The World of Eric Carle Partners With Action Children for The Giant Wiggle

Last month The Joester Loria Group’s client The World of Eric Carle partnered with U.K. charity Action for Children for its annual Giant Wiggle celebration. During the Giant Wiggle, the Very Hungry Caterpillar character joins children under the age of five to take part in a fundraising event featuring creative storytelling, arts and crafts, and healthy eating - all themes from the beloved Very Hungry Caterpillar book - but the highlight of the event is when participating children form a caterpillar-inspired conga line.

In its first two years, more than 54,000 U.K. children have helped raise over £149,000 through Giant Wiggle events. All money raised helps support Action For Children’s programs that better the lives of children, their parents and caregivers.

Action For Children encourages schools and community centers across the United Kingdom to join the fun and organize their very own Giant Wiggle events. Two of this year’s most successful Giant Wiggle events were held at The Dean Heritage Center in Soudley and Bushey Park in London.

The Dean Heritage Centre in Soudley held two Giant Wiggles, one for local schools and one for the general public.  On Wednesday, March 23, 224 school children from six local schools took part in Very Hungry Caterpillar craft activities. Some children came dressed as the iconic caterpillar while others came dressed as butterflies.  The Very Hungry Caterpillar costume character ledthe conga line down the carved wooden trail and back again.  The event was covered by local press including the  BBC local news.  The public Giant Wiggle took place on Saturday, March 26th and included craft sessions as well as another conga line on the Very Hungry Caterpillar trail.

Another Giant Wiggle was organized by The World of Eric Carle’s brand licensing partner, Cawston Press in Bushey Park in London.  More than 100 people participated in the two-hour event, which consisted of arts and crafts, storytelling, a visit from the Very Hungry Caterpillar himself as well as a Giant Wiggle conga line. The event also featured Cawston Press drinks giveaways and a Very Hungry Caterpillar product raffle.

The World of Eric Carle’s partnership with Action For Children is just one of the brand extensions The Joester Loria Group has brokered on behalf of its client. The World of Eric Carle’s brand licensing program includes 130 consumer product licensees and promotional partners and is available in leading retailers in more than 15 countries.

Progressive Preschool Awards Finalists Announced

The Joester Loria Group develops global marketing initiatives that deliver brand enhancement and engagement for its clients.  A recent example developed for The World of Eric Carle was nominated for The Progressive Preschool Awards in the UK. In Spring of 2014, the Giant Wiggle was launched in partnership with UK charity Action for Children, as a fundraising campaign that brought children under five together in caterpillar conga lines and encouraged them to play and develop their imaginations through storytelling and creativity.  The event was tied to the brand’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar’s 45th anniversary celebration and is a finalist in the Progressive Preschool Awards marketing category.

The Progressive Preschool Awards highlight creativity in the preschool industry in the UK. The awards include ten retail categories, nine product categories and one marketing award. The retail categories include best supermarket retailer, best mixed retailer, the best multiple retailer, the best department store retailer, best online retailer, best retail initiative, best independent nursery retailer, best independent toy retailer, best independent apparel retailer and the best independent gift retailer.   A full list of this year’s finalists is available on the Progressive Preschool site. Winners will be revealed at this year’s award ceremony, which will take place on Thursday, November 13 at The Dorchester Hotel in London.

The finalists were selected by an independent validation panel made up of marketing and communication experts who thoroughly discussed each initiative before the campaigns were voted on to arrive at the six finalists and eventual winner.