BRAND TOTAL
AUTUMN/FALL 2021
A TOTAL LICENSING GROUP PUBLICATION
LICENSING
Racing to Brand Licensing Europe with l
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CONTENTS 10 Editorial Comment
54 Octane5
Thoughts from the editor
New authentication partnership
12 News
56 Exciting times for Brandgenuity
From around the globe
It’s been a good year
17 How Pink Key went to the dogs
57 Collegiate Merch
(Or the puppies to be more precise!)
BrandR Group offers ops for athletes
18 Licensing Japan
58 The Big Interview
Japan’s largest Licensing Trade Show will be held in June
The one-woman powerhouse Candace Cameron Bure
22 50 Years of Smiley
60 The Signs Point to...
Celebrating the iconic brand
The latest offering from Emma Lawrence
24 Front Cover Story
62 Rum and Chocolate
Beanstalk/Tinderbox grace this issue’s cover
Big deals made in the food and beverage world
28 Very Tempting
64 Paris 2024
350 new artwowks in the new Route 66 styleguide
30 A Pioneering Approach
65 Keeping House
Introducing Global Trademark Licensing
Let the games begin
News from the world of home brands
33 Heritage is Flourishing
66 Content Creators to Brands
Looking at innovative institutions
38 Jewel in the Crown Jewel Branding’s success
How this agency works with over 1000 creators
67 Come Fly with Me
Mega-news from the transport brand sector
39 Artefacts, Merchandise and Beyond
68 This is Iris
ARTiStory takes cultural world by storm
Latest updates
41 Science Flies High
69 Celebrating a Legacy
The Science Museum & Flying Scotsman
The Amy Winehouse Estate
43 Big Brands at BLE
70 The Final Page
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What’s being showcased this year?
Index of Advertisers
TOTAL BRAND LICENSING
COMMENT TOTAL
BRAND LICENSING
A Total Licensing Group Publication
CO-PUBLISHER Francesca Ash francesca@totallicensing.com CO-PUBLISHER Jerry Wooldridge jerry@totallicensing.com EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Rebecca Ash becky@totallicensing.com OFFICE MANAGER Helen Bowerman helen@totallicensing.com JAPAN AGENT Roger Berman, ZenWorks rmb@zenworks.jp With thanks to those who contributed to this issue
HEAD OFFICE Total Licensing Ltd 4 Wadhurst Business Park Faircrouch Lane, Wadhurst, East Sussex, TN5 6PT, UK Tel: +44 (0) 1892 782220 www.totallicensing.com
A very warm welcome to the Autumn/Fall issue of Total Brand Licensing. As ever, as we gathered information for this magazine, in the form of interviews, opinions, analysis and more, I was once again deeply impressed by not only the versatility of the brand licensing industry but the resilience. It never fails to awe, and this is demonstrated in the content you will find across these pages. The industry will be heading back to Brand Licensing Europe just after this issue is published, and you can see our in-depth show preview, outlining some of the brands that will be showcased there. After what has felt like a long hiatus from any kind of in-person trade show, BLE returning really seems to mark the return to some sort of normality for many – and for the industry an opportunity to shine and grow.
Rebecca Ash Editorial Director
Also in this issue we explore Heritage brand licensing in all its forms. Many of these beloved, trusted institutions have turned the recent challenges into successes, embracing new technology, ideas and consumer demographics. Take a look at our front cover story, and delve into the world of Beanstalk/Tinderbox, who manage some of the biggest brands in the world. In this issue’s Big Interview, we sat down (ok, virtually) with Candace Cameron Bure – she first made her debut on Fuller House and has gone on to become, as well as an actor, a brand in her own right. She offers some real pearls of wisdom in this interview, and, as ever, speaks candidly. It felt seasonally appropriate as well, as she is often called the ‘queen of Christmas movies’. Looking to the future, Paris 2024 has opened the doors to welcoming licensing deals, as well as retail outlets, as it begins its Olympiad. Also in this issue we take a look at several brand case studies; homewares; art; all from around the globe, reflecting the truly international nature of our industry. As ever, Total Brand Licensing brings you relevant topical content, business analysis, and the brands that you want to work with. We can’t wait to see you at BLE – the Total Licensing team and our publications will be at stand C152. We’d love to see you.
Total Brand Licensing is published quarterly by Total Licensing Ltd in the UK. ©2021 Total Licensing Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means whatsoever without written permission of the publishers and owners. Although persons and companies mentioned herein are believed to be reputable, Total Licensing Ltd nor any of its employees accept any responsibility whatsoever for their activities.l images are reproduced with permission from their owners.
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NEWS
OPUS AND THE R&A LAUNCH THE OPEN OPUS Opus and The R&A have announced the planned publication and pre-order release of The Open Opus, which will celebrate the 150th playing of The Open and documents the history of the world’s oldest and most prestigious championship. The partnership was brokered by TSBA, The R&A’s licensing agent. The Open Opus has been created in collaboration with The R&A to create a body of work befitting The Open’s rich heritage, including many of the sport’s greatest ever golfers who have lifted the iconic Claret Jug after conquering the challenge of the world’s finest links courses. The Open Opus will chronicle the evolution of the Championship from its very first playing at Prestwick in 1860 to the present day, culminating in its 150th playing at St Andrews next year. The Open Opus will include 150 of the ‘Greatest’ moments from The Open carefully selected for inclusion into this important edition. Who can forget when Ben Hogan tamed the famous championship course at Carnoustie to win The Open in what was his only appearance in the Championship and came four years after a near-fatal car crash. The American ended the Championship with a four under par course record of 68 to win his ninth and final major. The sixth hole was renamed ‘Hogan’s Alley’ in his honour in 2003. ‘The Duel in the Sun’ at Turnberry in 1977 is considered by many to be the finest contest in the Championship’s history. A classic headto-head between two of the game’s greats, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson, enthralled fans during the final round. At one point the ‘Golden Bear’ led by three shots but by the 17th Watson had turned it around to lead by a shot, a lead he held onto at the 18th. The third-placed golfer was 10 strokes behind as the two Americans walked off the 18th arm in arm. There is also Rocca’s ‘Miracle Putt’ in 1995 as Constantino Rocca was chasing leader John Daly down the final straight when he fluffed a chip and sent the ball into the valley of sin at St Andrews. He then sank a 65-foot putt that undulated from start to finish and PAGE 12
celebrated by lying face down punching the turf with joy. One of the greatest putts in the history of The Open counted for nothing, however, after Daly beat him in the play off. Breathtaking action photography, including many images spanning one-metre wide and several two-metre wide gatefolds will drive the narrative throughout the 800-plus giant pages in The Open Opus, which will be complemented by exclusively written essays and interviews with many of the sport’s icons and players. The Open Opus is designed to educate, inspire and share the glory with fans, young and old, on a scale previously unseen and become the ultimate collectors piece to treasure. The Limited Marquee Opus ‘Champions’ Edition of only 150 copies will run to 800 sensational pages, each measuring 20 inches x 20 inches (45cm x 45cm) weighing in excess of 32kg (70lb). The Opus will be leather hand-bound, signed by many Champion Golfers, greats and icons, individually numbered and include special features and experiences. Jo Edwards, Global Head of Licensing, TSBA Group, said: “We are excited to see this partnership come to fruition. The 150th Open is a momentous occasion in the history of golf; The Open Opus will capture the greatest moments from the Championship in style. With exclusive content, stunning photography and quality presentation, coupled with the limited number of copies available, it will become a collector’s edition to cherish.”
DELISH AND DASH Healthy living kitchen brand Dash, in partnership with Delish – the destination for recipes, videos and the latest food news that get people excited to cook— has launched new innovative kitchenware in time for the upcoming holiday season. Created in a deal brokered by IMG, the Delish by Dash collection includes three new products that combine style and convenience, from compact countertop waffle bite makers and donut makers to go-to lightweight cast iron pans. The Collection includes a Waffle Bite Maker, a Donut Maker and Lightweight Cast Iron Pans. Each package of pans will also include a QR code with exclusive Delish by Dash recipes. This marks the second collaborative product drop of Delish in partnership with Dash after the Delish by Dash Stand Mixer debuted last fall.
“Cooking healthy should be fun and easy for everyone, which is why we partnered with Dash who frequently shakes up the industry by exemplifying how healthy eating doesn’t need to break the bank,” says Joanna Saltz, Editorial Director of Delish. “Following the success of last year’s kitchen line debut, we are thrilled to bring brand-new kitchen musthaves that simplify the cooking process while adding colorful personality to each home.” The new Delish by Dash Waffle Bite Maker and Donut Maker will be available at bydash. com, Macy’s, and Kohl’s, while the new Lightweight Cast Iron Pans can be found in all sizes on bydash.com and Amazon. These new products also come with Delish by Dash recipe books filled with special recipes tailored per product. TOTAL BRAND LICENSING
NEWS
MOTUL
Speed, Adventure... and Style!
It started in the world of engine lubricants and became world-famous on racetracks. Now a brand synonymous with speed, adventure and style is taking its associations to a major lifestyle branding campaign. Motul is a major modern lifestyle brand – but one that has been over a century in the making. It first appeared in 1853 in the USA with the Swan & Finch Oil Corporation. But it was decades later, as a world-class French company specialising in the formulation, production and worldwide distribution of high-tech engine lubricants that it became a globally recognised name. Motul products have a strong presence in the consumer market – but the brand used racetracks and international motorsports events to develop, refine and test its products to the limits. Thus, it is motorsport that has been Motul’s primary laboratory for creativity and innovation since it first became part of the racing scene in the 1950s. In fact the company has been a dedicated technical partner and official
supplier to the finest teams and manufacturers in history, with a presence in over 160 countries. Recent event partnerships for the brand include the Dakar Rally, MotoGP, World WSBK, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, IMSA, Le Mans Classic and Goodwood Revival. It was these connections that gave Motul the associations that made it so well known – and so appealing to modern consumers across a wide range of ages and interests. The Motul brand is now bringing its associations with speed, style, adventure, performance, elegance and above all winning to multiple categories in a major lifestyle branding campaign. Among the many categories the campaign is targeting will be bags, stationery, earphones, phone covers, masks, kitchenware, houseware and a wide range of apparel – from t-shirts to padded jackets and from deck shoes to hats and, of course, safety helmets and sportswear. Like the brand’s famous red and white banner, the designs will be simple, direct and striking. Nature and the great outdoors are another target market, with massive potential for rugged, functional apparel lines for travel and trekking, including tough and warm clothing, backpacks, tents and portable stoves. There is also the opportunity to highlight the nearly 100-year heritage of the brand through special retro ranges deploying versions of the brand throughout its early history on a specially selected and designed product range. And of course, the associations with cars and racing can inspire car accessories, safety helmets, tools and even child seats. Not surprisingly given the strong global awareness of the brand, agency interest
is already high. An early major announcement was the appointment of WildBrain CPLG, one of the world’s leading entertainment, sport and brand licensing agencies, as the global agent (excluding AsiaPac) for brand. The appointment of Blue Chip Brands – which has years of experience building powerful lifestyle brands and strong consumer products – as the Motul agent for Australia and New Zealand followed in October. Motul has also appointed licensing specialist PR and marketing agency kilogrammedia to manage its relations with the licensing trade press. More announcements – of both agencies and licensing partners – are expected in late 2021 and throughout 2022. Further underlining its aims for the licensing campaign, Motul is making its first appearance at BLE in a big way: it is the sponsor of the Motul Café, the Brands & Lifestyle Bar at Brand Licensing Europe at London’s Excel from 17-19 November. Managing the Motul campaign is Laurent Taieb, a licensing specialist with proven experience in consumer products and licensing and more than 25 years of operational marketing and sales activities. As he says, this is only the start. “The response from potential licensing, retail and product partners has already been enormously positive,” he points out. “We are now looking forward to developing the enormous potential of this famous and exciting brand throughout 2022 – and beyond.”
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NEWS
NO MORE FOMO FOR GREETING CARD CREATIVES Navigating the creative world of greeting cards just got a whole lot easier for artists and designers not to mention fun too, thanks to a brand-new service launching this month. The “Creative Card Collective”, is a subscription membership service that offers support to creatives who work, or would like to work, in the card industry. It provides invaluable information, advice, inspiration and insights about the greetings industry as well as offering a community of supportive like-minded creatives. The membership, which welcomes illustrators, artists, designers and photographers, as well as writers (whether they are employed within a studio or work freelance) is the brainchild of card industry experts Bev Cunningham and Hannah Curtis. Bev, of Ginger Bee Studios, has many years’ experience in the card industry, both as a creative director for a card publisher and more recently as a freelance design consultant and photographer, specialising in the card and gift industries. Whilst Hannah, who has worked in the industry for over 15 years as an artist agent and creative director, now owns and runs her own art licensing agency Creative Sparrow. The idea for the membership arose from a Facebook Group, of the same name, that Bev founded two years ago. Bev explains “When I made the leap from being employed to self-employed, I began to appreciate how difficult it can be for creatives working alone and so struck upon the idea of creating a Face-
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book group specifically for creatives in the card industry. It seemed to me that there was a good network between salespeople, probably because they see each other at trade shows, but the creatives were more often cut off from each other.” The Facebook group, which now has approximately 300 members, proved there is a need for further support and so Bev turned to long-term industry friend, Hannah and together they devised the subscription membership idea. The membership offers an online members’ community, in which there is an archive of how to guides, trends, a member’s chat forum facility and a jobs and briefs noticeboard. Hannah and Bev have also teamed up with a number of industry suppliers, “Collaborators”, to offer members exclusive discounts on a range of supporting products and services. In addition to the online support, there is a monthly email that delivers, amongst other information, up to date colour boards and trend reports to inform and inspire members. Hannah and Bev have future plans to host portfolio surgeries, seminars and workshops throughout the year, for which members will also enjoy discounts on ticket prices. Hannah says that she and Bev are really excited about this new venture, they already have a long list of members waiting to join and believes as well as inspiring members “the membership will be a great way for creatives to increase their industry knowledge, network with new contacts, develop their skills, and keep up to date with trends and colour forecasting.” Anyone interested in joining should head over to creativecardcollective.com and sign up now, as a 50% early bird discount on annual membership is being offered until the end of November.
DON’T CALL ME JENNYFER’S CHUPA CHUPS COLLECTION This past October Don’t Call Me Jennyfer, the French go-to retailer for trendy casualwear dropped a Chupa Chups collection that Millennials and Gen Z girls will be craving this fall. It offers t-shirts, jumpers, vests, socks, jackets and even sleepwear and underwear to create a free but friendly look that invites girls to get away from bias and stereotypes. The collection is available across the franchise and international network of stores of the group and on its online store. The deal was brokered by WildBrain CPLG. “Approaching Gen Z and Millennials through the eyes of Don’t Call Me Jennyfer, has felt quite natural. The fashion collection developed, expresses joy and having fun by linking the colorful vibes of our sweet Chupa Chups brand.”, saids Vanessa Grande, Perfetti Van Melle Licensing Coordinator. Through a physical network of 300 stores in France, Don’t Call Me Jennyfer has managed, over the 2 past years, to become the leader in the clothing industry market for 10-19 years. Within a new strategy under the motto “No stereotypes” which is about inclusion, tolerance and diversity, values appealing to Generation Z, Don’t Call Me Jennyfer is one of the most influential and active brands on Instagram in France, with a community of 1.3 million members.
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PROFILE
How Pink Key went to the dogs (or the puppies to be more precise!) A few years ago, we thought we were very fortunate as an agency to have brands like Kellogg’s that straddled a number of trends such as heritage, food and drink, art, and corporate logo. I recall saying that if we could find another brand that had even two of those possibilities then that would be a great brand to add to our portfolio. Very soon after that I met Carol Janet of Design Plus Licensing who was
looking for an agency to take on the European rights for SLUSH PUPPiE. They say your name is your virtue, and so it turned out: Carol liked mine so much she gave me a call! Not only did we get on extremely well, but the brand seemed to fit perfectly within our portfolio. And so, a few years down the line, the SLUSH PUPPiE licensing programme continues to go from strength to strength, delivering well above any expectations that we originally had for it. I think it’s safe to say that both Carol and I underestimated the love for and popularity of the brand. Even at a time when
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distribution of the core product hasn’t been at its highest, demand for SLUSH PUPPiE merchandise has taken all of us by surprise. The early adopters of the brand were Fizz Creations with the mighty SLUSH PUPPiE maker and associated accessories which has been
listed in every UK retailer and continues to sell thousands of items every year. This award-winning range has been the driver of the whole licensing programme and Fizz have been a tremendous partner. However, the licensing range has rapidly evolved and the majority of new products that have driven the success of this have been food based. The first key licensee was Manchester Drinks with the frozen SLUSH PUPPiE pouch, but this has been expanded into a number of related areas with a range from Rose Confectionery and, most recently, ice cream from C.R.C. Innovations which has been sold exclusively in Iceland. There are many more products in the pipeline. The success of this is because all the products have maintained the integrity of the brand: not only do they demonstrate the fun that is inherently related to the pup himself (this has been driven by the fantastic style guide created by Design Plus), but all the products have also focused on one of the key attributes that is uniquely SLUSH PUPPiE – and that is the irresistible Blue Raspberry flavour. Of course, it helps that the brand has a real history too. Not only is it loved by kids right now, it has also been equal-
ly loved by their parents since 1974 when the brand first appeared in the UK hence, like Kellogg’s, it has the advantage of heritage, food and drink and also Americana. Vimto’s owner, Nichols plc, were recently appointed as the new UK distributor of the core product which is going to give the brand even more of a boost over the coming months, and we have signed a number of new and very exciting licensees across multiple categories, all of which makes us believe that, despite the last few years of tremendous growth, the best is very much yet to come for our pup!
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LICENSING JAPAN
Licensing Japan In 2022, Japan’s largest Licensing Trade Show will be held in June RX Japan (Formerly Reed Exhibitions Japan) will organize the 12th LICENSING JAPAN -Character & Brand Licensing Trade Showfrom Wednesday June 29 to Friday July 1, 2022 at Tokyo Big Sight, Japan. The 2021 edition was held physically in April, whilst thorough measures against COVID-19 were taken. The event finished successfully with 24,450** visitors, which proved that people involved in the licensing business had high expectations from the show and, importantly, that the Japanese market has been
active even taking into account the current situation. Now that things are getting back to normal, the market will become even more active, and the next edition is attracting ever-more attention. In fact, many leading players have already decided to exhibit. The show is held as an important part of Content Tokyo 22 which includes Licensing Japan, Creators’ Expo, Production/Studio Expo, Advanced Digital Technology Expo and Ad Creative and Marketing Expo.
LICENSING JAPAN
Exhibitors booked for 2022 to date include: Bandai Namco Arts Bandai Spirits Fuji TV Network Fujiya Geek Pictures Green Camel Kamio Japan
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Lauren Roth Japan Poplar Publishing Sanrio Far East Sony Creative Products StylingLife Holdings Plazastyle Co Tezuka Productions
The Ruusee Co The Smurfs Tokidoki Tomy Company …and more.
TEL: +81-3-3349-8507 https://www.licensing-japan.jp/en/ To exhibit https://www.licensing-japan.jp/ex_en/ or contact: licensing-e.jp@rxglobal.com To Visit https://www.licensing-japan.jp/inv_en/ visitor-eng.licensing.jp@rxglobal.com For Press Inquiries visitor-eng.licensing.jp@rxglobal.com
TOTAL BRAND LICENSING
NEWS
BAILEYS AND LIR DELIVER LINE OF FESTIVE CHOCOLATES Baileys, the ultimate indulgent treat, and Lir, master chocolatiers and a leading manufacturer of premium chocolates, have partnered to deliver a line of festive chocolate treats sure to excite Baileys fans across Ireland and the UK this holiday season. The partnership was brokered by Baileys’ brand extension licensing agency, Beanstalk. The range of Baileys x Lir chocolates will delight all lovers of the Original Irish Cream liqueur. New for this year are two festive tins filled with fan favourite Baileys Chocolate truffles that are perfect for sharing after Christmas dinner. The tins are available from the Lir Chocolates website.
Deliciously indulgent, the Baileys Chocolate Bombe will hit shelves in early November, just in time to make every chocolate lover’s holiday extra dreamy with the ultimate Baileys hot chocolate. Each pack contains three irresistible Chocolate Bombes filled with Baileys-flavoured velvety milk chocolate and white pillowy marshmallows ready for dunking and enjoying. The Baileys Chocolate Bombes will be available in Morrisons, Asda, Matalan & B&M and online at lirchocolates. com. Returning this holiday season to delight Baileys fans are the Baileys signature Chocolate Collection Box and the Baileys gift-wrapped box. The Baileys signature Chocolate Collection Box is a delicious surprise to find under the tree on Christmas morning or to gift for a Secret Santa. The box includes a range of Baileys flavoured chocolates, including gooey brownies and creamy caramel hearts. The chocolate collection box is available at Asda. The Baileys gift-wrapped box is choc-full of favourite chocolate treats and looks great under a Christmas tree with stunning Baileys gift-wrap. The range includes tempting choc-
olates including milk, dark and white truffles, coffee, caramel, and almond flavours and the gift-wrapped box is available from the Lir Chocolates website. “The festive season wouldn’t be the same without the indulgence of some of your favourite chocolates. Baileys and Lir have created the perfect range of delicious adult treats to delight any Baileys lover, whether that is a friend, family member or yourself,” said Louise French, Senior Vice President, Business Development and Operations at Beanstalk. Katie Byrne, Senior Brand Manager at Lir said, “We’re thrilled with the reaction to our Baileys Chocolate Christmas NPD – everyone loves the mix of delicious chocolate in a fun, decorative format. This year more than ever, we’re all in need of some Christmas cheer and we’re delighted to be able to help spread a little joy during the festive season! The Lir Team, in conjunction with Beanstalk and Diageo, have worked tirelessly over the last year to bring these products to market and it’s wonderful to see them on shelf.”
EMOJI PARTNERS WITH TOMMEE TIPPEE IN CHINA The emoji® brand and Medialink Animation, are set to bring another collaboration to consumers, this time joining forces with Tommee Tippee, a British baby-feeding brand owned by Shanghai Jahwa, to officially launch a cross-brand marketing cooperation effort. The deal came about as the result of a prudent decision made based on Tommee Tippee’s 2021 annual value proposition - Live Flexibly, Feed Freely. A new generation of young mothers is experiencing a revolutionary change in their outlook. They are no longer the traditional mothers whose sole focus is caring for children. Instead, they ensure that their own needs are met as well as those of their children. To celebrate the new collaboration, Tommee Tippee has created a micro-promotional video featuring familiar emoji® brand icons for the maternal and infant groups. The animation, “New Worries in the emoji® Kingdom,” tells the story of an emoji® Kingdom bodyguard who successfully finds a suitable feedPAGE 20
ing bottle for the newborn prince following a variety of obstacles. The feeding bottle found by the bodyguard at the end of “New Worries in the emoji® Kingdom” is Tommee Tippee’s brand-new upgraded Closer to Nature feeding bottle. The upgraded teat is softer and more comfortable, providing the baby with a breast-like touch, and it can also simulate the flow and speed of breast milk. The Easi-Vent valve allows internal and external ventilation to be balanced in order to avoid choking or colic caused by drinking too fast or too slowly. It is also resistant to biting and pulling, making it very suitable for use with teething babies. In Tommee Tippee’s view, being a mother shouldn’t feel like an overwhelming obligation. It is hoped that mothers are able to truly start from love when feeding, skillfully using the tools at their disposal to allow them to have some time to themselves while raising children, so as to not let child-rearing become all-consuming.
Since entering the Chinese market, Tommee Tippee has remained committed to making it easier for all Chinese mothers to enjoy the fun and beautiful side of childcare. Now, with the help of the emoji® brand, they also hope that the new concept of “Live Flexibly, Feed Freely” can be widely disseminated to all mothers and enable them to take action to make child-rearing easier. Marco Hüsges Founder and CEO of the emoji company says “The Tommee Tippee X emoji® brand collaboration enters into the consumer-product new social experience, creating campaigns that demonstrate the infinite possibilities to work together with emoji®- the Iconic Brand reaching out to all targets covering all needs.” TOTAL BRAND LICENSING
NEWS
THE POINT.1888 TO REP MOULIN ROUGE
ROMERO BRITTO
The world-famous Parisian cabaret, Moulin Rouge, has appointed The Point.1888. The Moulin Rouge, named after the red windmill on its roof, started life in 1889 as a popular cabaret and dancing hall. A regular haunt for Montmartre artists, it was the birthplace of the French can-can-dance. Over 130 years later, its acclaimed revue show Féérie is enjoyed by 600,000 guests every year and its universe has inspired countless books, experiences, and movies, including Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge! In 2001. It has closed its doors only four times in its long history: to acknowledge the death of its owner in 1897; for renovation in 1903; in 1915 when it was destroyed by fire; and in 2020/2021 due to Covid-19. The Moulin Rouge reopened in September ahead of the upcoming launch of Moulin Rouge! The Musical in West-End in November. Based on
WildBrain CPLG has announced it has been appointed to represent the visionary international artist Romero Britto across the UK, EMEA and Russia. Under its growing Lifestyle division, WildBrain CPLG will build a design-led program inspired by Romero Britto’s vibrant and colorful artwork across categories including fashion, accessories, home, paper goods, gifting, and arts and crafts. Victoria Whellans, Group Brands Director at WildBrain CPLG Lifestyle, said: “There’s currently huge demand for licensed lifestyle products inspired by the art world as seen in Romero Britto collaborations with Puma and Wilson, which give consumers a chance to ‘own’ a piece of art through more affordable and accessible purchases. With his vast international recognition and uplifting, eye-catching and vivid style, Romero Britto’s brand is perfectly positioned to tap into this trend for the long-term and deliver engaging product ranges that will offer consumers unique ways to connect with his art.” Brazilian-born and Miami-made, Romero Britto founded the Happy Art Movement in 1992 with the mission to inspire happiness, fun, love and optimism around the globe through his unique art that uses vibrant colors and bold patterns. His creations combine elements of cubism, pop art and graffiti and feature vibrant, iconic imagery. Self-taught at an early age, Britto painted on scraps of paper, cardboard or any medium he could find before coming into his own and traveling to Paris where he was introduced to the works of Matisse and Picasso.
Baz Luhrmann’s motion picture, the musical is already a hit in Broadway and has just won 10 Tony awards. By teaming up with The Point.1888, Moulin Rouge will use brand licensing to extend its brand’s territory and boost engagement with its loyal fans. With its rich history, interwoven with those of its famous guests, and its contemporary success, Moulin Rouge has thousands of stories to tell. It is The Point.1888’s intention to ensure that the new products and experiences developed tell these stories, and encapsulate the glitz and glamour of the much-loved brand. Commenting on the appointment, Rosanna Cousins, Retail Manager at The Point.1888, said, “Moulin Rouge is all about storytelling, and this ultimately is what we do here at The Point.1888. We help brands tell their stories, so to work with a brand with such creative flair and history is a real privilege.” Eloïse Daire at Moulin Rouge commented, “We immediately liked the innovative, retail driven approach at The Point.1888. They were quick to grasp the objectives and challenges for our brand in the UK and proposed an interesting vision for our target demographics. We’re looking forward to developing inspiring new Moulin Rouge products and experiences along with them.”
FULL SAIL ACQUIRES WEATHERBEATEN BRAND Full Sail IP Partners has acquired the Weatherbeater brand from Transform SR Brands LLC, For more than 50 years people trusted Weatherbeater paint and stain to protect their largest investment, their homes. At its height, Weatherbeater offered more than 1,200 colors for use on front doors, siding, trim and shutters. Weatherbeater paints included innovations such as one coat coverage, mildew & chalk resistance and superior durability that resisted peeling, cracking and fading, earning the brand a strong following of loyalists. “We’re thrilled to acquire Weatherbeater, with its long history of innovation, high levels of brand awareness and reputation for great products. We look forward to providing a broad range of products to improve the look and lengthen the life of homes from coast to coast and in all climates,” said Alan Kravetz, Full Sail’s CEO. The acquisition of Weatherbeater marks the second acquisition for Full Sail, following the company’s first acquisition of the Odwalla brand from the Coca-Cola Company, announced in September 2021. Transformco has a large portfolio of brands that it intends to activate through product development, licensing and, where applicable, through outright sale. The company’s brand portfolio includes Kenmore and DieHard (as a licensee), as well as house brands within the appliance, tool, grill, floor care, apparel, footwear and home categories. TOTAL BRAND LICENSING
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SMILEY
50 Years of the Iconic Smile
Born in 1972, to spread feel-good news, the Smiley would go on to become one of the most important icons in graphic design, bringing people together through a creative message that spreads positivity and putting social and emotional learning at the top of the agenda. In the history of graphic design, no other symbol has ever had such a duality; used simultaneously as both a positive mainstream driver and counter-culture subverter of that very mainstream. From Talking Heads to Nirvana, Acid House to DC Comics, Banksy to Murakami – Smiley continues to inspire leading creatives and originators across the worlds of art, fashion, film, music, print and pop culture as it has for nearly five decades. Smiley’s mission has always been about creating a happier, kinder, more conscious world, with inclusion and diversity at its core. In a post pandemic world, where consumers are more than ever craving good news and positivity, Smiley’s message is especially relevant. To pay homage to all the fantastic artists PAGE 22
TOTAL BRAND LICENSING
SMILEY
that have subverted Smiley over the last 50 years, Smiley are working with world-famous graffiti artist Andre Saraiva. Andre has created sets of original works of art in his Paris studio with his artistic take on Smiley, creating a truly exclusive and limited edition set of design assets for a collector’s edition project. This will see over 60 brands collaboration products for the campaign curated by Sarah Andelman (ex-creative director of Colette Paris) From January 2022 Smiley launches its 50th anniversary campaign to fill the world with Smiles through these artists edition collaborations with some of the world’s most relevant brands in fashion, design, beauty and food. All under the original 1972 campaign message of ‘Take the Time to Smile.’ Setting the benchmark and showcasing its agile and creative approach to product development with 66 halo collaborations across 12 categories of products, Smiley will launch one of the biggest collaborations plans in one
TOTAL BRAND LICENSING
year. Has there ever been a more powerful campaign? The Collector’s edition will be released exclusively in seven globally recognized department stores & retail chains including Galleries Lafyette, Nordstrom and Urban Outfitters. Through 92 doors across the world, including pop-up stores, events and feel-good experiences, putting in place a one-of-a-kind business model with large-scale partnerships. Smiley will also implement a fully immersive 360 marketing and PR campaign worldwide, generating mass awareness through creative communications, brand activations, media partnerships, digital experiences and street marketing to support the global roll out. The anniversary celebration will include an online and social media lens, promoting Smiley department store partnerships, brand history to current day, thought leadership, fashion features and creative storytelling. The truly unique and immersive campaign led by Smiley will project smiles from the streets, to social media and through retail, this 50th anniversary will definitely leave its mark of positivity and creativity on the world. A global licensing enterprise that extends across fashion and homewares, through to food and beverage, Smiley continues to embrace collaboration as an opportunity to
spread this important message. That is why so many like-minded, creative, caring and innovative brands chose Smiley to develop products, promotions and marketing campaigns. Today, The Smiley Company is one of the world’s top 100 licensors, with over 420 licensee and retail partners globally to bring products to life across 14 categories. The Smiley Company holds trademarks registered in over 100 countries, presenting the iconic Smiley, SmileyWorld, The Smileys and Newmoji brand across children’s and adult fashion, health & beauty, toys, publishing, home, FMCG & entertainment.
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FRONT COVER STORY
The Might of Tinderbox Tinderbox, Beanstalk’s digital media division, focuses on brand representation for video games, esports and pop culture. It manages some of the biggest gaming franchises in the world including Xbox, Call of Duty, Halo, Just Dance, Sea of Thieves, Far Cry, Crash Bandicoot, Banjo-Kazooie and ESL. We caught up with the team ahead of BLE 2021. You work with some of the biggest gaming IP’s in the world. How have you evolved their brand programmes in 2021 and what plans do you have moving forward to keep them innovative? Working with our clients is hugely exciting but it comes with a lot of responsibility. With established licensing and highly successful programmes, our objective is always to evolve the consumer products programme in alignment with the evolution of the brand. It is therefore important that we work with the brand-owners to agreed aims and objectives, following core marketing plans and consumer information, and action bespoke strategies for every IP we represent. Take Call of Duty for example. Our aim, in partnership with Activision, has been to expand the licensing programme in the same way the franchise has grown over recent years, reflecting how players experience the game. This has included establishing all year-round placement across European fashion retail celebrating Call of Duty Warzone, their free to play title which launched in March 2020 and quickly amassed 100m downloads, as well as establish Q4 activations to sync with the annual titles. For Xbox, we worked with Microsoft to establish the brand within consumer products,
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launching the licensing programme from the very beginning. The strategy was to initially launch in speciality channels and then expand to mass retail across kids and adult categories. The consumer demographic for Xbox is very wide, and ultimately we are aware that we need to reach all of the consumers but we saw it as important to start with the core. The mass retail launch was to coincide with the Xbox Series X & S launch and harness the hype that had built around the launch of the new consoles. The plan was to initially focus on a tight list of categories that we knew would instantly resonate with the Xbox consumer such as apparel, food, gifting and home. Our retail listings and sell through in 2020 were incredibly strong and we have been able to grow on this success with additional accounts and categories secured across Europe. As we move into 2022, we have taken learnings from the previous years and will use these to evolve the programme further. What are the biggest trends in the video game industry, and what opportunities does this bring to consumer products and retail? One of the major themes in the current next generation era of gaming is accessibility. Gamers are no longer expected to buy individual titles and play these titles confined to their living room with a console under the TV. Services like Xbox Game Pass allow for consumers to have instant access to 100+ titles for just £10.99 a month, which they can play on console and PC or stream to mobile,
tablet and Smart TV. With this increased exposure and accessibility, consumers no longer have to spend £50 on one game and can instead enjoy a much larger depth of titles. This in turn opens up more opportunities for multiple gaming brands to break into consumer products, either through traditional retail or ecommerce. The advancements of 5G technology also gives you the ability to experience games in more places than ever. This could establish opportunities for retailers, giving them the ability to stage esport events in store without the expensive and space consuming set up, all that’s required is a mobile device and a 5G connection. Streaming services such as Twitch are now entirely mainstream – the prospect of watching gamers game is now firmly established and helping to push game IPs to ever-growing audiences. Gamers are very passionate; how do you create product that celebrates their fandom whilst being current with the game release? As with every form of entertainment, fans want products that celebrate their most current fandom. However, the challenge of gaming in the consumer products space comes from the live service nature of the titles, meaning content is updated on a frequent basis. So, to keep on top of this, we make sure we are aligned with the development
TOTAL BRAND LICENSING
FRONT COVER STORY schedule. In partnership with clients, we plan releases far in advance, ensuring that product releases sync with new marketing beats and updates within the game. Consumer products are very important to the studios we work with, so the development teams often factor licensing timelines into their schedule. With Covid19 accelerating the transition to ecommerce, we have invested a lot of our time on print and demand, and direct to consumer partnerships. This route allows us to cut out the traditional retail sell in period and have product available much more quickly, as product is manufactured locally or on order. A great example of this is with the Xbox Game Studio, Rare, where their own ecommerce store is updated with new products and designs to align day on day with Sea of Thieves quarterly game updates and seasonal events. We have also leaned into the passionate community, inviting fans to create their own t-shirt designs which are then sold by Rare’s licensing partners. What are some of the most exciting licensing partnerships you have worked on? And how have you created a point of difference for the community? There are so many great licensing partnerships that we are part of, but some of our favourites take the brands into whole new areas and aisles. The Xbox celebration cake is a perfect example of this. The cake was the first time the programme had extended into food. It allows kids (and big kids) the chance to take their gaming birthday parties to the next level and celebrate with the ultimate Xbox shaped controller cake! Keeping on the
food theme, we also partnered with G Fuel to create a Crash Bandicoot Wumpa fruit inspired energy drink. We have always been about recreating these IP’s in real life but we had never before brought these gaming properties to your taste buds. One of the other products we love is the Sea of Thieves X Monopoly, which is available exclusively on the Rare ecommerce store. For a long time, fans had been asking Rare for this product on their social media channels, so to be able to bring this amazing product to the community was hugely exciting. What will you be presenting at BLE this year? We are in a very fortunate position, where our clients are always innovating and updating their gaming franchises, which opens up exciting product and retail opportunities. For our most recent partnership with Ubisoft, we have been hard at work establishing a strategy for their no.1 selling music game, Just Dance. This will be aimed at the Gen Z and Millennial community focusing on athleisure, selfcare, lifestyle and peripherals. This collaboration has allowed us to expand into a whole new market and we are excited to be presenting this to retailers and licensees at BLE. The much-anticipated Xbox franchise, Halo Infinite launches December 8th, and we will be updating partners about future plans for the game as well as the brand-new Halo TV season that’s coming to Paramount+. We have worked with Halo for many years, and the excitement from retail and licensees is bigger than ever.
For Activision, as well as showcasing their all-year round retail plans for Call of Duty, we will also be presenting opportunities to partners around the retro inspired range Activision Classics, which has seen success in fashion across Europe. We have so much more to update the licensing community on, so please do visit us at BLE to hear more. What will be Tinderbox’s next steps in the sector? How will you continue to innovate and lead in your space? Our long-term clients are hugely important to us, and we are excited to grow these partnerships, brokering new opportunities across expanded territories, categories, and experiences. The franchises are only growing, and we are excited to be joining them on their journey. One area of growth we see is experiential. After the lockdowns of recent years, consumers are keen to experience new forms of experiential entertainment. Theatre companies are already tapping into this pent up demand utilising the abundance of commercial space now available in city centres. Many games have a far-reaching universe and narrative, so we very much see this as the natural next step. Currently, our experience lies within the gaming industry and gaming communities. Now more than ever we are exploring the other types of brands and experiences that these consumers are into and are looking to expand our expertise across new forms of fandom. Visit Tinderbox at BLE, stand #B193.
Dave Tovey, Head of Tinderbox
Catherine Hupin, Associate Director in Brand Development
Ben Parker, Associate Director in Brand Development
TOTAL BRAND LICENSING
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FRONT COVER STORY
Celebrating 20 Years of Xbox and Halo and the Blockbuster Launch of Halo Infinite Ahead of the launch of Halo Infinite on December 8, Total Brand Licensing delves deeper into these record-breaking brands and see how the saga will continue in the most ambitious Halo ever Nearly 20 years after the launch of the first Xbox console, the brand has become a household name. With the recent launch of its next generation console, the Xbox Series X was the bestselling console launch in Xbox history and with Xbox Game Pass, players can access a selection of more than 100 games and exclusive titles on console, PC, and mobile. Tinderbox worked with Microsoft to launch the European licensing programme for Xbox in 2019, and has supported the Halo licensing programme since 2015, and as it looks forward to the 20th anniversary celebrations, the programmes are evolving, seeing strength across an extremely wide demographic. Xbox The Xbox brand continues to grow beyond the platform with consumer products as a conduit, through high-end collaborations with popular culture brands to traditional consumer products categories at mass retail. The European Xbox consumer products programme launched at gaming and specialist
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retail in 2019, with a mass release in 2020 which gained much traction with placement through 2021. Xbox, now an established, all-year-round brand, boasts fashion partners including H&M, Primark, C&A, NEXT, M&S, as well as grocers Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury. Other recent activity includes successful placement with adult and kids apparel, homewares, and accessories. Also, venturing into new categories with the first ever Xbox celebration cake, produced by
Finsbury Foods. The cake launched in the UK in Sept 2020 and became a top selling cake in category with leading grocers. To celebrate the 20th anniversary, Xbox partnered with Adidas to design custom sneakers inspired by the first and second generation Xbox consoles. In addition, Xbox partnered with Ukonic to develop a mini-fridge cooler modeled on the Xbox Series X which sold out instantly. Halo Exclusively published by Xbox Game Studios and developed by 343 Industries, the Halo franchise is an award-winning collection of properties that has transcended video games and has grown into a global entertainment phenomenon. Beginning with the original “Halo: Combat Evolved” (2001), the critically acclaimed and record-shattering series of games propelled the Halo franchise into a multibillion-dollar transmedia juggernaut consisting of multiple novels featured on the New York Times Best Sellers list, an upcoming live action series on Paramount+, toys, collectibles, apparel, homewares, accessories, and more, which has built a fanbase of millions worldwide. Strategic partnerships have been secured to celebrate the anniversary. Forbidden Planet, TOTAL BRAND LICENSING
FRONT COVER STORY
the UK’s leading pop culture store, has long been a supporter of the Halo franchise, showcasing the novels and graphic novels set in the Halo universe, making it perfect sense to partner with the retail chain to produce bespoke product for the anniversary. There are a range of 20th anniversary products available to pre-order, and in store from November. EXG launched a Cable Guy Device Holder, featuring the Master Chief and Cortana from Halo: Combat Evolved. Following the successful launch of Xbox jewelry in 2020, King Ice has also launched a Halo collection. Halo Infinite Halo Infinite is the sixth main entry in the Halo series and will be released on December 8 2021, with campaign mode and free-to-play multiplayer available on Xbox Game Pass from day one and playable on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. There have been numerous licensing activities in support of the upcoming launch, TOTAL BRAND LICENSING
longtime partner Mega Construx have released many new construction sets for Halo Infinite, the sets can be found on Amazon and at Forbidden Planet. Funko POP! Is launching Halo Infinite figures; and Jazwares will release a new line of the 6.5-inch Spartan Collection and 4-inch World of Halo figures featuring the Master Chief with Grappleshot.. Dreamtex Halo bedding is currently available at Very and Lost Universe; and
EMP, licensing partner and online retailer, will have exclusive Halo product and a Halo section on its webstore. Hasbro’s Nerf Halo MA40 blaster is seeing fantastic retail support throughout the UK and Europe with Argos, Game, GameStop, Micromania, HMV, Zavvi and Amazon all placing this SKU. 1000toys have a high-end action figure in the form of Halo Infinite 1/12 Scale Master Chief Mjolnir Mark VI [GEN 3].
For all brand licensing enquiries in the EU, please contact Dave Tovey, Head of Tinderbox, dave.tovey@beanstalk.com Tinderbox, Beanstalk’s digital media division can be located at BLE stand B193. PAGE 27
TEMPTING BRANDS
350 new artworks in the next Known by its licensees for its comprehensive printed books, Tempting Brands will introduce a completely overhauled StyleGuide at Brand Licensing Europe for its’ authentic American lifestyle brand with timeless appeal – ROUTE 66. During the pandemic the Tempting Brands designers worked and produced their most creative work yet. The new StyleGuide includes brand new logo variations, calligrapher phrases and brandname art and lots of fresh and modern compositions. The layout of the guide was re-imagined and is designed to inspire designers worldwide to apply the ROUTE 66 brand in new creative ways.
Tempting Brands’ Managing Director, about the new StyleGuide. “While the pandemic was the most horrible time for the entire world during our lifetime, it also created this opportunity to radically refresh the ROUTE 66 StyleGuide. This is the 10th edition of the StyleGuide and replaces the previous 400 page book of which all artworks remain available to our licensees, while adding hundreds of new designs and design elements with guidance on how the elements can be combined into compositions and applied to products. We cannot wait to see what idea’s our licensees will come up with and to see creative and unexpected ways in which the new designs will be applied to their products.” “We have gone all out on creative and contemporary design while maintaining the authentic American lifestyle file,” said Lidia Furnica - Director of Licensing at Tempting Brands. “We are very privileged to have among the very best graphic design teams in the licensing business and we cannot wait to show the result. On these pages we give a smack preview of some the new artworks and how they can be applied to products.”
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TOTAL BRAND LICENSING
TEMPTING BRANDS
t ROUTE 66 StyleGuide Having a tradition of providing real books to its partners, Tempting Brands will print the new StyleGuide and provide its licensees and licensing representatives worldwide with 2 kg heavy book later this autumn.
The majority of the artworks created for the new ROUTE 66 StyleGuide are digital creations combining authenticity while adding a visual challenge that strives for a sense of adventure and dynamism. By combining filters and editing tools, the designers were able to produce intriguing results suitable for all types of reproductions from colour printing to silkscreen printing. The new StyleGuide will be shown electronically for the first time at this years’ Brand Licensing Europe, and interested potential licensees can make an appointment with the Tempting Brands team that will be present on the show floor.
TOTAL BRAND LICENSING
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GLOBAL TRADEMARK LICENSING
A Pioneering Approach... ...introducing Global Trademark Licensing First established in 2008 in Hong Kong, Global Trademark Licensing Ltd (GTL) has grown to become a leading global licensing agency. As early pioneers in the Chinese market and with deep roots across Asian territories, GTL is at the forefront of licensing for international brands looking to extend reach into these territories and ranks as one of Asia’s top five agencies, as well as being a top 15 licensing agency globally. GTL now has six offices spread across the US, UK, Germany, Singapore, China and the Philippines, with a senior team that brings over 100 years of combined licensing experience across all major categories and a vast array of leading brands. There are now more than 20 GTL staff in total across the company’s local offices, with over 300 active licensees and more than 1200 licensing agreements currently in place. The GTL team prides itself on extensive market knowledge combined with a pro-active, innovative, and creative business development approach that delivers outstanding results for its clients. The company’s focus is on building strong brand awareness and extending brand experiences through strategic and creative brand licensing for its partners. To achieve this, GTL offers six core services – brand representation, manufacturer representation,
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market consultancy, approvals management, royalty auditing, and trademark protection, with the ultimate aim of providing peace of mind for its partners, who trust in the agency to represent their brands and interests like an extension of their own team.
RACING TO BLE WITH LEADING AUTOMOTIVE BRANDS
GTL is heading to Brand Licensing Europe
this November and will showcase its impressive roster featuring many of the world’s most famous automotive brands, including the London Electric Vehicle Company (LEVC), Lotus Cars, McLaren Racing, McLaren Automotive, Scania, Mercedes-Benz, Pagani, Jaguar Cars and Land Rover.
McLaren
GTL is proud to represent both the luxury supercar Automotive and Racing divisions of McLaren. McLaren Racing has one single mission: to win Grands Prix and World Championships. To design, build and operate a Formula 1 car at race-winning levels requires focus, ambition, imagination, dedication, and microscopic attention to detail. McLaren’s successful racing heritage has been driven by a relentless desire to innovate and this is reflected in their licensing programme. GTL’s partnership with McLaren Automotive has seen the agency help create a benchmark licensing portfolio across all major toys and collectible categories. These include ride on vehicles, radio control cars, replica models as well as a kids’ mobility range featuring scooters and balance bikes. GTL has worked with McLaren and its licens-
TOTAL BRAND LICENSING
GLOBAL TRADEMARK LICENSING tus proves the value of achieving performance through light weight. As Lotus moves forward with an exciting new strategy, GTL is supporting the company with an extensive licensing programme, working with top-class partners across the toys, collectibles and interactive categories along with a focus on lifestyle categories.
Scania
ees to ensure the programme is supported with extensive marketing and PR. Activations included stunts with Formula 1 drivers and a debut of ride on vehicles at McLaren’s stand at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Additionally, to support McLaren’s fifth anniversary of the iconic McLaren P1TM, GTL successfully supported the brand with the launch of the very first kids’ mobility range of ride on vehicles. GTL is currently focused on expanding the toys and collectibles programme further.
Scania is a world leading provider of transport solutions and, together with its partners and customers, is driving the shift towards a sustainable transport system. In 2019 alone, 91,700 trucks, 7,800 buses as well as 10,200 industrial and marine engines were delivered to customers. GTL began representing Scania
LEVC
GTL represents LEVC, which produces the iconic London taxi, on a worldwide basis and is developing a cross-category global consumer products programme with an initial focus on toys, apparel, homewares, and gifting. LEVC’s history began in 1908 when they launched their first dedicated black cab specially designed and commissioned for use in London. With its unmistakable silhouette and classic design cues, this iconic British vehicle has defined the company for over a century. In 2018, LEVC introduced its latest taxi model, the electric TX, which is the world’s cleanest, most advanced taxi ever, powered by LEVC’s revolutionary eCity technology.
Lotus
By remaining true to the ethos of founder Colin Chapman, Lotus stands alone as a brand dedicated to pure drivers’ cars. Innovative engineering, cutting-edge technologies and advanced materials ensure that every LoTOTAL BRAND LICENSING
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GLOBAL TRADEMARK LICENSING
GTL has been representing Jaguar and Land Rover in the toys, collectibles, and interactive categories since 2015 and has helped grow their brand licensing programme to be amongst the leading in the automotive sector. Highlights over the years include the launch and joint press conference of the Lego Land Rover Defender at the Frankfurt Motor show, alongside the launch of the vehicle itself. GTL is actively seeking new partners in the toys, collectibles and interactive categories to add to the existing business.
Crossfire
earlier this year and, although the partnership is still in its infancy, there is already an incredible story to tell with many new licensees on board, including some of the largest players in the industry, alongside several new projects in the pipeline that will be revealed in the coming six-18 months. For Scania, GTL is focused on seeking licensees across all major toys, collectibles, and lifestyle categories with a particular focus on kids’ mobility
Mercedes-Benz
GTL is proud to have represented Mercedes-Benz for over 10 years in the toys and collectibles categories with a major focus on trademark protection in China, as well as growing the licensing programme in the US and Asian markets.
Jaguar has pushed the boundaries of what is possible. The current line-up of seven cars and SUVs includes the luxurious XJ, which celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2018, alongside the Jaguar I-Pace the ultimate all-electric SUV. In 1970, Land Rover released the first production three-door Range Rover. Met with widespread critical acclaim, it was the first vehicle to deliver permanent Four-Wheel Drive. Today, the family of Land Rover extends to seven vehicles, from the ultimate luxury of the Range Rover to the adventurous Land Rover Defender.
GTL will also bring a new addition to its growing and diversifying portfolio to BLE, CrossFire – a first-person shooter game that is now one of the world’s most renowned computer gaming titles. CrossFire has become one of the highest grossing online titles in China and currently boasts 670M active users across 80 countries. On behalf of the game’s developer and IP owner, Smilegate Entertainment, GTL is now seeking partnerships for the hugely successful property across all categories, including apparel & accessories, toys, collectibles, food & beverage, health, beauty & personal care, computer gaming electronics, publishing, promotions & partnerships, experiential and more.
Pagani
Founded in 1998 by Horacio Pagani, who Top Gear described as the “de Vinci of car builders”, Pagani Automobili SpA is an Italian manufacturer of hypercars. The first of its cars, the Zonda C12, was presented at the 1999 Geneva motor show. GTL is delighted to have represented Pagani for over five years in the toys and collectibles categories and the agency is actively looking for new licensees to add to the growing portfolio.
Jaguar and Land Rover
Since the first Jaguar car was produced in 1935, PAGE 32
TOTAL BRAND LICENSING
HERITAGE While heritage and museum brands have certainly faced difficulties during the pandemic, with temporary closures of not just the institutions themselves but their retail outlets, many have found innovative ways to pivot around the challenges and retain strong core licensing programmes. Coupled with the appeal of longevity and integrity, as well as trust, the demographic of consumers is shifting as well. As Olivia Wiggett, Associate Commercial Manager at The Point.1888, points out, the the future is bright for heritage brands. “Few industries have escaped the effects of the pandemic unscathed but in our highly digitalised world, it would seem the big winners were those that had embraced an online environment and were quick to adapt to change. Many heritage brands were not built for this and struggled during the pandemic but we believe the big opportunity for these brands is now.” She notes that In the current climate, the market is awash with interchangeable brands and organisations behaving badly. By contrast, heritage brands represent entities that
Heritage Brands are Flourishing
English Heritage Audley End
we have long known and trusted. They have earned our loyalty and support over time. This is something that any brand with overnight success simply cannot achieve. “What was admirable to see was how heritage brands took action to stay relevant during that time, either by running major social media campaigns to stay on their audience’s radars or through brand licensed activities,” Olivia continues. “The data shows that consumers most value the brands when they show innovation. Startups and tech companies are consistently innovative but heritage
brands don’t have the same opportunities or tools. This is why, when they do try different approaches and perhaps take a step away from the traditional, they can surprise their fans and have a major impact. “One huge success initiated very promptly in early 2020 by one of our heritage clients, The University of Cambridge, involved the clever adaptation of works of art from the Fitzwilliam Museum to show what social distancing might look like through the ages. Face masks and all. They wowed the nation with a launch of greeting cards, print-on-de-
HERITAGE
The National Gallery
mand, face masks and much more. This was a big inspiration for our agency in planning this year’s licensing ranges.” Other heritage brands, which have outdoor spaces, made the most of these areas when the restrictions were lifted, to welcome back old fans and engage with new. “Not only that, but we believe there is a huge market for heritage brands in the collaboration space. A lot of heritage brands previously have joined forces with various fashion designers, health and beauty business’ and much more,” she concludes. The National Gallery is embracing its thriving international business and extensive distribution network in the UK and around the world. The National Gallery in London is one of the greatest art galleries in the world, housing the nation’s collection of paintings including works by Van Gogh, Monet, Turner and Leonardo da Vinci. Building the brand and reflecting the ethos of the National Gallery is key in all partnerships. All licensees have access to the National Gallery’s unique collection of paintings, including intricate and beautiful details. All images are in exceptional high digital resolution and colour matched. With over 50 licensees across gifting, stationery, homewares and interiors, apparel, art prints, accessories, flowers and book publishing, the NG is always looking for new categories and opportunities to raise awareness of their paintings and extend their reach. It also has a growing global licensing programme in Japan, China, South Korea and South America as well as other parts of the world and a successful Delicious Art™ food and beverage sub-brand. PAGE 34
The award-winning licensing programme of the V&A (Victoria and Albert Museum, London) offers an almost infinite source of design inspiration for a multitude of product categories. The experienced licensing team provides tailor-made research, supporting licensees through the design process to create beautiful ranges for the contemporary market, authenticated by compelling stories from the V&A’s archives. So far 2021 has seen some fantastic debut launches. After an amazing reaction to 2020 launch with Blinds 2Go in the UK, there were further launches across Europe with Tuiss Netherlands, Sweden and France. The collections of made-to-measure blinds and curtains feature 10 beautiful William Morris patterns and plans are underway to add more territories next year. Sofas & Stuff ’s love of fine art, textiles and interiors has led to the creation of an exclusive new collection of fabrics and furniture. British creativity and craftsmanship abound
in the V&A Brompton Collection, a fabric range which draws inspiration from the museum’s expansive archives and the horticultural history of its site in London. Richard Brendon with a range of exquisite bone China, French brand Olympia Le-Tan who re-imagines artworks and literature, transforming them into coveted clutch bags and accessories, The Royal Mint, with two collectable coins featuring Alice and the Cheshire Cat and Through the Looking Glass, a range of lifestyle and stationery with That Company called IF, and after the success of the first V&A collaboration with USA doormat specialist Entryways, the range has expanded to include Alice in Wonderland themed welcome mats. Fashion and accessories continue to be a very popular category and Autumn has seen two debut launches in China with LEDiN’s and Cocoon. Aardman, the artists behind Shaun the Sheep, and the V&A, have collaborated on an inspired range of children’s clothing for the Italian sportswear label, FILA. Celebrating Art Deco patterns held in the V&A’s vast and diverse archive, the Fila collection brings together the fun, mischievous and creative character of Shaun the Sheep with the bold shapes and colourful look of Art Deco designs. Australian fashion brand Camilla also launched an exclusive V&A range in stores and online and sold exclusively in Matches. com in the UK. The V&A is recognised globally as a powerful endorsement of craftsmanship and excel-
RHS TOTAL BRAND LICENSING
HERITAGE lence in design. With over 90 licensees, the long-established programme shows no signs of stopping and continues to welcome opportunities to broaden its offering and create new collaborations. With a vision of a future in which both people and the planet thrive, the Natural History Museum is uniquely positioned to be a powerful champion for balancing humanity’s needs with those of the natural world. Aligned with the Museum’s bold new strategy, the licensing programme’s mission is to create advocates for the planet and to encourage a love of the natural world through innovative product development. An array of launches throughout 2021 support this vision including their most recent collaboration with Desmond & Dempsey. Printed on GOTS certified organic cotton with corozo buttons (instead of mother of pearl), The Epic Dino Collection pays homage to those extinct, but never forgotten creatures who once roamed the Earth. In their 2nd collaboration with Saint + Sofia, the Museum has launched a capsule collection of pure Italian silk scarves that feature a stunning wildlife print cele-
brating the exquisite beauty of nature. In a continuation of the Tales of the Earth series with The Royal Mint, the Museum’s second coin collection launched in Spring commemorating the remarkable fossil hunter, Mary Anning, whose astonishing discoveries helped to further our understanding of the prehistoric world. This year has seen the Museum’s licensing programme shortlisted in no less than nine categories at the Licensing Awards and B&LLAs, testimony to the creative approach taken to growing the programme and the wonderful campaigns brought to life. While it is certainly reasonable to call the RHS a heritage brand – it has, after all, been around for over 200 years and is the UK’s best-loved gardening charity – the appeal of the RHS brand is more diverse than that term might imply. This year, for example, has seen a strong – and successful – push into children’s products. The Home Grown Children’s Collection produced alongside Dexam, saw the launch of a delightful range of backpacks, drinks bottles and dinnerware – all using environmentally friendly or recycled material.
Working with the RHS, the award-winning George brand has produced a fabulous collection of children’s clothing and accessories for 1-7-year-olds. That collaboration will continue in 2022, as will a programme from Scholastic UK of entertaining, informative and beautifully illustrated RHS activity books for children aged 7-12. Other innovative recent RHS license awards include the RHS & Biscuiteers collection of biscuit tins and biscuit boxes all contain Biscuiteers’ famous hand-iced biscuits. In fact, the treasures of the RHS Lindley Collections of botanical art inform many RHS licensee designs and that was also the
HERITAGE
Historic Royal Palaces
case, to stunning effect, for Annie Sloan and its decoupage papers used for household decoration, along with the summer and autumn collections of contemporary women’s apparel from Oasis. But of course the core strength of the RHS as a leading heritage brand remains within the gardening product category, something that drove continuing sales and deals even in 2020 as millions of people decided, for the first time, to try their hand at gardening. Meanwhile, a new partner, Woodlodge Products, enjoyed an excellent response when it unveiled the designs for its outdoor planter partnership with the RHS at Glee. Historic Royal Palaces and Halcyon Days have created a range inspired by the famous ‘Golden Gates’ at the entrance to Kensington Palace. Crafted from English fine bone china of the highest quality and then finished with 24ct gold gilding, this stunning collection is an exquisite addition to any home. Historic Royal Palaces is the independent charity that cares for the Tower of London, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Hampton Court Palace, Banqueting House, Kensington Palace, Kew Palace and Hillsborough Castle and Gardens. They are also launching this Autumn an exquisite new jewellery collection in collaboration with Clogau Gold inspired by PAGE 36
Queen Victoria’s small diamond crown, and further ranges have been developed, inspired by forthcoming key events and trends for SS22. There is also a new collectible coin and bullion range in partnership with The Royal Mint inspired by the Royal Tudor Beasts at Hampton Court Palace and with 10 different designs launched over a 5-year term. The English Heritage licensing programme is building momentum with a roster of new licensees signing up to work with the Charity that cares for 400 historic sites that receive over 10 Million visitors a year. New licensed product launching next year covers a wide range of categories, from wooden jigsaw puzzles (Wentworth Puzzles) to handmade tinned fudge (Gardiners). In addition, there are advanced plans for a complete range of homewares in development to include furniture, fabrics, wallpaper, outdoor fabrics, tiles, paint, bedding and more. Helen Webster, Golden Goose Account Director, said “We have been very pleased to see the appetite for the English Heritage programme from manufacturers across
multiple categories and sectors. We expect English Heritage licensed products to be a prominent and successful feature of UK retail for many years to come.” Kingston Myles, Head of Commercial for English Heritage said “the work Golden Goose are doing now is building a very strong foundation for the future. The many plans in development will really allow us to showcase, at pace, the Charity’s intellectual property and collection of sites.” Skew has drawn upon its brand expertise, creativity, and design research to produce a portfolio of bespoke designs for the National Trust and its brand licensing collaborations. The original, inspirational designs created by Skew are now available on a range of products, including the interior tile range from Sarsen Stone Group, lighting from Anglepoise and garden tools accessories from Burgon & Ball. Whether elegant tiles or classic, durable garden tools; these collaborations have many benefits for the conservation charity, including reaching new audiences and generating important new income, which supports the work they do. The guides provide a framework for further collaborations and product ranges, unlocking untapped stories, and bringing to life important themes and messages. With new products and a wider number of partners and licensees, the National Trust can reach new audiences, securing further sources of revenue to continue their conservation work. National Trust
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The Jewel in the Crown Jewel Branding & Licensing (JBL) represents a renowned portfolio of Heritage brands experiencing rapid growth and recognition throughout Europe
New York Botanical Gardens (NYBG) is the United States’ largest botanical garden and national landmark that is focused on conservation, plant research and education. The brand draws inspiration from an archive
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of designs that date back to the 12th century. Luxury online wall décor purveyor and UKbased Surface View, recently refreshed their stunning New York Botanical Garden collection of wall murals, art prints, tiles, shades, and other curated wall and home décor items. The collection showcases botanical and architectural gems from NYBG’s historic archives. A recent collaboration with Tea Forté has resulted in multiple collections that brings forth an elegant assortment of teas. Tea Forté was granted exclusive access to the LuEsther T. Mertz Rare Book & Folio Room of NYBG’s library to hand select each of the unique floral prints that define this floral aesthetic. Caspari is a long-standing partner for NYBG with a stunning range of paper napkins, tableware, gift wrap and stationery. They masterfully create intricate designs that are derived from NYBG’s extensive archives. Their newest collection includes art from the Pith flowers album by Maria E. Halsted in the year 1853 and will be introduced for Spring 2022. NYBG has expanded into Europe in a variety of new product categories including bath products and fragrances with Caswell-Massey and stationary and gift from Clarkson Potter. Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation (FLWF) preserves and celebrates the legacy of America’s most renowned architect and visionary. Through licensing, Wright’s work and ideas are brought to life for the next generation of design enthusiasts around the world. Several new high-profile partnerships will be announced later this year in a range of home furnishing categories, with licensing revenues going to support the Foundation’s important work in preservation and education of Wright’s architectural and cultural legacy for a worldwide audience. FLWF and Jewel have partnered with UK-based licensing agent BlueSkye Licensing to expand the Frank Lloyd Wright brand’s presence and influence in the EU and UK.
Collier Campbell - This London based design house found fame in 1971 when the French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent used designs by Collier Campbell as the inspiration for his first ever ready-to-wear collection. Collier Campbell went on to collaborate with many of the world’s top designers, retailers and manufacturers including Liberty, Jaeger and Conran in the UK and Martex, Westpoint and Springs in the USA. Their designs have won many awards and can be found in several museum collections featuring the best of modern design including the V&A Museum, London and the Cooper Hewitt Museum in New York. Through licensing, the brand has extended into home and gift categories throughout the UK and North America. Jewel is seeking licensees in tabletop, bedding, bath, apparel, fashion accessories and more.
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From Artefacts to Merchandise and beyond ARTiSTORY’s business model is taking the art and cultural licensing world by storm With its unique “Artefacts to Merchandise” business model, art and cultural IP licensing specialist, ARTiSTORY, has taken the licensing world by storm this year. Founded in January 2021 by licensing trailblazers Natasha Dyson and Yizan He, the company has expanded rapidly, with five new world-class museum clients on board, a global creative team and offices in London, Barcelona, Shanghai, Singapore, Beijing and Boston. Supported with IP investment from Sinofaith IP Investment Company (SIPIC) – an investment arm focused on art and cultural IP - ARTiSTORY is set to bring world-class museum collections to the global licensing marketplace. ARTiSTORY’s list of prestigious cultural partners now includes the Brooklyn Museum, New York, the National Gallery, London; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; the National Palace Museum, Taipei; and Dunhuang, China. With multi-year master licensee rights, this gives ARTiSTORY, and its licensees and retailers, access to a diverse selection of artefacts and artworks such as ancient Greek potteries, Renaissance masterpieces, Japanese woodblock prints and modern art. “A key appeal to brands and retailers is the storytelling ingredients that art and cultural IP provides” says Yizan He, Co-Founder of ARTiSTORY and General Partner of SIPIC. “The global pandemic has sped up the digitalisation of the museum and cultural sector
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and this digital shift is changing the way that younger demographics engage with art and culture. At ARTiSTORY, in addition to developing hundreds of licensed products and operating online stores (see image below), we are offering high quality digital and sharable content which is opening up the cultural world to entirely new audiences.” ARTiSTORY is well-placed to deliver the rapid increase in demand for art and cultural IP. Its global research and design team has created on-trend art and cultural themes with design assets. Licensed products are
inspired by the world’s great artists and art movements, including Renaissance masterpieces, the woodblock prints of Hokusai; the exquisite brushwork of Chinese landscapes; impressionist paintings by Monet and Degas; Mucha’s beautiful Art Nouveau illustrations; the vibrant modernist artists of the Jazz Age; and designs reflecting the breathtaking artwork of the Mogao Caves on the Silk Road. This autumn ARTiSTORY launched its first annual art and cultural themes to a global audience: Let’s Play, Botanical Affairs, Dunhuang: Ode to Glamour, and Gathering of the Greats. Each theme contains episodes featuring illustrations, prints and patterns supported by editorials and content such as
interactive shop windows, pop-up stores for global retailers and consumer brands to tap into. “We see digital marketing tools such as virtual tours and live streaming as an integral component of future licensing programmes.” says ARTiSTORY Co-Founder Natasha Dyson. “ARTiSTORY’s business model helps brands and retailers drive down the cost of customer acquisition, reach out to younger audiences and engage loyal customers.” ARTiSTORY started to manage the Dunhuang online TMall store in August 2021 on behalf of our IP partner - Dunhuang. We revamped the store design with emphasis on storytelling, and we shared with our audience the design inspiration of each licensed product. The daily revenue doubled during the first ten days, and we are on target to achieve CNY 6 Million in the first year. ARTiSTORY’s IP Partners The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston The global collection held by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, ranges from ancient to contemporary, encompassing 500,000 Egyptian, Greek and Roman masterpieces, renowned works of art from the Americas, Asia, Europe and Africa, and significant holdings of photography, prints and drawings, textiles, fashion, and musical instruments. Hokusai, Kandinsky, Mondrian, Mucha, Gauguin, Monet and Cézanne’s masterpieces will be some of the sources of design inspiration for ARTiSTORY’s annually refreshed creatives. Debra LaKind, Senior Director, Intellectual Property and Business Development at the MFA comments, “At the MFA, we believe in the power of art to bring people together and foster cross-cultural understanding. PAGE 39
Heritage & Museum ARTiSTORY is uniquely positioned to help expand the MFA’s global presence in creative and engaging ways through storytelling and merchandise, bringing art into the everyday life of the consumer. We are thrilled to be working with the team at ARTiSTORY.” Dunhuang ARTiSTORY’s partnership with Dunhuang is one of the first of its kind to license Chinese cultural IP to global retailers and consumer brands outside China. The city of Dunhuang sits at a unique position along the historical Silk Road. As an essential resting point for travellers passing between East and West one thousand years ago, this gathering of diverse people and cultures led to great cultural legacies such as the world-famous stucco sculptures and murals of the Mogao Caves. “Dunhuang culture is so profound that it requires our lifelong time to research and pass it on to our future generations.” said Sun Xiaoqiang, Chairman of Dunhuang Culture & Tourism Group. “The Group, together with ARTiSTORY, will bring refreshed narratives of Dunhuang culture to a broader range of industries, blooming more brilliant light.” The Brooklyn Museum With global rights, ARTiSTORY will license designs inspired by the Brooklyn Museum’s 1.5 million works of art, craft, design and artefacts, to bring the likes of John Singer Sargent, Utagawa Hiroshige, William Morris, Charles Sheeler, Berthe Morisot and Mary Cassatt to the market. Sharon Matt Atkins, Deputy Director for Art at The Brooklyn Museum comments, “We are excited to collaborate with ARTiSTORY and to share our collection with a
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global community. We have been impressed with ARTiSTORY’s commitment to creating dynamic opportunities to engage with art and its histories. Moving beyond traditional licensing programs, ARTiSTORY appealed to us as a partner of choice due to their dedication to providing art historical background and context on source images while also developing new and innovative ways to use art to inspire new audiences.” The National Gallery ARTiSTORY’s first UK partner, the National Gallery, is home to more than 2,600 of the world’s most renowned paintings from the late 13th to the early 20th century, ranging from renaissance to impressionism, to rococo and romanticism, and come with a wealth of stories to share with licensees. For ARTiSTORY’s original design assets, inspiration will derive from masterpieces by artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo,
Cézanne, Gentileschi, and Van Gogh. Judith Mather, Buying and Brand Licensing Director at the National Gallery comments “We are very excited about working with ARTiSTORY to further grow our global licensing programme with new merchandise, immersive experiences and inspiring product stories.” The National Palace Museum The National Palace Museum in Taiwan, owns, preserves and displays nearly 700,000 artefacts from imperial collections of different dynasties. The collections, spanning 8,000 years, feature beautiful ceramics, paintings, fashion and more, and this cultural heritage will be brought to a global audience through ARTiSTORY’s ‘East meets West’ inspired ranges. “We very much look forward to working with ARTiSTORY to expand our brand awareness in the Euro-American market and introducing the beauty and depth of the National Palace Museum’s rich collection to the Western world.” Wang Yao-Feng, Deputy Director of Marketing, National Palace Museum “It’s been a busy and exciting year for ARTiSTORY.” says Co-Founder Natasha Dyson. “We’ve partnered with five extraordinary museums, expanded our international sales teams and launched our first creatives. We now look forward to working with licensees to build a truly global art and cultural licensing programme.” Licensees are invited to visit ARTiSTORY at BLE, stand B219, or contact natasha@artistorybrands.net TOTAL BRAND LICENSING
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Flying High with the Science Museum Despite the closure of all the Science Museum Group’s sites for many months, the licensing programme of all three of the Group’s core brands has been strong. New signings for the Science Museum brand include apparel, toiletries and collectibles. The museum has partnered with Poetic Brands for apparel, with first ranges launching end of this year. Kokomo will be producing some space-themed toiletries and toiletry sets, including bath time experiments and galaxy-themed designs. These are planned to launch in a/w 22. Long-standing partner Clementoni is re-
leasing a fantastic new range of puzzles and games for kids and adults. The puzzles feature images of space as well as objects and people related to the museum, including Helen Sharman’s space suit, the Mallard locomotive and Amy Johnson’s aeroplane Jason I in which she became the first woman to fly solo from London to Australia in 1930. Clementoni are also releasing a new line in the ever-popular Mechanics range: Mechanics Junior. These building sets, aimed at a slightly younger audience than the core mechanics range, allow children 6+ to construct sea creatures, insects and dinosaurs. Some of these come with a simple motor and can move! Great Gizmos have expanded their ranges to include craft kits and a fantastic astronaut backpack and glow in the dark stars and planets, while licensee Root 7 will add to their ecological homewares range with reusable coffee cups and food pots. New retailers stocking Science Museum product for 2021 include Next and Currys PC World, in addition to key accounts such as Tesco and The Entertainer. TOTAL BRAND LICENSING
Science Museum has also created new artwork based on vintage robot imagery from the 1950s. Based on posters for children’s toys, this artwork will feature new interpretations of these very retro posters, with bright colours, thematic icons, slogans and patterns. The posters can also be used as-is for older age targets. Flying Scotsman 2023 sees the centenary of the world’s most famous locomotive, the Flying Scotsman. A beacon of modern achievement, Flying Scotsman epitomises the Golden Age of British ingenuity, invention and craftmanship. The locomotive and its iconic route from London to Edinburgh through beautiful British countryside, be it moor, rolling hills, farms, country towns and villages represents the pinnacle and romance of the age of steam. The Flying Scotsman service from London to Edinburgh has existed since 1862 and our Flying Scotsman was named after this service. Designed by Sir Nigel Gresley and built in Doncaster in 1923, Flying Scotsman got her name and number for the British Exhibition in 1924. Flying Scotsman went on to become the most iconic and famous locomotive in the world. Officially retiring from service in 1963, Flying Scotsman was privately bought and run in the UK as well as visiting the USA and Australia. Eventually purchased by the National Railway Museum in recognition of
its national importance, Flying Scotsman underwent a compete restoration and returned to the tracks in 2016. This lifestyle brand takes its values and strengths from the Flying Scotsman travel experience. The luxury elements of the brand focus on Art Deco designs and 1920s-50s glamour and elegant living. Inspired by the world of luxury and romance, the brand brings the grace if a bygone era to today’s modern world. It is fitting then that the Science Museum Group are celebrating this icon’s centenary in style throughout 2023. Plans are currently being finalised for a whole host of actives, events and launches. A re-vamped style guide is available now, featuring new centenary packaging, a centenary stamp, new posters, graphics and photography. Classic elements such as tickets, postcards, menus from the service and engineering drawings also feature. New partners have already been signed, including three for the collectibles category. New products will including Bill the Flying Scotsman Bear from Steiff. Key brand partner Hornby are on board of course, looking to continue the extremely successful partnership with the National Railway Museum on its range of models. With further announcements of new activities planned for the centenary year and beyond, Science Museum Group are looking to translate a successful 2023 into a long-lasting legacy for the brand.
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LMI
A Wealth of Brands with LMI LMI are pleased to be exhibiting physically and virtually at this year’s BLE, showcasing some of their top brands Highclere Castle - famously recognisable as the location for Downton Abbey, Highclere sees its licensing programme expanding with Hangzhou Kanghou launching a luxurious range of quilts and pillows under brand name Sidanda in China. British Motor Heritage established in 1975 represent a selection of classic car marques including Austin, Austin-Healey, MG, Morris, Rover & Wolseley, that have been and still are part of British motoring history. Recently licensed categories include apparel, gifts, e-bikes and e-scooters. BSA is “The bestselling motorcycle in the world” - the UK licensing programme is spearheaded by Poetic Brands using heritage artwork from the golden years of BSA which
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has a timeless appeal. New product categories include watches, leather jackets and figurines. A new range of BSA motorcycles designed in the UK and produced by Mahindra group is to be launched this December at the NEC motorcycle show. ISA International Space Archives’ licensing programme now has over 60 international licensees building on the awareness of space travel and Mars exploration. LMI will be featuring imagery and mission patches from global space programmes including but not limited to NASA. The Day Henry Met has had an exciting year, firstly landing a 3-year deal with ITV and secondly a children’s apparel and accessories range in development with the team at Poetic Brands. Like the
concept, the style is very simple and straight forward. It’s based on simple children’s drawings, finished in water colours. The illustrations are purposefully crude to add charm and character and the colour palette is colourful and bold. The organic way this dream became a reality for the creators only add to its charm. ACER enjoys strong brand recognition globally and is a new addition to the LMI portfolio. ACER and the associated brands available for licensing include AOPEN, Emachines, Gateway, Packard Bell and Predator. Other properties in the LMI portfolio include 12 Guardians, Acer, Dobble, Elvisly Yours, Hobgoblin, PGA of America Schönbrunn Place, Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, Tarzan and Zorro.
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Brand Licensing Europe is back! For the first time in two years, the industry will gather together at ExCel in London for Brand Licensing Europe. Excitement is clearly building. Total Brand Licensing talked to organiser Anna Knight to find out more.
How excited are you that after two long years the industry can finally get together? It’s really hard to put into words, but we genuinely can’t wait to get onsite at ExCeL and back to reconnecting the industry in person for BLE. This is what we do, this is our purpose – bringing the industry together – and it’s going to be a brilliant three days. Licensing is a very sociable industry. We’ve had some great virtual events over the last 18 months. What do you see as the key benefits of a live event? It really is, and it’s one the reasons we love it so much. Licensing is such an authentic community and it’s been an honour to be able to
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keep people connected online over the last 18 months through B&LIS, Festival of Licensing and Licensing Expo Virtual. But we also know that people are desperate to get back face to face meetings, enjoy those impromptu networking chats on the way for a coffee and share a beer at our after-show drinks. Online meetings and events have been a Godsend for all of us, but they will never fully replace face to face in the long term. Moving forwards, do you see live events running alongside virtual ones? Absolutely, virtual events are brilliant at attracting new and more geographically diverse audiences as well as making it possible for those who can’t travel – for whatever reason – to still attend. Let’s not forget that BLE this year is hybrid with a two-day event following on 30 November and 1 December. Despite the UK simplifying its travel system, we know that not everyone will be able to attend ExCeL, yet they will still have the same business requirements, and this is why we will have an online offering and why we have moved the majority of educational content online. You’ve managed to attract a lot of exhibitors. Bearing in mind the virus is still circulating, did you expect the show to be the size it is? No face-to-face events can expect to return to pre-pandemic volumes this year, especially those with international attendees. We’re thrilled that four weeks out we have 175 companies exhibiting across BLE in-person and virtual big and small, across all three categories (character and entertainment, brands and lifestyle, and art, design and image) and from 20 countries.
theme. It will be packed with innovation when it comes to sustainable technology, processes, materials, retail, product and fashion design. We have two in person keynotes. On Wednesday 17th at 4pm we will be hosting a Team GB panel session featuring two British Olympic gold medallists, including BMX Freestyler Charlotte Worthington who’ll be appearing in-person on stage next to Tim Ellerton and Will Stewart. The second takes place at 1pm on Thursday 18th November and is a super insightful session from ViacomCBS Consumer Products discussing insights from its Diversity & Inclusion efforts with a specific focus on its recent toy research. This keynote will follow a presentation from Black Lives Matter Licensing UK. And we’ve locked in our social events. Teams BLE and Licensing International are inviting everyone to join us for after hour drinks on the show floor from 5pm-7pm on day one at one of our three bars: the Crunchyroll Bar, BLE Bar and Motul Lifestyle Bar. On Thursday, we will be hosting exhibitor drinks at the Novotel. And finally, excitement is definitely building for the show, and everybody seems to be talking about it. What would you say to reassure those who are still hesitant about visiting? From a content point of view, I would say don’t hesitate for one second longer - your visit will absolutely be worth it. And if you register you can start requesting meetings through our online platform for both BLE in person and virtual to manage your diary and time at the show.
What will be different/new for BLE this year? What are the highlights that visitors and exhibitors can look forward to? Our main feature this year is our Sustainability Activation in partnership with Products of Change, which ties into our What’s Next
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Launched in Jan 2021 by a team of pioneers in IP licensing, ARTiSTORY is a specialist focusing on art and cultural IP licensing with unique capabilities of transforming “Artefacts to Merchandise” and storytelling via digital content empowered by teams in London, Barcelona, Boston, Shanghai, Beijing and Singapore. Apart from Dunhuang Inspiration, ARTiSTORY has recently announced global licensing partnership with Brooklyn Museum. As a Master Licensee, ARTiSTORY will license designs created from the Brooklyn Museum’s internationally-renowned collection of 1.5 million works of art, craft, design and artefacts, both for the China market and the global market. In addition, ARTiSTORY is partnering with The National Gallery, London, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and Taipei’s Palace Museum for global licensing programs outside China. ARTiSTORY is also supported by Sinofaith IP Investment Company (SIPIC) – an entity focusing on art and cultural IP investment and protection, which helps ARTiSTORY build a truly comprehensive eco-system of art and cultural IP. Brandgenuity had an exciting year, continuing to service clients from the London and Munich office, and building licensing programs for new clients and brands. MINI, ranked among the top 100 most valuable global brands 5 years in a row, promises
to spark individuality to uplift people’s lives with a minimized footprint and maximized experience. Brandgenuity will seek sophisticated partnerships for MINI in lifestyle and mobility categories for adults and kids. Southern Comfort: Southern Comfort is a versatile dark spirit; liqueur with whiskey flavouring that’s full of laid-back soul and best enjoyed with friends. Fun, unpretentious, straight-forward and always a good time. Now, Brandgenuity will extend Southern Comfort into food and lifestyle extensions as well as brand collaborations. Fireball: Fireball Ignites the Nite with snarky, authentic wit and one-of-a-kind flavour. It’s bold, hot, energetic and a true party catalyst and Brandgenuity will build the Fireball licensing program in collaborations, lifestyle and food and beverage categories.
Kahlua is the #1 coffee liqueur in the world, made with 100% arabica coffee beans sourced from Mexico. Fuelling Kahlua’s double-digit growth is the explosion of coffee culture globally, with 2 billion cups of coffee consumed daily due to double by 2050. Now, Brandgenuity will extend Kahlua beyond spirits and into food and beverage categories for consumers who love coffee, coffee cocktails, coffee culture and more. Brandgenuity continues to grow licensing programs for existing clients. The agency continues to elevate the BMW licensing program with fashion and luxury goods, including watches, eyewear and apparel with global partners Fossil, Marcolin and PUMA respectively. The NFLPA licensing program has expanded into new retailers in the UK and Germany and EA has had their most successful year with the Madden franchise. The Hawaiian Tropic body mists continue to offer innovative new fragrances and formulations. The first products for Unilever hit the shelves of Zara during the summer months to provide consumers with fun-filled, Unilever ice cream inspired apparel. Finally, Ed Stafford experiential kids summer camps were a huge success post lockdown, and forest smock jackets have recently launched providing adventures with the shield they need against the elements when embarking on camping trips and country walks. CAA-GBG is a joint venture with leading entertainment and sports agency, Creative Artists Agency (CAA) and Global Brands Group (GBG) as one of the world’s leading
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branding, apparel, footwear, fashion accessories and lifestyle product companies. They create impactful strategies that enhance brand equity and provide growth opportunities for their partners. Carbon 12011 Licensing, exclusive agency for Renault’s group brands will surf on the new wave of mobilities to expand its product segment in consumer goods, including luggage, video games, and textile. Renault’s famous R5 model that has marked generations is celebrating its 50 years. But this will not be its last birthday. Indeed, a brand-new model with new design, new colors will be released in upcoming years. There has never been a better moment to exploit the brand for a variety of projects such as diecast, video games and textile materials. Moreover, Renault have enacted a strategic plan for the future where renovation plays a key role in the brand upturn. Hence, new car models will be developed, and emblematic models will reborn. Carbon 12011 Licensing acting as exclusive agency for Renaults Brands will serve as the bridge between Renault and the licensing world to make these projects come alive. The victory of Alpine F1 Team at Hungarian grand prix in August 2021 marks the beginning of a new era and Carbon 12011 Licensing pride themselves on representing this brand and are looking forward to sharing information about this upcoming Alpine F1 Team. In addition, they are looking forward to showcasing their new collection of Kulte 4L t-shirts and sweaters born from their new partnership. Chefclub, the family cooking brand, was born in Paris in 2016 which has rapidly expanded in Europe, the United States, Latin America and China through the distribution of high-quality content. Chefclub’s unique positioning between cooking and entertainment resonates far beyond the sphere of cooking enthusiasts: with over 2 billion organic views each month and 100 million followers worldwide, Chefclub is the world’s fastest growing brand on social networks. Chefclub and Carrefour have created the PAGE 46
Manger mieux au rythme des saisons boxed set to teach children how to cook key fruits and vegetables from each season. On the menu is an interactive book with 20 fun recipes and their zero-waste tips. Each recipe is easy to cook with 6 measuring cups included, while following the videos of chefs creating the recipe. “Bringing everyone together in the kitchen” is the challenge taken up by Chefclub, the most popular digital cooking brand on social networks. The recipe for success: spectacular videos, and for the little ones, the immersive Chefclub Kids universe, created to make you want to cook and enjoy yourself as a family! Thanks to entertaining recipes, zany and endearing characters, and utensils adapted to little cooks (such as measuring cups that avoid the hassle of weighing ingredients), cooking becomes the new playtime, a special moment of sharing at the stove and around the table. Cooking is no longer a chore, meals made from scratch are the first step to eating better, one meal at a time! This new initiative is part of Carrefour’s Act for Food program, which proposes concrete actions to enable everyone to eat better. This is illustrated, for example, by the removal of controversial substances from its own-brand products, the promotion of local and seasonal products, and the support of producers in converting to organic farming. Dependable Solutions (DSI) is a firm believer in bringing the licensing community closer together and building long lasting
partnerships. Team DSI is returning to Brand Licensing Europe (BLE) to connect, learn and do business on an international stage. In addition to attending the physical event, DS will also participate in the online event on 30 November -1 December. After enjoying huge success at digital gatherings such as Licensing Week Virtual, Festival of Licensing, and recently Licensing Expo Virtual, the team at Dependable Solutions is excited to meet with colleagues and clients in person again at this year’s BLE, one of the most important and valuable European tradeshows. The Dependable Solutions teams are very excited to showcase their services and meet with old and new industry professionals throughout the three-day event. They are planning to utilize this opportunity to meet with colleagues, hear some impressive speakers, and explore opportunities with new partners. Dependable Solutions welcomes every attendee to visit their booth D183, on 17-19 November. Today’s licensing businesses need more analytics and better business intelligence. Wisdom and understanding come through knowledge about your business. DSI has been successful at evolving and improving brand industry knowledge with the leading automation software for brand owners, licensing agents, and licensees. DSI has offices in the USA (Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey, Arizona, Georgia, California, and Texas) UK, Canada, and Asia (China & Bangladesh) supporting 65+ clients across 10 countries. TOTAL BRAND LICENSING
BRAND LICENSING EUROPE followers across social media; and The Tusk Trust, a conservation charity that has Royal Patronage from HRH the Duke of Cambridge. Golden Goose also report that the burgeoning Original Stormtrooper licensing programme that, thanks to a fantastic new styleguide is expanding internationally with the appointment of partner agencies in Australia and South Korea. In addition, Del Monte have recently launched a range of frozen fruit in Iceland and more developments in the pipeline and Mother & Baby will be adding to their successful mattress collection. Finally, Golden Goose will be unveiling their new licensing administration system, BrandXL for the first time at BLE 2021. This new, flexible, easy to use system will give smaller licensors and agencies to affordable cloud-based approvals and contract management.
A long-time exhibitor, Dorna Sports is an international Sports Management company and is the exclusive commercial and media rights holder for the FIM Road racing World Championship Grand Prix known as “MotoGP”. The racing is a superb spectacle, featuring technologically advanced, highspeed machinery from the world’s leading motorcycle manufacturers and international riders
Benz, Pagani Automobili and Scania. Golden Goose will be exhibiting for the first time with three new properties. English Heritage presents an exciting opportunity for licensees to join a new licensing programme with plenty of potential for a brand that has been a star of lockdown; Twisted Food is an award-winning social media brand with 35M
In a challenging and ever evolving retail landscape, it’s becoming increasingly critical for brand operators to partner with licensors offering much more than simply IP. Iconix Europe, the European arm of one of the world’s premier brand management companies Iconix Brand Group, operates an owned portfolio of 24 brands across Sports, Fast Fashion, Streetwear, Heritage and Home, including global brands such as Starter, Ed Hardy, Ocean Pacific, Ecko Unltd. and Zoo
First established in 2008 in Hong Kong, Global Trademark Licensing Ltd (GTL) has grown to become a leading global licensing agency with seven offices located in the US, UK, Germany, Singapore, Hong Kong, China and the Philippines. As early pioneers in the Chinese market and with deep roots across Asian territories, GTL now ranks as one of Asia’s top five agencies, as well as being a top 15 licensing agency globally. GTL’s team of experts brings over 100 years of combined licensing experience across all major categories and a vast array of leading brands. Properties include CrossFire, Lotus, Jaguar Land Rover, London Taxi, Lotus, McLaren Automotive, McLaren Racing, Mercedes
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around the brand and extend the illustrations to a range of products covering greetings, homewares, stationery, gifts and more.
York and specializes in providing value-added services including the provision of heritage graphic archives, creative direction, global networked multi-category sourcing, halo creation via global and local collaborations as well as retailer networking and distribution support. A key highlight from 2021 is the repositioning and relaunch of the Ed Hardy brand. Following early sell-out collaboration SMUs at Topshop and Selfridges followed by the launch of an extensive range of Women’s and Menswear, Iconix are excited to announce the presence of the brand at Urban Outfitters as well as the launch of a complete range of Childrenswear, featuring the original artworks and embodying the brand DNA. This year marks the 50th Anniversary of Starter, the iconic athletic brand established in 1971. To mark the occasion, Starter partnered with Zara, part of the world-renowned high-street trailblazer Inditex Group, to develop and sell a Women’s capsule collection for Spring/Summer 2021. Furthermore, Starter Black Label successfully launched its first footwear offering for 2021, available now at Zalando and top independents. Iconix’s rollout of premium halo collaborations is undertaken to provide its Licensees with additional brand buzz around the portfolio; notable recent partnerships include Budweiser, Coca-Cola, Lil Peep. Finishing the year, they welcome the fantastic Pull&Bear x Starter Autumn/Winter range which again celebrates the brand’s 50th year, with more high profile collabs in the pipeline for 2022. PAGE 48
IWM consists of five museums and historic sites covering war and conflict from the First World War to the present day. The sites are Churchill War Rooms, IWM Duxford, IWM London, IWM North and HMS Belfast. Their sites and unique collection of objects tell the human stories of lives engulfed in war and show how conflict has shaped the world in which we all live. Design studio, Snowtap, has partnered with Licensing Agent, Kirsty Guthrie from KJG Ltd, to create a range of consumer products based around its beautiful, playful designs. Established in 2016 by two university friends, Snowtap is the design studio of graphic designer, Susy Snow, and illustrator, Gracie Tapner. The pair met at the University of Westminster in 2011 while studying for degrees in Illustration and Visual Communication. After graduating, the Founders were both working in the industry, when a catch up over coffee sparked the idea of setting up a studio together. Less than a month later, the pair had launched Snowtap and the initial two greetings card designs had been stocked in their hometown of Newmarket. The company now boasts over 70 card designs. Coupled with witty puns, the cards cover all occasions, with a range of instantly recognisable designs and illustrations created collaboratively using watercolour, line drawing and hand drawn typography. Snowtap is now working with Kirsty Guthrie from KJG Ltd to build a licensing portfolio
Licensing Matters Global (LMG), the boutique licensing agency, is gearing up for the launch of more than one new licensing program at this year’s BLE. The global icon that is KFC kicks off its own multi-territory strategy, bringing the authentic spirit of Colonel Sanders to both food and non-food product categories. LMG will be discussing brand new opportunities for this beloved global brand at the show. LMG will also reveal its recently signed two new pre-school entertainment licenses at BLE. With both properties already in global distribution and capturing the imagination of pre-schoolers around the world, these two licensing programs, unique in their respective positioning and brand values, are certain to make an indelible mark in pre-school product aisles in multiple markets. BLE will also provide the opportunity to build upon the successes already achieved with Peugeot, the 211-year-old, world-famous French brand, in its expansion into carefully selected product categories beyond the automotive sector; and Fruit-tella, the beloved candy brand that will be celebrating it’s 90th anniversary next year. LMG will also be sharing news on the high-tech audio brand, Shure, of the iconic microphones, and Shell, the global leader in energy. On the inbound licensing front, the LMG team will be looking at acquiring properties for their sister company, YuMe Toys, of Harry Potter, Among Us and Baby Shark toy ranges fame. The team is always keen to meet new licensors in the entertainment, sports and gaming spaces at the show. LMI are pleased to be exhibiting physically and virtually at this year’s BLE and will be showcasing a number of brands. ACER enjoys strong brand recognition globally and is a new addition to the LMI portfolio. ACER and the associated brands available for licensing include AOPEN, Emachines, Gateway, Packard Bell and Predator. British Motor Heritage established in 1975 represent a selection of classic car marques inTOTAL BRAND LICENSING
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cluding Austin, Austin-Healey, MG, Morris, Rover & Wolseley, that have been and still are part of British motoring history. Recently licensed categories include apparel, gifts, e-bikes and e-scooters. BSA “The bestselling motorcycle in the world” the UK licensing programme is spearheaded by Poetic Brands using heritage artwork from the golden years of BSA which has a timeless appeal. New product categories include watches, leather jackets and figurines. A new range of BSA motorcycles designed in the UK and produced by Mahindra group is to be launched this December at the NEC motorcycle show. Highclere Castle, famously recognisable as the location for Downton Abbey sees its licensing programme expanding with Hangzhou Kanghou launching a luxurious range of quilts and pillows under brand name Sidanda in China. ISA International Space Archives’ licensing programme now has over 60 international licensees building on the awareness of space travel and Mars exploration. LMI will be featuring imagery and mission patches from global space programmes including but not limited to NASA. Other properties in the LMI portfolio include 12 Guardians, Acer, Dobble, Elvisly Yours, Hobgoblin, PGA of America Schönbrunn Place, Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, Tarzan and Zorro.
Elmer the Patchwork Elephant and Kraft Heinz - Heinz Beanz, Tomato Soup, Tomato Ketchup, Spaghetti, Salad Cream, HP Sauce, Lea & Perrins and Bull’s Eye. MyMediabox is beginning the rollout of an exciting addition to its suite of licensing management software. Mediabox-GD (Global Dashboard) will not only serve as a single point of entry into their licensor client’s Mediabox system(s), but also as an aggregation point for graphically-oriented actionable KPI’s, BI, Trends and other productivity tools to help the user be more efficient and maximize the licensor’s brand performance. The GD graphically-focused interface gives the user seamless access to all their Mediabox DAM, PA, RM, SM modules, saving time and creating a “one-stop-shop” feel. Key Performance Indicators (“KPI”s) and Business Intelligence (“BI”) from each of the licensed Mediabox modules present data in a graphical
form (think, charts, graphs, etc) into various, module-specific widgets that the user can select to display on their semi-customizable dashboard. This simplifies visibility to key data and trends at a glance without having to go to the specific module and search for it in the various software modules when you really just need quick, “at-a-glance” information in order to make faster decisions about what to do next. Launching with a cross-platform selection of widgets already available, MyMediabox will be adding additional widgets and tools based on feedback from its 55,000+ User base over time, that pulls and presents IP/Brand-, Licensee-, Rights-, Contracts-, Financial-, Assets- and User-centric data, into actionable KPI’s, BI, Trends and more. Additionally, the Mediabox-GD will display a user’s calendar, tasks, messages, notifications, and announcements as well as various training and customer support resources, information on upcoming feature road maps or brand new Mediabox software. Rounding the platform out will be industry news and events and so much more. The initial release is targeted towards their client’s Administrator and internal Users, with plans to expand to Licensees in Q4, 2022. The National Gallery is delighted to be exhibiting at Brand Licensing Europe this year. As one of the greatest art galleries in the world, The National Gallery in London houses the nation’s collection of paintings including works by Van Gogh, Monet, Turner and Leonardo da Vinci.
Metrostar is a brand licensing agency, managing properties in the UK and across the World. Their clients include The Jockey Club, TOTAL BRAND LICENSING
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The National Gallery Company is the commercial company of the National Gallery. Their purpose is to generate income for the Gallery, enhance the visitor experience and reach markets beyond the Gallery, so that future generations are able to enjoy the paintings as we do today. Every licensing deal supports the National Gallery. The company is proud of its thriving international licensing business and extensive distribution network in the UK and around the world. Building the brand and reflecting the ethos of the National Gallery is key in all their partnerships. They like to partner with Licensees to create the best possible products and experiences, showcasing images of some of the best-loved paintings ever created. All licensees have access to the National Gallery’s unique collection of paintings, including intricate and beautiful details. All images are in exceptional high digital resolution and colour matched. The National Gallery has over 50 licensees across gifting, stationery, homewares and interiors, apparel, art prints, accessories, flowers and book publishing, and they are always looking for new categories and opportunities to raise awareness of their paintings and extend their reach. They also have a growing global licensing programme in Japan, China, South Korea and South America as well as other parts of the world and a successful Delicious Art food and beverage sub-brand.
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With a vision of a future in which both people and the planet thrive, the Natural History Museum is uniquely positioned to be a powerful champion for balancing humanity’s needs with those of the natural world. Aligned with the Museum’s bold new strategy, the licensing programme’s mission is to create advocates for the planet and to encourage a love of the natural world through innovative product development. An array of launches throughout 2021 support this vision including their most recent collaboration with Desmond & Dempsey. Printed on GOTS certified organic cotton with corozo buttons (instead of mother of pearl), The Epic Dino Collection pays homage to those extinct, but never forgotten creatures who once roamed the Earth. In their 2nd collaboration with Saint + Sofia, the Museum has launched a capsule collection of pure Italian silk scarves that feature a stunning wildlife print celebrating the exquisite beauty of nature. In a continuation of the Tales of the Earth series with The Royal Mint, the Museum’s second coin collection launched in Spring commemorating the remarkable fossil hunter, Mary Anning, whose astonishing discoveries helped to further our understanding of the prehistoric world. This year has seen the Museum’s licensing programme shortlisted in no less than nine categories at the Licensing Awards and B&LLAs, testimony to the creative approach taken to growing the programme and the wonderful campaigns brought to life. In addition, there are many
more collections in the pipeline with a significant collaboration launching in Spring 2022 that sees the heritage brand explore exciting new product categories. As you might expect from a growing programme, new style guides have been delivered throughout the year with a strong focus on dinosaurs (new illustrations and accompanying trend pack) and a wonderful new trend guide that shines a light on sustainability, encouraging planetary heroes of all ages to care for our planet. The team are keen to meet with new partners to discuss the exciting activities planned at the Museum and to explore how together they can work to build on their success. Founded in 1899 by René Dufaure de Montmirail, the football club Olympique de Marseille holds one of the finest histories of achievement in French Football. Supported by its fans, the club has succeeded in writing its history and achieve numerous conquests: 11 French League titles, 10 French Cups, 3 League Cups and 1 Champions League trophy - won on 26 May, 1993, in Munich over AC Milan. Olympique de Marseille is the most popular football team in France with a community of 15.5M of people. OM is more than football, it is a spirit, a popular brand. By promoting values such as diversity, sharing and commitment, Olympique de Marseille is a club that involves communities – regardless of age, gender, TOTAL BRAND LICENSING
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of 20 sub-licensees covering over 400 points of sales in Europe, mainly in France and Germany. For the first time, Roadsign will exhibit at BLE with the aim of raising brand awareness, creating synergy and new point of sales for our existing partners and securing new licensing opportunities in Europe, Americas and Asia.
origin or religion. The team and its mythical stadium – Orange Velodrome – are indisputably at the heart of the city of Marseille. A unique relationship is created between the club and its city, which vibrates at each event of Olympique de Marseille. By respecting history and passion, the club want to create the future involving all our community in the OM brand. Owned by Frank McCourt – an American benefactor engaged in Olympique de Marseille with a notable portfolio in sports and real estate – Olympique de Marseille has great ambitions for the coming seasons. An ambition that is not only reflected in the field particularly with the return to the European scene but also outside the field with the development of the OM brand. The club hopes to integrate all their supporters around the OM brand thanks to innovative solutions. With more than 30 licensees selling the OM brand worldwide, we aim to promote new projects. By diversifying their ranges, they can respond to the strong demand from their child, women (21%), millennial (20%) and teenage (20%) fans. This means offering new product categories such as games and toys, women’s clothing or developing collaborations for their young target market.
a unique authenticity for outdoor travel and lifestyle Since 1985, ROADSIGN has gained momentum and recognition throughout the world with its visual impact of Australian road signs. Roadsign’s initial desire is to put forward Australia, a country that showcases adventure and encourages the general public to travel and discover. The Logo- a black kangaroo on a yellow sign-freshens the collective memory and is a major asset in terms of brand marketing strategies. Today, Roadsign is capable of offering a wide range of textile items, and due to its reputation, it is able to assert itself as a brand leader while combining various licensed products. The brand can rely on an extensive network
At BLE, Scribos will be showing attendees their innovative brand protection solutions which cover Licensing Management, interactive security tags and digital modules to unleash the full potential of licensed brands. On view will be information about current solutions for the French National Rugby League, the French National Football League and the French Football Federation. Licensing is a profitable business area, but also poses many challenges and dangers for licensors and licensees: How can you keep track of rights, production and royalties? How can you protect your brand from counterfeiting or unauthorized production? How does licensing become the ultimate marketing tool? The Scribos security tags ensure maximum protection against counterfeiting. With intuitive online authentication, consumers can easily distinguish between original and counterfeit products. The security marking also serves as a digital touchpoint for customer interaction opportunities, which leads to a
Roadsign embodies Australia’s spirit of freedom, nature & adventure. The brand has
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better product experience and thus a higher emotional connection to the brand. And there’s more: for example, each product can be scanned by consumers with their smartphone and authenticated as an original product. The licensor or licensee also has the opportunity of connecting with fans and thus producing valuable insights. Most importantly, successful authentication can strengthen trust in a brand and protect brand image and quality. The use of an order platform to distribute security markings ensures transparency about the quantities produced by the individual licensees. This simplifies reporting and billing of license fees for licensees and licensors. By processing the system via their digital platform SCRIBOS 360, the licensee receives valuable market knowledge about their licensed products. They can see where their products are on the market at any time, learn more about consumer behavior and thus efficiently control marketing activities. As partners, Scribos and Dependable Solutions Inc. will strive to support licensors and licensees to protect intellectual property and provide real time data end consumers. The mutual goal of this collaboration is to ultimately increase transparency between licensing partners, to further optimize licensing operations and drive business growth. The Point.1888, believe they are chang-
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ing the world of licensing by reversing the traditional industry approach, delivering a retail-first model to create powerful products. They are strategic, sustainable, and unique, operating under four core values: ambition, trust, attitude, and family. They have clear objectives, to shift the world of licensing whilst doing good, donating 11% of their profits to charity, and working with brands with purpose. The Point works with a range of clients across all categories including Cocomelon, Blippi, Morphle, Little Baby Bum, The Official Charts Company, Barratt, Jimbobart, MissPrint, Rachel Ellen Design, Molang, Moomin, Percy The Park Keeper, Racoons, Tom Gates, Battersea Dogs & Cats, Cambridge University, Mumsnet, British & Irish Lions, Team GB, St Andrews Links, Williams Racing. There will also be four brand new properties to highlight at the show separate to these. The award-winning licensing programme of the V&A (Victoria and Albert Museum, London) offers an almost infinite source of design inspiration for a multitude of product categories. The experienced team provides tailor-made research for every project, are involved in the design process, resulting in beautiful ranges, authenticated by compelling stories that are relevant for the contemporary
marketplace. So far 2021 has seen some fantastic debut launches in multiple categories, evidence of the incredible breadth of inspiration the V&A’s collections provide to the creative industries. After an amazing reaction to 2020 launch with made-to-measure window blinds and curtains with Blinds 2Go in the UK, there were further launches with Tuiss Netherlands, Sweden, France and Japan. Another new collection for interiors includes furniture and fabrics in the V&A Brompton Collection, created by Sofas & Stuff. British creativity and craftsmanship abound, as it draws inspiration from across the museum’s archives and is manufactured in workshops in Northamptonshire. Alice in Wonderland has proved a popular theme in several territories. The V&A’s drawings by Tenniel have been applied by French brand Olympia Le-Tan who re-imagines artworks and literature, transforming them into covetable clutch bags and accessories; The Royal Mint, with two collectable coins featuring Alice and the Cheshire Cat and Through the Looking Glass, and, more playfully doormats by specialist Entryways in the USA and, as fashion and accessories continue to be a very popular category for the V&A the characters feature on apparel in China with Cocoon and Pearly Gates in Korea. In Australia fashion brand Camilla released an exclusive V&A range based on Georgian textiles, now sold in stores, online and exclusively in Matches.com in the UK. Aardman have collaborated on an inspired range of children’s clothing for the Italian sportswear label, FILA. Celebrating Art Deco patterns held in the V&A’s vast and diverse archive, the Fila collection brings together the fun and creative character of Shaun the Sheep with the shapes and look of Art Deco designs. The V&A is recognised globally as a powerful endorsement of craftsmanship and excellence in design. With over 90 licensees, the long-established programme shows no signs of abating and continues to welcome opportunities to create new collaborations and broaden its offering.
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Octane5 and Crane Currency
Transforming Product Authentication
Octane5, the company behind BrandComply licensing software, recently announced a new partnership with Crane Currency for product authentication hang tags and labels. Total Brand Licensing caught up with Tod Niedeck, Marketing Director of Crane Currency and Mike Dunn, President of Octane5 to learn more about this exciting collaboration. PAGE 54
Let’s start with the basics, what does this new partnership mean for the licensing industry? Mike Dunn: It means that for the first time ever, the licensing industry will have access to the highest levels, most cutting edge product authentication technologies - those currently used in the world’s most secure currencies. Best of all, this technology can be customized for each brand owner to deliver stunning visual effects and unparalleled consumer connectivity. How did this Crane and Octane5 partnership come together?:
Mike Dunn: We have been fans of Crane technology since we first saw it in the US $100 bill. We knew that their technology could have an incredible impact in the licensing world. Tod Niedeck: Similarly, we’ve been fans of what Octane5 has been doing with marketing-based security. On the service-side, they bring great value to their customers, on the authentication-side they have always Picture Above: Left: Mike Dunn, Founder and co-President, Octane5 International; Centre: Sam Keayes, President, Crane Currency Right: Matt Dunn, Founder and co-President Octane5 International
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OCTANE5
understood that product security requires two parts: technologies that are very difficult to simulate or reverse-engineer, and effects consumers understand and find easy to use. We knew the Octane5 approach combined with our technology would be a winning combination. But hasn’t Octane5 been supporting brands with security hang tags and labels in the licensing space for years? Mike Dunn: Yes, we have through our Threads technology which involved a holographic thread woven into security paper. Those programs have been incredibly successful in protecting some of the most iconic brands in the world like Ford, General Motors and Harley-Davidson. This new partnership allows us to bring these programs to the next level and deliver even more value to these and other brands. So how does the Crane technology advance product authentication? Tod Niedeck: Through this partnership, we can help Octane5 deliver to its customers security feature solutions that exhibit nev-
er-before-seen visual effects. What we’re most excited about is the opportunity to exercise the flexibility of our micro-optics technology to leverage each brand owner logo to create distinct, customized feature solutions. Our proprietary micro-optics technology allows for the creation of stunning effects, including very strong three-dimensional movement in which customized elements appear to move below the surface of the feature by several millimeters. These are super easy for consumers to authenticate although they are intriguing enough that many take additional time to examine them. In comparison to other brand protection technologies, such as holograms that are looking increasingly dated, Crane’s production authentication features achieve a much higher level of engagement. Through the samples you have here, I can see this has an incredible appearance, but how does that help protect the brand? Tod Niedeck: Well the first step to any successful product authentication program is to give the consumer a quick and unambiguous means to know that the product is legitimate. As consumers we are happy to pay a premium for brands that inspire our trust. With
the proliferation of online shopping and increasing infiltration of fakes, the need for this assurance is growing. Security features built for the consumer is an important part of modern product authentication. Mike Dunn: Taking that one step further, once you’ve got the consumer engaged with this cool technology, you want to start a dialogue. So we layer on QR code for validation and consumer engagement. We deliver marketing content, ask questions, build focus groups, allow consumers to play games, tell your brand’s sustainability story. Whatever a brand wants to share with, or learn from, their consumers, we make it happen. Sounds like an incredible partnership. Where should folks go if they want to learn more? Mike Dunn: They can visit us in Stand C220 at Brand Licensing Europe 17-19 November at ExCeL London where we look forward to sharing even more information. If you’re not going to the show, we can meet during the online show or email info@octane5.com or visit Octane5.com/ authentication for more information.
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Meet TB12: Tom Brady & Alex Guerrero’s Global Wellness Brand Breaking into Licensing with IMG
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BRANDS
Exciting times for
Brandgenuity
Brandgenuity had an exciting year, continuing to service clients from the London and Munich office, and building licensing programs for new clients and brands. MINI MINI, ranked among the top 100 most valuable global brands 5 years in a row, promises to spark individuality to uplift people’s lives with a minimized footprint and maximized experience. Brandgenuity will seek sophisticated partnerships for MINI in lifestyle and mobility categories for adults and kids. Southern Comfort Southern Comfort is a versatile dark spirit; liqueur with whiskey flavouring that’s full of laid-back soul and best enjoyed with friends. Fun, unpretentious, straight-forward and always a good time. Now, Brandgenuity will extend Southern Comfort into food and lifestyle extensions as well as brand collaborations. PAGE 56
Fireball Fireball Ignites the Nite with snarky, authentic wit and one-of-a-kind flavour. It’s bold, hot, energetic and a true party catalyst. Now, Brandgenuity will build the Fireball licensing program in collaborations, lifestyle and food and beverage categories. Kahlua Kahlua is the #1 coffee liqueur in the world, made with 100% arabica coffee beans sourced from Mexico. Fuelling Kahlua’s double-digit growth is the explosion of coffee culture globally, with 2 billion cups of coffee consumed daily due to double by 2050. Now, Brandgenuity will extend Kahlua beyond spirits and into food and beverage categories for consumers who love coffee, coffee cocktails, coffee culture and more. Client roster Brandgenuity continues to grow licensing programs for existing clients. The agency
continues to elevate the BMW licensing program with fashion and luxury goods, including watches, eyewear and apparel with global partners Fossil, Marcolin and PUMA respectively. The NFLPA licensing program has expanded into new retailers in the UK and Germany and EA has had their most successful year with the Madden franchise. The Hawaiian Tropic body mists continue to offer innovative new fragrances and formulations. The first products for Unilever hit the shelves of Zara during the summer months to provide consumers with fun-filled, Unilever ice cream inspired apparel. Finally, Ed Stafford experiential kids summer camps were a huge success post lockdown, and forest smock jackets have recently launched providing adventures with the shield they need against the elements when embarking on camping trips and country walks. TOTAL BRAND LICENSING
COLLEGIATE
Collegiate Opportunities Abound with The Brandr Group The Brandr Group (TBG) is a brand management, marketing and licensing agency manages and administers group licensing programs as well as developing licensing opportunities on behalf of the student-athletes. The list of colleges that the agency works with is impressive, with many educational institutions seeing the opportunities for student-athletes. A recently announced signing is the University of Texas; Texas Athletics licensing will work adjacently to TBG to ensure student-athletes receive favorable opportunities and Fair Market Value. With decades of collective management experience for some of the world’s largest brands, TBG also manages the group rights program for the NFL, NBA and MLB players’ associations in the college space. “As we continue to evaluate opportunities in the new era of name/image/likeness for all of our student-athletes, working alongside our legal counsel, I am thrilled to announce a new agreement with Brandr for group licensing on Texas-branded and officially licensed merchandise bearing the NIL of Longhorns student-athletes,” UT Vice President and Athletics Director Chris Del Conte said. “Now fans can purchase Texas Longhorns items like jerseys and t-shirts and support their favorite players, which we have never been able to do before, and the student-athletes are able to profit from those sales through their agreement with Brandr.” The program allows for the collective use of student-athletes’ NIL in licensing and marketing programs, co-branded with UT’s intellectual property. This creates opportunities for Texas student-athletes to join a group licensing program of three-or-more individuals from the same team or one with six-or-more student-athletes across multiple sports. Participation in the group rights program is voluntary and does not restrict the student-athlete’s individual NIL rights. Student-athletes in all 36 of Ohio State’s varsity sports will also soon have an opportunity to potentially realize additional and new opportunities to profit off of their NIL a group licensing program the Office of Trademark & Licensing Services, and the Department of TOTAL BRAND LICENSING
Athletics, has entered into with TBG. Specifically, Ohio State student-athletes who voluntarily opt-in to a group licensing agreement with TBG will be able to use their NIL alongside and in conjunction with Ohio State’s trademarks and logos that have been licensed to Ohio State trademark licensees if TBG enters into agreements with OSU trademark licensees to do so. This first Ohio State group licensing program will begin by offering jerseys and then grow to include merchandise such as video games, apparel, trading cards and bobble heads. TBG will also be developing group licensing programs for current and former student-athletes at The University of Alabama.
“Having grown up in Alabama, I have a special place in my heart for The University of Alabama Athletics, and we are incredibly excited to work with the exceptional student-athletes at Alabama, both current student-athletes and the amazing legacy of alumni greats who have come through Alabama,” Wesley Haynes, TBG CEO, said. The University will not be involved in any deal-making, including representing or compensating the student-athletes. The University’s involvement will simply be to approve or disapprove the use of its trademarks on items as it currently does with a host of vendors. TBG comments that it has many more pending announcements, so watch this space!
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THE BIG INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW: The One-Woman Powerhouse Brand
Becky Ash spoke with Candace Cameron Bure, who has made her remarkable licensing and brand-building journey from child star to Emmy Award Nominee, Director, Actor, New York Times Best-Selling Author, Producer & Business Owner. The actor and entrepreneur recently celebrated the QVC record-breaking debut launch of Candace Cameron Bure Clothing. Candace endeavours to act as role model to women of all ages, reaching millions of fans. She has remained a staple in the homes and hearts of families across the country after her successful and Emmy Nominated tenure as a host on the TV series “The View,” “Dancing with the Stars,” and in her record-breaking Hallmark Channel Christmas and Mystery Movies. Viewers watched Candace grow up as ‘D.J. Tanner’ in the television series “Full House” and today see the iconic role reprised on the original Netflix hit series, “Fuller House.” Can you tell us about your new fashion launch? I’ve loved fashion since I was a little girl, and it’s been a bit part of my life since. My style is very California, West Coast, classic and cool – staples that I don’t even have to think about. As a busy businesswoman with kids, the range is for all women, and size inclusivity is an important part of the QVC fashion range. And what inspired you to create it, and how do you find fashion to fit in with lifestyle? I started by looking in my own closet! No PAGE 58
matter the trend, it’s important to me to have a classic capsule, with feminine elements too. This all inspired the clothing line, with elements of nature, the ocean, clothes that are easily worn throughout the day and into the evening. I was inspired during the pandemic too – certainly we all dressed more comfortably, but I still wanted to feel my best and coordinated. This has all been translated into the fashion line. You are an actor, businesswoman, mother, among many other facets and you have fans who have followed your journey all
the way from Fuller House to today – how do you try and inspire women and act as a role-model? I hope that I do! I try and inspire women by being my own authentic self. God made us unique, we are our own people, but we are so much alike. I want to be friendly, give a real sense of who I am to women out there and encourage everyone in their daily lives and challenges. We are all busy. I believe very strongly in authenticity – I very much give my true self out there, throughout all of my different business facets. TOTAL BRAND LICENSING
THE BIG INTERVIEW You are also a queen of Christmas movies! Do you think that, especially given the tough 18 months that the world has endured, people are turning more and more to comfort and holiday joy? Absolutely – the movies are so important to people, and I am so glad to be a part of that. I actually made seven new movies during the pandemic! Families have enjoyed the movies by coming together, something to look forward to, to catch-up at the end of a long day and escape from what has been a difficult couple of years for everyone. Lastly, how do you think the aspects of your life ethos reflect so well in the global brand you have created? I very much share who I am unapologetically. The values of my life reflect that and I am very true to who I am. I certainly put myself out there. Throughout my family, the entertainment business and my faith, I hope that fans know I am very trustworthy and I would never put my name to something I don’t believe. In terms of branding, you absolutely have to work with people that you trust. I’ve worked with some of the same people for over twenty years, so loyalty is a big part of that overall circle. Life can be challenging, but you must never give up! You have to believe in yourself – and believe that everything is possible. That’s been my strategy over the years – keep knocking on those doors and they start to open for you. Watch Candace Cameron Bure in The Christmas Contest on November 28th on Hallmark Channel.
Images of clothing are courtesy of QVC TOTAL BRAND LICENSING
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ART
All the Signs Towards Nature A sign company teamed with an artist inspired by nature, which in turn saw a strong and lasting popularity during the pandemic During the global pandemic, many businesses stood still, whereas others used it as an opportunity for further development and growth. 1894 Sign Company saw a fantastic opportunity to develop their popular aluminium signs through licensing. Having met at a trade show a couple of years earlier, they had always been keen to partner with Emma Lawrence Designs and could see the potential of her style translating well onto the shiny enamelled signs. Emma’s recognisable style has such wide appeal with its fresh look, hand drawn lines and a touch of humour. Her love of nature shines from every illustration which has been such a relevant topic during lockdown and was perfect for this project. 1894 Sign Co have been hand producing metal signs in Sheffield, UK, for over 120 years and they are delighted to be working with a British artist who is keen to support skilled UK companies. Alison Box, Heritage Manager from 1894 Co is delighted with the partnership, “with such
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unique content, I knew the response would be fantastic”. Emma added: “There is a sign for everyone and they make the perfect gift, particularly as they can be used inside and out.” The signs were launched in May and Emma is thrilled with the finished product. “It is great to be able to adapt my designs from my books and greetings cards to create something different and put them on such a high quality
British product”. Some of the designs are particularly relevant and current, for example featuring “Happy Place”, “Veg Patch” or “Garden”. During the pandemic so many people have been spending more time in the outdoors, appreciating nature and the wildlife around them. There has been an increase in home renovations and DIY, reflected in signs for the Kitchen, Shed or special place. As well as the Emma Lawrence Designs brand, several signs are part of her brand, Little Nature Explorers® which are fun and educational too. For further information about licensing Emma Lawrence Designs contact Mel Humberstone-Garley at MHG Licensing: melanie@humberstone-garley.co.uk
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FOOD AND DRINK BRANDS
Rum... and Chocolate! Cabal rum unites explorers and scientists in a new era of discovery. As the new official partner of the Explorers Club Great Britain and Ireland Chapter, Cabal rum continues its pioneering approach of bringing together like-minded people . Together, Cabal and The Explorers Club will be hosting a wide range of events and strategic exploration initiatives, starting with a special evening event on board HQS Wellington in London on 27th November, with the aim of promoting the scientific exploration of land, sea, air, and space by supporting research and education in the physical, natural and biological sciences. Claire Kinloch, CEO of Edinburgh based Harpalion Spirits, said: “We’re thrilled to be working with such an inspiring partner as part of our overarching strategy. Cabal rum has been built on an ethos of truth, taste and togetherness, with collaboration and exploration wholly embedded in our product development process and we have the utmost respect for the legacy of the rum industry and the environment in which we operate. The partnership will provide our other partners, customers and consumers with the opportunity to engage, learn and benefit from the work we will do together, adding value to what we collectively strive to offer and contribute to the sector, society and the planet.” The Great Britain and Ireland Chapter regionally represents the global organisation, The Explorers Club, which was founded in New York City in 1904. Chapters of The Explorers Club can be found throughout the world creating individual communities of like-minded people from many different disciplines of exploration. The Club’s members have been responsible for an illustrious series of famous firsts: first to the North Pole, first to the South Pole, first to the summit of Mount Everest, first to the deepest point in the ocean, first to the surface of the moon—all accomplished by its members. Patrons in the UK include Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Sir Chris Bonington, Rory Golden, Alexandra Shackleton, Felicity Aston, Levison PAGE 62
News in food and drink categories
Wood, Rod McDonald, Sir David Kim Hempleman-Adams, Kenton Cool, Alicia Colson and Neville Shulman. Explorer, author, speaker and chairman of The Explorers Club GB and Ireland Chapter, Mark Wood, said of the partnership: “We’re really excited to be working with Cabal and the team. They have shown a real understanding of what The Explorers Club is about and what it is trying to achieve. We are really looking forward to working with such an enthusiastic, passionate, committed and engaged team to help us raise awareness and promote the incredible endeavours the Explorers Club.” The Frida Kahlo licensing program continues to grow and Art Ask Agency has announced the new collaboration with UK licensee Infinity Brands, who trade as Keep Calm And Carry On beverage Company Ltd., for a range of food and gift items in the UK and the EU. The plans are for various food and beverage gifting products such as biscuits & cookies, chocolates, tea, hot chocolate and confectionary married with complementary gift
items appealing to the wide segment of Frida Kahlo fans and consumers. Designs and product proposals for the Frida Kahlo themed items are in the process of being finalised and will be available from Spring/Summer 2022. “We are really excited to have acquired the license to develop Frida Kahlo food and beverage gift products for launch next year. Frida’s iconic image and work offers us real opportunities to engage with both new and existing retail customers to offer products which will resonate with the huge number of consumers already in love with this brand. ” – Darren Rickless, Managing Director Infinity Brands. “I’m very pleased to see the Frida Kahlo brand enter into this new category in the UK. I can’t wait to try these delicious products that can be enjoyed with the whole family.” said Maria Strid, Owner Art Ask Agency.
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PARIS 2024
Paris 2024
1000 Days until the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games
With 1000 Days to Go until Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the IOC has launched its first official online shop, which will host all of the Official Licensed Products for the next three Olympiads: Paris 2024, Milan-Cortina 2026, and Los Angeles 2028. On this occasion, Paris 2024 presents its first Official Licensed Products on sale as well as a preview of the upcoming collections. The IOC recently announced the launch of a unified official online shop developed in collaboration with Fanatics. The online shop will offer products manufactured by licensees and suppliers appointed by the IOC and the Organising Committees of upcoming Winter and Summer Games. The shop will feature Official Licensed Products for Paris 2024, such as souvenirs, equipment and clothing. First Official Licensed Products On 28 October, 41 product references from Le Coq Sportif and Weeplay licensees became available in textiles and cccessories on the official Paris 2024 online shop (boutique. paris2024.org) featuring Paris 2024 Emblem and the French Team collections. Edouard Bardon, Licensing & Retail Director “With 1000 days to go until the Paris 2024 Games, we are delighted to add to the magic of this exceptional event by unveiling the first licensed products available on our official online shop. Over the next three years, we will be offering new products to satisfy all tastes and audiences.” Le Coq Sportif, a historical partner of French sport, has developed a complete wardrobe to dress the athletes of the French Olympic and Paralympic Team. These products, showcasing the colours of the French Team, are also on sale for all those who wish to support the athletes. From today, Weeplay presents a wide range of products with Paris 2024’s emblem (t-shirt, sweatshirt, jacket, tote bag, cap...). This collection, which is already a great success, will be expanded with new products in the coming months. PAGE 64
Maison Drago, specialised in the manufacture of official decorations, badges and medals will also be offering a range of pins for sale in November on the official Paris 2024 online shop. Sport and lifestyle clothing as well as new coins to celebrate 1000 Days to Go The Official Licensed Products are also linked to the project’s current events, such as the major events which will punctuate the calendar until 2024. To celebrate the arrival of the biggest sporting event on the planet, in France, in 1000 days, Decathlon is presenting a dedicated 1000 Days to Go capsule: RĒVE CREW. This capsule collection includes a t-shirt, a hoodie, and a parka. These products will be available for pre-order on 30 October 2021 on the decathlon.fr website. The Monnaie de Paris, who launched a hexagonal coin celebrating the Paris 2024 Games in September, will this month reveal a collection of sports coins. The new collection represents sports that will take place at the Games (judo, swimming). In addition, Paralympic coins are being developed for the first time, with the first edition representing wheelchair tennis. A collection set to grow from 2022 The collection of Paris 2024 Official Licensed Products will be expanded in the coming
months with eyewear including the brands Julbo and Vuarnet, and souvenir products with the brands Nemo and Artertre. Different brand universes will also be developed to satisfy all audiences: the Paris 2024 Emblem and French Team, as well as the “Allez les Bleus” supporter brand, the mascot in 2022, and the pictograms from 2023 onwards, which represent each discipline and are aimed at sports lovers. By 2024, almost 10,000 Official Licensed Products will be sold in more than 30,000 outlets across France With each new edition of the Games, Official Licensed Products contribute to the celebration of the Olympic and Paralympic Games around the world. Nearly 10,000 items will be on sale between now and 2024 in a wide range of categories: textiles, accessories, stationery, publishing, games and toys, electronics, home, luggage, eyewear, etc. A network of more than 30,000 points of sale will distribute these products throughout France to carry out this commercial programme. This historic programme is also an opportunity to create a team of licensees from different sectors of activity, from all territories, from small and medium-sized businesses, who will generate this enthusiasm with creative and meaningful products. TOTAL BRAND LICENSING
HOME BRANDS
Keeping House Banijay Brands has announced the launch of new consumer products programmes for hit property and garden makeover shows including Interior Design Masters, Your Home Made Perfect and Your Garden Made Perfect. The brand and commercial unit will supercharge off-air opportunities for the brands, using Banijay’s multi-territory reach and brand management expertise to drive deals for the hit series. Accompanied by modern creative assets and fresh style guides, the extensive licensing programmes will cover multiple categories spanning consumer products, gaming, experiential and publishing. Alice Bernardi, Director of International Brand Licensing at Banijay Brands, says: “Demand for off-air extensions from our home improvement and renovation formats is at an all-time high, and this slate of shows
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is a fantastic addition to our portfolio. These are brands that are synonymous with innovative and stylish transformations, and they offer exciting opportunities for our licensing partners.” Hosted by Alan Carr, Interior Design Masters, from Banijay label DSP, takes ten fledgling stylists and launches them into the competitive world of interior design to fight it out for the chance to win a life-changing design contract with a prestigious commercial client. The first series of Interior Design Masters premiered in August 2019 as BBC Two’s No.1 show of the day and series two, which launched in February 2021, built on the share of 16-34s by 191% compared to the previous series. Created by Banijay’s Remarkable Television, Your Home Made Perfect and Your Garden
Made Perfect encapsulate the desire from modern homeowners to transform their indoor and outdoor living areas. The series use cutting-edge technology and VR to show homeowners the potential of their spaces, resulting in extraordinary and breath-taking transformations. In the UK, Your Home Made Perfect was awarded Best Original Programme in the 2021 Broadcast Awards and the third series, which launched on BBC Two this year, had its highest ever audience, making it the channel’s number one show of the day. The format has also travelled to the Netherlands and France. The first series of Your Garden Made Perfect delivered an average audience of over 2m viewers, +58% above BBC Two’s primetime average market share and a second series has been confirmed.
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INFLUENCERS
Helping Content Creators Grow into Bona Fide Brands
Semaphore works with nearly 1,000 content creators Semaphore, an influencer marketing agency that provides an end-to-end suite of services, including licensing, marketing, and financial management to many of the world’s leading content creators, announced it added nearly 40 new clients to its roster in Q3 2021 alone. A few recent signings include influencers such as MeganPlays, Annoying Orange and The Johnston Twins, among others across content spaces such as gaming, beauty, and fitness. As many new media stars either function as solo-run businesses or with limited support staff, Semaphore operates as an extension of their teams, brokering brand partnerships, increasing their presence across social media platforms, managing taxes and finances, and developing quality products that truly represent who they are. Specifically for licensing deals, Semaphore begins the process with each creator by developing a comprehensive retail licensing strategy
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based on their specific brand identities. Who is the creator’s target audience? Where do they shop? Where is there a gap in the market that makes sense for the creator to fill that need? Semaphore will manage product development, with an emphasis on quality and authenticity. The agency will also identify and secure relevant merchandise and retail licensing partners for the creator. “In the few months I’ve been working with Semaphore, I have seen my productivity increase significantly,” said Megan Letter, creator of the popular gaming channel MeganPlays. “The agency has brokered retail relationships I never would have had. I feel like I’m creating my best content yet, and I know I have a trusted team to make sure I’m working smarter and not overextending myself.” Semaphore works with nearly 1,000 content
creators across its various business units and has helped its clients catapult their hobbies into upwards of seven-figure salaries. Though the past 18 months presented retail, supply chain, and live-event challenges, Semaphore’s expert teams were able to help their existing clients surpass their goals and prove the agency’s value to sign on dozens of new creators. “We understand that the primary focus of our new media stars is to create incredible content for their audiences,” said Semaphore CEO Mike Bienstock. “They need to be freed from the added weight of the business side of the operation. They can leave the ad deals, the content syndication, the merchandizing, even filing their taxes to us and be the creatives they’re meant to be. We are their team and we’re here to help make their visions a reality. That’s what sets us apart from other agencies and why so many of these young entrepreneurs are working with Semaphore.”
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TRANSPORT
Travelling on the Path to Success Highlighting some exciting news in auto and aviation brands Joester Loria Group (JLG) has been tapped by Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. to develop licensed product extensions for their iconic Toyota and Lexus brands. Through merchandising and collaborations, JLG will activate programs which engage with Toyota and Lexus owners as well as consumers looking for innovative quality products which are hallmarks for the brands. JLG will work closely with Toyota and Lexus teams to tap into each brand’s unique positioning to deliver programs which will increase engagement with consumers. Programs will range from collaborations with third party brands to merchandise across lifestyle apparel and accessories, toys and games, electronics, interactive and more. “We are excited about the opportunity to partner with Toyota and Lexus, two brands with rich history, passionate consumers and dynamic marketing campaigns,” said Michael Almeida, vice president, Joester Loria Group. “We believe there is great potential to tap into the incredible portfolio series to delight consumers with exceptional brand extensions.” Toyota has an extensive lineup of cars, trucks, SUVs and hybrids. Built to last, created to perform and designed for life, the Toyota brand stands for ensuring value, dependability and quality wherever your adventures take you. “Our consumers are passionate about the Toyota brand,” said Lisa Materazzo, group vice president of Toyota Marketing. “Licensed product extensions provide another platform of engagement with the legendary vehicles they love.” Across the portfolio, Lexus is designed to seamlessly blend eye-catching design with exhilarating performance. The brand’s portfolio spans luxury sedans, coupes and best-selling SUVs, in a range of powertrains including hybrid and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. Firefly Brand Management has been appointed the North American licensing agent for the sophisticated and iconic travel brand, Pan Am. The deal was signed with Pan American World Airways, LLC. Commencing immediately, Firefly Brand Management will develop a strategic licensing program for the brand across all key categories looking to build unique and high-quality innovative products that represent the nostalgia of this premier brand. The Pan Am signature logos and wordmarks are some of the most highly recognizable and celebrated in the world. “The sky is never the limit with Pan Am,” noted Cynthia Modders, CEO of Firefly Brand Management. “The Pan Am logo represents an era of travel that was considered to be so prestigious. We are very excited and already focused on developing further brand recognition for the Pan Am trademarks through new merchandising and licensing programs which will broaden awareness for the airline’s extraordinary history.” “We are excited to work together with the Firefly team. Their success in growing iconic brands makes them an ideal partner for Pan Am,” says Stacy Beck, Vice President- Brands & Licensing at Pan American World Airways. “Buckle up and prepare for take-off, as Pan Am and Firefly team up to further the brand experience through new licensed product offerings and exciting collaborations.”
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ART
Celebrating Great Art
Two exciting announcements from This is Iris This is Iris continue to celebrate great art with the announcement of their new partnership with archivists History of Advertising Trust. Formed in 1976 the History of Advertising Trust (HAT) is an educational charity and the archive to the UK advertising industry. Subsequently HAT is the largest archive of British advertising in the world holding over 10 million items in the collections, dating as far back as 1800. As well as holding advertising industry archives, the Trust operates a brand heritage programme, managing archives for many great British brands, including Heinz, Hovis, Vimto, Butlin’s and United Biscuits. Alistair Moir Deputy Director at HAT said, “We are delighted to be working with Iris, who have opened the door to some amazing licensing opportunities for the Trust. The main objective of preserving the vast array of advertising material that we hold, is to allow people to view it and learn from it. As an educational charity, the opportunities presented by Iris, represent a vital addition to our funding strategy, while at the same time allowing many more people the chance to enjoy a piece of the nation’s advertising heritage in their homes. We hope that through our continued relationship with Iris we can develop a portfolio of products, that can showcase some of the wonderful imagery from across our collections and ultimately help us to fund our charitable work and the preservation of our collections for the enjoyment of future generations.” “This is another wonderful partnership born out of a love for great art. We are currently building an art guide which will hold all available artwork for licensing, a long process but something which needed
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to be done. We have been working with the HAT team for nearly a year and have recently signed a number agreements which will see a number of lines launch in 2022,” said Sarah Lawrence, This is Iris. This is Iris partner Graham Waters at Indiego Distribution commented: “We are excited to be working with This Is Iris as the licensing agent for the immense catalogue of iconic advertisements over the last 100 years represented by The History Of Adverting Charity. Many buyers from the high street to online retailers have all shown an interest and we are already planning designs for release over the next coming months.” “Other licensing representatives should not worry about potential crossovers, we and the Trust run a very detailed approval process which stops with the legal teams of the rights owners, all original advertisements will have full approval before appearing in stores. We’ve had the most wonderful response to the collection and it is an honour to see these stunning pieces of work first hand, a real piece of history, one we look forward to sharing with partners,” concluded Sarah. The team at This Is Iris are also to be working with the artist Rosie Brooks. Rosie’s
knowledge and understanding of classical music and opera, positively exudes from her colourful, fun artwork and her enthusiasm is contagious! Rosie is an absolute joy to work with and we are very excited that her ‘The Spoon Is In The Lid’ collection will translate beautifully onto product. “The Spoon in the Lid is a collection of artwork by Rosie Brooks celebrating music and the performing arts through her light hearted style of traditional illustration. “Titles in the series so far are based on famous works from the worlds of opera including Carmen,Tosca and The Marriage of Figaro and ballets Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake, many more titles are in development as well as a series based on the instruments of the orchestra. “Rosie has worked with a long list of children’s book publishers over the last fifteen years in the UK and abroad, she has a range greetings cards on sale and has collaborated with a number of exciting clients including The Royal Opera House, Borough Market and Classic FM,” says Kaye Hunter, Licensing Manager. TOTAL BRAND LICENSING
CELEBRITY ESTATES
Celebrating Amy Winehouse and her Legacy MDR Brand Management has been working closely with the Amy Winehouse Estate to celebrate and protect Amy’s legacy as one of the world’s greatest musical talents and style icons. Together they have handpicked and commissioned dedicated partners to bring Amy’s aesthetics and personal values to life through new footage, a curated exhibition and a series of consumer products. In partnership with the Design Museum in London, Amy’s fans will have access to a major retrospective and immersive exhibition on Amy, depicting key moments in her career. Amy: Beyond the Stage outlines Amy’s influence on the world, from her early life to her introduction to music, her identity as a fashion and culture figure and celebrates her everlasting music talent. The exhibition launches in November 2021 and will run through April 2022. MDR’s first collaboration went live in September; makeup artistry brand Illamasqua launched a co-branded limited-edition Beauty Box. The box includes 6 cosmetic products inspired by Amy’s iconic look and makeup bag favourites and a collectible magazine featuring an interview with her
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stylist and friend, Naomi Parry. The partnership was set out as a celebration of Amy’s favourite Illamasqua products and a testament to her bold, unique and iconic beauty. A full makeup collection will be launching in 2022. British Audio brand, Roberts, has been appointed to launch a series of products inspired by Amy’s personal affiliation with the brand. Amy owned 3 Roberts radios, with her baby-pink Roberts radio featuring in the photoshoot of the Frank album in 2003. Roberts intends to launch special limited Amy Winehouse editions of some of their iconic products from February 2022 onwards. Danish brand Lucie Kaas, known for their collectible range of Kokeshi Dolls celebrating some of the world’s greatest legends in the arts industry, will continue to sell the Amy wooden doll, sold online globally and in high-end retailers including Selfridges. In Spring 2022, an Amy Winehouse luxury scented and expressive candle by Lauren Dickinson Clarke will launch, followed by an illustrated bone china mug. The collection perfectly portrays Amy’s playful manner and expressions. MDR is progressing on a num-
ber of additional product partnerships to be announced in the coming months. A portion of each partnership’s proceeds will go towards the Amy Winehouse Foundation, who work to inspire children and young people to build their selfesteem and resilience, so that they can flourish. Daniel Avener, CEO MDR Brand Management: ‘’It is a real privilege for MDR to be working so closely with Amy’s stylist and direct family, and to be welcoming like-minded, authentic and invested partners to our brand building vision, whilst giving back to the Foundation. We are excited to be able to showcase some of our initiatives and allow fans to delve back into Amy’s world and remember her incredible talents forever.’’ Mitch and Janis Winehouse, parents of Amy said: “We’re delighted to be working with MDR and brands which authentically represent Amy, whilst raising funds for the Amy Winehouse Foundation.” MDR Brand Management is is the first brand management business to be launched by a leading law firm in the UK, Mishcon de Reya.
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THE FINAL PAGE
Index of advertisers Beanstalk.............................................................. 1 China Licensing Expo........................................ 53 Global Trademark Licensing.............................. 4,5 Howard Robinson.............................................. 13 Jewel Branding................................................... 37 Licensing China................................................. 63 Licensing Japan.................................................. 19 Octane5............................................................. 11 Pink Key.............................................................. 9 Science Museum.......................................... 33, 35 Smiley............................................................... 6,7 Tempting Brands............................................... 2,3 Totallicensingworld.com.................................... 71 West Ham.......................................................... 15
That’s interesting...
In honour of our Heritage feature, page 33: The word museum comes from the Greek “mouseion,” the temples dedicated to the Muses and the arts they inspired. There are currently 1,092 world heritage sites. They are divided between 845 cultural, 209 natural, and 38 mixed sites. Museology is the term that describes the wide-ranging and fascinating study of collection curation. There are 900 blue plaques across London. The Colosseum of Rome remains the largest ever amphitheater in the history of the world. The Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum a.ka. the Cup Noodles Museum is a museum in Osaka, Japan. It houses an extensive collection of instant noodles from around the world. Additionally, the museum also allows you to create your own ramen noodles. PAGE 70
The first pope to establish a collection of art at the Vatican was Julius II, whose reign began in 1503. Some museum buildings are considered works of art in their own right, such as Frank Lloyd Wright’s Guggenheim Museum in New York City or Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain. The Ashmolean is the first public museum in the world. The collection of the American Museum of Natural history grows by 90,000 specimens every year. A 2,000-year-old loaf of bread was discovered during excavations in Herculaneum, and its recipe has been recreated by the British Museum. To make one wax figure at Madame Tussauds takes at least 6 months, at least 200 precise measurements and photographs, and 2,400 Ibs of wax. TOTAL BRAND LICENSING