Multiple brands are pursuing collaboration opportunities tied to A Court of Thorns and Roses, the fantasy book franchise turned film property, according to Modern Retail. Since 2015, ACOTAR has sold more than 75 million copies, establishing the audience scale that makes IP licensing attractive for physical-product marketers.
Brands are following the pattern established by Barbie in 2023 and Wicked in 2024, where licensed collaborations moved product at retail before and during theatrical releases. The mechanism is co-marketing: a brand secures rights to use franchise artwork, characters, or themes on packaging or product design, then splits media cost with the IP holder's promotional calendar. The brand buys credibility and attention in a proven fandom; the franchise extends reach into new retail categories.
This works because the IP holder has already built the audience. ACOTAR readers skew female, 18-34, with documented purchasing behavior in apparel, home goods, and beauty. A candle maker or cosmetics line does not need to teach the brand story from zero — the franchise has spent a decade conditioning the customer to associate specific imagery, color palettes, and character archetypes with emotional payoff. The brand borrows that conditioning, then converts it at the shelf or cart.
The timing matters. Brands are locking deals now, ahead of the ACOTAR screen adaptation, because Barbie and Wicked proved that franchise collaborations generate the highest retail velocity in the 90-day window around a theatrical release. A small brand that waits until the film is announced will compete with larger licensees who have already secured category exclusivity.
The steal for a physical-product brand with modest budget: identify an IP franchise in pre-production with a documented print or digital audience, then approach the IP holder's licensing agent with a narrow category play. You are not licensing the entire franchise; you are licensing a single character, a visual motif, or a thematic element for one product line. The cost is typically a small advance against a 5-12% royalty on wholesale, depending on category and exclusivity.
Start by confirming the audience matches your customer file. Pull Amazon reviews, Goodreads ratings, Reddit threads, and social listening data to verify demographics and purchasing behavior. Then build a one-page proposal: your product, the specific IP element you want to use, your distribution channel, and your projected unit volume in year one. Send it to the IP holder's licensing contact, listed on their corporate site or IMDB Pro.
Negotiate a test term of 6-12 months with a renewal option tied to hitting a unit threshold. This keeps your advance low and lets you prove the collaboration before committing to a multi-year deal. Launch the collaboration 60-90 days before the film release, not after. Co-promote on your owned channels and tag the franchise's official accounts to trigger their audience.
The broader pattern: franchise IP licensing is moving downstream. Where it once required six-figure advances and national retail distribution, smaller brands can now enter with targeted plays and direct-to-consumer fulfillment. The window is the 12-18 months before a major screen adaptation, when licensing agents are still building the partner roster and exclusivity has not yet locked.
Secure IP licensing before screen adaptations announce, targeting 6-12 month test terms with narrow category rights to keep advances low.
Editorial & Disclosure Notice: This article was written with artificial intelligence from public sources and is published without individual human review. Artificial intelligence and other digital tools are also used for research, analysis, editing, formatting, and production. Errors, omissions, outdated information, or inaccuracies may occur. References to companies, brands, products, services, organizations, or individuals are for informational and editorial purposes and do not imply endorsement, sponsorship, affiliation, partnership, or approval unless expressly stated. All trademarks and other intellectual property remain the property of their respective owners. Opinions, analysis, estimates, and commentary are informational only and should not be construed as financial, investment, legal, tax, medical, procurement, or other professional advice. Information may be corrected, clarified, or updated after publication. Corrections or removal requests: jenny@pops4.com.
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