TOTAL LICENSING
A CASE FOR CHARACTERS HOW FICTIONAL CHARACTERS ARE UNDER-UTILISED IN ADVERTISING Born Licensing is focused solely on the licensing of entertainment based IP for the purposes of advertising and marketing. Founder David Born and his team have a deep understanding of how the licensing industry works and how advertising agencies and brands can license their intellectual property. In this article, following on from the publication of their recent White Paper, David Born and Amber Cheung look at why fictional characters are under-used in advertising campaigns. While there has been a significant level of research into the use and effectiveness of celebrity endorsements, there is surprisingly little research into the use of fictional characters in advertising. We regularly see celebrities used in advertising in an effort to add credibility, create a conversation and increase brand awareness, while fictional characters, whose impact could be even greater, are often overlooked.
Fictional characters can be a powerful tool for advertisers. They can instantly bring with them broad awareness, a loyal fan-base and positive attributes to align with a brand. They have the ability to tap into a range of emotions and memories. They can also pose a smaller risk than celebrities, as they’re much less likely to be associated with any scandals that could negatively impact a brand.
So, with the benefits clear to us, why is it that fictional characters appear in advertising significantly less than celebrities? We set out on a journey to investigate how and why fictional characters are under-utilised in advertising. The following is a summary of our white paper, which we believe is the first indepth research of its kind. What do the UK public think about fictional characters in advertising?
A White Paper by David Born and Amber Cheung from Born Licensing
Based in London, Born Licensing has recently been named by the Financial Times as the 58th Fastest Growing Company in Europe.
Source: Ipsos MORI survey 27 November 2020 n=999 adults aged 16-75 in the UK who selected either a famous character from a film,TV show or animation, a celebrity, a famous music artist or a famous sports star.
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