The licensing partnerships expand the Wimpy Kid property into various categories, including apparel and co-branded games and puzzles.
Following animated movies on Disney+ and the recent publication of Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Diper Överlöde, Wimpy Kid, Inc. has unveiled a new licensing programme with fresh partners, including Go! Toys and Games, USAopoly and Trevco, with the first product expected to debut at retail in autumn 2022.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid is one of the top-five bestselling book series – for kids and adults – of all time, with more than 275m books sold around the world. Published in 2007, the first book became an instant bestseller and the series has remained a permanent fixture on the New York Times bestseller list. Diary of a Wimpy Kid was recently adapted by the author Jeff Kinney as an original, full-colour animated movie which premiered on Disney+ in December 2021. The sequel, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules, will release on the platform on 2nd December. The Wimpy Kid Musical also returned to Minneapolis Children’s Theatre this summer.
“We’re thrilled to partner with Go! Toys and Games to launch a new board game and puzzles that will have stretch-appeal across our younger fans and active Gen Z following,” said Vanessa Jedrej, global brand manager at Wimpy Kid, Inc. “Trevco has a formidable print-on-demand and tech infrastructure that will allow us to offer high quality apparel to our fans worldwide, Fast! and USAopoly’s long-enduring products perfectly complement the classic nature of the Wimpy Kid brand. We plan to broaden our licensed portfolio into categories such as bedding and room decor, party goods, stationery and Back to School, to name a few. The venture feels perfectly timed as we look towards an enviable programme of brand entertainment for the years ahead.”
Jodi Wasserman, VP of Marketing at The Op, said: “We are long-time fans of the Diary of Wimpy Kid franchise and are excited to create games that will allow audiences to experience Greg’s adventures like never before. Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a perfect addition to The Op’s ever-growing portfolio of family friendly, award-winning games.”
“Go! Toys & Games is thrilled to be partnered in games and puzzles with Dairy of a Wimpy Kid – a brand that has enriched the lives of both kids and adults for so many years,” said Jean-Paul Teskey, president Go! Toys & Games.
Jared Harding, vice president of Growth at Trevco, added: “We are thrilled to partner with Diary of a Wimpy Kid to enhance the assortment of licensed products in the marketplace. The fanbase is searching for more products, and our tried-and-true approach to advertising will make our new items discoverable. With a new movie around the corner, the timing couldn’t be better.”
For more information visit www.wimpykid.com
