Snoopy and the Gang’s Big Milestone Inspires Licensees, Retailers, Promotions, and Events in Global Celebration
New York, NY – September 28, 2020 – On October 2, 1950, Charlie Brown first appeared in the comics pages of seven American newspapers. In the following days and years, he was joined by friends Lucy and Linus, his sister Sally, and, of course, everyone’s favorite beagle, Snoopy. Seven decades later, the Peanuts gang has left an indelible mark on global pop culture and this fall has seen an abundance of merchandise celebrating the brand’s 70th anniversary around the world.
Always in fashion, this year Snoopy and the gang have been featured on collections with the Brazilian apparel company Mar Quente, as well as Nordic fashion house Soulland, and French retailer Cyrillus. In the accessories aisle, Timex has bowed limited edition watches, and LA Rocks released a line of 70th anniversary Peanuts jewelry. Out of Spain, Woodys launched 70th anniversary eyewear featuring the gang.
Snoopy fans aren’t limited to the fashions they wear themselves, there are a number of collections that keep the festivities going around the home. German homewares retailer Butlers celebrated the occasion with a line of dishware, while France’s Leblon Delienne launched Snoopy figures featuring a platinum-colored heart to celebrate the occasion. Smeg, known for their stylish domestic appliances, will release 70 limited edition refrigerators. Longtime Peanuts partner Hallmark also released a collection, including figures, stationery, and gifts celebrating the gang’s 70th anniversary. For the crafters who want to incorporate this event into their creations, Springs Creative has released a line of 70th anniversary fabric by the yard. Polaroid is encouraging fans to capture this once in a lifetime moment with film featuring the characters. The Peanuts Book from DK, written by Simon Beecroft, with a foreword by Stephen Colbert celebrates the legacy of the comic strip.
The brand has also secured a number of tasty promotional activations, including the Gong Cha bubble tea chain in Australia, MOS Burger in Taiwan, and celebratory cakes at Hummingbird Bakery in the UK. Promotions continued with Kewpie mayonnaise in Japan, activations at 7-11 stores in Taiwan and Hong Kong, and festivities at the North American dog-daycare franchise Dogtopia.
And while many experiences shifted timelines or moved to virtual, several activations in Asia marked the occasion, including a Snoopy Run in Chengdu, China, and “What a Wonderful Day” – an exhibition at MoCA Shanghai. Japan even hosted a 70th anniversary temporary store in an airstream trailer – The Peanuts Trailer Shop. Fans in Brazil can celebrate with a Snoopy Virtual Run hosted by HT Sports in October.
“Peanuts is beloved around the world and it is gratifying to see so many wonderful collections celebrating this occasion,” said Roz Nowicki, Executive Vice President of Peanuts Worldwide. “Not many brands can claim this level of relevance 70 years after they began. Charles Schulz’s characters, and the human experiences they embody, still delight fans today.”
For more information, please contact:
Hannah Guy, 212-293-8524, hannah.guy@peanuts.com
About Peanuts
Charles M. Schulz first introduced the world to the Peanuts characters in 1950, when the Peanuts comic strip debuted in seven newspapers. Since then, Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the rest of the Peanuts gang have made an indelible mark on popular culture. The new series Snoopy in Space launched on Apple TV+ on November 1, 2019. Peanuts animated specials and series air on major networks and streaming services, including ABC, CartoonNetwork.com and Boomerang in the U.S., Family Channel in Canada, and the WildBrain Spark network on YouTube. Fans also enjoy Peanuts through thousands of consumer products around the world, amusement parks attractions, cultural events, social media, and a daily comic strip available in all formats from traditional to digital. In 2018, Peanuts partnered with NASA on a multi-year Space Act Agreement designed to inspire a passion for space exploration and STEM among the next generation of students. The Peanuts characters and related intellectual property are 41% owned by WildBrain Ltd., 39% owned by Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc., and 20% owned by family of Charles M. Schulz.