Heart Beat

Since today is Valentine’s Day, it seems like a good time to note the importance of the holiday as a launch date for new licensed and collaborative products, as well as an occasion for holiday-specific limited editions, collaborations, and promotions involving licensed IP. This is especially true for initiatives involving products that traditionally serve as go-to Valentine’s gifts, along with properties hailing from these same sectors. Some of the categories hosting collaborative examples this year include:

• Jewelry. British sustainable jewelry brand Alighieri paired with luxury e-commence site Yoox for a unisex capsule collection it described as celebrating love, friendship, and the sharing of special moments. Pieces include a set of broken-heart padlock necklaces, two rings, two sets of earrings, and a bracelet. Separately—in a crossover between two Valentine’s-centric categories—candy brand Godiva partnered with Le Vian for a line of chocolate-diamond jewelry at Kay Jewelers that will launch in time for the holiday. Three limited-edition pieces are inspired by Godiva’s truffles and other signature chocolates, and feature rubies, white diamonds, 14-karat honey gold, and other materials in addition to chocolate diamonds. In a third example, Sanrio and For Art’s Sake, a U.K. eyewear label, collaborated on a limited-edition luxury collection of Hello Kitty sunglasses and jewelry for the Chinese market. Each set comes in a pink gift box (“signed by Hello Kitty herself”) that includes a pair of sunglasses packaged with an 18-karat gold-plated bracelet or eyewear chain (which can be stored in a secret jewelry compartment in the box) and a custom faux-leather eyewear case.

• Candy. Spangler’s Sweethearts Candy, represented by Lisa Marks Associates, announced its new outbound licensing program in the days leading up to Valentine’s Day, timed to the launch of its first two collaborative products, Crocs’ Jibbitz Charms and Kellogg’s special-edition Froot Loops cereal. Merchandise from American Marketing Enterprises, Bentex, Briefly Stated, Centric Beauty, Dan Dee, MTB, Suburban Riot, and Zuru are set for launch later in the year. Meanwhile, C4 Energy launched X Skittles, its latest candy-inspired energy drink, in collaboration with Mars-Wrigley’s Skittles brand, in time for the holiday. It also has a Starburst offering with the same licensor. This is not a Valentine’s-themed product but it uses the holiday as a logical date for the launch.

• Fragrance and beauty. On January 26, Kim Kardashian’s KKW Fragrance launched three new scents celebrating the holiday, marking the brand’s second collaboration with floral designer Jeff Leatham. The new products include hints of Valentine’s-centric aromas such as florals and confections. KKW x Jeff Leatham II fragrances retail for $40 each, or $110 for a bundle of all three, on the KKW e-commerce site. Staying with the Kardashian-Jenner clan, Coty’s Kylie Cosmetics brand launched a Valentine’s collection including a matte lip kit, blush stick, highlighter, and pressed powder palette. (To mark Halloween, Kylie went with a Nightmare on Elm Street collaboration, but this collection is under the celebrity-driven brand name only.)

• Lingerie. Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty lingerie label with TechStyle Fashion Group released a unisex Valentine’s Day collection. It includes styles new to the line, such as bodysuits, bustiers, satin boxers, fishnet gloves, and more, as well as fresh takes on existing styles. In addition, the brand launched its first cosmetics item, a lavender lip gloss, in collaboration with Fenty Beauty (a joint venture with LVMH), as part of the collection.

Of course a number of licensors and licensees create Valentine’s-themed products in other categories as well. Disney offers lots of heart- and love-themed goods in partnership with its licensees across categories and demographics, such as Mickey and Minnie accessories from Dooney & Bourke or pink Star Wars Funko Pop! figurines with holiday-themed details such as characters holding heart-shaped candy boxes or Valentine’s cards. Beyoncé’s latest athleisure collection for her Ivy Park brand with Adidas, called Ivy Heart, is tied to Valentine’s Day. The gender-neutral and inclusively sized items encompass fashion and performance apparel, accessories, and footwear, are heavy on the color red, and launched online on February 9 and in stores on February 10. In Japan, AOI Pro and AI technology company Laboro.AI used Popeye and Olive Oyl’s love story in a Valentine’s Day commercial that will continue to air through summer 2022. The list goes on, with a wide range of properties and categories represented.

A reminder that Raugust Communications’ monthly e-newsletter comes out tomorrow, February 15, 2022. The Licensing Topic of the Month focuses on recent M&A activity and its impact on the licensing business, while the Datapoint research spotlight analyzes the relative frequency of three key licensing and collaboration approaches: brand-extension, lifestyle, and fan-based licensing. If you do not yet subscribe to this free publication, you can sign up here.