Who are we? Weaving Tomorrow’s Technology into Yesterday’s Stories ©
We, Pocket Box Office (PBO)©, are an avatar company that tells immersive stories through smART toys and Animated Series on the platform ijooLife© . Our flagship character, ijoo, an adorable reflection of mankind with the motto, Live Life POP Style© , shares cultural and educational tales from Bollywood*, South Asian (Desi) Mythology and Culture.
* We are using ‘Bollywood’ to mean films made in all Indian languages
What are we doing?
Our main initiatives are Collaborative Pop Merchandising, smART toys and AI-driven storytelling.
Products range from smART and STEM toys to Pop Action figures, back to school items, accessories, apparel and children’s books. Our series, ijooTREE, teaches children social responsibility through interactive storytelling and fun play, using action figures, dioramas, voice and activity driven instructions. Our first toy, ijooCAN teaches toddlers about water conservation, recycling and food wastage. (We are presenting our invention at the inventor day at TFNY)
Content
DesiSuperverse - A South Asian Superhero Universe
Filled with iconic characters and Bollywood stereotypes, we re-imagine the fight between good and evil using POP avatars. Imagine a world where Super-villain teams are made of the biggest demons of Indian mythology and the most popular onscreen bad guys. e.g., Ravan joins hands with Gabbar, Mogambo and Dr Dang to take over the world.
FIlmiCurve - A spoof series
Multiple Bollywood worlds collide in this quirky animated series, in which cult film characters and stereotypes from various genres and ages interact in unusual situations to create mayhem and mirth. e.g. what happens when it is discovered that two iconic screen mothers, Sharda and Durga from the movies ‘Ram, Lakhan’ and ‘Karan, Arjun’, are actually twins, separated at the world’s biggest spiritual event, Kumbh Mela (A quintessential Bollywood stereotype where kids get separated)
Technology
ijooLife.com© , developed using our AI framework, SapnaMachine © is a collaborative platform where TechArtists, Designers, Performers, Students and Content Creators tell their stories through iconic Pop Characters. Using object identification and immersive animation, ijoo travels through time and space in various avatars, sparking the imagination of creative souls.
ijooCollective- Research & Development
A creative collective whose mission is to study and publish papers on the impact of South Asian Culture across the world and support emerging artists and designers to develop their personal franchise through storytelling and merchandising. e.g : Preserving Cinema Heritage using emerging technologies - 3D printing / AR/VR and AI and its use towards cultural education
We will be discussing our various projects and give you a sneak peak at Toy Fair New York #TFNY Feb 16th - 19, 2019 @ijooLife #DesiSuperverse
Why is this a good idea? With more than 1.5 Billion fans worldwide, the largest film industry in the world makes more than 2000 films in a year, and generates Billions of dollars in ticket sales, 60% of which comes from outside India. However, less than 1% of this revenue is generated through merchandising, toys and other ancillary revenue models, which can be expanded to the captive potential audience that includes adults and children, by drawing on nostalgia and contemporary content.
USA, one of the biggest international consumers of Bollywood, with 5 million Indian Americans, boasts of almost 25 million Bollywood fans, but the market for Indian-centric collectibles is almost non-existent. Be it here or in India, the collectibles market has been dominated by brands like DC/Marvel/Disney/Pixar/Star Wars/Pokemon, in spite of the huge volume and variety of Bollywood content.
With the renewed interest in everything 'vintage' from the millennial generation that loves and consumes cultural representation in POP Form; the need for a standardized licensing and franchising model or an ecosystem design for SouthAsian IPs to generate ancillary revenues has never been more in demand.
Where and When? We have been shortlisted to pitch our invention at Toy Fair New York - #TFNY is one of the largest and most prestigious toy fairs in the world. Through Creative Factor, The Toy Association’s educational program for inventors and designers, a select number of inventors will pitch their ideas to influential toy and youth entertainment professionals and potential manufacturing partners.
LIVE STREAMING - FROM BOOTH 5221 (Hall 1D) Multiple Streams (links below) - @IjooLife (Brand) @shailja (Creator) @Desiblend (Marketing Partner)
We will be sharing our learnings and experience along with giving you a sneak peak into our content and marketing plan.
Fellow Exhibitor: If you want to showcase your product to a wider audience or want to discuss on how we can collaborate, please reach out to us and we will assign a timeslot for free
Performers: Multiple performers from the South Asian community will be discussing their roles, influence of Bollywood and share some fun stories with us. If you wish to participate please reach out to us.
Industry Expert / Community members :If you would like to be interviewed or discuss a relevant topic please reach out to us.
LIVE streaming channels Hashtags: #DesiSuperverse @ijooLife #TFNY
@ijooLife (platform) http://www.facebook.com/ijooLife
@shailja (creator) http://www.facebook.com/shailja
@desiblend (marketing partner) http://www.facebook.com/desiblend
