Hallmark and Peanuts extend longtime licensing partnership
Hallmark announces the extension of its longest continual licensing agreement with beloved character brand Peanuts. The five-year renewal allows Hallmark to continue to produce popular Peanuts products in multiple categories, including greeting cards, gifts and Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments, with more than 40 new, seasonal Peanuts products being released this year.
The longtime partnership between the two global brands spans 63 years, in which Hallmark and Peanuts have collaborated to produce billons of products. Peanuts products, and particularly those featuring Snoopy, have been a phenomenal success for Hallmark and remain perennial top sellers in the United States and in more than 100 countries around the world.
Created and drawn by American cartoonist Charles Schulz in 1950, Peanuts characters first appeared on Hallmark greeting cards in 1960 – 10 years after making their debut in the nation’s newspapers. As the cartoon strip’s popularity grew, so did Hallmark’s relationship with its creator. While Schulz personally designed the first greeting card collection, he soon gave Hallmark permission to design Peanuts products in-house.
“Our partnership with Peanuts started with admiration and grew into a mutually beneficial relationship built on trust and respect,” said Meredith McCormick, global licensing acquisitions director at Hallmark. “The simplicity of Schulz’s drawings give his characters an appeal the public never tires of, and we look forward to continue building on his legacy by developing new Peanuts products that consumers can relate to for years to come.”
Over the decades, nearly every Hallmark product line has included Peanuts characters, including greeting cards, Keepsake Ornaments, gift wrap, books, candles, games, party supplies, stationary, gifts, seasonal collections and more. Hallmark first debuted Peanuts as part of its Keepsake Ornament collection in 1977, which remains the most popular Peanuts product line to date.
“The Peanuts and Hallmark relationship has lasted for over six decades because of the shared DNA of the two brands,” said Tim Erickson, Executive Vice President, Peanuts Worldwide. “Charles Schulz captured the human condition (the highs and the lows) in a comic strip and Hallmark’s product line offers unlimited ways to celebrate the best days and be there for others in tough times. We look forward to continuing to mark milestones together.”
