Top 5 Biggest Licensing Deals of 2022

I can’t believe that 2022 is coming to a close. This year has been incredibly busy and successful for brand licensing professionals across the board - from retail to sports licensing. Now is a great time to look back at the deals that were closed in 2022. I am taking some time to reflect and reminisce on my top five for the biggest licensing deals and collaborations of the year.

Estée Lauder acquired fashion house Tom Ford

Good deals never go out of style.

In what’s been called “the biggest deal of the year in the luxury sector,” the Estée Lauder Companies entered into a $2.8 billion agreement in November to acquire the Tom Ford brand. This made ELC the sole owner of the brand and all of its intellectual property. It also expanded on the existing partnership between ELC and Tom Ford, which was introduced in 2006 and covered fragrance, skincare and cosmetics.

This deal made some major headlines, ensuring that 2022 licensing news went out in style. Not only was it the most expensive deal in the luxury sector this year, but it was also the biggest deal in ELC’s own 80-year history as a company.

Macy’s and WHP Global brought Toys”R”Us to stores across America

Toys”R”Us kids, unite!

Over the summer, Macy’s announced that it would expand its partnership with WHP Global beyond the web to bring the Toys”R”Us experience to life in stores. The companies shared in July that every Macy’s store in America would soon see the whimsical toy selection hit the shelves with flagship locations in Atlanta, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York and San Francisco.

I had the pleasure of seeing Geoffrey the giraffe in the New York store at the grand opening back in October. Walking the aisles alongside brands like Barbie and LEGO really ramped up the nostalgia just in time for the holiday season.

Fanatics acquired Topps’ trading cards and collectibles

There have been so many big changes on the roster of the sports world this year.

The global sports retail giant Fanatics started the year off strong in January with the announcement of an approximately $500 million acquisition of Topps, expanding into sports cards and memorabilia. Fanatics had previously scored a deal with Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association for the exclusive licenses to produce baseball cards, which effectively ended Topps' ability to produce them.

Topps had been one of the sports world’s most renowned brands for nearly 60 years and now has merged with another giant in the industry.

Saks Off 5th partnered with Rent the Runway

Who says luxury fashion has to break the bank?

In another win for retail this year, Saks Off 5th partnered with Rent the Runway to offer a curated collection of pre-owned Rent the Runway items online at SaksOff5th.com. The collaboration boasted hundreds of styles from over 60 designer brands at discounted prices.

I love to see luxury meeting affordability with deals like these. Saks Off 5th was already a go-to destination for off-price luxury goods, so adding this pre-owned section to their website with Rent the Runway makes high fashion even more accessible. This was a super consumer-friendly move on the part of both of these companies.

Barbie and Balmain took the fashion and NFT world by storm

This is a perfect example of the trend we’re seeing toward 90s and 2000s nostalgia.

In January, Balmain announced a limited edition collection with Barbie that featured classic pink ensembles and accessories that could have easily been sported by the blond-haired doll in her heyday.

However, it didn’t stop there. Before the collection launched, Balmain hosted an NFT auction for the purchase of three Barbie avatars and the real one-of-a-kind model created by the design studio FORGET ME NOT GMBH. The avatars wore the Balmain x Barbie collection of course. This collection speaks to the ongoing trend we’re seeing across industries where consumers are consumed by nostalgia. The brands also brilliantly incorporated another hot item into their collaboration - the ever-trendy NFTs.

And there you have it! That’s my round-up of the top licensing deals of 2022. I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Are there any deals you would add to this list?