BPMA Unveils New Comic Relief Partnership with Plans to Walk from Earth to the Moon

The British Promotional Merchandise Association (BPMA), the national trade body for the branded merchandise industry, is proud to announce its new partnership with Comic Relief, the iconic UK charity behind Red Nose Day.

Founded in 1985 by the comedy scriptwriter Richard Curtis and comedian Sir Lenny Henry in response to the 1983-1985 famine in Ethiopia, Comic Relief is driven by its vision of a ‘just World’, free from poverty.

Embarking on its 40th anniversary, Comic Relief is no stranger when it comes to using promotional merchandise to drive consumer engagement, most notably through its iconic, ‘red nose’, which has raised over £1 billion to date.

To mark this milestone in style, BPMA has now partnered with Comic Relief to celebrate the power of the red nose by offering its members the opportunity to contribute to this legacy through an incredible walking challenge, and an exclusive ‘Dragon’s Den’ style competition.

Orchestrated by BPMA’s CEO, Phil Goodman, the ‘BPMA Step Up Challenge’ encourages its members to walk 477 million steps, or 238,000 miles – being the distance from Earth to the Moon – to raise £100,000 for Comic Relief between 21st February – 21st March 2025.

Each step and every pound raised will contribute to Comic Relief’s mission to support vulnerable communities across the UK and beyond and will be followed by an exclusive opportunity to for BPMA members to pitch their innovative ideas for new Comic Relief merchandise.

This partnership comes at an exciting time for both organisations as the BPMA recently unveiled its dynamic, new rebrand to celebrate its own 60th anniversary.

Phil Goodman, CEO of BPMA, confirmed: “The Comic Relief red nose is perhaps one of the most iconic pieces of merchandise that is widely recognised and respected by consumers on a national scale. To partner with the charity as a celebration of our own respective anniversaries is a real honour and provides an exciting opportunity for BPMA members to use their creativity and community spirit to support Comic Relief’s vital work.

I now look forward to delivering on our own mission to walk from Earth to the moon and encourage all members to step up together and make a difference!”

Taking place on 21st March 2025, Red Nose Day 2025 will celebrate 40 years of ‘going big, giving big and feeling good together’.

For more information about the BPMA and its partnership with Comic Relief, please visit: