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Beano Studios

The red and black bunting is up and mischief is in the air on the streets of Beanotown, as Beano celebrates its 85th Anniversary this year. Beano Studios will mark the moment with new licensing deals and partnerships, events and experiential, as well as brand partnerships, school campaigns, national marketing and PR.

Since 1938, Beano has always had its finger on the pulse of what kids in Britain think, want and dream of. In its 85th year, Beano celebrates the joy of childhood, by giving the nation more reasons than ever to have fun and make more mischief.

Family fun will be at the forefront in 2023, as Beano, the BBC Concert Orchestra and the Southbank Centre have partnered to bring the hit TV show Dennis & Gnasher: Unleashed! to life this summer, for the world’s first ever “comiconcerto”. Dennis & Gnasher Unleashed at the Orchestra will see the Beanotown friends conduct some epic classical music antics with the BBC Concert Orchestra and star percussionist Colin Currie.

Reflecting its young audience’s environmental awareness, Beano, together with licensing agent Rocket Licensing, will continue a partnerships centred around environment and conservation. Following recent successful events at Kew Gardens and Eden Project Cornwall, Beano will invite children and families at Whipsnade Zoo this summer to enjoy Beano Goes Wild at Whipsnade Zoo. Dennis, Gnasher and his friends will guide visitors on an inspiring, interactive and fun-filled trail.

The characters will also take centre stage in various towns across the country, as a recent partnership with Outdoor Gaming Company brings Beano: The Outdoor Game to life. Families and Beano fans of all ages can accompany Dennis on a scavenger hunt in his search for Gnasher, cracking crucial clues and completing hilarious tasks along the way.

In hospitality, Beano Studios has welcomed a new partnership with Apex Hotels Dundee, to mark its 20th birthday and celebrate the city’s comic legacy. To add to the festivities, Bridget’s Bakery will launch the Beano Afternoon Tea Bus in the City of London this spring. The bus will be equipped with themed food experiences onboard and fun activities for children of all ages.

In publishing, Beano’s partnership with Farshore Books will see new titles launching this year: the expanded and updated version of The Ultimate Guide to Beano, Dennis & Gnasher: Little Menace’s Great Escape, as well as a special anniversary book soon to be revealed, scheduled for the end of the year.

Successful Beano licensing partnership with Hollywood Bowl, Blu Goblin and VisitScotland and Scotrail continue throughout 2023. Blu Goblin will launch a Beanothemed unique chess set in support of Save the Children, as well as a range of anniversary badges, and Hollywood Bowl will welcome families in centres nation-wide with Beano surprises throughout the year. VisitScotland and Scotrail’s tourism campaign in partnership with Beano continues, aiming to reignite families’ love of trail adventures. The two-year brand partnership promotes sustainable travel as part of Scottish tourism’s recovery. Happy Monkey x Beano smoothies are returning to shelves this July, in stores across the country.

Beano licensed product also includes apparel, dress-up, cards and calendars, plus puzzles and gifts from licensees such as Aykroyds, Danilo, Star Editions and Rubies Masquerade, with new partners to be revealed over the summer.

The animated show Dennis & Gnasher: Unleashed!, launched on CBBC in 2017, has been distributed in over 100 countries around the world and it is now in its second season. Dennis’s quest of putting a smile on children’s faces all over the world continues, helped by two new recent distribution deals: the Pan-African SVOD service Showmax and Peacock USA.

Additionally, Beanotown will be celebrating several other significant milestones in the next 12 months, such as The Numskulls’ 30th Anniversary in October, Minnie the Minx’s 70th Anniversary in December and The Bash Street Kids’ 70th in early 2024.