There are some characters who really don’t need much of an introduction.
Or, in Mr. Bean’s case, many words at all.
For decades, one raised eyebrow, questionable decision or encounter with Teddy has been enough to make audiences around the world laugh. Now Banijay Kids & Family is finding even more places for Mr. Bean to cause a little chaos with a new wave of partnerships spanning toys, fashion, food, arcade games, gifts and more.
And this really is a worldwide affair.
In Australia, burger chain Royal Stacks is teaming up with Mr. Bean for a new promotional partnership featuring themed burgers and exclusive merchandise. Meanwhile, The Souled Store will bring branded apparel, accessories, footwear and home furnishings to fans across India and the GCC.
If you’d rather carry a little Mr. Bean around on your wrist, there is something coming for you too. Filippo Loreti is developing a collection of Mr. Bean-inspired watches that will be available worldwide.
Things are getting playful back in the U.K., where Harry Levy will introduce Mr. Bean-themed arcade redemption games, while Boxer Gifts is expanding the franchise into new novelties and gifting products.
And, naturally, there are more toys on the way.
Heathside Trading has been appointed as a worldwide partner for a new range of Mr. Bean toys, giving the character another opportunity to find his way onto shelves and into collections around the globe.
That international reach continues through renewed partnerships across Asia. Kin Hsing Toy will continue producing Mr. Bean plush in Taiwan, while Hong Kong-based Toyeast is returning with diecast vehicles, figurines and novelties across China, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Japan and Taiwan.
It’s a lot of territory for a man who can turn something as ordinary as sitting on a park bench into an adventure.
But that’s also part of what has made Mr. Bean such an unusual character to carry across generations and borders. His comedy has always leaned heavily on expressions, movement and increasingly ridiculous situations, giving audiences plenty to understand even when very little is being said.
The result is a character who can seemingly turn up just about anywhere.
A burger restaurant in Australia? Sure.
An arcade in the U.K.? Why not?
Fashion, watches, plush and toys spread across multiple continents?
Sounds like Mr. Bean.
The latest expansion also follows another particularly fitting crossover announced by Banijay Kids & Family last month. Mr. Bean stepped into the world of the classic children’s comic “Beano,” serving as guest editor for an edition and appearing in crossover stories spanning four issues.
Between those comic adventures and this new wave of products, the wonderfully strange world surrounding Mr. Bean is showing very little sign of slowing down.
And perhaps that shouldn’t be surprising.
Some comedy belongs to a particular place or time. Other comedy can cross a border without needing to explain the joke.
Mr. Bean has spent decades proving he belongs firmly in the latter.
Now he just needs to figure out what to do with all those burgers, watches, arcade games and toys.
We’re sure that will go perfectly.