The shutdown of Lego Dimensions is the latest bad news for the “toys-to-life” segment of the toy and interactive gaming industries. The sector, which got its mainstream start with Activision’s Skylanders in 2011, represented one of the top trends in the toy business in its not-long-ago heyday. Warner Bros. Interactive, TT Games, and Lego announced […]
New Collections for Curves
Three bloggers specializing in fashion and lifestyle guidance for plus-size women announced in the past month that they are launching new ventures in the apparel category: Gabi Gregg, who blogs under the name Gabifresh, licensed Playful Promises for a range of plus-size lingerie that debuts this month at retailers including Forever 21, Nordstrom, and Simply […]
Collegiate Consolidation
The collegiate licensing business is about to undergo some profound changes, thanks to two recently announced deals involving major players in the collegiate market. Last week, Fanatics said it had purchased the collegiate licensing operations of Fermata Partners, an agency founded in 2012 and owned by CAA since 2015. Fermata execs Derek Eiler and Chris […]
A Lifestyle Inspired by History
Contemporary-plus-vintage lifestyle and home goods labels have recently been expanding their names into adjacent categories. Often, these brands have roots as interior design and/or retail businesses that highlight current trends paired with antiques, vintage pieces, shabby-chic items, and flea market finds. Brand-extension efforts focus on home décor and other categories, with a look and feel […]
Characters on the Runway
One indication of the ongoing importance of pairings between high-fashion labels and licensed properties from outside the world of fashion is the strong presence of such collaborations at the spring and fall Fashion Weeks and Design Weeks in the world’s capitals of high fashion. These have become key moments to debut joint collections on the […]
Quick-Service Clothing
In the last few months, several quick-service and coffee shop brands have announced promotional initiatives involving limited-edition apparel and accessories, typically handled through their advertising agency or marketing department rather than through a licensing rep: Taco Bell partnered with Forever 21 to design an apparel collection including hoodies, bodysuits, tops, and anoraks that feature the […]
An Education In A Box
Amazon’s launch of its STEM Toy Club earlier this year is the latest in a long list of educational subscription box services to come on the market over the past few years. Many of the leading names in this space, such as Kiwi Crate, Green Kids Crafts, and Little Passports, rarely, if ever, feature licensed […]
Food Prep-To-Food Licensing
Properties from the world of kitchen appliances and food preparation represent an area of growth for brand extension into the food and beverage category. Licensors of kitchen electrics, grills, and other cooking tools are lending their names to foods that constitute a close fit with their respective brands. For example: Last month, charcoal brand Kingsford […]
A Meditation on Mergers & Acquisitions
Last month came news that Learfield and its competitor IMG College were in late negotiations to merge. If the plans go through, this move would bring together the two major agents in the collegiate licensing business, not to mention their vast sponsorship and multimedia operations, marking a big change for the collegiate licensing business. It […]
Singers Take a Chance On Slots
Licensors of all sorts continue to try their luck in the slots category, with musicians being a particularly vibrant property type in this arena. Musical acts typically enter the category in one (or more) of the following ways: Branded games for casinos. Madonna and her agent Epic Rights licensed Aristocrat for a line of casino […]