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Beware here come celebs!
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Handling the rights for living celebrities often requires a love for risk. However, the reward is always as big as the efforts involved.
Nicolas Anelka’s fashion brand 39 Pro was put to sleep... after the last World Football Cup. «Well there’s no need to recall the circumstances, immediately ascertained Catherine Banos-Bernard, GM of Canal + Licence that handles the brand. This example shows the amount of risk involved in handling living celebrities.» Even though it’s a tough pill to swallow, Canal + Licence isn’t giving up and will continue to work with famous TV people. «The bonds that viewers can establish with famous people are very intimate, therefore they are just as marvelous as they can be dangerous, continued Canal +’s Licensing Director».
In any case the first thing to do is define the rules! And in this field, the limits seem fuzzy. For instance, Impex enjoyed working with M6 Licences and Valérie Damidot since August 2008, but is now starting to wonder about the limitations of that choice. «We created inflatable furniture that is environmentally friendly and received the French DIY decoration queen’s approval, recounted Marketing Manager Geoffroy Simon. We won the Prize for Product of the Year. However, today the fashionable aspect is fading. While Valérie Damidot remains as popular as ever, she started representing brands such as Gifi, and went into comedy acting with Victoire Bonnot, which tends to confuse buyers.» The Marketing Manager is now wondering about that property’s future. «The market is still in demand, but distributors are starting to cut down on product references, simply because the Damidot effect isn’t working anymore since the celebrity has other priorities. We can’t handle that kind of evolution.» |
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A finely tuned piece of work
Franck Cymes, France Télévisions Distribution’s Licensing GM, sets up specific deals for living celebs. He explained to us how: «as far as we are concerned, we talk about handling the image rights and licensing the celebrity’s attributes. The contracts detail all of the attributes that can be exploited for the concerned celebrity. And the environment in which the celebrity appears is also detailed.» Julie Ferrez, coach and contributing reporter for morning show Télé Matin, only has fitness products branded with her name. The rules are even more specific for the hosts of the famous scientific educational program C’est pas Sorcier, Fred and Jamy, who are also journalists, since journalistic profession has deontological demands. «We will never market products solely under the name of Fred and Jamy, detailed Franck Cymes. They must bear the show’s name.»
Sandy Cosimi from Sun City’s Marketing department mostly shares that analysis. «Exploiting the image of Lady Gaga or the Rolling Stones involves working very closely with the related agents, she offered. The specifications and requirements are very detailed and our choice is limited to a sample of carefully developed visuals. Then, you still have to obtain definitive validation.» Nonetheless, when the celebrity is performing well, sales also take off overnight. However, when the celeb’s conduct goes astray, the market’s sanction is immediate. |
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Limits that need to be established
The managers of Télé Images Kids feel quite serene as far as Tony Parker is concerned. The very particular procedure chosen by the rights owner certainly plays a central part in their confidence. The contact was drafted very precisely and the terms of use of the basketball star’s image, his personality, and even his flaws are clearly defined. Tony Parker appears on screen as an animated version of himself. «The amount of work before hand was huge, recognized Philippe Alessandri, who runs Télé Images Kids. We needed Tony Parker’s validation for each script and every line of dialogue. However in the end, this kind of partnership makes the series completely legitimate for the audience as well as critics and onlookers.»
It’s probably because they know perfectly well where the limits of this kind of project stand that Disney Studios have taken the procedure one step further for their hit series Hannah Montana and star actress and singer Miley Cirus by developing an even more original and detailed approach. «Our experience is that licensed products after this kind of property mostly target the series’ fans, ascertained Isabelle Lahoud, who runs Disney Consumer Products France. The success usually lasts as long as the series, some 5 or 6 Seasons, but rarely beyond. When compared with our animated characters, some of which, like Mickey Mouse for instance, have existed as licensed products for over 80 years, there is a huge difference. It is noteworthy that we don’t exploit the image of Miley Cyrus herself, but that of her character in the series.» The way Miley Cyrus behaves in everyday life has no impact on the character in the series, which always remains identical. |
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Brigitte Bardot in licensing!
Cyber Group Animation very recently signed a deal with Mary de Vivo, who handles the rights to Brigitte Bardot’s representation. Christine Blériot, in charge of licensing and marketing, was happy to announce: «We will develop two major lines. The first line will be branded Brigitte Bardot, and will refer to her black and white photos with mainly luxury items. The second line called BB, will use color images of the star in the 60s. This category will offer textile, shoes and accessories that most women will be able to afford. Furthermore, we will also exploit the rights of the star’s mythical estate La Madrague. The current success of the BB line for Lancel shows how much demand there is for products reminiscent of that carefree era. We feel confident and most of all extremely happy, about being involved in such an important project.» |
