Donuts have had a strong presence in licensing and pop culture over the past few years. Owners of licensed properties have partnered for limited-edition flavors at donut chains, donut shops have extended their brands into other products, and donuts have been prominent design elements in fashion, stationery, and the like. Lately, however, it has begun […]
Tag Archives | Disney
Fun and Games
A wide range of video game properties have found their way into the world of physical board, miniatures, and card games in the past six months. Some examples: Konami Cross Media NY just announced that its recently relaunched Bomberman and Contra titles would be turned into board and card games, respectively. IDW holds the rights […]
As Simple as Black and White
A black-and-white color palette—expressed in patterns, prints, or blocking—remains a top choice for designers in home furnishings, streetwear, hair accessories, and other sectors. Licensors and their licensees have been taking note of this trend in a variety of ways over the past year or more as they develop style guides and products: Many of Disney’s […]
From the Comfort of the Couch
Among all the news of exclusive licensing and collaboration deals involving retailers and etailers of all stripes, it can sometimes be forgotten that home shopping networks—or multichannel retailers, as they are sometimes known—continue to be important venues for many properties. These platforms, like bricks-and-mortar chains and pure e-commerce channels, often serve as exclusive distribution partners, […]
Celebrating the Year of the Pig
By Karen Raugust on February 4, 2019 in Demographic groups, Design and content themes, Holiday, Licensing
Tomorrow (February 5, 2019) is Chinese New Year, marking the start of the Year of the Pig on the Chinese lunar calendar. Global marketers in recent years have increasingly been embracing Chinese New Year in their January and February messaging and product releases, and that includes property owners involved in licensing and collaborations. The most […]
Are Prints Losing Their Power?
Four licensed lifestyle brands known for their distinctive all-over prints have been struggling of late: Orla Kiely, the 1970s-infused label tied to the Irish designer billed as the “queen of prints,” announced in September that it would liquidate, shutting its stores, located in the U.K. and Ireland, and its website. The 20-plus-year-old brand’s licensing business, […]
Now We’re Cooking
The kitchen housewares and tabletop industry has in recent months been the focus of a number of retail-exclusive product lines that involve licensed properties. This type of partnership has been going on for years, but the frequency seems to be on the rise of late. The following have debuted since mid-2018: Chrissy Teigen and Target […]
Holiday Cheer
With Black Friday coming up next week, it seems like a good time to take a look at what’s up with some of the key Christmas-themed licenses whose annual prime time is just beginning. These evergreen properties expand their reach each year, increasingly extending well beyond traditional holiday-centric categories. A few recent examples: • Universal […]
Produce Plus Protein
Grocery shoppers have seen a proliferation of healthy snacks that combine fruits or vegetables with protein in a single, convenient package for on-the-go eating. Licensed products are part of the mix, as these examples illustrate: B&G Foods and its master licensee for Green Giant Fresh, Growers Express, are debuting six vegetable-based meal bowls. They include […]
Prom Dates
Last month Discovery Consumer Products and Macy’s announced they were extending their licensing agreement for Discovery’s Say Yes to the Prom, creating a new line of dozens of prom dresses and accessories for high school girls. Say Yes to the Prom is a community-outreach spin-off of the Discovery series Say Yes to the Dress that […]