Talking Brands: Which untapped brands could make an impact in 2026?

Oliver Gilding,
Sales & Licensing Director, Food Brands Now

Gymshark could make a huge impact in licensing this year. The brand is viewed as more than a fitness apparel brand and leans into being a lifestyle movement with deep consumer trust. By extending into functional foods, supplements and ready-to-drink shakes, Gymshark can create a 360° health ecosystem, meeting the growing demand for trusted, health-conscious products beyond the gym.

Then, on the flavour side, Nando’s has untapped potential to scale its PERi-PERi IP into new grocery categories. Consumers already love the taste, and expanding into snacks, frozen meals, and cooking kits would turn Nando’s into a multi-category powerhouse, reinforcing loyalty and convenience.

Both brands tick the boxes for 2026 – strong brand equity, consumer trust and an alignment with major trends like health and wellness, convenience and flavour-led innovation.

Ian Downes,
Director, Start Licensing

When my sons were younger, they played RuneScape, a massively multiplayer online game – or MMO – set in a fantasy world full of quests and adventures. This was back in the 2000s as the game launched in 2001. I was always struck by how immersed my sons were in the world of RuneScape and how much enjoyment they got from the game. These are, of course, positive attributes when thinking about extending a brand through licensing. With my interest piqued in RuneScape, I remember approaching the games owners Jagex about the potential for licensing Runescape. This conversation didn’t go too far. I’m not sure if Jagex ever licensed RuneScape in the 2000s, but it is a brand that always stayed with me. Of course, other competitive brands have emerged and kicked on – World of Warcraft for example.

However, I was reading a few BBC Business articles online recently and a story about RuneScape popped up. In summary, it seems RuneScape is having something of a renaissance largely due to players who were fans in the 2000s returning to the game. The BBC report highlighted that there are now two versions of the game including a more contemporary version – but it seems “old school” RuneScape is the most popular format for the game.

Given its history and fan engagement, RuneScape may be a brand ripe for licensing in 2026. The task of bringing RuneScape alive in licensing may be a little easier now as there is a well-established network of licensees and retailers that “get gaming” and a lot of the core fans are now in their late 20s and early 30s with more disposable income. Of course, there is also more opportunities around e-commerce, conventions and limited edition products – all of which play well with a brand like RuneScape.

So I assume RuneScape is largely untapped but please accept my apologies if there is already a flourishing licensing programme out there!

Sharon Ann Wiesman,
CEO, Portman Street

Duolingo feels like the ‘Sleeping Giant’ for licensing in 2026. You know by now, I love data – and the numbers tell a story: 500M+ registered users, massive daily engagement, and it’s built a genuine cultural footprint with Gen Z and Gen Alpha. From a visual vocabulary standpoint, the Duo owl isn’t just a mascot… It’s become an actual meme entity with personality and cultural cache that rivals entertainment IP.

What makes it untapped: Despite this reach, Duolingo’s licensing footprint is minimal compared to its cultural presence. No major toy partnerships, limited apparel beyond their own DTC, no serious retail activation… They’ve essentially created a character-driven universe with built-in storylines – the unhinged owl personality, the lesson streak anxiety, the passive-aggressive notifications – that’s ripe for product translation.

They finally hired their first licensing role, so hopefully they launch a compelling licensing program that bridges over cultures, languages and generations. The real opportunity sits in that rare space where kids want it, parents approve of it and it has legitimate cross-generational recognition. Plus, the learning/education angle gives it legs beyond trend cycles – utility with personality!

My second pick… Well, if there’s one brand sitting on enormous, largely untapped licensing potential, it’s Wikipedia. It’s one of the most recognised and trusted brands on the planet, yet it has almost no consumer licensing footprint. In an era flooded with AI-generated content, misinformation and brand noise, Wikipedia represents something increasingly rare: credible, human-curated knowledge. That trust equity alone makes it a compelling candidate for thoughtful expansion.

Moreover, everyone is freaking about the M&As, when we really shouldn’t be gambling like maniacs on “What’s the new hot thing???” (knowing very well that it might not last). The opportunity for Wiki isn’t novelty merch, it’s mission-aligned products. Done right, Wikipedia could become a case study for how a values-first, nonprofit brand expands into licensing – without losing its soul. And in 2026, that may be the most modern move of all.

Finally, A24. It is already acting like a lifestyle/luxury brand, but from a pure licensing lens it is still massively under-monetised relative to its cultural pull, making it a high-impact play for 2026 if handled carefully. Honestly, I am not a “fan girl” of anything, but lets just say that watching one of their movies – Marcel the Shell with Shoes On – and curiously looking up their merch story, lead me to buying the first figurine I’ve ever purchased (at age 43!!!).

A24 can potentially remind the industry to slow down – and that quality trumps quantity. It built a cult ‘world’ via films and design-driven merch, with its own DTC shop, special-edition Blu-rays, books, and vinyl that routinely sell out and trade at premiums on resale platforms.​ The Barnes & Noble in-store “A24 Shop” rollout is its first real physical retail expression, proving there is national demand for a curated A24-branded universe, not just one-off movie swag.​

Over-licensing or mass-channel placement would erode the “insider” equity that makes A24 desirable… The play is fewer, deeper partnerships, not volume programs. They finally hired someone who seems fun and sharp, and the rumours say she champions the potential of brand licensing, so fingers crossed that they create more thoughtful merchandise without compromising quality… Setting a new standard for everyone in 2026.

Oliver Dyer,
Founder, Skew

Let’s talk about hotels – luxury hotels. The ink will already be dry on impactful deals for ’26, so I want to pull back and look at what’s next. The Heritage wave has been massive. The Met’s Josh Romm rightly highlighted a stat from Licensing Source’s dedicated Heritage & Museum Licensing issue saying: “The nonprofit IP sector, led by museum properties, was the fastest growing licensing property type last year, growing at a 16.8% rate”.

Heritage has been building in waves for over a decade, and the next one that’s going to break is luxury. Skew client The Ritz Paris is the trailblazer here and you can see why. Heritage is about story and provenance, and The Ritz Paris has more of both than sequins on a Couture showpiece.

Luxury brands don’t stoop so low as to admit to competition, but last year luxury powerhouse LVMH secured an option to acquire full ownership of The Orient Express brand by 2027. And there’s more to follow. Like it or not, the super-rich are getting richer. There are storied hotel brands ready to cater to their every whim and sell the lifestyle back to the upper mid-market.

Raffles is a rich pick for luxury brand extension. But for the mix of East and West, old and new, we’re wondering if it’s The Peninsula that could break through into luxury lifestyle.

Why? Licensing loves an anniversary – the Peninsula turns 100 in 2028. It has global reach, grounded in an origin story filled with evocative imagery to inspire a decade’s worth of creative development. Not only that, but the brand is pushing its relevance with a well-received opening in London in 2024.

Pedigree, story, reach, relevance and deep pockets… The Peninsula has all the ingredients to make the leap from luxury experience to lifestyle.

Ben Townsend,
Product Development Executive, Aardman

As soon as I saw this question, there was one clear answer that came to my mind: The Muppets. As a lifelong fan of Jim Henson and puppetry, this brand has been catching headlines recently for lots of exciting reasons.

First off, The Muppet Show is coming back to our screens this February via Disney Plus after last being on in 1981! With names like Seth Rogen and Sabrina Carpenter leading the charge, they will bring in a whole new audience to the brand, and with it a whole new audience who will get an appetite for Muppets-related merchandise. Moreover, influential names like Jennifer Lawrence and Emma Stone will be working on a Miss Piggy Movie, bringing lots of exciting licensing opportunities.

As that wasn’t enough, Disney World in Florida will be closing Aerosmith’s Rock & Roller Coaster after 27 years this year and what will they be rebranding it to? You guessed it, our felted friends, The Muppets. That shows a lot of faith on Disney’s part, and as someone who recently visited Disney World for their honeymoon, at the end of every ride is a large shop with a great deal of licensed products available to purchase. I for one can’t wait to see what products will be available, and to see The Muppets with a modern twist.

And with that, brings my final reason. The recent licensing collaborations that have come from the Muppets have been sensational. Just this year, American apparel brand RSVLTS released a Muppets apparel range with some fun and creative AOP designs for Men, Women and Kids. As someone who is part of RSVLTS’s Facebook fan group, I have not seen such a positive reaction and excitement from fans as I did with the Muppets launch. TruffleShuffle also launched a great Muppet Christmas Carol design for the festive season, which sits beautifully across all their existing Muppets range, including a light-up Loungefly bag.

Fi Murray,
Director of Ideas, Making Things Studios

My pick is Lick. More than a decorating paint company, they are leaders in colour. They could be to paint, what Crayola is to crayons. They have an enormous engaged social community and feel primed, excuse the pun, to celebrate colour in new ways.

I could see their colours – Pink 08 and Red 03 being personal favourites! – translating to lifestyle, homeware and more… Think candles where the scent matches the colour mood. You could make up sets with quick guides to colour compliment your clothing.

Simon Foulkes,
MD, Rainbow Productions

I can’t be the only person who was willing Macclesfield FC to hang on for their third round FA Cup victory against Crystal Palace. Not because I’m a Macclesfield fan – it’s somewhere near Manchester isn’t it!? – but it was one of those “never to be forgotten” sporting moments when bloke with a blood stained headband got carried aloft by beyond jubilant fans. “I was there” moments are so personal and have an intense emotional resonance. And let’s face it emotions are what drive our love of sport.

Sports licensing on the whole is pretty well covered and it’s growth is easily measured by the fact that at BLE each year we see clubs, tournaments and associations taking up more and more space on the showfloor. The throng of people jostling at Target Darts booth at Toy Fair to get a piece of Luke Littler shows how relevant the category is and how it transcends age, gender and race. Target Darts’ multi-million pound investment in the incredible Luke the Nuke is down to how this 18-year-old has not only reshaped how people engage with darts but how the guy has captured new audiences. Lukey boy even had my Polish wife rescheduling our dinner so as not to miss a 7.30 bull-off – yes this really is a term! – in the lead up to Christmas so we could recreate the Ally Pally atmosphere in our living room.

2026 is once again the year of the FIFA World Cup so the classic Summer of Sport moniker is repeatedly going to be across all forms of media. This got me thinking about an untapped sporting licensing brand that could maximise opportunities and monetise that emotional demand: Sporting Signature Moments.

At Rainbow we create sports mascots and the utter joy on a childs’ face when hugged by Pottermus at the BET 365 is matched against mascot-related merchandise sales in the Stoke City club shop. Can a sports licensing programme transcend a particular allegiance to a specific club? There are not too many Spurs fans wanting a mantle-piece photo of an embrace with Gunnersaurus… But of course they can.

Bring on an umbrella brand that captures the “I was there” signature movements that revolutionised a sport – or what the (Dad of a) Gen Z-eders would call the Insta moment. Tapping into those etched-in the-memory images and keeping those treasured moments alive epitomises emotional branding. So is there not a screaming desire for these sporting moments to have a collective licensing trademark?

That ball of the century that dismissed Gatting; the chap who floats like a butterfly and stings…; that goliath New Zealander running amok through the English back line; the beam dismounts from that diminutive American genius; that ice skating couple in Sarajevo; that Australian fast bowler being comported by Freddie at Edgbaston…. Panneker, Fosbury, Banks, Pele, MS Dhoni, Cruyff… This is classic game of “what’s YOUR moment” as the list in inexhaustible and now I’ve added that Macclesfield bloke to mine.

Add in some sensational sporting phraseology to complete the branding: “He kicks for World Cup glory”… “They think its all over”… “You can’t win anything with kids”… “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take”… “The more I practice the luckier I get”… I’m doodling the style guide and already have some ideas for the mascot that taps into our enduring love of sport and Sporting Signature Moments.

My final thought would be that if you could license the image, could you also exclusively license the movement? If so and Stoke City exclusively licensed the Cruyff Turn, would we back in the Premier League or would we be playing Wolves next season?

Robyn Cowling,
Head of Licensing, Aykroyds

Gosh, there are an immeasurable number of untapped brands out there! With the unending appetite for newness at retail – certainly from our core customers – brands are missing out on some big wins by not harnessing licensing as a strand of their marketing for launch.

I suspect they are intentionally and strategically focusing on their core business and own core brand awareness before considering expansion into other categories. I would counter that with the perpetual need for freshness. It feels shortsighted, albeit understandable given the level of investment needed to launch brands.

I personally believe that if emerging brands took a different position on this growth strategy, then we could strengthen their footprint off the starting blocks to give them the widest market share in multiple categories. It just takes one forward thinker to be in the right place at the right time, within the emerging brand team, to take a leap of faith. Fortune favours the bold!