The Creative License Team, December, 2024

We are a leading global entertainment licensing firm. We specialize in the ideation and procurement of celebrity talent, expert music supervision and licensing, and the delivery of other copyrighted properties for use in brands’/agencies’ advertising and promotional campaigns. We’ve successfully negotiated over 4,000 contracts for our clients. Our efforts have resulted in time and cost efficiencies, comprehensive contracts driving industry best practices and measurable cost savings (cost avoidance) in the range of 25 – 35% compared to ad agencies or our industry competitors.

We represent dozens of Fortune 500 brands and their agencies. Our experience serving every industry including automotive, beverage, food, pharmaceutical, retail, and software gives us a broad and thorough understanding of each client’s business. Additionally, our creative insight and access into popular culture and its music, influencers, subject matter experts, and celebrity talent (drawn from film, television, sports, and fashion) have contributed to some of the most memorable campaigns worldwide.

Creative License is independent, not beholden to the undue influences of any holding company or talent agencies. We answer only to you and your brand.

What is different about Creative License? The answer to that is strategy and relentlessness. The strategy is a story already familiar to many of your colleagues. It makes a compelling difference, and you will resonate.



What Our Clients Say:

“Working with Creative License has been one of the best partnership experiences we've had with 10/10 client services!”
Carly CohenChief Legal Officer, KFC
“Seriously, how do you all do this? It's a master class in celebrity, music, and IP partnerships – from top to bottom. Clients are over the moon!”
Nikki BakerCEO, Fallon
“I love that, as a company, there is this relentless creative culture of ‘whatever it takes.’ Your team just keeps going. We are so appreciative and lucky to have your team as a valued partner. You are the best!”
Amy HinsleyGlobal Head of Marketing, HP; Former Director of Marketing, Walmart
“Holy Cow! Thank you so much! This was a very tall order and I can’t believe how quickly you guys turned that creative around. We are loving it. Thank you guys very much!”
Brian DooleySVP & Director of Integrated Production, Leo Burnett
ALL TESTIMONIALS

In the News:

Kevin McKiernan goes out on top
30 years ago, Kevin McKiernan CEO & Founder of Creative License, was looking at the exit sign and reading the tea leaves. He knew it was…
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25 Years: Countless Moments
Kevin McKiernan's passion for creativity and strategic thinking began long before he founded Creative License in 1999. Prior to running a company, he worked as an actor, an experience which taught him the importance of tenacity and innovative approaches to achieving goals.
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Schwarzenegger is Agent State Farm
Insurance provider State Farm shows audiences how to be a good neighbor in this year's Super Bowl commercial, created by Highdive with celebrity talent negotiation and execution undertaken by Creative License, an agency that specializes in music, celebrity talent, and intellectual property procurement for brands and ad agencies.
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Vaughn, Brady and Gretzky for BetMGM
Leading sports betting and iGaming operator BetMGM, made its Super Bowl television debut this year, launching a star-studded spot created by advertising agency Highdive and directed by Jeff Low through Biscuit Filmworks.
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Matching Music to a Mission
LBB's April Summers learns how the company delivered the first usage of George Harrison’s legendary ‘Here Comes the Sun’ for a life-changing brand campaign
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Walmart x CL: Next Level Holidays
It’s no secret that Walmart likes to go big for the holiday season. Last year, the retail giant made headlines for reuniting the cast of Mean Girls for an iconic Black Friday campaign. This creative would not have been possible without the help of global entertainment licensing firm, Creative License, who facilitated the license of not only the film’s IP but also the leading talent in the spot (Lindsay Lohan, Amanda Seyfried, Lacey Chabert, Missy Elliot) and music (Missy Elliott’s “Pass That Dutch”).
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Who Should Pitch, Angelina Or Dylan?
How much is a celebrity worth? Advertising agencies don't really know how to calculate the dollar value of star power. Hollywood talent agents are no help:
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Miranda Lambert x Cotton
Coverage of the Miranda Lambert and Cotton campaign, highlighting Creative License's talent procurement and music supervision work.
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Lights, Camera, Calculator!
Film and television producers might want to bring a spreadsheet to their next casting meeting. To help decide which celebrity is the best choice for a film role or product endorsement, entertainment and marketing executives can tap into a host of numbers to gauge public figures' star power.
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The Waning Days Of 'Mere' Music Licensing
From the early strains of 'Revolution' by Nike, marketing has increasingly co-opted the soundtracks of popular culture to create emotional resonance. And, boy, has the dance between marketers and music changed.
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Ad Guru
The good news for today's advertising executives: the creative industry offers more venues than ever for marketing campaigns.
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Watch:

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Our Culture

A CL Story

OUR WORK
“Thank you for everything, CL! We truly would not have survived without you all.”
Rachel Tierney · Executive Producer, BBH
“I was anticipating the worst-case scenario of having to shift shoot dates and other deadlines because it wasn't executable. But you all pulled it off! Simply incredible effort.”
Chris Carter · EVP & Managing Director, Deutsch LA