LICENSE A CLIP FROM A FAMOUS FILM OR TV SHOW
Licensing a clip can be one of the simplest and yet most effective ways of leveraging the popularity of a well-known film or TV show.
When audiences spot a clip they recognise, the advertisement becomes instantly more attention grabbing, especially if audiences have an emotional link to the film or TV show.
CONSIDERATIONS:
Some Rights Holders will not permit the clip or footage to be altered in any way. But some are open to it.
Depending on how old the clip is, Rights Holders can typically provide you with the clip in the required format at little or no additional cost, but you’ll need to allow some time for them to pull and deliver the clip.
Typically, a clip license will not provide you with clearance for any talent featured within the clip. Rights Holders do not usually get involved in any talent negotiations and so this will need to be cleared and managed independently.
CASE STUDY #1:
Google x Care Bears
Google’s creative agency, Arts & Letters Creative Co., came to us looking for a clip with a famous character that represented speed. It was also important for the client that the clip had an element of nostalgia attached to it. We proposed various options that suited the creative as well as their budgets and timelines.
In the end, our suggested clip of Swift Heart Rabbit from Care Bears was the perfect fit! As we represent Care Bears, we were able to negotiate the license and manage the creative approval process from start to finish, without charging any clearance fees.
CASE STUDY #2:
Old Navy x Love Actually
The Martin Agency needed a festive clip from a popular Christmas movie for Old Navy’s 2021 ‘Hey Sis, It’s Christmas’ campaign. After exploring various options Born Licensing was able to secure a clip license for the iconic Love Actually scene of Hugh Grant as Prime Minister dancing in No. 10 Downing Street.
The Martin Agency put their own playful spin on the clip using it in a fun collage style that fits the rest of the spot perfectly.
Born Licensing managed the licensing of Love Actually whilst the agency managed the clearance of Hugh Grant separately. As Universal Studios’ licensing agent, Born Licensing managed the process from start to finish (including negotiations, release of the high-res clip, and approvals) without charging The Martin Agency any clearance fees.
CASE STUDY #3:
Just Eat x Family Guy
McCann London called on Born Licensing to work alongside them on a brief that included the use of a clips from a well-known animation.
The clips needed to be globally relevant and instantly recognisable. Over the course of many months, we presented and explored over 65 different cartoon characters and clips that met the brief. With our industry connections, no animation was off-limits in our search. The final clips chosen by McCann and Just Eat was from the hit show Family Guy.
CASE STUDY #4:
Ford x Brannigan
For the relaunch of their iconic Ford model Capri, the automobile manufacturer and their creative agency Wieden+Kennedy London wanted to create something truly memorable. The overarching idea was to find moments from different kinds of media that celebrated Ford Capri throughout the years. One of these was a clip from the 1975 movie ‘Brannigan’, featuring a famous scene where one of the characters jumps over Tower Bridge on a Ford Capri.
As we are MGM’s licensing agents for advertising and marketing campaigns, we negotiated terms and costs with the Rights Holder and ensured that all deadlines were met on time. Given our previous work with clip licensing, we were able to guide the process smoothly, ensuring both the Rights Holder and the agency had every step covered along the way.
CASE STUDY #5:
Invesco x The Joy Of Painting
For their latest campaign, American investment management company Invesco and their creative agency MullenLowe wanted to give a retro feel to the spot. The setting is a women’s basketball facility in Texas in the 80s, and the agency wanted to find an instantly recognisable clip from the same period to feature on the TV screen in the ad.
During the research and development phase, we quickly identified the Rights Holders of the footage and took them through the creative to make sure they were comfortable with the usage. We then negotiated terms and costs, and ensured that all deadlines were met on time. Given our previous work with clip licensing, we were able to guide the process smoothly, ensuring both Licensee and Licensor had every step covered along the way.