Great Aspirations

WildBrain CPLG, a world-leading entertainment, sport and brand licensing agency, has rebranded its rapidly growing Lifestyle division under the new name “ASPIRE”, with an expanded mandate to accelerate growth of the agency’s Corporate & Lifestyle brands portfolio. The dedicated group and new brand, flying under the WildBrain CPLG banner, reflect the agency’s commitment to growing meaningful opportunities for existing and new partners in the Corporate & Lifestyle space. ASPIRE will focus on building long-term strategic partnerships for leading global brands across such categories as art and heritage institutions, FMCG, fashion and lifestyle, hardware, and automotive.

Total Brand Licensing sat down with Victoria Whellans, talking about her new role as Commercial Director at ASPIRE, what lead up to the rebrand, and exciting plans for the future.

Can you tell us more about ASPIRE’s diverse Corporate & Lifestyle brand portfolio?

We have a fantastic portfolio of world-renowned brands spanning many different industries – FMCG, institutions, art, hardware, fashion and more. We currently have over 15 brands in the ASPIRE portfolio, which has expanded and diversified rapidly over the last two years with the addition of Malibu, Harvard University, the University of Southern California, renowned international artist Romero Britto and, most recently, Master Lock and SentrySafe as well as Sauber Motorsports and its Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN.

And what led the decision to create the rebranded division?

The WildBrain CPLG Lifestyle division was first created two years ago when we recognised the need to have a dedicated team that was focused on maximising the revenue of our growing Corporate & Lifestyle portfolio. Since then, the division has become an integral pillar for the agency as we continue to evolve and expand our business. In comparison to brands in the entertainment space, those within Corporate & Lifestyle can be more complex, are often new to licensing and can require a more high-level and strategic approach. Quite often we’re targeting licensees that are different to those we would typically work with across our entertainment line-up. The rebrand of the division further reflects our commitment to supporting our Corporate & Lifestyle partners and makes a clear distinction between brands that fall under ASPIRE, and those that sit within the entertainment or sport sectors. ASPIRE will focus on building long-term strategic partnerships for leading global brands across such catego-

ries as art and heritage institutions, FMCG, fashion and lifestyle, hardware, and automotive.

How do ASPIRE and WildBrain CPLG plan to merge together?

The strategy and direction for our brands will be set by the ASPIRE team, but we’ll maximise our global reach and local footprint to ensure we’re building the best possible programmes for every licensor. ASPIRE will be run as a separate division with its own P&L, which enables us to have laser focus on our Corporate & Lifestyle properties. I will be working closely with Jasen Wright, our VP of North America. Jasen’s hugely experienced in Corporate & Lifestyle sector and will be key to building and leading our growth strategy in the North America market, which presents significant opportunities.

What business elements in existence will you utilise for this division?

We’ll be utilising our sales teams on the ground across the world to secure both global and local licensing and retail opportunities. At WildBrain CPLG, our partners enjoy the benefits of extensive creative and product development resources, legal and finance services, and expert local teams across our 20 offices worldwide.

Can you give some examples of recent signings, brand partners etc?

As mentioned, we’ve recently welcomed The Master Lock Company into our portfolio, which is the leading home security brand in North America. The brand celebrated its 100th anniversary last year and has earned its reputation as a brand built on trust, reliability and protection. We’re just at the start of our licensing journey with The Master Lock Company but we’re already getting a very positive reaction from the trade. Alongside this, we’ve recently started representing Sauber Motorsports, who own and operate the Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN racing team. It’s a really exciting addition to our portfolio and we’ll be assembling a strategic cross-category merchandise range for the F1 team as well as exploring licensing opportunities for Sauber Technology – a combination of world-class Swiss engineering, high-end aerodynamics and state-of-the art production. We’ve also signed renowned international artist Romero Britto, for which we’re currently building a design-led programme inspired by his vibrant and colourful artwork. Finally, complementing our existing portfolio of iconic US institutions, such as Yale and Harvard universities, we’ve welcomed the University of Southern California to our line-up and will be utilising the university’s Californian roots and effortless ‘SoCal’ graphics to build an engaging merchandise offering. On the deals side, for the luxury British leather goods brand OSPREY LONDON, we have upcoming partnerships for bedding, wallpaper and cushions in development for later this year, and we’ve recently launched a range of premium garden furniture with Sitting Spiritually. For Yale University, we have India’s largest fashion retailer, Reliance, launching an extensive collection under their brand Team Spirit next month. We also represent cleaning-technology brand Kärcher and in partnership with the Simba Dickie Group, the brand is in development on a range of role play toys. For Malibu, this summer will see the return of frozen Malibu ’poptails’ in the Netherlands and we’ll be expanding this category into other markets. We’re also in advanced discussions with partners in the chocolate category. There’s lots more to come from ASPIRE and we are looking forward to building and growing our global team and brand partnerships!