From Cartoons to Car Brands – Vegas and My Licensing Wake-Up Call

By the time I reached my fourth year in licensing, I thought I had a pretty good handle on the industry. I had worked with major entertainment brands - Looney Tunes, Scooby-Doo, The Simpsons. But everything changed in 2013, when I walked into my first Licensing Expo in Las Vegas.

In this episode of Born to License, I take you back to that game-changing moment. I had only seen a small piece of the licensing puzzle - until I found myself surrounded by brands I never imagined were part of this world. From fashion and luxury to food, beverages, and even museums, that week in Vegas opened my eyes to just how massive and diverse the licensing industry really is.

We’ll cover:

• The wide world of licensing - beyond characters and entertainment

• Why Licensing Expo is the heartbeat of the industry

• How unexpected brands (like Reese’s, Lamborghini, and the Smithsonian) use licensing to expand their reach

• What I learned about brand storytelling, equity, and global opportunity

If you’ve ever thought licensing was just about cartoons and blockbuster movies - this episode will change your mind.

And if you have a burning question about licensing, I want to hear from you! Episode 10 will be a special Q&A where I answer listener questions—so send yours to hello@borntolicense.com, and I’ll do my best to include it in the show.

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Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome Back – Opening Up the Licensing World
• 2:30 First Time in Vegas – My Introduction to Licensing Expo
• 4:04 From Characters to Corporates – The World Beyond Entertainment
• 4:58 Popcorn, Peanut Butter, and Brand Extensions
• 5:48 The Smithsonian Moment – Licensing History and Culture
• 7:02 What I Learned – Four Big Takeaways
• 9:14 Next Episode Preview – Behind the Scenes as a Licensor

Transcript

Hi, I'm David Born, and welcome back to Born to License. This season we're exploring the world of licensing through stories and insights from nearly two decades in the industry. So far, we've covered what licensing is, how deals are structured and what goes into negotiation. But today, we're taking a step back to look at the bigger picture, the sheer scale of licensing. Because here's the thing, if you think licensing is just about characters from movies and TV shows, you're in for a surprise. I learned that Lesson firsthand in 2013, when I stepped into my very first licensing expo in Las Vegas. Up until that point, my world was entertainment licensing, helping bring cartoon characters to life on products. But walking into the convention center, I quickly realised I had only been seeing one piece of the puzzle. Licensing is not just about characters. 

 It's about fashion brands, corporate trademarks, sports leagues, celebrities, video games, music, artists, even museums and food brands. If a brand has recognition and value, it can be licensed. And at Licensing Expo, I saw firsthand just how many industries were thriving in this space. In this episode, I'll take you back to that eye opening moment. My first trip to Licensing Expo, my first visit to the US and the moment I realized that licensing was far from far bigger than I had ever imagined. So let's head to Vegas. It's 2013 and I've just stepped off the plane at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas. My very first licensing expo. I'd been to trade shows before, but I knew this one was going to be different. 

 This was the event in the licensing industry, the place where deals were made, trends were set, and the biggest players in the business came together. As I walked through the airport, I was immediately hit with sensory overload, that is Vegas. Slot machines were lined up right there at the terminal, flashing their neon lights at wary travelers. Massive billboards promoted everything from Cirque du Soleil shows to celebrity residencies. There was something surreal about it, like I'd just stepped into a movie set. I was there representing Warner Bros. Having recently moved into the role. Up until this point, my experience in licensing had been almost entirely focused on entertainment properties, cartoon characters, movie franchises and animated IPs. I had worked on deals for the Simpsons, Looney Tunes and Scooby Doo. And in my mind, that was where licensing was. But that perception was about to change. 

 I arrived at Mandalay Bay Convention center, where the expo was taking place. And even from outside, I could feel the energy inside. The space was buzzing. Aisles and aisles of massive elaborate booths, each one bigger and flashier. Than the next. Some were like miniature worlds of their own, designed to transport you into the brands they represented. As I made my way through the show floor, I saw the familiar entertainment giants. Disney, Warner Bros. Universal, Nickelodeon. All showcasing their upcoming movies and TV properties. But as I kept walking, I realized I was only scratching the surface of what was actually there. I turned a corner and suddenly found myself in a completely different section. Fashion brands, luxury labels, and celebrity names. 

 Everywhere I looked, there was Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, and even brands like Jaguar and Lamborghini, offering their trademarks for everything from sunglasses to home decorations. It was my first real exposure to fashion and lifestyle licensing, and it blew my mind. And then I saw something even more unexpected. An entire area dedicated to food and beverage licensing. Nestle, Coca Cola, and even Hershey's had booths showcasing how their brands extended beyond their core products. I stopped at one booth and picked up a branded popcorn tin featuring the Reese's logo. I remember thinking, wait, Reese's makes chocolate, not popcorn? So how does this work? A rep at the booth saw me staring at the tin and walked over. That's actually a licensed product, he explained. We don't make the popcorn, but a manufacturer licenses the Reese's brand to create this product. 

 It tastes like Reese's peanut butter cups, but it's popcorn. I was fascinated. I had never thought about licensing like this. And then I started seeing it everywhere. Beer companies licensing their names for barbecue sauces. Candy brands licensing their flavors for breakfast cereals. Even sports teams lending their logos to kitchenware. Licensing wasn't just about entertainment characters. It was about leveraging brand equity in ways I had never considered before. One moment really stuck with me. I walked past a booth that looked like a high end art or history brand. But when I looked closer, I. I realized it was a Smithsonian institution. The Smithsonian had a licensing program. I had no idea they were licensing their name and imagery from everything from educational toys to home decor, Allowing people to bring a piece of history and culture into their everyday lives. 

 I spent the rest of the day exploring, talking to people, asking questions, trying to absorb as much as I could. By the end of it, I realized that I had been thinking about licensing in a very narrow way. There was a whole world beyond cartoons and superheroes. That night, as I walked along the Vegas strip, still processing everything I'd seen, I realized something. Licensing isn't just about products. It's about storytelling. Whether a luxury brand or a food company, or perhaps a sports team or a museum, licensing is a way to extend a story into new places. New industries and new products. And from that moment on, I knew I wanted to understand all of it. So there you have it. My first experience at Licensing Expo, I've now been more than 10 times. 

 But when I first stepped into that huge convention centre, I didn't realize how green I still was when it came to licensing. I'd spent my early years working on character based deals, animated icons, beloved brands, things that felt familiar. But walking through that trade show in Las Vegas, I realized just how vast and diverse this industry really is. It was a game changing moment for me. Licensing isn't just about cartoons and blockbuster films. It's everywhere, spanning industries I'd never even considered. That realization opened my eyes to the limitless opportunity opportunities within this space. So here are some key takeaways from that episode. Number one, Licensing goes far beyond entertainment. While characters from film and TV play a massive role in licensing, they're just one piece of a much bigger puzzle. 

 From corporate brands to museums, food to fashion, licensing is woven into nearly every industry. Number two. Different types of licenses serve different purposes. Whether it's sports licensing, celebrity endorsements, fashion collaborations or museum collections, every type of license has its own strategy. Some rely on nostalgia, some on prestige, and others on cultural significance to connect with consumers. Number three, brand extension is a powerful tool. Licensing allows brands to reach new audiences, diversify their revenue and strengthen their identity. It's why brands like the Smithsonian or National Geographic can move into consumer products. And why luxury fashion houses collaborate with everything from car companies to home decor brands. And finally, number four, licensing is a global industry with endless opportunities. Walking through Licensing Expo made it clear this is truly a worldwide business. What works in one market might not work in another. 

 But every category has room for growth, creativity and new partnerships. But at the heart of it all, no matter what type of license we're talking about, there's one key player making all the decisions. The licensor. In the next episode, we're diving into the world of the licensor. Who are they? What do they actually do? And more importantly, what are they looking for when choosing new licensing partners? Back when I was at Warner Bros. I got my first real taste of what it means to be a licensor. Balancing the need to protect an iconic brand while also finding ways to commercialize it and keep it fresh. 

So if you've ever wondered what goes behind the scenes at a company like Disney, Warner Bros. or Universal, the next episode will give you a real insider's look at how they think, what they prioritise, and what makes them say yes or no to a licensing deal. And as always, if you have any questions about licensing, send them my way. We'll be answering listener questions in the final episodes of this season, so if there's something you've always wanted to know about the industry, now's the time to ask. Thanks again for joining me at Born to License. Until next time, keep an eye out. You never know where licensing might turn up next. SA.