Interview: 24 Heures Le Mans Zooms to France Licensing Day

François Brindeau, Licensing Coordinator, 24 Heures Le Mans

Why is France Licensing Day such an important date in your business calendar?

For the ACO and the 24 Heures du Mans, it’s a valuable opportunity to be represented and in contact with the licensing industry, both on a French and European level.

How important is the French licensing market to your brand/business?

Without talking numbers, the licensing market in France is booming. IPs are increasingly distributed throughout the networks and gain market share every year. At the ACO, licensing is an important business contributor that aims to promote the brand and his values worldwide.

What’s the biggest trend driving licensing in France right now?

There isn’t just one trend, but many. They are linked to the various key sectors that activate the license approach. Textiles and entertainment are still the main ones, but there are also developments in the food, technology, toys and audiovisual sectors, for example. The CSR dimension is also a movement that has invited itself into the exchanges.

What brands will you be bringing to the event?

The world-famous 24H Le Mans brand will be at the heart of the discussions. We also have a number of brands associated with our events, notably Le Mans, LM and 24H. We’re also fortunate to be able to offer a very powerful iconographic package, including official posters and the circuit layout.

As part of our partnerships, we like to work with our licensees to come up with powerful stories telling that legitimise our partnership and reinforce the public’s ownership of the co-branded collections.

What’s new? What will FLD attendees find out about your brands they may not already know.

In terms of brand power, last year we celebrated the centenary of the 24 Hours with an unprecedented level of brand awareness. Once again this year, the brand will be at the top, thanks to worldwide licensing contracts and incredible on-track presence (famous drivers and unrivalled manufacturers). We’re also working hard on the responsible dimension to be part of the development of hydrogen technology lead in motorsport by the ACO. By the way, we’ve announced that will be used in racing in 2026. 2027?

In terms of content, we have enriched our style guide with new assets to boost our partners’ creativity.

What’s your favourite French brand?

It’s impossible to talk about one brand in particular. Depending on whether we’re talking about leisure, luxury, publishing or entertainment, for example. All brands have real qualities and strong development potential.

If we really have to answer this question, then let’s just say that I’d go for The Little Prince, Mattel or Asterix.

Will we see you at BLE in September?

The BLE remains an unmissable event on the European stage. We’ll be there this year with a new approach: the 24H Le Mans brand will have its own stand to welcome all those curious about our brand.