Knock, knock! Who’s there?
Beano. Beano who? Beano fun reading this without some exciting news from the nation’s favourite comic for children!
In a recently announced partnership, Beano has joined forces with Bulldog Licensing, to further expand the brand in retail, licensing, and experiences. With Bulldog’s track record of success with brands like Sesame Street and Care Bears, they’ll be exploring fresh opportunities for Beano in both the kids’ and adults’ markets.
With its instant familiarity and sense of fun, as well as a super-sticky physical comic at its centre (it’s not literally sticky, but the stories definitely are), the Beano brand reaches audiences across a range of touchpoints, including a popular book series from Farshore, an animated TV show, Beano.com, YouTube, and FAST TV channels.
Children can also dive into the Beanotown universe on Amazon Kids+, following the “World of Beano” hub which launched this summer. The new brand hub offers a wealth of original content, including a digital experience of the Beano comic, books from the “Dennis and Gnasher” fiction series, the CGI animated series, and much more, designed to spark kids’ imaginations, foster a love of reading for fun, and entertain with iconic characters.
With nearly half a million kids reading every week, Beano has been enjoyed by generations. In the UK alone, 28 million people read the comic as children, making it a trusted evergreen brand that parents and grandparents are eager to share with the children in their lives. This love for the brand translated to retail success over Christmas, with Kap Toys’ Beano line in Sainsbury’s, where the brand’s strong recognition led to fantastic sales, as parents and grandparents stocked up for the holidays. The ‘Beano Box of Tricks’ was also recognised with a silver award at the 2024 Independent Toy Awards.
Looking ahead, Beano will focus on key retail moments and core products, continuing to invest in marketing and engagement. The 85th anniversary campaign reached 90 million impressions and featured across the news, with even Harry Styles’ mum joining in the social media fun.
Mike Stirling and Craig Graham, Beano’s Directors of Mischief and Mayhem (and star authors), regularly appear at major book festivals like Hay, Edinburgh, and Cheltenham, where they meet fans at sold-out events. In schools, Beano’s “Britain’s Funniest Class” joke-writing competition continues to grow, rewarding young fans with prizes and recognition. The 2024 edition was a huge success, with a four-fold press coverage and growing each year.
Next year, Beano will launch its first Graphic Novel series with Farshore, centred on the popular “Betty & the Yeti” comic story. Preparations are also underway for Dennis’s 75th anniversary in 2026, with exciting new releases planned, including a special tie-in book set in a surprise iconic museum, and new partnerships to be revealed soon.
