TOTAL LICENSING
Music and
much more...
The term ‘the Beatles’ describes more everything from fash- ity images onto inappropri-
than just a group and its music. It’s true, ion t-shirts and boxer ate products.
of course, that selling hundreds of mil- shorts to ties and robes. Which is why Apple Corps
lions of albums and singles worldwide There are toys, includ- took its time before start-
is a quite staggering feat. It’s true also ing miniature buses ing a licensing campaign
that the music’s appeal remains strong: and jigsaw puzzles. and also why it built in
the group’s back catalogue has always And there are mugs, safeguards from an ear-
enjoyed vast annual sales, and recent magnets, playing ly stage of the licens-
compilations, like last year’s Love, have cards, plaques, ing programme.
sold in their millions. The 2000 compi- bedspreads, Caroline Mickler,
lation 1 did even better, selling almost w a t c h e s , who has en-
30 million copies, making it one of the g r e e t i n g joyed a great
top 20 best sellers ever. cards, um- deal of suc-
However, when you refer to the brellas and cess licensing
Beatles you also describe a social and even juke the brand in the
cultural phenomenon driven not just boxes. As for UK on behalf of
by the continuing appeal of the music the names of li- Apple Corps, ex-
but by the album covers, the films, the censees, there are plained, “Quality as-
image, the lifestyle - in fact all the as- very few brands that surance has been at the
sociations that have grown up around can attract a licen- heart of this campaign
the group over the years. In short, you see list as diverse as from the start. AppleApple
describe a brand. Wedgwood, Lee Cooper, Corps has a strict policy to
For many people the music may even Corgi and Halcyon Days. control licensed merchan-
be peripheral to these associations. Beatles brand owner Ap- dise, which my company fol-
Which is why the Beatles as a brand ple Corps was obviously lows to the letter. Its aim is
works in a way few other music-in- aware, when it began to plan a licens- to ensure that there will be no decay
spired brands do: on a wide range of ing campaign, of the potential of the in The Beatles’ timeless appeal.”
products for a wide range of people. brand, the strong demand for licensed But timeless appeal is an opportunity
And there is, and always has been, a product and the extraordinary licens- as well as a quality to be respected.
willing market hungry for Beatles- ing opportunity that implied. But it was This is an adult brand with a strong
branded items also aware that licensing the Beatles potential for longevity. However, even
A quick look at the UK licensee list as a brand had the term ‘adult’ is rather elastic in this
proves this. There’s apparel, to be handled case. The fact that the group still gets
which covers in a sensi- name-checked by every new youth
tive way movement that comes along - from
in order punk to hip-hop and beyond - does
to avoid wonders for brand awareness even
undermin- among those young enough to have
ing it. At grandparents who were fans. And con-
the same tinuing music sales will further boost
time there the brand.
was a defi- All of which means that the appeal of
nite need the Beatles brand will never be solely
for official to original fans now closing in on pen-
product to sionable age. On the contrary, the au-
combat the unofficial dience, even now, is male and female
merchandise market, of all ages from 17 to 70 - and prob-
which had in the past taken low qual- ably beyond both limits.
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