BORN LICENSING NOMINATED AT THE 2026 LICENSING INTERNATIONAL EXCELLENCE AWARDS
LOVE ACTUALLY AMONGST FINALISTS FOR ‘BEST ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN FEATURING A LICENSED BRAND’
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.
Developed with WPP Media Futures Group and our partners at Universal, the campaign revisited one of the UK’s most iconic Christmas films, reworking familiar scenes for a modern audience. By integrating the Pixel product into the storytelling, the campaign balanced nostalgia with relevance — using recognisable moments to create immediate emotional connection, while showcasing features in a natural, story-led way.
THE ROLE OF LICENSING
Love Actually comes with built-in cultural resonance. Audiences already know the characters, tone and emotional cues — allowing the campaign to move quickly from recognition to engagement. But success relied on more than familiarity. Every detail needed to feel true to the original, ensuring the creative landed authentically with fans.
Working with established IP requires both creative sensitivity and operational precision. From rights negotiation through to approvals, Born Licensing supported the campaign end-to-end — ensuring alignment with the rights holders while enabling the idea to come to life as intended. When managed properly, licensing doesn’t constrain creativity — it strengthens it.
BORN LICENSING’S AWARD HAT-TRICK
It is not the first time we have been nominated (and won!) for licensing awards all over the world.
We pride ourselves as being the experts in licensing for advertising, so getting these forms of recognition from the licensing industry is a real honour for us. This nomination reflects the power of using IP as a strategic tool — not just a creative asset.
READ MORE ABOUT OUR WORK WITH LOVE ACTUALLY
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