Spotlight On... Peter Rabbit’s 120th Anniversary

Happy Birthday

With 2022 the year of Peter Rabbit’s 120th birthday, Penguin Random House Children’s will be celebrating the anniversary with an adventurous, fun filled campaign that’s full of Peter’s traditional mischievousness.

PG&H took a peek to see who is doing what in licensed giftware.

Beatrix Potter’s The Tale Of Peter Rabbit was first published in 1902 by Frederick Warne & Co., (now an imprint of Penguin Random House), with the iconic rabbit in a blue jacket going on to win the hearts of millions of children and adults across the globe based around his antics in Mr McGregor’s garden.

As Peter Rabbit’s 120th birthday gets underway, Penguin Ventures, (the licensing team at Penguin Random House Children’s), highlights that it will be growing existing product ranges during 2022, with special commemorative ranges launching across gifting categories, plush and apparel.

“The birthday moment presents a fantastic opportunity for both our existing licensees as well as new partners in the UK and other key international territories,” says Susan Bolsover, global licensing and consumer products director at Penguin Ventures. “We’ve been delighted with the way in which licensees, promotional partners and retailers are supporting this milestone moment, helping to create memories for existing and new Peter Rabbit fans alike, be that through products, experiences or events.” Among the giftware licensees is Rainbow Designs, with managing director Anthony Temple explaining: “Beatrix Potter’s much-loved Peter Rabbit has been an integral part of our Rainbow family for over 45 years now, and it is absolutely no surprise that this cherished, fun-loving bunny has stood the test of time and is now celebrating a momentous 120-year anniversary. Over the years we have embraced the values and integrity of Peter Rabbit and created joyful, inspiring soft play, nursery and toy ranges, including our best-selling Once Upon a Time and Signature collections for little ones’ early years journey.”

He continues. “For 2022, and in celebration of 120 years of Peter Rabbit, we will be adding a new collection of ‘forever toys’, to our best-selling Once Upon a Time range - playful wooden toys that include a Peter Rabbit and Flopsy Bunny pull-along, a colourful wooden building blocks set, a 5 piece wooden shape puzzle and a 28 piece domino set, all featuring Beatrix Potter’s timeless, nostalgic illustrations of Peter Rabbit and his friends.”

Another long-term licensee is Enesco, which is celebrating Peter Rabbit’s special anniversary with a new product launch featuring a Running Peter figurine - a limited edition of only 1,200 pieces. “At £35 SRP this will be in huge demand,” states Enesco’s marketing & product director Helen Cottrill. “We have also added an essential

Above left: The Tale of Peter Rabbit Above: A pull-along Peter Rabbit from Rainbow Designs. Left: Lots of exciting Peter Rabbit 120th anniversary celebrations will be taking place this year.

insulated bottle bag to our multi-award winning baby collection, which continues to be a firm favourite with a whole new generation of Peter Rabbit fans.”

As she explains: “Enesco has held a Beatrix Potter licence for over 30 years, with our licensing manager, Wendy Addison, involved from the outset. This has led to a great understanding of the brand, which in turn results in some fantastic product development. At Spring Fair, we will have a large feature area dedicated to Beatrix Potter and the anniversary.”

Adds Helen: “In addition, 2022 is also the 20th anniversary of our collaboration with Jim Shore, and we will be showcasing the latest additions to the Beatrix Potter by Jim Shore collection, which features a new mini size range, plus full size figurines. It’s sure to be as popular as the initial launch, which sold out in 2021.”

Meanwhile, riding on the back of their hugely successful licensed range of Beatrix Potter 'pot’ accessories launched in Spring 2019 (under their multi award-winning brands Potty Feet, Cane Companions and Pot Buddies), is Jardinopia, which has recently been awarded a strategic global licensing contract by Penguin Books to produce a full range of Beatrix Potter gardening products. These include an adult and children’s range of garden tools and gardening wear (including gloves, gauntlets, kneelers, hip and shed tidies, aprons and gardening bags), seed products and a range of Eco-Pots made from bamboo and recycled plastic bottles. In all, over 50 lines will be launched at Spring Fair and Top Drawer in February this year, with a further 100 lines launched throughout 2022 across multiple garden product categories. ''We’re delighted to be working so closely, and at such a strategic level, with Penguin to create a wide range of innovative, high quality garden products for the Beatrix Potter franchise,” comments Jardinopia’s ceo Andrea Barnett. “We are focused on producing a differentiated range with strong environmental credentials, while at the same time attempting to get as many children interested in gardening and the outdoors as possible'.” Fizz Creations too, has a new collection of licensed gifts featuring Peter Rabbit. The range includes keepsake gifting as well as lighting and children’s games. It also has an exclusive launch this Easter with one of the major supermarkets. “Peter Rabbit is such an iconic character that has enchanted families for nearly 120 years, so we really wanted to create a collection of gifts that was sympathetic to the brand and used the traditional Peter Rabbit style but with a modern Fizz twist,” explains marketing manager Zoe Ryan. “Our current range launched just before Christmas and is already selling well for the anniversary year. We are also really excited to have worked with a major retailer and will be launching an exclusive Easter collection in Spring, focused heavily on gifting and games.”

“With an incredible legacy that has endured since 1902, we wanted to use this milestone for the brand to celebrate Peter Rabbit’s continued relevance and resonance with today’s families,” says Izzy Richardson, global director, Owned Brands, Penguin Random House Children’s. “Our ambitious, year-long series of birthday celebrations will enable us to connect parents, young children and fans with The World of Peter Rabbit, helping to continue Beatrix Potter’s legacy for a new generation. Through new immersive experiences, digital and social content, consumer products and publishing, everyone will be invited to celebrate with Peter in 2022.”

Peter Rabbit: The Lowdown

l The Tale of Peter Rabbit, one of the world’s best loved children’s books, has never been out of print since it was first published by Frederick Warne & Co. in 1902. l The book has sold in excess of 46m copies globally, and today, over 2m of Beatrix Potter’s ‘little books’ are sold worldwide every year. l Globally, Peter Rabbit has appeared on books and merchandise in more than 110 countries. l Managed in-house by Penguin Ventures, The World of Beatrix Potter remains one of the world’s largest literature-based licensing programmes.

Above left: Enesco’s Beatrix Potter by Jim Shore collection. Above right: A Jardinopia Eco-Pot that is made from bamboo. Below: Peter Rabbit giftware from Fizz Creations.

Some Of 2022’s Celebratory Events...

l Peter Rabbit’s role as children’s ambassador for the Queen’s Green Canopy will see Peter supporting tree planting initiatives throughout the year, while celebratory Picnics for Peter will take place during the summer supported by key partners at locations throughout the UK. l There will also be a programme of experiential activations in the UK offering families immersive events throughout the year, to include a brand new Peter Rabbit Story Time Trail which launches in March. l In addition, there will also be a brand new stage production, Happy Birthday Peter Rabbit, launching at the World of Beatrix Potter attraction in the Lake District this summer.