UNIQLO and Blue Note Records team for t-shirt collection

Blue Note Records and UNIQLO have teamed up once again for a new UT t-shirt collection featuring five new designs based on iconic Blue Note album covers that were selected by Blue Note President and GRAMMY-winning producer Don Was.

Brokered by Universal Music Group’s merchandising division, Bravado, via their team in Japan, the new UT collection is on sale today in UNIQLO stores worldwide and online at bluenote.lnk.to/uniqlo.

“We’re thrilled to team up with UNIQLO on this new UT collection that lets fans adorn themselves in the visionary designs of Reid Miles,” says Was. “In the 1950s and 60s Reid created an enduringly hip Blue Note aesthetic with album covers that were themselves works of art, and we hope new generations will discover his genius through UT.”

This is Blue Note’s fourth collaboration with UNIQLO and the second volume of the popular UT collection that was launched last year. UT asked Was to select 30 “Essential” Blue Note album covers from which the UT designers carefully selected the seven designs released in 2021 and the five additional designs featured in this new collection: Lee Morgan’s Cornbread and The Rumproller, Freddie Hubbard’s Hub-Tones, Andrew Hill’s Judgment, and Eric Dolphy’s Out To Lunch.

To celebrate the collaboration Blue Note has updated the official playlist BLUE NOTE MEETS UT, which was specially curated by Was for this collaboration.

Epic Rights to develop licensing programme for Aerosmith

In advance of multiple 50th anniversary celebrations and live appearances, Aerosmith, the best-selling American hard-rock band of all time, has tapped Universal Music Group’s Epic Rights as the band’s global brand management agency to develop an all-new multi-category worldwide retail programme, with a roster of new licensing partners signed to create branded merchandise.

Aerosmith continue to solidify their position as one of the most groundbreaking groups in history as the band prepares to celebrate multiple milestones in 2022, including the 40th anniversary of their Rock in a Hard Place album; 35th anniversary of Permanent Vacation, and 25th anniversary of Nine Lives, along with a historic anniversary celebration concert at Boston’s Fenway Park on 8 September, with more announcements to come.

In 2023, the band will honour the 50th anniversary of their iconic self-titled album; the 45th anniversary of Draw the Line, and 30th anniversary of Get a Grip.

With increasing demand from Aerosmith fans to engage with the iconic band, Epic Rights has signed agreements with new licensing partners across multiple territories and categories.

Global deals have been signed with Funko for vinyl figures (global for eCommerce, and U.S. and Canada for bricks and mortar); Knucklebonz for statues and 3D vinyl collectibles; Replay for a t-shirt and sweatshirt capsule collection; Madeworn for high-end apparel; and Collectionzz for hand-screened fine art prints.

New North American apparel partners include Just Some Thoughts, Philcos, Recycled Karma, Ripple Junction, and Angry Minnow for a collection of men’s, juniors and kid’s t-shirts, fashion tops, cut and sew fleece, sweaters, jackets, joggers, sweatpants/tops and more.

Rounding out the roster are Springs Creative for fabric, no-sew fleece kits and bandanas (USA, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand); Watson Apparel for apparel and accessories (USA, Canada, Dubai); Brands Club for apparel and accessories (Chile, Peru, Argentina, Colombia), and Bloomerry for men’s, women’s, kids’ and babies’ apparel and accessories (Europe).

“We are thrilled to have Aerosmith, one of the all-time greatest rock icons, on the Epic Rights’ roster,” says Lisa Streff, Epic Rights’ Senior Vice President of Global Licensing. “In anticipation of the upcoming 50th anniversary activities, we’re excited to be developing a global licensing programme that will celebrate and illustrate the band’s career at retail.”

Epic Rights represents a diverse roster of iconic music artists and brands, including AC/DC, KISS, Aerosmith, David Bowie, John Lennon, Def Leppard, Britney Spears and *NSYNC. The company offers a broad range of services, including retail licensing, tour merchandising, D2C e-commerce, VIP/fan experiences, merch bundles, and fan engagement opportunities.

 

 

Royal Mail to honour The Rolling Stones with a set of 12 special stamps

Royal Mail has revealed 12 new special stamps to honour 60 years of the legendary rock group, The Rolling Stones.

The main set of eight stamps features images of the band performing at venues all around the world at various points during their career: Hyde Park, London, UK, July 1969; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA, August 2019; Rotterdam, Netherlands, August 1995; Tokyo, Japan, March 1995; New York City, USA, July 1972; Oslo, Norway, May 2014; Knebworth, Hertfordshire, UK, August 1976; Düsseldorf, Germany, October 2017.

An additional four stamps, presented in a Miniature Sheet, feature two shots of the band together and of two of the many posters which have promoted their worldwide tours over the years.

In 2005, the Rolling Stones were awarded the accolade of greatest touring band of all time at the World Music Awards. They have sold an estimated 250m records and in the UK have eight no.1 singles and 13 no.1 albums. Their countless awards include four Grammys, three MTV Music Awards and nine NME Awards. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989.

Celebrating their 60th anniversary in 2022, the Rolling Stones become only the fourth music group to have a dedicated Royal Mail stamp issue – following on from The Beatles in 2007, Pink Floyd in 2016 and Queen in 2020.

David Gold, Director of Public Affairs & Policy, Royal Mail, said: “Few bands in the history of rock have managed to carve out a career as rich and expansive as that of the Rolling Stones. They have created some of modern music’s most iconic and inspirational albums, with ground-breaking live performances to match.”

The collaboration was brought together and facilitated by Bravado, Universal Music Group’s leading brand management and lifestyle division.

The stamps are available to pre-order from today (11 January) at www.royalmail.com/rollingstones and by phone on +44 (0)3457 641 641.

The stamps go on general sale on 20 January.

 

Rolling Stones launch limited-edition collection with Tommy Jeans

Tommy Hilfiger’s denim offering TOMMY JEANS has partnered with the Rolling Stones for the “Tommy Revisited: Music Edition’‘ collection. Combining the TOMMY JEANS streetwear aesthetic with tour merchandise-inspired apparel, the new range honours musical legends including TLC, Britney Spears and legendary rock band The Rolling Stones.

The Stones apparel drops at the Rolling Stones’ global flagship store, RS No.9 Carnaby, at 9 Carnaby Street, and online at carnaby.therollingstonesshop.co.uk on Friday 12 November. Consisting of six styles of tees and sweatshirts in strong, bold colourways, the range celebrates the iconic 1999 Rolling Stones X Tommy Hilfiger No Security tour merchandise with a TOMMY JEANS twist. Made from organic cotton, all the products feature the iconic Rolling Stones tongue and lips logo, and are available in both unisex and female sizing.

Three limited-edition, stand-out pieces from the collaboration have been produced exclusively for sale only at the global flagship store RS No.9 Carnaby: a printed black tee, denim jacket and long-sleeve sweat, both embroidered all over with the iconic tongue and lips Rolling Stones logo. These three exclusive pieces will sit alongside the wider collection in-store.

RS No. 9 Carnaby is the Rolling Stones’ world-first flagship store, which opened in September 2020. It was created in partnership with Bravado, Universal Music Group’s merchandise and brand management company.

 

Brit Award winning Mabel joins Pokemon’s P25 Music campaign with new single Take It Home

Brit Award winning artist, Mabel has become the latest in musical talent to join the Pokemon 25th anniversary celebrations, having released her new single, Take It Home, recorded exclusively for the upcoming P25 Music compilation album.

Produced by Tommy Brown of Kanye West and Ariana Grande fame, the single celebrates bring the kind of friend that others can count on, and joins a tracklisting of world renowned singers and pop stars celebrating the quarter century anniversary of the popular Pokemon franchise this year.

Scheduled for release this autumn, P25 Music is a year long music campaign from The Pokemon Company International, launched in partnership with Universal Music Group.

The official video for Take It Home finds Mabel trying to unwind in her hotel room after a busy day. She stumbles across the Pokemon channel on her hotel television and finds herself comforted by the characters. Falling asleep, she follows a Jigglypuff down a hallway of her dream as the two explore the hotel together.

 

“I’ve been a fan of Pokémon for years, so I jumped at the opportunity to join the P25 program,” Mabel said. “I had so much fun working with Pikachu and my all-time favorite Pokémon, Jigglypuff, for the ‘Take It Home’ video. I hope the fans love the song as much as I loved working on it to celebrate 25 years of Pokémon.”

Colin Palmer, vice president of marketing for The Pokemon Company International, said: “Mabel’s incredible talent and pop sensibilities add a massive layer of fun to Pokémon’s P25 Music campaign celebrating 25 years of Pokémon.

“Music fans are going to love ‘Take It Home,’ and Pokémon fans will be delighted to see a Jigglypuff, known for being a bubbly Pokémon who also loves to sing, featured in Mabel’s vibrant video. It’s a pitch-perfect collaborative match for our 25th anniversary celebration.”

Mabel is the latest artist to join the P25 Music program, taking her place alongside Katy Perry, who contributed the new original song “Electric,” as well as Post Malone, who put his own stamp on the Hootie & the Blowfish hit “Only Wanna Be with You,” and J Balvin.

Mabel recently released her first new single of 2021, “Let Them Know,” a spirited anthem about projecting confidence even in times of trouble.

Brit Award winning Mabel joins Pokemon’s P25 Music campaign with new single Take It Home

Brit Award winning artist, Mabel has become the latest in musical talent to join the Pokemon 25th anniversary celebrations, having released her new single, Take It Home, recorded exclusively for the upcoming P25 Music compilation album.

Produced by Tommy Brown of Kanye West and Ariana Grande fame, the single celebrates bring the kind of friend that others can count on, and joins a tracklisting of world renowned singers and pop stars celebrating the quarter century anniversary of the popular Pokemon franchise this year.

Scheduled for release this autumn, P25 Music is a year long music campaign from The Pokemon Company International, launched in partnership with Universal Music Group.

The official video for Take It Home finds Mabel trying to unwind in her hotel room after a busy day. She stumbles across the Pokemon channel on her hotel television and finds herself comforted by the characters. Falling asleep, she follows a Jigglypuff down a hallway of her dream as the two explore the hotel together.

 

“I’ve been a fan of Pokémon for years, so I jumped at the opportunity to join the P25 program,” Mabel said. “I had so much fun working with Pikachu and my all-time favorite Pokémon, Jigglypuff, for the ‘Take It Home’ video. I hope the fans love the song as much as I loved working on it to celebrate 25 years of Pokémon.”

Colin Palmer, vice president of marketing for The Pokemon Company International, said: “Mabel’s incredible talent and pop sensibilities add a massive layer of fun to Pokémon’s P25 Music campaign celebrating 25 years of Pokémon.

“Music fans are going to love ‘Take It Home,’ and Pokémon fans will be delighted to see a Jigglypuff, known for being a bubbly Pokémon who also loves to sing, featured in Mabel’s vibrant video. It’s a pitch-perfect collaborative match for our 25th anniversary celebration.”

Mabel is the latest artist to join the P25 Music program, taking her place alongside Katy Perry, who contributed the new original song “Electric,” as well as Post Malone, who put his own stamp on the Hootie & the Blowfish hit “Only Wanna Be with You,” and J Balvin.

Mabel recently released her first new single of 2021, “Let Them Know,” a spirited anthem about projecting confidence even in times of trouble.

Bravado fires up the fans with Team GB apparel and accessories ahead of Tokyo Olympics

Bravado, the merchandise and brand management division of Universal Music Group, has secured a deal with Team GB to design and distribute official, branded merchandise ranges to the UK retail market. The launch will coincide with the team’s efforts in the 2020 Olympics this summer in Tokyo.

Fans will be able to show their support of the nation’s Olympians through a ‘multi-layered offering’ that will span both online and in-store, as well as luxury, with high-end capsule collections scheduled to run later this summer. The range will feature athleisure, apparel and accessories boasting never before seen designs.

The 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games will take place in Japan from 23 July until 8 August 2021. Team GB will take part in 40 sports, with over 370 athletes due to represent their country.

Keith Taperell, vice president retail and sales, Bravado UK, said: “We can’t possibly be more passionate and excited about this collaboration. With such a testing year behind us, we look forward to the creativity, optimism and patriotism that accompanies this project. The unity and inspiration the Games conjure the world over, is just what we all need.”

Paul Ellis, head of licensing and retail, Team GB added: “Team GB is delighted to be working with Bravado to tap into their design and retail expertise to excite the fans with great product ranges as the nation get behind the team with the Games set to take place in just under a month.”

More details on individual capsule collections will follow in the coming weeks.

Swedish death metal band Arch Enemy launches merchandise partnership with Bravado

The Swedish death metal band, Arch Enemy has entered into a new deal with Bravado, the merchandise arm of Universal Music Group, to develop and distribute a new collection of band merchandise across Europe.

With 25 years of successful album releases, extensive touring, and a dedicated global fanbase, the brand will now work with the merchandise heavyweight on a range of stylised items and eco-friendly products, spanning its entire merchandise business for Europe, including tour merch, online products, and retail.

Michael Hahn, general manager, Bravado Germany, said: “We are proud to have Arch Enemy on our roster, they have such an extraordinary legacy. We look forward to creating a range that is truly authentic, something they and their fans can cherish.”

Angela Gossow, Kult Management, added: “I am stoked to be working with a company with such focus on customer care, high quality, certified, organic garments and fair-trade standards. It was time to step up the game whilst staying true to our DIY policy of creating artwork designs and picking selected merchandise items ourselves.

“We are control freaks, yet happy to benefit from the large-scale professional infrastructure and support of Bravado Europe. Especially in times like these we appreciate the support and constructive cooperation with the Bravado team. Thank you all for being a part of our journey for 25 years now. We are here to stay!”

Underwear brand MeUndies steps into Bravado partnership for The Rolling Stones collection

The men’s and women’s underwear, sleepwear, and loungewear brand, MeUndies, has partnered with Universal Music Group’s merchandise and brand management company Bravado to launch a limited edition collaboration with The Rolling Stones.

The new MeUndies x The Rolling Stones collection will feature the band’s iconic tongue and lips logo on underwear, socks, bralettes, and loungewear.

“The Rolling Stones was one of my favorite bands growing up, and I was lucky enough to see them live for their 40 Licks tour while backpacking in Hamburg, Germany in 2003,” said Jonathan Shokrian, founder and CEO of MeUndies. “This collaboration allows both The Rolling Stones fans and our MeUndies community to celebrate legendary music and rock out in epicly-soft Undies.” 

Designed in 1970 by English artist John Pasche, The Rolling Stones logo is one of the most famous graphics in rock ’n’ roll history. The new MeUndies collection featuring the logo was created to celebrate the band, which has been promoting self-expression and inspiring fans to challenge the status quo and embrace their individuality since 1962.

“This limited-edition collection gives Rolling Stones fans a new way to show their love for the band,” said Christine Buckley, vice president, global brand management, Bravado. “MeUndies shares the same commitment to unself-conscious free expression that Mick and the band have always embodied, which is why this collab is such an exciting one.”

The collection is now available for purchase exclusively on MeUndies.com. All prints from MeUndies, including The Rolling Stones collection, are limited-edition, so once they sell out, they won’t come back.

MeUndies designs ultrasoft basics, including underwear, socks, sleepwear, loungewear and, now, swimwear for both men and women. The brand is committed to celebrating comfort, creativity and self-expression and is renowned for its ethos of inclusivity, body positivity and transparency, its MeUndies Gives program, and its frequent drops of colorful, trendy prints in its MicroModal line.

WildBrain CPLG appoints Jasen Wright to lead North American expansion in newly created role

WildBrain CPLG is growing its operations in North America with the appointment of the experienced licensing executive, Jasen Wright to the newly created position of vice president, North America. In this role, Wright will be responsible for driving WildBrain CPLG’s efforts in the region and expanding its portfolio of entertainment and lifestyle brands.

Wright will be based in New York and will report into WildBrain CPLG’s EVP and managing director, Maarten Weck.

The position will see Wright focus much attention on the ambitious plans for WildBrain’s proprietary brands this year and beyond, including Strawberry Shortcake, Caillou, Teletubbies, and Chip & Potato. He will also lead the local growth of WildBrain CPLG’s wider portfolio of entertainment brands and expand existing relationships with partners, including Square Enix and its arcade gaming IP, Space Invaders.

As well as this, Wright will also drive WildBrain CPLG’s lifestyle portfolio in North America by forging new partnerships and building on existing represented brands, such as Absolut, Malibu, and Harvard and Yale universities. Alyssa Gourlay, based in California, will report into Wright and will continue developing new local opportunities as WildBrain CPLG’s director of business development.

Maarten Weck, EVP and managing director at WildBrain CPLG, said: “As we continue extending our global reach and ensuring we have a robust presence in all corners of the world, the appointment of Jasen adds significant firepower to our global operations.

“We have big plans for the North American market and with Jasen’s remarkable track record in building top-class consumer products programs, we know he’s the ideal candidate to fuel the growth and success of both WildBrain’s brands and our wider portfolio across the region.”

Jasen Wright added: “WildBrain CPLG has an outstanding reputation for developing robust global licensing programs with best-in-class partners across its impressive and varied line-up of brands. I’m looking forward to working closely with Maarten, Alyssa and the wider team as we accelerate WildBrain CPLG’s capabilities and open up further opportunities for both new and existing partners worldwide.”

Jasen Wright has developed consumer product and licensing programmes for major brands across food and beverage, home improvement, automotive, art, sports, lifestyle and entertainment. Most recently Jasen was vice president of licensing and brand management at Beanstalk, and led the global brand licensing business for Diageo’s spirit brands.

While at Beanstalk, he also developed and executed the strategy for extending Stanley Black & Decker, U.S. Army, Ford Motor Company, Harley-Davidson, The Andy Warhol Foundation and Airheads into various categories including home, hardware, home improvement, auto accessories, toys, food and beverage and confectionary.

Prior to returning to Beanstalk in 2017, Jasen worked at vice president of licensing at Bravado/Universal Music Group, Authentic Brands Group and Warner Music Group. Working across music and sports to launch such brands as Paddington Bear, Rolling Stones, Prince, Wiz Khalifa, Grateful Dead and Tretorn, extending those personalities and properties while building their demand as lifestyle brands.