While entertainment/character-based products for adults represent a relatively small part of the world of licensed food and beverages, several recent initiatives show that this type of pairing is alive and well in today’s licensing environment: In honor of the 50th anniversary of The Godfather, ViacomCBS Consumer Products partnered with Corleone Fine Italian Foods. Products under […]
A Reality Check for Virtual Tokens
NFTs remain one of the hottest areas of interest in licensing, with announcements of deals across property types coming out daily. This month, however, a number of more negative news stories have popped up about NFT programs, including several involving licensed properties. NFTs remain an enticing, brand-new sector for IP owners to explore in their […]
Talking Turkey
The U.S. holiday of Thanksgiving is one of the few celebration days throughout the year with relatively little licensing activity tied to it. It is a holiday centered on gratitude, food, and family, and not on extensive gift giving, costumes, decorating, or other more commercial endeavors. That said, there are a few opportunities tied to […]
Out of the Fry Basket, Into the Fire
Forget about the chicken wars. Quick-service restaurant and retail food and beverage brands have recently been ordering up some tasty promotions and collaborations centering on a hot menu item: French fries. Some examples: In a widely reported pairing last week, Arby’s worked with craft distillery Tattersall to create a very limited run of two fry-flavored […]
Preschool Pop Stars
The children’s audio sector has been expanding as parents look for engaging alternatives for their kids that do not involve a screen, and as more and more audio-centric projects have proven popular with young listeners. In addition to podcasts and dedicated audio devices and content, children’s music albums have also been on the rise, especially […]
Taking a Shot at Pot
Athletes associated with the NBA have been active in the cannabis sector in the past few months. Sports properties have had a strong presence since partnerships with licensed IP began in this industry in earnest around 2015. The difference with these recent deals is that they focus on marijuana strains and related products rather than […]
Rock On
The music sector is one of most active in the licensing and collaboration field these days, with new deals announced almost daily. Initiatives are wide ranging: Ariana Grande has lent her name and likeness to a new bundle of virtual goods, as well as presenting a concert series, in Fortnite; My Chemical Romance released its […]
Is the Bubble Bursting on Hard Seltzer?
The hard seltzer category, which has been experiencing strong growth since 2018—and has been at the center of a number of collaborations and licensing deals—has started to show signs of leveling off. Alcoholic beverage industry analyst IWSR predicts the hard seltzer category will increase by 73% in the U.S. in 2021, a significant rate but […]
Trading Card Transformations
The trading card industry has been experiencing a number of changes this year, from skyrocketing interest in collecting, to decades-long licensing agreements changing hands, to the emergence of new opportunities including non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and collegiate name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights. Some of the key trends to watch: A pandemic-fueled rise in popularity. Interest […]
Clean and Green
Celebrities have long been at the forefront of incorporating green products into their branded, collaborative, and signature lines, especially in the beauty and fashion categories. Recently, the home cleaning space has been a hotspot for celebrity-driven, eco-friendly supplies that avoid harmful chemicals and incorporate organic and plant-based ingredients: Kris Jenner and Chrissy Teigen launched Safely, […]