LONDON – The Wilbur Smith Estate and Leopard Rock Studios has hired ACF Investment Bank to handle the sale process of the intellectual property of the late South African author Wilbur Smith (1933-2021). Smith, born in Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia), wrote about colonial Africa, and lived most of his lifeMORE HERE
ZEELAND, Mich. – Herman Miller, the furniture company, is releasing a new version of the mid-century modern furniture classics of Charles and Ray Eames. The new line, which interprets Eames classic designs in new colors, is made with the collaboration of the Danish brand Hay. “Herman Miller is built onMORE HERE
WINSTON SALEM, N.C.-– Athletic wear makers Champion and Muhammad Ali Enterprises have released a second, limited-edition collection of Muhammad Ali garb. The collections new designs are fabricated to evoke the ethos of the sports legend during his gold medal win during the 1960 Games in Rome as an 18-year-old. Champion,MORE HERE
NEW YORK – The Topps Company will team up with the nostalgic action figure company, Mego Figures, Topps.com will feature exclusive action figures of some of the licensed characters from Warner Bros, DC, MGM and Fox sold by Mego. The action figures, available exclusively on Topps.com, will include additional newMORE HERE
Some licensing news from the press services from across the branding world including University of North Carolina, Cummins and Sotheby’s: DAS Companies Inc. of Palmyra, Pa. will license the Cummins Inc. brand in retail locations across the U.S. DAS sells an extensive portfolio of more than 12,000 products to retailersMORE HERE
DieHard, the former Sears brand, is back at Advance Auto stores across the nation. A DieHard commercial ran on the recent Packers/ Tampa Bay game, taking characters from the original Die Hard movie, and reprising them in an ad with original stars, including Bruce Willis. The plot begins with JohnMORE HERE
The Vera brand is continuing its revival, with a new licensing deal. MORE HERE
ATLANTA – We caught up with licensing expert Pete Canalichio to answer a few email questions about the current licensing climate. BrandlandUSA: What opportunities are companies missing in the licensing of brands? Canalichio: The biggest opportunity in my opinion is that there are so many companies out there with greatMORE HERE
LONDON – The Brand Licensing blog of Adam Bass of London reports that his company, Golden Goose, is licensing the imagery and icons of the London Fire Brigade. This is fascinating, as there are so many municipal fire, police and rescue companies that have long histories, and not just inMORE HERE
CLYDEBANK – O.K., so there’s Fox, Coke, Ford, Ritz, Pledge, Simply Orange, Herbal Essence and the Kodak Theater. But what other brand was on the first outing of this season’s American Idol? It is Radio Clyde 261. Randy Jackson was wearing a Radio Clyde 261 T-shirt through the first PhoenixMORE HERE