Laying Odds on Licenses
By Lisa Terry, Contributing Editor

If you like to gamble, you probably love the Halloween licensing business. Like a Kentucky Derby horse race, choosing the annual licensing winners and losers is a high-stakes gamble. There are sure bets, long-odds contenders and come-from-nowhere late entries that completely alter the field.

Howard Beige, executive vice president at Rubie’s Costume Co., is a veteran of this risky business. “When we look at a new movie, we ask, ‘is there a costume there? What is the target age group? Are there known actors? Do we think it will do well overall?’” says Beige.

For 2005 Beige is betting on Batman Begins, which promises to build on the already popular Batman license and new television series. Other Rubie’s licenses will include Star Wars Episode Three — Revenge of the Sith, and the fourth Harry Potter movie, Goblet of Fire. A completely new property for Rubie’s is Warner Bros.’ Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, starring Johnny Depp.

Other movies with Halloween possibilities are Son of the Mask, (Disguise, Inc.); Legend of Zorro, (Disguise, Inc.); Corpse Bride, a Tim Burton Film (Rubie’s); Fantastic Four (Disguise, Inc.) and Kingdom of Heaven, with Orlando Bloom and Liam Neeson (Museum Replicas Ltd).
Retro is a strong trend in many consumer categories including costume and Halloween licensing. Properties popular when today’s new parents were kids are enjoying a strong resurgence. Some examples:

* Paper Magic Group is expanding its selection of Hello Kitty and My Little Pony costumes.
* Rasta Imposta maintains its boomer appeal with licenses for Tootsie Roll, Sugar Daddy and Speed Racer.
* Disguise will have costumes based on the costumed New Wave 1980s rock band DEVO.
* Franco American Novelty Co. LLC has signed on as a costume and mask licensee for King Kong, another property empowered by nostalgia.

Also new in children’s licenses are Winx, Koala Brothers, LazyTown, and Baby Einstein for Disguise and Trollz and Miss Spider for Rubie’s. Disguise also holds the license for American Idol costumes.