Pop-up shops have become a frequent method for licensors to test products, forge a connection with fans, and spur coverage in traditional and digital media. In fact, the number of pop-up initiatives tied to licensed properties proliferated in 2014, especially in the second half of the year.
The technique is being adopted broadly, across property types and geographic regions. From the realm of social media, AwesomenessTV launched a collaboration space in Los Angeles under the Scene@AwesomenessTV name, intended as a place for teens to hang out. It included a pop-up shop featuring licensed merchandise and custom products. Meanwhile, LINE, the Japanese social messaging platform, created a pop-up in Times Square to introduce North American consumers to products highlighting its LINE Friends characters; previously such items were available only through promotions in this region.
In the worlds of fashion and lifestyle, Korean designer JuunJ set up a network of 11 pop-ups in specialty boutiques in eight countries, including New York’s Opening Ceremony, featuring a capsule collection of apparel and accessories. Similarly, actress Gwyneth Paltrow launched a week-long pop-up in Los Angeles as the first bricks-and-mortar incarnation of her e-commerce site Goop. It consisted of selected apparel, home goods, and beauty products.
Among characters, Smiley was spotlighted in its first pop-up in the Causeway Bay shopping district of Hong Kong, on a limited selection of home goods, accessories, and stationery. Saban’s Paul Frank starred in a pop-up shop at the Paramount Hotel in New York during the 2014 holiday season. It hosted activities and charity tie-ins, along with selling pajamas and other Julius merchandise. And UP Studios, a Chinese entertainment IP owner, launched pop-up shops featuring plush and other products based on its animated characters BOOMi and Bibop, as part of a broader promotion with Link City, a mall in Suzhou.
The trend continues into 2015, as the NBA is overseeing 16 pop-up shops in Bloomingdale’s stores from mid-January to mid-February to promote the All-Star Game. Merchandise is supplied by a number of NBA licensees and includes some exclusive items.
While each of these initiatives is unique in its particulars and satisfies different objectives, all reflect the combination of fan engagement, high profile, and sales opportunity that pop-up shops allow.
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