Tag Archives: Mr Men

York Maze celebrates Mr Men Little Miss 50th with world’s largest maize design

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York Maze, believed to be the largest maze in Europe, is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the classic British character brand, Mr Men and Little Miss by paying tribute to its cast of personalities by carving out their likeness within its 15 acre expanse.

Covering the area of eight Wembley football pitches, the York Maze design, when viewed from the air, depicts images of the first Mr Men character to be created, Mr Tickle, together with Little Miss Sunshine, Mr Tall, Mr Bump, and the latest character to join the troupe, Little Miss Brave.

Each of the Mr Men characters in the maze are the size of a football pitch, making it a line up of the world’s biggest Mr Men characters on record. The maze features over 5km of pathways in which visitors can lose themselves.

The maze is the creation of farmer, Tom Pearcy who designed the maze to coincide with the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Mr Men and Little Miss brand.

“I grew up with the Mr.Men characters and loved watching the original TV series as a kid. I rediscovered the brand when my children were young and just love the images and storytelling which appeals to all ages,” he said. “We were not able to open last year at all because of Covid so we’re really looking forward to welcoming our visitors back for the first time in nearly two years.

“I’m delighted with how the design has turned out and the maize plants are nice and tall already so its a great year to get lost.”

The Mr. Men Little Miss 50th Anniversary Maze is open for visitors to explore from Saturday, July 17th to Monday, September 6th 2021 when the crop will be harvested.

Visitors will have to navigate the maze of pathways to find the six Mr. Men Little Miss characters hidden in the maze. Find all the characters and you could win a prize. For details of opening times visit www.yorkmaze.co.uk

York Maze celebrates Mr Men Little Miss 50th with world’s largest maize design

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York Maze, believed to be the largest maze in Europe, is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the classic British character brand, Mr Men and Little Miss by paying tribute to its cast of personalities by carving out their likeness within its 15 acre expanse.

Covering the area of eight Wembley football pitches, the York Maze design, when viewed from the air, depicts images of the first Mr Men character to be created, Mr Tickle, together with Little Miss Sunshine, Mr Tall, Mr Bump, and the latest character to join the troupe, Little Miss Brave.

Each of the Mr Men characters in the maze are the size of a football pitch, making it a line up of the world’s biggest Mr Men characters on record. The maze features over 5km of pathways in which visitors can lose themselves.

The maze is the creation of farmer, Tom Pearcy who designed the maze to coincide with the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Mr Men and Little Miss brand.

“I grew up with the Mr.Men characters and loved watching the original TV series as a kid. I rediscovered the brand when my children were young and just love the images and storytelling which appeals to all ages,” he said. “We were not able to open last year at all because of Covid so we’re really looking forward to welcoming our visitors back for the first time in nearly two years.

“I’m delighted with how the design has turned out and the maize plants are nice and tall already so its a great year to get lost.”

The Mr. Men Little Miss 50th Anniversary Maze is open for visitors to explore from Saturday, July 17th to Monday, September 6th 2021 when the crop will be harvested.

Visitors will have to navigate the maze of pathways to find the six Mr. Men Little Miss characters hidden in the maze. Find all the characters and you could win a prize. For details of opening times visit www.yorkmaze.co.uk

The Museum of Brands celebrates 50 years of Mr Men and Little Miss with summer Discovery Trail

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The Museum of Brands is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Mr Men and Little Miss characters with the launch of a new discovery trail and series of children’s make-and-take creative activities this summer.

The trail will not only look to spark children’s curiosity and evoke nostalgic memories for grown-ups, but will also offer visitors the chance to see original sketches by Adam Hargreaves, the Royal Mint commemorative coin collection, and limited edition Mr Men Little Miss Royal Mail postage stamps.

First created in 1971 by Roger Hargreaves, Mr Men and Little Miss have successfully crossed the generations, enjoyed for their self-expression, colour, simplicity, and humour. What started out in answer to a question posed by Hargreaves’ son, Adam: ‘what does a tickle look like?’ the Mr Men and Little Miss brand has grown into a global entity.

The Museum of Brands celebrates our past through our throwaway heritage with displays of hundreds of products full of memory and meaning. Together they offer insight into how our lives and society have evolved since Victorian times – from the changing role of women to the impact of war and technology; or from the passing of the domestic servant to the ever changing
choices of food and toys, as well as the revolution in shopping habits over the last 200 years.

Robert Opie, founder of the Museum of Brands, said: “During the past hundred years, children’s character merchandise has become increasingly popular, from Felix the Cat that arrived in the 1920s and Mickey Mouse in the 1930s to the likes of Postman Pat in the 1980s. This year we celebrate 50 years of the genius of the Mr. Men characters.”

Adam Hargreaves, Mr. Men Little Miss author, added: “My dad, Roger Hargreaves, created the Mr. Men series in 1971 and it’s a great accolade to his idea that the Museum of Brands has chosen to feature some of the merchandise that started filling up our home 50 years ago. Through the generations, the Mr. Men and Little Miss have been seen on all kinds of products from Mr. Chatterbox radios to Mr. Grumpy Easter eggs.”

Alastair McHarrie, Sanrio’s licensing director, said: “The inclusion of iconic Mr. Men Little Miss products and memorabilia in the Museum of Brands demonstrates how these colorful characters are now part of the UK’s pop collective imagination, alongside many historical brands. We are delighted and honored with this collaboration on the occasion of our 50th anniversary.”

The Mr. Men Little Miss Discovery Trail will launch at the Museum of Brands on 23 July and runs until 10 September.

Mr Men and Little Miss to unveil two new characters during 50 Years of Mr Men documentary this weekend

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The countdown towards the grand unveiling of the two new Mr Men and Little Miss creations to be joining the cast of classic characters this year, has commenced, as Sanrio reminds the nation to tune in to the 50 Years of Mr Men documentary broadcast on Channel 4 this weekend.

The special feature, presented by Matt Lucas, will not only chart the history of the colourful little characters who changed the global publishing sector forever, but will also be used to unmask the two new additions to the Mr Men and Little Miss line-up this year.

Whittled down from the five proposed characters developed by Adam Hargreaves back in February, and voted on by more than 73,000 people, the two new characters will be joining the Mr Men and Little Miss family this September with the release of two new books, introducing them to a generation of children and parents across the world.

Meanwhile, the documentary, airing at 6pm on Sunday, May 16th, will showcase the evolution of the Mr Men and Little Miss cast, as well as their role in pioneering a new world of inclusivity and openness. The feature will explore iconic moments via the Hargreaves’ family story, artists, child psychologists, and super fans.

Behind the scenes, Matt Lucas will reveal the secret world of the artistic process, what it takes to brainstorm, draw, write, and animate new Mr Men and Little Miss characters for today’s world.

The Royal Mint celebrates 50 years of Mr Men Little Miss with commemorative coin collection

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The Royal Mint has launched a commemorative coin collection honouring 50 years of the Mr Men and Little Miss characters, as the half-century celebrations continue to roll out across the UK and worldwide.

The new Mr Men Little Miss commemorative coin collection features Mr Happy, Little Miss Sunshine, and Little Miss Giggles, with Mr Strong on a £5 crown. All three coin designs have been created exclusively by Adam Hargreaves, son of the kids’ books creator, Roger Hargreaves.

The Brilliant Uncirculated edition of the coin features the latest colour printing techniques showcasing the Mr. Men Little Miss characters in vivid colour. The Royal Mint will also be hiding 50 golden Mr Tickle tickets among all three of the colour brilliant uncirculated commemorative coins.

Every customer that finds a gold Mr Tickle ticket will be entitled to a Mr Men and Little Miss prize bundle. 

The partnership was put into place when Clare Maclennan, divisional director of commemorative coin at The Royal Mint spoke with Adam Hargreaves in a zoom call, during which the two discussed the designs and characters, the excitement around Mr. Men Little Miss turning 50, and what steps The Royal Mint takes to produce a coin that celebrates an occasion such as this.

Maclennan, said: “Each year we celebrate British icons, anniversaries and moments from history on commemorative coins, and this is a fun new addition to the collection. With this year marking the 50th anniversary since the Mr. Men Little Miss characters were introduced to the world, it felt right to celebrate the loveable characters on their own commemorative coins. 

“All three coin designs have been designed exclusively by Adam Hargreaves, son of Roger Hargreaves the original creator and illustrator of the Mr. Men Little Miss. I had the pleasure of chatting to Adam in a recent zoom call and it was brilliant to hear his positive feedback on the range.”

Adam Hargreaves, son of Roger Hargreaves, main author and illustrator of Mr. Men and Little Miss and designer of the Mr. Men Little Miss commemorative coin collection, said: “It is an absolute honour to not only have the Mr. Men Little Miss characters’ feature on official UK commemorative coins but to have the opportunity to create the designs that feature on the coins too.

“Over the past 50 years Mr. Men Little Miss characters’ have grown to become a global favourite among many and I am delighted to be celebrating 50 years of fun with The Royal Mint and I hope fans of the Mr. Men Little Miss series will be just as thrilled with this commemorative coin collection as I am.”

Created by prolific illustrator Roger Hargreaves in 1971, the Mr. Men Little Miss books and their ever-growing world of ‘Happyland’ have become a global favourite among many. The inspiration came in the form of a simple question: what does a tickle look like? The answer was Mr. Tickle, who is now one of more than 90 characters in an ever-growing collection, read in multiple languages in more than 24 countries around the world.

Today, the Mr. Men Little Miss characters are illustrated by Roger’s son, Adam, captivating a new generation of fans with each passing decade.

The first coin in the series features Mr. Happy and is available as gold and silver Proof editions, as well as a Brilliant Uncirculated edition and a special colour printed Brilliant Uncirculated edition, exclusively available from The Royal Mint.

Visit www.royalmint.com/MrMen to view the full commemorative coin range.  The coin will not be going into general circulation. 

Mr Men Little Miss lands Channel 4 documentary celebrating 50th anniversary milestone

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The half century celebrations for the iconic Mr Men and Little Miss children’s books just keep on being rolled out, as Channel 4 commissions a new documentary to take a look into the rich 50 year history of the beloved brand.

Created in 1971 by Roger Hargreaves, prompted to answer the question posed by his then eight year old son ‘what does a tickle look like?’ the Mr Men Little Miss books have become some of the most culturally significant titles of all time, as a cast of characters to have changed the face of global publishing forever.

Channel 4 will take a dive into the history of Mr Men and Little Miss in a special feature presented by super fan, writer, actor, and comedian Matt Lucas as 50 Years of the Mr Men charts rise and rise of the colourful characters.

Meanwhile, to celebrate the milestone 50th birthday, the books now author and illustrator Adam Hargreaves – no longer inquisitive eight year old – will be creating five prototype characters to be put to a public vote. The two most popular will be announced when the programme airs, before becoming the latest members of the Mr Men Little Miss universe this September.

The film will celebrate 50 years of one of the best loved children’s characters of all time. A story that started with a ‘tickle’ in 1971 and became a family dynasty, and one of Britain’s most pioneering, successful and enduring brands globally. It will showcase the evolution of the colourful characters and their role in pioneering a new world of inclusivity and openness.

The feature will also explore significant moments in the Hargreaves’ family story, and the many artists and collaborators, child psychologists, marketing gurus, collectors and super-fans from the worlds of fashion, music and the arts that have each played their role in the global appeal of the Mr Men Little Miss brand.

In parallel, behind the scenes, Matt Lucas will reveal the secret world of the artistic process; what it takes to brainstorm, draw, write and animate new Mr Men and Little Miss characters for today’s world, as well as help launch the global competition to find the two newest characters, introducing them to new generations of children and parents across the world.

“I grew up on these books and considered the Mister Men and Little Miss characters my friends,” said Lucas. “I am delighted to be meeting them all again and look forward to finding out the story behind this much-loved, iconic series.”

For the first time ever, the general public will be able to decide the next characters to join the iconic family and be turned into classic Mr. Men Little Miss books. Whether you have an inner sense of zen like Mr. Calm, are always putting others first like Little Miss Kind, have the heart of a lion like Little Miss Brave, have a can-do attitude like Mr. Brilliant or are full of zest like little Miss Energy, there’s a part of a character inside everyone.

Voting is now open globally for fans to have their say via the mrmen.com

50 Years of Mr Men was commissioned by Channel 4 Specialist Factual commissioning editor Shaminder Nahal and will be made by Tern TV with executive producer Harry Bell and director Kelly Close. 

Nahal said: “There can’t be many families who’ve lived without a few Mr Men books at home; who’ve spent a bit a bit of time immersed in that funny, colourful, charming world. From the endless eggs for breakfasts, the crazy houses and the simple stories with their satisfying endings – the world created by Roger Hargreaves feels like an essential part of popular culture.

“I can’t wait to discover the secrets of how this much-loved universe was created – and to find out who the public choose to be the characters of the future.”

 

Mr Men Little Miss celebrates 50 years with fan vote for its next two characters

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Mr Men Little Miss is celebrating is 50th Anniversary this year with the launch of a new initiative, encouraging fans to cast their votes over which two new characters will join the popular characters’ line-up.

From this week, fans will have the chance to vote from a selection of new, diverse faces, in order to shape the next 50 years of the lifestyle and publishing brand.

Mr Men Little Miss has been a family-favourite for five decades, boasting a cast of over 90 characters. Now, for the first time in its history, the general public will be able to shape the future of the brand by deciding which two characters will next be immortalised in Mr Men Little Miss books.

Fans will be able to select from a line up featuring Mr Calm, Little Miss Kind, Little Miss Brave, Little Miss Energy, and Mr Brilliant. Votes can be cast by visiting the Official Mr. Men & Little Miss Website

Alastair McHarrie, Sanrio licensing director, said: “The Mr. Men Little Miss 50th Anniversary in 2021 provides an opportunity to reflect on the role the brand has played for many generations of kids and adults across the world. Our celebrations will lead with two new characters chosen by our fans joining our family of well-loved characters and we can’t wait to see which two are chosen.”

When the late Roger Hargreaves created the Mr. Men character, Mr. Tickle, in 1971, the book went on to sell a million copies in just three years.

Adam Hargreaves, son of the original creator additionally, said: “It’s amazing to see people are still connecting to the books after 50 years, they have always been about getting people to relate with the unique characters and identify  the different traits of their own personalities, so it’s great to involve the fans and let them help shape the next 50 years of Mr. Men.”

Vote for your favourite here: www.mrmen.com: Voting closes on the 31st March

Sanrio partners with London kids clothing brand Cribstar for Mr Men Little Miss launch

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Sanrio has partnered with the independent London-based children’s clothing brand, Cribstar to launch an exclusive, new capsule collection inspired by the globally popular Mr Men Little Miss brand.

Combining the iconic cast of characters from Mr Men Little Miss with Cribstar’s motto of ‘making little ones stand out from the crowd,’ the new unisex collection features a series of bold retro prints and patterns.

 Two sets of designs have already launched with the brand, including a Mr Happy ‘happy days’ set and a multi-character ‘don’t kill my vibe’ design, both of which landed on September 18th. Each designs boasts a collection of matching jumpers, leggings, and stand out t-shirts.

 Silvia Figini, chief operating officer, Sanrio, said: “We’re so excited to partner with Cribstar on this collection. We love their design aesthetic and the fun, playful unisex designs fit perfectly with Mr. Men Little Miss.”

Jadwiga Batatawala from Cribstar, added: “It was a dream come true to design a collection with the iconic Mr Men Little Miss characters. Together I think we have created a collection which really captures the fun spirit of Mr Men Little Miss but with a Cribstar twist.”

 The full collection is available now from Cribstar’s website – https://www.cribstar.co.uk/

Mr Men Little Miss launches into McDonald’s Happy Meals with reusable cup collection

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Sanrio’s iconic Mr Men Little Miss brand has partnered with McDonald’s for a new Happy Meal promotion across the UK and Ireland, that brings its cast of characters to a line of reusable cups, tapping into the global sustainability movement.

This isn’t the first move from Sanrio to align itself with sustainability. The firm has told Licensing.biz that it has for the past number of years been working with partners – where possible – on sustainable ranges, such a its latest Carex deal for refillable pouches with Tesco.

The company will also be launching a Mr Men Go Green book this June, in which its character Little Miss Inventor cooks up a number of inventions to help her friends in Happyland be kinder to the planet.

It’s latest deal with McDonald’s will bring a collection of Mr Men Little Miss themed reusable, sustainable cups to the Happy Meal offering. The promotion will run from February 5th to March 17th.

It will see eight popular characters that kids can choose from and collect, while each Happy Meal box has received a makeover to feature Mr Tickle, Little Miss Sunshine, and Mr Bump.

The Mr. Men and Little Miss characters are even making a splash on TV with a new McDonald’s advert, as well as in store presence with a host of kids’ activities, including colouring sheets and balloons.

Sabrina Segalov, senior licensing manager at Sanrio, said: “We’re delighted to extend our partnership with McDonald’s to the UK and introduce a new range of sustainable cups as the gift in each Happy Meal.”