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 […]
Archive | Design and content themes
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, […]
On Unicorn Foods and Other Social Media Trends
Over the past few years, licensors and licensees have been looking to social media, especially YouTube, Pinterest, and Instagram, for product development ideas. For example, a licensor might note that fans are creating their own room décor featuring one of its characters, and seek licensees for craft kits, wall art, or other as-yet-unexploited products that […]
Camo Colors New Categories
Recent deals serve as a reminder that camouflage brand licensing does not just encompass apparel and traditional outdoors products such as guns, camping equipment, tactical gear, truck seat covers, and the like. In fact, camo continues to grow as a design trend across a variety of categories, such as: Appliances. Magic Chef announced a deal […]
Cute Fruit
Cute food-themed designs and characters are currently in fashion within the licensed products landscape, thanks to a number of driving forces: Collectible toys. Moose Toys’ Shopkins and MGA’s Num Noms have been showing strength in both in their core playthings and in their licensed brand extensions. Kid Robot’s plush-based Yummy World is another example. Emojis. […]
Garish Garments for All
As we approach the core holiday selling period, and as seasonal items start to appear for sale at retail and online, it looks like the melding of ugly Christmas sweaters and licensed properties is set to continue for a third year. The segment has evolved since it hit in 2014, moving beyond the licensed sports […]