Licensing Industry

Are you ready for one of the biggest brand revivals, currently taking the UK by storm?

Tatty Teddy, the bear with the brown patches, first appeared with a group of other characters in the Miranda gang in 1987, charming his way into many hearts.

How’s this for a story to tug on the heartstrings – ‘Little Ewe is lost and lonely, with only the wool on his small body to keep him safe and warm. He has one wish, to find his way home – but how? The more love, hugs and cuddles he gets from his friends on his journey home, the closer he feels’.

In a world where licensing has thrown up some surprising success stories, few have been as unexpected as The Dog.

“Moving into pre-school was a natural next step for Aardman,” says Sean Clarke, the firm’s head of licensing and marketing. And it seems now is that time, as Samantha Loveday finds out.

The redevelopment of New Wembley was a painful process, costing far more and taking far longer than anyone had anticipated.

Paddington Bear is in some illustrious company; he shares his 50th birthday this year with, amongst others, the Lego brick, the Smurfs, the Grammys and The Osmonds (it’s amazing what a quick search on Google will turn up).

The last time I wrote a Numberjacks piece (in sister title ToyNews), the brand was still in its infancy.

Some phenomena, you can sort of see coming. They’re blown in by prevailing cultural winds. They say something about the zeitgeist.

Elvis may have been dead for almost 31 years, but his image and his likeness continue to be as well known now as they were over three decades ago.

H20 first premiered on Nickelodeon in the UK in April 2007, where it became the channel's top performing show of the year with nearly seven million viewers tuning in.

The Royal Navy may not immediately spring to mind as a typical licensed property. For a start, it’s owned by the Ministry of Defence and it has a serious function, unlike the many children’s/adult entertainment brands which exist solely, well, to entertain.

The incredible success of The Dangerous Book For Boys is a phenomenon that nobody saw coming.

Copyrights launched the Jacqueline Wilson licensing programme at Brand Licensing 2004 – and pretty much immediately it became clear that this was going to be a brand with longevity. Portico had already enjoyed success with its stationery ranges in both Sainsbury’s and WH Smith, so ‘Jacqueline Wilson: The Brand’ was off to a good start.

The question of who were the best group of all time should be a qualitative one, but it’s ceased to be so. It’s The Beatles. End of story. In Britain, in the States, in Japan, around the world; there is no argument and no credible contenders.

The Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Brand is over 150 years old. The trick with the licensing programme, according to Beanstalk which acts as its agent in Europe, is balancing that authentic heritage with its modern rock n roll pop culture.

Following the success of both the books and the TV series, now is the right time for Horrid Henry to be moving into other licensed categories. Samantha Loveday talks to Susan Bolsover, category director at CPLG, about what the firm has planned…

The industry may have just recovered from a big summer of movie blockbusters, but just a few months down the line and The Golden Compass will be the focus of everybody’s attention. Samantha Loveday reports…