ASPIRE, the dedicated Corporate & Lifestyle division of world-leading licensing agency WildBrain CPLG, has secured multi-territory rights for the British heritage brand Lyle & Scott. Under the deal, ASPIRE will represent Lyle & Scott in the UK and Eire, Europe, MENA, the US, Canada and Australia, with scope to explore additional territories, such as Asia. The partnership will focus on extending the brand into broader categories, including luggage, leather goods, watches, jewelry, fragrance, personal care, gifting, pet accessories, NFTs, gaming, experiential activations and co-branded collaborations.
Nial Conlan, Commercial Director at Lyle & Scott, said: “We’re building a great brand on strong foundations: a 21st century brand with nearly 150 years of legacy. Lyle & Scott is a British success story growing fast internationally and moving the collection forward with each season.”
Victoria Whellans, Commercial Director at ASPIRE, added: “Lyle & Scott is recognised around the world for its timeless styles, quality craftsmanship and the many sub-cultures the brand has inspired during its rich history. It’s an exciting addition in the fashion space to our growing ASPIRE roster, and we’re looking forward to collaborating closely with the team as we utilise our experience in working with heritage brands to drive innovation through creative consumer product extensions.”
Ben Gunn, Brand Director at Lyle & Scott, commented: “Our partnership with ASPIRE is a huge step forward for our brand, within product licensing but also more generally. Our customer is passionate, be that about football, golf or the clothes they wear. The ASPIRE team works with some amazing companies in the brand licensing industry and we’re hugely proud to have them as our partner.”
Lyle & Scott was founded in 1874, by William Lyle and Walter Scott, who purchased a factory in Hawick, Scotland, with the ambition of making high-quality knits and being firm believers in the importance of craftsmanship and innovation. Over the past 148 years, the company has grown to become an established menswear brand, famous for creating edited, versatile collections with a quality that can be trusted. In the mid-1950s, Lyle & Scott became a favorite brand in golf apparel.
Today, Lyle & Scott is known for providing fashion-led pieces for a confident modern consumer, including women, men and kids, while remaining true to the brand’s rich history. Based in the UK, with proud Scottish roots, the brand has successfully flown the flag as far afield as Japan and Australia, with the iconic Golden Eagle logo now very much front and centre on the world stage.
The partnership with Lyle & Scott continues the rapid growth of the ASPIRE portfolio, which includes some of the world’s most renowned corporate and lifestyle brands across fashion, luxury, FMCG, hardware, automotive, art and heritage institutions. The ASPIRE portfolio includes notable brands such as Absolut Vodka, Malibu, Harvard and Yale universities, Master Lock and SentrySafe as well as Sauber Motorsports and its Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN.