Let’s start at the beginning – what set you on the path into licensing? Was it always on the cards?
Like many people in this industry, I didn’t set out to go into licensing. I fell into it really. My background was quite different. After university, I started training to become an accountant, but that was not to be my vocation. Following on from this, I worked on a charity football project – a tour across the country working with some of the biggest clubs, including Man United.

When that came to an end, I approached a recruitment consultant called Sutton Gibbs – a name very familiar to a certain generation of licensing people. They had a role at a company called EC Licensing, which held the rights to the World Wrestling Federation – now, of course, WWE – and Mighty Morphine Power Rangers. That was my entry point. I started working in their Pinewood office, which was a unique experience. Working at Pinewood Studios opened many doors and eventually led me to work with Gerry Anderson on one of his projects, before moving on to work with 20th Century Fox and other film studios.

So no, it wasn’t on the cards at all, but I wouldn’t change a thing.

You’re co-founder of the licensing agency Licensing Link Europe. Tell me about your portfolio.
Yes, I’m a co-founder and director of Licensing Link Europe alongside Ian Wickham. It’s an agency with a genuinely broad and diverse portfolio of properties. Over the past few years, we’ve also had the privilege of developing licensing programmes for some great brands, including Pantone, the Van Gogh Museum, and Robot Wars.

Currently, we are representing Royal Museums Greenwich, PEZ, Winx Club, Henry Fraser Art, Haynes Publishing, Marie Curie, Sam & Julia and The Economist. It’s a portfolio we’re incredibly proud of – eclectic, yes, but each brand has a real story to tell and to build a genuine connection with its audience. That, for us, is the common thread.

You mention it’s an eclectic portfolio – so what makes a brand attractive to Licensing Link? Is there any attribute or trait that unites the brands you represent?
That’s a great question, and the honest answer is that we look for brands that are not trying to compete in an already crowded market or against each other in the portfolio. We look for brands that occupy their own space and, crucially, have a genuine story to tell.

That storytelling element is central to what we do. Take the Royal Museums Greenwich… There are narratives woven into that institution around maritime history, space and time. Or PEZ, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2027. That kind of heritage and nostalgia is incredibly powerful. Even Winx Club, which younger people might think of as a contemporary brand, is steeped in over 20 years of history and has a deeply loyal global fanbase.

When we look at a brand, we ask: Does it resonate? Is there something authentic at the heart of it? If the answer is yes, there’s usually a compelling licensing story to build.

Great answer. Now, Licensing Link has achieved some award-winning work in the cultural and arts space over the years. What makes that an exciting space for licensing, and what have been some highlights?
We are genuinely very proud of the recognition we have received. At the Brand & Licensing Awards, we have secured numerous nominations over the years and won awards for our work on the Van Gogh Museum licensing programme. These include wins with CARIUMA, Floral Street, and Blueprint Collections – as well as achieving overall brand recognition, making it the first international institution to win in that category. And this year, we are proud to have secured our first nomination with Royal Museums Greenwich x LOVE & ROSES, which feels like a real milestone.

“Heritage is a space that rewards creativity, and we have been very lucky to work with partners who have truly embraced that.”

As for what makes the cultural and heritage space so exciting, there’s something almost intangible about it. These institutions carry centuries of creativity, discovery and emotion. When a licensee taps into that authentically, the product becomes more than just a product. It carries meaning. There’s a depth and provenance to it that consumers genuinely connect with – and that resonates in a way that is very difficult to manufacture from scratch.

Working with heritage institutions, licensees have access to extraordinary archives and visual assets that are both timeless and entirely fresh. It’s a space that rewards creativity, and we have been very lucky to work with partners who have truly embraced that.

What are some key means of convincing licensees or retailers of the potential of brands in your portfolio? Without going into Bond villian territory, what can be persuasive?
Storytelling, without a doubt. Retailers and licensees respond to a clear, compelling narrative – not just “Here’s a logo” but “Here’s who this institution is, who its audience is, and why a product rooted in this IP will resonate on the shelf”. Data helps, of course, with audience size, engagement and social presence, but it’s the story that gets people excited in the room.

Beyond that, I’d say it is about demonstrating fit. We work hard to understand what retailers and licensees are looking for and then show them where a brand in our portfolio can add something distinctive. Nobody wants to be pushed into a deal – they want to feel that the opportunity has been thought through for them.

And finally, consistency matters enormously. Trust is built over time, and when licensees and retailers know that the licensor and we will be there to support the programme with assets, PR, and marketing conversations, they are far more likely to lean in. So, if I’m being a Bond villain about it, the art is in making it feel inevitable!

For any licensees reading, what are some immediate exciting opportunities across your portfolio? And what sectors are you looking to help them thrive in?
There are several exciting windows right now. With PEZ, we’re building towards the brand’s 100th anniversary in 2027. The brand was founded in Vienna in 1927 and has built-in nostalgia and collectability. The centenary is a genuine milestone, and we are seeking partners across gift, collectables, apparel and homewares who want to be part of something special.

With Winx Club, the timing couldn’t be better. The brand relaunched with a new CGI-animated reboot, Winx Club: The Magic Is Back, on CBBC and Netflix last year, with a new season later this year. The franchise has generated billions of views on YouTube and TikTok. It is a brand with an enormous, deeply passionate global fanbase, and the new series creates a fantastic platform for licensees across toys, fashion, accessories, and stationery.

And at Royal Museums Greenwich, our current focus is the National Maritime Museum. Over the next few years, the emphasis will be on sustainability – particularly regarding the oceans – a commitment already reflected in their support for World Oceans Day and the newly opened Ocean Court. RMG recognises that environmental protection is one of the most important issues facing us today. For licensees with a sustainability focus, this is a genuinely compelling and timely opportunity.

Terrific. And is there a brand in your portfolio that perhaps ‘flies under the radar’ a little but that you feel is ripe with product potential?
Honestly, every brand in the portfolio has a clear focus and lane, and that is deliberate – we are not looking for brands that compete. But I would say each has untapped potential we are continuing to develop. Winx Club, for instance, is increasingly resonating with an older audience. The original fanbase has grown up, and there’s a real opportunity in that older demographic for a more sophisticated product.

Equally, Sam & Julia sit beautifully at the younger end of the market; it’s a brand with tremendous warmth and storytelling at its heart, and we think it has significant room to grow in the early years space. So rather than one brand flying under the radar, I would say each has a chapter yet to be fully written.

Nicely put! And what helps you have ideas? What fuels your creativity?
Honestly? A combination of things. Reading widely is essential for staying across what is happening beyond our own industry, which gives you a different frame of reference. Talking to people is just as important as a constant dialogue with licensees, retail buyers, and brand owners. Because you learn something new every time.

I pay close attention to what retailers are doing, both here and in international markets. Social media is a constant source of signals about what audiences care about and what is resonating culturally. And listening – really listening – to what licensees need and the challenges they are trying to solve. The best ideas often come not from sitting down to think creatively, but from paying close enough attention to what’s already happening around you.

And finally, since the beginning of your licensing journey, what changes have you seen in the industry, and what do you see in the future?
Looking back on what has been a long and fascinating journey, the industry has changed enormously, in ways I certainly could not have predicted when I first walked into that Pinewood office.

The professionalisation of licensing has been one of the most significant shifts. The discipline is taken far more seriously today by brands, retailers, and investors, and that has raised the bar for everyone working in the space, which can only be a good thing.

The retail landscape, particularly here in the UK, has been transformed. The rise of discount channels, such as Home Bargains, Primark, and B&M, has created both opportunities and challenges for licensing, opening up access to enormous footfall.

“We look for brands that occupy their own space and, crucially, have a genuine story to tell.”

At the same time, the explosion of digital and social media has fundamentally changed how consumers discover and connect with brands, and how we, as an industry, communicate the value of the IPs we work with.

As it has been written about a lot these days, the importance of the adult consumer in what was traditionally considered the toy and children’s market. That shift has opened entirely new product categories and conversations that simply did not exist when I started out.

And with entertainment brands, it was once all about the broadcast platform. If you had a primetime slot, you had an audience, and the licensing programme followed. Now, broadcast is just one part of a much more complex mix. Streaming, YouTube, TikTok, Roblox — the ways in which audiences engage with entertainment IP have multiplied beyond recognition.

And yet, for all that change, the fundamentals remain the same: great brands, great stories and great partnerships. That’s what it has always come down to, and about connections with people – licensing has always been a connection industry, hence the importance of trade shows, licensing events, and here in the UK, the various awards.

Chris, a big thanks again! Let’s do it again soon!

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It blended space populated by exhibitors like Emma Lawrence, OddBalls and art licensing agency Jehane with a theatre space that played host to a well-curated programme of panels and interviews. The emphasis on these sessions was providing further insights into the world of licensing and participants included Aardman Animations, the V&A Museum and Liberty.

Part of the rationale for including an educational element in the Licensing Lab was to build on the growing role licensing is playing in the gift industry – and the show floor featured a host of companies that include licensed products in their product portfolios.

Ian Downes from Start Licensing hosted a panel discussion featuring Ian Wickham from Licensing Link, Sandra Vanstan from William Lamb and Matthew Gibson from Oddballs. The topic for the panel discussion was: ‘Demystifying the Price Point: How to Value and Sell Licensed Products.’

The panel touched on a number of areas connected to this topic, including product development and how retailers can benefit from licensed products. The panel also highlighted that rights owners are more willing than ever to engage with retailers – big and small – to create promotional activity focused on driving up customer engagement.

Below is a recap from the panel on some of the key points raised in the discussion:

Should retailers be concerned about the price of licensed products?
Matthew Gibson, Head of Partnerships & Licensing, OddBalls: No! It’s something to be considered but not feared. It’s not a secret that licensed products can be more expensive as they include MGs, royalties and often marketing spend commitment. The key is to forecast accurately and understand the overall financial undertaking if taking a license themselves. Or, when looking to buy in a licensed range, make sure their customers are willing to pay the price point.

Sandra Vanstan, Head of Licensing, William Lamb: Retailers should naturally be concerned about price points to remain competitive. However, buyers are under enormous internal pressure to focus on margins, and often, sadly, it’s the product that suffers.

Ian Wickham, Co-Founder, Licensing Link: Licensed products come with the perception of being slightly more expensive than generic products for a number of reasons… The value associated with the license, the quality associated with the license, consumers wanting to own a ‘piece’ of a license and the additional costs that have gone in to creating the products – like rigorous QA testing to hit the licensor’s brand requirements.

“There’s a credibility and gravitas associated with some licenses.”

Plus, there’s an expectation that the licensed product – because of all the above – will last longer than a generic one. All of this comes with a cost associated with it. So retailers should not be concerned with marking their licensed products up with a premium within their overall offer to consumers.

For retailers, what are the benefits of licensed products?
Sandra Vanstan, William Lamb: If you have ever experienced a child’s tantrum over a Frozen doll, then you will understand the benefits of selling licensed products!

Matthew Gibson, OddBalls: The reputation of the brand itself is a huge pull to purchase for the customer. It will allow a retailer to trial a new category or product, before bringing in a wider range in that category. All because the licensed brand will have an existing following and strong fanbase to purchase new product. Licensing a new design of an existing range will add great value for minimal cost.

Ian Wickham, Licensing Link: By supporting licensed products, retailers have the ability to increase their basket spend – as well as build on a loyal shopper that wants to come back and purchase further into a range of licenses. Additionally, there’s the benefit of offering consumers a point of difference as well as choice – this all enhances their shopper experience.

On top of this, there’s the credibility and gravitas that can be associated with some licenses which can lead to additional sales and up-selling, as well as building the retailers credibility about their offering too.

“For bricks-and-mortar stores, it’s about selling around an event or experience…”

The sale of licensed products could also encourage retailers to expand their offer into additional categories that have synergy with their current lines and what the license can deliver. This further enhances their credibility as well as repeat footfall with consumers coming back to buy into the extended ranges.

How can retailers highlight the added value licensed products deliver in their stores?
Ian Wickham, Licensing Link: Great use of POS in store to communicate the arrival of licensed product is a great way of explaining and educating the consumer all about the products and range. Most licensors have pre-approved toolkits for retailers to use in store, so the effort to deliver this is fairly minimal from the retailer’s perspective – an easy win.

I’d also suggest using social platforms too. Do mail outs explaining the value associated with licensed products in-store or online, and social media posts communicating the features, benefits and the additional points of difference to entice a consumer. Website takeovers are also a very easy win for retailers to communicate the value associated with the products.

If relevant, character visits to the store can generate additional theatre, atmosphere and occasion. It’s great for families, magical for children and a great way of delivering added value around a particular license.

Finally, cross category promotions and merchandising various items together can make a statement in store. Have licensees work together to make the offer cover a multitude of purchase occasions.

Matthew Gibson, OddBalls: I’d suggest small POS assets like ‘Official Merchandise’ and using social media constantly to show people what is in store. Retailers who tap into super fans through clever marketing will also see significant value when retailing licensed products.

Sandra Vanstan, William Lamb: For retailers trading in ecommerce, high-quality photography and video are essential, with aspirational lifestyle shots helping to showcase products at their very best. For bricks-and-mortar stores, it’s about selling around an event or experience… Whether that’s supporting a key anniversary or capitalising on a much-anticipated movie release with merchandise that customers can quite literally dress themselves in from head to toe.

Finally, which licensed product of yours would you highlight as a good example of licensing?
Matthew Gibson, OddBalls: I’d highlight our most recent licensed range with Aardman’s Wallace & Gromit. Launched in a timely manner at the start of Aardman’s 50th anniversary, the range captures the personality and charisma of the iconic duo. The design is on brand and relatable for fans. Seeing Wallace in his dressing gown enjoying a brew, Gromit sewing and his cute but often puzzle facial expressions make for a superb first design for the collection!

The range launched at a topical time, used great design assets and was marketed strategically to the fanatical fan using Wallace & Gromit branded slogans, other characters and a wide range of well know icons from the show.

“Retailers who tap into super fans through clever marketing will see significant value.”

It’s a wonderful example of the amalgamation of two brands creating one superb range of desirable products! Not to mention the high percentage of returning customers who bought, showing the brand fit was incredibly accurate but, also a 99.93% sell through in just three weeks…

Ian Wickham, Licensing Link: I’d go for the Floral Street Sunflower Pop and Sweet Almond Blossom parfum. Created using 100% vegan ingredients, the formulation for both was created using inspiration from where Vincent van Gogh painted in Arles, France.

Floral Street themselves are a disruptor in the fragrance category, just as Vincent was in the art world. The business was set up by one very driven lady – just as Vincent was self taught, getting knock backs as he improved his designs and signature brushstrokes. Floral Street are trailblazing in the category they operate in, as Vincent was too – so it’s a great match.

The use of storytelling is key to the overall execution which fits in with the Van Gogh Museum’s strategy to get the message out about Vincent and his art. ‘If one loves nature, one finds beauty everywhere’ is what Vincent wrote to his brother Theo. This is the overall message and carrier for the Floral Street x Van Gogh Museum range which is pertinent to the use of natural ingredients as well as Floral Street’s use of flowers. As is the overall strapline of ‘Where fine art meets fine fragrance’, cementing together the relationship between licensor and licensee.

Sandra Vanstan, William Lamb: One of my proudest product launches was an Enormous Crocodile slipper set we developed for Start-Rite, which included Roald Dahl’s The Enormous Crocodile book alongside a beautifully crafted, premium pair of slippers. The crocodile’s appliqued mouth stretched across the vamp of both feet, forming the full character when placed together. Seeing the product in store was an absolute squeal moment.

The post OddBalls, Licensing Link and William Lamb discuss valuing and selling licensed products appeared first on Brands Untapped.

The session will see Great Ormond Street Hospital, Licensing Link, Pophouse Entertainment, Pop Paper City, Reemsborko and Two Daughters Entertainment detail opportunities around their brands to a room full of toy and game companies and inventors.

“I’m delighted that we can bring together brands, toy companies and inventors to explore exciting new opportunities at this year’s Play Creators Conference,” said Billy Langsworthy of Mojo Nation, organisers of the Play Creators Conference.

This year’s Play Creators Conference is taking place at London’s Stamford Bridge Stadium on Wednesday, June 25th.

To book your ticket, head to: https://playcreatorsconference.co.uk/product/play-creators-conference-ticket/

The post Play Creators Conference 2025 to host ‘Brand Showcase’ session appeared first on Brands Untapped.

Tim Collins

Hammer is still with us and there have been more recent movies of course… The Woman in Black with Daniel Radcliffe in 2012 and this year sees Dr Jekyll with Eddie Izzard released for – you guessed it – Halloween. Classic Hammer films include Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy and The Quatermass Xperiment, where actors such as Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Ingrid Pitt and Oliver Reed all found fame.

Rob Ames, Co-Founder, Triclops Studio
With falling autumn leaves comes spooky season – my favourite season. Out with back-to-school stationary and in with the blood-soaked Halloween merch!

As a lifelong horror movie fan – hooked after watching A Nightmare on Elm Street on VHS when I was way too young – 2023 has been a pretty decent year so far… From indie chiller Talk to Me to the killer robot doll M3GAN, French meta zombie comedy Final Cut to the time-traveling horror/sci-fi mash-up Totally Killer. Iconic horror franchises have also seen new blood, fresh innovation and social relevance injected into their stories. Look at Saw X, Scream 6, The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster (a modern take on Frankenstein), Evil Dead Rise, The Exorcist: Believer…

Now, I’m not really into the warped, gory, body horror stuff. For me, I’m drawn to those ‘killer’ character archetypes that command the screen, rack up the body count and make you think about your own fears, grief and death. I grew up on some of the all-time greats: Freddy Kreuger, Michael Myers, Hannibal Lector, Leatherface, Pinhead, Jason Voorhees, Chucky, Jigsaw and Ghostface to mention a few. Before these freakshows, I was schooling myself on more ‘horror lite’ movies as a kid: It, The Lost Boys, Arachnophobia, Gremlins, The People Under the Stairs, Beetlejuice, Tremors and even Robocop and Candyman – very much adult films that somehow wormed their way onto my telly! I guess it’s like today’s Stranger Things or Disney’s new – mildly frightening – Haunted Mansion movie.

One such film and IP that really appealed to me as a kid – and feels relatively untapped licensing-wise – is 1987’s The Monster Squad. It’s a ‘Goonies meets Universal Monsters’ mishmash where a young group of monster fanatics attempt to save their hometown from Count Dracula and his evil horde. It’s now a cult, if forgotten, classic, bombing when it launched at the cinema. It’s a great movie, a mix of scary and funny, and at the time I couldn’t understand why there wasn’t a kick-ass toy line and other merch to support it.

I think, some years later, Playmates tried to encapsulate its vibe when they launched Monster Force in 1997. Again, it didn’t do so well but given ‘kid horror’ is now a streaming staple as well as a steady, upward-trending genre at the box office, a new take on The Monster Squad could be cool, timely and drive the resurrection of retro movie merch and new opportunities.

If it was me at the helm, I’d switch out the now-dated monsters from the film and replace them with more commentary, made-up, internet-worth, Creepypasta characters. Hit me up Hollywood!

Stephanie Griggs, Founder & Creative Director, Studio Griggs
I have to say that I am fairly easily scared, so I’m not a hardcore horror fan – but what instantly came to mind for me on this one is David Lynch’s cult classic, Twin Peaks. Some would say it’s in the genre of psychological thriller – but undoubtedly horror is one of the main tropes of the series, along with surrealist drama, dark humour and incredible cinematography. Killer Bob is one of the greatest villains of all time, and his M.O is terrifying.

I do think Twin Peaks has licensing legs all year round, and over the years the brand has successfully expanded into merchandise and publishing, particularly to coincide with the show’s return in 2017. Merch that came out at this point mostly leant into the nostalgia of the Twin Peaks opening sequence and tropes of characters like Agent Cooper and Audrey Horne. It covered categories including health and beauty, skateboards, apparel, cosplay and gifting.

What seems to be relatively untapped though – especially for Halloween – would be the unleashing of the unnerving, creepy and downright psychologically twisted aspects of the series into merchandise… Maybe a focus on 90s nostalgia, in combination with the Black Lodge – the alternate plane of reality, accessible through the woods of Twin Peaks and filled with malevolent spirits. I can see slogans like ‘No-one is innocent in a town like Twin Peaks…’ or the cryptic ‘Fire walk with me’ on product, implying the pervasive sense of darkness and foreboding that hangs over the narrative and makes it so memorable.

Separately, the soundtrack is one of my all-time favourites for evoking an atmospheric mood. Transcending horror, it’s both soothing and deeply unsettling, creating a sense of unease and suspense. It would certainly make fans stop in their tracks whenever they heard it – and would be the perfect marketing audio, inside or outside of the Halloween period!

Twin Peaks helped pave the way for shows like Stranger Things, which has of course had major success in all year-round licensing. By focusing on mood over meaning and the journey over the destination, this genre has strong appeal – and the appetite from cult fans is surely there.

Thinking about it, I might use Twin Peaks as my Halloween theme this year. I’ll blast the soundtrack, invest in an excellent wig and perfect my manic Killer Bob face as I open the door to unsuspecting trick or treaters…

Sophie Bloomfield, Creative Director, SBC
The horror category is relatively untapped currently and there are so many great opportunities to be had! A big part of SBC is looking for great commercial trends and the correlating IP to match them. With the spread of Emo/Goth/Grunge and 2000s trends, it’s the perfect time to mine dormant or nostalgic brands.

Twilight – although not classically gruesome horror! – is perfect for licensing at the moment. It’s trending well on TikTok and the aesthetic fits all the horror/grunge trends.

Another great property to tap would be Emily the Strange. She originally appeared on the scene in the form of a comic book created by Rob Reger. This IP is already remerging into the US market via Dolls Kill, but this would be a great brand for Europe too, especially in the fashion specialist retailers.

My last choice would be the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina by Archie comics. I was lucky enough to work on this IP when I headed up Creative Services at WildBrain CPLG. Archie comics in general has a wealth of untapped IP and incredible artwork. Pretty much everything you see in their classic comic books is there to be mined. The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina the Teenage Witch comic is much darker then the classic 90s TV version, which means it’s more in line with the trends we’re seeing now. Plus, the popularity of the Netflix live action version – and she has a cat, and cats always sell well! – means it’s a great IP for all year-round spooky times.

Deirdre Cross, General Manager of Emerging Brands, Funko Games & Mondo, Funko
At Prospero Hall, we’ve long been fans of horror films – and spooky licenses in general. In recent years, we’ve worked with the incredible Funko licensing team to secure several untapped licenses. In 2020, we released our Disney Haunted Mansion: Call of the Spirits game which is designed for families to play. We have been pleased to see that this property is a 365 opportunity for consumers to purchase and play, not just during “spooky season”.

In May of this year, we released our new Scream Game. This product is complex from a licensing perspective, as it required us to obtain rights from both Paramount, for the film, to use the name and the story, and from Fun World for use of the “Ghost Face” mask. We believe we’re experiencing the benefit of a lot of pent-up demand due to this complexity at retail as fans are coming out for our game in a major way!

Carl Rush, Creative Director, Crush Creative
Halloween all year? Hell yeah!

I’m not particularly fond of making sweeping trend forecasts, unless we focus on the specific brand or property, taking into account various factors like industry and market trends, the target audience, and the brand’s core values. Ensuring that style consistently aligns with the brand is paramount, right? Well, yes, typically, but when it comes to Halloween, horror, and all things gothic, maybe this is one trend that universally fits all…

So, I decided to put this theory to the test with some of our Crush clients. Let’s give it a shot, shall we?

• McDonald’s Black Meal: Swap out the golden arches for a gothic ornate gateway.
• Gothic Pokémon: An eerie and macabre collection of toys.
• SpongeBob Black SquarePants: Mission accomplished!
• F1 Fright Night: A night race amidst gothic architecture, complete with matching merchandise.
• Budweiser Goes Bump In The Night: It just clicks!

Honestly, I believe I could make gothism work for any brand, especially with the growing popularity of goth clothing across various fashion styles, from Techno Goths to Catwalk Goths and even Cowboy Goths. Shows like Wednesday, Stranger Things (with its Hellfire Club), and recent films like The Nun (for which we just finished some licensing assets) demonstrate that our appetite for all things gothic knows no bounds.

Brands like Killstar have partnered with numerous IPs, and even high fashion labels like Vampires Wife have collaborated with H&M. The consumer demand is there year-round, without a doubt.

Embrace your inner bat!

Charlie Day, President, The Sharpe Company
As a Brit-born licensing guy who’s lived and worked in California for decades, Halloween is one of those tentpole/anchor seasonal merch events – and horror has always been a massive part of the Halloween experience here.

For adults over many decades, a major part of Halloween fun has been going to The Rocky Horror Show, dressing up and participating in that event. The brand has huge pull for Americans – it’s a cultural force here and it’s so far been relatively untapped as a licensing opportunity.

Rocky Horror is an immersive event experience that is a convergence of Rock N Roll music, hugely memorable sing along songs, and cosplay – while at the same time having a really strong culturally appropriate message. When Rocky Horror launched 50 years ago, it was the first time a lot of people went to a theatre and felt they could express themselves freely – whether they were transgender, queer, straight or whatever… And they felt safe doing so.

Plus, it’s a generational thing that has rolled forward. We see as many college theatrical productions now as we did previously – literally hundreds – and the movie shows at hundreds of movie theatres every Halloween. It’s the longest running theatrical movie release ever. Those events – and the fact that the music is just so memorable – have kept the Rocky Horror Show embedded in public consciousness over the decades.

Now, the newest of platforms for social expression – TikTok – has been embraced by fans so they can express, share, and exhibit their Rocky Horror’ness with younger fans are using it to share their love of the brand. Last time I looked there were over 600 million views/searches for Rocky Horror on the platform – and the numbers are growing fast.

Rocky Horror has now caught the imagination of US licensees as it has so far been relatively untapped as a property. With its long history and devoted fandom, Rocky Horror sits comfortably as an evergreen property – and horror is hot here! So, although tongue-in-cheek, Rocky Horror Show’s horror credentials are also a key draw for licensees.

One major US retailer said to me at Licensing Expo: “Horror now is not just Halloween…. Horror is 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for us.”

To tap into that convergence, I’m keen to see how the comic book series currently being developed by Dark Horse is going to take the story of Rocky Horror into the next realm and on to the next adventure. It’s going to be fascinating to see how the fans respond to it. It will expand the universe of Rocky Horror through what is ostensibly a traditional medium – books and storytelling – that will keep and build the Rocky Horror Story year long.

It’s a truly timeless time warp!

Chris Taday, Director, Licensing Link
Halloween has become increasingly significant in the UK seasonal calendar over the last decade. Retailers and brands focus primarily on products that have a scare-fest theme. Popular themes include bats, mummies, and Dracula, with blood, eyeballs and pumpkins often overlaid. The target age group determines the extent of the interest in Halloween and horror. Halloween is still considered a seasonal program for families and children in the UK, starting shortly after the ‘back-to-school’ period.

That said, one of the growing trends in the entertainment industry is the use of horror film franchises in year-round location-based entertainment. The SAW franchise has translated well into interactive experiences like escape rooms due to its intense and suspenseful nature. Other horror franchises like The Conjuring, Insidious and Squid Game have also been adapted into haunted house attractions and escape rooms that are now all-year-round activities instead of just seasonal ones.

The Conjuring is a well-known franchise in the US, with Warner Bros selling a comprehensive range of merchandise on its website compared to a much more limited range in the UK. The series of films created by James Wan includes not only the main Conjuring films, but also spin-offs like Annabelle and The Nun. These have garnered a large fan base and become a notable presence internationally.

The Conjuring franchise lends itself to consumer products such as figures, collectables, apparel, and games featuring creepy and iconic characters, such as the Warrens and other evil spirits. Foreign horror properties, especially those from Asian countries such as Japan and Korea, have recently gained significant popularity too.

It is essential to understand that the development of horror products depends on the target age group. It’s potentially challenging to market horror-themed items outside of the Halloween season for children and families. Parents are more cautious about purchasing these items. However, the interest in horror-themed items is increasing for adults visiting location-based entertainment, cosplay and other collectable merchandise.

The post Talking Brands: Which untapped horror brands deserve a bite at licensing? appeared first on Brands Untapped.

The partnership aims to expand the Haynes brand into new product categories, leveraging its rich heritage and global recognition.

Haynes has sold over 200 million manuals worldwide and has previously explored licensing with a range of products, including puzzles, gifts, apparel and toys.

Following the acquisition of Haynes Group Limited by Infopro Digital in 2020, a strategic review of the licensing program was undertaken. This evaluation has now led to the decision to relaunch and revamp the licensing program with a fresh approach.

“We are extremely pleased to be appointed as the global agent for Haynes Group Limited,” said Chris Taday, Co-founder and Director of Licensing Link Europe.

“Having previously worked with Haynes as a licensee with a couple of our licensors, we understand the brand and its unique position in the market. We recognise the immense potential of brands with heritage in the licensing industry and eagerly look forward to collaborating with the talented team at Haynes to unlock new opportunities and expand the brand’s reach.”

Andrew Golby, Head of Consumer Automotive at Haynes, added: “As we develop an all-new range of digital repair products for DIY fixers, we also love to see the Haynes brand used in other ways. Our customers and fans have always responded well to licensed products, and the team at Licensing Link are in a great position to help us create an all-new range of branded items.”

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Back in July, KITH teamed with House of Mandela for a Mandela Day apparel collection. KITH’s design team worked directly with Nelson Mandela’s daughter Makaziwe Mandela and his granddaughter Tukwini Mandela to create the range.

Outside of apparel, House of Mandela – the organisation through which the descendants of Nelson Mandela preserve the legacy of the family name – has also launched successful brand extensions in wine and jewellery in recent years.

It’s also been a busy year for the Van Gogh Museum thanks to a number of striking brand collaborations. A range of toys launched last month with Playmobil, while the Museum also teamed up with Floral Street on a line of fragrances inspired by Van Gogh’s work.

This year also saw Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience land in London. This digital art experience showcases Van Gogh’s work through 360-degree digital projections and unique VR experiences that take visitors inside some of his most iconic paintings.

Moving across to advertising, the likeness for Albert Einstein has been licensed by Smart Energy GB to front its ‘Join the energy revolution’ campaign which encourages mass installation of smart meters.

“There is no greater ambassador for modern technology than Albert Einstein,” said Chris Taggart, director of marketing at Smart Energy GB, adding: “We hope the public really enjoy seeing his wit and humour touchingly brought back for this campaign.”

To find out what other iconic figures from history deserve brand extensions of their own, we spoke with Skew’s Oliver Dyer, Licensing Link’s Chris Taday and The Ashmolean Museum’s Declan McCarthy.

Oliver Dyer, MD, Skew
Our pick is the American aviation pioneer, Amelia Earhart.

When Skew begins work on a brand extension with a new IP, we begin by auditing the visual and intangible assets of a brand to map what transfers well. Amelia Earhart’s inspirational life story has everything you could need, plus the cultural zeitgeist of the times is ripe for a real-life action hero.

Visually you have Amelia herself. Effortlessly cool, nonchalantly styled and with timeless grace. Surely one of the inspirations behind the female leads in Apple TV’s For All Mankind.

There’s also the wealth of imagery associated with 1920s and 30s Americana – and that’s before you even start to tap the romantic period imagery associated with aviation at the time.

The immense achievement of being the first solo female to cross the Atlantic has left a legacy of inspiration for everyone. But it’s surely women and girls that deserve to take ownership of her as their hero and a counter to the billionaire bro’s flying their phallic symbols into the stratosphere.

Scotch and Soda has a line out ‘inspired by’ her but she deserves to be font and centre. Her life and times have all the qualities a heritage and lifestyle brand needs to cut through the mass market.

Need more? I leave it to her own words. Sixty years before Nike’s “Just Do It’, Amelia gives us this: “The most effective way to do it, is to do it.”

Amelia Earhart. She deserves a multi category, multi territory approach and we’d love to see it happen.

Declan McCarthy, Head of Publishing and Licensing, The Ashmolean Museum
I have been mulling over possible historical figures that have licensing potential. I thought Stradivari might be a fine example of a great craftsman, whose efforts and creations since the late 17th/early 18th century continue to engage, captivate and astound to this day.

Antonio Stradivari was born in Cremona in 1644. Much of his early life is shrouded in mystery but we know that he made his first (known) violin in 1666. In any assessment of Stradivari’s enormous contribution to our civilisation, it’s important to bear in mind the extraordinary length of his working life as well as the strength of his character.

A study of the development of the style and technical characteristics of the instruments that came from his workshop during the period of 70 years that passed between his first and last instruments leaves little doubt that he must have been almost constantly in his workshop. We can easily imagine that he remained active until the last days of his life, which ended on December 18th 1737, aged 93. More than 1,200 violins are believed to have been made by Stradivari, with at least 600 still surviving after almost 300 years or more. The instruments themselves are revered, often copied and sometime believed to be full of mystique and intrigue.

When people pay money to attend a violin concert, it is not to hear the sound of a violin. It is to hear music that moves them. For the last two centuries, an overwhelming majority of the world’s greatest violinists have determined that it is the instruments of Antonio Stradivari that give them the ability to express the beauty and passion of music.

When the conditions are right, and a great Stradivari violin, viola or cello is played, something very, very special happens. From the player’s perspective, the options for musical expression multiply exponentially. It is as if the tonal world goes from black and white to colour.

And the way a great Strad projects in a great concert hall is truly magical. Not only can one soar over or punch through the texture of an entire orchestra, but one can create a sound that is heard as a whisper from the front to the back of the hall. These instruments create a sound that goes out to the audience, or can be a sound that draws them in.

The name Stradivari is universally known and is synonymous with quality. The Ashmolean is very proud to house the very finest violin made by Stradivari, ‘The Messiah’. Built in 1716, during Stradivari’s ‘Golden Period’ when he was at the peak of his profession, is almost untouched and free from wear and tear, and owes its condition to the fact that it has always been a collectors’ instrument. If it were available (and it isn’t) it would easily be the single most expensive violin in the world.

Chris Taday, Co-Founder, Licensing Link
The Vincent van Gogh Playmobile figure is such a fun and different way to bring history to life. It offers the opportunity to learn a little about the life of the artist via a toy.

There must always be new ways of telling history to make it both fun and accessible. In the musical theatre, we have learned about America’s Founding Father – Alexandra Hamilton – via its Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton. Elsewhere, the TikTok generation is learning something about Henry VIII and his six wives via the musical Six, with their story told at a pop concert performed during the show.

But who else could we turn to in history, develop some historical-based product? Maybe, Leonardo da Vinci, primarily regarded as an artist with his iconic paintings of the Mona Lisa and Last Supper.

Throughout his life, he demonstrated a superior intellect, with curiosity for many aspects of life and the world around him. He studied geology, nature, anatomy, flight, gravity, and optics. Hundreds of years before either the materials or manufacturing capabilities were around, he invented the bicycle, the helicopter and the parachute, as seen through the numerous pages of his notebooks, journals, and sketches.

In terms of product development, let’s take these blueprints and build a model collection of his ground-breaking designs that looks to inspire a curiosity in design. Include da Vinci-style journals with the collection to inspire the model builders to create their future designs. Or even the templates for 3D printing of the plans – what would need to change to make them fully functional vehicles?

We need to spark a curiosity for the world around us – and Leonardo da Vinci would be a tremendous role model.

The post Talking Brands: Vincent van Gogh toys, Nelson Mandela apparel, Einstein energy ads… Which other historical figures have licensing potential? appeared first on Brands Untapped.