New Rx for Dr. Denton line: licensing push to add brand awareness to line - Salant Corp. Obion Denton Co., children's clothing industry

Discount Store News, Nov 5, 1990

New Rx for Dr. Denton Line

NEW YORK - Another major children's apparel label is broadening its assortments inside and outside its core business and licensing its name to related products, further stimulating the name game in this category.

Obion Dr. Denton, maker of Dr. Denton-brand children's sleepwear, is targeting the mass market with a brand licensing program that will feature the Dr. Denton name on a wide range of products from toys to baby food.

Prior to a full-scale launch of the licensing program, New York-based Obion Dr. Denton will double its 1991 advertising budget and begin a year-long effort to increase exposure of its sleepwear name.

The only exception to this plan is a spring promotion of selected infants' and toddlers' sleepwear that will be packaged with Dr. Denton-brand baby toys under an exclusive licensing agreement with Direct Connect International, a Midland Park, N.J.-based toy manufacturer.

Other licensing arrangements that will put the Dr. Denton name on baby products including playwear, outerwear and diapers, are expected to follow.

In the meantime, a host of line expansions and character licensing programs are slated.

Fall 1991 will see the introduction of Dr. Denton-brand layette and ladies' sleepwear. The ladies' line will include both footed and unfooted one-and two-piece junior size pajamas in polyester fleece and cotton retail priced from $18 to $25. Slated for the mass market, the program is currently being test marketed and performing well, said Stanley Goldberg, president of Obion Dr. Denton.

A line of men's sleepwear is being contemplated.

Obion Dr. Denton also just signed a licensing deal with the World Wildlife Federation to create a line of infant's and toddlers' "active sleepers" for the mass market.

And this Christmas, Dr. Denton will launch a line of top, shelf infants' and toddlers' sleepwear for department stores called The Original Dr. Denton. JCPenney and Sears will be the first stores to have the new line, said Goldberg.

The Original Dr. Denton line has been tested successfully at Kids "R" Us and sales have exceeded projections.

The new line features better quality fabrics than the mass market version, more detailing and a patented new foot design that Obion Dr. Denton is guaranteeing will last as long as the garment. Best known for its one-piece garments with the drop seat and its children's sleepwear lines, Dr. Denton has kept a relatively low profile in its 125-year history.

But that is changing under Goldberg, who purchased Dr. Denton in 1989 to bring Obion into the brand business.

Goldberg founded Obion, part of Salant Children's Apparel Group, as a maker of private label sleepers.

Created in 1865, Dr. Denton is the second-oldest brand name in the country behind Pabst Blue Ribbon beer. Goldberg claims to have 10% of the children's branded sleepwear business with the Dr. Denton name and 30% of both branded and unbranded blanket sleepers. The U.S. market for infants' and toddlers' sleepers totals two million dozen at retail.

Through Dr. Denton, Goldberg said he wants to expand the reach of the historic label and satisfy consumer preference for branded goods.

Dr. Denton will sharply increase its 1991 ad budget. The program will include some coop ads with major accounts.

The licensing program with Direct Connect will start in spring as Obion Dr. Denton's first major introduction into licensing the Dr. Denton name. Direct Connect created 23 infants' and toddlers' toys such as rattles and teethers to be packaged with Dr. Denton garments in the special spring promotion. Such a joint effort has never been undertaken by Dr. Denton.