As part of its support of Thinking of You Week, John Lewis & Partners gave a boost to customers’ wellbeing, by inviting Emily Coxhead, creator of The Happy News, into both its Peter Jones and White City Westfield stores to in make ‘Happy Jars’ with shoppers.
The effervescent Emily, whose brainchild, The Happy News quarterly newspaper (which contains true, positive stories as well as her own quirky illustrations and uplifting messages) is delighted that relationships with Pigment, Widdop and Co, Blueprint and Portico has seen her brand extend onto other products through a licensing programme (handled by DRi) – into retailers, including John Lewis & Partners.
The recent workshops, which took place in the within eyeshot of where The Happy News products were on display, saw John Lewis customers create their own ‘happy jars’ filled with colourful paper strands on which they wrote affirming and positive messages that they (or the person they gave it to) could dip into if they needed a boost.
As Emily explained: “Today, people of all ages feel anxious about their life, with social media too, affecting mental health. I started making Happy Jars when I was at university and looking for a gift for a friend who was going through a difficult time. I filled a jar with messages, the sort of affirmations that someone would like to hear when they’re having a bad day.”
The Happy News licensing programme is being steered by DRi, who will be one of the many exhibitors at next week’s Brand Licensing Europe (BLE) show, which takes place at London’s Olympia from October 9-11.
From leading entertainment children’s brands (from PAW Patrol to Peppa Pig) to celebrities (Nadiya Hussain is doing a Q&A for starters), football clubs to heritage brands, retailers and publishers looking to tap into the potential licensing offers should pay a visit.
To register for the show, click here
