Creatively Classic Activities and Books, the Atlanta-based publisher behind The Elf on the Shelf, is rebranding to The Lumistella Company to reflect its increased focus on TV and film production.
Changing the name is also the company’s way of highlighting its interest in telling fresh stories and growing with new IPs focused on the North Pole, says co-CEO Christa Pitts (pictured, left besides her sister and co-CEO Chanda Bell).
The rebrand comes as Lumistella looks to expand its live-event business, says Pitts.
“We’re not just a consumer products company anymore,” says Pitts. “The new name represents that we are focused on three pillars: consumer products, interactive experiences and entertainment content.”
Its flagship brand will continue to be The Elf on the Shelf, which started as a book in 2005 and spawned plush elf dolls, animated content and live events. The books have sold more than 14 million copies, according to Pitts.
This year, Lumistella will roll out a batch of new content, including the animated DVD special Elf Pets: A Reindeer Story where Santa’s reindeer and gang of trusty Scout Elves will help the jolly man take flight on Christmas Eve. The entertainment company will also launch a second season of digital-first series Cocoa with Joe, The Elf on the Shelf’s first original YouTube series.
The company has been growing beyond books and the plush in recent years by forming Scout Elf Productions—which will now exist under the new name—in 2018 so it could break into TV and movie production. Scout Elf Productions teamed up with WarnerMedia to air its first animated film, Elf Pets: Santa’s St. Bernards Save Christmas, on TBS and Cartoon Network.
Looking forward, Lumistella is now in talks major studios to expand into more TV and film production, adds Pitts. It has also launched the new Santa’s North Pole website, where kids can explore the North Pole, interact with the brand’s elves and play through a variety of games and activities. The new site is a first for the company, which had previously only launched a few one-off games on its old website, says Pitts.
“It’s been a build-up for us as we launched more consumer products and have started partnering with other companies who have seen a value in entertainment-based content,” says Pitts. “This is step one of us building trust, growing opportunities and increasing the ways people interact with our brand.”