Britto’s art to suit Indian market sensibilities

Talk about Romero Britto, the Brazilian-born and Miami-made iconic pop artist, and all one could think of is bold colours and vivid patterns. The artist catapulted to fame in 1988, when his art was chosen for an Absolut Vodka art campaign. Since then there has been no looking back as he has completed other corporate works including the ones for the 2016 Presidential campaign of governor Jeb Bush as well as for Bain Capital, Movado, Philip Morris, Disney, Enrico Coveri, Pepsi, BMW and Royal Caribbean Cruises. Globally represented by Shriver Art, the iconic artist has forayed into Indian brand licensing landscape and is aiming at premium yet affordable kind of market positioning, said Caroline R. Cardenas, Vice President – Licensing for Shriver Art in an interaction with License India.

How has been the licensing for Romero Britto so far?

The BRITTO licensing program has aligned Britto with 50+ major corporations and internationally recognized organizations such as Walt Disney, Coca-Cola, Mattel, Hublot and Bentley and it has been very successful. My vision has always been that art is too important not to share and licensing has helped us achieve that. Through licensing alliances, we have been able to explore various domains for Romero Britto’s art form.

What factors lead you to explore the licensing and merchandising industry of India?

India is a country full of many people and bright colors that evoke feelings of happiness. I am thrilled to share my art with such a place. Romero Britto as a brand is all about usage of vibrant, bold and colorful patterns that reflect optimistic faith of pop artist Britto in the world around him. And his kind of art form is perfect for the Indian art sensibilities. Talking about market positioning, we are aiming at premium positioning while being accessible at the same time. We are eying at positioning via key brands that are synergetic with Britto’s art.

What are the parameters for an ideal licensee for your brand?

An ideal licensee for Romero Britto has to be fueling creativity and providing inspiration. This is the key to appealing to a broad spectrum of collectors.

What will be the ideal retail points for Romero Britto merchandise – eCommerce or physical stores?

Typically, brick & mortar stores have always been our focus, but given the present scenario, so much of retail is changing with ecommerce sites. In future we may also look out for eCommerce.

How is Bradford helping you to make presence in Indian market?

They will be exposing the world of India to my artwork, along with helping us understand the demand in Indian retail eco-system and finding the right partner. And I couldn’t be more excited.