Real Housewife Brandi Glanville announced last month that she would launch a licensing program under the Unfiltered Blonde brand, with Silver Buffalo the first licensee, for barware and accessories. The fact that Glanville chose to license the brand, first established for her wine label, rather than using her own name, illustrates an increasingly common strategy for celebrities.
It used to be that the point of celebrity licensing was for the stars and their licensees to trade on the former’s fame directly, during the peak of that fame, by creating a signature product line. Now, however, celebrities want to build a business during their potentially short-lived period of renown that will be able to endure on its own. While signature product lines are still abundant, the desire to build a longer-term venture often leads celebrities to focus their licensing activity on a brand name other than their own, with various degrees of success.
Some of these alternate names have a recognizable association with the celebrity. Gwen Stefani’s Harajuku Girls and Madonna’s Material Girl are tied to their music (the former is the name of Stefani’s backup singers while the latter is the title of one of Madonna’s songs); Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs’ brand Sean John uses his given first and middle names (little used as part of his public persona, which is associated with periodically changing nicknames); Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop and Ellen De Generes’ ED are based on nicknames they go by in their personal lives; and Glanville’s Unfiltered Blonde is inspired by her reputation—known from her reality show appearances—for speaking her mind.
Other branded examples—Justin Timberlake’s William Rast, Kate Hudson’s Fabletics, Sheryl Crowe’s Bootheel Trading, Avril Lavigne’s Abbey Dawn, Luke Bryan’s 32 Bridge, Jessica Alba’s Honest Co., and Blake Lively’s Preserve—have less of an obvious personal connection.
In some cases, stars may rethink their branding strategy or have multiple brands. Jennifer Lopez has marketed clothing and other products under both the Sweetface Fashion and J.Lo by Jennifer Lopez banners, while her current line with Kohl’s is gathered under the Jennifer Lopez Collection. Others celebs take a hybrid approach, promoting both a brand name and their signature, as is the case with CALIA by Carrie Underwood at Dick’s Sporting Goods.
Of course it is no secret that there is a celebrity behind any these brand names. The stars promote and sometimes help design the products, and their involvement is part of the lure for licensees, retailers, and consumers. That celebrity connection is particularly important during the brand’s launch phase; it is hoped that the brand and the associated branded products can ultimately become desirable enough to thrive on their own merits.
On a related note, the exclusive Licensing Trend of the Month in Raugust Communications’ August e-newsletter, which goes out tomorrow, is our take on a much-covered theme in celebrity licensing, namely the complicated subject of celebrity controversy and its commercial impact. This is a timely topic thanks to Donald Trump, Hulk Hogan, Tom Brady, and so many others. If you do not subscribe to the newsletter, you can do so below if you’re reading online, or in the sidebar on our blog page if you’re reading in an email.
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