9 minute read
Working beyond 9 to 5
Working Far Beyond 9 to 5
With her unique blend of tenacity, honesty, humour and iconic music, Dolly Parton, as well as being one of the most honored and revered artists of all-time, has made a very successful foray into the lifestyle brand arena.
What makes her so unique?
Achieving 25 RIAA-certified gold, platinum, and multi-platinum awards, she has had 26 songs reach #1 on the Billboard country charts, a record for a female artist. Last year, she released the Christmas album “Holly Dolly Christmas” which went #1 on the Billboard Country and Holiday charts, as well released the bestselling coffee table book “Songteller: My Life in Lyrics.” This year she won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie for the film “Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square.”
Business acumen and intuition
In March of 2022, Parton will release the book Run Rose Run which she co-authored with James Patterson, alongside an accompanying album of the same name with original songs inspired by the book. Parton also released her own fragrance line this year called “Dolly: Scent from Above.” Her theme park Dollywood in the Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee, is a multi-million dollar business and growing. The ‘DreamMore’ Resort opened in 2015.
Beyond the brand - philanthropy
Giving Parton her solid reputation for authenticity and altruism beyond her long musical and acting career, to date, Parton has donated over 173 million books to children around the world with her Imagination Library. Her children’s book, Coat of Many Colors, was dedicated to the Library of Congress to honor the Imagination Library’s 100 millionth book donation. Her many acts of charity – from giving children scholarships, to sizable donations to hospitals, to forming the Dollywood Foundation – have been well documented over the years. And let’s not forget that she helped to fund the production of covid-19 vaccine Moderna.
The global household name with Southern roots
Duncan Hines, a brand of Conagra Brands, Inc. is launching a new line of Southern-inspired desserts with Dolly Parton. This new line includes cake mixes and frostings inspired by some of Dolly’s favorite family recipes like Coconut Cake and Banana Puddin’ Cake. “I have always loved to cook and, growing up in the South, I especially love that authentic Mom and Pop kind of cooking,” said Dolly Parton. “I am excited to launch my own line of cake mixes and frostings with Duncan Hines, bringing that sweet, Southern-style baking experience I enjoy to others.” Dolly Parton certainly goes beyond working 9 to 5!
NEW ARTISTS FOR THE POINT 1888
The Point.1888 is starting 2022 with some new colour, pattern, and impact thanks to the signing of three renowned artists: Ben Eine; Emily Burningham; and Real Hackney Dave as new clients. They will be joining The Point.1888’s existing book of artists and designers which includes leading British interior design brand MissPrint and award-winning artists & designers Rachel Ellen, Jimbobart and I Like Birds as they continue to meet the growing demands from consumers for products which express their personalities and inject colour and life into their homes.
Known for his iconic use of type, Ben Eine is a world famous grafitti artist, whose work can be found on the streets of London, LA, Mexico City, Paris, Tokyo, Dublin, and Stockholm. He has collaborated with Banksy and his work was once given to Obama as a gift from the British Prime Minister. Dave Buonaguidi, AKA Real Hackney Dave, is a London based artist known for making work that creates a reaction by combining the visual and verbal language of advertising and propaganda with unique imagery and materials of found objects and ephemera. He is best known for printing his bold trademark pink typography onto vintage maps and photographs and even makes art out of decommissioned hand grenades and 1000lb bombs. London-based print designer Emily Burningham has a passion for pattern and colour and has featured in Liberty, House & Garden and Ideal Home, among others. Her sophisticated designs explore the relationship between distinct eras of art and design. Both Ben and Emily have previously benefited from brand licensing activity having worked with Paul Smith and Louis Vuitton; and Liberty, Waterstones and Paperchase respectively. During the lockdowns of 2020 and 2021, The Point.1888’s artist and designer clients saw soaring interest in their designs and a multitude of deals including placement on Fy for MissPrint; Thermos for Rachel Ellen, and a homeware deal for Jimbobart. They also signed new sub agent deals for I Like Birds in Japan, as well as sub agents in Iberia & US for Jimbobart. Thanks to the current gloomy time of year
and the lingering effects of yet another covid variant, The Point.1888 is seeing a heightened demand for vibrant, colourful design styles such as street art, oriental inspired and English country garden, all of which can be met by its new clients. Janine Richmond, Head of Product & Brand at The Point.1888, commented, “Artists have been an important focus for The Point.1888 for many years, not least because of their ability to respond quickly to new consumer desires and trends. For example, MissPrint’s bold colour-ways and nod to the biophilic trend was of great appeal to consumers wishing to bring nature indoors. Thanks to our talented team of specialists and our keen eye on retail trends, we’ve been able to bring our clients great success over the past few years and we’re confident we can build long term, sustainable partnerships with Ben Eine, Real Hackney Dave and Emily Burningham too.” Although early days, conversations with first phase partners for the artists are underway.
OSHKOSH B’GOSH
Carter’s, Inc. has announced its iconic brand OshKosh B’gosh as the first-ever kids apparel sponsor of TIME, TIME for Kids and Nickelodeon’s second annual Kid of the Year. The initiative celebrates young changemakers who are making a positive impact on society. The Kid of the Year initiative aligns with OshKosh’s ethos to encourage the next generation to dream big. The sponsorship and partnership with TIME and Nickelodeon is an extension of OshKosh’s 2021 Today is Someday campaign, which champions the dreams, courage and determination of children. “OshKosh B’gosh is proud to sponsor Kid of the Year, celebrating young trailblazers who are making positive impacts on the world around them,” said Jeff Jenkins, Executive Vice President, Global Marketing. “The program and partnership with TIME and Nickelodeon are a natural fit for OshKosh B’gosh as we strive to inspire the next generation to dream boldly.” The OshKosh B’gosh sponsorship will feature video advertising and co-branded creative promoting the special on Nickelodeon’s digital and linear platforms and ViacomCBS EyeQ Kids & Family advertising platform, in addition to the Today is Someday spot starring young Muhammad Ali – and videos featuring the brand’s new spring collection. OshKosh B’gosh will receive a brand mention via the in-show segment, Acts of Awesome, highlighting the top Kid of the Year honorees. From tagged tune-ins and in-show billboards to media across NickKidoftheYear.com and TIME distribution channels, OshKosh B’gosh brand messaging will engage fans leading up to the special. OshKosh B’gosh will also be outfitting honorees for the award show video segments. Kid of the Year content will also appear across TIME’s digital and social platforms.
CHUPA CHUPS CELEBRATES CHINESE NEW YEAR
WCT Malls Management Sdn Bhd, the property investment and management business under WCT Holdings Berhad of Malaysia revealed its exquisite Chinese New Year decoration in collaboration with Chupa Chups, the lollipop brand loved by millions of consumers in Malaysia. Showered in hues of red and gold, the main atriums of Paradigm Mall Petaling Jaya, Paradigm Mall Johor Bahru, gateway@klia2 and SkyPark Terminal from Kuala Lumpur have been transformed into Chupa Chups lollipop oriental gardens with cherry blossom trees, beautiful lanterns and galleries of Chupa Chups’ best of flavours in a bid to liven up the festive season in the spirit of abundance, sweetness and prosperity. Selena Chua, Chief Executive Officer – WCT Malls Management said, “We are very happy to team up with Chupa Chups to create an exclusive CNY experience for our customers to enjoy with their families. We are presenting to all shoppers the ‘must have’ assortments, and the unique festive displays to attract more visitors to the mall as they usher in the year of the tiger.” CNY shopping has never been so great with this lollipop themed mall experience. Apart from the decorations and embellishments, clients are in for a treat as they get to indulge in lots of fun activities and contests while trying their luck in winning something during the season of prosperity. From now till 15th February, shoppers can redeem exclusive Chupa Chups Red Packets, Chupa Chups Tote Bags, and partake in Chupa Chups inspired games and contests. The Malls succeed in bringing back the all-time favourite Chupa Chups sweet memories this Chinese New Year and no doubt families and youngsters will love to take and share their photos with the eye-catching Chupa Chups Chinese New Year Decoration.
BRANDGENUITY TO LICENSE CHUCK E CHEESE
CEC Entertainment, LLC., the parent company of Chuck E. Cheese, announced recently that it has selected Brandgenuity to serve as its exclusive brand licensing agency of record for food categories. The brand has already successfully launched the first-ever Chuck E. Cheese frozen pizza with licensing partner, Flatlander Foods. The Chuck E. Cheese pizza is available at more than 2,000 Kroger supermarkets across the United States. “We are thrilled to start working with the team at Brandgenuity and excited to continue extending our brand into new categories for families to enjoy outside of our family entertainment centers,” said Melissa McLeanas, VP of Global Licensing, Media and Branded Entertainment Development of CEC Entertainment, LLC. “The agency has the passion we were looking for as well as the right experience in food, kids’ properties and entertainment to drive this innovation forward.” Brandgenuity will seek licensees in a variety of food categories and will leverage the Chuck E. Cheese brand’s legacy as the destination for family food and entertainment for more than 40 years. Families will be able to enjoy Chuck E. Cheese in new ways no matter where they are, including pizza and birthday cake flavors, favorite menu items and seasonal initiatives with the opportunity to extend the entertainment experience of Chuck E. Cheese with activities and value offers included with the packaging.
