Every once in a while, licensing initiatives come about that seem to be wholly new, at least within their segment of the licensing business. While it is always difficult to determine whether something is really a “first,” here are a few examples from recent months that are innovative in some way:
- Christian Dior Paris paired with Technogym for a high-end, limited-edition collection of at-home fitness equipment including a treadmill, gym ball, and multifunction weight bench, all Internet-connected. The products, produced in Italy, combined luxury design with performance features. The equipment was associated with the Dior Vibe lifestyle label and was sold in global pop-up boutiques for the sub-brand, as well as select Dior boutiques, starting in January 2022. While it is not unheard of for luxury fashion labels to extend their brands into things like yoga mats, it is new for a deal to include heavy-duty fitness equipment like treadmills.
- Michael Graves Design partnered with CVS for a collection of walkers, folding and grip canes, shower chairs, commodes, raised toilet seats, and other mobility aids and safety items for the elderly and consumers with disabilities. The products are meant to be functional but also—unlike most items in these categories—stylish. Licensors are increasingly extending their IP into adaptive apparel and assistive home goods, but this is one of the first times an IP holder has tackled these specific sorts of products. The late architect for which Michael Graves Design is named had mobility issues himself.
- FaZe Clan worked with General Mills’ Totino’s brand to release a co-branded Buffalo Chicken flavor of Totino’s Pizza Rolls. Based on one of the top flavors requested by Totino’s consumers, the new product became available in supermarkets nationwide this summer. Previously the two partners, which are involved in a multiyear promotional alliance, had collaborated on Pizza Rolls-brand Minis pizza snacks. While frozen snacks such as Pizza Rolls are often involved in promotions involving licensed properties, whether from the world of e-sports or other sectors of the business, it is unusual for these partnerships to yield co-branded products in this category.
- As part of a promotion that turned Saturday, July 16, into “Some Day” (that is, the day to finally get to all those chores), Ace Hardware paired with Benjamin Moore to celebrate a job well done by giving away paint color-inspired ice cream on July 17, National Ice Cream Day. A social media campaign gave consumers who finished paint projects a chance to win some of the limited-edition “Some Day” ice creams. The new flavors were tied to four of the paint company’s most popular colors, which happen to have ice cream-related names: French White, Mint Chocolate Chip, Strawberry-n-Cream, and Cocoa Brown. There was also an ice cream truck appearance at a surprise location. While limited-edition collaborative ice cream flavors have become common, both as standalones and as part of promotions, this is one of the first known examples pairing paint and ice cream.
RaugustReports will not be posting on Monday, September 5, 2022, to mark the Labor Day holiday in the U.S. We will be back with new insights on Thursday, September 8.
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