Hamburg, Germany 26th, 2025 – ALDI is launching the popular savings campaign in its Belgian stores for the sixth time. Starting Saturday, August 23rd, customers will be able to collect 30 brand new emoji® Brand Stuxx characters, this time around the theme of ‘house’.
With the start of the new school year in sight, ALDI is once again unleashing the collecting frenzy: from Saturday, August 23rd to Saturday, October 4th, customers can collect 30 new collectible toys. For every €15 purchased, ALDI customers receive a free emoji® Brand Stuxx character. The collectibles can be kept in a collector’s box, which is offered for €2.49 and contains two board games.
Whole emoji® Brand house
The new emoji® Brand Stuxx characters can be found in the different rooms in the house. From ‘Sleepy Baby’ to ‘Telly Tom’: there is an emoji® Brand Stuxx character for every place in the house. «We consciously choose recognizable and inspiring themes. In previous editions, for example, it was music, sports and professions,» says Nancy Van Hulle, Marketing Manager Tactical Campaigns & loyalty at ALDI. «This year, the emoji® Brand campaign brings our customers completely into a homely, cozy atmosphere.»
Special emoji® Brand Stuxx characters
The new collection also includes several special emoji® Brand Stuxx characters. For example, there are six emoji® Brand toppers to be put on pencils, and some with special effects such as the glow-in-the-dark: ‘Cosy Candle’, the glitter character: ‘Glitter Tina’ and the transparent character: ‘Golden Gloria’.
The iconic ALDI bag with the characteristic blue and white pattern will also get its own mini version with the ‘Baggi ALDI’ emoji® Brand Stuxx character this year.
Rewarding loyal customers
The emoji® Brand Stuxx characters are especially popular with young families. «It is the sixth time that we have launched an emoji® Brand savings campaign, and this has been a hit with our customers year after year,» Van Hulle continues.
«We want to reward our customers for their loyalty, especially during the busy and often more expensive month of September. As a discounter, ALDI guarantees the purchasing power of Belgian households with our low ALDI prices and now also with a nice extra.»
ALDI is also launching its loyalty program in all Belgian stores this summer. Via the ALDI app, customers save points with every purchase by scanning their digital ALDI card at the checkout. The ALDI points you have saved can be redeemed for discounts or free products.
«Together with the emoji® Brand collection campaign, our customers will therefore be rewarded twice in September,» concludes Van Hulle.
More than a savings campaign
The emoji® Brand campaign has now grown into more than just collectibles. For example, they are actively used in education by teachers and educators, to explain concepts or to promote language development.
Every year, numerous collecting and trading groups around the emoji® Brand campaign also appear on social media. To lend a hand, ALDI is launching a Facebook group where customers can easily exchange their emoji® Brand Stuxx characters.
A word from the emoji® company
“We are incredibly proud to see the emoji® Brand Stuxx characters returning to ALDI Belgium for a sixth successful edition,” says Marco Hüsges, CEO and Founder of the emoji company. “This collaboration continues to bring joy and creativity into everyday life, especially for families. With this year’s home-themed collection, the emoji® Brand once again connects people through universally relatable moments—with a fun and collectible twist.”
How did you get into licensing (or how did licensing find you)?
Twelve years ago, I was sitting on a beach in Croatia when simply a thought came to my mind that changed everything. Emojis, at that time, were simply something used in digital communication, but they had no commercial footprint in the physical world. There was no emotional lifestyle behind them and no brand. Back then I decided to build something completely new — a lifestyle brand that would bring them into real the life across products, experiences, media and entertainment formats. Licensing was not just a business model for me; it became the vehicle to bring an idea to the world and to spread emotions.
What’s a “typical” day in your current position?
Frankly speaking there is no such thing as a typical day — and that is what I ( still ) love about it. We might be discussing a toy line with a potential client in the morning, reviewing designs from an architect for the openng of our arcade amjusement centers by noon, and laying out a partnership in Asia in the evening.
I really enjoy the variety and creativity the position and the brand brings with it and I love inspiring projects. I attempt to stay close to the creative, the partnerships, the overall-strategy and global growth. I also challenge myself every day to keep the brand fresh and relevant across ages, markets, and cultures.
What’s your biggest personal or professional accomplishment?
Creating the emoji® brand from scratch and turning it into a globally recognized lifestyle phenomenon — without being based on a movie, TV show, or comic is something I am deeply proud of but of course it would not have been possible without the help of our wonderful team, our licensees and our agents all across the globe.
And the idea was not just about licensing icons. It was about creating a full 360° universe that works across toys, fashion, food, entertainment, and location-based entertainment. We built something truly emotional, expressive, timeless and borderless and we did it independently.
What are the most significant trends or changes that you’ve seen in the business in recent years?
I see two major shifts. First, brands today need to live beyond a logo — they need to offer culture, content, and experiences. It is not enough to just be recognizable. Second, consumer attention is fragmented, so the power of short-form content, gaming, and immersive brand experiences has never been more important.
We have responded with our own YouTube series and the upcoming launch of emojiplanet®️ arcade centers that will provide memorable experiences to the entire family. Licensing today is about ecosystems, not just categories.
What keeps you up at night? What’s your biggest challenge these days?
Staying ahead of the curve.
The world changes fast, and our job is to stay one step ahead — creatively, digitally, and culturally. It is all about building real emotional connection and long-term loyalty requires consistency, authencity and constant innovation.
One oft he biggest challenges for brand owners today is standing out in an oversaturated market where attention spans are shrinking and focus and consumer interest shifts faster than ever.
In your opinion, what is the top skill every licensing executive should have in order to succeed?
Vision. Licensing is not just about contracts — it is about seeing what others do not see yet, then making it real. You also need to be resilient, globally minded, and collaborative. The best partnerships are built on shared belief and long-term value creation.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received, or what’s your favorite quote?
Goals without deadlines are just dreams. It is not enough to have an idea or a vision. To succeed you need discipline, timing and the will to execute.
Otherwise, great ideas never leave the page.
Building the emoji® brand taught me that ideas only grow if you dare to scale them globally, emotionally, and confidently.
What is your favorite licensing deal of all time? (It doesn’t have to be one that was signed by you.)
This is really hard to to pick but I have always admired what Sanrio did with Hello Kitty. They build an incredible successful brand without relying on a narrative or storyline unlike many other successful media franchises.
Hello Kitty´s appeal comes from her simple, recognizable design and the fact that she is an emotional blank slate, allowing people to project their own feelings and interpretations onto her. Also the emoji® brand stands for simple, globally recognizable characters that allow companies andconsumers to personalize messages and products and to enhance interactions in a globally understandable way, focussing on simplicity and clarity across different cultures and languages
If you weren’t in licensing, what would you be doing now?
Straight forward speaking, I would probably be somewhere remote, riding horses, exploring wild nature, and figuring out how to build something again from scratch.
Maybe creating a tequila brand – who knows.
I simply love to create and to develop from scratch, whether it is a brand, a business, or just a new way of doing things. Creativity is fun.
The last licensed product I bought was…
I am kind of addicted when it comes down to Snoopy and Peanuts. Lately I bought some Snoopy collectible figurines and a Snoopy plush pillow at Miniso. Besides that I got some Popmart Space Molly x emoji®️ figurines from a store in Vegas.
One of my favorite products that I got in the past is the Harry Potter Tom Riddle Diary. It does work!
