Peppa Pig isn’t the average children’s cartoon. The family of two-dimensional pink pigs with protruding snouts, dressed in colorful clothes and speaking in English accents, has gone from a humble British TV show to a global staple in households with young children. On Friday, the Peppa Pig brand celebrated its 20th anniversary, and still tops most charts in kids’ entertainment.
Today, its influence stretches beyond the TV screen. Pepper Pig’s toys, theme parks and games are available in 180 territories. The most recent figures on the franchise’s sales amounted to $1.
7 billion in 2022. “Peppa Pig has already turned into a powerful brand with its own line of toys/merchandise and accessories—even theme parks,” Benjamin Burroughs, associate professor of emerging media at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, told Fortune . “Peppa Pig differentiated itself by being a quirky, lovable show.
” The staying power of the show and its characters has made it one of Britain’s most significant cultural exports. Just ask one of the parents whose kids watch the show outside the U.K.
and suddenly sound British , thanks to Peppa, George, Mummy and Daddy Pigs. Even former Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke at length about his love for Peppa Pig World in Hampshire, England, and urged people to visit it during a 2021 speech . The show’s creators —Phil Davies, Mark Baker, and Neville Astley—were already working in production and animation when they had the idea for Peppa P.
