From small steps to giant leaps
A new astronaut dressing-up outfit for children is just one example of how ESA brand licensing can help to inspire the next generation of space explorers.
Children learn through play. Even amid the distractions of today’s digital devices, traditional dressing-up games are still popular and let young imaginations grow. With this in mind, French clothing and toy company Pouce et Compagnie created an astronaut outfit back in 2017 for girls and boys who dream of being an astronaut one day.
To make children’s playtime space games more exciting, Pouce et Companie reached out to ESA for authentic touches for their spacesuit design, such as patches and logos. This led to an ESA brand license, which began in 2017 and continues today as this small artisanal manufacturer releases an updated spacesuit for budding ESA astronauts. This ESA-branded astronaut outfit is a popular line as a gift for young space fans, especially as a costume for dressing-up at festivals such as Halloween. You can find out more about the ESA astronaut outfit on the Pouce et Compagnie website.
It seems a simple thing, yet ESA branded toys and apparel can make a difference to how the agency is seen by the public. Fostering children’s imaginations and sharing the excitement of space with young people is important: today’s children playing at space exploration may become tomorrow’s real-world space explorers. For parents, too, carefully curated licensed products help to reinforce the ESA brand as a guarantee of educational value.
ESA licenses products with a range of carefully chosen companies, who share the agency’s values and enable ESA to reach new audiences. Through their products we are able to share the wonder of space and inspire the next generation of space scientists and explorers. Some of the companies that ESA licenses are household names, but ESA’s Branding and Partnerships Office also supports small businesses and even one-off projects through its licensing programme.
ESA’s Branding and Partnerships Office will be heading to London for the Brand Licensing Europe 2023 show from 4 to 6 October to meet with more companies who could benefit from ESA’s licensing programme. Interested companies can discover more about ESA brand licensing through ESA’s Branding and Partnerships portal and can contact ESA to set up meetings through ESA’s Brand Centre.
