T-Mobile x SpongeBob SquarePants - Mobile Thuis

To highlight their internet, TV and fixed-line packages, T-Mobile in the Netherlands wanted to develop a series of new campaigns to attract and convert their audience. The campaign also focused on how individuals use their mobile data differently, meaning the campaign needed to be highly engaging to a wide demographic.

T-Mobile Netherlands creative agency Anomaly came to us for help with licensing well known, high-end clips from well-known films, TV shows and animations as part of a series of campaigns. One of the campaigns had a ‘coming home’ theme, and the other highlighted the many ways their mobile data can be used.

The first of the creative campaigns focused on T-Mobile’s GO Unlimited EU subscription. Anomaly were looking for an instantly recognisable movie or TV clip featuring an explosion to add dramatic effect to this first ad. The second ad centred around the idea of ‘coming home’ - our brief was to identify possible clips or characters that focused on this theme, including commuting or travelling to and from work. This ad was going to be set to an upbeat soundtrack, so Born Licensing set about looking for fast-paced scenes for the journey home as well as scenes set in the home (using the TV, phone or computer, to tie into T-Mobile’s offering) to fit this brief. For both ads, Born Licensing produced a list of possible clips or characters to be used in the creative, and began scoping out the licensing commercial terms with each clip’s Rights Holder so that the production could begin as quickly as possible should their clip be chosen.

After assessing the shortlist, T-Mobile and Anomaly settled on clips from SpongeBob SquarePants and Wallace & Gromit. As Born Licensing are licensing agents for Viacom Nickelodeon (the Rights Holders of SpongeBob SquarePants), we negotiated the commercial terms and all other aspects of the project from start to finish, without charging any clearance fees for the use of the SpongeBob SquarePants clip.The Wallace & Gromit material is held by Aardman Animation: thanks to Born Licensing’s network of relationships in the media industry, we were able to negotiate favourable commercial licensing terms with Aardman Animation for the use of clips from Wallace & Gromit, too.

ViacomCBS, the Rights Holders of SpongeBob SquarePants, and Aardman Animation, the Rights Holders of Wallace & Gromit, reviewed and approved the script, storyboards, edits and final material. Throughout the process, Born Licensing managed communications between all parties involved to ensure any issues were dealt with quickly. Managing the approval process in such a way allows T-Mobile and Anomaly to focus on creative production, without worrying about encountering licensing issues along the way.

The multi-channel campaign was launched across the Netherlands, with the ad being shown on TV, in T-Mobile’s high street stores, across social media and at all T-Mobile’s events. The campaign was hugely successful, and was renewed twice by T-Mobile thanks to its positive response.