In Japan, collaborations with subway and train systems are a frequent form of experiential licensing featuring anime and video game characters. The different regional systems under the Japan Railways umbrella are common collaborators, but many other train operators, both public and private, are also players in this space. On the licensor side, Nintendo is a […]
Tag Archives | Final Fantasy
Fans See Good Hair Days Ahead
As more fans of pop-culture characters spend time creating sophisticated costumes to wear at conventions, fan fests, Halloween parties, or other get-togethers with like-minded friends, haircare brands have increasingly targeted cosplayers, professional and amateur, as a niche but loyal market for products such as hair paste and semi-permanent hair coloring. Licensing is increasingly coming into […]
Expanding Within the Gaming Ecosystem
Properties with roots in the world of interactive online and console gaming are increasingly extending their brands into the trading card game (TCG) category, often in co-branded versions with leading players in the space, but also in straight licensed editions. These expansions take the IPs into a high-interest realm with a lot of crossover in […]
Wearing Your Fandom at Your Wedding
By Karen Raugust on September 26, 2024 in Character/Entertainment, Demographic groups, Fashion, Licensing
Earlier this year, a deal between wedding gown maker Lulu Felice and manga artist Ai Yazawa produced a collection of wedding dresses and other wedding-appropriate formal wear tied to two of the artist’s properties, Nana and Neighborhood Story. Some of the pieces—each line features nine dresses and two tuxes—replicate gowns worn by the lead characters […]
Entertainment Studios Strategize Over TCGs
Classic trading card games (TCGs), especially the “Big 3” of Magic: The Gathering (MTG), Pokémon, and Yu-Gi-Oh!—all introduced in the 1990s—are going strong. They continue to rank at the top of the TCG sales charts, are expanding into new media and licensed product categories, and are making cameos in productions not connected to their brands, […]
Bloody Successful Promotions
By Karen Raugust on May 11, 2023 in Character/Entertainment, Experiential licensing, Licensing, Nonprofit
A Peanuts t-shirt offered in conjunction with the American Red Cross was recently in the news for successfully encouraging young-adult fans of the property to give blood. This is the latest in a fairly regular stream of promotions over the past five years or so in which character and entertainment properties are used to attract […]
In the Background
Since the coronavirus lockdown began, usage of video chat and teleconferencing apps has grown significantly as employees and consumers around the world utilize them to participate in virtual meetings, cocktail parties, trivia contests, and Easter and Passover celebrations. Zoom in particular has hit the mainstream in a big way, reporting a 151% increase in daily […]