Fans would describe Snoopy as witty, clever, sarcastic, adventurous, creative, mischievous, and ambitious.
He's a baseball player that came close to breaking Babe Ruth's home run record, a World War II pilot, a tennis player, a lawyer, and an ambitious, award-winning writer.
Snoopy is many things, but he's first and foremost an icon:
- You can find a Snoopy float sailing through the chilly streets of New York City during the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade,
- In 2022, Peanuts is a $2.5 billion dollar annual retail business.
- Peanuts comics featuring Snoopy began running in newspapers in the 1950s. Charles Schulz, the creator of Peanuts passed away in 2000, but Peanuts comic strips are still published in over 2,000 newspapers in 75 countries, and 21 languages.
- Snoopy is featured on MetLife insurance ads, Hallmark gift cards, plushes, and countless other memorabilia.
- Snoopy is one of the most-recognized characters in the world.
In this post, we'll dive into what makes the best-selling Peanuts brand timeless and relevant.
Keep reading to learn more about why capturing revenue from Peanuts is a good investment for your business!
1. Peanuts Merchandise is not just for an older crowd
You might think that Peanuts reached the zenith of its popularity decades ago.
I wouldn't blame you.
I thought this too before I began reading the Peanuts comic strips. As I continued to read them, I began to understand their widespread appeal. Like many kids, I grew up watching It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and A Charlie Brown Christmas when the holidays rolled around. These were staples in my childhood household, but their emotional impact and pop culture relevance today is stronger than ever.
Peanuts is relatable to all audiences because the comic strips, TV shorts, movies, and brand explore:
- The small everyday moments of daily life
- The awkward reality of growing up
- The messiness of social interaction
- The frustration of unmet expectations
- The unique joy and fulfillment that creativity brings
2. Peanuts does $2.5 billion dollar of retail sales every year
Charles Schulz passed away 24 years ago in 2000, but if he were alive today, he wouldn't be surprised with Peanuts continued success.
Schulz wholeheartedly believed in the Peanuts brand. He worked tirelessly throughout his life to propel it to unprecedented heights, overseeing the production of the tv specials, Peanuts licensing deals with Hallmark, and much more.
Peanuts experienced enormous success during Schulz's lifetime, but its continued success is a testament to the timeless resonance that its dedicated fanbase experiences, the diligent work of the Peanut's worldwide partnership to maintain its global relevance, and Peanuts licensing deals that range from branded merchandise, to Apple TV+, the new home of the holiday Peanuts specials.
Peanut's large retail market share deserves the serious consideration of your business.
Snoopy is well-known for his adventurous spirit, which makes his venturesome personality a great fit for your gift shop, souvenir shop, campground store, or resort.
By adding in a location name drop like the examples below, you can offer your customer's something memorable that they can wear for years to come.
3. Peanuts has all the hallmarks of a timeless brand, making it relevant to all audiences, including Gen Z
Stories appeal to the deepest part of our human nature:
- Human beings psychologically evolved to tell stories. The stories that we tell create shared meaning, morals, and shape our institutions. Humans think, dream, and occupy the world of stories.
- We are magnetically attracted to stories that resonate with our daily lives and beliefs.
- Common features of these stories include relatable morals and characters.
Peanuts checks all of the boxes for great storytelling:
- As described above, Peanuts explores themes of childhood, awkwardness, first love, being misunderstood, creativity, and the simplicity and complexity of everyday life.
- Although Peanuts has a particular setting, its story can take place anywhere; the characters in Peanuts never age, and the story arc isn't linear. This is all intentional, and makes for good, storytelling that is multi-generationally relevant.
Although Peanuts is set in post-World War II America, every generation finds a way to make Peanuts relatable to their daily struggles. Generation Z is no exception:
- During the second and third quarter of 2023 the official Snoopy TikTok account saw a 223 percent in engagement.The TikTok account features clips of Peanuts characters and include a witty caption that describes the mood of the post.
- According to a recent NPR article, younger people are rediscovering the relevance of Peanuts due to a Nostalgia factor and how the characters grapple with complicated struggles in their daily lives.
- "Many young adults are overwhelmed with feelings as they try to make sense of everything going on in the world. Enter Snoopy, for whom a full dish at suppertime can elicit a happy dance on even the moodiest day," Elise Hannum says describing the emotional connection that Snoopy creates in her Atlantic article.
4. There are plenty of available Peanuts concepts
Charles Schulz drew a different comic everyday for 57 years. Anything that Snoopy or the Peanuts gang does in the comic strips represents the artwork we print on our merchandise. There are thousands of available items to choose from Think of it like your customers owning a piece of history.
Check out Huge Brand's Peanuts Space, and Outdoor Catalog for yourself:
Huge Brand's Peanuts Space Catalog
Huge Brand's Peanuts Outdoor Catalog
5. Peanuts merchandise is great for name Drops, especially Artemis merchandise for space museums
Huge Brands is one of the few companies in the world that is allowed to do name drops with Peanuts memorabilia.
In the Peanuts comic strips, Snoopy is an avid traveler, representing the spirit of adventure. This makes him the perfect fit for name dropping locations that people visit. For example, if you own a shop in Yellowstone National Park, Huge Brands can create unique merchandise with Snoopy on it and the location that somebody visited. This apparel is fun, iconic, and represents a great memory for your customers.
As "the world famous astronaut",Snoopy's love for adventure has been foundational to the longstanding relationship he has had with NASA.
"Snoopy has served as both a safety mascot and a symbol for STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) outreach for the space agency. NASA's Apollo 10 spacecraft were named "Charlie Brown" and "Snoopy," and Snoopy, in doll form, has flown in space on the space shuttle,[and]the International Space Station," Robert Pearlman shares about Snoopy's NASA tenure in his space.com article.
Recently, Snoopy flew on Artemis I, the first phase of NASA's three part historic mission to explore the South Pole region of the moon. As the zero gravity indicator, a Snoopy doll was used as a visual indicator on the spacecraft to indicate when it "reached the weightlessness of microgravity"
Huge Brand's Artemis collection commemorates this historic mission and is a perfect addition to your museum gift shop or souvenir shop. If you're interested in our Artemis collection, you can fill out this form to get started on your brand merch today.
Conclusion
There was speculation that interest in Peanuts would wane after Charles Schulz death, but the resilience of the brand's success is a testament to its timeless emotional appeal that only an icon can create.
Many of your customers will love Snoopy memorabilia, making it a great opportunity for your business.
Key Takeaways
- Peanuts merchandise is great resorts, souvenir shops, museums, and campgrounds.
- The Peanuts brand holds immense pop cultural and emotional appeal
- You can choose thousands of available Peanuts designs
- Huge Brands holds a unique licensing agreement that allows you to include location name drops on Peanuts merchandise
- Our Peanuts Artemis collection commemorates NASA's current missions to explore, document, and eventually colonize the moon.
