The proliferation of singers launching and expanding consumer products efforts continues, and country music acts are no exception. But country crooners sometimes take a different path than is typical for performers in other genres.
While a large percentage of musicians focus on apparel and accessories, for instance, recent country deals in this category have been exclusive to outdoors and sporting goods chains. Examples include Carrie Underwood introducing an athleisure apparel line called CALIA in Dick’s Sporting Goods and Luke Bryan pairing with Cabela’s for his 32 Bridge line of apparel for men and women. These distribution channels are a good fit for country singers, thanks to their complementary demographics, but they certainly are unusual within the realm of music licensing.
Another unique characteristic of country-related licensing is the propensity to create home furnishings lines, perhaps due to the strong sense of place that often characterizes country songs. Lady Antebellum is one case in point, collaborating with Divatex for Lady Antebellum’s Heartland Home Collection of bed and bath textiles. And, this past February, Trisha Yearwood announced a deal with furniture marketer Klaussner Home Furnishings for a Trisha Yearwood Home Collection.
Home goods are not unheard of for celebrities associated with other musical styles, but the category generally takes a back seat to the more common apparel, accessories, electronics, and fragrances when it comes to music-related celebrity licensing.
The changing nature of celebrity licensing is one of the topics discussed in RaugustReports Presents: 15 Licensing Super Trends for 2015 and Beyond, published in print and PDF editions last month. Click here for more information.
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