TOTAL LICENSING
Popeye Program Builds in Japan into the male demographic further cements her status as a fashion icon. “Popeye and Betty Boop continue to be an inspiration for fashion-forward brands around the world, but no country has embraced these iconic characters as strongly as Japan,” said Carla Silva, VP and GM, Global Head of Licensing for King Features. “As we head into 2019, we are excited to continue developing unique and trendy collaborations for these classic characters with more of Japan’s hottest brands.”
Japan has proven itself to be a hotbed for Popeye and Betty Boop inspired products and promotions and King Features Syndicate, a division of Hearst, will build on momentum from the past year to fuel expansion of both brands in 2019. King Features launched an aggressive Popeye program in Japan in 2018, partnering with best-in-class brands such as Dickies, New Era, and A Bathing Ape for a robust and modern merchandising program that cast the Sailor Man as a fashion symbol. Tokyo based Magazine House continues to align the brand with the latest trends through their Popeye, Brutus and Casa Brutus publications, featuring new content and fresh narratives that target fashionable young men. The success of these popular magazines, available at bookstores and fashion and lifestyle retailers around the world, recently inspired the publisher to develop online content for each magazine and announce an upcoming Olive project in 2019. Popeye’s 90th anniversary and Olive Oyl’s 100th anniversary celebrations next year will be leveraged to generate new excitement and interest around the brands as King Features seeks new partners across multiple categories. Fleischer Studios-owned Betty Boop, long beloved by female fans of all ages, is experiencing a strong increase in demand from millennial men. In addition to successful collaborations with
A Bathing Ape, FILA and Castelbajac, many Betty Boop partners in Japan have developed male focused lines including Vanson Leathers, Dickies, Skullworks & Co., Low Blow Knuckle, Indian Motorcycle and Red Pepper Jeans. And for those tech-friendly fans, in October 2018, Tokimeki Rule began offering Betty fans a new way to personalize their images using the sassy fashionista with digital stickers available at photo booths across Japan. Born during a time when cartoons starring selfreliant female characters were rare, Betty Boop continues to sing and sashay past rules and conventions and set trends as her expanding appeal
All Japanese license agreements were brokered by King Features’ agent, Copyrights Asia in Tokyo.
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