With hip-hop artists and athletes alike pioneering the wearing of licensed retro wear, manufacturers and leagues were busy filling the growing demand at this year's Super Show in Las Vegas.
Reebok is launching a line of retro American Basketball Association togs, and the jerseys from other sports on display at the show included everything from Al Oliver's 1983 powder-blue Montreal Expos jersey to Bobby Orr's rookie Boston Bruins sweater (No. 27 instead of the familiar No. 4).
"Licensed [apparel] is so hot as a fashion item right now that the more obscure the player, the better it sells," said Brian Jennings, NHL vice president of consumer product marketing. "They don't want Gretzky; they want Esa Tikkanen."
The popularity of licensed togs reflects overall consumer interest in retro designs evident in a number of consumer categories, from toasters to Chrysler's PT Cruiser.
"In the face of a war, everyone's looking back to what they feel were simpler times," said Mark Holtzman, NFL senior vice president of consumer products, who expects to double sales of retro product this year. "If we're going to keep it going as a business, we have to remember that it's not strictly retro; it's fashion retro, so we have to keep the looks fresh."
The retro apparel trend was even spilling over to other categories. Bobbleheads, the star of last year's licensed section, were sporting popular retro looks, while licensees such as Winning Streak, of Olathe, Kan., were offering heavy wool pennants for NFL and MLB teams, with price points in excess of $30.
With far fewer licensees than the last licensing boom, killing a trend by overlicensing won't be as easy. Still, the eternal question with any licensing fad was already on the minds of many at Super Show: How long will the good times last?
"There's another year to go as long as people don't put the same products in every door," said John DeWaal, vice president of global marketing at New Era Cap, which has seen its retro business increase more than 500 percent over the past year.
"We all think there's an enduring [retro business] when the fashion cycle ends in a year or so," said Sal LaRocca, NBA senior vice president of global merchandising. "It's burning so brightly now as a fashion statement, it's tough to know exactly what it will settle into."
THE GAMES ARE THE STAR: Video games have worked their way up to the No. 2 source of licensing royalties at the four big leagues. In what may be a trend at other property organizations, video games are already the No. 1 source of revenue for Collegiate Licensing Co., which represents more than 200 colleges, universities, bowl games and athletic conferences.
"In a lot of cases, they are the first way young consumers really interact with sports today," said CLC Chairman Bill Battle.
LICENSING LINES: Considering the renaissance of steak restaurants over the last decade, maybe we shouldn't have been surprised that two of our favorite licensed products were barbecue-related.
Fan Brands of Suwanee, Ga., was offering a selection of grilling irons that allow fans to sear the logo of their favorite NCAA team or NASCAR driver onto a hunk of grilling beef. Nearby, Dallas-based Hot Sauce Harry offered piquant condiments in packaging bearing the logos of MLB and NCAA teams.
