Born Licensing Wins ‘Best Licensed Promotions Campaign’ at 2025 Licensing Awards
THE WINNING CAMPAIGN
When Sainsbury’s looked to make Christmas 2024 something magical, something whimsical, they knew they needed more than just festive cheer. They needed a story – and so they turned to the Big Friendly Giant. The result: Sainsbury’s BIG Christmas 2024 campaign, a season-defining execution that’s just been crowned Best Licensed Promotions Campaign at the 2025 Licensing Awards.
Often described as the benchmark of excellence in the brand and licensing world, the Licensing Awards celebrate the very best use of licensed IP across product, retail and promotional campaigns. Right after the Excellence Awards (which we have won four times!), the Licensing Awards are widely recognised as one of the most prestigious accolades in the industry, drawing entries from global entertainment giants, retailers, and agencies alike. To win at the Licensing Awards is to be recognised not just for creative flair, but for demonstrating how licensed properties can deliver cultural impact and commercial success, which is why taking home Best Licensed Promotions Campaign is such a proud moment for us.
This win feels especially meaningful because it rewards something we treasure deeply: a blend of character, story, craft, and purpose. And it takes a village. We couldn’t be prouder to have worked alongside the Roald Dahl Story Company (who entrusted us with the BFG’s magic), creative agency New Commercial Arts, production company Rogue Films, post-production house Electric Theatre Collective, plus all the hands and hearts behind the scenes who made something so emotional, beautiful and effective.
What Made the Campaign Shine
From its inception, this campaign was built to feel timeless. The brief from Sainsbury’s and New Commercial Arts was to go big, to evoke magical Christmas feelings across the UK – while using a character who isn’t strictly traditional for Christmas. The Roald Dahl Story Company saw that spark, and together we scoped the idea, negotiated terms, aligned creative, and pulled deep into approvals.
The character work was deliberate: creating a BFG true to the original story, shot using a stand-in model, real locations, and final animation in post. A shoot in late August with Rogue Films had the Born Licensing team present to handle any IP questions in real time. Voice, poses, storyboards, edits – all were checked by RDSC and our team to ensure integrity.
Then came the reveal: the giant footprint tease on 30th November, the hero spot from 1st November, and a mixed media rollout: TV, cinema, social, radio, out-of-home, special builds, Dream Jar direct mail, even projections in Christmas markets. The campaign’s concept wasn’t just seen – it was felt.
Results That Speak Louder Than Words
The response was immediate. Within 24 hours, press and consumers lit up – London Evening Standard, The Mirror, Marketing Week, Campaign and more. The campaign scored perfect 5.9-stars on System1’s Test Your Ad, a first for Sainsbury’s. Best of all, the campaign moved numbers: sales rose 3.5%, and Sainsbury’s achieved its highest market share since December 2019.
Building on a Track Record
Whilst this is our first Licensing Award, this win isn’t our first award rodeo. Born Licensing has previously picked up several awards and nominations – across the Excellence Awards, Licensing Awards, IPM Awards, British Arrows Awards, Marketing Society Awards, and other promotional marketing bodies – for campaigns that push boundaries, use IP with integrity, and deliver real, measurable results. Each success has reaffirmed our belief that licensed characters, when treated with respect and craft, are not just decorative: they’re transformative.
READ MORE ABOUT OUR WORK WITH THE BFG
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