Spice and seasoning brands historically have played a relatively small part on the large and still growing food-and-beverage licensing stage, with some long-time exceptions (such as McCormick’s Old Bay brand). More recently, however, a growing number of players in this space have entered the field as licensors and/or licensees, some of them very actively. In […]
Archive | Corporate brands
An Appetite for Regional Restaurants
Restaurant properties have been among the most active in the corporate licensing space of late, as they partner for brand extensions, lifestyle collaborations, and novelty items for fans. For the most part, these are national (or international) chains with multiple locations and a high profile among mainstream consumers. Occasionally over the years, however, local or […]
Keeping Cool
Last week the news came out that Lifetime Brands would be launching a licensed home goods program based on its BUILT brand of insulated lunch bags, soft coolers, hydration bottles and tumblers, food storage products, and travel accessories, with agency The Brand Liaison assisting it in that effort. Target categories include kitchen textiles, outdoor and […]
Fresh Air
The outdoors sector was one of the beneficiaries of the pandemic—at least in terms of financial performance—as consumers returned to favorite pastimes and tried new ones, and as the great outdoors was particularly appealing as a safe and isolated, but still enjoyable, space. It would not be a surprise to see outdoors specialists’ financial results […]
The Next Stage of Plant-Based Growth
Most of the licensing and collaboration activity in the growing plant-based food sector to date has involved celebrity-connected vegan meal kits and extensions of existing partnerships into the vegan and vegetarian space (e.g. Breyers adding an almond milk ice cream to its licensed Oreo line). As the plant-based food industry grows, the role of licensing […]
A High-Flying News Channel
Last month Stellar Partners announced the launch of Buzzfeed-branded airport newsstands, with the first two outlets located in New York LaGuardia’s Terminal C. Buzzfeed is the just the latest in a long string of media brands that have lent their names to airport news and convenience stores over the years. In fact, since the early […]
Eyes on the Sky
Interest in space-themed merchandise remains strong, thanks to a number of factors. In the past year, the inaugural commercial flights of the for-profit space tourism firms Blue Origin, SpaceX, and Virgin Galactic, along with frequent news about the International Space Station, have attracted attention. Since early 2020, there has been a pandemic-fueled increase in enthusiasm […]
Flavorful Pairings and Pours
Corporate food and restaurant brands have been jumping on the bandwagon—along with properties of all sorts—when it comes to collaborating on limited-edition wine varieties. In the most recent cases, the flavors of the branded foods are infused into the wine itself, usually in a subtle manner that is intended to taste good but is attention-getting […]
Planes, Trains, and Automobiles
Car, motorcycle, and consumer truck brands represent one of the most significant areas of corporate licensing in terms of sales levels, with almost all mainstream brands having established programs in place. Other vehicle-related trademarks—from boat, train, and airplane brands to camper and commercial tractor-trailer labels—are in the mix as well. A handful of recent agency […]
Getting More Mileage from Car Care Brands
Last week, VP Racing Fuels, a marketer of performance fuels, lubricants, and additives, and its agency Pacific Swell Brands promoted a deal with Mattel calling for the VP Racing IP to be featured on Hot Wheels cars. The first product to highlight the brand will be the 2021 Chevrolet Corvette C8.R, which races in the […]