By Sheila Mckenzie-
The Spice Girls have launched a new merchandise as part of a fresh deal with Universal Music Group’s (UMG) Bravado division, 25 years after they tool the pop scene by storm.
The multi-year team-up will see Bravado handle their brand, merchandising, direct-to-consumer products and campaigns, including its touring, as well as retail licensing and distribution.
Spice25 is to be sold as a two-CD set inside a hardback book, as well as color-coded cassette and vinyl versions (pink for Baby Spice, Red for Posh Spice, etc.) and an exclusive remastered Apple music edition of the original record in Dolby Atmos.
A range of “Spice Girls 25” merchandise, including T-shirts, hoodies and mugs is currently on sale at the band’s official web store.
It is the first time since the former outstanding singing group have assigned their licensing rights across all channels to a single partner.
News of the deal comes ahead of the 25th anniversary of their debut album ‘Spice’, which was released in 1996. Curated by the band, ‘Spice25’ will arrive on October 29 as a 2CD set inside an A5 hardback copy.
“We are so excited to be working with Bravado again, especially in this our 25th anniversary year and are looking forward to collaborating with the team,” Spice Girls said in a joint statement.
Richelle Parham, president of global e-commerce and business development at UMG, said: “We are thrilled to partner with the Spice Girls, to create new and exciting product lines and to expand the band’s connection directly with their loyal superfans.
“We will also engage with our global retail partners to bring their iconic brand, style and empowering message to fans and stores internationally. Bravado will work closely with UMG operations around the world on the launch of Spice 25 and beyond, to expand their legacy and cultural impact for years to come.”
Rachel Redfearn, VP A&R and brand management at Bravado, said that the group’s “impact on popular culture cannot be overestimated”, adding: “They stand for positivity, inclusion, bravery and diversity. All delivered in a bold, fun and energetic package.”
Speaking about the 25 year anniversary, Mel B – aka Scary Spice – explained: “All I ever wanted was to be accepted and to make everyone around me – gay, straight, brown, black, shy or loud like me – to feel they can celebrate who they are and to be free to be themselves.
“All I hope – 25 years on – is that message has been heard loud and clear. It’s true that in the end love IS all you need so I thank everyone who has ever bought a Spice Girls record or stood in the rain to greet us or got dressed up in pink, in a tracksuit, a ginger wig, a leopard print catsuit or put on Vic’s iconic pout!”
Millions Of Albums Sold
Spice Girls have sold 12.2 million albums in the U.S, generating 842 million on-demand streams in the U.S, with over two million on-demand audio streams a week there.
The Spice Girls’ debut album, Spice, was released in the United Kingdom on Nov. 4, 1996. It spent 15 weeks at No. 1 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart, topping the Billboard 200 the in May 2017.
The album sold over 31 million copies worldwide, according to Universal, making it the best-selling album of all time by a female group. The album’s U.S. sales stand at 7.5 million, according to MRC Data.
The all girls group was formed after auditions held by managers Bob and Chris Herbert, who wanted to create a girl group to compete with the British boy bands popular at the time.
In the early 1990s, Bob and Chris Herbert, the father-and-son duo of Heart Management, decided to create a girl group to compete with the boy bands who dominated UK pop music at the time.
Together with financier Chic Murphy, they envisioned an act comprising “five strikingly different girls”[29] who would each appeal to a different audience. In February 1994, Heart Management placed an advertisement in the trade paper The Stage asking for singers to audition for an all-female pop band at London’s Danceworks studios.[30] Approximately
“Wannabe,” the group’s lone No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, spent four weeks atop the chart in 1997. (It’s one of seven top 20-charting hits for the act.)