Aurora and John Lewis present: a month-long celebration of Moomin!

BRANDORA Editorial Staff - April 2019

Caroline Mickler Ltd, which builds the UK licensing programme for Moomin, has announced that Moomin plush licensee Aurora World has secured a ‘hot spot’ area in the flagship John Lewis store in London’s Oxford Street for a major Moomin-focused event that will run for the entire month of April.

This month-long celebration of Moomin will coincide with the marketing – and launch – of the eagerly anticipated new animated series Moominvalley, which will use state-of-the-art 3D CGI to introduce Moomin to a new generation in a way never seen before. The series includes Rosamund Pike, Matt Berry, Taron Egerton and Akiya Henry in the leading roles alongside an extraordinary supporting cast featuring Kate Winslet, Warwick Davis, Will Self, Richard Ayoade, Jennifer Saunders and Alison Steadman.

Moominvalley arrives on Sky One and Sky Kids at Easter, when the store event will be in full swing. The show is expected to further expand the fanbase of the brand, bringing the Moomins and their friends to a whole new generation of young fans.

Moomin-themed products are familiar to many visitors to John Lewis, but for this celebration a large in-store Moomin area has been specially designed in the toy area. Clearly visible from the store’s core escalators, it will no doubt be a magnet for holidaying kids and their parents!

Sky will be supporting the John Lewis event, and highlighting the new show, through a dedicated marketing programme, including POS material and free stickers on site. On Easter Saturday a Moomin costume character will join the fun. Content on Moomin.com and other official Moomin social media channels, will also promote the event.

This dedicated space in a prime location is a major commitment from the John Lewis Partnership for one of its most popular toy brands. In fact the John Lewis Partnership has been a supporter of Moomin for many years, with plush stocked across all John Lewis Partnership stores.

Established in 1981, Aurora World is a global leader in plush toys and high-quality gift products, offering an extensive range of branded and licensed products for children and adults. Its Moomin range offers plush toys of various sizes, along with hand puppets, keyclips and backpacks featuring the lovable Moomins and friends such as Snufkin, Little My and The Groke.

Awareness of the brand is continuing to grow. The imminent arrival of the eagerly anticipated new animated TV series and the continuing appeal of the original novels and picture story books, as well as the arrival of more licensed product at retail, mean that 2019 is going to be an especially busy year for the delightful inhabitants of Moominvalley.

The Moomin brand’s established licensed output includes luxury handbags, fashion apparel and accessories, homewares and publishing. All these products are part of the continuing success of a UK Moomin licensing campaign targeting a wide variety of price points and retail outlets.

Martin Ringer, Sales Director, Aurora World, says: “Moomin plush has long been a big seller for us in John Lewis and we’re delighted to be partnering with the store on a month-long celebration of Moomin that will, I’m sure, delight a lot of young Moomin fans throughout April.”

Caroline Mickler says: “This month-long event, coinciding with both a major TV launch and the Easter holidays, is ideally timed to allow maximum exposure for the wonderful Aurora line of Moomin plush. I’m certain that children – and their parents – will love seeing their favourite characters in plush form – and, if they visit on Easter Saturday, in person!”