The Moomin 80 campaign supports the Red Cross – find out how you can participate

Tove Jansson wrote the first Moomin story, The Moomins and the Great Flood , at a difficult time. The Second World War raged across the globe with millions and millions of people looking for security. Tove, at the time a promising young painter, feared for her brothers and friends at the front. She was filled with a sense of hopelessness and despair. In her own words:

“Painting felt futile when the whole world was in turmoil. The colours died, everything turned to grey”

She wrote the story as a means to comfort herself during those dark years. She did not want it to be about princes and princesses. Instead she chose to write about the little trolls she used as a signature, the kind of creatures that live behind stoves. The kind of creatures we usually might not take any notice of.  In the end of the story, the Moomin family find the Moominhouse. 

Through-out the Moomin stories, the Moominhouse is a symbol of security, shelter and a sense of belonging. Today, millions of people around the world are lacking care and security. Even for those of us not directly affected by conflict or catastrophe, life always seems to have a way of throwing us off balance. At these times we need to feel included, to feel welcomed and to find the comfort and security that can enable us to venture back out and continue on with our lives. 

Even if crises do not touch us directly, they can raise emotions, sympathy and a desire to help. We all need some form of shelter from the storms of life, however big or small those storms may be. And we all hope that when we come knocking on the door in our time of need there will be someone behind it that will open it and welcome us in.

For the Moomin 80 anniversary year, Moomin Characters is partnering with The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in gathering funds for those in need. As part of the effort, Moomin Characters are donating 100.000 euros to the Finnish Red Cross Society. This donation and all private donations to the Finnish Red Cross go to the Red Cross Youth Shelters to help young people with life’s challenges, big and small, every day of the year. Through the Youth shelters, young people receive counselling in five locations in Finland and online, as well as a safe place to sleep if needed.

Several Moomin licensees have joined the initiative and will donate a part of the proceeds from certain Moomin 80 products to the work of IFRC through National Red Cross Societies. You can also support this work by donating directly to your National Red Cross Society.

“A small revolution”

“We’re witnessing a small revolution. In fact, IFRC is not accustomed to using its emblem for commercial purposes”, says Alessandro Fedele, Global Unit Head, Private Sector at the IFRC

Since its inception, in situations of armed conflict, the Red Cross emblem says “don’t shoot”! This person, building, vehicle or equipment is not part of the fight but is providing impartial assistance. In disasters big and small and wherever the Red Cross works to prevent and relieve suffering, the Red Cross emblem communicates that assistance is being provided by the Red Cross in keeping with the fundamental principles of the global Red Cross Movement of humanity, independence, neutrality, unity, impartiality, universality and voluntary service.

We must preserve this value! says Fedele. The Moomin 80 campaign is the first of its kind where the IFRC commits to a cause-related partnership with a brand on an international level, partnering in a commercial initiative for a humanitarian purpose. Fedele calls it “a small revolution”.

As an Italian, Fedele did not know the Moomin stories before the Moomin 80 campaign. As he learned about the values in the stories, like tolerance, inclusion, family, togetherness and braveness, he felt they embody what the Red Cross stands for, especially their principle of neutrality and impartiality.

“We exist to celebrate human dignity, no matter what. We remain impartial and we do not take part in hostilities or engage at any time in controversies of a political, racial, religious or ideological nature. We do not discriminate as to nationality, race, religious beliefs, class or political opinions. We are focused to relieve the suffering of individuals, being guided solely by their needs.”

Fedele came to realise the very special connection that millions of people have with the Moomin stories through two encounters with colleagues from different countries, who happened to see a Moomin mug he was drinking coffee from.

“Their reaction to this simple mug was a revelation for me, it was incredible! The way people who have grown up with this character interact with the brand is just amazing. That was for me a concrete manifestation of the power of the Moomins”.

Exclusive anniversary editions of The Moomins and the Great Flood 

As part of the celebrations of the Moomin 80 anniversary year, The Moomins and the Great Flood, the story which started it all, will be released in special anniversary editions in English, Swedish and Finnish. These editions contain a brand new foreword by the new Waterstones Children’s Laureate, author and Moomin aficionado Frank Cottrell-Boyce as well as never-before-published character descriptions of many of the beloved characters found in the Moomin stories, written by Tove Jansson herself. The edition also features an adorable full-colour cut-out Moomin house poster designed by Tove Jansson in the 1950s. The publishers of the books are donating part of the proceeds to their National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. 

In the UK, the publisher Sort of Books and Moomin Characters have teamed up with book retailer Waterstones for an exclusive campaign. Priced at £9.99, a generous £7.50 from every book sold of the special Waterstones edition will be donated to the British Red Cross. Förlaget, the publisher of the Swedish language edition, are donating 1 euro per book, and WSOY, the publisher of the Finnish edition, are donating 2 euros per sold book to the Finnish Red Cross.

Moomin Arabia joins the campaign

For the anniversary year, Moomin Arabia has partnered with the Red Cross in gathering funds for those in need. The first output of the partnership is the Home at Last collection launching in Japan. The classic 0,3L mug, minimug and miniplate are available exclusively in Japan from April 2025 onwards. Additional items will be added to the collection during the year also in the Nordics, launched in the second half of the year. For each item sold, one euro is donated to the local Red Cross Society to support the humanitarian work of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

Moomin Arabia will also be joining the Red Cross in Japan at the Osaka Expo, an event that brings together people and innovations from around the world in an effort to address issues facing humankind on a global scale. The Home at Last collection will also be available for purchase during the Osaka Expo Fair.

A joint effort to support the work of the Red Cross

The Finnish streetwear brand Nordic Buddies is also part of the campaign, they have designed a whole Red Cross-themed collection, including amongst others a hoodie, baseball caps, beanies and socks. 10% of the retail price of every product will be donated to the work of the Finnish Red Cross.

The paper shop Putinki is celebrating Moomin 80 with a poster of a paper cut out of Moominhouse. The cut out was originally designed by Tove Jansson already back in 1957 for the Swedish magazine “Allt i hemmet”. The poster will be sold in Finland, Sweden, Poland, Japan, Estonia and the UK. 1 Euro of the product is donated to the work of The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to contribute to its local humanitarian work.

A Longstanding Cooperation – The History of the Moomins and the Finnish Red Cross 

The co-operation between Tove Jansson and the IFRC goes back to the 1960s when Tove illustrated a brochure and a school timetable in Swedish and Finnish for the Finnish Red Cross. Back then she wrote about the organization “it is a large organisation determined to help anyone in difficulty – sick or hungry or lonely, accident victims or injured in war” 

These original illustrations made by Tove Jansson for the Finnish Red Cross in 1963 were used by Moomin Arabia to create products, including a mug and saucer, for a co-operation with the Finnish Red Cross, released in 2022.

Another initiative linking the Red Cross and the Moomins is the Friendship Skills with the Moomins educational material. The free material developed by the Red Cross teaches children important life skills such as how to be a good friend, concentration skills and how to share negative emotions in a constructive way. The Friendship Skills with the Moomins material is primarily aimed at pre-school and primary school children and their teachers, but it can also be used by parents at home with their children. The material is available in five languages; English, Swedish, Finnish, Polish and Spanish.

Read more about the initiative and how it’s been implemented in a kindergarten in Helsinki.