By TLL Staff Sanrio and Van Leeuwen Ice Cream have partnered to introduce a Hello Kitty 50th anniversary flavor for National Ice Cream Day. The limited-edition Hello Kitty flavor, titled Yummy Berry White Chocolate Truffle, is a blend of white chocolate ice cream with chunks of truffle brownies and swirls of raspberry jam that are made to resemble Hello Kitty’s signature red … [Read more...] about Hello Kitty Treat Launches at Van Leeuwen for National Ice Cream Day
Hello Kitty
Firefly: The Agency That Puts the Pop! in Pop Culture
By Gary Symons TLL Editor in Chief As the editor of The Licensing Letter, you can imagine I get my share of spam. But no one has 'spammed' me like Cynthia Modders, the owner, founder and self-described ‘Super Fly’ at Firefly Brand Management. A few days after I mentioned in conversation that our family has a tradition of making weird recipes from Hormel’s canned … [Read more...] about Firefly: The Agency That Puts the Pop! in Pop Culture
Bokksu Releases Hello Kitty Snack Boxes for Kids
By Allison Watkinson TLL Reporter Bokksu is releasing its second snack box collaboration for the Hello Kitty and Friends brand as part of its ongoing partnership with Sanrio. The new limited-edition Hello Kitty Okinawa Beach Party Snack Box includes premium summertime-themed Japanese snacks, exclusive limited-edition Hello Kitty merchandise, and a printed snack guide and … [Read more...] about Bokksu Releases Hello Kitty Snack Boxes for Kids
Cuteness Overload: Barbie Partners with Hello Kitty
US toy giant Mattel has partnered with Sanrio to create a branding dynamo, combining the iconic Barbie line with the globally popular Hello Kitty brand for the first time. The two companies say they will collaborate on the development of a colourful and contemporary product line aimed at kids and adults that will span accessories, apparel, health and beauty, and footwear. The … [Read more...] about Cuteness Overload: Barbie Partners with Hello Kitty
M&A & Experiential
American households are loading up on credit card debt, according to data from the Federal Reserve and a related study by WalletHub. By the end of 2017, credit card debt in the U.S. reached $1.01 trillion, beating out the previous record of $984 billion at the end of 2008 and the start of 2009, the tipping point of the Great Recession. Just this past holiday season, WalletHub … [Read more...] about M&A & Experiential
Experiential Roundup
Nickelodeon and Spin Master take Paw Patrol to Visionworks locations as part of a back-to-school initiative. Kids who have completed their annual eye exam get a free gift, which includes a Paw Patrol activity sheet, crayons, stickers, and a character mask. Beginning this July, the retailer will also debut it first-ever kids’ line of Paw Patrol frames, designed and distributed … [Read more...] about Experiential Roundup
Hello Kitty Hits the Road
Hello Kitty, one of the properties widely believed to have been squeezed by Frozen’s wild popularity in 2014, is taking to the road to defend her turf. The Sanrio property, an almost $4 billion globally licensed brand in 2013, is at the center of Hello Kitty’s Supercute Friendship Festival, the property’s first-ever North America touring show. The live entertainment show will … [Read more...] about Hello Kitty Hits the Road
Licensed Properties Steer Touring Shows
Experiential licensing is not limited to theme parks. Touring exhibitions and other location-based attractions can provide both revenue and ongoing exposure to build or maintain relationships with fans. For example, Feld Entertainment, producer of Disney on Ice, reportedly expects to sell more than three million tickets for the full run of its Frozen version of the ice show, … [Read more...] about Licensed Properties Steer Touring Shows
Peppa Pig Joins the $1 Billion Club
Preschool property Peppa Pig has become a $1 billion property. There was no official announcement. Officials of Entertainment One Ltd., which has licensed Peppa to more than 600 licensees worldwide, recently mentioned Peppa’s having sales above $1 billion in discussing the company’s earnings for the fiscal year ended March 31. Even if it was not delivered with fanfare, the news … [Read more...] about Peppa Pig Joins the $1 Billion Club