Word on the street says a talking bean with a puppy-dog face is poised to be the next popular character from Japan.
Talking bean, huh?
With $30 million in retail sales, 250 products and 20+ licensees in the matter of months, it’s safe to say, Mameshiba is a licensing phenomenon in Japan. Mameshiba, literally translated as bean-dog in Japanese, are described as characters that spout random bits of trivia and have a quirky tone and family-friendly message that appeals to kids and adults. With a face that cute, how could you not love the Mameshiba characters.
It sounds like Mameshiba gained popularity from an ad campaign and has since gained so much popularity to become a household name. Other than keychains and small stuffed toys, it looks like there are various products like cell phone accessories with the Mameshiba license. I’m so intrigued by these talking beans.
The Mameshiba characters include Fava Bean, Tiger Bean, Red Bean, Soybean, Chili Bean, Almond, Edamame, Peanut, Lentil, as well as Jelly Bean and Coffee Bean characters. There are also a trio of Green Peas, a Chickpea and “The Scream,” based on the famous painting of the same name by Edvard Munch. Thought-provoking bits of wisdom include, “Did you know that the color of a hippo’s sweat is pink” and “Did you know that mosquitoes have 47 teeth?”
Hmmm…quirky beans that talk and make you think… Now, that’s an interesting concept.
As if the Japanese toy and licensing market didn’t have enough influence, YouTube and other social networking sites add to the viral popularity of the Mameshiba characters:
After watching a few videos, it sounds silly to say this in any sort of context, but those beans made me laugh! I can totally see tweens and teenage girls getting all into Mameshiba characters. The first few videos that I watch are definitely more appropriate for bigger kids and adults, but when they import the series and products for the U.S., I’m curious to see if they’d project it to the littler kids, too. So, if they’re this much of a phenomenon in Japan now, I’m curious to see how long it will take Mameshiba to be just as big in the U.S. Is Mameshiba the new Hello Kitty, Yu-Gi-Oh or Bakugan?
If you spot Mameshiba locally, let me know! I’m on the market for a cute stamper like this!
