Smiley and glue brand UHU have entered into a partnership that will see Smiley icons come to life via limited-edition glow-in-the-dark characters on UHU stics.

The new SmileyWorld promotion will help kids explore their emotions through play, supporting an effort by UHU to target kids during their early school years.

“It’s an exciting new launch for us and continues to strengthen SmileyWorld’s position in the stationery market,” says Janet Martin, senior global vice president, Smiley. “UHU is a world-class brand that utilizes sustainable materials and natural ingredients while maintaining a design-focused and innovative approach that ensures their product stands out at retail. This authentic partnership introduces a range of micro-expressions to children, allowing them to explore a range of emotions and positive experiences through craft and creative projects.”

Eight of the most-famous Smiley icons will come to life as glow-in-the-dark characters. The range has performed well in leading stores across France since its September launch, and is set to extend into other markets in the months to come.

“This is an exciting partnership for UHU,” says Frank Walther, senior product manager, corporate marketing, UHU. “The product’s attractive designs will resonate with the young target audience and strengthen UHU stic’s position globally with this demographic. We believe this partnership will help to create a closer emotional connection with the UHU brand and its products, as we roll the program out across many European and international countries.”