Whether you’re a licensing veteran or looking to dip your toe in the water for the first time, deciding which brands to partner with can be tricky. Licensing allows you to create new audiences and windows for driving sales of your products. For example partnering with a theatrical movie means there will be potential excitement and demand around your products when the film is released and supported by studio marketing campaigns, and collaborating with a sports team allows you to tap into those fandoms year round.
Another great moment to partner with an IP is when it is celebrating an anniversary and it will likely see a raft of new partners, marketing and press. This buzz and nostalgia will bring back existing fans and convert new ones. Great recent examples of these include Mickey Mouse’s 90th, SpongeBob SquarePants' 25th and Dungeons & Dragons' 50th.
2025 will see a number of big IPs celebrate milestone anniversaries.
Monopoly, riding high off the success of licensed mobile game Monopoly Go and the immersive Monopoly Live experience, is celebrating 90 years.
Classic movies from the dawn of the blockbuster era are hitting some big milestones. Jaws turns 50 (and recently had a LEGO set), The Goonies turns 40 and with news of a much desired sequel in development there’s likely to be a lot of interest. Also turning 40 is Back to the Future and with a stage show doing good business and iconic elements like the Delorean and flux capacitor it's likely we’ll see a good licensing program around it also.
Animated characters are also hitting some big milestones; Tom & Jerry hits 85, Dora the Explorer with a brand new series hits 25 and Peanuts reaches 75. And to show how quickly the last decade has gone by Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir and Baby Shark are both turning 10.
Comic book heroes are also celebrating with both The Flash and Green Lantern hitting 85. With DC Comics looking to create a new cinematic universe starting with Superman Legacy launching in 2025, with Nathan Fillion appearing as Guy Garnder/Green Lantern, we can expect some buzz around both of these superheroes.
And cultural icon Elvis Presley is celebrated 90 years since his birth and with an ABBA Voyage-esque ‘Elvis Evolution | The Immersive Experience’ opening in London next year you can be sure we’re going to hear a lot about Elvis in the coming 12 months.
And this is just the tip of the iceberg for brand anniversaries for 2025, check out a more comprehensive list here courtesy of License Global.
Whoever you’re looking to partner with in 2025 check out the Negosh Opportunities Board. Even if we don’t have the brand you're looking for on the platform we can still help put you in touch through our Connectors Circle.
Which brands do you think will have the biggest buzz around their anniversaries in 2025? Let us know in the comments on LinkedIn