Move over White House Diwali party, the festival of lights has arrived, thanks to a bossy little pink pig named Peppa. Possibly, the most famous pig in the preschool world—a segment that is fickle and eagerly courted by booksellers and toy makers—Peppa is celebrating Diwali for the first time with her family. For her publishers, this only means one thing: Christmas has come early.
Peppa is, as a book publicist describes her, “huge''. Ladybird, an imprint of Penguin Random House, is bringing out a chunky board book and a colouring book with Peppa's Diwali. This is the first of many Indian themed titles. “Sales of Peppa titles has grown by 300 per cent in the last five years,'' says a publicist from Ladybird. “Peppa Pig is one of the biggest brand in its age category and its popularity is growing every year.''
A Brit, Peppa Pig's animated series was launched in 2004, and over the years has become a celebrity. Such is her fame that there was a Peppa Pig tour in India to coincide with the Cricket World Cup. She even played cricket with Indian captain Mithali Raj. And if a pig is being used to boost cricket followers in India, it just shows how much of an influencer she really is. While she was always popular, her programme on OTT platforms has helped her even more. Recently, a book festival was organised just for Peppa, and in each session—and there were many across India—there were 30 to 40 kids who turned up to hear her stories. Those are bigger numbers than many mainstream adult writers get.
Even in her home country, 'Peppa Meets the Queen' was a title that was brought out to coincide with the Diamond Jubilee anniversary of the Queen. However, she isn't universally loved—most celebrities aren't—and was banned in China, after she was viewed as politically incorrect. However, earlier this year, a theme park opened up in Shanghai—bans don't last long.
Meanwhile, in India, she will ensure that Diwali will be a blast for her publishers. In her new book, 'Mummy and Daddy Pig Cooks up a Storm'—Peppa's family is big on gender equality—Granny and Grandpa Pig are getting new clothes for everyone. “Peppa is not only popular in metro cities. She is equally popular in tier-II and III towns. Looking at her growing popularity of Peppa, we thought of bringing locally relevant Peppa titles for the audience. Diwali is the first one,'' said the spokesperson.
Here's to more, as Peppa and her brother George would say, Snort.
