Marilyn Monroe seems to be making more money dead than alive. Dead celebrities are big business in today’s world of marketing campaigns and branding. Their names are still effective in selling almost anything from wine to clothing. In fact there are so many names now that Forbes releases a list of Top Earning Dead Celebrities list. Marilyn Monroe is a permanent feature of that list and is threatening to make it to the top ten.
Almost half a century has gone since her death but her photos, lingerie and other personal effects continue to sell high at auction which indicates that she is still a viable brand. Authentic Brands, that handles Bob Marley’s estate and others and Neca, an entertainment licensing company came together to pick up the rights to Marilyn’s name from Anna Strasberg, the administrator of her estate.
The rumored cost of the deal is $30 million and the new owners have big plans to exploit Marilyn’s name commercially. Marilyn Monroe’s name is estimated to have earned between $4 and $5 million last year but the potential for monetizing her name is far greater. After all she is the top female dead celebrity brand at this point. You might very soon see a whole range of products like lingerie and handbags in her name. She could even make it to the top ten in the Forbes list.
Via: ft
