Peppa Pig brings home the bacon

With close to 40 books written, a lucrative animated series, a theme park in England with over 70 rides and attractions and a bank balance of more than R18 billion, Peppa Pig is bigger than and more popular than the Kardashians.

And this two-dimensional pink friend of almost every kid around the world just keeps rolling out the hits, including with her latest book Peppa Goes To the Cinema.

Created by three unemployed friends (Neville Astley, Mark Baker and Phil Davies), the idea for Peppa Pig came to Astley and Mark Baker in 2000.

Peppa Pig World.

The pair enlisted the help of producer Phil Davies, and the three had to borrow money from friends and family to make Peppa happen, given how short on funds they were. The rest, as they say, is history.

In a recent interview with The Guardian, Astley said he thinks he and his partners are still in denial about the massive success and how it all turned out.

Sharing his co-creator’s sentiment, Davies said: “But people now imagine we have gold-plated offices and command thousands of animators.”

What started all those years ago with little Peppa – who lives on a hill with Mummy Pig, Daddy Pig and little brother George – has become a goldmine of literature, television and public appearance merchandising that keeps raking in the money.

Peppa Pig. Picture: Entertainment One

The creative trio, who prefer to be called “Astley Baker Davies”, are now busy making 117 new episodes to add to the almost 300 that they’ve already created and screened on television sets around the world.

But that’s just the tip of the proverbial iceberg for the playful pink porcine celebrity, who never seems to rest when it comes to maintaining her celebrity status and growing global fanbase with few parents and toddlers left unscathed.

Samantha James, a Durban-base mother of three, says it’s as if Peppa Pig is a permanent resident in their home.

“It started with my eldest boy, who is now seven years old, and was handed down to his sister and baby brother. And, as a parent, I have to know everything about Peppa,” she laughs.

Samantha says that she’d expected her eldest son would let go of Peppa once the Avengers trend started but then he heard about her theme park.

“The books and school bags and other merchandise are more than my finances can handle. Imagine the cost involved in taking three kids to the UK to Peppa’s theme park?” she said.

She says the Peppa Pig books were her kids’ first introduction to reading and she’s grateful for that. “Because they love Peppa, they naturally love reading and are always on the look-out for Peppa Pig’s latest books.”

Peppa Goes To The Cinema is already available in bookstores across South Africa.

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