Krusty the Clown Might be on to Something

By: Anna Bielejec

In the world of licensing, The Simpsons- related licensed merchandise has generated lots of money. Lots and lots of money. While expressing his desire to keep the commercial licensing context fresh, The Simpsons’ creator Matt Groening told USAToday, “The Simpsons have an advantage over rival shows when it comes to putting the characters into a commercial context.” Expanding on that note, Groening explained that because “most of the show’s residents in Springfield are eager to get rich quick, the real-world merchandising can become part of the gag.” What a cool thought!

Take Krusty the Clown, for example, and the brilliant way The Simpsons website displays Krusty the Clown’s entrepreneurial drive. Born one Herschel Krustofski, Krusty the Clown has raked in the green from the fact that he, as what Groening described, “shamelessly merchandises any product, no matter how shoddy.” On the show, Krusty the Clown’s licensing of the Krusty brand ranges from the “Krustyburger Meat-Flavored Sandwich” and “Krusty’s Non-Toxic Kalogne (For the smell of the Big Top),” to the tasty “Krusty Brand Pork Squeezin’s.” Adding to his portfolio, and wallet, Krusty the Clown also licensed the Krusty brand for “Krustylu Studios,” the “Krustyland Amusement Park,” as well as “Kamp Krusty.” Although his frequent endorsement of “I heartily endorse this event or product,” screams of shamelessness, Krusty the Clown’s modus operandi is broadly on point: carefully executed, brand licensing can generate a laundry list of benefits.

By leveraging a company’s brand name, logo, mark or licensable asset, licensing agreements grant a manufacturer the right to develop, market and sell approved products to approved retailers in return for payment (typically a royalty and guarantee based on wholesale sales as specified in the agreement). According to the Manhattan-based brand licensing agency Perpetual Licensing, brand owners in the real-world can, like Krusty the Clown, license their brand to attract new consumers, build enjoyment of the brand, reinforce the brand’s message, enhance the brand image while growing the value of the brand, protect the brand’s intellectual property rights, and generate revenue from both increased sales of the licensor’s original product as well as royalties from the sale of the licensed product. Even better, the brand licensing agreement can be a win-win situation. By gaining the opportunity to attract new customers, open previously unexplored retail avenues, increase sales through wider assortment of products, and generate revenue from the sale of the licensed product, manufacturers (or “licensees”) can also reap the benefits.

The benefits of licensing one’s brand and the supposed financial success of Krusty the Clown, however, do not negate the presence of potential licensing risks. These risks, and the likely dilution of the Krusty brand caused by Krusty the Clown’s greedy, albeit apathetic, licensing approach is a whole other issue… to be aired on a whole other episode.