Licensing Italia ha intervistato Craig Bendle (Manager of Product Licensing, The British Museum) per analizzare le attività di licensing di una delle istituzioni culturali più importanti al mondo. 

When did the British Museum launch its brand licensing program?

C.B.: We first launched our licensing programme in 2015 and it has evolved and grown quite organically. Now, unbelievably nearly a decade on, we’re preparing for our Brand Licensing Europe debut! It’s a real milestone moment for the business and indeed the team are really excited to see how we can use the show as a platform to raise awareness of the Museum, our incredible archive and our dual licensing strategy. This consists of our established ‘traditional’ licensing programme and our exciting new character IP, Bastet, which is based on the world-famous bronze Gayer-Anderson Cat from the Ancient Egyptian collection.

A collection of 1,200 objects is quite extensive. What criteria do you use to select these objects for licensing and how do you develop the strategy and the design? 

C.B.: You’re right – there’s a lot to choose from, and we whittled that number down from the Museum’s over 8 million objects! Our current focus is working with partners to develop narratives around the most well-known items in our collection, including the Gayer-Anderson Cat, alongside other famous objects, including The Discobolus, Hokusai’s Great Wave, and the Rosetta Stone, to name just a few.

As for criteria, of course it comes down to recognisability, but also its about the stories we can tell and it’s about what inspires us, our licensing partners and our visitors. We have the daily privilege of being able to explore the galleries and exhibitions at the Museum, which is always one of my favourite ways to get inspired and identify new objects we can use in our programme. But the key, as always, is listening… being open to what excites and interests people. That lies at the heart of everything we do.

As for design, we work alongside external design agencies to explore creative interpretations of objects in a way that is highly commercial and celebrating of objects in new and innovative ways. This investment in ongoing creative design work helps to inform our conversations with potential and existing partners.

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