60% of the US public say that fictional character James Bond could be extra more likely to seize their consideration in an commercial than his celeb counterpart, Daniel Craig – so why do fictional characters function overwhelmingly lower than celebrities in US promoting?
In a white paper complement launched on ninth July 2023, Born Licensing, a worldwide agency specializing in licensing leisure IP to be used in promoting campaigns, handle the underutilization of fictional characters in promoting and the way highly effective they are often for creating efficient model campaigns. After insightful analysis from Ipsos primarily based on a UK viewers, Born Licensing was overwhelmed with requests to run the identical analysis within the US. The agency determined to conduct an analogous examine specializing in the US market to see if the outcomes have been related.
A Case For Characters: How Fictional Characters Are Below-Utilized In Promoting
This white paper complement, which is accessible on request by way of e mail, will assist promoting professionals, creatives and types higher perceive the ability of using fictional characters in promoting. The paper addresses why we don’t see many campaigns that includes fictional characters in promoting, regardless of 43% of the US public stating that they ‘most like’ to see fictional characters in promoting, in comparison with 23% favoring celebrities, 18% favoring musicians and 16% favoring sports activities stars .
The paper additionally highlights how utilizing fictional characters, reasonably than celebrities, musicians and sports activities stars, in promoting is extra more likely to seize consideration, make viewers bear in mind the advert the subsequent day, make individuals like a model, and make the general public need to inform family and friends or share on social media.
David Born (founder and CEO) and Amber Cheung (senior licensing govt) from Born Licensing co-authored this white paper complement and have labored on a spread of high-profile promoting campaigns which utilized fictional characters, together with Uber’s ‘Well-known Rides’ Halloween marketing campaign that includes Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ Social gathering Wagon, SpongeBob SquarePants’ Patty Wagon, and Scooby-Doo’s Thriller Machine, GEICO’s marketing campaign that includes Indignant birds, and Envestnet’s advert marketing campaign that includes Mr. Krabs from SpongeBob SquarePants. They have been additionally answerable for managing the licensing for UK retailer ASDA’s current Christmas marketing campaign starring Buddy the Elf from the cherished 2003 film, ‘Elf’, which was named the #1 simplest commercial within the UK in 2022 by System1.
Born Licensing performed intensive analysis to create the white paper complement, commissioning Ipsos to assist perceive the general public’s notion of fictional characters in promoting. The unique white paper covers three core areas:
● How fictional characters are under-utilized in promoting
● Why fictional characters are under-utilized in promoting
● What wants to vary to be able to see advertisers make the most of fictional characters extra.
Every space contains perception into a spread of subjects, together with:
● How do fictional characters examine to celebrities, musicians, and sports activities stars?
● Do fictional characters carry out higher than celebrities portraying them?
● Demand vs. actuality because it pertains to fictional characters, celebrities, sports activities stars, and
musicians being utilised in promoting.
● How do fictional characters stack up towards model characters?
The outcomes of the analysis conclusively show the general public urge for food for seeing fictional characters in promoting and begins to handle the limitations stopping promoting professionals from producing work that includes fictional characters.
David Born, founder and CEO of Born Licensing, says: “We’ve now performed this analysis within the US, the UK and Australian markets and the outcomes are clear. Fictional characters are what the general public most wish to see in promoting when in comparison with celebrities, sports activities stars and musicians. But, they solely seem in a small fraction of ads. The chance for advertisers to work with fictional characters is big. The demand is just not being met.”
Amber Cheung, senior licensing govt at Born Licensing, says: “While utilizing celebrities in promoting might be extraordinarily efficient and inventive, it’s one thing that customers, significantly within the US, are overly accustomed to. What our analysis most demonstrates is that customers need to be stunned in addition to entertained. Working with fictional well-known characters is a large alternative for advertisers to chop by the noise, to do one thing totally different, to be half of popular culture, and to create promoting content material that customers actively need to interact with and share.”
The white paper is accessible on request by way of e mail right here.
