As fan anticipation builds globally for the next Rugby World Cup, to be held in Japan in fall 2019, several licensing, sponsorship, and representation deals involving the sport, in its various forms, have come to light in the past few months. Among them: World Rugby and IMG named Canterbury, which outfits a number of national […]
Archive | International
Western Brands and Wanghong
Chinese social media celebrities—also known as key opinion leaders (KOLs), or wanghong—are increasingly becoming involved in product collaborations. This is especially true of a large and fast-growing group of Chinese fashion and style bloggers, who have been designing limited-edition capsule collections for Western luxury brands. A handful of recent examples: Tao Liang (Mr. Bags) teamed […]
Korean Cachet
Celebrities, designers, and other properties from Korea are increasingly influential in U.S. pop culture, and several are making their mark in consumer products as well: K-pop. Last month, Hot Topic announced it would carry a collection of t-shirts for BTS’s Wings Tour, the latest addition to its roster of K-pop merchandise. In addition to BTS, […]
Bollywood and Beyond
Celebrity brand extension through licensing and other means has been on the rise in India of late, as famous faces from a variety of sectors introduce merchandise programs. The personalities’ efforts often (but not always) revolve around brands they have developed, rather than their names alone. Some key segments include: Cricket players. Virat Kohli, captain […]
Anime Every Day
Anime TV series, from mainstream examples such as Pokémon to superfan favorites such as Yuri!!! on ICE, have long been popular in Western markets, albeit rising and falling cyclically, as is the case for any trend. Recently, widespread optimism about the long-term prospects of the genre has led a number of large organizations to stake […]
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 […]
Asian Ascent
Each year, the profile of character properties from China, Korea, Malaysia, and other Asian territories grows at Licensing Expo. There are new exhibitors, the booth sizes increase, and more licensors spin off from their respective countries’ group pavilions to oversee individual booths. Some, such as South Korea’s LINE Friends—a set of characters from a text […]
British Museums Expand Their Empires
British museums, long active players in the licensing and merchandising landscape, continue to build their licensing efforts: The Imperial War Museums retained Spotlight Licensing and Brand Management to extend its merchandise program into North America. The National Gallery, London is introducing its brand and archives into international markets with agency JELC after beginning a licensing […]
Ni Hao, China
A number of Western character/entertainment licensors operating global businesses have forged deals to strengthen their relationships with Chinese companies in the past six months. Some are bringing their own IP into China, while others are helping Chinese properties expand locally and globally. The initiatives take many forms: Signing consumer products licensees and licensing agents. CBS […]
The Expanding World of Character Collaborations
Collaborations between globally recognized cartoon characters and emerging and established fashion designers have become ubiquitous, with new examples arising weekly. Most of the activity to date has been in the key territories of North America, U.K. and Europe, Australia and New Zealand, and Japan. But the practice is starting to gain a foothold in some […]