Fashion Labeled

More than words

EMI Music Publishing is partnering up with UK supermarket chain Sainsbury’s (the UK’s tenth-largest clothing retailer) to launch a new fashion range – part of the TU clothing division – that features lyrics to a number of the songs the publisher controls. The new collection will feature words from classic songs from EMI’s catalogue of more than 1.3M songs such as ‘My Girl’, ‘ABC’, ‘(Theme From) The Monkees’, ‘Wild Thing’ and ‘Dancing In The Street’.

“Classic songs are part of the fabric of everybody’s lives, and we’re delighted that people will now be able to wear their favourite songs through this deal,” stated Jonathan Channon, EMI Music Publishing’s EVP of Media & Business Development.

So What?: Supermarkets have always been the champions of chart music, with little-to-no shelf space for the vast swathes of back catalogue sitting gathering dust. Thankfully there are other ways to leverage sales from music’s deep history. With the rise in acceptance in slogan T-shirts, brought about by the House Of Holland last year, and increased consumer uptake of soft-branded clothing (cartoon characters, Mr. Men etc.) among adults, the time sees ripe for lyric-based apparel. The high-street is a good play, but maybe partnering with an upcoming designer to let the concept filter down naturally may have been a good addition.

“It’s great that companies are finally understanding the value of song lyrics. Consumers have always connected strongly with music, and lyrics are an underestimated marketing tool. It’s also important for Publishers to know that they have so much more wealth in their catalogues than just the songs as a whole.”
Rebecca Hughes, Senior Manager of Licensing, eMusic

“I’ve always believed the worlds of music and fashion are connected. With both industries looking for ways to create continued consumer interest, this is a novelty that will create positive buzz.”
Kimmie Smith, Editor in Chief, Kitten Lounge

www.emigroup.com