrong info for example ice warrior creature ) as they were trying to plan stuff without having seen any footage and the BBC are very hot on stuff not getting out.
To get to retail things have to planned now for Christmas for example so if its going to happen yes i think the BBC may have to be more flexible and yes for it to work stuff needs to be on the shelf at the start / during the show when the hype is at its highest especially if we are looking at “toys”.
Generally Retailers and manufacturers do there planning or show their planned ranges and set their budgets for the year in January hence the toy fair.
Lets be honest here as well the 5″ range started as a toy range but lost that title 5 years ago as “toy buyers” stopped buying and fell away and it evolved into a limited collectors range.
as for promotion, well it gets massive exposure on social media and I saw plenty of trailers, Death in paradise for example gets much higher viewing figures but no where near the same attention.
Anonymous
January 11th, 2018 - 9:55pmI do hope for a rerelease of DVD’s like web of fear and the underwater menace
Moodbeam
January 10th, 2018 - 6:08pmThe real key thing here is that it’s ‘built around a commitment to a solid content pipeline’ which means that they’re committing themselves to deliver enough content in the next five years to keep the merchandise cart rolling. *Hopefully* that means that we won’t be getting anymore ridiculous breaks where the series is either split or pushed back by an entire year. I think Moffat took on far too much with Who and his other projects and I’m hoping that the reason we had to wait so long for Chibnall to took charge (and the reason that the BBC were willing to wait almost two years!) is because he has committed himself to delivering a series every year. That would also explain why they have cut the episode numbers again as they always found thirteen (and a Christmas special!) difficult to manage.
Anonymous
January 11th, 2018 - 12:25amOnly the first break had anything to do with Steven Moffat, the rest were BBC meddling (and some rather malicious attacks on Moffat which I’m sure you can read about elsewhere in depth).
Blungering Hinklesburn
January 11th, 2018 - 9:59amI’m curious about that part in brackets, Anonymous. What do you mean by “malicious attacks” on the Moffmeister?
Larry
January 10th, 2018 - 4:58pmI really would not get your hopes up for anything soon. 2019fall maybe. I am a retailer in North America and Ann my licensed vendors have not added new items for 2 years. The year off the Capaldi took killed any momentum. I feel everyone is going to wait until after the next series before committing to new. Those asking about evergreen, s licensing term for ongoing program that is not specifically tied to the characters of the day . Evergreen would be TARDIS,Dalek,etc
booboo
January 11th, 2018 - 11:44amyes much is due to UT demise and we have yet to see anything Doctor Who from seven20 apart from a mug
This evergreen thing suggest anything unconnected to the 13th Doctor will have a evergreen branding?
Waterloo Curve
January 10th, 2018 - 4:56pmI’m not drawn to new series merchandise.
While I’ve brought some of the DVD releases, they’ve quickly found their way to a charity shop. I sat the last series out, and waited for the DVD. Other than the classic cybermen story, I didn’t enjoy it, a programme I’ve watched since 1979.
I can’t put a finger on it, but I’ve gradually lost interest since 2007. The story arcs are generally lost on me – they try to be too clever.
Blungering Hinklesburn
January 10th, 2018 - 4:55pmGood news! Here’s my honest opinion right now-
The nay-sayers regarding the future of the show, particularly those who make an issue out of a female Doctor seem to be getting fewer and fewer with each passing day, and those that remain against the change are starting to look more and more silly and petulant with each passing day.
The show has been in a spot of bother these past two years. Whilst the quality has been essentially good, the ratings have been rather less than amazing. It’s all felt a little stale. There hasn’t been a huge amount of buzz surrounding it.
That’s nobody’s fault. It’s not Capaldi’s fault, because he played the part amazingly. It’s not Moffat’s fault, because ANY show-runner would have struggled to keep the momentum going after eight years in charge. It just needed a change, rather urgently by series 10.
Which is EXACTLY what it’s getting! A massive revamp, which will hopefully restore it’s image in the public eye, and pull in higher ratings. Only time will tell if it works or not, but for the BBC to be displaying such confidence and investment in the show is an amazing sign. Imagine if they’d done all this during the 1980’s, as opposed to quietly dismantling it. Things might have turned very differently.
And yet a small (and diminishing) group of people seem to be up in arms about it all…what would they rather, that the show limped on in exactly the same format for a couple more years, before being “rested”? Is that what they’d prefer? Because I don’t think it could have lasted much longer.
This new era MIGHT (and it’s still very much a might) improve the show’s performance. And even if it didn’t- it’s better to try and fail, than to not try at all (and still fail).
Thank you.
Anonymous
January 10th, 2018 - 8:44pmNo. Thankyou, Blungering Hinklesburn, couldn’t have said it better.
The Werewolf
January 10th, 2018 - 9:04pmWell said
Anonymous
January 10th, 2018 - 9:58pmVery well said
R1ch1e
January 11th, 2018 - 7:39amVery very well said
Blungering Hinklesburn
January 11th, 2018 - 10:01amThankyou all, thankyou.
I’m right in theory, but of course only time will tell if all this effort in the revamp actually pays off. I’m hopeful, and quite optimistic that it will.
Anonymous
January 10th, 2018 - 12:12pmA 5 year plan? BBC seem confident the show is going to last that long, it could all come crashing down around them, if the new doctor does not take off. the show has been on a downwards spiral for the last few years, and how many series these days go beyond 11 or so series.
Tom Baker Plush
January 10th, 2018 - 12:26pmThe show has already been commissioned by the BBC for the full five years, it’s definitely happening
Omega63
January 10th, 2018 - 6:27pmDefinitely is definitely not the term I’d use.
Ian
January 10th, 2018 - 7:40amA cautious word. A 5 year plan. Doesnt say consecutive. I reckon the extra content is gping to be online.
booboo
January 10th, 2018 - 8:26amI take the “5 year evergreen” strategy to mean all year around or everlasting activity of some sort to keep interest up so the last thing they would look at is a break.
Ian
January 10th, 2018 - 10:18pmWe had a break in 2016. If it hadnt of been for Steven Moffat we would not of had a Christmas special in 2016 or 2017 or a series this year. As for this evergreen thing…its like a branding i think. I googled it and found it has been done for Spider-Man. I am sorry but I dont trust the BBC. Seeing is believing.
R1ch1e
January 10th, 2018 - 6:45amDoes this mean there would be a chance of a Doctor Who experience revival? Either in Cardiff or elsewhere?
booboo
January 10th, 2018 - 8:35amthey seem to have big plans some i’m sure something will happen but maybe not for a while
R1ch1e
January 10th, 2018 - 8:52amThanks Booboo. It’s all quite exciting!!
booboo
January 10th, 2018 - 9:03amyes interesting times
Passing Traveller
January 15th, 2018 - 5:27pmI think it’s more likely the Experience will become part of the BBC theme park opening some time in the next five years, since I imagine that’s why they didn’t renew the lease because Who is a big draw for such a location.
Totalbritish25
January 10th, 2018 - 3:10amSo hyped for this but I have to wonder booboo with new territories does this mean there may be hope for other country’s to get stuff with out having to go to comic shops or online like to see Walmart or even toy are us in other country’s get new figures, book, dvd and other stuff because that would be amazing I think booboo.
Just cant wait to see new figure finally though tha aren’t 3,75inch or repaints and rereleases or even repaints of rereleases.
Weeping Angel
January 9th, 2018 - 9:54pmSo what is this evergreen style guide? Does it mean the packaging will be shades of green or that they will keep on releasing merchandise even when the show isn’t on air like how evergreen keeps its leaves all year round??
The Outcast
January 10th, 2018 - 2:16amProbably evergreen as in it can be used for DW merchandise all year round.
booboo
January 10th, 2018 - 9:04amI wonder if all merchandise will have the same branding (with a few exceptions) or just series 11
I think its all been a bit messy of late if I’m honest with far to many styles in use.
Pip
January 10th, 2018 - 5:10pmThe ‘Universe’ branding seems to be popular as of late.
Jordie55555
January 9th, 2018 - 9:41pmWhen/where is the toy fair ?
The Outcast
January 10th, 2018 - 2:17amIts in London on the 23-25 according to google.
whofan36
January 9th, 2018 - 8:29pmI am hoping this wont affect things like Titan comic, DWM and Big Finish as they are doing things just fine as they are.
Scott
January 9th, 2018 - 10:47pmBig Finish has the license through 2026 I believe. Titan Comics has said it will suspend the current series long enough to get caught up. Then the comics will return in the summer or fall with a comic for the 13th Doctor as well.
Andrew Wisker
January 9th, 2018 - 6:48pmAny new missing Episodes found? Or are we going to get more animated episodes like Power of the Daleks and Shada ?
Also can’t wait for the new series
T.A
January 9th, 2018 - 7:25pmA rumour is that the crusade is being animated.
The Dalek Whovian
January 9th, 2018 - 6:02pm“building an expansive digital and ancillary strategy and key annual marketing moments to create audience engagement”, does this mean there is a possibly for more official conventions and making the franchise available more digitally? I would love to see Classic Who on Netflix
booboo
January 9th, 2018 - 6:06pmall i can see is that they clearly have lots planned
Jordan Scott
January 9th, 2018 - 10:37pmVery exciting stuff!
itzPrew
January 10th, 2018 - 12:11pmClassic Who used to be on Netflix a few years ago. Not every episode just the main few. I vaguely remember watching Remembrance of The Daleks on there. My best guess is that it wasn’t popular so they removed it
Pip
January 9th, 2018 - 5:58pmSo it’s as we thought; a complete rebrand aimed at getting the merchandise back on track too. Also, we keep hearing about this ‘five year plan.’ I do wonder if Jodie has been contracted for five years with it so that they don’t have to deal with another regeneration in it. I would speculate though, from what has been said, that they’re giving the show five years to get back in track. My guess is that if it doesn’t work it will be dropped again.
Maria
January 9th, 2018 - 7:56pmHighly unlikely the BBC would sign anyone on a 5 year five contract especially if the lead doesn’t work out. I think they negotiate on a year by year basis. Only 2 Doctors made more than 3 full seasons and its Tom Baker and Pertwee. I don’t count Tennant because 2008-2010 were specials.
Pip
January 9th, 2018 - 10:28pmPretty sure that both Matt and Capaldi were contracted for three series each.
Anonymous
January 10th, 2018 - 5:32pmi dont think the bbc will drop dw in 5 years time given that it doesn’t really have much going on in the sci-fi category
Jordan Scott
January 9th, 2018 - 5:57pmWow this actually seems really positive, hoping for at least a couple S10 figures as the “relaunch” is coming into fruition.
Anonymous
January 9th, 2018 - 6:06pmThe relaunch will be later this year (late summer/early autumn/fall) to coincide with series 11 and its probably fair to assume that most of the merchandise under the revived brand will be based on series 11.
I’d say our best hope of series 10 figures is just a very small wave (maybe 3-5 figures max.) Released quitely as online exclusives aimed mainly at the die hard completist collectors out there, but still, this would be better than nothing.
WouldYouLikeAJellyBaby?
January 9th, 2018 - 7:05pmI don’t see why we shouldn’t get a small wave of figures from Series 10 before the relaunch in autumn for Series 11 as we’ve seen that a figure of Bill “may” be coming and in all the time it’s taken to be developed Character must’ve made at least two more figures to be sold in a wave along with it. It would be pointless to not see it sooner rather than later along with some other characters and it would make more sense for the relaunch to include characters specifically from Series 11 instead of figures from both series’.
Anonymous
January 9th, 2018 - 5:30pmDoes this mean that there is going to be a Bill Potts 5.5″ Figure soon ???
booboo
January 9th, 2018 - 5:37pmhopefully we will find out at the toy fair
Anonymous
January 9th, 2018 - 5:47pmThanks BooBoo
Ian
January 10th, 2018 - 10:21pmBooboo do you think the BBC only interest in the classic series is the odd s/e dvd release.
Anonymous
January 9th, 2018 - 5:30pmWhich pages is this infomation on? Thanks! 🙂
booboo
January 9th, 2018 - 5:35pm58
the article is written by toyword magazine with information supplied by BBCWW so what you read is accurate.
Anonymous
January 9th, 2018 - 6:17pmI saw page 58, but I couldn’t see all of the infomation that you have put on here? 🙂
booboo
January 9th, 2018 - 6:24pmif you are referring to the advert we mention that’s on page 69
This is a BBCWW advert for licensing enquires only
Anonymous
January 9th, 2018 - 6:25pmOh never mind it is all there I misread it, sorry 🙂
LastOfTheSonics
January 9th, 2018 - 5:28pm“More than 11 hours of new content in 2018”
I presume this is referring to Series 11, so does that mean we’re getting 10 episodes + a separate Christmas Special? That still doesn’t add up as each episode minus the first is 45 minutes long, and it says “more than” anyway, so are we getting more additional episodes? Or is this not referring to Series 11 at all?
booboo
January 9th, 2018 - 5:31pmI think there are 10 60min episodes and then possibly a Christmas special
WhovianNews
January 9th, 2018 - 7:12pmBooboo it’s 10 50 minute episodes with Episode 1 being an hour long. Even if the finale is an hour long, they’ve still got two hours and twenty minutes to do stuff with
booboo
January 9th, 2018 - 7:27pmonly going by what this “latest” info suggests
things change
Anonymous
January 9th, 2018 - 11:52pmIs the K9 movie coming out this year considered cannon, if so, maybe thats the additional content?
Doctor Mysterio
January 10th, 2018 - 1:06amThat won’t be cannon.
The Outcast
January 10th, 2018 - 10:32amI think Boohoo is probably right and they have increase the run-time of all the episodes to a nice round 60 minutes each and are going to do a Christmas special.
EndlessTimelord
January 9th, 2018 - 5:19pmWhen do you think we will hear what CO have got in mind? Will there be stuff at Toy Fair?
booboo
January 9th, 2018 - 5:23pmthere will be a small display at the toy fair but I’m not expecting anything much from series 11 really
Ian
January 9th, 2018 - 5:30pmWhat about series 10?
booboo
January 9th, 2018 - 5:36pmno idea, not long to wait to find out
EndlessTimelord
January 9th, 2018 - 7:19pmWhere did they confirm this? Looking forward to it! 😀
booboo
January 9th, 2018 - 7:30pmin an email
EndlessTimelord
January 9th, 2018 - 7:37pmAhh, did they hint on anything that would be shown? Do you think some figures or plans for figures could be on show?
booboo
January 9th, 2018 - 7:41pmjust a small display, that’s all I know
if there are big plans for the end of the year and beyond it may well be discussed behind closed doors with the major retailers as used to happen years ago.
this is a trade event first and foremost
When The Doctor Was Me
January 9th, 2018 - 4:38pmSo this gives some hope to a complete rebrand and maybe life in the 5inch line after all!
Lets hope this is a success and will get Doctor Who back on the shelves of high street stores and not just online and FP.
booboo
January 9th, 2018 - 4:51pmlooks like it
to be honest FPi have been steering clear of Doctor Who except for funko for a while now, they haven’t stocked any of the items released recently
DoctorOsgoodTARDIS
January 9th, 2018 - 4:29pm“The licensing team has also seen renewed interest in the brand from new partners across new categories, and in new retailers in new territories” Does this mean it is pretty safe to assume new figures will be coming
booboo
January 9th, 2018 - 4:46pmI think it means that now there is a female lead character we might get merchandise not considered before
I also read into this this they are going to try to appeal to the family / younger audience again.
Nuallain
January 9th, 2018 - 5:19pmWell I guess, for example, the Doctor now has a pretty distinctive earring (a cluster of stars at the top of the ear joined by a chain to two hands in a handshake on the lobe) so there’s an opportunity for replicas aimed at girls in the 11-14 age bracket of a type that wasn’t there before.
Lisa
January 10th, 2018 - 10:31amYeah and barbie style dolls
booboo
January 10th, 2018 - 10:53ami wouldn’t rule that out to be honest
Who?
January 10th, 2018 - 11:28amEr, don’t think I shall be buying those…
Nuallain
January 11th, 2018 - 8:58amWell, we already have had Barbie style dolls, remember?
But, yes, there’s a reasonable chance Whittaker will lead to Tonner reviving that range.I wonder if we’ll get a Bradley Walsh?
http://merchandise.thedoctorwhosite.co.uk/?s=tonner