Bob Marley Estate Amplifies Global Rights Representation for the Legendary Musician and Global Icon

NEW YORK, March 6, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Hope Road Merchandising, LLC, the worldwide property rights owner for cultural icon Bob Marley, announced today that it has effected two significant changes to the brand's global representation.  Leading music merchandising company Bravado has acquired the worldwide apparel rights for Bob Marley through a strategic investment in the Marley family's apparel and accessories company, Zion Rootswear.  Additionally, Hope Road Merchandising has retained Creative Artists Agency (CAA), the world's leading entertainment and sports agency, for exclusive representation of the Marley brand.

"We continue to be inspired by my father's growing legacy and are excited to embark on new opportunities that will further his global influence and spread his message to an even broader audience," said Cedella Marley, President, Hope Road Merchandising, LLC.

Bravado will work closely with the Marley family to expand the global reach of Zion Rootswear, which will include launching Marley-inspired apparel collections and merchandise, as well as developing brands across a broad spectrum of apparel categories using the Bravado model.  The terms and conditions of the transaction were not disclosed.

"This is a transformative moment for both Bravado and Zion Rootswear," stated Tom Bennett, Chief Executive Officer of Bravado.  "This is one of the largest investments that Bravado has ever made and Bob Marley is an iconic artist who has an extraordinary potential for growth in this area. We will immediately add the necessary talent and resources to help take Zion Rootswear from being a successful t-shirt specialist to delivering compelling, high quality apparel lines to global audiences. We can't wait to get started."

Effective immediately, CAA assumes management of the existing brand portfolio of Marley licensees, while creating new global opportunities in the areas of motion pictures, television, commercial endorsements, consumer licensing, digital media, and games.  Additionally, CAA will serve as a consultant to 1Love.org, the Marley Family foundation, on its philanthropic initiatives.

"Bob Marley's influence continues to resonate among generations of fans – both old and new – and we are excited to access our global platform to create new opportunities that further build upon his legend," said Perry Wolfman of CAA.

Marley's cross-generation appeal was exhibited at the 2013 Grammy Awards when Bruno Mars, Sting, and Rihanna joined Marley's sons Ziggy and Damian to pay tribute to the reggae legend.  Marley has the second-highest social media following of any posthumous celebrity, with the official Bob Marley Facebook page having over 42 million fans, ranking it among the Top 25 of all Facebook pages and Top 10 among celebrity pages.  Forbes Magazine ranked Marley fifth on its list of top-earning deceased celebrities in 2012.

Since his passing on May 11, 1981, Marley's legend has continued to flourish.  According to Nielsen SoundScan, Marley's "Legend" compilation has sold more than 250,000 copies annually since its release in 1984.  Marley was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 and his song "One Love" was designated Song of the Millennium by the BBC.  In 1999, Time Magazine named "Exodus" the Best Album of the 20th Century. 

In 2001, Marley was bestowed The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, an honor given by the Recording Academy to "performers who, during their lifetimes, have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording."  That same year, Marley was bestowed a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame by the Hollywood Historic Trust and the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.

ABOUT CREATIVE ARTISTS AGENCY (CAA)
Creative Artists Agency (CAA) is the world's leading entertainment and sports agency, representing many of the most successful professionals working in film, television, music, video games, theatre, fashion, and the Internet, and provides a range of strategic marketing and consulting services to corporate clients.  CAA is also a leader in sports, representing more than 700 of the world's top athletes in football, baseball, basketball, hockey, soccer, tennis, and golf, and works in the areas of broadcast rights, corporate marketing initiatives, licensing, and sports properties for sales/sponsorship opportunities.  In addition, The Intelligence Group, a market research and trend forecasting company, is a division of CAA. 

ABOUT BRAVADO
Bravado is the only global, 360 degree full service merchandise company, develops and markets high-quality licensed merchandise to a world-wide audience. The company works closely with new and established entertainment clients, creating innovative products carefully tailored to each artist or brand. Product is sold on live tours, via selected retail outlets and through Web-based stores. Bravado also licenses rights to an extensive network of third-party licensees around the world. The company maintains offices in London, Los Angeles, New York, Berlin, Paris, Tokyo and Sydney. Now under the Universal Music Group umbrella, Bravado is able to leverage a global sales and distribution network from the world's largest record company, as well as the group's significant marketing strength.

Bravado artists include The Rolling Stones, Lady Gaga, Michael Jackson, Justin Bieber, Paul McCartney, Eminem, Kanye West, Metallica, Katy Perry, Nicki Minaj, Guns 'N Roses, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Lil Wayne, Green Day, Black Sabbath, and The Killers, among many others.

ABOUT ZION ROOTSWEAR
Launched in 1999, Zion Rootswear is a proven leader in the entertainment merchandising industry.  Being a key distributor of officially licensed clothing from the estates of Bob Marley, Ziggy Marley, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon, Elvis Presley, The Grateful Dead, Martin Luther King, Jr., Muhammed Ali, and more, Zion Rootswear has made its mark in the ultra-competitive merchandising industry.  Zion Rootswear specializes in tees, hoodies, fashion tops and accessories.

SOURCE Universal Music Group