THE BFG STARS IN SAINSBURY’S PHIZZ-WHIZZING BIG CHRISTMAS CAMPAIGN
LICENSING BELOVED CHARACTERS FOR TV ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS
BACKGROUND:
Sainsbury’s and their creative agency New Commercial Arts wanted to go BIG for their 2024 Christmas campaign. It was important they use a character that encapsulates the festive magic of the season and dreamy feelings, whilst also appealing to the whole country. Even though the BFG is not your typical Christmas character, it’s undeniable that he’s part of a timeless and cherished story which was the perfect match for the whimsical culinary adventure Sainsbury’s wanted to tell with their ad.
WHERE BORN LICENSING ADDED VALUE:
As we are Roald Dahl Story Company’s licensing agents for advertising and marketing campaigns, we had the right relationship to secure the license. This was crucial in the process, as the project was post-production heavy and the schedule to achieve this had very tight deadlines. After negotiating the commercial terms, Born Licensing managed all other aspects of the licensing in collaboration with RDSC including the extensive creative approvals process during pre- and post-production.
THE APPROVAL PROCESS:
Working with such a beloved character required a lot of attention to ensure that he was portrayed authentically. The Roald Dahl Story Company had to be kept in the loop across all creative development – this included the script, storyboards, casting, still poses and turntables, edits, and final material amongst many other elements.
THE CALL TO BORN:
Born Licensing was called on by New Commercial Arts to scope the feasibility of the idea very early on in the process and to negotiate the license for the BFG with the Roald Dahl Story Company.
THE MAKING OF:
New Commercial Arts, Rogue Films (the production company) and Final Cut (the post-production company) worked together with us and the Roald Dahl Story Company to create a new version of the BFG that closely resembled the character from the original book. The campaign was shot in locations around the UK at the end of August using a stand-in model for the BFG, and the actual character as seen in the final spot was created entirely in post-production. A representative from Born Licensing attended the shoot to ensure they were across any real-time developments. The result was a beautiful and heart-warming Big Friendly Giant that brought to life the beloved magic of Dahl’s story.
THE LAUNCH:
After teasing a giant footprint on the 30th November, the BFG was confirmed as the one to make Sainsbury’s 2024 Christmas “a bit more… phizz-whizzing!” when the hero spot premiered on Friday 1st November to UK audiences. The campaign was broadcasted on TV, cinema, socials and radio, and also includes a cutdown for Comic Relief. The agency also developed a Dream Jar Direct Mail, an Instant Experience for Meta, a podcast that went live on TikTok, a huge OOH Special Build and projections at Christmas markets in Edinburgh and Oxford.
THE RESULTS:
Within 24 hours from the launch, the spot secured a positive response from consumers and the advertising press including London Evening Standard, The Drum, The Mirror, PR Week, Marketing Week, Campaign and many more.
The ad is a triumph of effectiveness: it’s the first ever Sainsbury’s ad to score the maximum 5.9-Stars on the ‘Test Your Ad’ platform by System1 - an exceptional result!
INDUSTRY RECOGNITION:
'Ad of the Week' - MAA
'Ad of the Week' - Shots
'Ad of the Day' - Campaign
© 2024 The Roald Dahl Story Company Ltd.
THE EXPERIENCE
As always, Born Licensing guaranteed smooth communication between the agency and the Rights Holder to successfully execute this campaign. We managed the entire licensing process, including research and development, negotiation and commercial terms, the contractual process, invoicing, brand assurance and approval process, and everything else that came up relating to the use of the BFG.
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