Women undergoing menopause represent one consumer group that has historically been ignored, and the subject seen as taboo. But marketers’ perspective has been changing of late. One indication: Three celebrities have recently announced collaborations and other initiatives specifically focused on this group: This month, actress Naomi Watts announced two deals. First, she is launching a […]
Archive | Celebrity
Country Club
A trio of country singers have recently announced consumer product initiatives that are significant both in terms of the breadth of the programs and the attention they have garnered: Last week, news arrived that Blake Shelton had partnered with Land’s End for a fall and holiday collection. The assortment includes apparel for men, women, and […]
Opening Doors
Interior designers and architects lend their names and designs to licensed and collaborative products for use in all nooks and crannies of the home. One category that may not be top of mind but which has long relied on collaboration as a key strategy is home hardware, notably door and cabinet handles, especially of the […]
It’s All Relative
Celebrities are increasingly getting their family members involved in their product collaborations, in part as a way to broaden their demographic appeal and/or establish authenticity with demographic groups beyond their core fan base: Established jewelry designer and occasional Shark Tank cast member Kendra Scott partnered with her three sons for her first men’s and gender-neutral […]
Soccer Vision Off the Pitch
At least three global soccer/football players have signed deals this year, two of them announced just this month, with makers of premium or luxury sunglasses, eyeglasses, and optical frames. This continues a tradition over the past decade or so where one or two current or past soccer stars, most commonly hailing from Europe and/or playing […]
Celebrating Summer with Celebrity Swimwear
The swimwear category has been a hot one for celebrity collaboration over the past couple of years, with new collections from actresses, models, athletes, musicians, and more. Some of the forays into the category are extensions of existing activewear or shapewear lines, while others are standalone efforts. A few examples from this summer: Demi Moore […]
New Territory for Chef-Based Licensing
Recent deals for frozen and packaged foods have centered on chefs who hail from Africa, or have African roots, and are known for the African influences in their cooking and/or for promoting African flavors and recipes. Chefs of West African heritage have been particularly active. Such celebrity chefs, recognized from their TV appearances, cookbooks, and/or […]
Celebrities As Licensees
Celebrities are well known to be active property owners, extending their personal and brand names in a variety of ways. One of those is to launch their own companies to market their products, in lieu of signing licensees, which gives them more control over their signature or branded merchandise. And, as they become product marketers […]
Taking Shape
Fashion designers, artists, and especially celebrities have been entering the shapewear category at a slightly accelerated pace of late. Sales in the segment as a whole dropped significantly early in the pandemic, but have returned to near-2019 levels as of the end of 2021, according to players in the market. In North America, sales were […]
Slam-Dunk Combinations
The major athletic footwear/sportswear companies involved in pro sports-related licensing are increasingly pairing individuals from their portfolios of U.S. pro athlete-endorsers—especially NBA players—with properties from outside the realm of sports. The examples have been piling up slowly since 2019 (a few were released even before that), with the pace of new products picking up in […]