Bravo seals licensing deal for VivoCity mall
Bravo Asia has secured a licensing deal for a series of characters it has created, which will be turned into giant art installations and branded merchandise for the city's emerging retail, entertainment and lifestyle destination, VivoCity.
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The Hong Kong-based consultancy's licensing deal with VivoCity echoes BBH's new Zag venture, to create a new compensation model that will allow the agency to charge for its ideas. Bravo president and CEO Aaron Lau said 13 of the characters - dubbed Vivo-Punch - have been licensed for use.
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Created by artist and former image director at cosmetic label Red Earth, Michael Cheung, now CD at Bravo, the characters will be placed outside the harbour-front mall, which is due to open in Q4 of this year.
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The VivoPunch characters will stand three metres tall and five metres across, and will be equipped with motion sensors to allow them to speak as well as blow soap bubbles at visitors. "We have created a fun, vibrant and innovative concept to capture the family and kids segment and drive repeat visits, while also reflecting the VivoCity brand," Lau said.
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The deal will allow Bravo to create branded products, to be sold at its merchandise shop.
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"If we want to bring the brand to life, we should do so with branded content, which is what Bravo is about," Lau said, adding that the initial product range would likely include towels, liquid soap dispensers, toothbrushes and mobile phone straps.
Future merchandise initiatives include developing online games and mobile communications around the ViVoPunch characters.
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Lau described the merchandising strategy as a cost-effective way to bring the mall into consumers' lives.
"With the traditional agency model, we have always sold off the crown jewels; given our ideas away for free. This allows me to create a new revenue model for the agency, but the idea is licensed and the agency and client have a joint interest in keeping the idea alive and effective," he said.
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Bravo's bid to change the agency compensation model has seen it forge links with the likes of architects, manufacturers and copyright lawyers.
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Its efforts come as BBH unveils its high-profile 'brand creation' agency, Zag, a global initiative that will involve all BBH offices. Zag aims to create new brands, which it will then licence or sell to third parties in exchange for royalties. Zag is headed by ex-Unilever global brand director Neil Munn, who will work alongside BBH co-founder Nigel Bogle.
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Additional reporting by Arun Sudhaman
See p19
by
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05/18/2006
Bravo Asia has secured a licensing deal for a series of characters it has created, which will be turned into giant art installations and branded merchandise for the city's emerging retail, entertainment and lifestyle destination, VivoCity.
The Hong Kong-based consultancy's licensing deal with VivoCity echoes BBH's new Zag venture, to create a new compensation model that will allow the agency to charge for its ideas. Bravo president and CEO Aaron Lau said 13 of the characters — dubbed Vivo-Punch — have been licensed for use.
Created by artist and former image director at cosmetic label Red Earth, Michael Cheung, now CD at Bravo, the characters will be placed outside the harbour-front mall, which is due to open in Q4 of this year.
The VivoPunch characters will stand three metres tall and five metres across, and will be equipped with motion sensors to allow them to speak as well as blow soap bubbles at visitors. "We have created a fun, vibrant and innovative concept to capture the family and kids segment and drive repeat visits, while also reflecting the VivoCity brand," Lau said.
The deal will allow Bravo to create branded products, to be sold at its merchandise shop.
"If we want to bring the brand to life, we should do so with branded content, which is what Bravo is about," Lau said, adding that the initial product range would likely include towels, liquid soap dispensers, toothbrushes and mobile phone straps.
Future merchandise initiatives include developing online games and mobile communications around the ViVoPunch characters.
Lau described the merchandising strategy as a cost-effective way to bring the mall into consumers' lives.
"With the traditional agency model, we have always sold off the crown jewels; given our ideas away for free. This allows me to create a new revenue model for the agency, but the idea is licensed and the agency and client have a joint interest in keeping the idea alive and effective," he said.
Bravo's bid to change the agency compensation model has seen it forge links with the likes of architects, manufacturers and copyright lawyers.
Its efforts come as BBH unveils its high-profile 'brand creation' agency, Zag, a global initiative that will involve all BBH offices. Zag aims to create new brands, which it will then licence or sell to third parties in exchange for royalties. Zag is headed by ex-Unilever global brand director Neil Munn, who will work alongside BBH co-founder Nigel Bogle.
Additional reporting by Arun Sudhaman
See p19
