PROFILE
A campaign inspired by the entire history of humanity The British Museum’s unrivalled cultural collection was the foundation of a major licensing campaign that launched in 2015, one that quickly made inroads into global markets – most notably China. The success of the campaign in China has made the British Museum the market leader among UK museums in this region As a world-famous institution, the British Museum is enormously popular, attracting millions of visitors every year. The Museum’s licensing campaign, launched in 2015, raises awareness of the British Museum, its collection and its work. It also offers an important source of funding for the Museum’s educational and outreach work, as well as contributing to the care of the Museum’s world-renowned collection of objects. However, communicating the Museum’s values to a wide audience is not a simple task. The British Museum is a cultural icon the
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world over, with a collection that spans the history of the globe. The Museum is home to beautiful objects from ancient and modern cultures across the globe – everything from fabrics, glassware, ceramics, wall coverings and ancient tools to photos, shields, coins, art, tableware, and much more – that can inspire many licensing categories. From an early stage this was a major asset to the licensing campaign in the UK market. For example, the Moorland Rug Company developed a range of British Museum rugs based on the world-famous works of Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai, whose print, The Great Wave, is one of the most iconic images in history. Wall art, greeting cards, wooden postcards, phone accessories, men’s accessories, home gifting items, bedding and stationery were among the many other categories that found their way to retail in the early years of the campaign.
But this is also a Museum of the world, for the world. Its licensing programme is now an international campaign for a globally recognised institution that regularly tours exhibitions overseas – from the United States and mainland Europe to China and Australia. China, in particular, where there is an undoubted engagement and interest in arts and culture, was seen from an early stage as a promising market for the Museum’s licensing activity. Early in the development of the licensing programme, it became clear there was real interest in the British Museum – both from the Museum’s visitors from China and within China itself. In late 2016 the Museum successfully launched its licensing campaign into China, going on to establish a strong online presence in this exciting market and opening pop-up shops in Shanghai and Shenzhen in 2018. In late 2016 the British Museum announced a landmark partnership with licensing firm Alfilo Brands and Alibaba Group, China’s largest online retailer. The aim was to bring a range of British Museum-branded products celebrating the history of humanity to consumers in China online exclusively through Alibaba’s online channel TMall, and in a range of British Museum-branded physical retail outlets throughout China. The programme also targeted a range of promotional opportunities with major brands in China. A major boost to this alliance came in 2017, when the museum’s touring exhibition A History of the World in 100 Objects, was a hit with visitors to both the National Museum of China in Beijing and the Shanghai Museum. Today, as a key partner in the British Museum licensing programme in Greater China, Alfilo Brands serves multiple roles, including IP asset development, merchandise development and retail operations for both online TOTAL BRAND LICENSING