The UK’s popular Horrid Henry cartoon is loaning its brand to social organization Madlug to help “care experienced children.”
That phrase in the UK refers to children in care, which may be under a Compulsory Supervision Order at home, or in a foster home situation.
Brand owner Novel Entertainment says it’s teaming up with Madlug “to support the company’s mission to raise awareness of the value and worth of care experienced children, while helping them make their way with dignity.”
Horrid Henry is a major multi-media brand. On launch, the TV show rapidly became CITV’s most popular series and is now NickToon’s and Nickelodeon UK’s most popular show, as well as being a hit on Netflix and Amazon Kids+. The series, which spans 250 episodes and a number of specials, is broadcast in over 150 territories outside the UK.
Under the collaboration, Novel Entertainment has donated its Horrid Henry brand to enable Madlug to create a backpack featuring the popular children’s entertainment property.
With a July 22 launch and priced at £29.99, the Madlug x Horrid Henry backpack will be available in red and blue. As part of Madlug’s buy one, give one initiative, for every Horrid Henry backpack purchased, a care experienced child will receive a pack-away travel bag.
The Horrid Henry x Madlug backpack, which features a logo specially designed to incorporate Madlug’s brand by House of Fandango’s Lucy Freeth, will be available to buy exclusively from Madlug.com. The launch will be supported by a promotional and social media campaign.
“As well as supporting Madlug’s aim to empower care experienced young people by providing them with job training and entrepreneurial opportunities, this initiative aligns with Novel’s wider social impact program,” Novel said in a statement. Last year saw the release of Horrid Henry and the Groovy Grandma, a conversation about loss, which was donated to GOSH’s Power of Play Platform. Alongside inclusivity consultant George O’Shaughnessy, Madlug, and the Foundling Museum, Novel Entertainment is now working on a second film, which will be a conversation about love.
“As part of our ongoing drive to bring Horrid Henry into the area of social impact, it’s a privilege to support and be part of Madlug’s hugely worthwhile mission,” said Novel Entertainment’s Co-Founder and Creative Director, Lucinda Whiteley. “Our aim is to continue this collaboration in the long term and to support Madlug’s enterprise as they make sure every child with care experience knows that they are incredible.”
Madlug is a luggage company founded in 2015 by Dave Linton, who admits his only experience in the luggage industry was “bags of enthusiasm.”
As a youth worker, Linton was heartbroken to learn that most care experienced children transport their worldly belongings in a trash bag, known as a bin bag in the UK.
In that moment, he set out to do something about it. With just £480, Linton started Madlug and came up with a buy one, give one approach: With every bag purchased, one will be given to a child in care.
To date, Madlug has been able to give more than 45,000 travel bags to care experienced children and young people across the UK and Ireland, their mission being to distribute 90,000 bags by April 2024.
“There’s over 100,000 children in care in the UK and Ireland and one child enters the care system every 15 minutes, most having their belongings moved in black bin bags or plastic shopping bags,” added Linton. “This is the first time we’ve collaborated with a company to use their IP to raise funds for the Madlug movement, and we’re delighted to have Novel Entertainment’s support as we give Horrid Henry fans the chance to give dignity to children in care, because no child should be carrying their life in a bin bag.”
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