Licensing Japan 2015 was held for three days in early July, with over 1,500 companies showcasing their wares. As many as 50,000 people attended the show, which is Asia’s most influential licensing fair.
Popular Taiwanese character brands UpUp and Cherng were there in force, alongside other well-known characters like Song Song Meow and OBtuz, all attracting no small amount of attention from potential Japanese licensees.
Fairs like Licensing Japan and the Las-Vegas-based Licensing Expo are fantastic opportunities for Taiwanese creations, as well as being great chances for their creators to learn from creative companies abroad and plan for their own future development.
Fresh Taiwan takes on Tokyo
Although these international shows can benefit creators greatly, the expenses involved can be more than some smaller operations can bear alone. It was for this reason that the Ministry of Culture created the Fresh Taiwan team in 2012, bringing together outstanding Taiwanese brands in an ongoing effort to help them reach out to international markets.
Ambiente Frankfurt, held in February this year, was a particularly valuable opportunity, creating over NT$20 million in follow-on business. Taiwan’s participation in July’s Licensing Japan was headed up by eight creative brands, which were joined for the first time by two agencies—HIM International Music and Big Bird Creative.
These agencies helped bridge the gap between creators and the market, meaning creators didn’t have to rush between potential licensees themselves to talk business. This cooperation means creators not only enjoy greater opportunities, but also the ability to focus more intently on their creative work, further strengthening the industry chain. For example, HIM’s representation of Cherng has freed the creator up to create more products without having to worry about handling negotiations with possible customers.
Fresh Taiwan’s theme at this year’s Licensing Japan was “Passion,” with Taiwanese creative passion further showcased in two groups: “Your Daily Life Healing Companions” and “Green Fashion & Support Hope.” The idea behind these was to capture the Japanese market’s attention with the power of positivity, of which Haniboi’s creation UpUp is a particularly powerful representative.
Speaking your mind for you
“UpUp conveys a supportive attitude and a spirit of believing in hope. Each tiny figure represents someone who supports and encourages you. In the world of UpUp, no one is left alone,” says designer Han Lee, a firm believer that there are many wonders in the world just waiting for people to stand up and support them. “UpUp are there for you to offer encouragement and carry you towards hope.”
In May 2013 the “UpUp Generator” was launched, enabling anyone to go online and input text to create their own UpUp lineup, an image of tiny people holding up a customized message ready for social media sharing.
The generator was an instant hit, with over 300,000 unique users in its first week, including such well-known figures as Mayday lead vocalist A-Shin and mayor of Kaohsiung Chen Chu.
From a young age, UpUp creator Han Lee knew he wanted to get into creative work, but his artistic passions were also always balanced by a calm entrepreneurial collectedness. After finishing high school, he traveled to the UK to attend Central St. Martins College of Art and Design, where he majored in graphic design. In 2008, while still in the UK, he founded his own design company, Haniboi, working with a number of well-known British brands to produce a series of creative products. However, while he has since enjoyed greater success, the early days of his business were difficult.
“I decided in high school that I wanted to be an entrepreneur, but it wasn’t until starting my own company that I actually began really learning what business is about,” says Lee. Starting a business is challenging, and there is only so much that textbooks can teach you. “Every time I saw stock just stacked to the ceiling at home, I wanted to cry,” says Lee wryly.
Despite being a creative business, like any other business Haniboi had to be concerned with product quality, market demand, and cost control. Some designers, for example, demand total freedom, disregarding market demand and refusing to be restricted by “the suits.” Lee, on the other hand, believes that “freedom to do whatever can be fun, but achieving your goals while working within limitations is the real challenge.”
Well represented is half done
Haniboi was first part of the Fresh Taiwan group in 2013, attending Licensing Expo in Las Vegas. That was an eye-opening experience for Lee, showing him a new way to license his design work.
Since then, Haniboi has been signed up with Medici Creativity, an agency that has represented the company through turning UpUp into a line of physical products and getting them into bookstores, toy stores, and convenience stores.
Working through an agency can also sometimes present unexpected opportunities for collaboration. For example, in early 2015 an underwear brand noticed UpUp and wanted Haniboi to create a couple of mascot characters that were well received by the market. More recently, the makers of a Taiwanese film and a baked-goods brand have worked with the UpUp brand. As Haniboi continues its steady growth and attracts more licensees, it is lighting the way for other creative Taiwanese brands.
Creative vision
Any industry needs time and the right environment in order to grow, and while Taiwan might not have an environment for creative brands as well developed as those of Japan or the US, it is making steady progress.
As Taiwanese society continues to mature, the appreciation of design and aesthetics is growing along with it, and in the future designers can look forward to more respect.
With Licensing Japan now in the rear-view, Fresh Taiwan has turned its attention to September’s Maison & Objet Paris, and later, Interior Lifestyle China, the Bangkok International Gift Fair, and the Bangkok International Houseware Fair. Their plan is to take larger contingents and really push the international visibility of Taiwan’s creative brands.
Whether it’s design, marketing, production, or licensing, the creative industry in Taiwan is making ever greater progress toward creating a strong and robust business environment for itself.
Han Lee (center), founder of Haniboi, is a fount of creative ideas, and by coupling that with a sound head for business, he has led his company to steady growth and carved out his own spot in the market. (photo by Jimmy Lin)
A joint effort like Fresh Taiwan is not only more financially efficient, but also helps create a stronger overall aesthetic. Shown here is this year’s Fresh Taiwan booth from Licensing Japan.
This year the Fresh Taiwan team, organized by the Ministry of Culture, participated in Tokyo’s Licensing Japan fair for the first time, bringing together a group of rising stars of Taiwan’s creative and design scene to take a focused shot at the Japanese market.
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