Hasbro Entertainment and Animaj have officially launched Lumee, a collaborative venture dedicated to driving digital advertising sales and establishing brand partnerships within the children’s content sector. This exciting partnership brings together a wealth of iconic brands from both Hasbro and Animaj, including popular titles like “Peppa Pig,” “Transformers,” “Pocoyo,” and “Maya the Bee.”
Under the umbrella of Lumee, Animaj, a cutting-edge kids media company with the backing of strategic investor HarbourView Equity Partners, will oversee the management of these beloved intellectual properties across various mediums such as film, television, animation, and digital platforms like YouTube, connected TV, and AVOD/FAST services. The joint venture is already operational and actively engaging with major advertisers. Together, Hasbro and Animaj boast a combined digital network that garners over 50 billion views annually on YouTube alone.
Sixte de Vauplane, co-Founder and CEO of Animaj, emphasized the rapid evolution of kids’ attention and curiosity, stating, “With Lumee, we are forging a connection between advertisers and a new generation of digitally-savvy children.”
Gregory Dray, co-founder of Animaj and chairman of Lumee, echoed this sentiment by highlighting the undervalued nature of kids’ and family content in the digital landscape. As a former senior executive at Google and YouTube, Dray emphasized the need to address the industry’s business model challenges rather than its audience demographics.
Dray pointed out that while kids’ and family programming accounts for more than 15% of total viewing on YouTube, monetization opportunities have dwindled since 2020 due to regulatory changes that restricted personalized advertising on “Made for Kids” content. Despite the enhanced privacy protections for children, these changes have limited platforms’ ability to target advertising effectively within the kids’ content sphere.
Yannick Ferrero, SVP of digital and distribution at Hasbro Entertainment, underscored the strategic importance of the joint venture with Animaj in maximizing the value of their kids’ brands for advertisers while ensuring a safe and family-friendly digital environment.
In addition to advertising initiatives, Lumee will also focus on creating original and branded content centered around existing characters. Leveraging Animaj’s AI-enhanced production pipeline, the venture aims to streamline creative development processes by up to 60% compared to traditional animation workflows. This innovative approach will enable Lumee to deliver engaging and high-quality content to audiences while meeting the evolving demands of the digital landscape.
Overall, the collaboration between Hasbro Entertainment and Animaj through Lumee signifies a forward-thinking approach to enhancing the digital presence of beloved children’s brands and creating impactful partnerships within the industry. With a focus on innovation and audience engagement, Lumee is poised to make a significant impact in the ever-evolving world of kids’ content.
