Paddington: the affable bear who became a lucrative biz
From humble beginnings to global phenomenon
Paddington, the affable clumsy bear from British children’s books, has transformed into an international sensation over the past decade, thanks to a clever film strategy and with the help of the royal family.
Visitors to London’s train stations and airports are never far from a flood of Paddington soft toys, replete with his signature red hat and blue duffle coat, displayed alongside souvenir staples like mini double-decker buses and toy royal guards.
Big money
Paddington has long been popular in the United Kingdom thanks to the books created by Michael Bond in 1958. But the character failed to gain popularity further afield until the blockbuster success of the feature film in 2014, which made $268 million at the box office.
StudioCanal then bought the rights to develop a franchise around the bear. It produced two new films: “Paddington 2” in 2017 (US$227 million in revenue) and “Paddington in Peru”, released this year. An animated series, exhibitions, and, soon, a musical have also been developed.
Retailers jump on the bandwagon
Retailers jumped on the bear’s popularity: it appeared in prints from Next-owned fashion brand Cath Kidston, in Christmas adverts for Marks & Spencer and featured in a McDonald’s Happy Meal. The brand has partnered with Airbnb, Primark, Zara, and appeared on postcards for UN children’s agency Unicef which raised US$15 million in sales.
Royal connections
Paddington has also attracted the attention of the British royal family: Prince William attended the premiere of the film in China in 2015 while his wife Catherine danced with the bear at a charity event at Paddington Station in 2017. Most famously, he appeared at Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022 in a humorous short film that catapulted the character into further stardom.
A media craze
The media craze following this appearance generated the equivalent of £10 million in advertising sales in the United Kingdom alone, according to an estimate by French advertising agency Havas. The bear became associated with the queen ever since and after her death, hundreds of Paddington stuffed animals were placed in front of Buckingham Palace.
TikTokers and beyond
Today, Paddington is “within the highest value British-created characters, up there with Harry Potter and James Bond”, said Luke McDonagh, an intellectual property specialist at the London School of Economics. “It is a reasonable estimate to say the overall value of the Paddington brand is more than £1 billion,” he added.
According to a Marketcast survey, the number of respondents who knew of Paddington grew by nearly 20 percent in the United States, Germany, and France, between the release of the second film in 2017 and 2023.
Conclusion
Paddington has become a global phenomenon, with a brand valued at over £1 billion. From humble beginnings to international stardom, the bear has captured the hearts of millions around the world.
FAQs
Q: How many Paddington books have been sold worldwide?
A: 35 million
Q: How many Paddington toys have been sold since 2021?
A: 27 million
Q: What is the estimated value of the Paddington brand?
A: Over £1 billion
Q: How many respondents knew of Paddington in the United States, Germany, and France between 2017 and 2023?
A: Nearly 20 percent