By Gary Symons
TLL Editor in Chief
Brandgenuity has been named as the exclusive global licensing agency for the world-renowned Royal Shakespeare Company.
Brandgenuity is a TLL Top 20 licensing agency that extends brands into products, services and experiences for an impressive portfolio of clients that include BMW, Kahlua, Nissan, Church & Dwight, Sazerac (Fireball Whisky, Buffalo Trace, Southern Comfort), Dr. Scholl’s, Chuck E. Cheese, Kao (Jergens, John Frieda), White Castle, NFLPA and others.
Arguably the most famous theater company of all time, the Royal Shakespeare Company has been crafting inspiring theater from the bard’s storied home in Stratford-upon-Avon for 60 years, and has shared this work around the world. Its mission is to preserve and evolve William Shakespeare’s legacy, along with other classical and modern theater.
But despite it’s already well-established fame, the RSC wants to extend its fabled brand through licensing because, as the bard himself has said, “We know what we are, but know not what we may be.”
RSC is a major global centre of excellence for theater crafts, where the world’s leading creative minds construct costumes, sets and props in the service of theater’s greatest works. The organization uses innovative approaches and technology to reach both current fans and new audiences.
The RSC operates as a charity under a Royal Charter and all proceeds from licensing will support the RSC’s work, including programmes for schools and underserved communities.
The RSC has also become a global cultural force in recent years through innovative use of technology alongside international tours and partnerships, with its influence going well beyond the ‘sceptred isle’ of Great Britain. Key markets for the brand include the UK, Europe, the United States, China, Australia, and India. To give some idea of the company’s popularity, consider that more than 900,000 theater lovers attended an RSC production in 2023, with visitors from 87 countries travelling to theaters in Stratford-upon-Avon, and 1.2 million global supporters on online social channels.
Now the theater company, taking the advice of Shakespeare—‘Let me not to the marriage of true minds admit impediments’—is partnering with Brandgenuity, known as one of the world’s top licensing and branding agencies.
“We have so much to offer our partners: there is the RSC brand itself, which began with the vision of advancing Shakespeare’s legacy and now exemplifies great theatre and artistic excellence,” said Michelle Morton, Licensing Manager for the RSC. “There are plays including the characters, stories, themes, words, and phrases we know so well. But what is most exciting and what we think licensees will find most inspiring is the archive… filled with stunning costumes and props, the First Folio from 1623, artwork, and photography. Unlike a museum, we’re constantly producing new assets as we’re always staging new interpretations of classic works, as well as new plays.”
The agency will extend the Royal Shakespeare Company to categories including Fashion & Accessories, Lifestyle Collaborations, Home & Textiles, Beauty & Grooming, Gifting, and Collectibles & Stationery. The company says partners will enjoy access to the RSC’s deep expertise, an exciting new style guide, and rich archive of costumes, props and fascinating historical documents.
“We selected Brandgenuity because they were the best suited to help us to find partners to craft beautiful, evocative products based on William Shakespeare’s immortal words and the RSC’s unique interpretations of his plays, characters, and worlds,” Morton added.
The purpose of RSC licensing is to help bring Shakespeare, the arts and theater to a broader audience. The program will be targeted to theater buffs and literary enthusiasts 35 years+ and will give these core fans new ways to celebrate the world of Shakespeare and the RSC. It will also target culturally minded newcomers 18+, giving them an opportunity to explore and appreciate the world of Shakespeare and his timeless themes in unexpected ways.
Teri Niadna will lead the Brandgenuity team in London, and says it’s been a Midsummer’s Night Dream for the UK to work with the RSC, for while ‘Some are born great, and some achieve greatness, some have greatness thrust upon them.’
“We feel so honoured to have been selected to work on such a beloved, consequential brand. It’s both a national and a global treasure,” said Niadna. “And the timing could not be better. Art licensing is having a moment. Cause-related, purpose-driven licensing is having a moment. And bringing the arts to a broader audience in the hopes of uplifting and elevating everyone’s lives is timely for sure.
“Plus, we cannot wait to pull the curtain back on the RSC’s archive. I’ve seen it and it is magical”.
For more information on the RSC brand and how RSC licensing can elevate your product line or help you to reach new consumers please contact info@brandgenuity.com
(Editor’s Note: Apologies for the gratuitous Shakespeare quote-spamming above, but while ‘Brevity is the soul of wit’, this is unfortunately what happens when you hand a licensing publication over to an English Lit grad.)
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