GBG Sells Majority of Frye to ABG, Retains License

Global Brands Group (GBG) sells 51% stake in Frye Co. to Authentic Brands Group for $100 million, creating an ABG-Frye joint venture that will manage the 180-year-old brand. GBG will keep 49% ownership in the new company. GBG gets a 10-year global exclusive license for Frye for men’s, women’s and children’s apparel, footwear, accessories and home products, GBG said. GBG also will continue to manufacture, distribute and sell Frye product as well as operate branded retail stores and an ecommerce site, the company said. The sale represents a strategy change for GBG, which in 2015 hired former retail executive Adrienne Lazarus as Frye Co.’s new CEO as part of an effort to transform Frye into a lifestyle label.

Contacts:

Global Brands Group, Meredith Kandel, VP License Brand Management, 646-939-7000, Meredith@ameny.com; Authentic Brands Group, Jamie Salter, CEO, 212-760-2412, jsalter@abg-nyc.com

Carole Postal Forms Spotlight as CopCorp Successor

Spotlight Licensing and Brand Management is the successor to CopCorp Licensing and Knockout Licensing, formed by industry veteran Carole Postal, who founded CopCorp with late husband Bob Postal. Spotlight will carry over many of CopCorp’s client licenses including Downton Abbey, Outlanders and Boo, The World’s Cutest Dog. It also is now representing VNIP Holdings for its Vera brand and designs built around artist-entrepreneur Vera Neumann. 

Contact:

Spotlight Licensing and Brand Management, Carole Postal, Pres., 212-947-5958, carole@spotlightlicensing.com

Rasta Imposta Shifts Logistics to Morris Costumes

Licensed costume supplier Rasta Imposta shut down its Runnemede, NJ warehouse in shifting distribution of its products to Morris Costumes. Morris, which has a warehouse and store near Charlotte, NC, will ship Rasta’s 2017 costume line to retail. Rasta will continue to handle some limited inventory at its Runnemede headquarters, but the bulk of products are starting to ship from the Morris facility. Rasta will continue handling design and production, sales and service for its line, while Morris, which previously solely distributed Rasta product, is adding responsibility billing, shipping and logistics.

Contact:

Gary Schneider, General Mgr. Licensing and Marketing, 856- 939-9599, gary@rastaimposta.com

GameCo’s First Licensed Video Game Gambling Machines Due Mid-Year

The first of GameCo.’s video game gambling machines (VGM) will launch mid-year, with another three due in October, GameCo’s Richard Maryyanek tells us. The Terminator 2: Judgement Day will be among the first of 10 VGM titles available this year and will be followed a Mission Impossible-based racing game, says Maryyanek. GameCo’s also is nearing a deal with a music artist for a VGM game and recently signed a deal for a Star Trek title. The VGMs feature an arcade-style cabinet with payouts and winnings being based on a player’s skill, while keeping the same economics as casino slot machines. GameCo, which has VGMs installed in Caesars Entertainment and Tropicana properties in Atlantic City, NJ featuring an internally developed title, expects to expand distribution of the machines to four states and an international market by fall, says Maryyanek, who declined to disclose further details. GameCo also has licenses with Paramount for Paranormal and Ferris Bueller films.

Contact:

Richard Maryyanek, VP Global Business Development, 917-653-7557, rich@gco.gg

Executive Changes:

Elliot Lederman, ex-CPLG, named VP Consumer Products and Franchise Management at Lionsgate… Greg Revelle, ex-Best Buy, named Chief Marketing Officer at Kohl’s… Sean Foster, ex-CrowdTap, named Global SVP of eCommerce at Coty, new position.