WildBrain CPLG will manage the consumer products program rights across merchandise, promotions, digital and experiences ahead of two milestone celebrations: Beatrix Potter’s 160th Anniversary in 2026 and Peter Rabbit’s 125th anniversary in 2027.

“I am delighted to have made this appointment and am confident that this is the start of a long and fruitful partnership with Jasen and his team,” said David Sprei, Commercial Director at Penguin Ventures.

“It was evident early on that their understanding of the brand and ambitions to grow Peter Rabbit were very much aligned with our strategic and creative plans. This appointment comes at a pivotal time for WildBrain CPLG to take us through two key anniversary years and beyond and there’s already a few deals in the pipeline, so watch this space.”

Jasen Wright, VP North America at WildBrain CPLG, added: “With a timeless heritage spanning over 120 years, The World of Beatrix Potter and beloved character Peter Rabbit have enduring appeal for families and kids around the world. We are looking forward to working closely with David and his team at Penguin Ventures to leverage the significant licensing opportunities for this cherished property in the coming years.”

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The trail – taking place next year from July 15th July to September 14th 2026 will see 40 individually decorated sculptures of Peter Rabbit placed in streets, parks and public areas in Newcastle.

St Oswald’s Hospice is now inviting groups and individuals to sponsor a sculpture. Sponsors will then be matched with an artist, who will then decorate it.

Peter Rabbit: Tales on the Tyne will also be supported by a region-wide learning programme for schools and children’s groups, with smaller Peter Rabbit sculptures forming a second trail across the city. The event will culminate with an autumn auction of the Peter Rabbit sculptures to raise funds for Gosforth-based St Oswald’s Hospice.

“Beatrix Potter was an incredible artist as well as a prolific storyteller and Peter Rabbit has been charming children and their families since 1902,” said Thomas Merrington, Creative Director at Penguin Ventures.

“We are delighted that Wild in Art will be bringing her most iconic character alive, through a series of incredible local artists, in a trail that we are sure will delight and inspire the residents of Newcastle – as well as raise valuable funds for St Oswald’s.”

Natasha Collie, Head of Marketing (Owned Brands) at Penguin Random House Children’s, added: “It’s a real pleasure to be working with St Oswald’s Hospice and Wild in Art on Peter Rabbit: Tales on the Tyne.

“2026 also marks the 160th anniversary of Beatrix Potter’s birth, so this bold and joyful celebration of art – in support of St Oswald’s incredible work – feels especially fitting. We can’t wait for Peter Rabbit to bring a whisker of mischief to next summer’s trail!”

The Hospice’s Chief Executive Steph Edusei said: “Summer 2026 will see us celebrate our 40th birthday and we can’t think of better way to mark the occasion than another colourful art trail for the whole community to enjoy.”

Charlie Langhorne, Managing Director and Co-founder Wild in Art, added: “We are delighted to partner with The World of Peter Rabbit and to be working with the team at St Oswald’s Hospice once again, on this exciting art trail which will bring this internationally renowned character to Tyneside.

“I have no doubt that Peter Rabbit will capture the imaginations of residents and visitors alike, while helping to raise vital funds for St Oswald’s. With your support we can create an event that will have significant impact during the summer of 2026.”

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The new six-year agreement will see Penguin Ventures and SCP focus on driving consumer products and licensing growth, with additional investment in local Peter Rabbit brand activity.

The long-term partnership between Penguin Ventures and SCP has seen significant year on year growth, delivering a 142% net increase in 2023 – reinforcing Japan as the largest market outside of the UK for Peter Rabbit.

“Our partnership with SCP has been an incredibly successful one and I am delighted that we have both committed to a further six years and are very much aligned on our ambitious growth plans for Peter Rabbit,” said David Sprei, Commercial Director at Penguin Ventures.

“The mix of traditional product, retail partnerships and a wide experience offering has delivered impressive results which now enables us to move forward confidently to futureproof the brand for this next exciting phase.

“As the proud brand owner and publisher of The World of Peter Rabbit, working closely with our global partners enables us to continue to honour the extraordinary legacy of Beatrix Potter – reaching new generations and families so that they can discover the mischief and adventure in her wonderful world of characters and stories on and off the page.”

Ken Ohtake of Sony Creative Products Japan added: “I am thrilled to announce that we have been appointed as licensing agent for The World of Peter Rabbit in Japan for another six years. We hope to make this a significant milestone in the long history of Beatrix Potter, and we are committed to honouring the heritage, whilst continuing to embrace new opportunities in the upcoming years.”

From The Peter Rabbit English Garden at Fuji Motosuko Resort to Peter Rabbit Rakeru cafes in Jiyugaoka and Yokohama, location-based experiences have been a key part of the Japanese licensing programme.

Other successful brand partnerships secured by SCP for Peter Rabbit includes the Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking & Mitsubishi UFJ Real Estate collaboration and touring Peter Rabbit pop-up events across Japan.

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The range will launch during National Children’s Gardening Week, from May 25th to June 2nd. As The World of Peter Rabbit is the official partner of National Children’s Gardening Week, Penguin Random House Children’s and Seed Pantry will be giving away 500 free ‘Peter Rabbit Veg Patch Grow Kits’ to celebrate the new launch.

“Seed Pantry are a brilliant new addition to the Peter Rabbit licensing programme and really demonstrates how together we are bringing such a relevant and authentic product to market for both parties as part of our Grow with Peter Rabbit campaign,” said David Sprei, Commercial Director at Penguin Ventures.

“Our partnership with National Children’s Gardening Week brings Peter to new retail destinations around the UK and offers us a meaningful way to reach family audiences. We couldn’t be happier to welcome Seed Pantry onboard ahead of this fun family moment for Peter Rabbit this Spring.”

Neil Whitehead, Founder of Seed Pantry added: “The Seed Pantry team are so proud to partner with The World of Peter Rabbit to bring our growing kits to families in time for National Children’s Gardening Week.

“The trend for gardening and growing your own food and flowers is increasingly popular and our new Peter Rabbit collection makes a great addition to our evolving range of outdoor activity products for all ages. Gardening is a fun and rewarding activity and it’s so important to get children involved from a young age to understand where food comes from, and to enjoy the many health and welling benefits that nature-based activities provide.”

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The new deal means Orchard’s The World of Peter Rabbit range will be available in 20 markets across Europe, the Mediterranean, SE Asia, South Africa and Australia.

“The launch response from the UK trade and consumers to our first licensed collaboration has been brilliant,” said Josh Beevor, Director at Orchard Toys.

“To have such an appetite and enthusiasm for the Peter Rabbit range from our international customers too is fantastic, and an enormous sales opportunity. It really is a great way to consolidate our partnership with Penguin Ventures.”

David Sprei, Commercial Director Penguin Ventures, added: “The global demand for The World of Peter Rabbit Collection is testament to the wonderful job Orchard Toys and Penguin Ventures have done in evolving the narrative of Beatrix Potter’s original Tale of Peter Rabbit, and blending these two iconic brands. The Tale of Peter Rabbit has been translated into 50 languages, since it was first published in 1902, so it’s fitting to see the new games taking to the global stage too.”

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The hotel will exclusively offer a Peter Rabbit-inspired Afternoon Tea, specially themed room package and family-friendly cinema experiences from March 25th to April 28th.

The Afternoon Tea will feature a collection of ‘quintessentially English’ dishes inspired by Mr McGregor’s Garden and the Lake District. This includes Battenburg cake with raspberries, carrot cake pots and cream cheese and rhubarb chutney sandwiches. All will be served amid Peter Rabbit-themed décor, with special colouring books featuring Peter Rabbit gifted to children.

The Peninsula London is also offering families a “London Adventure” package that includes exclusive Peter Rabbit children’s bathrobes, handcrafted chocolates and children’s soft toys. Additionally, guests will have the chance to participate in a variety of playful Peter Rabbit-themed experiences throughout the hotel.

The hotel will also host family-friendly screenings of The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends animated series at its on-site cinema on Saturdays at between 2pm and 5.45pm.

“It is an enormous pleasure to launch this partnership with The World of Peter Rabbit, particularly during the Spring season” said Rolf Buehlmann, The Peninsula London’s Managing Director.

“As well as celebrating Easter, which is synonymous with Peter Rabbit, we are inviting children to directly engage with a much-loved character, which has been part of the heritage and history of Britain for over one hundred and twenty years.”

Thomas Merrington, Creative Director at Penguin Ventures, added: “We are incredibly honoured that Peter Rabbit has arrived at the London Peninsula following his adventures at the other global Peninsula destinations.

“From delicious afternoon teas, cinema screenings and thoughtful in-room amenities, we know that families will be delighted to experience new ways to enjoy the stories of Peter Rabbit and friends this Easter.”

The exclusive global partnership between The Peninsula and The World of Peter Rabbit developed under licence from Penguin Ventures on behalf of Frederick Warne & Co. Ltd (Beatrix Potter’s publisher and owner of The World of Peter Rabbit).

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Wow! Some maternity cover! And you’re not alone in being with the company for an impressive amount of time… Why do people stay at Orchard Toys?
It’s a lovely job. You come in, draw all day and play games – it’s the dream, isn’t it? And everyone’s lovely to work with; the design department is a close-knit team. I’m very lucky. I never get that dread on a Monday morning going to work.

To the naked eye, the art style seems quite uniformed across the Orchard Toys portfolio. Did mastering that take time?
When I started, I saw it as a challenge. I needed to make it my own while being sympathetic to the other designers’ work. It was a fun challenge and the designs have evolved over time, while still looking cohesive. The key has been working really closely with the team. Everyone that joins brings something slightly new to the table, which helps to evolve the brand.

Your games are grounded in fun and education, but what does that early stage of development look like on an Orchard Toys product? Which aspect comes first?
It depends really. Often a theme emerges first, or it could be an educational element, like ‘How can we make times tables fun?’ When we were designing Match and Spell, it came about from experiencing how my own kids were starting to learn how to read. We wanted to strip it down to the real basics of first letter sounds… It comes from different places each time.

Do trends guide the process at all?
We don’t jump on themes just because they’re current. The range is always looked at as a whole. If we already have a lot of jungle or farm-based games, we won’t want to introduce another and over-saturate that. It has to be balanced.

Makes sense. How do you get the balance between a game being fun and it also being effective education-wise?
We’ll scrutinise concepts at an early stage to see how effective they are when it comes to our learning goals. When we’re ready to test a game, we get our design team to have a go first and if it passes that test, then we’ll invite other people from the company to try it. We’ll also take games into nurseries and schools to see how children engage with it. You can see very quickly if they identify with it.

You mentioned Match and Spell earlier, but what was the first game you designed at Orchard Toys?
It was called Spooky Steps. It was set in a witch’s house with a 3D board. You played as little frogs moving through the house to the witch’s potion in a bid to transform yourself back into a human.

Sounds right up my street! And has your approach to design changed much from then to now?
It has – and I think that’s due to having kids. You learn so much from watching them play. And having been here for so long now, I feel more confident about starting the process of creating a game than I did back then.

Fantastic. Now, let’s dive into your new range – and it’s a bit of a milestone for the company! Orchard Toys’ first-ever licensed line in the form of a Peter Rabbit collection. Why did this brand feel like a nice fit for Orchard?
Both brands are well-loved and appeal to the same age group, so it felt like a really exciting opportunity to be a part of… Especially to be able to blend our unique creative style, engaging gameplay and educational values, with the iconic characters from one of the world’s most beloved brands.

Yes, no pressure!
Ha! It was a little bit daunting, but I also felt tremendously lucky to be able to do it. I wanted to keep the charming quality of Beatrix Potter’s characters, so I used a more muted, softer colour palette than we normally use for our general range. The line work is also slightly different; I used a softer pencil line work where we usually use black line work. It was more sympathetic to the original designs, while also keeping the fun lively energy of Orchard Toys. That was the aim!

I think mission accomplished!
The collection is developed under licence from Penguin Ventures, on behalf of Frederick Warne & Co – Beatrix Potter’s publisher and owner of The World of Peter Rabbit – and that team has been brilliant to work with. They’ve been like an extension to our team.

Lovely! The range is a mix of brand-new games as well as some Peter Rabbit twists on your popular titles. For example, there’s a Lotto game – but in Veg Patch Lotto, Mr. McGregor can actually win if you accidentally uncover too many scarecrow tiles. Why was it important add these authentic gameplay twists, rather than simply bringing Peter Rabbit artwork to existing games?
When I started this project, Penguin kindly sent us the books and I sat and read my girls Peter Rabbit and all of the other tales. What I really wanted to do with each of the games is give nods to different stories. With Veg Patch Lotto, I wanted to use the timer element – the scarecrow – to be a nod to the moment when Mr. McGregor hangs up his jacket and shoes as a warning to the rabbits. It also makes Mr. McGregor a character in the game – and he might win before you collect all your veggies!

And it’s a genuinely sophisticated mechanic, especially for a game for young kids. And leads to some real tension!
Thanks! And kids don’t see Mr. McGregor as a timer – they see him as a character that’s in with a chance of winning!

Absolutely – it adds pace without turning it into a race. Now, another game that has great table presence is Don’t Wake Mr. McGregor! Can you talk me through the design of this one?
With that one, I wanted to immerse children into the vegetable garden. The idea is that you don’t want to wake Mr. McGregor, and there are stepping stones along the path – some with a watering can symbol. If you land on one of those, you wake up Mr. McGregor. In the story, when Peter Rabbit is running away from him, he tries to hide in the watering can but gets a cold and sneezes, so Mr. McGregor knows where he is.

I wanted to bring that into a game so kids have to say “Atishoo!” if they land on one of those spaces and that wakes him up. If he’s awake when you get to the end of the path, your rabbit is startled and you have to go back to the beginning. But if he’s asleep, you can steal some veggies from him.

Great stuff. And what do you find helps you have game ideas?
I keep a notepad by my bed, and I have woken up in the night with a brilliant idea – whether I think they’re still brilliant when I look at my notes in the morning is another thing! Often I’ll also have the headspace to explore creative possibilities on my commute home. Peaceful calm moments are key to having ideas for me.

Before we wrap up, I also wanted to ask two last questions! First is, what’s the best game you’ve created at Orchard?
There’s one that I personally love called Veg Patch Match. It’s more of a family game and I love it because the board that you’re matching to is constantly evolving. And the little vegetables had faces and looked very sweet. In the summer, I’m always in the garden and we grow lots of veggies, so it was very much my cup of tea!

IMAGE 6

Great pick! My second question is, what’s Orchard Toys’ most underrated game?
Tummy Ache has been in the range for years and years, but I feel that doesn’t get enough credit. My family absolutely loves playing that one and we’ve actually got a few versions of it, from the one I had when I was young to a version that I actually helped revamp from a few years back. It’s brilliant – and kids just love trying to make the grossest meal they can!

Rowena, this has been great. Huge thanks again – and congrats on the Peter Rabbit range.

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Apparel collections have performed particularly strongly in the UK. Marks and Spencer were a halo partner during the 120th anniversary celebrations last year, launching a range of infant apparel, nursery bedding and accessories. It was a sell-out success and the partnership has continued into 2023.

A successful collaboration with Cath Kidston resulted in a popular infant and adult fashion line, while the Peter Rabbit Blade & Rose collaboration delivered a trend-led infant range that launched in January 2022 to immediate success. A second Blade & Rose launch will take this year with an expanded product range.

“It has been a fantastic year for Peter Rabbit, and I am grateful to our team and our global licensing agents for their continued enthusiasm for the brand and their unmatched regional expertise which has delivered significant YOY growth,” said David Sprei, Commercial Director at Penguin Ventures.

“The 120th anniversary celebrations placed us in a superb position delivering opportunities for new partnerships and brand collaborations, elevating Peter on a global scale and securing unprecedented placement across the retail landscape. Peter Rabbit connects with fans around the world and resonates differently from territory to territory, with fashion collections being influenced by culture, tentpole moments and trends which are unique to each market.”

Zoe Smith, Senior Category Manager for UK Softlines at Penguin Ventures, added: “The demand for Peter Rabbit has seen a huge growth in UK apparel lines with collections available across all retail environments, providing fashion items for every member of the family.

“It is important that we are able to maintain the high quality and creative application associated with the Peter Rabbit brand and our fashion partners have shown exceptional care and attention to detail with these beautiful collections.”

In China, Shanghai Lingdong Trading Co. Ltd created a licensed range for premium Chinese loungewear brand NEIWAI. A New Year Red head-to-toe outfit formed part of the collection and generated over 70 million social media impressions on launch.

Peacebird Men Fashion Co., Ltd. in China launched a Peter Rabbit menswear collection to coincide with the Year of the Rabbit, marking the first-ever menswear range for the brand. Other successful apparel ranges for the Chinese market included lines from Chickabiddy, Hangzhou Zaiyi and Ribo.

Peter Rabbit has also performed strongly in Australia, with Designworks supplying adult and infant clothing to key fashion retailers. Elsewhere in Australia, Peter Alexander launched their third Peter Rabbit DTR collection while Cotton On Body debuted women’s sleepwear and loungewear.

Japan has also seen a sharp rise in Peter Rabbit apparel licensing over the past 12 months with a slightly different consumer profile for the brand. Classic Peter appeals strongly to young adults and Melrose Co designed trademark feminine ranges for Pink House, which included skirts and dresses and bags and accessories for women.

Also in Japan, Domace Co., Ltd launched a line of women’s pyjamas which sold exclusively via the Distribution shopping TV channel.

“We have seen incredible growth for Peter Rabbit across key global territories,” said Lindsay Pearl, Head of International Licensing at Penguin Ventures.

“Target in Australia is a standout success with the retailer being a year-round destination for the brand and Peter Rabbit being available at all of their 128 stores.”

In North America, TJ Maxx and Marshalls both launched new Peter Rabbit collections from Children’s Apparel Network, while Mori created a high-end Peter Rabbit collaboration that secured impressive coverage with global fashion press.

“Our North American apparel business has delivered its best year to date, with Peter Rabbit collections now available at major retailers,” added Pearl.

“This impressive growth places us in a strong position looking ahead and I am excited to see the consumer response to our forthcoming global fashion collections.”

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Grow with Peter Rabbit is a social purpose initiative launched last year to bring the health, well-being and educational benefits associated with gardening to as many children as possible.

A free limited edition Grow with Peter Rabbit activity pack will be available from participating garden centres around the UK, who have also been encouraged to support National Children’s Gardening Week by hosting events and creating Peter Rabbit-branded displays.

“From the moment that Peter Rabbit first stepped into Mr. McGregor’s Garden in The Tale of Peter Rabbit, this mischievous bunny has been associated with garden adventures!” said Izzy Richardson, Brand Director at Penguin Random House Children’s.

“Our partnership with National Children’s Gardening Week is the perfect way to evolve our Grow with Peter Rabbit initiative by bringing The World of Peter Rabbit to life across garden centres nationwide, helping us to reach even more UK families, with free resources and inspire them to Grow with Peter Rabbit.”

To further support the partnership, Penguin Random House Children’s has commissioned a survey of 1000 children focused on exploring the importance of connecting children with gardening. The results of this survey will be published in mainstream press at the start of National Children’s Gardening Week.

National Children’s Gardening Week takes place between May 27th and June 4th.

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The outdoor adventure – a mix of live performance and puppetry – comes to London’s Covent Garden Piazza from March 21st to April 16th.

The show takes visitors back to a Covent Garden of old, teeming with fresh flowers, fruit and vegetables as Beatrix Potter heads out on a mission to rescue Jemima Puddle-Duck from the clutches of Mr. McGregor.

“The combination of Peter Rabbit, the inspirational surroundings of London’s original fruit and veg market and Eastertime is perfect theatrical-alchemy for an all-new, urban, family, immersive experience for 2023,” said Adam McKenzie Wylie, Founder of Histrionic Productions.

“We are delighted to once again be working with our friends at Penguin Ventures to bring this family-favourite to life in the heart of old London.”

Thomas Merrington, Creative Director at Penguin Ventures, added: “Experiential is an important part of our licensing business at Penguin Ventures, enabling us to bring our classic brands to family audiences in fresh and exciting new ways – so I’m thrilled that our partnership with Histrionic Productions has evolved to bring The World of Peter Rabbit to central London this Easter.

“Covent Garden is the perfect location for this all-new Easter Adventure, providing a stunning backdrop to the incredible, immersive experience that Histrionic has created. I cannot wait to see how audiences will respond to stepping back in time with Peter Rabbit and his friends, brought to life for a new generation this Spring.”

The show will be adapted by Calum Finlay, directed by Barney McElholm and designed by Tina Torbey. Alongside the experience, The Easter Adventure Shop will open in Covent Garden’s iconic Market Building on March 5th. The store will offer Peter Rabbit merchandise, a café, as well as an activity area.

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