When Daddy Pig Ran the Marathon for George

The National Deaf Children’s Society supports children with any level or type of hearing loss. Our partnership with Hasbro (owners of the Peppa Pig brand) significantly increased national awareness of childhood deafness and the support we provide, helping us reach more families while raising vital income.

The announcement that George Pig is moderately deaf in one ear, alongside Daddy Pig running the London Marathon, sparked 2 major waves of national media coverage, with the charity prominently featured throughout. New episodes telling George’s story were warmly received, with parents reflecting that the storyline mirrored their own experiences and highlighted the importance of authentic deaf representation.

Our involvement in the Mini London Marathon, along with Daddy Pig’s run, elevated brand visibility and awareness to new levels. Marathon media coverage was dominated by the story, creating strong emotional engagement and real-world impact. On marathon day, active users on our website increased by 267% compared to the previous week.

The partnership has contributed to around £300k of community fundraising income through the marathon, Peppa Pig themed 100-mile virtual challenge and other opportunities borne out of increased brand awareness.

Overall, the partnership generated more than 2,000 media mentions, achieving a reach of 4.1 billion and over 1,500 messages of support from families and professionals. Since launch, visits to our webpage about single-sided deafness are up 36% and active users up by 50%. Google search interest increased by 280% following the storyline announcement, with a further 215% spike on marathon day, demonstrating meaningful impact beyond awareness.