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IP Licensing + Co-Promotions

Licensing + Co-Promotions That Turn Culture Into Something People Can Buy.

HB builds licensing and promotional partnerships that connect brands with film, television, streaming, talent and IP through retail, media, content, sweepstakes, events, products and co-branded experiences.

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24 HoursPilot x Mean Girls Amazon sell-out
Since 2007Building brand partnerships

Reviewed by Stacy Jones, Founder + CEO · Updated October 2026

Licensing · Hollywood Branded

We Build Licensing Into A Marketing Engine.

Two sides of every license, one team building it.

For IP owners + licensors I own IP Sign licensees and brand partners, market your property, and get every licensee selling together. Licensor programs → For brands + licensees I want to license IP Find the right property, secure the rights, and launch a product people actually buy. Brand licensing ↓
Quick answer

IP licensing gives a brand the right to put a film, series, character or artist on its own products, from capsule collections to packaging and merch, usually in exchange for royalties. A co-promotion is a promotional partnership where a brand uses its own media, retail and packaging to promote a release in exchange for using the property in its marketing. Below is how Hollywood Branded builds both, followed by our complete library of 104 articles and 11 podcast episodes on the topic.

Updated October 2026 · By Stacy Jones, Hollywood Branded
What We BuildThree LanesHow It WorksProofWhat Licensing And Co-Promotions AreLicensing Partnerships That WorkedCo-Promotions And Promo CampaignsCollabs, Capsules And MerchFrom The PodcastFAQ
What We Build

Not Just A Logo. A Partnership Consumers Can Interact With.

Licensing is not a logo on a product. It is a commercial agreement that connects story, consumer demand, rights and distribution. HB sources, structures, negotiates and executes licensing and promotional relationships across celebrities, film, television, streaming, sports, gaming and music.

Licensed ProductsMerchandise, limited editions, capsules, retail drops and co-branded goods built around characters, titles, talent or IP.
Co-PromotionsCampaigns that use the brand's media, retail footprint, packaging and digital channels to promote the property.
Content RightsPermission to use approved entertainment content in brand advertising, presentations, events or campaigns.
Sweepstakes + EventsPremieres, festivals, gifting, sweepstakes, experiential programs and creator extensions that bring the partnership off screen.
Custom CreativeBrand-owned content, behind-the-scenes access and promotional creative that extend the life of the association.
Placement When It FitsOn-screen integration can strengthen a larger promotion, but the campaign does not require forced placement to work.
Three Lanes, Different Economics

The Structure Matters.

01Product LicensingUse marks, characters or a property to create a product line for an existing fan base. Typically built on a royalty and guaranteed minimum tied to property, territory, category and expected sales.
02Content RightsSecure permission to use approved entertainment content in advertising, presentations, events or campaigns. Often a separate license fee.
03Co-PromotionA release-window marketing partnership when the goal is consumer engagement, not a new licensed SKU. Built around media, retail and release support.
Hollywood Branded licensing partnership example

Built To Become More

A well-built licensing program can open a retail door, create a campaign narrative, establish an ongoing revenue line and give consumers a real way to participate in an entertainment or talent relationship.

  • Why properties say yes. Brands bring retail shelves, packaging, consumer databases, social audiences, paid media, events and creator networks. Structured correctly, the brand becomes another marketing engine for the property.
  • Why brands say yes. Entertainment breaks through advertising clutter, gives the campaign more to talk about and turns cultural relevance into purchase behavior at retail.
How HB Builds It

Four Decisions Before The Partnership Goes Live.

1. ObjectiveWhat should this change: awareness, sales, retail traffic, launch timing, audience growth or perception?
2. AssetsWhat each side brings: media, retail, packaging, talent, content, events, rights, product and audience.
3. StructureThe commercial and rights framework: approvals, timing, exclusivity, royalties, guarantees, territory and term.
4. ExecuteCoordinating both sides through approvals, production, launch, campaign delivery, reporting and next steps.
01PlaybookDefine the product, audience, category, commercial framework and partner criteria before outreach.
02RadarTrack the films, series, talent, properties and release windows worth pursuing.
03Unlock AccessSource and negotiate with licensors, studios, talent representatives and retail partners.
04ProduceManage approvals, product development, production, launch and campaign delivery.
05AmplifyExtend the partnership through media, PR, retail, creators and paid reach once it exists.
06GrowMeasure sell-through and results, then build the next drop or renewal.
Proof

When Culture Becomes Something People Buy

Pilot Pen × Mean Girls

Product Placement Became Licensing, Content And Retail

Placement, licensing, co-branded product, commercial creative and influencer amplification worked together instead of living in separate marketing silos. A cultural moment built to convert.

Pilot Pen x Mean Girls co-branded product
24 HoursSold out on Amazon
St. Dalfour × Emily In Paris

An IP licensing partnership with Emily in Paris, extended through packaging, gifting, watch parties, chef-led tastings and recipe-driven creator content across markets.

Licensed IP · Packaging · Multi-market activation
PEAK × F1: The Movie

Entertainment strategy across film, motorsports and PR, including a Daytona activation designed to make the brand part of the larger F1 conversation.

516M+ impressions · ~$9M Daytona PR value
Expensify × F1: The Movie

HB secured Expensify as a title-level brand partner, creating an integration that lived inside the film and expanded far beyond the screen.

17.7M trades on trailer day
See The Case StudiesTalk Through Your Idea
01

What Licensing And Co-Promotions Are

How IP licensing, co-branding and promotional partnerships work, what each side gets, and how brands build a licensing strategy that scales.

2024The Art of Licensing and Brand Partnerships: From Bridgerton to Queen Charlotte→2025The Billion Dollar Power Play: Mastering Licensing Partnerships→2020Licensed Product Lines From Film & TV→2025The Licensing Strategy Smart Brands Are Using to Scale→2023Hitching a Ride on the Hype: The Benefits of Co-Branding with Movies→
More on What Licensing And Co-Promotions Are (14 articles)
02

Licensing Partnerships That Worked

Characters, franchises, bands and series that became product lines, and the licensing moves that kept them selling for decades.

2024How The Grateful Dead Live On Through Licensing Partnerships→2025How Sanrio Is Cultivating Irresistible Partnerships→2024Pop Culture Powerhouses: Iconic Brands Gear Up for Anniversaries→2019Case Study: Dove Soap & Steven Universe→2025How Labubu Sparked Pop Mart’s Global Boom and Reinvented the Collector Craze→
More on Licensing Partnerships That Worked (9 articles)
03

Co-Promotions And Promo Campaigns

How brands use their own media, retail and packaging to promote a film or series release, and the campaigns that show how it is done.

2024Wicked: The Marketing Event of the Year→2018Top Brand Partnerships With Ralph Breaks The Internet→2019Top Brand Partnerships With Avengers: Endgame→2020The Power Of Brand Partnerships: A Stranger Things Case Study→2026Supergirl Stumbled. Its Brand Partners Didn't. Here's Why.→
More on Co-Promotions And Promo Campaigns (46 articles)
04

Collabs, Capsules And Merch

Capsule collections, limited editions, sneaker and fashion collabs, food drops and tour merch built on pop culture.

2019Ralph Lauren and Friends Collaboration→2023Streaming and Shopping: The Best Branded Capsule Collections to Add to Your Collection→2025Sweet Collabs: How Crumbl Cookies Became The Dessert Of Pop Culture→2024The Power of Seasonal Branded Products: How Limited Edition Items Drive Urgency, FOMO, and Engagement→20197 Fast Fashion Partnerships With Pop Culture→
More on Collabs, Capsules And Merch (15 articles)
05

From The Podcast

Episodes of Marketing Mistakes (+ How To Avoid Them), hosted by Stacy Jones, on licensing, promotional partnerships and entertainment marketing.

EP 100Creating Licensed Brands From TV Shows And Movies→EP 37Strategic (& Free!) Promotional Partnerships For Your Brand→EP 379Glamour Unveiled: Stacy Jones Explores the Pinnacle of Luxury-Entertainment Partnerships→EP 53Luxury Brands And Entertainment Marketing→EP 231Why Brands Need Long Term Entertainment Marketing Plans For Success→
More on From The Podcast (6 episodes)
Free resources

Go Deeper

FAQ

What People Need To Know First

Can HB help us license content for advertising?
Yes. HB can source and negotiate appropriate contractual permissions for content use in media, corporate presentations and event settings.
Does a celebrity need a separate endorsement agreement?
Often, yes. A celebrity's name, likeness, participation and content obligations may require terms beyond the underlying licensing relationship.
Can a brand bring an idea before a property is selected?
Yes. A Playbook is designed to define the product, audience, category, commercial framework and partner criteria before outreach.
Do productions and IP owners work with HB too?
Yes. Brands, productions and IP owners can each enroll free in [HB]Box. If a brand hires HB, we actively source entertainment and IP opportunities. If a production or IP owner hires HB, we actively source brands.
What is IP licensing in entertainment marketing?
IP licensing gives a brand the right to use a film, series, character, game, band or artist's name, logos and imagery on its own products and packaging. The brand (the licensee) typically pays the rights holder (the licensor) a royalty on sales, often with an advance or minimum guarantee, and the licensor approves the products and creative.
What is a co-promotion?
A co-promotion, also called a promotional partnership, is when a brand uses its own advertising, social channels, retail displays and packaging to promote a film or series release. In return the brand gets to use the property's characters, footage or key art in its marketing, timed to the release.
How are licensing, co-promotions and product placement different?
Product placement puts a brand inside the content. IP licensing puts the content on the brand's products. A co-promotion puts the release in the brand's marketing. Many campaigns combine them, for example a placement in the film backed by a promotional campaign and a licensed capsule collection.
What does each side get from a co-promotion?
The studio or network gets marketing reach it does not pay for directly, through the brand's media, stores and packaging. The brand gets the attention and emotional pull of the release. The best deals are built for Mutual Benefit, with clear terms on assets, approvals, timing and categories.
What kinds of products come out of entertainment licensing?
Apparel and capsule collections, footwear, beauty, food and beverage, toys and collectibles, home goods, limited-edition packaging, tour and fan merch, and experiences such as theme park lands and pop-ups.
How far ahead should a brand plan a licensing deal or movie promotion?
Major film promotions are commonly agreed many months ahead of release, often a year or more, because product development, packaging, retail sell-in and media all need lead time. Licensing deals for evergreen characters and brands can move on a different timeline. Rights, categories and exclusivity should never be assumed until contracted.
Does Hollywood Branded work on licensing and co-promotions?
Yes. Hollywood Branded structures IP licensing partnerships and promotional partnerships between brands and entertainment properties, including St. Dalfour's IP licensing partnership with Emily in Paris. The work runs through the same system as every HB campaign: Playbook → Radar → Unlock Access → Produce → Amplify → Grow.

Build The Commercial Path Before You Chase The License.

Book a Brand Connect call with Stacy Jones, or enroll your brand, production, talent, property or idea free in [HB]Box.

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Playbook → Radar → Unlock Access → Produce → Amplify → Grow
Proof Your Brand Is The Best

Licensing + co-promotions

Products people can buy.

Entertainment IP turned into products, packaging and promotions that live on shelves and in carts.