What is a brand license? To answer this question, the We Are COM team met with the impresario of Asterix & Obelix: Céleste Surugue, CEO of Albert René editionsA heritage brand that's constantly reinventing itself—what's the secret to its magic potion? What role do new authors play in this success? How can you diversify without breaking with your brand's DNA? Is the communications professional also a publisher? By Toutatis, we have the answers!
Hello Celeste! You who know them so well… How did Asterix and Obelix manage to be both universal and timeless?
It's true that Asterix and Obelix hold a unique place in the collective imagination, in France and in many other countries. Over the decades, there has been a genuine popular appropriation. Without having devoured all the albums, you at least have in mind a drawing or a cult line like " Those Romans are crazy! This is thanks to the quality of the illustrations and the stories imagined by those two geniuses, René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo. Very early on, comic book albums were followed by animated series, then by theme parks, and more recently by cinema. Asterix and Obelix have become transgenerational with this omnichannel approach and thanks to their content. The stories of the two indomitable Gauls are relevant to the times, never topical. Satire of current events is out of the question. The idea is to remain classic. This is quite close to the literary tradition in France: from the characters of Jean de La Bruyère, to Molière, to the Roman de Renart, by way of Rabelais… In short, timeless works that tell us the story of an era, relevant for all time. The themes of friendship, discovering the other, or even resistance—the little guy against the big guy—are universal. All you need to add is talent, teaching skills, humor, and movement.
With such charismatic characters, where is the place for new authors? How can they innovate without losing their essence?
The primary purpose of our profession is to tell great stories with extraordinary drawings. To achieve this, the artist is key. Following in the footsteps of René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo is no easy feat. It takes time and passion to understand their world from the inside, the narrative mechanics, and the psychology of the characters. The public wants to see the recurring elements: the colors of the clothes, the banquet scene, the puns, the pirates, the characters' names, the slaps, and so on. But rest assured: there is no such thing as graphical charter Nor is it the semantics of Asterix and Obelix. The challenge is to meet the expectations of 10 million readers with each new album release: the changes they are willing to accept and the references they absolutely want to see again. Balancing the familiar elements with new ones requires a great deal of skill and humility.
Beyond protecting, the brand must be promoted.
How do you leverage the "Asterix and Obelix" license?
The Asterix and Obelix license represents 60 years of success and an incredible cast of characters. Each character can be associated with a brand, provided its core values are respected. Wallpapering doesn't work here: you can't simply slap a fictional property onto any product. If the proposed association lacks meaning, we reject it. Today, we have 126 active contracts, in France and worldwide, and we sign 70 new ones every year. These figures may seem impressive, but they must be considered in light of the diversity of markets in which the license is used (film, theme parks, toys, clothing, luggage, food products, restaurants, etc.).
Chocolate, ice hockey, applesauce, motorway restaurants… Between us, with your two moustached men, aren't you going a bit overboard with co-branding?
No, we're looking for strong partnerships within each segment, not an endless proliferation of contracts. My goal isn't to maximize profits from licensing at any cost and in the short term. We can and prefer to develop long-term partnerships, which is a real advantage for our partner brands. When you activate one of our licenses in June, you know it will be just as strong in December because Asterix and Obelix aren't a passing fad. That's not the case, for example, with the release of a film, even a blockbuster.
The new thing about digital technology is the intensification of the relationship with fans.
Asterix and Obelix are talented at protecting magic potions. Are you the same?
Protecting our brand is a duty we owe to our partners. We verify trademark registrations and monitor usage. In cases of unauthorized use, we initiate legal proceedings. Beyond protection, we must also promote. To maintain and grow this intangible asset, we strive to view Asterix and Obelix as an event, not as a static institution. When a new album or film is launched, it's one of the major publishing events of the year!
And how is the indomitable village making the digital transition?
Digital technology hasn't truly revolutionized comic book consumption, which retains the attributes of a beautiful book. The page with its panels remains a comfortable format. Let's look at sales: the volume Caesar's Papyrus Two million copies of the graphic novel were sold, compared to 10,000 ebooks. While this is a significant figure in the e-book market, it remains relatively marginal compared to our traditional sales. The new aspect of digital distribution is the intensification of our relationship with Asterix and Obelix fans on social media, particularly through our page. Facebook Liked by over 800,000 people, we share scoops, news, behind-the-scenes glimpses, and even the humor of our characters. The goal is to nurture our connection and highlight the latest news from our partners. Compared to "traditional" brands, we're fortunate to have a wealth of content at our disposal, ready to be shared on social media.
RT if that's you! Have a great day everyone, by Jupiter! 😉# 8May #holiday pic.twitter.com/Qj8Mx49aB1
— Asterix (@asterixofficiel) May 8th 2017
By the way, do we do the same job? Is a communications professional a publisher?
Undeniably, the communicator is a bearer of edited narratives; in the sense that a good story is crafted, reworked, read, and reread before being shared more widely. They are the originator of the narrative while also being a worthy representative of the reader. This back-and-forth has, I believe, become complex in the age of social media, constant information flow, immediacy, and interaction. The publisher and the communicator share a common passion, words as their tools, and, of course, the audience.
3 things to know about Asterix & Obelix
Asterix has been voted France's favorite comic book character (BVA Foncia – Regional Press survey, January 2017). Don't tell Obelix!
In Germany, Asterix and Obelix readers believe it's a German creation mocking the French. Given its success, no one has dared tell the truth. 🙂
An Asterix and Obelix album can rival a Hollywood film. Yes, indeed… On average, one copy is read by 4 to 5 readers, representing an audience of 10 million French-speaking readers. Hooray, isn't it?
