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THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BRANDS IN LICENSING
A WORD FROM OUR EDITOR HAS YOUR BRAND MADE THE LIST THIS YEAR? This is it people, the 2015 Licensing.biz Power List is here. Within these pages lurks everything from Jedis to Jack Daniels, ponies to pigs, and even a few little yellow creatures that you may have come across at some stage this year. This is the third annual Power List, and once again it’s been heartening to see the industry support the publication. Our judges have cast their eyes over the most influential brands of the last 12 months, launching typically passionate cases for their varied choices, and it’s another fascinating read. Emerging triumphant in the Character & Entertainment category was Minions. Yes, no matter where you turned this year, chances
Within these pages lurks everything from Jedis to Jack Daniels, ponies to pigs, and even the odd Minion. are a yellow Minion wasn’t far away. Hell, not content with starring in their own movie, they even got their own Pantone paint colour earlier this year. A feat that remains firmly on my own bucket list. Elsewhere, for a remarkable third year in a row, LEGO came out on top in the Brands category. You wonder if the judges have forgotten how it feels to tread barefoot on one of these iconic toy bricks. Over in the Sports category, it really is a case of ‘new balls please’ as Wimbledon knocked last year’s winner, FIFA World Cup 2014, off its perch. The Arts & Crafts section has proved to be the tightest category once again as last year’s third place, V&A, leapfrogs Cath Kidston and Orla Kiely to victory. Alongside a number of interesting fallers and climbers, it’s great to see so many entirely new entries crack the list this year, welcoming the likes of Jurassic World, Paw Patrol, Paddington, Kelloggs, Vintage Ladybird and House of Holland. Congratulations to all the brands in this year’s Power List and those who work tirelessly throughout the year to get them where they are today. A big thank you to our sponsors Vistex, Those Licensing People and Blue Kangaroo, and to all our judges. We couldn’t do it without you and are genuinely grateful for your support.
Billy Langsworthy blangsworthy@nbmedia.com
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PRODUCING AN ANNUAL CONSUMER VALUE OF OVER 600 MILLION EURO
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THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BRANDS IN LICENSING
A WORD FROM OUR SPONSORS Amos Biegun, Global Head of Rights & Royalties, Vistex The Licensing.biz Power List is an annual celebration of the top licensed properties of the preceding 12 months. It has become the industry standard for measuring the past year’s creativity and innovation. Achieving these high standards within the licensing industry takes talent, superb ideas and even better execution. If there’s one thing I’ve learned during my time as the head of a software company for over two decades, it’s that inspiration can strike at the most unusual of times. The key, of course, is to jump on an opportunity when it
arises and to use the best tools at your disposal to reach your targets. At Vistex, these tools include our License Maestro suite, complemented by an array of web based solutions. These tools allow licensing companies to focus their efforts on brand development while leveraging the vast amounts of data that comes their way to their advantage. But where does data fit into all of this? Simple, it’s the data that helps us understand the drivers that trigger spending patterns, aides in forecasting sales and drives our decisions to ensure we have the
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right marketing message, pricing strategy, ads, websites and retail shelf space ready for our brand. Investing in the systems that not only process sales, but also allow you to analyse and manipulate data, is the most important differentiator. At Vistex, we have invested greatly in state of the art solutions for the licensing industry to provide tools that make a difference. We are once again proud and delighted to be sponsoring this great award and we would like to congratulate all of the brand owners who have made this year’s prestigious list. For more information contact: www.vistex.com sales@vistex.com 020 7543 7500
Russell Dever, Managing Director, Those Licensing People
TLP www.licensing.biz
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Those Licensing People is delighted to sponsor the 2015 Power List. Since we established the company, it has grown from a small stable of owned IP into a substantial business representing third party rights from FMCG food and drink brands all the way to high end couture. We are very proud of our achievement putting TLP onto the licensing map in a relatively short space of time and we are grateful to all of our friends in the industry who have been so supportive of what we have achieved so far. The future for licensing is exciting, but increasingly demanding, as we have to look outside of traditional channels and
routes to market. The internet is playing an ever-more important role in this process, as is the break-up of traditional free-to-air broadcasting with new models delivering digital material in what is the middle of a contemporary industrial revolution. There has probably never been a more testing time to be involved in licensing and at the same time possibly never a more exciting time too. During the last few weeks, Those Licensing People has been appointed to represent Duke of Delhi, the high end chocolate brand which mixes traditional Indian flavours in enticing bars of chocolate, while our latest and
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newest client is Zeptolab, creators of the iconic Cut The Rope online game that currently enjoys in excess of 758m downloads. TLP is also to exclusively handle the licensing of a brand new children’s 3D series, Boys vs Girls, which will go into production in 2016 following on from Rollie and Friends and Boy and the Dinosaur, all of which are popular 1461 Production properties. Finally - and if all of this activity was not enough - TLP was commissioned early this year to design, develop and run an online retail offering which gives the company a new perspective on retail sales. It’s a busy road ahead, but one we’re happy to travel. For more information contact: www.thoselicensingpeople.com russellatsplash@btinternet.com 0845 9011 657
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THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BRANDS IN LICENSING
A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR Jason Knights, Managing Director, Blue Kangaroo We are a design company and work primarily with companies on creating style guides, illustration work, point of sale and building exhibition stands. 2015 has been a strong year and the companies we’ve been working with have placed a greater emphasis on brand design and style guide quality than ever before.
In fact, they’ve all been upping their game in a wonderful attempt to make better assets, better packaging and better work across the board. That’s due to the quality of the brands they’ve had the pleasure of working with this year, as seen in the pages of the Licensing.biz Power List 2015.
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A lot of the brands in this year’s Power List are clients of ours, so being a part of this year’s publication feels like a great fit. We are proud to sponsor the Licensing.biz Power List 2015 and congratulate all the brands gracing the line-up this year. It’s yet another indication of how strong this industry really is. For more information contact: www.bluekangaroodesign.co.uk jason@bluekangaroodesign.co.uk 0191 4909449
Reaching over 31,000 unique visitors every month* Targeted daily emails to over 22,000 industry executives First with all the news, analysis and opinion which matters Supporting the industry every day Find out how Licensing.biz can boost your brand Contact: BLangsworthy@nbmedia.com JHoldway@nbmedia.com * (according to Google Analytics) Licensign half 2015.indd 1
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THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BRANDS IN LICENSING: CHARACTER/ENTERTAINMENT
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MINIONS
Brand Owner: Universal If 2013 brought us a second helping of the Minions, 2015 certainly became the year that the little yellow stars took over the world, taking pole position in the Character & Entertainment section. Opening to an estimated $20.1 million in China alone (and securing the biggest ever opening day for an animated film in the country), total box office sales are now at $1.08 billion worldwide, making Minions the second-highest grossing animated film of all time (Frozen still holds the record with $1.27 billion globally). From a licensing perspective, Universal understood the fanbase and desire for
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the product and prepared for the clamour from parents for merchandise, turning the property into the hottest product of the year and watching it become one of the topselling licences in the British toy market. And it wasn’t just parents who were under the Minion charm, as New Jersey based colour matching company Pantone created its first character-inspired colour, ‘Minion Yellow’, now a permanent addition to its portfolio. Fast-food giant McDonalds also took advantage and ran a promotional campaign across stores, which was considered unusual for them to do on a film. Retail was quick
on the uptake for the product, too - with Selfridges transforming its London and Manchester stores into an exclusive Minions concept area in its Toyshop and Denim Studio departments, developing limited-edition pieces inspired by the quirky little characters. Post-release and the product continues to grow, with Illumination Entertainment and Universal Partnerships & Licensing signing a long-term deal with EA to develop a range of Minions mobile games, where players have the ability to build and design the ultimate Minion playground, creating the perfect platform for us all to go bananas.
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THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BRANDS IN LICENSING: CHARACTER/ENTERTAINMENT
FROZEN Brand Owner: Disney
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Last year’s top spot occupant has slipped down a position to make way for the Minion army. But that’s not to underestimate the sheer popularity of the brand worldwide and its success as the highest grossing animated film and fifth highest grossing film of all time. With a plethora of new licensing deals through 2015, including H&A’s Frozen haircare line and Shurtape’s Frozen inspired Duck Tape, there’s no shortage of brand owners looking to align themselves with Disney. Home baking specialist Fiddes Payne saw success with its Frozen Cupcake Kit, while demand for the Frozen Ever After ride at Disney’s Epcot theme park and its Overall Best Licensed Program win at LIMA International Licensing Awards in June, indicates that Frozen fever won’t be cooling off just yet.
PEPPA PIG Brand Owner: eOne
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Still going strong after ten years, 2015 has seen renewed interest in the brand with eOne signing a host of US partners, proving that consumers just can’t get enough of Peppa Pig. These include Oasis Productions as its costume character partner, Baby Boom launching toddler bedding, blankets and soft bath accessories and Handcraft launching children’s underwear. Meanwhile, Esquire Footwear will launch a range of boots, shoes and sandals, while Spin Master will debut Peppa Pig marshmallow foam furniture. “We’re thrilled to partner with these industry-leading companies and help make Peppa a classic for generations to come,” said Joan Grasso, VP, licensing, North America, eOne. The brand is expected to exceed $1 billion in worldwide retail sales in 2015.
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THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BRANDS IN LICENSING: CHARACTER/ENTERTAINMENT
PADDINGTON Brand Owner: StudioCanal
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New to the list and Character & Entertainment section for 2015, Paddington heralded a major achievement for StudioCanal. Debuting at the top of the UK box office in December last year, Paddington’s first weekend takings totalled greater than that of Frozen at £4.7 million, becoming the company’s biggest global release. Since then, the bear has continued to prove popular throughout the year with a raft of licensed products helping the brand take the fourth spot, including a Whipper Snapper multi-platform promotion with Pizza Express and a range of personalised credit cards by Card.com. Plush specialist Rainbow Designs will maintain the brand’s momentum with a line of soft toys next year.
MINECRAFT
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Brand Owner: Microsoft
It’s another consistent year for Minecraft – now owned by Microsoft – as it continues to enjoy the success of last year, remaining in the top five of the Power List. Sales of Blockopedia from Egmont at the tail end of last year accounted for 38,000 copies sold within the first ten days of publication alone, with Egmont’s total Minecraft book sales in excess of £11.8 million since they began publishing the brand’s titles back in October 2013. Meanwhile, LEGO Minecraft continues to prove a popular choice at retail. With an active community of more than 17 million Minecrafters on Xbox and a Minecraft movie planned for sometime in 2017, Microsoft will be hoping that the film is just as popular. as the video game.
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THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BRANDS IN LICENSING: CHARACTER/ENTERTAINMENT
SHOPKINS
=4 STAR WARS
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Brand Owner: Bulldog
Brand Owner: Disney
Described by Bulldog Group MD, Rob Corney, as an “absolute phenomenon,” Shopkins has enjoyed unprecedented levels of success in the past 12 months, becoming one of the hottest girls’ properties in the world. Since its launch just over a year ago, the range has won a number of awards, including Tesco’s Best New Product to Market 2014, BTHA’s Collectable Toy of the Year and the Girl’s Category Toy of the Year at the Toy Awards in New York, February 2015. Licensees span categories from publishing to collectable socks.
It may have slipped from the top five slot it occupied in last year’s Power List, but rest assured Star Wars is expected to be challenging for the number one slot next time around, as anticipation for the new film releases fever-pitch. The Force Awakens teaser trailer is already breaking records for the most viewed trailer in 24 hours at a staggering 88 million times. Analysts predict sales could hit $5 billion within its first year, and net Disney around $500 million in licensing and retail revenue, providing it outperforms Cars 2’s $3 billion in its first year.
MARVEL
8 MY LITTLE PONY
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Brand Owner: Disney
Brand Owner: Hasbro
As expected, it’s been another great year for Marvel, with all the Superhero brands individually performing well. Put them together and you’ve got a Superhero Supergroup. Marvel’s success in 2015 was helped by the positive reaction from fans and critics alike for the new Netflix Original Daredevil series, with a robust licensing programme allowing fans to express themselves through a variety of merchandise, with Mad Engine, C-Life and Mighty Fine all launching new apparel, Bioworld debuting hats and accessories and Funko with a line of collectables.
Year after year, the Ponies continue to reinvent themselves and appeal to a new generation of children, representing more than $650 million at retail supported by a truly global fanbase. What’s more, this is likely to continue well into next year with the arrival of the My Little Pony film. “We are thrilled to expand the My Little Pony story to the big screen, and take these beloved characters on a new and unexpected journey that will delight fans of all ages,” offered Stephen Davis, chief content officer, Hasbro.
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Visit Us At Booth E090 FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: North America Licensing: Cindy Chang 818-777-2067 International Licensing: Marc Low +44 203 618 8000 Digital Licensing: Bill Kispert 818-777-5446 International Retail: Hazel Brown 818-777-4272 Promotions: Michelle Hagen 818-777-8175 ™ & © Universal Studios
Visit Visit Us Us At At Booth Booth E090 E090
FOR FORMORE MOREINFORMATION, INFORMATION,PLEASE PLEASECONTACT: CONTACT: North NorthAmerica America Licensing: Licensing:Cindy CindyChang Chang818-777-2067 818-777-2067 International InternationalLicensing: Licensing:Marc MarcLow Low+44 +44203 203618 6188000 8000 Untitled-2 1 Digital DigitalLicensing: Licensing:Bill BillKispert Kispert818-777-5446 818-777-5446 International InternationalRetail: Retail:Hazel HazelBrown Brown818-777-4272 818-777-4272
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THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BRANDS IN LICENSING: CHARACTER/ENTERTAINMENT
JURASSIC WORLD
10 PAW PATROL
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Brand Owner: Universal
Brand Owner: Nickelodeon
The big screen offering in the Jurassic Park series returned after a 14-year hiatus and debuted with £19.35 million box office takings. Universal had already been quick to have licensed deals in place for this iconic brand, with a partnership deal signed with The LEGO Group to create original LEGO products based on the film and Hasbro launching a Jurassic World range of action figures, role play items and games. The film’s monster Indominous Rex has made a splash in the tech toy market thanks to the popular Zoomer Dino from Spin Master.
Conceived back in 2013, this year especially has been a surprise hit for Paw Patrol and momentum for the brand just keeps on growing, with huge demand from retail for Paw Patrol themed product. With master toy partner, Spin Master on board to keep youngsters engaged with the brand outside of the show, 2016 promises to see the Paw Patrol popularity continue. Nickelodeon has also announced a third series for the heroic puppies to be released this year, so expect more of the same for Paw Patrol in next year’s Power List.
LEGO NINJAGO
=11 TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES 13
Brand Owner: LEGO Group
Brand Owner: Nickelodeon
The LEGO Group has been growing the Ninjago brand for a good few years now, and it’s certainly paying off, with traditional LEGO building sets, online gaming and Nintendo DS gaming making the brand a multi-faceted property. New this year is LEGO Dimensions, the next leap in toys-to-life, allowing players to transport LEGO Minifigures and other objects into the game – giving children the opportunity to play in a virtual world and real world, combining characters and LEGO universes without restrictions. Awesome.
With the return of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles last year and the success of the film, 2015 saw new licensing deals in place to continue the growth of the brand and hard work relaunching what has now become a classic for new generations. Mega Brands helped with this via its construction toy range, as did Forbidden Planet and its retro-inspired apparel, art and homeware lines. From its comic-book origins of 1984 to the CG animated look of today, the Turtles is a classic kids’ brand with no end in sight.
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THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BRANDS IN LICENSING: CHARACTER/ENTERTAINMENT
TRANSFORMERS
14 THE HUNGRY CATERPILLAR15
Brand Owner: Hasbro
Brand Owner: Eric Carle
Another truly global product which has become a fantastic franchise in its own right, Transformers isn’t going anywhere soon. With Hasbro’s announcement earlier in the year that it was working with IDW Publishing to bring six new all-female Autobots to the team, its appeal is sure to become stronger to its global fans. “Our female fans have demanded to be part of the story,” explained Sarah Carroll, Hasbro’s senior brand manager for Transformer toys. “To have them be represented as well is something that’s only natural.”
With so many new licensed products entering the market, it’s refreshing to find a brand celebrating its 46th anniversary this year, still as popular as ever, thanks to a campaign revolving around exclusivity and a tight licensing programme. Last year the children’s title was voted the ‘ultimate book for children under five’, and this year the book went on to celebrate a 1,000 week-long run in the UK chart, one of only two books to ever achieve this. The Puffin edition of The Hungry Caterpillar today sells a steady 1,000 or more copies a week.
THE BEANO
16 DR WHO
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Brand Owner: DC Thompson Consumer Products
Brand Owner: BBC Worldwide
Purchasing a Beano album for the family has been a very British pastime for many years, with the comic first appearing in 1938. Even the arrival of World War II didn’t stop publication, albeit that it published alternate weeks with The Dandy to help ease the pressure on ink and paper shortages. Last year The Beano album was named the number one annual in the UK, securing the top position for 13 of the last 21 years, with retail sales in excess of £1 million and an impressive 13 week marketing campaign at St Pancras International.
Another iconic brand and as British as strawberries and cream, afternoon tea and rain throughout the summer. Doctor Who literally has a global army of fans that would keep any invading alien mass at bay, should the event ever happen. Proof of this has been the reception to Peter Capaldi as the 12th Doctor, and the intense interest in the three-day Doctor Who Festival at London Excel this November, where visitors can get up close with the cast, as well as pop into the Doctor Who shopping village for collectors merchandise, photo opportunities and more.
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Visit Us At Booth E090 FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: North America Licensing: Cindy Chang 818-777-2067 International Licensing: Marc Low +44 203 618 8000 Digital Licensing: Bill Kispert 818-777-5446 International Retail: Hazel Brown 818-777-4272 Promotions: Michelle Hagen 818-777-8175 ™ & © Universal Studios
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THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BRANDS IN LICENSING: CHARACTER/ENTERTAINMENT
THUNDERBIRDS
18 THE SNOWMAN
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Brand Owner: ITV Studios Global
Brand Owner: Snowman Enterprises
This popular children’s TV series not only rebranded itself Thunderbirds Are Go in a truly credible manner, it also celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2015, with ITVS GE rolling out an array of collaborations to mark the occasion. This includes a range of Classic Thunderbirds clothing by British designer Lou Dalton, shirt maker Turnbull and Asser and Fashion Lab, and working with Vivid on a new range of toys, including articulated action figures with bespoke accessories and an interactive Tracy Island Play Set. ITVS GE also teamed up with Pukeko Pictures at the beginning of the year to launch an app to allow fans to extend their viewing experience.
A globally renowned brand that embodies Christmas for millions of families, The Snowman (and, in more recent times, The Snowman and The Snowdog) continues to be a Christmas best-seller, with gift cards and copies of the movies flying off the shelves. Recent Christmas collaborations have included a world-first partnership at Trafford Shopping Centre and specially reworked footage of The Snowman and The Snowdog available to passengers on the Emirates Air Line cable car. Expect more of the same for the brand this Christmas.
ONE DIRECTION
20 MR MEN & LITTLE MISS 21
Brand Owner: Global Merchandising Services
Brand Owner: Sanrio
What a year it’s been for the 1D boys. Last year, we questioned whether the band were past their sell-by date, yet they still managed to make the grade in 2015 to feature in the Power List again. And, impressively, too - with retail sales and product portfolios proving that there’s still intense interest for anything 1D related from their very loyal fanbase. With the news of Malik’s departure this year and the remaining four taking a break for at least a year, one suspects that the 1D licensing journey might just have reached the end of the road for the foreseeable future.
Yet another classic children’s TV series that has stood the test of time, thanks to clever licensing programmes and an appeal that broadens the brand from its core audience. One particular innovative offering this year saw Scimitar Sports launching its first fully licensed range of cycling jerseys and running vests, inspired by the series. In addition, Sanrio’s licensing agent Fluid World brokered a deal earlier this year with HalibOrange to launch a range of children’s vitamins. The new deals build on strong offerings in the women’s, men’s and children’s apparel sector.
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THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BRANDS IN LICENSING: CHARACTER/ENTERTAINMENT
SHAUN THE SHEEP
22 THE GRUFFALO
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Brand Owner: Aardman
Brand Owner: Magic Light Pictures
There seems to be no stopping the mischievous hero of the hit children’s BBC series, with 2015 in particular lending itself to another bumper year for the brand, retail sales and product portfolios, including partnering with VisitEngland, Rainbow Designs’ Shaun the Sheep Rugby World Cup collection and a crazy golf themed mobile game, called Puzzle Putt. And, with Aardman teaming with Skanes Djurpark to launch a new Shaun the Sheep attraction in Sweden’s largest theme park for 2016, there doesn’t appear to be any signs of the brand slowing down just yet.
Arguably one of the most recognisable and loved characters from children’s bedtime stories, The Gruffalo (and sequel The Gruffalo’s Child) started 2015 off strongly, partnering with LeapFrog to offer the first Gruffalo content via the LeapFrog App Centre. Since then, licensing deals with Yorkshire Tea to support its five-year pledge to to plant one million trees –500,000 in the UK and 500,000 in Kenya – plus the Gruffalo event between March and April, has continued the trend for licensees to be creative with this enduring pre-school children’s brand.
THOMAS & FRIENDS
=23 MINNIE MOUSE =23
Brand Owner: Mattel UK
Brand Owner: Disney
Another brand celebrating an anniversary through 2015, Thomas & Friends have been entertaining generations of children for 70 years and is watched in over a billion households globally. A host of celebrities walked a special blue carpet for the premiere of the big screen outing earlier in the year, Sodor’s Legend of the Lost Treasure. A global partnership with Virgin Atlantic throughout the summer added to Thomas fever, offering branded Thomas & Friends in-flight packs including activity sheets, mini collectable engines and the chance for children of all ages to watch the film.
A consistent year for Minnie Mouse and Disney, as the brand continues to appeal to a wide global audience due in no small part to a very clever licensing programme. New this year came Minnie’s very own Instagram account @MinnieStyle, which showcases Minnie’s signature style of polka dots and bows, including Minnieinspired looks from the global fashion industry. There were also Minnie events at both New York and London Fashion Week, and a ‘Minnie - Style Icon’ exhibition bringing together photos from the 1930s to the present day.
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THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BRANDS IN LICENSING: CHARACTER/ENTERTAINMENT
MONOPOLY
=23 LITTLE TIKES
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Brand Owner: Hasbro
Brand Owner: MGA Entertainment
For an evolving brand that has an almost 100 per cent global awareness, the actual game of Monopoly hasn’t changed that much since inception during the mid 30s; all versions of the game carry the same figures and four corners. Hasbro clearly understands the importance of partnering with the right ‘type’ of licensee to carry the integrity of the brand into the 21st Century and beyond, with categories including merchandise for all ages, seasonal gifts and limited edition sets.
The outdoor toy giant has continued to successfully expand outside of its traditional ‘outdoor play’ sector into other areas. Following an exclusive deal with Asda 18 months ago, the company has extended its ‘Tikes Town’ agreement with Butlins holiday camps. Couple this with the continuing growth of apparel and success of travel accessories including high chairs and car seats, along with a flurry of new awards for the company and its products, and 2015 has been another exceptional year for the brand.
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Come and see us on stand G020 Come and see us on stand G020
» Europe’s largest » Europe’s largest construction brand construction brand » Over I million machines » Over I million machines » 70 years heritage »»70 years heritage In the dictionary »»InOver the dictionary 50 licensees »»Over 50 licensees Licensed retail sales over » Licensed retail over £85 million persales annum £85 million per annum » Experiential partnerships » Experiential partnerships across the UK across the UK
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#digtheadventure #digtheadventure f irst my y m f irst JCB Consumer Products Tel: +44 (0)1889 593499 email: sam.johnson@jcb.com www.jcbhighstreet.com
JCB Consumer Products Tel: +44 (0)1889 593499 email: sam.johnson@jcb.com www.jcbhighstreet.com
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THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BRANDS IN LICENSING: BRANDS
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LEGO
Brand Owner: LEGO Group For the third year running LEGO continues to dominate the Brands category. And not surprising, given its position as a truly global phenomenon, boasting exceptionally clever licensing partnerships and a fan base that continues to grow. If the movie whet the appetite in 2014 (its since gone on to win a BAFTA for best animated film) then the raft of licensing deals through 2015 have sent the brand into orbit. Jurassic World surprised the analysts this year with an opening weekend in the UK of £19.35 million, with LEGO Jurassic World performing just as impressively, and
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the brand capitalising on its 67 per cent share of the Jurassic World toy property in the UK. LEGO retains its Midas touch, not only because children go nuts for the product, but because of the continued appeal of the products to such a wide audience. LEGO, however, is notoriously very choosy when it comes to picking who it works with, movies that fit in with the LEGO ethos and/or major entertainment properties. This also goes to show the amount of power and respect the brand has within the entertainment industry, with an annual study from the brand valuation and
strategy consultancy Brand Finance earlier this year putting LEGO top, replacing last year’s number one Ferrari. So, what’s expected for 2016? Well, more of the same. LEGO Dimensions takes the toys to life concept that’s been out for a few years now into overdrive, combining epic franchises such as Ghostbusters, Back To The Future, Doctor Who and The Simpsons, while the launch of the Angry Birds movie sometime in spring 2016 will also coincide with the launch of LEGO Angry Birds, keeping the brand as relevant as ever in today’s market. It really does seem that everything LEGO touches turns to gold.
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THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BRANDS IN LICENSING: BRANDS
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COCA COLA
Brand Owner: The Coca Cola Company Back up to the number two position in this year’s Power List (it dipped to number three in 2014), Coca Cola remains as influential as ever and a lesson in how to market a brand effectively for nearly 100 years – in itself quite a staggering feat. With a global awareness that supersedes any other beverage company, the products can be found in over 200 countries. The worldwide success of putting people’s names on its labels continues, as does the global value of Coca Cola – from $41 billion in 2006 to $84 billion in 2015. And if you needed reminding that Christmas is just around the corner, Coca Cola has just announced its Holidays truck roadshow...
VOLKSWAGEN Brand Owner: Volkswagen
3
Up a whopping 10 places this year, Volkswagen has certainly been busy In just over three years Volkswagen Zubehoer and IMG have grown the brand’s licensing programme to achieve retail sales of over $280 million, across more the 170 licences globally. Not bad, when you consider this has taken just over three years to achieve, with growth over the next three years expected from current licensees and new signings in categories including apparel, bikes, eyewear, furniture and camping to name but a few. But, but, but.. the recent revelations about Volkswagen’s emmisions scandal – with over 1.2 million cars affected in the UK – will surely have a negative effect on the brand’s worth for some time to come.
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THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BRANDS IN LICENSING: BRANDS
KELLOGGS
=4 JCB
=4
Brand Owner: Joester Loria Group
Brand Owner: JC Bamford Excavators
Kelloggs has had a spectacular year, with the brand growing in the UK and seeing many more new products introduced across a number of European markets. There are more than 20 licensees across categories such as apparel, gifting, stationery, housewares, accessories and toiletries. The brand looks set to grow further still, and with its Anya Hindmarsh range of tote bags and clutches receiving worldwide coverage by the international fashion media, things are looking gggrrrreat for 2016.
2015 has been a popular year for anniversaries and JCB was no exception, with the iconic British brand celebrating 70 years and still going strong. Easter saw the launch of its first JCB Young Drivers Zone in Antrim, then a partnership with National Forest Adventure in the Midlands with JCB Kids, exploring a 10 acre JCB Maize Maze, and a permanent JCB ‘Big Dig’ with JCB themed activities throughout the summer. The firm is also continuing to add to its portfolio this year with Gemma, Zippy Baby, Kids Bee Happy and Sambro all signing up for the growing brand.
TANGO
=4 LONDON UNDERGROUND 7
Brand Owner: Britvic
Brand Owner: Transport For London
With over 150 licensed products in now place, Tango has had another fantastic year in licensing. The brand is worth over £31 million at retail, with innovative brand extensions being introduced – from shower gels, hand wash and car air freshers through to its food and gift range. With the focus now on building a greater presence in apparel with Poetic Gem and targeting novelty gifting and the Christmas gift market, the brand continues the pace with quality licensed product, staying selective to build the programme successfully.
Iconic, design masterpiece, globally recognisable - the Underground map has become all of these and more, as it documents the development of London over the past 125 years. Licensing deals have come in thick and fast through the year, with a wide range of publications from diaries, guidebooks, giftware and high-end design. And, with over 6,000 poster images available for development under license and an unlicensed archive of over 100,000 photographic images, it doesn’t seem that the brand will be slowing down any time soon.
www.licensing.biz
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NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM
8 JACK DANIELS
9
Brand Owner: Natural History Museum
Brand Owner: Handled By Beanstalk
Building on its success over the last two years, the Natural History Museum continued with its innovative licensing programme throughout 2015 and unveiled a host of new lines, including apparel, puzzles, games, dinosaur costumes and excavation kits, plus dinosaur skeleton models. “We’re delighted to announce these new partnerships, which will see more museum branded products in the market than ever before,’ said Zuzi Wojciechowsks, licensing manager at the Natural History Museum, earlier this year.
Another consistent year for Jack Daniels that saw the brand sneak up the Power List by a couple of places, helped by the successful extension of licensed products including food, gifting and apparel across Europe. In particular, the continuing success of its Tennessee Honey range added another dynamic to this globally recognisable and well managed brand. The brand teamed up with retailers for six weeks as part of its ‘Jack Rocks’ campaign, offering shoppers the chance to win a house party kit.
GREAT BRITISH BAKE OFF
10 MICHAEL KORS
11
Brand Owner: Handled by Metrostar
Brand Owner: Michael Kors Holdings
Back with a sixth series and watched by viewers in almost 200 countries, the property has become a surprise hit, with last year’s final watched by more than 12 million viewers, the second most popular show of the year following England’s football World Cup defeat to Uruguay. With a clever range of licensed products in place including Danilo creating a second range of Bake Off dated products comprising calendars, diaries and a family planner featuring recipes from the show, there seems to be no end to the appetite with its loyal fanbase for this particular brand and licensees just yet.
The New York City-based fashion design brand ended 2014 with the news that it would continue with the Fossil Group global licensing agreement through to 2024, with a renewed focus between the two companies to continue to grow the men’s watch business, alongside the current portfolio of fashion accessories and jewellery. There was also an exclusive agreement with Luxottica, to continue to expand the global eyewear business through 2015. Expect more selective licensing in keeping with the jet-set aesthetic from this brand in 2016.
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THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BRANDS IN LICENSING: BRANDS
MEN’S HEALTH Brand Owner: Hearst-Rodale
12 PAUL FRANK Brand Owner: Saban Brands
Another great year for the UK’s biggest selling men’s magazine, which has constantly identified its core audience’s needs and catered to them through clever brand extension programmes. New this year was the launch of a range of vitamins developed with Omega Pharma, supported by a £1m media campaign, with products available across a myriad of domestic indie and multiple retailers, and a view to expanding into key European territories next year. The vitamin industry is currently worth an estimated £357m and, with over 80 per cent of the brand’s audience using vitamin supplements, there’s more potential for this brand to grow in 2016.
MERCEDES BENZ Brand Owner: Mercedes Benz
Brand Owner: Disney
Brand Owner: Julie Dodsworth
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With a product range that encompasses textiles, candles, stationery, art, greeting cards, gift wrap, glass and crystal, bath and body and seed and growing gifts to name but a few, Julie Dodsworth’s story is a very British one. With no previous licensing experience, Julie set about taking her hobby mainstream, researching brands and decision makers within manufacturing and approaching them directly with her patterns, products and ideas. And it’s paid off, with a selection of product in House of Frazer, a collaboration with outdoor specialists Barbour and a range that sells in over 500 shops and 20 countries. Things are looking very rosy for the folk designer’s future.
16 WALLS ICE CREAM 17
It rarely puts a foot wrong and the past 12 months have shown more of the same for Disney, with the Marvel and Frozen brands still performing fantastically well for the entertainment giant. But of course, all eyes are now on the new Star Wars movie, The Force Awakens, which opens imminently backed by huge hype and anticipation from fans. New toy lines are in place, with worldwide shortages already expected thanks to the unprecedented demand by both retailers and consumers.
www.licensing.biz
Saban Brands continued to expand the Paul Frank brand through 2015, significantly through a long-term licensing agreement with Grand Union International Trading Company. The deal saw it become Paul Frank’s master licensee and retailer across Hong Kong, China and Macau, allowing manufacturing and distributing of Paul Frank products such as apparel and accessories. With over 100 Paul Frank stores in China and plans to expand to more than 500, this deal marks the largest licensed agreement in the history or Paul Frank, with further brand extension in the form of new store concepts, Paul Frank Kids, Paul Frank Home and Paul Frank cafes, supporting the significant growth of the brand in China.
14 JULIE DODSWORTH 15
Founded in 1886, Mercedes Benz has the honour of being one of the oldest and most respected automobile brands in the world, with over 1.2m vehicles sold each year. This gives the company an annual turnover of more than E50 billion, also making it one of the top 10 most valuable brands in the world. With a licensing programme that includes apparel, children’s toys, giftware and more, the brand continues to build on the worldwide licensing deal with Hornby to develop a range of Scaletrix, Airfix and Corgi products.
DISNEY
13
Brand Owner: Unilever
Continuing the good work over the past years with an innovative licensing programme, Walls and agency Hot Pickle delved into the brand’s heritage of nearly 100 years to come up with interesting product and collaborations. Highlights this year include the collaboration with online clothing giant ASOS; a 16 piece collection boasting Twister styled high-heeled shoes and Starship 4 lolly-inspired T-shirts and vests. Yummy.
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STANLEY Brand Owner: Black & Decker
18 LIPSY
Brand Owner: Lipsy
Stanley has enjoyed something of a renaissance in recent years, as the home improvement trend continues and the brand’s appeal broadened among professionals and the DIY market. With over 50 licensees worldwide, Black & Decker’s programme for Stanley has enjoyed much success to date. Highlights of the past few months have included a new line of metal and plastic construction toys aimed at children. Not bad for a company which has been supplying tools since 1843.
THE NATIONAL TRUST Brand Owner: The National Trust
GUINNESS Brand Owner: Diageo
Brand Owner: Hasbro
Brand Owner: Nickelodeon
Brand Owner: Hasbro
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23
Nerf has had a fantastic year, with a variety of product launched and a growing global fanbase. The product now sells in over 75 countries, delivering over 30m ‘blasters’ to consumers a year. With the support of a truly global marketing campaign, Nerf Arena and Target ranges, Paragon Licensing has partnered with Nerf to open the UK’s first Official Live Action Nerf Experiences.
24 MARMITE
Kicking off the year in style with a double award win with Changi Airport Group and Inner Mongolia Mengniu Dariy Group at the Asian Licensing awards, the brand spent no time at all in announcing huge plans for 2015/16 including The Spongebob Musical debuting at Chicago’s Oriential Theatre next year and the launch of a new TV channel dedicated entirely to popular cartoons of the 90’s, called The Splat.
21
Consistently successful with its various licensing programs, the big news for Hasbro going forward will surely be the highly-anticipated Dungeons & Dragons feature film. Brian Goldner of Hasbro, Stephen Davis, Courtney Solomon and Allan Zeman of Sweetpea Entertainment, and The LEGO Movie producer Roy Lee are producing the film.
22 NERF
The Guinness brand continues to deliver across multiple categories such as food, apparel and gifts, thanks in no small part to the heritage and massive global appeal of the brand. The Guinness Storehouse is Ireland’s most popular paid-for tourist attraction with over a million visitors annually, proving good things really do come to those who wait.
NICKELODEON
High-profile celebrity partnerships ensure that Lipsy is very much the go-to brand for today’s glamorous gal. Most recently, the fashion house teamed up with X Factor star Fleur East to launch a 20 piece set that includes trend-led bags, plus jewellery including stockings, layering necklaces and tassel bags. Expect more of the same for 2016.
20 HASBRO
Innovative licensing programmes have kept The National Trust on our Power List. Following last year’s Panasonic deal that saw every customer who purchased a Lumix camera receive a free year-long membership to the trust, this year the brand partnered with the Enid Blyton brand to run the Enid Blyton’s Summer Of Adventure campaign, along with Centre Parcs and Go Ape.
19
Brand Owner: Unilever
25
Marmite has continued with its innovative licensing programme, with its Marmite Easter Eggs from Kinnerton/Unilever picking up the top prize of ‘Brand Extension & Beyond’ award at the Licensing.Biz People Awards. In another left field move, the brand has moved into boardgames with two offerings - Love It Or Hate It and Who Put The Marmite In The Fridge, both courtesy of game creator du jour Pants On Fire.
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London Underground It’s more than a brand: 150 years of history
► ►
Iconic designs
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London’s heart, with a world pulse
So Mind the Gap and get on-board a journey that’s going global! Thank you to all our licensees for their continued support. For more information, email: brandinfo@tfl.gov.uk
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The Victoria and Albert Museum is the world’s leading museum of art and design. With over two million objects and designs from textiles, furniture, graphics, to photography, jewellery and fashion for image and brand licensing, it provides almost infinite sources of inspiration. The V&A’s endorsement is recognised globally and it works with partners worldwide who produce ranges of fashion, homeware, stationery, accessories, jewellery, fabrics and gifts, helping it to secure its award winning profile. For further information contact: Lauren Sizeland Director: Business Development & Licensing +44 (0)20 7942 2981 licensing@vam.ac.uk
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THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BRANDS IN LICENSING: ART & DESIGN
1
V&A
Brand Owner: V&A Enterprises Back to the top position in the Art and Design category in this year’s Power List after slipping a couple of places in 2014, V&A was praised by our panel of judges this year for constantly producing stylish product ahead of its contemporaries. “Consistently high-quality product range,” commentated one judge. Another added: “Still very much top of the class in terms of sustainable premium licensing programme with a clear vision and fantastic execution.” “A benchmark for heritage and design licensing. Deals like the one with Oasis show that they have a forward thinking contemporary approach” concluded another.
www.licensing.biz
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2015 started big for the brand with the announcement of a series of licensing partnerships ranging from stationery and textiles to beauty accessories and cakeware, with the first collection featuring designs from the V&A’s textile archive launching in January. The V&A/Oasis partnership was a considered a master-stroke by our panel of judges, launching in May and bringing 11 botanical prints to the first fashion collection and subsequently rolling this out to include a wider range of apparel through the summer. With an envious portfolio of products and keen licensing partnerships its easy to see why V&A continues to be the market leader in this category.
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CATH KIDSTON Brand Owner: Cath Kidston
2
Another consistent year for the British fashion designer, businesswoman and author – who is billed as the modern day Laura Ashley – sees her hold her number two position in the 2015 Power List. In a first for the brand, Cath Kidston teamed up with Kingston Bicycles to produce a new line of ladies bikes and accessories, widely regarded as a forward thinking approach and perfect timing to capitalise on the recent boom in traditional ladies bikes and leisure cycling. Kidston’s vintage style designs have appeared on products ranging from tote bags and purses, fashion, accessories, homewares, fabric. wallpaper and even shoes.
ORLA KIELY Brand Owner: Orla Kiely
3
“Consistently successful, well placed at retail and good quality products,” commented one judge about the Orla Kiely brand. Last year’s number one brand in the Power List’s Art & Design category slipped a couple of places this year, but that’s not to say that the brand hasn’t performed well over the past year. An innovative licensing agreement in April partnered Kiely with the prestigious British baby buggy brand, Maclaren, resulting in a worldwide deal that offered the designer’s signature style across Maclaren’s ‘Quest’ model and the pushchair accessories. Handbags, clothing and accessories, homewares, stationery, fragrance and paper products – the Orla Kiely stamp is on them all.
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THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BRANDS IN LICENSING: ART & DESIGN
HAPPY JACKSON
4 TED BAKER
=5
Brand Owner: Giles Andrea/Heather Flynn
Brand Owner: Ted Baker
The highest new entry in this category last year has been the biggest mover this year – up an impressive five positions and into the top five. Happy Jackson continued to impress the judges this year. A partnership with Iron Gut Publishing this year to produce limited edition prints for gift retail aded to the portfolio of products already on offer, which includes homeware, bags and accessories, stationery and more. A brand to continue watching.
One of the fastest growing lifestyle brands in the UK, Ted Baker stormed the Power List this year straight in at number five as the ‘No Ordinary Designer Label’ story continues to grow. From humble beginnings in Glasgow as shirt specialist, Baker quickly found his niche and the portfolio now offers apparel, fragrance, accessories, skinnier, eyewear and watches, to name but a few. Baker was also the winner of the prestigious ‘Best Brand Licensed Property’ at this year’s Licensing Awards.
VINTAGE LADYBIRD
=5 HOUSE OF HOLLAND
7
Brand Owner: Penguin Ventures
Brand Owner: Henry Holland
A focused approach and clever licensing partnerships have worked well for this heritage brand in 2015, which also celebrated its centenary this year. With eight partners working on the Vintage Collection, the brand offers a portfolio that includes prints and canvasses, stationery and gifting, wooden postcards and magnets, ceramic mugs and tea towels along with adult retro games and jigsaws. “Some classic and quintessentially British designs” commented one judge.
Holland is probably best known for his 1980s inspired slogan t-shirts and eye-catching designs, having set-up his own fashion label in 2008. Since then the British designer has collaborated with Levi Strauss & Co and sunglasses company Le Specs. This year, Holland launched a range of stationery in partnership with ML Marketing, launched at Selfridges and John Lewis, adding to his current licensing programme including fashion accessories and bath and beauty products.
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9
8 KATE SPADE
IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM
Brand Owner: Imperial War Museums
Brand Owner: Kate Spade & Company
Moving up an impressive eight places this year, the big news for the brand continues to be the partnership between Wayne Hemingway and Hemingway Design to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Battle Of Britain, taking inspiration from the iconic design of the Spitfire plane, entitled ‘The Spitfire Collection’. The collection will launch at Brand Licensing Europe 2015. Perhaps one of the most distinctive aspects of the Imperial War Museum brand is its diversity, taking in IWM London, IWM North, IWM Duxford, the Churchill War Rooms and HMS Belfast. The Imperial War Musuems also remain funded through a combination of government subsidy and public donations.
“[Kate Spade] has completed some really nice collaborations in John Lewis with stationery and expanding the brand to increase consumer knowledge of it and [in the process] changing consumer perceptions about it,” commented one of our judges about the US-based fashion designer. Kate Spade (previously Fifth & Pacific) now has over 80 retail premises across the US and over 100 retailer premises internationally, with a portfolio that includes perfumes, clothes, bedding, bathware, furniture, fabric, wallpaper, rugs, table linens and kitchen textiles, stationary and gifts. The firm’s numerous sub brands include Kate Spade New York, Jack Spade and Jack Spade Saturday.
TATE MODERN
10 HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES 11
Brand Owner: The Tate
Brand Owner: Historic Royal Palaces
With a collection consisting of over 65,000 works of art and masterpieces by Gainsborough, Constable, Turner, David Hockney and Henry Moore, and also including modern and contemporary works by iconic artists such as Picasso, Rothko, Dali, Matisse, Hirst and Warhol to name but a few, image licensing is one area that the gallery uses to fund its many activities. The museum currently has 1.1 million Twitter followers, the highest of any museum or gallery in Europe. The iconic Turbine Hall location also plays host to regular talks, lectures and movie screenings.
Made up of six palaces - the Tower Of London, Hampton Court Palace, Banqueting House, Kensington Palace, Kew Palace and Hillsborough Castle - Historic Royal Palaces is an independent charity created in 1998 to look after unoccupied Royal Palaces, attracting more than four million visitors a year. Historic Royal Palaces was a finalist in the 2015 Licensing Award’s Best Licensed Brand Range category with Baroque Gardening Collection from Biers, while the Innovation Award went to Historic Royal Palaces Fashion Collection No4 from Hobbs. All the palaces are open to the public, maintained by the Royal Household Property Section.
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PANTONE Brand Owner: Pantone Inc
12
Continuing to have a presence in the Power List for the second year running, Pantone has come on leaps and bounds from humble beginnings as a commercial printing company back in the 1950s. This year the brand worked with Universal Partnerships & Licensing to produce their first ever character inspired colour, ‘Minions Yellow’, which will be added to the Pantone Fashion, Home + Interiors colour palette.
MADELEINE FLOYD Brand Owner: Madeleine Floyd
Brand Owner: Rachel Bright
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13
A new entry to the Power List 2015 for the luxury British fashion house. Founded in 1992, the company now operates in more than 50 countries worldwide, including flagship stores in London, New York, Milan, Los Angeles and Beijing. It’s portfolio includes apparel, accessories & fragrances, eyewear. A major exhibition at the V&A – Savage Beauty – earlier this year helped increase interest in the late designer, who passed away in 2010.
Brand Owner: Crayola LLC
15
Continuing with its creative licensing programmes, this year Crayola has partnered with Huggies Pull Ups for an on-pack promotion as part of the firm’s campaign to recruit parents into the My First Crayola brand. Activision also extended its license for another year to bring a new Skylanders experience to children with Skylanders Trap Team Crayola Alive; while Fashion Angels will partner with the brand to launch a plethora of arts and crafts products.
16 PENGUIN BOOKS
Bristol-based artist Rachel Bright has taken the giftware market by storm with her bold typography and cool colours, with a portfolio that now includes books, fashion accessories, homeware and kitchenware, confectionary, gardener, greetings cards, mugs and coasters to name but a few. Definitely a brand to watch for the future.
www.licensing.biz
Brand Owner: Kering
14 CRAYOLA
British artist and author Madeleine Floyd is highly respected around the world for her illustrated books and exhibitions, not to mention burgeoning corporate work. With a growing number of licensees, including recent work with the National Trust, her portfolio includes stationary, fine art prints, silks, textiles, chinaware, greeting cards, gift wrap and calendars.
BRIGHTSIDE
ALEXANDER MCQUEEN
Brand Owner: Penguin Group
17
It’s been a busy year for the publisher, capitalising on Ladybird Books’ centenary year with the official licensing programme for the brand, before signing as a major licensing partner for the upcoming animated comedy series Danger Mouse. The brand also acquired film tiein publishing rights for The Peanuts Movie, with a sticker activity book and a book of the film being released ahead of the film landing 21st December.
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THOMAS KINKADE Brand Owner: Thomas Kinkade Company
18
For over 25 years the Thomas Kinkade Company has published the works of American artist Thomas Kinkade, making him one of the most collected artists in US history. Licensed products can be found in over 16,000 retail establishments worldwide.
DESIGNERS GUILD
19
ROB RYAN Brand Owner: Rob Ryan Another British artist and illustrator making the Power List for 2015, Ryan’s portfolio is diverse and includes apparel, ceramics, textiles, homewares and jewellery. Ryan has also collaborated with Paul Smith and Liberty of London.
20 LIBERTY LONDON
21
Designers Guild LTD
Brand Owner: Liberty London
Established in 1970 by Tricia Guild, the company specialises in the design and wholesale of furnishing fabrics, wall coverings, upholstery and bed and bath collections. The brand is represented in over 60 countries, with showrooms in Paris and Munich and a sales of over £55 million.
‘No minute gone comes back again, take heed and see ye nothing do in vain’, it says under the clock at the store’s Kingly Street entrance, and since 1875 Liberty London has been doing just that, with collaborations that are carefully managed with tradition and commitment to house the finest fashion and homewares.
Brand Owner:
ANDY WARHOL Brand Owner: The Andy Warhol Foundation
22 ROALD DAHL Brand Owner: Roald Dahl Estate
Warhol continues to be a global influence across art, literature, music and the media. His most famous works, including some of the most expensive paintings ever sold, still appear on numerous products.
JOULES Brand Owner: Joules Ltd
The British novelist, writer, poet, screenwriter and fighter pilot rose to prominence during the 1940s with his works for both children and adults. Recent licensing programmes include a collaboration with fast food giant McDonald’s to give millions of books away.
24 NATIONAL GALLERY 25
Appearing in the Power List for the second year running, Joules has become one of Britain’s best-loved lifestyle brands, known for its colourful and contemporary range of products. The portfolio includes apparel, accessories and homeware. In March, Joules announced that it was on course to achieve sales of £110 million by the end of 2015, with the 100th branch of Joules opening in Solihull that month.
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23
Brand Owner: NGC Ltd
The National Gallery houses one of the greatest collections of Western European painting in the world, including masterpieces dating back as early as 1250. Licensing comes from its extensive picture, film and photographic library. The gallery is ranked in the top five most popular attractions in the UK, with an average of six million visitors a year.
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In making Rugby League the #1 Sports Licensing program across Australia and New Zealand
Exclusive Licensing Agent for the National Rugby League. AUSTRALIA
Level 3, 243 Liverpool Street, East Sydney NSW 2010 T +61 2 8353 7738
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UNITED KINGDOM
Level 2, 158 Buckingham Palace Road London SW1W 9TR T +44 (0) 786 022 9311
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THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BRANDS IN LICENSING: SPORTS
WIMBLEDON
1
Brand Owner: All England Lawn Tennis Club plc Already one of the strongest brands in British sport, Wimbledon’s growth shows no signs of abating. Andy Murray’s triumph in the men’s singles back in 2013 (was it really that long ago?) undoubtedly gave the brand a huge boost, but it’s the All England Club’s determination to keep its property fresh and innovative through the ‘Wimbledon Master Plan’ that really underpins its enduring popularity. In short, the All England Club has succeeded in the difficult task of balancing the tournament’s ‘unique and special heritage’ with a contemporary and progressive approach to its branding and licensing activity.
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As the Master Plan outlines, the club’s key objective is to maintain The Championships (to give Wimbledon its full moniker) as the premier tennis tournament in the world, on grass if not outright. It certainly helps that at a macro level, professional tennis is in great shape, with the prize money on offer never higher. For the 2015 Wimbledon Finals the total prize pool was £26.8 million - the biggest of the four grand slam tournaments - with the winners of the men’s and women’s singles titles both taking away £1.88 million each. Our judges singled out Wimbledon’s upmarket status as a brand on par with institutions such as the V&A.
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RUGBY WORLD CUP Brand Owner:
2
The IRB
It’s the biggest global sporting event of 2015, so it’s no surprise that licensing activity around the Rugby World Cup has been at fever pitch. Master license holder Elite Sports Properties (ESP) has carefully managed activity across numerous categories, encompassing apparel, publishing, socks, posters, plush, toys, novelties, kitchenware and home textiles to name just a few. ESP’s aim was to build on the success of the RWC 2011 licensing programme with “world-class in-venue retail activation, superstores on the High Street, the official online store as well as developing strong third party retail relationships”. The campaign has sought to find ‘best of the best’ licensees in each of its target categories.
ENGLAND RUGBY Brand Owner:
3
RFU
England Rugby has looked to capitalise on the halo effect from this year’s Rugby World Cup, working alongside CPLG to gain cross-category activation with many retailers in the build up to the tournament. The RFU’s licensing programme currently includes over 40 best in class licensees, and new deals for 2015 have seen the addition of publishing, electricals, FMCG, accessories and training equipment partners, all hoping to capitalise on an association with the iconic England Rugby rose.
The RFU’s own retail business at Twickenham remains strong, as does its online offering, with official online retail partner Kitbag Limited. Our judges singled England Rugby out for having premium-priced merchandise that sells very well.
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TOUR DE FRANCE
4 MUFC
5
Brand Owner:
Brand Owner:
Professional cycling’s issues are well documented, but that hasn’t dampened public enthusiasm for the sport and the Tour de France in particular. This year was a case in point, despite the lack of the explicit UK-angle afforded by last year’s sojourn into Yorkshire (hence the demotion from second to fourth on this list). There was a nice tie-in with Miffy that saw DRi Licensing’s ironic brand celebrating its 60th anniversary - become the mascot for the 2015 event, with the race starting in the Dutch town of Utrecht that is the character’s home.
Things haven’t always been great on the field during the past 12 months, but off it the Manchester United juggernaut just keeps rolling. The club was the first of the Premier League era to successfully tap into the global licensing market and that head start continues to stand it in good stead. It has forged lucrative physical product and retail partnerships at a global level, and continues to find new ways to exploit digital rights, evidenced by its recent naming of HCL as its first ‘digital transformation partner’.
Man Utd plc
CPLG
CHELSEA FC
6 ARSENAL FC
7
Brand Owner:
Brand Owner:
Once again the highest placed London-based football club on our listing, not least because of last year’s Premier League title win and its associated halo effect on the Chelsea FC brand. The club has strived to increase revenue from non-footballing activity in recent years, not least due to the Financial Fair Play initiative, resulting in the appointment of licensing agents all over the world and expansion of its digital and online activities. Popularity in North America has also been curated via summer tours.
Now free from the shackles of long-term deals inked 10 years ago in order to fund development of the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal FC has recently powered ahead with lucrative new agreements with the likes of Puma for apparel and renegotiated terms with the aforementioned airline. The club’s two consecutive FA Cup wins were also a timely boost for the core brand after nearly a decade without a trophy, while continued tours of the Far East have grown the club’s fanbase and overseas revenue.
Roman Abramovich
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Arsenal Holdings
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WWE
8 EURO 2016
9
Brand Owner:
Brand Owner:
The self-styled ‘sports entertainment’ giant overhauled its logo for the fourth time last year and wasn’t short of products for its new livery to be placed on. This year has seen the firm ink significant deals with the likes of Authentic Brands Group and Pedigree Books, while its long-term relationship with Mattel continued to yield new lines such as Create A Superstar. Our judges cited WWE for its use of social media to reach fans in an innovative, commercial way.
UEFA’s European Championships is the second biggest international football tournament behind the FIFA World Cup, with IMG-led merchandising set to go into overdrive ahead of next summer’s freshly-expanded competition. In fact, it’s set to be the biggest European Championships ever in terms of licensing activity, with 4,300 products across 75 territories, 800 mini shops dedicated to selling tournament merchandise and a total of 54 official licensees.
UEFA
WWE Corp
FC BARCELONA
10 UFC
11
Brand Owner:
Brand Owner:
The Catalan club is one of few at an elite level in world football to be owned and operated by its supporters. Once a laggard when it came to exploiting its rights, successive executive regimes have revolutionised FC Barcelona’s commercial operations, buoyed by a sustained period of on-field success that has seen the club become a ‘second team’ for many fans of the game. Barca currently sits second in the Forbes list of richest football clubs, with a value of $3.17 billion in 2015.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), the largest MMA promotion company in the world, has grown its European licensing activity significantly over the last five years. With the initial groundwork focused on educating the public about the UFC brand and its events, attention today is squarely on expanding licensees in the training equipment, clothing, publishing, video games and DVD segments, not just in the UK but also Scandinavia and Eastern Europe.
Fan Co-Operative
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Zuffa
www.licensing.biz
10/1/15 16:43
THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BRANDS IN LICENSING: SPORTS
12 THE FA
FRED PERRY
Brand Owner:
Brand Owner:
13
The FA
HIT Union
The Fred Perry brand of tennis clothing has long since thrived outside of its tennis roots, having been adopted by various movements in popular culture since the 1960s. The company has worked hard on endorsements in recent years, initially through Andy Murray (who is now aligned with Adidas) and more recently with cyclistcum-mod icon Bradley Wiggins. Fred Perry makes an appearance on this list for the first time, with judges citing its unique Britishness among sports clothing brands.
Custodian of the English game, the Football Association is a famous name in its own right, plus it owns some of the most marketable brands in football, most notably the Three Lions moniker associated with various incarnations of the England football team. Success at this summer’s World Cup has propelled interest in the women’s game to new heights, while the FA’s licensing machine is well underway in advance of next summer’s Euros.
14 THE OLYMPIC GAMES 15
NRL
Brand Owner:
Brand Owner:
The IOC
National Rugby League The National Rugby League is the jewel in the crown of the rugby league code in In making Rugby League the Sports Licensing Australasia. In #1 monetary terms program across Australia and New Zealand it’s the biggest rugby league competition in the world, with big name sponsorship from the likes of Telstra and lucrative domestic broadcast rights sold through the likes of Nine Network, Fox Sports and Sky Sport. The National Rugby League enjoys a huge following overseas too, particularly in the United Kingdom with its sizable ex-pat audience and league-hungry locals.
AMERICA’S CUP
Undoubtedly the biggest event in the global sporting calendar, the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games are awash with licensing opportunities. A product line based on mascots Vinicius and Tom is already available from the Rio 2016 online store, with an animated series on the Cartoon Network to boot. This year the IOC has also shown it can be bold with its commercial activity, raising €1.3 billion by awarding European broadcast rights to Discovery Communications.
16 ENGLAND WOMEN’S FOOTBALL 17
Exclusive Licensing Agent for the National Rugby League. AUSTRALIA
Level 3, 243 Liverpool Street, East Sydney NSW 2010 T +61 2 8353 7738
Brand Owner: Untitled-1 1
UNITED KINGDOM
Level 2, 158 Buckingham Palace Road London SW1W 9TR T +44 (0) 786 022 9311
America’s Cup Event Authority The America’s Cup claims to be the oldest internationally contested sports trophy and is without doubt one of the most prestigious and upmarket sports brands, as evidenced by headline sponsorship from the likes of Luis Vuitton. The build up to the 2017 race has begun in earnest, with the America’s Cup World Series Bermuda taking place in October and an ongoing promotional America’s Cup Tour.
www.licensing.biz
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The FA
Women’s football has been on a slow commercial burn for some time, gaining most traction in the US where it has been on a more even footing with the men’s game than in Europe. That all changed with the Women’s World Cup this summer - the success of England in that tournament has given the The FA a new and potentially highly lucrative string in the Three Lions bow, both at grass roots and professional levels.
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THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BRANDS IN LICENSING: SPORTS
RED BULL Brand Owner:
18 NIKE
Brand Owner: Nike
Red Bull GmbH
The energy drinks giant is now associated with numerous sports teams and events as part of its long-running and far reaching licensing and sponsorship activity. The firm’s most high-profile associations include the Toro Rosso and Red Bull Racing F1 teams, New York Red Bulls football franchise and the Red Bull Air Race.
LIVERPOOL FC Brand Owner:
Brand Owner:
ENIC International
Right up there with the most popular brands in world football, Liverpool FC has taken its licensing activity to new levels under the ownership of the Fenway Sports Group. The club has big ambitions for the future, with a redeveloped Anfield central to its plans to compete on an equal financial footing with its domestic rivals.
Brand Owner:
FORMULA 1 Brand Owner:
F1 was flying high in 11th place on last year’s Power List, but slips down this year on account of numerous issues. The sport is having a difficult time finding a balance between its ever-changing rules and the need for on-track excitement in the face of falling viewing figures and teams going bust. That said, F1 is still a huge draw for sponsors.
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Brand Owner: The FA
Down from 14th last year, primarily because there has been no tournament for the senior men’s team. However, the women’s team captured the imagination of the nation at their World Cup this summer, and the Three Lions marketing machine will soon be winding up to full power ahead of next summer’s European Championships.
24 ADIDAS
Formula 1 Group
48
The North London club is laying the groundwork for its future with an ambitious stadium redevelopment and aggressive expansion into overseas markets. Earlier this year Spurs looked to establish itself in the US through the appointment of Fermata Partners as its licensing agent for the territory.
22 ENGLAND FOOTBALL 23
The Celtic Football & Athletic Club Ltd The powerhouse of Scottish football, at least while Rangers are still in the Scottish second tier, the Celtic FC brand remains strong, both domestically and internationally. It’s rich history of 46 titles ensures a presence among football’s elite, plus regular participation in continental competition.
Just when Nike’s position as the premier brand in sporting goods couldn’t get any stronger, the firm announces that it’s launching ‘Back to the Future’ shoes, complete with power laces PR flannel aside, though, Nike has had a storming 2015, with its eight-year, $1 billion deal to be the exclusive apparel provider to the NBA the undoubted highlight. Expect the NBA’s stars to flock to it.
20 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 21
Fenway Sports Group
CELTIC FC
19
Brand Owner:
25
Adidas AG
A mixed year for the German sportswear giant, which has seen big wins such as a kit deal with Man Utd offset by the loss of the hugely important NBA apparel license to Nike. A bitter pill to swallow, to be sure, but a deal to replace Reebok as the on-ice uniforms and helmets supplier to the NHL and a strong presence in athletics ahead of an Olympic year ensures top table presence.
www.licensing.biz
10/1/15 16:43
The original
SporTS MerchandiSe & licenSing Show iS back aT The bridge
Chelsea FC are hosting the Sports Merchandise & Licensing Show, to be held on Monday 16th November 2015 at Stamford Bridge. Back for the second time at the new and improved time of year, better suited to conversations regarding development of Autumn/Winter 2016 ranges.
Book a stand with us, and in return we can offer you: • Low and super competitive prices: email now for a quote: merchandiseshow@ChelseaFC.com • On site facilities: two modern and stylish hotels with preferential room rates, plus two top class restaurants Marco Grill and Frankie’s Sports Bar & Diner • Easy transport links
To book a stand or to register free of charge as a visitor, visit:
sportsmerchandiseandlicensingshow.com Untitled-2 1
9/30/15 16:45
THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BRANDS IN LICENSING
Gold Sponsor
Gold Sponsor
Gold Sponsor
TLP Execs from the following companies were invited to vote on this year’s Licensing.biz Power List…
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20th Century Fox
Fremantle
Pyramid
Aardman
GB Eye
International
Advanstar
Gemma
Rainbow
Allsorts Media
International
Productions
Argos
Global Merchant
Random House
Asda
Services
Redan
Aykroyd
Go2H Licensing
Rocket Licensing
Battersea Dogs
Hallmark
Saban Brands
Home
Hasbro
Sainsburys
Beanstalk
Hoho
SCEE
Brands With
Entertainment
Shop Direct
Influence
Icon Live
Simon & Schuster
Bulldog Licensing
IMG
Smith Brooks
Caroline Mickler
ITV
Spearmark
Carte Blanche
JCB
Start Licensing
Century Books
JELC
Sweet Connexion
Character Group
Karen Addison
Syco
Character World
Kinnerton
Entertainment
Chelsea FC
Konami
Tesco
Coolabi
License To PR
The Entertainer
Copyrights Group
Licensing Pages
TLC
CPLG
LIMA
Tottenham
Danilo
Lisle Licensing
Hotspur FC
DC Thomson
Made In Me
Turner
Dependable
Magic Light
Underground Toys
Rights
Pictures
V&A
DHX Media
Maskarade
Viacom
Discovery
Mattel
Vivid
Channel
Mind Candy
VMC
Disney
miPR
Walker Books
Dreamtex
Mothercare
Warner Bros
Dreamworks
Nickelodeon
Watermelon
Dri Licensing
Pedigree Group
We Are Bionic
eOne
Penguin
We Are Bloom
Fluid World
Pink Key
www.licensing.biz
10/1/15 17:40
MEET THE TEAM Billy Langsworthy Editor blangsworthy@nbmedia.com
Robert Hutchins Deputy Editor rhutchins@nbmedia.com
Jodie Holdway Sales Manager jholdway@nbmedia.com
Carole Eagles Account Manager ceagles@nbmedia.com
James Marions Production Executive jmarions@nbmedia.com
Nikki Hargreaves Designer nhargreaves@nbmedia.com
Editorial: 01992 535646 Advertising: 01992 535647 www.licensing.biz @licensingbiz
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