Sainsbury's Tu Gets Musical with EMI Lyrics

EMI Music Publishing and U.K. retailer Sainsbury’s Tu Clothing division signed a deal to feature song lyrics on a fashion range.

The new collection, including products for men, women and children, will feature words from EMI’s catalogue of more than 1.3 million songs, such as “My Girl,” “ABC,”the theme from The Monkees, “Wild Thing” and “Dancing In The Street.”

The expansion of its Tu Clothing range has turned Sainsbury into the U.K.’s 10th-largest clothing retailer by volume, with year-on-year growth of 40 percent in 2007. The range is now carried in 281 of the retailer’s 545 stores across.

The agreement marks the latest in a series of initiatives from EMI Music Publishing’s Lyric brand, with art posters, greeting cards and board games launched in recent years.

The deal was brokered by 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.

Carolan, says: “This partnership represents a massive opportunity in terms of increasing footfall and sales, and we’re looking forward to working with EMI Music Publishing to ensure that Sainsbury’s customers get to ‘try something new today’ for many years to come.”

Corporate Creative licensing head of licensing Michael Gottlieb, says: “I am thrilled to have helped bring together a leading British retailer with a leading British music publisher. Sainsbury’s customers will be able to wear inspirational clothing featuring some of the most famous words ever written.”

Corporate Creative Licensing has been signed to represent lyrics for Universal, EMI and Chrysalis Music. Negotiations with other music catalogues are under way. As a result, CCL has resigned representation of Sony/ATV.