Among the new Daniel Tiger products announced earlier this month by Fred Rogers Productions and 9 Story Brands was a 3-in-1 potty-training aid from Fisher-Price. The product is a potty chair featuring a removable seat that fits on a full-sized toilet and a fold-down lid that becomes a step stool, along with activated sound effects […]
Archive | Design and content themes
Everyday Heroes
Toys and collectibles depicting police officers have taken a hit since the protests against police brutality began almost a month ago with the killing of George Floyd. Lego temporarily stopped marketing its police-centric building kits (but did not stop selling them), while Paw Patrol has come under scrutiny in some quarters for portraying the police […]
Tokens of Gratitude
By Karen Raugust on May 21, 2020 in Branding/marketing, COVID-19, Design and content themes, Licensing
In the last few weeks, a handful of licensors and licensees have launched marketing campaigns and/or product lines built around thanking the medical professionals and other essential workers who have been risking their health to care for the sick or fill the population’s basic needs during the COVID-19 crisis. While a number of companies involved […]
Brands Practice Self-Distancing
By Karen Raugust on March 26, 2020 in Branding/marketing, Corporate brands, Design and content themes, Licensing
A number of brands—many of which are involved in licensing in some way—have gotten creative with their logos as a means of stressing the critical importance of self-distancing to curb the spread of COVID-19. These tweaks simultaneously engage the brands’ fans and boost awareness during a difficult time for most businesses. Examples include: Mercado Libre. […]
Reversing the Taboo
Mental health has increasingly become a theme at the center of licensed product, content, and promotional initiatives. Some recent examples, mostly announced in late 2019 and early 2020, include: A gift line from Half Moon Bay tied to May the Thoughts Be With You, a property based on a book by the same name. The […]
Celebrating Shared History
Collaboration partners across categories come together for a variety of reasons. One driver for the creation of collaborative collections that has been gradually gaining steam has been the partners’ shared history and/or geography: Red Wing Boot’s collaboration with Indian Motorcycle, marking the former’s first foray into motorcycle boots, played on the companies’ shared history. Both […]
Native American Culture in the Spotlight
The presence of Native Americans and Native American themes in creative and business pursuits is slowly expanding. Recent examples of ventures involving Native American culture differ from many of those that have occurred in the past, in that Native people are increasingly behind the efforts, lending authenticity. In addition, the initiatives are not about history […]
A Need for More Space
Last summer, a number of licensors and their licensees created space-inspired products, promotions, and entertainment productions to capitalize on the high profile of the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 and the first steps on the moon in July. Some were tied to the Apollo space program and some to other space-related properties and/or themes. While […]
First Signs of Fall
The introduction of pumpkin spice-influenced products in restaurant chains, consumer packaged goods, and pop culture—a signal that summer is turning to autumn—begins earlier every year, with sightings as soon as mid-August. Naturally, licensed products and collaborations are in the mix. Some of the strategies for pumpkin spice-related initiatives include: Focusing on flavor. McDonald’s and Kraft […]
Are Beignets The New Donut?
Donuts have had a strong presence in licensing and pop culture over the past few years. Owners of licensed properties have partnered for limited-edition flavors at donut chains, donut shops have extended their brands into other products, and donuts have been prominent design elements in fashion, stationery, and the like. Lately, however, it has begun […]