Our owner & director, David Born, has written a piece for Little Black Book showcasing the best of the 2020 Super Bowl ads which licensed characters and entertainment IP.
Last year, we spotted Bud Light partnering with HBO’s Game of Thrones, Mercedes joining forces with Lassie, Looney Tunes and Free Willy, and Stella Artois brought together the unlikely combination of Sex and the City’s Carrie Bradshaw and The Big Lebowski’s The Dude.
It was a great year for advertising campaigns last year but Super Bowl ads in 2020 have taken things to an entirely different level. We’ve spotted 10 big name campaigns that in some way licensed characters or entertainment IP.
Walmart: ‘Famous Visitors’
This amazing ensemble brings together a number of ‘out of this world’ entertainment brands such as Toy Story, Star Wars, Bill & Ted and Men In Black.
Read about how Born Licensing helped Walmart to license the Bill & Ted characters for their 2020 Super Bowl commercial.
Facebook: ‘Ready to Rock!’
In Facebook’s first Super Bowl commercial, keep an eye out for Chris Rock and Sylvester Stallone paying homage to the iconic Rocky franchise.
Read how Born Licensing helped Facebook and their creative agency to license the Rocky franchise for their Super Bowl commercial.
Jeep: ‘Groundhog Day’
17 years after Groundhog Day, Bill Murray finds himself stuck in the same dreaded routine, but this time with a twist.
Google: ‘Loretta’
In probably the most moving Super Bowl spot for this year, Google leverage the classic film Casablanca in this tear-jerker commercial.
Mountain Dew: ‘Zero Sugar, As Good As The Original’
Bryan Cranston takes the place of The Shining’s Jack Torrance in this hilarious take on the classic horror film.
Pringles: ‘Pringles Rick & Morty Commercial’
Rick and Morty find themselves trapped in a Pringles commercial in this 2020 Super Bowl ad.
Sabra: ‘How I ‘Mmus’
The Real Housewives of New Jersey’s Teresa Giudice and Caroline Manzo are once again flipping tables in a nod to a famous moment of Real Housewives history.
Audi e-tron: ‘Let It Go’
Maisie Williams, of Game of Thrones fame, sings Frozen’s ‘Let It Go’ to help escape the past and embrace the future.
Discover: ‘Yes, We’re Accepted’
Discover Card ran two spots at the 2020 Super Bowl, both of which feature clips from popular films and TV shows. The ‘yes’ spot features clips from Mean Girls, Ted and Old School.
Discover: ‘No, We Don’t Charge Annual Fees’
Discover Card’s ‘no’ spot features Austin Powers, Clueless and Friends.
It’s great to see characters and entertainment IP playing at the level of celebrities, sports stars, and musicians. And it’s why at Born Licensing we specialise in such a field. We know that characters and iconic scenes can bring just as much value as celebrities. We also know how to go about making campaigns a success by aligning the right characters and entertainment IP with the creative concept.
The best part? We played a role in the first two campaigns in this list!
Aviva has teamed up with Saatchi & Saatchi, OMD UK, Channel 4 and Hasbro to launch Menopause Monopoly, a creative reimagining of Hasbro's iconic board game designed to challenge the stigma surrounding menopause and encourage more open conversations about its impact on everyday life.
Another year, another Brand Licensing Europe! The Born Licensing team headed to BLE 2026 for three packed days of meetings, presentations and conversations with some of the biggest names in entertainment licensing.
After 12 years of helping some of the world’s biggest advertising agencies borrow the world’s biggest IP, we thought it was probably time we gave ourselves a little makeover. Born Licensing has officially launched its new brand identity and website: brighter, bolder and much more reflective of the advertising industry we work in every day.
Born Licensing is launching its Character Licensing Workshop series to help agencies confidently navigate the world of entertainment IP, turning a complex process into a clear, practical creative opportunity. Designed for creatives, producers and business affairs teams, the sessions demystify character licensing and unlock its full potential in advertising.
In a digital world where fraudsters rely on urgency, panic and split-second decisions, sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is pause. That's the thinking behind Take9's new "Count Before You Click" campaign, which enlists one of the world's most recognisable number enthusiasts: Sesame Street's Count von Count.
Another year, another hugely successful week at Licensing Expo in Las Vegas — and if this year proved anything, it’s that the licensing industry continues to thrive. From entertainment and gaming to fashion, publishing and experiential, the appetite for character-driven storytelling and brand partnerships feels stronger than ever.
We’re pleased to share that “It’s Pixel, actually” — our campaign with Google Pixel and Love Actually — has been nominated for Best Advertising Campaign Featuring a Licensed Brand at the 2026 Licensing International Excellence Awards.
Born Licensing is launching its UK Character Workshop series to help agencies confidently navigate the world of entertainment IP, turning a complex process into a clear, practical creative opportunity. Designed for creatives, producers and business affairs teams, the sessions demystify character licensing and unlock its full potential in advertising.
Launched under Twix’s new global brand platform, “Two is More Than One,” the campaign invites audiences to reflect on a simple question: when else is one good, but two is better?
Optimism without irony, humour without edge. Paddington offers brands something rare in modern advertising: trust. Here's why the bear from Peru is a natural for brand storytelling.
Born Licensing is proud to announce that we now represent Mr. Men Little Miss as licensing agents in the advertising and marketing space, working alongside Sanrio to bring the iconic characters into bold, personality-led brand storytelling. With over 50 years of cultural relevance, the brand offers a powerful, playful way for advertisers to connect with audiences through instantly recognisable character and emotion.
Few characters in children’s storytelling have achieved the cultural reach of The Gruffalo. First published in 1999, Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s instantly recognisable creation has become a true modern classic, adored by families around the world. Together with The Gruffalo’s Child, the books have sold more than 38 million copies globally, been published in 107 languages, and earned a permanent place in the collective imagination.
From multiple 5.9-star System1 campaigns to record-breaking festive launches, Born Licensing explores why character-led storytelling remains one of the most effective tools in Christmas advertising.
There are few comedy duos as universally recognised or as timelessly beloved as Laurel & Hardy. From slapstick silent shorts in the late 1920s to feature films and animated series that continue to entertain audiences around the world, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy shaped the very DNA of physical comedy. Nearly a century after their first screen appearance together, their appeal hasn’t faded: it has become a cultural touchstone spanning generations.
Christmas is rarely predictable, and The AA’s latest festive campaign leans into that truth with a playful character-led twist. This year, the brand has partnered with Elves Behavin’ Badly, bringing the nation’s favourite mischievous duo into its well-known platform, “It’s OK, I’m with The AA”.
Google Pixel’s ‘It’s Pixel, actually’ campaign reunites Love Actually stars to showcase the Pixel 10’s cinematic capabilities in a warm, nostalgic festive moment — with Born Licensing managing the entire licensing process behind the scenes. The result is a joyful blend of modern craft and beloved holiday storytelling.
IAMS and the Garfield collaborate to raise awareness on the issue of overweight cats. With Born Licensing helping bring the partnership to life alongside Paramount and adam&eveDDB, this partnership proves how iconic characters can elevate ad campaigns.
Candy Crush Solitaire and the Care Bears have joined forces for a month-long in-game celebration of love, color, and kindness. With Born Licensing helping bring the partnership to life alongside King and Cloudco Entertainment, this crossover proves that even in gaming, caring is still the sweetest win of all.
The UK's favourite giant is back for another phizz-whizzing adventure! Following the phenomenal success of last year’s Sainsbury’s Christmas campaign with the BFG, the Roald Dahl classic returns to screens once again for a festive sequel filled with humour, heart, and a brand-new adversary: the mischievous Greedy Giant.
Ghirardelli teamed up with SpongeBob SquarePants and Patrick Star for a campaign celebrating iconic pairs, with Born Licensing managing the clip licensing and approvals process with Paramount. The result was a sweet, nostalgic spot that perfectly paired beloved characters with Ghirardelli’s new chocolate and caramel squares.
The Born team attended BLE 2025 in London. Over three days packed with meetings, presentations (and characters!), we caught up with over 30 licensors — including industry heavyweights like Disney, Paramount, Warner Bros., Sanrio, Pokémon, Canal+, LEGO and The Roald Dahl Story Company, among many others. It’s always an incredible opportunity to connect face-to-face with the people behind the IPs that continue to define culture, spark creativity, and shape campaigns across industries.
Born Licensing won Best Licensed Promotions Campaign at the 2025 Licensing Awards for Sainsbury’s x the BFG Christmas campaign.
Licensing doesn’t stop at advertising — it’s a global industry shaping products we see on shelves every day. With Learn to License, we’re opening up that world to newcomers, giving them the tools to navigate product licensing with confidence.
Sainsbury’s 2024 Christmas campaign, starring the BFG and colleague Sophie, has been shortlisted for both the IPM Awards and UK Licensing Awards 2025
Born Licensing welcomes Emmet Wright to the team as Licensor Manager for North America, Australia and New Zealand-based campaigns.