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). […]
Archive | Celebrity
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: […]
Influencing the Craft Category
Social media influencers specializing in handmade crafting and inspiration have, not surprisingly, had a growing presence in the licensing business. They mostly maintain a tight focus on crafting supplies, although some have extended into a few adjacent categories as well. Examples include: Lauren Riihimaki, or LaurDIY. Key licensees, brokered by The Brand Liaison, include Plaid […]
Beauty Contest
Just in the last week, three celebrity makeup artists have entered or expanded their presence in the competitive beauty and wellness space, announcing new retail-exclusive licensing or collaboration deals: Sir John, best known for his work with the likes of Beyoncé and Kim Kardashian, paired with South African retailer Woolworths Holdings for a limited-edition collaboration. […]
Toy Testers Give Rave Reviews to Licensing
Kid influencers specializing in toy and children’s product reviews and unboxings via their own YouTube channels and other social media platforms have gained significant followings, with the top examples generating more than 10 billion views and amassing more than 10 million channel subscribers. Some “best of” lists name more than 100 different personalities playing in […]
Women’s Cosmetics of Color
At the beginning of the year, singer Thalía Sodi launched Adria by Thalía, a new haircare brand that offers seven SKUs of sprays, foams, and shampoos promoted as working well for all women’s hair types. The affordable brand is available at Walmart and select Target stores upon its launch. This venture follows a Thalía false […]
Exploring The Unknown
Celebrity adventurers have recently been looking to extend their brand equities—built on qualities such as curiosity and exploration, survival, overcoming challenges, protecting the environment, toughness, and never giving up—by entering the world of merchandise: Ed Stafford retained Brandgenuity as his licensing agent in October 2018, with plans for survival gear, outdoor apparel, knives and multipurpose […]