Bulldog Licensing, the independent licensing agency representing Beano, has announced two new collaborations as part of the Dennis the Menace 75th Anniversary celebrations in 2026, underlining the diversity and wide age range of the brand’s appeal.

Duck World, the home of iconic and collectible rubber ducks, will be joining the 75th Anniversary campaign with special limited edition Dennis and Gnasher character ducks. One thousand of each will be on sale through the company’s sites in the UK and online from Q1 2026, featuring a unique design and specially created packaging from the creative team behind the Beano comic, with a wide target audience ranging from toddlers and children to gift givers and people who just like rubber ducks.

For an adult audience that likes its designer watches to have an unmistakable point of difference, there’s another limited edition collectors’ range, this time from Mr Jones Watches, a maker of unusual and high-quality watches. Mr Jones’ inspired take on Beano will celebrate Dennis turning 10 for the 75th time with 750 limited edition watches. The watches tell a specially commissioned comic story across an animated watch face, bespoke straps and packaging. The watches will launch in June 2026 ahead of Father’s Day and will be available on the company’s website and in its Covent Garden store.

With over 700 varieties of the best rubber ducks, Duck World is the British home of iconic and collectible rubber ducks. Its offer includes over 250 models of designer rubber ducks carefully curated from British and European designers. From the iconic Shakespeare Duck and Charles Duckins to the regal Queen Duck and Royal Guard Duck, and now Dennis and Gnasher, each duck is a true work of art that will bring joy to your life.

Mr Jones Watches was born in 2007 when Crispin Jones began designing watches as a one-man band from his home in London. Over 18 years and hundreds of designs later, it now has two workshops in London, from which every single one of its watches is sustainably produced in-house. Every colour in Mr Jones watches has been mixed by hand and printed layer by layer, before being assembled and time-tested by the company’s talented team. Mr Jones also has a super-cool shop in Covent Garden.

Both of these distinctive companies are working with a property that itself stands out in its field: the world’s longest-running weekly comic that over 28 million people of today’s UK population have enjoyed in one form or another and has entertained generations of children for nearly 90 years.

The phenomenal brand recognition of Beano has inspired not just a strong comic and annual circulation but also millions of fans and audiences across a range of touchpoints (which includes Beano.com, YouTube, FAST TV channels, and an animated TV show), not to mention an ever-expanding range of fiction titles and activity books.

Beano is a gateway into reading for fun, sparking creativity and imagination across all platforms and channels, remaining a top ten kids’ publishing brand in the UK, selling a comic every eight seconds and always topping the annuals sales charts.

Dennis the Menace, Beano’s master of mischief and most iconic character, will celebrate 75 years since his debut in the Beano comic in 2026. Beano will mark his anniversary through a year-long celebration of high-impact activations and marketing moments in ‘The Year of Mischief’, and a collection of new products and experiential collaborations. For every generation, Dennis embodies the fun, carefree childhood everyone remembers. Dennis is leading the charge, catapult in hand and Gnasher by his side. Growing up can wait!

Driven by its humour and iconic characters, Beano has a growing licensing list that includes publishing, apparel, toys and games, greetings cards, costume characters and dress-up, including an established presence in location-based licensed events. This year’s BLE will highlight multiple opportunities at Bulldog’s stand (A202) for potential partners as Beano gears up for Dennis’s 75th anniversary in 2026, and the brand’s 90th anniversary in 2028.

A growing adult market is now a strong focus of the Bulldog campaign, which is supported by a comprehensive adult-focused Beano style guide.

Irina Fedotova, Director, Duck World, says: “Our customers love our character-inspired rubber duck collection, where classic figures meet playful design – and Dennis and Gnasher will be a worthy addition to the many classic British names we celebrate through our designer ranges. We’re thrilled to be working with these iconic characters.”

Emily Weston, Brand Manager, Mr Jones, says: “Instantly recognisable but uniquely itself, Beano is a one-of-a-kind UK brand that both boasts classic status and is fresh, funny and modern – a perfect inspiration for our aim to produce statement watches that tell a story, start a conversation or simply make you smile.”

Bulldog Brand Manager Sophie Yates says: “The addition of Duck World and Mr Jones to Beano’s licensing programme underlines the broad appeal of Beano as both a classic brand and a modern, funny and exciting property that can inspire original and distinctive products that appeal to a fanbase spanning multiple generations. It’s been a delight working with these two unique companies and we’re looking forward enormously to seeing their highly original take on one of the world’s great comic brands.”

About Bulldog Licensing
Bulldog Licensing was founded in 2007. Today we are one of the leading agencies in Europe, working with many of the world’s leading brand owners to develop merchandise programmes ready for the international and domestic licensing markets.

Bulldog has an excellent reputation and contacts throughout the world of retailing and licensing. Our diverse portfolio includes classics like Care Bears, Sesame Street, Me to You, Mr Bean, and Popeye, publishing successes like Beano, That’s Not My… Rolling Stone and Attitude, animated hits like Totally Spies and Odo, games and toy brands like Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Match Attax, BEYBLADE X and Tamagotchi, global family music brand KIDZ BOP and the darts-based gameshow Bullseye.

We don’t just work with established brands. We also help owners of nascent IPs to create brands that are fit for purpose in the highly competitive world of brand licensing. But whatever we do, our aim is always to be an agency that people can trust with their brands and their business.

For more information, please visit https://www.bulldog-licensing.com