Pixi Books for Kids Go International

Long popular in the German-speaking world, the Pixi book series for small children is about to make an intercontinental splash, thanks to Bonnier Publishing. Published originally by Carlsen Verlag in Germany, the Pixi series will be launched in the U.K. by Autumn Publishing, in France by Piccolia and in Australia by The Five Mile Press.

"We started thinking about launching Pixi within the Bonnier Publishing group early last year," says Anne Weinhold, brand development manager for Bonnier Publishing. Working closely with the licensing team at Carlsen in Germany, work on the actual titles for the series for each country started already in spring 2010 and the launch already began in January 2011 in France, with Australia set for April 2011 and the U.K. for summer 2011.

Aimed at 3-6 year olds, the series produced by Autumn will include four ranges: Bedtime Stories, Animals, Princesses and Pirates. The books themselves are small - 10 centimeters by 10 centimeters - and will be packaged in foil and will include not just the book but a sheet of stickers tied to the range theme and a free voucher for a child's free entry to Legoland in Windsor, U.K. "We're using the foil bag in the U.K. market to launch Pixi with a clear point of distinction," says Weinhold. "It provides added value in a fiercely competitive market and we can jump on the back of the success of collectibles in this market."

Also included in the package will be a special code that parents can use to gain access with their children to a special interactive Pixi website where they can play games and read and learn more about Pixi. "The Pixi website will also be adapted for mobile devices," says Weinhold. "It's just one part of our marketing strategy and not very expensive."

In France a range of large retailers have been selling Pixi since January. In Australia, the Five Mile Press is launching Pixi in April with a number of national retailers and in the U.K., Autumn has also secured its first customers for the Pixi ranges.