LAIKA Unveils All New Online Shop Experience Featuring Exclusive Drops From Each of Its Five Award-Winning Films
The LAIKA Store Opens October 27 — National Black Cat Day — Featuring Fabulous Feline Finds Inspired by Coraline’s Beloved Black Cat Character
HILLSBORO, Ore.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#httpstwittercomLAIKAStudios–Renowned animation studio LAIKA, creators of the Oscar®-nominated feature films Coraline, ParaNorman, The Boxtrolls, Kubo and the Two Strings, and Missing Link, is unveiling its all new online shop experience on National Black Cat Day, Friday, October 27th. In honor of this fantastically festive feline occasion, the LAIKA Store’s new offerings are led by an assortment of Coraline “Cat” character items from the studio’s iconic 2009 film.
LAIKA is an Oscar®, BAFTA® and Golden Globe®-winning studio of storytellers, artists, and craftspeople dedicated to creating original and wildly entertaining films — merging puppets, handcrafted sets, and traditional stop-motion techniques with industry-leading innovations in 3D printing, model fabrication, VFX, and beyond.
Notable online shop releases include a new, studio-exclusive pressing of the Coraline Soundtrack vinyl record, a Cat plush doll with poseable neck and tail for creative display, a line of apparel featuring the distinctive outline of LAIKA’s logo, and many products sourced from Portland-based small businesses including paint-by-number kits, candles, and jewelry.
Over the years, LAIKA studio-exclusive merchandise has been made available to fans at the studio’s LIVE events/experiences including exhibits at the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle (ongoing), Museum of the Moving Image (just concluded) in New York; LAIKA LIVE at Comic Con (2017-18), the Portland Art Museum (2017), and at Universal Studios Hollywood (2016).
The e-commerce launch features a wide array of exclusive, curated, newly minted items across multiple categories including apparel, plush, posters, jewelry, artwork, puzzles, and lifestyle items, many developed based on direct consumer feedback. In response to demand on social media, the studio will offer international shipping to make these products available to LAIKA fans around the world for the first time ever.
In addition to new product offerings and returning fan favorites, the shop website includes behind-the-scenes facts about LAIKA’s films, cleverly hidden behind interactive “buttons” (a nod to both Coraline and the handcrafted nature of LAIKA’s films and products), giving fans the unique experience to learn more about LAIKA than ever before, while they shop.
While all of LAIKA’s five films are represented, the evergreen popularity of Coraline is acknowledged in the number of film-centric pieces available, including several items from the fan favorite “Cat” character (indelibly voiced by Keith David in the film). While it’s been 14 years since her debut, LAIKA fans still love Coraline Jones. The #Coraline hashtag on TikTok has amassed 10 billion total views, with over 500,000 posts using the hashtag. Coraline’s theatrical return this past August was the highest-grossing Fathom Events re-release of all-time at $7.4M. On all four days, Coraline delivered the highest per-screen average of any film, surpassing Barbie and Oppenheimer.
“Bringing an exclusive and expanded merchandise collection deeply rooted in craftsmanship and inspired storytelling is a central focus for LAIKA,” emphasized David Burke, LAIKA’s Chief Marketing and Operations Officer. “This expansion is a seamless extension of our licensing efforts, and a direct response to demand from LAIKA’s devoted fandom.”
“We’ve taken a fresh look at both our product lineup and the site experience,” said Lauren Delgado, Digital Marketing Manager. “Our hope with the new LAIKA Shop is to provide fans with beautiful, quality and iconic LAIKA merchandise, and a site that offers a deeper brand experience while enriching the stories of the films they love.”
While established companies such as Moleskine, Pendleton and Mondo are welcome stalwarts of the collection, LAIKA is proud to be partnering with Portland, Oregon-based small businesses which share LAIKA’s values of artistry and craftsmanship. The studio is ever mindful of its Pacific Northwest roots and its hometown of Portland. LAIKA’s next film Wildwood, currently in production at the studio’s 400,000 sf facilities, is set in Portland.
LAIKA has redefined the world of stop-motion animation through a unique fusion of advanced visual effects and intricate, handcrafted artistry. This innovative approach has not only kept stop-motion alive but has also led to consistent Oscar® nominations, establishing Portland as a hub for this art form.
A complete list of brand partners follows. * Denotes Portland, Oregon companies.
- All Burn Wax*
- Amy Wing Designs*
- Birch Robot
- Blue Kazoo
- Elle Crée*
- Grafletics*
- Little Shop of Pins*
- Moleskine
- Mondo
- Oregon Screen Impressions*
- Pendleton*
- SNAP Creative
- Sock it to Me*
About LAIKA:
LAIKA was founded in 2005 in Oregon by President & CEO Travis Knight. The studio’s five films: Coraline (2009), ParaNorman (2012), The Boxtrolls (2014), Kubo and the Two Strings (2016) and Missing Link (2019) were all nominated for the Academy Award® for Outstanding Animated Feature. Kubo and the Two Strings won the BAFTA® Award for Best Animated Film and received an additional Oscar® nomination for Visual Effects. Missing Link was awarded the Golden Globe® for Best Animated Film. LAIKA was awarded a Scientific and Technology Oscar® in 2016 for its innovation in 3D printing. LAIKA is currently in production on its sixth animated film Wildwood, based on the book series by Colin Meloy and illustrator Carson Ellis. The studio is in development on The Night Gardener, an animated film from an original idea by Bill Dubuque, creator of the hit series Ozark. As part of its move into live-action features, LAIKA is developing the action thriller novel Seventeen by screenwriter John Brownlow.
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Contacts
Maggie Begley/MBC
O) 310.390.0101 M) 310.749.3055
Maggie@mbcprinc.com