In the character and entertainment world, crossover events pairing two different universes have long been regular occurrences in sectors such as comic books, superhero movies, and tween and adult sitcoms and dramas. This technique has historically been rare in the preschool and younger elementary-grade landscape, but that has changed in a big way in the […]
Archive | Character/Entertainment
An Experience Steeped in Tradition
By Karen Raugust on June 23, 2025 in Character/Entertainment, Experiential licensing, Food/Beverage, Licensing
Afternoon teas got their start in the mid-19th century and have become a classic British custom, popular both with visitors, as a unique experience to remember from their trip, and with some local U.K. residents, as an occasional indulgence. The practice is also established in other countries, especially in Asia. Licensed versions of these experiences […]
Full of Beans
BBC Studios’ deal with Bush’s for Bluey Baked Beans, announced last week, brings attention to a product that is not often top of mind in the world of licensed merchandise. But agreements in this category are not unheard of. In fact, several partnerships involving baked beans, mainly featuring character properties and food brands, have bubbled […]
Movie Fans: Passionate But Disorderly
A handful of recent film releases, most based on underlying properties with major licensing programs backing them, have been in the news lately for the in-theater behaviors of some of their fans. These audience members sing at key times, yell out dialog, throw things at the screen, or otherwise interact with the film, often spurred […]
Putting the Pop in Pop Culture
Pairings of character IPs with soda pops and other soft drinks are not a new phenomenon, but there has been a recent surge in interest in such partnerships globally. While most initiatives are promotional, spearheaded by the marketing departments of film and TV studios and accompanied by other promotional techniques like exclusive content or contests, […]
Anime Is a Hit at Baseball Games
Major League Baseball and its teams, whose 2025 season began late last month, have been increasingly teaming with a variety of Japanese pop-culture properties for products and promotions. Japanese-origin IPs from the worlds of anime, kawaii, videogames, and VTubers are a good fit with the sport in many ways. The league and its teams, especially […]
Classic Toons Assist in the Classroom
Owners of character properties, mostly of the classic variety, continue to forge deals that bring their IPs into PreK-12 schools by way of educational content. Some of the efforts are targeted toward families at home, too, but all have at least some presence in school systems. In the past, such tie-ins would have been perceived […]
Characters Promote Plant-Based Products
The plant-based meat substitutes industry has been facing headwinds lately. It has been difficult to convince mainstream consumers to adopt the product, and sales are declining, after a spike during the pandemic. Marketers have increasingly been looking to partnerships with licensed entertainment and character properties to raise awareness with a wider audience; increase trial, especially […]
Say It With (Plush) Flowers
By Karen Raugust on February 13, 2025 in Character/Entertainment, Gifts/Novelties, Holiday, Licensing
Plush bouquets are an increasingly popular gift for Valentine’s Day—as well as for Mother’s Day and other gift-giving occasions—and character/entertainment licensing plays a role in the sector. The product consists of plush figures assembled in a plush wrapper, like a bouquet. Some of the plush items are specially designed to combine character likenesses with flower […]
Characters Clean Up in Personal Care Category
Skincare, haircare, bodycare, and other personal care products have been an active category for licensing in recent years, across a wide variety of property types. One subsegment that has been a hot spot in the past 12 months is personal care items tied to children’s entertainment and character properties, mostly of the classic or nostalgic […]