EMI Helps Usher in T-Shirt Karaoke Fad

Music Publisher Licenses Lyrics to Sainsbury's for Clothing Line

Originally posted by Mike Tunnicliffe in Ad Age 'Songs For Soap' on 10.08.08 @ 01:43 PM

EMI Music Publishing and UK retailer Sainsbury's are collaborating to feature the lyrics to some of the greatest songs ever written on a brand new fashion range. The new collection from the Tu clothing division, which includes products for men, women and children, will feature words from EMI's catalog of more than 1.3 million songs such as "My Girl," "ABC," "(Theme From) The Monkees," "Wild Thing" and "Dancing In The Street."; The Tu range is now carried in 281 of the retail giant's 545 stores across the country.

The agreement marks the latest in a series of initiatives under EMI Music Publishing's Lyric brand, which helped create art posters, greeting cards and board games in the last few years. The deal was brokered by cutting-edge licensing agency Corporate Creative Licensing in conjunction with EMI Music Publishing's Head of Media Licensing Steve Hills and Tu Childrenswear Buying Manager John Carolan. Michael Gottlieb, corporate creative head of licensing, said, "I am thrilled to have helped bring together a leading British retailer with the leading British music publisher. The EMI catalogue contains the world's greatest lyrics, and now Sainsbury's customers will be able to wear inspirational clothing featuring some of the most famous words ever written."

As artists look to replace dwindling revenue streams from recorded music, we are going to see more of these types of innovative and creative deals that take the "brand equity" of the artist and their songs and extend that into new forms of licensing, collaborations with brands and businesses. This particular deal by EMI is such a "no brainer" that I'm surprised it's not being done by every music publisher. Lyric Culture, in West Hollywood, has a similar business plan, but their t-shirts are high-priced, boutique items, not mainstream-consumer-friendly and not widely available at a nationwide retail chain. But that's the great thing about "no brainers" like EMI's deal with Sainsbury's. They only become that way when someone makes them actually happen!

[Press release]