Nelly Jelly has expanded its IP onto various platforms, such as theatre productions, a blockbuster movie, events and YouTube.

Nelly Jelly, locally named Kakė Makė, has taken the Lithuanian market by storm, with over 2.3m books sold in the country alone. This beloved children’s character has captured the hearts of young readers with her curiosity, creativity and wit. With 30,000 copies printed for the most popular titles featuring the character, the IP has achieved a significant accomplishment compared to the local market’s average of 3,000 copies.

Nelly Jelly is now expanding and looking for suitable co-production partners with animation studios and global broadcasters. Taking its successful track record in merchandising, the IP hopes to further increase brand awareness through publishing and licensing opportunities abroad in conjunction with animation projects.

In Lithuania, Nelly Jelly (or Kakė Makė) has become synonymous with childhood wonder and imagination. Her adventures are chronicled in a wide range of books, including picture books, encyclopedias, sound books and activity books.

The team behind the IP strongly believes in the power of children seeing themselves in the character. Nelly Jelly is relatable  because she deals with everyday questions in a magical way.

“It’s about understanding what kids are curious about, what questions they have, and what challenges they face.” explained Simona Krasauskienė, CEO of Nelly Jelly, who influenced the major turnaround of the brand three years ago. “We felt that the character had become bigger than just books and had grown out of two-dimensionality. We saw that children needed more; they needed to see, hear and touch their childhood friend and other favorite characters from these books.”

After the success of the Nelly Jelly’s children’s book series, the character has naturally expanded into other channels, including theater productions, events and YouTube. “The IP’s success across different channels is a testament to the dedication of our team,” commented Greta Stankutė, brand development manager. “Our team is passionate about children and stays up-to-date with global trends and evolving young audiences to create relevant and engaging content for today and the future.”

On YouTube, Nelly Jelly has reached over 58m views since 2018, and the IP has also successfully expanded into theatre productions, bringing its beloved characters to life on stage. These performances have been hugely popular, attracting a steady stream of spectators and often selling out within hours of tickets going on sale.

The highly anticipated Nelly Jelly: My Movie, the first Lithuanian blockbuster animation of its kind, was released on April 21st of this year. The movie ranked first in the country during its debut week, surpassing even the much-anticipated Super Mario Bros Movie and other non-animated films.

Nelly Jelly’s creators have their sights set on expanding the IP into international markets, bringing the character’s tales to more young audiences worldwide, and are looking to collaborate with experienced animation studios in the co-production of projects.

Companies interested in working with Nelly Jelly should contact Greta Stankute, brand development manager – greta@nellyjellyworld.com.