Aardman strengthens commitment to Licensing business with key hires and promotions

Aardman has today announced a new strategic focus on its Licensing business. The new strategy and structure, spearheaded by Executive Commercial & Brand Director Emma Hardie, is a key part of Aardman’s Brand and Licensing division’s plans to maximise the impact and value of the studio’s IP around the world.

Alison Taylor is promoted to Director of & Licensing and Distribution, expanding her role to drive a more holistic strategy across the studio’s content sales and consumer products business. Alison, who has been at Aardman for 20 years and has been Director of Distribution since 2020, is responsible for driving the financing, distribution and long-term content exploitation strategy for each brand and will now lead the Licensing team to build on its impressive global licensing consumer products programme. As part of this, Taylor has implemented a new licensing strategy, with a number of key appointments to support the roll out.

The new structure includes the appointment of Licensing industry expert Susan Bolsover to the new role of Senior Licensing Manager and will be responsible for day-to-day team-management, with a particular remit to further build on the current success of Aardman’s licensing business across Asia. Susan has been a licensee, agent and a licensor, most recently having set up her own licensing consultancy and agency, Lightbulb Licensing, prior to which she served as Global Licensing Director at Penguin Random House for almost 10 years where she established the Penguin Ventures licensing team. Susan has worked on brands ranging from Star Wars, and Lord of the Rings while at DeAgostini, Despicable Me, Shrek, and Star Trek while at CPLG and Peter Rabbit, and The Snowman, at Penguin Random House.

Alongside the new leadership, the licensing team has been further bolstered by a number of promotions and new roles. Hannah McFarlane who has been with the studio for 10 years has been promoted to Licensing Manager, working with agents to develop our business across the UK and Germany, Ben Townsend continues as Licensing Approvals Coordinator and two brand-new roles have been created to support the business. Ilona Sunderland joins Aardman (previously Hasbro - Peppa Pig and Moonbug – Cocomelon) as Creative Services & Product Development Manager and will set and implement Aardman’s creative brand strategy and oversee product development, and Harry Marchant is the studio’s new Licensing and Consumer Product Assistant.

Emma Hardie, Executive Commercial & Brand Director at Aardman commented: "Aardman’s success in the licensing space has been impressive, driven by the incredible demand from our fans and audiences. With such iconic and enduring brands, it has been anatural progression to expand our ambitions in this area. It’s a real priority for us, and I am thrilled to have such a fantastic team in place to help us grow, working with our brilliant agents and partners around the world. We can’t wait to bring even more exciting products to our fans."

Alison Taylor, Director of Licensing & Distribution at Aardman added: “I’m excited to lead Aardman’s new Licensing & Consumer Products team. It’s been incredibly rewarding to see our beloved brands come to life across a wide array of products, and to witness the dedication and care taken to bring creative integrity in everything we do. I’m looking forward to building on the existing success of our Consumer Products programme, with an incredible team in place and a series of exciting opportunities ahead, fuelled by the studio’s upcoming tent-pole moments. With Susan’s exceptional experience and extensive network, I’m confident that under her team leadership, we’re poised for even greater success.”

Recent successes for the team include a carefully curated product range, and a publishing programme tied to the critically acclaimed hit movie Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (2024) as well as partnerships with Tyrell’s and Wallace & Gromit, and fashion brand Barbour with Shaun the Sheep. This week, Aardman and Premier Foods announced an exciting long-term partnership for Wallace & Gromit and Bisto, bringing two of the nation’s favourites together with its latest on-pack promotion launching later this month. The iconic British animated duo will feature alongside their arch nemesis, Feathers McGraw, in an on-pack promotion across Bisto Favourites Gravy products, from the 30th of January until the 19th of April 2025. Lush Cosmetics have also recently signed a multi-territory deal on an exclusive Shaun the Sheep collaboration which is set to be on shelves this from Q1 2025.