Drone shows have become a fast-growing experiential category for licensors looking for new ways to engage consumers and promote their properties and initiatives. Not only are drone shows appealing to fans as a relatively new type of experience in their own right, but they are also gaining popularity as an alternative to fireworks, which are […]
Tag Archives | One Piece
Brain-Boosting Beverages
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 […]
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, […]
Anime Is a Hit at Baseball Games
Major League Baseball and its teams, whose 2025 season began late last month, have been increasingly teaming with a variety of Japanese pop-culture properties for products and promotions. Japanese-origin IPs from the worlds of anime, kawaii, videogames, and VTubers are a good fit with the sport in many ways. The league and its teams, especially […]
Building a Foundation in Construction Toys
Building kits, led by Lego, have been one of the bright spots in the toy industry over the past several years. In the U.S., construction toy sales were up 16% in 2024 compared to 2023, according to Circana figures, representing a significantly higher rate of growth than any other supercategory tracked. The same was true […]
Wearing Your Fandom at Your Wedding
By Karen Raugust on September 26, 2024 in Character/Entertainment, Demographic groups, Fashion, Licensing
Earlier this year, a deal between wedding gown maker Lulu Felice and manga artist Ai Yazawa produced a collection of wedding dresses and other wedding-appropriate formal wear tied to two of the artist’s properties, Nana and Neighborhood Story. Some of the pieces—each line features nine dresses and two tuxes—replicate gowns worn by the lead characters […]
Character-Sports Collaborations for the Win
Just over a year ago, we wrote about how tie-ins bringing together sports organizations and entertainment properties, including musicians and characters, were experiencing a cyclical surge, with collaborations between the NBA, My Hero Academia, and Hyperfly; Major League Soccer, Adidas, and Marvel; and Lacrosse Unlimited and Peanuts among the examples at the time. The trend has […]
Strong Characters Lift Protein and Energy Sector
Nutritional products meant to build strength and stamina and/or increase concentration, verve, and vigor in everyday tasks, have been increasingly active as a category for licensing. Properties from sugary food brands to celebrities have lent their names and/or flavor profiles to protein powders, energy drinks, protein bars, and similar offerings. Characters that embody strength, power, or heroism collectively […]
Pairing Anime and E-sports
By Karen Raugust on March 25, 2024 in Character/Entertainment, Interactive gaming, Licensing, Sports
A popular sub-segment within the e-sports licensing sector consists of cross-licensed apparel collections that bring together e-sports teams and anime properties. The audiences for the two types of IP dovetail nicely, and the anime characters help drive interest and purchase intent for the e-sports brands. This trend has been ongoing since at least 2019 and […]
Characters Qualify for the Olympics
Licensed characters are playing a starring role this year in promoting national Olympic teams, Olympic sports, the Tokyo Olympic Games, and the Olympic spirit in general, both officially and non-officially. There is still some uncertainty surrounding the event, which is set to kick off on July 23, after a year-long pandemic delay, amid rising numbers […]