Nootropics are chemical substances, natural or synthetic, that are believed to improve concentration, memory, self-control, wakefulness, and mental acuity. They have been growing as an ingredient in powdered supplements (often in a collector’s bundle, with a shaker) and ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages, and have become an expanding area of interest for collaborations and celebrity investment. Nootropic […]
Tag Archives | Hatsune Miku
Oodles of Noodle Shop Tie-ins
Asian food and culture, from anime to K-Pop, continues to gain strength internationally, and it follows that players in this sector are active in licensing, collaborations, and promotional deals. A case in point: Ramen restaurants, which have slowly been raising their profile as participants in tie-ins with licensed entertainment properties. A few examples of ramen […]
Characters Clean House
By Karen Raugust on April 13, 2023 in Character/Entertainment, Consumer electronics, House and home, International, Licensing
“Robot vacuums,” the small, self-propelled appliances of which the Roomba is the best-known example in the U.S., are popular in Japan, which is a leader in the manufacture and design of robots for industrial and consumer use and where small house sizes make the devices practical. And, as is the case with other small appliance […]
Painting a Picture
One of the products in the gift shop at this year’s sold-out Vermeer exhibition at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam is a licensed plush figure depicting Dick Bruna’s rabbit character Miffy as Vermeer’s The Milkmaid. This is the latest in a small but growing group of collaborations, mostly taking place in Europe or Asia, whose design inspiration […]
Taste of Japan
Boxes of food—DIY meal kits, restaurant takeaway meals, and direct-to-consumer gift boxes filled with treats—have gained traction during the pandemic, thanks to their convenience, simplicity, and experiential characteristics. In the past couple of months, a mini-trend has emerged within this segment as purveyors of Japanese food in the U.S., U.K., and Europe have paired with […]