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Licensing Focus
The
property Spanning all manner of brands, from the entertainment screen to the heritage world, from the food shelves to celebrated designers and everything in between, the world of licensed greeting cards and wrap is reaching new heights. In the run-up to the Brand Licensing Europe show fast approaching, PG looks at some of the licensed properties that feature in this year’s Henries.
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Nature speaks Abacus has long been synonymous with photographic greeting cards, so it’s not surprising its BBC Springwatch collection has made it into The Henries finals in the Best Photographic Range. The company first had success with photographic designs when it launched Posies & Petals, a longstanding female floral photographic collection, and then Graphite, its male counterpart, and BBC Springwatch was its first experience with a licensed photographic brand when the range was introduced back in 2015. “BBC Springwatch captivates a wide audience with live footage of nesting birds as well as the fun antics of squirrels and other wildlife,” studio manager Liz Ellis explained. “We’ve taken inspiration from the programme and tried to depict wildlife at its best. “People have a fascination with nature, it’s a wonderful source of inspiration and we’re lucky to work with some amazing photographers who have managed to capture and portray some brilliant wildlife shots, some of which are comical - these stunning images are featured on our BBC Springwatch cards.” Abacus also holds the BBC licences for BBC Countryfile and Gardeners’ World, with all three ranges of cards now being supplied with sustainable packaged options, including fully-recyclable paper bellybands or wrapped with Nativia clear bio-based film bags. Above: Animal antics from Abacus.
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PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE
Below: BLE’s parade of characters awaits outside London ExCel.
Peaback to the rescue Picking a licence that’s good for cards is almost a science for Cardology, focusing not just how the property reflects the recipient’s interests, but also how the brand’s values speak to and enhance the emotional connection between purchaser and recipient. “As publishers, when a customer buys our cards, we know they’re effectively buying into our ability to express emotions they feel towards a recipient. At Cardology, we believe the great designs go beyond this and also manage to tap into what we refer to as the double lens - conveying the essence of how the purchaser wants the recipient to feel about them as well, that offers a great start point for choosing licences,” stated director and co-founder David Falkner, who takes Below: A Cardology Battersea Pop-Up card.