Adults wearing licensed T-shirts. Adults collecting action figures as if they were treasures. Families travelling to theme parks where it is the parents who are most excited to go. Adults buying special editions of the comics from their childhood. No, this is not Peter Pan syndrome. We are talking about kidults, a new target audience well worth considering when defining your marketing strategies.
Who are kidults?
Kidult comes from combining the words kid and adult. We are talking about adults aged 20 to 45 who retain tastes and consumer habits traditionally associated with childhood. The term may be new to you, but we are sure you have already noticed these behaviours around you (if you are not one of them yourself). Brands have realised this and are learning how to make the most of it.
Toy companies are a good example. Traditionally, parents played the role of buyers and children were the users of the products. But they have seen that toys are not only coveted by children; more and more adults are buying them for their own enjoyment. Whether to collect them or as a form of leisure (as with puzzles and building blocks, for example), adults are becoming a segment worth considering in their marketing strategies and new product lines.
This is borne out by data such as the market study carried out by NPD, which found that toy sales rose by 12% in 2021 in the over-13s segment, meaning this segment now accounts for 22% of total revenue in the toy market.
Keys to understanding kidults
To better understand this target audience, there are several keys:
- They are collectors. You can see this in large Funko collections, Barbie doll collecting, people who buy entire comic sagas… there are thousands of examples!
- They value quality. In their purchases, many of them on impulse, they focus less on price and more on quality.
- They do not suffer from Peter Pan syndrome. This syndrome describes adults who show great emotional immaturity in adulthood. Kidults, by contrast, are mostly people with an academic education, a full professional life and financial stability, which allows them to spend on treats.
- Present in fandom. In other words, the community of fans of a hobby, person or phenomenon. Clear proof of this are the conventions held around comics, superheroes, anime… At them we see legions of cosplayers, long queues for autographs from favourite actors, and stands offering a thousand merchandising options…
Kidult examples that have already succeeded
As we said, many brands have already succeeded by knowing how to approach this segment and win its trust. Some examples are:
- Lego. The Danish company has known for years that its niche is not just children, as its product catalogue shows, with more and more products aimed at an adult audience. Under the slogan ‘Adults welcome’, its collections range from films and series to large architectural builds.
- Vans. The American trainer brand has also been successful with kidults for years. As well as its own designs, the brand releases capsule collections featuring pop culture icons. Being limited editions, they quickly become highly sought after. It has already released collections featuring The Simpsons, One Piece, Toy Story and SpongeBob, among many others…
- Loewe. Yes, luxury brands are also falling for this phenomenon. To give just one example, in early 2021 they launched a full collection inspired by the film “My Neighbour Totoro” (Hayao Miyazaki, 1988).
Do you want to succeed with kidults too? Talk to us: we will analyse your brand and tell you which campaign can win them over and increase your sales. Shall we talk?