Author: Keith Aiken
Source:  Angelotti - Licensing & Entertainment Business, Toho Co., Ltd.
Special Thanks to Luiz Angelotti

A SCIFI JAPAN EXCLUSIVE

The Eat Asia - Chácara Flora features Godzilla decor. Photo courtesy of Angelotti – Licensing & Entertainment Business. TM & ©TOHO CO., LTD.

Over the past several years, Toho Co., Ltd. has greatly increased their international promotion of the Godzilla brand. Helped by the worldwide success of the "Monsterverse" film series from Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros., Toho has expanded their international office in Los Angeles, achieved wide distribution of their Godzilal anime titles through Netflix,  signed a multitude of merchandising deals for both the Monsterverse and "Classic Godzilla" lines, launched themed Godzilla channels on YouTube and Pluto TV, and even arranged for their next movie, GODZILLA MINUS ONE (ゴジラ-1.0/ゴジラマイナスワン, Gojira Mainasu Wan), to get a North American theatrical run less than a month after the film's release in Japan.

While America has been the focus of much of these efforts, Toho's aim is truly global with outreach in Asian countries, the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain and other markets. Toho is also looking to increase Godzilla's presence in South America, and has partnered with Angelotti – Licensing & Entertainment Business to make the King of the Monsters a force in Brazil.

Angelotti – Licensing & Entertainment Business was launched in 2008 by Luiz Angelotti, an advertising professional with more than 35 years of experience in the field. Angelotti started his career in 1979 in the licensing segment of the internationally renowned Brazilian licensing studio, Maurico de Souza. The studio is considered a "national licensing school" that has launched the careers of many successful professionals.

After 15 years at Maurico de Souza, Angelotti worked in the commercial/sales department of one of the most important licensing agencies at the time, Character/Toy Trade, where he learned about the international market through licensing properties such as Marvel, Sonic (Sega), and King Features. From 1997-98, he acted as Marketing Director for one of the main video distributors in Brazil, Mundial Filmes, where he was in charge of developing the company's licensing department, Mundial Licensing.  He also represented Toei Animation for DIGIMON, DRAGON BALL Z and SAINT SEIYA, winning various awards, including the Best Licensing Agent Award and the Best Licensed Company Award.

In 2002 he created a joint venture with Imagine Action Licensing Agency named Creative Licensing Brasil. Having represented companies and brands such as Toei Animation, Viz, King Features, Felix The Cat, NBA, and Susi, Creative Licensing Brasil is internationally considered one of the country's best licensing agencies. This led to Angelotti creating the company bearing his name, Angelotti – Licensing & Entertainment Business, with a modern structure to meet the needs of the new global consumer market.

Luiz Angelotti told SciFi Japan that his company is now developing the Godzilla Licensing Program in Brazil. Their first licensee was Eat Asia, a popular "casual food" restaurant chain that takes its inspiration from the street food culture found in the villages of countries such as Japan, China, India and Thailand (though their menu does include American fare like hamburgers and fries). Starting in 2019, Eat Asia opened a handful of Hello Kitty-themed locations which have proven successful, and that has convinced the chain to do the same with Godzilla.  Angelotti explained that Eat Asia will promote the Godzilla brand in Brazil through their restaurants and shopping plazas, with the intention of bringing other companies onboard in the coming months.

Currently, Godzilla is featured in two Eat Asia shops/restaurants, both in the city of São Paulo...

■ Eat Asia Praça da Liberdade (Eat Asia Liberty Square)
Bairro Liberdade
São Paulo, Brazil

This restaurant features both Hello Kitty and Godzilla themes. At the entrance is the Café da Hello Kitty with sweets, ice cream, milkshakes and character drinks. This location is open seven days a week.

 

■ Eat Asia Godzilla
Rua Moliere, 198 loja 1 - Chácara Flora
São Paulo, Brazil

The second restaurant focuses on Godzilla, with decor, menu items, and merchandising based on the King of the Monsters. It is open six days a week (closed Mondays).

 

Both locations offer a varied menu, starters such as gyoza (Japanese potstickers), the classic Yakisoba Donburi (fried noodle rice bowls), sushi, Katsudon (pork cutlet and egg rice bowl), Karê (traditional Japanese stew) and Teriyaki Salmon. Eat Asia specializes in a line of burgers created in-house with 100% certified Wagyu/Kobe Beef, a Japanese beef known for its tenderness, juiciness and meat flavor, and considered the best in the world. There are five Godzilla-themed hamburgers on the menu, inspired by Toho's 'Big Five,' the monsters that have appeared in the Showa, Heisei and Millennium Series of movies.

Among the options, the highlight is the Godzilla Burger with 300g of Wagyu beef on brioche bread, with cheddar cheese, bacon and mayonnaise. For children, the  Little Godzilla Box was created (in a personalized box with Godzilla's son), consisting of a cheeseburger, fries and drink). The drink selection features Blue Lemonade, Pink Lemonade and Godzilla Milkshakes while the desserts include Black Velvet Cake, Godzilla Honey Buns and Godzilla Macarons.

A Godzilla store is coming to a third location, the Eat Asia Shopping Grand Plaza in Santo André. The location is open every day from 11:30 am to 10:00 pm.

 

Please enjoy the following Eat Asia Godzilla photo gallery, courtesy of Angelotti – Licensing & Entertainment Business. And be sure to check back with SciFi Japan for updates on Godzilla's further adventures in Brazil!

Menus. Photo courtesy of Angelotti – Licensing & Entertainment Business. TM & ©TOHO CO., LTD.

 

 

 

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About Angelotti - Licensing & Entertainment Business

Angelotti – Licensing & Entertainment Business is a Brazilian Licensing Agency specializing in entertainment and family brands across all media. Our team has managed some of the largest brands in Consumer Products, Promotion, and Retail with expertise in soft goods, hard goods and new media including mobile phones, interactive DVD & TV, and web communities. We utilize a compiled a databank of hundreds of top tier licensees and retailers which are built from our more than 35 years experience in working with select licensees and retailers in all product categories.

 

About Toho Co. Ltd.

Toho Company provides high-quality entertainment to a wide range of customers through its film production, distribution, and exhibition business, which is solidly supported by its real estate business including the Shinjuku Toho Building and Hibiya Chante, animation production, DVD software production and sales, and TOHO Cinemas' efforts to expand its network of multiplex cinemas. Among these, "Godzilla," which has been around since 1954, is Toho's flagship IP that has many fans around the world and has been loved for many years.