National Geographic and Topps launch new animal sticker collection for kids

Brandora Editorial Staff - February 2019

National Geographic has announced the launch of its National Geographic Kids Animal Sticker Collection in partnership with licensee Topps, a major manufacturer of collectable and confectionery products

Launching across multiple markets throughout EMEA and LATAM, beginning with the UK, the sticker collection offers over 200 stickers to collect, including special foil and shaped stickers of the cutest, most fearsome, smallest and biggest animals on the planet. They can all be placed in a special National Geographic Kids-branded sticker album containing information about the animals. The album includes tips on how to help the environment, fun facts and, of course, super-cute pictures of animals.

Reflecting the strong sustainability message that underpins a growing number of products in the National Geographic licensing programme, the range incorporates biodegradable packaging. Topps is using a biodegradable polybag for the UK and oxo-biodegradable polybags for the international markets. Both are new forms of packaging for Topps and used specifically for the National Geographic collection – a feature that Topps hopes eventually to roll out across its other licensed collections as well. The stickers – and all Topps stickers for a number of years – use Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-approved material.

Both the album and the stickers are widely available at grocers, convenience stores, independent newsagents and all good retailers throughout all of the launch markets. The Starter Pack, priced at £3.00, includes 25 stickers and sticker packets available at only 60p. The target audience, like that of the National Geographic Kids magazine, is children aged from six up – and their parents. In fact, 90% of parents whose children get the magazine read it with their kids!

The National Geographic Kids Animal Stickers Collection was launched on 17 January 2019, tying in with the highly successful National Geographic Kids magazine – the number one kids’ subscription magazine in the UK – and the arrival of the sixth annual Big Cat Month on the popular channel, NatGeo WILD, an eagerly awaited feature that showcases the world’s most extraordinary big cat species.

The Animals Sticker Collection is being supported by online and magazine ads including a national newspaper campaign on 17 February in which The Sun gave away a free sticker album with a retail partner. The collection also includes a competition that gives kids the chance to invite popular guerrilla geographer and creative explorer Dan Raven-Ellison to their school and hear all about his epic adventures!

Topps produces a wide and varied range of sports and entertainment collectibles across Europe, including stickers, albums, cards and binders, magazines and stationery highlighting a wide range of licenses. This is Topps’ first National Geographic sticker collection.

The Topps launch is one of a number of major license awards coming to retail this year that align directly with the National Geographic mission to educate children through the National Geographic brand – a campaign that also builds on the company’s strong kids’ magazine and book business.

The kids’ campaign is also part of a highly successful wider licensing strategy targeting both adults and children across multiple categories.

Steve Conner, UK Sales Director, Topps, comments: “The success of this partnership clearly demonstrates the popularity of both National Geographic Kids magazine and National Geographic’s unparalleled TV, publishing and online coverage of the animal kingdom. We are delighted with the response from all sectors of retail to our first National Geographic sticker collection.”

Maria Maranesi, Vice President Consumer Products and Publishing, Europe and Africa, National Geographic Partners, adds: “The reach of both Topps and National Geographic in the kids’ market make this an ideal partnership and one that has clearly delivered. This is a delightful, desirable and insightful sticker collection.”