The Point.1888 secures 7 more licensees for Percy the Park Keeper

Brand licensing specialist The Point.1888 has secured seven new licensees for publishing brand Percy The Park Keeper.

Created by Nick Butterworth, the popular heritage publishing property has expanded its licensing programme due to the continued popularity of the brand among families. With many of the books’ original readers now having children or grandchildren themselves, they are now looking to share their favourite stories with the next generation. This has allowed the brand to see continued growth and enabled it to bring new partners to the licensing programme.

The new licensees are:

Poetic Brands – Kids’ and baby apparel

William Lamb – Footwear and accessories

Robert Frederick – Stationery, art and crafts, garden

Tonies – Electric audio book box

Anthem – Colouring books

Museums & Galleries – Greetings cards

Portico – Calendars

These agreements represent a huge step forward for Nick Butterworth’s brand licensing programme with The Point.1888, as it aims to bring his portfolio of literary properties to life through consumer products and events.

New partners will start rolling out their products this year, and are the perfect follow-on from the recent success of a nationwide partnership with The National Trust for a family winter trail over the Christmas period.

As well as Percy the Park Keeper, the portfolio includes the hugely popular children’s books My Dad is Brilliant, My Mum is Fantastic, My Grandma is Wonderful, My Grandpa is Amazing, and the Altogether Now series. Nick has sold over 20 million books in more than 35 languages, with Percy the Park Keeper selling more than nine million copies with long-term publisher HarperCollins. HarperCollins’ publishing programme for Percy The Park Keeper will continue to grow in 2022 & 2023.

Olivia Wiggett, Commercial Manager for The Point.1888, said: “We’re delighted to welcome all our new licensees to the Percy The Park Keeper programme. It’s such an exciting time for the brand to celebrate the quality storytelling and genuine emotion and warmth that never gets old. We can’t wait to keep growing the programme alongside Nick and Ben Butterworth [Nick’s son] and our wonderful licensees.”

Ben Butterworth added: “It is great to see the love for Percy amongst people of all ages confirmed in the growth of the licensing platform. We are delighted to be working with such good commercial partners. The Point.1888 continues to do an excellent job in expanding Percy’s licensing programme and we are very excited by what 2022 and 2023 have in store for Percy and his animal friends.”

Percy The Park Keeper partners with the National Trust for nationwide winter trails

Percy The Park Keeper partners with the National Trust for nationwide winter trails

This winter, 121 National Trust gardens and parklands across England, Wales and Northern Ireland will be inviting families to step into the wonderful world of Percy the Park Keeper, thanks to a new agreement signed by the brand’s licensing agent The Point.1888.

In partnership with the best-selling author and illustrator Nick Butterworth, the Percy the Park Keeper Winter Wander at National Trust sites will introduce children and their families to the busy park keeper and his animal friends.

Running from Saturday 4 December until Sunday 30 January* the self-led trail will invite families to join Percy’s team as he races to get the park and its animals ready for winter. After reading Percy’s handwritten note, families will help find Percy’s equipment and enjoy activities and games as they complete the trail. They’ll also be a prize to collect and a photo opportunity with Percy and his friends at the end.

This is a significant agreement for Nick Butterworth’s brand licensing programme with The Point.1888 to bring his portfolio of literary brands to life as consumer products and programmes. As well as Percy the Park Keeper series, the portfolio includes the hugely popular children’s books My Dad is BrilliantMy Mum is FantasticMy Grandma is WonderfulMy Grandpa is Amazing, and the Altogether Now series. Nick has sold over 20 million books in more than 35 languages, with Percy the Park Keeper selling more than nine million copies in partnership with HarperCollins.

Olivia Wiggett, Associate Commercial Manager at The Point.1888, says: “Nick’s books, with their ethos of caring for each other and the world around us, were of great support to so many people during lockdown and now that restrictions have eased and children and families can go out once more to explore, we’re delighted that Percy the Park Keeper will be right alongside them. This deal is incredibly important to the programme and there are many more exciting plans to come.”

Commenting on the appointment, Nick Butterworth said, “I am absolutely delighted that Percy and his animal friends are partnering with the National Trust this winter. The houses and gardens of the National Trust are inspirational places and good for the soul. As parents and grandparents we have found ourselves lost in a world of imagination in the wonderful grounds. So much so that sometimes we have actually been lost, but there aren’t many better places to be! The past 18 months have been very difficult for so many people and also the National Trust. To be part of something that supports the National Trust, that gets people outdoors and spreads some happiness this winter is terrific.”

Lucy Footer, Creative Programming Manager, National Trust, added: “We are thrilled to be bringing the magic of Percy’s world to National Trust places this winter. The Percy the Park Keeper winter wander will take place across 121 of our properties including parklands like Percy’s, gardens, landscapes, and coastal sites in our care, bringing delight to families across regions and countries.

“Since we announced the trail, it has become clear how well-loved Percy is particularly amongst our garden and ranger teams and of course our visitors. The Percy stories have even inspired one or two of our staff to become National Trust rangers themselves!

“The world of Percy is gentle and kind and through the stories we’re invited to help Percy solve problems, care for nature, notice what’s around and of course have fun, helped by his animal friends. It’s in this spirit that we will engage families and visitors of all ages through the winter wander experience, and we cannot wait to welcome them”.

*Dates may vary across National Trust properties

 

Author and illustrator Nick Butterworth partners with The Point. 1888

The Point. 1888 is partnering with the renowned children’s author and illustrator Nick Butterworth to bring the cast of literary properties from his portfolio to life in the consumer products arena.

Butterworth is the mind and talent behind popular children’s book creations such as Percy The Park Keeper series, My Dad is Brilliant, My Mum is Fantastic, My Grandma is Wonderful, My Grandpa is Amazing, and the Altogether Now series. He has sold over 20 million books in more than 35 languages.

The modern classic, Percy The Park Keeper has sold more than nine million copies in partnership with HarperCollins.

Signing the deal this week, Butterworth selected The Point. 1888 following a recommendation from a licensee who was impressed with the company’s retail-first approach and experience with literary brands such as The Gruffalo. The agency now prides itself on its work with brands with purpose, which include River Cottage, Battersea, Metropolitan Police Service and Mumsnet.

Butterworth said: “I am absolutely delighted to be working with The Point. 1888. Celebrating 30 years of dear old Percy The Park Keeper this year has shown me how much love there is for Percy and his animal chums. It is a privilege to know that children, parents, grandchildren and teachers get so much from the books.”

Hannah Stevens, head of retail at The Point.1888, added: “Children across the country have truly embraced these stories for 30 years. The books have a spirit of kindness and fun that resonates with children, parents, grandparents and teachers. We’re thrilled to be able to give families the opportunity to engage further with this ethos with the creation of branded products that can be played with and enjoyed time and time again.”

The Point.1888 aims to create new products based on the gaps it sees at retail, rather than what it thinks the brand’s target demographic might like. The strategy has been adopted in order to support a higher chance of retailer buy-in and a better sales performance.

The Point.1888 has already begun its brand immersion phase, which includes research and competitor analysis, and the team is now ready to engage with their vast network of retail and licensee contacts.