“We’re being a bit braver this year…”: The team at Juiced discuss a busy 2026 so far

How’s 2026 been so far for Juiced?
Busy – but in a really good way! The kind of busy where you occasionally forget what day it is, but the work makes it worth it. We’ve been building on some relationships, landing new ones and generally pushing the work harder both creatively and commercially. More project rollouts and stuff actually hitting shelves.

We’re also being a bit braver this year, testing ideas internally as well as pushing styles and approaches that maybe we wouldn’t have a couple of years ago.

You’ve worked across a pretty eclectic mix of IP. Has that been intentional?
Very intentional! It keeps things fresh: we’d get bored solving the same problems over and over again. Also, ideas travel well… Something you learn working on a car brand might unlock something interesting in kids’ IP and vice versa. That crossover is where the good stuff lives.

We’ve always said we don’t want to be boxed into one lane. The more varied the input, the more interesting the output. We’re not trying to be ‘the studio for X’. We’re trying to be the studio that makes anything more interesting.

How do you make sure your creative works commercially?
We don’t believe in ‘art for art’s sake’ when it comes to licensing. If it doesn’t sell, it’s just decoration. So we start with the reality check: who’s buying this? Where are they buying it? And has trend research been done? Then we build the creative around that – not the other way round.

The sweet spot is something that feels fresh enough to stand out, but still recognisably that IP. When you get that balance right, it works hard commercially.

“We’ve always said we don’t want to be boxed into one lane.”

What makes for a good brief from a client?
Clarity and trust. A good brief doesn’t need to have all the answers, but it does need to clearly define the problem. What are we trying to achieve? Who are we talking to? What trend do we want to explore? The best briefs also leave room for us to do what we do best. If everything’s already decided, you’re not really getting the value of a creative partner.

Some of our favourite projects come from slightly chaotic briefs – as long as there’s open communication and collaboration. For example, if something’s not working, say so! If you don’t know what you want, say that too. We’ll figure it out together.

Expanding on that, what’s the key to successful client/studio relationships?
It comes down to partnership. The best relationships we have are with clients who see us as an extension of their team, not just a supplier. That’s when you get the best work – when there’s honesty, trust and a shared ambition to make something genuinely great.

We pride ourselves on being easy to work with and adaptable, even when briefs evolve or timelines get tight – because there’s always a style guide that needs doing ASAP. It’s about alignment. If both sides care about the outcome, everything else tends to fall into place.

We had Licensing Expo a few months back, and BLE is on the horizon. How important are shows like this to Juiced?
They’re massively important! We’re a studio that works globally and events like these compress the world into a few days. You can meet old partners, potential new ones and explore new opportunities all in one place. More than that, they keep us plugged into the licensing culture. You see trends emerging in real time, what’s resonating, what’s oversaturated and where there’s space to do something different. That insight feeds straight back into our work.

“A good brief doesn’t need to have all the answers, but it does need to clearly define the problem.”

Plus, it’s a reminder that what we do doesn’t live on a screen: it lives out in the world. And that’s ultimately what we’re here for and why we do what we do.

Can you talk us through some recent wins?
Recently, we’ve had a string of really cool wins from both returning clients and new clients alike. Some notable wins that we can talk about are about our win for Ubisoft’s IP, Rabbids, as well as the star of this year’s Brands Untapped Vegas cover, the blue blur himself, Sonic the Hedgehog.

We have also recently re-ignited our contract with Funko EMEA! We absolutely love working with Marilia, Dips and the team there.

Sonic is having a big year with the 35th anniversary – what has that brand been like to create for?
Having Sonic officially on our roster of clients has felt like a huge win for Juiced. We love working with household names especially when we have such big fans in the team, this really makes for work that is filled with good energy and inspiration.