A world-renowned brand
The Moomins are fantastical creatures who live in Moominvalley, a magical place where adventures are always waiting around the corner. With their white snouts, they look nothing like humans, but their big personalities reflect many traits that both children and adult readers around the world have fallen in love with.
The Moomin family – Moominmamma, Moominpappa and Moomintroll – live in Moominhouse, a round blue building where the door is always open for old and new acquaintances. Readers are sure to recognise relatives and friends in Moominvalley’s philosophical vagabond Snufkin, the neurotic Fillyjonk or the fierce and brutally honest Little My.
Firmly rooted in Nordic storytelling, the stories reflect the values central to author and artist Tove Jansson: friendship, courage, respect for nature and adventure. The first Moomin story was published in 1945 in Finland, and the books, comics and animations have charmed millions of readers around the globe ever since.
Moomin is a values-led brand, with three core values at its heart: love, equality and courage. There is a place for everyone in Moominvalley.
Tove Jansson
Finnish-Swedish writer and artist Tove Jansson (1914-2001) achieved worldwide fame as the creator of the Moomins, written and illustrated between 1945 and 1980. The Moomin stories have been translated into more than 60 languages and are still in print all over the world today.
Photo: © Hans Gedda
The original books
The first Moomin story, The Moomins and the Great Flood, was published in 1945. Between then and 1970, Tove Jansson went on to write a further eight chapter books and four picture books about this playful, adventurous and philosophical family.
While the early books are joyous and charming, the later stories become slightly darker in tone and more meditative. This broad emotional range, combined with the characters’ wise and humorous perspectives on life, is one of the many reasons that the Moomin stories appeal to children and adults alike. Today, Tove’s Moomin books have been translated into more than 60 languages and are still in print all over the world.
The Moomin stories
Comet in Moominland 1946/1968
Finn Family Moomintroll 1948
The Memoirs of Moominpappa 1950/1968
Moominsummer Madness 1954
Moominland Midwinter 1957
Tales from Moominvalley 1962
Moominpappa at Sea 1965 Moominvalley in November 1970
The Moomins and the Great Flood 1945
The book about Moomin, Mymble and Little My 1952
Who will comfort Toffle? 1960
The Dangerous Journey 1970
Skurken Muminhuset 1980
”What is this?”
With these words, accompanied by an illustration of a round, white Moomin, the Moomins were introduced to an international audience for the very first time.
In 1954, when the Moomins were still relatively unknown outside the Nordics, the British newspaper The London Evening News began publishing a Moomin comic strip commissioned directly from the artist herself. This comic strip would go on to run for an astounding 20 years and was syndicated by Associated Newspapers to over 120 different publications across 40 countries. It reached 20 million readers daily, spanning the Commonwealth and beyond—from Canada and South Africa to India and Bermuda.
The launch of the comic strip was marked by a grand celebration: hundreds of London Evening News delivery cars were adorned with giant Moomin signs over two meters high, taking over the streets of London.
The comic strip played a pivotal role in establishing a loyal Moomin fan base worldwide, particularly within the Commonwealth, where it appeared in numerous morning newspapers for decades. It also contributed to creating a rich array of Moomin imagery, which remains a valuable asset for licensees today.
Brand values
• Moomin is a values-led brand, with three core values at its heart: love, equality and courage.
• Without being at all instructive or ‘educational’, the Moomin stories communicate the importance of everyone being allowed – and actively encouraged – to be themselves.
• The Moominhouse itself is a beacon for those who are a little lost, or who have struggled to find a place for themselves elsewhere. This includes adopted family members like Little My and Sni! as well as temporary guests like the Hemulen, the Muskrat and Mrs Fillyjonk.
• Moominvalley is an astonishing world that welcomes everyonewith open arms, and this is one of the many reasons why fans adore the stories.
Kindness
Respe for nature
MOOMIN
sho ps & cafés
35+ GLOBALLY
PUBLISHING
63+ LANGUAGES NEW TITLES ADDED ANNUALLY
PRODUCTS
800+ LICENSEES WORLDWIDE
720+ million € SOLD ANNUALLY
CREATED IN 1945 by Tove Jansson
Games
Snufkin - Melody of Moominvalley launched 2024
feature films
Moomin feature film in development The summer book
tv series
Moominvalley SERIES broadcast in over 50 countries
theme parks
Moominworld, Finland moominvalley park, Japan
social media
Moomin has a following of over 3,5 Million fans across all social channels
3,5 Million followers Across all social media
376 K followers on Facebook Podcast with Jennifer Saunders & Lily Collins
The Moomin Phenomenon, 6 episodes
523 K followers on Instagram
36 Million views on YouTube, with 206 K subscribers
900 K UCG YouTube videos
265,4 K likes on TikTok, with 26 K followers
Licensing
The Moomin licensing program dates back to the 1950s when Tove and her brother, Lars Jansson, founded Moomin Characters Ltd to manage the copyright of the Moomin brand.
Amongst the first licensees were Arabia, one of Finland’s bestknown design brands, and Finlayson, one of the country’s oldest textile producers.
Arabia began production of their Moomin porcelain in the 1950s, and the first products were hand-painted by Tove herself. Their iconic Moomin mugs, of which there are now over 100 designs, were relaunched in 1990. Rare designs and special editions continue to be highly sought-after collector’s items.
Since then, the licensing program has gone from strength to strength thanks to Moomin’s unique status as a body of art. With the values of love, equality, and courage at its core and a focus on quality and integrity, it has grown to include hundreds of licensees and thousands of products that delight fans around the world.
How
does it work?
”He thought about how much he loved everything; the foest and the sea, the rain and the wind, the sunsine, the gass and the mos, and how imposible it would be to live without them all…”
- Comet in Moominland
The Moomin fans
Moomin fans don’t just like the brand and the stories, they LOVE them. This is because the world that Tove Jansson created is so rich and detailed that it rewards deep engagement – there is so much to discover in the text and illustrations.
The engagement of our fans is clear in our social stats: Moomin has over 3,5 million fans on social media (across Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube) and we generate over 150 million impressions every year.
Games
The Moomin universe has been used as the base for many games from the original Moomin boardgame to new digital games for mobile and PC/console.
Malmö, Sweden
Junibacken Stockholm, Sweden
Shops
Located in key cities worldwide, from Helsinki to Tokyo, and with online counterparts, the network of Moomin Shops has grown to over 25 locations and continues to expand. These shops offer a wide range of Moomin-themed products, including books, apparel, homeware, and collectibles.
Moomin Shops are more than just retail spaces; they serve as vital touchpoints for the Moomin brand, providing fans with a tangible connection to the whimsical world of Moominvalley.
Through carefully curated, immersive shopping experiences, Moomin Shops capture the charm and nostalgia that define the brand, fostering a sense of community among fans of all ages. This opportunity for direct interaction between fans and the Moomin universe strengthens emotional connections, making these shops essential in maintaining and growing the global Moomin fanbase.
Charitable work & sustainability
During her lifetime, Tove Jansson gave permission for her creations to be used by charitable organisations whose work she supported, from the Red Cross, UNICEF and Amnesty International to the Keep Sweden Tidy Foundation. She allowed the Moomins to be featured on materials that would raise awareness of good causes and often contributed brand-new artwork, such as the posters she designed for the Saving the Baltic Sea campaign.
Moomin Characters has committed to donating at least 1% of company revenue to charitable causes each year, an extension of the highly successful fundraising campaigns that they have become known for. (Since 2017, Moomin Characters and Rights & Brands have raised over £3 million for Oxfam, and in 2020, we raised over one million euros for the John Nurminen Foundation’s work to protect the Baltic Sea.)
Moomin Characters and master agent Rights & Brands are working on a structured approach to sustainability, which will be at the core of our operations with all stakeholders, especially our licensees. Our goal is to minimize our negative impact, maximize our positive impact, and compensate the rest – and we invite our licensees to join us in this effort.
Food and beverage
In addition to our retail stores, Moomin Cafés and Patisseries play a vital role in bringing the world of Moomin to life. These food and beverage outlets in countries such as Finland, Japan, and Thailand offer an immersive experience where customers can savor Moomin-themed food, drinks, and merchandise, all within a setting inspired by Moominvalley.
These outlets are not just places to dine—they serve as a meaningful extension of the Moomin brand, allowing fans to engage with beloved characters and stories in a new, sensory way. Every detail, from Moomin-shaped pastries to thoughtfully themed beverages, is designed to evoke the warmth and charm of the Moomin universe.
TV and film
Moomin has a rich history of animated adaptations that have brought Tove Jansson's beloved stories to life for audiences worldwide. Since the first puppet animation in the late 1950s, these adaptations have introduced the world of Moominvalley to new generations.
For many fans today, their introduction to the Moomin universe came through the beloved 1990s animated series, which remains a nostalgic touchstone for countless viewers. With its gentle storytelling and charming visuals, this adaptation played a significant role in popularizing the Moomins beyond the pages of the books, broadening their popularity in new countries and making the characters a cherished part of childhood memories for many.
Today, the legacy of Moomin animations continues with the current 3D animated series produced by Gutsy Animations. This awardwinning series, airing globally, brings the Moomins into the digital age while staying true to the heart of Jansson’s original vision. With its vibrant animation and thoughtful storytelling, the series introduces Moominvalley to a new generation of fans, ensuring that the Moomins remain a beloved part of popular culture.
In 2025 we will celebrate 80 years of the Moomins. During the anniversary year we want to highlight some of the qualities that make the Moomin stories and the Moomin brand so unique. Our main theme for the year will be a sense of belonging.
For our partners and licensees we will be offering new anniversary marks and artworks as well as slogans and other communication assets.
Artwork
Artwork
In her lifetime, Tove Jansson created an enormous quantity of Moomin materials: paintings, illustrations, comic strips, murals, fabric patterns, and much more. This body of work has huge range, from bright, bold, character-led designs all the way through to moody, sombre, evocative, mysterious pieces with a more subtle nod to the characters.
Artwork categories
Moomin Originals
Moomin Comic Strip Moomin Comic Strip Covers
Moomin Colouring Books Moomin Novels
Moomin Picture Books Moomin Original Patterns
Moomin ABC
Moomin 80
Moominvalley 3D
Moominvalley 2D Puffin
Tammi
Popular characters
Moomin Little My Snufkin Snorkmaiden Moominmamma Moominpappa
Licensing products
