They are the bobblehead dolls of the marketing world: Brand icons like Staples "easy" buttons that have turned into novelty items or collectibles. The buttons, born out of a Staples ad campaign and
available at its stores for $5, were handed out by Pittsburgh Steelers' coach Bill Cowher prior to his team winning the Super Bowl. Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper has been filmed with one on
his desk. About 1.5 million have been sold.
Similarly, Travelocity has sold more than 20,000 of its 8-inch gnome statues at $19.99 a pop. Last month, it added an 18-inch version for
$64.95. While its impossible to generate the return-on-investment of a gnome, having consumers actively purchase a constant reminder of its brand helps Travelocity.com separate itself from other
online travel sites.
Last year, 18.2% of all licensed items involved corporate trademarks, accounting for royalties of more than $1 billion, according to the Licensing Industry
Merchandisers' Assn.
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