Carl Rush,

Oh my gosh, Miss Piggy is absolutely perfect for brand licensing. We all know she lives for luxury, fashion and beauty, so those are obvious choices for licensing categories. I could go on forever, but here are my top three products inspired by her iconic catchphrases:

“Hi-ya!” Perfumed Body Mist: A glam-meets-kung-fu body mist that celebrates Miss Piggy’s fiery side, confidence, sass and ability to take control of any room – or frog. Think OTT fragrance, pink pink pink packaging and a little attitude in every spritz.

“Moi” Luxury Lip Kit: A high-glamour lip set capturing her diva personality. Available in playful, sophisticated shades like: Piggy Pink, Champagne Kiss, Kiss de Moi, Pearl Diva, Froggy’s Fancy, Blush of Fame, Silk Snout. Perfect for fans who want to channel Miss Piggy’s signature style.

“Kiss Kissy” Luxury Handbag collaboration with Louis Vuitton: Glossy piggy-pink patent leather with a built-in mirror so you can admire yourself at all times. A flirty, indulgent accessory that perfectly embodies Miss Piggy’s love of drama, glamour, and unapologetic confidence.

Come on Miss Piggy, give Crush a call!

–

Lucy Salisbury,
Director, Group Licensing & Retail Strategy, Funko

As a lifelong Miss Piggy fan, I couldn’t be more excited about this new chapter for such an iconic character. With the announcement that Jennifer Lawrence and Emma Stone are bringing her story to life, the upcoming Miss Piggy movie has all the right ingredients to inspire a new wave of consumer excitement. At Funko, we’ve already seen incredible enthusiasm for our Miss Piggy Funko Pop! and Loungefly Muppets Miss Piggy Mini Backpack. With more products across expanding categories on the way, the timing couldn’t be more perfect to celebrate her larger-than-life charm!

Oliver Dyer,
Founder, Skew

Why wait for the Miss Piggy movie? When it lands, the gravitational pull of Emma Stone or Jennifer Lawrence will be hard to resist. But it’ll also make it harder to tell any story that isn’t theirs. There’s already a product story to be told. One that could prepare the ground now.

Ruth Handler’s cameo in Barbie made us look again at Miss Piggy’s origin story, and we weren’t the least bit surprised to find Bonnie Erickson behind her creation. One of the original female creatives on Henson’s team, Erickson gave Piggy her look, attitude and flair.

The spotlight’s usually on Henson. But if there’s ever been a time to shift focus, it’s now. A ‘Bonnie Erickson Collection’ would be a fitting tribute and a sharp commercial move. Think updated 1970s design, subverted slogans and products that play with – and punch through – outdated norms. Piggy would HIYA! the idea that creativity is just for the boys.

And it’s needed. In a world where female-focused platforms like Halo – meant to promote women’s rugby – are pulled after three days for being “unbelievably sexist,” there’s still huge cultural and commercial space for brands that get it right. Piggy has always had star power. Now’s the time to show she has origin power too.

–

Sophie Bloomfield,
Creative Director, SBC

Miss Piggy is an icon. And what IP delivers the strongest licensing opportunities? Icons.

Having grown up with Miss Piggy, her attitude, strong female personality and unapologetic assertiveness have always inspired me – and I believe many millennials and Gen X’ers feel the same.

When developing a licensing programme, I always start with a creative audit, identifying the natural themes within a character and building product categories around them. With Miss Piggy, there’s a rich heritage to draw from. Much like Madonna, she’s constantly reinventing herself, which opens the door for an ‘Eras of Miss Piggy’ range spanning fashion, accessories and footwear.

Her flawless face and signature glamour also lend themselves perfectly to beauty – Ciaté’s past makeup collaboration proved just how well that space fits her. And let’s not forget her musical side. A karaoke partnership with a brand like Lucky Voice, or even a line of musical instruments, could hit exactly the right note.

Gary Pope,
Co-Founder, Kids Industries

She was born for the solo career that beckons. Frank Oz, her creator, always said that, a little like Kermit, she was one of the few Muppets that really did have three dimensions. And that’s the simple rationale that says a solo licensing programme for the swine could very well shine.

So who exactly is this enigmatic cultural icon? We know she grew up in Keystone, Iowa; her father died when she was young, and her mother wasn’t at all nice to her. She took herself off to beauty contests and had to win to survive. And she did. Allegedly. That tough upbringing meant, as it so often does, a vulnerability disguised by a forceful personality – and her killer karate chops. Ultimately, it’s this hard-earned resilience that provides the foundation for the success that will follow her forthcoming movie.

She’s been called a feminist icon, and it’s clear that Miss Piggy is part of our collective consciousness. This porky embodiment of nostalgia is entering stage left for her big moment at just the time when nostalgia is more needed than ever. She’s glamorous, funny, confident and always impeccably dressed. If the movie producers get it right and Disney plays their CP hand well, this Miss will be a bigger piggy than Peppa.

When awareness levels match affinity scores, then you know you’re on to something good. And that’s where we are with her. Never mind the trade; her existing consumer fan base is legion. And if someone isn’t a fan now, they will be. Who doesn’t like an anthropomorphic, French phrase-purring, frog-loving, karate-chopping puppet diva pig? There is so much to play with. However, maintaining her character’s authentic identity – elegant, self-absorbed, and comedic – is essential in ensuring brand integrity as those deal memos get signed.

A considered licensing strategy for the doyenne of pigs can and should target multiple segments, with products designed for different age groups and across various categories. Toys and costumes for children, luxury accessories for adults and novelty items that highlight her larger-than-life personality can all be explored for great effect and margin.

Categories such as apparel, accessories and beauty products appear particularly promising. Her glamorous image aligns perfectly with fashion collaborations, cosmetics and jewellery lines that emphasise confidence and style. Yes, it’ll need a tongue-in-cheek execution, but that’s why it will work. Who doesn’t want a pillow or a throw blanket that screams “Moi”?

And let’s not forget the digital age was tailor-made for Miss Piggy. She’ll take the socials by storm – posing, pouting and playful. That larger-than-life personality is perfect for TikTok, Instagram and beyond. She might even spark some interest among influencers and content creators, making her not just a licensing icon but a social media sensation.

Glamour, humour, awareness and affinity? Miss Piggy will hog the spotlight and bring home the bacon.

Danny Heffer,
Independent Creative

Oh wow, what a character! What a force of nature! Actress. Singer. Model. Author. Style icon. International treasure. I see a very clear route here, noticing the buzz around The Devil Wears Prada sequel and previous outings like House of Gucci. Playing on Piggy’s fabulousness is a clear winner. I’d look to create some top notch collabs with the best of the best fashion houses and turn a silk purse into a sow’s ear.

Her penchant for French phrasing steers me to towards the French fashion houses… She’s fashion-forward, fashion-flawless, fashion-everything. Perhaps she could use her beau for a muse, Hermès for Kerm-ès perhaps? The world needs it! The most dapper of frogs would suit a bespoke bow tie or pocket square, although being naked I’m not sure where he’d keep it.

Looking at her other attributes, she’s a black belt in karate so sportswear seems an obvious route to the (livestock) market. I see her in a hot pink version of Uma Thurman’s Kill Bill tracksuit by Onituska Tiger maybe? Being so adept at the martial arts, I wonder if there’s a UFC angle here? Brands such as Monster and Red Bull are in the Octagon already, so perhaps there’s room for an energy drink too – giving the modern athlete some pork power could work. Bacon-flavoured energy gels? Protein packed pork scratchings for that after work out refuelling? Fizzy gravy drinks? Count me in.

Megastars in a similar league have looked to create their own brands and therefore cut out the need to pay away to a third party. Beyonce has Ivy Park of course, but I see a natural fit for Ivy Pork. Queen Bey has just linked up with adidas and ASOS to deliver a winter drop. Using body loving latex, sheer monogrammed leggings and patterned puffers, when winter hits, find your Pork.

So what attributes should we carry forward into a licensing programme? What pearls of wisdom can we cast before the swine? Feminine power obviously, Having the mental strength to cope with such devastating beauty, glamour personified. What the love of a good frog can do to a woman. So many life lessons to be learned from such an inspirational figure.

She is beauty. She is sparkle. She is the reason sequins exist. I’m smitten, I’m boar-struck. I can’t wait for the movie.

Alaina Caldwell,
Partner & Creative Director, StyleWorks

Miss Piggy is an icon! She could definitely hold her own as a solo licensed character even without the motion picture, but the new character-focused movie will certainly make for a major marketing moment and begin a flood of product development that could extend for years to come.

I think health and beauty would be an important category for her as it ties back to her glamorous character. Apparel and accessories and dress up could be huge as well, as she always loves to dress to impress. Most importantly, the product messaging and sayings within the designs should focus on her snarky humour and unfiltered expressions.

–

Sandra Vanstan,
Head of Licensing, William Lamb Group

Miss Piggy could absolutely smash a solo licensing push. She is so iconic, sassy, glamorous and confident. She knows what she wants and does not hold back to get it! An inspiration!

She touches the hearts of many who know and love her through growing up watching The Muppets, or through her gifs and memes on social media. One of the things I absolute love about her is her unapologetic self-love and body positivity, such a key relevant cultural message.

This beautiful swine would most definitely shine working with both fabulous retro high-end fashion collabs and fast fashion. Perhaps a Valentine opportunity with her passionate pursuit for Kermit! I could also see health and beauty doing well with this, thinking ‘Eau de Moi’ perfume, and not forgetting those false eyelashes!

Naturally, I have absolutely no doubt our talented team here at William Lamb will pay homage to her with product development to support this movie. I think the key would be to keep Miss Piggy true to herself, keep that inner diva and let her own it!

April Canlas Eddy,
VP of Operations & Business Development, Mattson Creative

The enduring allure of Miss Piggy can absolutely sustain a standalone licensing program today.

Her intentionally over-the-top glamour gives fans permission to lean into high style and personality. This maps cleanly into premium collaborations across apparel, handbags, sunglasses, cosmetics and skincare.

Miss Piggy’s aspirational lifestyle also lends itself effortlessly to partnerships across gourmand-adjacent categories such as chic kitchenware, tabletop, wine glasses, barware, and aprons. The opportunity is not just in nostalgia alone, but in Miss Piggy’s attitude. Her self-love is turned all the way up! She is bold, extra, and full of camp.

Miss Piggy appeals to adult fans of the Muppets franchise and her comedic bravado is culturally aligned with what audiences celebrate now – empowerment, theatrical confidence and radical self-awareness. I can’t wait to see the movie!

–

Arrthi Little,
Founder of Arrthi Ltd & Creator of Cheeky Legends

Undoubtedly, Miss Piggy has all the right notes to take the centre stage of a solo licensing outing. This character is not only visually iconic, but her sass eludes drama and makes her take the spotlight on the shelves. We’ve recently seen other pink, diva-heavy characters stand out – such as Barbie and Glinda from Wicked – proving the appetite for powerful, aspirational female archetypes who embrace theatrical glamour.

I believe Miss Piggy would truly shine on women’s apparel. There is no doubt nostalgia will be used as a powerful tool for edgier, adult t-shirts, perhaps using original TV show imagery and bold graphic treatments. But for the new generation, I see a softer approach – cute and comfortable sleepwear that makes for great gifting. This ties into the growing consumer trend for wellness and self-care that has dominated the lifestyle market. There is also the opportunity to tap into the beauty and diva aspect, so I see strong collaborations with premium make-up brands.

As far as the retail landscape is concerned, the Muppets brand is still vastly more popular in its country of origin, the US. However, from a UK perspective, the Disney ownership makes the licensing program ideally suited to high-volume, trend-driven retail. We should expect to see products appealing to both large supermarkets and high street destinations like Primark, offering affordable, fashionable gifting options that tap into both comfort and nostalgia.

On a final observation… I was recently watching Muppet Babies with my little girl and what stuck out was the introduction of a new character, Summer Penguin, perhaps to address the lack of female representation. As you soon notice, Miss Piggy is the only female lead amongst a nearly all-male cast. So, I would not be surprised if we see a new, more diverse female character being introduced with the solo movie project that might have a potential ‘Ken effect’. If so, licensees must be ready to embrace this unexpected star. The biggest opportunities often come from agility, and the licensing industry should not hesitate to leverage a breakout new character to build fresh, long-term audiences.

Stephanie Griggs,
Founder & Creative Director, Studio Griggs

I reckon there’s a pig opportunity to build a licensing programme around this… Quite frankly it feels like a range should already exist, film or no film, because to me, Miss Piggy sits in a Jennifer Coolidge-character-adjacent space, which is the slightly unhinged energy we all need.

She has so many iconic phrases, which I’m sure the film won’t be short on taking advantage of, so pun and slogan-led fashion and accessories would be great hero categories.

I’m thinking quotes like this, on tees, hoodies, phone cases and so on: ‘Who, moi?’, ‘Too glam to give a ham’, ‘Cancelled? Impossible’, ‘Hogging the spotlight since 1976’, ‘Green flags only!’… I could go on with the porky puns!

–

Katie Edmundson,
Senior Designer, Studio Noel

Fashion and beauty comes to mind – she’s known for being glamorous and always being beautifully dressed. I can imagine luxurious fur-trimmed pyjamas, everything in pink or a range of accessories that she herself would wear. For beauty, she could work well as the face for a range of products and vanity accessories – false eyelashes, sparkly eyeshadows, light-up mirrors and bedazzled eyelash curlers.

Homeware could have a similar vibe to fashion but translated to luxury products you could buy for your home, which she would surround herself with. Think sassy slogans on pillows and everything in pink.

Then in publishing, I can see some guides, memoirs or inspirational books from Miss Piggy. Her takes on how to live life as a diva, how to love yourself, how to be unapologetically you, or a range of diaries, calendars, journals with glamorous design and motivational quotes or fashion tips.

Jasmine North,
Licensing Co-ordinator, TDP Textiles

Of course Miss Piggy could go solo – she’s a global icon! She is the ultimate diva who isn’t afraid to speak her mind, head strong and confident. An unlikely feminist but with all of her traits makes her the perfect advocate. Even her name ‘Piggy’ usually referred to as a negative connotation, an insult even, can be turned around into positive association – juxtaposition at its finest!

With it now being announced that she has finally made it and has her own movie is quite liberating and the fact that Jennifer Lawrence and Emma Stone are behind the movie makes it even more empowering. And where would she shine? I would love to say everywhere but I think she would be a great success in the high street retailers such as New Look, Primark, M&S, H&M and Zara… Imagine the activations! Glitzy and glamorous – attracting not only magpies but anyone who loves a bit of glam in their lives.

Online retailers such as Character.com, Truffle Shuffle, Vanilla Underground and Amazon are also places that I think would work. Not only does Miss Piggy tap into that nostalgia trend but with the convenience of the online shop, fans can purchase impulsively when the hype erupts.

Millennials would remember Miss Piggy from The Muppets and her on/off romance with ‘Kermie’ or ‘Frog’ depending on whether he was in good books or not. They would also remember Miss Piggy’s talent for karate, with the recognisable “Hiii-Ya!” delivering a karate chop – or more appropriately pork chop!

The obvious collaboration would be a makeup/beauty brand as she is well-known for her extravagant eyelashes, well applied makeup and immaculate hair. Other perfect products could be hairbrushes, false eyelashes, eyeshadows – the list goes on.

I’m excited to see Miss Piggy develop and expand as a solo brand and to achieve that movie star status – hopefully she’ll get her own golden star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame!

–

Steve McInerny,
Director, Sharp Sharp Creative

I’m all for licensing campaigns being based on one character – though Fozzie Bear would have been my choice. People identify much more naturally with a character than an abstract brand, and we all know that Piggy doesn’t like to share the limelight.

Is Miss Piggy a popular enough character to sustain this? There hasn’t been a lot of recent Muppets content for kids, and she isn’t especially well-loved among Muppets fans, based on a quick trawl of Reddit’s r/Muppets feed. In the media she’s often mentioned as a size positive, feminist and LGBTQIA+ icon. These are not areas which I’m an expert in, so I asked some friends who collectively have a broader range of perspectives. For some reason they didn’t take this entirely seriously, here’s a summary of their more printable comments…

• In this time of Ozempic, celebrities and the media are moving away from size positivity.
• Piggy is in need of an update: my female friends didn’t especially identify with her extreme fixation on a male (frog) figure. And maybe it’s time for Miss Piggy to become Ms Piggy?
• There wasn’t any great recognition of her being an LGBTQIA+ icon.
• The Muppet character Sam the Eagle was jokingly proposed as being more in tune with the present zeitgeist with his more conservative, patriotic views.

So based on this straw poll, Miss Piggy has some work to do in order to become a success. Jennifer Lawrence makes the development process sound like it’s all been very vibes-based up until now, though I’m sure there are more hard-snouted conversations going on at Disney.

I’d love to see a Miss Piggy assertiveness self-help book. And surely there’s a great partnership to be had with one of the dating apps. Just don’t say pork products.

The post Talking Brands: A Miss Piggy movie is in the works… Could the famous Muppet sustain a solo licensing push? appeared first on Brands Untapped.

You say “That’s it!” but that’s quite a lot! I imagined there would be 20 of you on all that. And Lucy, every time I come in, you’ve been promoted… Has that happened again?
Lucy: Ha! No, not in the last five minutes.

But by the time we leave this room… Who knows?! Alrighty, before we jump in, remind me: what are the three different scales of the main Funko figures?
Lauren: Funko Pop! are 4”, Funko Pocket! are 2” and Bitty Pop! are 1”. Some figures might end up a little taller because they have a hat or whatever. We started doing the Pocket in 2018, and the Bitty came out in 2024.

For me, those smaller sizes are irresistible! And they’re the scale that people get in the different advent calendars… Let’s talk about those! Not just for Christmas?
Lucy: Not just for Christmas! We’ve got these 13-day ‘Countdown to Halloween’ calendars. 13 days to Halloween, Deej! Halloween is such a fun time of year and something that we see grow in popularity year on year in Europe and with our product offerings.

I love the 13 doors idea! Lucky 13! And this is like a blind box? I don’t know everything I’m getting in there, do I?
Lucy: No, that’s right. This is the one from Warner Bros. There isn’t a picture of everything that’s in there so yes, there’s an element of surprise. But you can see on the front on here you’ve definitely got Pennywise from It, Freddy Kruger from Nightmare on Elm Street…

Oh! And Beetlejuice in his ‘guide’ outfit…
Lucy: Yes! So there are a few different IPs in there. The other one here is The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror. What’s fantastic about having the relationship we do with our incredible licensing partners is that we get the opportunity to celebrate multiple IPs in one product. Again, you can’t see everything that’s in there, so there are some surprises. This one might look like Halloween, but it’s actually Nightmare Before Christmas! It’s a full-on Christmas advent calendar.

Makes sense. And Nightmare Before Christmas is an absolute slam dunk because the theme fits. But I see Marvel too… What’s the selection criteria for a decent advent calendar?
Lucy: One big factor is that you’ve got to have a critical mass of range development. Marvel’s perfect because we’ve done 100 characters in Marvel. But if there’s an IP for which we’ve only developed four characters, that can’t work… We need the variety of characters to keep the reveals exciting for our fans.

Lauren: Another consideration is the partnership we share with the licensor. We work closely to ensure we can celebrate festive events while staying true to the IP. For example, we’ve been able to add Santa hats to these characters… You can open this Marvel one, Deej – take a look for yourself!

I’m allowed to open this?! Oh, my days, what a treat! And this one is Bitty Pop!, is it?
Lauren: Yes. The Bitty Pop! Advent calendars we only launched this year; this is brand new. You get 10 Bitty Pops, and you get the pieces that build a Bitty display. It’s an amazing way for fans to collect not only their favourite characters but also creative and inventive stands to display them. You can see here with the Christmas tree on the back how that builds up with a star on top…

Oh, I love that… Wait a second: breaking news! Day one is Iron Man! He started the film franchise; he starts the advent calendar! He’s in his own little presentation case; I love this! And are there exclusive figures that you can only get in the advent calendar?
Lauren: Of course! Now, day two may not be a Bitty Pop! figure… Might be a box!

It IS a box! In the interests of research, I’m opening a few more days… Is this box a keyring?
Lauren: It’s a keychain case, yes! So basically, you can slide open the top and you put any Bitty you like inside to use as a keyring.

How do I open the top?
Lauren: It slides off.

You did say that! I’m a terrible multitasker… Alright, I won’t do them all; I get too easily distrac – it’s GROOT! Oh, these are amazing! So I get lots of Bitty Pop! I get to build my display, I’ve got a keyring case, exclusive figures, surprises! Anything else?
Lauren: You also get a pin case – so a case like the keyring, only instead of a chain, it’s got a pin on the back so you can attach it to a backpack or a top or whatever. You also get a few elemental pieces; a cute little Christmas tree, for example.

In terms of the licenses for which we’ve already created our standard Pocket Pop! advent calendars, we’ve had Five Nights at Freddy’s for Halloween, we’ve done Harry Potter, Disney Classics; we’ve done Pixar… We’ve done Marvel, Stranger Things, DC. Moving forward, obviously I can’t share too many details, but we’ve got some really strong ones in the pipeline.

Lucy: Maybe we can share some genres, though. We’ve got more entertainment licenses coming, but we also have anime and gaming which we haven’t really done before. So that’ll be Funko’s first foray there… And as you know from the last time we spoke, Anime is absolutely killing it at the moment.

And you might not be able to say, but are there other holidays that would work for advent calendars?
Lucy: That’s a tricky one! People don’t necessarily buy a series of products for every holiday… So the occasion itself has got to be a big enough cultural moment to warrant a countdown. That said, it’s not just about that seasonal window anymore. I was on a call with a licensor earlier and we discussed how people are searching for advent calendars sooner and sooner.

Oh?!
Lucy: Yes – so there’s an opportunity to get our product range out a bit earlier as parents try to find their advent calendars in September. And actually, we do also see sales in August which is when the Bitty Pop! advent calendars launched. The Pocket Pop! Advent calendars follow in September.

And who do we think is buying these?
Lauren: In terms of where we position it, Bitty Pop! advent calendars reach lots of fans at a slightly lower price point. Bitty also has the buildable elements; it’s a bit more interactive so we see it as being a bit younger. Pocket Pop! advent calendars are more premium with a higher price point.

Lucy: Pocket Pop! also skews slightly older – I mean: look at the Halloween calendar from Warner Bros. You’ve got The Exorcist and Freddy Kruger in there. It’s not aimed at young kids and our presentation of the product shows that.

Well, on that…. I was thinking earlier about them being collectibles. Even if you weren’t aiming these at collectors, there are going to BE collectors, aren’t there? Are there maybe people out there that won’t even open these calendars?!
Lucy: That’s an interesting question, isn’t it? The calendars aren’t like Pops… A lot of people don’t take their Pops out of the box. But would you buy an advent calendar and never open it? Because you don’t even have pictures of everything you’re getting; you don’t know what you’ve got. That being said, I’m sure there are some out there who like to keep their advent calendars intact after purchase!

Right. Look at the pig’s ear I made opening that one, though! Ha! What a state! But Lucy, you spoke about kidult collectors on a panel at the Mojo Nation Play Creators Festival… From that, I understand that you don’t tend to set out with a great focus on making releases more and more collectable…
Lucy: For a lot of the products, yes. That said, with the advent of our limited-edition exclusives program, there is some locked in scarcity. Value is certainly a consideration, because they’re more expensive items… But that’s something our true fans love: the thrill of the hunt!

Well, let’s discuss that another time because it’s certainly an interesting topic. To wrap things up, Lauren, I must find out about you! How did you come to be working at Funko? What’s your background?
Lauren: I’ve worked in product development for the past ten years, kind of within the licensing industry for most of my career. I’ve been here for three-and-a-bit years… For the other six, I was at a company called BB Designs which makes licensed merchandise. I wanted to try something a bit different, though, and work at a bigger company. Funko is so well known in the licensing industry that – when it came up – it was an absolute no brainer!

Brilliant! Well, thank you so much for making time to talk about the advent calendars. I think they’re great! And let’s catch up soon about Mondo and Funko Pop! exclusives.

The post Countdown to Halloween: Lucy Salisbury and Lauren Ilsley on the rise and rise of Funko advent calendars appeared first on Brands Untapped.

The session will look at the categories and types of brands that are thriving in this space, what considerations come into play when creating for kidults – and whether it’s an area that inventors could, or should, be focusing on at the moment.

Mojo Nation’s Billy Langsworythy will chair the session, which features panellists:

Gurdeep Bains, Global Creative Director at YuMe Toys

Danny Kishon, MD at All in 1 Products

Lucy Salisbury, Director of Group Licensing & Retail Development for EMEA & APAC at Funko

This year’s Play Creators Conference takes 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 Funko’s Lucy Salisbury, YuMe Toys’ Gurdeep Bains and All in 1 Products’ Danny Kishon to explore ‘Creating for Kidults’ at Play Creators Conference 2025 appeared first on Brands Untapped.

Good place to start! What are the four pillars?
One is delighting core fans. Two is attracting and serving new fans… Three is selling where the fan is, and four is about improving the fan experience. Naturally, licensing is key for all of those, but particularly the second – attracting and serving new fans. So we want to unlock growth by expanding the fandoms we serve. Of course, we’ll continue working with the world’s biggest entertainment IPs from movies and streaming. In the past few years, though, we’ve also started tapping into fandoms from anime, video games, music and sport.

Indeed! And we discussed the rise and rise of anime last time we spoke – people can read that here . Video games we can do separately, perhaps… Shall we chat about music and sport today?
Sounds great! They’re interesting areas because we believe those fandoms represent a huge opportunity for major growth. Is this where you dial in your brother, though, Deej? He’s a huge sport fan, right?

He is! How do you know that?! He’s an enormous sport fan! And he was a remarkable athlete at school: county-champion this, medal-winning that…
Ha! Irritating, isn’t it?

Ha! Oh, my days! Our PE teachers were always yelling at me on the cross-country course: “Come on, Johnson! Your brother would’ve finished by now…” But in terms of two of those pillars – creating an experience and selling where the fan is – can you give me an example of that?
One example that comes to mind is our partnership with America’s National Football League, the NFL. We put a pop-up installation at the stadium of the Kansas City Chiefs… That meant fans could go in and do a Pop! of themselves in the fan colours of the team. This activation is all about creating an experience where the fan is and can easily be rolled out to other stadia. That’s an example of delighting the core fans, selling where the fan is AND improving the fan experience. We plan to do more things like that in Europe, Middle East and Africa as well – watch this space!

Great example! Thanks, Lucy. And bonus points to you for using the word stadia! I appreciate good grammar…
Well, you are a writer! Some bad grammar really annoys me… Confusing fewer with less. Ugh!

There’s a lovely line that illustrates the difference between those. I can’t remember who said it, but it’s to the effect, “If you try to correct my grammar, I will think fewer of you.”
Ha! That’s very good!

So! Looking at 2024, what’s been successful for you?
Some of our top-selling sport items this year have come from elite motor racing teams. As you may know, we have direct licensing deals with teams like Red Bull and Mercedes. And we do individual drivers in Pop! form: Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, George Russell and Sergio Perez spring to mind. Some of the drivers have had photos taken with their Pops too. For example, Lewis Hamilton has his 2014 world-champion edition Pop! That’s available from Mercedes AMG online store.

Then – in music – we’ve seen great success from huge acts… Some old, some new. There’s Queen’s Freddie Mercury in his look from the 1986 Wembley concert – that’s really cool! There’s also a Pop! Range of the major K-Pop act Blackpink. And we saw great sales of Oasis Pops this year following a little story about their reunion…

Ha! Hadn’t heard! But this is the beauty, I suppose, of the Pops… You can be quite nimble, can you not, when news like the Oasis reunion breaks? You can be straight onto that?
Exactly right, Deej. If there’s a major tour announcement, we can ramp up production on existing items. We might also come up with a new product… And we might do a deal that lets us sell exclusively at the stadium, say!

Oh, look at Noel Gallagher with his Union Flag guitar! Ha! Are there any others that come to mind?
Amy Winehouse has done really well, and we had that out prior to the Back to Black movie. We chatted about this last time: sometimes we don’t base our product on a new movie or show, but those things still become major marketing moments. That was the same with Queen: we saw the sales skyrocket when the film Bohemian Rhapsody came out.

Right. I guess that’s partly because Pop! tends to capture iconic looks of iconic people. And I’m curious: do you treat partnerships with sport and music licenses differently? From the large entertainment partnerships, I mean?
To some extent, yes – but mostly around planning. With our major entertainment releases, we can plan two, three, four years ahead. If there’s a major movie or game coming out, for example, the IP owners will be communicating about it with our product-development team in particular. There’s quite a bit of dialogue and quite a lot of notice.

And that’s less true with sport?
Yes. Generally speaking, we tend to take a year or so developing a Pop! We sometimes do it quicker but – in football – a year is two transfer windows. That means that, if we’re planning to bring out a player Pop!, we might find out with only a day’s notice that they’re leaving their current club! So we just have to listen to the rumour mill, find out who’s having conversations with other teams, who’s not happy where they are… Maybe not make a Pop! of them just yet; focus on the players that are staying put for a while!

Just out of interest, Lucy… You say you sometimes have to develop a Pop! more quickly. What’s the fastest you’ve ever turned one around?
I think we got Fortnite out within maybe a four-month period…

Oh! For a second there, I thought you were going to say you did Fortnite in a fortnight! That would’ve been terrific… Just for the publicity!
That would be amazing! Ha! I’d love to be able to say that! But no, it was Fortnite in about four months. Because they’re a hardline product, of course. On top of the design, we’ve got to tool up, we’ve got to create moulds – we’ve got to ship the product in.

And in terms of upcoming sport or music product, do you have a favourite?
Well… I absolutely love Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland. They’re incredible performers in their sport – and for Funko! I also really loved our Jack Grealish Pop! He posted images of himself with one, and very generously gave his time to fans at a charity event. We made a giant Pop! box for him to stand inside – and wrapped him up in it! Then the fans came into the room and unwrapped it to find him inside the box.

Ha! I won’t make a Jack-in-the-box joke… The fans must have LOVED that!
Can you imagine?! It’s great! We were so grateful to Jack; it was a really sweet thing to do. And another one… I absolutely love Queen – so Freddie Mercury is a huge favourite. We’ve done various versions of Freddie Mercury, but this is our latest. It’s done really well… I love the look of this figure; he’s so cute in that iconic outfit. Of course, I’m far too young to remember the actual Live Aid show at Wembley, Deej…

Yes, of course… I missed it myself actually; I was still doing the school cross-country! So now… Looking at the future, Lucy, is there a particular license you’d like to go after?
There are a couple of football and elite racing licences I’d love us to sign. Hopefully, I’ll be able to share some of those with you in our next roundup. Then, in music, we’ve already got a huge and diverse roster. I’d love it if we could sign Taylor Swift, though. You know, we have to take down a LOT of fake Taylor Swift Funko Pops – so she’s clearly in demand. It would be great to do an official one. And she’s definitely going to be reading this, right?

Let’s say yes! Let’s say she’s an avid Brands Untapped reader! Because I don’t know for a fact that she isn’t… Alright. Let’s wrap this up in the traditional way… What’s the one question I could’ve asked you today but didn’t?
Well, you could’ve asked me more about my burgeoning global role at Funko…

Oh, yes, that’s right! You’ve been promoted – like – four levels since we last spoke!
Ha! No, no, no! Definitely not! In fact, it’s not so much a promotion, it’s more of an increased remit. But it means that – as well as managing EMEA and APAC licensing – I globally manage some key sport licenses. We’ve spoken about some of those, particularly where they’re based in EMEA. But I globally oversee some of our integration with major licensors, particularly from a retail point of view. I also oversee our joint business planning teams in North America, LATAM and AIPAC as well as EMEA.

Gosh! Sounds like you must have some very long days, Lucy. I mean… It’s always ten in the morning somewhere in the world!
Ha! True… But it’s also always six in the evening somewhere… So it’s always time for a glass of something! Ha! But no, it’s great. I’m absolutely loving it.

Fantastic! Well, congratulations on that – and thank you again, Lucy, for joining me.

The post Funko’s Director of Group Licensing & Retail Strategy, Lucy Salisbury, talks music, sport and more appeared first on Brands Untapped.

It’s that dramatic?
It really is. Alongside movies, TV sports and music, anime’s now right in there as one of our main genres. We’ve got dozens of licenses; it’s a core strategic pillar. We’ve got One Piece, Dragon Ball, My Hero Academia, Naruto, Demon Slayer, Hunter x Hunter… Lots more!

And who’s the audience for that, Lucy? Who’s driving that?
It’s really being driven by Gen Z and millennials; it feels like they kind of really own anime. And it isn’t just Funko Pop: we’ve seen them grow across category! It’s in other formats of collectibles, it’s advent calendars, Loungefly, it’s apparel… It’s a real success story.

Why do you think that is? What’s the appeal of it, do you think?
The thing is, anime’s such a diverse genre. A lot of people might start with the Manga. Often, that’s then made into an anime… But there’s anime for kids, anime for adults – very much so! But I think it all feels really fresh. I think the younger generations feel like it belongs to them because it’s brand-new content, or it’s much newer content a lot of the time. I think that’s a big factor in its success.

As opposed to some of the traditional superhero brands, I suppose… Batman and Superman: nearly 90 years old; Spider-Man and The Hulk – what? 60? 65?
Right. There’s some fantastic IP there, absolute classics – but we grew up with those properties; even our parents grew up with them. anime might simply feel fresher to that Gen Z audience.

“We grew up with those properties; even our parents grew up with them…”

Alright, good answer, thank you. So… You were right about anime. What else has changed since 2020? What else is big for you?
Well, there are a couple of areas that’ve driven Funko’s IP acquisitions and then onto sales in store. I’d say the growth and development of the kidult market is really key.

And just before we get too far into that, how do you define kidult, Lucy?
Oh, I’m sure you’ve heard this a bunch of times! Any content that can appeal to cross-generational audiences. A recent example would be Stranger Things. That’s something that parents and kids all want to sit down and watch; they all enjoy it just as much. And now that I mention it, it’s worth saying that Stranger Things is a pop-culture phenomenon; that’s been huge for Funko….

I’m curious, then: when your team’s discussing IP opportunities, how do you know that one cult brand or one nostalgia brand is ripe for development but not another?
There are a couple of answers to that. The obvious one is the business answer… The numbers have got to make sense. So we’ll first check a vast array of data. That might come from agencies and Google trend evaluations; it can include amazon search terms… Another obvious and easy one to look at is social-media buzz and follower numbers. Then there are other questions: in which countries is the IP big? Where do the IP owners say their fans are located?

Which must be an important question because something that’s a cult hit in New Zealand, let’s say, isn’t necessarily going to become a huge hit all over the world…
No, exactly. Often, if the buyers we’re approaching don’t know about the IP, it’s no good. So we look at all these metrics, and also the style guides for the IP. We have to ask if those align with Funko because we have such a distinctive look for our products across categories. We can’t completely change the style guide of an IP. It has to feel organic.

Oh wow. That would be really key!
We might also ask, “When was the last time the IP had content out?” Finally, though, it all has to come down to whether or not people feel an emotional connection with that brand. Because people have to love the character; they have to love the item enough that they want to add it to their collection.

“People have to love the character; they have to love the item enough that they want to buy it.”

Yes. There are plenty of things I like to watch but wouldn’t want to have a figurine of sitting on a shelf! The timeframe is interesting too. Some IP must seem too old, but others haven’t yet had long enough to brew!
Exactly. Quite often we’ll hear about IP that has a classic movie, say, but now has a new version coming out. There, we’ll usually base our product around the classic style guide because that’s the one that already has an emotional connection. But the new content it great marketing for the IP in general! It reinvigorates the fans.

And now that you’ve said it, I wonder if that reinvigoration sometimes contributes to the kidult effect we touched on… Absolutely EVERYONE loved the new Wonka film, for example. That almost certainly awakened nostalgia for the original. And all that is alongside Funko figures that never lose their appeal…
Yes! And on that, we’ve done things like Abraham Lincoln in Pop form, and Albert Einstein. And we’ve got Charlie Chaplin coming out. So it doesn’t get much more heritage than that! We do some of these things despite there not being a lot of awareness in the last few decades even.

That’s a great point because Marilyn Monroe, Einstein, Chaplin… They’re all SO iconic, and so instantly recognisable that they remain evergreen. But how long do iconic people stay iconic? How many generations on will it be before Elvis Presley loses his cool?
Yes…

And when I say, “loses his cool”, I don’t mean he gets angry! “I’m all shook up!” I mean…
Ha! Nice! Good impression!

Well… Be better if this wasn’t in print! How’s that going to read?!
Ha! ‘Deej breaks out to do some impressions’…

Ha! I’ll do them all, and we’ll stay all night! Give me an excuse to do Brian Blessed, Lucy; we’ll see who comes running in to find out what the noise is!
Ha! “Gor-don’s ALIVE?”

Ha! Alright… Ha! So… You mentioned Stranger Things. I did want to ask about the impact of Netflix on Funko.
Oh, they’ve just been so great! I think there’s a really nice alignment of Netflix viewers and Funko fans. I love that because it lets us do things that are hugely popular in Europe and Asia. We’ve seen things like Squid Game, for example, do really well. La casa de papel, or Money Heist, is another one that sells really well in southern Europe, particularly Spain. The Witcher… Bridgerton! All great content that Funko does really nice products for. So yes, we absolutely love Netflix. A really great IP partner.

What’s next for Funko, Lucy?
What’s next for Funko? Oh, wow… So, so much! One thing I’m really excited about is Funko Fusion. Funko Fusion is our first ever AAA video game, which means strong marketing and publishing budgets. It launches later this year… We’ve done it in collaboration with a studio called 10:10 Games which is co-founded by the BAFTA-award winner Jon Burton. Jon Burton was the main developer behind TT Games which made all the LEGO games.

“What’s next for Funko? Oh, wow… So, so much!”

Oh, okay – so heck of a pedigree there!
Oh, yes; a great development team. And this is also in conjunction with NBC Universal… So you can play with all these different characters. A character from Jurassic Park can go and fight He-Man, for example. And only in the Funko world would that make any sort of sense because people have got their favourite characters alongside each other in their Funko collections.

Online multiplayer adds even more chaos to the mix, allowing up to 4 players to team up and battle enemies, explore vast environments and solve intriguing puzzles. I don’t want to say too much, but it looks amazing. Will have to look at the trailer – I’m not just saying that; you really have to check it out.

I will. In fact, we’ll probably put a link to it in here. Let me ask you this… To what do you attribute Funko’s ongoing popularity?
There are a couple of things. One factor is the sheer breadth of those licenses – which we’ve discussed. Another factor is, I think, that many of those licenses have really great product executions all through the value chain…

And for the uninitiated, your value chain includes what?
That includes the core collectible, of course… Then we’ve had a phenomenal launch for Bitty Pop. There, you’re paying £3 for an almost perfectly rendered one-inch-high version of a Pop. We’ve got our other collectible formats: Pop Moments, Pop Deluxe. We’ve got Loungefly, which I think is probably the best licensed accessories collection in the world… You can see the level of detail we put into these amazing bags. And then there’s Mondo; these extraordinary high-end collectibles which reproduce iconic characters and amazing qualit .

Fantastic answer! Thank you. You know, I often start out by asking people what their background is! We kind of hit the road running so I didn’t ask. How did you come to be doing this, though?
I started off training as an accountant, actually. I was analysing derivatives for British Leyland PLC, quite a serious job…

Oh my god, I’m already bored!
Ha! I know! Sorry. I’m really sorry!

No, it’s my fault… I shouldn’t have asked! How soon do you get to the bit where Funko saves you?!
Well, I got an accounting job at Ministry of Sound because I was really into clubbing and music. Then I transitioned from that role into heading up their licensing team. We did things like licensed DJ equipment and MP three players preloaded with content. That was brilliant fun and a good job for me in my mid-twenties. I stuck in music licensing for a bit, then entertainment licensing. I worked at ITV Studios for three years. After that I got the role at Funko.

How did you make the leap from accounts to licensing, though? I mean… Are any of the accountancy skills transferable?
Yes, they really are! I think a big chunk of licensing is numbers, forecasts, reporting, balancing liabilities… What sales do we need to make to recoup our minimum guarantees? So it does help to have strong financial skills. Alongside that, you get to have some experience of sales, marketing, product development. After that, it’s all about the relationships, isn’t it? And actually, that’s the bit I love about it.

Alright! Well, you’ve turned me around on the accounts. I take it back; it was interesting! So – last question; a very obvious one… What’s your favourite Funko item launching this year?
I’d have to say something from London Toy Fair… The greatest reaction we got was to – and I personally really like them – the Death Star and Hogwarts displays; the Bitty Pop displays. Really cute! I just love both of those IPs; I’m a massive Star Wars fan, and a massive Harry Potter fan… So – well – just look at them! They’re super cute!

Fantastic! Thank you, Lucy.

–

To stay in the loop with the latest news, interviews and features from the world of toy and game design, sign up to our weekly newsletter here

The post From Funko Fusion to Chaplin Pop: Lucy Salisbury, Director of Licensing, Funko EMEA, on what’s new appeared first on Brands Untapped.