Holy Reprise Batman!

The article Adam West and Burt Ward returning as the Dynamic Duo for Batman ’66 animated movie reveals that Adam West and Burt Ward will reprise their roles as Batman and Robin. DC will commemorate the 50th anniversary of Batman TV series with a feature length animated movie that will land in 2016. Adam West and Burt Ward will be doing voice over work in the animated movie.

Twentieth Century Fox Teams with Dream Theatre

As reported in Twentieth Century Fox readies merchandise with new ally, Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products has appointed the licensing and merchandising firm, Dream Theatre as its agent in India. The partnership will allow Dream Theatre to sell apparel, toys, stationery, home furnishing, gifts and novelties. Initially there will be a range of apparels and accessories based on The Simpsons. Other brands included in the deal are Family Guy, Sons of Anarchy, Ice Age and Rio.

Ford's Garage Restaurants Hit the Gas Pedal

Last April, the Ford Motor Co. signed a licensing deal with the Kearns Restaurant Group to authorize opening Ford's Garage restaurants. The success of the effort is reported in Ford's Garage poised to hit the gas on expansion. .Currently three Ford's Garage restaurants operate in Southwest Florida with a fourth under construction in Florida. Two more Ford's Garage are expected to open within the next 18 months in the Tampa area. In addition, locations in Illinois and Michigan are slated for the same time period.

How to Easily Throw Your Money Away

In the article Shut up and take my money! - Winnie-The-Pooh, Cthulhu, and more the author, Donna Dickens, finds several ways to blow your money on your favorite fandom. Among items she found are: a Supernatural tank top; a Frozen snowflake pendant; a custom work of art from your favorite story (e.g. - Winnie-The-Pooh); a Pac-man night light; a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles diaper bag, and; a Cthulhu the Dark Lord octopus hair piece.

Nine Surprising Monopoly Special Editions

There are countless versions of the Monopoly game and several you may have never heard of are featured in 9 Monopoly special editions you might not have known about. The nine detailed in the article are:  Alan Turing Edition “The Walking Dead” Survival Edition One Direction Edition Luxury Edition The .com Edition “Power Rangers” 20th Anniversary Edition AC/DC Edition Sephora Edition Alaska’s Iditarod Edition

Digital Media Licensing Summit to Be Held at Licensing Expo 2015

Licensing Expo 2015 will be held Jun. 9-11 in Las Vegas. The article The Future Is Now: Digital Media Licensing Summit To Headline Licensing Expo In Las Vegas reports on new summit that will be held in conjunction with Expo. The Digital Media Licensing Summit will occur on June 8 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center.  The Summit is a first-of-its kind program designed to connect licensees, retailers and manufacturers with the world's most successful and popular digital media companies and stars.

Is Rovio's Future Bright or Bleak?

In 2012 Rovio was ridding a wave of success with Angry Birds. However, in 2012 and 2013 as reported in "Angry Birds" Maker Rovio's Bold Plan to Slingshot Its Way to Future Growth its fortunes changed.  Revenue was flat in 2013, and declined in 2014. In 2014 Rovio's product and licensing business saw a 73% decline in profits. The article contains an interview of Rovio's new CEO, Pekka Rantala. He foresees a bright future for Rovio beginning with the release in 2016 of a full-length feature Angry Birds animated film that he believes will propel Rovio into a full-fledged entertainment company.

Jourdan Dunn To Launch a New Fashion Line

The article Jourdan Dunn To Launch Children & Young Adult Line Inspired By Her Son reports that Victoria Secret model Jourdan Dunn will be launching a new fashion line. Dunn will be in partnership with Fluid World, a brand licensing agency. Dunn is not only a highly successful model for Victoria Secret, but also is the face for Maybelline Cosmetics. Dunn states "I love kid's clothes... I look forward to developing my own collection and turning my ideas into reality".

Will "Goodyear" Soon Appear on LeBron's Jersey?

The continuing success of basketball shoe sales is revealed How basketball shoes became a billion-dollar business. In the United States, Adidas, Nike and Under Armour's footwear sales climbed in 2013 to a total of more than $25 billion, a 47 percent jump since 2009. So why is basketball so important? Fans want what players wear. The next deal, some expect, could also bring about one long-debated change: Corporate ads on jerseys, in the style of NASCAR or European soccer, a money-making option that NBA commissioner Adam Silver has repeatedly called inevitable.

Nike and Under Armour to Battle for NBA Contract as Adidas Bows Out

As reported in Adidas to Exit the N.B.A., Opening the Door to Rivals, Adidas contract with the NBA ends after the 2016-17 season. The league informed Adidas last week that it was going to open up the bidding to other companies, and Adidas is declining to bid. That leaves Nike and Under Armour to battle it out in the bidding contest. Adidas paid about $400 million for its current 11-year deal, but the new contract is set to be worth significantly more.

Cinderella Has Spectacular Opening Weekend

The article Disney’s ‘Cinderella’ Dazzles Box Office With $70 Million Debut reports on the huge opening weekend for Cinderella. Overseas Cinderella brought in a total of $62.4 million with $25 million coming from China, the best ever in March. The total global box office take was $132 million. Disney has already turned a profit on Cinderella as it was produced for $95 million. There is more to come from Disney with an Alice in Wonderland sequel and live-action takes on The Jungle Book, Beauty and the Beast, and Dumbo in the works. Disney is well poised to retain its leadership in licensed merchandise.

Topps Releases Star Wars Trading Card App

Topps has a new Star Wars trading card app for the Iphone as revealed in The new Star Wars: Card Trader app from Topps features digital cards from ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’. Using the app, card traders can virtually meet fans and complete trades to help complete their collection. Topps is planning to re-release more than 30 years of -officially licensed Star Wars cards in a new and high-definition format.

Licensing Expo 2015 Keynote Panel Announced

As reported in Licensing Expo 2015 Keynote Panel to Focus on Future of Retail, the Keynote Panel will discuss "Where is Retail Headed, and How Will We Get There?". The participants in the hour-long discussion will include: Richard Barry, Executive Vice President, Chief Merchandising Officer, Toys "R" Us, Inc. Dow Famulak, President, Global Brands Group Holding Ltd. Mike Fitzsimmons, Founder & CEO, Delivery Agent Inc.  Lisa Harper, CEO, Hot Topic Inc.

Avengers Invade Kitchens

The article Marvel Launching Avengers Small Appliances reveals part of the far reaching  licensing program for the Avengers: Age of Ultron.  Marvel will be offering officially licensed small appliances, including waffle makers, kettles, toasters, and coffee pots.This expands their line of home goods that already offers sheets, towels, and other linens. There will also be drink ware from companies like Vandor, Thermos, and Silver Buffalo, kitchen utensils and aprons from Icup, and flameless candles from Northern International, featuring the Avengers and Spider-Man.

Avengers to Get Even Bigger

As reported in Marvel’s Merchandise Plan for ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron:’ ‘Make the Big Bigger’, Disney, Marvel's parent company, is launching one of its biggest marketing programs ever around the film, building on the success of Avengers which generated more than $1 billion in sales around the world in 2014. Marvel will look to reach out to a broader demographic of consumers: more women, and fans of individual superheroes that make up the superhero team - Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, the Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye. There will be action figure, playsets and other toys from Hasbro, Lego, Hot Wheels, and Funko, as well as apparel from Under Armour. In addition, there will be new food and packaged goods products including Sage Fruit, Conagra granola bars, Crunchpak and Chobani.

Disney Capitalizes on Frozen

The film Frozen has been a huge success for Disney. Profits were up 19% to $2.2 billion in its fiscal first quarter. Revenue climbed 9% to $13.4 billion. Frozen brings in more than $1 billion in annual retail sales.  Disney hopes to keep this going as reported in Disney works to keep its hit film 'Frozen' hot. Next week, Disney is launching a short film called Frozen Fever that will air before a live-action retelling of the classic Cinderella tale, in which the ball-gowned heroine bears a striking resemblance to Frozen's Elsa. "When you have a jackpot like Frozen, it can go on forever," says Jason Moser an analyst at the Motley Fool.

USPS Seeks to Grow Licensing Program

The value of the USPS brand is estimated to be $3.6 billion. As reported in USPS Seeks Partner to Help Monetize Its Brand, the USPS has plans to grow the brand. The USPS wants to increase licensing programs, through which the agency sells branded products like tape and mailing supplies at retailers like Office Depot. According to USPS spokeswoman Zy Richardson, the Postal Service is planning to issue a request for proposals this spring in search of a partner "to help us strengthen our licensing program."

After the Beanie Baby Craze, Ty Inc. Expands Into the Licensing Business

The article How the Great Beanie Baby Bubble Went Bust reviews the tremendous success and the subsequent crash of the Beanie Baby craze. Beanie Babies sold for about $5 and at the height of their popularity were selling on eBay at a 1000 percent markup. Ty Inc., the company that makes Beanie Babies, has managed to survive. Ty created another successful line Beanie Boos. They also expanded into the licensing business with several brands including Garfield, Hello Kitty, Disney, Major League sports teams and My Little Pony. Today, Ty is the most successful plush company in the world.

Warner Bros. Gets Serious About Mobile Games

The mobile game industry is estimated to be a $30 billion industry. As reported in Warner Bros. gets serious about mobile with 5 new games, including Game of Thrones, Warner Bros. wants a bigger slice of the pie. David Haddad, executive vice president and general manager for Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment says "We've seen tremendous growth with our mobile business and expect to increase our market share by applying our best in class development, publishing and brand marketing to this impressive slate of games".

Girl Scouts Selling More Than Cookies

The article Girl Scouts banking on merchandising deals reveals several licensing deals that the Girl Scouts have entered into in the past few years. Previously reluctant to license their brand, the Girl Scouts are more aggressively pursuing licensing. Two years ago, the Girl Scouts signed a $2 million partnership with Mattel, Inc that resulted in a Girl Scout Barbie doll. At this year's Toy Fair in New York,  additional companies were exhibiting toys with Girl Scout tie-ins. Toy industry expert Jim Silver believes licensing can benefit an organization. He claims "if it's done correctly, it only helps the brand".

Paris Hilton Gets Game App

Animoca Brands, an Austrialian developer of mobile games, has reached an agreement with Paris Hilton to develop her own game app.  The agreement is revealed in Paris Hilton joins Kim Kardashian and Katy Perry in growing line of celebrities with their own game apps. Last year an app for Kim Kardasian generated $74 million in revenue in just over six months. The app is free to download, but generates huge revenue from in-game purchases as players try to buy their way up the ladder by emulating Kardashian's style.