Celebrities are increasingly getting their family members involved in their product collaborations, in part as a way to broaden their demographic appeal and/or establish authenticity with demographic groups beyond their core fan base: Established jewelry designer and occasional Shark Tank cast member Kendra Scott partnered with her three sons for her first men’s and gender-neutral […]
Archive | Licensing
Orchestras Score with Gamers
By Karen Raugust on August 8, 2022 in Cultural, Experiential licensing, Interactive gaming, Licensing, Music
In its July 2022 listing of the 20 best video game soundtracks of all time, British classical music radio station Classic FM said, “Video game music is one of the most exciting areas of contemporary music, with composers like Austin Wintory, Jessica Curry, and Nobuo Uematsu winning fans the world over with their game soundtracks.” […]
In It To Win It
Sales of tabletop games and puzzles in the U.S. grew 14.4% in 2021 versus 2020, according to NPD Group research conducted for the Toy Industry Association. That was on top of a 32.5% increase during the peak lockdown year of 2020. While sales are unlikely to maintain these lofty growth rates in 2022, marketers and […]
Accessibility: Making a House a Home
By Karen Raugust on August 1, 2022 in Demographic groups, Diversity/Inclusion, House and home, Licensing, Retail
Marketers have been expanding their offerings of merchandise designed for consumers with disabilities, especially in categories such as apparel and Halloween costumes, over the past three years or so. Licensed and collaborative examples have occasionally been part of the mix as well. The idea is to create solutions that are accessible, but also stylish and […]
Kings of the Road
Licensing has had a presence in the RV and camper industry for decades, with new deals announced relatively infrequently, but consistently, over the years. Brands involved have tended to be those with a very close fit to the category, mainly outdoors- and vehicle-related properties, with some lifestyle examples thrown in as well. In the last […]
Soccer Vision Off the Pitch
At least three global soccer/football players have signed deals this year, two of them announced just this month, with makers of premium or luxury sunglasses, eyeglasses, and optical frames. This continues a tradition over the past decade or so where one or two current or past soccer stars, most commonly hailing from Europe and/or playing […]
Cheers To Canned Cocktail Collaborations
Licensors across property types have made their presence known across most categories of alcoholic beverage by this point, whether that be beer; wine; spirits including vodka, tequila, and whiskey; or hard seltzer. The hottest category for collaboration of late has been ready-to-drink cocktails, with a range of examples coming to market since January of this […]
Celebrating Summer with Celebrity Swimwear
The swimwear category has been a hot one for celebrity collaboration over the past couple of years, with new collections from actresses, models, athletes, musicians, and more. Some of the forays into the category are extensions of existing activewear or shapewear lines, while others are standalone efforts. A few examples from this summer: Demi Moore […]
Bringing the Beats to Kids’ TV
A handful of classic rappers have made forays into the children’s entertainment and content arena, and sometimes into related licensed products, in the past year or so: Darryl McDaniels of Run DMC partnered with Nickelodeon and Paramount Global last November in a wide-ranging deal in which McDaniels lends his voice to the new Noggin series […]
Spicing Up Food and Beverage Licensing
Spice and seasoning brands historically have played a relatively small part on the large and still growing food-and-beverage licensing stage, with some long-time exceptions (such as McCormick’s Old Bay brand). More recently, however, a growing number of players in this space have entered the field as licensors and/or licensees, some of them very actively. In […]