Influencers with large social media followings, especially on YouTube, have had a noticeable and growing presence at Toy Fair New York over the past few years. With some important exceptions, their role has been more about endorsements than products. Recently, however, there has been a spike in signature toy lines tied to influencers and their […]
Archive | Celebrity
Is It Time to Try TikTok?
The social media platform TikTok, known for its very short-form mobile videos, particularly in the areas of comedy, talent showcases, and lip syncing, has quickly become popular among young consumers, especially teens. The app, introduced in China in 2012 and around the world in 2017, ranked as the seventh most downloaded app of the decade […]
The Noble Art of Licensing
Much has been written about the plans of Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, to become financially independent. One step along the way has been a trademark application for the brand Sussex Royal in six categories (including clothing and printed matter), through the couple’s charitable foundation. Applications have been made in both […]
Marketers Stoked About Skateboarder Collabs
Current and former pro skateboarders are desirable collaboration partners for apparel and footwear companies. This is especially true for marketers specializing in, or with a strong business in, streetwear and/or sneakers, and that includes the biggest players. Most of the efforts take the form of capsule collections. Some examples from the past year: Reebok released […]
A Prescription for Pot
When it comes to exploring new licensing and branding opportunities in cannabis and CBD, celebrities have been at the forefront. Personalities from Snoop Dogg to Gwyneth Paltrow and her Goop brand have been entering this sector by forging licensing or other types of deals for CBD-infused products or cannabis strains, by launching or investing in […]
Learning Curve
Over the past couple of years, we have taken many looks at the plus- and extended-size market, a hot and still growing space within the licensing business and the apparel industry in general. One very logical niche within that segment consists of deals between apparel marketers and curve models (who specialize in the plus-size market). […]
Lessons from Celebrity Beauty Launches
In the past two weeks, a handful of musicians, actresses, and influencers have announced new ventures in the beauty arena. Taken together, they represent a microcosm of many of the trends currently rising to the top in celebrity health and beauty. Tightly focused launches. Singer, model, and actress Zoë Kravitz revealed her lipstick collection for […]
Real Characters
Celebrities have been making appearances, in cartoon form, across key storytelling and communications platforms. The initiatives are mostly for children, but there is sometimes appeal for adults as well, depending on the project. They involve a variety of media configurations: Animated TV shows and films. In June, Ellen DeGeneres’ Ellen Digital Ventures and Warner Bros. […]
Creators as Brands
A handful of celebrity- and estate-licensing programs exhibiting this year at Licensing Expo, held last week in Las Vegas, were centered not on actors or musicians, but on creators of entertainment properties. For example: Stan Lee’s POW! Entertainment was founded by the late comic book creator to manage and license newly created IP not owned […]
Moonlighting Beyond Late Night
The hosts of several of the leading late-night talk shows in the U.S. have been moonlighting in other areas of the content business. They are becoming involved in side projects, sometimes spin-offs of their main gig and sometimes ventures entirely unrelated to their primary series. These initiatives occasionally lend themselves to licensed products. For example: […]