Spend a weekend with The Very Hungry Caterpillar at the Eden Project!

Brandora Redaktion - February 2019

Rocket Licensing, the local licensing agent in the UK for The Very Hungry Caterpillar, has announced a major collaboration for spring 2019 between Eric Carle’s classic children’s character and the Eden Project, the massively popular Cornwall-based visitor destination showcasing the world’s most important plants.

For two very special days – the weekend of 16-17 March – the Eden Project will introduce a range of The Very Hungry Caterpillar activities in celebration of the brand’s 50th birthday.

The weekend will see a story book trail taking place around both biomes: the Rainforest Biome – the largest indoor rainforest in the world – and the Mediterranean Biome – a vast indoor garden with a Mediterranean climate. Linking the themes of the book, trail points will gradually reveal parts of the story for children to follow, as they collect holes (just like the ones made by The Very Hungry Caterpillar) in pieces of food on their trail sheet. Participants will journey through the days of the week, exploring the life cycle of the butterfly as they go.

Craft activities will also be part of the fun, as kids will be able to make their own grass sprouting seed caterpillar, butterfly wings, or even a caterpillar string puppet. Older children can also get involved in creating wind-up fluttering paper butterflies.

Storytelling sessions will be put on to share one of the most-read children’s books in history with visitors to this stunning attraction, and The Very Hungry Caterpillar merchandise will be available to purchase in the Eden Project shop.

This exciting spring event will be promoted in local press advertising and local radio campaigns, as well as the Eden Facebook page, Twitter account and website. Posters, marketing literature and newsletters will also be on display around the Eden Project itself, counting down to the big The Very Hungry Caterpillar weekend.

This will be the first-ever brand collaboration between Eric Carle’s beloved character and the Eden Project and one of the highlights of The Very Hungry Caterpillar’s fiftieth anniversary year, for which many exciting marketing, promotional and celebratory activities are planned.

The licensing campaign for The World of Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar is managed in the UK by independent licensing company Rocket Licensing through the worldwide agent, The Joester Loria Group. The Very Hungry Caterpillar is the centrepiece of the successful global licensing campaign around The World of Eric Carle brand, which brings together the much-loved, multi-million-selling works of author and artist Eric Carle.

In the UK, the world’s favourite caterpillar has already inspired lines of developmental toys, plush, games, bedding, apparel, puzzles, craft and activity sets, greeting cards, toiletries and much more. A busy programme of competitions, readings, retailer partnerships, new licences, online and magazine promotions and support from women’s, kids’ and parenting print and online media will continue to extend public awareness of the brand in its 50th year. So too will The Very Hungry Caterpillar live show, which embarks on a new tour starting in May 2019 and the Giant Wiggle campaign – for the charity Action for Children – which is now in its fifth year.

Melissa Satterly, Brand Manager of The Very Hungry Caterpillar at Rocket Licensing, says: “With nature such a core brand value for The Very Hungry Caterpillar, the partnership with one of the UK’s most iconic sites for exploring the natural world is perfect for the big anniversary year. We are delighted to be working with the Eden Project! In his 50th year, it looks like one of the world’s most popular children’s characters is going to be busier than ever.”