The City of New York, under the marketing, tourism, and partnership organization NYC & Company, is aligning with Marvel and Sesame Workshop to promote the people, agencies, and landmarks of New York City. New York City is unique among U.S. cities in its aggressive branding efforts with national partners and acquiring distribution both inside and outside of its zip codes.
The city “continually looks to identify organizations that can enhance and expand NYC’s overall brand and merchandise selection,” says NYC & Company’s George Fertitta. Currently, NYC licensed merchandise is sold at more than 300 retail locations, as well as numerous websites. “We anticipate buyers to be both residents of New York and tourists alike,” he says.
Marvel is licensing an exclusive collection of co-branded merchandise that features iconic Marvel characters, including Spider-Man, Captain America, and Iron Man, alongside NYPD, FDNY, New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission, and the Department of Sanitation logos and images.
The program includes t-shirts by apparel maker JEM, bags by Bioworld, and accessories by Silver Buffalo. “Having our real life heroes paired with their super heroes just seemed like a natural fit,” says Fertitta, adding his organization approached Marvel 18 months ago and began working with Marvel vendors last summer.
The line is initially available at Toys R Us Times Square in New York, and will expand nationally at retailers including Target, Old Navy, and Walmart later this year.
Sesame Expands Relationship
Sesame Workshop is growing its licensing alliance with NYC & Co that began in 2008 with a co-branded t-shirt line. “Based on the successful reaction to the t-shirts, we expanded into dolls,” says Sesame Workshop’s Beatrice Chow.
The Sesame Street Collection features a line of Gund plush (which also required Gund to secure a license with NYC & Co) that feature Oscar the Grouch as a NYC Department of Sanitation worker and Big Bird as a NYC taxi driver.
The co-branded plush initially targeted to the NYC area, but is being introduced at specialty retailers throughout the U.S.
While Sesame Workshop is pleased with this co-branded alliance, it has no plans at this time for other city or location-based alliances. It looks like Grover won’t be working at the Los Angeles Morgue anytime soon. [Licensing/Entertainment]
Contacts and Connections: Gund, Shallu Chhabra, Licensing Manager, One Runyons Ln., Edison, NJ 08817; 732-248-1500, x4554; schhabra@gund.com; www.gund.com.
Jem, Randi Kagan Spieker, VP Marketing, Licensing, 459 Park Ave., San Fernando, CA 91340; 818-365-9361, x233;
randi.spieker@jemsportswear.com; www.jemsportswear.com.
Marvel Entertainment, Paul Gitter, President, Consumer Products, 135 W. 50th St., New York, NY 10020; 212-576-4026; pgitter@marvel.com; www.marvel.com.
NYC & Company, Shaun Leddy, Manager Licensing, 810 Seventh Ave., 3rd Fl., New York, NY 10019; 212-484-5437; sleddy@nycgo.com; www.nycgo.com. Also, George Fertitta, CEO.
Sesame Workshop, Maura Regan, SVP/GM Global Consumer Products, 1900 Broadway, 5th Fl., New York, NY 10023; 212-875-6416; maura.regan@sesameworkshop.org; www.sesameworkshop.org.
Silver Buffalo, Greg Alprin, VP Licensing, Product Development, 141 W. 36th St., 4th Fl., New York, NY 10018; 203-216-7367; galprin@silver-buffalo.com; www.silver-buffalo.com
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