Marvel Mania returns to the global stage for fifth year with new retail and product initiatives

The popular Marvel retail celebration, Marvel Mania, is making its return this year, bringing kids, families, and fans new ways to wear, connect, and play with the franchise, and it is all kicking off this month with a Marvel-sponsored Superhero Series sports challenge.

Now in its fifth year, Marvel Mania is recognised as the only campaign to bring all the Marvel Super Heroes together as it offers a suite of global retail activations, new content launches, and new products for fans of all ages. The campaign will continue with a host of global activity through to October this year.

Powered by Marvel, the ‘Superhero Series’ is the UK’s largest interactive sporting event dedicated to the nation’s 13.3 million people with disabilities. Six families and their celebrity team captains will be starring in a special shopDisney.com-sponsored Channel 4 programme as they take on this year’s ‘At Home Superheroes’ challenge.

Due to air on August 15th, the programme will be presented by Clare Balding and includes ‘Marvel Mania’at shopDisney break-bumpers. Supporting the at-home initiative Marvel will bring the energy of its iconic Super Hero characters to participants’ homes and neighbourhoods through downloadable games, signs and more to help participants feel like a true Super Hero.

“What started as a targeted retail campaign in the US has grown into an international celebration with a wide range of retailers and more than a hundred global licensees supporting worldwide,” said Paul Gitter, SVP, Marvel Licensing. “The success of Marvel Mania is a testament to the strength, power and diversity our characters represent on screen and beyond with amazing products and experiences.”

In Mexico, Marvel will be collaborating with a sporting and cultural phenomenon this October and in the US shopDisney.com will feature a month-long ‘Marvel Mania’ collector event to debut new products, content and Marvel-themed accessories and apparel.

In China, a Marvel ‘Find Your Power’ campaign will launch this fall with additional Asia Pacific region retail touch points, new product offerings, and multiple consumer activations running through 2021. Japan will feature “A Universe of Heroes” exhibition that celebrates the Marvel Cinematic Universe opening in Osaka, Japan from August 10 to November 23 with limited-edition products sold exclusively at the exhibition including Beams Marvel t-shirts designed by three local artists.

Supporting Marvel Mania will be robust merchandising programmes from major UK and European retailers including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Argos, Smyths, ASDA, Amazon and Carrefour as well as shopDisney and The Disney Store.

In the US Walmart, Target, Amazon, Kohl’s, Hot Topic, Box Lunch, FYE, Party City, Walgreen’s and Books-A-Million will all be taking part. Fans in Southeast Asia, the Middle East and India can look forward to an exciting line-up of Marvel campaigns now until November across the region’s largest online retailers and e-Commerce platforms, such as Lazada, Shopee, Flipkart and Amazon.

These campaigns will bring the latest Marvel merchandise online, from kids’ favourite Hasbro and LEGO offerings, to the ultra-affordable-but-chic MINISO for an added touch of “power” to any home and living space. Latin America rounds out the programme with support from El Palacio de Hierro, Walmart and Marathon. All participating retailers will feature unique ‘Marvel Mania’ promotions and special offers.

Additionally, an exciting cross-category merchandise portfolio spanning video games, publishing, apparel, accessories, toys and more will give kids, families and fans the biggest, broadest, and ‘most diverse merchandise line ever.’

Highlights include launches for the Marvel fanatics such as X-Men 20th Anniversary collectables toys from Hasbro, Marvel Zombies Funko Pop! collectables, the LEGO Marvel Studios Iron Man art set and more, while for kids there will be the likes of the BattleWorld Thanos Ship Showdown from Funko,  Spider-Man: Maximum Venom toys including Venom Burst Action Figures and role play from Hasbro, construction sets from LEGO, and Funko Pops.