LICENSING THE BFG FOR THIRD YEAR IN A ROW
THE BFG RETURNS TO SAINSBURY'S FOR A THIRD CHRISTMAS ADVENTURE
BACKGROUND:
Following two hugely successful Christmas campaigns, Sainsbury's reunited with the Roald Dahl Story Company for a third consecutive year, bringing the beloved BFG back for another festive adventure. This time, the story takes audiences deep into Giant Country, as returning Sainsbury's colleague Annie and her sidekick Fred embark on a daring mission to deliver a Christmas feast to the BFG, who's feeling under the weather. Along the way, they encounter the mischievous Greedy Giant, an enormous Squizzly Scotch-Hopper and plenty of other obstacles before reaching their giant friend, ensuring that nobody misses out on Christmas.
THE CALL TO BORN:
As the Roald Dahl Story Company's appointed licensing agent for advertising and marketing, Born Licensing was once again brought on board to facilitate the partnership between the rights holder and Sainsbury's. Working closely with creative agency New Commercial Arts, Born Licensing helped establish the creative direction early in development, ensuring the ambitious new storyline could be brought to life while remaining authentic to Roald Dahl's original work.
WHERE BORN LICENSING ADDED VALUE:
Building on the strong relationships established over the previous two campaigns, Born Licensing negotiated the renewal terms and managed the licensing process from start to finish. Our role extended well beyond commercial negotiations and contracts. Acting as the central liaison between the Roald Dahl Story Company and the creative and production teams, we coordinated communication, facilitated creative discussions and managed the extensive approvals process throughout pre- and post-production.
With this year's campaign expanding into Giant Country and introducing new environments and creatures, close collaboration was essential to balance creative ambition with the integrity of the original IP.
THE APPROVAL PROCESS:
Wringing Roald Dahl's beloved characters to life requires careful attention to detail, particularly when developing new interpretations of their world. Born Licensing worked closely with the Roald Dahl Story Company and New Commercial Arts to coordinate approvals across the creative development process, ensuring the BFG, the Greedy Giant and the fantastical world of Giant Country were represented authentically.
From scripts and storyboards to character designs, animation, edits and final materials, the process required ongoing collaboration to ensure that the campaign captured the distinctive personalities, humour and imagination of Roald Dahl's storytelling.
THE MAKING OF:
The campaign was created by New Commercial Arts, directed by Sam Brown through Rogue Films, with visual effects and post-production by Electric Theatre Collective. This year's production presented an exciting new challenge: taking audiences beyond the familiar settings of previous campaigns and into the vast, fantastical landscapes of Giant Country.
From the BFG's whimsical cave to the Greedy Giant's mischievous antics and the enormous Squizzly Scotch-Hopper, the creative teams brought an ambitious new adventure to life, with Born Licensing facilitating the collaboration with the Roald Dahl Story Company throughout development and production.
THE LAUNCH:
The campaign premiered on Sunday 1 November 2026, with the full two-minute film launching on Sainsbury's YouTube channel, alongside shorter edits across TV, social and online throughout the festive season. The advert celebrates friendship, generosity and Sainsbury's commitment to providing 'Good food for all of us', bringing another heartwarming chapter of the BFG's Christmas adventures to audiences across the UK.
© 2026 The Roald Dahl Story Company Ltd.
ICONIC IP WE’VE PLACED
