MARVEL SUPER HERO TAKES TIME OFF IN NEW DIRECT LINE CAMPAIGN
KING VALKYRIE FROM MARVEL STUDIOS’ “THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER” LICENSED FOR UK INSURANCE AD CAMPAIGN
BACKGROUND:
Born Licensing had already worked with Saatchi & Saatchi and Direct Line on five spots for their award winning ‘We’re On It’ platform. RoboCop, Donatello from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Bumblebee from the TRANSFORMERS franchise starred in three cinematic 60’ spots in 2019. These loved characters were seen racing to the scene of an office break-in, a car accident, and a plumbing incident, only to find that Direct Line had beaten them to it and saved the day. In 2021 Saatchi & Saatchi came to us with an evolved idea of the platform which saw Optimus Prime from TRANSFORMERS take some time off whilst Direct Line continued to save the day. For their next campaign Direct Line needed to go even bigger than the leader of the Autobots!
THE CALL TO BORN:
Direct Line needed an A-List super hero to help them get their message across with maximum impact. Direct Line’s creative agency, Saatchi & Saatchi, came to us with a brief outlining the kind of hero characters they were looking for. Born Licensing leveraged our strong relationships to engage with the biggest entertainment brands in the world to explore a range of suitable characters that would fit the brief.
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT:
Over the course of several months Born Licensing explored a range of different film and TV characters that we felt could work with the creative and timings. We engaged with Rights Holders to walk them through the creative direction and discuss commercial terms. Naturally, our search for a super hero led us to Marvel Studios. A lot of conversations were had with Marvel to settle on the perfect character for this particular spot. In the end, it was clear that King Valkyrie, played by Tessa Thompson, from the movie “Thor: Love and Thunder” was the perfect fit.
WHERE BORN LICENSING ADDED VALUE:
Timings were tight on this campaign and so our connections and strong relationships with studios and Rights Holders were vital in getting Saatchi & Saatchi the answers they needed quickly. We negotiated the commercial terms with Marvel Studios and managed all other aspects of the licensing including the extensive creative approvals process and the release of assets so that Saatchi & Saatchi could focus on the rest of the production.
THE SHOOT:
Born Licensing’s David Born attended the shoot in Lisbon and was on site to help Saatchi & Saatchi and Direct Line with any licensing related issues throughout, as well as to make sure that Marvel Studios were comfortable with everything being shot. A lot of work had to be done in the run up to the shoot including working closely with Marvel Studios to get King Valkyrie’s amazing costume delivered safely in time for the shoot. his photo taken with Optimus Prime himself in truck form! Take a look at the Behind the Scenes film!
THE APPROVAL PROCESS:
Marvel Studios had to be kept in the loop across all creative development. This included the script, storyboards, still poses, edits, and final material. Born Licensing managed the entire approval process from start to finish, allowing all other parties to focus on what they do best.
© 2022 MARVEL
THE LAUNCH:
The campaign premiered on Friday 1 July 2022 with a blockbuster 60” TV spot launching on Direct Line’s Twitter and YouTube channels. On broadcast the spot first aired on Saturday 2 July on Sky during the British Grand Prix Qualifier. The campaign is supported by Cinema, VOD, Social, Digital, and OOH including an amazing 2-week takeover at the BFI IMAX in London.
THE EXPERIENCE:
Born Licensing managed the entire licensing process from start to finish, including research and development, negotiation of commercial terms, the contractual process, invoicing, the brand assurance/approval process, and everything else that came up relating to the use of King Valkyrie.
THE RESULTS:
2022 Clio Entertainment Awards - Silver Winner
THE EXPERIENCE
Born Licensing managed the entire licensing process from start to finish, including research and development, negotiation of commercial terms, the contractual process, invoicing, the brand assurance/approval process, and everything else that came up relating to the use of King Valkyrie.
“From creative development, through rights holders fee and usage negotiations to final contracts, the expertise, knowledge and support of David and the team at Born Licensing were invaluable in being able to deliver the Campaign. They took the time to truly understand the Client and Agency creative, the usage requirements and the budgets and were a key partner in the process. I would not hesitate to recommend them to anyone looking to licence IP.”
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