Cartoon Saloon is a brave and dynamic Irish animation studio known for its beautiful feature films and TV series; the brace of BAFTA and Emmy awards under its belt; and a planet-friendly ethos that shapes its company culture from the top down.
For the five-time Academy Award, and twice Golden Globe -nominated team behind the animated hits The Secret of Kells, Wolf Walkers, and most recently Puffin Rock, reputation is everything.
Located in Kilkenny in Ireland and now in its 25th year, Cartoon Saloon recently reinforced its stance on sustainability when it set itself ambitious aims to embed an environmental approach into every element of the company’ operations. There’s now nothing the team will allow to derail those plans, and that includes its strategy for licensed merchandise.
This gives Daryl Shute – a man we know for his history with Magic Light Pictures and The Gruffalo, and the brains now appointed to grow Cartoon Saloon’s licensing reach for its latest IP, Puffin Rock and the New Friends – a very interesting job indeed.
“We start any conversation with a licensee by saying ‘our reputation is our greatest asset’ and we mean that,” says Brian Tyrrell, general manager of licensing and merchandise at Cartoon Saloon. “And that will mean – from time to time – we will have to pass on opportunities that don’t fall within our sustainability goals.”
Last year, Cartoon Saloon set out its intentions to become carbon neutral with real, achievable goals and engaged Tipperary Energy Agency to assist it in developing its sustainability strategy. Its first steps so far have been to capture its scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions data. From here, a sustainability plan will be developed and a pathway to carbon neutral charted. It stands to reason then that the licensing endeavour will be met with much scrutiny.
“A couple of years back, we were talking to a potential partner in North America who had great roll out for their plush toys with a well-known high street retailer,” recalls Brian. “This would have been the ideal kind of partnership for us. But they were only able to use recycled material for the plush skins and the filler had to be virgin plastic material. So, with reluctance, we had to pass the chance over.
“Obviously, we want brand awareness, we want reach, and we want product expansion across the North American market. But we also want to do it the right way.”
When Cartoon Saloon first started getting plush produced for its Puffin Rock IP, it was working with a manufacturing partner in India who made the range using organic cotton.
“It was lovely product,” says Brian. “But we got to a point when we started wondering how impactful it was, too. Environmentally, the world’s in a whole heap of trouble without us creating something from a virgin resource. So, we asked ourselves ‘should we look at ways of cleaning up our own mess first?’ Should we be using recycled PET?’
“I appreciate we’re only one small company, but we all need to do our bit – or at the very least – start the process.”
Taking this into account, Cartoon Saloon’s Puffin Rock plush collection is now made using rPET, produced by the Ukrainian toy company, Tigres Toys. It’s a partnership itself that’s rooted in a lot of purpose – not only owing to Tigres Toys’ ability to manufacture more sustainably, but in the social impact the partnership delivers, too.
“We have a lot of Ukrainian refugees in Ireland,” explains Brian. “In fact, we have the same amount – per capita – as Italy, France, Spain, and the UK put together. So, the directors here took the view that we would get the Puffin Rock movie dubbed in Ukrainian.
“This provided a unique opportunity to collaborate and connect with the Ukrainian community in Ireland and across Europe. The Ukrainian version of Puffin Rock and the New Friends is entirely voiced by Ukrainian nationals that have relocated to Ireland and the film has resonated very well with its new audience given its themes of displacement and global warming, which is testament to the universal language of film and stories.”
This ought to give you an idea of the kind of company Cartoon Saloon is. This is one that operates from the heart, an ethos that saturates the content of its animated features and series which, so often, convey messages of environmentalism or biodiversity. Puffin Rock itself takes place on an island habitat and follows the adventures of a cast of animal characters, featuring themes of belonging, courage, and friendship. It also illuminates topics and issues where knowledge of the natural world is often lacking.
“And demand for it is huge,” says Daryl. “The series has a wonderful following who have found it by themselves, sought it out, or heard of it through word of mouth. And now, the want for products that tie into Puffin Rock’s themes is there.”
“This means it’s a crucial time for us to stick by our guns and stand by our ethos and values as we look at new opportunities to expand,” adds Brian. “For me, it’s about finding the right fit with a product that really embodies the brand.”
Cartoon Saloon has already made a concerted effort into reducing its greenhouse gas emissions that has included the adoption of energy-saving measures at its Kilkenny offices. The next stage for the team will be balancing its international licensing expansion with its continued commitment to sustainability. But if anyone seems cut out for the job, it’s got to be the team prepared to say ‘no’ until the right opportunity presents itself.
