Vans and Converse, not to mention Nike and its Jordan brand, Puma, Adidas, and the like, are among most active partners in the world of collaborations, as they try to feed the near-insatiable demand from sneaker collectors and other fans for new and unexpected designs. Less widely recognized on a mainstream scale, but still very […]
Tag Archives | Pokemon
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 […]
Anime Goes Luxe
By Karen Raugust on April 15, 2021 in Character/Entertainment, Design and content themes, Fashion, International, Licensing
Anime and kawaii properties have become perennially popular on licensed products worldwide. For the past year, they have had a particularly high profile in the global fashion industry, with a large number of collaborations involving labels ranging from streetwear and sportswear to, most notably, luxury brands: Undercover, the label of designer Jun Takahashi, created a […]
Reason to Celebrate
Properties including Popeye and Garfield have recently signed deals for epiphany figurines to be sold in France. Announcements such as these serve as a reminder of regional licensing opportunities that may exist for products and services tied to local cultures and traditions. Epiphany figurines, also known as epiphany charms or fèves, are small, hand-painted porcelain […]
Books and Bonus Content
Book and comic book publishers have long sought some sort of added value to differentiate their licensed titles from their competitors’, give retailers something exclusive, and entice consumers. These perks historically have been likely to take forms such as premiums (e.g., crayons or collectible toys) affixed to the cover; design elements (foil or sparkles, a […]
DIY Delicacies
Western consumers who have an interest in Japanese culture are familiar with a unique product category from that country: DIY candy kits. E-commerce sites and subscription boxes that specialize in snack foods or novelties from Japan often feature the kits, which also regularly appear in “unboxing” videos on YouTube. The kits, packaged in bags, contain […]
Taking a Stake
The incidence of property owners taking an ownership stake in a manufacturer’s company as part of a licensing agreement—while not unheard of in the past—has been on the rise over the past couple of years. This activity has been particularly notable of late in the sports licensing sector. Back in 2015, the NHL took an […]
Fright Night
If you live in a country that celebrates Halloween, especially the U.S., there will probably be a superhero at your door tonight. The top Halloween costumes each year—whether licensed or DIY—tend to reflect current social and pop culture trends. And according to this year’s crop of consumer surveys focusing on Halloween shopping in the U.S. […]