Founder and CEO David Born is relocating to Los Angeles as the company deepens its commitment to the North American market.

Alongside the move, Alyssa Gourlay has been promoted to President of Born to License, taking full global responsibility for the agency’s consumer products division, while Amber Cheung has been appointed Director of Licensing for Born Licensing, the agency’s entertainment IP and advertising arm.

“Alyssa has been instrumental in everything we’ve built with Born to License,” said Born.

“She has the relationships, the instincts, and the operational depth to lead this division globally. This is a natural and well-earned step.”

Gourlay is based in Los Angeles, where Born to License’s U.S. operations are headquartered.

Born added: “Born Licensing is firing on all cylinders. Amber stepping into the Director role reflects both her contribution and the ambition we have for this division going forward.”

And regarding US growth plans, he said: “This is a business that has always operated globally, but the next five years are going to be transformational – and the U.S. is the market we’re betting on to drive that exponential growth. Across both divisions, across every metric, it offers the greatest growth opportunity in our history as a business.”

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At the heart of Twix’s ‘Two is More Than One’ campaign is the idea that one great thing is good, but two is better. The ‘Iconic Duos’ creative brings this to life by featuring one half of some of the world’s most recognisable pairs, including Laurel without Hardy, Rick without Morty, and Wallace without Gromit.

Born Licensing played a central role in bringing the campaign to life, managing the entire licensing process from start to finish. Working closely with the agency and client from the earliest stages, Born Licensing supported the brainstorming and identification of suitable characters, assessed feasibility across multiple properties, and guided the creative development.

The team then led outreach and negotiations with multiple licensors and rights holders, coordinating parallel discussions. Born Licensing also managed the full approval process, working closely with rights holders to ensure all creative executions and marketing materials remained true to the characters while meeting campaign objectives. This included reviewing and submitting creative materials, coordinating feedback, and guiding the process through to final sign-off.

The campaign was developed in partnership with adam&eveTBWA, Weber Shandwick, and Publicis Media – and launched across high-impact OOH placements in the UK.

“This campaign is a perfect example of what entertainment IP can do that nothing else can,” said David Born, CEO of Born Licensing.

“Laurel & Hardy, Wallace & Gromit, Rick & Morty aren’t just characters, they’re cultural shorthand. The moment you see one half, your brain completes the other. That’s the kind of instant, emotional recognition that brands work for years to build, and licensed IP delivers it immediately.”

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The agency will be responsible for driving brand collaborations and IP integrations across advertising and marketing campaigns.

“These partnerships mark another important step in Born Licensing’s evolution as a specialist agency for advertising and brand-led collaborations,” said David Born, Founder and CEO of Born Licensing.

“The properties we represent are not only globally recognised, but deeply loved – and that emotional connection is exactly what brands are seeking in today’s advertising landscape. We’re seeing unprecedented appetite from agencies to use established IP in smarter, more creative ways, and we’re excited to help our partners unlock that potential at scale.”

“I am very excited about Larry Harmon Pictures’ new collaboration with Born Licensing,” said Marci Carabet, President of Larry Harmon Pictures Corporation. He adds: “Their genuine passion for brand storytelling, along with their exceptional experience in advertising and marketing, makes them an ideal partner as we continue to share our iconic IP with audiences around the world through impactful, contemporary campaigns.”

Aidan Taylor-Gooby, Licensing Director of Magic Light Pictures, said: “2026 promises to be a huge year for The Gruffalo as we look forward to the release of the new book in September. We’re delighted to be working with Born Licensing to help us identify strategic brand partnerships which engage and delight our family audience.”

Silvia Figini, Chief Operating Officer of Sanrio (EMEA, India and Oceania) and Mr. Men (Worldwide), added: “Over the past 14 years, Mr. Men Little Miss has evolved into a truly global lifestyle brand – one that unites families, resonates across generations, and delivers real value for partners worldwide. With Born Licensing’s support, we’re confident its versatility and appeal will continue to attract advertisers, paving the way for exciting collaborations and standout milestones ahead.”

Françoise Guyonnet, CEO of STUDIOCANAL Kids & Family Ltd., said: “Paddington’s universal appeal and message of kindness make him a natural fit for brand storytelling. We’re excited to partner with Born Licensing to help bring the character into creative campaigns that resonate with families and audiences worldwide.”

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Building on the success of last year’s spot, the latest ad follows Sainsbury’s colleague Annie and the BFG as they team up to save Christmas after a giant devours a family’s festive feast.

The Roald Dahl Story Company engaged Born Licensing to bring to life their global partnership strategy, working with Sainsbury’s creative agency, New Commercial Arts, to ensure this new narrative came to life with authenticity. References from the story include the BFG’s trumpet, dream jars and Gobblefunk terms.

“Following the success of last year’s campaign, it’s fantastic to see the BFG return to screens this Christmas alongside the Greedy Giant and a new Sainsbury’s colleague,” said David Born, CEO of Born Licensing.

“This collaboration shows just how magical advertising can be when world-class creative meets timeless storytelling. We’re proud to help bring these cherished characters to life in such an imaginative way.”

Alice O’Brien, Head of Global Commercial Partnerships at the Roald Dahl Story Company, added: “The return of the BFG to this year’s Sainsbury’s Christmas ad shows the enduring love audiences hold for Roald Dahl’s character. His natural curiosity for food and propensity for powerful friendships means he’s the perfect fit for Sainsbury’s message of good food for all of us.

“We’ve adored working with Sainsbury’s, NCA, Rogue Films and ETC to create a brand-new giant this year which will surprise and delight viewers who know all too well about the mischief those in Giant Country cause!”

Check out the ad below:

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The collection will officially launch at San Diego Comic-Con and feature a premium base set and inserts, as well as hand-drawn artist sketch cards by Invincible comic artists.

In addition, the collection will boast ‘bloodline’ ultra-rare parallels representing ‘viltrumite’ heritage, and Original Comic #1 through #13 Relic Cards that tie directly to Robert Kirkman’s original comics.

“Invincible has reshaped the superhero genre, and this collection brings the same level of boldness, depth, and visual intensity that fans expect,” said Garima Sharma, VP Licensing and Partnerships at Skybound.

“Together with Keepsake Trading Cards, we’re delivering a collector’s experience that’s built to last.”

Scott Allen, CEO of Super Products Inc, added: “We’re thrilled to partner with Skybound to bring the world of Invincible to life through Keepsake Trading Cards. As fans ourselves, it’s an honor to celebrate the incredible storytelling and iconic characters of this beloved comic series with a premium trading card collection that fans can cherish.”

The Invincible collectors trading card deal was handled by Keepsake’s licensing agent, Born to License.

“Our team worked hard to find the right partner for Keepsake, and Invincible was the perfect fit,” said David Born, Founder and CEO of Born Licensing.

“We’re so impressed with Keepsake’s dedication to capturing the epic storytelling of Invincible through their trading cards and the iconic relics and sketch art add a layer of storytelling that we’re certain fans of Invincible will love.”

The First Edition Season 1 Launch will be available at Booth #2345 San Diego Comic-Con and online from July 24th.

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David Born, CEO, Born Licensing & Born to License: I’m glad you mentioned authenticity Alice, because that’s one of the things that is crucially important for these kinds of campaigns. This is a big campaign that will get a lot of eyeballs – the last thing you want is for a character to be in an ad behaving in a way that they typically wouldn’t. Fans are sensitive and very protective of characters they love, so if you don’t get it right with a campaign of this magnitude, you’re going to hear about it.

But we’ve had such a great response to this. Everybody loves it – fans, the licensing community, the advertising community… It’s been incredible. It shows that all of the hard work that the Roald Dahl Story Company put in, that we put in and that the agency put in was worth it.

Alice: And it was about five months from when we got the story concept to developing the script, to then having the shoot. And then two months after the shoot for all the post-production… A lot was achieved in a very short space of time. We’re really proud of it.

Absolutely, it’s a terrific ad. Alice, what were some of the key story beats that needed to be right in order for this feel authentic?
Alice: It was really important that the BFG was true to the book when it comes to aspects like the way he interacted with Sophie, his character and his movement. Then there’s things like the correct use of Gobblefunk – which is the language of the BFG – and we had lots of conversations about his scale… Our Head of Brand, Lucy Appleby, was very involved with that, ensuring the creative was staying true to the book.

Of course. And it sounds like a strange thing to say about the BFG, but it’s easy to forget that he’s not the biggest giant!
Alice: Exactly! He’s 24 foot and although he’s a giant, he’s actually the smallest of all of the giants in the story. So that was something we needed to bear in mind. And then his relationship with Sophie was very important. One thing people remember from the story is that really lovely friendship they have, so it was important for us to get that right… And it’s Christmas, so we want it to feel warm, emotive and magical.

This is a new version of the BFG. It’s not the same ‘creation’ as seen in previous films or TV adaptations. David, is this a good example of how ads can give licensors license to reimagine iconic characters?
David: Absolutely. I think all of the most successful campaigns we’ve worked on involved this, like the campaign that put us on the map – Skeletor and He-Man dancing to Dirty Dancing. We took these classic characters and bought them into a live action scenario with real people wearing these incredible suits. It gave Masters of the Universe fans something they’d never seen before. We did a similar thing with Buddy the Elf in 2022 for Asda’s Christmas campaign – putting a beloved character in a new scenario.

People respond really well to that sort of thing in campaigns. They can often be more successful than anything that’s super hot ‘right now’ because they have the pull of nostalgia that other brands don’t have right now…. They can tap into treasured memories in a way that some of the ‘hottest’ brands in the world aren’t able to do.

Alice: We’re really proud that our IP continues to resonate with audiences. It’s something that really sets us apart from other content owners that are heavily driven by new content. It’s a tribute to how audiences feel about our stories and about our characters, especially the BFG, that we can create relevant adaptations for today’s audience.

David: Paddington is an interesting example of what we’re talking about here. Paddington in Peru is out and the brand is everywhere. If Sainsbury’s had done something with Paddington, it would have got a bit lost. That’s not to poo-poo Paddington because that team has done an incredible job and their goals have been a bit different to this. The benefit of doing something with the BFG –where there isn’t a tentpole happening around the brand right now – is that Sainsbury’s get a bigger share of voice around what’s happening with the brand.

Absolutely makes sense. And Alice, does something like this give a shot in the arm to the BFG brand in other ways?
Alice: For sure. the BFG is a universally loved character, and the story is one of our most popular evergreen titles. The added engagement that this opportunity brings to the IP has been wonderful to see, and off the back of this we’ve had some exciting licensing opportunities. There’s BFG Christmas cards and wrapping paper sold in Sainsbury’s this quarter. That obviously came from this partnership. We are also expecting to see a halo effect for our publishing business and in other licensed products.

Nice. And yes, I suppose if an ad resonates, there’s plenty of ways to turn that ad creative into products.
David: Yeah, and it can fuel sales for the core product too. When our MoneySuperMarket ad with Action Man launched, sales of Action Man action figures spiked. When we launched a campaign with Angry Birds and GEICO in the US, engagement with the game and digital downloads spiked as well. We’re really happy with that.

There are certainly opportunities with retailers to translates aspects of ads into consumer products, but the biggest challenge is timing. Ad agencies don’t work very far in advance, so there are limitations on what can be achieved in consumer products because of the longer lead times. It all depends on how much time you have to work with.

“We’re really proud that our IP continues to resonate with audiences.”

Have brands fully woken up to the potential of the Christmas ad space and what it could do for their brands? Was your phone ringing off the hook as since as this ad aired!?
David: Two things have happened. One is that the licensing community gets in touch with us to ask: “How can you do something like that for us?” The second thing is that on the advertising agency and advertiser side of things, the success of ads like this gets people thinking about how they could work with IP.

The other great thing is that System1 – a group that tests advertising – has a platform called Test Your Ad. They give your ad a score that relates to the ad’s potential to drive long-term brand growth. The score is between one and 5.9 – and only 1% of ads make it to five. The BFG Sainsbury’s campaign got a 5.9.

Amazing!
David: We’re absolutely thrilled – and it’s that kind of stuff that gets people in the advertising industry understanding that this works. I’ve been beating this drum for 10 years, talking about how effective characters can be in advertising… There’s only so much that I can say – you need to have results like this.

Two years ago, our Buddy the Elf campaign also scored a 5.9 and ended up being the number one most effective ad of 2022. When you’re starting to get these consistent high scores, people start paying attention. Characters are proving themselves in this space.

How many 5.9 ad campaigns do you need to have spearheaded before we have to call you the ‘King of Christmas’?
David: I think I need one more – wait until I get the hat-trick!

Ha! I’ve made a note! When a campaign resonates in the way this has, does it shape or change anything about how you approach extending brands moving forward?
Alice: We know there’s so much more scope for us to use our characters to help brands tell their stories; it’s relatively untapped for us in the ‘above the line’ marketing space and we want to ensure that we’re exploring all opportunities. So yes, it has opened up more ideas on our side and may well evolve our strategy moving forward, given its success so far.

David: For me, it’s reinforced this idea that brands with generational awareness and broad appeal belong in advertising – providing it feels authentic and the creative is great. It gives us new material to put in front of ad agencies and brands to say: ‘Look how incredible this can be.’

Before we wrap up, what’s on the agenda for you both in 2025?
Alice: There’s lots of exciting plans in the pipeline, including some really exciting new products across different categories and retailer campaigns – things like apparel, gifting, games and FMCG in food and beverage. When we can reveal more, we’ll have another chat about it.

And you’ll have Netflix’s The Twits animated movie next year too?
Alice: Yes, that’s arriving in 2025 and we’re really excited about that.

Terrific! And what’s in store for you next year David?
David: This campaign is a brilliant way to close out our 10th anniversary year and we always have exciting things in the pipeline. There’s a number of campaigns that we’re in the early stages of right now that will soon go to production. That’s exciting.

We’ll also be really busy on the licensing side with our Born to License arm, which we launched at the start of the year. We’ve just hired Alyssa Gourlay as our VP of Licensing in North America and we’re advertising for a licensing coordinator role in the US. The business has exploded bigger than I thought it possible to in our first 12 months. It’s been very cool.

The post The Roald Dahl Story Company’s Alice O’Brien and Born Licensing’s David Born on the origins and impact of The BFG Christmas ad appeared first on Brands Untapped.

The Wicked collection consists of a soft pink Glinda-inspired rose and an emerald green Elphaba-inspired rose. Each will retail for $99.95 and be available to purchase from November 22nd.

The collectible roses – made of real roses and real gold – arrive following a licensing process managed by the team at Born to License on behalf of Steven Singer Jewelers.

“Because of our own dual nature, we were excited to partner with Universal Products & Experiences,” said Steven Singer, Owner of Steven Singer Jewelers.

“The cinematic event of the year – Wicked – captures the duality of the expected and the unexpected, and of course, the beloved characters of Elphaba and Glinda. We are so excited to develop two halves of a beautiful set of roses to celebrate such an iconic film!”

David Born, Founder and CEO of Born Licensing, added: “We’re excited to see Steven Singer Jewelers expand their licensed product offering inspired by Wicked, which will no doubt delight fans this holiday season.”

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Set to debut on ITV1 at 8:15pm on Friday 1st November, the ad follows The BFG as he embarks on an adventure with Sainsbury’s employee Sophie, showcasing the flavours of Sainsbury’s festive Taste the Difference range. The ad also includes references from the story, including snozzcumbers, Frobscottle and dream jars.

The extensive partnership will see the BFG appear across TV, print, outdoor, social media, direct mail, and PR.

The deal was negotiated and managed by Born Licensing, licensing agent for Roald Dahl Story Company. Born Licensing and Roald Dahl Story Company worked with Sainsbury’s creative agency, NCA, to ensure this new iteration of the BFG came to life with authenticity.

NCA and Ogilvy were behind the creative with Rogue Films producing the TVC. The longform” film with cutdowns was directed by award winning director Sam Brown. Post-production and VFX were done by Electric Theatre Company.

“Christmas is the most competitive period for British advertisers and licensing a generationally adored character like the BFG is a sure-fire way to capture attention,” said David Born, Founder and CEO of Born Licensing.

“This is a brilliant example of how powerful advertising can be when combining cherished IP with brilliant creative.”

Alice O’Brien, Head of Global Commercial Partnerships at the Roald Dahl Story Company, added: “At the Roald Dahl Story Company storytelling is at the heart of what we do and we’re always on the lookout for opportunities to bring our beloved characters and stories to life in new ways, through bespoke and authentic partnerships and marketing campaigns. The BFG is the perfect fit for Sainsbury’s in creating a big Christmas.

“The power of Roald Dahl’s unique stories and characters is evidenced in Sainsbury’s desire to collaborate on the biggest marketing moment of the year. The partnership provided the opportunity to tell their story in a new and innovative way, harnessing the nostalgic love that the BFG brings to generations of audiences.”

Check out the ad below:

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Gourlay will oversee the company’s North American operations, supporting clients like Evry Jewels, Val Cucina and Dream Big Little Co – as well as securing new clients in the region.

With over 15 years of experience in licensing, Gourlay has held roles at The Sharpe Company, Haven Global and more recently as Director of Business Development at Wildbrain CPLG.

“Our Born to License business is growing quickly and Alyssa has the experience, leadership skills and entrepreneurial spirit we need to scale higher,” said David Born, Founder and CEO of Born Licensing.

“She has a proven passion for licensing and I’m excited to see our North American business thrive under her leadership.”

Alyssa Gourlay, Vice President of North America at Born to License, added: “Born to License’s fast-paced growth highlights a real need within our industry to innovate.
Working with Born to License enables the industry to expand into untapped categories, innovative product offerings and explore new routes to market, with the comfort that the licensee is being supported by a world-class team of licensing professionals.

“I am immensely excited to lead the expansion of Born to License in the North American market.”

Born to License is part of Born Licensing, best known for delivering incremental revenue to the licensing industry through deals in the licensed advertising category. The firm, which is celebrating 10 years of business in 2024, opened their Born to License division earlier this year.

“We’re closing in on Born to License’s first 12 months of operation and I’m thrilled with how quickly we’ve been able to prove that our unique business model works,” added Born.

“Alyssa will play a critical role in how we process the learnings from our first year and take things to a new level in 2025 and beyond.”

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What was your biggest concern about entering licensing?
Our biggest concern was the fact that we wouldn’t have the time necessary to invest in outreaching to – and building relationships with – licensors. We also had concerns about the upfront commitments and negotiation process.

You’re working with Born to License on your licensing journey. How have they helped make this a smooth process?
Born to License is helping us in every step of the process. They help us finding the right licenses, reaching out to them, negotiating and more. It allows us to focus on other areas of the business – and relax knowing that licensing projects are progressing smoothly and professionally.

Has anything surprised you about licensing so far?
It’s more accessible than we thought. We originally planned to wait another year before getting into licensing, but when we met David of Born to License, we understood that they would make it much easier and quicker for us to get into it… So we decided to start right away.

What do you feel is the key to successful creative collaborations between a company like yours and a brand owner?
The key to a successful collaboration in my opinion is an alignment in vision and values. It’s important for the two brands to share the values that customers connect with, reinforcing each other at the same time. Open and transparent communication is also very important to ensure the process goes smoothly.

Last question… How do you fuel your creativity? What inspires you?
Travelling. Being in different environments always brings fresh perspectives and ideas for me. The more I expose myself to different experiences, the more “pieces of puzzles” I can gather that can then be rearranged to create new ideas.

Good answer! Thanks again Benjamin.

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