Reactivating Relevance

One of the most effective – and often underestimated – areas of brand building and licensing is the strategic re‑activation of archive IP. These are brands that may be quiet in market – sometimes even written off internally – that still carry deep cultural recognition with highly engaged fanbases.

This is the space I’ve built much of my career in: identifying overlooked value and translating it into commercially relevant, contemporary propositions for retail. My grounding in this approach began during my time at CPLG, following a move from Paramount…

As you can imagine, I was used to working on a small number of priority properties, so entering a business where the archive WAS the opportunity needed a shift in thinking. What shaped this was embedding myself in the business development team: a position not typically held by a creative lead. It forced me to think beyond aesthetics and focus on outcomes. Creative wasn’t there to ‘dress’ a deal; it was there to unlock it. That meant understanding retailer behaviour, licensing constraints and trend forecasting –then using design as a strategic tool to create confidence, momentum and revenue.

The first real test of this thinking was Pink Panther. At the time, the brand had very little activity in market and almost no presence in fashion. Rather than treating that as a weakness, we treated it as a strategic advantage. With a completely clean slate at retail, we could position the brand – if handled correctly – as ownable and distinctive.

We proposed a tightly controlled creative collaboration with an emerging designer – Mimi Wade – who already had strong cultural and social relevance. Alongside this, we developed bespoke pitch materials specifically for fashion buyers. These showed not only the product but also how the brand could live within their stores. The aim was simple: remove as much risk as possible for the buyer while making the opportunity feel fresh and timely.

The collaboration generated editorial attention across key fashion titles and, more importantly, translated directly into retail interest. Zara buyers committed to the brand the following season, establishing a partnership that has continued long‑term. For me, it reinforced a belief that creative, when applied with commercial intent, can materially change the trajectory of a brand.

This thinking scaled naturally into film IP through the development of the Classic Back Catalogue Lookbook. Working closely with the Paramount team in Burbank, I identified titles such as Clueless, Mean Girls, Top Gun, Grease and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off – properties with enduring cultural relevance but often complex rights restrictions.

Rather than seeing limitations around talent imagery or key art as blockers, we reframed them as creative opportunities. What consistently resonates with fans, and increasingly with retailers, are subtle, knowing references: quotes, symbols, illustrated iconography and visual cues that reward familiarity. This ‘if you know, you know’ approach aligned well with trend‑led retail and proved particularly successful with Tomb Raider, across both film and gaming extensions.

What’s been most satisfying is seeing the long‑term impact of this work. Many of the brands that were once considered secondary or dormant are still trading successfully today. Professionally, it’s shaped how I work: starting with the end in mind. What does the consumer want? What does the retailer need? Where does the brand naturally sit within culture right now? Creative decisions only come after those questions are answered.

There’s significant untapped value still sitting in archives. Unlocking it, in the right way, remains one of the most rewarding parts of the job.