ZeptoLab appoints merchandising head

Cut The Rope creator ZeptoLab has hired a new head of licensing and merchandising, Tanya Haider, to utilise the popularity of the series' main character, Om Nom.

"Om Nom is an appealing and fun character with a broad demographic appeal. Millions of consumers interact and engage with this brand on a daily basis providing us a powerful platform to build out a significant licensing program," said Haider.

"Working closely with Established Brands Licensing and Studio Licensing, we will explore developing both traditional and innovative product categories that will enable us to bring the DNA of this brand to life for consumers in new and exciting ways."

Haider has experience with international children's brands including Spongebob Squarepants and Dora The Explorer, with roles at Nickelodeon and Viacom. She has appointed Established Brands Licensing's Bob Traub and Studio Licensing's Robert Miller to work on the new licensing program for Cut The Rope.

"With Om Nom, we believe we have created a property with the potential to become a long term entertainment franchise," added CEO Misha Lyalin.

"As such, we recruited a team with experience building some of the most incredible consumer brands of this generation such as SpongeBob Squarepants and Dora the Explorer. The collective experience in licensing, international consumer products and retail development that our licensing team and agents bring to the table will enable us to take Om Nom and Cut the Rope to a new level of consumer recognition and mass market appeal."

With the move into merchandising Zeptolabs is following the example of Angry Birds developer Rovio, which currently has a range of soft toys, a cookbook and is currently in the process of a full length animated film.