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Dolly Parton – Speckled Bird (IMG)
In 2022, Grammy Award-winning superstar Dolly Parton grew her licensing program to include several new categories that reflected her style, values, and loving demeanor. Building on the success of her debut scent, Dolly launched the new Front Porch Collection with Scent Beauty. She also expanded her line of cake mixes and frostings with Duncan Hines, adding four more Southern cake mixes. These are complemented by Dolly’s partyware collection, which captures her signature charm while prioritizing sustainability with reusable products and premium natural materials.
Two Dolly Funko POPS! were also launched in 2022, producing record-breaking sales and social impressions. Dolly also continued her nationwide apparel line by Mad Engine and a top-selling Williams Sonoma holiday line. Finally, “Doggy Parton,” a line of dog apparel, toys, and accessories was born out of Dolly’s love for animals, with a portion of the proceeds going to animal rescue organization Willa B. Farms.
FUBU – Daymond John (The Brand Liaison)
In the aftermath of Covid and the strength of the Black Lives Matter movement, FUBU has re-established itself as a leading U.S. urban brand with a combination of direct-to-consumer sales, key retail placement, and strong collaborations including Puma, Haus of JR, Mitchell & Ness, and Vogue. 2022 saw exclusive programs at Walmart (activewear and footwear), Cititrends (tops), and a national campaign with Forever 21 with over 100 SKUs and a charitable component supporting the Boys and Girls Club of America.
The national campaign for Forever 21 featured Black athletes and artists, social media and print, and full window displays in all Forever 21 locations. Finally, 2022 also saw a new generation of fans with the Marvel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever collaboration and Fubu x Haus of JR childrenswear, which featured the debut of Daymond John’s daughter Minka in their national campaign for Fubu Haus of JR.
Grateful Dead – Warner Music Experience
In 2022, almost $12 was spent on Grateful Dead merchandise every minute. With 47 releases, they launched products in food and spirits, sports and luxury fashion, books, and more! Delicato’s two wine varietals sold-through 50,000 cases, garnering 750 million media impressions; OffWhite included them as their only licensed design on the PFW runway; ENO sold out 1,500 hammocks in pre-order; Igloo launched two coolers, both being their two top-selling products; and their first children’s book sold-through 44% in pre-order, landing on the Amazon Top Seller list.
Sustainability was their top priority, launching their first lettuce medley using 95% less water than local farms. Grateful Dead has 105 active partners and released over 750 products into retail, continuing to focus on the environment and international growth. Warner Music Experience is excited to continue celebrating the 2022 Grammy winner and Licensing International Excellence Award Nominee, the timeless jam band, Grateful Dead.
Laura Ashley – Gordon Brothers
With 70 years of design excellence, Laura Ashley is one of the world’s best-loved home and lifestyle brands. Founded on a rich design heritage and on traditional values of quality and originality, Laura Ashley offers timeless designs, signature prints, and quintessentially British styles. The Laura Ashley archive is a unique asset to the team and is called upon daily as part of the design process, drawing from the past to inspire the future. Laura Ashley has a global customer base and our international retail stores continue to operate across 75 international store locations in 18 countries. Additionally, international eCommerce platforms are operated to offer our branded product ranges to our loyal global customers. Laura Ashley launched over 3,000 new branded products globally in 2022.
Morphy Richards – Guangdong Morphy Richards Technology (ALFILO Brands)
Art is pleasing, so is cooking. On May 18, 2022, Morphy Richards and the British Museum dedicated their efforts to launch the “Revival of Food Art” Majorica Art Collection, which spans 700 years of romance and creates a journey of aesthetic evaluation of Morphy’s dining table. Meanwhile, brand spokesperson Wang Junkai was invited to bring art into the kitchen where this collection, which decorates the public’s lifestyle with art.
The Comfy – Cozy Comfort Company (The Brand Liaison)
The Comfy is the original oversized, wearable blanket! Since its debut on ABC’s Shark Tank in 2017, The Comfy grossed over $350 million in annual sales, catapulting this patented product into one of the top three most successful products ever on Shark Tank and Barbara Corcoran’s most successful investment from the show. The Comfy products are currently available online; in over 5,000 retail locations across the U.S., including Macy’s, Kohls, Target, Costco; and on QVC. With the participation of The Brand Liaison, The Comfy has secured licenses with Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, and many top colleges and universities.
