Taking selfies has become a big part of life for many smartphone owners. So it is no surprise that licensors have been forging content deals to insert their properties into users’ self-portraits.
Apps that allow characters or celebrities to “photo bomb” their fans’ selfies are marketed by a variety of licensees. Some examples:
- SocialIn signed Paws’ Garfield in its first licensing deal. The fat cat is integrated into a clip art package for use in SocialIn’s PicsArt Shop app. The content enables users to add Garfield to their photos and drawings.
- Bare Tree Media has a photo-bomb app featuring From Frank, a humor brand licensed by agency A Squared (part of Genius Brands). Bare Tree also markets virtual goods and emoticons tied to the property.
- Pixelwarps offers the KISS Official Photo App, licensed by Epic Rights, which allows fans to customize their selfies with KISS makeup, costumes, and other graphics.
LINE, the texting and calling app, takes a slightly different spin on the selfie phenomenon. Its LINE Selfie Sticker app, relaunched last month under the name ycon, allows users to create LINE stickers or emoji from their selfies, using more than 1,000 different templates.
In at least one instance, selfie functionality takes the form of an augmented-reality add-on to a physical product. Evy of California licensed Tamagotchi Friends from Bandai for a line of clothing. Through technology licensed from Sync Beatz Entertainment, girls can scan the fabric to incorporate Tamagotchi images into their selfies, which can then be placed on digital ID cards for social media sharing.
Raugust Communications’ Licensing Trend of the Month for April 2015 takes a look at the proliferation of these and other new avenues for content licensing. To learn more, subscribe to our monthly newsletter, which will be distributed tomorrow.
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