Diddl is back, between gloss, pens, and scented paper!
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After the craze for Sonny Angel figurines and the Labubu plush toys, nostalgia marketing is once again winning hearts and wallets with an event we all secretly dreamed of… The grand return of the most famous mouse of the 90s – early 2000s, with the Diddl is back collection! 11 years after the brand’s discontinuation, the character and its friends have made their grand comeback this month, in stationery stores and other toy shops. Between signature products and new releases, we know we will surely succumb…
How did Diddl become the emblem of 90’s kids’ childhood?
If you were born in the 90s, chances are you spent part of your recess with a binder under your arm, running your Diddl scented paper business! With stationery kits, plush toys, backpacks, and other merchandise, this mouse quickly established itself as the mascot of an entire generation, sparking “Diddl-mania.” Even today, finding a notepad or a glitter pencil gives us an immediate Proustian madeleine effect.
The story of a mouse and her friends who conquered the world
Before decorating our rooms from wall to ceiling, as well as every item in our backpacks, Diddl first appeared on postcards. Created in 1990 by German illustrator Thomas Goletz, the mouse (initially drawn as a kangaroo and then a white gerbil) was first printed on postcards by the company Depesche, before expanding into a wide range of stationery and much more due to the character’s success. A whole team of illustrators was formed to meet the growing demand from the public worldwide. It is noted that about thirty countries distributed the brand in 2004!
But be careful, this phenomenal success did not rely solely on Diddl! Over the years, the mouse introduced us to her many friends (including Diddlina, her girlfriend). And of course, all of them were more adorable than the others, each with their own personality, story, and connections to other characters. Among this joyful crew, I can mention from my time, Pimboli (bear, 1998), Bibombl (dog, 2005), Galupy (horse, 2002), Wollywell (sheep, 1996), and Mimihopps (1999).
Our daily lives, Diddl style
The evolution of the Diddl brand over the years is quite fascinating to observe. Indeed, starting from simple postcards, the brand managed to build a real “empire” by offering an extremely vast range of products that sold like hotcakes.
The recipe for this success can be explained, on one hand, by the charisma of all these characters, imagined with a very strong storytelling. But also, the products sold were able to combine practicality, playfulness, and cuteness/trendiness.
Indeed, all ranges of stationery, leather goods, tableware, or even textiles perfectly fit into our daily lives (and thus were justifiable purchases, especially at very reasonable prices). And beyond their cute aesthetics, full of glitter and colors, their design made them “avant-garde” and incredible (erasers shaped like lipstick, pencils or pastels with multiple colors or leads in a single tube, magic pens to reveal invisible drawings on scented papers…). A whole enchanted universe!
And along with these many strengths came the collectible aspect, inseparable from the success of Diddl scented papers. (Mine are still categorized in binders today!).
I still remember all those trips to stationery shops, dreaming in front of the notepads or pencil cases and plush toys. And the joy felt during birthdays and Christmas when a plush toy appeared behind the wrapping paper: a magical time!!
The mouse’s popularity was such that she even became the star of her own magazine in the 2000s: the Diddl Magazine (to which I was, of course, subscribed!)
Diddl is back in stores and in our hearts!
Unfortunately, being strongly tied to a generation, the Diddl brand gradually lost its audience, which had grown too old. Closed in 2014, the brand made a timid attempt to return between 2016 – 2020 before going on standby… And it is back this autumn 2025!
Clearly inspired by the power of nostalgic marketing seen in recent years, the mouse is determined to win back her former fans and perhaps attract a new audience with her Diddl is back collection! Unveiled in early October by the store Kontiki and various retailers, it includes classics (notably peach-scented products) as well as new creations (chocolate-scented), all in a back-to-school spirit.
From pens, notebooks, diaries, jewelry boxes, pencil cases, gloss, writing kits, coloring books, and scented sheets… Sales exploded right from the launch! And of course, some products are limited editions!
Dive back into the universe via the site Diddl France!
Photos: Pinterest
