Cooking as a theme for animation is nothing new, but the phenomenon seems to be on the rise this year. New animated productions are increasingly featuring fictional chefs; established animated chefs are being taken in new directions; and classic animated characters of all kinds are being turned into guides to cooking and baking in spin-off […]
Archive | Licensing
All The Buzz On Bees
A number of marketers have recently focused their attention on products and promotions to raise awareness and funding for the protection of bees, the most important pollinators of food crops globally: Two Australian luxury labels, fashion design brand KitX and jewelry marketer Heart of Bone, paired for the Tiny Bee Stud, with 10% of all […]
Clothing for the COVID Era
Populations around the world are slowly starting to test a post-COVID daily routine that involves some form of work, school, shopping, and leisure. But the reopening of society has shown that the coronavirus is still a threat, as illustrated by the recent spikes in the number of cases in the U.S. and some other countries. […]
Influencer Accountability
Several high-profile influencers involved in licensing and collaborations have faced a backlash—in most cases with negative ramifications for their businesses—in the last month, due to past or present racist content: Shane Dawson posted a 20-minute video apologizing for using racist language and stereotypes, as well as blackface, along with other content such as jokes about […]
Going to the Dogs
The famed cats and dogs of the Internet can generate significant retail sales of licensed and collaborative merchandise. As a result, more and more “petfluencers” are signing with agents and/or launching licensing efforts. Dogs have been in the spotlight of late, with at least three notable examples having signed with agents to expand their merchandise […]
Potty Time
By Karen Raugust on June 25, 2020 in Character/Entertainment, Demographic groups, Design and content themes, Licensing
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 […]
Embracing All Skin Tones
A handful of marketers have, over the past few weeks, quickly expanded the range of skin tones available as part of their product lines. They have added more shades typical of Black and Brown populations in addition to the mostly peach/pink hues that have traditionally been categorized as “nude.” Most of these initiatives have occurred […]
Musicians Chime In with PPE
Like property owners from across the spectrum of licensing, many musicians have lent their names or other IP to COVID-related merchandise. In some cases, their products have involved creative twists on their music or look. Key categories include: Hand sanitizer. Wu Tang Clan introduced “Protect Ya Hands” hand sanitizer—a riff on their song “Protect Ya […]
Esports Properties Score New Partnerships
Esports has gained a higher profile among the general public during the COVID-19 crisis, with viewership and participation both up. Some mainstream sports fans have turned to esports for entertainment or wagering due to the lack of any other sport to watch. Athletes from traditional sports have helped generate awareness during their leagues’ hiatuses by […]
Russian Properties Reach Out
The global expansion of children’s animation properties originating in Russia continues in 2020, with a growing number of distribution, consumer product, and licensing representation deals announced since January. There has been a particular flurry of activity in April and especially May: 0+ Media signed Maurizio Distefano Licensing as its rep for Leo and Tig in […]