Jacob Timperley on 2025 highlights and 2026 plans for Chimpers

Jacob, thanks for making time. Brands Untapped last chatted to you in January – how has 2025 been for Chimpers?
It has been an incredibly busy year and time really does fly in this space. A few highlights really stand out. One was partnering with Kung Fu Tea, the largest boba chain in the US, for National Boba Day on April 30th. We created a fun collaborative reel that went viral across both of our accounts and released a limited-edition t-shirt that sold out almost instantly. With so much of our audience based in the US, the synergy between Kung Fu Tea’s youthful energy and our dojo-inspired world made the collaboration feel completely natural and authentic.

We also teamed up with Molang to celebrate their 10th anniversary. That was a nostalgic crossover that blended Molang’s global charm and Netflix legacy with Chimpers’ digital-first storytelling. Many of our fans grew up watching Molang, so seeing them interact with both brands in the comments felt really special and created a real fusion of nostalgia and new culture.

Another standout was our collaboration with Meet Quack, one of the biggest social humor brands online. Their relatable couple-based content aligned perfectly with our playful tone and further cemented Chimpers as a recognisable part of internet culture. We also worked with Jarritos, one of the most iconic soda brands, on a limited Telegram sticker pack that sold out in seconds and filled community chats with a mix of Chimpers and Jarritos magic.

All of these collaborations helped drive incredible momentum for us. We hit one million followers on both Instagram and TikTok, with TikTok now closing in on two million followers and approaching one billion total views in the past year alone. We were even featured on France’s national news channel M6, where they spotlighted our interactive content and viral growth.

It has been surreal to see the reach of Chimpers… Every day we have celebrities, influencers and even major brands like Nickelodeon engaging with our content, but my favourite moment of all was when Michael Barrymore commented on one of our reels. It really shows how far a digital-born IP can travel today.

“We are planning pop-ups and cultural activations that bring fans face to face with the Chimpverse.”

Chimpers is now active in the licensing market. What role is licensing playing in the development of the brand?
Licensing has become a natural next step for us, although we have been very intentional about the timing. Over the past two years, our focus has been on proving fandom first and building genuine love for the brand before expanding into products. The sell-out success of our blind-box plush keychain pre-order, with over 3,000 units gone within hours, was a major validation that showed how Chimpers could transition from digital to physical – while keeping the same excitement and collectibility.

We are working with Pleywell, a US-based licensing agency, to expand across key categories in a way that amplifies awareness without losing authenticity. For us, it is not about chasing quick wins; it is about being discovered in the right places and by the right people. When done thoughtfully, licensing becomes an extension of fandom and gives people a way to touch and connect with the world they already love online, so starting small and gradually building up is our strategy.

How have you adjusted your business to accommodate the needs of licensing and licensing partners?
We have made a conscious effort to show up in the right spaces and be active where it matters. Over the last two years, we have been present at Licensing Expo Las Vegas, Comic-Con and Toy Fair, building relationships and staying close to industry conversations.

Internally, we have invested heavily in our creative infrastructure by refining our style and brand guides and expanding our content library so that partners can easily build within the Chimpers world. Every collaboration we take on is approached as storytelling rather than merchandising, and we ensure that every product, post, or partnership feels alive within the Chimpverse. That is how we maintain consistency and energy across everything we do.

Chimpers is a brand built around character, storytelling and an immersive world. How do you keep refreshing these elements and generating new ideas for content?
Chimpers has a deep and evolving world with the dojo, the adventures and the lore, yet we express it in a modern way that reflects how people consume stories today. Social media is where that world truly comes to life. We focus on short, interactive moments that meet audiences where they are – scrolling through their feeds and looking for something that makes them smile or participate.

Our interactive reels are a great example as they invite fans to physically engage by flicking, swiping or placing their finger on screen to trigger the next scene. The idea came from one of our South Korean artists who had seen interactive exhibitions in Japan, and we reimagined that concept for digital storytelling. It has since become one of our most viral formats.

We create with the fans rather than apart from them – and we are constantly testing, adapting, and allowing the community to suggest what comes next. The best ideas come from that live feedback loop with the audience, and to be honest, the secret is just being constantly online!

Beyond this, how do you and the wider design team track design trends and find new inspiration?
Our creative team is based in South Korea, which gives us a direct connection to the heartbeat of global kawaii and anime culture. Our founder, Oliver, has always drawn inspiration from that space in his art too.

We often look to timeless characters, but also viral character brands like Snoopy, Miffy, Moomin, Domo, Joguman, Bugcat Capoo, UglyDoll, Fugglers, and more. All of them have managed to stay relevant by being simple, relatable and emotionally resonant with their audience. We take inspiration from these brands and remix those ideas through the Chimpers lens so that everything feels internet-native and full of warmth and humour.

You have a vibrant and engaged fan following. How do you ensure fans come with you as the brand evolves?
Our fans are part of the creative process and not just an audience; they are co-authors of the journey. We share behind-the-scenes updates in our social channels, prototypes and early concepts directly with them, which makes them feel truly involved. Through our plush keychains, fans can unlock exclusive content, wallpapers and rewards through NFC-embedded technology that opens a personalised Chimpers portal on their mobile devices.

“Licensing has become a natural next step for us.”

User-generated content has also been a huge part of our growth. This summer, fans began duetting and remixing our interactive reels on a massive scale, creating their own versions of our stories. We love to highlight that creativity, feature their work in our posts and even bring some of those community creators into future projects. That sense of shared ownership is what builds long-term loyalty and keeps our world alive.

You mentioned recent collaborations with Molang and Kung Fu Tea. What defines a successful collaboration and how do you ensure the Chimpers voice is heard?
For us, a great collaboration always starts with alignment, and it has to feel organic – like both worlds were meant to collide. We always invite collaborators into the Chimpverse rather than stepping outside of it. This keeps our voice consistent and ensures the creative direction feels natural. We design, storyboard and animate everything ourselves, so even when the content appears on another brand’s channel, it still feels like a Chimpers story. When both audiences recognise themselves in the collaboration and it sparks genuine excitement, that is when we know it has worked.

You’ve had great success with 223 on the blind-box plush keychain range. Tell us about that and how you made it a success.
Our partnership with 223, the collectible division of JCorp who also produce for Disney and Marvel, was a huge milestone because it marked Chimpers’ first major step from digital into physical products. Fans had been asking for physical Chimpers items for a long time, and we wanted to make that moment special. Each Chimpi plush keychain includes an NFC chip that unlocks a digital collectible card pack, and fans can open the pack to reveal their Chimpi’s digital twin along with hidden prizes, rewards and surprises.

We built anticipation through storytelling by framing it as Chimpi’s journey from the digital dojo into the real world, and that narrative helped the collection sell out within hours. It was more than just a product drop – it was a shared experience that combined story, interactivity and collectibility in a fun and meaningful way.

What challenges might Chimpers face as the brand grows, and how do you plan to overcome them?
The lifestyle character space is very crowded, so our main challenge is to remain distinct while continuing to grow. We plan to stay true to what makes us unique by focusing on organic growth, social-led discovery, and meaningful collaborations instead of mass exposure.

We are also expanding into lifestyle, gift and novelty stores across the US through a grassroots approach that keeps our community connection intact. We are not chasing hype; we are building longevity. Our goal is for Chimpers to be a brand that fans still love decades from now and one that evolves alongside them rather than fading with trends.

Looking into 2026, what’s next for Chimpers?
Next year is already shaping up to be an exciting one. We are expanding our offline presence with Series 2 of our blind-box plushes and new lifestyle products that will roll out across the U.S. We are also planning pop-ups and cultural activations that bring fans face to face with the Chimpverse and create experiences that mix digital storytelling with real-world discovery. On top of that, we have some fun collaborations in the works that continue to propel Chimpers into pop culture. Our aim is simple: to make Chimpers discoverable everywhere, whether that is on your phone, in your local shop, or on a friend’s collectible shelf.

Finally, if you could pick one brand, artist or character for a future Chimpers collab, who would it be and why?
There are so many to choose from, but one that really stands out is Rokimoto by Fun Maker Mike. Their work is truly incredible and rooted in fun and joy, which resonates deeply with our brand message of Chimpers being on a mission to make you smile. A Chimpi x Rokimoto collaboration would be an absolute dream, and Chimpi would certainly be ready for it when the time comes!