ASPIRE Expands Collegiate Slate

ASPIRE, the dedicated corporate and lifestyle division of brand licensing agency, WildBrain CPLG, is expanding its collegiate brand roster with newly added representation rights for the New York-based institution, Columbia University. ASPIRE will represent the institution primarily in India, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), the U.K. and Europe in a new partnership, with the aim to grow the collegiate brand’s presence in lifestyle categories, including fashion, apparel, accessories, back-to-school, home and gifting. 

ASPIRE has also been appointed to represent the University of Cambridge across its core IP for consumer products, alongside its consortium of eight University Museums and Cambridge University Botanic Garden. ASPIRE will represent the institution in Greece, Cyprus, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Turkey, MENA, India and the U.S.

“As we continue to expand our portfolio of prestigious university brands, these latest representation partnerships enable us to further drive the growth of the collegiate trend in the consumer sector,” says Victoria Whellans, commercial director, ASPIRE. “For both Columbia University and the University of Cambridge, we’ll look to leverage the legacy of these iconic institutions to tell their stories and engage consumers through creative collaborations and products.” 

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For the core University of Cambridge IP, ASPIRE will build a consumer products range to target lifestyle categories, including fashion, apparel, accessories, homewares, paper and stationery, gifting, food and beverage, footwear, personal care, jewelry and puzzles. The first partnership for the IP has been secured with Trucarekidz, which will develop a collection for retail chain, Reliance Fashion, for a range of apparel in India, featuring the University of Cambridge brand. 

ASPIRE will also develop a licensing program for the University of Cambridge Museums and Botanic Garden, taking inspiration from more than five million works of art, artifacts and specimens from the eight university museums in the collection. ASPIRE plans to expand the brand into new lifestyle categories, including paper and stationery, puzzles and apparel. The licensing program will also aim to extend existing museum products created by the University of Cambridge into mainstream retail channels. 

ASPIRE has secured an expanded representation agreement with Yale University, which will see the agency handle rights across Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, alongside existing markets of the U.K, Europe, MENA, Israel, North America, China, India, Turkey, Australia and New Zealand. A wave of new licensees for Yale University includes Hollywood Magic SAL for apparel and accessories in Malaysia, Indonesia and additional MENA markets; Kid’Abord Sarl for a back-to-school collection in Belgium, France and Luxembourg; Sogema SAS for bags and accessories in France and Portugal and Yasin Tekstil for apparel in MENA, Turkey and Europe. The new ranges rolled out this summer.  

For the University of Southern California, ASPIRE is expanding its representation to include APAC and Greater China, alongside existing territories of Europe, MENA, South Asia, Australia and New Zealand. New partnerships for the institution include Caprice Australia for apparel and accessories in Australia and Cotton On for an apparel, accessories and homewares line in markets, including North America, the U.K. and Asia-Pacific.