Ohh Deer has signed a licence with two major museum brands.
The licence with the V&A runs across greeting cards, stationery and gift wrapping, while the collection in collaboration with the Natural History Museum includes a mix of humorous greeting cards, vibrant art prints, and postcards.
The V&A range has been developed to engage broader audiences with the V&A. Coordinating patterns and details from archive assets have been styled, injected with fresh colours and surface treatments to give them vibrancy and appeal.
Speaking about the launch, Ohh Deer co-founder Mark Callaby said: “We feel incredibly fortunate to be collaborating with the V&A – an institution with such a diverse array of works. It’s been a joy for us to explore their archives and bring a fresh, Ohh Deer twist to source material. Our hope is that this collaboration will help the V&A engage with new audiences while complementing the fantastic range of products we already offer.”
The range of 82 SKUs will go on pre-sale across the Ohh Deer wholesale platforms (ohhdeerwholesale.com, faire.com/direct/ohhdeeruk) from today (December 6 2024) and customers can get a chance to see all the new products at one of eight trade shows in January and February. Top Drawer London sees the first official outing in the UK from January 12-14.
The initial range has four different themes (Scalloped, Neon Floral, Cottagecore and Geometric) and includes the use of neon inks, re-coloured artwork, blending different pieces of work together and special finishes including emboss, spot UV and foils.
Ohh Deer creative director and co-founder Jamie Mitchell said: “What I love about my job is being able to throw myself into different universes, and getting to collaborate with the V&A team has been a dream. We wanted to create an offering which carved out its own space within the market, we therefore worked on ways to bring the unexpected to life. Bright bold neons, playful geometric patterns, greeting cards inspired by the cottagecore aesthetic and plenty of things in-between.”
Jon Morse, brand licensing senior creative manager at the V&A said: “Ohh Deer’s enthusiasm for the V&A’s archives was apparent from the very first meeting and it’s been wonderful to see the assets transformed into new colours and compositions. The range presents the museum’s objects through a new lens – dazzling neons and trend-driven cottage-core compositions help us to broaden the appeal of the V&A’s collections. Ohh Deer are constantly pushing the boundaries of and their infinite experimentation with print and substrates ensures their collection is truly unique in this category”
The range will be available for general sale from February 2025 with the 2026 diaries landing in August 2025. Wholesale customers can start placing orders now via their rep, faire.com or ohhdeerwholesale.com.
Natural History Museum range
The Natural History Museum range, which includes a mix of humorous greeting cards, vibrant art prints, and postcards, takes inspiration from the Museum’s vast collection and transforms it into a fresh, fun, and contemporary offering.
Mark Callaby said: “The Natural History Museum has always been my favourite museum thanks to my parents taking me there when I was young and going on many drawing trips during my Illustration Course while at Kingston University. So when the Museum approached us about this opportunity we were just as keen to collaborate. We definitely thought that we’d have to jump some hurdles with the type of humour we wanted to apply to the range… but the teams at the Museum wanted to see our brand shine through. These products really stand out and will look great on the shelves of many stockists.”
The product range has been curated by Jamie Mitchell and his product team. Jamie said: “This range has been especially fun to work on because the Museum really allowed us to bring the fun elements of our brand into the collaboration. I’ve always been fascinated by dinosaurs, so working with the Natural History Museum, known as the home of dinosaurs, has been brilliant.”
Maxine Lister, head of licensing at the Natural History Museum, commented: “Through our collaboration with the incredible Ohh Deer, we have put a fresh twist on the historical illustrations we have tucked away in the Museum’s archives. Together we’ve had fun reimagining them as humorous and colourful products that will allow younger generations to share in the wonder of both the Museum’s collections and the natural world in a whole new way.”
The full range will be on display at all the trade shows that Ohh Deer is attending from January, including Top Drawer London and Spring Fair Birmingham.
