10 Minutes with… George Mackay, eejits10 Minutes with… George Mackay, eejits
Illustrator George Mackay won 2020's Kelvyn Gardner License This! competition at BLE’s Festival of Licensing.
October 6, 2021

License Global caught up with George Mackay, illustrator and creator, eejits to find out how the past year have been for him and his Kelvyn Gardner License This! competition-winning brand, eejits.
How has the past 12 months been for you and your brand eejits?
The past 12 months have been fantastic, with both ups and downs.
What’s next for eejits?
After winning the “Character and Animation” category of License This! I have slightly moved my focus away from retail products and am now actively pursuing getting eejits onto the small/big screen as an animated property.
You previously said you hoped your success in the competition would raise your profile? Has this been the case?
The benefit of being a member of Licensing International and having access to their directory has been a fantastic resource and I have been emailing numerous people in the business with my pitch deck for eejits. I have had some fantastic chats, emails and zoom calls with people I would never have met otherwise. I would say that my profile has risen considerably, now that I am getting my foot in the door, so to speak.
You have a stand at BLE in November this year. What are you looking forward to most about exhibiting?
Having never exhibited before, I am not sure what to expect. I hope to continue the fantastic conversations I have been having with people in the licensing industry, but this time face-to-face, rather than over Zoom. I’m looking forward to it.
Why should people enter the Kelvyn Gardner License This! competition?
I would have never thought about entering a competition like the Kelvyn Gardner License This! compeition as I was always of the mindset of doing everything myself, working away in my wee corner of the Highlands of Scotland. However, I was encouraged by the previous year’s winner, Drew Bristow (Carrot & Toast), to enter and on doing so it has opened my eyes to a whole new exciting world of licensing – a world I thought was out of reach to me.
So, I would like to pass on the baton and do the same to help encourage anyone else thinking of entering. Go for it! What's the worst that could happen? Your profile will be raised, and you never know where this may take you, your idea or brand. You have nothing to lose. After all, all you’re doing is showing people what you love, what you create, make or design. Get that entry form in! I didn’t think I had a chance when I entered mine but took that first step regardless. And that first step was all that was needed.
Be sure to register for Brand Licensing Europe here and to enter your brands into the Kelvyn Gardner License This! competition, click here and submit by 5 PM BST Monday, October 11.
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