Brands with Influence has agreed a deal with Amscan International for best-selling global book franchise Diary of A Wimpy Kid.

Following the deal, children will be able to dress up as Greg Heffley, the star of the enormously popular series, in a specially designed, new costume.

The popularity of the Diary of A Wimpy Kid brand has seen unprecedented growth in recent years off the back of massive books sales. Since the publication of the first book in 2007, over 275m books have now been sold in 150 countries, printed in 84 editions and in 69 languages. Furthermore, two animated movies have been produced and are available on Disney+, with the potential for more in the future.

Now Brands with Influence is rolling out a licensing programme in the UK, based on the books. Talking about the new deal, Mel Beer, Group Licensing director at Amscan International, explained: “We’re delighted to be working with the team at BWI to bring Diary of A Wimpy Kid to life for the first time through costumes. This franchise is an exciting addition to our current portfolio of literary titles which includes Roald Dahl, Peter Rabbit, Elmer, VHC, Dr Seuss and more.”

During 2023, the Wimpy Kid brand will see new books, board games and a complete range of licensed products.

Dom Wheeler, from Brands with Influence, commented: “We‘re thrilled that Wimpy Kid is partnering with best in class Amscan who we know will create fantastic dress-up Wimpy Kid costumes. Targeting the Halloween and World Book Day events makes total sense and will allow all the thousands of Wimpy Kid fans to live out their dreams. With retail and consumer marketing support planned, we’re confident this licence will be a huge success.”