Dennis the Menace’s 75th Anniversary: Big 10th Birthday Bonanza x Beano.

Idea: 

To celebrate Dennis the Menace’s 75th anniversary, Taylor Herring brought together a cast of Britain’s biggest cultural icons, reimagining them as mischievous 10-year-olds attending Dennis’s birthday party.  

Featuring everyone from Dua Lipa and Harry Styles to KSI, Elton John and even King Charles, the campaign used the landmark issue to celebrate Dennis’s enduring place in British culture while reinforcing Beano’s Year of Mischief message that reading is one of the most mischievous things a child can do.  

Delivered in partnership with the National Year of Reading, the campaign aimed to inspire a new generation of readers to discover the creativity, imagination and fun found within the Beano universe. 

Execution: 

The campaign centred around a special anniversary issue of Beano, packed with celebrity cameos that transformed household names into their 10-year-old selves for Dennis’s birthday celebrations. 

We launched the issue with a media campaign designed to maximise the news value of the celebrity line-up, issuing press materials alongside exclusive imagery and video assets from the comic.  

Outreach focused on the most recognisable names featured in the issue, generating widespread national interest and conversation. 

To further amplify the campaign’s reading and mischief messaging, we secured broadcast opportunities for Beano’s Director of Mischief, Mike Stirling, positioning Dennis’s rebellious spirit as a gateway to reading, creativity and imagination for children. 

Beyond media relations, we extended the campaign into social channels by sending bespoke Golden Gnasher badges to featured celebrities and encouraging them to share their involvement with followers, helping drive additional reach and engagement. 

Alongside the launch activity, we developed creative amplification ideas throughout the anniversary period and managed a live stunt with Aldi, which saw Dennis himself cause mischief in-store, creating further opportunities for content capture and audience engagement. 

Results: 

The campaign delivered 280 pieces of media coverage, including standout features across the BBC, Daily Mail, Metro, The Telegraph, The Mirror and Good Morning Britain. 

Coverage generated more than 420.7 million impressions and successfully celebrating Dennis’s milestone birthday while driving awareness of Beano’s Year of Mischief and its partnership with the National Year of Reading.