Brand new venture at Metropolis

London design consultancy Metropolis 88 is launching a new venture to extend, manage, source and distribute brands.

One aim of Evolution Brand Development is to identify extension opportunities for existing brands and effectively run the operation while paying a royalty to the original brand-owner.

Variations on this activity will include acting as a licensing agent for brands, exploiting new product development (NPD) for clients in return for royalties, and, in time, creating EBD’s own brands.

Metropolis 88 director Matthew Bright says EBD – which has been two years in preparation and research – arose because the group sees it as a way of “becoming more self-sufficient – creating opportunities for ourselves”.

Bright admits that setting up the new venture as a pseudo-brand-owner “undoubtedly carries some financial risk”. He adds that there is a whole set of people – from retailers to distributors – to convince of the chances of success of each of the projects before they are launched.

Metropolis 88 has designed packaging for the UK launch of US anti-cellulite cream Smooth Contours. The cream is being stocked by 600 Boots stores.