Blacklist Experiences, a leading creative agency, has announced a new partnership with Aardman, the award-winning UK studio, having created new concepts for the popular global property Shaun the Sheep, with further concepts for much-loved IP Wallace & Gromit and Timmy Time in development.
These new family-friendly Aardman concepts promise fun opportunities to create memories together. They are all scalable, designed for high-traffic, low-square-footprint destinations, and come with the option of a full merchandise retail plan in partnership with IVS.
The Blacklist team is ideally placed to complete this project since they have all come from IP backgrounds with a strong foundation in storytelling and brands.
“We’re delighted to be working with the talented creative team at Blacklist to conceptualise exciting visitor experiences featuring our award-winning brands”, says Ngaio Harding-Hill, head of attractions and live experiences at Aardman, who will be attending IAAPA Expo Europe 2024 as part of the Experience UK delegation. To discuss the Blacklist concepts for Aardman, she can be found at booth #8624.
Blacklist Experiences’ unique expertise
Blacklist Experiences offers turnkey creative services and is one of the few companies in the industry that does production in-house, meaning it is competitive on pricing and works with a holistic approach to each project.
“Our expertise in understanding leading brands within a themed environment is a true testament to the 24 IPs we are currently representing concepts for,” says Annabel Rochfort, general manager of Blacklist Experiences.
The company recently completed a significant out-of-home placement campaign to promote the UEFA Champions League and English Premier League on a major streaming platform, covering the UK, Scandinavia, Italy, and Germany. It also contributed to the digital launch campaign for ASICS’s new METAFUJI Trail running shoe, creating two ads that emphasised the mental health benefits of trail running and the technical advancements of the new METAFUJI shoe.
In addition, Blacklist Experiences has just completed filming a new commercial for a puzzle-based app for a British heritage brand, set to air on national TV and online. This was a full-service project, from concept and filming to editing and design.
The team also recently attended Gamescom 2024 in Cologne, where they explored new titles, met passionate creators, and got a sneak peek at some upcoming surprises.
Looking to the future, Blacklist Experiences has launched its year-long nationwide Creative & Design internship programme across the UK in collaboration with leading creative universities. Alongside this, it is also engaging with universities by hosting talks, seminars, and workshops. The firm has also announced the hiring of a new lead designer in its London office.
Meet the team at IAAPA Expo Europe 2024
The Blacklist Experiences team will be attending IAAPA Expo Europe 2024, which is taking place in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, from 23 – 27 September.
On Thursday 26 September at 12 pm, Rochfort will join a panel of expert speakers for an EDUSession called A Holistic Approach to Location Based Entertainment. This interactive session is dedicated to the various expertise required to execute a best-in-class location-based entertainment project and will cover all areas from operating to design to entertainment to ride selection along with food and beverage.
Speakers include Ashley Fletcher of Rollover Ltd, James Barlow from Rainbow Productions, Lennard Otto of Global Leisure & Entertainment, and Terry Monkton of Simworx.
Attendees can meet with Rochfort during the show, as well as Mathias Upton-Hansen, co-founder and CEO, and Femke Westerhof, general manager, Blacklist Amsterdam. Meetings can be scheduled in advance via email. Lola Gamester, co-owner and joint MD of Blacklist Creative, is attending Brand Licensing Europe the same week. Meetings can be arranged by email.
Additionally, the firm will make some big announcements before IAAPA Expo 2024 in Orlando this November, with more of the IP partners it supports.
Blacklist Experiences has multiple IP concepts focusing on everything from kids, luxury automotive, lifestyle, movie franchises to confectionery. The business is built upon IP experts, making it an ideal design firm for any IP-related projects.
