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Andersen raises £1.5m for charity through David McKee’s Elmer campaigns
Andersen Press has announced it has raised £1.5m for charities through various campaigns linked to David McKee’s Elmer, which celebrates 35 years this year.
Elmer’s Big Art Parade Blackpool raised more than £143,000 in their charity auction which saw 30 Elmer sculptures, designed and painted by various artists, auctioned off in aid of Brian House Children’s Hospice. This is the seventh collaboration between the press and Wild in Art since 2019, with each event raising money for a different charity.
In total the events have now raised more than £1.5 million for charities, including hospices in England and Northern Ireland, and Laura Fergusson Brain Injury Trust in New Zealand.
Andersen Press pledged £1 for each Elmer paperback sold through the TCM in June and donated their royalty for the exclusive Elmer pride t-shirt sold via online nostalgia and culture retailer TruffleShuffle. Licensee The Puppet Company pledged £1 per Elmer puppet sold through June.
Collectively these endeavours have raised more than £4,200, which includes £1,000 raised via TruffleShuffle, with their pride t-shirt the fastest seller in the range.
Sales of David McKee’s original paperback are up 27% year-on-year through Nielsen Bookscan.
A special charity edition of Elmer’s Walk is also on sale now in more than 1,000 One Stop stores around the UK, brokered and produced by Louis Kennedy in aid of charity Living Streets.
Paul Black, PR and brand director at Andersen Press said: "Not only do these campaigns and collaborations raise money for these well-deserving charities, it also allows us to engage with consumers and our audiences in an unusual and surprising way. This is especially important as we celebrate Elmer’s 35th Anniversary with a message of inclusivity and acceptance, something that runs through each of our charity partners."
More activity and partnerships are planned for the rest of 2024 and beyond, with new publishing releases coming in the autumn, including an Elmer book and toy set releasing in the UK in September with foreign rights deals already confirmed in six territories.
