One of the fastest-growing areas for licensing in the women’s apparel industry over the past two years has been the so-called “plus-size” market, which has attracted designers such as Isabel Toledo, a raft of celebrities from Jessica Simpson to Melissa McCarthy, and TV properties such as Empire. The men’s equivalent, the “big-and-tall” market, keeps a […]
Archive | Licensing
Regional Ties
Several recent collaborations have given rise to limited-edition products inspired primarily by the common regional roots of the two partners. In the craft beer industry, where local and limited are key tenets, Naragansett Beer teamed with Bananagrams in August for a banana-and-clove-infused Hefeweizen as part of its “Hi Neighbor” series of brews. Both companies are […]
Read All About It
When you think of licensed publishing for children, what comes to mind is likely traditional formats such as storybooks, board books, coloring and activity books, and the like. These continue to be the keystones of most licensed kids’ publishing programs, especially when based on entertainment/character properties. But as property owners and publishers look for ways […]
Delectable Destinations
Experiential licensing deals continue to accumulate, with branded cafés one of the most common examples of late. Properties announcing deals in the past six months to launch new ventures, or expand existing café chains, illustrate both the variety of properties active in this sector and the global reach of the trend: Characters. Moomin will inaugurate […]
Share and Share Alike
One way to keep a licensing program alive over time is to regularly release new characters, storylines, or art styles that licensees can use to freshen their product assortment. Increasingly, licensors are enlisting their licensees in this effort by facilitating the sharing of licensee-developed assets for new merchandise collections in other categories. NBCUniversal partnered with […]
Creative Thinking
Fashion designers are increasingly stepping outside of their traditional realms of apparel, accessories, footwear, beauty, fragrance, dinnerware, bed and bath, and home décor. Many have been testing categories such as pet products and electronic-device cases, for example. Some ventures are virtually one of a kind, as is the case with these unconventional limited editions: Karl […]
Measuring Success in Decades
Last month, Popeye Magazine, a Japanese men’s fashion periodical published by Magazine House under license from King Features, celebrated its 40th anniversary. The milestone serves as a reminder that, despite all the focus these days on short-term collaborations and limited editions, there is still a place for traditional, long-lasting licensing partnerships. Other examples include: Elizabeth […]
At Home, Watching TV
A number of recent and ongoing home-goods product lines have been built around actors who made their names as secondary characters, or as members of an ensemble cast, on a TV show. Most of the series are no longer on the air. In many cases, these personalities have little obvious connection to home furnishings and […]
Long Legs for Adult Coloring
The adult coloring book trend persists, showing much more longevity than many observers had predicted. Barnes & Noble, which has been adult coloring central for the last couple of years, continues to give the category a lot of space and prominent placement. One large store currently features a large wall display and three tables right […]
Emojis, Licensing, and the Law
The abundance of emoji-related graphics and brands available for licensing and the strong presence of emoji-themed merchandise at retail this fall raise some questions for the licensing community. For example: What are my options if I want to create products featuring emoji-related designs and/or brands? Are emojis legally protectable in the first place? Do I […]