The cats of YouTube, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and other social media platforms have long played in the licensing arena, with examples ranging from Grumpy Cat, Keyboard Cat, Nora the Piano Cat, and L’il Bub to Henri, Maru, and Venus the Chimera Cat.
More recently, a number of pups have been added to the list, following in the footsteps of pioneers such as Boo, the World’s Cutest Dog.
A sampling includes Jiff Pom, “the fastest dog on two legs,” a Pomeranian that has appeared in a number of entertainment and commercial projects as well as on YouTube and across all social media channels, and Princess of Beverly Hills, a pampered and pink-furred Maltipoo made famous through Twitter and represented for licensing by CMG.
Unlike their human counterparts with social media-driven fame, who often oversee lifestyle licensing programs encompassing apparel, accessories, fragrances, kitchen and home goods, and the like, these cats and dogs tend to be associated with limited, novelty-based efforts focused on publishing, plush, gifts, and collectibles. Many also target pet products.
While most of these celebrity dogs and cats rely on social media to generate awareness, some pet-based properties have their origins in traditional media. James Bowen and his cat Bob, star of a book called A Street Cat Named Bob (which has sold more than a million copies in the U.K. alone), recently appointed TPA as their licensing agent for the EMEA region.
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