This uptick in the adorable pig’s
profitability is due in large part to a new US distribution deal with
ties to Wal-Mart stores.
Peppa first came to the United
States in 2011, when her brand’s co-owners, Astley Baker Davies in
the UK and Entertainment One in Canada, entered into a licensing
agreement with Fisher-Price. Mattel, the parent company of
Fisher-Price, made Peppa Pig merchandise available exclusively in US
Toys ‘R Us stores. Since 2011, Peppa’s popularity has continued
to grow, particularly in the UK and in Europe, but also in the United
States.
The initial merchandising deal with
Fisher-Price is set to expire at the end of 2014, and Entertainment
One has signed a new deal with Jazwares, a company best known for its
licensing and distribution of toys related to Minecraft, a popular
online game. As Entertainment One is looking to capitalize on Peppa’s
rise in fame, Jazwares has promised to make the brand’s merchandise
available in US Walmart stores beginning in January 2015, further
opening the US market to the Peppa Pig craze that has swept other
parts of the world.
Peppa Pig is the creation of British
animators Mark Baker and Neville Astley. The show debuted in the UK
in 2004, and Peppa Pig cartoons run in five-minute episodes on UK
television. Today, the show is aired in over 180 territories around
the world and has become the number one ranked show for preschoolers
in Britain, Italy, Australia and Spain. Her creators have observed
that the Peppa franchise has never failed to expand rapidly in a new
location, as long as the show is given a broadcasting time slot
appropriate to her preschool audience. In fact, Peppa has beaten out
popular rivals like Thomas the Tank Engine and Fireman Sam in many of
the locations where her show airs.
How far will Peppa Pig fever go in
the US? While details of the Walmart-based Peppa line are still to be
unveiled, more than 12,000 Peppa-themed products are already
available around the world, from pasta entrees, to beanbag toys, to
pencil pouches. In Hampshire, in the UK, there is already a Peppa Pig
theme park, and planning for another Peppa-themed attraction has
begun in Italy.
