Plant-based meat alternatives that serve as substitutes for hamburgers or chicken have hit the mainstream in a big way in the last month or two, with the Impossible and Beyond brands being at the forefront. These are plant-based alternatives to meat, which emulate the taste and feel of the real thing, as opposed to the […]
Archive | Licensing
Going for the Win
Deals announced in summer and fall 2019 illustrate some of the key current trends in the sports licensing business: Rising activity around women’s sports. The English Netball League, a 90-plus-year-old women’s sports entity, signed a deal with British retailer Oasis for a range of apparel, with players Ama Agbze, Eboni Usoro-Brown, and Jade Clarke appearing […]
A Modest Proposal
A trend emerging in the fashion-licensing sector involves collaborations focused on hip-but-modest clothing designs, with religious beliefs often serving as the impetus for the ventures: • Hana Tajima is one of the most prominent of a small group of designers creating clothing for Muslim women. Her latest collection for retailer Uniqlo includes modest dresses, separates, […]
Not An Open and Shut Case
Several trademark applications that have made the news recently have centered on common words or phrases: • The fashion label Off-White, led by designer Virgil Abloh, tried to register the phrase “PRODUCT BAG,” including the quotation marks around it, with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The label has been using the words since […]
Sugar Rush
About a year ago, we wrote about sweet snacks making their way into the cereal category. That trend has intensified since then, with a long list of candy, ice cream, and cookie brands being licensed for breakfast cereals: General Mills debuted Nestlé Drumstick and Honey Maid S’More cereals, as well as Hershey’s Cookies ‘n’ Crème […]
The Experience Economy
By Karen Raugust on September 16, 2019 in Character/Entertainment, Experiential licensing, Licensing
As entertainment licensors create experiential extensions of their properties, such as theme park attractions, stage plays, and exhibitions, it is standard practice to create merchandise dedicated to the special event, to be sold at the venue as well as in the licensor’s and sometimes the licensee’s proprietary online and retail channels. For the biggest licensors, […]
First Signs of Fall
The introduction of pumpkin spice-influenced products in restaurant chains, consumer packaged goods, and pop culture—a signal that summer is turning to autumn—begins earlier every year, with sightings as soon as mid-August. Naturally, licensed products and collaborations are in the mix. Some of the strategies for pumpkin spice-related initiatives include: Focusing on flavor. McDonald’s and Kraft […]
Between the Lines
At least a half-dozen current and former athletes have published children’s books since the beginning of the year. Their work includes fiction and nonfiction for readers as young as age 4 and as old as young teenagers: • Just this week, former NBA player Kobe Bryant published Legacy and the Queen, a tennis-themed young adult […]
Are Beignets The New Donut?
Donuts have had a strong presence in licensing and pop culture over the past few years. Owners of licensed properties have partnered for limited-edition flavors at donut chains, donut shops have extended their brands into other products, and donuts have been prominent design elements in fashion, stationery, and the like. Lately, however, it has begun […]
Lessons from Celebrity Beauty Launches
In the past two weeks, a handful of musicians, actresses, and influencers have announced new ventures in the beauty arena. Taken together, they represent a microcosm of many of the trends currently rising to the top in celebrity health and beauty. Tightly focused launches. Singer, model, and actress Zoë Kravitz revealed her lipstick collection for […]