Legendary rock band KISS is heading back on the road on the End of the Road World Tour, and has launched a licensing blitz along with their exclusive agent Epic Rights.
The licensing agency says it has signed several new licensing agreement over the last year across multiple product categories for key territories worldwide, with many new and unique products for retail.
The new KISS product launches will coincide with the return of the End of the Road World Tour, which launched in 2019 and generated record sales. With the end of the pandemic lockdowns in site the tour is back with rescheduled shows and new additional concert dates.
Thanks to their blistering rock classics and their larger than life stage presence, KISS continues to be among the most merchandised bands in history and a pioneering force in the music merchandise and licensing industry. KISS-branded merchandise is available in major retailers around the globe, including Nordstrom, Macy’s, Urban Outfitters, Hot Topic, Torrid, Tilly’s, Pacsun, Cotton On, Revolve, Nasty Gal, Princess Polly, Target, Walmart and Kohl’s, among many others.
New KISS deals in North America include Dead Sled Coffee, for pre-packaged coffee; a fashion and accessories collaboration with Robert Graham; high-end apparel with Lauren Moshi.; a line of seasonal apparel with Ugly Christmas Sweater for Holiday 2021; and more.
In the international marketplace, new strategic partnerships include Brands for Fans for gin (launching July 2021) and dark rum (launching August 2021) in UK, Europe, Japan, and Australia; Metal Departments for real money gambling worldwide; Fexpro for apparel and accessories in Mexico, Central America, and South America; Konnektfor apparel & accessories in Japan; and EastPak for bags, backpacks and accessories in U.S. Europe, Middle East, Asia and Canada; among many others.
“KISS’ licensing program is hotter than ever,” said Lisa Streff, EVP Global Licensing at Epic Rights. “The band’s merch continues to grow bigger and better year after year into new and unique categories with expansion into new markets around the world, as well as the return of their highly successful global tour in this summer.
“The strong interest from our licensing partners worldwide, as well as the remarkable sell-in and sell-through success at retail, is a testament to the never-ending strength of this evergreen giant.”
That success in licensing comes from the band’s record of music sales, and their lasting influence on the music scene. KISS remains one of the most influential bands in the history of rock and roll after 45 years. KISS has earned more Gold Album Record Awards than any American band in the history of The Recording Industry Association of America’s (RIAA) Gold and Platinum certifications, with 26 KISS albums and four solo albums released simultaneously, a feat never before achieved by any band.
To date, KISS has released 44 albums, with 14 achieving Platinum status and three albums reaching multi-platinum. KISS has sold more than 100 million albums worldwide.
“Our licensing partners from around the world continue to do an outstanding job collaborating creatively with us to further build our retail program,” said KISS. “We are eternally grateful to our legion of fans that continue to engage and support us, and we cannot wait to get back on the road this year with an explosive tour to remember! We’re pumped and can’t wait to celebrate the wildest and hottest show ever!”
Complete list of NEW licensees for the KISS brand include:
Worldwide & International Deals:
- Metal Departments (real money gambling) – Worldwide
- Brands for Fans (spirits) – UK, Europe, Japan, Australia
- Absolute Garments (tops for H&M) – Worldwide
- Bradford Exchange (collectibles) – United States, France, Italy, Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand
- Wren & Glory (fashion denim jackets) – Worldwide
- Ropa Viva (apparel) – Mexico
- Fexpro (apparel & accessories) – Mexico, Central America, South America
- Gloria Jeans (apparel) – Russia
- Konnekt (apparel & accessories) – Japan
- Replay (apparel collection) – Worldwide
- Eastpak (bags, backpacks, accessories) – Europe, Middle East, Asia, United States and Canada
- Aquarius (playing cards, puzzles & board games) – US, Australia, New Zealand, Europe
- Smartshake (protein drink shakers) – Worldwide
- Shinko (t-shirts & tote bags) – Japan
North American Deals:
- Dead Sled Coffee (brew-at-home coffee) – United States
- Robert Graham (fashion & accessories) – United States, Canada
- Darring USA (denim & apparel capsule collection) – United States
- Gotham City (wall art & calendars) – United States, Canada, Mexico
- Ideastream (storage boxes) – United States, Canada
- Lauren Moshi (high-end apparel) – United States
- My Custom Sports Chair (chairs) – United States, Canada
- Ugly Christmas Sweater (seasonal apparel) – United States
- Toynk (toys & games) – United States, Canada
- J&F Design (plus-size apparel) – United States, Canada
- Intimo (loungewear, sleepwear, accessories & bags) – United States
Renewed Deals:
Liquid Blue (apparel) – United States and Canada
Fun.com (costumes) – Worldwide
UD Replicas (costumes) – Worldwide
Advanced Graphics (life-size cardboard cut-outs) – United States and Canada
Zippo (lighters) – Worldwide
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