With Black Friday coming up next week, it seems like a good time to take a look at what’s up with some of the key Christmas-themed licenses whose annual prime time is just beginning. These evergreen properties expand their reach each year, increasingly extending well beyond traditional holiday-centric categories. A few recent examples: • Universal […]
Archive | Design and content themes
In Tune with the Times
By Karen Raugust on July 26, 2018 in Character/Entertainment, Demographic groups, Design and content themes, Licensing
The “girl power” trend in children’s media and entertainment has been ongoing for several years, but it continues to intensify and diversify, perhaps assisted by the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements. Some of the recent permutations include: Female superheroes assuming leading roles in film and TV. Some examples are original, including TV animation such as Nickelodeon’s […]
Rainbow Connection
Rainbow-themed girls’ entertainment is in, if this year’s Licensing Expo is any indication. Among the rainbow-centric properties prominently displayed at the show this year are: True and the Rainbow Kingdom. This Netflix Original is produced by Guru Studio and licensed by Brand Central, with Toy State on board as the licensee for playthings. The show […]
The Universal Allure of Unicorns
Unicorns have always been a theme in merchandise and entertainment, especially for kids, but they are certainly experiencing a moment in the spotlight for all ages these days. The magical creatures appear in association with all kinds of products and promotions: Starbucks’ offered Unicorn Frappuccino, while Kellogg’s is releasing Froot Loops-like Unicorn Cereal; cosmetics company […]
Cosplay Beyond the Cons
Cosplay—dressing up as a favorite anime, videogame, television, or book character, in a self-created and realistic costume, and interacting with others doing the same—has been a big and growing hobby for several years. More recently, the popular avocation has moved beyond the borders of the numerous comic book and pop culture conventions and into the […]
A Pattern of Outbound Licensing
A smattering of sweater brands have been expanding their outbound licensing programs, taking their distinctive patterns and graphics into adjacent categories and into new territories. Marius, known for its classic Norwegian sweaters featuring horizontal geometric stripes incorporating snowflakes and reindeer, has more than 25 licensees on board in Norway, covering everything from watches to postcards […]
Weed as a Way of Life
As more states legalize marijuana for medical and/or recreational use, much of the attention from a licensing perspective has been on celebrities (mainly musicians and chefs) lending their names to marijuana strains and related products, and on marijuana brands extending into foods, topical creams, smoking accessories, and the like. Another growing opportunity centers on cannabis-related […]
Soaking Up Festival Culture
Music festivals—from Bonnaroo, Coachella, and the Electric Daisy Carnival to Glastonbury, Lollapalooza, and Firefly—have not only proliferated throughout the years but have become highly visible among consumers at large, especially in the summer. They attract attention on celebrities’, attendees’, and marketers’ social platforms, in mainstream news and fashion publications, and through mass advertising and promotional […]
Social Media-Inspired Design
Social media has permeated the licensing business as a marketing tool, as an inspiration for products (e.g. selfie sticks), as a source of properties, and as a content platform. Not surprisingly, it has also given birth to a number of design trends: Hashtags. Licensors and licensees are integrating hashtags into graphics for apparel and accessories. […]
The Many Manifestations of the Maker Movement
Licensing International Expo, which took place last week in Las Vegas, highlighted once again how much the DIY/Maker Movement has permeated licensing, especially on the character and celebrity sides of things, over the past few years. Some of the properties that can be seen as expressions of this trend—each in its own way—include: Lauren Riihimaki, […]