Beano Studios partners with Happy Monkey Drinks on nationwide promotion

By John Freeman on August 15, 2019

Beano Studios has struck up a new partnership with Happy Monkey Drinks, with a series of on pack tie-ins to its popular TV series Dennis and Gnasher: Unleashed!

A quarter of a million Happy Monkey Strawberry & Banana and Orange & Mango drinks cartons will feature Dennis and Gnasher from the CBBC TV show – and will be on sale in major supermarkets and independent shops nationwide from late August, landing just in time for the back to school season.

The branded packs will direct kids towards a bespoke online treasure hunt, created on Beano.com, and offer kids and families the chance to win Dennis & Gnasher: Unleashed! themed prizes, including goody bags, Beano rucksacks and key rings, as well as tickets for a family of four to the Dennis & Gnasher: Unleashed! Musical premiere in 2020.

(Strangely, there’s no mention of any Beano comic-related prizes, such as annuals or subscriptions to the weekly humour comic).

Happy Monkey, a popular smoothie brand, is known for promoting a healthy lifestyle for kids, a cause close to Beano Studios’ heart following its work with ITV on the ‘Eat Them to Defeat Them’ Veg Power campaign. Happy Monkey Drinks has won a number of awards, including Best Children’s Drink for seven consecutive years in the prestigious Loved By Parents and Loved By Children annual awards.

The Beano competition will also be promoted across Happy Monkey’s digital channels, all of which will feature Dennis & Gnasher.

”Beano Studios’ work on encouraging kids to eat more healthily made them an ideal ally in growing even further awareness of our brand of healthy, sustainably-sourced drinks for kids,” commented Simon Gray, head of communications at Happy Monkey.

“Our competition is a dream partnership between people who want the best for kids, and understand their inherent sense of mischief. The treasure hunt will be an extra layer of fun for families and kids, all the while encouraging them to eat healthily and responsibly. We also can’t wait to see the musical.”

Vanessa Andreis, IP partnerships at Beano Studios, added:”We’re always looking for partnerships that will resonate with kids, especially with brands that help kids stay healthy and have a sense of fun. So we’re delighted to partner with Happy Monkey, with its Rainforest Alliance seal and no-added sugar drink range, to promote Dennis & Gnasher: Unleashed!

“We’ve created a fun competition with bespoke content that should be really engaging for kids and their families, and we wish our treasure hunters good luck.”

• The Dennis and Gnasher: Unleashed! Happy Monkey Drinks will be on sale in major supermarkets – including Sainsbury’s, Asda, Waitrose, Tesco, Iceland and Ocado – as well as independent shops | Web: www.happymonkeydrinks.com | Beano.com

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.