The Worldwide Blue Phenomenon of The Smurfs

The Smurfs have been around for almost 70 years, and the instantly recognizable blue characters have expanded well beyond the Belgian cartoon, which was originally created by Pierre ‘Peyo’ Culliford. In fact, The Smurfs have 95% global brand awareness, and the word “Smurf” has been translated into 55 languages.

Part of the brand’s mass appeal is its wholesome values the characters project such as eco-conscious behaviors, service to others, humility, fun and friendship. The brand’s success can also be attributed to its strategy to enter a range of consumer products and pop culture platforms, such as television, apparel, movies, games and so much more.

“Smurfs are speaking to everyone. My stepfather used to read the comic books, I watched the 1980 television series, and my nephew watches the new adaptations and plays the games. We’re bringing people together across generations,” says Guillaume Baudoul, licensing manager, Peyo Company. The Peyo Company holds The Smurfs license and was founded by Peyo’s daughter Veronique in 1984.

Moving With the Times

Though The Smurfs originally appeared in Spirou Magazine in 1958 as side characters in the adventure of Johan & Peewit, the brand has always adapted to the cultural changes in content consumption. Since people now want to consume content on a variety of platforms — virtual and in-real life (IRL), presence in location-based experiences and the gaming industry has been a core strategy for the Smurf team to reach new audiences and capitalize on the brand’s resurgence.

Related:How the Smurfs Gained Street Style

The Smurfs – Hanna-Barbera cartoon (1981-1989)

New Smurf attractions are opening in Europe and Asia, and a new park is opening in Brazil. Plus, live shows are coming to the U.S. and Europe, and a 4D experience has just opened in France.

The decision to simultaneously expand its presence in location-based experiences and the gaming industry was a powerful business approach as the gaming industry is the strongest it has ever been. In fact, in 2023, 3.83 billion gamers generated an estimated revenue of 3.38 billion dollars. The new Smurf games will also allow fans to take their location-based experiences home with them.

The first of five new console games was released in October 2021 by France-based games specialist, Microids. The fourth game, “Village Party”, will be launched in June 2024, and the final more ambitious 3D game, “Dreams”, will follow later in the year.

“The Smurf characters and villages are ideal for console games because it’s easy to create a universe that players can immerse themselves in,” says Charles Leveugle, group marketing manager, Microids.

For more traditional game players, a new tabletop board game, “Smurfs Village!”, that was created by Los Angeles-based Maestro Media will be launched in fall 2024 and sold through major retailers worldwide. Aimed at ages seven and up, it is designed to be a game for the entire family to enjoy.

“We’re focusing on team spirit — a key value of The Smurfs — along with friendship and respect. Players work together to rebuild The Smurf village following enemy Gargamel’s latest scheme and will need to collect resources and come up with solutions,” says Javon Frazier, founder, Maestro Media.

A Smurfy Year Ahead

Alongside the location-based experiences and game launches, there are other exciting releases for The Smurfs over the coming year, one of which is the hotly anticipated third movie that Paramount will create. It will be released in theaters in February 2025 and features an all-star cast, including music icon, Rihanna, as Smurfette and one of the film’s producers. She is also recording original music for the movie after an eight-year music hiatus. Plus, a third season of “The Smurfs” was released on Nickelodeon this past summer and season two is currently available to watch on Netflix.

"There is a lot more Smurfiness to come. We are going to paint the world blue,” says Sébastien Dumont, marketing, communications and graphic studio manager, Peyo Company.

The upcoming Smurfs movie (February 2025) will have Rihanna voicing Smurfette

Building a Lasting Legacy

Not only has The Smurfs adapted to the way fans consume content, the brand also transformed the topics and messages of the content to relate to modern times and issues. For instance, for the last 2017 movie a whole new village of 100 Smurfs girls was created because, originally, there was only one female character, Smurfette. The inclusion of a wider range of female characters reflects women’s fight for recognition and equality and allows young girls to have female Smurf role models they identify and relate to.

In addition to recognition of women, sustainability and environmental care have become topics of many modern day-to-day conversations. And since respect for nature is one of the brand’s core messages, The Smurfs is highly engaged with sustainability and was one of the early adopters of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals in 2017. Every year the company organizes the biggest beach cleaning campaign in the world – the EU beach Peyo Company cleanup.

The Smurfs x Emporio Armani Summer Collection is made from materials chosen for a lower environmental impact

The Peyo Company also focuses on forming partnerships with licensees that share its environmental values. For example, The Smurfs created an eco-friendly clothing line with renowned fashion house, Emporio Armani, which features shirts, sunglasses and caps. Additionally, Peyo Company encourages its partners to become net zero and use sustainable material and less plastic in their packaging.

Making a Smurfy World

All in all, Peyo’s inspiration for The Smurfs was Walt Disney’s ability to build an empire. The idea of licensing characters and going beyond cartoons was Peyo’s ambition from the start, and the The Peyo Company is proud to continue his work and make the world a better and Smurfier place.

“Peyo wanted the Smurfs adventure to continue after he passed away. We are continuing the work he did, spreading the values and Smurf happiness all around. We really want to bring his legacy to the next generation,” says Dumont.