BBC Studios’ deal with Bush’s for Bluey Baked Beans, announced last week, brings attention to a product that is not often top of mind in the world of licensed merchandise. But agreements in this category are not unheard of. In fact, several partnerships involving baked beans, mainly featuring character properties and food brands, have bubbled […]
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Movie Fans: Passionate But Disorderly
A handful of recent film releases, most based on underlying properties with major licensing programs backing them, have been in the news lately for the in-theater behaviors of some of their fans. These audience members sing at key times, yell out dialog, throw things at the screen, or otherwise interact with the film, often spurred […]
Putting the Pop in Pop Culture
Pairings of character IPs with soda pops and other soft drinks are not a new phenomenon, but there has been a recent surge in interest in such partnerships globally. While most initiatives are promotional, spearheaded by the marketing departments of film and TV studios and accompanied by other promotional techniques like exclusive content or contests, […]
Characters Clean Up in Personal Care Category
Skincare, haircare, bodycare, and other personal care products have been an active category for licensing in recent years, across a wide variety of property types. One subsegment that has been a hot spot in the past 12 months is personal care items tied to children’s entertainment and character properties, mostly of the classic or nostalgic […]
A Recipe for Success
Licensed cookbooks historically have been connected to a limited number of closely related properties, such as food brands, restaurants, and chefs, with other property types popping up very occasionally. Over the last few years, however, cookbooks have become a standard format to be considered as part of licensed publishing programs tied to entertainment and pop-culture […]
Fresh Produce Tie-Ins Bear Fruit
Marriages of licensed characters and fresh produce have come up regularly over the years, but the sector has been as active this year as any time in recent memory. The deals have taken a variety of forms, from branded packaging to promotional initiatives, and have involved a number of different types of partners, from restaurants […]
Linking Merchandise and the Metaverse
While there are a number of different potential objectives for marketers to step into the metaverse, one hope is often to use the effort to help drive purchases of traditional physical products. A growing number of brands, especially in the fashion industry, are experimenting with new ways to strengthen the link between digital and physical […]
Game Play
Three leading toy companies recently signed renewals of existing licensing deals tied to mainstream video game properties, or otherwise expanded their current assortments. This is a reminder of how the toy-licensing landscape has changed over time from almost entirely TV- and film-based to an environment where video games, one of today’s major leisure-time activities, play […]
Wearables as Playthings
Licensed wearable devices for children represent a small but growing sector of the toy, accessories, and electronics industries. Their positioning and functionality often differ somewhat from the typical adult-skewing licensed wearable; namely, they focus less on fitness and more on play. A few examples: Disney’s Playmation, a line of connected toys developed with Hasbro and […]