Heritage licensing

A Place in Time

LMI

How Heritage Licensing Connects the Past with the Present and Future

Where the last year has undoubtedly proved a challenge for many institutions and museums, it has never been as important to look to brand licensing to increase awareness, maintain contact with fans and admirers, and bring in revenue where the public cannot. The licensing programmes, however, are more than just money-makers – they envelope the essence of these institutions, whose collective history spans thousands of years and every corner of the globe. Inspiring, ethical and embodying the spirit of historical importance, here we explore some of the possibilities that abound in heritage licensing.

Historic Royal Palaces is the independent charity that looks after the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, the Banqueting House, Kensington Palace, Kew Palace and Hillsborough Castle and Gardens. Historic Royal Palaces’ licensee, Cole & Son, has launched a new wallpaper collection for 2021, entitled Great Masters. Paying homage to the master artisans, craftsmen and celebrated monarchs who shaped the six iconic royal residences now cared for by Historic Royal Palaces, Great Masters heralds more than 1,000 years of British heritage. From the Medieval, Tudor and Jacobean, to the Georgian and Victorian eras, Great Masters honours the unparalleled skill of architects, artists, master carvers, ironworkers, and landscape designers, whose exceptional skill and creative ingenuity continues to allure and evoke marvel to this day. The design house of Cole & Son took inspiration for each of the collection’s 17 designs from the magnificent architecture, interiors, collections and gardens of the Historic Royal Palaces sites, including Hampton Court Palace with its unique mix of Tudor and baroque style, Kensington Palace with its decorative Victorian charm and the imposing Tower of London, filled with intriguing tales of London’s medieval history. With a shared passion for preserving the past, in order to inspire the future, the licensee’s second collection with Historic Royal Palaces celebrates quintessential British history and heritage through Cole & Son’s detailed hand and unparalleled use of colour and pattern. Cole & Son have embarked on an impactful marketing campaign to support the collection, and distribution through their network of retailers and interiors specialists will be

Historic Royal Palaces Cole & Son

hugely beneficial to Historic Royal Palaces’ licensing programme. Following the Covid-19 pandemic it has been a challenging year for the charity and the support of revenue from licensed products has never been more vital to help maintain the buildings in its care. Jenny Smyth, Licensing Manager at Historic Royal Palaces says: ‘Great Masters is a stunning wallpaper collection that has really embraced the scope of inspiration the palaces have to offer. They enable consumers to bring the magnificence of these buildings and the craftsmen that created them into their own homes. Never has the support of our licensees and their customers been more important in giving the palaces a future as bright as their past, and the purchase of these wallpapers makes a vital contribution towards enabling them to stir the spirits of many generations to come.’ Marie Karlsson, Managing Director at Cole & Son: “Our second collaboration with Historic Royal Palaces is so important to us as it really captures our brand values of ‘Living Art & Living History’. The inspiration we found within the palaces and their grounds was unparalleled; Great Masters is our largest collection to date with 17 designs including the masterpiece Verdure Tapestry which was entirely hand-drawn and hand-painted to scale, creating a vast verdant scene which encapsulates the whole collection. We decided to not only produce this in a traditional Cole & Son way as a non-woven paper, but also as a 100% pure silk wallcovering – a luxurious first for our Design House.”

Autumn 2020 saw the beginning of a collaboration between Warner House and Royal Museums Greenwich. Inspired by a set of 19th-century constellation cards, Warner House is launching these striking prints, comprised of the 12 zodiac signs, as cushions and wallpaper. Sourced from the museum’s collection at Greenwich, the historical significance of the designs aligns perfectly with Warner’s extraordinary heritage and legacy. Royal Museums Greenwich (RMG) is comprised of the National Maritime Museum, Royal Observatory, Cutty Sark and the Queen’s House, all located within the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Maritime Greenwich in London. RMG is the place to discover sea and space exploration, pioneering architecture, internationally-renowned art and British history. It is the ‘home of time’ and the world-famous Meridian Line, and houses the world’s largest maritime collection. The collection of over four million objects tell inspiring stories of exploration and adventure across the sea, ships, stars and time. Brands can collaborate with RMG and gain access to the exceptional collections for inspiration to create unique, innovative and beautifully designed products in association with the prestigious heritage brand. The licensing programme covers fashion, gifts, home, stationery, and publishing across a diverse range of product categories, from telescopes and toys to stationery and clothing. Other new product launches coming soon include PlayPress’s pirate cove in their signature biodegradable and recyclable plastic free play series, and Kite clothing’s third RMG-inspired range of planet-friendly children’s clothing for SS21. 2021 will also see the launch of Ecliptic, an astronomy-themed board game from Inside the Box, as well as the Royal Observatory’s first brand licenced telescope with Celestron. RMG holds a rich collection of maps, charts, globes and atlases from the 15th century to the present day, including over 100,000 historical sea charts and maps and the most significant collection of globes in the world. RMG also holds one million ship plans and historical scientific instruments that document 800 years of astronomy, navigation and timekeeping. Highlights include a rarely-seen map of the moon by H. Percy Wilkins, John Harrison’s famous navigational timepieces of the 1700s, historical astrolabes and constellation cards, plus portraits of well-known Astronomers Royal and clock makers. RMG’s breathtaking astrophotography collection is compiled from the annual Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition as well as images from the Royal Observatory’s state-of-the-art astrographic telescope.

Total Brand Licensing caught up with Declan McCarthy, Head of Publishing and Licensing, and Carrie Hickman, Publishing and Licensing Coordinator at the Ashmolean about the vast array of brand licensing opportunities

on offer. “The Ashmolean is the world’s first public museum – opening its doors in 1683,” said Declan. “It is also the world’s first university museum and has an incredibly long and interesting history!” How has life been during the pandemic? “Challenging, as it has for everyone. But

being a world-class institution within the University of Oxford means that we have an absolute treasure trove of artefacts to be explored, and we want to give potential licensees a real insight into the unbelievable amount of possibility that our collections can inspire.” What are you particularly excited about? “The excitement came at the beginning of 2020 when we signed with Ian Downes and Start Licensing. Ian has just right expertise as a partner to bring the Ashmolean licensing programme to its full realisation. As just a sample of our collections, the Ashmolean houses 300,000 coins and medals, 900 casts, Western and Eastern Art, the department of antiquities, Greek pottery, Dutch Master oil paintings and it is like travelling on a tour of the history of the world to explore these collections – which range in date from 800BC to the present day.” When asked about some of the pieces within the museum that Declan and Carrie find the most fascinating, there were almost too many to mention. However, the lantern taken from Guy Fawkes shortly after he was apprehended before he could detonate gunpowder in Parliament, 1605, as well as the Messiah violin made at the height of Stradivari’s popularity in 1716 are just two examples of the diverse and intricate historical artefacts housed by the museum. “The Ashmolean really has so much untapped potential to offer to the right partners. We are at the ‘fledgling’ stage of our licensing programme, so there is much to offer. We welcome new ideas and, working with licensees and the 1.3 million objects in the collection, we offer a fantastic and unique brand licensing experience.” The Ashmolean already works with partners such as Woodmansterne, Flame Tree Publishing, Fox & Chave and The Oxford Artisan Distillery. “We are delighted to be working with Start Licensing, raising awareness of the collection and building upon new opportunities in licensing across all categories. In addition, licensees (when restrictions are relaxed) will have unprecedented access to curatorial departments, study rooms and collections.”

The term Heritage & Museum Licensing is a familiar one and has helped to build some classic long term licensing programmes. LMI has assembled a portfolio of classic Heritage brands some of which have been developed into global licensing programmes over a period of time and continue to expand. These include: British Motor Heritage These classic automobile marques include Austin, Morris, Austin-Healey, MG, Nuffield and Rover.

LMI

Over six years now GIC Japan have marketed the Rover bicycle and Codemasters are featuring the MG Metro 6R4 in their series of Dirt rally games. Microsoft continue to feature a number of the BMH marques in their Woodstock computer games and a recent USA signing is Michael Miller Fabrics; fabrics by the yard illustrated here. BSA “The most popular motorcycle in the world” was founded in 1903 and an extensive classic Brand Deck has been developed resulting in a broad number of licensees including Poetic Brands for their BSA heritage T-shirt and apparel collection. Highclere Castle ‘’The real Downton Abbey” has capitalised on its TV and movie exposure with programmes including Silent Night group for bedding for the UK, USA & China, Gascoigne Designs for furniture and a range of dress perfumes, diffusers & towels from SD Biotechnologies in Korea. Highclere Castle have designed and marketed a highly awarded unique gin under the Highclere Castle name and a Highclere Castle fine Cigar made for them in Nicaragua which has also won awards in the USA. International Space Archives (ISA) Looking into space is also like looking into the past and ISA is the perfect place to start. With its vast library of images, photographs and 249 Mission patches (including the newly released SpaceX DM-2 mission patch & Mars Rover Perseverance) from many of the world’s space programmes including but not limited to NASA it is no wonder the list of licensees continues to grow. Leading categories include accessories, apparel, tech and BTS and we cannot wait for Hinterland Water Rokit who are set to launch a ‘Water Rokit Edu–Kit’ space and education. Schönbrunn Palace You can find ‘The Neptune Fountain’ at the foot of the Gloriette hill situated amongst the roaming gardens of the latest addition to the LMI portfolio… Schönbrunn Palace is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. Schönbrunn Palace is one of the most important architectural, cultural, and historic monuments in Austria. The history of the palace and its vast gardens spans over 300 years, reflecting the changing tastes, interests, and aspirations of successive Habsburg monarchs. The Schönbrunn Palace in its present form was built and remodelled during the 1740–50s during the reign of empress Maria Theresa. Franz Joseph, the longest-reigning emperor of Austria, was born at Schönbrunn Palace and spent a great deal of his life there. It has been a major tourist attraction since the mid-1950s. The palace and extensive grounds are laced with history and inspiration for licensing opportunities. The licensing programme is spearheaded by REWE in Austria who have had an excellent response in the market to the recent release of their Schönbrunn collection including Wine, Sparkling Wine and Frizzante. Shakespeare Birthplace Trust The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust is the independent charity that cares for the world’s greatest Shakespeare heritage in his hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon. Licensing with the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust offers a unique brand endorsement and a wealth of inspiration in their outstanding collections. Discover Shakespeare’s world through unique objects and works of art, rare books and the words that have inspired the world for over 400 years. A virtual and sensory experience is under development for Spain & Portugal with MADHOUSE Brands & Malls SL. Apparel, accessories, footwear, and home textiles have been granted to Ermoda Tekstil. As Hamlet quoted ‘The apparel oft proclaims The mission of the University of Cambridge is to contribute to society through education, learning and research at the highest international level. In addition to its education and research excellence, there is growing interest in its amazing range of museums and libraries, and its botanic garden. They cover classical and modern art and artifacts, polar exploration, anthropology, zoology, geology, botany and the history of science. These are continuing places of cutting edge research in addition to being free to visit for students, schools and families. The University of Cambridge has a wholly owned subsidiary to manage its commercial rights called FME Ltd. Led by Len Dunne, a licensing and marketing veteran, FME is transforming how the university is managing its trademark rights and assets to generate income streams to support its museums. FME is unique in the world of universities –

Cambridge

NHM

it has in-house strategic marketing, graphic and product design capabilities and its own channels of distribution including four retail units in Cambridge, a hugely successfully webstore called CuratingCambridge.com, a wholesale division that sells greeting cards and stationery inspired by its collections and of course, licensing. It creates its own retail friendly brands, tests them in their own retail and online channels and only when it has traction, does it take them to the broader market for licensing. A great example of FME’s innovation during COVID was its take on the pandemic by adapting works of art from the Fitzwilliam Museum to show what social distancing might look like through the ages. In addition to being a media sensation the Fitzwilliam Masterpieces 2020 Edition range has, with the support of its UK licensing agent The Point.1888, spawned a licensing programme covering greeting cards, print on demand, stationery, gin, homewares, apparel and, of course, face masks. Working with The Point.1888, the plan for FME to roll out more licensing programmes both for the University brand and also its extensive museum collection assets.

The Natural History Museum licensing team is on a mission; to engage the widest possible audience through its licensing programme in order to create advocates for the planet and to encourage a love of the natural world. Recent launches such as their gender neutral childrenswear collection with UNIQLO or their wall print collection with Fairtrade and sustainable fashion label Saint + Sofia are just a few examples of the way this strategy is being realised. These efforts have not gone unnoticed with the Brand & Licensing Lifestyle Awards recognising the team not only for their eco-friendly paint range Colour by Nature with Farrow & Ball but also as 2020’s Best Heritage Institution - a first for the Museum. Colour by Nature was also recognised at the Licensing Awards winning in the Best Retail Marketing Initiative category. With a significant number of exciting launches set for 2021, the team are busy finding new ways to get their message out. This year has been incredibly challenging for the Museum and the heritage sector as a whole. The Museum looks forward to welcoming visitors in 2021 to the hotly anticipated exhibition Fantastic Beasts: The Wonder of Nature which opened in December. Explore the links between animals of the natural world, mythical creatures and their fictional counterparts from the Wizarding World. This is just one of the many ways in which the Natural History Museum is determined to harness its collections to reach new audiences. Another example is the launch of the licensing team’s new style guide, The Botanicals Guide, that celebrates many of the beautiful and scientifically important botanical artworks held within the Museum’s collection, utilising them within a fresh, contemporary context to appeal to a modern audience. Like all style guides in the programme, this new addition aims to highlight the wonderful diversity of the natural world and to tap into the huge cross generational appeal that the Museum undeniably enjoys. With consumers more astute than ever, the Museum’s licensing programme is uniquely positioned to offer products with an historic context and a firm connection to nature. The licensing programme was incredibly fortunate as all 2020 launches were able to go ahead as planned despite lockdown measures, seeing collections with The Royal Mint, Finisterre and UNIQLO all performing beyond expectations. The licensing team were also lucky enough to continue working throughout lockdown, which has enabled them to continue to plan and develop upcoming launches looking forward to 2021 and beyond, as well as supporting existing licensees through a very difficult year. Another exciting development was the launch of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year licensing programme announced at this year’s Festival of Licensing show. Another string to their bow, this beautiful and prestigious brand showcases the very best in nature photography and uses the uniquely emotive power of photography to move hearts and minds. Having already signed Portico Designs to produce calendars, there are numerous other conversations underway and much more to come.