By Allison Watkinson
TLL Reporter
SmileyWorld and Rovio Entertainment’s Angry Birds have signed a global licensing partnership to integrate Smiley icons into Angry Birds mobile games and expand into a broad consumer products program.
The collaboration is set to anchor a yearlong joint marketing campaign in 2027.
The deal, described by both companies as a “landmark collaboration,” will see Smiley icons featured within Rovio’s free-to-play titles Angry Birds 2 and Angry Birds Dream Blast for a limited period. Beyond digital integration, the partnership will produce co-branded consumer product collections and limited-edition merchandise drops timed to campaign peaks. The effort will be supported by style guides built around a shared creative concept the companies call “Emotions Unleashed.”
The partnership is designed to serve as a cornerstone of the 30th anniversary of Smiley icons, which The Smiley Company plans to mark throughout 2027 with brand collaborations, retail campaigns, pop-up events and art trails in major cities worldwide.
Both companies are positioning the partnership around their respective roles in shaping digital communication and mobile entertainment: SmileyWorld through the standardization of emotion-based digital icons, and Angry Birds through its emergence as one of the defining mobile gaming franchises of the early smartphone era.
Nicolas Loufrani, CEO of The Smiley Company, said the collaboration carries particular significance given both brands’ origins in digital culture.
“This collaboration between SmileyWorld and Angry Birds is incredibly meaningful to me,” Loufrani said. “It comes at a special moment as we celebrate 30 years of SmileyWorld, and the role we’ve played in shaping a universal language of digital expression through Smiley icons. From the very beginning, our vision has been about how emotions can travel through screens and connect people everywhere.”
Loufrani added: “Angry Birds has had a similarly profound impact — helping billions of people become familiar with the functions of a smartphone through intuitive, emotional gameplay. Together, we represent two powerful forces that emerged from the digital world and went on to influence global culture in a meaningful way.”
Hanna Valkeapää-Nokkala, vice president of transmedia at Rovio Entertainment, said the two brands share a common focus on emotional expression despite their differing tones.
“SmileyWorld and Angry Birds are like two sides of the same coin,” Valkeapää-Nokkala said. “While the former is all about happiness and the latter embodies explosive emotion, both highlight the importance of our inner worlds.
“Our collaboration is about embracing the full spectrum of our feelings,” Valkeapää-Nokkala added. “By allowing every emotion — from joy to anger — to take flight, we recognize them as a source of energy, guidance and strength.
“Ultimately, this partnership is an invitation for fans everywhere to connect with one another meaningfully through expressive play. We’re excited to bring Smiley into our games and to bring to market a selection of licensed products to delight consumers.”
The campaign will be supported by a 360-degree marketing rollout spanning YouTube collaborations, influencer and social media content, global public relations activity and paid media. Physical retail activations will be tiered, with exclusive product drops aligned with campaign milestones.
The collaboration is timed to coincide with the theatrical release of The Angry Birds Movie 3, scheduled for Dec. 23, 2026. Both companies expect the release to build consumer awareness ahead of the 2027 campaign launch.
For The Smiley Company, 2027 marks 30 years since the original Smiley face expanded into a family of individual Smiley icons — a transition the company credits with transforming how consumers worldwide express emotion in digital communication.