Late last month, the car brand GMC announced it was pairing with L.A. ice cream shop Little Damage for a limited-edition Denali Ultimate Black ice cream to coincide with the launch of its new vehicle, the Yukon Denali Ultimate Black Edition. The news is a reminder of how limited-edition ice cream flavors have become a […]
Archive | Licensing
Unplug and Play
A couple of decades ago, makers of physical board, card, and tabletop games were rushing to sign deals that would bring their game play into the digital world. Those sorts of agreements are still happening, of course; Hasbro and its licensee Marmalade Game Studio introduced a new mobile game based on Clue (known as Cluedo […]
Seeking White Space in the Supermarket
Owners of food and restaurant properties have recently been looking beyond the most common brand-extension categories within the grocery store. They are lending their names to product sectors that not only make sense for their flavor profiles, but also have not been heavily licensed to date, meaning there is room for new brand entrants. For […]
Shopping for New Retail Strategies
Retail chains continue to experiment with different business models as they deal with ongoing challenges. Some recent ventures illustrate the variety of strategies being tested: Partnerships with etailers. Lord & Taylor is launching a presence on Walmart’s website starting in spring 2018, referring to the initiative as its online flagship store. The deal brings the […]
The Friendly Skies
Airlines’ participation in consumer-products licensing is relatively limited compared to many other types of corporate brands, both in the number of properties active and the scope of their programs. That said, they are involved in the business in a variety of ways: Outbound licensing. Lufthansa has been extending its brand for a decade but last […]
Hot Toys for the Holidays
Over the past couple of months, key retailers have released their hot holiday toy lists, predicting the playthings consumers will be buying for fourth-quarter gift-giving. Licensed products account for between 16% and 32% of the products on each of the lists released by Amazon, BJ’s, Kmart, Target, Toys R Us, and Walmart, with Amazon at […]
Offering Support to Soldiers
Nonprofit organizations and independent brands that support military troops, veterans, and families have recently been expanding their licensed merchandise arrays. Some properties of note include: Homefront Girl. This lifestyle brand from artist and military spouse Gaby Juergens, represented by Firefly Licensing, has newly signed Udi Behr for jewelry, TF Publishing for calendars, and Kurt Adler […]
Out of Sight
Licensors continue to show interest in utilitarian product categories that at one time would not have been considered for licensing. One example: electronics and computer components such as memory cards and graphics processing units (GPUs), as well as batteries. These items have been attracting the attention of entertainment/character licensors of late: This month, Disney/Lucasfilm and […]
Art x Fashion
Collections pairing the imagery of established artists with high-profile apparel and accessories labels have represented a trend in the licensing and fashion businesses for some time, and that continues, as recent deals attest: Keith Haring’s estate and its agent Artestar are collaborating with Coach on a spring/summer 2018 collection of handbags and wallets, representing the […]
Standing Out in the Pet Aisle
Pet-products deals announced in the last two months continue a trend in which licensors are looking for voids in the market that they can fill with a focused, differentiated line of merchandise: Black + Decker licensed Wagz for a range of smart pet products, encompassing connected feeders, doors, and collars, controlled through the Black + […]