The World
of Peter Rabbit
A brand new world for a 120 year old icon.
“It was extremely important that we found the right agency to help us execute this exciting project. CreateFuture offered a collaborative, creative and strategic approach.”
Isobel Richardson - Global Brand Director, Owned Brands, Penguin Random House
The Owned Brands Team at Penguin Random House Children's has big plans for our friend Peter Rabbit - a five year strategic global growth plan and an exciting 120th birthday celebration. We reimagined Peter and his World, evolving the iconic Peter Rabbit character to ensure that he will continue to flourish and engage audiences for many years to come.
Our work
Brand strategy | Logo design | Brand toolkit | Digital strategy | Digital design
Hop, skip and jump towards global growth
We made the complex simple for the Owned Brands team responsible for the strategic global brand management of this classic character. Working across the business with teams from editorial, design, legal and licensing at Penguin Random House Children’s, we delivered a brand strategy and design language that can speak to many audiences in many spaces, for today and tomorrow.
Working collaboratively we created a refreshed logo, new propositions, digital and content solutions, a brand toolkit, design language and redesign of PeterRabbit.com
Setting the vision for the future
Many teams in Penguin Random House Children’s have a stake in Peter: we spoke to people across the business to explore the complex set of requirements for the short and long term.
We learned from classic character brands, mapped consumer audiences and reimagined what Peter Rabbit means today and will mean in the next 120 years.
Our design-thinking approach helped align the team around the challenge: build on the brand’s values of fun, adventure, family and friendship to create an icon that spans multiple touch-points, speaks to multiple ages and can be reimagined in multiple ways.
A recognised icon
Peter Rabbit is a British classic, known and loved by many the world over. To ensure that Peter can continue to reach and resonate with a contemporary audience, we needed to evolve the exquisite illustrative logo to become an impactful and hardworking icon.
Alongside the internationally renowned logo craftsman Chris Mitchell, we evolved the nostalgic illustration and elevated the legal mark, bringing the ‘Running Rabbit’ into the 21st Century whilst remaining true to its roots. The iconic blue jacket is the consistent visual element and a recognisable symbol of the brand: a mark of quality, heritage and a seal of authenticity.
The typography pays respect to Beatrix Potter, taking cues from the first edition of The Tale of Peter Rabbit.
A scalable brand language
The rebrand navigated complex legal structures, rights and multiple application requirements, from publication to packaging across dozens of markets with a brand language that spans all age ranges, on all the presentations of Peter Rabbit.
A friend for all ages.
From baby gifts to books, TV series to films, consumers enter The World of Peter Rabbit in many ways and at different ages. Our design challenge was to create a brand that grew with the child.
A flexible visual system
We designed a visual system that provides a flexible structure for the creative execution of the brand. Whether it’s parents of infants or families of mischievous young kids, there’s an energy scale of colours, illustrations and patterns that allows the Owned Brands team to speak to multiple audiences, create different activations and market a range of products.
Hop, Skip, Jump brings Peter’s world to life, to all.
Connecting 10 million parents online
To grow and empower the brand further, we developed a digital strategy that supports partners and helps customers enter and engage with The World of Peter Rabbit.
From touchpoints to tactics, we shaped a learning and development proposition to amplify the core value of the IP, create value for parents and children by connecting them through content and experiences that drive interest in the products.
A 360 brand experience
CreateFuture worked in design sprints with internal teams, partners and consumers to design a new, content-rich digital world on PeterRabbit.com; a place for parents and children to browse, learn and connect to the brand, for businesses to promote products and as a foundation for future e-commerce opportunities.
We worked through complex requirements, rapidly and iteratively developing concepts and prototypes to create a robust design system and deliver a 360 degree brand experience.
"It was a privilege for CreateFuture to be trusted with the rebrand and brand strategy for Peter Rabbit.
We felt a duty of care, to Beatrix Potter's legacy, to 120 years of memories held by the fans and to ensure that Peter Rabbit is loved and embraced for generations to come. We are very proud of the result and hope the fans are too.
Dave Ward - Creative Director, CreateFuture
Get in touch
We work with global brands, using design thinking to develop new, or improve existing, products and services. Our brand-led approach ensures that they outperform.
If you’re trying to do more with less, get in touch with us to help you get there and leave you in a better place.
