Marley for sale ……
Bob Marley drinks, luggage, stationery, hotels and video games could soon appear after the late reggae star’s family struck a merchandise deal.
“We’re open to licensing just about anything,” said the late reggae icon’s daughter Cedella. But she added: “If it is not right, we will not do it.”
The family has teamed up with private equity firm Hilco to capitalise on his name and songs and to stop bootleggers.
A Bob Marley lager and coffee will be among the first items on the market.
Headphones, snowboards, shoes, musical instruments and electronics are on a list of other products that will be developed in a major expansion of Marley’s official merchandise range.
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Another plan is to open a global chain of One Love cafes where people can “come, eat good Jamaican food, talk about the music, listen to the music, live bands”.
“That’s something that we’ve always wanted to explore,” Ms Marley told BBC News. “We’re talking [about] all over the world – one in London, one in Asia, one in Amsterdam.”
There is already a Bob Marley Resort & Spa in the Bahamas, which could be the springboard for a string of Marley hotels.
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The family say they hope to avoid over-commercialising the image and music of Marley, an artist with one of the most cherished and enduring legacies in music.
But they want to feed the demand that has spawned a counterfeit merchandise industry worth an estimated $600m (£415m), and keep control of the star’s persona.
“This is a big business for bootleggers,” said Ms Marley. “We want to stop some of the nonsense, and make sure the great stuff upholds our standards. We’re in control.”
Asked whether the family had effectively sold a slice of Marley to the private equity firm, his daughter insisted Hilco had become the family’s partners to develop and manage the merchandise.
“Nothing has been sold”, she said.
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/entertainment/7882169.stm
bob marley laarger? while I appreciate his family’s concern with the bootlegging of the brand, I think they should not join the commercial bandwaggon willy nilly.
Why? because people who love bob marley and what he stands for know that alot stuff in the market bearing his name is sold by racketeers. If the family reduces itself to promoting beer for example they may kill the goose that lays the golden eggs:
They must find the wisdom of balancing commerce & the idealism, the disdain of money for its sake that we know Bob stood for.
I am a realist and do not begrudge the family gaining from their fathers/husband’s name.Especially by larger outfits. They would be better of being seen as conducting a sustained campaign educating people to shun rubbish sold in bobs name.
That is the sustainable mystique in the BUSINESS OF MARLEY INCORPORATED.
This will of course not stop the bootlegging but it will sustain bobs moral authority.
They should just ignore micro businesses in Africa, the caribbean and other “third world” countries selling via bobs name all over the world-I am quite sure tuff gong would not mind!
People love bob because he was not just another fake guy singing freedom of Africans. This is why his music & merchandise associated still sells on and on….
Otherwise those sharks the family is dealing them will simply “downsize, cutback for efficiency & profits”. This is the philosophy & lingo that has plunged the world into the worsening recession/depression….my humble take.
lager???
VIDEO GAMES???
Cedella? What’s goin on here?
You want bob’s name to live on, for real I get it – you wanna stop all this crap bootlegged stuff I get it
Hotels? Come on!!!!
What you think bob would say about this?
Hey even if he’d agree to it, man surely it would only be as long as his message was getting across!! Throwing photos of his face and name isn’t what he stood for!! Unfortunaetly I never got to meet Bob personally, but from knowing of him, the knowledge I and I get from hearing his message I can guess!
How is his message coming through a lager with his face on the can!!?!?
Come on! Open a peace movement in his name…..don’t disgrace his name….you wanna stop bootleggers making money as I said – fine…you think the moeny should go to your family… fine
I just hope that these hotels, lagers, and every other symbol of Babylon you’re about to throw Bob’s name onto – I really hope EVERY DOLLAR earned is then thrown back into the constant struggle of conquering babylon whether it be by peace movements, other charitiable causes, or simply spreading the love of JAH
I’nI are EXPECTING your family to do the right thing Cedella….. Jah RASTAFARI
Gimarwi ya gimarwi, negus negeste, madhane alam, SELASSIE-I
Peace
One Love
I.S.W.Y