Licensing executives are always looking to pair their properties or products with logical partners, in ways that are creative and new but also emphasize a commonality that provides a raison d’être for the collaboration. The shared characteristics might be common history, materials, interests, geography, or any number of other elements.
One rationale that has popped up occasionally of late is the sharing of the same name, or at least one that is similar-sounding. While there are usually additional components to give the partnership weight, the similar names are the primary driver of the venture. Examples encompass promotions, merchandise, and/or experiential initiatives:
- The Mole Resort, a luxury, eco-friendly resort in North Devon, England, partnered with Two Daughters Entertainment’s Moley, an animated series starring a costumed mole character, in May of this year. Moley airs globally, appearing on POP in the U.K. (and Peacock and Max in the U.S.), and is the official mascot for the sustainability initiative Global Action Days. Both Mole and Moley are committed to nature, storytelling, and family experiences, which is why they said, in announcing the deal, “This partnership is about more than a shared name—it’s about shared values.” Moley and the show’s other characters are being integrated into the family activities the resort offers, with elements including a children’s menu, in-room activity kits, a nature trail, and meet-and-greets.
- Hershey’s Reese’s brand paired with WNBA star Angel Reese in May 2024 for an exclusive merchandise collection honoring her and her fans, who call themselves the Reese’s Pieces and were requesting such an initiative. The merchandise, which was released in three waves, was designed to incorporate Angel Reese’s sense of style with the Reese’s brand and iconography. The assortment included eight custom logo apparel items (including cropped and full-length t-shirts, hoodies, hats, and more); a basketball jersey; and eight cups with different Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup designs.
- The Pepsico sparkling water brand Bubly has partnered with Michael Bublé since 2019, with the latter appearing in humorous ads, meet-and-greets, and other marketing activations. In each, the singer highlights the similarity in names, for example insisting on pronouncing the drink the way he pronounces his last name or graffitiing the y in the brand name to an é, on cans or delivery trucks. During the holiday season 2021, the partnership yielded a limited-edition collaborative flavor, Merry Berry Bublé, timed to the 10th anniversary of his album, Christmas. The drink, flavored with his favorite berries (raspberry, blackberry, and strawberry)—“and perhaps a splash of vindication,” as the marketing materials said—came in Christmas sweater-inspired packaging.
- Peeps and Pepsi first partnered in 2021 for a limited edition of 3,000 Peeps-flavored colas in bright yellow cans that were given away to fans. The concept ended up becoming one of the most viral memes of the year. The collaborative Pepsi x Peeps drink returned in 2023, this time available at retailers nationwide for a limited time, offered in mini-cans and 20-ounce bottles and supported by promotional elements. Many fans on social media the first time around noted the brand name similarities and wondered why Pepsico missed the opportunity to call the product “Peepsi.” Humorous responses to fan comments from the company’s social media team blamed “David from Legal.”
Finding a property and product that share a name is more opportunistic than strategic; it is typically one of those cases where you know it when you see it, rather than something to go out and pursue. But when such situations do come up, capitalizing can be a clever way to pleasantly surprise consumers with an innovative approach, while reinforcing the values of the brands and properties involved.
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