The Wombles, the much-loved children’s characters from the 1970s, have come out of hibernation to spread their positive message of local environmentalism. The characters are being given a CGI makeover as part of a major relaunch that aims to inspire and mobilize a new generation of environmental enthusiasts.

The  Wombles relaunch will be backed by a consumer products licensing that will focus on toys, apparel and other categories, the first since the property’s last revival in the late 1990s when Cinar/Filmfair released 10-minute animated episodes.

A #WomblesWanted advertising campaign is encouraging members of the public to adopt positive (Womble-style) behaviour, from recycling to reusing and refurbishing old items rather than sending them to landfill. The Wombles are also being used to promote Keep Britain Tidy’s Great British Spring Clean, the country’s largest mass-action environmental campaign, which takes place from 20th March to13th April. This will be the first in a series of initiatives supported by The Wombles to encourage all of us to do more for our local environment in 2020, from recycling and collecting litter to reusing and refurbishing old items rather than sending them to landfill.

The CGI characters, which have been developed by The Wombles’ creative team, bring a new dimension and contemporary-feel to the characters without changing their classic look. The CGI gives each Womble, including all of the classic characters (Orinoco, Great Uncle Bulgaria, Madame Cholet,

Alderney, Tobermory, Wellington, Bungo and Tomsk), a full range of facial emotions and the ability to talk. A new series of scripts, balancing important environmental messages with the playful fun that made The Wombles so popular, is under-development. The team behind the Wombles is in discussion with major studio partners and streaming platforms about bringing the original eco-warriors back to our screens in the near future.

The enduring appeal of The Wombles is demonstrated by the numerous Womble groups that have formed around the country in recent years to champion local environmental action. A consumer poll conducted by The Radio Times in 2014 included The Wombles in a list of the top 10 most popular BBC TV children’s characters of all time.  The Wombles, which first appeared as part of an eight-book series written by Elisabeth Beresford,  ventured into licensing in the 1970s with the launched of BBC-commissioned stop-motion animation series. The rights to The Wombles were acquired by private investors several years ago.

Daniel Avener, CEO of MDR Brand Management, who has been appointed to handle the brand extension and commercial partnerships programme for The Wombles, said, ‘The Wombles were the original eco-warriors and thanks to the original TV series many were inspired to take a greater interest in our environment. Given the challenges facing the planet today, it’s a perfect time for companies and brands toleverage such an iconic family of characters to build a positive platform to help spread the environmentalmessage to recycle, reuse and rethink the way we live and consume on a daily basis.’

MDR has also expanded its core team of consultant Associate Partners to specifically support The Wombles, including leading industry experts Ian Downes, Simon Gresswell and Lisa Shapiro.

For further information, contact:

Daniel Avener

MDR Brand Management

daniel.avener@mdrbrand.com

About MDR Brand Management

MDR Brand Management is the first brand management business to be launched by a leading law firm in the UK and has been created to address the growing complexity that brand owners face in the global marketplace. It is built on a unique set of foundations, recognising that there has never been more overlap between creative, commercial, regulatory, digital and legal considerations. It is the fourth non-legal business within The Mishcon de Reya Group, sitting alongside MDR Cyber, MDR Discover and Mayfair Private.