IN celebration of the Spice Girls’ 25th anniversary, the British girl group has partnered with Universal Music Group’s Bravado for a wide-ranging deal spanning merchandising, direct-to-consumer products, touring, brand and retail licensing and distribution on a global scale. The girl group — comprised of original members Mel B, Emma Bunton, Melanie C, Geri Halliwell and Victoria Beckham — released its debut album “Spice” on Nov. 4, 1996 via Virgin Records and proceeded to take the world by storm with its succession of pop hits, a movie and its unifying message of girl power. On Oct. 29, a new release, “Spice 25,” will arrive via Universal Music Group that features previously unreleased songs, demos and mixes. “We are so excited to be working with Bravado again, especially in this 25th anniversary year and are looking forward to collaborating with the team,” said the Spice Girls in a statement. Richelle Parham, president of global e-commerce and business development for Universal Music Group, said, “Bravado will work closely with Universal Music Group operations around the world on the launch of ‘Spice 25’ and beyond, to expand their legacy and cultural impact for years to come.” The deal marks the first time in 20 years that licensing rights for the Spice Girls across all channels have been assigned to a single partnership and the collaboration promises future new products and capsule collections.(SD-Agencies) | 