Three independent comic book companies have recently announced new brand-extension ventures for their proprietary properties: Dynamite Entertainment said it was launching a high-end giclée art print program to debut in January. The first collectible prints will be based on Dynamite’s Vampirella, with other characters to follow. Dynamite ranks as the seventh largest vendor to comic […]
Archive | Licensing
Credit RuPaul For This Trend
Marketers in the cosmetics industry have recently been forging deals with high-profile drag queens, a celebrity niche that up to now has not had much of a presence in licensing, collaborations, or promotions. Among the examples that have come to light in 2018: Singer and drag artist Trixie Mattel partnered with Sugarpill Cosmetics for exclusive, […]
Unboxing New Kids’ Initiatives
The subscription box and meal kit sectors have undergone a number of challenges in 2018. But boxes for children represent one area that seems to be thriving. Many players in this sector are expanding their product arrays, maintaining strong and growing subscriber bases, and/or attracting continued influxes of investment funding. Meanwhile, new competitors—some formidable—are entering […]
Fashion x Fashion Collaboration
When it comes to lifestyle collaborations involving licensed properties, much of the attention is directed toward celebrity, character/entertainment, and sports brands that pair with fashion labels. But one of the most active areas of collaboration consists of partnerships between two different labels within the fashion industry. Among the examples introduced or announced in the last […]
Child’s Play in China
By Karen Raugust on October 8, 2018 in Character/Entertainment, International, Licensing, Toys/Games
The escalating trade war with China is creating uncertainty for the global toy industry, with tariffs on toys, if they are implemented, potentially affecting the profitability of manufactured-in-China playthings in the U.S. market. But that isn’t stopping Western entertainment and toy companies from continuing to make inroads into the Chinese market by forging distribution, co-production, […]
Stretching Out
Several recent activewear collaborations have involved specialist brands noted for their expertise in yoga, dance, fitness, and bodywear pairing with celebrities and designers: Gaiam signed actress Jessica Biel for the latter’s first capsule collection. Products include leggings and tops, as well as capris and jackets, in neutral colors. Distribution is through retailers and etailers including […]
Extended-size Expansions
Activity in the historically underdeveloped “plus-size” sector of the fashion industry has been growing and evolving over the past five years. This fall, the interest is as intense as ever, with a number of retailers and brands enhancing their assortments of extended-size apparel. Many of the new initiatives represent add-ons to existing ranges rather than […]
A League of Their Own
The U.S. sports licensing landscape is expanding, incrementally, with the launch or expansion of new merchandise programs tied to professional sports leagues beyond the “big five” of the National Football League, Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association, National Hockey League, and Major League Soccer. Property owners—mostly brand-new leagues—that have recently introduced licensing and/or sponsorship initiatives […]
Hosts With the Most
TV and radio presenters—hosts of talk shows, reality TV series, game and competition shows, and the like—comprise a growing sector within celebrity licensing. Some recent examples of merchandise initiatives involving TV presenters include: Ellen DeGeneres, among the most active in the group, who recently announced a line of 60 fashion pieces at Walmart under the […]
A Spoonful of Sugar
So much for a healthy breakfast. A trend in the world of licensed and co-branded breakfast foods is to pair cereals with sugary snacks, with each of the big-three cereal makers recently introducing or announcing its own example: Kellogg’s confirmed in August that it would release a Pop Tarts cereal, Pop Tarts Crunch, in 2019. […]