The Born Team at BLE 2025: A Week of Big Ideas and Even Bigger Characters
Last week, the Born Licensing and Born to License teams headed to London’s ExCeL for one of the biggest dates in our calendars — Brand Licensing Europe. Every year, BLE brings together the brightest minds in entertainment, brand partnerships, and licensing innovation, and this year’s show didn’t disappoint.
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.
A Homecoming for Born Licensing
For Born Licensing, BLE has always been a bit of a homecoming. It’s where so many of our long-standing partnerships were first formed, and where we continue to find inspiration for the campaigns that bring beloved characters to life in advertising. From nostalgic classics to modern icons from the worlds of gaming, film and streaming, the conversations we had this year reaffirmed just how much energy there is around character-led storytelling in marketing.
The demand for licensed content in advertising continues to grow — brands are recognising that using characters audiences already love helps campaigns cut through, connect emotionally, and perform better. BLE gives us the chance to share that success story directly with licensors, exploring new opportunities and discussing how their IPs can shine in the world of brand storytelling.
Big Momentum for Born to License
For Born to License, BLE 2025 was equally exciting. As our consumer product side of the business continues to grow, the event was a perfect opportunity to meet with licensors, discuss educational resources like Learn to License, and hear first-hand how we can help newcomers understand and navigate the wider licensing world.
What we love most about BLE is its mix of seasoned licensing professionals and fresh faces entering the industry for the first time. There’s a genuine sense of collaboration and shared passion — everyone is there because they believe in the creative and commercial power of great partnerships.
Why BLE Matters
BLE is more than an event — it’s a pulse check on the state of the industry. Every conversation, keynote, and franchise reveal serves as a reminder of how much the licensing landscape has evolved. From advances in digital and gaming IPs to the growing role of licensing in advertising and experiential campaigns, this year’s show made one thing clear: there’s never been a more exciting time to be part of the licensing ecosystem.
As always, we left the show feeling inspired, grateful, and energised by the incredible talent driving this industry forward. A huge thank you to all the licensors, agencies, and partners who took the time to meet with us, share insights, and explore new ideas.
Until next year, BLE — same place, even bigger ideas, and plenty more exciting partnerships to come.
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