The phenomenon of influencers expanding their brands into the toy industry in a big way goes back to the mid-2010s. There has been a burst of activity lately, with a range of personalities, including some very big names, jumping into the space: In January 2024, Moose Toys announced a new relationship with MrBeast (a.k.a. Jimmy […]
Archive | Licensing
Painting the Town Red, and Beyond
Traditional licensing deals and especially limited collaborations continue to proliferate in the paint industry, as the major name-brand paint manufacturers and newer boutique and direct-to-consumer companies alike pair with designers and corporate brands to create new and different color palettes. Paint is a relatively inexpensive way to make a fun change and/or create a cosy […]
Boba Tie-Ins Bubble Up
By Karen Raugust on January 25, 2024 in Character/Entertainment, Food/Beverage, International, Licensing, Promotion, Retail
Bubble tea, or boba—a creamy, tea-based drink containing tapioca pearls—was invented in Taiwan and has been spreading around the world, including into the U.S., where boba drink outlets are becoming ubiquitous at malls and elsewhere. The U.S. bubble tea market was forecast to reach $464.29 million in 2023, up 6.9% from $434.11 million in 2022, […]
Hitting the Bullseye
Darts is an activity that has attracted growing interest over the past few years, both in participation and viewership. Increased demand for products such as signature and branded darts, dartboards, jerseys, and flights (the plastic or nylon stabilizers on the darts) has followed, with rights mostly granted to specialist licensees. The game of darts was […]
Educational Properties with a Human Touch
By Karen Raugust on January 18, 2024 in Celebrity, Character/Entertainment, Educational products, Licensing
Several educational brands based on individual people or personas have recently signed licensing deals for products that help children learn at home or in school. Some of the properties are based on real people, some are characters created and performed by real people, and some are wholly fictional, educator-created brands. But all have positionings that […]
Fashion-Forward Safety Shoes
Fashion labels and designers are forging licensing and collaboration deals in the occupational footwear sector with increasing frequency. This is a category that has built a track record of very successful long-term licensing agreements with closely related brands, but it still offers plenty of space for fashion and lifestyle properties and other types of IP. […]
Chefs Prep More Plant-Based Products
Chefs and food influencers, both vegan and meat-eating, have over the years participated in collaborative initiatives involving plant-based dishes, such as creating limited-time menus in colleagues’ vegan restaurants, introducing other chefs’ vegan menu items in their own restaurants, or participating in pop-up vegan dinner experiences. They have also slowly become more active in partnering with […]
Bulking Up
Recently, a number of celebrities and brands have announced initiatives (licensed and otherwise) centered on heavy-duty strength-training and fitness equipment such as stationary bikes, treadmills, squat racks, weight benches, and barbells. Licensing deals occur fairly frequently in the fitness equipment space, but are typically focused on light-weight tools such as yoga mats, handheld dumbbells, ankle […]
Bingeing on a TV-Based Lifestyle
Lifestyle collaborations involving adult-skewing TV properties featuring a strong sense of place and time, from The Good Wife to Downton Abbey, have long had a presence in the licensing business and at retail. Over the years, the technique has evolved from occasional one-off collections to broader programs covering a variety of categories, with multiple drops […]
Toys Look Good in Designer Togs
Fashion and toys have come together for decades, from Mattel’s extensive collection of fashion dolls with designers like Bob Mackie (who has created 47 different versions of Barbie) to specialists such as Integrity Toys, whose offerings include the Jason Wu Collection. The past year has seen a flurry of activity in the fashion-meets-toy space, as […]