TLL Staff
Libertas Brands has appointed Big Picture Licensing to represent Spin Master’s Meccano brand across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, as the classic construction toy seeks to bolt itself into new consumer product categories.
Under the partnership, Big Picture Licensing will pursue licensing opportunities for Meccano across a wide range of sectors, including apparel, accessories, back-to-school, electronic accessories, gift and novelty, health and beauty, consumer packaged goods, stationery, seasonal items, sporting goods, publishing and location-based experiences.
The goal is to extend the brand beyond the toy aisle while staying true to its hands-on, build-it-yourself DNA.
Founded in 1898 in England by inventor Frank Hornby, Meccano is one of the oldest construction toy systems in the world, known for its metal parts, nuts, bolts and bespoke tools that encourage creativity, problem-solving and engineering skills.
Now owned by Spin Master, the brand was recently relaunched with Addo Play as its global master toy licensee, targeting multiple age groups as part of a broader growth strategy.
Mark Kingston, CEO and co-founder of Libertas Brands, said Big Picture Licensing’s experience across EMEA positions it well to expand Meccano into new product categories, while respecting the brand’s heritage.
“We are delighted to partner with the team at Big Picture Licensing to help steward the Meccano brand into new product categories that celebrate creativity and innovation; values deeply rooted in its origins,” Kingston said. “Big Picture Licensing’s proven track record of bringing brands to life at retail across EMEA makes them the perfect partner to evolve and capitalize on Meccano’s unique heritage.”
Dan Frugtniet, managing director and founder of Big Picture Licensing, said demand for construction toy intellectual property is growing and that Meccano’s cross-generational appeal gives it great potential as a lifestyle brand.
“The global trend for innovative construction toy IP is stronger than ever, and we look forward to reintroducing Meccano to the EMEA market as a lifestyle brand with broad licensing opportunities,” Frugtniet said. “With its rich heritage and nostalgic cross-generational appeal—from Gen X to Gen Alpha—Meccano is a truly unique property, and we can’t wait to get started.”
For Meccano, the move represents another carefully measured step in its long-running evolution — proof that, more than a century on, the brand is still finding new ways to put the pieces together.
Founders Judd and Laura Zebersky Step Down As Leadership of Jazwares