Nostalgia brand licensing was back in fashion at Brand Licensing Expo (BLE), but this time with a digital push.

And while nostalgia licensing has long been cyclical, with the aid of YouTube, TikTok and social media in general, it has more staying power. In many cases that means taking a two-tier approach in appealing to both older fans while securing new ones, with younger generations attracted to the back story behind the content.

Universal Products and Experiences, for example, mined YouTube for 18 months in finding that Felix the Cat, which first appeared as a cartoon character in 1919 and was last subject to direct-to-video releases in 1991 and 2004, had gained a fan base for its short videos.

Similarly, Betty Boop, which Universal acquired with Felix the Cat in buying DreamWorks Animation in 2014, also had gained a new audience.  That was despite seemingly peaking with 90 theatrical cartoons released between 1930-1939, but reappearing in “Betty Boop! The Musical” on Broadway before it closed on July 13 after 112-show run. Universal hosted a popup experience for Felix the Cat at BLE and has product plans for both properties (toys, apparel, and other products) at Urban Outfitters in Q2 and Q3 2026.

The same nostalgia also has applied to Mattel’s Masters of the Universe film that is being released by Amazon MGM on June 5, 2026 and will feature “Easter eggs” for long-time fans that hearken back to the toy’s debut in 1981, said Greg Coleman, Global Head of Franchise Marketing at Amazon MGM. Mattel and Amazon also are planning a live-action series around Shani, the toymaker’s first Black fashion doll line that was launched in 1991. Also in the works are an animation series and film based on Crayola’s Rainbow Brite, which debuted in 1984, that are being developed by Cake Entertainment and Original Films, respectively. Licensee The Loyal Subjects released a Rainbow Brite doll last year to mark its 40th anniversary.

“I think these are a reflection of how difficult it is for new IP to cut through, and it is so challenging now,” said Andrew Carley, Director of Global Licensing at BBC Studios, home of the “Bluey” series which will be released as a film in 2027. “The days of just going onto a linear platform and thinking you are done ended long ago. You need so much more than that to cut through now and everyone is finding that.”

BBC Studios itself was faced with this quandary when Disney+ International didn’t renew a two-season contract for Dr. Who, the last series of which debuted on April 12. The BBC first released Dr. Who in 1963.

Banijay Entertainment, meanwhile, is following the YouTube route to revive back catalog content. It launched a competition earlier this year from which it will select five French social media creators to form the “Banijay Entertainment Creators Lab.” To qualify, each creator must have two videos with 100,000 views on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, or Snapchat and Banijay will provide each project with 50,000 euros in funding. The creators will work with five IPs, including La Tete et Les Jambes, which was released in 1960 featuring general culture and physical tests.

“I think all these properties need a bit of creativity and attention and with that nostalgia licensing could have some staying power,” a studio executive said. “There is a fan base for many of these nostalgia IPs that are ardent followers, and it is about how do we tap into that effectively and manage it carefully? It is about how do you manage it in terms of scale, breadth, and audience. Is it everything to everybody or highly targeted at collectors? The route is to serve ardent fans effectively as you can and then decide what to do.”

In going that route, animation studio Boat Rocker hired a digital agency to revamp the YouTube channel in terms of new formats and compilations for the children’s series Dino Ranch, said Mellany Welsh, Senior VP for Brand Partnerships and Content Marketing. That came in advance of planned release of the spinoff series, Dino Ranch: Island Explorers, in 2026. It also has revived the children’s series The Big Comfy Couch, which was first released in Canada in 1993 and was last broadcast on Treehouse TV in 2011. It has appeared on YouTube and been licensed for apparel.

“The old properties are being rediscovered on YouTube and to younger generations they are new again,” said Vince Klaseus, President of Universal Products and Experiences. “It leads to a resurgence and if you serve it up in a smart way it’s being discovered on social media. It can be new content but in recreating older IP you must remain true to it in many respects.”