Global licensing agency giant IMG and the world’s second-largest badminton sports brand VICTOR launched the Care Bears™ range of badminton equipment in Hong Kong, Taiwan and other regions based on the well-known cartoon, toy and movie franchise first launched in the 1980s, and in the process forged an innovative branding crossover collaboration.
The collaboration arose when IMG Senior Vice President Licensing (Asia) Miki Yamamoto and VICTOR Head of Global Marketing Yvonne Chou appeared as speakers at the Hong Kong International Licensing Show in 2023. They recognised that many brands were trying to build loyalty by incorporating sports elements into their corporate philosophies.
While cartoons and badminton are perhaps not the first product combination to spring to mind, the two companies matched well. As the top licensing company in the world, according to industry magazine License Global, IMG represents more than 100 licensing assets and brands, and in 2023 recorded US$15.4 billion in licensed merchandise sales.
Meanwhile, VICTOR is a leading manufacturer and retailer of badminton rackets, shoes, apparel and sports equipment sold around the world.
For VICTOR, the appeal of the Care Bears™ franchise lies in the characters’ representation of positive emotions and personalities – joy, friendship and aspiration – as well as the franchise’s long history of communicating love and understanding which has endeared it to successive generations of children and their parents. Such themes resonate strongly with VICTOR’s sporty and healthy image, leading to a natural synergy between the two brands.
Under guidance of IMG, in July last year VICTOR launched the Care Bears™ series of badminton equipment including rackets, shoes, bags, grip protectors and sweatbands to great success in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Indonesia, Japan, Korea and other markets.
The success of the line led VICTOR to add more products such as pillows and synthetic shuttles to their product range.
“By using the cute and colourful Care Bears™ images on our VICTOR products, we hope to inject fresh energy into badminton and set off a new craze for these loveable characters, which convey hopeful and positive messages,” explained Ms Chou.
Licensing and brand extensions have long been recognised for their potential to expand sales and lift product awareness, bringing benefits for all partners involved. Examples of past licensing tie-ups at VICTOR include product lines based on Iron Man, Hello Kitty, Peanuts, Crayon Shin-chan, Marvel and other well-known assets.
With a well-established intellectual property protection regime, Hong Kong is an ideal launchpad for international brands to expand their licensing business in the mainland and across the Asian region.
The HKTDC's Hong Kong International Licensing Show is a flagship exhibition for the licensing industry in Asia, connecting global licensors, brands, licensees, licensing agents and traders to explore cross-sector opportunities through a one-stop platform
This year's exhibition will be held from 28 to 30 April at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The concurrent Asian Licensing Conference will bring together global industry leaders to discuss key industry topics, including global industry trends, sustainable development and the use of technology in immersive art.
