Visitors to stand B085 at BLE 2011 can share in a little Moomin magic. They won’t be alone. The past year has seen the brand’s already strong presence in the market further boosted in such areas as plush, greetings cards and fashion accessories. There has also been a strong promotional push, both online and at public events.

In the past 12 months, not only has Aurora expanded its successful Moomin plush range but Hype Associates has made the friendly trolls the stars of a stunning new range of greetings cards, and Disaster Designs — an award winner for its Moomin fashion bags — has developed a ten-piece Moomin-branded lifestyle collection for young women. Supporting activity for the brand has been brisk too, firstly with the successful relaunch of the Moomin Facebook fan site in June. In July, the Moomins were a highlight of Pop Up, a new free, public festival in London celebrating literature and stories. Puffin, publisher of Moomin picture, sticker, activity, board and novelty books, supplied stories and helped out with colouring sheets, pencils, badges and postcards. There was also a very popular Moomin picnic, supported by the Embassy of Finland in London, for which Self-Made Hero, publisher of the Moomins Cookbook, supplied food. And Moomintroll himself made an appearance!

The Moomins have been stars of books, cartoon strips, stage and screen for over half a century. Caroline Mickler Ltd is Licensing Agent for the brand in the UK. Its strategy for the Moomin brand has brought a wide range of licensed product, including plush, stationery, cards, books, apparel, accessories, tableware, and fashion and lifestyle products to two target markets for whom the lovable, carefree trolls have a massive and enduring appeal: children and young adult women. Among the campaign’s biggest licensing successes so far has been Disaster Designs, which won best branded/character section in the GA 2010 Gift of the Year Awards for its Moomin fashion bags.

Caroline Mickler says: “The irresistible charm, humour and unique style of Moomin are all part of the enduring appeal of the brand and the reason that the licensing campaign has made such extraordinary progress in the short time since it was launched. Moomin is, quite simply, a magical brand — and I am sure Moomin will continue to cast its wonderful spell at BLE 2011.”