TOTAL LICENSING
A recent development in the Modhesh He admits that adult and fashion
program is the launch of Modhesh brands are not easy in the region.
electric Kiddy Rides which will appear “The market is really very new and
in the major shopping malls around retail isn’t yet developed enough to
the UAE. fully understand sectors beyond the
Hussein Ftouni, originally from The character and entertainment sides.
Lebanon, who founded Copyright Li- One of the problems is that there are
censing Agency, came into licensing as simply not enough experienced licens-
a result of having been a Disney and ing people in the region”.
Mattel licensee of long-standing in the One area which has been hugely suc-
region. Ftouni covered a broad range cess for Copyrights is their Live Enter-
of products including apparel, toys, tain division. Ftouni now has a sepa-
bicycles and stationery and was also rate division dedicated to this side
a distributor for other worldwide and cites their Barney live show which
brands such as Applause. attracted 33,000 people over three
East round-up.
As a result of success, Hussein Ftouni days. He has also set up a media and
Another home-grown character
opened the first Barbie Shop in Du- television sales division with people
that has enjoyed success is Modhesh
bai, followed quickly by a store in Abu involved in selling and dubbing materi-
whose journey to fame began with a
Dhabi. However, as Ftouni explained, als and, in a recent move, has formed
television advertisement as a promo-
“Unless you are a big retailer, with a a publishing company. “By creating a
tion during the Dubai Summer Sur-
large number of outlets, it is very hard media and tv sales division, as well as a
prises 2000, the annual leading sum-
to succeed in Dubai”. publishing division, we can control our
mer event in the region.
The result was the formation of Cop- brands better”, explained Ftouni.
As a jack in the box pop-
yright Licensing in 2005. Ftouni believes that the region is ripe
ping up with an enchant-
The first properties for development. “Licensing in the
ing smile, Modhesh,
represented by Middle East has enormous potential”,
meaning ‘amazing’ in
the new compa- he explained. “But it needs more rec-
Arabic, quickly ap-
ny were HIT’s ognition from the international com-
pealed to children
brands includ- munity. More of the big licensors need
who saw him.
ing Barney. proper representation in our region”.
Since then, Mod-
“We quickly Spacetoons was the first licensing
hesh has brought
had twelve agency in the Middle East, originally
a different way to
licensees for called Arabian Licensing and estab-
celebrate the sun in
Barney”, ex- lished back in 1990. The namechange
Dubai. During DSS 2007,
plained Ftouni. came about when the company
the DSF Office announced
H o w e v e r , launched the Spacetoon television sta-
that Modhesh had become so
when MBC tions in India, Iran, Russia, Korea and
popular that it planned to have its
took on the broadcasting of the Indonesia.
own brand name and diversified line of
HIT properties, the licensing rights Today, Spacetoon is seen in sixteen dif-
products. In the same year, the Office
went with them and Ftouni concen- ferent countries all in local languages
spent around $7 million to develop a
trated on other brands in his portfo- with Saudi Arabia forming the compa-
brand and in terms of merchandise,
lio which now includes Smiley, Noddy, ny’s biggest market.
the number of Modhesh products
Secret Wings, Marilyn Monroe, Vipo Zuhair Al Ayoubi, heads up the licens-
grew from a modest 180 in 2007 to
and Signatures Networks. ing division which covers licensing
over 600 by mid-2008.
The ever-growing popularity of Mod-
hesh can also be attributed to Mod-
hesh Fun City, the centre of attraction
during each edition of Dubai Sum-
mer Surprises. As the largest indoor
edutainment venue in the region,
Modhesh Fun City provides children
and families the ultimate indoor en-
tertainment in summer. With over 30
themed zones and new additions ev-
ery year, the venue remains a favourite
with residents and visitors alike during
DSS.
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