Celebrities have long been at the forefront of incorporating green products into their branded, collaborative, and signature lines, especially in the beauty and fashion categories. Recently, the home cleaning space has been a hotspot for celebrity-driven, eco-friendly supplies that avoid harmful chemicals and incorporate organic and plant-based ingredients: Kris Jenner and Chrissy Teigen launched Safely, […]
Archive | House and home
Worth Their Weight
Licensed merchandise and content designed to reduce stress and anxiety have been on the upswing, from mindfulness content (e.g., Headspace’s Sesame Street video shorts) to role-play costumes designed to explore emotions (e.g., Fun World’s new Ninja Life Hacks range). While the pandemic certainly heightened the desire for goods such as these, the trend was ongoing […]
Digital Cooking Brands Turn Up the Heat
Digital-native cooking brands have been expanding their licensing activities in the last year. The properties tend to appeal to a young-adult demographic that needs accessible information and inspiration to prepare healthy and good-tasting meals. They have large and active fan bases across YouTube, Instagram, and other social channels, as well as on their own websites […]
Cooking Up Kitchen Collaborations
Most kitchen- and food-related housewares and appliance categories have experienced strong growth over the past year, thanks to consumers’ reenergized interest in cooking during the pandemic. Not surprisingly, a number of new and expanded licensed collections have come to light since the crisis began: This month, actress and talk show host Drew Barrymore and Walmart […]
The Great Outdoors
A number of interior designers, architects, and lifestyle brands have entered into licensing deals for outdoor furniture in the past year, with several marking their first entry into this category: Interior designer Alexa Hampton partnered with Woodard for her inaugural collection of outdoor furniture. Her other licensees include Theodore Alexander (indoor furniture), Visual Comfort and […]
Take a Seat
Gaming chairs represent one niche of the interactive-gaming peripherals and accessories segment that has seen strong interest from the licensing community. Billed as enhancing performance as well as comfort during game play, game chairs were first associated with esports-, gaming-, and gaming influencer-related IP, which still comprise the core of the market. But licensing activity […]
Home Sweet Home
Some of the most established names in fashion have recently forged licensing or collaboration deals in the home furnishings category. A few are entering the sector for the first time, others are re-entering the arena after a pause, and still others are expanding their programs. While home goods represent a common category for fashion labels, […]
Artisanal Collaborations
By Karen Raugust on November 9, 2020 in Business models, DIY/Maker, House and home, Lifestyle, Retail
Licensors’ and licensees’ interest in doing business with digital marketplaces has increased significantly in recent years. They are now comfortable, for the most part, with everything from authorizing fans to create user-generated designs incorporating their IP on products sold on platforms such as Redbubble, to opening storefronts on third-party marketplaces like Amazon’s. Etsy is one […]
Piece of Cake
By Karen Raugust on June 1, 2020 in Celebrity, Food/Beverage, House and home, International, Licensing
U.K.-based celebrity chefs, cooking show presenters, and especially bakers have been at the center of a number of licensing, collaboration, and representation deals, and/or new products or promotions, over the past few weeks: Jane Devonshire, a past MasterChef winner who is known for her gluten-free cooking and cookbooks, retained Start Licensing as her agent for […]
There’s No Place Like Home
As most of us are currently self-isolating at home, it seems like a good time to take a look at licensing and brand extension opportunities in the housing space. Occasionally over the years, licensors have focused not just on the traditional home goods categories, such as furniture, dishes, and décor, but have also lent their […]