Less than a month after her attorneys put Shapeways’s unlicensed Left Shark figurines out of business, Katy Perry (Bravado Intl. Group Merchandising Services) has launched her own, official products featuring the choreographically clutzy fish that became an instant Internet sensation during the Super Bowl halftime show. There are two official Left Shark offerings: a print … [Read more...] about Left Shark Hits Shelves
Articles
Retail Sales of Licensed Goods in U.S./Canada Grow 2.5% in 2014: Entertainment, Sports, Food Make Biggest Gains
Retail sales of licensed goods in the U.S. and Canada reached $99.9 billion in 2014, according to The Licensing Letter's Annual Licensing Business Survey. That's a 2.5% increase over the $97.5 billion in retail licensed goods sales generated in 2013. 2014 is the fourth positive growth year in a row for the licensing business in the U.S. and Canada. The 2.5% rate of increase in … [Read more...] about Retail Sales of Licensed Goods in U.S./Canada Grow 2.5% in 2014: Entertainment, Sports, Food Make Biggest Gains
Disney Goes 4D
Disney and children’s publisher Bendon have teamed up to bring coloring books to life via new 4D technology. The Disney Color and Play app allows Disney characters to jump off the pages of the Bendon coloring books and into the kid’s iPad. Kids can also use the app to turn their own drawings into jigsaw puzzles. … [Read more...] about Disney Goes 4D
Fifty Shades of Green
Lingerie company Bluebella had never done a licensing deal before deciding to make a pitch for Fifty Shades of Grey lingerie. They got the license and created two lines: The F&F featuring soft pinks and silk trims for the mainstream play on the conventional love story part of the plot; The bondage-inspired Black Label line pick up on the story’s kinky side. Both … [Read more...] about Fifty Shades of Green
Ninja Turtles Tops $1 Billions
Global retail sales of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles exceeded $1 billion in 2014, according to a Viacom International Media Networks executive at a Nickelodeon-Viacom Australian media event. “Turtles are a bigger consumer products success story than we ever imagined,” said the exec. The company also has aggressive plans to keep Turtles momentum alive in 2016, including a second … [Read more...] about Ninja Turtles Tops $1 Billions
Menswear Thriving on E-commerce
Who would have guessed? The fastest growing category of e-commerce sales is menswear. According to the research firm IbisWorld, between 2010 to 2015, online sales of menswear grew an average 17% per year, highest of any category studied. Only seven other categories had double-digit average annual growth: Groceries: 16.7% Shoes: 13.6% Health products, vitamins, supplements: … [Read more...] about Menswear Thriving on E-commerce
Who Owns the Left Shark?
The loveable, rhythmically challenged “Left Shark” who stole the show during the Katy Perry Super Bowl halftime performance is at the center of a legal battle. Perry claims the dancing (and we use that term loosely) sea creature is her copyrighted intellectual property and sued Shapeways for selling Left Shark figurines without a license. Shapeways backed down but doll … [Read more...] about Who Owns the Left Shark?
Harry Potter Drives Theme Park Profits
Universal Studios has ridden new Harry Potter attractions, like the Wizarding World of Harry Potter which opened in Orlando last sum- mer, to increase its theme park profits 38%. Theme park revenues rose to $735 million in the fourth quarter of 2014, according to Comcast financial reports. … [Read more...] about Harry Potter Drives Theme Park Profits
Classic Character Capers
Classic entertainment characters just keep chugging along. Some recent deals involving retro TV and other classic entertainment brands: Sony Pictures Consumer Products is conjuring up a licensing campaign tied to the 50th anniversary of classic Barbara Eden-Larry Hagman sitcom, "I Dream of Jeannie.” Products reportedly include a video slot machine from IGT; a commemorative … [Read more...] about Classic Character Capers
Knights Joins Hanes
HanesBrands agreed to acquire Knights Apparel, a leading seller of licensed collegiate logo apparel, from affiliates of Merit Capital Partners. Knights sells apparel representing 400 of the largest U.S. colleges and universities, primarily to mass merchant retailers. The company complements Hanes’ Gear for Sports division, which is a leading seller of licensed collegiate … [Read more...] about Knights Joins Hanes