‘CHUBBS’ FROM HAPPY GILMORE STARS IN PGA TOUR SUPERSTORE CAMPAIGN
BRINGING BACK POPULAR CHARACTERS FOR IMPACTFUL ADVERTISING
BACKGROUND:
America’s largest specialty golf retailer PGA TOUR Superstore had previously used famous professional golfers such as Nick Faldo and Harry Higgs in their advertising. For this campaign, their creative agency Tombras had the brilliant idea of doing something a little more unique...Tombras’s president, Dooley Tombras, said “There’s an entire generation of golfers out there for whom Chubbs Peterson [from Happy Gilmore] was the first example of a golf pro they’d ever been exposed to. That’s a rare bit of nostalgia you don’t find in most business categories, that a brand like PGA TOUR Superstore would be remiss not to take advantage of. And for a category obsessed with using pro golfers, Chubbs is unexpected and welcome.” Derick 'Chubbs' Peterson is famous for helping golfers find their happy place. This made him the perfect spokesperson to help the retailer usher in a new tagline: “Golf’s Happy Place.”
THE CALL TO BORN:
Tombras came to Born Licensing asking for help to license Happy Gilmore. They had extremely tight deadlines and needed to get the Rights Holders on board very quickly. As licensing agents for Universal Studios, the rights holders of Happy Gilmore, we were able to quickly present this opportunity to the right people at Universal and facilitated the licensing process from start to finish.
WHERE BORN LICENSING ADDED VALUE:
Born Licensing was able to negotiate and secure the license for Happy Gilmore within the parameters of the client’s budget and tight timings. We also managed the resource-heavy approval process allowing Tombras to focus on the production. As licensing agents for Universal Studios, we didn’t charge Tombras or PGA TOUR Superstore any clearance fees.
THE APPROVAL PROCESS:
Born Licensing managed the approval process from start to finish, submitting all material for Universal Studios review to ensure they were comfortable with how their IP was being used within the campaign material. As Universal’s licensing agent, we were able to turn around faster than usual approvals to ensure key deadlines were met.
THE LAUNCH:
The campaign, consisting of three 30’ films plus cutdowns, aims to modernize the brand to attract the new, emerging generation of golfers, while also appealing to the core. The campaign initially launched on cable and digital during the Waste Management Phoenix Open (February 2023), followed by broadcast with heavy rotation on Golf Channel, plus during key live golf tournaments, most notably the U.S. Open.
THE RESULTS:
Winner of ‘Best Advertising Campaign Featuring a Licensed Brand’ at the 2024 Licensing International Excellence Awards
Happy Gilmore © Universal City Studios LLC. All Rights Reserved.
THE EXPERIENCE
The entire licensing process, including research and development, negotiation of terms, the contractual process, invoicing, and the approval processes were handled by Born Licensing, allowing the other parties involved to focus on their roles.
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